P.J. Harvey

Led by the talented guitarist, songwriter, and singer Polly Jean Harvey, the postpunk power trio PJ Harvey came from small-town England in 1991 and took London by storm with its raw, dynamic rock and Harvey's evocative/provocative female-centric lyrics. Harvey formed the band with two friends in Yeovil and recorded its debut for less than $5,000. After creating a buzz in London and two chart-topping singles, PJ Harvey released Dry on the U.K. indie label Too Pure (Island Records released the album in the U.S.). In hypnotic tunes like “Dress,” “Happy and Bleeding,” and “Sheela-Na-Gig,” Harvey sang about discovering, reviling, and reveling in her body. The tomboyish Harvey’s discomfort with her femininity fueled her lyrics and image. Dry’s album cover features the androgynous artist skinny and bare-chested.

Harvey, who grew up on a sheep farm, quickly developed a reputation for being a publicity-shy recluse and reportedly had a near nervous breakdown in 1992, after playing the mammoth Reading Festival. Recovered, she took her career in hand and chose iconoclastic Chicago-based producer Steve Albini to produce the band’s second album. Rid of Me sounded appropriately noisy and difficult. Harvey’s lyrics mocked efforts to control her sexuality and art, taunting lovers on “Rid of Me” and “Legs” and declaring her stature over cock-rockers on “50 Ft. Queenie.” Press-friendly now, Harvey disappointed many fans by denouncing feminism in interviews, although listeners found consolation in lyrics that seemed to contradict her stance. Harvey turned down a chance to play 1993’s Lollapalooza. Her own American tour revealed a confident performer who was adding touches of a campy glam to her trademark austere appearance.

The tour also indicated that Harvey was having trouble with her band, and in August 1993, Ellis departed. The demos for Rid of Me, released as 4-Track Demos, verified criticism that Albini had buried Harvey’s powerful vocals and barely touched the range of her aural ideas. The album included several new tracks, including the irresistible “Reeling.”

Harvey completely dispensed with her band for 1995’s To Bring You My Love (#40), a bluesy collection of songs that she produced with Flood (U2) and guitarist John Parish. Bassist Mick Harvey (ex–Birthday Party) and guitarist Joe Gore were among the guests who played on the critically acclaimed album.

In 1996 Harvey and Parish released Dance Hall at Louse Point, an album for which Harvey wrote and sang lyrics to Parish’s music. The exception was an irony-drenched cover of Peggy Lee’s Leiber/Stoller-penned 1969 hit “Is That All There Is?” Released as a single, the song also appeared on the soundtrack album for the film Basquiat, a movie depicting the life of the late graffiti artist.

Harvey duetted with Nick Cave on his Murder Ballads album (1996). The collaboration also led to a brief, heated romance, the dissolution of which Cave brooded over on The Boatman’s Call (1997). Harvey and Flood coproduced Is This Desire? (#54, 1998). Built upon a bed of understated electrobeats, the album’s songs found Harvey ruminating on the meaning of passion. She also sang on Tricky’s Angels With Dirty Faces and made her acting debut, playing Mary Magdalene, in the film The Book of Life. The critically acclaimed Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea was much more upbeat than Harvey’s usual fare.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)