Album of the Week #32: "Different Class" by Pulp

John

This was one of the defining albums of my early teens, I didn't quite get all the drugs and sex references at the time but much like the Simpsons, as I grow older I get new feelings and opinions on this album. Aside from the two singles everybody knows, there are some absolutely classic songs (not that "Common People" and "Disco 2000" aren't classic but... I don't know where I'm going with this). DISCUSS!

catch--22

Doh! Just missed it on phantom's Album Archive last Saturday! One whole hour of Different Class!

Anyway......

........while Blur and Oasis fought in the media over who was the kings of Britpop....Pulp snook in under the radar and made the best album of the era!

Sinfonia

Magnificent album, as John said, didn't get the references when I was young.

And, not to be too obvious, but it has to be said, Common People is one of the best pop songs of all time, it's fookin incredible

kc66

I love this album. Reminds me of simpler times.

goodfela

Ah yes, this album does exactly what it says on the tin. This and Definitely Maybe were easily the best two albums of that Britpop era - it's a solid gold classic from start to finish.

Great choice for album of the week - i'm going to stick it on right now.

lordgoat

kc66 wrote:

I love this album. Reminds me of simpler times.

I could not have said it any better. An album for remmebering how easy things were. I love it and spin it very very often.

Howard the Duck

Anytime anyone would ask me "who do you like best ..oasis or blur?" i'd reply Pulp...Fantastic album.. i too didn;t really get have the refferences .. i didn't have a clue what e's n whizz was about i thought it was he's a whizz about some wizzard or something!...i was about 13 i think

John

Haha, so many innocent souls in this thread!

Has anyone bought the reissue of Different Class with the bonus disc? Is it worth getting?

nyarlothothep

one of the best albums of the 90s and easily in the past 50 years. Underwear is a particular favourite of mine. The album is so different, its just timeless in how idiosyncratic and original it is.

catch--22

John wrote:

Haha, so many innocent souls in this thread!

Has anyone bought the reissue of Different Class with the bonus disc? Is it worth getting?

Yeah I have it. Some nice demo's taken from the recording sessions such as "Paula" and a wonderful 7.5 minute long version of common people from Glasto!

Sinfonia

Have to mention Mis-shapes as well, great starter to the album, fantastic lyrics

Ryaller

kc66 wrote:

I love this album. Reminds me of simpler times.

Well said. I miss Pulp.

DerekD Goldfish

I prefer This is Hardcore and His n Hers but Different Class is still a quality album for a beif moment in the bands hisotry the world realised how great Pulp were before forgeting it again. Jarivs Cocker is oen of my favorite Forntmen of all time

Creature

A classic album which also reminds me of my youth, bring back memories of good times. I didn't really appreciate it when it was out but when I bought it again a few years ago I got into it a whole lot more.

mewso

Just to be a dissenter but Intro was and always will be the best thing they did.

John

To be honest, I've never, ever bought another Pulp album. I don't know why this is considering I love Different Class so much. Maybe I'm afraid of being disappointed?

Endasaurus

I love this album!

Frankiestylee

Class album alright, I remember buying the tape only to have it destroyed by an evil cousin, so a year or so later I got it on cd.... and oh what a joy that cd was. I think it was my first time taking a risk on something a bit new rather then the blur/oasis albums that were my firsts. It's still actually down in my shed getting random plays.

grumpytrousers

Cracking album this, alright...and so much to love about it

a) the Laura Brannigan Gloria riff that's nicked in Disco 2000
b) Something Changed - it's as good as 'owt Bacherach/David or Goffin/King wrote
c) 'If fashion is your trade/then when you're naked/I guess you must be unemployed yeah' from Underwear
d) the hilarious bit at end of Sorted... where he wants to go back to his mother

Like john above, i've not bought anything post Different Class by them solely on fear of being disappointed...got His'n'hers, but it's not doing it for me!!!

DerekD Goldfish

The Vast Majority of Pulp's releases are great it sickens me how many people concider them a one album band.

John

Derek, what would you recommend for someone of the Different Class generation to check out?

DerekD Goldfish

John wrote:

Derek, what would you recommend for someone of the Different Class generation to check out?

Well His N Hers the one just before different class is the most like it. This is hardcore the one just after it is thier best album but very dark, their final album We love Life was produced by Scott Walker and has a very laid beck mellow feel to it I love it but can see why it didnt sell. As for thier early stuff Seperations, Intro and Coundown are all worth having but not as good as thier leter stuff.

IMO
This is hardcore> His n Hers > Different Class= We Love Life> Early Pulp

nyarlothothep

We Love Life is a great album, very under rated, as I recall it actually charted at 6 in the UK but Universal completly (almost deliberately) messed up their promotion so the album dropped out a week later.

brianon

The Countdown (extended mix) is possibly their best track and thats early stuff. Or maybe its Shes A Lady from His n Hers!?

I would possibly put Different Class as second ahead of His n Hers but behind This Is Hardcore.

To be fair to Different Class though, I don't think there is one weak track or even second on the album which doesn't quite hole through for Hardcore.

Maybe its because of Disco 2000 and Common People that This Is Hardcore wins. Two classics but the ones I play least now as they still get quite a bit of radio play. maybe just overplayed them over all those years.

Jeez. There really are some amazing tracks on Different Class. Underwear, E's & Wizz...the whole feicin lot of them. Although not their best album (just by a fraction) its in my top 10 of all time.

Although now I think about it...maybe it is their best Hard to say. One thing for sure though...Pulp are the greatest band of all time

nlgbbbblth

John wrote:

Haha, so many innocent souls in this thread!

Has anyone bought the reissue of Different Class with the bonus disc? Is it worth getting?

yes - not worth paying €26 or whatever it is in the shops but can be picked up online for around £10 - £12.

Disc 2 is interesting, the live stuff is nice.

The vinyl pressing from 1995 sounds awful - should have been a double LP.

Goodshape

Been listening to this album again since it got the prestigious 'Album of the Week' spot. Hadn't heard it in years.

Always knew it was a good album, and it still manages to be much better than I remember. Don't think I really gave it the time it deserved back in the day.

Great stuff.

Stargal

The first gig I ever went to was Pulp when they played the Point back in 1996 - only knew a couple of their songs at that stage, but it was an excellent gig, and afterwards I used to listen to Different Class on repeat for ages at a time.

/ends nostalgia trip

Like a couple of people have mentioned already, I always thought Pulp were in a different league to Blur and Oasis, and were probably the single best band around during the whole Britpop thing. Plus I had a weird crush on Jarvis Cocker for a while, which I still find it hard to justify/explain to anyone...

noby

Like someone already mentioned earlier, I would put Intro ahead of it, but, (a) Intro is a collection of singles/e.p.s, not a proper album, and (b), that was my kind of introduction to them, so I'll always look favourabally (sp) on it.

Different Class is a great album though. I played it to death at the time (along with the media), but can still stick it on now and enjoy it.
His'n'Hers laid alot of the groundwork for their success, and I woiuldn't care if they put 'Babies' on every album as it is one of the best songs ever.