Celebrity Skin

Easily Hole's biggest release (and their last), Celebrity Skin is a powerhouse alt-rock album. It's got everything you could want from a rock album in '98. It has bad-ass female power vocals, chunky riffs, meaningful lyrics, and all the attitude you can eat. It's a great album.

I've been waiting for this generator to give me more stuff like this. This is my groove, my era. I want to live inside the 90's and never leave. This album hits every level of alt-rock greatness and just demolishes.

A perfect distillation of that nineties sound, Hole were kind of alt / kind of pop, tabloid fodder lead singer / artist with integrity, cynical / sell out - holding all these contradictions together in the one hole. And accordingly, it’s one of the best albums of the nineties. It captures that mood so perfectly - disaffected rich kids, LA is so shallow but means the world.

Someday soon (possibly even while I'm still going through all of these albums), there are going to be serious arguments about either Courtney Love or Hole should be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I'm not saying her or the band will make it, but the two albums deservedly on this list sure make a good case for election. Both "Live Through This" and "Celebrity Skin" come close to being perfect for their genres and time. I find myself preferring this one, and not because it's more accessible. Courtney leans more into a polished pop sound (similar to what Liz Phair did post Guyville) that seems to suit her more. Some dissed her for that, suggesting she sold out. Courtney could never do right in her critic's eyes. As far as "California Albums" are concerned, I'll put this up with the Beach Boys, Eagles Byrds and Doors similar conceptual albums. Maybe by the time she and Hole are eligible for the Rock Hall, voters will judge Courtney on her musical contributions and forget that she had anything to do with killing Kurt Cobain (allegedly, don't @ me).

Solid but middle of the road, probably unnecessary for me to listen to prior to my ultimate demise.

Awful, Northern Star, Reasons to Be Beautiful are all excellent. Northern Star is the masterpiece I can’t believe I haven’t heard before.

I had no idea Courtney Love’s music was actually good! I’d grown up just knowing she had a band and was married to Kurt Cobain but had wrongly assumed the band was trash. This whole thing sounds so full and the melodies are as catchy as they come while remaining powerfully aggressive. Love it!

Great grunge album. Not every song is a winner, but the ones that are bop.

Celebrity Skin is a great power pop album and an interesting way to depart from the grunge style from previous albums produced by Courtney Love's Hole. The changes in the line up and production style resulted in a album about California that works very well as a single theme record. Love's lyrics are at her peak, exploring themes of superficiality and sexism that fits very well with the California motif. "Celebrity Skin" and "Malibu" are alt rock classics and great late 1990s songs.

One of the staples of the "alt music with lead woman who sounds like she doesn't care"

Surprisingly good but nothing special

A somewhat uneven album, that doesn't quite contain the passion/angst of live through this and adds a layer of polish that dilutes the predecessors energy. Awful and Celebrity Skin are highlights.

Meh. I prefer "Live Through This". To me, it has a more raw feel and grunge was about "raw".

Kicks off very strongly with "Celebrity Skin", but gets a bit lost in the middle of the album. A good album and screams 'the 90s'

Aujourd'hui je remarquais avec satisfaction que le generateur faisait peau neuve, en offrant un classement des reviewers les plus populaires. Or, stupeur, ni mon camarade roblumière, ni moi, ne figuront dans ce top 10. Si il est évident de comprendre pourquoi rob ne figure pas dans ce top, étant donné la qualité minable de ses commentaires, ma non présence a fait l'effet d'une bombe dans le petit monde du générateur. Des émeutes ont été recensées à New York, Sidney et Bangkok, pour protester devant ce traitement infâme imposé par le Diktat de Robert. J'appelle tout le monde à garder son calme, nous allons tenter de trouver une solution pour palier à ce coup de trafalgar infligé par Robert.

