Reviews (page 5 of 8)
This was enough of a raw Bowie-ish recording that it won me over. I had heard of Jarvis Cocker, but honestly thought he was Joe Cocker's son. Never heard of Pulp, except maybe on Steven Wilson & Tim Bowness' podcast 'The Album Years'. First half is definitely stronger, first 5 tracks are a great sequence and 'Party Hard' is a standout for me.
This is my 2nd Pulp album. The other one was this album's predecessor, Different Class. I liked that one a tad more, but this is still quite listenable. I won't return for a re-listen.
Chill rock. Not bad, same band who did Common People. 3.5 stars
Well, this is pretty dark.
Good enough, even if it was the best of album that I heard
Interesting but unexciting. 3 *
I can't rate it a 5 because it feels to sacred. I think I rated a Santana album 5 stars awhile back and I regret it. It's good, BUT FIVE? A PERFECT FIVE? Let's calm down.
I've heard of this band. Not sure if I have listened to much of their stuff. It's alright, not for me. Very artsy.
Help the Aged
The more I listen to this the more I like it. It's a very cohesive piece of work; you can't just jump in and grab a song here and there and appreciate it as much as in the context of the whole album. With enough time, this might get to a 4 for me. But interestingly, there's no stand outs; just one long collective work that's really pretty good. High 3+. Maybe should be a 4.
the fear- 5 or 6 dishes- 5 party hard- 5 help the aged- 4 this is hardcore- 4 tv movie- 5 or 6 a little soul- 5 im a man- 5 seductive barry- 4 sylvia- 4 or 5 no more- it reminds me of phineas and ferb music idk why
Another average one
This was an album that passed me by back in the 90's. I'd heard the tracks that were released as singles, but never the whole album. In general it was pretty good, but it's another one that never fully grabbed my attention. If an album is on this list then I think it should be at least one of either (1) fucking amazing, (2) fucking awful, or (3) groundbreaking. This feels like none of those. Perhaps I've become a bit stale, now that I'm half-way through the 1001 albums, as I seem to be awarding 3 stars quite often now.
Good album but not Pulps best.
Interesting
Pretty good 3.5
Today I learned that Myron Wagtail of the Weird Sisters fronted a Britpop band that did not break in America called Pulp. Pulp released an album called This Is Hardcore where Myron used a voice spell to sound like David Bowie. It's okay.
This was fine. Solid 3-star album.
I kinda dig it.
I like this better than Blur? #lamereviews
A very dark yang to the A Different Class's archly humorous ying. Doesn't come out that well in the wash.
Buen grupo de brit pop y buen disco.
Not bad, fun! Drags on a bit
2.5 Sorry, but all of the 80s and 90s British bands that made it Pulp is one of those I don't get. And lord I've tried. Never been able to dig Jarvis Cockers style, but even besides that the music for the most part is just so... Lifeless? The odd song is a banger, but I mean odd. As in 1 every couple of albums. One day someone will explain it to me.
Not my thing, but I can appreciate it.
Honestly there was nothing to this album for me.
Sounds like Nixon. 2.5
Some standard, kinda boring britpop. Not very hardcore at all.
Not bad. Quite unique, but not exactly my cup of tea. I understand why people like it.
1. The Fear - 8 A track that's like a modernized Tears for Fears. Lyrically it's a good track with a great guitar sound. Very enjoyable opening experience. 2. Dishes - 3 Lyrically it's not a strong song. Everything else about it is alright but given it's a softer, slower song the vocals dominate most of the sound and they are very uninspiring. 3. Party Hard - 4 Instruments often drown out the vocals that are too low in octave to really enjoy fully. Guitar sound in the verses does sound quite good but it should not come at the cost of the vocals in the first verse. Lyrically this track isn't anything fantastic. 4. Help The Aged - 8 Classic Pulp sound on this track. Really enjoyable sound with a building of the guitars and lyrics that traverse a large landscape of vocal sound to culminate in an excellent track. Best track of the opening four. 5. This Is Hardcore - 9 Another solid building track with an awesome guitar sound. Really really solid title track and lyrically one of the best on the album. 6. TV Movie - 6 Decent song that slowly builds into a crescendo of a chorus until fading out. Overall a solid slower song. 7. A Little Soul - 6 Decent track with a great underpinned chord to lead the verses. Choruses are alright but the middle part of the track is a bit lost in pace vocally. 8. I'm A Man - 9 Quintessential Pulp track. Great guitar sound backed by an excellent drum. Vocals build into the choruses incredibly well on this track. Awesome song. 9. Seductive Berry - 2 Lyrically it's not a great song and vocals are at sometimes drowned out by the background singers and guitars. Forgettable track. 10. Sylvia - 5 It's okay. The louder parts of the track in the second half of it are fantastic but the opening slower parts are very lost. Ends on a great note though. 11. Glory Days - 4 Lyrically it's pretty bad but the guitar leading the track is quite enjoyable. Just feels like a bit of a random song in the verses until you reach the glory days line to lead out of the verses into the bridge. 12. The Day After The Revolution - 7 Drum is superb on this track and adds a great beat. Lyrically it's decent but the song's constant moving from high to low to high to low in the middle of the verses themselves make you feel a bit lost during the track. The guitars are very enjoyable and can help you get through some of the more almost annoying parts of the track. 13. Like A Friend - 8 Solid closing track that builds well. Enjoyable lyrics and a fantastic guitar to accompany an excellent crescendo of the percussions on the drums. Average Rating: 6.08 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 3.04 Rounded Down: 3 Stars
Unlike seemingly most, I didn’t get caught up in the Pulp love during the Britpop era although spending a lot of time in indie clubs, I heard (and danced to) a decent amount. I’ve somewhat softened my view these days and can even get nostalgic when listening but they’re still not a band I’ve ever chosen to play. So I can’t really compare this to earlier albums but there’s plenty of moments on here that feel grittier than their earlier singles, as well as a more cinematic aspect that’s clearly continued in their most recent work. Some great lyrics too. I’m certainly intrigued by this and may listen again at some point. It is too long though!
