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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
2000
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Enjoyed this one. PJ’s seemingly odd and occultist personality really comes through in her own perception of love.
PJ Harvey is yet another in a too-long list of outstanding musical artists who I somehow just simply missed altogether when they were definitely available to me as a listener and concert-goer. I remember hearing her name a lot, and she was spoken very very highly of by a number of people whose musical tastes were similar to mine. Anyway, even though I can't quite explain how I didn't listen to her 21 years ago when this album was released, I can say after having listened to it that I think it's fantastic work. Compelling, intriguing, very interesting chord progressions and rhythms, and I just dig the overall vibe. Dark without being too self-referential or too harsh. Really solid album.
An exquisite album from an extraordinary artist at the top of her game, PJ Harvey’s song writing and playing hits another level. Beautiful, melodic love songs that rock hard.
In which critic’s darling Polly Jean evokes rather than describes new love darkened by a generalised dread that, if you want to take things too far, kind of adumbrates 9/11 the following year. Twenty years on, it’s a useful reminder of two truths. One, love always wins the day. Two, the West had been demonstrating its skills in geopolitical goat-fuckery for decades, and 9/11 wasn’t the bolt from the blue many like to pretend. Anyway, the album. Again and again, Harvey throws a rope around her unwieldy themes: “I’m immortal when I’m with you, but I want a pistol in my hand”; “Does it have to be a world full of dread? I want to chase you round the table and touch your head”; “I can’t believe the axis turns on suffering when you taste so good”; “This world all gone to war. All I need is you tonight.”; “I draw a line from your heart to mine. A line to keep us safe.” Her themes are distilled to bold and beautiful physical gestures, but they wouldn’t carry half as much heft without the sonics that are the album’s greatest achievement. It’s a sound you feel could sweep across an ocean. That’s no coincidence, as there are more than a few references here to Polly’s separation from her man. If I’m reading it right, he’s in London and she’s in New York (omg, omg, omg: 9/11). The surprisingly sparse arrangements match the economy of her writing, averaging (yep, I’ve done the sum) 4.3 instruments per track. Only the blissful ‘We Float’ gets a big-finish 12! Shit, Polly, quit flexin’. As always, it’s not about how much is there, it’s about what it does. And the standard guitar-bass-drums—sprinkled with harmonium, harpsichord, tambourine, maracas, electric piano, E. bow, bells, and djembe—are deeper than a full orchestra because you can feel the spaces between them. At the dawn of a century (oh god, what am I doing?) defined for many by the alienating effects of globalisation, evoking ’the spaces between’ is pretty damn clairvoyant. And so I thank Polly for reminding me of the lines you can draw across those spaces, from one heart to another. [Vomits]
Substantive and coherent. Thoughtful and driving. No real huge hits but a certain timelessness -- professionally executed at a very high level. Holds up and will continue to. Thom Yorke's guest appearance tells you all you need to know about the overall quality and band's position at the time.
It starts off innocently, a couple of fairly standard rocky numbers, which had me worrying about lack of diversity. Then we hit the numbers she did with Thom Yorke, which sandwich the genius of "The Whores Hustle..." Now we start hearing the Nick Cave influence. There is light, shade, darkness. She uses that voice to stab you in the heart. When it's over, you feel bereft. Thank God for replay. I knew she was good, but this is the best album I've heard in years.
Strong female vocals with driving guitars and a punk sensibility. I really like this! Favorite Tracks: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, One Line, Beautiful Feeling, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, We Float. Least Favorite Tracks: Horses In My Dreams
Great storytelling sick guitar. Loved the little piano/organ situation on a track I can't remember the name of and can always get around a Thom Yorke feature. Kamikaze is my highlight.
Really enjoyed this. More rocky and less experimental than I expected. Such a powerful voice. A few real banging tracks. Liked the Thom Yorke cameos
This is the first artist that I've heard of - This is a solid album and PJ Harvey gets high marks for being influential, but it's not quite a 5 star album for me. Some obvious influences are Patti Smith on "Good Fortune" and Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl on the opening of "This is Love". There's also a great collaboration with Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
Pulsating alternative rock. Even without Thom Yorke's cameos there are shades of Radiohead there. PJ Harvey certainly does concept albums well, these songs are indicative of New York
Альбом, уже ставший классикой и обязательным для прослушивания любому любителю рока. Для себя отмечу песни с Томом Йорком из Radiohead. 7 баллов из 10.
Sparse, very 2000s. I like Thom Yorke's appearance. I also like this record a ton more than "Let England Shake". A little bit more rock foward, with some slow spots here and there. Favorite tracks: "Big Exit", "One Line", "The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore"
You know, I didn't hate this album. I didn't love it either. It was just ... okay. I enjoyed listening to it in the background as I got stuff done. There aren't really any standout tracks and, on a whole, the album felt like a bit of a jumbled mess. Maybe it's my lack of connection to the material. The wiki says that this was a bit of a love letter to New York. That city doesn't need a love letter. It needs a tetanus shot and a month in rehab. But it wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. It really wasn't. Perfectly adequate. Extremely middling.
