A newly released demo of PJ Harvey’s “Let England Shake” offers a rare look into her songwriting process.
The track begins with a loop of the vocal group the Four Lads’ 1958 novelty hit “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” which runs underneath her entire song. Although the song’s influence echoed in the studio version of the track, which became the title track of her 2010 LP, it was mostly in the rhythm of the percussion and guitar line. But here on the demo, you can hear Harvey singing along with the sample at the end. Another revealing moment comes when she starts playing along with the sample; it’s in a different key, adding to the chaos she’s singing about, and it foreshadows some of the dissonances of the album version.
The track will appear on Let England Shake – Demos, which contains early versions of the 12 songs that appear on the LP version of Let England Shake, which is also getting a vinyl reissue. When the album came out, it was a critical success. It won the Mercury Prize and Album of the Year in the Ivor Novello Awards. Both reissues will come out on Jan. 28. The demos’ release will also be available digitally and on CD.
The release is the latest installment of a reissue campaign Harvey kicked off last year with the demo of “Sheela-Na-Gig,” a song that later appeared on her debut album, Dry. She has subsequently offered vinyl reissues of each of her albums, as well as companion LPs of the demos.
VIDEOS
Just like he did on The Death of Slim Shady, Eminem is once again serving his STANS a wave of nostalgia with “Everybody’s Looking at Me.” The track is one of twelve featured on the official soundtrack that accompanies his documentary, which explores how his music has shaped and influenced his devoted fan base. Beyond that, it also reflects on the Detroit icon’s early breakthrough and rise to fame.
The film’s theatrical run may have wrapped up, but today Eminem officially released the soundtrack that goes along with it. The project is a blend of his classic hits alongside unreleased material. Familiar favorites like “Rap God” and “Just Don’t Give a F*ck” appear, while deeper unreleased cuts add something fresh for longtime listeners.
“Everybody’s Looking at Me” falls into the latter category. Rather than being a forgotten song left on the cutting room floor, Eminem built it from a freestyle with the same title that Funk Flex first premiered back in 2002. The original version featured Proof, though in this updated release, his part is absent, and Slim Shady comes through with two brand new verses.
The first verse remains intact from the freestyle, but what makes it even more interesting is the fact that a brief snippet of the track can be heard for just a moment on “The Kiss (Skit)” from The Eminem Show.
On “Everybody’s Looking at Me,” Eminem sounds like his old self at the top of his game. The song combines his signature dark comedy, sharp commentary on the music industry's flaws, and layers of clever wordplay.
To add to the nostalgia, the beat crafted by Dr. Dre instantly takes listeners back to the chemistry that has defined so much of their past work together. In the end, it is impressive to see Eminem rework this freestyle into a whole track that still feels high-quality and true to his legacy.
You can stream it below.
Quotable Lyrics:
Type who might throw his underwear in the trash and wipe his a*s with the American flag like Marilyn Manson (Ha-ha)
Updated Axl Rose
White vеrsion of Shaft, pimp slappin' h*es
Pull up like a Mac, jet black limos
Strеtch so far back, can't see the back windows
