Rid Of Me

Apparently there is no getting rid of her (the generator just gave me Let England Shake less than a week ago). However this album was way better for me. I can hear why I didn't listen to this album when it was new, but from a more enriched perspective 30 years later, I can really dig this now. I was listening to Liz Phair in '93, but PJ didn't hit my radar until Down By The Water a couple of years later. I love that song and the more PJ I hear, I realize that song is an outlier. For 1993, this is extremely edgy. It feels raw and unpolished in an unintentional way. I'm loving a lot of the songs, but no particular stands outs. To me it's just a great sound and vibe. So, I just gotta bring up Highway 61 Revisited. Bob Dylan is one of the pillars of my musical interest. This cover is so wrong to me. But I have to give her kudos for completely reinventing the song. If I didn't know the original, I might love this version. It's like I'm enjoying the song, but it hurts to recognize it's origin. We'll see if my opinion changes after a few listens. I'm not done with this album. This is a great addition to my rotation.

Dang it. Didn’t have time to listen to this one but I really want to. Four stars for my enthusiasm level.

shes cool

This rocked. While harsh in some spots, I think it was maybe my favorite PJ Harvey album we've heard, and we've heard a lot! Cool thrash guitar parts.

4th pj album, it's alot more punky/rocky, gets a bit preachy in places and drones on in some but overall pretty good

I recall this album on release as basically unlistenable noise. Clearly wrong. Instead the start of her 90s imperial run of albums up to ... well probably up to Let England Shake in 2011.

Raw, dynamic, rockin’ goodness

This is definitely something I would listen to on my own and it deserves more fame. I love the guitar and bass on this entire album. The vocals are strong and very angsty, hence why I would listen to it on my own. Love the strings in Man-Size Sextet. Fave track(s): Dry, Snake

Enjoyed

Great and also just okay. The raw energy of PJ Harvey is phenomenal. Reminds me of the edgy girl everyone had a crush on in high school. Will I occasionally put on some songs yes. Will I put on the whole album no. Will I tell everyone she is one of the greatest UK songwriters ever, always.

rock!

Didn’t mind this, but more from a nostalgic viewpoint. I remember hearing this at the time and thinking it sounded energetic and the lyrical content seemed different to anything else around then. Found it a bit wearing after a while - I think my tolerance of sustained loud angry music is fairly low these days, but there are some great songs on here.

Got way into this a while after it came out (by way of my brother, a common refrain in these capsule reviews), from there looked back to Dry and the 4 Track Demos. Stopped following her after Dance Hall at Louse Point. But I listened to this a whole lot and still knew it well these decades later. And it holds up, a really great album actually, although the wall to wall relationship torture themes don’t really resonate with me anymore.

I liked this album, I feel like I’ve seen the cover before

nicer

What an incredibly raw emotional album. The noise from the band backs up Harvey's confrontational vocals. Great use of dynamics to make the loud parts hit harder. Such a starkly unique album in the way of alt rock, really goes against the grain by building on the wave of grunge in the states.

One of the great Albini collaborations. PJ seldom disappoints and this sounds more like her than anything else.

Ну в целом неплохо, под пиво заходит.

Raw, feisty and angry, plenty of distorted open guitar chords and drum fills. Great album!

Fury and bliss all rolled into one. For all the angry songs on here there are also the ones that lull you into a false sense of safety. I love this album.

I listened to this album a few times and I ended up liking it despite myself. I would say the conditions have to be right, though. Can't imagine enjoying any sort of direct listening, but as background music, I feel this album does a good job providing a sort of edgy, grinding atmosphere. One small thing I hated: the solo backup singing. Holy crap, dude, stop.

Definitely not my favorite of the PJ Harvey albums we've listened to so far. I'm glad we have those: Dry and Stories of the City, ...

Am I a PJ Harvey fan? I’m not sure… but man that opening track ("Rid of Me")!!! And interestingly there is a song with the title of the previous album ("Dry"). It's very interesting to compare the three PJ Harvey albums I've listened to. This is definitely a darker, grittier album than DRY and STORIES FROM THE CITY, STORIES FROM THE SEA. This seems more ambitious to me as well. The jury is out on whether I enjoy listening to it quite as much... maybe it has a more narrow band of listening conditions than the others for me. Still, I very much appreciate its raw nature.

don't know what to say about this one

Not as good as her first album as some songs are very grungey. When she gets back into pouring her heart out and screaming, she's much better.

Great. Heavier than I expected

Harvey's vocals are even more raw and vulgar, able to plumb the depths of despair in Rid of Me, Dry and Rub Til It Bleeds. (7/10) FT: Rid of Me

Didn't like it when it came out, and it's still a disappointment after the first album but sounds great today. Glad to hear it again

Good stuff, I feel like this was pretty hardcore for the early 90's.

Sauvage Prefs: Rid of Me, Highway 61 Revisited, 50ft Queenie, Yuri-G, Dry, Me-Jane Moins pref: Man-Size Sextet

Segunda vez ouvindo PJ, curti mais dessa vez. Gostei do álbum. Melhor música: Missed

Liked this

Punk-rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Oh this is so absolutely my cup of tea

Two in a row! It's been a fun couple of days discovering PJ Harvey. Rid of me is again full of energy and top notch vocals. I found Rid of me louder and more in your face than Dry, and for that reason a little harder to jam with at first, but still great and I am now cemented as a PJ Harvey fan.

When I said I hoped we get some more PJ albums throughout the list, I didn't expect to get another literally the next day... This is great though, she really builds on her sound from the first record and just experiments a bit more (Man-Size Sextet is a particular highlight) and it sounds amazing

Great lyrics and vocals.

Lightning in a bottle

alright. Liked the opening track. Would put on while I did work.

Not bad, pretty good in fact

I think this might be my favorite album so far? Very great 90s alt rock stuff. Very un-commercial but still not really unfamiliar which in a way still made it pretty easy to 'get.' Honestly, on that Nick Cave album from a few days ago PJ Harvey featured on my least favorite track, so I was worried that this album would not be as good but thankfully it was. Some of the songs here spent a while building towards not much at all, some songs went quite fast and ended before you realized, some songs just went crazy for two or three minutes and then ended, all of it was done really well. Highway '61 Revisited is a Bob Dylan cover and a song I want to mention specifically because it does this exactly. The ending comes completely out of nowhere, but it somehow works and the next song picks up exactly where it leaves off. The whole album is just really great, and I'm excited to get to the three more albums that PJ Harvey has in this project.

