The Sisters EP is probably the most life-changing record I've ever bought, was already obsessed with Babies having only managed to hear it two or three times on the radio, but then to discover that the other three songs were fantastic was quite a discovery, even if it gave an unrealistic view of what all "indie" band singles would be like. Already had Suede's equally high-quality Stay Together single in the collection. Being 13, it seemed like the right direction to go in and move on from parent-friendly AOR.
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 15:01 (five years ago) link
I hate that they didn't retain the segue between Your Sister's Clothes and Seconds on the delxue reissue. A seemingly minor detail which loses a lot when removed.
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 15:07 (five years ago) link
I forget how much of Britpop and proto-Britpop is actually just new wave music. The Oasis school of Britpop, no, but His'N'Hers, Parklife, yes definitely.
― frame casual (dog latin), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 15:12 (five years ago) link
Yeah, that's pretty OTM. Blur, Pulp, Elastica and even Sleeper fit into this category. I don't think "new wave" when I think of Suede, but I do (like Blur) think of Bowie.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 15:19 (five years ago) link
I don't want to turn this into yet another all purpose '90s British guitar music thread, but for all the comparisons made with a certain '60s guitar band, I hear more of a T. Rex/Slade influence in early Oasis, as well as small things cribbed from shoegaze ('Columbia'), punk (Liam's delivery) and baggy (again, 'Columbia') ...
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 15:26 (five years ago) link
I've read that detailed Mark Sturdy book about Pulp a few times, though not in years, so can't remember why Babies was on the album. Was it simply that Island saw it as a hit that got away and they insisted on it keeping it?
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 15:50 (five years ago) link
i remember in 1997 listening to a mixtape i made myself with some of the songs from this album on it -- over and over -- for like 5 months or so -- i was 22 and in a "complicated" relationship -- i don't think i could pick a song other than one of the ones on that tape:
LipglossHave You Seen Her Lately?Do You Remember the First Time?Pink Glove
-- though I was listening to the actual album a month or so back, and I feel like "Happy Endings" is really great, it's like one of those songs that is perfect when you are sobering up and the maudlin is kicking in
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:00 (five years ago) link
i also kinda feel like people's choices here are gonna definitely be informed by gender and sexual orientation ... like, reading this thread and not seeing the majority of posters going for "pink glove" ... and then, the realization ... there are a lot of straight cis-men on ilx
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:04 (five years ago) link
i for one am probably going for "pink glove"
it also nearly won the previous poll
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:19 (five years ago) link
I would have guessed Pink Glove was likely to win purely based on posts so far
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:20 (five years ago) link
Yeah, that one's been mentioned quite a lot!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 16:27 (five years ago) link
It def seems like it’s between that and babies!
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:00 (five years ago) link
I am another person who voted for Pink Glove, but it was very close between that and She's a Lady. If I'd read the comments first I might have voted the other way to show it a little love! Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma she's a great song!
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:04 (five years ago) link
it's a great interpretation for sure
― imago, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:06 (five years ago) link
'Pink Glove' is Pulp's best song.
― Gavin, Leeds, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:06 (five years ago) link
I ran the original Pulp poll, so I feel obligated to link it! I uh... I used the same thread title, naturally.Do You Remember The First Poll? - ILM Artist Poll #11 - PULP - Results Thread!
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:10 (five years ago) link
thanks ilx for showing me that this board isn't just full of Turricans
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:29 (five years ago) link
Pink Glove, although there are great arguments to be made for literally any song here.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:34 (five years ago) link
can't remember why Babies was on the album. Was it simply that Island saw it as a hit that got away and they insisted on it keeping it?Like I said, it was still the time of major labels including one bonus track on CD to justify the higher price - but yes, probably Island did see its hit potential, especially given that they’d already released it on an album about six months before, and would release the remix with a new video a few weeks later.