This album sounds so 90s to me. At least it did when it started. As it got closer to the end I was like oh shit, this is where Patti Smith's influence had taken us in the early 2000's. As I was thinking how much she sounded like Patti on the song "This is Love," the very next track was called, "HORSES in My Dreams." Coincidence?! Probably, but damn she was serving my Patti on a few of those songs. Vocally at least. I didn't feel the feverish raw energy that Patti brought me and the songs kind of sounded like the epitome of late 90s/early 2000s alternative. I'm sure at the time it was a head turning sound, plus we were visited by everyones favorite alien, Thom Yorke, on "This Mess We're In," so I'm not going to come down on it too hard.
AMAZING album that I was unaware was a thing. Added it to my list of go-to albums and could listen to this on repeat with no issues.
PJ showing the world she can climb the charts keeping her alternative integrity perfectly untouched. Monumental.
Polly Jean es una de esas artistas en mi vida que no están presentes todo todo el tiempo, pero que me encantan. Tiene una fuerza creativa muy chida, "Beautiful Feeling" fue por mucho tiempo mi favorita de este disco, aunque "This Is Love" y "This Mess We're In" también tenían lo suyo. Reescucharla con atención hizo que ahora me gusten mucho "A Place Called Home" y "Kamikaze" (con todo lo rockera que suena está última). La voz de PJ me encanta, tanto cuando se aloca como cuando canta tranquila, en calma. El disco abre enérgico y tiene un cierre más moderado. La quiero mucho. No tengo skips en este disco.10/10
Aguante PJ Harvey! Un disco variado, sad, pesado, pegajoso, con ritmo, con depre, con melancolia. Tracks favoritos: this is love y kamikaze. Mood: viendo la lluvia escurrir por la ventana de un camión
La primera parte de la carrera de PJ fue forjada bajo la cruz del blues. Acá yo, meco que soy, noto una onda más jingle jangle en la guitarra, mucho más melódica (esa línea de los Byrds que atraviesa los 80 y regala cumbres con R.E.M.) y arpegiada. Big Exit es una gran entrada (pun intended) para este disco. Good Fortune capitaliza ese sonido que intuyo. Brillante y muy emocionante, una de sus mejores canciones. A Place Called Home me remite a muchas cosas, todas muy cinematográficas, de esas de heroísmo pasional y romántico, también me retumba otra vez las formas vocales de Michael Stipe y en cuanto a sonido, las ondas pop de electrónica orgánica del Adore de los Smashing. Canta hermoso aquí. Puedo seguir con cada canción pero la neta mejor escúchenlo completo y díganle que lo haga a la persona que más confianza le tengan. Pd. La de The Whores Hustle.... le hubiera encantado a Kurt Cobain.
5/5, this album was fantastic, I was torn between 4/5 for a while but the last couple tracks swayed me. The album does it all and does it well, most tracks felt unique and well produced, the antepenultimate taking you high, followed by the horses taking you low was cool, but coupled with the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ resolution to end the album, truly impressed me. This is a prime example of the necessity of this website
This Mess We're In - awesome Kamikaze - rock & roll The Wicked Tounge - Hidden track but on another spotify session album good stuff
Great album, great songwriter. She’s influential as hell, there’s not much more I can say about her
PJ Harvey was not fucking around when she put this album together. A lot of fantastic songs. Excellent stuff! Fave track - the duet with Thom Yorke was great an all, but I have to go with "Good Fortune" overall, but like three quarters of the other tracks come in a close second place!
Two PJ records in one week! I dithered over giving a 5 star rating to Rid Of Me, because I love it but it’s simply not as flawless as this. So I’m essentially saying this would get a 5 plus, if such a thing existed. Every song is great; the beautiful softer moments just as much as the powerful rock tracks. The opening bars make me feel as excited now as they did when I first heard it age 13. Still looking for a karaoke place where I can belt out Good Fortune.
Wow this is fantastic. I knew a few of the songs already but it’s really incredible as a whole. The standouts for me are the songs with Thom.
I’ve heard of PJ Harvey but really had no clue what sort of music it was. As I started to listen I got a Pretenders vibe. The first half of the album I was liking well enough, but nothing was grabbing me or making me want to hit that “Add to Library” button. Wasn’t sure this was standing out amidst several weeks of standout albums… When “The Mess We’re In” came on I stopped what I was doing and just listened. I’m a big fan of Thom Yorke and recognized him instantly and really, really loved the song. Now the album has my full attention. “You Said Something” took me back to New York. “Kamikaze” with the vocal delivery and drums. “Horses in my Dreams” with its shambling, dreamy feel. And “We Float” with it’s great, spare verses soaring chorus ended things on a high note. On the second listen I realized how great this album is. Standouts this time included “A Place Called Home,” “One Line” and “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore” - really fantastic. How had I glossed over these the first time? I guess I needed that Thom Yorke kick in the ass to get me to pay attention. The music is as cool as the album cover. Really great album.
