Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

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Gang Green
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Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Gang Green »

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On occasion I’m shocked at how old I am and how time flies. I’m also shocked that it’s been more than 16 years since I became enamored with PJ Harvey on to “To Bring You Love, “which was one of my very early CD purchases when I first got a CD player. It’s been, almost, 11 years since I purchased “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea,” when PJ Harvey had, in my mind, officially made it. “Stories…,” was kind of like her “Born to Run”. However, soon after “Stories…” PJ Harvey and I seemed to go our separate ways as I headed down the Alt Country path which did eventually lead me to the Drive-by Truckers. For me, PJ Harvey had become a relic from the 90’s or from my early adult life, and both “To Bring You My Love” and “Stories from the City…” were gathering dust in my CD collection. When I decided to download “Let England Shake,” as an afterthought, I realized it had been quite some time since I even thought of PJ Harvey.

As 2011 wore on and I was downloading album after album, “Let England Shake” gradually became one of my favorites of 2011. However, this album was clearly much different from “To Bring You Love,” “Stories from the City…,” and her other albums I was familiar with including “Rid of Me,” and “Is this Desire” which were albums I chose not to purchase. Her focus, clearly, shifted from her internal self and her preoccupation with love, passion, god and the devil to the world, war and nationalism. As always, these songs are brilliantly written and crafted and enhance through her production crew of John Parrish, Mick Harvey and Mark Ellis her long time collaborators. After she won her second Mercury Music Prize this year for “Let England Shake,” and after reading several interviews and articles with and about her, I felt compelled to go back through PJ Harvey’s body of work, and I was both blown away and disappointed that I had missed out on so much.

I had no intention of ever doing one of these “Artist of the Week” features, particularly since my knowledge in music pales in comparison to the rest of the 3DDers, but when Clams suggested I do an Artist of the Week feature during one of our spats about the Phillies and the intelligence of Met fans, I suddenly felt a great urge to discuss PJ Harvey who I believe now has to be included in the upper echelon of musical artists particularly after her release of “Let England Shake”. I realized it’s my duty to write something about PJ Harvey who helped me get through the late 90’s and who I’ve, virtually, ignored these past ten years.

So much has been written about PJ Harvey, her talent and how she is an artist in the true sense of the word, so I don’t want to repeat everything that’s already been said. For me, she’s kind of like Tom Waits as every word, every instrument and every sound in each one of her songs has a purpose or some sort of meaning. Of course, she doesn’t sound like she’s chewing on scrap metal when she sings as Tom Waits often does, but, if she needed to sound like scrap metal to make a song work she would find scrap metal. Much like a true artist, PJ Harvey is uncompromising, and if you don’t happen to like her output, well, she just doesn’t care. But, the one thing I really love about PJ Harvey is how she carries herself in interviews for which there are many on youtube. For as much anger, passion and/or intensity she expresses in her music, she is incredibly polite, modest, soft spoken and charming in her interviews. She makes her point but with a subtle authority. The following is a little retrospective on the career of PJ Harvey in non-chronological order, sorry about that.

“Let England Shake”
As I’ve explained in one other 3DD post, we had the good fortune to live in England just outside of London for 5 years in the 90’s, so, as a result, I am a certified Anglophile which might explain some of the interest I have for PJ Harvey and, particularly, for “Let England Shake,” which is a very England-centric album particularly the song “The Last Living Rose.” Below is a clip from a BBC morning show where PJ Harvey sings the “Last Living Rose” following a brief interview which includes some discussion with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and she even goes on the offensive about arts funding before being cut short.