Le chat persan ci-présenté a une jolie tête ronde et des joues bien développées. On notera cependant que le front paraît trop large et les yeux trop proches du nez, ce qui est un défaut que l'on trouve souvent chez les persans trop racés. Note générale : 3/5

I love "live through this". I always had to defend the album to my male friends. It's shrouded in some controversy, but it holds up. I remember being deflated when this came out. I could not have been any less into power-pop at the time. The singles just screamed "sell out". I never listened to the album. I'm shocked by it's inclusion and glowing reviews. It's not as bad as I was expecting, but there is no way a younger me would have like this. Way too polished.

Songs are good enough, but this album was made in 98 and grunge was already dead and this sound played out. It's all generic and been done already. It was fun to revisit/reevaluate the Courtney Love drama as an adult, I feel a bit more empathy for her in hindsight.

Not awful. But pretty generic stuff

Beavis: Check it out, Butt-Head…our 69th album just got generated. Butt-Head: uh-huh-huh, you said “69”. Beavis: oh, yeah, I guess did….heh-heh… Butt-Head: so, uh…what is it? Beavis: Uhh…69 is the sex number, Butt-Head…Jeez Butt-Head: I know what 69 is, dill-weed. What record are we, like, supposed to listen to? Beavis: oh…yeah, cool…I knew that…uh, it says we’re supposed to listen to Celebrity Skin by Hole. Butt-Head: uh-huh-huh…Hole. Beavis: yeah! and it’s, like, our 69th record, Butt-Head…Heh-heh…69…heh-heh-heh…Hole…Get it? Butt-Head: Whoa…that’s cool. This generator must know we’re, like, super cool badasses who like to score. Beavis: uhh…Butt-Head? We, like, don’t score very much at all. Butt-Head: Uh…speak for yourself, butt-munch. Ladies love the Butt-Head…Now go put on that Hole record, you wuss. Beavis: oh, yeah…sure thing, Butt-Head. [they listen to the record] Beavis: Hey, Butt-Head? Butt-Head: Uhh….yeah, Beavis? Beavis: Is it just me or does this record kind of suck? Butt-Head: yeah, Beavis…it sucks. She’s, like, singing about seeing God and stuff. Beavis: Yeah…singing about God sucks. This is lame. Butt-Head: We should, like, leave a bad review and demand the Generator give us a new album that’s, like, cool to listen to for number 69. Beavis: Yeah! This sucks! I want a refund or I’m gonna find the Generator and, like, smash it with a baseball bat…and then, I’m going to take all the pieces, gather them up and set them on fire! Yeah, fire! FIRE! Heh-heh…that’ll teach them to make us listen to things that suck. Butt-Head: uh-huh-huh…Breaking things is cool. Beavis: It sure is, Butt-Head…It sure is.

1/13 Great album with a real seedy, shady, Hollywood vibe to it. Standout Tracks: Awful, Dying, Use Once & Destroy, Northern Star, Playing Your Song

Great Album, her voice fits great to the music and there is not a single bad song on the album

Loved it.

This is exactly the type of rock music I adore to play live and to listen to. Heavy guitars, melodies, great vocal delivery, perfect runtime. The songs belong with one each other, they flow well from one another, and are all produced the same. Courtney delivers puts the lyrics to life, singing straight from the soul.

I still listen to this all the time, so yes, I could listen to it weekly.

Holes outstanding legacy in my opinion. Courtney Love kinda sucks but damn can she write some good music.

Nice album. Good songs. I really liked it.

I think imma give this one a 5! I like the sound of the band a lot, lyrics were interesting and I could see myself jamming to almost all the songs. The singers voice was really nice also

This album is great. I used to think it was the weakest of their albums, but listening to it now years later I think it is really strong. Definitely worth a re-listen.

Innovative

This is great. Have power, noise, attitude, all rocks in it. Just love it.

Never expected it to be so melodic... Loved it.

I liked this a lot. Never listened before because: Courtney Love Jingly jangly indie guitars rather than grunge, so that appeals to me as an indie fan, but also quite melodic, especially Malibu.

