at a glance...

Hometown: Yoevil, Somerset, England
Year Formed: 1991

Members :
Polly Jean Harvey -vocals, guitar, organ, vibes, Hammond organ, piano, marimba
John Parish -guitar, percussion, drums, organ
Joe Gore -guitar, E-bow
Jean-Marc Butty -drums, percussion

Bands In The Family:
John Parish, Automatic Dlamini, Elastica, Laika, Spleen, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Grape, The Family Cat, Radiohead, Pascal Comelade, Tricky, Moonshake, Tom Waits, The Birthday Party, Portishead

Notes:
Polly Harvey formed her band, PJ Harvey in 1991, and they released their debut single "Dress" that year on Too Pure. This was followed by "Sheela-Na-Gig," which drew critical raves, and their debut LP Dry, released on Island on both sides of the Atlantic. The music press in America and Britain hailed it as a monumental debut. The even-noisier, Steve Albini-produced Rid of Me LP arrived in 1993, and the following tour saw PJ Harvey opening stadium shows for U2. She released a solo album called 4-Track Demos, which included both outtakes and previously unheard songs, before the arrival of To Bring You My Love. A related project, Dance Hall at Louse Point, saw her collaborate on a set of songs with guitarist John Parish, further exploring her interest in traditional music.

Links:
PJ Harvey--Workin' For The Man
Nice looking site with pics, discography and lyrics.

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Listen to To Bring You My Love and it makes sense. Here PJ Harvey reclaims the blues from the bloated ignoramuses of the H.O.R.D.E. tour, and taps into the badass, bare-boned source of the century's most influential music.

The guitar playing (split between Harvey and John Parish) brutally twists the simplest progressions into distorted screams, while Harvey's deep growl is as disorienting as ever. The arrangements are as spare as can be, and every extra decibel, every drop of emotion feels like oil squeezed from a dry chamois. The title track and "Long Snake Moan" are particularly vivid reminders of how primal the blues was meant to sound.

Polly's visit to the blues also reminds us that it was once a great feminist art form. Of course, Polly's feminism is often brutal, and the confrontational gender politics of "C'Mon Billy" and "I Think I'm A Mother" will stop you in your tracks. Sexual, honest, and dangerous to know, PJ Harvey's got the blues. Stay out of her way.

If you like PJ Harvey, check out:
PJ Harvey Dry
PJ Harvey Rid of Me
Polly Harvey and John Parish Dance Hall at Louse Point
Nick Cave The Boatman's Call
Howlin' Wolf His Best
Patti Smith Horses

-- jf