TS: Courtney Love vs. PJ Harvey

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A PJ diehard thought he had the argument settled. "PJ does it better than Courtney because she can stay in tune and the albums have actual music on them!" Well actually that DID settle the argument but in LOVE's favour in my mind and PJ's favour in his mind so is it really an argument if the QED settles it for both sides?

― dave q, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick Cave vs. Stevie Nicks. Poetry readings vs. conventions of 1,000 drag queens, what more need be said. Unless you're not into this pop shit.

― dave q, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Polly Harvey (a) writes her own music (b) plays her own music (c) can actually sing (d) conducts herself with dignity, humility and class. Courtney, meanwhile, cannot make any of those claims.

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"class" haha HONOUR THE FIRE alex

― mark s, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

a) so? b) so? c) so? d) so? (This is pop music, not finishing school). Mind you I still like Dry better than anything Hole have done. Or I assume I do, not heard it in years.

― Tom, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"A PJ diehard thought he had the argument settled. "PJ does it better than Courtney because she can stay in tune and the albums have actual music on them!"

He hasn't heard Celebrity Skin then.

And I'm pretty sure I like that album more than I like Stories From The City, though I like To Bring You My Love more than Live Through This. Mainly because Courtney's idea of going mainstream (shiny corporate rock) is much more fun than Polly's (worthy singer-songwriter canon material), but Polly's idea of fucked (twisted blues sexily-sexless maneating diva) sustains my interest for longer intervals than Courtney's (brazen date-rape she-man whore diva - though this is also v. good in small doses).

― Tim, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Polly Harvey (a) writes her own music (b) plays her own music (c) can actually sing (d) conducts herself with dignity, humility and class. Courtney, meanwhile, cannot make any of those claims.

Yes, but the music is written and played by her BAND. She was in a band, you know. Where's the rule that says the singer alone must write the songs? Courtney has never claimed to have done (a) or (b) so that point is irrelevant EVEN IF one deems that writing one's own music and playing one's own music is important - and quite frankly, who does?

I love "To Bring You My Love" well enough, but "Celebrity Skin" is better. That said, if what I hear about Courtney working with Linda Fucking Perry is true, then PJ all the way...

(Yes. I only wrote this response because any excuse to slam Linda Perry is worth taking. Damn you, LP! You ruin Pink and now you're going to ruin Courtney)

― EdwardO, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(did we ever do Courtney vs Kat Bjelland?)

Courtney is, uh, entertaining and gives good interview, has better stories to tell. I don't think that much of her records, really. Never have. Apart from 'Teenage Whore', obv.
I actually think I prefer her as an actress/anecdotress. Like, inna way, a scuzzy Carrie Fisher.
PJH writes better songs, eg 'Rid Of Me'. But I just don't ever play her records anymore.
All in all I'll go with Love. Just so long as I have to listen to her music.

― DavidM, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Not saying I like her, but Courtney has been a rockstar's rockstar. A boorish bitch in every capacity. The subject of legendary stupidity. A loud, angry, passionate wench with no sense of etiquette or decor. People talk about her. Even if it is just to reiterate what a, uh, whore-like figure she is.

No one talks about PJ Harvey-- even in hip music circles!

But if yer asking who's the better musician... well, you don't need me to tell you.

― Manny Parsons, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

That said, if what I hear about Courtney working with Linda Fucking Perry is true, then PJ all the way...

It is true -- she herself has stated it is true. If it produces anything as good as "Let's Get this Party Started" it should be ace. Malibu worked better when I heard the handbag house version anyway.

I really love PJ Harvey's first couple of albums, but what she does now just bores me silly. Courtney, even when the music sucks, retains an obnoxious Neely O'Hara-esque charm.

So, I guess advantage Courtney.

― Nicole, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Courtney Love recorded "Northern Star" and didn't record "C'mon Billy", so she wins. By about fifteen furlongs.

