Pulp's 1998 album "This Is Hardcore" is one of my all-time favorite records. Simultaneously a summation of the Brit-pop boom of the mid/late 90's and a signifier of its coming death knell, the record perfectly captured a moment of music pop culture on tape, and then transcended it. Front man Jarvis Cocker was only 33 years old when the album came out, but he sounds like someone who has lived a lifetime of rock star decadence and regrets all of it. Hearing this album for the first time at 19, it sounded like the end of everything. Like the band knew something the rest of us didn't. Like they would still party with us, but they knew we'd all wake up cold, naked, sick, and alone in the morning. It's beautiful and devastating. Every song seems like it's better than the one that came before it, so that you have to listen to it over and over again. Essential. This is one of those albums that i've never been able to get over...and the good folks over at
Captured Tracks has been nice enough to reissue the thing on vinyl. Get it
here. Go on, i'll wait. In the meanwhile, watch the video for the title track below.
Sir, you have summed this record up perfectly. It is amazing. The horns on the title track haunt me - will haunt me always. It sounds like a tide, slowly ebbing away. It's every night spent in the bosom of debauchery, every morning spent awakening in regret.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's more you tell me now I can have it on vinyl??? Thank you. Seriously. Thank you. For this blog. For everything. Just thank you.