Full back catalogue REISSUES + demos (THSDP 22/03/11)

[TheNightingale]

It's happening!

UMC/Island and Beggars today announce a comprehensive reissue campaign which will see PJ Harvey’s entire back catalogue – plus her two albums in collaboration with John Parish – released on vinyl over the next 12 months. For the first time, each of PJ Harvey’s album demos will be available as a stand-alone album on vinyl, CD and download.

This catalogue project will celebrate every aspect of Harvey’s recording career and afford a comprehensive and exciting look at the evolution of one of the most singular and extraordinary artists of modern times.

The first release is DRY, Harvey’s seminal debut album back in print on vinyl for the first time in 20 years with the Beggars Archive/Too Pure Records reissue on 24 July. Released to worldwide critical acclaim on 30 March 1992 it was recorded at The Ice House in Yeovil and features the singles ‘Dress’ and ‘Sheela-Na-Gig.’ DRY saw PJ Harvey burst onto the global stage to begin her unique path.

Dry is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician PJ Harvey, originally released on Too Pure Records on 30 March 1992. The album was recorded at The Icehouse, a local studio in Yeovil. Critically lauded both on release and retrospectively, the album contains the singles “Dress’ and ‘Sheela-Na-Gig’

Back in print for the first time in almost 20 years, Beggars Archive on behalf of Too Pure Records is pleased to announce the re-issue of Dry on vinyl. The album was remastered by the original producer “Head” and has been replicated to the original version as much as possible.

https://pjharvey.kontraband.store/produ ... lp-reissue
https://pjharvey.kontraband.store/products/dry-demos-lp

"Full back catalogue of vinyl reissues and stand-alone demo albums to follow."

[BobSimms]

I wonder what she’ll do for Rid Of Me and 4-Track Demos, seeing as they were separate albums. I wish there could be 2 separate reissues, with Rid Of Me B-sides, rarities, alternate takes, band rehearsals, whatever, and then for the 4-Track Demos release, alternate recordings of the demos plus the unreleased stuff like “Missed”, “Clothes”, “Me-Jane”.

At any rate, I’m over the moon. Reeling, you might say. This makes 2020 much better. Hard to believe it’s finally actually happening.

[natinhos]

Obviously beyond happy with this (I really can't wait to listen to ITD? demos).

There is something about this though telling me that this is some kind of "goodbye", that she won't release any more albums (in the traditional sense of the word).

I hope I am wrong.

[TheNightingale]

I wonder what she’ll do for Rid Of Me and 4-Track Demos, seeing as they were separate albums. I wish there could be 2 separate reissues, with Rid Of Me B-sides, rarities, alternate takes, band rehearsals, whatever, and then for the 4-Track Demos release, alternate recordings of the demos plus the unreleased stuff like “Missed”, “Clothes”, “Me-Jane”.

That'd be great bit I think they'll just treat 4-Track demos as a companion disc to Rid of Me, and not a separate release.

There is something about this though telling me that this is some kind of "goodbye", that she won't release any more albums (in the traditional sense of the word).

I hope I am wrong.

Maybe you're right but on the other hand it may just be a way of making some $$$ now that she's not touring. Björk did a similar 'mid-career restrospective' reissue series (no demos though, coloured vinyl) 5 years ago and she has released another album since. (And if you look at John Parish's Facebook posts from 2013 posted in the Instagram thread, it seems that these have been in the works for quite a long time.)

[BobSimms]

There is something about this though telling me that this is some kind of "goodbye", that she won't release any more albums (in the traditional sense of the word).

Thanks, I was hoping someone would point out a reason to be depressed over this fantastic news.

[bruise]

There is something about this though telling me that this is some kind of "goodbye", that she won't release any more albums (in the traditional sense of the word).

I hope I am wrong.

I hope you're wrong too, ahah!
It hasn't crossed my mind, actually. Who knows, maybe it's a signal of some kind of a hiatus due to the current situation, perhaps?
Or it might just be a decision dictated by some fulfillment to her record company.
One user pointed out the reissues were set up for 2014, and than postponed. And in the meantime we got a new album, a worldwide tour, the Recording in Progress and a documentary, so... I don't think these reissues are to be interpreted necessarily to some kind of farewell.

[BobSimms]

Here is the full press release from Universal. Bit concerning that 4-Track Demos isn’t listed in the discography toward the bottom. I need that full album on vinyl—especially the songs that aren’t on Rid Of Me. Also need to hear “Clothes”.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-release ... 66815.html

[Cuauhtemoc]

Interesting that she's releasing demos of all of her albums. I'll be happy to have them, but I hope some of the b-sides get a good remastering and release as well. Maybe they'll put them out as a stand alone collection once they're through the albums.

[BobSimms]

Interesting that she's releasing demos of all of her albums. I'll be happy to have them, but I hope some of the b-sides get a good remastering and release as well. Maybe they'll put them out as a stand alone collection once they're through the albums.

My thoughts exactly. I’m hoping the press release was just worded somewhat incorrectly, or something. 4-Track Demos, the album, needs to be re-released as much as the others (“Driving”, “Easy”, and “Hardly Wait” are as essential as anything), and it would be absolute torture to never get to hear “Clothes” or “He’s Just My Type”, or what the other part of “Maniac” sounds like. Or “Long Time Coming” which I’m assuming has Polly on guitar (the BBC Evening Sessions one doesn’t), the studio recording of “Primed and Ticking”, plus those band rehearsals from pre-Rid Of Me. I WANT IT ALL

[TheNightingale]

Kate Bush released all her albums remastered on vinyl a couple years ago, and she collected all the B-sides and non-album tracks on a separate release, called The Other Sides. I wish PJ did something similar! (But of course I'm happy enough to get a remastered 180g vinyl of Dry for now.)