The next clip is a live version of “All and Everyone” which is one of the many songs on this album where she creates an atmosphere of war. In several interviews PJ Harvey explains that had become very concerned with what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, and felt the need to discuss war in some form or fashion. In preparation for this album she saw as many movies and read as many books on war as she possibly could. Below is a live clip of “All and Everyone” where she attempts to recreate what she learned when crafting “Let England Shake,”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdQF7klq ... re=related

“Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea”
I have very mixed feeling on “Stories from the City…” I loved it the very first time I heard it right after its release in 2000 as she captures her Patty Smith influence, and it was the first PJ Harvey album I could play in the car in front of my kids without them getting scared. This album is extremely accessible to the average adult contemporary music listener such as me. And, the album got extensive airplay on WXPN the somewhat well-known University of Pennsylvania radio station which, at that time, was playing a heavy dose of Coldplay and David Gray. She got to sing a song she wrote with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke who were then in the upper stratosphere of rock n roll. And she won her first Mercury Music Prize which is the one award which goes to the hippest British or Irish pop groups. But, I got tired of this album fast, and I’m not sure why, I think it was too accessible, especially for PJ Harvey. I’m thinking she actually did compromise a little on this album. She wrote some great pop tunes with some great pop hooks, and it seems her goal was to appeal to everyone which didn’t seem to be the norm for PJ Harvey.

Okay, so PJ Harvey went a little MOR, big deal. “A Place Called Home” and “One Line,” for me, are both kick-ass songs. And, below she performs another kick-ass song “This is Love, ” on the Jay Leno Show. And, if you have the patience, stick around for the brief interview with Jay after the song where he makes a mockery of her 9/11 experience.



The next clip is an interview with PJ Harvey with Jools Holland from his show “Latenight.” Jools, obviously, has great admiration for PJ Harvey and they discuss her first Mercury Prize and her appearance on the Jay Leno (see the clip above). She talks more about 9/11 and her influences. But, Jools can’t seem to keep his U.S. talk show hosts straight.



“Dry”
Dry is PJ Harvey’s first full length release from 1992 with her first band. I never heard this album until I downloaded it a few months ago, and, boy, did I ever miss out. I love this album for the same reason I loved Gang of Four’s “Entertainment”, the Pixies “Dolittle” or the Replacements “Let it Be” or “Please to Meet Me”, I would strongly suggest this album for any post punk rocker, in fact you all probably already have this album and are laughing at me as we speak. In this case, I deserve it. But, 1989 through 1994 was a big black hole in my music listening career. Marriage, money (or lack thereof), and kids were at the forefront. As a matter of fact, I almost missed Nirvana and Pearl Jam and didn’t get a CD player until 1994. I know I would have loved this album in 1992, and I loved it the moment I first downloaded it. Well known or stand-out tracks include “Dress” her first single and “Sheela-na-gig” (which is about a statue with the same name). I love all the songs on this album. Below is She la ne Gig from the Reading festival in 1992 and you’ll see that the crowd is pretty enthusiastic about her performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkS_R7RD ... re=related

Living here in Central PA as I have for the past ten years, I could never tell anyone here that I was a fan of PJ Harvey, as most of my friends here would have no idea what to make this little weird skinny woman with the jet black hair and longish nose singing about creepy stuff. Of course PJ Harvey, herself, did grow-up in rural England on a sheep farm, and she, clearly, has more in common with my Central PA brethren than I do, and the clip below demonstrates this fact. Yes, it’s Jay Leno again, and check- out Kramer who was then entering the peak of his popularity, talk about a 90’s relic.



“To Bring you My Love”
For “To Bring You My Love,” released in 1995, PJ Harvey leaves her band from “Dry” and “Rid of Me,” and works with John Parrish an ex-band mate from way back and soon to be long-time collaborator, as well as Mick Harvey and Mark Ellis. PJ Harvey continues to explore her deepest and darkest emotions, but the music is somehow more controlled and blues influenced. Yes, we still get the sexual intensity (along with some devil and god) that she expressed in “Rid of Me”, but it’s harnessed in blues riffs. Stand outs for me include “Long Snake Moan” and “C’mone Billy”, the “Dancer”, “Meet Za Monster” as well as the title track. Ironically, her most accessible song from the album which got extensive airplay was “Down by the Water” seemingly about a mother drowning her daughter. My wife informed me that she used to play “Down by the Water,” all the time for our daughter when she was about 2 years old.

