PJ Harvey explains why Bob Dylan is “beyond music”
In 1992, PJ Harvey released Dry, her bold and uncompromising debut album that she described as a “very extreme record”. Under the assumption that this was her only chance to create a record, she “put everything I had into it. […] I felt like I had to get everything on it as well as I possibly could”. However, the musician shortly followed her acclaimed first effort with the Steve Albini-produced Rid of Me, a project that was received even more positively, heralded for its blend of raw aggression with skilful melodies and songwriting.
Discussing the album, Harvey stated: “I was surprised at people’s positive reaction to Rid of Me. I liked it, but I thought it was a very difficult album. I thought people who had the first album wouldn’t like it”. The artist’s sophomore album chalked Harvey out as a master of her craft, and her exploration of darkness, desire, religion, femininity, violence, and sex was unparalleled compared to her contemporaries. Thus, it was entirely fitting that Harvey covered Bob Dylan song ‘Highway ’61 Revisited’ on the album, a track that similarly explores themes of violence and religion.
Harvey transformed Dylan’s 1965 effort into an unrecognisably abrasive piece as an ode to her musical icon. The singer has frequently vocalised her love for the folk legend, referring to him as “a sacred name” in her household and claiming that her parents brought her up listening to his music. She once declared: “People like Howlin’ Wolf, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, Captain Beefheart – all of these artists were what I grew up listening to every day of my life.”
In an article for the Guardian published in 2001, Harvey elucidated why she loves Dylan’s music. “I am an enormous Bob Dylan fan,” she began. “I once said that Desire was my favourite album, but it changes all the time. He has been a big influence on my work. I grew up on a diet of Dylan – my mum was a big fan – and now when I’m feeling lost or lacking in inspiration, I listen to him.”
She continued: “It’s not just his wonderful lyrics, it’s the mixture of everything, the words, the music, and his voice. If you have a voice without soul, it doesn’t move you. All the ingredients have to work together.” Furthermore, she wrote: “Dylan is beyond music and lyrics, he has something else. It’s that indefinable something else that makes him special.”
Alongside her cover of ‘Highway ’61 Revisited’, Harvey has also covered ‘Shot of Love’ from Dylan’s 1981 album of the same name to commemorate picking the musician as her artist of the millennium in 1999. Although Harvey’s music is considerably more abrasive than Dylan’s, his influence is evident in her work, specifically within her lyrics – a testament to the folk musician’s enduring and wide-reaching influence.
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