One of the most "meh" albums I've heard. It's not bad and unpleasant to listen, but it's a forgettable bunch of songs that start to meld after a while and start to sound the same. There are some interesting moments, but overall I found the album boring, unfortunately. I guess it's not my cup of tea. 2.5/5
background music while I was working
This Is Hardcore is a good album but far from my idea of hardcore. A more thoughtful and accurate title would have been This Is Mellow(dramatic) The songs are slow, thought provoking and musically on point. The album improves as it progresses, Glory Days takes top honors. The Day After The Revolution is intriguing and Help The Aged strikes a chord. I like this band. (3.4*s) Nothing lasts forever.
Not sure they need to be on this list twice but the list creator is obviously a britpop fan. It's a bit of a departure from the britpop sound but I think it still works. The more diverse and electronic sounds from Party Hard and a couple of other tracks round the album out a little more than what I heard from their earlier stuff. I thought it might drag a bit at 60+ minutes but I didn't struggle through it. 2.79 stars
Help the Aged This Is Hardcore
The random "bye" in the 10 minutes of dreamy noise at the end of the album was certainly a thing. A Day in the Life did it better.
Liked this quite a bit. Quite a bit of good songs here and the instrumentation is fairly unique.
Found it to be a little weak towards the middle. Other than that I really enjoyed it. „The Fear“ really stuck with me.
Good album. Very Bowie-esque.
Britpop, but alternative!
I respect the ambition and scope of sounds. There’s an excellent, maybe perfect, album in here somewhere. The songwriting is strong, but I think this is stretched kind of thin as a whole. I wished the lead vocals were mixed a little louder.
Nice
Day553 - as far as pulp albums go this has been my favorite one. it’s maybe a little slow but melancholy is where i lean
Just … ok.
I was never that taken with the whole Britpop thing. Oasis were a very shit Beatles rip off and Blur took themselves a bit too seriously. However if I had to pick one band that I could listen it would be Pulp! This is not their best album but still a good listen.
The Fear 3.8 Dishes 3.5 Party Hard 3.3 Help the Aged 3.7 This Is Hardcore 3.6 TV Movie 3.4 A Little Soul 3.5 I'm a Man 3.5 Seductive Barry 3.2 Sylvia 3.4 Glory Days 3.5 The Day After the Revolution 3.3 Score: 3.475
Another band I’ve heard about through the grapevine, though I don’t exactly know why. I’m surprised this album released in 1998. I was of the impression that Pulp were an 80s band, which I guess isn’t wrong despite only finding breakout success in the 90s Ah! I remember why I know these guys. My Mum gave me a CD of Different Classes when I first started out with listening to music. I don’t remember anything about the album other than it sounding kinda shitty, so I may as well be going into this album completely blind. This one deserves a relisten somewhere down the line as I thought it was pretty alright for the most part. It admittedly lost me somewhere along the way, though there’s a genuine craft to these songs and some pretty interesting lyrics to boot. Dishes is good. I like the delicate guitar performance that guides the song and the strings/organ that appear later in the track are also pretty good. Help the Aged is another good cut. I like the echoey, hollow sound in the guitars and the vocal performance is strong. I’m a Man is very familiar, especially the guitar performance at the beginning of the song. The songwriting is pretty good. I enjoy the malaise that is captured in the lyrics and the track has a very strong chorus. Equally enjoyable is the instrumental. I like the Planet Telex-esque guitar reverb, which pairs nicely with the vocal style. I can confidently say that this song is one of the best tracks I’ve listened to in recent memory. Sylvia is another great track. The vocal melody is fantastic, especially around the chorus. Complementing this is a very pleasing backing track. The synth during the less lively bits is admittedly a little weak, though the explosive percussion and guitars around the chorus are very good. Glory Days is another familiar one, though I think I may be mishearing it as another track. In any case, it’s very solid. This album has been full of tracks that build towards a loud crescendo. Frankly, I can’t fault these guys. They do it very well. Just to proudly wear my stripes, I daringly braved the ten-minute synth note at the end of The Day After the Revolution. After touring in the trenches of The Flaming Lips’ “Noise Loop”, getting through this one was a piece ‘a cake. I will gladly wear the “bahbah” as a sign of status from now on. I get the impression that this is a solid pick for the book, though I’m curious to know a little more as to why. Let’s see. A huge pivot within the band’s sound. “...a profoundly unsettling piece of work”. I always appreciate it whenever artists forego any commercial obligations and do their own thing, so I can happily cosign this inclusion.
Loved the opening track. The rest was still good, but I feel like I was set up for better.
This isn't hardcore. This is parallel universe Bowie.
Sometime in the mid 1990s I heard a Pulp song and decided they suck. I don’t know what song that was but I must had been pre- This is Hardcore. This album is not at all what I was expecting. It’s dark, lush and cinematic. Fear and the title track are highlights 7.7/10
This was fine. Nothing particularly stood out to me. It was smooth. I read the description comparing them to Oasis and honestly I didn’t hear it. This is more boring, but inoffensive. I wouldn’t mind this on in the background.
Pretty good!
Thought this was definitely going to be a punk album for 1 star, it is not, I judged an album by it's name and cover, whoops!
This didn't seem that hardcore. It fact it felt pretty low energy, not terrible, but nothing to really pull me in.
