Uh Huh Her (album)
Uh Huh Her | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 31 May 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:41 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer | PJ Harvey | |||
PJ Harvey chronology | ||||
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Singles from Uh Huh Her | ||||
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Uh Huh Her is the sixth
During the accompanying tour that lasted eight months,[5] she performed the album's unreleased title-track. Uh Huh Her debuted and peaked at number 12 in the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Silver by the BPI.[6] It became Harvey's highest charting album to date in the U.S., peaking at number 29 in the Billboard 200, and had sold more than 135,000 copies there as of 2005, according to AskBillboard.[7] Although it charted higher than Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea in many territories, Uh Huh Her failed to achieve its predecessor's chart longevity and crossover interest.
The album received largely positive reviews upon its release, although there was some criticism of its production. It currently holds a 79 out of 100 metascore at Metacritic based upon 28 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Uh Huh Her also earned PJ Harvey nominations to awards such as the Grammy Awards[8] and the Brit Awards.
History
The album was written and recorded over a two-year period in Dorset, East Devon and Los Angeles. Much of the recording was done alone by Harvey using her four-track and eight-track home studio, guitar, keyboards and drum machine. For the first time since 1993's 4-Track Demos album, she produced it herself and played every instrument bar the final drum tracks, which were handled by her longtime collaborator Rob Ellis. Final recording and mixing was done by Head at the Presshouse Studio in rural East Devon in autumn/winter 2003.[9]
Harvey told
On the inside sleeve of the album cover are a long set of self-portrait photographs that Harvey took over the years, and a series of scribbled annotations she collected during the songwriting process of Uh Huh Her – notes to herself such as "Scare yourself", "Too normal? Too PJ H?" and "All that matters is my voice and my story" (a piece of advice given to her by her friend Elvis Costello). She admitted to Shaken Stir that producing the record on her own was "a completely draining, disorientating, exasperating, invigorating experience" and "one of the hardest pieces of work I've ever done... I couldn't say that this record was an enjoyable experience. I think it was a journey that I learnt an enormous amount from, but certainly there were very enjoyable moments... I mean when I look back on it now it was a very difficult, hard and taxing time, and yet I'm so glad I did it – so glad."
Harvey underwent an eight month world tour[5] in support of the album with drummer Rob Ellis and two new bandmates, bass player Dingo and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. The tour was captured for the DVD On Tour: Please Leave Quietly.
A song called "Uh Huh Her" was regularly played during the tour, but not included on the album. It was eventually recorded for the digital compilation
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100[11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
Entertainment Weekly | A[13] |
The Guardian | [1] |
The Independent | [14] |
Los Angeles Times | [15] |
NME | 5/10[16] |
Pitchfork | 7.6/10[17] |
Q | [18] |
Rolling Stone | [19] |
Spin | B+[20] |
Uh Huh Her was released in May 2004 in the UK and peaked at #12 in the
Accolades
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
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Spin | Top 40 Best Albums of the 2004[21] | 2004 | 31 |
Track listing
All tracks are written by PJ Harvey
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Life and Death of Mr. Badmouth" | 4:51 |
2. | "Shame" | 2:32 |
3. | "Who the Fuck?" | 2:09 |
4. | "Pocket Knife" | 3:41 |
5. | "The Letter" | 3:19 |
6. | "The Slow Drug" | 3:22 |
7. | "No Child of Mine" | 1:05 |
8. | "Cat on the Wall" | 3:00 |
9. | "You Come Through" | 2:46 |
10. | "It's You" | 4:12 |
11. | "The End" | 1:21 |
12. | "The Desperate Kingdom of Love" | 2:42 |
13. | "Seagulls" | 1:08 |
14. | "The Darker Days of Me & Him" | 4:35 |
Total length: | 40:41[12] |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Uh Huh Her's liner notes.[22]
- engineer, mixing, photography
- Rob Ellis – drums, percussion, backing vocals (3)
- Head – backing vocals (3, 5), engineer, mixing
- Evelyn Isaac – backing vocals (7, 14)
- Technical
- Maria Mochnacz – artwork
- Rob Crane – artwork
Charts
Weekly charts
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Singles
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States | — | 135,000[7] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (28 May 2004). "PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (30 May 2004). "PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her". The Observer. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- Noisey. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Lundy, Zeth (23 June 2004). "PJ Harvey: Uh Huh Her". PopMatters. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ a b Petrusich, Amanda (5 November 2007). "PJ Harvey". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Ask Billboard". Billboard. 27 December 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Artist: PJ Harvey". Grammy. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ "Uh Huh Her". PJHarvey.net. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ Orloff, Brian (5 October 2004). "PJ Harvey Talks Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ "Reviews for Uh Huh Her by PJ Harvey". Metacritic. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Uh Huh Her – PJ Harvey". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Browne, David (11 June 2004). "Uh Huh Her". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Price, Simon (30 May 2004). "PJ Harvey: Uh Huh Her (Island)". The Independent.
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (30 May 2004). "PJ Harvey, still rockin' and roiling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Smack, Eddie (21 June 2004). "PJ Harvey : Uh Huh Her". NME. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Dahlen, Chris (31 May 2004). "PJ Harvey: Uh Huh Her". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "PJ Harvey: Uh Huh Her". Q (215): 100. June 2004.
- ^ Hoard, Christian (24 June 2004). "Uh Huh Her (U.S. Version)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ Hermes, Will (June 2004). "Queen of Hearts". Spin. 20 (6): 101–02. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Music: Milk-Eyed Mender (CD) by Joanna Newsom (Artist)". Tower.com. 23 March 2004. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ Uh Huh Her (Media notes). PJ Harvey. Island Records. 2004. 986 639-5.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) Retrieved 3 November 2012. - ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". danishcharts.dk. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Discography PJ Harvey". lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- Media Control Charts. Archived from the originalon 4 April 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Discography PJ Harvey". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". portuguesecharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- Hitparade(in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ The Official Charts Company. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "British album certifications – PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 November 2012.