Reviews (page 6 of 8)
This is my second Pulp album in two weeks and what I've gathered is that they're the horniest band on Earth. These guys LOVE singing about sticking their penis into female orifices (too often nonconsensually as well). I'm too asexual for this, sorry. I think I liked this a bit more than Different Class and I gave that a 3/5, so same for this one. Favorite track was probably "Help The Aged". [Insert Bowie comparison here] [Insert "Suede is better" here] [Insert complaint about whispering here]
I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It was just...kind of there. I'll give this album a bit of credit for getting slightly better as it goes along. The first 4-5 opening tracks were pretty weak imo. Giving this an extra star for having a couple of bops. But definitely not one I'd return to over and over. Fave track: It's a Dirty World
2.5 stars
The good: Has some great tracks. Party Hard sounds like a lost Bowie song, Help The Aged has a good chorus and passionate vocals, This Is Hardcore is very theatrical and intriguing, and A Little Soul is a nice acoustic ditty. The bad: Overall its 20 minutes too long. Why does the last song feature 10 minutes of the same keyboard sounds. Half of the songs are either boring or sound similar to songs preceding it. And afterwards it feels like I gave a mental birth. To sum it up, this has some good songs but overall too boring to listen in full. Would give it 5/10 if I could.
first listen kinda just alright britpop
I like Different Class by Pulp and have listened to it in full numerous times, but I'd never really explored beyond that. I don't mind the vocals, but overall this album is just too long and doesn't have that song to bring you in like Common People.
Empiezo a pensar que 1000 discos son demasiados. En mi opinión hay mucho relleno. Por ejemplo este disco. Si a mí que me gustan Pulp no lo considero imprescindible a todos los que no les atraiga el Pop de los 90 les parecerá un churro. Están bien Party hard o This is hardcore.
It was enjoyable listening. Noting truly did stand up after the first listening.
Decent
Enjoyed
3.5 for me
Pretty interesting 90s art rock album which sounds kind of like a blend between a post glam vibe mixed with 90s punk pop, on the high side of3 stars
Interesting choice for a Pulp album. I'd probably have gone Different Class myself. Wow. Party Hard is such a relief! Some good tracks in here. I'm actually genuinely surprised to see it in the 1,001 albums list because while Pulp were clearly an incredibly influential part of the 1990s British music scene.... This is not their best work.
Britpop-rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Wow, there really is a lot of Britpop on this list. But Pulp are one of the few worthwhile bands from that scene. "Different Class", their more celebrated album, is also on the list. "This is Hardcore" has a more world-weary, less quirky style of songwriting. The sound is more "mature", but less attention-grabbing. I've always liked Jarvis Cocker's vocals and his writing. However, there is a queasy dreariness to the album, which I find in so much 1990s British pop/rock. Overall, I enjoyed revisiting this, but I wish it wasn't over an hour long, as it does end up dragging. 3.5*
Interesting
Overstayed its welcome, but pretty decent.
This band is so middle of the road and forgettable that I was like “never heard of these guys wonder if they’re any good”, and then I realized I heard an album by them from this list like less than a month ago!
"Interesting" is really all I can come up with Highlight Tracks: 1, 2, 6, 12 (minus the 6 minute final note)
Not so much Pulp as pith and vinegar
There seems to be a lot of Brit-pop on this list. I feel similarly about most of it - good, listenable, well produced, catchy, well-crafted pop songs, but not overly interesting or unique. Most of it seems to fall into the 3 star category for me, and this one is no exception.
Subdued and cynical follow-up to the rebellious and romantic Different Class, but the sweetness is still there.
Iznenadio me je album, nisam očekivao da će mi se sviditi - skoro većina. Inače mi ne sjedaju baš (naspram koliko ih dižu u nebo), ali opet ne mogu reći da su loši. "I like this one that says some pulp." - Tony Soprano
Očekivo sam bolje jer jebiga PULP, al svida mi se
I had never heard of Pulp before. It took me a while to get into this one, but I'm not really sure why. It's like a mix between Blur and U2 (and maybe a little bit of Weezer). I also heard a few flashes of Radiohead, actually - but that may be just because Kid A was just a few days back. I think part of what made it difficult to get into was I wasn't sure if they were trying to be serious or a little tongue-in-cheek. My favorite track was A Little Soul - "I could show you how to do it right I used to practice every night on my wife Now she's gone" Great line. That is still making me laugh for some reason. I'd go as high as a 4 on this, but I think that's partly influenced by hearing it for the first time. The baritone vocals and general weirdness might wear on me in subsequent listens.
