Talent
August 14, 2011 4:31 AM Subscribe
Hmm, this seems a bit thin. But, if we're going there: Grow, Grow, Grow and The Dancer. There's my two.
posted by robself at 4:55 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by robself at 4:55 AM on August 14, 2011
Thanks for the links! If this is a thing, I am happy with it. My favourite live PJ Harvey deals: Goodnight (look out for the guy playing the guitar with a knife) and Hardly Wait.
posted by the cat's pyjamas at 5:15 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by the cat's pyjamas at 5:15 AM on August 14, 2011
Oh my god.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 5:59 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 5:59 AM on August 14, 2011
Her performance at Glastonbury 1995 was the moment that I feel utterly, irretrievably in love with her and her music. I'm fairly sure I went out and bought To Bring You My Love the next day. It's one of the few albums that my teenage self would listen to in its entirety on headphones in bed. I ought to do it that again sometime.
posted by permafrost at 6:28 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by permafrost at 6:28 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
i just keep hoping that she's about to shock us all by picking up a big noisy guitar and rocking the fuck out for an album.
posted by nadawi at 6:44 AM on August 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 6:44 AM on August 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Dry is permanently on my iPod and is simply fantastic. Polly Harvey has long had my heart.
posted by arcticseal at 7:25 AM on August 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by arcticseal at 7:25 AM on August 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
I can't even begin to describe my love for P.J. Harvey. This is great, thanks.
I can't see a picture/frame/video of her without being reminded of a regret I have from many years ago. I was in a record store somewhere off the French Quarter. They had all these photographs of celebrities. Most of them signed. Some were copies, some not. A lot of the typical stuff. But there was this one of Polly Jean. So damn striking. You could hear her sing in that still frame. I just stood there, staring. Getting lost in it.
It's one of those things...like buying a print of a Rothko. It's utterly stupid because the whole interpretation of the thing sort of destroys it. But it also doesn't, because it's simply a 2-dimensional reminder of the thing. You KNOW there's a million more depths. Seeing the representation just opens that memory for you.
It was $70+ and I was I think 24 at the time...so broke and really waffly about everything involving money. Gosh was I dumb.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:30 AM on August 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I can't see a picture/frame/video of her without being reminded of a regret I have from many years ago. I was in a record store somewhere off the French Quarter. They had all these photographs of celebrities. Most of them signed. Some were copies, some not. A lot of the typical stuff. But there was this one of Polly Jean. So damn striking. You could hear her sing in that still frame. I just stood there, staring. Getting lost in it.
It's one of those things...like buying a print of a Rothko. It's utterly stupid because the whole interpretation of the thing sort of destroys it. But it also doesn't, because it's simply a 2-dimensional reminder of the thing. You KNOW there's a million more depths. Seeing the representation just opens that memory for you.
It was $70+ and I was I think 24 at the time...so broke and really waffly about everything involving money. Gosh was I dumb.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:30 AM on August 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I was also in the audience at her Glastonbury 95 gig and have a vivid memory of her wearing an orange catsuit. So I'm wondering what particular cluster of brain cells I fried that weekend.
My first encounter with her was listening to Sheela-na-gig (also my first introduction to the term "sheela-na-gig"). Here she singing it at Reading festival in 1992.
posted by rongorongo at 7:40 AM on August 14, 2011
My first encounter with her was listening to Sheela-na-gig (also my first introduction to the term "sheela-na-gig"). Here she singing it at Reading festival in 1992.
posted by rongorongo at 7:40 AM on August 14, 2011
One of my heroes, always.
While I could never get into some of her recent albums as much as I wanted to, the songs & films for Let England Shake (previously) are utter genius.
posted by feckless at 7:44 AM on August 14, 2011
While I could never get into some of her recent albums as much as I wanted to, the songs & films for Let England Shake (previously) are utter genius.
posted by feckless at 7:44 AM on August 14, 2011
I saw her at the HFStival the same year. Whatever happened to her, anyway?
posted by empath at 7:44 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by empath at 7:44 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
She's continued to be awesome for a good long while. I love her.
posted by h00py at 7:57 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by h00py at 7:57 AM on August 14, 2011
She's in Prince's league in terms of talent and genius. Obviously different style.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:03 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:03 AM on August 14, 2011
Love P.J. Harvey. And am I the only person who heard the beginning of Sexyback and though "Wow, they're playing P.J. Harvey on mainstream radio!"
