Pulp

This is a quirky intelligent funky euro club album that is listenable and keeps your attention from the first note until it ends leaving you wanting to repeat it.

Heavily influenced by the Kinks, songs that never get old telling stories that make you laugh.

Back in the mid 90's, I dismissed Pulp as just another BritPop band. Come to find out, I was wrong. A good friend gave this to me as a CD exchange and I have to say that I'm thoroughly impressed.

The standout tracks are clearly (IMO) "Mis-Shapes", "Common People" and "I Spy". The music is rather jangly and at times has a distinctly dance-able beat. What won me over though were the lyrics. Jarvis Cocker manages to create a fantastic mental image to go along with his lyrics, which are alternately humorous and serious, occassionally silly ("Sorted for E's and Wizz") and vaguely malevolent ("I Spy"). Cocker's delivery is very basic - he doesn't have a lot of range, but he makes good use of his voice and some of the spoken parts of the songs send chills up my spine.

All in all, this is a great album. I wish that I'd given it a chance back in 1995.

Ten years later, "Different Class" remains one of the best albums of all time. I have heard the songs hundreds of times and never get tired. There are six standout tracks: Common People, Disco 2000, Something Changed, Feeling Called Love, Underwear & Monday Morning.

I recently requested "Common People" at a club...and it remains an anthem of angst, brit pop, glam rock and a brillant screw-the-world perspective.

Alas, Pulp's follow-up albums were not able to come close to "Different Class". So disappointing. But it's not called a Magnum Opus for nothing. I hope frontman Jarvis Cocker's new solo album will provide some solace.

Released 11 years ago, this was a hit in the UK. I didn't know that until last year.

I was looking for some music from the britpop era, (being a huge fan of Oasis, Blur, Coldplay, The Verve, etc) and a stumbled upon their greatest hits CD. I must say that the only track I really got into was "Disco 2000", the rest were OK, not great. Then, after a couple of spins of that CD (and listening to the lyrics) I started lo like them.

I got His N' Hers (I played it to death) and then this one... wow... I played three times in a row, it was an amazing experience. Jarvis Cocker knows how to create an atmosphere with each song.

Every song could have been a single, amazing lyrics (to me, this guy is one of the best lyricists in britain nowadays). The stories of typical day-life on working-class people from the UK is something that the casual listener can relate to.

I recommend this CD to everybody. It came out during the so-called britpop era (I love that genre, even though most of the bands are now defunct). I won't mention any particular track.

Get it right now, it's a piece of Britain's music history.

I grew up listening to and loving David Bowie, Roxy Music, T Rex, etc. If you liked it then, you'll love it now!! This movie and CD will take you right back to the good-old days of glam rock, multi-colored platform boots, shag haircuts, and tons of glittering make-up. The one problem is that you'll want to time-travel back to the 70's.

I fell in love with Velvet Goldmine the very first time I saw it - in large part thanks to this soundtrack. But when you look at the roster of names involved with this project - Michael Stipe, Brian Eno, Thurston Moore, Placebo, Thom Yorke of Radiohead - it should come as no surprise -greatness begets greatness!

There are really no weak songs on this soundtrack. Needle in the Camel's Eye is simply infectious - this song - which opens the movie - was as subtle as a slap in the face and immediately grabbed my attention. The closing song - Steve Harley's Make Me Smile - conveys the sheer joy and passion music can provide. And all of the songs in between are even better.

We are treated to some of the biggest names from the era including Roxy Music (the exuberance of Virginia Plain), T-Rex (a dreamy Diamond Meadows) and the genius that is Lou Reed (Satellite Of Love) - a song that even my six year old niece adores singing. She knows this whole soundtrack by heart!

I grew up listening to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, Iggy and the Stooges and Bowie thanks to my older cousins. But I might have never listened to Roxy Music or T-Rex if it wasn't for this album. If you like the songs on this album - you'll probably love a lot of their music.

However, in my opinion, the two best songs on this album - hands down - are Ladytron - performed by The Venus in Furs - a sort of supergroup fronted by Thom Yorke and 20th Century Boy - covered by the brilliant juggernaut that is Placebo.

Ladytron is just a gorgeous number - a swoony almost psychedlic tune and Thom Yorke's voice is incredible as always as he sings - I use you, and I confuse you...

As for 20th Century Boy - this song isn't just the highlight of the soundtrack - it's also one of the highlights of the whole movie. Brian Molko's stage presence is phenomenal and whether you are listening to this song on CD or watching him perform it live in the movie - he sells this song completely with a sexy swagger to his singing.

Molko has frequently been called a ladyboy - and he possesses a physique that can only be described as petite - but believe me - listen to him perform this song once - watch him live in the movie - this ladyboy has got more cajones than most singers twice his size! And if you like this song - you should definitely check out the rest of Placebo's music. They are one of the most under appreciated and under rated bands in the world today.

