Entertainment For Lively Minds
Advice on PJ Harvey
Posted by Ola Claesson on 15 September 2010 - 9:59am.
Should I go for Stories From The Ciy, Stories From The Sea or Uh Huh Her? Or somewhere else? Just heard White Chalk and really like it, and yes, I do understand it´s her least typical album and perhaps a strange place to begin. But there goes.
Where to next?
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I really like PJ Harvey's music...
but I don't think she's made one flawless album. There are always one or two shriekathons that I find difficult to digest. Personally I would go for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea or To Bring You My Love.
Like Patrick...
...I really like Polly Jean, but I'd argue that nearly every single one of her albums is close to flawless. I honestly can't think of many artists in the last 20 years who have anything like her track record.
Personally, I think you should start chronologically with "Dry" and "Rid Of Me", and see how her style evolves from this primal, terrifying swamp blues into "To Bring You My Love" (which for my money is her best work, by a whisker) and beyond.
There isn't a single PJH record which you will regret buying, I promise you.
I'll second
idiotbear's view that To Bring You My Love is PJ's finest hour, in a career full of fine hours.
Another big fan
Love Polly. She's bloody good. I'm not a big fan of Rid Of Me as a whole, and I wouldn't recommend it to the OP at this stage, as for my money it's her least accessible album. You can't go wrong with Stories From The City Stories From the Sea, To Bring You My Love or Is This Desire? And there are some storming songs on the debut too. She's a class act. I can imagine her still making great records in twenty years.
Peej
I'd go for Stories From The Ciy, Stories From The Sea.
Big Exit
Good Fortune
A Place Called Home
The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore
This Mess We're In
You Said Something
Kamikaze
This Is Love
Eight (count 'em) stone cold classics. In fact, I'm going to listen to it now. Thanks for reminding me.
Peej
I'd go for Stories From The Ciy, Stories From The Sea.
Big Exit
Good Fortune
A Place Called Home
The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore
This Mess We're In
You Said Something
Kamikaze
This Is Love
Eight (count 'em) stone cold classics. In fact, I'm going to listen to it now. Thanks for reminding me.
And you missed out the best of all!
To these ears, We Float is the masterpiece on this record. It's one of her best songs. It's one of anyone's best songs from the last decade or so. Enjoy it here, Ola!
From a PJ 'lover'
White Chalk I found hardest to like so I reckon you're on to a winner already.
With PJ, as Patrick says, there are always some tracks that she put on each album, I think, just to annoy and challenge the listener.
Stories is a great album (probably her most accessible). I would go there next.
I think she has a natural ability to write great tunes but battles with it. On Stories she went for it.
To Bring You My Love is dark and gothic, Uh Huh Her is louder and rougher.
Each album has a few tracks of real touching beauty. Enjoy!
I'm with Patrick...
I always find that there is at least one track on each album which I can't listen to.
Your next choice depends on your personal taste, Songs from the City is a much more mainstream rock album than most of her work and is probably easier to get into but if you like White Chalk you're probably not someone who is put off by a challenge! I'd suggest Dry as your next purchase and if you like it then to work though her back catalogue in order.
As a completist
it's hard to make the judgement, but for a way in, I think "To Bring You My Love" is probaly as good a starting point as any.
Anna Calvi...
Could I suggest any Polly fans check out the music of Anna Calvi, saw her at the Borderline the other night and she was very impressive.
Man she can rock out.
Also...
...I think anyone who likes PJH would find something to love in Gemma Ray, whose current offering "It's A Shame About Gemma Ray" is completely gorgeous. It's mostly just her and her very very well-played electric guitar, doing sweet, nasty blues. And occasionally the odd inspired Mudhoney cover.
Stories From the City
..for sure, its a beautiful record. I couldn't get along with the follow up Uh Huh Her at all and have never gone back to it. Worth persevering?
All of it
Personally I love the earlier more Patti Smith sounding stuff, but I'd recommend all. The female Nick Cave, or perhaps Nick Cave is the male PJ Harvey. Anyway, great stuff whatever.
Thank you, dear friends
It looks as I have two options.
1: To Bring You My Love and Stories From The City seem to be the most accessible, thus perhaps the best way to continue. On the other hand, White Chalk is not easy listening and it still got to me. When Under Ether is just brilliant.
2: All of them chronological. She hasn´t made that many, so this is actually an option.
Shame and Down By The Water are both great and just about the only ones I´ve heard from other albums than White Chalk.
Her last album with John Parrish
is rather good and not just for the noisy bits (like the barking mad Pig Will Not) but the heartrending closer 'Cracks In the Canvas'
Her performance of 'Rid Of Me' at the Hay On Wye Festival a few years back still fills me with awe and tingling spine when I think of it
(from about 4:50 onwards)
I loved White Chalk
have been a fan since Dry. Along with White Chalk, my favourites are Rid of Me and the two with John Parish, but as has been said, that's not the easiest stuff to love. But they're all good and To Bring You My Love and Stories... are probably the best place to start.
boringly obvious
but couldn't you just listen to a selection on Spotify and make an informed choice?
btw would probably go for Bring You My Love...
Sometimes
it's just nice to actually have communication of some sort with another human being.
Say you were in a pub with a friend and he asked you what you could recommend by a band you liked. Would hold up your palm and say go and listen on Spotify and make your own choice? I doubt it.
Om man får lov att dansa mot strömmen...
... skulle jag föreslå att du börjar med debutalbumet "Bra vibrationer", från 1985. Titelspåret är förstås, vilket jag inte ens borde behöva påpeka, en tidlös klassiker som Polly Jean ännu delar med sig av på vid varje spelning, men framför allt innehåller skivan ett spår som jag tycker tillhör henne absolut starkaste. Jag tänker främst på duetten med Nick Cave, "Vem går med mig hem", och den hjärteknipande mörka "Vi låser dörren in till damernas". Börja där och det finns ingen risk att du någonsin vill sluta.
That's easy..
For you to say.