Ian wrote:

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Had a listen to some of it this morning, the Country version of "Mastermind" was very unexpected.

The last two albums did come with bonus discs when they were released first time round so I'm guessing they didn't see the value in reissuing them so soon.

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I thought they had reissued those with different material on the second disks?

 

He's a funny fecker Hannon but sometimes it gets a bit too fey/silly for my tastes. So I couldnt justify spending £100 on a career retrospective as I would only dig half to two thirds of it.

Ian wrote:

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Had a listen to some of it this morning, the Country version of "Mastermind" was very unexpected.

The last two albums did come with bonus discs when they were released first time round so I'm guessing they didn't see the value in reissuing them so soon.

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Did you get the boxset ? I ordered mine but it wont come until the 16th and it says on the tracklisting that there will be bonus tracks we didnt have before for Foreverland and Office Politics. It was supposed to be released last august but got delayed and in the meantime they included those two records that werent there in the first place if i remember well. Guess they forgot to add them to streaming platforms 

the deluxe version released before included tracks that were not from those sessions. 

https://thedivinecomedy.tmstor.es/?page=splash2&splash=5e61167ea4337

I think the second disc last year was Swallows and Amazons - music specifically for some stage show. The reissue bonus disc of Office Politics is demos and outtakes from the actual album as per the other expanded albums.

Wish there was a demo of A Feather In Your Cap on it. One of my favourite songs he's ever done. Can well imagine Jarvis/Pulp performing it.

I think it's a couple of tracks too long (the synth superstore frenzy and Removal Furniture Company are as annoying as they are amusing).

Anyway, seductivebarry of this parish has taken ownership of the boxset and says that Jarvis gets a couple of mentions in the liner notes.

Sturdy wrote:

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Wow, just gone and checked them all on Spotify. The riches! Still kind of want the proper releases though so I can geek out over the sleevenotes and such.

Happy 1000th post by the way...

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 Thanks - now I am Legendary!   Only 2 of us.  Now only one Boss 

As an aside, I picked up Casanova for 50p from local charity shop today to play in the car. Despite listening to it countless times on Deezer, Spotify and the like, I never owned it.  What a bargain!  

A few years ago I used to rummage through the vinyl picking up LPs for £1 or less, but now its CDs. 

Well thanx to computers we can now make our own tracklistings innit 

I like Office Politics the way it is, but lucky you Neil said he cut few tracks before the release. Probably the ones that are bonus tracks on the new box set.

seductivebarry wrote:

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The box set is brilliantly put together. The notes for each album are intriguing- Neil seems to be the first to admit that ambition turned him into a bit of an arse during the first few albums. And the notes for Regeneration are written as almost an apology.

Theres a couple of Jarvis references and a Pulp one too - its explicitly mentioned that Pulp are an influence of his. Which is kinda funny as I seem to remember that Jarvis has previously expressed a bit of a dislike for TDC...

A bit disappointing that they released the box set but didnt include the remixed version of Promenade....which is well worth a listen as its even better than the original. Something I didnt think would be possible.

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To be fair to Neil, most important acts of the 90s were probably assholes back then. I mean, it was a very different times and they were all over the news all time. they were kings and queens. A bit like the Beatles. Must have been hard to keep the feet on the ground. 

I suspect Jarvis always felt a bit threatened by Neil because he was the only lyricist of his time to be able to compete with him. And they were both very popular in France before making it in England. Making similar music. 

and then, When you spend 20 years trying to make it and something as good as DC comes up, i mean... 

-- Edited by andy on Monday 12th of October 2020 07:39:07 AM

andy wrote:

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To be fair to Neil, most important acts of the 90s were probably assholes back then. I mean, it was a very different times and they were all over the news all time. they were kings and queens. A bit like the Beatles. Must have been hard to keep the feet on the ground. 

-- Edited by andy on Monday 12th of October 2020 07:39:07 AM

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That's a fair point, I guess Neil has always come across as a nice chap to me. The disbanding of the 'original' band seems to have been a disagreement over money - going down the usual arrangement of song writer having more whilst the others wanting what Pulp seemed to so and share out evenly. I can imagine Jarvis being a bit of an arse at times but Neil not so. Then again, when I was the Duckworth Lewis Method in Birmingham he was in a stinking mood and clearly didn't want to be there. I guess less is known about Neil as he hasn't been in the public eye so much. 

Just found the bit about Jarvis and Neil. Perhaps it's not as much a dislike as I remembered: "Did you and Jarvis once have an argument about an anorak? That has a basis in truth. Jarvis and I once did a joint cover shoot for a French magazine. I turned up wearing an anorak, basically, because I had no clue. It got back to me afterwards that Jarvis had been outraged. The phrase he used was Youve got to live it (referring to being a pop star, presumably). Afterwards, I thought Hmmm He was probably right. But we never had a face-to-face argument."

Eamonn wrote:

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*15 years....it took DC about 5.


It is interesting that TDC released their Greatest Hits/Best Of at their commercial peak and it nearly got to number 1. But they only had one top ten hit (National Express - which, personally, is another of their songs I find a bit annoying even if it's undoubtedly an earworm) so a lot of songs on that compilation; buyers would have been hearing for the first time. Whereas Pulp Hits contained a lot more recognisable songs but absolutely bombed. All about timing, I guess.

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I think the fact that TDC released the greatest hits compilation whilst they were still selling records was the reason it sold well. The bonus CD would have certainly helped shift more copies (it convinced me to buy it even though I had already bought all the albums and singles up to that point). Also, consider Pulp's "Countdown 1992-1983" compilation, released at the height of their fame and despite very little promotion and Jarvis' telling fans not to buy it in the mainstream press, it ended up in the top 10.

I remember someone saying at the time that [Pulp's] "Hits" probably flopped because everyone who wanted their greatest hits had already bought "Different Class". Also, those wishing to spread their wings a bit would have bought "His n Hers", "This is Hardcore" and possibly "Intro", so they effectively had everything on there.

If I remember rightly, TDC also promoted the compilation with two singles (a re-recording of "The Pop Singers' Fear of the Pollen Count" and "Gin Soaked Boy", the former reaching the top 20), whereas Pulp didn't, it had been 6 months since "Bad Cover Version".

I suspect Jarvis has always been jealous of Neil, coz Hannon is a one man band that can do it all, when Jarvis needs (a bit) of help

Also the comment about the lyrics, if true, is unfair. DC has fun and comical lyrics. Maybe that's what bothers Jarv ? He said he never got into the Beatles for the same reason.

-- Edited by andy on Monday 12th of October 2020 03:49:24 PM

True dat. I wonder how a new Pulp compilation would have fared had it been released during the reunion.

From the Hits tracklisting, add Misshapes/Mile End*/Like A Friend*/After You (as the promo single) and remove Underwear and Miner's Strike.

*Not singles or hits but among Pulp's most popular/streamed songs post-split.