3 Mehs..
Average
10. This is Hardcore - Pulp. 12 Tracks. Quite an enjoyable listen. There was a nice flow to this and I'm not actually a Pulp fan. It was... soothing and melodic which is not at all what I think of when I think of Pulp. Well worth a listen. 3/5
I liked it, but it dragged on a bit
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would as I imagined it as a Punk-ier album. Really nice atmosphere/vibe on the longer tracks, even the extended outro
9/16 3.5/5. Another beautifully produced album from Pulp, the second half after the title track started to lose me but there were hardly any dull moments throughout this project. Standout Tracks: Dishes, Help the Aged, This Is Hardcore
Jo men ändå bra. Nära en fyra men kändes spontant som om det saknas något som tar det över gränsen.
Hadn’t heard the song ‘Help the Aged’ since about 2000 when Ali G freestyled over the top of Jarvis. Very funny, he was a childish supporter of the band. Didn’t mind it. The outro is still going as a write
3/5
buen disco
An interesting album, very different to the excellent Different Class. More Bowie-esque. Worth listening to a few times. A bit long. Currently I'm giving it 3.5, but this might increase with familiarity.
Nothing on here standing out at all, even on a second listening. Inoffensive enough though
The sex album.
De track 'this is hardcore' is dan wel echt geweldig, maar dat neemt niet weg dat de rest mij toch niet echt helemaal kan overtuigen.
Net als het vorige album, ben ik niet overwegend enthousiast. Ook niet slecht.
The 90s vibe is there and sprinkles of experimental arrangements or use of instruments but it just didn't catch me.
Knew of Different Class (and especially "Common People"), but this album was an introduction for me. Surprised by how much I'm enjoying the Dickens out of it. Not sure why a 14 minute closing song was necessary.
There’s a weird Nick Cave/Tom Waits/even Chris Isaak quality to this but I’m not sure I like it. I think I will have to roll it again to figure it out. But I also kinda don’t want to, first impressions being what they are. Dunno. An enigma. Or an off day for me. Note to self: try it again someday.
Cool. Jeff did a cover of "Dishes"
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Seductive Barry, Sylvia, Fear
As always first and foremost, I listen to the music first. Lyrics don't really resonate with me very regularly. Cockers' lyrics are clean and clear and easy to understand but it was the music that caught me with this album. Yet another 90s Alt-Rock win to the Poms.
Enjoyable in places.
From the first song, I felt like I was listening to a different version or sequel to the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Bootleg Radiohead.
Alright weirdo rock
I thought this album was intersting. I enjoyed the song "The Fear", but I didn't enjoy the rest of the album as much. Each song is quite neat though.
Not nearly as hardcore as I was expecting, though I'm glad.
Only really listened to one song
Ganske lett å glemme, husker ikke så mye dagen derpå. Føler det var ganske standard rock. Eneste sangen jeg husker er den derre vaske sangen, merkelig å skrive sang om å vaske...
Banda inglesa de rock pero no el disco más conocido de ellos. No lo había escuchado concienzudamente y me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba.
Minor Threat is hardcore. This was okay. Love Jarvis Cocker’s voice but wasn’t as much energy here as I’d hoped.
This really feels like a record I should enjoy more. The production is lush, but dark and Jarvis Cocker has some really cutting lyrics throughout. But, a lot of it blended together for me, so it's a bit of a confusing listen for me. Fav Tracks: TV Movie and The Fear.
Pulp is leagues ahead of Oasis and Blur in my internal Britpop rankings, but I don't think this is their strongest album. Some excellent tracks, but it doesn't quite hit with as much urgency as Different Class or His N' Hers. Rating: 3.5/5 Favourite song: The Fear
Slow at first
There’s moments I liked (last song!) but it just sounds so pretentious, energy is low, and it was way too long. 5
6. Some interesting songs, but too fucking long
Ok
Hearing this in the shower I thought I was listening to Diamond Dog out takes. Lots of Bowie & Roxy influences. I prefer the drawn out, dirge-ier, pieces like Seductive Barry & the title track.
Hi: The Fear, Help The Aged Lo: Seductive Barry I went in to this one because I truly enjoyed A Different Class, however This is Hardcore starts off strong, but somehow devolves into just standard brit-pop. The Fear is introspective and invades your space (in a good way), Help The Aged is pleading because old folks were once just like you... but then Seductive Barry comes off as sultry, but ends up just being long and meandering, The Day After the Revolution suffers about the same fate. Like A Friend starts off meandering and ends up stronger and brighter, but isn't enough to save the B-side of this overall less-than-stellar album by Pulp. Still good, and if songs from this album appeared in my British Invasion station, I probably wouldn't skip them, but I also wouldn't seek them out.
Buenas canciones de pop-rock con un cierto toque en ocasiones, pesimista, pero así con una buena colección de temas. Tiene personalidad, aunque no he terminado de enganchar con ellos.
There is no reason for some of these songs to be so long. 5
Hit and miss but when it hits, it really hits. Leaning towards a 3.5.
The album starts off very slow, but the second half picks up nicely and I found myself enjoying it at that point. While I am not crazy about the sound, I am intrigued and would like to check out more Pulp music.
Very much like Radiohead.
Maybe some songs in the album, Like The Fear, are so great that makes the other songs look less good than they are.