Rounding out the soundtrack, Ewan McGregor channels Iggy Pop in T.V. Eye, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers proves that being a world class wanker doesn't prevent him from also being a fantastic singer. Rhys Meyers has a lovely voice and range which he utilizes briliantly in the songs Tumbling Down and Baby's On Fire.

The rest of the songs including Hot One, Ballad of Maxwell Demon, The Whole Shebang, 2HB, Personality Crisis, Bitter-Sweet, and We Are The Boys by Pulp are all solid numbers, sonically capturing the whole mood of that era in music. As I said, there are really NO weak songs on this soundtrack.

The only thing I was disappointed about was that they left out a couple other really good songs - Rhys Meyers lovely rendition of Sebastian - which is a shame - because he sings it beautifully - and Gary Glitter's uber cheezy/sleazy number Do You Wanna Touch Me?

This album is definitely worth every cent and it's one you will never grow tired of listening too. A must have for any person who has a genuine passion and appreciation for good music!

this is the soundtrack that led me into the wonderful world of glam rock! it is outstanding and i could just play it again and again.... it is certainly one of the most brilliant albums out there and probably my favourite soundtrack of all time.

Simply, this is the BEST soundtrack CD ever recorded, bar none, hands down, no contest. Why? On first...or millionth...listen, the entire album captures the film, the world, the era, the style, and the sound expertly, effortlessly - but it's not just an empty gesture or a slick impersonation, VG amplifies and expands the authentic glam vision to create something somehow more glam, deeper, more intense, more addictive, sexy, heartbreaking, uplifting, even dangerous - once you see the movie, and once you hear these songs, you'll play them over & over, come back to them year after year, and they'll become the fabric of your own life - or your imagined life, past, present, future, or even a fond, faded memory of what never was. The most jaw-dropping achievement of the album, aside from impeccable taste (Eno, Roxy Music, Lou Reed, T Rex, anyone?) is that since Todd Haynes didn't get permission from Bowie to use his own music, he went out and recruited the coolest rock icons and upstars to create songs that amazingly feel like they are long-lost nuggets circa 72/73, but were really made in 99 - it's not just playing dress up, it's redefining a whole musical and cultural era. This is Haynes' BEST film, and this is the BEST soundtrack. Sadly, as usual, the movie was a flop upon its original theatrical release - I recall going to see if on a rainy Saturday matinee on its first-weekend release, and there were only two people in the theater, me and the usher. No matter, this album is a real achievement, never to be repeated again, so savor it now.

Even if you don't want to watch the movie (and why wouldn't you) you have to buy this soundtrack. This is the soundtrack that proves that other soundtracks are merely prepackaged garbage. No soundtrack so captures an era and a mood as completely as this one (ok there's also the 24 Hour Party People soundtrack but that's IT!)

These songs are riveting, amazing, great. Twentieth Century Boy is worth the price alone. I want to find every version of this song (I heard a version in the Truman Show as well - a 50s rockabilly version) and play them on repeat. The movie did such a great job of capturing the 70s versions of Bowie and Iggy Pop, it'd almost be blasphemous for the soundtrack to fizzle. It doesn't fizzle. This is the CD that you wish Bowie would have put out (he's done great songs but he's also done mediocre ones) and this is the CD that you can play loud and play on repeat.

There's really not much more to say about it but the gushing joy of a fan.

This album is just perfect for those who are getting to know Pulp. Song selection is excellent and I'm sure that those who didn't know anything about this band, will run to get more Pulp material fast.

"Hits" by Pulp is a great collection of songs from their 4 Island albums; mostly singles, of course, + a previously unreleased "Last Day of the Miners' Strike". The songs are compiled chronologically, with their masterpiece "Different Class" very well represented with 5 songs.

The four songs from the first Island album "His 'n' Hers" are catchy up-beat pop-songs, with "Razzmatazz" as my favourite.

As already mentioned, I consider "Different Class" a masterpiece with its shamelessly catchy disco/pop hitsingles ( "Disco 2000" and "Common People") , great ballads such as "Something Changed" and the Steve Harley inspired "Sorted for E's and Wizz" - all songs with personal and thought-provoking lyrics.

"This is Hardcore" is a darker album, but almost as good, with the beautiful, but strange "Little Soul" as my favourite.

I'm not familiar with their latest album "We Love Life", apart from the three songs included here. Judged from these songs alone the album appear less inspired, though I quite like the Blur inspired "Bad Cover Version".

The previously unreleased "Last Day of the Miners' Strike" on the other hand is a worthy closing-track and leaves you regretting that the band chose to split up.

All in all a fine collection that is bound to inspire listeners to look out for more Pulp music.