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:40 (five years ago) link
I used to do a blog where I wrote about every Pulp track, still mean to finish it one day. Here are the entries for this LP, if anyone's interested
JoyridersLipglossAcrylic AfternoonsHave You Seen Her Lately?BabiesShe's a LadyHappy EndingsDo You Remember the First Time?Pink GloveSomeone Like the MoonDavid's Last Summer
My vote, boringly, is for Babies. Worst track for me is Joyriders, though I used to like it a lot. The B-sides from this era are amazing.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:43 (five years ago) link
also, considering this is ilx, i don't feel like it's too nerdy to talk about "joyriders" in relation to Suede's "we are the pigs"
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:45 (five years ago) link
I honestly can't get on board with this "'Babies' as bonus track on the CD edition" theory, particularly as more people were buying on CD rather than vinyl by 1994 and a lot of record stores had begun to or had already stopped stocking vinyl in huge quantities. It's plausible that Island picked up on 'Babies' as a potential hit single and pushed to get it on the album, however I think that the UK CD edition (minus Razzmatazz) is ultimately the record the band wanted to release. It would make sense to drop 'Babies' from the vinyl as it brings the runtime down to about 45 minutes which is reasonable vinyl album length without compromising sound quality.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:50 (five years ago) link
also, considering this is ilx, i don't feel like it's too nerdy to talk about "joyriders" in relation to Suede's "we are the pigs"― sarahell, Tuesday, April 9, 2019 5:45 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― sarahell, Tuesday, April 9, 2019 5:45 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
This hadn't occurred to me before, but I guess the vocal line of the former does bear a similarity to the opening guitar riff of the latter!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:52 (five years ago) link
Both produced by Ed Buller, Dog Man Star was the album he produced immediately after His 'n' Hers, but maybe you know this already and I'm being patronising, sorry!
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 17:59 (five years ago) link
I remember being a bit thrown when I found out Ed Buller had produced this - it doesn't sound anywhere near as much of a reverb fest as his '90s work with Suede does!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:03 (five years ago) link
xp - uh, i was thinking more along the lines that they are "political" songs whereas most of the rest of the songs of the album are relationship / emo / personal type stuff?
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:04 (five years ago) link
To hear what Ed Buller did, compare Pink Glove to the Peel Session version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLGfuMmpj38 - or just listen to Someone Like The Moon, he should probably get a writing credit on that one.
Don't know if Joyriders is political, I agree it's trying to sound like it's political, sure, but it's all drama really.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:12 (five years ago) link
Agh, didn't mean it to embed sorry!
I most closely associate Pulp's prime with Suede's.
― Yerac, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:15 (five years ago) link
I remember some Jarvis vs Morrissey karaoke or dj nights and I always thought it should've been Brett vs Jarvis. All of it is like sleeping on a pile of wire hangers, though (in a good way).
― Yerac, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:18 (five years ago) link
Weirdly, I've never warmed to this record; I look at the song titles and think, "Wait, how does this one go?"
That said, "Pink Glove" and "Do You Remember...?" are the standouts.
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:20 (five years ago) link
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, April 9, 2019 11:20 AM (two minutes ago)
okay, thank you! I have a very soft spot for "Have You Seen Her Lately?" but I'm sure a lot of that is personal associations ... but it's kinda like polling Smiths songs, where a lot of the appeal for some people is "relatable content"
― sarahell, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 18:24 (five years ago) link
leaning towards Babies, but I gotta spin it again to make sure.
― to halve and half not (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 20:30 (five years ago) link
I'm going for Acrylic Afternoons - but to be honest i'd go for Razzmatazz and definitely anything from Sisters over most of this - despite adoring it as an album... Sisters is by far their best release.
Jarvis obviously realises how fucking good His N Hers the song is because it got revived for those 2011 shows, and he's playing it on current solo tours.
i am dropping this here just because it should be in this thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDzn6vNrt0o
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Tuesday, 9 April 2019 21:48 (five years ago) link
There's just something so emotionally wrenching to me personally about all the His 'n' Hers material, even the earlier non-EP B-sides which I didn't get to hear until many years later. Different Class was an incredibly exciting time - especially getting to attend the Leeds gig right after Glastonbury - but the impact of the new album's release was dampened somewhat by already knowing most of the songs in advance due to their appearances on singles and broadcast live gigs. For entirely non-contrary reasons I'll always believe that His 'n' Hers was the perfect era, even if they only managed a small fraction of what they achieved culturally in the following two years
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 22:10 (five years ago) link
this album is alright, i just felt it was not as consistent as the next three by them which i love to death. i even think i like the B-Sides from this era better. i think "Babies" is the first song i ever heard by Pulp so hard not to vote for it here.
