PJ Harvey Albums Ranked From Worst to Best

[@adootledo]

I'm not sure why there wasn't an averaged list attached for this one so I made the averaged list myself for anyone who's curious: 9. Uh Huh Her: 8 8. White Chalk: 6.66 7. The Hope Six Demolition Project: 6.33 6. Is This Desire?: 6.33 5. Rid of Me: 5.66 4. Dry: 3.33 3. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea: 3 2. To Bring You My Love: 3 1. Let England Shake: 2.66

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Thanks. No reason other than I made the averaged list and then forgot to put it in. -Jason

[@ThePhysicalillusion]

Heeey… I did the averaged list first! *grumble*

[@tjebbedonckers]

Thank god Kramzer is here to save this channel. PJ is an absolute legend and deserves WAY more respect.

[@josejones]

Agreed, although God’s got nothing to do with it.

[@theydontmakeemliketheyused9995]

It’s not about respect. If somebody doesn’t like something I would rather them be honest and give their subjective reasons than have them waste everybody’s time with the apologetically “I know this is objectively great but…” logic people can fall into when discussing critically acclaimed music.

[@Perchumovic]

@@theydontmakeemliketheyused9995 I look at it like this. If you don't give something that is serious the seriousness it deserves, then no one should take your opinions seriously. Respect lies is acknowledging the talent and artistry behind the works. These two guys talk about her like she's some irrelevant popstar. Just saying 'it's not for me' would've been very sufficient.

[@tjebbedonckers]

@@theydontmakeemliketheyused9995 Listening to her albums one time and then come to the conclusion that alot of her work is repetitive and boring is simply ridiculous. I've listened to most of her earlier work for more than 20 years. Trust me; those albums are anything but boring and they definately deserve multiple listens if you want to take this task somewhat serious.

[@stubbsz]

Bottom of the list, WHITE CHALK. What the heck? Its a thing of beauty.

[@MegaDave8520]

Kramzer, defender of PJ. Love PJ ❤️

[@UlyssesJonah]

Kramzer our saviour

[@Vanessa.P]

I love both of your passion for PJ. I really do.

[@UlyssesJonah]

@@Vanessa.P Thank you! Really wanted you to like her but that's alright, last time I was this excited was with Kate Bush (and Mitski in between, oh Jenny Hval recently haha). Love your passion for Tori Amos, and honesty excited for when we reach her.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

@@UlyssesJonah A Tori Amos week would be great.

[@willhiltonmitch]

1. Is This Desire? (5 stars) 2. To Bring Me Your Love (5 stars) 3. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (5 stars) 4. Dry (4.5 stars) 5. Rid Of Me (4.5 stars) 6. Uh Huh Her (4.5 stars) 7. White Chalk (3.5 stars) 8. Let England Shake (3.5 stars) 9. The Hope Six Demolition Project (3 stars) Maybe my favourite week so far. Love you PJ ❤️

[@lucrativeangstproductions3305]

I’m something of a sucker for good pop hooks, so I’m kind of sympathetic to Jason’s complaint that PJ’s songs sometimes tend to be melodically anemic. But over the years I’ve come to recognize that hooks aren’t everything, that other qualities can compensate, which PJ’s intelligence, originality, sexual ferocity often do. Kramzer is the only one of you three to recognize this, so kudos to him this time out. She’s a great artist, with Rid of Me, Stories From the City, and To Bring You My Life all being classics.

[@theharmonymotel8107]

Exactly. I mean, if melody was everything then power pop (which is fanatically devoted to catchy melodies and hooks) wouldn't be a terminally uncool, cult-audience genre. (And I do love power pop btw.)

[@mattbrownsvideothing]

To take that a step further, not all hooks are melodic. Sometimes a hook can be an aura, a discordance, a riff, a beat. Just ask Wire, Pavement, or Pixies.

[@michelewiese48]

This was a rewarding, heartbreaking and gut-wrenching exploration into a discography. She awakened something in me and I’m still reeling from it. Feels like a once beloved friend sang my dream diary out loud. Much love for my Venusian sister. Tip those scales girl, balance them, and then tip them some more for good measure. 1. Let England Shake - Beautiful, Dark, Political, Human, Full Of Light & Harmony 2. To Bring You My Love 3. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea 4. Uh Huh Her 5. Dry 6. Rid Of Me 7. Is This Desire? 8. White Chalk 9. The Hope Six Demolition Project

[@michelewiese48]

@tecdessus That is very kind of you. She is indeed a special artist - raw & honest beauty.

[@frangarcia7774]

PJ Harvey doesn't have a bad album. She's been around for 30 years now and she's managed to keep the interest by always delivering solid albums and constantly searching for new clothes for her songs and new personas to deliver them. Here's my list: 1.To Bring You My Love. 9.5 2.Stories From The City Stories From The Sea. 9 3.Let England Shake. 9 4.Rid Of Me. 8.75 5.Dry. 8.75 6.Uh Huh Her. 8.5 7.Is This Desire? 8.5 8.The Hope Six Demolition Project. 8 9.White Chalk. 7.5

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

Good list, Fran. Most here don't like Hope Six for whatever reason. We give it the same score, but I rank it higher - You being the bigger PJ Harvey fan. I almost get the feeling that people are disliking that album for reasons that go beyond the music. . . On the other hand I really didn't like To bring You My Love, but still 3 stars based on few standout songs.

[@frangarcia7774]

Hey Naughty, yes I am the bigger fan of the two. I really love To Bring You My Love since it came out. I absolutely adore its sound and it just has one of its best collection of songs. The Hope Six also has a very good sound, different, more melodic.But I don't connect as much with the songs. Take care

[@edgustafson]

Looks like my rankings I posted were on the original upload of the video and got wiped out. So, here they are again. 1. To Bring You My Love - 4 Stars 2. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea - 4 Stars 3. Dry - 4 Stars 4. Is this Desire? - 3.5 Stars 5. Rid of Me - 3.5 Stars 6. Uh Huh Her - 3 Stars 7. Let England Shake - 3 Stars 8. White Chalk - 2.5 Stars 9. Hope Six Demolition Project - 2 Stars I probably line up most with Joe on this one, even if our rankings are a little different. I think PJ Harvey has some good stuff and some not so good stuff, but she never really gets into great territory for me. To Bring You My Love is probably the album I'd be most likely to go back to. I think all the fuzz tones are pretty cool and it just has the coolest vibe of all her albums. Not really a fan of the post-2000s stuff.