If you like music that is wildly innovative, danceable, lyrically fascinating and even funny, provocative, insanely structured, and just plain COOL, get this. Now.
If you like music that is kinda dirty, real and raw-sounding, full of spunk and character, full of energy, full of feeling, and sure to make you sing along, get this. Immediately.
If you like music that takes the best of the 1980s, the best of the 1990s, the best of modern dance music, and combines them all into something wholly original, get this. ASAP.
If you like music, if you like to rock out, if you long drives to amazing tunes, if you've ever meditated on the power of great music to change and improve your mood, get this right away.
Man, I just love this CD. I wrote an entire book while listening to it almost, cranking it as loud as it could go in my little basement office. Every song is solid. There is no filler here. Listen to this, but maybe don't listen to it around your kids: there are lots of innuendo-filled lyrics and breathy vocals, the sort of thing you maybe wouldn't play around your parents-in-law. (Depends on your inlaws, though, I suppose.)
Get this, get this, get this. It's a good place to start your obsession with this terrific band. PULP!
(Oh, and I'd just ignore the liner notes. They're kind of...I don't know. For starters, their comment, "10 years on an Island [Island Records]--not even Robinson Crusoe got that," isn't quite right. I think he was on his island for decades. That's petty, but the essay inside: ehh. Some reviewer's pointless rant about listening to them. Like this one here...but more pretentious.)
This could very well be the best greatest hits album ever, in the running with Leonard Cohen's first one and the Velvet Underground's--the sort of greatest hits album that makes a guy think he was too hasty in dismissing greatest hits albums as nothing more than marketing ploys.
Just get this. It is so, so, so good. If I ever had to defend the idea of music in a court of anti-music Nazis (whoa, I think I see a Broadway play here!) this would certain be among my first exhibits.

Great sounding collection spanning 4 albums from this highly passionate UK band...the sort of release that makes one take notice for the uninitiated to go back to the original albums, since each was a real art statement, incorporating themes,artwork, all smacking of a sensibility found in artists such as Bowie and Roxy Music,where art and sound mesh into a collage of a total life experience.
Not a note wasted.
The intelligence behind the band, it's use of pop,cynicism,keyboards,rocking rhythms with it's lush bittersweet melancholia take on things smacks of a realism when music matters not only as a commercial vehicle but as a statement in all that UK tradition of lyrical intelligent bands in the vein of The Kinks, and The Jam and sound wise comparable to the experimentation in mood,attitude and melody found in bands like the 1960's West Coast Love,and Talking Heads.
One new unreleased track.

In many ways the fate of British PULP is rather tragic. They struggled for far more than a decade before they finally had their well-deserved breakthrough with 1995's 'Different Class'. After which they made the descision to turn artistic rather than mainstream - bad for record sales, good for the fans. As expected, as the music grew progressively better and more deep, the sales-number's dropped critically. This collection could be the opportunity for the band to show that they never lost the nerve, even if their later releases didn't spawn any great smash-hits like 'Common People' and 'Disco 2000' from before-mentioned breakthrough album.

The reason for this is that the album includes strictly only the songs picked for A-side releases - and while none of these songs are bad, I still think the person who was responsible for picking the songs for single-release from their latest album 'We Love Life' must have been hit - hard - in the head, with the result of critical loss of good sense, before making that selection. A pity, because I still believe that album could have done so much better than it did.

The songs on this compilation are arranged in chronoligical order, and covers the albums 'His'n'Hers', 'Different Class', 'This Is Hardcore' and 'We Love Life' - all released on the Island label. The bands earlier career is well documentet in several other compilation, most common is the somewhat uneven "Countdown" double-CD. In my oppinion, any affectionate of the bands later music should try to get a hand on their last pre-Island album 'Seperations', that is imo. fully as good as any as their Island records, in its own peculiar way - and considerably better than 'His'n'Hers'. However, let me give a brief run-through of the songs on this CD.


- His'n'Hers Era -

Four tracks are included from this album, and while none of them are bad, only one - 'Do You Remember The First Time?' - is on level with their later work. All songs share a thematic focus on relationships - or perhaps one should say, failed relationships - and they fully display Jarvis Cockers amazing ability to write clever lyrics. However, I think these songs are all very pesimistic - sarcasm is more dominating than irony here, spite more pronounced than humor - which is a shame, because much of the charm of the bands later work is missing on that account. Also, the melodies are not - with the exception of Do You Remember ... - completely succesfull imo; there is a rather forced, constructed sound to these songs, they are neither as catchy nor elegant as later compositions.

The problem is that when the songs are arrange chronologically, the album opens on a low, which is never a good thing. I'd be very tempted to simply skip the first 3 songs when putting this on, and get right to the REAL stuf.


