Pulp - We Love Life

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Music reviews of We Love Life

Music Review: A classic album whose recording will go down in history!
Rating: 5 Stars

That album was an all-around stunner & one that following up would seem like a challenge. It sure turned out to be, for WE LOVE LIFE had originally been recorded (and almost completed) with producer Chris Thomas, famous for his work with artists like Elton John. At the last minute, Jarvis wasn't happy with the result & immediately returned to the studio to start from scratch. This time, the man in the producer's chair would be American-born British cult icon Scott Walker. As it turned out, Jarvis' change of heart was warranted, as WE LOVE LIFE manages to overtake even HARDCORE's genius & with a much lighter mood.

At first, the marriage between Jarvis' literate lyrics & Scott's Phil Spector-inspired production techniques would seem like an odd one, but as I kept hearing in the year after WE LOVE LIFE's European release, it worked surprisingly well. As songs like the 8-minute epic "Wickerman" prove, it sure did. The near-whispered vocals & alternately lush & dissonant music make for a spellbinding listening experience. I can just imagine Scott Walker's distinctive baritone singing a song like this.

But a title like WE LOVE LIFE indicates a much brighter affair than THIS IS HARDCORE & in some ways it is, with Scott's expansive production giving the songs room to move & definitely easier to listen to. The near-title track "I Love Life" is one that could have been released back in Britpop's heyday & easily become a hit & is the most obvious example of Jarvis' mellowing out without dulling his edge. "Bob Lind" (remember him from "Elusive Butterfly"?) has Jarvis regaining his dark humor for a song that looks at a musician long after his heyday has passed. Hopefully, Jarvis isn't prediciting his own fate, for I believe he still has a lot to say. On the other hand, songs like "Bad Cover Version" (which even features a subtle dig at Scott Walker himself!), "The Night That Minnie Temperley Died" & "Roadkill" are some of the most downbeat & shocking lyrics Jarvis has ever written, proving that the production may be bright, but the words can still darken.

While Jarvis still has some bones to pick in his lyrics, WE LOVE LIFE has hints of him finding some sense of peace, as evidenced by the nature theme of some songs. "Weeds", "Weeds II", "The Trees", "The Birds In Your Garden" (an actual love song!) & "Sunrise" have Jarvis seeing both the comfort & uncertainty nature & civilization bring. Again, Scott Walker's production is enough to warrant equal billing on the cover, but it doesn't result in Pulp simply singing on a Scott Walker album.

WE LOVE LIFE's recording history is certainly a twisted one, but that doesn't compare to its releasing. It came out in Europe in October of 2001, but nothing planned for an American release. I first heard in April of 2002, but then it kept being pushed back a month (distribution problems, I believe) & I wondered if it would ever come out in the U.S. at all. Well, it's here finally & I must say it's every bit of a tour de force. For a band that's been around for as long as Pulp has (more than 2 decades), such a classic would seem unlikely that late in their career. Yet it's worked for both Pulp & Scott Walker, who really ought to come out of the darkness & record more often. Scott has had an influence on singers like David Bowie, Nick Cave & even Jarvis Cocker himself, so let's hope an album like WE LOVE LIFE will help alert people not just to Pulp's talents, but Scott's as well & maybe even result in some recognition in his own right. There's no better time for it than now.

Description of We Love Life

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock