Jarv is

[Brundle-Fly]

Nice to see other people on here who rate Separations. Not as good as His N Hers, but then what is?

Separations is my favourite Pulp phase.

[holyzombiejesus]

Yeah, me too. It's hard to say it without people thinking you're some kind of contrarian or being obscurist, but My Legendary Girlfriend is easily my favourite Pulp single too.

[sutin]

My Legendary Girlfriend is probably my favourite Pulp single too.

[the science eel]

Well, Hardcore has simply never been one of my favourites. I'm probably alone here but i've never been arsed with the title track.

You're not. It's awful.

[crankshaft]

We Love Life > This Is Hardcore >> Different Class > Intro >>> His 'n Hers >>>> The Jarvis Cocker Album. The pre-Island albums don't really do it for me.

[sutin]

We Love Life > This Is Hardcore >> Different Class > Intro >>> His 'n Hers >>>> The Jarvis Cocker Album. The pre-Island albums don't really do it for me.

[sutin]

It's one thing putting that near-perfect solo debut at the bottom, but ranking His 'N' Hers below We Love Life and This Is Hardcore is so wrong it's unfathomable.

[sutin]

You're not. It's awful.

I wouldn't call it awful, but I would call it boring. Listening to it feels too much like homework.

[sutin]

.

[the science eel]

I wouldn't call it awful, but I would call it boring. Listening to it feels too much like homework.

A lot of Britpop stars were similar - had a taste of BIG POP STARDOM with zeitgeist-capturing accessible songs, then 'retreated' to write something more sombre and more 'meaningful'. Almost invariably boring the shit out of their fanbase and anybody else listening.

[holyzombiejesus]

I ended up buying the new album and ... I'm really enjoying it. Only heard the first 2 tracks so far but Must I Evolve is top, even if it has the shitty lyric "Dragging my knuckles whilst listening to Frankie Knuckles".

[sutin]

I ended up buying the new album and ... I'm really enjoying it. Only heard the first 2 tracks so far but Must I Evolve is top, even if it has the shitty lyric "Dragging my knuckles whilst listening to Frankie Knuckles".

I'm glad you came round. Jarv always has the odd lyric that would make me cringe if it was another artist but I find charming coming from him. A bit like your Dad telling a shit joke.

[SteveDave]

I like Jarvis' new LP but I can't help but feel Baxter Dury's taken over his place as the grubby middle-aged man music man. Although I've not heard "The Night Chancers" yet.

[JaDanketies]

A lot of Britpop stars were similar - had a taste of BIG POP STARDOM with zeitgeist-capturing accessible songs, then 'retreated' to write something more sombre and more 'meaningful'. Almost invariably boring the shit out of their fanbase and anybody else listening.

it's hard to keep it real when you're one of the biggest stars of the moment

[phantom_power]

I like Jarvis' new LP but I can't help but feel Baxter Dury's taken over his place as the grubby middle-aged man music man. Although I've not heard "The Night Chancers" yet.

They are good friends. Dury was on an episode of the Bigmouth podcast a couple of months ago and he raved about the album, and said that he sends Jarvis copies of his albums and gets detailed breakdowns of what he thought of each track. I think there is room enough for both of them in the world

[Brundle-Fly]

They are good friends. Dury was on an episode of the Bigmouth podcast a couple of months ago and he raved about the album, and said that he sends Jarvis copies of his albums and gets detailed breakdowns of what he thought of each track. I think there is room enough for both of them in the world

That's uncanny, I just finished that very podcast yesterday. I liked it when Jarvis had to give Baxter a nudge for feedback because he'd been tardy in getting back to him. "Come on mate" It's nice to know Jarvis still obviously cares tremendously about his output.  And yes, both room for Cocker and Dury.

[phantom_power]

That's uncanny, I just finished that very podcast yesterday. I liked it when Jarvis had to give Baxter a nudge for feedback because he'd been tardy in getting back to him. "Come on mate" It's nice to know Jarvis still obviously cares tremendously about his output.  And yes, both room for Cocker and Dury.

Not just cares about his output but that of others as well. I have just finished that podcast myself. Dury seems like a good fella, though a bit of a wild card

[SavageHedgehog]

A lot of Britpop stars were similar - had a taste of BIG POP STARDOM with zeitgeist-capturing accessible songs, then 'retreated' to write something more sombre and more 'meaningful'. Almost invariably boring the shit out of their fanbase and anybody else listening.

Always accompanied by a bit of posturing about how "uncompromising" and "difficult"  the album is. I think Pulp said that This is Hardcore had had "all the tracks that sounded like singles junked", which was nonsense.I liked the album though.

[Oz Oz Alice]

Did they say that? That's absolutely ridiculous: Help The Aged, Dishes and A Little Soul are the twee-est they got since Jarvis was singing of love and then lighthouses. Seductive Barry and the title track aside it's pretty much shiny pop songs isn't it?

[Head Gardener]

I quite like that song he does about The Cunts are Running The World, but little else

[Brundle-Fly]

Not just cares about his output but that of others as well. I have just finished that podcast myself. Dury seems like a good fella, though a bit of a wild card

I'm quite new to Bigmouth. I rather like it.  Baxter Dury? Well yeah, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say. I've always admired his evenhanded take on his old man. Clearly, respects and loves him but knows he could be an awkward bastard too.

[crankshaft]

Did they say that? That's absolutely ridiculous: Help The Aged, Dishes and A Little Soul are the twee-est they got since Jarvis was singing of love and then lighthouses. Seductive Barry and the title track aside it's pretty much shiny pop songs isn't it?

Help The Aged is about realising you're not young any more, that growing up means growing old, that isolation, loneliness and death are inevitable ("and if you look very hard, at the lines upon their face / you may see where you are headed, and it's such a lonely place")

A Little Soul is about a deadbeat father hoping that his estranged son will turn out to be a better man than his father ever was.

I mean, say what you want musically but I don't think either of these songs are lyrically twee.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

It feels wrong to say, but I'm just not that fussed about this new record. I love Pulp, but Cocker's previous solo efforts were utterly inessential and that House Music single hasn't convinced me this will be any different. I'll probably ask for it for Christmas.

Help The Aged is about realising you're not young any more, that growing up means growing old, that isolation, loneliness and death are inevitable ("and if you look very hard, at the lines upon their face / you may see where you are headed, and it's such a lonely place")

I thought it was about shagging old folk.

[Oz Oz Alice]

I'm talking musically and referring to twee as a musical style rather than a description of lyrical content: The Pastels for one have written some fairly grim material, or Heavenly's PUNK Girl EP that I can hardly bring myself to listen to (in a good way). I don't mean twee as an insult by any means. The point I'm making is its no more a difficult sell commercially than the Manics contemporary material: huge hits about suicidal ideation and the collapse of industry. 

[Brundle-Fly]

It feels wrong to say, but I'm just not that fussed about this new record. I love Pulp, but Cocker's previous solo efforts were utterly inessential and that House Music single hasn't convinced me this will be any different. I'll probably ask for it for Christmas.
I thought it was about shagging old folk.

Cocker also said Help The Aged was a bit of self satire regarding the band's inevitable descent after their Britpop heyday. Makes sense given the Pop star navel gazing of TIH.

[sutin]

Cocker's previous solo efforts were utterly inessential

Except his first solo album which we have now all agreed is one of the best things he's ever done.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I disagree.

[crankshaft]

I also disagree, but nice try.

[Custard]

Yeah, it's shit

[Oz Oz Alice]

One or two good tracks but makes you realise the rest of Pulp must have contributed more than originally met the ear.