I was in 10th grade, I think. Maybe, late 9th grade. Roughly 15 years old. On the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine was Richard Ashcroft. The magazine gave This is Hardcore four stars in that issue. They also gave Cornelius' Fantasma 3.5 stars. And Tortoise's TNT four stars.

That magazine was like ground zero for my music obsession which lasts to this day. I was a music fan before that issue of Rolling Stone, but after that... it became a sickness.

I bought This is Hardcore on CD and vinyl and double CD from Japan, later on. I spent a shit ton of money on import CD singles from the UK. Kind of embarrassing to admit really. I remember paying $16 to hear Sad Song by Oasis on some Japanese import.

Fucking pathetic.

Pulp never let me down like that, anyway!

I worked my way backwards after that, and tried to start dressing like Jarv at school. Which is weird because at the time I weight 250 lbs and looked like a football player.

I went to art school. So it all kind of made sense.

Working my way backwards from This is Hardcore was a treat. until I got to the albums from the 80's. Yikes.

But then... I got to It, which I think is something of an almost outsider-y masterpiece. It's like The Shaggs with 50% more talent, both musically and lyrically.

I love it. I think it's the only album by Pulp I still have on vinyl.

I've listened to Freaks and... whatever the other one is, like once. But not before paying hugely inflated import prices.

I love, love, LOVE We Love Life. Great final statement. Though, it might not be so final, from what I hear.

I didn't see Pulp. I hope to, someday. I saw Jarvis in Seattle in 2006. I love his first solo album, too.

Some coked up maniac wanted to start a moshpit that night, and almost ruined it for a lot of us. He called my girlfriend a cunt as he was leaving.

Pretty bad. Cast a pall on the night.