My second favourite album by my favourite band. I have loved Hole since I was a teenager and now in my late 30s I still listen to them several times a week. This album reminds me of being a teenager in the 90s and trying to pretend I didn’t like this album because Courtney Love had “sold out” and made a pop album but secretly I loved it. Listening to this album now still makes me dream about moving to California.

Really enjoyed Hole.

Legal. Divertido.

Ох. Ну и Кортни. Ай да молодец.

Stevig album met wat grunge-invloeden

Great

Una joya

Incredible late riot grrl/alt rock/power pop with so much energy and attitude and an absolute joy to listen through the whole way

- didn’t realize it was Cobain’s girl. - Good strong female punk vocals - Nice tempo - Malibu has a nice riff - excellent lyrics - solid rhythm’s - excellent distorted guitar, with very interesting riffs and melodies - Brody Dalle styled vocals which I love - notable: Malibu, Reasons to be Beautiful, Celebrity Skin and Petals

The vibe from the end of the 90's is nice !

I was already a fan of Celebrity Skin and Malibu, but this album outperformed my expectations. I really like it when Courtney uses her voice differently, like the power pop sound of Awful or the Kurt inflection of Northern Star. When I read that Billy Corgan had contributed to this album I knew I'd like it. This album is a gem. One question. Surely Boys On The Radio is an REM track? The lyrics are a bit too direct, but the sound comes straight from Athens, Georgia.

No doubt this benefits from a hefty nostalgia bonus - probably my fave Hole album! Fave track - the title track maybe? It's a fantastic album opener. "Northern Star" is great too....

This follow-up to Hole's best album 'Live Through This" is warmer, shinier and has what I imagine to be a Los Angeles feel. Every track is great. I don't understand the hate for Courtney Love but I suspect it has something to do with latent misogyny.

Trigger warning. This is a perfect album. With the exception of Smells Like Teen Spirit every track on this album is better than anything Nirvana recorded.

I wasn't into much music in the 90s (too young), but still this album feels like a great reminder of that era. This album had everything I wanted and more. Angry, badass, rocking female vocals and lyrics, great guitarwork, and a feeling of nostalgia. Hole didn't have enough albums for my taste; I wish they had stuck around longer, but I understand why they didn't. Some of my favorite grunge (even though this is less grungy than the previous albums) out there.

good album; this is one of the top albums that i had not heard previously

"Celebrity Skin" is the third and final album before Hole's 2002 dissolution. It was produced by Michael Beinhorn and purposefully a move away from grunge and noise to a more rock-pop. And, to me, is one of the best albums in that rock-pop category: great melodies and choruses throughout. The band was struggling writing and recording; hey brought in Billy Corgan to help with the arrangements. Courtney Love wrote all the lyrics which supposedly used California as the American dream as a theme. The Go-Go's Charlotte Caffey and Blinker the Star's Jordan Zardorozny also were contributors. The album went on to be Hole's biggest commercial succes. The title was named after a T.S. Elliot poem "The Wasteland." The album starts off rockin with their first single "Celebrity Skin" and a rippin' guitar intro. Great guitar melodies throughout. About fame and fickleness (autobiographical?). References from Dante Rossetti and Shakespeare too. "Awful" continues the great song run in a more pop way. Great melodies as well and a rockin' edge. A Neil Diamond reference! The song is about music's treatment of girls and has a killer line "If the world is wrong, yeah, you can take it with one song." Their second single "Malibu" continues continues the great melodies and lyrics about getting away from someone (Cobain?) and escaping to Malibu. The second half of the album does not dip in quality either. "Boys On the Radio" starts with an acoustic guitar intro and kicks into classic rock-pop. The song was supposedly initiated by Courtney's reaction to the drowning of Jeff Buckley and is about self-destructive pop stars specifically Evan Dando and Brian Wilson. Maybe my favorite song on the album and its most rockin' (third time used) is "Playing Your Song." It's most likely about Kurt Cobain and selling out. Courtney tears it up with screaming and searing vocals. I love the first side of Hole's previous album "Live Through This" but then I think it takes a slight dip. "Celebrity Skin" does not take a dip and is my favorite Hole album. It accomplishes exactly what they tried to do and is one of the best albums of the late 90's.

