A couple of weeks ago a song popped up in a random playlist on Spotify, and I really enjoyed it. It sounded vaguely familiar, and I knew I had heard of the song, and probably the artist as well, but for the life of me I couldn’t place it.
When I flipped my phone over to see what was streaming, it turned out to be “Common People” by Pulp. Well … of course I had heard of Pulp, and I knew of Common People, though not well enough to hum it. Somehow it had escaped my attention, or hadn’t held my interest, when it was first released.
When the album originally came out, back in 1995, I was working in a record shop, so Pulp was on my radar, but somehow they never managed to really grab my attention. I can’t think of what I was into at the time, but it definitely wasn’t what the press had labelled as Brit Pop. I wasn’t into grunge either, so I honestly can’t tell you what the hell had grabbed my attention. I’m sure I was obsessed with something (shrug) I have no idea what it was. At one point, I ended up with a promo copy of Pulp’s “His’N’Hers,” which came out a year earlier than “Different Class,” but I can’t say I was particularly impressed with it. I may have listened to it half-heartedly once or twice, so I likely dismissed Different Class out of hand when it was released, which I can see now was a real shame because it’s a fantastic album. (I decided to give “His’N’Hers” another listen now that I’ve finally discovered “Different Class,” and I really enjoyed it. I’ve added it to my vinyl wish list.)
All this to say, believe it or not, I do not know much about the music by any of the following bands: Sleeper, Blur, The Verve, Teenage Fanclub, The Boo Radleys, Echobelly, Menswear, or Supergrass, all of whom had hugely popular albums that dominated the sound coming out of England in 1995. I own exactly one Oasis album, I own Elastica’s self-titled LP, I have a couple of Radiohead albums which I discovered years after they were released, and I own The Boo Radleys’ “Wake Up!” (which I didn’t like, frankly), but I have nothing by the other supposed “superbands” of the year. Somehow, 1995 was the year that never happened for me, haha!
It was, therefore, a surprise to hear Pulp’s “Common People” pop up in my headphones and to find myself really enjoying it. And of course, in a strange turn of synchronicity, a friend of mine (hello Ryan) happened to mention Pulp’s album “Different Class” to me in a chat later that week. Being the music snob that I am, once I’ve dismissed something I rarely return to it, so I told him that I didn’t like the album and wasn’t particularly interested in it. He insisted that I needed to give it a fair shot and, because I respect his musical opinion (despite the fact that we don’t really have that much common musical taste), I queued it up on Spotify and listened to the album properly for the first time.
Lucky for me that I did! It turned out to be an hour well spent. As you probably know by now, I am not much of a lyrics person, I tend to ignore lyrics and focus more on rhythm and melody, but some of the lyrics managed to penetrate my thick skull and I found myself smiling.
A quick bit of research online revealed that the Island Records 180gr UK pressing from 2016 was considered to be one of the better pressings of the album, so this was the one I sought out (I found it, brand new, on eBay for under $20). The consensus seemed to be that there were no “great” pressings of the album because with 12 songs spread out over a single disc, it gives the grooves very little breathing space (the music was pressed rather quietly with shallower grooves, which allows for more music to be pressed on a single side of an album). The album actually clocks in at nearly 52 minutes, which would usually be pressed as a double LP, but the vinyl itself was said to be super quiet and the mastering first class. After giving the album a spin (and turning the volume up), I wholeheartedly agree. This pressing sounds GREAT!
I had such a good time listening to this album! Despite the upbeat music and cheery feeling of the majority of these songs, there is something dark and borderline sleazy that lurks within the lyrics. It took me a while, but I finally “get it.” I can understand why this album won the Mercury Prize in 1996.
A1 – Opening track “Mis-Shapes” has a funny old-timey Broadway musical vibe to it (especially in the chorus), but it still manages to feel like 90s pop rock in its execution. It really feels like the opening number in the peep show that Pulp is about to present, a sneak peek into the lives of a different class of people … the common people …
A2 – “Pencil Skirt” is a great sexy, flirty track. It’s some people’s favourite song on the album. It’s delightfully subversive lyrically and musically.
A3 – “Common People,” of course, is just fantastic. The music itself is an ear-worm waiting for an ear-hole to crawl into, and the lyrics are just brutal.
