Best PULP album?

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Which is their best?

I'm going with This Is Hardcore.

― JesusMaryChain, Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:09 (twenty-two years ago)

the obvious answer (different class) is the correct one.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:15 (twenty-two years ago)

What he said.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

No, it's Separations. Really, it is. My Legendary Girlfriend, Death II, Love Is Blind people!

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Different Class, duh. Thematically it's the purest realization of Jarvis' primary concern - the conflation of sexual with class revenge.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I do have a sentimental attachment to This Is Hardcore though. I do think it is the equal to Different Class in quality, even though they're quite different.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:24 (twenty-two years ago)

His n' Hers is my choice.

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I like hardcore more.

― sym (shmuel), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

It is His'n'Hers really but Different Class has grown vastly in esteem over the years for me...

― Allyzay, Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Another vote for His N Hers, but I do think that Hardcore has aged better than the others. It still sounds fantastic but as time goes on, HNH and DC sound more like the Britpop days of yore (i.e. they sound more dated).

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Separations hurrah!!

― Pious Twin (abennett), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Some days my second favorite album is It so anything's possible!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"I Spy" makes me want to go out and lay as many rich/attached girls as possible.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:45 (twenty-two years ago)

This is Hardcore - it wins by one line - the opening line to TV movie

― Jedmond, Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Without that song, Spencer just wants to shake their hands.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually I'll go with "We Love Life" - for two reasons.

first - I don't want anybody to think Pulp didn't go out with a bang.

second - The line "How can a girl have sex/With all those pathetic teenage wrecks" sums up everything that can be said about teenagers.

― Jedmond, Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:49 (twenty-two years ago)

We Love Life is probably #2 for me because it has Wickerman on it, probably the best thing they've ever done.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"we love life" and "intro" are my favourites, but i think "his 'n' hers" is the best.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:00 (twenty-two years ago)

HAW HAW HAW when is there musical coming out I mean seryusly.

I wish I hadn't bothered getting all those GODDAMN full-lengths or else I could have just gotten Pulphits(shits) and then I would have been happy.

SEEriously they sound like goddamn showtunes except for when they sound like the fucking E street band.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember asking various anglophiles why they didn't like Pulp and all them went..."they're so fucking CABARET."

and you know what? They're RIGHT.

I wish I had pulphits.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:01 (twenty-two years ago)

That is so wrong.
But it's funny, so it's all OK.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:06 (twenty-two years ago)

what's the song on Different Class where Jarvis actually starts going LA LA! LA LA LA LA LA LA LA! Seriously every fucking song you can hear the goddamn kick line breaking out.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I think, despite how you feel about Pulp, its a testament to their, erm, prowess that even though Different Class is obviously their best (despite the "Gloria / I think they got your number" rip), there seems to be a lot of different favorites here on ILM.

There sure were some stinkers early on, though, huh? Boy howdy!

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

wtf? DESPITE the laura branigan reference? RUH-EALLY. If anything its Different class despite "F.E.E.L.I.N.W.T.F.E.V.E.R. C.AL..E.D. LOVE.".

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok, OK, agreed. IF you think it is indeed a reference and not just and out and out subconscious rip.

Songwriters, let that be a lesson to you - listen to too much crap music and you'll start stealing from crap artists. I hesitate to tell my "Uncle Albert" story from a few years back....

Not to say that "Gloria" is crap, you know, but, well, it's not something you'd wanna pilfer, right?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:39 (twenty-two years ago)

all pulp albums are patchy. at their worst they sounded like the boomtown rats.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 5 February 2004 09:03 (twenty-two years ago)

The line "your name is Deborah" was originally going to be Gloria, but the powers that be persuaded him to change it and keep the publishing money..

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 5 February 2004 09:11 (twenty-two years ago)

at which point he got sued by marc bolan's estate.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 5 February 2004 09:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Separations is OK. His and Hers - practically unlistenable courtesy of Ed Buller. Different Class - dull, dull, dull. Hardcore - better, even *good* at times. We Love Life is the best and the only one I really play anymore.

Oh and the v.early stuff is unspeakably bad.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 5 February 2004 12:35 (twenty-two years ago)

It is probably Different Class by default because Different Class is the best album ever by anyone ever, but then His'n'Hers is whisker-close runnerup (and probably the second best album ever by anyone ever also). And occasionally Intro (if it counts) which is maybe more overtly Sheffield than any of the others and so makes me superdoubletriple happy. But Different Class is absolute deep-pile Pulp and does everything good anyone else has ever done better than anyone else has ever done them etc etc (kind of)

― Alex in Leeds (Alex in Doncaster), Thursday, 5 February 2004 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

not quite.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 5 February 2004 13:09 (twenty-two years ago)

'Separations' and 'We Love Life' are the only ones I still listen to. 'This Is Hardcore', despite starting strongly with 'The Fear', is a tad too rockist. 'Party Hard' and the one that sounds like Springsteen are simply horrible and Jarv sounds really uncomfortable. I miss 'em, though.

― laticsmon (laticsmon), Thursday, 5 February 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"We love life" I like best and I thought I was the only one...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 5 February 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone heard Jarvis's new stuff. It's really pretty good. Very scaled back and less theatrical.