Y'know... I feel like I spent quite a bit of time during this album thinking Nirvana's IN UTERO. That was the album the band put out after NEVERMIND, with the explicit intention of alienating the pop audience they'd gotten. They cranked up the noise rock and Kurt's screaming got much harsher. Sure, it has softer songs like "All Apologies", but for all intents and purposes (and as I've always understood it) it was meant to scare people away. From everything I've read about Pulp's THIS IS HARDCORE, they seemed to be aiming for something similar. After years and years of trying to achieve, they finally got what they wished for their album DIFFERENT CLASS... And it turns out, they (and by "they" I mean the only band member that matters, Jarvis Cocker) didn't like it. They really didn't like it. So, as a response, they made THIS IS HARDCORE — what I've read described as a "cocaine hangover" album. It intends to alienate the audience, but not in the way like IN UTERO where it's loud and noisy and screaming at you. More, this album is just dark and sleazy and brutally, painfully honest... LIke, it's nursing its hangover and it just wants you to go away and stop bothering it. Well, that's what I gathered from the reviews, at least. My own experience with this album tended to be more like, "Uh... OK?" Look, I really tried with this album. I mean, I went through the effort of piecing together reviews to make that paragraph above so I could try and figure out a lens to view this thing through. I wanted to meet it where it was. Failing that, I tried looking at it like a concept like one of my fellow group members did... And neither one really worked for me. I was honestly wondering to myself, "Am I the problem? Is it me? Am I getting too distracted talking with friends about Subway, or trying to find on Google Maps where an Arby's used to be? Is that why I'm not engaging with this material?" Being completely real, I think I just don't jive with this material and this sound. And it's not like I blame Pulp for going in the direction they did. If they really didn't enjoy fame, I don't expect them to just write DIFFERENT CLASS 2. I **get** why this album is the way it is. And, y'know, maybe I'm a jerk for thinking this, but I think I liked Pulp better when they were happy. I relistened to "Common People" from that previous album, and, yeah, I just dug it a whole lot more than I did anything on here. I mean, it took me until the last three songs to get into this album, and the closer just **had** to screw things up by holding a single synth note for nine minutes straight. Funny joke, guys. Maybe **I'm** wrong for having assumed that happiness was Pulp's hook. Not like "happy–slappy ecstasy" kind of shit, but just that they're like... Joyous. They're looking at the shitty situation people are in and they're still finding joy in it. Which I suppose should make the contrast all the more palpable when they spend this album just wallowing, but... It just really failed to grab me in any meaningful way. It's like, where DIFFERENT CLASS made a good case for Pulp as one of the "big 4 of Britpop," this album has me wondering why I'd even really bring them up in the same breath as blur and Oasis. And I don't have a problem with downer or depressing music, honestly. And it's not like this even a fully bad album; there are parts I liked. Plus, again, I **did** really enjoy those last three tracks, the closer's outro aside. I just can't dig its sound, and that's really the worst it gets for me. Still, though: it ain't nothing. So, IN UTERO this ain't. And even putting aside my comparison to that album... Yeah. I might return to a song or two from DIFFERENT CLASS at some point — but this album? I think it's just too hardcore for me.
Very 90s Muse precursor
I like the title song. The rest is very confusing.. all over the place.
It's the ugly, angry cousin of their big three records but there's some fantastic arty highs despite being less euphoric and consistent than the predecessors. Will be more often in my rotation than it was, as it's a lot better than I remember it being, although Seductive Barry could be their nadir.
Slightly dreary. Does have a slight melodic melancholy about it
Rock, 1998 -> 3
Bueno
Sick name
i suppose i'll round down but it's pretty squarely a 3.5.
Solid, kinda moody rock Favorites: This Is Hardcore, Seductive Barry
No tiene los temas de Alternativa
It wasn’t as hardcore as expected.
You Look Just Like Sylvia 1001 Albums Generator 25 (05/07/2025) For my quarter-centennial album, I got the sixth album by the British band Pulp, This Is Hardcore. I had a very difficult time listening to this at work because of the album cover, but I was able to get around it lol. I know Pulp only as one of the big four of Britpop, but I have never listened to them. Interestingly, this album fulfills a similar role to the 4th album I got on this journey, Blur's self-titled, as This Is Hardcore similarly represents a band shedding their Britpop sound in favor of a different form of rock music. While Blur went for a more American alternative rock sound, Pulp opted to stay with sounds of the U.K. and instead pursue a distinctly British form of artsy glam rock, a la David Bowie two decades earlier. Often cited as the definitive album of the post-Britpop era, This Is Hardcore sees Pulp embracing more experimental, electronic soundscapes and darker themes. In general, this album is best when its energy and tension is bursting from the seams. Opening track The Fear is a haunting, gothic song led by great guitar harmonics and Jarvis Cocker's sometimes spoken, sometimes yelped vocals. While it sticks to a slow tempo, the tension is palpable. Party Hard is a really fun noisy rock song that is the most obvious single on the album. Cocker is doing his best David Bowie impression here. The lyrics were written as a cynical criticism of party and clubbing culture, in stark contrast to much of what Pulp's musical peers were writing about at the time. The title track is the most popular song on the album and features a jazzy trip-hop inspired instrumental and lyrics comparing musical success with being a porn star. Talking about his inspiration for the song, Cocker said "You'd see the same people in films, and they'd seem to be quite alive, and then you'd see a film from a year later and there's something gone in their eyes. You can see it, that they've done it all and there's nowhere else to go." I wonder if these ideas are still relevant today... A Little Soul and I'm A Man are unapologetically jangly Britpop. The former is a bit cheesy with its *clap clap* chorus but it's fun. The latter features a really great guitar solo. Sylvia is one of the strongest songs here, featuring heartbreaking lyrics of memories of a lost love, sung in a flying falsetto. This one almost gave me second-wave emo vibes when the chorus comes crashing in, a la Mineral or the more emo moments on You'd Prefer An Astronaut. However, this is quite a long album and features some slow songs that, to me, do not justify their place on the tracklist. Dishes is slow and psychedelic in a way that could be interesting, but it never gets off the ground, and it feels strange as a second song on the album. TV Movie is another slow moment, a piece of chamber pop led by acoustic guitar as opposed to the synths of Dishes, but it similarly fails to really pick up until around the last minute or so. Seductive Barry has orchestral touches of the post-rock movement that was gaining traction in the U.S. and Canada at the time, but I don't think it's done as well as many of the popular bands in that movement. I absolutely love the Spotify version of the closer The Day After The Revolution, which is a multilayer glamfest through and through, but the full 15 minute version doesn't do it for me. I can appreciate the experimentation of ending the album on a 10 minute drone, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. This Is Hardcore. This is an alright album. This is an album with some great songs and a hefty serving of filler. This Is Hardcore. This is a 3.5/5, rounded down to a 3. Favs: Party Hard This Is Hardcore Sylvia Least Fav: (Original version) The Day After The Revolution (Spotify version) Seductive Barry
Alt rock, on the slower/contemplative side
Don’t think I have this one enough time to have a solid opinion. Was interesting though.
3.2 By the looks of the wiki page, pulp was a pretty popular band in the UK. Growing up in Canada I dont think I ever heard them on the radio once. My introduction would have been through a ripped William Shatner album and the cover of common people. Maybe a bit more going on than some of the britpop out there
Honestly not sure whether this is a 3 or a 4, probably closer to a 4 but I really like rock music. Would definitely give it another listen eventually but I’m not racing to do so, hence the 3. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great music, but I’ve listened to a lot of high-energy rock music recently
Did not expect the type of music I got from just looking at the album cover haha. It was alright, the singer was pretty whine-y, which got a bit annoying. I also listened to this while cooking dinner so I didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics, but reading a few other reviews apparently they are pretty sexual haha. So I guess the album cover fits after all. Standouts: Like a Friend Rating: 2.75/5
Late 90’s alt rock
3.0 - Ok
Good Brit-pop, but not great. A couple of hits for sure, but I prefer their previous album.
