Considering Pulp's lineup has been relatively stable for over 30 years, I really don't think any member would complain if they couldn't/wouldn't return for a second reunion or new recordings and were replaced. They carried on and made two albums after Russell left in 1997 (when they were still selling lots of records) so I think getting other people involved now really wouldn't be an issue.

Jason wrote:

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I would expect something a bit special, considering it's Abbey road and with their senior mastering engineer.

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 Hopefully they've been in touch with you to cross-reference archival live recordings from 1991-'93 

Jason wrote:

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They have, yes.
That's why they're at Abbey road, remastering my Subterrania and Leadmill live tapes and the WLL demos.

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 I hope the 180g gatefold 'Live at The Leadmill' LP comes wrapped in tin foil with a big bogroll bow!

I did briefly think it might be for Jarv Is too but Steve hasn't been involved with the solo material in a decade plus Andrew McKinney is the bassist for the current project. Although I had forgotten about Steve being a producer in his own right, so maybe he has produced the Jarv Is album.

I'd still wager that it's Different Class Silver Anniversary related. According to the original album liner notes, Geoff Pesche (the guy in the photo above) was one of the two people who mastered Different Class in the long hot summer of 1995. (I also see that Blur have announced some odds and sods vinyl and merch to mark Parklife being 25.)

I know it's been stated on here before that there's not much more to release from their all conquering year of '95 but they demo'd 12 songs in Sheffield the week Common People was at number 2. Four of them were unreleased songs until the 2006 reissue so that leaves 8 early versions of album songs which would take up half a disc. Fill it with b-sides, extended/alternate versions of certain songs. First disc of the album alone, remastered (again?!) most likely.I think a Glasto'95 full set (nicely timed to fit onto a CD) is a decent shout too and if they're gonna get all super-deluxe on our asses, you could have a fourth CD of radio sessions/live (Bristol Sound City, Le Top Live/Black Session) and a wealth of 1995/96 TV appearances for a DVD/Bluray (although given YouTube has almost all of that stuff you'd wonder is it worth the hassle to pay for all the licensed content. More home movie footage like they included in the Hits DVD would be great, maybe they'd do new interviews with the band/a making-of doc too).

If it was more vinyl-related they could always redo the album with the much-coveted twelve-in-one covers and have the four singles as reissued 7/12"s. (Were some of the DC singles never issued on vinyl in the first place?)

I'd kinda rather Pulp did an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink reissue all in one go of all the four albums on Island at the same time because the trend for box-set music retrospectives may not still be here in ten years time. Also, Pulp notoriously play down their achievements and probably all have a love-hate relationship with the group so to hope that they do this three or four more times would probably be wishful thinking. A host of less successful groups than Pulp have put out extravagant multi disc/vinyl reissues so I don't think there should be too much concern over commercial viability of anything from the Island years.

After all the above, it's probably something boring and unimaginative now or as you said, related to their production on other artists material!