I like the rawness of PJ and the originality. No real songs that stick but shes good. 3.6

Rid of Me is a back to the basics album of PJ Harvey. Unlike her later music it contains raw rock tracks that are based on simple bluesy structures. Her later records also have beautiful ballads and great vocals. The ballads are not on this one and the singing is angry and to the point screaming about personal experiences often resulting in anger and disappointment.

good stuff

I'd never listened to PJ Harvey before, and I thought this was pretty cool. I think that the mix of the album could have been better in places, since it was sometimes hard to separate out the different instruments/sounds. Overall, though, I liked it. It has that heavy early 90s sound without sounding derivative of the other stuff that was happening at the time 4/5

I might not like this quite as much as To Bring You My Love, but it’s very good. Also, sorry Elvis Costello, I love you, but this album sounds great.

Grungy 90s PJ Harvey is a lot better than milquetoast-alt rock 2000s PJ Harvey. Still not my favorite, and I think it ran a little long, but I thought this was pretty raw and creative and interesting to listen to. 7/10

This was incredible! Loved the guitar work, loved the attitude, loved the rawness. I feel like Jack White owes PJ Harvey a thank you card at least. This record just flat out rocked.

Pretty good. Not much else to say.

Good solid rock. Somewhat repetitive, but a very fun cover of Highway 61

Liked it. Would listen again.

Hadn't listened to PJ Harvey before. That was great.

Yeeeeeeeah.

Pretty good rock. Guitar work is great!

Was great, want to listen to more PJ Harvey.

Pretty good

Überraschend gut!

да то же самое по сути, что и предыдущий альбом. Вторая часть больше зашла, до этого слишком как-то всё бесструктурно, хотя отдельные элементы доставляли (вот эти распевки в левом ухе в первом треке, такая мьюзовская прям тема, возможно вдохновлялись). Наиболее запоминающиеся треки напомнили джусифер в самые мейнстримные моменты (по типу LED и Lucky One Burns). Угарнул с того, что трек Man-Size в струнной аранжировке в альбоме стоит раньше ориг версии, обычно вроде такое для бонусов сохраняют. Но хорошо, что не сохранили, ибо с этого трека что-то реально интересное начало в альбоме происходить. В целом ну слушабельно, наверное на ту же четвёрку, особенно интересным показалось, что тут есть трек Dry, который называется как предыдущий альбом, хорошее новаторство.

PJ Harvey war bei mir irgendwie etwas in Vergessenheit geraten. Schade eigentlich, denn sie ist richtig gut, hat was von Patti Smith.

Really liked it

I really like this album. I love the rawness of it. I have it on vinyl

8

PJ Harvey era una assignatura pendent, així que em va alegrar la proposta d'escoltar un àlbum seu. I m'ha agradat força. La seva personalitat és arrasadora, m'encanta la seva forma de cantar, que voreja la psicosi. Sembla un disc malaltís, ple de canvis d'humor i rampells de fúria. Les guitarres sonen brutals, la producció d'Albini, marca de la casa, afegeix un plus més al total. Potser li manca tenir algun hit, algun single més clar, però tot i així ha estat un descobriment que m'animarà sense dubte a escoltar més àlbums d'ella.

Catchy metal stuff. Not my cup of tea but still good

Może nawet 4+

Great. 3rd/4th best PJ Harvey album

Great

yo this is hella good. her voice is amazing. cool cool

epic awesome lovely mmm

What I like in this album I like a lot. Some of the discordant, vocal wailing wears a bit, but the pros outweigh the cons.

it's a classic for a reason. bad bitch. fav track: 50ft queenie

Freakin' great for my first listen to PJ Harvey. Grungy brilliance, up there with Nirvana's best imo

I enjoyed it!

Keep the female proto-punk coming

Album med masser af vrede og fede numre. Lidt en an blanding af Nirvana og Green Day med en sangerinde. Jeg 4 stjerner straight

Less tuneful than I normally go for but great sound, great performances.

Det e detta som ger power, de e najs.

PJ <3

Oh so that's what PJ Harvey sounds like. Nice.

The group PJ Harvey would cease being after 1993 but the artist would begin to loom large in this harrowing, howling, oft-brutal yet intriguing piece of performance art. Although she may go ahead and lay herself bare in varying degrees later on, never again would she do so in such a manner quite like this; a seductive yet pulverizing pull into the abyss that's emblematic of its time and place. Favorites: Rid of Me, Missed, Legs, Rub 'Til It Bleeds, Highway '61 Revisited, 50ft Queenie, Yuri-G, Man-Size, Dry, Ecstasy.

Raw PJ.... fantastic album. Visceral and immediate!

Raw. As. Hell.

I still feel it's not really for me, but as this is my third PJ Harvey album I feel like it's starting to grow on me. I liked the raw energy, but it still felt controlled, not transcending.

I was optimistic about this - never listened to one of her albums. I found it really rough. ok 2.5

4 albums from PJ Harvey - really? That being said, I did sort of enjoy this album - I think I'm just PJ'd out! Lots of respect for her music, but I find it hard to get into (and I don't really know why, there's lots of background noise today at the studio, maybe it’s just too much!).

A name I have heard before, but no idea how it sounded. A Steve Albini production, which is a pro, and a Bob Dylan cover as a bonus. Positively surprised.

Listening to this yesterday with my daughter, couldn’t get the volume right, then the 1st track blasted out after a quiet start, she said “ what the hell are you listening to”😂 Not my favourite PJH album, but a decent listen

Legs is good. Grungy, dirty guitars, nice relentless slow beat. The vocalist is quite raw. Rub 'Til it bleeds same deal. Methodical grunge. Vocals not bound by most conventions. So far, a few songs I enjoyed. Overall, it's a 3 from me dawg. Making a voice sound like scratching electric guitar strings. I'd give this singer a 5, the album as a whole concept suited to an indy demolition theatre performance a 5 for a night, as a musical album going up to 3.5 and maybe 4 with Ecstasy. She's making the human voice do incredible things. Yup, Ecstasy has that greasy dug in feeling which works wonders in 3/4 time. I have no idea ranging from 3 to 5 on this one. Gonna sit on it for a spell.

It satisfied a 90s grunge itch, for sure. Not in my top 100 though.

Was only ok for me, would I listen again? Probably not

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Rid of Me, Rub 'Til It Bleeds, Ecstasy Truth be told, while skipping though this album to figure out which tracks were my stand out tracks, I remarked, out loud, how much all of these tracks sound the same instrumentally. There's not a ton of variety going on here. It's not bad music, but its a tad repetitive. It's sort of 48 minutes of maybe two or three different variations of the same music. It's solidly grunge music. It's okay, middle of the road grunge music.

Very raw. She has a lot of talent however the songs are a bit weak. 3 stars only.

- A bit on the grungier side for my taste, but pretty good, low 3.

