I've traveled over dried earth and floods
February 28, 2015 9:35 AM Subscribe
It's been 20 years since PJ Harvey emerged from a time of isolation and song writing that produced the album To Bring You My Love.
*finally registers the "20 years" part. weeps*
posted by billiebee at 10:03 AM on February 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by billiebee at 10:03 AM on February 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
PJ Harvey's love songs are the best love songs. Dark, desperate, unhinged. Love as a kind of consuming madness.
When I first started listening to PJ Harvey, I was put off by the dissonance, the rough edges, to many of her songs. It took me a while to realize that the harshness of her music was part of the point.
posted by dephlogisticated at 10:04 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
When I first started listening to PJ Harvey, I was put off by the dissonance, the rough edges, to many of her songs. It took me a while to realize that the harshness of her music was part of the point.
posted by dephlogisticated at 10:04 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Joanna Biggs: PJ through the One-Way Glass
posted by RogerB at 10:14 AM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by RogerB at 10:14 AM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of the last concerts I ever went to was to see her on the tour for this album, at a relatively small club in Seattle ("Under the Rail", I think). At the time, I liked her, of course, but had no idea how brilliant she actually was. If I could go back, I'd pay more attention.
That show still gives me moments of cognitive dissonance. PJ is brilliant, and presumably might have some say in the opening act...and I thought the opening act was one of the worst bands I've ever heard. I occasionally ask myself "what did I miss?"
posted by maxwelton at 10:34 AM on February 28, 2015
That show still gives me moments of cognitive dissonance. PJ is brilliant, and presumably might have some say in the opening act...and I thought the opening act was one of the worst bands I've ever heard. I occasionally ask myself "what did I miss?"
posted by maxwelton at 10:34 AM on February 28, 2015
If you missed it when Let It Bleed turned 20, Spin did a pretty good oral history of that album when it happened. My favorite PJ Harvey song might be The Darker Days of Me & Him.
posted by strangecargo at 10:49 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by strangecargo at 10:49 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
I remember being soooo disappointed when this came out. I wanted another "Rid of Me". Why the hell wasn't she punk anymore?!
I rediscovered "To Bring You My Love" about five years ago. What an amazing album.
posted by mr_roboto at 10:57 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
I rediscovered "To Bring You My Love" about five years ago. What an amazing album.
posted by mr_roboto at 10:57 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
And then two years later we got Nick Cave's The Boatman's Call after their relationship about that time.
Some powerful mojo
posted by C.A.S. at 11:01 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Some powerful mojo
posted by C.A.S. at 11:01 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Peej!
To Bring You My Love is my favorite of course, though I have a soft spot for the recent Let England Shake. Curious to see what she comes up with while in the box.
Oh, and recently I had explain to my wife what a sheela na gig is. Had sort of assumed people just know that but guess not outside of N.Europe.
posted by Artw at 11:03 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
To Bring You My Love is my favorite of course, though I have a soft spot for the recent Let England Shake. Curious to see what she comes up with while in the box.
Oh, and recently I had explain to my wife what a sheela na gig is. Had sort of assumed people just know that but guess not outside of N.Europe.
posted by Artw at 11:03 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
I occasionally ask myself "what did I miss?"
posted by The Hamms Bear at 11:42 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by The Hamms Bear at 11:42 AM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
I bought this when it came out, was initially disappointed that it was not like her last 2 albums, but after several listens, its spell was cast. I still listen to it regularly, so its rotation vs her other albums is about 30 or 40 to 1.
posted by Asbestos McPinto at 12:20 PM on February 28, 2015
posted by Asbestos McPinto at 12:20 PM on February 28, 2015
Am I the only one who thinks Rid of Me is a lot better? I didn't like the shift of TBYML and mostly stopped paying attention after it. It seems like that was the point in time when she stopped rocking and started trying to be serious.
Counterpoint.
Then again, I am an Albini and sophomore album junkie so that's probably just me.
I bought this when it came out, was initially disappointed that it was not like her last 2 albums, but after several listens, its spell was cast. I still listen to it regularly, so its rotation vs her other albums is about 30 or 40 to 1.
Fair enough. I do own it, but I've probably only listened to it 20-30 times, and not for over 15 years. I will see if I still have it (an apartment fire took 50% of my lps 10 years ago) and give it another try.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:45 PM on February 28, 2015
Counterpoint.
