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PJ Harvey The Peel Sessions: 1991-2004
Fontana Island
PJ Harvey has hand-picked twelve songs from four of her many sessions with the late John Peel. These songs serve as sort of a tribute to Peel on the second anniversary of his death. John Peel held a very special place in Harvey’s heart; it is evident by the hand written letter copied in the sleeve. The letter outlines the love and respect she has for John.
Track listing:
01 Oh My Lover
02 Victory
03 Sheela-Na-Gig
04 Water
05 Naked Cousin
06 Wang Dang Doodle
07 Losing Ground
08 Snake
09 That Was My Veil
10 This Wicked Tongue
11 Beautiful Feeling
12 You Come Through
The 1991 session consists of four songs from Dry, and was recorded almost one year before the debut. The songs "Oh My Lover," "Victory," "Sheela-Na-Gig," and "Water" are as powerful and moving as they are on the album. The deep bass cuts a hole so that the rest of the music can just pour inside you. It will bring you back to the first time that PJ Harvey’s music ever made it to your ears.
The 1993 session is comprised of two lesser known, but no less moving tracks. Naked Cousin is an epileptic little ditty from The Crow: City Of Angels soundtrack. The second track is a cover of an old Willie Dixon song called "Wang Dang Doodle." The song is especially intriguing, because of the way the beat sounds like a smashed head thumping and dragging across the floor, again and again. This sound paired with Harvey’s gothic Ella Fitzgerald style, makes for a very good song.
The 1996 session was recorded with John Parish and contains two collaborations and "Snake" from Rid of Me. The collaborations are "Losing Ground," from That Was My Veil EP, and "That Was My Veil," from Dance Hall at Louse Point. Dance Hall at Louse Point largely went under the radar, but is well worth a listen, so if you haven’t heard that album, I suggest you pick up a copy.
There are two songs from the 2000 session, and both are taken from Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea….. (Sort of). "This Wicked Tongue" is a bonus track on the Japanese and UK release. It is PJ at her boldest, and most aggressive. On the other hand, Beautiful Feeling is a heartfelt track that you sense is taking all Harvey’s effort to hold back and stay soft.
Those are the four sessions that Harvey recorded with John Peel. The last song is from a tribute to Peel in 2004, recorded just six weeks after Peel’s untimely demise. The song is You Came Through, and you can hear Harvey’s voice trembling with emotion at times. (C’mon friends, drink to good times/ to your health and mine.) Lines like this are delivered with eerie intent. It is like she is singing directly to John for the last time. The album ends quite fittingly, with the line “You came through for me.”