- Different Class era -

While Do You Remember The First Time? gave the band some airplay and spawned interest, 'Common People' brought PULP to everybody's attention. The song became a well-deserved smash-hit all around the world, and for the good reasons. The lyrics are brilliant - clever and funny at the same time - and the melody is extremely catchy. The tempo-change of the song, that starts out slow and the incrases pace throughout it's more than 5 minutes, is a brilliant detail.

The record spawned a long series of hits - 'Sorted For E's And Wizz' (released as a double-A-side with Mis-Shapes, which is for some reson excluded here?), 'Disco 2000' and 'Something Changed'. Also released on single was the track 'Underwear', only included on the UK version of this compilation. If the greatest weaknes of the Different Class album was that nearly all the songs were quite close in sound, that was easily forgiven considering the consistent high quality of the songs.


- This Is Hardcore era -

Following the sudden mega succes of Different Class, PULP took some time off trying to get to terms with their newfound fame, with all it's good and, especially, bad sides. They came back with the dark and moody 'This Is Hardcore'. That the band had taken a more serious turn was obvious from first single 'Help The Aged', focusing on the lonelines of old people in modern society. The track also has a much heavier rock-sound than their previous releases, which might have scared away some of the bands former fans, that liked the easy-going sound of their former hits.

That sound was characteristic for the whole album, which was much darker than earlier work. Fans were divided - some prefered the old style, while other found that the "new" PULP was much more serious and interesting than the "old", and also the music grew increasingly more refined. The title track, second single of the album, has an eery atmosphere of gloom, and with lyrics about sexual fantasies about starring in porn movies - never explicit, but quite obvious - it is very far from main-stream. 'A Little Soul' sounds like a quite normal, sweet pop-tune - that is, until you listen to the lyrics, about a man telling his song about how he left the family and the boys mother and spent the nights with other women. Quite a task to pull such a song off to a merry pop-tune, but PULP manage this with splendor. Not many other bands, if any, could have done it. Last single from the album was 'Party Hard' - one of the most rocking uptempo songs the band have done.


- We Love Life era -

The band's latest album was promoted with the double A-side single 'The Trees'/'Sunrise'. Sunrise is a glorious pop-song about coming out of a personal crisis and facing up to life again. The song has an absolutely glorious instrumental/choral second part that takes your breath away. Easily one of the most beautiful songs writting within the last 10 years. On the other side, The Trees was an eery song with an odd violin song and a theme about lost love. This track is not bad, but deffinitely not very radio-friendly, and the single failed to create a lot of airplay. Thus, the new album went virtually un-noticed on release.

As second single was picked the song 'Bad Cover Version' - again, not a bad song, but still one of the weakest from the album in my oppinion. The song is quite slow and not as elegant or catchy as much more obvious picks from the album like 'The Night That Minney Timperley Died', 'The Birds In You Garden' og 'Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down)'. As such, this single also failed to increase record sales, and after this no further singles were released from the album - a great pity.


- New track -

The compilation includes one new song, 'The Last Day Of The Mines' Strike'. Again, this is not a bad song, but it doesn't really offer me a lot. It's very slow, it's not a radio friendly song, and though I suppose the lyrics aren't bad, the song never really cought onto me. A bit ironic actually, this album starts on a low, and ends on a low, which is never a good thing.


- Songs Not Included -

There are many songs from their albums that are not on this compilation, but that I think are much better than those included here. 'Mis-Shapes' was released as a single, but didn't make it unto here for some mysterious reason? 'I Spy' wasn't very radio-friendly, but was by far the most clover song off Different Class. 'Live Bed Show' could easily have made the cut as a single release. 'F.E.A.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E' was also a very interesting track, hinting at the more dark sound of the next record.

'The Fear', opener from This Is Hardcore, was always a favorite of mine. Likewise, 'TV Movie' is a delightful track, and 'Sylvia' and 'Glory Days' both displayed ample of hit material. 'Wickerman' from We Love Life is beyond doubt the bands most complicated song to date - and also probably their best. Other highlights off that record were 'The Weets', 'The Night That Minnie Timperley Died', 'Birds In Your Garden' and 'Bob Lind'.

Thus, I think they should have followed the example of the first compilation release 'Countdown', and made this a double CD. THe second CD could have run something like:

Mis-Shapes - I Spy - Live Bed Show - F.E.A.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E - Underwear - The Fear - TV Movie - Sylvia - Glory Days - The Weets - The Night That Minnie Timperley Died - Wickerman - The Birds In Your Garden - Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down) - Grandfather's Nursery

That would have made an much more compete and satisfactory collection. As the CD is now, it's a great CD with 10 masterful songs and a handful of good ones to follow, but it could have been even better.

