I love everything by PJ Harvey: I give five stars to every one or her CDs (even "Dance Hall At Louse Point" and "Four-Track Demo"). But "Rid of Me" will always hold a special place in my heart because . . . well, because it was my first. And it is the one I like best. I bought it close to five years ago, after reading an interview with her in Rolling Stone. I quickly grew to like her when I read what she had to say. Her attitude reminded me of the more serious girls I knew in art school. She came across as genuine and thoughtful; a humble individual, not impressed by herself, but interested in covering new ground artistically. I also liked it that she is a student of the Bible (I, too, am a student of the Bible, though I'm not going to say I'm a very good one [her most Biblically inspired CD to date is "Dry", and I'm not just taking about the songs "Hair" and "Water" either]).

I decided to check out PJ Harvey, so I set out to obtain "To Bring You My Love" (her latest release at the time), but that day there was not a copy available at Zia (a local CD outlet). So I settled on "Rid of Me". When I heard it the first time I thought it would definitely be a short-timer in my collection. It was more roaring and raucous than I expected, with profanity scattered throughout. So I said to myself, "I'm glad I got that out of my system," and I planned to offer it up, as soon as possible, at the trade counter. Yet . . . part of me -- that part that all artists and lovers of art know about, a part that views everything on its own without regard for any acquired personal taste -- had an aesthetic experience. Something inside felt I had just listened to something really great. I have loved PJ Harvey ever since.

Her singing voice is like a hybrid of Janis Joplin and Patti Smith (though she claims to have only heard Patti Smith only after comparisons were made). Her guitar work is not complicated. The places where you'd expect a lead guitar solo she gives you hard repetitive rhythm guitar. Yet it is more than purely functional. Her guitar style suggests a mercenary with an assault rifle -- a petite 90 pound shy little English country girl wielding the great equalizer, firing on all those things out there that has, or wants to have, control over her. Joe Gore, guitarist for Tom Waits and a guitarist for Harvey on "To Bring You My Love" and "Is This Desire", admires her method of guitar playing, saying she: "renders her tough and ingenious riffs with enough violent emotion to make Tarantino flinch."

Though I love PJ Harvey, she is not someone I recommend to everyone. It's kind of like telling everyone they should see "Reservoir Dogs", "Sid And Nancy", or "Fight Club" -- you're not going to convince everyone that something valuable is being rendered. And, I guess, I you shouldn't have to.

The words "Polly Jean Harvey" and "frightening" are certainly synonymous, as proved in Harvey's second full-length album, RID OF ME. The album begins with the soft picking of a guitar and her delicately deep voice barely above the whisper, pleading, "Don't leave me, I'm bleeding.." About two minutes into the song, you relax and it suddenly explodes into "don't you wish you never met her! " ferociously and abruptly. There's a lot of schizophrenia in the 14 songs on this CD. Most of the songs, with the exception of the sadder, desperate "Missed", are freakin' scary. However, my friends, don't mistake "scary" for "bad". The songs are quite good indeed. There's a lot more ferocity to the tunes than on DRY or PJ's later albums. Raw anger, bone-chilling wails of desperation.. Fast-paced riff-driven anthems like "50 Ft. Queenie" and the amazing "Yuri-G" give an abrasive edge to the album. "Man-Size" and "Hook", with their heavy driving riffs, seize you and burrow into your skin. The harsh wails over discordant guitars in "Legs" lead to the powerful gut-wrenching growls of "Snake". Sexual tension seems to be one of several themes on RID OF ME, as heard in "Snake." Some may be turned off by the atonal, avantgarde "Man-Size Sextet", a strange take on "Man-Size" with spoken lyrics and harshly dissonant violins. This does not overshadow the album as a whole, though. The tribal jungle sound of "Me-Jane" is definitely the best song on the album. Going from soft to fierce and back with each second, you too will be sucked into the blazing lungs of Ms. Polly Harvey. I give this album the highest rating and my personal recommendations. I also would recommend any of her other albums.

I picked this album up seemingly by accident--I was travelling in the south of Ireland and one of my hostesses lent me a "blank" tape onto the first side of which I recorded Doolittle. Several weeks later, I fell asleep on a bus and the recorder switched to the other side, revealing the hidden album--I was kicked out of sleep by Rid of Me's powerful chorus, and, needless to say, the remaining months of my travels were perforated by PJ Harvey's delicious howl.

That was over ten years ago now, and I still listen to this album regularly (read: at least twice a month.) Throughout her career, PJ Harvey has consistently impressed me, each album unconsciously adventurous & profound, yet strangely familiar. I highly recommend her work.