Hab ich noch nie gehört, nice Ist auch eher softerer Rock aber gut! Einen Song gespeichert. Turns out mein soft rock heißt eigentlich Alternative :D
It's got some good songs - not my particular jam, but I can see why this is a respected album. Wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it, but a great sound
i'm going to have to look up the meaning of the titl, because by my current understanding, there is no definition of hardcore that this actually is. that said, it was fun enough to hang out with, for sure.
Meh. Not impressed. Lyrics were still witty af.
Ok album. Lots of whispering singing. Some interesting lyrics ("the professional") the instrumentals are good.
Quite hard, but not too hardcore
Strong start instrumental. I know a few Pulp songs (Common People, Disco 2000) and those are pretty good. First track is pretty good. I like that background vocal ahhh-ohhh. The e-bowed/sustained guitar that sounds synth-y is nice. First track reminds me of early Muse actually, mostly the falsetto and electric guitar. Nice outro too. One thing I like is watching Pulp video, cause the singer is quite an expressive performer, although some of it is likely cause he is so damn British, if he were American I'd probably be annoyed. I'm switching over to the deluxe version now cause I'm curious. Well, that was maybe not the best decision. After the first song the album has fallen off for me, shame. Not a single other song does anything for me.
Not my usual sound, but definitely has some bangers!
I didn’t hate it
5
Not bad. A little boring not a whole lot of catchy or mind blowing stuff, nothing that bad either
Not all that interesting
Started kinda crap but slowly get better.
Well, if you're looking for the next Disco 2000 or Common People this isn't the place. Dour, self-indulgent and sloppy. And whatever that last track is should never be allowed again.
Ще одна спроба послухати палп з таким само результатом як завжди. Щиро не розумію чому цей гурт став популярним. Але однойменна пісня більш-менш ок, тому поставлю 2.
Hardcore meh. I'll never seek this one out again.
I can understand the Pulp enjoyment but it's not my thing.
another person naked, yay... One song in: It gave me MUSE vibes Three songs in: Nevermind... Update: Help the Aged??? this is not helping my alleged daddy issues. Five songs in: Now it's giving Deaftones vibes... (not that I listen to Deaftones lmao) This Is Hardcore is not bad... Okay, I'm about to listen to the second to last song (I kinda skipped some because I was getting sleppy). BYEEEEEE wdym the last track is almost FIFTEEN MINUTES??? I'm gonna put that one while I shower lmaooooo
Ne znam zašto, ali sam očekivala više. Nije mi ništa napravio album nažalost. 2/5, 3/10
Didn't do it for me.
Lyrics were awful
mid
If someone wanted to listen to a poppy, melodramatic David Bowie rip off this is it. Not an interesting album, outside if a few songs. 2/5
#952. This is not hardcore. This is the very antithesis of hardcore. The nand name is accurate though, this is about as interesting as clump of wet paper. 2/5: why does this exist?
Nothing really special but I listened all the way through, so take that for what it's worth.
+1 for putting effort into lyrics but overall ick
Not bad. Spotify was being weird, not showing ANY Pulp, so I watched/ listened on YouTube. Then I try Spotify again, and there it is! (This way I can see the lyrics). Anyway - it was okay for a while, but I think they tried to put too much on the album, and it became ... boring? IDK, too much.
Yeah they were doin something, alright.
why is this on here?
I didn't get anything out from this album. To me, it feels like an album that tries to be artsy, intimate and deep but ends up being very standard. Maybe standard is not the best word to use, as there are some elements that make the album a bit particular. Is just that I don't find anything here to be truly interesting. The deep voice, while kind of unique, can be a bit grating in some instances, and the instrumentation is diverse, with horns, orchestration and anything that can be found in britpop band from that time; but doesn't do anything particularly remarkable. The pace of this album is also very static, There is nothing really energetic nor anything super slow and touching. It sits in a very moody mid tempo that gets a bit dragging, except for occasional tempo changes in the choruses that also don't really elevate the spirit of the songs that much. I'm probably describing it as a really bad experience, but is not. If I heard the songs individually, I wouldn't mind them, but hearing them all together for 1 hour is too much for me.
Mixed genius and some mid
Meh.
Started out ok, went downhill from there. 2 stars
After listening to Different Class some time ago, I was ready to enjoy this, but actually it just washed over me. It's recognisably Pulp, but there was just nothing for me to get my teeth into. A bit disappointing.
He is sleaze in human skin and no matter how good his records might be, I just can't. To top it off it sounds like a sex starved rip off of Bowie.
It's fine, but it doesn't really strike me as essential.
I get the love for Common People, but this one was kind of a drag.
I hear a lot of David Bowie inspiration on this, but still overall kind of mediocre to me. For some reason the singer wants you to know his initials are the same as Jesus’, but to paraphrase a better band he doesn’t look a thing like Jesus and he certainly doesn’t talk like a gentleman. Finding out fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be isn’t new - lyrics seemed hollow and trite to me. 2.5+⭐️
The most hardcore boring horny pulp album that’s slow but still better than Oasis even tho not one single banger on this bland bunch of Bowie-esque music stands out.
