PJ Harvey - Dry (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Kickin' the motorcart into high gear

03/25/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Put your lipstick on and light a candle, this album is ready to take you for the ride of your life. Few bands or artists were able to kick off the "grunge" or "alternative" scene, but P J did just that. There's not a thing not to like about "Dry". The album starts out with the song "Oh My Lover" which pretty much tells you where her head is at, at the moment. If you can be a fan of PJ without having heard this cd first then you are a true fan. This album is like no other, with it's fast guitar slamming and despairing crackling of her voice (not to mention the cello) she trips this album like she's on the highway out. The album first takes you on with it's "bisexuality" theme with songs like "O Stella" and "Victory", and then gives you an eerie delightment with songs such as "Plants and Rags" and "Happy and Bleeding". But no album of her's would be complete without a nightmare to keep you thinking and "Fountain" does just that. This debut album of her's goes to show you she is not rythmically fallible and will get you going. In just 12 songs PJ signs her name in what will never be forgotten "a musical milestone"."

Exceeds the 5 star rating!

Cherise Everhard | Michigan, USA | 12/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this cassette when it came out in 1992. I had long ago worn out the cassette. I just recently purchased the CD's to all her music, man I have missed it.

PJ Harvey is a powerful singer, song writer and musician. This CD is not for someone expecting happy, sappy love songs or a tame beat.

She exudes a raw, feminine, tough, and sometime comical outlook in her songs. She holds nothing back.

Each song is an experience.

Oh My Lover: she sings to her lover "You can love her and you can love me at the same time, much to discover." Not only is this song sexual, it's also pretty emotional to me. She asks him to "take at your leisure, take whatever you can find." Then she almost pleads with him to say her name and offers to take on his troubles. To me this song always represented a woman willing to go to the extreme to please her man, to keep him.

Dress: this is a really fast, upbeat song. But the lyrics are kind of sad. She's lonely and gets all dressed up and tries to get male attention. It reminds me of all the uncomfortable stuff we do trying to attract the opposite sex. At the end of the song, she's still alone.

Happy and Bleeding: I always took this song to be a celebration of a woman's amazing body and its capabilities. Whether or not that is the correct interpretation, I have no idea. "...fruit flower myself inside out, I'm happy and bleeding for you."

Sheela-Na-Gig: if you have never seen a Sheela-Na-Gig, you need to look one up in order to fully appreciate this song. This is one of the songs I feel she takes a more 'comical' approach. She is showing off her child bearing hips and other assorted 'assets' while her 'partner' is accusing her of exhibitionism. All the while she professes to find a new man. At one point he asks her to clean her "dirty pillows" because he doesn't want to be unclean.

Fountain: I always thought this song was beautiful. She starts it off by standing under a fountain and washing away a man. Then another man comes and saves her, only to leave her like the other one did. The beat starts off slow and then builds.

That's just a few of the songs on this CD and each one is remarkable in its own right. I will never tire of this CD, its music or its lyrics. PJ Harvey is in a class by herself.

"

Stunning album

Nick | Louisville, KY United States | 06/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"and only the debut. PJ Harvey has to be one of the roughest, toughest rock/punk artists out there right now, and this album shows. Although her raw punk is more masterfully displayed on her next album, "rid of me", this CD takes awhile to grow on you and to sink in, but when it does it hits hard. This album lives up to all expectations i had for it. I own all of PJ's CD's, and this album comes in 2nd, behind the eclectic roller coaster of emotions, "to bring you my love". My favorites off this album are O Stella, Happy and Bleeding, Sheela-Na-Gig, and Water. But all of the songs are great and this album is filler-free. I dont know which songs were songs played on the radio or just album tracks, but that should tell you something, that all the songs are of that quality. the album creates a raw, indie, upbeat, dark, punk atmosphere you dont hear that much. So in conclusion, if you think Alanis Morrisette is on the edge, you ahvent heard anything yet."