Overall rating: 9 / 10

Fluid set of English Alterna-soul found Pulp finally receiving the success critics had thought them deserving. More then proving why they remained giants of 90's indie rock in Britain, the songwriting is infectiously hooky, depressively catchy, and lyrically potent all the way through. Every song may not be as memorable as the title track or a few others (in particular the effectively rousing final few), yet each cements a certain replayability with the well measured, easily accessible, melodic pop songwriting. The band became a mainstay for fans of loud, semi-experimental music, falling somewhere between the predictability of Spiritualized and the randomness of Radiohead. Whatever small market the still under-valued (in America) band conquered during the mid 90's across the pond, This is Hardcore still makes the case for being the modern alternative classic some have made it out to be.

OK, I've looked through all the other reviews on here, and I know that anyone who does the same will probably go with the looming majority vote and get this album but PLEASE DON'T!!! About a year ago I first heard Different Class and thought it was great. So much fun, excellent lyrics, and just really great! the melodies, the instrumentation...amazing. So recently I heard This Is Hardcore. A few of the songs are pretty good (Dishes, The Fear, The Day After The Revolution) but for the most part it's just plain BORING!!! Where did the fun go? This album is sad, dreary, and dull. Yes, it is a darker mood, and I realize that Jarvis Cocker probably had a reason to write such melancholy songs, but after hearing Different Class, who wants to listen to them? Many of the songs sound the same and, while not being terrible, were completely uninspiring. Buy Different Class instead. It rocks.

i guess i missed out on the days when pulp was popular. where was i?? oh yeah i was listening to meatloaf and megadeth probably. well now i have this cd and i have to say, yes, i have to say, it is very good.

At the same time a shaggable genius and a skinny loser, Jarvis Cocker frontman and lyrics writer for Pulp is truly inspiring, one of the last REAL ROCK STARS offered to us by the XXth century. Yet Pulp is now dormant and a bit forgotten, what a pity ! Surfing on the Cool Britania wave of the mid 90's the Sheffield band that had started on the independent circuit in the 80's makes itself noticed and provides Britain's underdogs with a voice. and what a voice !!! breathy, sexy, deep or fragile, Cocker knows how to use his organ, and even takes you very close to musical orgasm. Delightfully pervert but also touchingly sincere and simple the lyrics are just wonderful and served by surprising tunes.
This is Hardcore is the 3rd "commercial" album of the band and was written at a point when Cocker was trying to get himself together, after as he himself put it "getting as hammered as possible". Yet, contrary to Oasis's Be Here Now which musicaly suffered from drug and alcohol abuses, Pulp's This is Hardcore is their best album. Suffering is sometimes source of greatness and Cocker sure knows how to sublimate his angst into breathtaking songs.
Opening with The Fear (the best song ever written on depression) sets a dark mood, but also a sophisticated and demanding quality. It's not because he is depressed that he gets sloppy! But the mood lightens up a bit with track 2: Dishes, in which Pulp displays its simple musical talent and which lyrics are pure Jarvis humour, singing "I'm not Jesus Christ though I share the same initials..." proving a modesty unknown to most rock stars. This is Hardcore is off course the absolute highlight of the album, a drifting number that pulses like blood in your veins. The absolute beauty of the production on this song proves that the band has reached maturity. The following, TV movie, is yet another simple piece with touching lyrics, but Cocker never really let's himself fall into stupid pathos and the self derision and critical stance he takes on himself is reffreshing as ever. Other great songs on the album are Party Hard, a more upbeat song, a bit more agressive and something u can definitely dance to. The album like a therapy finally lets us hear signs of hope with Glory Days, a great reflexion on the common victories of life, but don't worry nothing to existencial.
This is Hardcore is an absolute must have for anyone who loves rock. It is stylish, honnest, moving, even arousing (a great specialty of Jarv); yet for all it's sassy sophistication it stays true to the band's origins and to the common people feel. Working class Britain, we love you !!!

I definitely recommend to listen to Different Class as well, released before TIH it is the album Pulp will be remmembered for and is characteristic of the sound and mood of the band. Together these 2 albums form a magnificent diptic of genius. Essential.

"This Is Hardcore" is a slightly darker and seedier, yet more vulnerable sequel to the social observations and issues of fury, frustration and desire addressed on "Different Class". Indeed, the bitterness and rage felt on "Different Class" seems to have given way to a kind of sadness on "This Is Hardcore". After the success and the brilliance of "Different Class", whatever album followed was bound to be compared to it, but "This Is Hardcore" sounds a little more "grown-up" than "Different Class" in a way, for if "Different Class" was the soundtrack to a life from age 16 to 29, then "This Is Hardcore" feels more for life at age 30 and over. The lyrics are still as ingenious as those on "Different Class", but with less humour and more sentiment. "A Little Soul", "Dishes" and "Sylvia" are almost tragically touching. "Party Hard" sounds like a Bowie track from his late 70's "Eno-produced" album period, with Jarvis Cocker even sounding vaguely like Bowie on the song. My favourite songs on the album are "I'm A Man" and "The Day After The Revolution" which has a strange kind of "bittersweet" air of finality to it without being sickly, like a happy ending to a particularly tense film where everything turns out okay. The only track I'm not too keen on is "Seductive Barry". It just moves too slow and lacks any real hook. Overall though, another really great album from Pulp and enjoyable to listen to both on it's own and back to back with "Different Class".

