Wow, I'm quite surprised with some views on This Is Hardcore; I think it is my favourite Pulp album. It doesn't really contain any filler for me, I love TV movie e.g. just because it's slower and semi-acoustic unlike most of their songs.

And I'm even more surprised that a lot of you seem to find Sylvia a filler or even worse. I don't dare say it but.. That's my favourite Pulp song from all their songs, bar none

It is difficult to say why This Is Hardcore is so important to me. I mean, I loved Pulp before it came along, I would still have loved Pulp if it had never been released or was different in some way.

But I just connected so much with that album. When you hear an album that starts with the lyrics, 'This is our music from a batchelors den, the sound of loneliness turned up to ten' then shortly afterwards comes, 'This is the sound of someone losing the plot, making out that they're ok when they're not' and you think to yourself, yeah that pretty much sums up my existence, you know you are about to experience an album that will move you, depress you, help you and in some ways even shape you.

So This Is Hardcore doesn't have the unique sound of His n' Hers, Intro or the Sisters EP. It doesn't have the consistency or singles potential of Different Class. But it does have moments that in my opinion peak above all that came before and afterwards.

My favourite Pulp album changes every week, but if really pressed, the first record that comes to mind  in answering that question is always This Is Hardcore. It took my love of Pulp to another level, and as my friends who had previously been into Pulp moved onto newer, perhaps more exciting music, I stayed with Pulp because of This Is Hardcore, and each record I have heard since has failed to match the emotions that album stirred in me.

I'd agree Like a Friend should have been on the album. Hell it should be on every album, it is such a magnificent song. I would however defend A little Soul, TV Movie, Glory Days, The Day After the Revoltion and Sylvia from all the above criticism.

On the subject of TIH can I ask something that has long bugged me, and may be common knowledge amongst Pulp fans for all I know, but what is said at the very end of The Day After the Revolution, after all the 'is overs', bye bye and the lingereing note. It seems to end with, 'I call these bands scum', is this correct and what comes immediately before?

Deebs wrote:

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On the subject of TIH can I ask something that has long bugged me, and may be common knowledge amongst Pulp fans for all I know, but what is said at the very end of The Day After the Revolution, after all the 'is overs', bye bye and the lingereing note. It seems to end with, 'I call these bands scum', is this correct and what comes immediately before?

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 It is a recording from the radio - "God called the expanse "sky"". I've got Jarvis' comments somewhere, I'll copy and paste them here later.

Thanks Ian, years of wondering and now I know.

I remember the first time I listened to The Day After the Revolution I was concerned by the latter part of the song, the finality of it all with all the 'is over's' and the 'bye bye'. Particularly with it being the last track on the album I convinced myself for a while that this was a clear indication that This is Hardcore would be Pulp's last release.

Thankfully I was wrong but maybe at the time the band were planning to stop at this album.

This is Hardcore is perfect if your feeling down. It has its fair share of misery and seedyness to wallow in, but by the end, especially with 'The Day After the Revolution' there is hope for positive change, although maybe only if we change ourselves a little first.

After This is Hardcore, We Love Life. 

I forgot to add, I think the reason I love TIH so much is that around the time I discovered it I was going through a pretty depressive period involving a girl and unrequited love and another guy...

Although none of the lyrics bar TV Movie really touch upon the theme of unrequited love they really struck a chord with me, that feeling of hopelessness, emotional fatigue and self analysis, trying to figure out how one's self allowed it to all go wrong and I ended up interpreting the lyrics in a way that fit the situation. They just rang true. And listening to it a lot really helped me cope and eventually - either directly or indirectly - led me to getting over her. So Jarvis's little speech at the end of TDATR had a whole different perspective for me

Usually when I listen to dark albums in a period when I'm feeling down records such as The Holy Bible, OK Computer and Closer, as brilliant as they all are, I just can't quite relate to them. But my discovery of TIH during one of the emotionally lowest periods of my life felt like a catharsis. And even listening to it now just reminds me of how much it helped me get through the situation.

Really I wouldn't have thought Pulp would be the band to help me get over depression but there you go.

(Apologies if this is a depressing read for any of you!)

I'm glad you like TV Movie and A Little Soul! They are two of my favourite songs! I was a bit miffed reading those first few posts...

Deebs wrote:

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...but by the end, especially with 'The Day After the Revolution' there is hope for positive change, although maybe only if we change ourselves a little first.

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I don't think of it as a depressing album, just a deeper more emotional and engaging album than any of the other Pulp albums.  As I am of a similar age to Jarvis and seem to have a very similar world view, the album struck a chord with me, more so than any other album I have ever heard.  Dishes, Help The Aged, Glory Days and A Little Soul resonated very strongly.

As for the positive change, I did get married three or four months after the album came out, but my wife would probably be the better judge of how positive that change was .

 

ArrGee wrote:

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Deebs wrote:

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...but by the end, especially with 'The Day After the Revolution' there is hope for positive change, although maybe only if we change ourselves a little first.

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I don't think of it as a depressing album, just a deeper more emotional and engaging album than any of the other Pulp albums.  As I am of a similar age to Jarvis and seem to have a very similar world view, the album struck a chord with me, more so than any other album I have ever heard.  Dishes, Help The Aged, Glory Days and A Little Soul resonated very strongly.

As for the positive change, I did get married three or four months after the album came out, but my wife would probably be the better judge of how positive that change was .

 

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It's not a depressive album at all, rather postive i'd say although its tone can be dark sometimes. I was 17 when it came out and it had a huge impact on me, my life and the way i saw/see things. It was more or less "i'm not the only one" although the guy singing was in his mid 30s. To me its the best Pulp record coz it's musically huge and lyrically very profound and meaningful.

 

-- Edited by andy on Thursday 1st of December 2011 03:30:31 PM

Perfect wrote:

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 But I would like a non-vocoder version of "Laides man". 

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 Have you heard the version that Jarvis did live with Air?

I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive the group for leaving Its A Dirty World off the final album. After This Is Hardcore (the song) it may be the most mindblowing track they ever recorded.

My favourite bit in Owen Hatherley's book Uncommon is when he critiques TIH and makes an alternative tracklist with a lot of songs that didn't make the cut. I've always struggled to create an improved tracklisting but I think he nails it with pretty persuasive reasoning (though I disagree with his dissing of certain songs).

I just have the book beside me here, his choices seem to be:

The Fear
The Professional (instead of Dishes)
Party Hard
Help The Aged
This Is Hardcore
Like A Friend (TV Movie dropped)
A Little Soul

Ladies Man
My Erection (Both of these in place of Seductive Barry)

It's A Dirty World (Sylvia makes way)
We Are The Boyz (I'm A Man goes bye-bye)
Cocaine Socialism (no Glory Days)
The Day After The Revolution


He retains some criticism (and praise) for Help The Aged and The Day After The Revolution but offers no substitutes in their place. Even if you don't agree with all the choices his arguments are very-well laid out.