I like the idea of the album with it's LoFi-elements and sparse instrumentation, but I have to listen to it more times before I give a more true rating. Also this is more of an evening album than a morning album (I always listen to my daily album in the morning, half asleep...)

very beautiful and raw

tipično pidžejharvinski. ne mogu reći da je loše jer nipošto nije, ali nekako mi je isuviše generično i distorzijski stopljeno te zacijelo slabije od dva njezina albuma koja sam prije ovoga slušao. zbog toga albumu ne gine solidna trojka

Я так конкретно и не могу понять что именно мне не нравится больше всего. То ли этот надрывный вокал PJ Harvey, где песни либо нашёптываются, либо происходят вот эти распевы и постепенное повышение тона голоса. Эти завывания кажутся излишне театральными и фальшивыми и скорее раздражают. Либо аранжировки: Ощущение, что очень много полагается на монотонный бой и вот эту вот "басовость" с гулом и зацикленным ритмом. Для меня слишком уж непритязательно и скучновато. Скажете: ну прост тебе не нравится жоский женский вокал с такими же жоскими аранжировками. И будете не правы: Я очень люблю иконический вокал Ким Гордон в сочетании с таким же панково-нойзово-гранжевым звуком. Или же Juliana Hatfield на Only Everything где аранжировки тяжелы но интересны, а миленький тон голоса с ним контрастирует. В итоге, пока ты доберешься до первой действительно интересной композиции - Man-size sextet, тебя уже задолбает как это всё в целом звучит. Наиболее примечательная: Man-size sextet Оценка: мэх.. 3/5.

PJs debut Dry may have been an intense listen but at least it had some warm tones. Rid of me basically removed all the enjoyment and we are left with the musical equivalent of nails down a blackboard. The production is good, the songs are not

Cool record. Unique sound, really weird in spots, some hot grooves at times. Not really my thing but I appreciate the oddness.

I didn’t particularly love this, but the opening track has stayed with me for a while. I think I have heard this albums influence on a lot of other albums, so I’m thankful it’s a thing but I’m not sure how fast I’d rush back to it.

Seems fine. I didn’t really get the hype. Some solid horror esque music but Harvey’s voice gets absolutely buried in the production

Rock on!

Not bad but needs a few more listens to really get it. 3/5

Never been part of the hype. It’s pretty good for what it tries to achieve but unfortunately it is not my vibe.

Pretty good. Sounds like 1993.

This was alright. I think I appreciated the artistry more than actually loved the music

I like the energy on this but ultimately for me it was just an album that I probably will never come back to again but no reason that I can point to

Never quite got over the hump for me

An okay album, I liked Rid Of Me and Rub Til It Bleeds the most.

definitivamente um dos álbuns já feitos no mundo... não é muito o eu estilo mas foi interessante de ouvir

Didn't really stand out

Heartfelt and interesting, raw.

She can rock

3 out of 5. Really middle of the road here, not bad but nothing grabbed me either. I did like how hard it went.

Some songs were good, some were quite strange.

= the Beatles

29/04/2026 This is on the higher end of 3 stars. I have never heard of her and wouldn't go to her again.... but it was alright. Spotify listeners: 1.5 million

Steve Albini rules.

It's 3.5

4/20/26. Really enjoy PJ's work. Cool to hear more of her earlier music to see how she's grown as an artist over the years, but I do prefer her later stuff. Still some gems on this one.

Not bad.

3.5/5

Du rock qui se prend un peu au sérieux j'ai trouvé, un peu toujours pareil, j'ai préféré son autre album qui était moins rock

Pas ma came

3 stars

I have never really gotten into PJ Harvey, so I'm glad to have the opportunity to listen to this. I had Stories from the City... on CD or my iPod years ago and remember enjoying some of it but never really going beyond that. I definitely appreciate the 90s grunge/pink style on this and her whole vibe, but I don't see myself revisiting this very often. It's interesting because I really enjoy Hole and Bikini Kill and other musicians that are of somewhat of the same ilk, but something doesn't totally click with PJ Harvey for me. The cover of Highway 61 Revisited is very cool!

Rv

Raw and loud grunge rock. PJ Harvey’s band is killer on this album. They mix in some hard country rock later on the album, and dip into punk territory too. It’s a lean, mean sound. 3.5

I typically like most 90's rock bands. It's probably my favorite time period for the genre and more often than not when I think of my favorite rock songs most of them tend to come from this era. PJ Harvey has always been on my periphery but not really an artist that I listened to much and going through this album I can kind of feel why. There are a lot of cool ideas here; the guitars move between a post-rock malaise and a more distorted crunchy downpicked sludge, and it's awesome. The drums are raw and heavy and have that huge Steve Albini / Butch Vig sound, and the compositions are well crafted too. For my tastes though, her voice just kind of hangs around the instruments and doesn't often make the tracks go to the next level. Sometimes it comes close- like "Man Sized Sextet". It's bleak and heavy and her sung-through-her-teeth vocals on top of screeching forte strings is a very daring and attractive sound for me. This version is great.. but I don't like that they include a more "regular" version of the song, with full rock band treatment. It feels less daring and less committal in a way? Worst of all I know exactly how they feel here too, like there's times where I'll record a song and put a crazy reverb or a distortion on the main vocal and I'll really like the way it sounds but then I'll think "wait what if this is a really good song and it doesn't need this weird choice? If I released this song would releasing two versions solve that problem?". With it being such a saturated period of time of amazing bands (Nirvana, STP, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Bush, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer.. the list goes on and on), I think that the bar of quality is really high. I also personally listened to a lot more of the radio rock bands because I was a child in the early 90's and most of the music I listened to was in the car so whatever was on the radio is what we were listening to. This means that there's a lot of acts that were pretty popular but didn't have the airtime that Nirvana had and ultimately I didn't hear much of them until later in life, like The Pixies, Pavement, Sonic Youth. And I think PJ Harvey is in this group. Alas, I will do my due diligence and listen more because I think I would like this band if I gave the tunes some repeat listens. Great album cover. I always say that I love "motion" in still photography / album covers and this one is awesome.

Interesting 90s album that I liked, but didn't love. She's a good lyricist with an interesting point of view.

That was better than I expected - almost a 4

Steve Albini has produced some of my favorite albums, and his touch made those albums better. I cannot say the same thing about this one. This is a ferocious album, with fierce vocals and gnarly riffs; the guitar on the second track almost sounds like Slint. I wish I could hear all of it better. The hollow drum sound on this is great, but the guitars almost sound muffled. The opening track should have these big explosive climaxes, but the quietness robs them of their power. While crisper production would help, the songwriting is also a bit thin as well, with too many songs that go on for too long without enough happening. Lyrically this rivals Exile in Guyville in the depths of feminism it explores, but the music doesn't quite match its anger.

I like the first half: the tonal shifts, volume shifts, dissonance, the voice. I found the second half to be less uniformly coherent with each song or maybe it just got too much for me.

Don’t have any particular feelings either for or against this.

