Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Noise, somewhat out of tune grunge rock. It's fine, but not really notable.
wasnt keen, the drumming was diabolical it sounded like a kid with knitting needles on the furniture. She tried bless her
I definitely prefer her debut album more than this one. A lot of similar things going from song to song on this album. Baffled why they would have a sextet version of a song and a rock version on the same album. Also, Legs just intentionally having an out of tune guitar hurt my soul. It was raw, experimental, and unapologetic. Ultimately, it wasn't for me.
Not a fan.
This may be ok but I just don't enjoy this music. Would never seek to listen and would likely turn most of these songs off if I heard them again. 2.5 but I can't round up.
Nope
The Albini production makes it sound samey to other bands he's produced.
I liked this better than the other PJ Harvey album, but it's just not my favorite type of music. I could listen to one or two songs and sorta jam to it, but after a bit, the screamy vocals and abrasive guitar just makes me want to turn it off
Jeg vil virkelig like PJ Harvey, altså. Jeg vil det. Men dette var ganske bråkete og skranglete. Kanskje dette er et på-vei-til-jobb album, men et soundtrack for noe annet.
Raw vocals/guitars/drums, some dissonant strings mixed in
Didnt really care for it
I tried.. I really tried because everyone thinks this is a masterpiece. It has good elements, but for the most part I was just tired after every song. I just couldn't make it through the whole thing. 2.49 / 5 stars, I couldn't give it 3... it's just too exhausting.
Couldn't completely get into the music. Wasn't bad, just not my usual.
Cool production and some stuff that I like ok in here. Just a little too annoying for my tastes
Composition 5 Sound Design 6 Performance 7 Cohesion / Flow 5 Fun Factor 4 Pretty boring sounding grunge / punk adjacent affair, very Nirvana vibes but without the lyricism that makes Nirvana stand out.
Kinda sounds like when my wife gave birth.
She has a voice like Bjork meets Courtney Love. It's punchy and punk but it's also a bit boring too at times. A bit samey and I can't bsee me listening much to this again.
This is some lesbian rock.
Grungey pop punk. It was okay, just a little flat.
She does rock quite hard, and seems to have a good time, but the last half is juist not for me at all. Too punk for my tastes
I know it’s supposed to be amazing, but I just could not get into it. Not for me.
A crash out play list
Rid of Me – PJ Harvey (1993) | Alternative Rock / Noise Rock | Avg: 5.38 | Favorite Song: “Rub ‘Til It Bleeds”* Rid of Me is a brutal, jagged listen. My personal score reflects just how abrasive and uneven the experience can be. “Rub ‘Til It Bleeds” stands out as the one moment where PJ Harvey’s raw intensity feels locked-in and purposeful, rather than overwhelming. Elsewhere, the album veers between chaotic and disjointed, with several tracks landing in the 4 to 5 range. There’s definitely a daring edge here, but it’s not always the kind that invites repeat listens. That said, the album isn’t without merit. When the production clears enough space for the songwriting to breathe—like in “Man-Size Sextet” or “50ft Queenie”—there are glimpses of something more impactful. But overall, the project often feels like it’s prioritizing shock and rawness over structure or replay value. It’s aggressive, confrontational, and emotionally charged, but not always in a way that rewards you for sticking around. For fans of primal catharsis, it might be gold—for everyone else, it’s a tough ride.
Incredibly melodramatic and grungey. I’ve never liked PJ Harvey and this album has done nothing to change that. What was it about this thread of 90s rock music that took itself so seriously? Harvey murdered that Dylan cover as well. Drums sound good though.
More bland, garage-style UK punk. Awesome... Ok this actually improved as I went on. Still doesn't have quite enough to get to a 3, but the least I can give it is a High 2.
Sludgy 😩😩😩 music
I love so much of PJ Harvey but this is an album that sounds better in theory than execution Just a hard to enjoy listen
Not quite
Not for me this one
There's certain sounds that are just unpleasant to listen to. The back half of this indulges in that so much that it makes any of the good parts hard to recommend.
not her best one, too raw, too furios, I like later works much better.
Not really a fan
I have never heard of this woman
Remind me to listen to this when I'm miserable as fuck
This must’ve been about the fourth time I’ve tried listening to PJ Harvey. Each time I walk away from it thinking I just don’t get the hype . This was a challenging listen for me. She strikes me as the kind of artist I can listen to for one or two songs on a late night, Jules Holland TV show, but an entire album of hers is way beyond my tolerance capacity. The most positive thing I can say about this album is that it sounds unmistakably like PJ Harvey, the worst thing I can say about this album is also that it sounds like PJ Harvey.
Not for me, verging into *too* grungy and experimental at the expense of an enjoyable listening experience.
3rd or 4th album I've listened to from PJ Harvey and she still sounds like a dying cat too often for my tastes. Started out heavier and ok, but got pretty rough. Was a little better towards the end, but not something really worth returning to. 2/5
After the first two songs I thought I was finally getting a good PJ Harvey album. Unfortunately this got worse as it went on.