This was boring and long (over an hour). I didn’t know any songs. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve heard, but it shouldn’t have been included on this list.
Forgettable drama-core
I believe this was my first Pulp album listen from this website and I’m not sure if it is for me personally. I don’t always enjoy sing talking which I feel like the lead singer does a lot on this album and when he sings he is like off pitch which is offputting to me. Some of these songs have like a weirdly horny vibe to them and the lyrics can be a bit strange. I can see why some people would like this album but personally I wasn’t vibing with it. Maybe I need to give it another chance someday!
I love Pulp, but their output can be hit and miss. There are more misses than hits on here.
some awesome instrumentals but man those vocals... too much
could not stand this dudes voice
Did not enjoy this album. The singer’s style turned me off. Made me think of someone trying to be Tom Waits but not having the unique voice or writing capability to pull it off.
Kinda neat to see others in the community pick up on the Bowie wannabe vibe. This is like the WWE version of EWC hardcore. It's milquetoast. Terry Funk hot poker it is not.
i don't think i needed to hear more than one pulp album
Literally nothing was hardcore. Very misleading, and worse, incredibly dull.
NO. No, it's not. This is as far from hardcore as you could possibly get. This is the hardcore that someone produces when they're trying not to offend their lovely third grade teacher, Mrs. Silas. She always said you were a good boy with so much potential. This is hardcore made for proper polite British people. Even the song that is titled "This Is Hardcore", about hardcore sex, is as hardcore as a nursery rhyme. It's not offensive music, it's music afraid of being offensive. This is the musical equivalence of walking into a clothing store, finding an awesome leather jacket, finding that it fits perfectly and you look GOOD in it. Stylish. Rakish. Dangerous. Then you hand it back to the salesgirl, apologize, and slink out of the store embarassed because you have NO BUSINESS wearing a cool leather jacket. This isn't an album about someone trying to be dark and hardcore. This is an album about someone pretending to be hardcore while being afraid that someone will think poorly of him. And that dodgy crap with "The Day After The Revolution" where it just goes on and on with the pseudo-digital static? What the hell was up with that? If you're going to "hide" a track, just do it like other people and put dead silence in there. Come on, do better. My rating: 2/5
This album does not deserve that cover or that name. But it’s better than Mariah Carey.
This album is actually pretty good, and it has this weird way of slowly making you attach to it even when you don’t expect to. While listening I felt a mix of longing, attachment, and that heavy retrospective kind of love — like looking back at something that hurt but you still can’t let go of. There’s a lot of neediness in the lyrics, and some lines feel like they were written just to fit the melody rather than coming from the heart. The mid-tier lyrics hold it back a bit for me. Jarvis and the band are clearly trying to channel that dramatic, theatrical Bowie/Roxy Music glam vibe with the big strings, cinematic production, and swaggering delivery, but it doesn’t always feel natural — sometimes it comes off a little forced or overdone. Still, by the end of the record you start to see a bit of light, some hope and courage peeking through the darkness, and that shift actually works well. It’s not their brightest or catchiest work, but once it clicks, the whole thing sticks with you. Solid album that rewards a few listens.
Meh nothing really here for me
Gosh, compared to albums Ive been listening to recently, this is deathly dull. Dont think it's terrible per se, just boring white boy/dad music.
I didn’t like the sound or lyrics
In only knew Help The Aged before coming into this album and I’ve always disliked it. Turns out that the best song on the album and the rest are bland. The awful lyrics ics aren’t as endearing as they were with Different class.
The last knockings of Brit Pop and it shows. This lacks the dynamism and excitement of what went before, and sounds a bit sad and rambling. Perhaps that was what was intended
My admiration for Jarvis Cocker is rooted mainly in his preparedness to bear his arse in the face of Michael Jackson's hubris. Not for his music. So you could have knocked me down with a feather when I realised he had 2 (count them) albums on the 1001. And having listened to this album twice, just to be sure, I'm still none the wiser why. Without the banging singles of Different Class to anchor it, This is Hardcore slowly disintegrates into a soup of art school artifice. I get some people will like it, but it's not for me. 2*
It's like if Robbie Williams, Radiohead, and Joy Division had a child
Too much drama too much oozing out the lyrics, too much. It reminded me of the Twilight series (plus he sounds like a vampire). In the beginning it was fine, it was a little emo over the top but fine, by the end I had hear them drone on and one overly dramactic like and I just wanted to scream "Just be done already, bite her!" That is how I felt, just be done already
below avg
A bit underwelmed
This isn’t my kind of music
First song was alright which got me excited, but then nothing special after
Quite melodramatic and very 80s
Sheesh, more 90s britpop….**jerkoff motion**
I can't decide whether I find that Seductive Barry song hilarious or horrifying.