First off, i'm of the opinion that "Different Class" is easily in the top 10 Britpop albums of the 1990's, if not in the top 2 or 3 (and i could make a case that it's one of the top 10 rock albums of the decade), so if you haven't heard it, you really owe it to yourself to hear it (NOTE: Different Class, as an album, is unquestionably a five-star classic; see below why i rate this edition as 4 stars). Very tuneful, with biting commentary, 'humour' and sarcasm on lust, youthful foolishness, class warfare and capturing the zeitgeist of what was going on in the UK around the mid-90's - it's very much of its time, yet I suspect will ultimately be considered timeless. Virtually all of the tracks are pure ear candy - this album really holds up thruout. This edition is beautifully presented -nice thick glossy digipak packaging with Universal's usual clear slipcase; generous booklet and comments, and great sound. If you've read this far, you'll probably want to pop for this in order to get the extras disc - demo's, b-sides, live cuts. They're nice, but i don't know if i'd call them indispensible - i rated it 4 stars because of the cost involved to get the extras. if you have an inkling you'll like this album, and can afford it, this is a good edition to get if you can score one for under like $25; otherwise, for most, the 1-cd will suffice and is heartily recommended. But if you're really into Pulp, i'd imagine you'll want this edition.

I love Pulp. I think this is one of their best albums. I have listened to it many times. For the serious music lover.

This album is one of those very few instances where we're not exaggerating when we say nearly every song is great. Yeah I'll say it, one of the best albums of all time. Any real music fan will easily like most of the songs here. It's the out of the ordinary instruments, lyrics, and vocals that give these songs its edge in making it more than just a collection of quality pop songs into one of the best ever.
Now of course it just happened to be released when pop wasn't cool during the overly grunge saturated early 90's, so it received little attention in the U.S. Nonetheless, a must have for any pop music fan.

If you want to listen to the best of Pulp (in my honest opinion) then this would be it. The music is stunning, unlike anything you've ever heard before, and jarvis' voice is so SEXY. The lyrics are outstanding and the music itself evokes good feelings. You will not regret buying this album.. I recommend you all listen to "Lipgloss" "Babies" "Do you remember the first time" and "David's last summer". You will love it!

Are they still called "albums" if they are Cds? Anyway, "Different Class" gets so much praise (and rightly so) but I believe that His and Hers is equally as great. "Do You Remember the First Time" and "Babies" are classics. My personal favorite is "David's Last Summer" - such a melancholy feel to it. Excuse me while I cut and paste some of the lyrics: (evokes such a longing for days past...)
"And we swam in the moonlight for what seemed like hours,
until we couldn't swim anymore.
And as we came out of the water we sensed a certain movement in the air,
and we both shivered slightly and ran to collect our clothes.
And as we walked home we could hear the leaves curling and turning
brown on the trees,
and the birds deciding where to go for Winter.
And the whole sound,
the whole sound of Summer packing it's bags and preparing to leave town.
Oh but I want you to stay.
Oh please stay for a while.

One brilliant album from the blokes that brought you Different Class. Like their 1995 masterpiece, His 'n Hers draws its influence from culture clashes/social awareness and packed with those gorgeous J.Cocker melodies. The His 'n Hers theme and sound eventually evolved to the not so different 'Different Class'. I've listened to this album front to back and everything is MUSIC. Every song, I've found that there is something clever about it, some lyrical theme or crazy guitar work that catches my ear. My personal favorites are
Joyriders,
Acrylic Afternoons,
She's A Lady,and
Pink Glove. And the keyboard melody near the end of track #11 is a bona vide lullaby. Regarding this LP - I think of Pulp as a very sophisticated and cultured music group, and J.Cocker as an enlightening lyrical figure. One of MY favorite albums; worth those petty bill$.

Admittedly, I was not to fond of this CD when it first came out since it was such a departure from the Pulp of His n Hers and Different Class. There were a handful of very good songs but I felt the best song on here didn't reach the level of the worst song on the previous 2 albums. Time has been kind to this album. The deluxe edition has been even kinder. Knowing the background on the album and what was going on at the time this album achieves brilliance yet totally redefines Pulp. When I first had this album I'd say there were songs I would skip repeatedly. This IS Hardcore would be one of them. Now, I find every song wonderful. I really do believe it just came out at the wrong time under the wrong expectations. The second disc is a surprise since it consists of a lot of demo's. Due to this I wasn't expecting much. I had already heard all the B-Sides and knew they were good but the demo's i figured would be ok at best with not so great sound quality. I was wrong on both accounts. The sound quality is fine. Hardly a demo in my book. The songs itself are good be why the album failed on first released. They were the bridge between the 2 albums. If included the album may have gone over better on it's initial release. Even though I adore this album now this is NOT the first place you want to start. Start with Different Class knowing it is the best album they've released and then go back and get His N Hers and Hardcore. I warn you to not go any further back in their catalouge. Sorry, what I have heard before His n Hers is really not that good. Now, if I would only get the deluxe editions of His N Hers and Different Class that I ordered 2 weeks ago!!! I'd be in heaven.

