Search - Pulp :: His 'n' Hers

Stellar re-issue of Pulp's first step into the limelight

Ben Rowland | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 09/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After 10 years of living on the fringe of the Sheffield music scene, "His `n' Hers" is the first album that put Pulp on the radar. While their earlier releases were patchy as best, "His `n' Hers" was a leap forward in terms of songwriting and solidifying their sound. The new "deluxe" edition pulls together the original album, plus an extra disc of goodies that make this the definitive version of this excellent, but largely forgotten album.



You can easily categorize Pulp's albums by theme. "Different Class" is the party album, full of sex, drugs, and the underdogs prevailing in life. "This is Hardcore" is their seedy, comedown-from-fame album. "His `n' Hers" is their most sexually charged record, with young people experimenting in sex being a prevailing theme throughout the 12 album tracks. Songs like "Acrylic Afternoons," the standout track "Do You Remember the First Time?" and "Pink Glove" all delve into this, while more mature songs like "Babies" and "Happy Endings" explore relationships and longing for something more than a "quick shag" (as the band would have put it.) Lyrically, "His `n' Hers" is not as full of dry wit and cynicism as the albums that came afterward, rather it is more of a storytelling album. While it is an excellent album, there are a few tracks that are forgettable and I often skip over them. "David's Last Summer", "Someone like the Moon," and "Have You Seen Here Lately?" are the weak links on the album, but having said that, they are hardly bad songs.



The new 2 CD re-issue is full of quality extras, which should please the die-hard fans as well as people buying the album for the first time. Many of the b-sides here have been previously released on various imports, but they are all here. Standout tracks include "Deep Fried in Kelvin," "Streetlights," and "Seconds." The demos included are also quite good, as are the three live tracks included. The real treasure, however, is the book, which includes new photos and liner notes written by Jarvis Cocker.



Universal has really outdone themselves with the new re-issue of "His `n' Hers," which will hopefully expose new people to Pulp's earlier work. The band is now defunct, but the re-releasing of their three landmark albums are a reminder of how good a band that they were.

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Quite Good After All

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 05/01/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Actually, I never heard of Pulp until recently, but I knew of Jarvis Cocker from some work he did for the Total Lee! Lee Hazlewood tribute album. I liked that, so when it was announced in the music press that a trio of Pulp albums would be reissued in deluxe editions with bonus CDs and that the band was once a vehicle for Cocker, I thought to give them a shot.

His 'n' Hers is vastly different from This Is Hardcore, the first Pulp reissue I acquired. When I first played it through, I heard nothing that really stood out but also nothing that really stank. So after a hiatus of a couple of months, I took it with me on a road trip to give it another chance. This time around, I found it to be quite good after all. So as to give those who haven't yet experienced Pulp a musical reference point, I liken the music to kind of a cross between the sounds of Bryan Ferry and Tindersticks. But this is no pale imitation of those artists, this is pure Jarvis Cocker but like the aforementioned, very distinctively English.

His 'n' Hers is a sexy piece of work, but one that is quite matter-of-fact, jaded, and world-weary. On the first CD I most enjoy Babies, She's A Lady, Happy Endings, and Do You Remember The First Time. On the bonus CD the best songs are You're Not Blind, The Boss, Frightened, the title cut, and Deep Fried In Kelvin.

This set is handsomely packaged and is accompanied by a very useful booklet that contains pictures, commentary on the album, album info, and most importantly, the lyrics in all their glory. If you enjoy Britpop or intelligent and witty alternative music, then His 'n' Hers should appeal to you. Check it out, the price is right!"