I'm checking out at track 5. I have already listened to another Pulp album, which I rated poorly. This is worse. Awful, in fact. I can't believe there's two by this band on the list ⭐.75
Not horrible, but I guess I wasn’t clearly finding the line between humor and/sarcasm and just plain old lyrics. Maybe thats the point? The music wasnt that great
For an album advertised as hardcore much of this album is very corny.
I tried but just couldn't locate any interest in this album. I heard it....it was there...I didn't care for the guy's voice. Having a little trouble believing this is a top 1000 album. It was fine.
ой не
I did not enjoy this album
Another 90’s band with a pretty good sound but a terrible singer. This one really rubbed me the wrong way.
Every Pulp album we've done is rubbish, this is rubbish and it also goes on forever. Please fuck off
I listened to the entirety of the last song and now I know where the electric vehicle reverse sound came from. Being over halfway through the list, I’ve found some things I generally don’t enjoy about an album. This one had a few of those things.
I was surprised to find that this wasn't quite as awful as I was expecting. I mean it was appalling, but not abysmal I guess. Talentless meanderings by a long past their sell by date band. Two stars.
This is the second of Pulp's albums that I've had out of 250 generated. Probably 50 of them I would qualify as being a british band from the 90's that didn't need to be dredged up again. I cringe over the lyrics and vocal delivery, it's like the opposite of ASMR. The tracks don't do anything special that warrants being on this list.
This could almost be a three, as I enjoyed a few of the tracks. But there were also a few I disliked and one I skipped entirely because I couldn't wait for it to be over.
This guy definitely wanks to his own farts. Who needs innuendos when you can just straight up jork it during the song. The music is boring, droll and tasteless. 3/10
Medicore.
I didn't find this viscerally irritating like their other album but I need this man to understand that he is not sexy and he is not David Bowie, no matter how much he insists otherwise
Man, I don't like it. I tried, but I just don't like it. There are a couple songs that are a approaching something approximating catchy, but I just don't...you get the point.
Same thing, two stars. Maybe I wasn’t there at the right time, but it’s not my vibe either.
Ik ben hier niet zo kapot van. Het komt uit 1998 maar klinkt minimaal 10 jaar ouder over het algemeen. Plus een regelmatig wat aanstellerige zanger, wat CKV gedoe. Af en toe is er een soort algemene sound waardoor ik gefopt word en ga denken dat ik dit wel leuk zou moeten vinden, maar dat is slechts sporadisch. Over het algemeen was dit niet zo aan mij besteed. Ik ram enigszins teleurgesteld op de 2.
"Different Class" earned a 3 from me. This album started pretty bad, with tough-to-listen-to vocals and bass that was overpowering (for me, had to EQ to boost mids/treble). "Help the Aged" was ok, but I think I just wasn't in the mood for the vocals today. Skipped a lot.
It was alright. Not fully my cup of tea
..
No bangers on this one. Self indulgent in places. But I like the band's music, including the fuzz guitar on this album, and jarvis can be quite funny. But overall a bit disappointing
Pulp, indeed.
nah.
The album art and title definitely don't reflect the music.
Why do the songs sound the same in the second half of the album
Very much hear some Bowie in this album.
This okay I guess, not sure about hardcore
Didn’t find this to be that interesting, I guess it’s not for me. 2/5 Won’t listen again
2 stars I’ll admit that reading about this album and what it represents in the context of 90s britpop is more interesting than listening to the album. I don’t get all of those things from just listening to it. It’s not a bad album, and there are good songs. But overall it just kind of blends together for me and isn’t much of a listening experience. I prefer their previous 2 albums and don’t think I’d listen to the album all the way through again.
Not for me
I oscillated between “my god this is terrible” and “why is part of this song good but the rest of it sucks?” This was annoying, pretentious, and a struggle to get through. The only thing keeping this album from a 1 star rating is the last few songs, which were actually kind of good, but then I got madder realizing they were capable of good music and made this shit.
we know we know u like britpop
This kind of felt like David Bowie, but more depressing.
Well, there's one thing I know about this Pulp album. It is nowhere near hardcore. It's like they're an American group trying to emulate The Cure and doing it in the worst possible way.
Didn't know what to expect - and I'm still not sure what to make of it. It belies description a bit, but the early tracks range from sadboy pop (Dishes) to something with a bit of a cutting edge (Party Hard). Very synth heavy. I don't think I love the glam revival vocals, but it makes sense somehow. The title track is plodding with chunky bass and weird enough synth and vocal melodies that I'm getting into it. This must have been in a movie somwhere? If not, it should be. Unfortunately after that, nothing really grabbed me as much and it's a quite long album. There's some good stuff in here still, but going through this again feels like it would be a slog.
This one is a big whatever. The vocals are not impactful, just a man moaning, but not in a good way. Even when he goes more high notes its bad. The instrumentals aren't very good, it is a completely whatever.