[Cuauhtemoc]

^^^^ That Kate Bush collection was exactly what I was thinking about.

My thoughts exactly. I’m hoping the press release was just worded somewhat incorrectly, or something. 4-Track Demos, the album, needs to be re-released as much as the others (“Driving”, “Easy”, and “Hardly Wait” are as essential as anything), and it would be absolute torture to never get to hear “Clothes” or “He’s Just My Type”, or what the other part of “Maniac” sounds like. Or “Long Time Coming” which I’m assuming has Polly on guitar (the BBC Evening Sessions one doesn’t), the studio recording of “Primed and Ticking”, plus those band rehearsals from pre-Rid Of Me. I WANT IT ALL

Yes. I was wondering if something just got mixed up and whoever put together the press release statement might have gotten it wrong. Since Dry has Demonstration and Rid of Me has 4-Track Demos (which is basically the demo version of the whole record) maybe they thought that was the standard for all of her records? Because from what I remember reading in interviews with her and various band members they just recorded the album versions of songs on top of her original demos. I'm pretty sure I remember an interviewer asking her about getting a demo version of TBYML and she shot that down because the demos didn't exist anymore as they had been turned into the actual record. Of course she could have always simply dubbed her demos and stashed them away.

I just hope we get some unreleased songs. Also, I've been waiting for clean, studio versions of "Primed and Ticking" and "Claudine, The Inflatable One" for literally decades now. I was so disappointed when they weren't included on the Peel Sessions record.

[BobSimms]

Yes. I was wondering if something just got mixed up and whoever put together the press release statement might have gotten it wrong. Since Dry has Demonstration and Rid of Me has 4-Track Demos (which is basically the demo version of the whole record) maybe they thought that was the standard for all of her records? Because from what I remember reading in interviews with her and various band members they just recorded the album versions of songs on top of her original demos. I'm pretty sure I remember an interviewer asking her about getting a demo version of TBYML and she shot that down because the demos didn't exist anymore as they had been turned into the actual record. Of course she could have always simply dubbed her demos and stashed them away.

I just hope we get some unreleased songs. Also, I've been waiting for clean, studio versions of "Primed and Ticking" and "Claudine, The Inflatable One" for literally decades now. I was so disappointed when they weren't included on the Peel Sessions record.

Yes, it gets very confusing when you get to Rid Of Me/4-Track Demos, because if they adhere to just releasing the demo versions of the Rid Of Me songs, while on the one hand it’ll be great to finally hear the demos for “Me-Jane”, “Highway”, and “Missed”, are they really not gonna re-release the rest of the non-Rid Of Me tracks from 4-Track Demos? Like “Reeling”, “Driving”, “Hardly Wait”, “Easy”, “M-Bike”, and “Goodnight”? Because on the UMC press release for the reissue campaign, the 4-Track Demos album is not listed as part of her discography (the John Parish collabs are, however).

As for TBYML, a lot of her 4-track cassette recordings did make it on to the album (“I Think I’m a Mother” is a really obvious one; you can hear both the tape hiss and metronome click) and they overdubbed the rest of the parts on top of those, but I don’t think that’s the case for all 10 tracks, and it will be interesting to hear her original, unfettered cassette demo recordings. But I’m even more interested in hearing “He’s Just My Type” and the others I mentioned.

I’m with you on “Claudine”, too. That track is gold. Really strange that she didn’t include it on the Peel Session compilation.

[jhj1814]

Even though I think we're rightfully more excited for the LP's on vinyl, I'm also curious how the reissues pertain to CD's and to an extent digital streaming.

I want to know if digital streaming for Dry and Rid Of Me will be updated to 'remastered' since those were always challenging listens from digital due to inconsistent volume levels.

Also interesting is how Dry on CD is not being offered as a stand alone purchase at this point.

[TheNightingale]

Even though I think we're rightfully more excited for the LP's on vinyl, I'm also curious how the reissues pertain to CD's and to an extent digital streaming.

I want to know if digital streaming for Dry and Rid Of Me will be updated to 'remastered' since those were always challenging listens from digital due to inconsistent volume levels.

Also interesting is how Dry on CD is not being offered as a stand alone purchase at this point.

Yeah, I was wondering about that as well. It seems the demo compilations will make their way to streaming services (the demo of "Sheela-Na-Gig" is already on Spotify) but I wonder if the albums proper will be updated to remastered versions. In the case of the aforementioned Kate Bush remasters it took a few months after the release until they were available to stream.

I also hope they don't fuck around too much with the loudness of Dry and Rid of Me and don't compress the sound of those records too much; they'd lose their raw, 'live' feel. A subtle boost in volume and clarity would be welcome, but let's hope they don't brickwall them.

[Amnesiac]

If you listen this promo cd from 1998 you can hear a "re-equalized" version of 50ft Queenie and Man-size"

https://www.discogs.com/fr/P-J-Harvey-T ... se/2153013

Volume level is high.

PJ Harvey - To Date [1998].rar