PJ Harvey's Thrilling second! (Rid Of Me - PJ Harvery)

Member Name: DanielKemp

Product:	Rid Of Me - PJ Harvery
Date:	06/04/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good song-writing throughout, great vocals.

Disadvantages: Production isn't top notch throughout the entire album

In many ways PJ Harvey is the saviour of female British Rock 'n' Roll. I cannot really think of anyone other than Kate Bush and Siouxsie Sioux back in the 80's who can be both credible and worthy of dominating the music industry.

Rid of Me is Harvey's second album, however at the time of the first album PJ Harvey actually was the name of the band she played with rather than Polly Jean herself as a solo artist.

So let us talk about Rid of Me. It is an album about love, loss and sex. Song titles such as Rub 'til it bleeds and Dry leave very little to the imagination. This uncompromising approach to the song writing is most evident on the title track where Polly shrieks "LICK MY LEGS I'M ON FIRE, LICK MY LEGS I'M DESIRE!!" Needless to say, this album is very filthy. If it's not the lyrics making your mother's ears bleed it will be because of the dirty guitar riffs and epic distortion that rip through the speakers.

The song writing is top notch throughout, although I can't help but feel that the title track is a little bit of a let down. It is mixed REALLY low and explodes into a racket intermittently. I first heard the song as a live performance with just PJ Harvey with a guitar on stage and this song completely ripped my face off. It was one of the best live performances I had ever seen. So to see the song so subdued and laid back was kinda disappointing, I must admit.

So let's talk about highlights! Tracks 2-4 are brilliant. Missed is music from the heart, with a guitar riff full of raw emotion as Harvey cries "Oh God I've missed you!!" It is without a doubt one of the albums standout tracks. While Legs' strangulated screams won't be to everyone's taste they certainly are to mine! Rub 'til it bleeds though is where those uncompromising guitar riffs really rock through and can you hear that purring bass line? COME TO MAMMA!

A Cover of Bob Dylan's Highway '61 Revisited I'm undecided on. Perhaps it's not exploited for its full potential yet I cannot really imagine it sounding any other way.

Is there any filler throughout the LP? Of course there is. The strings version of Man-Size Sextet is meaningless and unnecessary. Having said this the band version is full of life and pins you against the wall for the duration of its running time.

The closing half of the LP is full of both vocal and guitar hooks, with the exception of Snake that is a little like Marmite. You will either like it or you won't. Dry sounds a little like early Radiohead, but you know, not crap. Plus Radiohead don't sing about you "leaving her dry"!

The 3 gems on the second half of the LP are 50ft Queenie, Yuri-G and Me-Jane. 50ft Queenie has this kind of spiralling boogie to it that just draws you in.

Me-Jane is incredible. Here the guitars simply crunch as Harvey's singing soars like a bird of prey. I'm listening to it right now and I'm gonna go for another listen. It's so damn fine. It's not even 3 minutes long but it will stay with you long after the album finishes!

So yeah, I guess to sum up Rid of Me it's an album full of killer hooks and much distortion. It's a kind of thrash out album though, just throw it on and channel all your anger out.

Needless to say, I like this album very much despite the odd misstep in the middle section.

8/10

Daniel Kemp

Find more of my reviews at www.danielkemp.webs.com

Summary: A great album to add to your collection.