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Post Info TOPIC: Pulp Intro
twiggy


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I've tried to do a search but I have no idea what to search for, so I apologize if this has been asked before, but I'm curious...

What Pulp song do you play for people who have never heard Pulp?

It came up a few months ago with an older friend (late 50s, mostly into classic rock, Dylan/Waits/bla bla) who was under the entirely inexplicable impression that Pulp was a shoegazer band.  I played him "Countdown"...we were standing in a Customs line so he didn't make it to the chorus, but he said it sounded like Leonard Cohen, which I took as a compliment.

Another time I wanted to play some Pulp for 2 guys around my age (early 30s) with more eclectic musical tastes; I played them "The Professional", only because I love that song.  They were a little more interested in the steamy video on YouTube than the song, unfortunately, though one of them did end up watching Pulp with me at T in the Park and enjoyed it very much.

Now that I think about it wonder if I should have just played them "Babies"...



-- Edited by twiggy on Tuesday 20th of September 2011 11:13:08 AM

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yankeehotelfoxtrot


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I'm not sure. I have made a cd for a friend in the US and he's treated to This Is Hardcore on disc 1 and Wickerman on disc 2.

I think DYRTFT?, Somethings Changed, Razzmatazz, TIH, Trees... I dunno, I wouldn't wanna throw people right in there with countdown. Some of the effects of the recorded version are a bit tacky, and hard to handle if you don't already have some kind of understanding of the band.

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fredthe3rd


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Wait, there's a video for The Proffessional?!?!?

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twiggy


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fredthe3rd wrote:

Wait, there's a video for The Proffessional?!?!?

No, just a user-made video with some careful editing (though there is a tiny bit of nudity) of some film I don't recognize.



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fredthe3rd


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'could not load movie' - that might just be my phone though...

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twiggy


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yankeehotelfoxtrot wrote:

I'm not sure. I have made a cd for a friend in the US and he's treated to This Is Hardcore on disc 1 and Wickerman on disc 2.

I think DYRTFT?, Somethings Changed, Razzmatazz, TIH, Trees... I dunno, I wouldn't wanna throw people right in there with countdown. Some of the effects of the recorded version are a bit tacky, and hard to handle if you don't already have some kind of understanding of the band.

I agree with DYRTFT or Razzmatazz, but though I personally love the other choices (sauf Wickerman, sorry) I don't think the they would give the listener an accurate first impression of the band.  Or at least, accurate as I see Pulp.  That video of their rehearsal space is a near-perfect visual representation of their music, to me (strip club and all!).



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superchob


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"I Spy" has always been the quintessential Pulp song for me. There's a little something of everything they do so well in there.

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saw119


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I think it's hard if you're a Pulp obsessive to accurately assess a song that will appeal to the uninitiated. Think to yourself what the most popular Pulp songs have been with the general public, Common People, Disco 2000 etc. Personally I wouldn't want to pick those to represent the Pulp worldview. Maybe Lipgloss? Babies does contain a fair amount of Pulp DNA running through it's chords. For me I would probably pick something completely silly like Sheffield: Sex City or This Is Hardcore and completely alienate the first time listener.

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twiggy


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saw119 wrote:

For me I would probably pick something completely silly like Sheffield: Sex City or This Is Hardcore and completely alienate the first time listener.

I think that's probably what I did! biggrin.gif

I don't think most uninitiated Americans would appreciate Common People, though I've found that most music-lovers here have at least heard that song.  Never crossed my mind to pick that one, oddly.



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fredthe3rd


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I have a friend who hates Pulp, but he thinks the opening instrumental of TIH (song) is brilliant! So maybe not entirely dumb a choice, although he once stated that it's "the best opening to the worst song ever" - I don't speak to him much now.

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Pye


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Ive found that showing them a live performance of pulp in action works better. I showed two people a recording of the 2011 reading festival and they thought it was pretty good- especially i spy, feeling called love and sunrise, as well as the obvious disco 2000 and common people



-- Edited by Pye on Wednesday 21st of September 2011 06:53:40 PM

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Eamonn


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I think the ''I Spy'' from Later... is the best example of Pulp at their peak. Visually and musically it's just incredible. A good clip for the uninitiated to watch.

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saw119


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This occured to me. I think I would show the performance of Sunrise from Eden Project to a newbie, it is stunning. I get such a rush of adrenaline watching that performance, in fact I'm gonna watch it now.

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twiggy


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Eamonn, you can guess my complaint about that footage from the "I Spy" performance on Later.... blankstare.gif



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Eamonn


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Hmm...the complete lack of Russ close-ups or the fact that he appears to be wearing an AC Milan shirt from circa 1954?

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twiggy


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Eamonn wrote:

Hmm...the complete lack of Russ close-ups or the fact that he appears to be wearing an AC Milan shirt from circa 1954?

 rofl.gifI almost spit on my computer screen

Yes, the lack of Russell coverage is maddening.  I always hated that jacket; conceptually it should have been great but he just kind of looks like a pumpkin with cute little stick legs



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anet


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Eamonn wrote:

I think the ''I Spy'' from Later... is the best example of Pulp at their peak. Visually and musically it's just incredible. A good clip for the uninitiated to watch.

 Absolutely!  I remembering being mesmerised by that performance when it was first shown. And watching it over and over on the home video recording afterwards. It is so completely perfect, like you say both muscially and visually.



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saw119


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I always hated that jacket; conceptually it should have been great but he just kind of looks like a pumpkin with cute little stick legs

 He's wearing that jacket in a hilarious photo in the 'Pulp edit the NME' issue from 24th February 1996. It accompanies the piece he wrote about touring Japan, sat there with a pen in his mouth trying to look all serious and journalistic.



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twiggy


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blankstare.gif

japan01.jpg

On another note, I just watched the Pulp Hits DVD, which I had years ago but could never watch since I didn't have an All Regions player at the time.  I agree with Lipgloss as a good choice...



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SarahAWilson


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I'm sure I saw someone wearing an identical jacket at the side of the stage at Wireless. A youngish man, during Metronomy I think. Could have been Senior junior I suppose...

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theonewhothrowsthelastbookonthefire


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I think, if someone hasn't heard pulp at all, 'Different Class' is the best introduction. It's not my favorite, but seems to be the one that casual listeners connect with the most.

If someone's already heard the hits, 'Intro' would be a good introduction - it's a good sample of pulp's more adventurous side.

Btw, in reference to the first post, when I first heard 'Countdown' I also thought of Leonard Cohen. Specifically it sounds similar in some ways to his 'First We Take Manhattan', from 1988.

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Deborah


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Eamonn wrote:

I think the ''I Spy'' from Later... is the best example of Pulp at their peak. Visually and musically it's just incredible. A good clip for the uninitiated to watch.

Eamonn, I do agree with you! It's absolutely mesmerising. But actually all their performances on Later are pretty extraordinary.

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fredthe3rd


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I know two people who aren't into Pulp but really like Mile End. I also know two people (one person overlap) who were obsessed with the opening minute of TIH after I played it in a car once.

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