September 3, 2011
“When I was younger all the girls would wear loads of lipgloss, and in a way, you had to try and use that as a way of kissing them. You’ld pretend to ask them what flavour their lipgloss would be, and ask them could you try and taste it to guess what it was… (in cheeky chappy pubescent Sheffield twang) ‘Can aaaa have a taste of your lipgloss just to guess what it is? Go on… let uzzzz have a go, int it, come on, ummmm, is that Strawberry? Its not? Ya wha’?! Go on, give uzzzzz another go then, ummm, its not fruit flavour of any kind? Ya wha? Go on then, give uzzzz another go then of your lipgloss, come on, ummmmm, I know now, I betcha its Cooooooola flavour, I love Coooooooola flavour me, ummmmmmmmm, brilliant, cooooooola flavour.’ So yeah, this song… is called Lipgloss”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56cqCRGhFdo&feature=related

“When I was younger all the girls would wear loads of lipgloss, and in a way, you had to try and use that as a way of kissing them. You’ld pretend to ask them what flavour their lipgloss would be, and ask them could you try and taste it to guess what it was… (in cheeky chappy pubescent Sheffield twang) ‘Can aaaa have a taste of your lipgloss just to guess what it is? Go on… let uzzzz have a go, int it, come on, ummmm, is that Strawberry? Its not? Ya wha’?! Go on, give uzzzzz another go then, ummm, its not fruit flavour of any kind? Ya wha? Go on then, give uzzzz another go then of your lipgloss, come on, ummmmm, I know now, I betcha its Cooooooola flavour, I love Coooooooola flavour me, ummmmmmmmm, brilliant, cooooooola flavour.’ So yeah, this song… is called Lipgloss” 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56cqCRGhFdo&feature=related

10:37am  |   URL: http://eclecticpicnic.tumblr.com/post/9740619744/when-i-was-younger-all-the-girls-would-wear-loads
(Notes: 55)
  
Filed under: Pulp jarvis cocker 
June 5, 2011

Whilst on the subject of Pulp, and making the point that people may only realise how amazing they were/are now with this reunion tour, I have to draw your attention to one of the songs that proves this. Everybody knows the singles, and the singalongs, and what amazing slices of pop history they were. That is the showcase of many a band, including Pulp. However, the true depth and brilliance of a band is often illustrated in some of the deeper, more probing album tracks. Tracks where they have all the room to maneouvre and illustrate their true capabilities. It is generally tracks like this that truly enamour me to bands, rather than the radio friendly hits, as you get the full hit of the flavour. Thats probably why ‘The Queen is Dead’ is my favourite Smiths song, because it was a sprawling piece of majesty (pun intended) that was brilliantly virtuoso, yet tightly controlled, and epic in its nature. Yet it wouldn’t have lasted 45 seconds on day time radio. It also showed how great The Smiths were both as a group, and individually, with every aspect stellar in its own way, yet coming together to create an incredible synergy in the form of that epic song.

Most people probably aren’t too familiar with ‘David’s Last Summer’, but I’ve quickly formed the opinion that its Pulp’s magnum opus of sorts, or at least, their equivalent to ‘The Queen is Dead’. Its seductive, dynamic, mesmerising, and constantly leading you to a more intriguing and exciting place. In terms of Cocker’s vocals, the spoken word approach is absolutely perfect for the emotive, poetic story he unravels, yet its still just an utterly normal context of ‘a day in the life’. The band absolutely flourish, with an array of musical styles constantly changing, yet simultaneously all meticulously powerful and controlled, before building into a fitting crescendo and frenetic climax in a a perfect marriage with the vocals. I love everything about it, the overall synergy is mindblowing, the story, the setting, the end of summer, the idyllic day, the grand musical delivery. I’m still mesmerised by something new in it every time I hear it… which is ludicrously regular, I have to admit.