Didn't know much of PJ Harvey aside from 50ft Queenie, which is a great punk song but I didn't know how I'd feel about a whole album. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea was a wonderful surprise. This is solid alternative rock with a grown-up point of view. During my first listen, I favorited half the tracks. During the second, I favorited the rest. I love this.
Probably some of PJ's best work, serious themes and some cracking tunes. Love "Big Exit", "One Life" and "Beautiful Feeling". Love it and rightfully on this list.
What a great inside look to the women’s rock scene of the late 90s and early 2000s. I really enjoyed this one.
I really enjoyed this one and will be revisiting it. I enjoyed every single song. I think due to my age, I missed out on a lot of things, and I'm so happy to have discovered this one.
Absolutely blown away by how good this is, for years I’d been aware of PJ Harvey but I’d never thought to listen to any of her music, despite knowing that several bands I like cited her as an influence. Glad this one has been added to my library. A solid 5/5.
What an album! Right from the opening track, PJ Harvey hits off firing on all 12 cylinders. Between this album and To Bring You My Love, I argue Harvey brings forth a damn excellent case for best female vocal performance ever in terms of the emotions it triggers in me (which, in my mind, implies best vocal performance ever, period). The fact this performance is closely tied to recording technique does not hinder, but rather further supports to prowess of this multi talented musician.
Brilliant, one of my favourite albums ever, and Good Fortune one of my favourite songs ever. Noting fantastic production by Mick Harvey (ex Bad Seeds).
Great alt-rock album which fits perfectly with the fall weather. Thom Yorke made some great contributions aswell
I heard good things about her and I really enjoyed this album. It had some great songs and was really consistent. Thom Yorke feature was also amazing. 8.8/10
Actually really liked this one. An album that was honestly a little heavier than I expected and would go back and forth from that to more of that singer songwriter vibe. Good stuff. Favorite Tracks: “Big Exit,” “Beautiful Feeling,” and “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore
I thought this was pretty good, just a strong alt rock album. Her voice is great and it didn't fuck around with being super soft then loud then soft again like Rid of Me does. Like this more for sure
Me gustó el álbum aunque necesito más escuchadas para profundizar en el por qué (?), pero así de rápido me gusto que suena como una Alanis Morissette gone dark(er?).
I haven't really dabbled in PJ after the first couple of albums. Not as raw or barbed down as the earlier albums. This is a good album, with good songs.
Really enjoyed this. It definitely felt indicative of 90s music but also somehow felt fresh. Got New York City vibes throughout
great - better that my expectations. Good vocals and lyrics but the guitars are the best
Properly enjoyed this album. Grungey feeling at times, and always a good level of rock music with strong vocals. Highlight was probably "This Mess We're In" with Thom Yorke or "This Is Love". Will probably listen again, and will have a look to see what else PJ Harvey has done.
Thoroughly liked this one. I love turn of the century alt rock, and this is no exception.
Oldschool Alternative Rock, dessen gute Songs vor allem von einer dichten Produktion mit ordentlich Gravitas profitieren. Nach mehrmaligem Hören kann selbst das nervige Sirenengeheul von „Kamikaze“ nicht den guten Eindruck versauen, den dieses kurzweilige und mit fluffigen Singles gespickte Ding erweckt. 3.5
I have three accounts, and this is the third listen for me. The first two times I gave this album a 3/5 stars rating. I had never heard of her before. Now, I'm kind of a fan. This album is pretty great. Solid 4/5 now.
This is a fine album from a favorite of mine. Favorite songs ...A Place For Us, with some striking rhythm guitar work and a stellar pj vocal performance. The haunting It's the Best Thing. The muscular guitar chords of The Whore's Hustle and the Hustler's Whore. The beautiful duet with Thom Yorke on This Mess We're In and my favorite song the absolutely gorgeous You Said Something with a melody that will haunt you for days. Kamikaze sounds like it could have been straight from the Rid of Me sessions, and the closer We Float is as beautiful a ballad as Polly has ever penned. A solid 4 🌟 album for me.
PJ, eigenlijk vroeger nooit echt geluisterd, nu vond ik het echt eens lekker en mooi om te horen
Very listenable. I do not know all the back stories, but glad this Thom collaboration happened.
This is my 2nd PJ Harvey album since starting and the first one was a very easy 1 so I was pretty bummed when this popped up. That said, where the other album was very experimental, weird, and overall just hard to listent to; this is just more of a straightforward rock album. Really reminds me of Garbage or some of the more grungy female artists from the 90s, would fit right in with that era though I guess 2000 isn't that far behind. This Mess We're In has Thom Yorke out of nowhere. Not only was this album not a 1, I downright enjoyed it.
