Pulp-This Is Hardcore (1998)

 

Artist: Pulp

Title: This Is Hardcore

Label: Island

Format: CD

Cat #: 314 524 492-2

Year of Release: 1998

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1998

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+ 

Sell Date: 3/9/25

Sell Price: $3.38

Discogs Last Sold: 2/17/25 NM/NM $8.00

Low: $1.90

Median: $4.00

Average: $3.95

High: $4.00

Current low price: $3.00

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 28

Have/Want: 1165/128

Where Sold: Columbia, SC

Time it took to sell: 14 years

Where and When Bought: internet mail order circa time of release

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+

Sad To See It Go: No

Of the Britpop NME/Melody Maker/Mojo/Uncut big three of the 90's--Oasis, Blur & Pulp, I've always preferred Pulp.  They stand alone a bit and maybe you could say they aren't pop at all even though this 1998 album spawned 4 videos.  I didn't really put much time into the album and the only songs I really remembered before this round of playing it was "Help The Aged" (a video) and my favorite, "I'm A Man" (not one).  The other track I liked is the Bowie-esque "Sylvia."

Since Jarvis Cocker's music is dense in general save for maybe earlier UK hits like "Common People" and "Girls and Boys" I knew This Is Hardcore was gonna take more than one hasty current spin on the CD player before shipping out the 8-cd order of 90's music that sat on the shelf in storage and up for sale at ever diminishing prices the past 15 years.  I never go below $2.99 for anything unless I do a blanket % cut on Discogs if a week goes by with nothing sold and I usually spot raise those prices back up or beyond the $2.99 point because even at $3 it isn't worth the hassle of taking a trip to storage.   I guess 90's alt rock CD are making a little popularity comeback judging from order the past few months.

This Is Hardcore I believe I purchased online around the end of 1998 when the year-end best of lists were kicking in around the end of the year maybe early 1999.   Different Class made me a fan a couple years earlier after resisting Pulp for a time.  I threw it into the carousel 300-CD player, played it once and let it be on random with whatever else I bought around that time.  That may be how I know the songs I know.  Even after several listens much of this doesn't stick with me beyond the songs I remembered initially.  That said I can't remember the difference between the Kids Version and Adults Version for the videos that the title track.  That isn't to say it's not a quality album, I just don't feel compelled to listen to it.  I liked the 'Common People" sequel "Glory Days" and the other Bowie-esque song "The Day After The Revolution" that come before the closing video track "Like A Friend."  I guess overall This Is Hardcore is quite good and sometimes great.

Have I come to the same conclusion with 20 other Britpop albums?

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION

Separations (1991)