We want it to sound anthemic, but we don't want to sound like tossers

...as Jarvis Cocker says in BBC3's documentary on the making of Pulp's incredible Common People.

It's a great record, and it's a great programme too (although there's a few dodgy sub-threads involving: a poet, psychologists and It-girl who discuss the lyrics; a composer who compares the tune to German marching music, although he does acknowledge that it's a 'kick arse' tune; and a truly dodgy search for the Greek girl who studied sculpture at St Martin's College). Aside from that, its a thoroughly interesting trawl through this classic of class war, and which sets it properly in the context of 1995 Britpop and the faux-class antagonism of the great Blur/Oasis feud. The one disturbing thing is that Jarvo looks... well, he looks old. That's kind of scary.

The show also digs out interesting snippets from such luminaries as Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand, who discusses the vibrancy that keeps the song fresh today; it's certainly true that Common People doesn't seem like a song that was recorded 10 years ago. That speaks volumes about the song's influence, of course, but it's also a measure of the timelessness of the music and lyrics. Cocker's writing always had an observational quality (even if he sometimes veers too far towards voyeurism), but this reaches a peak on Common People that he would only ever reach again with Disco 2000. And the best bit? As the band say themselves, after so many years in the left field, these are honest to goodness pop songs. I've lost count of the numbers of the number of times that I've danced myself silly to a quality bit of Pulpage (I have to admit that footage of a crowd of thousands, and my own recollection of being off my nut increases the irony potential of Sorted for E's and Whizz massively).

It's all the more amazing to think that Pulp's headline show at Glastonbury that year only came about thanks to John Squire breaking his wrist and the Stone Roses cancelling (probably for the best, given the critical mauling that The Second Coming got).

Pulp split after the 2001 record We Love Life. Though I loved them from Different Class onwards, I never quite thought they recovered the same momentum, and were always trying to recapture that moment in their career (although This is Hardcore had one of my favourite lyrics ever: I'm not Jesus, though I have the same initials / I am the man who stays at home and does the dishes). But Jarvis is working on a solo record, and the recent collaboration with Thom Yorke on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (as the Wyrd Sisters) certainly sounded fantastic.

You can torrent the show here.
And you can torrent Pulp's incredible headline performance at Glastonbury 1995 here.

Here are some of my other favourite Pulp tracks:
Pulp - Babies
Pulp - Pink Glove
Pulp - Sorted for E's and Whizz

(you'll need to sign in for the torrents; it's to Pure Live Gigs, and it's worth it!)
Just remember.... revenge is gonna be so sweet...

**Late Edit!** Jamie's Runout Groove is doing a Pulp-discographic-retrospective thingy, and is looking at each of their records from It onwards; there's also some tracks being posted from each album. Worth a look!