[@179rich]

09) The Hope Six Demolition Project (2.5 stars) 08) Let England Shake (3.25 stars) 07) Uh Huh Her (3.75 stars) 06) White Chalk (4 stars) 05) Is This Desire? (4.5 stars) 04) Rid of Me (4.5 stars) 03) Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (5 stars) 02) Dry (5 stars) 01) To Bring You My Love (5 stars) 0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst .5 stars - terrible 1 star - bad 1.5 stars - between bad and fair 2 stars - fair 2.5 stars - meh 2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it." 3 stars - OK/decent 3.25 stars - pretty good 3.5 stars - good 4 stars - very good 4.5 stars - excellent 5 stars - fever head notes: * I love PJ! I was quite familiar with the first 5 albums, much less familiar with the remaining 4. I just wish her name wasn't PJ because it always makes me think of pajamas. * I love the raw emotion in PJ's songs which is matched by raw music, particularly on the first two albums. She's not afraid to appear vulnerable, even desperate at times, and then vengeful when she doesn't get what she wants. She really lets her guts hang out. Or rather, the guts of the characters in her songs, as she claims her songs are generally not autobiographical. * "Missed" from RID OF ME reminds me of Tortoise. * IS THIS DESIRE? finds PJ at her mellowest to date and incorporates droning electronics and overloaded bass. A good example of that bass sound is found on the mechanical, oppressive "Joy" which is excellent. * UH HUH HER finds Harvey is a bit of a rut and the songs aren't quite as good, but there's some interesting psychedelic guitar on the first and last tracks and the best song, "It's You," has some menacing guitar. * PJ breaks out of that rut in a major way on her next album WHITE CHALK. She sings in a higher register (falsetto) which took some getting used to. It still grates on a few songs for me, but I grew to appreciate their artistic intent. The album is ghostly and stark, with PJ switching from guitar to piano, an instrument she had little experience with. She actually plays it kinda like she's steadily strumming a guitar. * PJ continues singing in a high register on LET ENGLAND SHAKE, an album I'm not too crazy about. I applaud the way she exposes the horrors of war but some songs are a bit too "sing-songy" (sounding like she's singing a nursery rhyme) which she's done before but I find much more enjoyable accompanied by loud distorted guitars. There are electric guitars on a few of these songs, but there's also some vibes and sax. Often the bleak subject matter is juxtaposed with light songs. She sounds like another vocalist at times and it's killing me that I can't think who it is. "The Glorious Land" is completely ruined by a distracting battle cry/hunting bugle that does not mesh with the song at all. If anything, it should have made an appearance at the beginning of the song and that's it. The song is too sing-songy as well, but I give it a little credit for calling out English violence and predilection for war. The singing on "England" is a turn off as is the sample of Middle Eastern-sounding vocals. The best songs are "All and Everyone" and "Written on the Forehead." * THE HOPE SIX DEMOLITION PROJECT for me is her weakest album to date. It's not a fun album to listen to and sounds awkward and even dorky in places. I like the verses on "Near the Memorials to Vietnam and Lincoln" but the chorus sounds dorky. "Medicinals" also sounds awkward and dorky with rather non-poetic lyrics. "The Ministry of Social Affairs" begins with a sample of a blues song which would have been preferable to the song that plays. It features a dissonant horn, much of which sounds like someone who doesn't know how to play it. This may serve some sort of artistic purpose but it doesn't make it enjoyable to listen to. "The Wheel" in particular is awful, just tired sounding. The best song and the only really good one is "Dollar, Dollar" which has some good sax, but it kinda annoys me that she didn't stop to help the beggar in the song. 2.5 stars for this album might actually be too generous. * Cheers mates!!!!!!!

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

On parts of Let England Shake I think PJ kinda sounds like the lead singer of The Cardigans.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

After listening to Let England Shake yet again it's possible I overrated it by a half star (I gave it 4.5)... Side 2 is definitely weaker than Side 1... but I still think it's at least a strong 4.

[@josejones]

Thank you guys (or Patreons, I guess) for choosing to cover one of the most talented (and sexy, by the way) musicians of the last 30 years. My list: 9. Hope six demo… 8. White chalk 7. Uh huh her 6. Rid of me 5. Is this desire 4. Let England Shake 3. Dry 2. Stories from the city… 1. To bring you my love

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

I agree she's sexy . . the cover photo for stories from the city is amazing.

[@edgustafson]

Pretty close to my ranking, I just had Let England Shake lower.

[@davidellis5141]

One of my most favored pieces of music memorabilia is the May 1994 cover of Q Magazine that I managed to secure the autographs of all three cover stars - PJ , Tori Amos & Bjork. The Queens Of The 90's !

[@ykmgeedee]

Easily my favorite artist to emerge past 45 years. 9) The Hope Six Demolition Project 8) Uh Huh Her 7) White Chalk 6) Dry 5) Let England Shake 4) Is This Desire? 3) Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea 2) To Bring You My Love 1) Rid of Me.

[@ThePhysicalillusion]

1. To Bring You My Love (4 stars - close to 4.5) 2. White Chalk (4) 3. Is This Desire? (4) 4. Dry (4) 5. Let England Shake (4) 6. Rid of Me (3.5) 7. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (3.5) 8. Uh Huh Her (3) 9. The Hope Six Demolition Project (3)

[@bigneon_glitter]

9. _Dry_ - Polly, Riot Grrl. Top track: Dress 8. _White Chalk_ - Polly, spooky. Top track: The Devil 7. _To Bring You My Love_ - Polly, evolved. Top track: Down By The Water 6. _Uh Huh Her_ - Polly, guitar valkyrie. Top track: The Letter 5. _Rid Of Me_ - Polly, raw. Top track: Man-Size 4. _Peel Sessions_ - Polly, rare. Top track: This Wicked Tongue 3. _Let England Shake_ - Polly, canonized in Kate Bush's crown. Top track: The Words That Maketh Murder 2. _Is This Desire?_ - Polly, in the murky mists. Top track: The Garden 1. _Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea_ - Polly, perfect. Top track: One Line

[@marisha_cyfral_ccd2094]

9.A Woman a Man Walked By - Polly with John Parish Top track: Black Hearted Love; 8.Rid of Me - Polly, sexy Top track: Man Size; 7.Dry - Polly, dry Top track: Oh My Lover; 6.Uh Huh Her - Polly, rock Top track - Shame; 5.Is This Desire? - Polly, electronic Top track: The River; 4.To Bring You My Love - Polly, evolved Top track: Down By the Water; 3.Stories From the City - Polly, depraved Top track: This Is Love; 2.Let England Shake - Polly who English Girl Top track: In the Dark Places; 1.White Chalk - Polly, DEPARTURE herself Top track: Before Departure

[@simonwebster9712]

Dudes! Really loving your show right now, despite the fact that I disagree with most of your opinions. Just wanted to offer a warm thank you.