I've never listened to much Pulp and thought I wouldn't really be into them, but there are some seriously epic tunes on this album.
3.5
File under: Dramatic white people music See also: Bowie, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave
Very mediocre
Like Bruce Springsteen does power ballads. An interesting thought experiment, but too dad rock for my taste.
Not my go to Pulp album, that's 'His 'n' Hers', but this has lots of bangers from start to finish. It's always good to stick it on every once in a while.
Always wrote them off as B tier Brit pop but there was more going on here. More artsy that I expected. I would listen again.
There's quite a set of strong songs on here. I must be personally going through a strict and demanding phase as I don't feel inclined to be generous with the scoring. Definitely a decent record though.
Favorite Track: Dishes
# 441 : 21/03/2025 : They've done a pretty decent job, not very hardcore I'll admit, but better than I expected.
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't particularly good.
Worth a second listen, I wanted to like it more but often felt something was missing like how Smokin Joe has some technically correct blues music that lacks soul. The album sounds like it was contractionally mandated.
This seems at least somewhat influenced by Nick Cave, not bad. Probably will not seek out.
Enjoyed the vocals and overall sound from these guys. Probably won't seek out on my own but if they come on in the wild, I'll take a moment to appreciate it!
i sure liked this more than their last one i heard on this website!
Man this wasn't bad but I don't know why I expected more. I'm not at all familiar with Pulp's work, but I know they're supposed to be this transcendentally good British pop/rock band more intellectual then Stella infused Oasis and less goofy than Blur, etc, etc. Sure the lyrics in here are a bit more mature (or just horny?) than some of the stuff the aforementioned bands talk about but I don't know...it comes off as skeezy or desperate in some cases. Surely that's intentional? In any case, I wouldn't call this a bad album, and if I came in with no preconceived notions about what it was supposed to sound like then maybe I would've liked it more. The beginning up until the end of the title track is better than the rest. Once you hit "Seductive Barry", which is terrible, it rapidly drops off a cliff. I would say only that last bit is bad, the rest is fine to kinda good even. And man, this would have been a great album cover and title for an actual hardcore album.
nice overall, a bit tiring after a while. still, a nice discovery!
Good rock album, enjoy some songs, but some songs do blend together a bit
It's okay - put the album on and started trying to figure out a new process being implemented at work. I didn't pay much attention to the album, but it wasn't distracting.
Good but nothing major for me
nice and forgettable at the same time
With apologies to Pulp because I'm sure it's frustrating as an artist to always be compared to your most popular work: it's no Common People :( I do like The Fear and a couple of other tracks but could leave most.
this is so long
I have some friends for whom Pulp is their favourite band. Yes. They are citizens of the UK. Why do you ask?
Enjoyable. Would listen again.
this is not as good as the previous one lol
Liked it
Different Class had moments where I found the subject matter to not be to my liking. Mostly dealing with sexual escapades at others expense. The worst of the sex, drugs, and rock n roll. This album is full of just those moments. It seems like an accounting of the underbelly and the relationships are all about dominance and physical manifestation of that dynamic. The music itself is performed well and adds a gavitas to the Britpop band's sound that is welcome and suits the subject matter.
A bit of bad, but a whole lotta good. I would’ve preferred shorter songs though, but that’s just personal preference. Fav songs: I’m a Man, Sylvia, Glory Days Least fav song: I think it was Dishes but I honestly forgot
Pretty good. It definitely sticks with its own style.
While it’s not always for me, I always appreciate music made for vampires and ghouls
I actually mostly like Jarvis Cocker and his lyrics, but there's a thin line between the songs he pulls off, and the songs where he fumbles and it's all a bit embarrassing. This album has both. The album is longer than it should be, and there's absolutely no excuse for that 15 minute closer.
Solid Brit-Pop
Enjoyed
Very decent album, had some great songs throughout but wasn't their best work.
already partially heard, fav is title track long bloated boring
Mmm... That wasn't as cool as I remember Pulp being.
Interesting and new to me
OK pop-rock. Uninspiring. Nothing hardcore about this.
I guess 3.5
I quite liked it overall. There were some clear ups and downs and moments where I needed to skip to the next song. Especially the last song, what the fuck was that? 10 minutes out of 70 of this albums are just somebody getting stuck on a single note?
Absolutely middle of the road, nothing outstanding, nothing bad.
Another forgettable Brit rock album, it’s fine but way too long and nothing really stood out to me
Good album, not their best or the best of its moment but I guess there is something to be noted about it.
plenty of good songs but no great ones
Adjacent to Britpop bands are not my favorite. This is about as textbook 3 stars are you can get. Totally fine.
Basically the same review as Different Class. Good but not great, I don’t like the singing. Favorite song: seductive Barry, because he sings differently on that song.
3 stars
Nu har jeg hørt den 2 gange for at være sikker... Jeg troede jeg kunne lige Pulp bedre end jeg kan... Det er fint nok, men jeg det er bare ikke Disco 2000 nok.
Britpop-rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Album 622 of 1001 Pulp - This Is Hardcore (1998) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Described as Rock/Britpop/Indi, it is a challenging listen but well worth it. A bit different from their earlier work. Kind of a cinematic feel while honing in on some darker themes. It isn't pouring out the hits but overall, it is well done album.
Strong vibes of one of the many albums that are a solo project from someone more famous as a member of a band. Not my favourite, but not actively bad.
It’s a vibe for sure. Really 2.5 stars.
I was gonna purely write this off and go "I like the one that says Some Pulp" for this reviews because I'm famously not big on Pulp, but I actually really like this one! Pulp are effectively the most famous Roxy Music worship band, and while Jarvis is a much worse and more obnoxious vocalist than Bryan Ferry, it works here for the more art rock-leaning aspect of Pulp's sound. It's consistently enjoyable, something I can say a lot more for this than Different Class or His N Hers. I FINALLY understand what people get out of this band. 7/10
Quirky energetic songs tat sometimes feel a little forced. Listenable but dated
Where does Pulp get their inspiration? They go from existential crisis to having the same initial as Jesus. Overall pretty good, not bad.