We’ve had one PJ Harvey album that I thought was pretty good and one that I really kinda hated, so maybe this one will provide a verdict on how I feel about this lady that the author of the 1001 list seems to like very much. My major comment about this album is that the mixing does an extremely annoying thing on almost every song where there are whisper-quiet sections that make you think you need to turn your volume up, but as soon as you do you will be accosted by a jarring throttling up of the volume. It’s super obnoxious and I have to deduct like 1.5 ⭐️ from the maximum possible score for this alone. Also the vocal track is very… muddled? muted? throughout and I have a hard time making out anything she is singing. Also very annoying. The last song doesn’t suffer these mixing maladies and also happens to be my favorite. Otherwise, this album is… fine. Didn’t suck but didn’t knock my socks off. I guess. I feel like I’m not even really sure what I listened to because it was mixed so badly.
Vaag en pretentieus
Halfway through this album, I thought "When will this be over?" That's not a good sign for a 47 minute album. The second half picked up and I kinda liked one track.
I really tried to like this but it’s basically just a woman ranting over loud and boring guitars and drums, sometimes discordant as if two radios are being played at the same time. Not for me.
I found this rather grating and annoying.
Wanted to like this but struggled. Her vocals were OK but didn't seem to fit with the discordant music. Prefer Dylans version of Highway 61 to hers I'm afraid.
2/5 not for me
It's weird. I dig PJH. I dig Albini. I don't dig this record. It's just so willfully ugly. And normally I dig ugly, but this thing plods. And I can't with her voice on this one. And the compositions grate. And I don't know what she's singing about because her vocals are recorded so poorly, I really want to like it. I really don't.
I want to like it but couldn’t get there.
She seems upset. I hate to see a grown woman cry, much less listen to an entire album of it. Lighten up PJ! “Make yourself a sandwich, drink a glass of milk, do some fuckin thing!” Dennis Farina, Midnight Run
eh
So raw! Another album that I really want to like, but just doesn't really hit for me. Really good ideas that are further explored in indie rock later down the line. The mixing is very weird imo. Volume is all over the place and kinda takes me out of the experience. Not really any major highlights besides Rid of Me and Yuri-G
I just do not like this kind of music. I don’t think it’s made for me
Du garage rock pas inspiré
Basic grunge album, wasn't bad but wasn't memorable either
Didn’t listen, but I’ve listened to this one in the past and remember not liking it very much.
Completely subjective opinion - not my vibe, I barely forced myself to finish it. I’m still giving two stars, because I’m keeping the one for the ones I can’t even finish, but I’ll neither remember or listen to the album again.
Not sure what to make of this offering. Hard to set the volume control because tracks go from barely audible to what resembles white noise. Some of it was musically sound with good guitar sounds and rhythm but some of it was not so good. Maybe I just didn't get it 😕
Not my jam
I think I’ve come to peace with the fact that PJ Harvey is an artist that I respect and admire, but her art doesn’t click with me. Despite many attempts, especially with this one and Let England Shake, I just can’t get into her music.
A cool record that overstays its welcome
I'm glad to be rid of this; it wasn't bad, but certainly can't be considered amongst the top albums on this list.
Sorry PJ, love your other albums but this missed for me. The fact she’s not afraid to mix things up is a positive for me though.
Not horrible Just bad
Ja sit taiteellisempaa alt rokkia. Jotkut kappaleet ok, mutta ei oikein maistu. Loppua kohti parani mutta alku oli aika rasittavaa kuunneltavaa. Parhaat: Ecstasy, Man-Size
2 PJ Harvery albums in 4 days. Neither do it for me. This one I think is slightly better than Dry, but there's nothing here that I would want to go back to. Would require me to really be desiring some raw angst to revisit. 2.5/5
you dont have to be that dramatic
- PJ Harvey hatten wir schon mal, das andere Album hat mir etwas besser gefallen - einige interessante Ideen waren aber dabei
The album's raw emotionality is on display throughout. I suppose it's interesting musically, but it's just too on edge for me. With the exception of Missed, I'm not interested.
Previously rated: Dry (3/5) Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (3/5) **************************************************** I wasn't digging this one at all. It's a big, noisy, grungy, non-musical mess. This is her last album on the list, right? I can be rid of her?
Not very good. The cover of Highway 61 was perhaps the worst ever.
I want to be her friend but I don’t want to listen to her music 🤷🏻♀️
while it displays one of the greatest album covers of all time, it contains one of the worst bob dylan covers of all time. I also guess I like pj Harvey in theory more than reality.
1,5
Raw, gritty, filthy, punk rock. Love to see a female front-woman fucking rocking out and screaming, even if the music doesn't speak to me. Sounds like it was recorded in someone's garage.
This was not good.
It’s ok. Solid album I thought was ok.
Sounded like a poorly recorded garage band
Gahd damn, that's a lot of muted guitar. Too much if you ask me. I don't think I've ever said that before.
2 sterne
Thirty-plus years down the line, and I still don’t get this album, despite how many in my world have sworn on its brilliance. There’s lots of texture, and lots of attitude, but it seems so utterly devoid of melody as to make every song almost diaphanously unmemorable. Basically I’m just left with the impression of having been screamed at for 48 minutes.