― danh, Thursday, 5 February 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't quite get why everyone hates on ed buller, but starting an "ed buller: classic or dud?" thread seems a very pointless idea, so nevermind

― tom west (thomp), Thursday, 5 February 2004 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Real answer: Intro. But that's probably cheating, so i'll say Different Class, why not?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 5 February 2004 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

how comes no-one's said 'hits' yet ?

i vote for 'different class'. because it's the best one.

― piscesboy, Thursday, 5 February 2004 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

hey I kinda said hits last night.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 5 February 2004 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

the correct order of the pertinent Pulp albums, best to worst, is as follows: Different Class, We Love Life, His 'n' Hers, This Is Hardcore. Thank you.

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Thursday, 5 February 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

As for their albums being patchy, I can happily listen to His N Hers, Different Class, and We Love Life straight through. They're actually some of the only albums I've listened to in their entirety on a regular basis.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 5 February 2004 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i honestly don't think i've listened to Different Class since 1997. maybe i wouldn't hate it so much if i listened to it again now.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

It would go for "Different Class", but it certainly isn't their only great one. The last time I listened to "I Love Life" I realised what a great album that one was.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

We Love Life has its moments, and so does Hardcore. But I still have a squishy soft spot for His and Hers.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Friday, 6 February 2004 01:01 (twenty-two years ago)

All you kids are fookin' nuts. Pulp were the bestest and, get over yourself, "Disco 2000" is wonderful.

Well, at least I think so.

I'd say Different Class was their best, tho I really like This is Hardcore.

P.S. Complaining about riff theft is sooooo rockist.

― ben welsh (benwelsh), Friday, 6 February 2004 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd go with His'n'Hers.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 February 2004 03:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I got into them with Different Class, but We Love Life has grown (ehm) on me. And strangely, these days I find myself going back to It, which was once described by a friend of mine as "wow, they were so horrible!" but it has its moments. Also think Hardcore is v. good too.

― A Wyck, Friday, 6 February 2004 04:14 (twenty-two years ago)

It has one shining moment of glimmering loveliness on it: In Many Ways. An excellent song, not even that far away from some of the WLL stuff. Blue Girls is good too.

People who like Pulp but hate Disco 2000: dud. Sorry.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 6 February 2004 05:39 (twenty-two years ago)

sigh

not everybody is going to be as enamoured with a song the ten thousandth time they've heard it as the first time.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 6 February 2004 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

No, I don't mean people who think it's overexposed - I have the same opinion about all of Different Class really.

Just some people hate it on principle, as if this sort of silly song with a Gloria riff, stuck in the middle of songs about class and sexual warfare is a bad thing. And that's bad.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 6 February 2004 06:06 (twenty-two years ago)

oh ok fair point

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 6 February 2004 06:07 (twenty-two years ago)

i remember in 96 meeting this cute teenaged english girl who hated british music and luvved luvved luvved contempo amerindie - lot of mixtapes with sebadoh, archers, superchunk - and me being flabbergasted and going 'b-b-but PULP!' and her going all smeagol into gollum and saying 'NO! DISCO 2000 SUXX!' and me feeling some sorta pity for her.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 6 February 2004 06:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Slightly parallel incident at KUCI in 1995-96 -- couple of English guys were over for a year as exchange students and joined up and nearly everyone thought we would end up bonding over Pulp etc. Turns out that Thomas, who was the one I got on well with in particular, hated Britpop and much preferred Metallica and the Prodigy, which was all right by me!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 06:14 (twenty-two years ago)

it was cute really - she REALLY liked the movie Kids.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 6 February 2004 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

no, no, no. his 'n' hers (duh, OBVIOUSLY, even without if you ignore babies it's got fucking PINK GLOVE on it!), then hardcore, then intro (it comes on one record/cd so it counts, k?) then... mm... freaks and different class tie for joint next place.

― emsk, Friday, 6 February 2004 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Further study required.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 6 February 2004 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Without a doubt it's Freaks, if only for Russell's maniacal laugh....

― slacker, Friday, 6 February 2004 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess my problem with His'n'Hers is that he's so damn HUNG UP abou sex that even Bryan Ferry would tell him to chill out. "Acryllic Afternoons" is hilarious when you realize that the Starland frikkin' Vocal Band had a more intelligent take on the subject. I dig "Babies" and the disco numbers but Cocker's so in a tizzy over nothing that the album feels horrifically overwraught. Plus it never rocks.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Please do not post to ILX when not listening to the music.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

what in the hey ya?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

THE TRUE FANS WILL KNOW.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

(More seriously, reread the liner notes to any Pulp album again.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

hey I've got His'n'Hers on CD-R, so I am not ABLE to read the lyrics while listening to the music, you know?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Then you have achieved enlightenment -- and you REFUSE ITS GIFTS

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Seriously, "In a tizzy over nothing" could apply to just about every album.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

True, though I'm more sympathetic to the pop single tizzies than shit like "I Spy."

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

:-(

(Trivia -- said song was attached to the Mission: Impossible soundtrack simply because it had the word 'spy' in the title and was a recent song at the time. Oh dear.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't Tom Cruise banging Jon Voight's wife in the movie, though? Maybe after he drank Voight's brandy and smoked his cigarettes he wanted him to come home unexpectedly one afternoon
And catch THEM AT IT in the front room. GASP!

(actually perusing the lyrics online now I just noticed the line about avoiding the dog turd. That was kinda cute)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I would only accept this particular use of the song in the movie if Spencer Chow replaced Cruise.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

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