Maybe some of my enthusiasm of it might rub off on you, maybe it won’t. But give it a shot anyway… At the very least its a clear indicator of how accomplished they are. And I think everybody should acknowledge that…

We made our way slowly down the path that led to the stream,
swaying slightly,
drunk on the sun, I suppose.
It was a real summer’s day.
The air humming with heat whilst the trees beckoned us into their cool green shade.
And when we reached the stream I put a bottle of cider into the water to chill,
both of us knowing that we’d drink it long before it had the chance.

This is where you want to be,
there’s nothing else but you and her,
and how you spend your time.

Walking to parties whilst it’s still light outside.
Peter was upset at first but now he’s in the garden talking to somebody Polish.
Why don’t we set up a tent and spend the night out there?
And we can pretend that we’re somewhere foreign,
but we’ll still be able to use the fridge if we get hungry, or too hot.

This is where you want to be,
there’s nothing else but you and her,
and how you use your time.

We went driving.

This is where you want to be,
there’s nothing else but you and her,
and how you use your time.

The room smells faintly of sun tan lotion
in the evening sunlight and when you take off your clothes,
you’re still wearing a small pale skin bikini.
The sound of children playing in the park comes from faraway,
and time slows down to the speed of the specks of dust
floating in the light from the window.
Summer leaves fall from Summer trees.
Summer grazes fade on Summer knees.
Summer nights are slowly getting long.
Summer’s going so hurry soon it’ll be gone.
So we went out to the park at midnight one last time.
Past the abandoned glasshouse stuffed full of dying palms.
Past the bandstand down to the boating lake.
And we swam in the moonlight for what seemed like hours,
until we couldn’t swim anymore.
And as we came out of the water we sensed a certain movement in the air,
and we both shivered slightly and ran to collect our clothes.
And as we walked home we could hear the leaves curling and turning
brown on the trees,
and the birds deciding where to go for Winter.
And the whole sound,
the whole sound of Summer packing it’s bags and preparing to leave town.
Oh but I want you to stay.
Oh please stay for a while,
oh I want you to stay,

oh I want you to stay 

4:19pm  |   URL: http://eclecticpicnic.tumblr.com/post/6212127608/whilst-on-the-subject-of-pulp-and-making-the
Filed under: Pulp Jarvis Cocker 
June 5, 2011
Nothing’s Changed

The shortest and sweetest of holidays was spent last week immersed in Barcelona brilliance, and a ticket to the Pitchfork drenched Primavera Sound festival in tow. With a lineup that was choc a bloc with of the freshest hipster delights, ultra bona fide veterans, and pretty much everything in between, it was always going to be difficult to prioritise acts to see, especially when on arrival, you realise pretty much everything is a logistical farce. Much of the blame lay on a ‘charge card’ system for payment, which immediately crashed, and in terms of festival essentials like entry, buying a pint, empty stages, and navigating your way around the industrial estate, Punchestown-esque site, it was all initially disastrous. So atmospherically, it was a bit of a slow burner. The revellers antagonism quickly wilted though, with some guitars creaking into action somewhere in the distance, Big Boi’s bass growing like an approaching brontosaurus, and the increasing availability of cold hard San Miguel, paid for with cold hard cash. Classic Festival Format 1, European Festival Charge Card System 0.

Amid the gaiety of realising you were in an unbelievable city, surrounded by the most solid of crews and Summer was officially in full swing(holidays, basically), it was difficult to remember there were acts to be seen. That was the hard part. However, the one priority ever since I first checked out the line up, stood out like the sorest of thumbs. Pulp. In the flesh. The full classic lineup for the first time since 1998. And their first comeback gig. This was DEFINITELY all that mattered. As soon as it dawned on me, everything else paled into insignificance, and all would become secondary as long as I saw Jarvis exude all his glamour, stomp and effortless bravado in the flesh. All this of course, if they still ‘had it’, and hadn’t developed into the character he cautioned about in ‘Help the aged’… And of course, there’s the whole debate about reunion tours, and whether it works, or if it is just a cash cow. Well, it all depends on how you pull it off… Just ask Damon Albarn. Or Gary Barlow.