Very grungy, not a huge fan of it though tbh. Lots of power in her voice and the instruments but a lot of the songs I find a little grating. Some of them hit hard though which is nice Fave song: highway 61 revisited Least fave song: man-size sextet Would I listen again: probably not
Didn't really care for most of the tracks here, but I did really enjoy 'Missed', so worth the listen just to find that one song
++
Eh
This one's been hyped as an all-time great since it came out, but I've never listened until now. Way overrated in my opinion.
Rejected
Meh. Angsty, harsh, too distorted for my liking. Not for me.
Couldn't get into it. Grating.
Dreck. Simple rhythms and guitar riffs and mostly yelling vocals.
Is this music? She's just yelling the same thing over and over the whole album.
Not really doing much for me. Just noisy.
I would have loved this album thirty years ago. But today less so.
The music was definitely better than the singing. Tough one to stick to and ended up with a headache. I had wondered what all the fuss was about and if I’d been missing out not getting into PJ Harvey but think it would have been better to have been left wondering.
Thought I was going to end up really liking this, but it just never seemed to get there for me. Not that it necessarily sounds dated, but the way this is a cornucopia of off kilter things rather than just a particular type of odd is probably the most early 90s thing this could be.
Barely audible vocals, weird off key instrumentals, its was a drag to listen to. Speak up PJ!
Basically every alt rock album. Not my fav
I dunno. Generic angry rock, with a voice that sounds like a pig in heat.
This is a raw mess and the mixing is shite. I prefer the more toned down versions of pj harvey I have listened to
2/5. I didn't feel much a way about this one. I enjoyed the energy but it wasn't quite emotion but more of a performance on an emotion. I think the songs are good but it's just a missing feeling. It might take another listen but from the get-go, this was an aggressive album of songs about hating yourself and others. I get it for sure, just felt a little too edgy at times. The best part is definitely the production, the use of whispered and screaming vocals along with the instrumentation. Maybe it will click but it's not doing it for me right now. Best Song: 50ft Queenie, Rid Of Me, Ecstasy
Mir ein bisschen zu abgedreht, aber nett.
this bitch again.. ja harvey fanit hehkuttavat... ja pj harvey fanit hurraavat.. alku on potaskaa, humpuukia sanon minä. onneksi tytteli pienokainen tuo sen pikkasen taksin loppua kohden kuljeskellen. omituista kuitenkin että tämä barttu saa armonaikaa nyt, mitä, 3 albumin verran??? samalla kun timantteja lukuisia odotttaa nurkassa.millon päästään..milloin päästään parrasvaloihin edes hetkeksi,,, pikku hetki edes pliiiiiiiiis... ok odotetaan british woman eka annetaan british woman mennä ensin.. ecstacy
Oh, Gott. Es wird als eines der besten Alben gepriesen. Und ich? Ich kann nichts damit anfangen. Vielleicht noch nicht. Für heute reicht es nicht.
These songs aren’t terrible. Good voice, but they don’t really do much for me. I don’t connect with the songs which is a shame because I feel I should really like them, but they’re just… meh.
I like PJ, but I’m not sure about this one. Bit too much going on for lots of it.
Ei pärjänny PJ Harvey-asteikolla tämä levy
nicht so beeindruckend
Not for me.
The angstiest not like other girls I’ve ever seen. Not mad at it but def not my vibe either
I expected to like this, because guitar-led music by angry women is a good thing imo, but truthfully it just didn't speak to or engage me, and I didn't. Sorry. I do like some of her stuff from 2000 onwards but I just didn't think this was great.
This was a difficult listen. Too difficult as it turned out, and I had to abandon ship. Might try again another time.
She’s an artist other people would say I should like. And I rarely do what other people tell me to do
Just not a good album.
I remember kinda enjoying this album on release but preferred, and still prefer, the follow-up album from 1995: "To Bring You My Love". Raw, grungy. Of the times, but still not dated.
It's produced (I mean, "engineered") by Albini so the music "raw" and "cacophonous". Her vocal style could be best described as feral on most of these songs. I think it's the type of album you have to be in the mood for. Unfortunately, I'm not usually in that kind of mood... Highlights: "Missed" (I like the repeating arpeggiated guitar riff throughout and the bass work in the verses), "Me-Jane" (based on drum and bass work) Notable: "Hook" (is that even her on the super blown out vocals?)
Couldn't stay with it for some reason.
hm
A good album, but not my style
She's just whining and shouting for most of the album?
I'm not feeling this one so much. I can get through it, but it's definitely not something I would find myself coming back to.
woof, this one is rough, i think there are some good tracks on this. she-jane sticks out, man-size also was a good one to listen to. parts of ecstasy i liked as well, but man i really thought that PJ Harvey's voice detracted from this overall. some of the songs were just realllllly whiny. some tracks were really difficult to lsiten to in my opinion. i appreciate the rawness, and i respect that, but i do not see myself coming back to this album
I really can appreciate PJ Harvey's presence in and impact on alternative rock during the 90s. And I absolutely love a lot of her peer bands (Hole, anyone?). But for some reason, I find it difficult to really get into PJ Harvey. I find myself listening to the songs on this album and struggle to really get into them. So much of her music sounds incredibly dissonant to me. In any case, I'm coming to understand her place in alt rock a little bit better and can appreciate that. She's just apparently not for me.