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 9 April 2019 23:50 (five years ago) link
Hmm. I think one or two here need to re-familarise themselves with It, Freaks and particularly Separations before faulting the consistency of this record!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 00:47 (five years ago) link
His 'n' Hers IS awfully reverby though. It always sounds like you're listening to it in the bathroom. Could be a better record (and it's already a really good record) with different production.
― Eyeball Kicks, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 09:11 (five years ago) link
Oh! That's probably why I like this album more than their other work. I do love that production style
― imago, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 09:17 (five years ago) link
ah, I remember at the time I LOVED Suede's first album and I thought "Joyriders" in particular sounded a lot like Suede.Like almost everybody, I'd vote for "Babies" but, although a minor track, I also had a special thing for "Happy Endings".I haven't listened to this album in years. It might be a good time to go back to it !
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 09:22 (five years ago) link
there's a lot to enjoy on it, freaks and definitely on separations. it weirds out my brain that It came out a week before Hand In Glove.
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 09:22 (five years ago) link
eheh, I had forgotten how "She's a Lady" is basically a remake of "I Will Survive" !
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 12:45 (five years ago) link
agree Joyriders sounds like Suede.
Babies was my first Pulp song, I heard it via buying Independent 20 vol 16 because I'd seen the videos for Medication by Spiritualized and Winona by Drop Nineteens on The Chart Show's Indie Chart (yeah yeah 90s nostalgia blah blah), and I don't think they ever topped it so it's hard not to vote for it, whether it's really part of the album or not (I had no idea it wasn't on the LP tbh)
I had a passing resemblance to Jarvis in the mid-90s, I don't really look like him imo but I have floppy hair, am tall and at the time was very skinny, and wear glasses and that's enough for most people. So I kinda shied away from Pulp a bit around Different Class because I didn't like people thinking I was some kind of fanboy trying to copy his style. I came back around a bit after hearing The Fear at a friend's house.
― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 12:52 (five years ago) link
When I first got into indie-type music there was long time when this and the Suede s/t were two of the three indie-type albums I actually owned on CD (the third was Monster), I never made the Ed Buller connection at the time but I can definitely hear some similarities in the guitar sounds, 'Joyriders' for sure but also 'Do You Remember the First Time' (I can remember a friend saying that was the only Pulp song he liked because it sounded like Suede).
― Gavin, Leeds, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:04 (five years ago) link
Hum. "DYRTFT" might actually sound like Suede... circa "Coming Up" !
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:17 (five years ago) link
I remember hearing and loving ...First Time on the radio at around the same time, but the first Pulp song I got my very own repeat-playable copy of was Lipgloss on a free CD with a magazine, and I became slightly obsessed with it, playing it on repeat, almost living in every swell and wiggle and bubble of the synth line
so, Lipgloss, with an apologetic glance in the direction of First Time (and Babies tbf)
― a passing spacecadet, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:48 (five years ago) link
Listened through and it was David's Last Summer this time. Had me again at "Walking to parties while it's still light outside".
― woof, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 15:02 (five years ago) link
His 'n' Hers IS awfully reverby though. It always sounds like you're listening to it in the bathroom. Could be a better record (and it's already a really good record) with different production.― Eyeball Kicks, Wednesday, April 10, 2019 9:11 AM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Eyeball Kicks, Wednesday, April 10, 2019 9:11 AM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
It's no more or less reverby than the two that came after, IMO!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 15:26 (five years ago) link
Are we talking actual reverb pedals or 50 layers of synths?
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 15:29 (five years ago) link
In fact, thinking about it, This is Hardcore is probably more reverby than His 'n' Hers. The drums are absolutely soaked in it, particularly on 'This is Hardcore', 'The Fear' and 'Help the Aged' ...
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 15:34 (five years ago) link
I should have listened to this before voting! David's Last Summer didn't hit me like I remembered until the somewhat ominous (and reverb drenched) last minute and a half. The disco drama of She's a Lady on the other hand had me punching the air, and I'd forgotten the chorus of Have You Seen Her Lately. Really anything could have got my vote except for Joyriders, Happy Endings, and Someone Like the Moon.
― what if bod was one of us (ledge), Thursday, 11 April 2019 08:32 (five years ago) link
xps I know what you mean - very echoey on the vocals compared to what came later.