Sounded pretty good but not something I’d be racing to listen to again

I did not hate it, and enjoyed the whole In Utero of it all. But some of the wailing got on my nerves. I know, I know ... the raw emotion is the point. But I can't help it, it frickin' annoys me.

Emotional and a little aggressive…but I don’t hate it! Likes: Rid of Me; Rub Til it Bleeds; Highway 61 Revisited; 50ft Queenie

Weird AF

Yah I’m not afraid to admit I was horribly disappointed with this album. I didn’t hate it or dislike it. The problem is that the first album of PJ’s that I had ever heard was like just a few months ago when this list gave me “Stories from the city, stories from the sea” which is an all time great album. I’m pretty sure I have it a 4 or 5 I loved it that much. In fact it’s one of the go to examples I use when people ask me what major acts have I discovered and fallen in love with since starting this list. But sadly this album is just NOT that album. Again this album wasn’t bad or boring. It just wasn’t anywhere near as good as the last album. But again it has its moments, like for example I can appreciate that this album is much more raw and immature compared to “SFTCSFTS” and it almost feels more like a grunge album. And the highlights for me were songs like “legs” and “rid of me”. But as a whole I was kinda left wanting more.

i liked it okay

Highlights: Rid of Me, Legs, Yuri-G, Man-Size, Snake I mean it's all right... But nothing to write home about. Through the years I got the impression that she's a darling of the critics so I expected a bit more. I'm not saying it's bad but it didn't click with me. I do see why the critics would praise her doe. The style is in tune with the rest of 90s alternative rock, but paired with wacky lyrics. And by wacky I mean Diddy yandere freak wacky, but they are also pretty clever. There's a lot of talk about gender dynamics and shit like that so I think that's what got the critics on board. Cool I guess, but the package ain't no earworm. It aims for the "artsy expression" label. Sometimes the template changed - for instance Man-Size Sextet was an interesting change of tune. Won't be revisiting the record itself and this might also apply to the highlights except maybe for some "funny" or clever ones like Legs or Man-Size.

My second PJ Harvey album. Enjoyed this one about the same- thrir sound is an intersection of punk and alternative, and I like the singers voice. Overall- good album

I certainly appreciate that PJ Harvey is considered formative, but I felt somewhat bludgeoned by this album and am surprised it primarily was a trio.

How many Polly Jean albums are on this list? This felt disjointed and off kilter.

I enjoyed this but don’t know that it ever fully got me, something about the varying volumes kept just making me think my headphones were broken which is not really the fault of the album but oh well. Keen to listen again though i think.

I don’t have much to say about the album in general, it was fine. I just can’t believe that there are two more from this artist on the list.

What is this voice that she is doing cuz it's kinda throwing me off

i had never listened to something like this before, interesting but maybe in a so not good way ahaha. creative tho :)

nice enough

I feel like this could grow on me but at the same time there is not a lot drawing me back to listen again? It is quite samey all the way through Maybe I need to give it a proper relisten and actually give it my full attention rather than listening whilst working 3

It was okay, I guess Stand-outs - Rid Of Me - Yuri-G

Feel like it's wasted potential. A fantastic recording sound and very cool vibe let down by a monotonous first half.

My rating 3.2

Love rock music with a female vocalist. Very dirty distortion, grungy.

This is my third, and I believe last, PJ Harvey album on this list. I liked "Stories by the Sea..." a bit more than her debut and second album. I think this is a good example of where the music is just not for me. I did not the songs to be compelling and multiple listens did not correct this for me. I recognize the influence and how much people enjoy this one. I can't rate it lower because of that. I didn't like the production on here. Maybe others like it and kudos to them if they, but for me it sounded too raw and too messy with me struggling (absent a few songs) to really note where the production improved the music. A low score for enjoyment and a high score for how influential this album was.

Album 72 Top 3 favorites off the album: Highway '61 Revisited, Legs, Man-Size Sextet More PJ Harvey! Good for me! The grittiness of this one is different from the album I listened to earlier. I found myself adjusting the volume regularly on my earbuds because it's quiet, then really loud, then really quiet, and back and forth. Anyway, grittiness: similar weight, but done... cleaner. That doesn't clarify anything. There's less distortion going on instrumentally, but the vocals have become even more raw. Lyrically more physical (Rub It 'Til It Bleeds... ouch). It's gritty in its own way. Man-Size Sextet was a listening experience. There's some Shostakovich out there that it's in the same vein with, his string quartets especially. A good listen for sure.

Якийсь такий альбом, що мені нема що сказати. Просто ок.

ok...

LOVE the disturbing strings and overall madness of Man-Size Sextet. 50ft Queenie and Yuri-G are also great. The whole album should be something I hate, style-wise, (similar to X-Ray Spex) but for some reason she gets away with it and I like it.

Left me a little dry tbh

pretty fun! kinda getting into PJ Harvey

Somebody get the drummer some more sticks, because he's slamming on that drum. It sounds like everyone was just straight up abusing their instruments (in a good way). Even the singer is rough on her voice. Definitely enjoyable, although the singer was a bit tough to understand at times.

Harvey really leaned into grunge styles here, which is cool. Heavy, and fun to listen to, although I feel its missing something instrumentally. I liked this, but its hard for me to give it more than a 3.

The grungy, raw sound works really well here. There's also a wider volume range than most music has, which makes this album more unique for better and for worse. I enjoy the vocal performance a lot, and it's a very interesting album. I can see a future where I might rate this higher. Favorite track(s): "Legs"

I liked part of the songs, but when it gets too noisy I disliked it.

i would’ve enjoyed this album more if it wasn’t masted so badly on streaming + a lot of the songs sounded the same

This was an ok album, didn't blow me away but not the worst I've heard!

Punky, Energetic, wail-y, alright but I wouldn’t listen again 3

Raw, sexual, unapologetic. This record certainly does not pull any punches. I loved how I could not predict the direction the album would go in. The musicianship as a whole is excellent, and the song structures were pretty interesting with lots of complicated time signatures that worked well. I do have complaints: the recording quality is not brilliant, and whoever mixed it needs to be fired - this really hampered my enjoyment of the album as a whole. 6/10

Scho okay

The mixing is kinda bad, and the first part of this album is better than the latter half, but I still enjoyed it. Would revisit.

Love the drums. Albini crushed it as usual. Never been a big fans of PJ Harvey, though. Shrug?

Starts and ends with really strong tracks. Some interesting moments throughout that might raise it up to a 4 in time. 3.5

like a 3.5 for me i thought i would like it a little more than i did, maybe just not my cup o' tea!