Interesting, much better than Mars Volta for sure
Enjoyed this more than I expected. It has elements of 70's rock but doesn't stay stuck in the Ziggy Stardust vibe at all.
Comes across more like a novel than music. I did like some songs towards the end and also on the bonus 2nd disc.
Still sounds a bit like Bowie. They are ok, but the album is still too long.
I actually liked it more than I expected. The main song I liked was Help the Aged because the lyrics were valid and strong at the same time
Meh. Liked their other album we had on this list. His voice was mildly annoying in this album. Also it was a really long album which I wasn’t a fan of. Best song on the album was the last one everything else was okay or decent but nothing really wow. Don’t know why I NEEDED to listen to this before I died.
78% Best: The Fear; Party Hard; This Is Hardcore; Glory Days; The Day After The Revolution Must-Hear? Not quite
A bit more interesting than I would've thought but still a little generic and not sure why it would be included here.
Fine as background noise, fairly boring. Nothing to really catch my interest or imagination
Meh this was fairly average, not too exciting.
This is fine. Fairly generic sound.
I really like a bunch of Pulp's music, but this wasn't quite hitting the same highs of their other albums, so it's 3-stars from me. Disco 2000 is a great track though.
Pulp is the horniest band I've come across on this generator
Soft content that blurred from track to track to track to track
These guys are part of the same genre as Blur and Oasis, as one of the \"big three\" Britpop bands, they sure sound more musically ambitious. It's still all a bit too sanitized for me - and kind of long-winded. I like my sub-pop genres to be immediate, but this album feels like the opposite. My three favorite songs 'Sylvia', 'Glory Days' and 'Help The Aged' are the stickiest songs here - everything else leans into this "art pop" sound that was never doing anything that blew me away. Not to say any of it is bad, it's just that the layer of polish on the more ambitious cuts here like 'This Is Hardcore' and especially 'The Day After the Revolution' with its long outro makes everything a bit too artificial. I didn't really care for 'Seductive Barry' either, not until its final minutes at least where those strings come in. At times, it reminds me of Lloyd Cole the commotions' jangle-pop sounds with just how all over the place it can be. The vocals and music are still solid, I suppose.
Overall: 5/10 This was long and unimpressive. I found the songs to kind of drone on in the background of my thoughts and I kept wishing that I was just listening to David Bowie. There's obviously talent here but it isn't for me. Fav Song: A Little Soul Least Fav Song: Seductive Barry
more ok britpop
The swan song of the whole Britpop era. Solid album, though it doesn't have many remarkable songs to highlight afterwards.
Not anything I would turn off if it came on to a stream I was listening to, but also unlikely to be anything I ever seek out again.
-interesting! I haven’t heard anything else by Pulp so im not too familiar with their genre specialties or whatever, but I wasn’t expecting the Bowie-esque glam rock stuff. It did feel a little on the slow side at parts but I really liked the variety especially in the second half -Favorites are Dishes, Party Hard, and Seductive Berry
A few songs in here made me perk up and say "oh...this is kind of cool". But for the most part I found it relatively slow and just okay.
Somewhat innocuous
I don't get the hype. Thought it was ok
Not bad, but somehow didn't seem genuine- like it was trying too hard to be sexy and cool. had some real highlights, but a lot of mediocrity as well.
Pretty good, but no Common People. We enjoyed this though.
Surprised on this one. I had never given this group a shot and although I had heard a few random songs I didnt really get into those songs so never listened to an album bit this is a very good album although I still dont love them. The song I liked the least was the single which pushed me away when this album was released. Glad I had the chance to listen now older and give it a chance and now I can judge it better.
A little too Morrissey for me...
I find nothing wrong with this. Kinda sounds like a movie soundtrack from the 70s. 3 stars
Olispa enemmän hardcore… tai ehkä pitäisi keskittyä sanoihin. Nämä ovat tarinallisia biisejä. Mutta kirjoittaisivat myös kiinnostavampia melodioita (soittimille) eikä vain pauhua laulun taustalle! Mitä nyt kitara soittaa aina parit tii-tii-tii-tiit. Oasis voittaa tän ajan pelit. Mutta jotenkin ymmärrän tätä ja tahtoisin antaa 3 tähteä… kaks puol.
Незапоминающийся экспериментальный рок-альбом, тяжёлый для прослушивания. Есть местами красивые фоновые мелодии, но они не спасают.
Mature, heartfelt, poetic, reflective Pulp, exquisite in the little details. Love: A Little Soul, Party Hard, I’m a Man, Like A Friend Enjoyed less: Seductive Barry
Not as good as the other one.
This wasn't bad. Much better than I expected it to be!
3.4 Not too bad but not memorable
Wow surprising good
it gives a strange vibe like it "has the energy" of not being the first at anything but being a good attempt at it. like Help The Aged just sounds like we-have-Creep-at-home. is that fair? is any of that even fair? i have no idea but it's the rational-or-irrational feeling it gives me apart from that it sounds cool enough
This isn't hardcore punk, it's Britpop! Thankfully it's in a different class than Different Class. It's moodier and a bit more post-punk influenced, and that thematic and sonic diversity changes things up just enough to pull me. I do think it's missing a true stunner – though "Sylvia" does come very close – but at least it's consistent. Still too overtly pretentious and smug for me, but more complex and unsure this time around, and that's to Pulp's own benefit. I'm not head over heels for Pulp still, and won't be revisiting this much moving forward, but in the polluted sea of over-represented blah Britpop albums, I'd take This Is Hardcore over a lot of other Britpop albums on this list.
Not bad but it didn't really grab me in any way.
This is boring.
It was ok, not the best. Has its moments I guess though.
I may or may not have listen to this album. I don't think it has much to offer than there previous album, also on the list.
I was surprised by how different this was than Different Class. And I don't think the changes are in a positive direction. It's a fine album, but if I was going to listen to one Pulp album, it wouldn't be this one.
3 I felt emo listening to this
Rating: 5.5/10 Mixed bag album with plenty of very boring songs but also quite a few that were very good. Overall too long but still slightly enjoyable. Favorite songs: The Fear, I'm A Man, Sylvia, Glory Days, The Day After The Revolution, Like A Friend. Worst songs: Party Hard, This Is Hardcore.