In Pulp’s case, there never really should have been any doubt about whether this would have been a success or not. When ‘Different Class’ launched them into pop superstars in 1995, they had already spent 15 years delicately fine tuning their craft to become the most polished, witty, layered and enthralling band of the britpop era, and had infinitely more depth, substance and longevity to their musical output. Dense, lush and intricate arrangement made for produced tracks Phil Spector could only dream about, driven by an outrageously muscly rhythm section, and keyboard and guitar hooks that you could hang the proverbial coat on. And that was just the platform. Jarvis Cocker was the finest frontman of his generation, with a jokey swagger to convey his razor sharp witticisms about our everyday, normal lives. He was a voice for the people. Except it was eloquent and utterly true. And absolutely hilarious. Their template was bulletproof. Mis Shapes was the first Cassette single I ever bought as a ten year old in 1995. Rushing home to play it incessantly, I loved every bit of it, even though I clearly didn’t get how amazingly sharp the social commentary was. The music was just clearly such good, pure and unadulterated pop. I didn’t really get the lyrical gist of its b-side, a live version of ‘Sorted For E’s and Whizz’ at the time either. Thats obviously a good thing, yet it sounded just as great all the same… 

Obviously, as my own maturity grew, so too did my appreciation and fondness of how deeply brilliant all things Pulp and Jarvis were, and they continually enshrined themselves in the ‘favourite bands ever’ category. Some achievement, I’m sure they’d acknowledge. The older I got, I realised no one did pop quite like Pulp, and no one did real life commentary quite like Jarvis. Yet despite this, as I waited for them to take the stage, I still didn’t grasp the enormity of the occasion. Maybe something to do with the few lagers on board. But when they teased into the intro of ‘Do you remember the first time’, and the curtain drew back and the lights came up for the rollicking chorus, they made sure that you certainly did remember the first time, and it was just as good, if not better than before. What an apt opener, and back with all the same verve as before, just as if nothing had changed. The music belted out with fresh and breathless vigour, yet maintained its famed tautness. Jarvis was every inch the innate, effortless frontman he always was. Cavorting like a gymnast reborn, and gyrating as if his life depended on it, he sent the packed crowd into raptures of delight over and over again. The energy from all parties volted wildly around the festival. Not bad for a bunch of self styled fogies in their late forties. Indeed, the whole theme was definitely one of rejuvenation, and the setlist showcased that. Steering clear of the later, more lurid and atmospheric stuff, it was jampacked with all the hits from His ‘n’ Hers and Different Class. If you preferred the earlier stuff(and singalongs), your ‘lucky numbers’ had come in. You kept on getting that same realisation… These are real anthems, for real people. And thank god they’ve come back to provide them once again. The only problem was, it was all over a bit too soon. Says it all really. Bizarre to think it was a case of apparently blowing the cobwebs off, for you thought that much lauded Glastonbury set in 95 must have been pretty mediocre in comparison to this…

Back with a bang, to say the least. And it looks like this is going to another reunion that will be a rip roaring success. And may I make a toast to that, because sometimes you think that Pulp were just so darn good people didn’t appreciate it. Oasis made the anthems for yobbos and churned out the same dross albums for years, and coloured people’s visions of what made the nineties and Britpop good. Pulp were the real geniuses behind it all, who brought a craft, slickness, guile and a dose of unrivalled wit to the fore. So good, people probably didn’t even realise what they had when they were originally around. Now it seems, we have a second bite of the cherry, and thankfully they are just as remarkable an act as they were then, if not on this evidence, better. 

Here’s a clip of some choice cuts from Primavera, I just wish I was a bit more to the centre now…:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4lxVMZYSxI

3:57pm  |   URL: http://eclecticpicnic.tumblr.com/post/6211608556/nothings-changed
(Notes: 6)
  
Filed under: Pulp Festivals