I've never been truly sure about the production of this album. Yes, I know it's Albini, but ... Not her best, but still warrants a decent rating. Anyway, it's on my shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Disappointing ★★★☆☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 230 Already owned : 53 Purchased : 12 To buy list : 2 Nope : 163

It was fine. If a friend made me listen to this I would say I liked it

I've only heard one other album from PJ Harvey (Dry), and I remember liking it more than this one. The biggest fault of this album is that it's very one note. Every song is doing the same thing, and it can get old. I also don't like that there are two versions of the same song on a standard edition album. I think I would/will listen to a song or two off of this album again, but I don't see myself playing the entire thing anytime soon. Three stars. (Favorite track: Rid of Me.)

This is... Hmm. I don't dislike it. It's got some cool musical ideas, but I dunno. Something about it doesn't click with me. Maybe it's less melodic than what I'm used to. Maybe I should give it another chance. But for now it's not bad, not great.

Loved the first half

Zou het niet wegdraaien als het op de radio was (alsof ik ooit radio luister ??? hoor mij), maar ook niet crazy bijzonder Yuri-G is een fucking hilarische titel voor een doomed yuri over zangeres en de maan. Tevens de grootste banger van de plaat wel

Although I find the raw grungy sound to be most predominant here, the album still sounds quite unique stylistically. There's nothing particularly great and nothing I truly like, but overall it's fine.

Interesting and seems before it’s time. It just wasn’t something I’ll listen to again.

This album sounds like someone heard a grunge track a long time ago down a long hallway and wanted to recreate it. It's sparse and understated. I just don't get PJ Harvey

Not a bad alternative album, but, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of her other albums. Highlights: "Missed"

Starting off the album with Rid of me, I like the rhythmic guitar! This girl also has a really cool voice. I’m definitely vibing with this. It’s also nice to have some female representation on this list! It’s been quite male centred so far. The chorus is so bombastic! That was really unexpected but so so welcome. Missed is also a very cool track. Almost reminds me of if Evanescence and Florence and the Machine had a baby. Legs is good, but I feel it’s very similar to the previous tracks. Rub till it bleeds and hook were fine! I can’t decide if I like Man Size Sextet or not. The music is good, but the cacophony is not really for me. I very much enjoyed Highway 61. From here, I thought the album was quite good, but nothing really stood out to me. The closer, ecstasy, was good and wrapped the album nicely. A bit of a shorter review, it was good, and I just wish it had more ideas in it. Every song sounded very similar. 6/10 or 3/5 ⭐️ 24/1089

Not a fan

If only the title of this album - Rid of Me - could be taken on board by the algorithm that has given us three PJ Harvey albums in a week. As is the case with these reviews and ratings, I'm trying to avoid being too influenced by the running order of the albums but I could hardly bear to listen to this artist. PJ Harvey on Saturday and PJ Harvey on Sunday made for a pretty depressing prospect . However, this offering is much better. I suppose there are many artists whose albums 15+ years on from the first are not so good. This is an early PJ Harvey and had a strength and conviction lacking in the later albums.

It’s a vocally impressive loud-quiet-loud record, with some underrated weirdness (Dylan cover, Man Size 2x). All said, it’s got hooks, but it’s never felt like the classic it’s touted to be when compared to her debut.

Pffffff - this isn’t bad, but it’s not very interesting. I’ve had a couple of other PJ Harvey albums on the list, and this is better than those in some ways and worse in others. The grungy elements are ok, but it’s generally quite dull, so it’s sitting at a low 3.

Would give 3.5 if possible

Too noisy for me

Not my kind of music, but some interesting lyrics

This sounds very current with the time it was released. I hear the influence of Nirvana, Sonic Youth and others. Harvey's scream/yell/sing thing fits well with this record.

She reminds me of a 90s Janis Joplin. Good music, but some of the songs sound the same.

Pretty good. Some of it was weird but mostly good.

Dry. That's the word that best describes PJ Harvey's music. Her Feminist message is important, and fully supported from me; I just wish it was better peoduced. Favorite Track: "50ft Queenie".

Favorite Track: Rub Til It Bleeds

Not bad

A complete waste of time!!

It's OK rock music.

This was lacking a bit of the edge that is typically Harvey. Not a totally bad thing, just not what I expected.

Highlights: Me-Jane, Rid of Me, 50ft Queenie. In a nutshell: woman size. Ms Polly Jean Harvey didn’t think she would record a second album, let alone a first, but she did. The main difference between her debut Dry and this album is a different producer (Steve Albini) and the lofi sound quality is gone. More blues punk and grunge. In a man-sized world, PJ joined the growing number of women making noise in the 90’s. Kathleen, PJ, Liz, Shirley, Tori, Courtney and more- they were exactly what the music world needed. Overall: 5/10

I dont really dig her but saw her live and she was an amazing performer with great vocal range. Thougjt she sucked but after that I can listen to any of her albums and like em. Just dont love em

3.2

Fun.

More PJ Harvey! Think I enjoyed this more than the last one, but not as much as Dry either. Bit heavier with more attitude. 3.5 again. Not sure I'll be rushing back

The production means that many of the songs don't have the same edge to them as they would have done. But at the same time, I really liked 50ft Queenie and Yuri-G and I don't think the production of those two songs were different from the rest. So I don't really know anymore. I prefer the punky riot grrrl stuff here. I wish I liked this more, this is something I should enjoy really.

I get it. It's very rough around the edges and sludgy intentionally. That's kind of cool. Although I do wish I could hear the songs a bit more clearer. Either way, very good album by an artist I'm usually not as in love with as a lot of people seem to be. Key tracks: Rid of Me

I’ve been revisiting this album every five or ten years since it came out, wondering what is wrong with me since I can’t really get into it. I like the guitar tone, the uncomfortable sex/violence/gender subject matter, the live sounding production (mostly), and I like her voice. After listening again, I think I just don’t get enough hooks, either guitar or vocal melody. It makes it so I enjoy the experience of the album but I couldn’t sing a single line back to you. I have two smaller gripes. First, is that I think this bassist sucks. For the most part he just plays the guitar line and rarely engages with the drummer, leaving him on an island and burying the bass in the mix under the guitar. Second, the mix sounds very live, and I like it generally, but I don’t think you can hear the kick drum and the compression/mastering is bananas especially on the first track. It’s probably intentional to get you to turn it up and split ears, but it’s crazy low. Favorite is 50ft Queenie and least favorite is Rub ‘Til It Bleeds for all the reasons I listed

Kinda like the Bjork situation: I think PJ Harvey is deeply cool, but I don't like her songs so much. They're okay, and all have interesting parts. But this album is mostly too dissonant, and the songs too loosely structured, for my taste.

3/5 - If someone does a remix of this that isn't intentionally annoying, I'd probably give it a 4. As it is, it's a pain in the ass to listen to and keep adjusting the volume to actually hear the tracks. I like the noise and attitude here a lot.

