This month's installment of Reelin' and Rockin' at the Gateway Film Center features Pulp - A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets. Drinks at the upstairs bar at 7 pm and movie at 8 pm. Tiks only 5$ and proceeds to CD1025 for the kids. Colin knows this is an important event but really doesn't know why. Brian was nice enough to fill him in.
Colin - I know I should know Pulp but really other than the one guy is named Jarvis, I can't say I can name a song offhand. Does this make me a total dumbass or is in natural for us Yanks to have trouble keeping track of all these UK bands?
Brian- Not at all. It's tough to break into the U.S. market. Look at Pulp the way you would The Kinks or Blur. Their Britishness makes large scale success in America a more difficult proposition.
Colin: What record would be the best one for a novice like myself to start with?
1995's "Different Class" has their best known song "Common People" and is generally regarded as their greatest top to bottom. It garnered the 1996 Mercury Prize for England's best album and sold a million and a quarter copies in their native land alone. That's like moving around seven million copies here. If you need more convincing William Shatner covered "Common People" several years ago and it's hilarious!
Colin: Have you ever seen them live? Have they done a big room appearance at CD1025?
Brian- I have not. America was never a touring priority and jaunts of any length have been sadly few and far between.
Colin; This movie is brand new and making it's Columbus debut at our little movie club. Any initial word on reviews?
Brian- Reviews have been across the board very positive. I've read that their home town of Sheffield is an important part of the film. The "Common People" that live and work there are reportedly instrumental in the film's success.
If I could I'd like to add a recommendation. Front man Jarvis Cocker's (no relation to fellow Sheffield native Joe Cocker) 2009 solo album "Further Complications" is for my money the funniest album ever recorded about being a recently divorced sexually frustrated middle-aged man. It is an excellent display of his lacerating wit. It also rocks like a mother.