I used to have this album. Maybe I still do (somewhere). I think I prefer "To Bring You My Love", but this is pretty good.
I had heard of pj before, but never actually heard her. Was expecting something different. This was great, exciting, rocky, had a good esge to it. Will listen again
Fantastic Millenial angst. I think it wasn't quite as good as Dry, but I did quite enjoy it.
very cooolll didn’t quite hit the same as rid of me but still good and love the song with thom
I liked the layers of the rhythm guitar, bass and drums with the jangly lead lines on top. Catchy vocals and very nice to hear some vibes on a couple tracks, enjoyed it.
Un dels millors discos del canvi de mil.leni i la primera gran obra de PJ Harvey, que barreja l'experimentació dels primers discos amb el posi madur i més melòdic del que havia de venir en el futur. Aquí exceleix en tots dos aspectes, marcant canvi de rumb i la cúspide de les seves dues maneres d'entendre la música. 'The Mess We're In' és incomensurable, i altres temes com 'Good Fortune', 'You Said Something' o 'We Float' són del millor que va donar el rock aquells anys
Gritty. Simple but catchy guitar riffs Gritty voice and attitude. Pass on Thom Yorke appearance.
I hadn't heard of PJ Harvey before, ended up really liking this album. This Mess We're In (with Thom Yorke) was great, but my favorite song was We Float, last one!
It's a really good album. The second PJ Harvey album I've been served by this list and I've really enjoyed both.
Quite liked this album. Is it indie-punk? Alternative? A little dark and a little grimy.
I have heard Good Fortune. Never knew that I knew this song, but it instantly brought me to a certain time/place. Reminds me of REM meets Pretenders. A Place Called Home is a lost Cure song if you ask me. Really good stuff.
Better than "Let England Shake", but at times it just doesen't feel like music, it's that boring. I absolutely love the albumcover though. Ok I take that back. Second half picks up. 4
I was never there, but I feel like this album captures the feel of a moment of time, that moment being New York immediately prior to 9/11. The glossy and flowing sound of this album is unique and PJ Harvey’s presentation is enticing. One of my favorites
Some years ago I tried to listen her early albums, and it was terrible. Now I thought I give it a 2nd chance with this album. It is much better, and Thom Yorke in that two songs is brilliant.
Nice album, but I was going in with expectations of the sound to be more eerie. Not a bad album by any means, but it did not blow me away
This is the kind of album where if you like it, you say that the artist displayed her range, whereas if you don't, you say that it's inconsistent. I fall into the latter camp. Some of the songs were pretty good, though I hesitate to call any of them great, and many of them fell flat. I don't really like her affected growl, and there's something about some of the backing instrumentation that didn't age well, but I can't put my finger on what it is. Best track: This is Love
Good Fortune - huge Patti vibes, although I guess she hadn't heard of her until people started comparing them. The middle felt like some generic 00s rock songs and honestly by the last two I was checked out.
PJ Harvey es una de esas que incluso he sentido sobrevalorada a veces. No es que me desagrade, incluso tiene un par de cosas que me gustan, pero de pronto a la segunda vuelta ya no le hayo el gusto. De este disco sí me gustaron Big Exit y This Is Love, que creo que además son de sus muy muy famosas, pero la que canta con Thome Yorkee, blaagh.
Creo que su cambio hacia el pop fue más por estrategia de ventas, era un tiempo en el que tenía que competir contra Natalie Imbruglia, Alanis Morrissette, Sheryl Crow e incluso Shania Twain. Espero en la lista venga alguno de sus anteriores discos. This mess we're in, this is love y Horses in my dreams son muy buenas.
Este es uno de esos discos que me alegro de haber escuchado, ya que de no ser por este sitio probablemente hubieran pasado desapercibidos para mí. No recuerdo haber escuchado sobre PJ Harvey ni nada de su música, pero es un disco que me impresionó: la calidad de la música, su voz y el uso de métricas inusuales: ¿notaron que "One Line" está en 7/4? Otra cosa interesante es que en esta lista hay otros grupos con vocalistas que tienen timbres de voz similares a Harvey: Siouxsie And The Banshees y los Yeah Yeah Yeahs, y probablemente habrá otros. A pesar de este review mayormente positivo, temo que mi calificación no será tan alta. Prácticamente todo el disco tiene una vibra dark/depresiva al punto que parece a propósito que una de las canciones más oscuras del álbum se llame "Beautiful Feeling". Las dos canciones que guardé del disco fueron "This Mess We're In" y "We Float".
she's got a fantastic voice, but her music in general just kinda leaves me a little cold.
Good fortune is a great song and certainly evokes a Chrissie Hynde vibe. Album was quite varied with a cool Thom Yorke cameo. Enjoyable but i don't expect to listen to it again.