Pretty good listen, not something I'd come back to but it scratched an itch for the day. 3.5/5
This Is Hardcore is the sixth album by Pulp, originally released in 1998. I'm vaguely familiar with Pulp, but I've never given them a listen until now. All I really know is that they were big in the mid-90s Britpop scene. This record was released in 1998, so it was pretty much after the Britpop craze had passed. This was more pop-oriented than I expected (but somehow artsy at the same time), and very pretentious. It almost reminded me of a Nick Cave record at times. It also gets a lil creepy/weird. I can see why they wanted to try something new with this record, but I don't think it all works. Overall decent record, but it has its...interesting moments.
Meh
Some Nick Cave vibes.
Ok Britpop but doesn't not essential and doesn't need to be on the list.
Meh. Nothing wrong with this but the amount of 80s/90s British music on this list is absolutely insane. I dont even have anything new to say on that topic but wow, what a narrow-minded group of listmakers.
Not as good as I was hoping.
A bit of and odd one. Not bad though. Not really sure how to classify this one, but the singer hits that Depeche Mode vibe that I don't love. The end had a nice triumphant sounding finish that reminded me of some band that I can't quite put my finger on. Ending pulled it from a low 3 to a regular 3.
Glamiest of Glam Rock. Not really my favorite genre at all but this album was pretty good at points. Some of the songs had some really cool rock aspects, others however felt like they were trying to hard to be epic songs. There was also a bit too much of seductive lyrics which kind of freaked me out at points. This one was hard to rate but I think it's landing as a low 3
Not bad but not nearly as good as Different Class.
Not as bad as I was expecting. Nothing memorable, but not bad all the same 3/5
This is Hard to judge. While Britpop is not my cuppa, I can jive with the direction this is heading. Strong rock pop blends and interesting music composure that does not confine itself to any particular formula. However, I find myself criticizing it more than I should and I land somewhere in between. The vocals ultimately drive the final nail of mediocrity.
I like his voice.
I tapped out halfway through. It's alright. Nothing amazing though.
some of the songs sound good. sometimes his voice sounds like the lead singer of the National
“This is the sound of someone losing the plot”—an early lyric that pretty much sums up the whole purpose of it. It was decent, even if I wasn’t locked in the whole time.
Listened through this a couple of times, watched the video of the title track. The vibe is right in my lane, but I have a visceral reaction to Mr Cocker, he's just not Ferry or Bowie, however hard he seems to try. Makes it difficult to love what could be a stellar album
Nothing too remarkable but a nice listen. Probably a 3.5.
Sullen, low-key and somber. This is a very tame record with obvious elements of 90s alternative rock. Screeching guitars and almost-whining vocals layered over mysterious drum rhythms. This isn’t really hitting the spot, but it’s not terrible.
I liked it, but was left a little underwhelmed. The highlights are really high on this, but I found the album as a whole quite a mixed bag. I think Pulp tend to do large, bittersweet, bangers really well, but I do think the more they experiment the less it works. Also I don't feel like album lives up to its title - it could be a lot sexier! Best Track: Like a Friend Worst Track: Seductive Barry
Didn't listen to this when it came out, despite having bought and been quite keen on Different Class. Knew a couple of singles off it. Overall, I quite like it, although in retrospect Jarvis has a fairly weak voice. Amused by the line "I am not Jesus, though I have the same initials". A strong 3.
One or two great songs but overall isn’t interesting.
Good album.
Just enough in here to give it a third star, but otherwise very derivative of Pink Floyd. Glad to be introduced to it.
Reminded me of the movie Love Actually.
OK album. I didn't really connect to this and, admittedly, didn't have a ton of time to listen properly. Solid music, but I didn't respond strongly one way or another. ***
This is almost good! The songs are well structured, but they're stuck in basic chords and melodies. The lead guitar playing is interesting, but the guitar sound is horrible. The lyrics are great and audible, but sang in a monotonous voice that I can't stand. And they don't solve most of these problems until the last song!
Sooooo Britpop!! Jarvis particularly saucy on some of these. Fav tracks: help the aged, Sylvia, glory days, like a friend
Nice to have something challenge my britpop prejudices as I ended up enjoying quite a bit of this. When the lyrics aren't desperately horny they can be quite moving. Some of the melodies are sublime, it's just not my prefered instrumental pallete
I kinda like it, save for the monotonous music in every song.
Surprisingly enjoyable
just mid whatver ok fine
Eh
Weird but good.
Fick denna precis efter en kort period där jag lyssnade på just sån här musik, men det gör det inte dåligt för det, tvärtom. Innan så hade detta varit en ”meh”, men nu var det en ”okej👍”. Några ganska bra låtar. Jag hann inte lyssna på det så mycket men det får jag göra mer någon annan gång.
Actually wasn’t so bad
Low sing/talking sounds like Lou Reed / David Bowie The Fear (Am - E - F - C) reminds me of Muse. This is Hardcore reminds me of Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. A Little Soul could be Tom Petty
What happened here..... You ever feel like you're a bad music fan for enjoying (or not enjoying) an album? That's what Pulp makes you feel here. Different Class, which precedes this, is sophisticated but also high-spirited and spunky. One of the peaks of britpop, in my mind. It's as if the band (or what was left of it by that time) grew to detest the people who enjoyed that record, leading them to create... this. It's dark, dreary, humdrum, and it completely removes the liveliness that was present in their previous effort. There are songs that are still good, but the overall sound makes you feel let down. And then you feel a bit pissed like, I'm sorry I enjoyed it when your music was fun, screw me I guess. Admittedly about half of the record is still good - The Fear, This is Hardcore, I'm a Man, Sylvia, Glory Days, and The Day After the Revolution. It's less of a hardcore record and more of a betrayal though. Hmph!
I like the genre, so I didn't hate this album. However, there's nothing in here that sets them apart, and I didn't LOVE any of the songs enough.