[@aortavalve]

Huge fan of PJ Harvey and since I was one of the Patreon folks voting for her, I decided to play along! Even though I'd heard all the albums before, I discovered some new treasures and appreciated that she managed to be so consistently solid without being afraid to expand her sound and try new instrumentation/production ideas along the way. 1. To Bring You My Love 2. Rid of Me 3. Let England Shake 4. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea 5. The Hope Six Demolition Project 6. Dry 7. Is this Desire? 8. White Chalk 9. Uh Huh Her

[@russthompson8050]

Soooo glad you guys did PJ! Here is my top five: 1. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea 2. Dry 3. Let England Shake 4. Rid of Me 5. To Bring you my Love

[@ThePhysicalillusion]

Averaged list since it wasn’t at the end of the video: 1. Let England Shake (2.67) 2. (tie) To Bring You My Love and Stories From the City… (3) 4. Dry (3.33) 5. Rid of Me (5.67) 6. (tie) Is This Desire? and The Hope Six Demolition Project (6.33) 8. White Chalk (6.67) 9. Uh Huh Her (8)

[@kiwiian8051]

Thank you. Good to see that the only PJ album I own came out at #1

[@roxannewalsh]

She won my AOTY selection twice and made #2 a third time. Together with Sleater-Kinney she defined female rock of the last 30 years for me. Independent, restless, inventive - but never whispered boring chamber pop. My second favourite female artist but only because she was born too late to play the same role as my #1. 12. All About Eve 2,5 11. A Woman a Man Walked By 3,0 10. Dance Hall at Louse Point 3,0 9. White Chalk 3,5 8. The Hope Six Demolition Project 4,0 (#16 in 2016) 7. Uh Huh Her 4,0 (#11 in 2004) 6. Dry 4,0 (#15 in 1992) 5. Rid of Me 4,0 (#8 in 1993) 4. Is This Desire? 4,5 (#14 in 1998) 3. To Bring You My Love 4,5 (#2 AOTY 1995) 2. Let England Shake 5,0 (AOTY 2011) 1. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea 5,0 (AOTY 2000, #2 of the decade...one of the few albums of the last 30 years that probably would make it into my top 50.)

[@bengalgangster]

dont know your 10, 11, 12

[@davidellis5141]

We have the same top four ! 👍

[@MegaDave8520]

Great list. My second favourite female artist also. :)

[@roxannewalsh]

@@MegaDave8520 Let me guess...#1 is Joni Mitchell?

[@MegaDave8520]

@@roxannewalsh Kate Bush

[@sonicdre]

Pj Harveys 4 Track Demo is for me her best album(i know it is a demo tape but man)!!! And she is a strong B Sides artist, it is worth to check all the b side tracks of her.

[@davidellis5141]

PJ is pretty Awesome ! 9-1 Ranked - # 9 Uh Huh Her # 8 White Chalk # 7 Hope Six # 6 Rid Of Me # 5 Dry # 4 Is This Desire # 3 To Bring You My Love # 2 Let England Shake & # 1 Stories From The City , Stories From The Sea. Stories, was my favorite album of 2000 nipping out Kid A & Thom Yorke guests on Stories. She's amazing live ! 👍

[@bigneon_glitter]

In 2000, I recall feeling that _Stories_ was a "sister album" to _Kid A._

[@echosmyron1278]

9. Uh Huh Her (3 stars; her only somewhat weak album, IMO) 8. The Hope Six Demolition Project (3 1/2 stars) 7. White Chalk (3 1/2 stars) 6. Is This Desire? (4 stars) 5. Dry (4 stars) 4. Let England Shake (4 stars; #151 in my top 200 albums of the 2010s) 3. Rid of Me (4 stars; #167 in my top 200 albums of the 90s) 2. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (4 1/2 stars; #63 in my top 200 albums of the 2000s) 1. To Bring You My Love (4 1/2 stars; #72 in my top 200 albums of the 90s)

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

Very close to my ratings /rankings. . Exceptions are Hope Six which I have much higher and To bring You My Love much lower.

[@qroqqle]

1. white chalk 2. to bring you my love 3. dry 4. let england shake 5. stories from the city, stories from the sea 6. rid of me 7. is this desire? 8. uh huh her 9. the hope six demolition project

[@robsamuels8255]

9. The Hope Six Demolition Project 2.5 stars 8. Uh Huh Her 3 stars 7. White Chalk 3 stars 6. Dry 3.5 stars 5.Rid Of Me 3.5 stars 4. To Bring You My Love 4 stars 3. Let England Shake 4 stars 2. Is this Desire 4 stars 1. Stories From The City , Stories From the Sea 4.5 stars

[@ridofchris]

shoutout to the blue shirt guy, saved this for me

[@SGC90-t5y]

1. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea 2. To Bring You My Love 3. Is This Desire? 4. Rid Of Me 5. Let England Shake 6. Dry 7. White Chalk 8. The Hope Six Demolition Project 9. Uh Huh Her Not sure where to place her latest album just yet, I need to listen to it more.

[@painless465]

I think PJ Harvey is freaking great,the top 5 of these are all at least 4 stars; 9)Uh Huh Her(her only poor effort) 8)Hope 6 Demolition Project(an interesting failure) 7)White Chalk(not my kinda PJ) 6)Is This Desire(lesser than most of her earlier work,but still very good) 5)Rid of Me(least excellent of top 5,but excellent) 4)Let England Shake 3)To Bring You My Love 2)Dry(one of the underrated great debut albums) 1)Stories From the City,Stories From the Sea(if you told me this was the best album of the new millennium,I wouldn't argue)

[@Jimbaud1]

Love me some PJ Harvey! One of my all-time favorite artists. IMO, she never made a bad album, though I was a "little" underwhelmed with Uh-Huh Her because I felt she was doing a bit of a retread, but still a decent album: 1. To Bring You My Love - 5 stars 2. Dry - 4.5 stars 3. Let England Shake - 4.5 stars 4. Is This Desire? - 4.5 stars 5. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea - 4.5 stars 6. Rid of Me - 4 stars 7. White Chalk - 4 stars 8. The Hope Six Demolition Project - 4 stars 9. Uh-Huh Her - 3.5 stars

[@jackprather81]

To Bring You My Love is one of my favorite albums of the '90s. Sweaty and bluesy while still sounding modern. Obviously deeply personal. Her live performances really make the hair stand up as she delivers emotionally and theatrically while hitting her notes in a way that some similar artists often fail to do.

[@israelalvarez4884]

She's an amazing artist, thank you for this, white chalk, to bring you my love and is this desire?, are my favourites

[@johnmavroudis2054]

Jason and Kram nail it this time. "Let England Shake" is a jaw-dropping masterpiece.

[@OMW66]

Just a genius artist. I love her.