Then again, I am an Albini and sophomore album junkie so that's probably just me.
I bought this when it came out, was initially disappointed that it was not like her last 2 albums, but after several listens, its spell was cast. I still listen to it regularly, so its rotation vs her other albums is about 30 or 40 to 1.
Fair enough. I do own it, but I've probably only listened to it 20-30 times, and not for over 15 years. I will see if I still have it (an apartment fire took 50% of my lps 10 years ago) and give it another try.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:45 PM on February 28, 2015
She alternates between the rock and the murder folk after that... You might like Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea.
And then the latest one is super murdery and super folk.
posted by Artw at 3:08 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
And then the latest one is super murdery and super folk.
posted by Artw at 3:08 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
'Rid of Me' is lightning in a bottle. I remember being let down by 'To Bring You My Love'. Mz. Harvey escaped my attention for a decade and a bit after that. I recently picked up 'Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea'. and was blown away.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 4:09 PM on February 28, 2015
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 4:09 PM on February 28, 2015
Doing a lot with a little is one of the things she's best at, but the title track from To Bring You My Love really stands out to me as a testament to how little "song" a great song needs.
posted by Guy Innagorillasuit at 6:07 PM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Guy Innagorillasuit at 6:07 PM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
My favorite quote from Spin's "Oral History of Let it Bleed", is Albini saying, "Minor music-business functionaries having an opinion about how a singer should sing or how her band should sound — all those people can go fuck themselves." That, my friends, is a man who you want engineering your albums.
posted by jadepearl at 7:04 PM on February 28, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by jadepearl at 7:04 PM on February 28, 2015 [5 favorites]
In my late teens and early 20s, I was aware of PJ Harvey as someone I Should Like. I tried with the then-recent Stories from the City..., but it was too slick. Then I tried with Rid of Me, but it was too abrasive (I still can't stand how . . . well, treble-y and tinny the Albini production sounds. No bottom end at all). Then, age 23, living on a new continent with a job that paid well enough for me to buy a new CD every Saturday, I picked up To Bring You My Love, and it was perfect. Deep, thick, luscious, atmospheric production, but also raw as hell, stark and powerful. I hadn't yet made any friends in my new city, so I walked around with that album on my headphones many a lonely day.
It remained my hands-down favourite until (unfairly overlooked) White Chalk and (rightly celebrated) Let England Shake. Nowadays I kinda think she's making the most interesting and vital music of her career right now. Of my 90's alt idols, she's perhaps the only one who's never released a true dud of an album.
posted by erlking at 7:46 PM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
It remained my hands-down favourite until (unfairly overlooked) White Chalk and (rightly celebrated) Let England Shake. Nowadays I kinda think she's making the most interesting and vital music of her career right now. Of my 90's alt idols, she's perhaps the only one who's never released a true dud of an album.
posted by erlking at 7:46 PM on February 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
There is a corner of my heart that will forever be filled with PJ.
Long goes the night
Longer the day
posted by arcticseal at 9:04 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Long goes the night
Longer the day
posted by arcticseal at 9:04 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Am I the only one willing to go to bat for Is This Desire? Because I will gladly go to bat for that album. It was my second album of hers after To Bring You My Love and for whatever reason, the melodramatic feel of that album translated into something quieter and more ominous on Is This Desire? that still sticks with me today. It was the first album of hers I really loved, and while there have been others since (Stories, England), Desire is still my sentimental favorite.
posted by chrominance at 5:59 AM on March 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by chrominance at 5:59 AM on March 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Am I the only one willing to go to bat for Is This Desire?
I was just about to step in and do just that. The Garden is in my top 5 PJ tracks.
posted by mykescipark at 9:23 AM on March 1, 2015
I was just about to step in and do just that. The Garden is in my top 5 PJ tracks.
posted by mykescipark at 9:23 AM on March 1, 2015
This was one of my favorite albums to listen to scrubbing the booths late night at the peep show.
posted by josher71 at 10:56 AM on March 1, 2015
posted by josher71 at 10:56 AM on March 1, 2015
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Lick my legs I'm on fire
Lick my legs of desire!
posted by billiebee at 9:58 AM on February 28, 2015 [12 favorites]