In fact, it is not hardcore.
Not a fan
Parin ekan biisin perusteella sikapaska levy. Annetaan 1,5/5, koska en jaksanut kuunnella.
I guess I hate hardcore now...
A surprising accessible hard core rock album. New to me - not bad ,but nothing that has be wanting to hear more
No, this isn't hardcore. This is you wanting to be Bowie but falling short of Morrissey.
It’s pulp. Didn’t sound like a revolutionary album.
I don’t find Jarvis Cocker particularly charming or funny.
Doesn’t impress me. I can’t die yet.
Other than "Common People" don't know too much about Pulp other than indie-heads love them. Very cinematic and over the top music. Part Bowie, part Danny Elfman. Good sound and album but not my overall favorite.
Jarvis Cocker wants so badly to be Elvis Costello, and for a few seconds here and there, he almost does it.
This album is a damn tragedy to me. I say this because this album really shows the band’s potential to do interesting instrumentation, it’s just that they couldn’t decide what exactly what they wanted to do. There is near zero cohesiveness in this album, with no real core sound to it. Then there is the vocalist, who is quite frankly terrible. The guy’s poorly ripping off David Bowie and Roger Waters style of singing, and it just doesn’t match the vibe in any of the songs. This album could’ve used another year of touchups before it came out. Best Song: This is Hardcore Worst Song: TV Movie
Just got nothing to say about this one
There are a couple of outstanding tracks but the rest is an astonishing amount of filler. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
Jarvis Cocker seems like a very intelligent guy. He's clearly talented too, as are the other members of Pulp. These are carefully crafted songs. The lyrics and production feel deliberate. But, I don't know, I'm just not connecting with the material. I typically form an emotional connection to music before I form an intellectual one, and this music isn't engaging me emotionally. Really good album cover though! 2.5
irrelevant. 2,4
Pas hardcore pantoute. J'ai vraiment pas accroché. 2.5/5
Meh
Eh kinda bowie wanna be at the best points
++: Party Hard, I'm a Man, Sylvia, Glory Days +: Help the Aged, This is Hardcore, TV Movie, A Little Soul, Seductive Barry, The Day After the Revolution +-: Dishes -: The Fear 5,5/10
This is not hardcore. This is hard-snore. 2/5
This isn't awful but I just can't find anything to like/enjoy about it. Was ready for the album to end the entire time. Also, not hardcore at all.
Brit pop is getting a bit overdone, Mr1001. Maybe something from south of the equator, if your reach extends that far. This is, at least for me, about searching for new music, not about confirming what I like. Sure, I like Brit pop- next!!
This gave me like off-brand Bowie/Radiohead vibes. It was interesting. "Seductive Barry" was TERRIBLE, but "Sylvia" and "I'm A Man" were amazing. So definitely a lot of high highs and low lows. Actual rating...2.5. Liked Songs: "The Fear" , "Party Hard" , "TV Movie" , "A Little Soul" , "I'm A Man" , "Sylvia" , "Glory Days"
A second Britpop album, and once again the music is so tedious and dragged out. Why are there so many songs? It's such a slog to get through...
Better than the other pulp album but not by much
I'm afraid that's not hardcore. it's mostly boring. My hopes were higher. And this 15 minutes outro oh boy... was the album too short?
Nicht mein Fall
This album was pretty mid. There were a few chiller songs at the start that were decent, but the others just were not that good, and there was so much random noise throughout the songs that just did not work. It felt like listening to a really mid David Bowie album.
This wasn’t my jam but worth a listen. It’s Nick Cave with a dash of Pixies and maybe some Wilco or Arcade Fire. With a splash of Massive Attack.
Is this hardcore?
First two songs are great. Then it's a slow, long decline into too many notes filling up every bar of music.
Disco para resacas la verdad.
Vad i helvete detta är ju inte ens punk för fan! Falsk marknadsföring, anmäler till konsumentverket
Big rock opera broadway show that does say much vibes IMO. Singer’s talking whisper singing does nothing for me. There were no standout songs on this album for me. While I liked some of the music itself, once the singing started it went downhill. It was a slog to get thru this album from start to finish. I think I’m probably not a Britpop person.
Not music I typically listen to but it was pretty good, sounded kinda like halloween
What is it with Pulp that I need to hear them before I die...twice? I really am just not into this band and can't stand the lead singer. He sounds like sleazy Bowie or a 2-bit lounge singer. The cover reinforces the grime with what I assume is a naked model, taking Jarvis' Cocker from behind and not particularly enjoying it. Maybe it was different for the late 90s or something. This is Hardcore is better than Pulp's debut album but not by much...1.73 stars.
Sylvia is amazing and glory days is good. Too bad I had to listen to the rest of the album to get there
Meh
Imo not their best album, but a good listen
I like the lyrics, but the melody’s not providing me much. Probably because I’m used to more rock-like stuff, this kind of seems bland and boring. Despite that, I think it has potential.