One last thing. This is the LAST Pulp album. We do not want to discuss Tree's or Weeds or whatever that wreck was called. Do yourself a favor and just buy the Bad Cover Version single and say that was the last thing Pulp ever did. That album will leave you wondering, "what happened?"

Despite the critical acclaim and feverous fan acceptance, Pulp's 1998 masterpiece "This is Hardcore" failed to build on the momentum that started with their landmark 1995 album "Different Class," and it will be remembered as Pulp's arty career-killer. If there ever was an album that proves that commercial success and quality of output don't always meet, this is it.

I was a diehard Pulp fan in the 1990's, and I especially remember the excitement of this album being released in April 1998. After buying "Different Class" on cassette and listening to it repeatedly (the tape actually broke from so much play), I was expecting the new album to be more of the same. That is was something totally different became apparent from the opening bars of "The Fear." "This is Hardcore" was (and still is) a dark, textured, and pessimistic album about aging, loss, and failing hopes. If "Different Class" was the all night party, "This is Hardcore" is the morning after. But the strength of Pulp has always been in Jarvis Cocker's songwriting, which makes this album actually stronger than it's predecessors.

The unquestionable standout tracks are "Help The Aged", the first post-DC single about Jarvis hope for the world to be kind to him as he grows older, "Party Hard," which is perhaps the most rocking of the album tracks, and the title track - a glorious 7 minute track about...err...pornography. Lyrically, these songs are among the strongest that Pulp has ever produced. For people hoping for more DC-like material, tracks like "Sylvia," "I Am a Man," and "Glory Days" are excellent rock songs.

Despite the failure of this album to break the bank, Universal has seen it fit to release it as a deluxe, 2 CD special edition, along with Pulp's two previous albums. The extras are contained on the second CD, and it's a mix of B-sides, demos, unreleased songs, and alternate mixes. The standouts are the excellent "Cocaine Socialism", "Like a Friend" (from "Great Expectations") and the fantastic "Tomorrow Never Lies" (a b-side for "Help The Aged") Most of these deluxe releases contain plenty of filler, but the Pulp re-issues are the exception. This new edition is well worth the extra cost.

"This is Hardcore" is the album the separated the true Pulp fans from the casual listeners who dug "Common People." It is a challenging, complex, and criminally underrated album that is well deserving of a deluxe re-issue. Highly recommended.

If you're thinking of buying "This is Hardcore", this is the version to get. Similar to the one labeled "[BOX SET]" here on Amazon, it has two "bonus tracks" on the bonus live CD, along with two bonus tracks on the album ("Like A Friend", which is on the American release, and "Tomorrow Never Lies").

As I'm sure people have mentioned in reviews of the American version, the fact that "The Day After The Revolution" has several minutes of a single synth chord tacked-on the end makes the bonus tracks a little annoying. That might be worth docking the release of this otherwise fantastic album a star if it weren't for the live CD-- Pulp is an amusing live act. At least with mostly "This is Hardcore" material, the approximations of the studio versions are good. Some are even a little better ("Glory Days" is more fun live, as is "Party Hard").

And not to ignore the basic album, which is, in my opinion, Pulp's best. Synthesizer content went down, but to make up for that, they wrote some of their best stuff: The one and only bad point for me is "Seductive Barry" which drags on into tedium. "Glory Days" seems a little done, but is still quite good. "Help the Aged", "This is Hardcore", "Dishes", "The Fear", "I'm A Man"-- all have become personal classics. Buy. Now.

To the reviewer who said you'll look in vain for other music by her: not so (if you work at it). She did an album before this and (by 2005) two albums after. And appeared on other albums.

You can get the original, rawer, drum n' bass version of the song "No Government" from the ablum "Now is Early" and several compilations several places, but this album's version is the best one unless you like drum n' bass, and the vocal here is smoother and more "produced".

Lots of Nicolette's music other places has very nice vocals, but the jarring high and varying tempo music with complicated beats behind her voice are distracting unless you ike that sort of thing.

For people who like "No Government" and who don't like fast drum and bass beats with their smooth singing, you've pretty much limited to the songs she sang on Massive Attack's albums. Start with "Three" on the album "Protection".

I have to warn everbody, you would be much better off buying the original Elfman score, and not buying this version.