Raw and powerful sound

This one not so much

oseudo gronge? Bof

Hun er go'. Men har fortjent flere gennemlytninger. Det blev lidt hakket i stykker over flere afteners madlaving.

Didn’t land for me personally but I can appreciate the rawness in her performance

Strange album. Not really my cup of tea.

I really want to like the music of PJ Harvey ... but, alas, it's just too much caterwauling for me.

I truly hope that there are more albums by PJ Harvey on this list, because I definitely do not regard this as her best. As an artist, she grew over the years and maybe also outgrew the experimental indie-noise of this album. I was never a fan of Steve Albini's "sound" either, so that doesn't help. It's not bad, but it just doesn't resonate with me as her later albums would. 3/5

I think this album was fine. There were some good tracks but there were others that really dragged this album more than it should. I would have given this a 4 if they would have trimmed down the album. PJ Harvey's music is enjoyable as I did review a previous album made by her but this one did feel repetitive.

Not bad. The mix is weird but also sounds like grungey indy music from the 90s. This is also the fourth album by PJ on this list so far??

I enjoyed this album more as it played, not sure if it was because the later songs were better or I was just acclimating. I would have liked it more if it was either - a little more slick and poppy, or heavier - instead it sits in this middle ground of being raw and angry but not really catchy enough for pop or heavy enough for hard rock. I’m sure this was probably intentional, but for me, moving further in one of those directions would have been something I would listen to more than once.

I'm a bigger fan of her solo stuff. But really liked 50ftQueenie off of this album.

I've started getting some insight to hopefully rate semi-objectively, this was OK for me - not my favourite of PJ's work. 🔥 1. Raw, Uncompromising Sound Produced by Steve Albini, the album is a masterclass in abrasive minimalism. The recording captures the live, unfiltered power of the PJ Harvey trio — no polish, no overdubs, just sharp dynamics that swing from whisper-quiet tension to violent distortion. Songs like “50ft Queenie” and “Man-Size” are practically feral in their intensity. 💔 2. Feminist Ferocity and Subversion Harvey flips the male gaze on its head. Her lyrics dissect sexuality, obsession, and power dynamics with visceral honesty and menace, often adopting roles of both predator and victim. The title track, for instance, is both erotic and vengeful — a performance of female rage that was groundbreaking in the early ’90s alt-rock landscape. 🎤 3. Defining Artistic Identity This album cemented PJ Harvey’s reputation as a bold, uncompromising artist. Compared to her debut (Dry), Rid of Me is darker, stranger, and more confrontational — establishing her as someone who would constantly reinvent herself rather than settle into one sound. 🌍 4. Influence and Legacy It influenced countless artists across genres — from Fiona Apple to St. Vincent — by proving that female singer-songwriters could be dangerous, experimental, and unapologetically loud. It also helped shape the sonic identity of the ’90s underground scene, bridging the gap between punk’s rawness and indie’s introspection. 🎧 5. Critical and Cultural Impact Upon release, it divided listeners — some called it “unlistenable,” others hailed it as genius — but time has confirmed it as a bold artistic statement that expanded what rock could express. It’s an album that still feels confrontational, intimate, and alive.

i've never quite gotten the hype with this album and unfortunately still not on this album

A few odd decisions keep this one low, in my estimation; otherwise, it’s pretty good punk.

Kind of a weird one. Seems like Iggy Pop's distant cousin, both looks-wise and musically. Some good lyrics and some good music. Don't love her singing, but I could see it growing on me. Might have even been doing so by the end of the album. 3.5*

I like a couple of the early songs in the album

Respect, but not my thing.

It’s alright, very early 90s indie rock, with all the associated being a bit over earnest and committed vs melody. The angst and energy of the youthful cause. I can appreciate it like I did back then , but not going to say like it. 3 Star

Has its ups and downs but I liked this on the whole.

I think 50ft Queenie is the only PJ Harvey song I knew before, not just from this album but in general. I don't know, I can't get super into PJ. The songs have good energy, and there's some good guitar and drumming going on, but as songs they don't hook me.

I love the raw angry loudness of this album. If I had been an angsty teenager in the 1990s, I would have easily identified with release. Unfortunately, I was not an angsty teenager in the 90s. Instead, I *knew of* PJ Harvey, but knew very little of her music outside of a track on the "Batman Forever" soundtrack. This was enjoyable.

This was ok 90's alt rock. I'm not sure why she's so heavily represented on this list though. One album would have been more than enough.

I somehow like and dislike it at the same time. It's simultaneously rock and artsy bollocks. Her vocal style is bizarre, but I quite like how it's quiet one second then BANG BANG BANG the next. A bit too 90s maybe, but kind of appealing to my blatant undiagnosed neurodivergence. "Hey, you're starting to drift away from focusing on this, aren't you? HAHA NOW YOU'RE NOT! LISTEN TO MEEEEE! LOOOOUUUUUD!" Is this another where I need to try again on drugs? I say that evey 25 albums or so, but I promise I don't have a habit. I feel like I probably won't listen to it again. I think I'm fine with having experienced it. Confusion. That's what this album is.

First listen

The British version of Sonic Youth? Eh.

I’m torn on this one. It sounds like a garage or dive bar band just letting loose. If I heard this live at some small venue, I’d probably be totally into it. But as a sit-down listen, it’s a bit harder to connect with. It's more of a “right vibe, right moment” kind of album for me. Her vocals remind me a bit of Patti Smith. I respect the album a lot for what it is, even if I’m not sure it’s something I’d put on again anytime soon.

Good. But kind of crazy that this is my second PJ Harvey rec in the first 10 days of this project.