A4 – “I Spy” begins like a theme from a sweeping film from the 60s. In my mind’s eye, I can picture the panoramic view of a great empty landscape, snowy mountains rising majestically to the sky. Our hero stands on the plains, he has a monumental trek ahead of him … and then the music kicks in and we’re on a train, riding towards a distant land. The whole song feels like something grand and cinematic. It’s spectacular!
A5 – “Disco 2000” starts out sounding very much like “Gloria” by Laura Branigan (which was also a hit for the original artist, Umberto Tozzi). It also manages to channel something akin to Blondie, and yet it sounds thoroughly of its time. It takes a very Eurodisco riff and turns it into a great rocking number.
A6 – “Live Bed Show” is another lush cinematic track that slowly builds to its … er … climax. It’s essentially a vignette about a failed relationship, beautifully told through the history of the bed. We hear about how the bed was bought for 10 pounds down the road and used to make a lot of noise at night. Now though, were it to suddenly be live on television every night, nobody would watch because it’s just a sad empty bed. Gorgeous melody and beautifully crafted lyrics.
B1 – “Something Changed” is a beautiful piece of romantic philosophizing. What if I hadn’t met you? What if you had arrived five minutes later? What if I’d gone to see a film instead of coming here? The “what ifs” pile up upon each other until you can almost taste his awe of her. But, as she tells the protagonist, “Stop asking questions that don’t matter anyway.”
B2 – “Sorted For E’s & Wizz” is a bit of an anthem for the kids heading out to a rave. Everything is fantastic when you’re sorted for E’s & Wizz, not so much when you come down the next day.
B3 – “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” is another song that, like “Something Changed,” questions how love has arrived and where it comes from. And what do we do with it once we have it? Alternately describing it as that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach as you’re about to fall off a roof, and reminding us all that it’s far more overwhelmingly primal than chocolate and flowers, the music rises and falls like the ragged breath of someone realizing they’re in love for the first time. This song is unbelievably good. The fear and uncertainty is palpable in the quiet bits of the song, but when the music kicks in you can feel the inescapable, helpless desire. You may have to sit down and catch your breath.
B4 – “Underwear” feels like a continuation of the story begun in “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” You can practically feel him dying inside as he realizes that she’ll never be his. She’s giving herself to someone she doesn’t even love, and he would die to be him.
B5 – “Monday Morning” has an awesome dirty guitar riff, chugging along to a bit of cha-cha. Sounds weird, but it really works. Who but the ultra rich can’t relate to the horrors of “Monday Morning”?
B6 – “Bar Italia” is the curtain call on Pulp’s horror show about love and life for the lower class. Two broken people stumbling their way towards a cup of coffee at the end of a night out clubbing, knowing that morning is approaching fast and they can’t go home yet because it “hasn’t worn off yet.”
There isn’t a single weak track on the album. There also isn’t a single slow song on the album, which may be the other reason I enjoyed it so much. This album was a fantastic discovery for me. (seriously: thanks for insisting, Ryan!) It really should be in anyone’s collection.
Here is a playlist if you don’t believe me. I’ve added a few standout tracks from His’N’Hers, as well as a couple of cool non-album tracks.
PS: If you enjoy what you heard, here is an FYI. I’ve already told you which edition of “Different Class” is the best (Island Records UK, 180gr, 2016), but if you decide to also seek out “His’N’Hers” on vinyl, carefully check the playlist before purchasing.
Surprisingly, the cheap and easy-to-find single LP editions don’t include the fantastic track “Babies”. As far as I have been able to ascertain, only double LP editions include it. There is a so-called “deluxe” 25th anniversary edition on Island Records (2019) which includes “Babies,” and spreads the entire album across 4 sides of vinyl with only 2 or 3 tracks per side… which is a pain in the ass.
HOWEVER… There is an amazing edition from Music On Vinyl (MOVLP663, 2012) that is far more “deluxe” than the Island Records offering. It spreads the whole album across 1 side of vinyl with similar sonic results to the above-mentioned “Different Class,” and the MOV edition includes not only “Babies,” but also a plethora of B-sides and other non-album tracks on a full-to-the-brim second slab of vinyl. 13 bonus tracks make up the second LP.
The sound quality on both of the Island Records and the Music On Vinyl reissues is considered to be above par, but there is a bit of price difference, and the more recent Island Records release will be more easy to find. It will be up to you to decide which one suits you. Happy hunting!
#MusicBoxTW