почему все брит поп команды хотят быть как битлз?
Interesting lyrics
Ugh. Boring, tedious, and so much edge you could cut a loose sheet of paper.
Why
This is not hardcore, unfortunately. 1.75
THIS is hardcore??
This was borecore.
A little over the top for my liking, parts of songs are really good at times but nothing really hit me awesome. Probably won't listen again but I didn't hate it
Could never get into the lead singers voice.
Whiny mediocrity. Never heard them before, never need to hear them again. Could not finish this album.
Meh
Another Euro artist. What a surprise! Boring AF
This comes off as a bit of a drag. The whole album feels flat, boring and uninspiring from start to finish. It lacks the energy or wit that might’ve made it memorable, and nothing about it leaves me wanting to come back for another listen. Just kind of a dud overall.
2.5 stars. Weird art rock with sexual lyrics and disjointed melodies that make it tough to get into. Standout is closing track "Like A Friend"
This is one of those bands who's name you've heard a million times but never their music. Musically this is good but the singing and lyrics do absolutely nothing for me. Still worth a listen.
I really liked it, and was close to giving this four stars, but that 10 minute single cord outro absolutely killed any goodwill I had towards the album as a whole. While I'll probably listen to some of the songs again, that outro ensures I won't listen to the album as whole a second time.
Nothing very memorable for me here. Vocals and melodies seemed ok, instrumentation was fine, if basic, but it was the songs ultimately that I found lacking.
Irritating. Potential smothered by irritation.
vocalist sounds a bit like OK GO but I don't understand this genre
Another self-indulgent, self-important overly long album that like Casanova by The Divine Comedy. The pretentiousness, rather than being witty and self-conscious, weighs this music down. Honestly, this feels really judgemental, and "This is Hardcore" made me think "ew." All from the singer, by the way. Nothing about the music made me feel anything, really. We often wonder what the requirements are to be considered for inclusion on this list. Dark Side of the Moon? Makes sense. Nevermind? Sure. But this...
I am very tempted to drop a 1 here. At face value, it’s not that bad. Probably a 1.75. But you better believe a few weeks from now when I’ve heard probably a half dozen more Pulp albums, I’ll wish I had given this one a 1 out of spite. Lots of this britpop stuff stinks. Pulp stinks.
Bizarrely distant, high gloss production does not match the singer's confessional point of view. Rough lyrics and frankly lousy speak-singing throughout. This might have been a solid album with a more natural, intimate sound. A few good moments but totally forgettable.
Extraordinarily forgettable. 2/5 Album 35/1001
whatever.
New to me. Ok listen. Not something that really moves me. It was a decent listen.
There were bit that were obviously same band as common people and lots that weren't. But just not what I would chose to listen to. Weirdly enough, I'm going to score this lower than Sepultura. 2.
Mega conflicted by this album. I absolutely hate Jarvis Cocker. He’s a wrong un and although I’m sure he thinks he’s clever and funny, I don’t. Thankfully this album didn’t have some of the mega hits that grind my gears. So I tried to listen with an open mind. Musically, it’s so much better than I thought Pulp were capable of. There are some really strong songs and arrangements on here. But here’s the big problem… the lyrics just underline all my preconceptions about Jarvis. Just comes across as a perv. Title track hammers home this point, superb musicians let down by suspect lyrics, but most songs are littered with his grubbiness. If only the band had found themselves a better front man then maybe, just maybe, they might have been a real force. 2 stars for the contributions of all band members not called Jarvis.
This is a snore.
Pretty mediocre stuff
Meh.
I don’t understand why this list has so many forgettable David Bowie copycats.
Im bot a Bowie fan...
This sounds like generic rock from the late 90's trying to be sexy. I was really hoping for a hardcore punk album so I'm extra let down.
Ah more goofy brit art rock. The Day After The Revolution is fucking 15 minutes long? That's a docked star. AND ITS ONE CHORD HELD THE WHOLE TIME? you total clowns.
I didn’t know this Pulp album and having heard it that does not surprise me. Good background music but no songs stood out good or bad.
It has its moments but gets very monotonous.
This just didn't feel like it needed to be on this list. 2.5
2 not hardcore and quite boring
If ‘This’ was Happy Hardcore then I would like it a lot more. As it is, it’s just very bleh and inessential. Where are the Common Peoples and Disco 2000s? Different Class and His n Hers so much better.
Oh my god please talk to a woman you aren’t trying to have sex with. (2)
I can tell you love Bowie, but I can also tell you don't get Bowie.
I know people love Pulp, but this didn't click with me. Not much to say about it really. (10 known/18 new)
So fucking dull. Songs go on and on. Dude really loves the sound of his own voice.
This is...not what I was expecting
Weird. To me it sounded very Bowie inspired, but lacked artistry and talent. Don’t think I finished a song and just skipped around. Definitely would not listen again
"the record 's somewhat mixed reception led some to speculate whether or not the group would continue". Then why the hell is this album here!?!?