― frame casual (dog latin), Thursday, 11 April 2019 10:22 (five years ago) link
Really anything could have got my vote except for Joyriders, Happy Endings, and Someone Like the Moon.
With you there until the comma. I love Happy Endings & Someone Like The Moon but Joyriders is the only track on this album that I'm not so fond of.
"Joyriders" in particular sounded a lot like Suede.
Maybe that's why - I've never been into Suede!
― Valentijn, Thursday, 11 April 2019 13:06 (five years ago) link
there's a lot to enjoy on it, freaks and definitely on separations. it weirds out my brain that It came out a week before Hand In Glove.― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Wednesday, April 10, 2019 9:22 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Wednesday, April 10, 2019 9:22 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I agree that those albums have their highlights, just that I find them far less consistent than what followed.
What do people generally consider to be the beginning of prime Pulp, anyway? His 'n' Hers? The Gift Recordings? The single version of 'Countdown'? Separations?
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 11 April 2019 14:19 (five years ago) link
Separations is the start for me. But it's an odd one as it was recorded before the hiatus in 1989 and half of it is in their Slavic folk style which was very much not part of Prime Pulp.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 11 April 2019 14:30 (five years ago) link
They didn't play an awful lot from it on the His 'n' Hers tour, did they? I have a lot of time for the second half of Separations, mind.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 11 April 2019 18:25 (five years ago) link
I'd forgotten the chorus of Have You Seen Her Lately
hahaha
― sarahell, Thursday, 11 April 2019 18:52 (five years ago) link
it kinda reminds me of "Beauty School Dropout"
― sarahell, Thursday, 11 April 2019 18:53 (five years ago) link
like Jarvis was my "early 20s Angel" idk
― sarahell, Thursday, 11 April 2019 18:54 (five years ago) link
I like early Pulp a lot (love Freaks), but prime Pulp for me starts with the Gift singles. 1992-1994 Pulp rivals 1980-83 New Order for me as best era of a band I love - so many great a-sides and fantastic b-sides, and HNH is such a fab album.
― lingereffect (Kent Burt), Friday, 12 April 2019 00:33 (five years ago) link
Yeah, the Gift singles is when things really get good. Intro actually makes a really solid album with some of their most underrated songs (O.U, Stacks, Inside Susan). If I'm going to listen to Pulp these days, it's either that or the second disc of the His 'n' Hers reissue. The B-sides on there are almost Suede level of brilliant. The Sisters EP alone is one of the highlights of their career. Seconds is my favourite Pulp song.
― kitchen person, Friday, 12 April 2019 01:01 (five years ago) link
Pink Glove really stood out for me on this album
― Dan S, Friday, 12 April 2019 01:04 (five years ago) link
Love Separations, warts and all. Why Fire Records sat on it for so long while they finally began to 'make waves' is baffling
― PaulTMA, Friday, 12 April 2019 01:32 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
Pink Glove was the first Pulp song I fell in love with, so gotta go with that.
― GlengoolieBlue, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 01:59 (five years ago) link
finally listening to it again, and still leaning towards babies, though it doesn't have the sonic heft of 'first time' or 'pink glove,' it's probably the prettiest pulp song, which counts for something.
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 14:49 (five years ago) link
I ended up going for 'Acrylic Afternoons' in the end.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 15:07 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
I can understand how those particular tracks with zero votes ended up in that position, but the album is remarkably light on filler really. I think I voted for "David's Last Summer", somewhat arbitrarily.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:17 (five years ago) link
i think she's a lady is a bit underrated, great full bass sound. a dry run for i spy
― voodoo chili, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:24 (five years ago) link
2019 results
Babies 14Pink Glove 13Do You Remember the First Time? 11David's Last Summer 5Lipgloss 4Acrylic Afternoons 4Joyriders 2Have You Seen Her Lately? 1Happy Endings 0Someone Like the Moon 0She's a Lady 0
2007 results
Babies 9Pink Glove 8Lipgloss 6Do You Remember The First Time? 5Acrylic Afternoons 3David's Last Summer 3Razzmatazz 1She's a Lady 1Someone Like the Moon 0Happy Endings 0Have You Seen Her Lately? 0Joyriders 0
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:27 (five years ago) link