Felt overall like very average indie pop rock. I listened to it three times and never disliked a song, but had trouble connecting with anything.
It was alright. I liked the songs with Thom Yorke and I thought the songwriting was pretty compelling, but her voice was frustrating at a lot of points. Worth another listen at some point but generally just some okay alt-rock.
3.1 + This one finds PJ Harvey with a sleeker sound, wearing an on-trend early aughts outfit on the cover and with guest appearances by Thom Yorke at his prime. I remember listening to this in 2000 and seeing her perform in Paris. The concert was blander than expected, and listening to this album again I can see why I found that show disappointing. What's all but absent here is the raw power, the angst and anger, the sexual ferocity. The album's look and sound are like a TJ Maxx version of PJ Harvey.
Pretty boring. I don't usually say this, but the singer's voice started to wear on me a little.
Sounds a lot like something my dad would listen to. Nothing about this is really gripping me, i don't dislike it and the individual songs are okay though
Joni Mitchel's album was more varied than I expected, I really got into the atmosphere of her songs and the storytelling and that. I got more out of this than her Blue album. Listening to PJ Harvey while cleaning really helped with the cleaning. It had a lot of energy. Will listen again when I'm running or angry, or both.
Not a bad listen at all. Good background noise for when I was working. Nothing stood out as amazing but still a good album.
Pleasantly surprised by PJ Harvey. She gave me a Rashida Jones vibe. I give her album three Quincy's!
Never been a fan of PJ Harvey, but I get the appeal. Was good to be forced to listen to an album of hers and I did like it. But I don’t think it’s converted me into a fan.
not my usual taste honestly but I did find one song I liked! This Mess We're In ft. Thom Yorke = good
One of those artists that I've been aware of but never properly listened to. Elements of Patti Smith, Nick Cave, Radiohead etc. Very good. Would give it 3.5
Inizialmente non avevo avuto una buona impressione poi con lo scorrere del disco è andata sempre meglio. C'è qualcosa che non mi convince nel suo stile però in generale è stato un ascolto piacevole che vorrò ripetere.
This Mess We're In: Io gli voglio tanto bene a Thom Yorke però quando fa le collaborazioni raramente riescono un po' come per tutti i cantanti con una forte identità artistica. In Conclusione: Questo disco mi ha messo un po' in difficoltà. Conoscevo i PJ Harvey solo di nome e non avevo mai ascoltato nulla. Al primo ascolto li ho trovati molto congeniali ai miei gusti e ho trovati alcuni pezzi interessanti del tipo "questo vorrei risentirlo" e la mia impressione generale era da 4, però qualcosa non mi convinceva. Al secondo ascolto credo di aver messo a fuoco cosa non mi convinceva: in questo disco i PJ Harvey sono un gruppo con una forte personalità, però mi sembra ci si adagino molto. I pezzi funzionano, l'atmosfera è coerente, però a livello compositivo sono tutti un po' scarsi, sembrano appunto il risultato del gruppo di musicisti che si chiude in sala a scrivere un pezzo, ognuno pensando al suo strumento e poi registra i pezzi cotti e mangiati. Non sembra esserci una visione olistica dei pezzi, magari è pure che non c'era un produttore a guidarli? (Non lo so perché non ho letto nulla a riguardo ancora). Comunque questa consapevolezza mi ha fatto rivalutare l'album ad un 3.
Stuck on what to give this cus I quite liked it, but a 4 star is maybe a bit too much. I will say I don’t think I heard the whole album, maybe missed 2-4 songs. She had a good voice, not much more I can think to say really. Maybe somewhere between a 3.25 and 3.5 star
Ja, dat gaat Rustig album, ook mooi verloop. Ik ga zeker eens door haar discografie gaan
VOTI "Big Exit" 3 "Good Fortune" 1 "A Place Called Home" 3 "One Line" 3 "Beautiful Feeling" 3.5 "The Whores Hustle and.." 3 "This Mess We're In" 4 "You Said Something" 2 "Kamikaze" 4 "This Is Love" 3 "Horses in My Dreams" 3.5 "We Float" 2 AVG: 2.9 Pros: Thom Yorke e alcuni arrangiamenti mi sono piaciuti di più delle linee vocali, tipo "Kamikaze" oppure "Horses in my Dreams". Cons: Secondo me PJ Harvey ha un estensione vocale che non è adatta alle linee vocali che scrive. Per esempio in "Kamikaze" canta in falsetto e secondo me ci vorrebbe qualcosa di più potente. Mi è capitato di avere la stessa sensazione con altri pezzi della Harvey, tipo "Hardly wait" reinterpretata da Juliette Lewis secondo me rende di più. Conclusione: forse meriterebbe più un 2.5, ma considerando la media matematica e aggiungendo il bonus Thom Yorke arriva a 3.
Very 90s despite 2000 release. First track: mismatched vocal with accompaniment. Second track Patti Smith clone. Gets better. Needs to be accompanied by something other that generic 90s alt guitar.