The following clip is PJ Harvey at the Glastonbury Festival in 1995. For those who don’t know, Glastonbury is sort of like the English version of Woodstock, but it happens just about every year in the late spring. The 1995 festival in particular was famous for showcasing the Britpop scene as Oasis, Blur, Elastica, Pulp and Supergrass among others all performed. Yes, at this time, England was moving back to the forefront of pop music after falling behind in the grunge movement. Of course, PJ Harvey isn’t really associated with Britpop in any way, and, in fact, is more closely related to Nirvana. Nonetheless, she gives the Britpoppers a run for their money with this performance of “Long Snake Moan.



Clearly, based on the above clip and the following clip, PJ Harvey achieves what the Spice Girls never could (actually I’m not sure what that means). The following is another Leno clip with C’mon Billy. Again, stick around for the interview after where PJ talks about her encounter with Bob Dylan and we also get to see Kato Kalin. Boy, I really miss the 90’s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnSqIyS2 ... re=related

One of the great things about British Television is the music shows. Yes, there was Top of the Pops and Top of the Pop 2, and reruns of Old Grey Whistle Test. And, you also had Late Night with Jools Hooland which always had great line-ups. You had MTV Europe, but you never had to rely on MTV for music, plus I could never stay up for 120 minutes. Below is a clip from a show called White Room where PJ Harvey performs with Nick Cave. I saw this show real time and it was the first time I saw PJ Harvey perform. Again, I could never stay up for 120 minutes and there was no youtube, so this was a big deal for me. Here PJ and Nick Cave sing Henry Lee from the Nick Cave and Bad Seeds album Murder Ballads from 1996. Nick Cave, incidentally, was as blown away as me with PJ Harvey and he wrote three songs about her on his Boatman’s Call album.



“White Chalk”
Musically, White Chalk, released in 2007, is a departure for PJ Harvey from all her previous albums. This album is much more melodic than all her previous albums and its stripped down to her and her piano which she just learned to play. She has a few other instruments but not much. White Chalk is another album I missed out on. As usual, there are the normal, brilliantly crafted songs from PJ Harvey, which still have the emotional charge of all her previous albums. Clearly, “White Chalk” is a huge transition musically for PJ Harvey which she continues to “Let England Shake,” where guitars are few. Along with the emotional charge she gets a little mystical or ghostly which adds to the musical atmosphere. Again, this album represents the biggest transition for PJ Harvey as seen in following clip from a Norwegian show where she plays “The Devil.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0PHtxUN ... re=related

“Un Huh Her”
Released in 2004, this was another great PJ Harvey album I missed. It was her follow-up to “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea.” On this album she wrote every song and played just about every instrument. She still has the rock n roll intensity of her previous albums, but she strips down production as her goal was to create something “simple”. Below she performs “The Letter” on Jools Holland.



“Let England Shake,” again
A photographer and filmmaker Seamus Murphy made a bunch of short films with PJ Harvey using he songs from “Let England Shake,” which would all appeal to anglophile such as myself. Below is the film for “Words that Maketh Murder”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va0w5pxF ... ure=relmfu

“Rid of Me” and “Is This Desire”
I didn’t talk much about “Rid of Me” and “Is this Desire” because I never bought them when they were released. I heard “Rid of Me” around the time of its release, and I just wasn’t interested at the time. The music appeared to lack structure and the licks were approaching the hard core style which I was growing out of at that time in my life. It was kind of like the post “Doolittle” Pixies which I never cared for. By the time “Is this Desire” was released, I was fully on board with PJ Harvey, but I chose not to buy the album due to the mixed reviews. At this point in my life, I had limited funds for CD purchases, so all potential CD purchased had to clear about three or four reviews before I would pull the trigger. “Is this Desire” just wasn’t getting the reviews I was looking for. Though, in a few interviews, PJ Harvey explained that “Is this Desire,” was the album she is most proud of, so I better start listening.

