Pulp ‎– Party Clowns (Live In London 1991) (2012)

Recorded in 1991, just a few years before Pulp became household names, the concert captured on Party Clowns was originally broadcast on the BBC as part of a series dubbed Class of '91. Pulp weren't destined to be part of the class of '91 -- "Babies," the new song debuted here, didn't capture the public's imagination until 1994 -- but this concert shows Pulp on the cusp of developing the slick, slippery, sly sound that'd make them stars. Jarvis Cocker sounds comfortable on stage, announcing songs with ease, his patter as intoxicating as the performances, and the elastic songs -- "Legendary Girlfriend," "Countdown," "Space," "Separations" -- give him and Pulp plenty of room to stretch. They'd get tighter and better a few years down the road, but Party Clowns captures a sharp, smart band figuring out its strengths, and it's pretty exciting in that regard.