[@kingprune]

LICK MY LEGS I'M ON FIRE! (great job again chaps, am enjoying it already)

[@TimeToGetAlone]

The PJ Harvey listography was very middle for me. All enjoyable enough listens, but not all that much standing out to me. I think the closest thing I had to enthusiasm was the first half of Let England Shake. 1. To Bring You My Love - 7.5 2. Let England Shake - 7.5 3. Is This Desire? - 7 4. Dry - 7 5. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea - 6.5 6. Rid of Me - 6.5 7. The Hope Six Demolition Project - 6 8. Uh Huh Her - 6 9. White Chalk - 6

[@Vanessa.P]

Well, as anyone active on the Discord already knows this was a rough week for me. I just cannot connect with PJ Harvey's music for whatever reason. On paper I should love her - she's unique, there's quite a bit of variety in the sound of her albums, there's moments of punk energy, she's a powerful woman with powerful lyrics, etc. All of these qualities are things I usually love but with her it just does not come together for me. I certainly respect what she does, though. This is not my first try listening to her, I've had this same issue in the past, but this is the first time I really sat down and intentionally listened her discography. I can't say I found anything I really connected with. I even gave up at one point after hearing the first four albums and giving every single one 3 stars. I was pulled back in with the hope of finding something for me but no such luck. Honestly rather frustrating because I just don't hear what people who love her are hearing. Everything got between 2.5 - 3.5 stars from me (admittedly I skipped the last album because I was just done by that point). But at the end of day, it's good to challenge ourselves with these artists and give them a fair shake. If nothing else, you can know that an artist is not for you and make your peace with it. Still wish Otis won the poll though.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

Hi Vanesa: She's what's called a "challenging" artist. 😎 I was familiar w PJ's discography, but appreciated her more this time thru where I was compelled to listen closely to all of her albums in sequence, rather than an album or two every so often.

[@Vanessa.P]

@@NaughtyVampireGod Maybe she will click for me someday down the line then, who knows? :)

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

@@Vanessa.P Are you doing a top ten songs list for PJ?

[@Vanessa.P]

@@NaughtyVampireGod I don't think so.

[@bengalgangster]

@@Vanessa.P i need 1 more song any ideas lol

[@arthurw8054]

It's only my adoration for the sublime artistry of Polly Jean Harvey that led me to discover the existence of this KZbin channel and discussion of her work, so obviously Kramzer's take on her is the only POV I can even remotely relate to. I am subscribing, however, because I am interested in the subject of how and why musical sensibilities vary, and you guys conduct a fairly candid conversation in a straightforward, low-key way that I find interesting. Good presentation, thanks.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

We’re doing a 98 deep dive. Video should be tomorrow. May find more PJ Harvey talk there. - Joe

[@arthurw8054]

Cool. Looking forward to it.

[@pontush.1557]

Sorry for the long write up. Been looking forward to this one. I think it’s because I’m semi-familiar with Harvey’s output (had heard four albums prior to this week) and always had a strong opinion on her. Also none of you seem super interested in her, while I could see all you drawn to completely different aspects of her music. I don’t think Harvey has made a great record, but I do think there’s something great about every record I’ve heard from her. My favorite songs are spread all over her career. I haven’t heard the all so this is what I’ve got. 6. Let England Shake Last Living Rose might be PJ Harvey’s best song and this record is super competent, which I believe is her biggest flaw. Let me elaborate: When I hear PJ Harvey I hear so much thought that it’s kind of overwhelming. I’d call it ”overly deliberate”. Every instrument and lyric is interesting separately but loses something when as a song. Yes, great emotive vocals with fitting, clever and beautiful lyrics but that level of competence makes it pretentious. I hear what people who don’t like The National hear when they listen to The National. It’s maturity to the degree that it kills the rock n roll. The difference is that I love The National because they have way more great songs. I haven’t touched Let England Shake in years but this was boring and frustratingly adult, it made the idea of PJ Harvey sour for me. 1.5 stars in my rating system but it would resemble 2 stars for Kramz. 5. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea This is similar to Let England Shake but the melodies hit me more and there are more great songs. I love We Float and A Place Called Home. Her singing is especially great on Big Exit and Good Fortune but again: feels too deliberate. Weak 2.5 stars, there are some good songs but as a listening experience it is tiring. 4. To Bring You My Love Brings blues to the alternative rock scene before White Stripes. I can hear the Nick Cave influence with all the blues and devil and God and sex and death. I can hear nuances here that I want to revisit but after 3 listens there are only three songs I really like. Strong 3 stars. The gap between this and Stories, I’m more familiar with Stories and way more inclined to listen to this. 3. Rid of Me I listened to this for the first time just an hour ago. The reason this works is PJ Harvey writes a lot about dark subject matters, and I think that her competence as a musician contradicts this pessimism. The fact that she’s perfect in her imperfect world makes the music resonate less, I think. The difference is that with this record - and my number 1 - is that here she seems to be losing her mind. Her anger is not civilized her. I also think that this not being a solo record works in her favor. She undeservedly got labeled as the only female rock poet singing about gender norms in the 90s which she didn’t want at all. With that role comes responsibility she wasn’t interested in. But Rid of Me was before she was singled out that way and she can just write about whatever. 3.5 stars with way more potential. PS. I don't like that boomers solely recognize this album, it feels forced when I see her on Rolling Stones top 500 albums list. 2. White Chalk I’ve only heard this twice as of writing this but I like the change of pace here. It goes folkie and her competence and thoughtfulness fits better with these sounds. With time this could be number 1 because I think the stripped back nature plays to her songwriting strengths. I like this but don’t remember enough to call it a great record. 3.5 stars. It’s fun not including everything because now it’s not clear what number 1 will be. 1. Is this Desire? It’s not the trip hop beats, it not the Slint-influences, this simply has the best songs. On Is this Desire? PJ Harvey makes sense to me. That being said I love the trip hop, Slint and other 90s sounds here too. This is the record I go back to the most. Yet I still don’t love the it; the issues I have with her as a frontwoman are still present but of course to a lesser degree. Angelene might be my favorite song of her. This album is desperate and dirty and depressing, I like it a lot. 3.5 stars.

[@martinbishop2966]

Great to see P J Harvey getting some recognition, unique artist and extremely talented. My pick for top album is To Bring You My Love!🙂

[@cameronflaman3161]

Justice for Rid of Me for real.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Sorry 😬. - Joe

[@paulh6673]

1. Dry 2. Rid of Me 3. To Bring You My Love 4. Let England Shake 5. Stories From the City.. 6. Is This Desire? 7. White Chalk 8. Uh Huh Her 9. The Hope Six Demolition Project

[@svenondrazek21]

PJ Harvey's discography is so weird to me. There's 3 albums that I absolutely 100% love (Stories, To Bring You My Love and Let England Shake), then there's 3 albums that I really couldn't care any less for (Hope Six, White Chalk and Uh Huh Her) and the remaining 3 fall somewhere in between. Not too many artists out there where the quality of the output varies that much.