Rough, raw, & emotional, but loses me feeling too trapped in the 90s. Has a few nice moments, but none of the tracks really hook me.
A lot of noise with no seeming connection from one song to the next.
Never heard the album, not familiar with any of the songs. A couple of times I thought a song was gaining traction...but then it shriveled up and died on the vine. "Don't you don't you wish you never never met her"
Me ha decepcionado.
Probably need to give this another listen (maybe when I don't have a headache lol) to properly judge but wasn't really feeling it
Early 90s sound.
Ik kan me voorstellen dat er liefhebbers zijn, maar ik vind dit niet heel geweldig en soms toch wel grappig. **
Honestly, If this artist was playing incognito at the local bar, she wouldnt be able to still the chatter in the crowd. DULL
Avoided in 1993, still avoiding in 2024
Didn’t like it in ‘93 and still don’t. Completely get its importance in terms of providing a post-punk feminist voice but in the same way that Thatcher smashing the unions was important it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Powerful music but just not my cup of tea.
I always laughed at people who thought Pink Floyd was a person. Had this confusion with PJ Harvey back in the day. Not sure what Rolling Stones writers were smokin when they landed this at 105 on a greatness list. Pass it to me please. It was ok but not even top 500 albums for me. Maybe 1,533 though.
Always be yourself, never make yourself small to fit in. If you’re too much for someone they can go find less. After this album, I’m searching for less because this was way too much for me in loud obnoxious ways. The early 90’s had a lot of angry woman rock, some of it was incredible. This album wasn’t.
An acquired taste
Unsure of this one
I should like this more than I do. I like Stories better.
Listened to two songs. Did not like it. Turned it off. I fear it could’ve been a one had I kept listening.
Made it through. Thought it was better than Nick Cave, but that’s not saying much. A lot of it was noise, but there were some good transitions and guitar riffs. The way the album was mixed was odd. It seemed super quiet and far away, but it also further showed that it was from a different time/more raw than stuff I would listen to today.
Recognized PJ Harvey’s name from the track list on Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads and got a little scared. And the first half of the album seemed to validate those fears. But with the back half of the album, things took a turn in my favor. There were influences from all kinds of genres and I’d assume even some of the artists we’ve listened to so far. I liked the punk and 90s grunge that kind of snuck through. That being said, I can see the significance but this just wasn’t for me. About midway through Man-Size Sextet I knew this was either a one or two, and the back half keeps it at a two. Not unbearable, but not something I enjoyed.
Beetje gekkie
Meh? This must be some horny gen-x thing... with the exception of "50 Foot Queenie," which is pretty rad, the songs on "Rid of Me" are sloppy, repetitive, and boring.
this just kind of washed over me in a sea of noise and i didn't take anything away from the experience
I'm really struggling to think of something nice to type out. I absolutely hated this album. I don't like her voice, I don't like the lyrics, I don't like the production.
wyjec rock, nie podoba mi sie, pewnie tego baby z wlosami pod pachami sluchaja
Not into angry women singers
Could immediately tell this was an Albini project. The production is raw and the band is on-point. The only thing I couldn’t dig was her voice. Not really sure why.
Would not buy
not my vibe
Not very good. Music is uncoordinated, lyrics lame.
The surprises keep coming ... This website is fun
It’s a full on assault of a listen. Loved parts of it (‘Missed’ and ‘Ecstasy’ stand out). Found it hard going at other times. A mid 2
Album # 35 If Amy Winehouse and Amy Lee had a baby, PJ would come out screaming
Couldn't get into this. I quite liked the Stories from the City album, but this I found too downbeat and harsh
#144. This reminds me of that Patti Smith album. Angsty feminist punk-type... something. Definitely not for me. 2/5: garbage Song added to playlist: Me-Jane I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Me ha decepcionado.
I've tried to do PJ Harvey before, so this isn't the first swing and a miss for me. It's not hardcore enough to be punk, not mellow enough to be enjoyable. There's no space in my world for something like this. Everything about it is grating for me personally.
Hopefully we are done with PJ Harvey after three albums. This one is mostly dreadful. Man-size Sextet is terrible. And it’s followed by a cover of Highway ‘61 Revisited that is a cardinal sin against Bob Dylan. I’m sure Dylan doesn’t give a shit because he’s like that. Yuri-G is a good song though. So there’s that.
not for me
Lavt volum, så hørte kje så masse. Trur da va greit, men ikkje så minneverdig
Screaming girl grunge. Not my favorite. I understand her appeal to a lot of people, but it really doesn't appeal to me. I skimmed the songs. The guitar tone/distortion is annoying. But I guess that's the point. Hard pass.
I think we had another one of PJ and I don’t think I was a fan then. Not a fan now either. Really dig the album art, though!
It’s 1994. Your car dies on the way to a luncheon. Two guys in a shaggy dog van stop and pick you up. The guy in the passenger seat turns to you and says, “Hey, you wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?” then puts on this album. Ok, it’s not that bad but it doesn’t have many redeeming qualities either. Then she covers Dylan in an unimaginably worse way than he ever performed it. (See my rating for Highway 61 by Dylan) Maybe I’m just not eclectic enough or maybe she’s a musicians musician, either way this isn’t on my palate.