Not awful. Not great. Sort of all sounds the same. No idea what NME was thinking with their rating or why it’s even on this list.
Album should be retitled: this is hardSNORE. Bored, start to finish. It's repetitive, tedious, mundane, repetitive, tedious, and mundane. Every song sounds the same: it's as if Jarvis Cocker took elements of Bowie, the Elvises (Presley* and Costello), and Leonard Cohen, threw them in a blender then strained out the good stuff and put the pulpy waste on an album. (Pun intended, yes.) *I only included Elvis Presley because the chord progression on Party Hard reminds me so much of Suspicious Minds that I was singing that in my head while listening to the song.
Nah
Mediocre britpop. Jarvis Cocker tries too hard to be Bowie but he doesn't come close to the legend.
This was ok. No Common People on it, though. A little too dopey at times.
This is an insane comparison but something about The Day After The Revolution is giving Billy Mack from the movie The Holiday (I just watched this which is why it's on my mind) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-bErbL5MVc Anyway, I'm not a big Pulp guy but I think I like His n Hers more than this one
I think I am learning that Pulp is not for me.
I love Different Class by Pulp but could never get into this album. Feels like brit pop had hit it's peak by the time this came out. The song Dishes really feels like it's trying hard to find subject matter. I'd probably stick to the first two pulp albums.
The last song is a banger, the rest of the album is lackluster
A few cool songs but I could t make it through the complete album. Why are there two Pulp records? Even one is too much.
What if Robert Goulet and Billy Corgan had a Jaguar?
I don’t like Pulp :(
why are they on this list with (at least) 2 albums?? voice still sounds like Bowie, lyrics are pretentious/cringy
This wasn't hardcore, it was just bad.
Just a bit boring
What a weird album. It’s trying waaaay too hard. At its worst it is totally tasteless, putrid, cringeworthy. At other moments it’s just dull, and occasionally it’s very interesting, as on the title track. There are songs where I like the instrumentation and then Jarvis comes in sounding like a stuck up douchebag or just saying something incredibly lame, like comparing himself to Jesus because they have the same initials. Richard Ashcroft vibes. Not clever, not funny, just a bit sad. Fave Tracks: This is Hardcore, I’m a Man 2.2/5
I feel bad about this review because I couldn’t hear it very well.
Nothing about the album is bad, but nothing about it is memorable. Very bland
A pleasant surprise, this was extremely tolerable. Didn’t expect it as I think Pulp are fucking shit. Never going to listen to it again.
Apparently being hardcore means writing needlessly long songs filled with half-whispered vapid lyrics about how hardcore you are. This dude needs us to think he has the depth of an ocean but it's obvious he is standing in the kiddie pool.
I mean it's not too bad but it's not for me
It definitely brings something new and quite original (although the voice did reminds me of Bowie), but not for me
2 bang average 1998 albums in a row eh. May as well go and see my comments on Madonna's "Ray of Light" tbh. "It's fine, there are other better albums this year bizarrely excluded"
"Mom, can I get this David Bowie album please?" "No son, we have David Bowie at home." Seriously, 8-minute long whisper songs are my kryptonite. That shit sucked. I was tempted to give one star for Seductive Berry alone, but have two and go back to the 90s where you belong.
No, it’s not.
Started off hopeful, but every song after the first one was really boring - it whittled its way down from 3 stars to 2,
Bändin äänivallimainen musikaalimaisuus ei iske, mutta tälläkin levyllä on hetkensä. Dishes on ns. hieno kappale Leevi-näppäilyineen (mitäs tästä vertauksesta pidät, Jarvis). Hyvää materiaalia ei kuitenkaan riitä yli tunnin LP:n täytteeksi.
Levyhaasteessa edellinen näiltä oli aivan eri luokkaa tähän verrattuna. Tämä levy tuntuu polkevan paikallaan ja käy nopeasti tylsäksi.
Vähän kyllä pliisuks
Oh sweet, another B tier album by a B tier band from a B tier genre. Another spot wasted on mediocrity 4/10
Kind of the definition of mediocre
Like the weirdness at the beginning, then it sounds like more of the same. Plus annoying British voice becomes more prominent at that point.
Really sleepy delivery from the lead singer I liked the title track
Not for me. But I tried
I always found this a pretty boring album and this listen hasn’t changed that. It has little of the catchy tunes or humour found in Diffeewnt Class or His n Hers, which if I felt the urge to listen to Pulp I would go to over this every time.
It’s not very good is it. While for Pulp this seems quite musically brave and just sounds ‘bigger’ than earlier albums, it really highlights the frailties of Jarvis’s voice when doing anything other than talk singing, and no amount of clever/funny lyrics make up for that. Only Help the Aged is particularly catchy (albeit very Suede’y). I’m out.
I was NOT crazy about this... Pulp without the joy.
There’s something there. Sounds a little like Pink Floyd.
Idc