The Garden, a PJ Harvey Discussion Site

Anything from White Chalk - in particular - dear darkness and the mountain

protocols wrote:Also, I love the demo of "Hair" but the album version is just a mess. The bass is very annoying (especially the annoying farty noise during the chorus)

I never thought of it that way but I'm listening to it right now and that's completely dead on. Now that I'm rethinking about my answer, I tend to listen to You Said Something and Horses In My Dreams the least.

That's ok dr dark

Kamikaze

Reeling really annoys me and when The River comes on I go zzzz. Not crazy about Joy either - oh and Horses makes me want to punch her when she goes "hooorsseeees in maaah dreeeeeeaaams like waaa-ehhhiiives liek the seaaa". Never cared for The Desperate Kingdom of Love or To Talk to You. lol

wow, opinions are so diverse regarding Polly's lows.

sau wrote:A song of Polly's you don't like? You blasphemers. Remember when she danced to 'Cat on the Wall' on the 'Uh Huh Her' EPK? That makes it bearable. ;-)

I wouldn't call it bearable. I really like it, maybe it's not a good song, but it is nice. And I do love that dancing from UHH EPK. It's "Wow".

Returning on tipic, my least faves have been always Hook and Goodnight, and agree with those who mentioned Leaving California too. And I know some of you (much of you) will hate me for this, but "Kick it..." is in the same category for me.

Cracks in The Canvas¡¡¡¡¡¡I love this song¡¡¡¡

I don't like the album version of No Girl So Sweet that much, prefer the slowed down live version.

I really struggled with 'April' the first few times I heard it. It was only when we saw her sing it live that I appreciated it properly.

'Leaving Califonia' has never bothered me one way or the other. But I always think it sounds like it should be played on a merry go round when it starts to kick in.

I love every song on 'stories'...but that's probably because some of the lyrics mean a lot to me personally rather than me appreciating it musically.

i don't like Joe. didn't ever really care about this song.

Me and my Marshall wrote:

sau wrote:A song of Polly's you don't like? You blasphemers. Remember when she danced to 'Cat on the Wall' on the 'Uh Huh Her' EPK? That makes it bearable. ;-)

I wouldn't call it bearable. I really like it, maybe it's not a good song, but it is nice. And I do love that dancing from UHH EPK. It's "Wow".

Returning on tipic, my least faves have been always Hook and Goodnight, and agree with those who mentioned Leaving California too. And I know some of you (much of you) will hate me for this, but "Kick it..." is in the same category for me.

you weirdo!

no cause for hatred here, trust me, I just find it totally weird that somebody would mention (among his four least faves) no less than three songs which I would rather be inclined to place among my top thirty faves (and two of those in the top twenty).

but that's the way it is:
preferences are diverse
yet nothing is perverse,
only a version of bliss
in appreciating music.

Soph wrote:I really struggled with 'April' the first few times I heard it. It was only when we saw her sing it live that I appreciated it properly.

Interesting thing happened when I first listened to April (not exactly listened but watched - it was performance at KCRW if I am not mistaken). Not being an English speaking person I do not have a habbit to listen carefully to the words of songs sung in English, especially at first listen. So was that time - I only listened to the music, Polly's vocals, looking at Polly. But when it came to "I dream..." I new exactly what this song about, I mean interpretation was the same when I figured the words. It was brought to me just through music and performance.

Yeah, the KCRW session was absolutely electrifying. Funny you should mention this as I watched some of it again today.
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/m ... and_john_p

For me, April didn't work until I watched her sing it and followed along with the lyrics in front of me. I guess the odd voice for most of it threw me off.

DrDark wrote:For me, April didn't work until I watched her sing it and followed along with the lyrics in front of me. I guess the odd voice for most of it threw me off.

For me it was a kind of tension between odd old woman voice and clear "I dream" part voice. But most important that it was beyond words. I don't know if I am clear, sorry.

You're absolutely right. The essence of the song is contained in the transition to the "I dream" part. The lyrics work in conjunction with that.