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Sturdy


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lipglossed wrote:

The first three Pulp albums, in a way, sort of represent the battle of these idealistic, talented young musicians to escape the dreary malaise of Thatcherism and the environment they find themselves in, they sort of use that environment, reclaim it, and weaponise it to reach success (he wanders round Sheffield in 'Blue Glow', and then in 'My Legendary Girlfriend' he finds the city he's stuck in provides a way out, because he can take his experience and push it out all the way to the right musical places). And Mark of the Devil sort of exemplifies the band that's bursting to break free, the Hyde to Freaks' Jekyll, and Separations is a sort of musical manifestation of that dichotomy. Which is an absolutely bullshit teleology to impose onto a band, but there you go.

Not bullshit at all! I think there's a lot of truth in that. Owen Hatherley makes some very similar points in Uncommon (about the band in the 80s I man, not Mark of the Devil specifically).



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lipglossed


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Sturdy wrote:
lipglossed wrote:

The first three Pulp albums, in a way, sort of represent the battle of these idealistic, talented young musicians to escape the dreary malaise of Thatcherism and the environment they find themselves in, they sort of use that environment, reclaim it, and weaponise it to reach success (he wanders round Sheffield in 'Blue Glow', and then in 'My Legendary Girlfriend' he finds the city he's stuck in provides a way out, because he can take his experience and push it out all the way to the right musical places). And Mark of the Devil sort of exemplifies the band that's bursting to break free, the Hyde to Freaks' Jekyll, and Separations is a sort of musical manifestation of that dichotomy. Which is an absolutely bullshit teleology to impose onto a band, but there you go.

Not bullshit at all! I think there's a lot of truth in that. Owen Hatherley makes some very similar points in Uncommon (about the band in the 80s I man, not Mark of the Devil specifically).

 Cheers, maybe I'm cribbing a little from Uncommon (it's certainly influenced my thoughts).

One thing I remember reading from Freaks, Weeds, Mis-Shapes is the irony that 'Countdown' is basically Jarvis disowning Sheffield and moving to London and pastures new, and then Sheffield - and his youth there - would be pillars of the Pulp works to come. Quite funny in retrospect.



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lipglossed


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Unpopular Pulp Opinions
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OK, more unpopular opinions.

'Bad Cover Version' is the weakest track on We Love Life. Sorry, I know we all love the "list of rehashed crap", but to me the song sounds so dated. I appreciate the video, but as for the song, it's one of two Pulp tentpole singles - the other being 'Sorted' - that I feel hasn't aged particularly well. The lyrics are smart but I wish they'd done more with the melody. It would've been a good Xmas single, but that might be one of its biggest shortcomings, because it wasn't one. I could take it or leave it, personally.

'David's Last Summer' is one of the single-greatest Pulp tracks. It's their best album-ender, and it is sorely underappreciated and overlooked. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's their best spoken-word track, ranking above the likes of 'Sheffield: Sex City' and 'Wickerman'. They all have wonderful, evocative lyrics, but I love how much DLS feels like a story.

'Dishes' is really, really good. The guitar solo is probably the loveliest instrumental solo in Pulp's history, absolutely adore it.



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hairstyleofthedevil


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lipglossed wrote:

'Bad Cover Version' is the weakest track on We Love Life

 ouch! I'd thumb down the title track, not sure how unpopular an opinion that is....



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ArrGee


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lipglossed wrote:

'David's Last Summer' is one of the single-greatest Pulp tracks. It's their best album-ender, and it is sorely underappreciated and overlooked. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's their best spoken-word track, ranking above the likes of 'Sheffield: Sex City' and 'Wickerman'. They all have wonderful, evocative lyrics, but I love how much DLS feels like a story.

'Dishes' is really, really good. The guitar solo is probably the loveliest instrumental solo in Pulp's history, absolutely adore it.

 Cant be that unpopular as I agree.



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lipglossed


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ArrGee wrote:
lipglossed wrote:

'David's Last Summer' is one of the single-greatest Pulp tracks. It's their best album-ender, and it is sorely underappreciated and overlooked. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's their best spoken-word track, ranking above the likes of 'Sheffield: Sex City' and 'Wickerman'. They all have wonderful, evocative lyrics, but I love how much DLS feels like a story.

'Dishes' is really, really good. The guitar solo is probably the loveliest instrumental solo in Pulp's history, absolutely adore it.

