Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Underrated Classic: Pulp 'A Different Class'

Pulp was a band that took off in Europe during the Britpop era but never really made a mark on America. Unlike Blur, Oasis, The Verve, they didn't have any hits on this side of the pond. They were critical darlings. They had a devoted audience in the U.S. but unlike their colleagues of the British music scene from the 1990s, they didn't crack it on radio or on MTV. It is unclear why. They had all the elements of a great band -- from Jarvis Cocker's charisma and lyrics to the band's catchy songwriting, Pulp were a fantastic band. All of this culminates on their 1995 musical voyage, A Different Class. It was the fifth album from the band and has some of their most classic material like "Common People," "Disco 2000," and "Something Changed." Yet, the highest it charted in America was 34 on the "Heatseakers Chart," meaning, it was a list for "up and coming" artists. This was a band that was around since the 1980s but for American audiences, or the ones that appreciated them, they were brand new. While the band broke up by the end of the decade and then reunited in 2011, Pulp remain heroes to the British music scene. As we wait to see if they will ever get back again, here is a record worth cherishing forever.