Pulp album: 'Different Class'





@liamgallagher on www.twitter.com

NME Article from August 1995





My personal favourite Britpop bands are Suede and The Libertines. These are the musicians that defined my youth and I carry with me to this day. Being a baby-faced Generation Z(er), I can't say I remember the prime time of the scene, it was more of a rediscovery I found myself on at the beginning of my teens. Suede was most familiar to me, I half-shamelessly say that is mostly because of their best-of album being in every household. However, obviously, I took the time to appreciate their albums - my favourite being 'Coming Up'.





The Libertines are a band I treasure. Pete Doherty is a man I treasure. Regardless of his brokenness and extreme imperfections. His post-britpop era music still hit the spot for me (i.e. Baby Shambles, The Puta Mandres and his solo work). He is no role model, but he certainly is a character to watch - just google his name, he's probably been arrested recently.

The Libertines weren't fussed over the polished light of fame and musicianship; they were looser, dirtier. Pete & Carl make a head turning pair.





Their self titled album 'The Libertines' is an undeniable statement of the gritty British scene in the early 2000s. The twangy guitar, the slurred vocals; the image Peter Doherty & Carl Barat portray is not a glamorous one, but an appearance of pure drunken fun. Hits like 'Can't Stand Me Now' pick you off your feet when you hear the familiar opening drum and guitar combination. Whilst tracks like 'Music When The Lights Go Out' and 'What Katie Did' have a way with words. Their ability to combine those lower emotions and keeping an upbeat rhythm is legendary.







Libertines Self-Titled Album





All in all, the Britpop genre and everything that surrounded it kept alternative rock thriving. There will be nothing like it again, and that's why we should revisit it and treasure it. It was the embodiment of imperfection. We saw beyond the music, we saw the effects of the drugs and the darkness, we saw rivalries and we heard a new voice. Britpop paved the way for togetherness and discussion.





Written by Holly Dolan

Usually the focus of your typical pub quiz night in the 'music' segment, Britpop is a genre that transcends its acute time frame. It was a more recent music movement and is one of my favourite genres (though, that comes and goes in my music phases).This particular wave of music means a lot to my generation, and probably more so the generation before mine. The Britpop scene was vibrant in my younger childhood - so some tracks from some of the better-known records within the genre spark that nostalgia buried deep within me.The likes of Suede, Blur, Pulp, Manic Street Preachers, The Libertines, Oasis, and The Verve really ran with the culture that started in the mid-90s. Iconic albums were made, they kept alternative rock alive and very effectively carried the torch for the legends that stood before.But Britpop was different from the alternative rock we heard before. It was catchier, grittier - but in different areas and, most importantly, it was British. It arguably resonated most with us Brits; we knew the places they sang about, felt those same relevant things they felt and made us feel right at home.The band Pulp became a voice for a working-class Britain. A voice that wasn't heard before. Their album 'Different Class' famously depicted the struggling culture in the most candid and casual way. Hits off 'Different Class' like 'Common People' and 'Disco 2000' made a mark most. The song 'Common People' really captured the class differences between middle-class teenagers and working-class teenagers, all in this romantic narrative that gave a cold honest message a kick and a catchy beat to dance to. Taking these perhaps political issues on the chin and making light of the societal differences formed an inclusive culture for people of all backgrounds to come together - whilst still being a voice for the less privileged.You can't talk about Britpop without mentioning Blur. And I can't be a music journalist from Colchester without talking about Blur. Blur were playful and youthful. They highlighted what it was to be young in Britain in the 90s, like a lot of the bands on the scene, but at the core of the band was Damon Albarn. A music genius to say the least. Albarn (from Colchester, Essex) would carry on to do more music projects; most famously - Gorillaz.But if you remember anything about Blur in their prime, you definitely remember the rivalry with Manchester band Oasis. A rivalry that apparently lives on, (thank god for Liam Gallagher's twitter)