#406 - PJ Harvey - Rid of Me (1993)
MUSIC HISTORY WRITTEN BY HEAD WRITER DJ MORTY COYLE:
Released on Island Records on May 4th 1993 and produced by Steve Albini this is the second studio album and major label debut by the English Alternative Rock band of Steve Vaughn on bass, Rob Ellis on drums and backing vocals, and multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter Polly Jean Harvey, known collectively as PJ Harvey.
It was their last album before Polly went solo with the same name.
Now, because we had another PJ Harvey record a lot of the early bio stuff is obviously the same so let’s just pick up before this album. You can learn more on the “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea” episode with Mary Lynn Rajskub.
PJ Harvey was formed from three members of Automatic Dlamini; Rob Ellis on drums and backing vocals, Steve Vaughn on bass, and Polly Jean on vocals and guitars.
The band relocated to London so Harvey could study sculpting in college.
The trio recorded demos that got them signed to independent label Too Pure and after putting out only one single its success started a bidding war among bigger record labels.
The band was reluctant to sign with a major for fear of losing artistic control but eventually decided on Island Records.
So within one year they were a critical success with several singles and a well received independent album out and preparing for their major label debut.
Rolling Stone even named Polly Jean Songwriter of the Year and Best New Female Singer.
However in mid-1992 a grueling tour schedule, an awful break up, not taking care of herself, and her losing her deferred spot at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design contributed to a nervous breakdown.
She left London to go back to Dorset where she recuperated and wrote most of this album.
The lyrics reflected her pain as well as wrestled with the power dynamics in relationships and the battles of the sexes.
Her music also took more chances with unique song structures including interesting changes in time signatures.
By Fall she felt well enough for a small tour of America where the band stayed to make this album.
They chose Pachyderm Recording Studio in rural Minnesota and legendary Chicago musician and recording engineer Steve Albini to produce.
The stark, raw, noisy, and uncompromising album was done in a couple of weeks.
“Rid of Me” received even bigger critical and commercial success despite near-continuous controversies, from the cover of her album to how she presented herself to the press to the fearless content of her songs.
She has since followed it with nine more to date, lots of collaborations, and other artistic endeavors with varying degrees of success.
In 2001 and 2011 she won those years’ prestigious Mercury Prize making her the award’s most successful artist.
And in 2013 she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to music.