[@johnwilliams4658]

I'm glad PJ was picked. Thanks guys! I don't like the John Parish collaboration records at all. The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016) 0.0 stars - The only PJ album I completely loathe. I never believed I would cringe through an entire PJ Harvey album but this is awful. Very taxing. I agree with Jason that PJ isn't obligated to solve these problems. Nothing on here as bad as Neil Young's Angry World. Still shit. White Chalk (2007) 4.0 stars - I like this one more than most it seems. I enjoy this one late at night when something less taxing is required. It has it's place in the canon and I'm glad it's there. Uh Huh Her (2004) 4.0 stars - I like this one a lot and actually play it often loving the rawness and messiness of it. To Bring You My Love (1995) 4.0 - Mostly great but at times and can be a slog. It does sound good and I love the first track's intensity. I don't enjoy anything that follows as much as the first track. Her most Nick Cave moment, lyrically and musically. Dry (1992) 4.0 stars - A very good start and one of the best debuts of the '90s. These next top four are more or less interchangable. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) 4.5 stars - a very well rounded album and perhaps the best entry point for a newcomer. Let England Shake (2011) 4.5 stars - Simply a wonderful album. The intention of bugle bit seems pretty clear like Kram says. Is This Desire? (1998) 4.5 stars - Sentimental favorite for me as it was my entry point. I love the electronics. I can also see why it's PJ's favourite. Rid of Me (1993) 4.5 stars - Albini's production is not lo-fi. He is the master of no bullshit recording and capturing a band as it is. In Utero owes a lot to this record and has a lot to do with why I prefer it over the more popular Nevermind. No five star albums for me, and although I love what she does, I don't listen to her very much and maybe it's as Kram said no one song utterly blows me away. A very good consistent discography as a whole apart from H6.

[@johnlefsky8731]

1. Dry. Love every song, melodic as hell. I was working in a record store in 1992 and this, along with Slanted and Enchanted, were the two most played in store among the 8-10 employees. 2. To Bring You My Love 3. Rid Of Me 4. Let England Shake 5. Uh Huh Her. I seem to like the modest, ramshackle charm of this one more than most. For me it was a relief after the too-slick Stories From The City. I man, it's a good record, but it just didn't grab me like the others. And, I know I'm in the minority here, I'm not the biggest Thom Yorke/Radiohead fan. 6.Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea 7. Is This Desire? 8. Hope Six Demolition Project 9. White Chalk. You guys didn't list the two John Parish collaborations, but if you did I would have placed them both between Uh Huh Her and Stories From The City. I think her songs have plenty of melody and hooks, otherwise I wouldn't be able to sing along, when no one is around, with them. I also think melody and hooks can be overrated. I dig a lot of what some would just call noise, abstract psych, some fairly fringe stuff, so lack of melody has never ben an issue with me. And, lastly, I may have to become a Patreon member just to make sure Captain Beefheart gets another vote.

[@bengalgangster]

here we go again 9 the hope 6 demolition project 1.5 stars 8 let england shake 2.5 7white chalk 2.5 6 is this desire 2.5 5 uh huh her 3.0 4 stories from the city....3.0 3 dry 3.5- 2 to bring you my love 3.5 1 rid of me 4.0- dissapointing but 2 weeks to janes addiction!! 🐯🐯🐯🐯

[@davidellis5141]

Go Blue !!

[@bengalgangster]

@@davidellis5141 damn didnt see that coming! you never know!

[@bengalgangster]

@@davidellis5141 i think they can beat villinova , i dont think this is a great nova team🐯🐯

[@davidellis5141]

@@bengalgangster Glad it's the first game on Thursday. Arizona is going to be tough now after surviving Sunday night !

[@bengalgangster]

@@davidellis5141 hope so i like them fun to watch, thats who im rooting for

[@slaydesaid8741]

Great to see you did a list on PJ Harvey. I like PJ Harvey a lot over all and probably agrees most with Kramzer. I do, however, understand what Joe means regarding the highs and lows on the albums. I don't think she has made a perfect album or even very close to a perfect album, but throughout the albums she has composed a lot of very good songs.

[@TheDrectorsCut]

Rid of Me, Dry, Stories, Let Eng. Shake, To Bring You My Love, and Is This Desire are all potent musical statements of defiance and vulnerability. Songs like Teclo, Big Exit, Dry, and You said Something are simply sublime. Thanks for covering.

[@meio_feio]

Alternate title: two men make you mad for an hour

[@nicholascrabb1687]

Listened to pj since I was a teen in the 90s and from the UK, so biased. I love her. But I love hearing the gang's thoughts anew, even when they don't like her. It's a charming trifecta, and I love their riffs on our transatlantic tiffs. Keep up the cracking chat, chaps X

[@davidgagen9856]

Her live versions of Rid Of Me are truly mesmerizing. Theres one from Sydney Big Day Out and maybe a Letterman or Late Show performance.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

She was fantastic on Letterman (particularly You Said Something . . and the handshake that never ended >>) . . Honestly I don't know if David gets enough credit for booking great talent over the years . .

[@AnotherBadSpeech]

#1 Dry #2 Rid Of Me #3 Let England Shake #4 Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea #5 Is This Desire? #6 To Bring You My Love (I never listened properly to the other 3)

[@ykmgeedee]

Those are The 6.

[@greenalishi222]

Dry, Rid of Me and Desire are perfect music for me. I've never been able to get anybody into her she always clears a room. But I dug her since the beginning. Kinda weird hearing people articulately describe stuff they really really don't like. To me she's just blues. Like Beefheart and Wolf. She'll never be background music.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

1. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000) 5/5 2. Let England Shake (2011) 4.5/5 3. Is This Desire? (1998) 4/5 4. To Bring You My Love (1995) 4/5 5. Dry (1992) 3.5/5 6. Uh Huh Her (2004) 3/5 7. Rid Of Me (1993) 3/5 8. White Chalk (2007) 3/5 9. The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016) 2.5/5 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: 3.5 Dry (1992) 3.0 Rid Of Me (1993) 4.0 To Bring You My Love (1995) 4.0 Is This Desire? (1998) 5.0 Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000) 3.0 Uh Huh Her (2004) 3.0 White Chalk (2007) 4.5 Let England Shake (2011) 2.5 The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016) I was not into PJ Harvey back in the day so I didn't know her stuff (apart from a couple songs) prior to this channel's Album of the Year series. While her debut is consistently listenable, I feel like it only flirts with being exceptional in a few spots. I can appreciate the emotional (and instrumental) rawness of 1993's Rid of Me, even if most of the songs don't stick with me. Her 3rd studio installment, To Bring You My Love, has grown on me since I last heard it. The middle section of that album packs a punch. 1998's Is This Desire? is just as good- maybe even better. As the new millennium arrived I think she reached her absolute peak with Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. Her first unqualified masterpiece, there's not a single misplaced note on it anywhere. The follow-up, Uh Huh Her, contains more filler than any of her albums since Rid of Me, but its highlights compare well with her previous material. White Chalk trades her usual guitar-driven sound for a piano-driven one, with mixed success. Her second masterpiece, 2011's Let England Shake, might be her prettiest album for melody, which belies the incredibly dark nature of the lyrics. Her most recent studio effort, Hope Six Demolition Project, goes for a stripped-down, mostly acoustic feel. I find it to be the least compelling LP of her career, both musically and lyrically. Over the last few years I've grown to love PJ Harvey and this week cemented it further. She is not likely to appear in my "top 100 artists" list, but that's more a function of how many great artists came before her than anything that's wrong with her discography. MY RATING SYSTEM: 5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs) 4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both) 4.0 = great (more than 50% is worth revisiting and it's an essential record for this artist/style - passes my "it'll make a fan out of someone who's new to this artist" test) 3.5 = seriously good (more than 50% is worth revisiting) 3.0 = nominally good (less than 50% is worth revisiting) 2.5 = decent (competent but uninspired - not worth revisiting) 2.0 = poor (difficult listen) 1.5 = awful (can't finish it) 1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse) *Note: "Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few clunkers if the rest of the songs are good enough. Also, I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

