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Track Listings
| 1. Let England Shake |
| 2. The Last Living Rose |
| 3. The Glorious Land |
| 4. The Words That Maketh Murder |
| 5. All & Everyone |
| 6. On Battleship Hill |
| 7. England |
| 8. In The Dark Places |
| 9. Bitter Branches |
| 10. Hanging In The Wire |
| 11. Written On The Forehead |
| 12. The Colour Of The Earth |
Product Description
Review
The title of Polly Harvey’s seventh album, 2007’s White Chalk, seemed to address England’s psycho-geography by way of Dover’s iconic coastline. Perhaps that’s projection. But her eighth most definitely does. It’s a concept album, folks. Songtitles include The Last Living Rose, England and The Glorious Land, with a distinct whiff of landscape and legend. A fragile Hanging in the Wire even namechecks "the white hills of Dover". Pete Doherty doesn’t have a copyright on singing about Albion, you know.
Going by her latest photos, Harvey’s position as the alternative Lady Gaga, confounding expectations and changing hair styles at each turn, remains undiminished. This time, the black gown and headpiece screams Hel, the Norse God of the dead. And when you read the lyric sheet, death fair stares you in the face. Its first words are "Let England shake / Weighed down with silent dead"; The Last Living Rose sings of "the grey damp filthiness of ages," and it turns out "the glorious fruit of our land" is "orphaned children". Add various references – Battleship Hill, Bolton Ridge, the Anzac trench – to the disastrous Allied invasion of Galipoli, Turkey in World War One and we appear to have a psycho-geographic lament around the perils of colonialism and the ravages of war that resonate right up to the present.
As a backdrop to this brutal battlefield, Harvey has shifted from White Chalk’s gaunt piano ballads to a broader sound that is no less feverish and close to the bone. Imagine a minimalist take on her debut album Dry’s folk-blues tilt, all urgent and wiry rhythm. It’s recorded mostly live with multi-instrumental support from the long-serving John Parrish and (former Bad Seed) Mick Harvey. But there are subtle additions; the signature horse’n’ hounds bugle leading the hunt is woven into a shifty The Glorious Land, the Bulgarian women’s choral wail (shouldn’t that be Turkish?) on the otherwise skeletal England. There is a playful reference to Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues via "what if I take my troubles to the United Nations?" into a skiffle-shaped The Words That Maketh Murder; but this is categorically a sad, despairing album. It ends with The Colour of the Earth, where a host of male voices (including the band) and Polly recall a soldier cut down in action and now "nothing but a pile of bones".
Ah, Earth, so much to answer for. But thankfully we have PJ with another fearsomely creative, emotional record to lead the resistance. God bless unique, unfathomable, great Queen Polly.
--Martin Aston
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Product Description
Island Records * 180g * stereo * EU * * * * *
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is meant to be PJ Harvey's war album and the lyrics, music and feel give you no doubt that Polly Jean Harvey has put a lot of effort into this. There are 12 tracks of short doses of lyrical and musical feats centring around that theme and and the theme of England. Guitars and a very strong percussion accompany the different forms of Harveys voice to give a driven feel throughout. Sometimes she sounds almost operatic and others just angry - sometimes in the same song. The overall effect of this is quite dizzying and it takes a while to appreciate the scope of this album. Tracks like Bitter Branches and Last Living Rose are immediate whilst other take their time to appeal. But they get there. Even when the bugle of The Glorious Land comes in you are a little taken aback at first - but it makes sense with the lyrics. And the lyrics need mentioning. They are quite brilliant - descriptive and concise they are the focus of this album. This album will be up there at the end of the year - already nominated for a Mercury. And it deserves to be.
In the 80's every new female artist was compared to Kate Bush. Now the likes of Anna Calvi et al are compared to PJ Harvey. That should be a measure of her current standing. This offering only cements her place. 'I live and die through England' PJ Harvey declares at the start of her acoustic ode to her mother country. Listening to this you know she believes that in her soul. Heartfelt and meaningful this is a very accomplished album. It also is that rare thing - an album put together by someone who believes every word she sings.
In the 80's every new female artist was compared to Kate Bush. Now the likes of Anna Calvi et al are compared to PJ Harvey. That should be a measure of her current standing. This offering only cements her place. 'I live and die through England' PJ Harvey declares at the start of her acoustic ode to her mother country. Listening to this you know she believes that in her soul. Heartfelt and meaningful this is a very accomplished album. It also is that rare thing - an album put together by someone who believes every word she sings.
75 of 85 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've had my doubts about some of PJ Harvey's work since Is This Desire, although I have never doubted she had lost any of her immense talent. As if to confirm this Let England Shake is quite simply a great album by any standards. Most of the attention from reviewers has so far centred on the lyrical content and indeed this is most impressive. The twin themes of her ambivalent relationship with England and the destructive cost of war run and intertwine throughout the album. Apparently PJ did a great deal of research before writing these songs; in the very best way this is something that does not show, these are not intellectual or preachy songs. Instead we have a highly individual and considered response to important issues. By looking outwards she has written some of the most resonant and moving lyrics of her career.
