#153 PJ Harvey, 'Rid of Me' (1993)

Previously #406

Polly Jean Harvey’s second album is raw and loud. It take 2 minutes and 11 seconds for the album to take flight. The loud-quiet structure of the title track is reminiscent of that made famous by Pixies on their debut album, ‘Surfer Rosa’ (#390). No surprises to discover then that this record was produced by Steve Albini, who produced that record as well as Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ (#173). In fact, this was the album that he sent to the band as an example of what he could do. True to his style, the production is spare relying mostly on Harvey’s amazing voice and visceral guitar playing. This is such a different album to previous entry, 'Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea' (#313).

This album came in the wake of a nervous breakdown suffered by Harvey. It was brought on by extensive touring, poor eating, exhaustion and the recent breakup of a relationship. The songs are semi-autobiographical, but Harvey stated that "I would have to be 40 and very worn out to have lived through everything I write about". First single, ‘50ft Queenie’ is a riff heavy alt-rock classic. Second single, ‘Man-Size Sextet’ is the only track on the record not to be produced by Albini, and from that point of view is a standout. It was produced by Harvey, alongside frequent collaborator Rob Ellis and Head. That track is a jarring listen that segues perfectly into a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Highway ’61 Revisited;’ one of those perfect covers in that if you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a PJ Harvey original. An incredibly original record and a record that would go on to inspire so many female musicians, aggressively and eloquently kicking doors open.

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