Vind PJ Harvey echt een vibe. Vind bijv haar nummer met Henry Lee echt fantastisch. Maar wat is dit crisismuziek zeg 😂 de tering
An ok singer-songwriter type indie/grunge album that fit a niche that today could be filled with the likes of Courtney Barnett but less grunge. Not really my cup of tea here but an interesting listen nonetheless. Best: Rid of Me Worst: Snake
More listenable than the last 2 PJ Harvey albums from this list. Why 3?? Before i started this i had never heard of her. The sound is influenced by other bands from the 90s which makes me more inclined to change to those bands instead.
Music is ok. Production is so so. Voice and lyrics are shit. 2 stars
Not a fan but musically I could appreciate it.
Not a big fan. Pretty noisy
Not for me
ehhhhhh more PJ Harvey grunge. Not my thing. which is a terrible conclusion to come to in the first 3 songs because there are 14 on the album and now its just a drag. The mix is reallllly bad.
I kind of feel like I should like PJ Harvey. But sorry, I just don't get on with this album very well.
Thus far I've hated a PJ album and loved another. Here comes the tiebreaker ... Knowing how much 3 listens of an album of hers made a difference in me really liking it, I've been giving this a heavy listen today. There are a lot of elements of what I hated about her first album (although honestly.... I should revisit and perhaps re-evaluate) e.g. "Hook" but also so much of what she was becoming - more intricate and complex - that's the stuff I like. Change up those time signatures yeah. It's definitely better than her debut but in the end not nearly up to the melodies of "Stories From the City..." yet I can see how she gets there. I'm feeling this between a high 2 and low 3 for potential but not sure if I can listen much more. I'm pretty certain that I don't like (producer) Steve Albini's work at all so I'll blame him and go with the 2 - it's not sticking. 5/10 2 stars.
I don't know much about PJ Harvey other than she influenced a lot of indie rock girls and did a lot for women in rock music. Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker talk about how influential she is, but this album ain't it man.
Not the typical type of music I listen to. The grungy alternative is just okay to me in this case 2.4
No me disgustó pero tampoco tengo mucho que destacar, capaz en su momento destacó más, ahora no es algo que nunca haya escuchado, probablemente no recuerde nada de este álbum mañana
Dreadful
Needs to understand that loud and quiet do not constitute emotions in and of themselves. A weird sexual undercurrent and at times it's just noise. Escapes a 1 because there's surely worse on this album but not good. Not good at all.
Noise
Legs
didn't love it
Great dynamics but a bit dreary on a lot of songs.
This is way more about attitude than music.
I don't know. Liked it better than the last PJ Harvey. But not for me.
I know she’s highly regarded, but I’ve never really got PJ
Did not enjoy at all. Rating: 2.0
Oh no I loved Let England Shake so much, it was such an exciting discovery but Rid of Me was just such a different vibe and so not my thing. This was 20 ish years earlier to be fair so I guess I prefer her much later work, still think she's extremely cool and interesting but this album was too heavy for me. Fair play to her though communicating a v different feeling with this or just in a different way I couldn't listen into it too much because I find it so unappealing.
Not a metal person. Trying to be unbiased based on genre but I’m struggling to get behind some of them
I can see the potential with what she was doing, but a lot of what is on here sounded pretty standard to me.
The first two songs were fine, but then started this unbearable wailing on “Legs” that is more statement than enjoyable, digestible music. It was legitimately a challenge to not turn off. This trend continues for the rest of the album. PJ seems more with concerned with expressing her views than anything else. She’d sacrifice any aspect of pleasure you’d derive from listening to promote her eccentricities. I didn’t like the album, but it was well produced, written, and (probably) exactly what Harvey set out to create. 2/5
I tried.
I can appreciate why this album is on this list and I wanted to like it but it did nothing for me
It wasn’t offensive and awful to listen to but also I did not like it
Wow. Not easy to listen to, but I tip my hat to this musical embodiment of raw emotions. Not sure whether to give it 4 stars for that, or 2 stars to reflect how unlikely it is that I’d ever want to listen to it again. (In the end, I’m sticking to my very subjective scale of personal preference)
Af en toe komt er wel een aardige vinding voorbij. Maar de uithalen in zowel stem als muziek zijn gewoon naar. Dieptepunt is Man-Size Sextet. Het doet pijn aan mijn oren. Alles in het kader van de kunst?
weird, at times a bit threatening, musically not too interesting
Powerful, primal, raw and visceral. And really not that enjoyable or pleasant on the ears.
No thanks, not for me. It's pretty noisy and I did not get much from this. I was not a fan of the other PJ Harvey album I listened to either.
I may have said something similar of the other PJ Harvey albums in this list, but I cannot help but think of a university open mic night, where some over-enthusiastic lady from the Feminist Society takes to the stage and relentlessly performs an entire set of angry songs about the patriarchy. She's not very good, but people still clap appreciatively between songs, if only because they're grateful for a couple of seconds respite between the numbers. Every so often, she'll break from the anger and perform some really very emotional readings of her own poetry, where she laments the cruelty of menstruation and rails against the unsustainable societal pressure of having to shave your legs. I found the volume shifts to be quite antisocial. This isn't a terrible album, but it's one that I can't connect to on any level; emotional, intellectual or visceral.