I Never Saw PJ Harvey and had to settle for Kylie Minogue
From 1989 to 2003, I only saw one rock show, and that was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Brixton Academy in London in the summer of 1996. He was touring his “Murder Ballads” album and I was certain PJ Harvey was going to show-up and sing “Henry Lee.” Well PJ Harvey didn’t show, but Cave did sing a song called “West Country Girl” dedicated to PJ Harvey from his, then, upcoming album “Boatman’s Call” album. But, strangely, Kylie Minogue showed-up at the Brixton Academy that night to perform with Nick the song they did together on Murder Ballads called “Where the Wild Roses Grow.” In hindsight, it was probably more unlikely that I would get to see Kylie Minogue at Brixton Academy than PJ Harvey as Kylie Minogue is one of the biggest British pop stars ever. I just happen to catch her when she was trying to be “indie,” which didn’t work out for her. In fact, Kylie returned to her bubble gum pop life a few years later to fill the void left by the Spice Girls. The next show I saw was Bob Dylan at Messiah Collage, Grantham, PA in 2003 or 04 who happens to be one of PJ Harvey’s biggest influences. Now, I’m ready to see PJ Harvey, please come to America Polly Jean.

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by rlipps »

Saw her open for U2 back in 2001 in Lexington, KY and she was great

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Kudzu Guillotine »

My PJ Harvey experience has pretty much been the exact opposite of yours. My introduction to her was "Sheela Na Gig" from the Dry album. Partially because of MTV's 120 Minutes and partially because of a program called The Sunday Night Alternative that used to air on a radio station I worked at in the early 90s. Aside from the music itself, there was just something provocative about PJ that drew me in. The same was true of her follow up album, Rid of Me. Although I've kept up with what she's been up to ever since then, I haven't been as attentive as I was at the start.

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by dogstar »

From 1989 to 2003, I only saw one rock show, and that was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Brixton Academy in London in the summer of 1996. He was touring his “Murder Ballads” album and I was certain PJ Harvey was going to show-up and sing “Henry Lee.” Well PJ Harvey didn’t show, but Cave did sing a song called “West Country Girl” dedicated to PJ Harvey from his, then, upcoming album “Boatman’s Call” album. But, strangely, Kylie Minogue showed-up at the Brixton Academy that night to perform with Nick the song they did together on Murder Ballads called “Where the Wild Roses Grow.” In hindsight, it was probably more unlikely that I would get to see Kylie Minogue at Brixton Academy than PJ Harvey as Kylie Minogue is one of the biggest British pop stars ever. I just happen to catch her when she was trying to be “indie,” which didn’t work out for her.


I was there too. Actually me and my mates thought that Kylie would guest with the band as she'd just been in the charts with Nick Cave.

Anyway I digress. Polly Harvey is certainly one of the top 3 or 4 British musicians working at the moment. I first got on board when Dry came out and was blown away, although I wouldn't say it's an easy listen. I have a vague recollection that it came out about the same time as Exile in Guyville and all the Riot Girl stuff and seemed to be part of a feminist movement in rock and roll.

I've dipped in and out since then. I saw her in Birmingham in 1995 and that's the only time I've seen her live, although I've wanted to see her for ages.

The link up with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is probabaly the most important element of her career and is seemed to shift the music she was making both lyrically and musically. (Someone should do an AOTW on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds).

She did a fantastically bonkers version of Satisfaction with Bjork at the Brits award show one year



My favourite albums are the last two. White Chalk is amazing and celebrates the countryside in Dorest where she lives.



And Let England Shake is the best album I've heard this year and thoroughly deserved the Mercury Music prize.
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by scotto »

Good stuff, Gang Green. She's another artist that I came to love through my wife's knowing influence (and top-notch record collection) when we first got together.
Every Polly Jean fan needs to check out this album:

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Clams
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Clams »

Great, great post Gang Green. (and kudos for getting the thread up on time despite losing power due to the weekend storm)

I never got into PJ Harvey but, like you, my young adult years were filled with a bunch of bands and CD's that I no longer pay much attention to. Tying in that other thread about "how we all got here," it's interesting how we all started off on such different musical journeys but we all ended up here with the truckers. Go figure.
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Gang Green »

I was there too. Actually me and my mates thought that Kylie would guest with the band as she'd just been in the charts with Nick Cave.

Anyway I digress. Polly Harvey is certainly one of the top 3 or 4 British musicians working at the moment. I first got on board when Dry came out and was blown away, although I wouldn't say it's an easy listen. I have a vague recollection that it came out about the same time as Exile in Guyville and all the Riot Girl stuff and seemed to be part of a feminist movement in rock and roll.