Of course for all that PJ is not a poet and without music to match this would not be a great album. The music is actually quite difficult to describe as it sounds unlike anything she has recorded before and yet entirely like her. Looser than usual, it is more melodious than she has allowed herself to be in the past, and at times with it's strummed autoharp and guitars it could almost be described as folk-rock (at times the feel of this record is also similar to The Velvet's third album as a guide). PJ's voice retains much of the higher range debuted on White Chalk but is richer than on that record. There are no weak tracks here but the standout for me is the central section of All & Everyone, Battleship Hill and England, it is quite simply as beautiful a run of three songs as I can remember. Also immediately impressive are the title track, The Words That Maketh Murder and the apocalyptic Written On The Forehead (appropriately featuring a sample from that most apocalyptic genres reggae - Niney The Observer's Blood And Fire).
Overall as I started off saying this is a great album, perhaps the most musically inviting and lyrically deepest of her career. Now a veteran, it may even be the best album of PJ's career. I am loath to use the word masterpiece of any new record, but I think that if you were to ask me in a year that is exactly how I would describe this.
Of course for all that PJ is not a poet and without music to match this would not be a great album. The music is actually quite difficult to describe as it sounds unlike anything she has recorded before and yet entirely like her. Looser than usual, it is more melodious than she has allowed herself to be in the past, and at times with it's strummed autoharp and guitars it could almost be described as folk-rock (at times the feel of this record is also similar to The Velvet's third album as a guide). PJ's voice retains much of the higher range debuted on White Chalk but is richer than on that record. There are no weak tracks here but the standout for me is the central section of All & Everyone, Battleship Hill and England, it is quite simply as beautiful a run of three songs as I can remember. Also immediately impressive are the title track, The Words That Maketh Murder and the apocalyptic Written On The Forehead (appropriately featuring a sample from that most apocalyptic genres reggae - Niney The Observer's Blood And Fire).
Overall as I started off saying this is a great album, perhaps the most musically inviting and lyrically deepest of her career. Now a veteran, it may even be the best album of PJ's career. I am loath to use the word masterpiece of any new record, but I think that if you were to ask me in a year that is exactly how I would describe this.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've never really listened to PJ, but after being subjected to all the hype surrounding this album, I decided to give it a listen. If I'm honest, I approached the album with a negative mindset, expecting to dislike it; dismissing it as a popular album given credence by the hype machine.
I am happy to admit I was totally wrong. So wrong in fact that I've listened to it daily over the past couple of weeks.
This is also the first album I can recall where I personally cannot identify any filler tracks. Each song is beautifully contained, often contrasting horrific dialog with sublime melodies. I love the production quality, being reminded more than a couple of times of Siouxsie.
All I can say is: what a fantastic album!
I am happy to admit I was totally wrong. So wrong in fact that I've listened to it daily over the past couple of weeks.
This is also the first album I can recall where I personally cannot identify any filler tracks. Each song is beautifully contained, often contrasting horrific dialog with sublime melodies. I love the production quality, being reminded more than a couple of times of Siouxsie.
All I can say is: what a fantastic album!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Give it time and it will slowly get under your skin.
Some of the tracks have instant appeal but many take a bit of listening to "get them". Give it time - it's worthwhile.
Published 1 month ago by Peter S
Excellent!
We love this album. At first, not so sure but then, it just grows on you & grows on you! These lyrics took allot of courage I'm thinking, maybe, maybe not,either way, good on you... Read more
Published 2 months ago by swellmac
political correct
I hate this cd. I used to like what PJ Harvey did. But this is very political correct. I have downloaded the cd and will never buy it.
Published 2 months ago by wiloost
Some say the best album of 2011
Named as best album of 2011 in virtually all the main UK critics' lists and now granted the ultimate accolade of being heard in snippets as part of various ads on the telly (as... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Admiral Bob
Great album, shame about the CD pressing
Great, moving and important music. The pressing of the CD leaves a lot to be desired however as I have had to return 2 CD's to Amazon because of a flaw about 20 seconds into the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. K. Taylor
Worse than dull
What to say when such a great talent as PJH makes such a lousy record? Take a deep breath and tell it as you found it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Michael Dawes-smith
What a Breath of Fresh Air!
Bought this on the reccommendation of a friend and Uncut magazine. Very Different, Very Good. Bit early Kate Bush on Screamers.
Published 4 months ago by Lightening-Joe
So beautiful!
I must admit that for some reason I never attempted to listen to PJ Harvey before...what have I been missing! Read more
Published 5 months ago by Tarek Fahmy
Fabulous.
For twenty years now, I've liked the idea of P J Harvey, without ever actually getting round to spending much money on her music. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Fossilandy
The very best of this or any year
I've lived with this album for almost a year and only the end of year accolades for it (Uncut and Mojo album of the year added to the Mercury Music Prize) prompted me to write a... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Chris G
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