Project 1001: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by PJ Harvey
I can't believe life's so complex / When I just wanna sit here and watch you undress
Superficially a lot of people try to label PJ Harvey as just another angry, disillusioned rock chick. Look beyond that simplistic assessment and you’ll find a ton of interesting lyrics. She’s angry sometimes. And other times she’s happy or sad or any number of other human emotions. This album has some tunes that cook and burn with a high energy that gets the juices flowing. I really enjoyed this Stories…! My rating:
The Popmatters review gave a strong endorsement of the album:
Think of Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea as love songs for the new millennium – earthy, realistic, and hopeful. This collection is not the most powerful artistic statement Harvey has made, but it’s certainly her strongest endorsement of humanity – and that’s reason enough to love it.1
John Mulvey of NME also praised the record. “‘Stories…’ is PJ Harvey’s best album since 1991’s ‘Dry’, a return to the feral intensity of that remarkable debut.”2
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
Prime Playlist: 181. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea by PJ Harvey
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For details about this project, read this: Project 1001 Albums
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Kylie McLaughlin wrote:
Harvey’s fifth album finally brought her universal critical acclaim - it picked up the Mercury Music Prize in 2001, garnering the singer/guitarist a whole new legion of fans. The sound she embraces on Stories… was more reassuring and polished than on previous albums and suggested that she had grown up…Emotionally and musically, this is an album that will endure.3
Charts
• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: #424
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: n/a
• RIAA certification: n/a
Released on October 23, 2000. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down5
• Number one album: Kid A by Radiohead6
• Number one movie: Meet the Parents by Jay Roach7
• Most watched TV programs: Survivor, ER, Who Wants to be a Millionaire (WED), Who Wants to be a Millionaire (TUE), Friends, NFL Monday Night Football, Law & Order, Everybody Loves Raymond, Who Wants to be a Millionaire (SUN), The Practice, Who Wants to be a Millionaire (THUR)8
• NYT bestseller, fiction: The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks9
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: The Beatles Anthology by The Beatles10
Some other albums released that month
• Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music by The Smashing Pumpkins
• G.O.A.T. by LL Cool J
• King James Version by Harvey Danger
• Maroon by Barenaked Ladies
• Mi Reflejo by Christina Aguilera
• Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya by Boyz II Men
• Red Dirt Girl by Emmylou Harris
• Righteous Love by Joan Osborne
• The Worst by Tech N9ne
• Music by Madonna
• Milk Cow Blues by Willie Nelson
• Beware of Dog by Lil' Bow Wow
• Bridging the Gap by The Black Eyed Peas
• Good Charlotte by Good Charlotte
• Revelation by 98°11
Sport
• Oct 22 Presidents Cup Golf, Robert Trent Jones GC: Davis Love III, Stewart Cink and Kirk Triplett are unbeaten as US outclasses International team, 21½–10½.
• Oct 23 "Monday Night Miracle", down 30-7 at the end of the third quarter, New York Jets pull together an improbable comeback with 4 touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter, eventually defeating the Miami Dolphins 40-37 in overtime.
• Oct 26 World Series: NY Yankees beat NY Mets, 4-2 in Game 5 at Shea Stadium to win "Subway Series"; Yankees 3rd straight title; MVP: Derek Jeter.12
Notable Births
• Oct 22 Baby Keen [Hykeem Carter Jr.], American rapper (Family Ties), born in Carson, California.
• Oct 31 Willow Smith, American actress, singer ("Whip My Hair") and dancer, born in Los Angeles, California.
Historical Events
• Oct 11 250 million US gallons (950,000 m3) of coal sludge spill in Martin County, Kentucky (considered a greater environmental disaster than the Exxon Valdez oil spill).13
• Oct 12 In Aden, Yemen, the USS Cole is badly damaged by suicide bombers, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39.14
• Oct 23 Madeleine Albright holds talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.
Notable Deaths
• Oct 17 Leo Nomellini, American College/Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (Uni of Minnesota; 6×First-team All-Pro; 10×Pro Bowl; NFL 1950s All-Decade Team; SF 49ers), dies of a stroke at 76.
• Oct 18 Julie London, American singer ("Cry Me A River") and actress (Emergency - "Nurse McCall"), dies at 74.
• Oct 30 Steve Allen, American comedian, composer, actor and TV host (Tonight Show; Steve Allen Show), dies of injuries from a car accident at 7815
McLaughlin, Kylie, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Fifth printing, ed. by Robert Dimmery p. 865.
Ibid.