Some interesting recordings but nothing that hooked me. Seems raw and vocally expressive - angry relationship fodder.
I do not enjoy the music or the lyrics, and I *really* don't enjoy the vocals on this album. I don't even like the cover art. Nothing about this music speaks to me in any way. I will grudgingly admit PJ does interesting work and should have a slot on this list. But I have hated every album so far, including this one; I sure hope there aren't any more and wish there could have been less.
5 days ago, I reviewed a PJ Harvey album called "Let England Shake". It was a chamber folk album. This IS NOT that. This is more of grunge/indie rock, but very shitilly done. It's full of thrashy guitars and drums, and really weird time signatures. The first half of the album is REALLY weird, culminating with the most fucked song on the record, Man-Size Sextet. In this album, PJ Harvey has a tendancy to sing at almost a whisper for about 2 minutes, then for some reason, turns everything up to 11 and renders you deaf for a few minutes. For fuck sakes, how hard is it to just leave the fucking volume knob alone and sing your song?!? Although, I would take deafness over listening to this horseshit any day. Harvey's voice is angst filled, and nasally. And she seems to enjoy moaning instead of singing. Why is this on the list? What could this have possibly influenced? Droves more garbage music apparently. The world would be better off without this trash. I will never listen again, and can't wait to rinse this shit out of my ears and forget about it. I only pray this is the last PJ Harvey album on this generator. Favorite songs: 50ft Queenie, Dry, Rub 'Til It Bleeds, Yuri-G Least favorite songs: Rid of Me, Legs, Man-Size Sextet 2/5
This is some alternative/grunge rock subgenre, and I am really not vibing with it. It has musical merit but specifically the song Legs is really not pleasing to my ears. This is a low 2/5 for me
Nah PJ Harvey isn't for me, and this doesn't change that. Dull 2.
This is the third PJ Harvey album that I have gotten, and hopefully the last. Obnoxiously and jarringly disjointed, the music simply is just not good. This is just not for me.
At almost 300 albums I'm starting to feel the well of musical discovery running dry (not unlike the well between PJ Harveys legs). A lot of these albums from the same repeat artists feel like sitting down to watch reruns. Of course that's hardly PJ's fault, nor is it her fault that sucking cock doesn't make her wet. Is that really worth making a song about though? Almost makes me wanna put on W.A.P. just to balance things out. I said almost.. Anyway, what can I say about this forceful flourish of feminine frustration? There are some very interesting arrangements of course, but PJ's delivery leaves me underwhelmed. Most importantly, the album is missing that one great song that might really pull me in. I acknowledge PJ's art, and award her two man-sized leather boots. May she use them to stomp out patriarchy, or for tap dancing to the sound of her excellent band. 👢👢
Meh
I just don't care for this artist, no matter how many albums this list has on it. The music makes me uncomfortable, which is maybe how it's supposed to make me feel but I don't like it!!
PJ Harvey is lost on me. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel from this album but if annoyance is it, I guess it's successful.
This is one of those bands that was like “underground” in the 90s that I never would have nor will understand because I was much more focused on the Spice Girls and NSYNC at that time
2.5/5 based on other stuff I've heard by PJ Harvey I expected to like this more than I did.
2.75
Hate the dynamics, should probably revisit at some point. It is an excruciating listen for this exercise though.
I go into this not really knowing what to expect. I have heard PJ Harvey songs before, but never really on purpose and never a whole album worth of them. The screaming is not doing it for me, the singing is much better. "Albini sent Cobain a copy of the PJ Harvey album Rid of Me (1993) to give him an idea of the acoustics at the studio where they would record." I thought this sounded like Nirvana, but actually, Nirvana sound like this!! Just a lot of angsty yelling at the moment, with all the subtlety of a brick to the face. This is the first time I've sat down to listen to PJ Harvey properly, and I'm close to standing up and doing something else. I mean, what the fuck is this supposed to be? (Man-Size Sextet??) This Dylan cover is probably going to be the best song on the album. This is better, got more drive and is at a much better pace. Fast and frenetic suits quite well. I'm guessing she was part of the whole grunge thing that was going on back then? I can imagine she was going up against stuff like Hole and The Breeders, L7 maybe, shit like that? The English Courtney?! I don't know, I was probably still listening to Oasis at this point in my life! I just don't think this album is for me, it's too loud, it's too noisy, and I am exhausted listening to it. Now a lot of that is no doubt Steve Albini's fault and not PJ Harvey's, but it's her record at the end of the day and I don't like it. 2 / 5 stars.
This was fine to me. Just kind of regular grungy
Experimental and noisy. I don't have a problem with either but PJ Harvey isn't my type of rock atleast this album. I was surprised by the Bob Dylan cover right in the middle but didn't care too much about it. Rid Of Me got some good sounding songs but as with many other albums on the 1001 list I rather listen to something else.
Kärsii nyt vähän siitä, että hetki sitten kuunneltiin PJ:n paras levy. Tämä menee enemmä huudoksi, kaipaan herkkyyttä.
She's angry about something, but I don't know what. Seems obsessed with legs (cutting them off, licking them) and being "man-sized." Too bad these songs aren't like "Down By the Water."