- Kannte Pulp vom Namen, habe aber nie bewusst etwas von denen gehört - Den ersten Track „The Fear“ kannte ich direkt und ich weiß nicht woher (irgendeine serie??), den ich sehr mag, aber ewwwwig nicht gehört habe - Auch der zweite Song „Dishes“ hat mir mega gut gefallen - Es kommen später nochmal ein zwei Lichtblicke aber insgesamt fällt das Album leider nach den ersten beiden Songs größtenteils doch ab. - An sich nichts verkehrtes und auch irgendwie entspannt zum Hören, aber auch nichts, wo ich jetzt super excited bin Rating: 3/5
- Das Album, bei der ich die Sprachnachricht bezüglich der Mediocrity der letzten Alben gemacht habe. - Ich fands eher so mediocre - Dafür, dass dieses Album 20 Jahre nach Gründung der Band veröffentlicht wurde, finde ich es sehr unangepasst und progressiv. Stilistisch holt es mich aber einfach nicht wirklich ab. - Habe so langsam das Gefühl, dass Britpop in diesen 1001 Alben ein wesentlich größere Rolle spielt, als ich vorher gedacht habe. 3/5
2,5
B The Fear 4 Dishes 3 Party Hard 3 Help The Aged 4 This Is Hardcore 5 TV Movie 3 A Little Soul 3 I'm A Man 4 Seductive Barry 3 Sylvia 3 Glory Days 3 The Day After The Revolution 3 Good job Pulp, now stay tf away from my orange juice!
Not as accomplished as A Different Class, but still lyrically pointed and sprinkled with interesting melodic ideas. At its best when Jarvis Cocker is willing to get personal (see: A Little Soul, about his father’s abandonment).
Ok album. The first half had some good stuff in it, the second half was rather mediocre and meandering. Will give it another listen on a day that isn’t album release. 3/5.
It's mellow and also poppy. Except Party Hard and Help the Aged, which is oddly mellow in the beginning and then they decided they didn't want it to be mellow and just changed it in the middle of the song. Not really something I'm expecting to listen to too often.
A fine brit-alt-rock album, though i don't think i'm 100% aligned with Jarvis' lyrical style... a few too many song lyrics seem like boring observations from a boring observer. Still songs like The Fear, I'm A Man and This is Hardcore are a bit more catchy and interesting.
Honestly WAY better than their earlier britpop stuff. I really like this as an epitaph to that era. The darker sound here is much more interesting to me and more varied as well. Their lyrics are a lot less trite and obnoxious too, with deeper subject matter reflecting the darker sound.
This was pretty good
This album was good, but ran too long. It is a Britpop centric album with psychedelic, post-punk, and chamber pop influences. While I did enjoy it, I found some of the lyrics to be a bit simplistic though I enjoy Jarvis Cocker’s spoken style singing. Overall, a good record that doesn’t quite meet the threshold of their earlier releases.
Smooth and enjoyable
Never heard of them. A nice, funny, near Bowie experience. I’d listen again but probably not seek it out.
I don't mind Pulp, got Jarvis' book on my "to read" list... but i expected more. If this was a vinyl I'd guess it was side B before I heard something I liked - after that it was OK.
Pulpin different classille aikoinaan vitosta annettiin ja reviewetä siteeraten tämäkin albumi "hittas".. mutta heh ei tunne tasolla... paukutusta päähän taas 1001 ja enemmän sinne mentävä..
First time hearing this band. Seems a lot more talking than singing. It's okay, not really what I would describe as 'hardcore'. Didn't skip any songs. Probably wouldn't listen again though. 3/5
I know Pulp from their song "Common People," never listened to a full album, but I'm excited for this one. Lots of really interesting production decisions on this, with heavy horns and lush strings. 3/5
I tend to love Pulp, and I had rated this album well previously, but it’s just not doing it for me today. Jarvis Cocker of Pulp is masterful though, he writes some great songs and the band plays like Bowie.
Alright 5/10
David Bowie vs. Elvis Costello. 3/5
I kind of like The Fear
Another one of those UK choices that just doesn't do much for me and leaves me shaking my head... so many bands that the author of the book missed completely that IMHO are infinitely better than this. Shriekback comes immediately to mind.
This is not hardcore. I've listened to my fair share of hardcore and this is not it. This is more David Bowie-esque rock without David Bowie.
Was ready to dismiss this pretty early on, but I enjoyed the back half of the album. Could be a 3.5 (as long as we’re on the 12 track version)
Have never listened to an entire Pulp record and I found this to be a pretty happy experience. A couple of the more jangly art-pop tracks weren't so much my vibe but there was a lot that was - give me some wine and cheese and I could really brat about to this. Three and a half. Fave track: This is Hardcore
Sounds like Bowie covers. And what the hell was the idea of the last song being so long. Annoyed the shit out of me.
Mediocre, to the edge of boring.
It’s hard to rate this one, I think it might be a real grower, so ideally I’d give it a few listens to let it sink in. A Little Soul and Sylvia are pretty immediate, but there are lines in most of the tracks that I thought were great. Predictably, I’m going to sit on the fence with a three for now.
I wanted to like this more but, meh
Decent.
Some songs, like Help the Aged, This is Hardcore and Sylvia, are really good. Somgood that even David Bowie would be proud. Some songs, like I’m A Man and Glory Days, are almost good, but a tiny bit too boring. Unfortunately some songs are also plain boring, such as Seductive Barry, Party Hard and Dishes. And why finish with an 11 minute track? So what could be a 4 star record with an acceptable playtime, becomes a 3 star album that’s at least 20 minutes too long. Yes, I’m looking at you, Seductive Barry and The Day after The Revolution!
Okay
Interessante Musik, zum nebenbei hören okay.
I don't like of Pulp's songs
Just an average album by Pulp. Couple of nice songs, including the self-titled, but otherwise just a background theme for the afternoon. Not much to say, honestly.
Wasn’t familiar with genre Britpop before 1001 and Im not a fan. It’s currently last in my genre rankings. But this was admittedly better than others I’ve heard. Dishes and I am a Man were alright
The album AFTER the big one. Clear growing pains, but not a surprise given the explosion in popularity. And can't help feeling let down by this effort. Still a fine record though.
Was okay but nothing that memorable
Surprise, surprise...another Brit-Pop album. A bit better than the others we've heard recently. Bowie-esque, by way of Boomtown Rats. This is why you don't let Doug pick all the music for a long road trip.
I suspect this album is going to grow on me, so let's say it's a 3.5 for now.