 Cant be that unpopular as I agree.

 I've seen a fair few Pulp fans A) overlooking DLS, or saying they'd swap it out for elements of the Sisters EP, and B) dismissing Dishes because they feel its lyrics are trite and self-indulgent. It's a shame, I think they're excellent songs.



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lipglossed


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hairstyleofthedevil wrote:
lipglossed wrote:

'Bad Cover Version' is the weakest track on We Love Life

 ouch! I'd thumb down the title track, not sure how unpopular an opinion that is....

 It's probably in the bottom three on the album for me, but "Here comes your bedtime story: Mum and Dad have sentenced you to life" is a very good lyric, so that wins it back some bounty points IMO.



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Eamonn


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hairstyleofthedevil wrote:
lipglossed wrote:

'Bad Cover Version' is the weakest track on We Love Life

 ouch! I'd thumb down the title track, not sure how unpopular an opinion that is....

 

I agree. BCV rules. Say it ain't so, Sam disbelief



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lipglossed


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Eamonn wrote:
hairstyleofthedevil wrote:
lipglossed wrote:

'Bad Cover Version' is the weakest track on We Love Life

 ouch! I'd thumb down the title track, not sure how unpopular an opinion that is....

 

I agree. BCV rules. Say it ain't so, Sam disbelief

 It's the one song that just hasn't clicked for me. Just doesn't do anything for me at all. Maybe I'm the problem.



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Eamonn


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Well, I agree with you on Dishes. Love, love playing along to it on piano from the TIH songbook.

How do you feel about Roadkill? For me, it's one to be admired more than enjoyed and of everything on the final Pulp record, kinda signposts the way towards Jarvis-solo the most.

He has made a fair bit of latter material out of a little musical phrase propelling a song (as many musicians do), and the little descending trio of notes and strummed resolved chord used on Roadkill kind of annoys me at times due to the sheer repetition (see also "Slush" - I'd include Angela and Pilchards here but they're fast and fun).



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Ian


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Whilst I still like "Wickerman", I don't think that it has aged as well as any of its counterparts (This is Hardcore, I Spy, Sheffield: Sex City, Deep Fried in Kelvin etc). There was a time where I considered this track alone to be worth the asking price of the album but now I think that it just works well as an album track.

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ArrGee


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lipglossed wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
lipglossed wrote:

'David's Last Summer' is one of the single-greatest Pulp tracks. It's their best album-ender, and it is sorely underappreciated and overlooked. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's their best spoken-word track, ranking above the likes of 'Sheffield: Sex City' and 'Wickerman'. They all have wonderful, evocative lyrics, but I love how much DLS feels like a story.

'Dishes' is really, really good. The guitar solo is probably the loveliest instrumental solo in Pulp's history, absolutely adore it.

 Cant be that unpopular as I agree.

 I've seen a fair few Pulp fans A) overlooking DLS, or saying they'd swap it out for elements of the Sisters EP, and B) dismissing Dishes because they feel its lyrics are trite and self-indulgent. It's a shame, I think they're excellent songs.

I mustnt know many Pulp fans  The only track on His n Hers that I would replace is Someone Like The Moon as it doesnt fit in.  I dont think that is an unpopular opinion Would have been a good B-side.  The other Sisters EP tracks and Youre a Nightmare would have been better. 



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Ian


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I would keep "Someone Like the Moon" but swap out "Happy Endings". The "round and round and round" bit annoys me plus the substandard vocals and lack of a second verse means it falls a long way short of the Walker ballad it was supposed to be. Not sure what I'd put in its place, "Street Lites" and "Seconds" would have been good album tracks.

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Beta


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I don't really care for the second Jarvis solo album. I only like a few off the first. I agree that Relaxed Muscle is the better of the solo stuff.
I prefer his off-shoots/collabs better than the solo album propers. Like for example:
I Can't Forget - Leonard Cohen cover
Walk like a Panther - bbc version with Jarvis on vocals.
Into U - Jarvis/Mazzy Star mashup.
Elvis has Left the Building - Jarv Is era
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis collab
Aline

And toss in some of the solo tracks in between.

I find His & Hers depressing yet I am a fan.

Different Class is not my favorite.

I think Common People is both brilliant but yet overly hyped.

We Love Life is way better than DC.

"Underwear" is extremely overrated and I don't understand the fan obsession for it.







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