Hi Whammy - same #1 w same rating. Wanted to give her a 5-star but . .

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

@@NaughtyVampireGod Yeah, I couldn't quite get to 5 stars on anything, although I think 'Stories' comes remarkably close. I would sort of compare her to Elliot Smith- lots of great songs but not many (if any) that are undeniable, all-time classics... to my ears, anyway.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

@@AbbeyRoadkill1 I think I've found a handful of classics but yeah get what yer sayin. (Not an Eliot Smith fan, tho . .)

[@ykmgeedee]

You know my hard-rockin' self's gonna go for Rid of Me but in general as usual our lists pretty simpatico!

[@markgatica12]

I have to say that I was disappointed by her catalog. Her earliest albums showed so much promise. They were raw, rough, dirty, and so "in your face." Then she leveled up. Her sound got smoother and more mature. But then she drove off a cliff. Her last album was better than most, but I don't expect I will ever revisit any of these again. 1.Stories from the City, Stories From the Sea - Real growth here. Got me excited for what was to come, but it turned out to be the apex. 3.5 stars 2. The Hope Six Demolition Project - This was a pleasant surprise. I had given up on her before this. Not bad, but not great. 3 stars 3. To Bring You My Love - 3 stars 4. Dry - Rough, raw, dirty, showed so much promise. Made me interested in hearing more. 3 stars 5. Rid of Me - Just like the first album, but not as good. 2.5 stars 6. Is This Desire - I had this one at 8 until I gave it a relisten, and it rose a bit. 2.5 stars 7. Uh Huh Her - Didn't like this one at all. Thought it was the nadir, but there were surprises ahead. 2 stars 8. Let England Shake - Could not get into this one at all. 1.5 strs 9. White Chalk - Unlistenable. Nails on a chalkboard. 1 star

[@tomasandrew9354]

I love PJ Harvey. I’m one of those people who think she’s never done a bad album. Here’s my list: 9. Uh Huh Her ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 8. White Chalk ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 7. Dry (I have it low, but I think it’s fantastic.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 6. Hope Six Demolition Project ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 5. Let England Shake ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 4. Is This Desire?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3. To Bring You My Love (at #3, but I think it’s a perfect album. It’s just the top two I have a deeper emotional connection to.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 2. Rid of Me (incredible album and great guitar work by PJ) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 1. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (I played this to death when it came out and for years after, and to this day. Some songs to me prefigure 9/11. Everything “clicks” on this album and checks all boxes for me.)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I will add that her first album with John Parish, “Dance Hall at Louse Point,” is one of my favorite albums from the 90s. It would probably tie at #3 with TBYML or even tie at #2 with Rid of Me.

[@Fatherjohn76]

Though no means a super fan I’ve always had a lot of time for Polly’s work. I love the Patti Smith/ Kristen Hersh vibes on the first two albums and I love the more cohesive and accessible vibe on Stories. Not really heard much of Uh huh her, Is The Desire? or Demolition. But I have one unpopular opinion I really must vent. White Chalk is awesome. The vibe is so creepy and ghostly. It sounds like a wet misty hill on the Sussex Downs. As a Brit it’s literally like a sonic approximation of a very specific environment we know

[@hughcansdale4758]

As a fellow Brit, I totally agree re White Chalk. It's a wonderful, creepy, ghostly, atmospheric album. It sounds like she's alone on the beach under the cliffs summoning up the night spirits... I love it!

[@sakthikumaran4294]

very interesting to see the different perspectives

[@jeffreycoy]

That Let England Shake tour was so dope. I attended only knowing a handful of songs from her entire discography and she only played one song I recognized. The new songs were great! (I hate jukebox shows. If I like you I want to hear a lot of new tracks too!)

[@veryeyeofnight]

Personal faves 1. Stories from the City: most fulfilling, pleasing record 2. Let England Shake: her masterpiece, hard to get into but so rewarding 3. Is This Desire?: dark & brooding gothic vibes and a real change of pace 4. Rid of Me: love 5. White Chalk: love 6. Uh huh her: great but inconsistent 7. To Bring You My Love: great sound but too inconsistent

[@gastonjosepradoroo8821]

Interesting, while my top 2 are in the lower halves of all your lists, I do agree with most of what all of you said. Big PJ Harvey fan here, but none of her albums are absolute classics. I don't dislike any of her stuff though. 1.- Is This Desire? 2.- Uh Huh Her. 3.- Rid of Me. 4.- To Bring you my Love. 5.- Dry 6.- Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. 7.- Let England Shake. 8.- White Chalk. 9.- The Hope Six Demolition Project.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

I also couldn't quite get the 5 stars on any of PJ's albums, although I think Stories From The City/Sea comes very close.

[@ambientnymph]

I like the is this desire placement

[@neesi1570]

I haven't listened to the Hope Six album, so here's my list: 1. To Bring You My Love 2. Rid of Me 3. Dry 4. White Chalk 5. Let England Shake 6. Is This Desire? 7. Uh Huh Her 8. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea I suppose Stories is her most commercially accessible album, but I dunno, she spends too much time trying to be Patti Smith or Nick Cave. She should just be PJ Harvey.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

Hi Denise - Give Hope Six a listen - particularly The Wheel - I love the all out sax-attack and the BIG DRUMS on that album . . under-rated . .

[@EmoBearRights]

I'm glad someone mentioned Pocket Knife positively. I don't mind Is This Desire?