However, this CD is the one I got stuck with, and there are a few 5 star songs on the 3 star CD.

First of all, Main Theme, this is a great Techno/Remix version of the Mission Impossible Theme, definately a keeper.

Second, Impossible Mission, is a great, funky militaristic track. It features some cool synth, sweet percussion, and a very cool, atmospheric sounds.

Third, Claire. This is without a doubt one of the top five saddest most beautiful songs ever put on plastic. It rates as the best song on the album, an Elfman classic in the tradition of his Burton scores.

Fourth, Trouble, this is an awesome action song that reminds one of Men In Black. The strange whistling, percussion, brass, and trembling strings really pull you in to the action.

Fifth/Mission Accomplished, this is yet another main theme remix, very listenable, but not as good as the rest.

As for the rest of the album, don't even bother with it.

I liked the movie and the Mission: Impossible theme song so much that when I found this recording in the library while ostensibly doing research for a project, I grabbed it right away and popped it into my CD player. Here is my song-by-song breakdown:
Mission: Impossible Theme: CLASSIC. WONDERFFUL. Just as good as (if not even better than) the beloved "James Bond Theme."
Spying Glass: A weird and wonderful song from Massive Attack. It's wonderful if you're just chilling out, especially after a long, hard day. (Unless you're one of those people who need to burn energy to blow off steam; it is kind of hard to dance to and completely out of place with sports.)
I Spy: This song and its theme of cold-blooded revenge sent shivers down my spine. I liked that. If you don't like your music unsettling, skip this track.
Impossible Mission: Score track. Good, but not a standout.
Headphones: I liked it, as it was soft, ethereal, and, well, I happen to like Bjork.
Weak: Alanis Morissette-style rocky relationship rock with decent vocals. (In case you hadn't noticed, unless she sings softly, Ms. Morissette sings like a dying cat. No offense to her fans, of course.)
On And On: I can't be a fair judge of this one. I can't sit through the uber-mellow intro and I hate having to fast forward.
Claire: A hauntingly pretty score piece.
Dreams: A very nice song if you have, unlike me, heard it less than fifty trillion times.
You, Me, and World War III: A very interesting song. I am not sure what it is about, but it fascinates me enough to listen to it again and again.
So: Maybe I'm a sap, but I like hearing about "some kind of tenderness in your laughter."
Trouble: Wonderfully dramatic score piece. Sort of a mash-up between ordinary spy music and Darth Vader's theme song.
No Government: A spacy, trancy song with tantalizing vocals and even more tantalizing ideals.
Alright: Pretty decent rock song, if awfully generic.
Mission Accomplished: Sort of like a really good remix of the original theme song.
Since there are so many different points of view around, I can't say "this CD is a gift from the heavens" or "this CD sucks like a vacuum cleaner" conclusively. All I will say is what I think: if the soundtrack was meant to be a good, solid collection of great songs, they accomplished their mission!

This CD has a handful of the most horrid attrocities ever attemped to be called "music" that I have ever had the unfortunate priveledge of listening to. The first time I saw this movie, I was very young and enjoyed the soundtrack. I recieved the cd as a gift. THIS IS NOT THE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE SOUNDTRACK. It is Music from (COUGH like 3 songs COUGH) and music "inspired by" the film. Now incase you are wondering what kind of music this movie would be likely to "inspire" stop yourself right there and let me tell you the answer. GARBAGE. There is music on this cd that's so mind curdlingly horrid that it makes you want to take two pencils, stick them up your nose, and slam your head down on the desk.(!!!!) It's that bad. Get the REAL soundtrack. I hope you enjoyed my warning, now I have to pull these pencils out of my brain cavity.

I think this CD was the first I ever owned. When I first got it, I listened to the theme music and skipped most of the rest. Years later, when I pulled it out and listened to the whole thing, I realized what I had been missing, and went out to find more music by these artists.

The two versions of the M:I theme are great--one is right from the movie and the other is an electronic version. Both are way, way better than the new theme from M:I-2. Then there's a neat, stylish song from Massive Attack. Pulp's "I Spy" is a passionate anthem about revenge--turn up the volume and shout along. Danny Elfman does three other instrumental tracks on the album: "Impossible Mission" is suspenseful but subdued, with lots of interesting percussion; "Claire" is slow and haunting; and "Trouble" is as exciting as all-get-out. Bjork's "Headphones" is still one of my favorites, and the strangest song on the album, really quiet and dreamy. "Weak" is a decent rock song, and "On and On" is sad and mellow rock. If you haven't heard "Dreams" before--well, of course you've heard it before, but it's still one of the best songs ever. Two more great songs are "No Government", with its mysterious vocals and catchy groove, and "Alright", which will raise anyone's spirits.

I don't know what business a lot of this music had appearing in a Mission: Impossible soundtrack, but it works. Go out and buy it today!