Bob wrote: >I'd be up to hear it, but you can bet I wouldn't buy it without a thorough >listen...I had a hard enough time getting rid of that other disc of hers. >Even the garbageman wouldn't take it! :~) I would have taken it ... except I've already had a copy for a few years now. ;) Debra Shea wrote: >Anyway, Rid of Me was last on the what-to-get list, but if you don't want it, >Jimmy, I'd be very happy to give it a good home :-). I'm hooked and I want to >hear everything she's done. I know a few people on the list have come out against _Rid of Me_, but even I, as a PJ Harvey fan, must say that it's my least favorite work of hers. I like about half of it, but Steve Albini's "production" kills the rest of it for me -- I don't mind lo-fi or raw-sounding production, but I find this one hard to meet even halfway. Even PJ herself has expressed some reservations about this album, and I much prefer hearing these songs in their incarnations on _The 4-Track Demos_, an album released less than a year after _Rid of Me_ that I feel does her much better justice. I don't know, maybe you'll find _Rid of Me_ more rewarding than I do, but I'd recommend checking out _The 4-Track Demos_ first. Also, please be sure to pick up the first record, _Dry_, at some point. It really is a stunner and it's the one that got me hooked. It seems to get overlooked at times, but for me, it's one of the most compelling debuts I've heard. On certain days, I'd even go as far as to rank it as her best work. As for the new album, I really like it a lot, and I hope that those who haven't gotten into PJ's past work will overcome any hesitations and give it a chance. Usually it takes a few listens for me to get into her albums, but this one was love at first listen. As others have mentioned, it does have a real Patti Smith quality to parts of it and as Debra mentioned the song with Thom Yorke, "This Mess We're In," is a particular stunner. Cheers, Jase NP: Fiona Apple, _When the Pawn..._