I've dipped in and out since then. I saw her in Birmingham in 1995 and that's the only time I've seen her live, although I've wanted to see her for ages.

The link up with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is probabaly the most important element of her career and is seemed to shift the music she was making both lyrically and musically. (Someone should do an AOTW on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds).


dogstar, yes I had feeling Kylie would be there as well, their song was pretty big. But, I was hoping for Polly. I don't know if you remember, but at one of the more intense points in the show, Nick Cave's kid kept running out on the stage to be with him, and he kept having to break character and escort his kid back stage. Nick Cave would be a great AOTW, but I'm only familiar with his later stuff. Back in the 80's when I was buying three or four albums a week, Nick Cave and the Bad Seed albums were only available as imports at import prices here in the states which was $15 to $20 per album which was astronomical in those days. Also, I failed to mention in my post, how much time we spent on the coast of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall when we were in England. We would stay at the Youth Hostiles which were available for families and I would bring along my CAMRA "Good Beer Guide," so we could always find the perfect pub and there were many. Yes, another reason I love PJ Harvey and her album White Chalk. Then you mentioned Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville? It was that album and the Breeders with the Pixies Kim Deal which I chose over PJ's "Rid of Me."


Good stuff, Gang Green. She's another artist that I came to love through my wife's knowing influence (and top-notch record collection) when we first got together.
Every Polly Jean fan needs to check out this album:


scotto, I've had my eye on this album and I've heard a couple of interviews Peellie did with PJ Harvey. I think John Peel deserves an AOTW feature if one hasn't been done already. He's the greatest DJ, if you can call him that, of all time, and he was always a montrous supporter of Indie and fringe type bands. Many bands owe him a debt of gratitude. In fact, I once heard him do an hour long feature on the Flaming Lips on BBC radio, he was building them up as one of the greatest bands ever.

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Smitty »

i got into pj after hearing patterson cover "this is love"
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Gang Green »

Smitty wrote:i got into pj after hearing patterson cover "this is love"



I must find this cover.

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Smitty »

Gang Green wrote:
Smitty wrote:i got into pj after hearing patterson cover "this is love"



I must find this cover.


welfare-music.blogspot.com :)
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Jonicont »

Great write up. She's one of my all time favs. Been into her since day one. Saw her early on a few times but not since bring you my love era. Thanx. PS-- love the satisfaction clip
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by beantownbubba »

Excellent, Gang Green. PJ Harvey is one of those artists who (at least in the States) manages to both be acknowledged as important and yet is often overlooked. I can't say I'm familiar w/ her whole catalog but I love the ones i know. Somebody mentioned her opening for U2: I saw that tour in Boston and was shocked at how the early crowd basically ignored her. I had assumed going in that it would be a good audience for her. I thought she was great.
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Bill in CT »

Nicely done Gang Green! I'm a longtime fan as well. I've seen her twice...Boulder CO on the To Bring You My Love tour and this past April at Terminal 5 in NYC.
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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

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Bill in CT wrote:Nicely done Gang Green! I'm a longtime fan as well. I've seen her twice...Boulder CO on the To Bring You My Love tour and this past April at Terminal 5 in NYC.


When you said Terminal 5, I thought I had completely missed her US tour, but she did two shows in CA and two in New York and that was it. Hopefully, she'll swing back to the States for a few more shows.

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by Gang Green »

I got my fingers crossed, I got my tickets, I'm finally going to get to see Polly Jean Harvey, the west country girl from England. In my mind, she's one of the truly great artists. Here's a version of Community of Hope from her latest, Hope 6 Demolition Project. She hits home for me with Anacostia and the Navy Yard in DC where I used to work back in the 90's.


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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by John A Arkansawyer »

When I saw this thread pop up, I was just headed here to post that because of this:

The sooner we put those assholes in the grave&piss on the dirt above it, the better off we'll be

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Re: Artist of the Week: 10/31/11 - PJ Harvey

Post by John A Arkansawyer »

Which I lost track of, because this really does beg the question "Why not three guitars AND a life of crime?" I mean, why the fuck not? Seriously!



I'd never seen this before.
The sooner we put those assholes in the grave&piss on the dirt above it, the better off we'll be

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