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 8:21 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 8:21 AM on August 14, 2011
Your favorite band ........... knocks my brain out of my head and I want some more.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:22 AM on August 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by benito.strauss at 8:22 AM on August 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I was in a university production of Ne blâmez jamais les Bédouins, playing a Chinese radio operator, alone in a post in the desert, speaking only (fake) Chinese in this isolated booth. I wasn't really feeling the character until one day I played To Bring You my Love in the booth and it just sank into me, this sense of being utterly alone, obsessed and disconnected from reality and just sinking into a frenzied mania of devotion. Played it over and over every night before I went on (no chore as that album was all I was listening to anyhow).
She has the gift of not only presenting music and voice, but a story and a soul; each song is a drop of water containing a universe.
posted by Billegible at 8:37 AM on August 14, 2011
She has the gift of not only presenting music and voice, but a story and a soul; each song is a drop of water containing a universe.
posted by Billegible at 8:37 AM on August 14, 2011
robself: Ms. Polly-Jean forgetting the words in 'The Dancer': it's really amazing to see that facade go down, even if just for a couple seconds.
posted by Football Bat at 8:52 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by Football Bat at 8:52 AM on August 14, 2011
OK, since we're all here and everything, how about these versions of Silence and White Chalk, from the Jools Holland show?
posted by Sonny Jim at 8:57 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Sonny Jim at 8:57 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh man. Love Peej. I first heard her when I was a dreary early-twenty-something feeling sorry for myself. I heard Rid Of Me, and suddenly I was an ANGRY twenty-something with a MISSION. I don't exactly know what that mission was, but it pulled me out of my slump at any rate.
posted by katillathehun at 9:15 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by katillathehun at 9:15 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
This performance with Bjork was my introduction to P.J. Harvey. My knowledge is not deep or vast and I am going to spend the rest of the day down a youtube rabbit hole clicking related videos, for sure.
posted by bewilderbeast at 9:32 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by bewilderbeast at 9:32 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Now this is a nice post to wake up to. Thanks, maxwelton.
posted by homunculus at 10:49 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by homunculus at 10:49 AM on August 14, 2011
Huh, that's funny. I was watching that first video and thinking, "She's really a sort of female version of Nick Cave, in some way," and then went and read that they had a fairly serious relationship. The way they use their voice, their guitars and lyrically, they're reminiscent of each other.
posted by neuromodulator at 11:01 AM on August 14, 2011
posted by neuromodulator at 11:01 AM on August 14, 2011
Huh, that's funny. I was watching that first video and thinking, "She's really a sort of female version of Nick Cave, in some way," and then went and read that they had a fairly serious relationship. The way they use their voice, their guitars and lyrically, they're reminiscent of each other.
And there's always Henry Lee.
posted by palbo at 12:02 PM on August 14, 2011
And there's always Henry Lee.
posted by palbo at 12:02 PM on August 14, 2011
Not solo, but acoustic, my favorite version of Shame.
posted by Guy Innagorillasuit at 12:02 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Guy Innagorillasuit at 12:02 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
And there's always Henry Lee
I once read that you can spot the exact moment Cave and Harvey fall in love with each other during the filming of this video, which may or may not be true, but they definitely start out quite awkward at the beginning before getting a lot more into each other. Remains one of my favourite videos, either way.
posted by permafrost at 12:05 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I once read that you can spot the exact moment Cave and Harvey fall in love with each other during the filming of this video, which may or may not be true, but they definitely start out quite awkward at the beginning before getting a lot more into each other. Remains one of my favourite videos, either way.
posted by permafrost at 12:05 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
the songs & films for Let England Shake (previously) are utter genius.
Can't agree with this enough, and I have to say that the slow rollout of the films has been one of the great artistic experiences of this year for me. They were recently shown at a local indie movie house, and it was fantastic to watch them in sequence and with the music turned up loud. She's a true artist-- and surely the Mercury Prize is hers? If it goes to Adele, I'll be annoyed.
posted by jokeefe at 12:48 PM on August 14, 2011
Can't agree with this enough, and I have to say that the slow rollout of the films has been one of the great artistic experiences of this year for me. They were recently shown at a local indie movie house, and it was fantastic to watch them in sequence and with the music turned up loud. She's a true artist-- and surely the Mercury Prize is hers? If it goes to Adele, I'll be annoyed.
posted by jokeefe at 12:48 PM on August 14, 2011
Huh, that's funny. I was watching that first video and thinking, "She's really a sort of female version of Nick Cave, in some way," and then went and read that they had a fairly serious relationship. The way they use their voice, their guitars and lyrically, they're reminiscent of each other.
