The groundbreaking sophomore record turns 29 today.

On this day in 1993, PJ Harvey released "Rid of Me," her critically acclaimed follow up to "Dry."

Harvey's sophomore album was produced by Steve Albini. His style is reflected in the much more raw/frenetic sound of "Rid of Me" compared to Harvey's debut record. This was also the last album her eponymously-titled trio did before disbanding.

The album was produced at the famed Pachyderm Studios in Minnesota.

It's odd tempos and song structures transform Rid of Me into mix of music and performance art.

In this case, art imitated life in some places. For instance, the title track is based on the disintegration of one of Harvey's relationships. Other lyrics pull back the curtains on the darker corners of her mind.

"...I write about people’s relationships to each other. I’m fascinated with things that might be considered repulsive or embarrassing. I like feeling unsettled, unsure."

~PJ Harvey

The record was met with critical acclaim.

In it's review, Melody Maker gushed, "No other British artist is so aggressively exploring the dark side of human nature, or its illogically black humour; no other British artist possesses the nerve, let alone the talent, to conjure up its soundtrack"

The inimitable John Peel, concurred, adding "You’re initially so taken aback by what you’re hearing. But you go back again and again and it implants itself on your consciousness."

Some critics bristled over Albini's less polished style of production, but by and large most critics-and listeners- appreciated the more "real " listening experience that resulted.

Rid of Me earned it's spot on countless best-of lists for the year, and in 2020 was ranked at 153 on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest records of all time.

Record of the Day: PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me”

The groundbreaking sophomore record turns 29 today. On this day in 1993, PJ Harvey release

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