Needless to say, PJ Harvey is an aquired taste. For those depending on music from radio-friendly tunes and MTV-approved songs, PJ Harvey will be an instant turn-off. There are very few individuals that can instantly switch from the polished pop productions on the airwaves to something so creepy, bold and raw. But for those who like their rock, pure and undiluted, Rid of Me succeeds on every level. Abrasive and acidicly corrosive, Rid of Me is a twisted ride into the female psyche. Ultimately, Rid Of Me is more rewarding and stimulating but unfortunately it requires an open mind and careful listening. If open mindedness and careful listening are attributes you cannot afford when listening to music, this album is not for you. Rid Of Me is a much harsher, edgier, and angrier album than anything PJ Harvey has ever done. Produced by Steve Albini, the sound of the album is pushed to maximum friction, each element sharpened into a raw, stripped-down sound. Sometimes the sheer intensity of the sound, fuzzes out PJ Harvey's vocals, causing many to criticize Albini for messing with the production. Rid Of Me is emotionally harrowing, PJ Harvey explores her sexuality and painful failures without a flinch or hesitation. Almost as if Rid Of Me was lifted off the pages of a diary. PJ Harvey is a songwriter of magnitudinal skill, she expresses emotions with convincing reality. She utilizes metaphors, folklore, and poetic imagery to draw the listener into her warped mind. With her primitive howls, desperate moans and high-pitched wines, the raw production lends a dangerous powerful edge to the music. This would be the last PJ Harvey album to feature her band. Rid Of Me featured Robert Ellis on drums, percussion, and vocal and Steve Vaughn on bass. Meanwhile, PJ's instruments would range from guitar, vocals, cello, violins, and organs. Rid Of Me starts with the title track building in slow gradual intensity with consistent guitar plinkings. The vocals slowly seethe in quietly like a shadow, PJ whispers with desperate conviction then like a sonice explosion guitars and drums coming crashing down, until it feels like there's no room to breathe. The next track, "Missing" is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Rid Of Me with its haunting melody and PJ's soothing voals, dropping to gutteral depths, climbing to unbearable sweetness, are all on target with force and drive. "Legs" features PJ Harvey's short-breathed wails and ascension to a excrutiatingly high pitch. "Rub 'Til It Bleeds" is a searing gem, as the guitar kicks in full impact and PJ Harvey yells, "And you believed me! I'm calling you weak!" There's no woman in rock that can get the adrelenine rushing like PJ Harvey. "Man-Size Sextet" features the creepiest string arrangement building in tension like the soundtrack to a horror movie right before the killer finds the back of his victim. "Highway 61 Revisited" is a completely warped version of the Bob Dylan song, twisted out of recognition. "50 Ft. Queenie", "Yuri-G", and "Man-Size" are all incredibly magnificient songs. "Yuri-G" with its sing-a-long chorus and "Me-Jane" has PJ Harvey in full-fledged anger mode, playing the role of Jane and screaming at a Tarzan. For best results, play Rid Of Me at full volume and swallow every screaming wail and panting moans of pain until you feel like you are going to burst and suddenly life becomes alright.

I don't know who dumped on PJ Harvey, but I bet he regrets it now... "Rid of Me" rode into 1993 with an angry roar... But it was a controlled roar. Sort of like the slow steam of a breakup. At the time many critics, fans, and even Harvey herself dismissed the album as just so much bile that suffered from Steve Albini's trademark production. Harvey responded by releasing "4 Track Demos", a collection of some of these tracks, and many OTHER ones in a more personal setting. But "Rid of Me" has aged exquisitely well, and time has vindicated Albini. If anything now the album is OVERrated by those looking for a modern day Patti Smith. So what is Rid of Me?

In my opinion it is the sound of catharsis captured on an aluminum alloy disc. Her band, the same as the brilliant "Dry", has never been tighter than they are here. Indeed, one of the original criticisms levelled on the album is that they get few chances to stretch out. Au Contraire! The dynamic suspension that sequences the title track, "Missed", "Legs" and "Hook" is a wonder to hear. And when the band finally DOES open up on "50 ft. Queenie", it offers a sense of release; a release, indeed, that is hard to find on the rest of the record. I will make note, though, that critics had a point about the "Man Size Sextet", an atonal take of the straight rocker "Man Size", and the just okay cover of "Highway 61 Revisited". Why are these included over far better tracks like "Easy" and "Reeling" (Both of which turn up on "4 Track Demos")? Who knows. But the inclusion of the former seems to distract from the overall controlled burn of the rest of the album. But this is a minor flaw... "Rid of Me" is what it is... Unapologetic, and proud of it. Give it the chance it deserves.