Pleasantly surprised by this. Catchy melodic grunge-rock. Interestingly, the vocal delivery in the slower songs reminded me of Lucinda Williams.

I loved this album. I love Courtney Love’s vocal style and lyrics. It’s got a raw honesty even if it’s sometimes hard to admit. I’ve given Live Through This a couple listens and liked it but this was truly amazing

I Am A Feminist.

When I got this album I said to my listening buddy, “I can sing you this entire album start to finish, without accompaniment” I loved it then and I love it now.

Je regrette que les gens laissent leur opinion de Courtney Love influencer leur perception de Hole. Les textes sont excellents, toujours d’actualité pour les femmes. La musique n’a rien à envier aux autres groupes de l’époque, vraiment de bons riffs de guitare.

muito bom!

Not quite Live Through This, but it's really quite good. I respect the ability of Love and company to read the room and do a tasteful pivot from grunge to late-90s alt rock in a way that maintains an edge. Some great hooks here too. Nice!

This album starts off real strong with "Celebrity Skin" and "Awful". It meanders just a bit imo into that 90s grungy sound, and then hits back hard with "Northern Star" and "Boys on the Radio". I'm overall pleasantly surprised, I did not expect to enjoy Hole, thinking they were just another 90s grunge band.

4

Fun! Very 90s, could be on a teen movie soundtrack.

Enjoyable, late 90's power-pop with grungey guitars and memorable hooks. I didn't pay much attention to it back in the day, but I might do it now.

90´S

Ruhiger als die Vorgänger; melodisch; schön zum Laufen lassen

I do get it Kurt, I get the appeal. Raw, yet commercial. Interesting stuff for sure.

Grupo de Courtney Love. PunkRock femenino.

I think I can admit, to my own shame, that it's likely I haven't really listened to Hole because of the patently sexist media narratives peddled about Courtney Love. Everything I heard made it seem like her music wouldn't really be worth listening to. Boy was I wrong. This is some grade A 90s alt-rock in the realm of Smashing Pumpkins, Breeders, and their ilk. It's particularly striking the way Love's lyrics about rage, desire, and inequity really speak to the unfair way she's been painted. The double standard is a damn shame, too, because this record kicks. There's some really lovely melodies and I even hear shades of Bruce Springsteen on "Boys on the Radio". Favourite songs: Awful, Northern Star, Boys on the Radio 4.5/5

This is just about the best radio alt. rock I've heard. Great melodies and lyrics from Courtney Love, all focused around California life. I haven't heard much Hole before this record, so I didn't have any expectations other than maybe this would be a grunge record, but I was pleasantly surprised at the big pop production of "Celebrity Skin". Fav Tracks: "Awful" and "Malibu"

To my surprise I really enjoyed this album. Not sure what I expected from my first listen to Hole but it is a great album. It seems much more power pop focused when I expected grunge. The tight harmonies brings a 70's focus to this album, it reminds me somewhat of some of girl some of the great girl bands and Fleetwood Mac vocals. The overall feel is more mainstream. It has peaked my interest to delve further into their earlier albums. Favorite Songs: Boys on the Radio, Awful.4 stars

What a powerful pair of opening tracks! You can really hear Billy Corgan's influence in this album. All the tracks work together as an album; feel like this could easily be the soundtrack to my life in the 90s.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, really interesting stories behind the band as well. Courtney Love -- front woman of the band -- was married to Kurt Cobain, but who influenced who?

I really, really enjoyed this album. I recognize a couple of the tracks, and they really fit together in a lovely vibe.

