I'm listening as I am currently reading Truth & Beauty: The Story of Pulp by Mark Sturdy. Mainstream success may have been slow to arrive but in 1981, the band here were aged between 16 and 18... and they were recording a John Peel Session. Remarkable!
I saw them at the Bouquet of Steel all-dayer at the Leadmill in August 1980, about 15 months before they recorded this session. They may even have still been at school at the time, as I was myself. They really weren't very good at that time, as I'm sure they'd be the first to admit, but they'd improved a hell of a lot by the time this was recorded.
Sounds much more accomplished than expected after reading Jarvis's account of the founding years in good pop, bad pop. It does sound similar to alternative bands around the time.
Yes I'm here from reading that book too, I got it from the library and read it in less than a day so it must have been interesting even though I'm not a massive pulp fan.
I was thinking the exact same. I was expecting something more acoustic and uninteresting from reading that book. This version of Pulp could have made it in their own right.
You know what ? They would sound cool and hip now in 2022, more than they did in 1981. I love "It" but I often wonder and much more after listening to these 4 songs again if a debut album with Jarvis, Jamie Pinchbeck , Wayne Furniss and Peter Dalton wouldn't have taken them further.
I mean it still sounds 80s, but it's so bizarre that it sounds like an original genre that never took off. The ska sound with the random ambience thrown in the middle and then the xylophone throughout the song. Original indeed
They were aged 15-18... and they admitted to ripping off Joy Division. Anyhow, who cares, they didn't release an album for another 3 years and didn't have a hit for another 13 years.
@@fabiomanic6977 go4 was PIL copycat itself and very unmelodic and sparse one. Here you can hear try to create epic and catchy melodies which was the JD trademark.