Another album by PJ Harvey. I am not sure why there are at least 4 albums of hers on this list. It is just ok. It wasn't horrific and I did not skip and songs but I have no desire to listen to any of these songs again.
Angsty grunge-inspired songs may have been appropriate for the time when this came out, but have nothing else going on for them. Especially not melody. Tedious. 2/5
Whiny grunge.
Too harsh and agressif. A little too psychotic for me.
Nicht mein Ding.
PJ Harvey just doesn't do anything for me. At least the instrumentals were more interesting than Dry.
Ople, bah toujours pas convaincu et j'ai encore skip avant la fin. Y'a des trucs intéressants mais en fait je trouve la vibe anxiogène et la voix est encore mixée avec le cul. It was long time no see, et j'avoue bof haha 2/5
Riot Grrrl music from the 90s. Wasn't a fan then, not a fan now.
Atonal anguish, I'm just not cool enough to enjoy this
Good music, bad vocals
Ik kan PJ meestal best waarderen, maar dit is te somber naar m'n zin.
Although she is definitely a creative and outstanding person and I would love to like it- PJ Harveys music is definitely not my thing.
I want to like PJ Harvey
That’s a lot of pj harvey, felt like a decent day! Been kinda tired though, got tickets bad timing, cabin?
Eh, not my bag.
In the late 90s or early Noughties (too lazy to check) Chris Anderson wrote a book called the Long Tail. I'm going to own up to never reading it, but being familiar with Anderson's writing over the years, the various reviews and synopses coalesced around a graspable concept in my head: the capacity of the internet to facilitate the aggregation of niche networks would create significantly expanded possibilities for social discourse. Many people read, in place of "social discourse", "commerce". [Insert boilerplate reference to Neo-liberalism here]. I suspect that we are all hand-maidens to the rapacious beast that is Neo-liberalism. But that's not the point. The "significantly expanded possibilities for social discourse" hasn't, um, ended well. On this point, I intend to write an essay on the virtues of indifference one day. But that's not the point either. Music lovers (and music sellers) were long familiar with this paradigm. Any committed music listener (pre-downloading, I suppose, but that's another story altogether) would have lived this. And Ms Harvey's album popped this thought in my head once again. To cut a complicated and boring exposition short: why would the record company commission Steve Albini to produce this album, other than to shore up the niche audience that PJ's army were back in the day, other than to maximise the potential of the long tail. Will happily expand on this random and not-completely-grounded theory for money. I can be contacted through the usual channels. The album? Oh. Overdone in an underdone way. Does that make sense? it's like trying to magnify the virtues of a demo, when the demo is actually just the starting point. Didn't really work for me back then, still doesn't now. Not that it's bad or anything, but I think I (now) have been swayed by a meta approach. And the fact that Steve Albini was probably hiding Garbage (and Garbage 2.0) in him the whole time, waiting for an opportune moment to release Shirley Manson on the world. (ps. I quite like the techno-futuristic polish of the first Garbage album. But it must have been quite a shock for committed followers of Albini's low fi aesthetic. Like Billie Eilish in a Basque on the cover of Vogue after years of baggy jeans. If you must have role models, kids (and you shouldn't), please choose carefully.
Meh. Liked some of it, disliked some of it. Not quite avant garde indie rock, but getting that way. A bit like Patti Smith, but sadly I'm nit keen on her music either. Apparently this is the 143rd best album of all time, according to Roling Stone. Cancel my subscription please.
It was not my favorite way to start a Tuesday and I think a better PJ Harvey album could have been choosen.
Buzzy guitar, lots of moaning and groaning. Purposefully abrasive - sometimes in a fun punk rock way, sometimes not
Wow I did not enjoy this. Really moany, discordant alt music. Going with a 2 just because I’ve heard worse.
I didn't really like this. Although, it reminded me of Tool at times - which I understand is an odd comparison. But, at times, it sounded like three people trying to recreate Tool's sound in their garage. Like, it was faint and sloppy, but it was there. That was the only interesting part to me though.
It's good and I can totally see why someone would like it. She's got cool raw energy but it's not really for me
Pff... ma cos'è? (secondo album di PJ Harvey che mi capita, avrei fatto a meno) MEH, la canzone migliore è una cover di Bob Dylan
Eh this has a few moments but it's pretty inaccessible, mostly just one giant angry Gen X chick trope. Goes a bit over the top with dynamics and weird for the sake of being weird moments. Couldn't really enjoy it for more than a few seconds at a time before it threw a wall of noise at me. It's annoying - when it rocked it actually really started to rock, only to rip me out of the groove and piss me off with silliness. 2/5.