An interesting album, with some influences from Patti Smith, Radiohead and Bjork. (6/10) Favourite Tracks: This Mess We're In, Good Fortun
Solid, but just not hitting me as much more than that on first listen. The only other album of hers that I've heard is Let England Shake, and that was more of an immediate impact. It's still clear that she's one helluva musician and songwriter.
It's a good album, but I'm wondering if I don't know where it fits historically/contextually with it's time period. Today, it sounds like a very standard post-grunge era rock album. I've never been particularly into grunge in general. Favorite Songs: One Line Least Favorite Song: Beautiful Feeling
Late 90s/early 2000s sound. Me back then wouldn't have liked it back then. And me now isn't that into it now. But me now probably would have really liked it back then.
Confession: although everyone seems to recommend PJ Harvey, I've only heard Let England Shake and I didn't like it. This one is better, but still not a big hitter for me. It takes some of the better sounds from alt-rock and steers it back into the mainstream of rock music. I like the unexpected Thom Yorke feature. I like Harvey's voice on the more lyrical tracks and when she uses more of her range - but not so much in the straight-ahead rock moments.
A true album that is more than just a collection of songs. I need to give it another good listen.
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by PJ Harvey (2000) These songs are edgy enough, and sometimes as dark as their New York-themed atmosphere, with about half the tracks consisting of love songs that produce emotional harmonic overtones in the hearts of male listeners. There’s nothing formulaic about these frequently striking compositions, although there’s sometimes a disjointed relationship between the meter of the music and the meter of the lyrics. She’s fond of 6/8 time. In “Kamikaze”, for instance, she can make 6/8 rock—not a conventional approach. Lead vocal melodies are inelaborate, and styled like Edie Brickell-esque lazy loops. Harvey does not have a naturally strong voice. There’s a tremendous difference in quality between the sultry lower stretches and the weak and sometimes off-pitch upper regions of her contralto range. The syncopated 7/8 (over 3/4 on a single tone) on the verses of “One Line” is hypnotic—difficult to pull off, but she succeeds. Harvey excels on this album when she steps away from convention. Her more ‘pop’ compositions are okay, but the songs “One Line”, “Beautiful Feeling”, and the fittingly hopeful closing track “We Float” are all very good. They have an analgesic vibe. Her guitar playing is not flashy, but it sustains interest, with variety in chord structures and deft use of effects. It calls to mind The Edge of U2. The chief artistic merits of this album are PJ Harvey’s guitar and piano colorings, and their expansive tone. It is interesting. It’s nice. And good. I think I’ll listen again. 3/5
Pretty standard, has good alternative rock vibes tho. Additional plus for nice female voice and featuring Thom Yorke.
An equal mix of cool inventive style and just kind of bland slog. A very inconsistent listen for me, which made it hard to really engage. Overall I think I lean toward positive; it wasn’t bad, I just didn’t really care for it.
I thought it was great and artistic, i can respect her vocals a lot too. I like the different themes of the songs. I'm not the biggest fan of this brand of alternative rock, but this was cool and worth a listen
I remember this won the Mercury music prize and I liked it at the time but it's actually fairly boring compared to her louder stuff. kamikaze is still really good
PJ Harvey is one those artists that has been on my radar, as I know a lot of people that think she's great and a very talented artist, but I've actually never have listened to her. My first impression is that I like the songs and enjoy their sound, but it didn't give me that feeling that it was anything beyond a solid album. I was expecting maybe something more edgy or unique that would stand out above other similar artists from the 90's. This record is critically acclaimed and according to many critics it's her best album, so I'll give it more listens and while I'm at it explore her earlier catalogue which to me looks more interesting.
A LOT more enjoyable than the previous PJ Harvey album I got on this list (Rid Of Me). Has some genuinely good songs (according to me), like Big Exit, Kamikaze, This Is Love.
A lot better than the other album on here, actually sort of enjoyable. Still, probably wouldn't listen again.
I’ve heard of PJ Harvey, but this is my first listen to an album. It was good. The music and vocals were more impressive to me than the lyrics…maybe I need to listen more carefully.
This was solid alternative rock with a strong female voice. I liked it. I was happy to discover that I was familiar with the enjoyable "One Line," which had been on the "Gilmore Girls" soundtrack album. I really liked the duet "The Mess We're In," and the lead single "Good Fortune." I didn't find the something, however, that made this album stand out from the crowd for me. But I will be interested to see where else she may take us down the road.
The best of this album IMO: - Good Fortune - Beautiful Feeling - This Is Love I like the singer's vibe. I didn't know her before this list. She sounds iconic. 3.3/5
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea is the third album I've listened to from PJ Harvey, and it's the one I've enjoyed the most. PJ Harvey is on my list of artists who I wonder why I don't like more. People who share similar interests to mine recommend Harvey. I've tried exploring some of her work on my own, but I've never been drawn in. Sometimes Harvey's vocals detracted from the overall experience, but the album was still okay.
