33 1/3- Pulp's This Is Hardcore

This is Hardcore is Pulp's cry for help. The musical equivalent of Reggie Perrin's Grot shops; the album was designed to fail, yet only succeeded in securing the band's position as Britain's-Most-Wanted. This Is Hardcore is a sleazy run through porn and mental demise, that simultaneously chronicles Cocker's disillusionment with his long-desired wish for fame. Appropriately enough, it should be seen as the final nail in Britpop's coffin.

An insider/outsider's take on the record, this book features an in-depth analysis of the band's writing and recording techniques, as well as a critical appraisal of Chris Thomas's production methods. The book also reveals the author's intimate connection to Pulp's utterly-unconventional, stagnated rise to prominence, as well as perspective on the highs and lows accompanying the band's absurdly-truncated career trajectory.