The album does not have the kind of interest that watching a train wreck would. This album sort of grows like a fungus that medically speaking probably is not harmful, but that a patient should treat because it sure does look as though it could be, but you know that it will have to come off eventually. The album is tea served in a bowl garnished with onion. It relies on being disheveled and unorthodox to make whatever point it is trying to make. The tea is fine, but then there is onion that follows it. Small sips are easy, but then sporadic jitters cause a spill. The album is a poorly delivered beverage, a hot beverage at that. The artist, PJ Harvey, one would argue is the torturer here and not the tortured. Perhaps this is an art album, the purpose of which is meant to be different and weird. If so, maybe in that context it works. PJ Harvey seems also to be more songwriter than she is singer. Her voice is apropos for her persona and music though, so credit must be given. Objectively, accusations of being a lazy musician would not stick, however the inverse might hold true in that she tries too hard, that the PJ Harvey we get is a misdirect of some kind. An exception to this criticism is that PJ Harvey sounds as though she is putting in the work, and this is a saving grace that provides much needed tolerance to listen to this album.
My Junior High self can identify with the angst in this music. I think I've just moved on from this phase of my life.
Not as good as I remember. The audio range on a commute might not have helped that.
Different type of aggressiveness than the other album I've listen to on this list. I definitely enjoyed the other one more. There wasn't much for me to like here.
Not my cup of the..
Me ha decepcionado.
This is dark, raw and provocative. What’s with that album cover with the disembodied head? Do I think that she is good? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Nope.
I never got what people saw in her. Just stop with all these crap albums.
Too chaotic
not sure why I'm not giving this a 1...
nej dees vinnek niet tof
Ok.
Well.. someone found out their electric guitar amplifier has a distort knob. The music isn't awful but definitely not my thing. Too noisy.
I didn't really enjoy this. However, I didn't want to destroy my ears so I didn't have to listen to it anymore, so I'll give it 2 stars rather than 1.
Ive not finished listening the album
Tiene sus cosas buenas pero carece de ese "wow" que me gusta
I Known something of PJ Harvey but never I listened to much her.
Not an easy listen
Still don't like her stuff, made my head hurt. Cool album cover though. 4
4/10. I almost liked the cover of Highway '61 Revisited, but overall after four albums of PJ Harvey, I am just glad to be Rid of Her.
I feel like the Fiona Apple album we listened to earlier was a peek into what PJ Harvey should have been going for instead of whatever the hell this is. Also why does she talk about dicks so much?? 4
Like the sound of the guitar, but not the wailing cacophony. In this album there are only really 2 songs for me: 50ft Queenie and Dry.
First listen. I like the sound. Hard. This has potential to get better with next listens.
Had this artist on my list for a while because of associated acts. Assumed I’d get a bit of enjoyment from this but it’s contrived, wailing, “rock chick” garbage. Might have been ground breaking at the time but the rock chick thing was bet to the punch by The Breeders so that alone can’t grant this album special status yet I can’t give this album a 1. Seeing serious holes in the 1-5 star rating system. Ironically as the album ended and the Spotify shuffle continued, The Breeders came on as the first song.
- terribly balanced for me at least. - raw and intimate but high energy - difficult but powerful
Que deje de gritar...
Inte min stil..
Not really nice 2,5/5
прошлый альбом харви был намного лучше, тут что опять крики слишком невпопад
Nope. Drei Lieder rein und eher genervt, als animiert, zuzuhören.
Niet echt mijn ding.
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Missed, Me-Jane Cutting Edge: Rub 'Til It Bleeds, 50ft Queenie, Yuri-G Overall Notes: I went back and forth one giving this one a 1 star. On the first listen it was downright unlistenable. I think understand what she's going for and she's doing a damn good job of showing what I understand to be gender-based rage. The problem is that I didn't want to hear it ever again. After forcing myself to listen to it again, however, I could in fact hear melody and how to music complimented the anger and confusion really well. Absolutely a 2 still because even though it does what it does really well, I don't really like what it does. This album isn't really for me though, and I would never say that this is a bad album. Kinda goated tbh. Still a 2 from me tho.
Sorry but this is just annoying. Stopped after half the album.
early 90s grunge pop is usually a miss for me
Hmmm. Not a fan of this.
Perhaps I'm just getting old, but nothing about this album seems revolutionary or exiting. It's pretty much what I'd expect from the early 90s. I don't feel like this is an album anyone has to hear in their lifetime.
Not my thing
not for me
90% terrible noise. \"50ft Queenie\" is a highlight and one I'll likely listen to again. This is literally the only good track.
Not really my thing. Most of the songs just seem... I don't know, noisy? Lyrical content didn't hook me either. This feels like it was a part of the 90's grunge movement but didn't quite have the charm or innovative sounds of other bands like Soundgarden, Bush, etc.
Meh. Grunge vibes
I am not the audience here but I would also contend you could file this under More Important Than Good
Nah
Will probably give it another go
Not for me
Not per se Bad but the album is just too long, the songs are too similar and she's trying to hard to be different and edgy
Her worse one so far.
I love the raw sound, and the energy, though it wasn't quite my cup of tea.
Gritty, reminds me a bit of Courtney Barnett. Not my favorite, but well made.
Not a fan
More dull alt rock from the 90s, *Rid Of Me* is chock-full of overly dramatic singing against unimaginative guitar parts. The antiseptic production by Steve Albini only emphasizes how slight the songwriting is on this record.
Should not be on this list.
Ужасный жанр рока под безголосые женские вопли
The vocals and honestly everything else too just don't do it for me. 1/5
Braucht man nicht.
Both too soft and too rock at the same time.
Not really my jam. Way too cacophonous
After many listens, I dont think this is very good