PJ Puf N’ Stuf. Back with the FOURTH PJ Harvey record and jr happens to be some early work. Long before the days of the big city dreamer, we had a rocker on our hands. I have already enjoyed some stuff from this album, so I’m looking forward to it. Out of the city, into the bathtub. Rid of Me - Got a good early 90’s rock song here with the classic insanity vocals. I don’t know if they’re classic, but they are HARROWING. And I don’t mean ploughing a field with a disc harrow. Missed - Hmmm. Yeah this one was a MISS. Everything is getting real boring. Legs - Sing it Kermit style. That riff rumbles pretty good, but yeah those vocals are silly. I like when she gets more unhinged. Fewer kermit affectations, more inconsolable caterwauling. Rub It ‘Til it Bleeds - Gross. Both in the title and the grimy, disgusting track that this turns out to be. Who thought that in 7 years, all this passion would be gone. Hook - The real pop fans rejoice for the hook! Oh, wait no. Avert your ears my fragile music haters! Man-Size Sextet - This one is uhh weird. I remember the first time I went to Scotland and saw “Man-Size” tissues. What the hell is that all about? Much like this song, I am left bewildered and amused and ensnared in the maw of an orchestral cacophony. Well maybe not that last part. Highway ‘61 Revisited - Can somebody do a whole album through a 90’s landline? I’m sure it’s been done. Never mind. 50ft Queenie - HELL yeah. This song rips. Yuri-G - Forgettable tune. Man-Size - Have I been punked by a remastered edition or something again? Whatever. I wrote a big opus about how much I hate changing the track order on subsequent releases of records. It’s like changing the ending to classic literature. Whatever. Decent song, preferred the inclusion of the sextet. Dry - Kermit hath returned. And I was wrong about the song order changing. She’s just quirky. Decent song. I probably need to dive into the lyrics more. Me-Jane - Me side character Big Ape Man. Me like banana. Snake - Man, she fucking gets the fast songs. They get me AMPED. Ecstasy - Nice close. This is so heavy for what it is. Think of the general perception of PJ Harvey and the rest of her output. I knew a few of the tracks going in, but it borders on sludge at points. There are blistering fast passages and just dismal lows that are so filled with hatred that I can’t help but love them. I think if you had to limit this list to one album per artist (I know - how would we survive without 16 Bowie albums?) this has to be the PJ Harvey one. But then, I simply don’t live in a walkable community, so I don’t get the New York one. This is a good record. Challenginng, but worth the obstacles it places in front of the listener. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Legs, Rub It ‘Til it Bleeds, Man-Size Sextet, 50ft Queenie, Snake

Really wasn’t into the first half but the latter was pretty good

Solid. One of the songs had me convinced my headphones were broken

I liked this more than dry but that could be because I knew what to expect this time

I have to be in the right mood and then I appreciate her.

Interesting! Not my vibe but interesting

ihres letste womer gha hend hani easy langwilig gfunde. das isch viel früener viel grungiger. viel meh edge. mags sehr. gad legs hani seehr cool gfunde. find wie sie singt (so de kermit mengmol) au streng zum lose. ahaa es isch steve albini. das macht sinn. rub til it bleeds isch immer chli s glich aber s tönt au recht cool. de sextet shit checki sogar dasch no nice für so experimentelle scheiss. uh dylan cover? han glaub s original vlt eimol glost weiss nume dass es album highway 61 revisited heisst. aber cover slappt no. man-size coole titel. aber sie renntmer langsam devo. dry tönt seehr cool. allgemein ischs sehr grunge, rock bluesy mit steve albini-hässig production. finds recht cool. het mi etz au nüt us de socke ghaue aber ich glaub es isch au nöd 1993.

PYJAMA HARLEY ihres album usem 2000 hetmer ja leider nöd vill geh teilwiis het mich ihri stimm gad ah the yeah yeah yeahs erinneret damn vill herter alsi denkt hett rid of me hani jz nöd crazy gfunde aber es het öppis unhingeds wommer na gfalle het hahah missed nimmt denn s tempo wieder usse, es tönt chli leer? legs to! ok weniger, chli meh grunge ohh drums mached sache rub till it bleeds baut uuf und...wett en explosive moment haa aber schaffts zumindest bi mier nöd gross öppis uuszlöse, ah sich na cool aber s hittet nöd so wies glaub sött man-size sextet isch ja uultra unagnehm, aber dur das halt no cool, forderet chli usse me-jane isch GEIL mitem 6/8 oder was es au immer genau isch, s hetmi chli ad arctic monkeys erinneret (eifach sehr vill weniger sheffield) snake au geiil unhinged hahaha hetts gern lieber gha als ichs effektiv han, s het immer wieder recht rohi und au kreativi sache gha aber es het wenig in mier uusglöst, sorry pj, vlt bin ichs problem :( es isch aber definitiv intressanter gsi als s andere album yey!

Third PJ Harvey album now. None dud much for me but this was a bit raw-er. Liked it slightly more than I expected to

Rock is the right expression for this. I'm not sure I understood who PJ Harvey was, but this is not really what I expected. Pearl Jam, Led Zepellin, quite heavy going in spots. Not in a bad way really just surprising.

Good 7.7

Raw, emotion hooks from the beginning. Album feels live. Fizzles in the latter half. Still enough here to warrant coming back. 3/5

An interesting listen - an attribute that seems exceedingly rare on this list. Points for originality. Can't say I enjoyed it, but it didn't bore me, and that's gotta be rewarded.

Tough one to rate. The title track is amazing and absolutely floored me, probably my favorite single song I've heard from her so far. Even more dark and unhinged than her debut and I was ready to like this album even more. The second song is really good with an almost Midwest emo-like guitar pattern to start. However, nothing really super grabbed or stuck out to me in most of the rest of the album, despite liking some of the tone and energy. The drumming is still great, even heavier guitars, more contrast in the quiet/loud sections, production is pretty raw (thanks Steve Albini), but maybe the songwriting just isn't as good (or at least didn't speak to me as much)? Dylan cover is kinda cool, I liked especially the vocals on Me-Jane as well. Overall a step down from Dry for me.

It‘s pj harvey, our queen, but it‘s not one of her masterpieces

Good early 90s alternative rock by PJ Harvey, although I preferred Stories from the city....and Let England Shake to this album. 3+ stars.

first listen meh

I've never heard of PJ Harvey, which is clearly on me. It's really interesting! Grungy as fuck, raw as hell, very fun, if aggressive sounding.

--Rid of Me...grungy but a little boring. the very end gets interesting --Missed...a 3 minute song squeezed into 4.5 minutes --Legs...I like the rawness but something's still off. It's maybe too slow? I need more of a kick --Rub 'Till It Bleeds...takes a while to get going but it ultimately rocks. I feel like the drumming on this album could be more assertive or slightly more complicated. She could use a Grohl-type back there --Hook...uh, where are the hooks? --Man-Size Sextet...it's certainly different --Highway '61 Revisited...good cover. feels like a full band effort and it works --50ft Queenie...here we go. more uptempo stuff like this, please --Yuri-G...good groove. the tracks that she keeps under 4 minutes are more focused. interesting how that works --Man-Size...definitely digging the back half over the front --Dry...we bring back the sluggishness of the opening tracks --Me-Jane...chaotic but it works. loud/quiet/loud stuff --Snake...is the snake a penis? --Ecstasy...an overlong closer on an overlong album

Much heavier and darker than the PJ Harvey I'm familiar with in the later 90's and 2000s. Overall a 3 but not something I'll really come back to.

Man-Size Sextet is fantastic, but truth be told I would be more interested in listening to the strings by themselves. There are a few bits and pieces beyond the sexted that I enjoyed, but by and large this wasn't for me. The final three tracks were much more enjoyable than all the rest of the album, save Man-Size Sextet. 3 stars

The instrumental structure of the songs had a grit to them that was like sandpaper to my brain (a good thing), but that was all that I liked about it.

