Rid of Me is the second studio album by English singer, songwriter and musician PJ Harvey. It was released by Island Records in May 4, 1993, approximately one year after the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Dry. It marked a departure from Harvey‘s previous songwriting, being more raw and aggressive than its predecessor.
The songs on Rid of Me were performed by Harvey‘s eponymous trio, consisting of Harvey on guitar and vocals, Rob Ellis on drums and background vocals, and Steve Vaughan on bass. Most of the songs on the album were recorded by Steve Albini, and it was the last album they recorded as a trio before disbanding in late 1993. Rid of Me was met with critical acclaim, and is cited as one of the greatest albums of all time, ranking at number 153 on the 2020 version of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (up from 406 on the list’s previous edition).
The cover of the album depicts Harvey topless and swinging her drenched hair into the air. The photo was captured by Harvey‘s friend and photographer Maria Mochnacz, and was taken in Mochnacz‘s bathroom in her flat in Bristol. Due to the small size of the room, she had to place her camera against the wall opposite Harvey and could not look through the camera’s viewfinder. The photo was taken in total darkness and only illuminated by the split second flash.
When the photo was delivered to Island Records, Mochnacz was told that the imperfections in the picture (such as the water drops on the wall and the house plant) could be removed. She protested this decision, responding, “It’s supposed to be like that, It’s part of the picture”.
Tracklist:
- Rid of Me
- Missed
- Legs
- Rub ’til It Bleeds
- Hook
- Man-Size Sextet
- Highway 61 Revisited (Bob Dylan cover)
- 50ft Queenie
- Yuri-G
- Man-Size
- Dry
- Me-Jane
- Snake
- Ecstasy
PJ Harvey Trio
PJ Harvey: vocals, guitar, organ, cello, violin, producer (6)
Steve Vaughan: bass
Rob Ellis: drums, percussion, backing vocals, arrangement, producer (6)
Technical
Steve Albini: producer, engineering, mixing
Head: producer, engineer (6)
John Loder: mastering
Design
Maria Mochnacz: photography
