A review by jarvvis
Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

(I did have to write this for school, but it’s good enough to be preserved, even if slightly ripped off from a Guardian review.)

Good Pop, Bad Pop is an unconventional memoir by Britpop sensation Jarvis Cocker, detailing his early life, the beginning of the band, Pulp, that would launch him into fame and his personal revelations, ending just before Pulp takes off and makes him a household name.

I have been an avid Pulp, and particularly a Jarvis Cocker, fan for years now, so when I heard that he was releasing a memoir, I read it as soon as I can. This book paints a clear picture of the Jarvis Cocker that shines through his music and public persona: that of an awkward, too tall, too skinny, nerd from Sheffield with NHS specs, a pallid demeanour, and a distinct perspective on feeling like an outsider. This book is told through the objects Cocker has hoarded from his past, the ones shoved in a loft in his old flat in London. Forgotten, but crucial to his life years before. This quality, of romantising the ordinary (everything from jumble sales to casette tapes of John Peel shows to a pack of Wrigley's gum is treated as something with deep meaning that deserves thought and respect), is what endears people to Jarvis Cocker, both within this book and outside it. Unusual for a rockstars' memoir, Good Pop, Bad Pop doesn't over-indulge: in fact, it barely indulges. The big story, of Pulp's overnight success despite struggling for almost fifteen years previous and Cocker's sudden fame is only alluded to. The true story, that started in Sheffield in 1963, in a house full of women and music is what Cocker chooses to write about, and I think rightfully so. For a man like Jarvis Cocker, who's songs revolve around working class life and everyday awkwardness, especially where relationships are concerned, a fondly romantic novel centred around what most would consider trash is authentic and meaningful.