[@buritobr]

My ranking: 1) To Bring You My Love; 2) Rid of Me; 3) Let England Shake; 4) Is This Desire?; 5) Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea; 6) Dry; 7) Dance Hall at Louse Point; 8) Uh Huh Her; 9) A Woman a Man Walked By; 10) The Hope Six Demolition Project; 11) I Inside the Old Year Dying; 12) White Chalk. White Chalk is not a bad album, but there are 11 albums better. I divide PJ Harvey career in 2 periods: the Old Testament, from 1992 to 2004, and the New Testament, from 2007 to now. There is no doubt that "Let England Shake" is the best album of the New Testament. In the Old Testament, "To Bring You My Love" and "Rid of Me" make a hard contest. I consider them even better than Mercury winning "Stories...". "Let England Shake", one of last concept albums in the history of the rock music, is a very beautiful art work as a whole. However, I don't put this album in the top of her career because it lacks songs which were sucessful individually. "To Bring You My Love" has the 2 PJH's greatest hits: the song with the name of the album and "Down by the Water". Every PJ Harvey fan has a favorite underated album. Some of them like Uh Huh Her, some of them like White Chalk, some of them like The Hope Six... My favorite PJH's underated album is "Is This Desire?"

[@sabe11a39]

9. Uh Huh Her 8. Hope Six Demolition Project 7. Dry 6. Rid of Me 5. White Chalk 4. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea 3. Is This Desire? 2 .To Bring You My Love 1. Let England Shake

[@rogersongster3967]

"It's like a city planning meeting"... fucking hilarious

[@Joooools5000]

So many wrong opinions! Haha, thankfully Kramzer was around. Good that Joe had some love for White Chalk, definitely in my top three. TBYML probably top, but it's changeable.

[@pete3105]

It's been a while since I listened to all these, except the newest one, but I don't think the order would change too much if I would revisit all of them. It's frustrating with some of her albums and songs, because they feel so unfinished, but maybe that's the point, I don't know. 10. White Chalk (2007) ★★ 9. Uh Huh Her (2004) ★★ 8. The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016) ★★ 7. I Inside the Old Year Dying (2023) ★★½ 6. Is This Desire? (1998) ★★½ 5. Rid of Me (1993) ★★★ 4. Dry (1992) ★★★ 3. To Bring You My Love (1995) ★★★ 2. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000) ★★★½ 1. Let England Shake (2011) ★★★½ ★★★★★ - Masterpiece ★★★★½ - Really great ★★★★ - Great ★★★½ - Really good ★★★ - Good ★★½ - OK ★★ - Bad ★½ - Really bad ★ - Awful ½ - The worst

[@ianp9086]

Ever since I first heard the astonishing Sheela-na-gig on the John Peel show I’ve really admired PJ’s independence and honesty in her songs even though some can be a difficult listen. My top three are 1. Stories, 2. Let England and 3. To Bring you my love. Do you even have Sheela-na-gigs in the US? Very deep time experience when you come across one.

[@roxannewalsh]

I think they are limited to (catholic) Europe, although similar symbols exist in other cultures. But they have a different meaning - on European churches they were symbols for the sin and lust always associated with the female - in other parts of the world they were mostly symbols for fertility or earth-mother and other positive indications.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

I have no idea what Sheela-Na-Gig is, but I loved the song . .

[@hoagieimpact9189]

my top 3. 1. White Chalk 2. Let England Shake 3. the other albums

[@trickygoose2]

I won't attempt a ranking as I only really know Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and Let England Shake. Love both, perhaps marginally prefer the former because I think the latter probably needs me to be in a certain mood to a degree to really appreciate it. I did own the first 2 albums back in the day on cassette but rarely listened to them because they are a bit too intense for me for repeated listening. Interestingly for someone with a powerful singing voice that can sound almost angry she is very quietly spoken and seems rather shy when I've heard her interviewed. I get what Kramzer says about her lacking that 'killer' song. So far she has had some songs on my 'long lists' for Songs of the Year and I think there will be some more to come, but I suspect she may never make one of my top 10s.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

Your last paragraph is a great summary of why I couldn't quite get to 5 stars on any of her albums. I still think she's one of the best artists of her generation, though.

[@contayjuslovesonedirection1817]

Kramzer talks about bad Neil Young political records, Pearl Jam's Riot Act comes to mind for me.

[@RostyslavLogachov]

9. Is This Desire? (1998) 8. Uh Huh Her (2004) 7. White Chalk (2007) 6. Dry (1992) 5. The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016) 4. Rid Of Me (1993) 3. To Bring You My Love (1995) 2. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000) 1. Let England Shake (2011)

[@jamesadkisson7510]

In interviews she said she was approaching The Hope Six Demolition Project like a journalist. That might explain the lyric content and point of view.

[@warborn_inc.]

Love PJs entire catalog and have been fortunate enough to see her on every tour since Dry came out....so I've gotten to watch her evolve (or devolve depending on your tastes). She's one of those artists who even at their worst is still head and shoulders above her peers in my opinion

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Who exactly are her peers. - Joe

[@warborn_inc.]

@Tastes Like Music I think her peers shift for sure...early on she had almost a Riot Grrrl persona..she was like a classier more intellectual verison of say Courtney Love/L7/Babes in Toyland with the harsh punk vibe edgy album production etc...mixed with some Laurie Anderson meets Patti Smith (which she flushes out later on Songs from the City)....she shifts and tosses in some Bjorkish style mixing it all over the place making it hard to pin her down....I pick up a lot of obscure late 60s female singer influences in her vocals as well (i.e. Karen Dalton/Bonnie Dobson) but none of it is a direct copy. As mentioned she has Thom Yorke qualities too. She's a tough one to really stick in any one box for sure. I think when I was talking about her Peers...I was thinking back to the early 90s scene (which I'm old enough to have been knee deep in ...in real time haha) and there were a lot of female fronted bands coming out that PJ seemed to get associated with...even if the only common denominator among them was "female" artist...so peer may not have been the correct word choice on my part. I see PJ in the same way I see Bowie...or DJ Shadow...or Bjork...where they switch up their styles (for better or worse) so much that you basically are fans of certain albums of theirs...but not a fan of the actual artist....or you are hooked and are on board for the whole ride. I got on the ride early on and have stuck with her....although Hope Six Demo Project was a let down in my opinion. Long winded and Very delayed reply . Keep up the good work guys.

[@EmoBearRights]

Jason dissing Beautiful Feeling - ok my response to that isn't really typeable! I love that song I think it's lovely. I guess this was enlightening as to why some people don't like PJ Harvey - sometimes that can be interesting.

[@VenusMonkey]

Where I do agree with the non PJ Harvey fans here is the Is This Desire album. Alot of PJ fans adore it, but I only really loved the title track and Angelene. I saw her on tour that year and alot of the tracks did sound much better live. I also have to agree about the bugle on Glorious Land, I'm afraid...lol. I think having the song start with it was a great but when it kept coming back in randomly I feel it was jarring and took away from the enjoyment of it. Only criticism of that album though, it was fantastic. My list goes: 1. Rid of Me (although i actually enjoy 4-track demos rawness even more in spots and the demos that weren't on the album) 2. Dry 3. Uh Huh Her ( i would actually put both the John Parrish collabs as 3 and 4 if they counted) 4. To Bring You My love 5. White Chalk 6. Let England shake 7. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea 8. Is This Desire 9. The Hope Six Demolition Project ( this one was sad because i didn't like even one song. It just sounded like a Salvation Army marching band to me) I'll also add that my picks 3-6 are interchangeable. I actually don't like any of them any more than the other

[@179rich]

And Kramzer's list alone says to me he's the biggest fan.

