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Pulp – Different Class (30th Anniversary Edition) (2025)
Review:
After years of obscurity, Pulp shot to stardom in Britain with 1994’s His ‘n’ Hers. By the time Different Class was released at the end of October 1995, the band, particularly lead singer Jarvis Cocker, were genuine British superstars, with two number two singles and a triumphant last-minute performance at Glastonbury under their belts, as well as one tabloid scandal. On the heels of such excitement, anticipation for Different Class ran high, and not only does it deliver, it blows away all their previous albums, including the fine His ‘n’ Hers. Pulp don’t stray from their signature formula at all — it’s still grandly theatrical, synth-spiked pop with new wave and disco flourishes, but they have mastered it here. Not only are the melodies and hooks significantly catchier and more immediate, the music explores more territory. From the faux-show tune romp of the anthemic opener “Mis-Shapes” and the glitzy, gaudy stomp of “Disco 2000” (complete with a nicked riff from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria”) to the aching ballad “Underwear” and the startling sexual menace of “I Spy,” Pulp construct a diverse, appealing album around the same basic sound. Similarly, Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics take two themes, sex and social class, and explore a number of different avenues in bitingly clever ways. As well as perfectly capturing the behavior of his characters, Cocker grasps the nuances of language, creating a dense portrait of suburban and working-class life. All of his sex songs are compassionate, while the subtle satire of “Sorted for E’s & Wizz” is affectionate, but the best moment on the album is the hit single “Common People,” about a rich girl who gets off by slumming with the lower class. Coming from Cocker, who made secondhand clothes and music glamorous, the song is undeniably affecting and exciting, much like Different Class itself. The 2025 deluxe edition celebrates Different Class‘ 30th anniversary with remastered sound courtesy of Geoff Pesche and overseen by Cocker and Mark Webber. The set’s bonus material consists of Pulp’s triumphant 1995 Glastonbury headlining performance, which appears in its entirety for the first time here. — AMG
Track List:
CD1 - Remastered Album
01 - Mis.Shapes
02 - Pencil Skirt
03 - Common People
04 - I Spy
05 - Disco 2000
06 - Live Bed Show
07 - Something Changed
08 - Sorted For E's & Wizz
09 - F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
10 - Underwear
11 - Monday Morning
12 - Bar Italia
CD2 - Live At Glastonbury 1995
01 - Common People Drone Intro (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
02 - Do You Remember The First Time- (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
03 - Razzmatazz (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
04 - Monday Morning (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
05 - Underwear (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
06 - Sorted For E's & Wizz (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
07 - Disco 2000 (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
08 - Joyriders (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
09 - Acrylic Afternoons (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
10 - Mis-Shapes (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
11 - Pink Glove (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
12 - Babies (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
13 - Common People (Live At Glastonbury 1995)
Media Report:
Genre: indie-pop, rock
Origin: Sheffield, England, UK 
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.3.0 (UTC 2013-05-26)
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