The first few songs on this album gave me very late 90s/early 2000s teen movie vibes (which I LOVE) but then it got redundant. I would listen to a few songs here and there again for sure, but the whole album is a bit of a chore.
PJ has dated quite badly since the 90s but this is her most mainstream effort. It's quite a few bangers mixed in with her terrible poetry about horses and a genuinely moving final song
-"Big Exit," "The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore," and "Kamikaze" are the strongest tracks. All are cool alt-rock jams. -A strong 3, but nothing really stood out. No crazy guitar jams, or radical drum beats, just generally nice music with quality singing, so nothing grating. Much preferred to the other PJ Harvey album I had, which was very boring.
Definitely an interesting album, very listenable but hard pressed to call it "great," I think "pretty good" would be about as far as I'd personally go. Vocals are brilliant and love the instrumentation, but as a whole it's very dated and not in a nostalgia-inducing way. Maybe I just missed the moment for this one or else I don't love NYC as much as PJ does.
3rd Polly album in the list, can't be too many more? Supposed to be her best, I think I prefer the edgier stuff - couple of good tunes on here. Not likely to go into my listening rotation though
I bought this album when it came out because of all the hype. I wasn't blown away by it then and I'm still not.
I'm a feminist so I believe that women should also be allowed to create boring generic rock and roll.
If I heard this when I was 13, I would have really liked it, and would still like it for the nostalgia of that time. As it is, I'm 31 and it really doesn't resonate with me. It feels well-crafted, and the Thom Yorke feature was nice.
Talking about love and New York City, PJ Harvey's "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea" not only sounds but also feels like a alternative rock album. A much more melodic effort compared to her previows records, it has great songs like "Good Fortune" and "This Is Love" but is not as powerful as previos releases, like "Rid of Me" and "To Bring You My Love".
A pretty solid album, really just reminds me of a 21rst century Patti Smith. Started out strong, but really started to fade during the end. Almost a 4
There's some great songs here. Particularly in the latter half. But I find this reasonably boring compared to her later stuff. Just instrumentally less fun and less space.
This was a well made album, musically really tight. Harvey's vocals are fantastic and Thom Yorke was a welcome surprise. Fave Songs: This Mess We're In, A Place Called Home, The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore, Horses in My Dreams
Ciao PJ! Prefs: Big Exit, Good Fortune, The Mess We're In, You Said Something, Kamikaze, This Is Love, We Float Moins pref: Beautiful Feeling
A bit too grungy and atonal for me. Tom Yorke featured track 7 wasn't too bad, and the intro to track 11.
People who love the music I love adore Harvey, and think I should also. I do not love Harvey. It's another case of the voice grating on me, I'm afraid. I'm so influenced by that when enjoying music, and her voice really turns me off. It's a shame really because musically this could be pretty great.
This album doesn't make sense to me on this list. It's nondescript and doesn't really stand out musically. Maybe there are some deep lyrics buried in there, but my interest in finding them is low. There were thousands of albums that sounded like this in the late 90's and I'm not sure what made this one stand out enough to make this list.
Recordaba a PJ Harvey como parte de esa ola de mujeres del rock alternativo noventero con cierta actitud que me agradaban. De hecho quizá como una de las que más personalidad propia y fuerza tenían. En especial le recordaba un par de canciones del disco Rid of You que valían mucho la pena. Este disco... no es malo... es... promedio. Tanto las letras como la música pareciera que perdieron la pasión anterior. Este disco se siente mucho menos crudo, más maduro y vulnerable. Para muchos eso sería quizá algo bueno pero en mi opinión siento que pierde lo que le daba chispa y se siente ahora sí como una música medio promedio, aburrida del montón. La idea de las letras basadas en lo que le inspira de NY pues... bien... algunos coros decentes, a ratos pareciera imitando a PAtti Smith pero a final de cuentas sintiéndose medio vanal tanto musical como líricamente. Todo se siente promedio con algunos puntos que la levantan apenas lo necesario para no llamarle mediocre (Kamikaze se siente lo suficientemente honesta y This Mess es interesante) pero no suficientes como para salvar el disco. Una lástima que la recordaba como un artista mucho más interesante y en este disco pareciera que perdió su dinamismo.
It was a good listen, definitely of a certain era/point in time in altpop music. I didn't love it, but no complaints.
Similar to other folks, its just a generic Indie sound and not one that I particularly enjoyed
Just like ya mate made an album and now you feel like you have to listen to it. This never really got me going and there were also a couple of shite songs.
I don't think I've heard of her before and don't understand why this album has any significance. I don't think it's bad and it does have pleasant moments, but it just doesn't really seem interesting or innovative to me in any way. Sounds like radio-friendly background music to me. 2.5 rounded down.