I can't add much to the review currently topping this section. It's just a *perfect* review, and it encapsulates everything I think or "feel" about this particular album (which I have on my shelves, along with a couple other Pulp albums, plus two compilations). Awesome job to whoever wrote this one. The title-track, "This Is Hardcore", is indeed a dark masterpiece, and the rest of the LP is indeed "difficult" on several levels (lyrical, musical, topical...). So only... *hardcore* fans of Pulp would have you believe this one is an "essential record". I am a huge fan of *Different Class*. But a *hardcore* fan of Pulp I am not. I just merely like this particular album for what it is, i.e. an experimental way out of the dead end that britpop had become. A quick note about the death of britpop to wrap things up: with their eponymous album, Blur had managed to find their own way out of this "style" while retaining their sense of fun and excitement. Pulp, being older than Blur, chose to embrace some sort of cynical, nihilistic posturing instead. And the results of this stance can only be alienating to large swaths of a general audience. Consciously or unconsciously, this is probably the endpoint Jarvis Cocker wanted to reach with this one. *This Is Hardcore* is therefore a success on its own terms. But those terms can't really apply to a list only comprising "essential albums", can they? 3/5 for the purposes of said list. Which translates to a 8/5 grade for assessing albums in more general terms (5+3). Number of albums left to review: 342 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 298 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 158 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 211 (including this one)
I enjoyed Seductive Barry and hated the last song. The rest of it was fine.
Felt quite generic to me, but get they are big (I just do not enjoy them)
Found a new band I dig. Experienced in Oasis and Blur, and I liked this a bit more. Going to explore the rest or their discography. Very much influenced by Robert Smith, Bowie, The Smiths... Cool stuff.
Really cool sound. Kinda Bowie-ish, with great stylish vocals.
I like Pulp in general, some great tracks on this album but overall kinda just solid above-average listening, not too much to grab on to after the title track. Cool dark bitter Bowie vibes. Opener "The Fear" is a standout. 3 - will probably listen again
It was alright, not groundbreaking for me or anything.
Strong start and finish. Rating 3.
Known before: Standouts: 8. I'm A Man 10. Sylvia Rating: 6.0
Known before: / Standouts: / Rating: 5.0
Muse meets Tim Burton meets turning the volume way down. Really had to turn up the volume to hear this album, and in there i didn't find much. Some anthemic crooning britpop songs, no major standouts. Would have been much better if they snuck in Party Hard by Andrew WK (the original, not a cover) into the album. Otherwise a terrible song by that name.
Not entirely sure how to rate this? Can take it or leave it musically, a pretty standard "parts I liked, parts I didn't" thing. But to be honest the lyrics and story told by them makes me want to give it either a 1 or 5 and I can't tell which. The stages of realization of what's actually happening made my jaw drop better than any show or movie have in a long time.
It was better than I thought. It was not something I’d listen to again that easily but it was an enjoyable listen. His voice grates.
Some songs really resonated with me, but many others just didn’t hit. I enjoyed the diversity, but overall I feel like the package was a bit weak.
Wasn't mad about the first track, 'The fear'. Nevertheless a few good songs like "This is hardcore" got my attention. Really liked it. A few not so good tracks - e.g. 'Help the aged'. A fair 3 out of 5
Nice listen
Better than most Britpop I've come across.
3.5 if I could. Its an easy listen and one that I would say that I like but not much that I would add to a playlist or come back to over and over again.
It's OK
Brit pop! Not actually hardcore. 3.2
I've warmed to Pulp over the years but I have to say this wasn't my most favourite of them. I enjoyed a couple of them but some of the rest I wasn't overly keen on - definitely not the hits that we all know and love!
I was previously unaware of Pulp. My first impression: Jarvis Cocker seems like an average guy with a rare ability to succinctly and honestly describe his everyday experience. I hear My Chemical Romance, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, U2, Blue October, perhaps influenced by or influenced. I appreciated the sober takes in "Help the Aged," "A Little Soul," "Glory Days," and "The Day After the Revolution," and the style of "Seductive Barry." These lines stood out on my first listen: "...I'm not worried that I'll never touch the stars 'Cause stars belong up in heaven And the earth is where we are Oh yeah." Adding "This Is Hardcore" to my "check out further" list.
Enjoyed much of it. Familiar sound. But never heard of them before this.
7/10 pretty solid
Another one that is ok. Didn’t hate it, but not very interesting.
Schöner sanfter Rock, zwischen melancholisch und Singer-Songwriter.
Good, but not many bangers on here. Just good.
I liked it, but didn’t love it.
First time listening to Pulp and will listen again.
never heard this album in full before quite enjoyed it not sure i will revisit it though some highlights
Not Different class levens of good but still alright
Enjoyed
This was hardcore, but nice! Good Sunday vibes:))
With ears formed in the 2010s and Pulp thoughts fully-formed in my brain, the shared lineage with recent Arctic Monkeys is clear even if the comparison is carefully non-sonic. The elder crew, that is, navigates their record with more emotional range. More stylistic range, too, but that makes This Is Hardcore less cutting as it strives. Real grown-up stuff, in a weird formal zone maybe or just a 90s birth.
I'm pretty sure I've heard the band's name before but I don't recall hearing any of their music. The vocalist reminds me of a few other singers -- sorry, blanking on names -- but not in a bad way. The performances by the musicians are excellent. Some very skilled players on all instruments, and the compositions and arrangements are done very well, too. Overall, I found this to be enjoyable rock-pop with an interesting sound to it.
First time I listened to this one, after hearing the brilliant Different Class album hundreds of time. First impression: some great songs like Sylvia, some for Pulp standards less appealing, let's give it 3 stars and try it a few times more, it might grow on me.
Good stuff
Didn’t particularly like it, there were some good tracks but overall not my thing. 2.5/5
3 britpop bores me
Needed more sleeze
Gotta say I’m more of a greatest hits fan when it comes to this band. But if you’re a Pulp fan you’ll love it. Not sure what people who have never heard their music will think 🤔
Not Hardcore but angst-ridden and a teensy bit self-indulgent, self-flagellating, woe is me and my career! Don’t get me wrong! I love Pulp - but I loved the raw, humorous, observational energy of their earlier records more. This has entered the realms of derivative and bemoaning of life. I wonder if this was because at the height of their fame, and pursued by paparazzi, it was all too much for JC. I still think he’s a great songwriter, but I would say this was hitting a downward trend.
я недавно поняла что Палп мне активно не нравится. но этот альбом лучше чем тот с коммон пипл
Menteurs
y a de l'idée mais trop long