One of the best debut albums, ever!

catherine debarra | meet me at arizona bay | 05/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DRY was PJ HARVEY's debut and in my humble opinion, one of the best debut albums from any artist, ever. Words cannot explain what an amazing album this really is. One would have to hear it to believe it. Over a decade later I still find myself going back again and again to this CD whenever I feel a need and it does the trick each and every time. I honestly love all her albums and while RID OF ME is still my favorite, I think DRY is her most creative, and an easier listen, making this album my top contender for that trip to LostIsland. All the songs are good, each raw with emotion yet still passionate, with a wide topic range, and all contain an interesting, melodic use of instruments and lushly beautiful lyrics. I won't go through each song because I feel my fellow reviewers have done a great job of that but I would like to share some thoughts on why I love this album so much.

From the beginning riffs of "Oh My Lover" I was hooked. What a great opening song, I can hear (and relate to!) the yearning and hurt in Polly's voice as she sings her heart out to an unfaithful lover. "Oh, my lover! Don't you know it's alright? You can love her, you can love me at the same time.."

"Dress" is a great song. What a classic rock song. I remember hearing it for the first time nearly knocked me off my chair! It's fast with lots of guitar and a hint of salsa, I think. I swear you can't help but tap your foot to this song! I'm warning you, it's infectious! "Put on that dress, I'm going out dancing. Starting off red, clean and sparkling then he'll see me.." I think this song is about a disillusioned woman who learns that sometimes in life being dressed for success doesn't necessarily guarantee it.

One of my favorite PJ Harvey songs ever is "Sheela-Na-Gig." To me this is such an empowering song and I love to shout along with the lines, "Gonna wash that man right outta my hair!.. Gonna take my hips to a man who cares!.." The title (I hear) refers to a Celtic statue of a nude pagan girl amusing herself you know, down south. Hence the chorus, "Sheela-Na-Gig, You exhibitionist!" Starts off with excellent guitar and then we hear Polly's voice and this poetry:

I've been trying to show you over and over..

Look at these, my child bearing hips

Look at these, my ruby red ruby lips

Look at these, my work strong arms and

You've got to see my bottle full of charm...

"Plants and Rags" leaves me breathless. I cannot get enough of this song! I got goosebumps the first time I heard it. To me this is the best song of the album but I'm a bit bias because I feel this song has a very RID OF ME vibe to it and ROM is, ultimately, my favorite of all PJ recordings. Don't be fooled as this song is quite sinister. It starts off rather slow, with a bit of guitar and PJ's nonchalant vocals, "Plants and rags. Ease myself into a body bag..." The song gets even eerier soon enough, with heavy weird strings and the building drama of a creepy violin. You really start to get a sense for the song, especially as PJ's voice grows more urgent as she sings, "White and black. You looking for the sun, boy? The sun doesn't shine down here, no, no..." O Goodness, this song is so good, I wanna name a star after it!

And this album is so awesome that when I am King I shall declare everyday, PJ Harvey Day.

God bless Polly Jean."

Harvey Jumps Onto the Scene With A Perfect Debut

catherine debarra | 10/05/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Surely there have been few albums in history to earn such immediate hype as PJ Harvey's "Dry". Perhaps it's because Harvey combines the kind of personal, poetic lyrics one expects from Patti Smith with a bluesy/punk/adrenalin kick. But she's no three chords and the truth follower... Listen for the viola and cello intertwined in the rhythm of "Dress", her first single. The guitars roar, the bass and drums boil up the rhythm to a perfect, intermingling whole, and the strings ADD to that rhythm rather than trying to apply a sheen. Indeed, there's not a whole lot of sheen about this record. The feelings are real and often angry (Check out the potboiler "Hair" or even the relatively quiet "Oh My Lover"), but it's the COMPLETE sound that they make which establishes this record. PJ Harvey is a BAND, not just a PERSON on this album... Really the only time that this happens as the persona of Polly Jean Harvey overtakes and eventually replaces the band. But that's all a few years away at this point, and this is right where a neophyte Harvey fan needs to start. Just cue up "Sheela-Na-Gig" or "Dress" and marvel at what you now own. Then start the album at the beginning and melt into the music... A perfect combination of words and sound."

Search - PJ Harvey :: Dry

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