West Country Girl by Nick Cave is presumably all about PJ Harvey.
posted by dng at 12:49 PM on August 14, 2011
West Country Girl by Nick Cave is presumably all about PJ Harvey.
posted by dng at 12:49 PM on August 14, 2011
I'm enjoying checking out all the links in the post and thread. I never got into PJ Harvey but Let England Shake made me a fan.
posted by immlass at 5:05 PM on August 14, 2011
posted by immlass at 5:05 PM on August 14, 2011
Clearly this was one of the best things to ever happen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me & Interview (Live 1993)
posted by wondermouse at 5:39 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by wondermouse at 5:39 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, since we're offering links, I had forgotten that this was in my Instapaper: P.J Harvey: Masterpiece of the first rock-and-roll war artist.
posted by immlass at 5:59 PM on August 14, 2011
posted by immlass at 5:59 PM on August 14, 2011
Very nice.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 9:25 PM on August 14, 2011
posted by XhaustedProphet at 9:25 PM on August 14, 2011
I was downloading various *stuff* on napster, 1999, somehow on some search came across a record entitled Stories From The City Stories From The Sea and it caught my interest, I downloaded a cut, then downloaded all of it, burned it to a cd then played the living shit out of it in my pickup and riding that bike; it's some of the very best 'bike ride' music I know of, I put those headphones on, turn it up to 11 and just blow my legs apart, blow my lungs out of my chest. It's just such jamming rock and roll, and a great story behind the record, too, and pretty much everything I read about her was so cool. A great artist.
I have fairly profound hearing loss due to construction noise (some) and rock and roll (lots) and I know for a fact that a good amount of that hearing loss has come from blasting her records as loud as they'll go (on cd player or ipod in later years) and as loud as it'll go before the speakers in my pickup start to break up (loud as a motherfucker; tons of money in those speakers, the best I could find.) I pretty much blast everything that rocks, so it's not just her music but I've sure listened to it a lot.
And I've just spent time chasing down these links, and being all jealous of Nick Cave once I read he got to spend time with her; dang ...
Thanx for the post.
posted by dancestoblue at 10:29 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I have fairly profound hearing loss due to construction noise (some) and rock and roll (lots) and I know for a fact that a good amount of that hearing loss has come from blasting her records as loud as they'll go (on cd player or ipod in later years) and as loud as it'll go before the speakers in my pickup start to break up (loud as a motherfucker; tons of money in those speakers, the best I could find.) I pretty much blast everything that rocks, so it's not just her music but I've sure listened to it a lot.
And I've just spent time chasing down these links, and being all jealous of Nick Cave once I read he got to spend time with her; dang ...
Thanx for the post.
posted by dancestoblue at 10:29 PM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I love Harvey, but I can rarely listen to her. It's just too raw and jagged to slip into a playlist, and listening to a whole album is now a mountainous chore for me these days.
Unfortunate, but wotaryugonnado?
posted by clvrmnky at 8:24 AM on August 15, 2011
Unfortunate, but wotaryugonnado?
posted by clvrmnky at 8:24 AM on August 15, 2011
I've lost count of how many times my husband and I have seen PJ live. The last time was earlier this year at the Cirque Royale in Brussels. He came out lamenting the loss of the angry girl with the guitar who brought us Rid of Me, but I was swooning. The second link in the FPP really brings home how much her art has evolved since we started listening - between White Chalk and Let England Shake, she's going through an artistic renaissance at the moment. I hope we'll still be listening 15 years hence.
Anyway: "Prime minister, thank you for joining us..." now, here's Polly Jean.
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 9:55 AM on August 15, 2011
Anyway: "Prime minister, thank you for joining us..." now, here's Polly Jean.
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 9:55 AM on August 15, 2011
« Older "There won't be blood ... if we can get some tape... | Sadly, the game is not about the robo-platypus you... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by dng at 4:49 AM on August 14, 2011