PJ Harvey’s songs on Rid of Me are a microcosm of the album itself. Each song tends to build before erupting into a fiery maelstrom, only to return back to its droning build around its acoustic caldera. The album, similarly, takes a turn half way through, only to return to its earlier roots. While I appreciated the Bob Dylan cover, this 90’s album will not be a repeat listen for me, even though it was enjoyable.

This was surprising given previous albums of hers I'd listened to. Much more aggressive and raw sounding.

Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: 😏🛁📸 Production: 🔊🔈🫶 Music: 🥩💔✋ Rating: 🦵🦵🦵(🦵)/5

Rating: 6/10 I really respect the experimental nature of this, even though a lot of did not really click for me. Will definitely listen to again though, this intrigues me.

Heard the name not the music but I enjoyed this. Angry early 90s indie

3.5

Allora prima voce femminile in questa classifica e assolutamente apprezzata. Non conoscevo però alcune canzoni come rid of me sono delle chicche

Strongly influenced by the dynamics of the pixies but not hitting the spot to the same degree. Good but not brilliant.

This is an album that needs repeated listens for me because I KNOW for a fact that there's so much to dig out but I can't do it yet. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because I know it's not bad, in fact it's been highly lauded, and I absolutely ADORE Albinos production on this, but it hasn't clicked for me. Maybe one day it will. Mad respect to PJ Harvey tho, ill keep trying I swear

Punk and avant garde. Not something I’d reach to toss on the record player but a good fit for this list. Unique, artistic, and a good one-off listen. The opening track jump-scare got me good. Every piece of this album felt deliberate, even if it was challenging at times.

Troisième album proposé après 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea' que j'avais plutôt apprécié (noté 3/5) et 'Let England Shake' qui m'avait déçu (2/5). Ce nouvel album présente un son plus agressif que les précédents. L'accompagnement est parfois inattendu ('Man-Size Sextet' et ses cordes), sinon c'est le classique guitare (saturée) / basse / batterie. La structure des morceaux est en plus plutôt originale, pas trop standard. A ré-écouter donc ! =>3/5

There were parts of this I really liked, but then she would ruin it with her voice.

I thought this was a pretty solid early 90s alternative/punk/grunge album.

Not my genre but it looks like it was very popular somewhere.

Not my cup of tea

Album 876 of 1089 PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me (1993) I enjoyed this one a lot. She absolutely rocks - the tunes, the raw attitude, the sheer talent all shine through here. What struck me most is how she balances power and vulnerability at the same time. The songs hit hard, but they never feel forced. A big part of that edge comes from Steve Albini’s production, which keeps everything raw, jagged, and in-your-face while still letting PJ’s voice cut through. It feels almost live, like you’re in the room with the band. PJ Harvey is just one of many awesome female rockers I’ve been glad to discover (or rediscover) through this project, and she makes a strong case for being near the top of that list. Albums like this remind me how much presence and personality can carry music. Definitely one I’ll come back to.

Love Polly Jean, this was a banger.

Genre: Alternative Rock Heavy, loud, and full of great energy, Rid of Me is not the sort of album I usually gravitate towards, but I did enjoy it. I feel like the mixing is weird, though. I can barely hear PJ on some of the tracks unless she’s really going for it. Probably won’t revisit this, but it didn’t offend me very much at all, either. 50ft Queenie was great! 3/5

PJ is very hit and miss with me. She has a few songs I really like. I think I like the attitude and idea of her efforts more than the end product in most cases. 2.5/5

I imagine my younger angst-ridden 90s self would like this more, but I just never quite understood the appeal of PJ. I’ve given her catalog a fair amount of listen and it never hit home for me. This might be her 3rd album received on this exercise and again nothing really stands out. I know this album particularly received a lot of praise and is probably the best representation of music style being portrayed as it should due to the raw edgy production style of Steve Albini. And I can also appreciate the band’s musical abilities mixed with unpredictable time signatures, arrangements, etc. But in the end, it’s not enough for me to revisit.

I’m starting to think this whole exercise can S my D. Our 3rd PJ Harvey album? You’re telling me 0.3% of the albums I should listen to are from this crazy chick? Come on man! Oh shit… is there more coming??? I looked back and I hated London Shakes. Stories I was apparently okay with. I don’t remember either and maybe I’ll need to go back and listen. With that said, I came into this with an open mind. First two songs I thought we might have something here. Sure, a little raw and unique but I liked it. Legs is where it seems PJ forgot people have to listen to this. Something she seems to do quite often. What the eff is Man Size Sextet? But there were moments where the whole band hits a groove that were absolutely great. Gotta give credit. And by “S my D” I meant “Solve my Dislike”

We’re now 75% through the PJ Harvey experience of this 1001 album challenge and I can confidently say… it’s not me, it’s her. Just can’t get into her stuff and think it mostly has to do with her vocals. I know some enjoy the raw sound, but it's not for me. I think her backing band is pretty awesome on this album, though. I’m rounding up for them. 2.5/5

Sounds like she recorded this playing in the basement of a dive bar. Definitely worked for the grunginess of this album. Song songs were good but for me mostly were hard listening to the style of music. Need to know where I know a cover of Man-Size but I can't find it anywhere. Really low 3 but better than a 2

I really liked the first PJ album we got. Second one was solid enough. Man-Size Sextet is scary! Interesting cover of Highway 61 Revisted. Still prefer the OG but not a bad take. Me-Jane rules. That bassline is sick. This album had it's ups and downs for me. Nothing crazy special but definitely interesting. Still didn't like it as much as Stories and for that it gets a high 3.

I very much like the work of the trio on this and I have enjoyed Ms. Harvey as a vocalist on subsequent albums, but on this disc she seems a bit over the edge.

Sonido sucio, interesante.

3.5

Ho hum…hum.

I feel this is the start of grunge.

Interesting. Mostly fine with a few duds.

3,25

I liked some of the songs here but less than I had hoped. 3 stars or C-.

Didn’t land quite as immediately as the previous PJ Harvey I listened to, but it’s made me want to come back for more

Not sure what to say on this one. I listened to it twice, and it kinda just went in one ear and out the other. It wasn't bad, but it didn't make much of an impression.

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is my favourite album of hers, while her earlier albums are a bit of an acquired taste for me. That said, this was quite enjoyable and a welcome change from some of the same-y stuff on this list.

she has grown on me considerably.

Interesting take on grunge sound. Def pixies and melvins influence. Great Albini production.

Soft-Loud? Make it make sense, please.

See my notes for her "Dry" album. My comments to this one are similar, although it is more P J Harvey's screechy voice, rather than screechy violins which turned me off from this, the second of her albums which this project has presented to me. That said, there were some screechy violins on one track, and a couple of other tracks were just awful, in my opinion. So, again, despite some really great hard rock and grunge guitar work, I feel three stars is the best I can do.