Not as good as the one Kurt wrote, but still pretty good

The second best Hole album :D

A more influential album that I had realized - punk/grunge making way for the neopunk pop sound that would continue through the 2000s.

Some high-mark grunge rock on this album. Courtney Love may not be at the level her husband was, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t rocking out in her own right. This album has Fuck You attitude all over it, and the singles are great to boot.

The title track and the first few off the top slapped. The rest of it was okay.

I was surprised to see 2 albums from Hole on this list. I never though Hole was that great of a band (still don't) and I don't think they made much of an impact on music. But there are so legitimately good songs on here...

4.5

Very good!

cool

I am glad that we were prompted to revisit this album. When it came out I was an angsty teen who had an axe to grind and perceived slights where there were none. I had a lot of, somewhat, unjustified notions about Courtney Love and immediately dismissed this album as selling out for its slick pop sound. Additionally, I had heard that she fucked over her long time drummer during the recording so I refused to give it anymore attention than the two hits on the radio constantly forced me to. My feelings about Courtney Love as a human being have not changed at all and, perhaps, have calcified but, though often disingenuous, her lyrical abilities are undeniable and I have grown to like the sound. I am not all that comfortable giving this 4 stars, but I am rating it after having already listened to the next days album and this is a hell of a lot more enjoyable than the Rolling Stones album which, spoiler, will be getting a 3.

Hole is a great band. Each song on this album is great. Great vocals, melody, and lyrics. Great alt. rock entry.

My first introduction to Hole and I loved it! I’m definitely going to check out more of their discography after listening to this.

From the satirical look at the cult of celebrity to orgasms and rehabilitation clinics - and that's just in the first four songs. Courtney Love really knows how to get the world bopping without paying too much attention to the lyrics. It is a testament to the alt-rock-pop sounds throughout this album. Overall a listen that takes you back to the sounds of high school teen movies from the very late 90s and very early 00s. Best: Malibu; Petals Worst: Dying

Rock independiente. Bastante bueno!

a je dobar album, odličan, a pjesma Dying je savršena.

Didn't know Courtney Love was actually a good musician. Power pop with post-grunge sound. You can tell she had an artistic vision with most of these songs, utilizing experimental sounds and techniques that I don't think are complete but prevent this album from having a reptitive sound which could be common among most power pop albums. The catchy songs are on the first side, but that doesn't make the second side any less impactful. Great vocals and great backing sounds that make this an enjoyable experience.

It's so good to listen to an album that sounds like the band really enjoyed when it was recorded. I'm really not sure if they were really into it, but the album sounds like they were. "Hole" is a band that I knew very broadly and, because of the 2 albums on this list (until now) I'm on the way to becoming a fan

Very well rounded power pop

Went down the rabbit hole about the drummer. Love the whole album forgot how heartbreaking it is.

shame i never really listened to hole much earlier than this as the whole way through i was thinking about courtney love smothering alan partridge in chocolate mousse. some good some bad. its better than a 1 hit wonder album so that deserves commendation because they do have one mega hit and not much else. the album is 80% listenable on its own merit. Mousse from a bowl is very nice, but to put it on a person is demented.

Enjoyed it

Bastante chulo, en general. Y como tiene mi hit Celebrity Skin, ahí le va un 4.

Rock alternativo del grupo de Courtney Love. Un megahit. Está bien.

This is a good album. Some great punk inspired guitar rock. The songs are a bit generic sounding and the tempos are pretty consistent from song to song. But the songs are good and the melodies are pleasant and enjoyable, and fit my ear. 4 🌟

Very good. Less annoying than "Live Through This".

I listened. The album just sort of floated by without me thinking to much about it. Sounded good

Though not as explosive as their previous album, Celebrity Skin shoes that Hole was one of best rock bands of the late 1990s. Courtney Love’s vocals are as amazing as ever and the music is solid.

Ok, Courtney puede cantar, no lo sabía. Quiero darle 3,5 pero no se puede así que redondeado a 4.

