This is all very exciting. A little flat on first listen but its really grown on me, a great portent for the album.

Have to say I dont understand the bellyaching about the video. Its a gentle prod at AI, nothing more nothing less. And thats why we have a video - its a way of creating a talking point when otherwise no ones paying for a proper video (see also the three week recording schedule, with due credit to increased band discipline!).

It's just the Internet isn't it where people seem to react too quickly without properly reading something or listening or watching and then totally missing the point. I'd say too many just didn't read the text in the video. I miss the pre Internet days sometimes but then I remember WLL coming out and feeling like the only Pulp fan around. This time round it's more collective because I can read all of your thoughts on it too. Pros and cons to everything.

I do think the argument that 'people who don't like it just haven't read the words properly' does fall flat for me. You can ingest the message and understand the intent of the video and still feel let down by it, I think.

Anyway, I've already made my thoughts clear about this.

Eamonn wrote:

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I still think you were bang-on with a lot of what you wrote.

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 I appreciate that, although I hope I didn't get too carried away with it.

Anyway - what do we think will be single #2 folks? Got To Have Love, or Background Noise? Or maybe one of the ones we haven't heard yet?

Oh, and fascinated what the three totally unknowns might sound like - Tina, Grown-Ups and Total Eclipse Of The Heart.

Eamonn wrote:

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Ian made a good observation about the weighting of ballads on the album hopefully not being too top-heavy. I think one of the two you mention is most likely.

But...My Sex has a groove and amazing lyrics that will get public attention. Does it have enough of a hook for public consumption? Not sure but I think it's going to be a stand-out track on the record.

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I agree 'My Sex' sounds like Pulp's best song since 'Wickerman', and a crucial addition to the Pulp Canon. Great lyrics and great groove get it out there!

I do love 'Background Noise' (I think it's stronger than 'Spike Island', which I do still like).

Moreover, I've noticed that the Pulp record bundle on the shop includes a lyric sticker from 'Farmers Market' ("Ain't it time we started living?") seeing as the 'Spike Island' MV concludes with "maybe we need to consider other ways of coming alive", perhaps it's hinting at FM being the next single?

Thinking about past Pulp albums:

His 'N' Hers: singles were Lipgloss (track 2), First Time? (track 8 vinyl/9 cd), Babies reissue (track 5 cd)
Different Class: singles were Common People (track 3), Mis-Shapes (track 1), Sorted (track 7), Disco 2000 (track 5), Something Changed (track 8)
This Is Hardcore: singles were Help the Aged (track 4), This Is Hardcore (track 5), A Little Soul (track 7), Party Hard (track 3)
We Love Life: singles were Sunrise (track 11), Trees (track 4), Bad Cover Version (track 9)

Out of those, I'd argue Different Class's were all kind of key singles, Lipgloss and Help the Aged were both released quite early, and generally it's pretty widely dispersed. Really, they've had big singles on every position from 1-5 and also 8.

I think you're right though, bands rarely lead with their strongest track (perhaps to make sure it doesn't overshadow the rest of the album). Blur's Girls and Boys is a notable exception in that they put the biggest hit first.

This is a really great thread - lots of truths. lipglossed or anyone in this thread have your read Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture : Kyle Chayka or Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist bu Liz Pelly. Really recommend. I dislike Spotify so so much. I was a late user due to some project at my work and it really messed about my passion for music as it became about 'consumption'. Have gone back to being only physical media and actually "living" with albums / CDs.

For something generated in this way I was taken aback by how much it got a very human response from me ie. tears in my eyes. That spooked me because I am on the side of it being deeply unethical to artists, authors, musicians and creative workers and feeding the data beast of Big Tech. AND dont get me started on the planet guzzling resources it takes to feed it.

With the stealing of artists (like himself) to train models / regurgitate theft ie your LibGens it will come with pushback that I would love to hear him unpack a little more.

Still unsure if it passes the pub test for me but I do like that once you get past Jarvis the prompt engineer the video has a good message -- that there is still a need for human interaction + AI is flagrantly dodgy but gives a really good impression of being able to turn human ideas into real-world creations (which people seem to be ok with) + and is clearly labelled and identified as AI generated so viewers can make the decision to watch or pass.

There was controversary over the TIH cover (and rightly so) even Peter Saville thought it was problematic at the time and still does.

Its all very interesting to read over and see all the for and against. I understand that generative AI is very emotional for folks trying to grapple with its """""ethics""""" I work in libraries and every conference I go to there is a lot of AI content so I have lots of thoughts on it and really like reading about it. It is both impacting and streamlining my work. 

I dig the song very much (how gold is the line 'I exist to do this, shouting and pointing') and I cant quite believe that we are eyeballing a new Pulp album. I am super pumped.