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

id rather f pj

― chaki, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Yes, but the music is written and played by her BAND. She was in a band, you know. Where's the rule that says the singer alone must write the songs?"

There is no such rule. But in this case, Peej happens to be the songwriter (on the two albums I have, anyway). She's better than Hole anyway: better tunes, better singing, greater intensity. As a person, she's far more likeable than the headwrecking Courtney. There's something fascinating about the never-ending soap-opera that is Ms. Love's life, but as a musician and songwriter she's good, but limited. Peej wins.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Polly's foxier too.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I simplay canot subtract Courtney's awful persona from her music -- regardless of who wrote it and who she's playing it with. Courtney's music also lacks, for me, the element of common experience -- when she sing's, you KNOW it's her singing and her vast, elephantine ego informs the work (much like, say, Axl Rose before her), whereas Polly Harvey's approach -- while still disctinctive -- lends itself to a wider vista of interpretation. Polly's extracurricular shenanigans don't factor into her music quite as much, making its appeal more universal.

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

WHAT is happening to my spelling?: "caNNot" "sings" "distinctive"!

Apologies.

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You spelt "simply" wrong as well.

― Pedant, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Good lord, you're right. I need a drink now.

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Personally, switching from Billy Corgan to Linda Perry as one's collaborator of choice strikes me as a downward spiral that will eventually lead to warbling Diane Warren lyrics. On that front, La Court is doomed.

I'll always much rather PJ Harvey than Courtney any day -- they're both goths in the end, of course, so theoretically I shouldn't have a problem with either of them. But honestly I haven't listened to either of them in years...

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

PJ Harvey is okay if you treat her as a pop singles person instead of as a 'genius' - I think as a 'genius' she comes across as a fake, like Alicia Keyes. I like Courtney Love's music more because it's all obviously just posing rubbish, instead of supposedly being real torture coming from the depths of her soul. But can we talk more about the Linda Perry thing? Is she not the woman from '4 non blondes' who wrote 'Don't let me get me' or whatever Pink's single was? And is it not also true that Christina Aguilera and Pink had a catfight at a music awards ceremony about who she wrote the better song for? More trivia on this topic!

― maryann, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

chaki is OTM as usual

― John Darnielle, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

PJ - more material overall, better material overall, and is a better actress as well. Some of her more recent music is a bit dull, but she's still in development and will always be so, which makes her stacks more interesting the ms. love who is rapidly running out of steam. What's she actually produced in the last five years? I enjoyed Teenage Whore, Live Through This was okay(and her mocking of riot grrl was quite hilarious) but Celebrity Skin S U C K E D.

― Andrew, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Obviously Poly Styrene leaves them both in the dust, but PJ over Courtney any day. I just really dislike CL's voice, and her snotty attitude about riot-grrrl is pretty stupid (though entertaining).

― Justyn Dillingham, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

....they're both goths in the end.

Ned! That's brilliant! Where have you been all my life? Oops, gotta run. Gotta Ramones book to write.

― Jerry, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

*bows* One tries. It's a case of the Nick Cave vs. Jeffrey Lee Pierce battle once again, maybe.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick v. Jeffery? missed that one ... jeff must have won 'cause he's dead.

― Andrew, Monday, 15 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ten years pass...

I have to admit, I was waiting anxiously for PJ Harvey when Courtney came out to do her solo bit. And PJ's show was great - she was definitely the highlight of that whole festival for me. But I wish I had given Hole a chance back then, so I could have appreciated this performance. Softer, Softest is one of my favorite jams nowadays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1zaF0DEwpU

― how's life, Monday, 4 March 2013 13:27 (thirteen years ago)

10 years pass...

oh my GOD

i feel powerful nostalgic remembering a world where these two people were even remotely in the same league.

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Monday, 4 March 2013 13:46 (thirteen years ago)

(that time was a lot longer than 10 years ago, imo)

― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Monday, 4 March 2013 13:49 (thirteen years ago)

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