[@claytonkelley4921]

Stories - 3.5 stars (7) Let England Shake - 3 (6.3) White Chalk -2.5 stars (5.9) Dry - 2.5 stars (5.7) The Hope Six -2.5 stars (5.3) Is This Desire - 2 stars (3.9) Rid of Me - 2 stars (2.9) To Bring You My Love - 1.5 stars (2.6) Uh Huh Her - 1 star (1.8)

[@UlyssesJonah]

Let England Shake is my favourite album of hers

[@oppothumbs1]

Joe wins for "nailing her" on "abrasiveness" and Jason on her "lack of melodic sensibility". I don't know her albums but i know 10 songs. Watching her passion and bewitching personas is electric and watching her sing many of her mediocre songs is annoying as she doesn't write very many good songs. "Down by the Water" is sometimes listed as her second best song but it's makes me nothing by tense and uninterested. Her ever-changing musical diversity may not allow her to repeat her greatness at times. PJ's 3 best songs without a doubt are ... 1. Good Fortune . Can watch the video dozens of time. 2. Rid of Me 3. This is Love I guess I like melody too much. Theatrics I don't unless the music is good.

[@vodkatonyq]

Oof.

[@kevinnix4458]

I had a mouthful of coffee at 23:38 that I spit out laughing while Jason pointed out the elephant in the room...good one guys...cheers

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

missed that . . but Jason actually has an elephant in his room

[@christophersorensen3338]

Since many of your issues were production choices, I am curious what you think of her demo versions she has been releasing the last couple years. I think I like her stripped down a bit more on the demos.

[@DamnableReverend]

k"Every song should start with church bells and a motorcycle revving up!" Sounds like Manowar to me! Really interesting how much jason doesn't really seem to like PJ harvey. Joe, even though he doesn't seem to reallye njoy her too much, is always so generous with his ratings. For me, 3.5*s would actually denote a rather enjoyable album. I'm only really familiar with let England Shake and Rid of me, and a couple of songs that were played on the radio round 1995. Definitely going to look into some more of these. vc

[@TastesLikeMusic]

3.5s are good, but not something I’ll seek out. Or an album that I like some songs a lot but not into the entire listening experience. - Joe

[@pinkbeatle2012]

White Chalk is my favourite. Other than that not a huge fan but only listened to 3 albums. Under ether is a great tune.

[@alexconway4950]

Quite surprised by the lack of excitement Jason and Joe! For me I like half of the catalogue with Let England Shake being the standout. Is This Desire? ugh. But I really like White Chalk much to your distain!

[@TastesLikeMusic]

I didn’t hate it! - Joe

[@nickchidlow5858]

Enjoyed the vid I think the patrons are messing with you all, looking forward to the Fall, captain Beefheart and Hawkwind if they continue in this vein

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

How's that? You could always become a patron and mess things up as well . . 😀

[@haroldbrodie]

Polly Jean Harvey is a genius. To fully assess her impact as an artist, one must also consider two things. First, her demos. She has released demo versions of all her albums, and there's also the 4-Track Demos album and the B-Sides, Demos and Rarities box set. On these demos she plays every instrument and produces. They really showcase her abilities as a songwriter/lyricist, singer and instrumentalist (she's a great guitar player, for instance). To call her songs "simple" really misses the point. She's working in a folk and blues musical tradition that goes back centuries. A song like "Hook" for example is squarely in an ancient folk tradition. "Oh My Lover" is a good example of a twist on blues form. She is keenly aware of what she is doing, she is fiercely intelligent (a deep dive on her lyrics shows this to be true) and knows her place in the musical canon. The second thing one must consider is her ability as a live performer. In this, she is God-tier. KZbin has a lot of absolutely stellar performances by her. Every performance delivers with complete dedication, raw talent and a lifetime of honing her craft. They are among some of the most electrifying, compelling rock performances of all time, and they must be experienced when taking her into historical account.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

I’m going to pass unless she’s playing the entirety of Dry. - Joe

[@haroldbrodie]

@@TastesLikeMusic Hey Joe (lol), check out PJ's The Peel Sessions LP, it has several Dry tracks on it, plus other tracks I think you might like. Trust me, PJ will grow on you.

[@tigerfistsoflightning]

You guys just saved me a lot of time.

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

kind of ambiguous

[@antonysandersonfromenglandshef]

Have you got pj Harvey the peel session 1991-2004

[@jamesbaxterfromax]

Joe initially had me with the love for Kate Bush but the singer songwriter love really pushes me into a diehard kram boy. I guess her all time song is considered to be down by the water but it's not an all time great song remotely

[@johnwolcot]

I'm a fan of PJ Harvey mainly because of her beautiful face and superb and original fashion sense. Musically though I don't really get much enjoyment from her.

[@hughcansdale4758]

Respect to Joe for putting White Chalk in his top three!

[@HatfulofHallow]

"Zero. I've always been too good to listen to PJ Harvey and I think I know why. My Def Leppard t-shirt said so"

[@mattbrownsvideothing]

Yikes, this is nuts. PJ's *worst* record is no lower than a 3.5 And Joe's hatred of Rid of Me--her masterpiece--is.... yikes. Uh Huh Her is super-underrated, also.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

She’s certainly in the top 5 most overrated artists of the 21st century alright. - Joe

[@mattbrownsvideothing]

@@TastesLikeMusic oh, Joe…

[@vodkatonyq]

@@TastesLikeMusic Would really like to know what your favorite artists are, because...what a take.

[@markdelucia5278]

PLEASE DO JOE JACKSON or DADA..much smaller discography..I think you will enjoy both!

[@painless465]

Graham Parker first!

[@joeyruss3933]

Joe surprised us that he enjoyed it as much as he did

[@c11p]

#1... 4-Track Demos

[@battleshipnewhook]

Who’s up next week?

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Stooges

[@NaughtyVampireGod]

@@TastesLikeMusic Hmm . . On the fence with this one . . .

[@Soul2spin]

23:33 .... classic Jason moment 😆😆😆🔥

[@Pickle_juice117]

Dry and Is This Desire? are my two favorite

[@burmajones803]

I like PJ Harvey well enough. Haven't listened to everything by her and I'm not gonna start now, but the criticism about her melodies and songwriting seem off the mark. Since she sings about sex and unvarnished emotions and sex in a fairly challenging and in-your-face manner, it should shock no one that Jason isn't fond of her. Joe either, for that matter, although his praise for her is a little more effusive than I would have expected. Interesting video, as always.