Freaks (Pulp album)
| Freaks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Pulp | ||||
| Released | May 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 21 June–27 June 1986, Input Studio | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, post-punk, gothic rock[1] | |||
| Length | 44:13 | |||
| Label | Fire | |||
| Producer | Pulp, Jonathan Kirk | |||
| Pulp chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Freaks | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 2012 re-release edition cover |
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Freaks (subtitled: Ten Stories About Power, Claustrophobia, Suffocation and Holding Hands) is the second album by the English rock band Pulp.
Release and aftermath
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Pitchfork | (7.1/10) [3] |
| Q | Oct. 2000 |
It was released in 1987 to little commercial success. It has a much darker sound than its predecessor, It. Russell Senior sings lead vocals on "Fairground" and "Anorexic Beauty". "Master of the Universe" was released as a single in an alternative version called the "sanitised version"; it replaces the word "masturbates" with "vegetates".
"I Want You" is the only song from the album to have been performed live regularly, most notably during the UK Forest Tour in the Summer of 2002.
The album was reissued and remastered by Fire Records in 2012 along with 1983's It and 1992's Separations. This re-release took several delays as the first stated release date was 8 August 2011 while the albums finally came out on 13 February 2012.[4] During than period the information that the albums would be remastered was stated and new bonus tracks were added to the track listing. The reissue also includes new artwork and liner notes from music journalist Everett True.
The reissue bonus disc is in fact Masters of the Universe compilation aside from two tracks: "They Suffocate at Night" which appears on the album itself and "Master of the Universe (sanitised version)" which again appears on the album without censorship.
Track listing
All music is written by Pulp, all lyrics are written by Jarvis Cocker, except "Anorexic Beauty" (by David Kurley), and "Fairground" and "The Will to Power" (by Russell Senior).
- Side 1
- "Fairground" – 5:07
- "I Want You" – 4:42
- "Being Followed Home" – 6:03
- "Master of the Universe" – 3:22
- "Life Must Be So Wonderful" – 3:59
- Side 2
- "There's No Emotion" – 4:28
- "Anorexic Beauty" – 2:59
- "The Never-Ending Story" – 3:01
- "Don't You Know" – 4:09
- "They Suffocate at Night" – 6:17
- Bonus tracks
| Fire Records 2012 reissue bonus disc | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)" (Non-album single) | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Simultaneous" (B-side to "Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)") | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Blue Glow" (B-side to "Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)") | 3:06 |
| 4. | "The Will to Power" (B-side to "Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)") | 3:25 |
| 5. | "Dogs Are Everywhere" (Non-album single) | 4:53 |
| 6. | "The Mark of the Devil" (B-side to "Dogs Are Everywhere") | 4:36 |
| 7. | "97 Lovers" (B-side to "Dogs Are Everywhere") | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Aborigine" (B-side to "Dogs Are Everywhere") | 4:53 |
| 9. | "Goodnight" (B-side to "Dogs Are Everywhere") | 5:08 |
| 10. | "Tunnel" (B-side to "They Suffocate at Night") | 8:13 |
| 11. | "Manon" (B-side to "Master of the Universe") | 3:33 |
Personnel
- Jarvis Cocker – lead vocals, guitar, drums on "Anorexic Beauty"
- Russell Senior – guitar, violin, lead vocals on "Fairground", "Anorexic Beauty" and "The Will to Power"
- Candida Doyle – keyboards, backing vocals
- Peter Mansell – bass
- Magnus Doyle – drums
References
- ↑ http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16802/reviews/4144470
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Freaks at AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-07-23.
- ↑ Tangari, Joe (9 August 2011). "Pulp: It / Freaks / Separation". Pitchfork.
- ↑ "Fire Records article". Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- Truth and Beauty: The Story of Pulp by Mark Sturdy (Omnibus Press)
- AcrylicAfternoons