People who love the music I love adore Harvey, and think I should also. I do not love Harvey. It's another case of the voice grating on me, I'm afraid. I'm so influenced by that when enjoying music, and her voice really turns me off. It's a shame really because musically this could be pretty great.
Yeah, I mean this definitely feels like its from the 2000s. I can see how this influenced music, but the sound is almost too nostalgic for my tastes now. Probably because I didn't grow up listening to it, so I don't have the connection
2.3 Ik vind het niet echt speciaal en eerder wat naar de zagende kant. Kon me niet echt bekoren. Its a nah for me
This artist is clearly talented and has a lot to say. Unfortunately, it's really not my cup of tea today. I think the genre of this album is alt rock, and it probably fits there, but it doesn't resonate with me very much. I'm giving is 2 stars, but might be convinced it's worth 3 at a later date.
Kinda boring, very influenced by ok computer and probably Joan jet. The song “you said something” in particular reminds me of subterranean homesick alien. The thom Yorke feature surprised me. I doubt I’d ever go back to this though.
I didn't really like this. I just don't like how it sounds. I find it very hard to listen to.
Didn’t listen to the whole album. She had a good voice and instrumentals are great but every song had a similar tone
The album was ok. It wasn't fully indie music but it was close. I was not familiar with the artist or any of the songs.
I got through 2 songs before I started skipping. There wasn't anything exciting happening at all.
People I respect love PJ Harvey and I understand why. But it's not for me. One extra star for the places in Good Fortune where she reminds me of Chrissie Hynde.
Really not a fan of her voice or the music... It wasn't awful but I didn't enjoy myself.
I'm getting late period U2 vibes off this album. I mean, it's ok, but mostly it's super conventional dad-rock. And Thom Yorke singing "all day I dream of making love to you" is just creepy.
The bass lines are the most interesting part. Unfortunately, I don’t mean this as a compliment. Some tracks are lyrically rote and lacking vocal dynamic variation. There are a few nice ones nestled in. I’m scratching my head as to why I need to hear this one before I die though. 1.5 stars.
I didn't realize I knew / had heard so much of PJ Harvey's songs. Cool album. Easy to listen to. Remnants of the 90s all over the place. Can definitely hear heavy influence from The Cranberries. Angsty. This is the album that you play on a road trip and end up falling asleep while driving.
Still walking the fine line between calm and chaotic, although maybe a bit more refined in places than prior PJ Harvey albums. As I've said with other artists that have multiple albums on this list, I don't understand what makes this one substantially different from PJ Harvey's debut album, such that she merits double billing. It would make more sense to me to just have a shorter list, then continuing to fill it with multiple albums from the same artist that basically represent the same thing.
Interesting but didn’t blow my socks off, or even halfway down. I’m not sure if I have some sort of aural disability with PJ Harvey, but I don’t seem to dig her sound.
The third pj Harvey album and still not enjoying them. The mess were in is the best song I’ve heard yet from her only because thom Yorke sings with her. Still not an album for me. 2.6/10
Where do they get this list of 'must hear' albums? They must be generated by a suicidal computer because there is no cheer or life in any of these albums.
Kolejna PJ Harvey, dzien zrujnowany, tym razem piaty w dyskografii krazek, ktory wychodzi poza wyspiarskie tematy i przenosi bohaterke do hameryki, dokladniej do nowego jorku, gdzie troche posiedziala w tamtym okresie, co przeklada sie na liryki tego krazka, na tytul, czy nawet okladke, ale nadal przewijaja sie typowo popowe tematy romansowe rejpowe, nadal pisane jak przez podlotka, a przeciez w tamtym czasie, to juz bylo stare urwisko w tym biznesie, nadal pani PJ ogrywa sporo instrumentow, ale zdecydowanie bardziej melodyjnie wszystko brzmi, miks jest na o wiele wyzszym poziomie, wiec wokale juz nie blenduja tak tragicznie w instrumental jak na ostatniej plycie, a sumujac to wszystko, tak wlasnie brzmi rok 2k00 w muzyce popularnej alternatywno rokowej, czary goryczy przelal jeszcze glowny featur krazka, czyli pan z radioheada thom yorke, ktory na kilku trakach jest dodatkowym wokalem, a na this mess we are in jest glownym wokalem, fanem nadal nie zostalem, ten krazek przez swoje pelniejsze brzmienie brzmi jeszcze bardziej nijako niz dry i raczej, gdy zobacze nazwisko PJ Harvery, to pierwszym skojarzeniem bedzie dry, a nie te opowiesci z miasto morza, na plejke tradycyjnie rejp song, tym razem podtytulem kamikaze
My Absolute favourite PJ Harvey album, where many of her best songs were located, including: This is Love; You Said Something and Beautiful Feeling. None of her other records come close to the mastery she exhibits here for melody and lyrics. Boffo.
Lol