Solid 4. It does tail off a bit but its a blistering first few songs.

Don't remember this record being so good. Perhaps I never gave it a full chance back in the day, but seems really well balanced, not obnoxiously hard-edged or contrived in being hard-edged, but organically edgy and rage-y. Songs hold up as distinctive, too.

I actually enjoyed this. It's not as good as it was in 1999 when I listened to it on repeat, but pretty fun.

My initial thoughts were "do we really need another whole Hole album?" The answer, by the end, is I think it was worth it. Still hitting the mark for grunge rock that the previous did, though it feels a lot lighter, like they veered in the direction of some indie/alt-rock. While the last album seemed like female Nirvana, this is something different. A lot of great melodies on here, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, I might even go so far as to say I'm a fan of the band now. Favorite tracks: Awful, Dying, Celebrity Skin, Malibu, Boys on the Radio. Album art: It's a band photo, but artsy. I'm not big on black and white covers in general. Is that the Wicker Man behind them? No idea. 4/5

I think I enjoyed this album more than their prior even though it seems that one is more popular. I've heard Celebrity Skin before but don't know where. Malibu also stuck out. Really enjoy the late 90's punk feel. Sounds a lot like Smashing Pumpkins. Very cool album cover, looks like they are at some type of witch type ritual or maybe just the homecoming bonfire.

You can see where later acts like The Distillers caught inspiration. Courtney Love is wailing her way through all 50 mins and frankly it sounds really good. This is some solid ‘90s alt.

4.25

Good jams! I like the vocals a lot, and some of the songs hit super hard.

-Pretty Nice alternative rock. It's got a cool sound. Nothing mind blowing, but solid and engaging enough. Probably a lower 4

I just can't be bothered to write a review of this music. And that's exactly the mood I'm put into listening to this. Courtney couldn't sound more detached with a wish-I-wasn't-here sound. It's pretty easy to hear the Kurt Cobain influence in her style (or maybe he stole her style for his music?) Of course it's her sound, but I need a bit more spunk in my life before I try to go jump off of this building over here.

I couldn't find the "hole" album, but I love the song Celebrity Skin. Also, I'm uncultured... had no idea this was Courtney Love

This is a ripper. If all the songs were like "Celebrity Skin" and "Reasons to be Beautiful" it would be a 5 hands down. Some of the songs drag for me, and I was sick of the album before it ended, unfortunately.

It’s basically a Nirvana album.

4.5

I have a hypothesis as of now: Every band that releases "hardcore" or "heavy" songs will always eventually release "softer" and more melodic songs. Either it will work or not. In Hole's case, they did a pretty decent job in fully embracing the alt-rock sound in their final 90's album, "Celebrity Skin". I can hear the female led alt-rock bands in the 2000's in this album. It's okay, but not as good as their punk-ish "Live Through This".

I surprisingly really dig it

I really liked this album, although it dragged a bit towards the middle/end. Pretty surprised I've never been exposed to Hole/Spotify has never recommended them or any of Courtney Love's stuff to me. Will definitely be checking out their earlier stuff which is apparently grungier.

Good album. classic grunge. really strong start. will revisit a few songs.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. Deserves more listens, to be sure.

Hole has been one of the more pleasant surprises of this entire list. Never knew they existed! Never knew they were Courtney Love's band! I think this album maybe isn't *quite as good* as Live Through This, but I think the title track is such a banger that it balances out.

Back in the 90s I found this a bit of a let down after the great 'Live Through This.' Now listen to this album again. It's just a good alt-rock album that balances between the poppy sound of the era and the grunge of the previous album. It all sounds radio-friendly enough and I think that was the purpose of this album. You can clearly hear the influences of Melissa Auf Der Maur and Billy Corgan in addition to the songwriting violence of Courtney Love. Because of this, the album sometimes sounds a bit limping on different thoughts. But besides the somewhat slick and smooth songs, like Awful, which drag the album down as far as I'm concerned, other songs work a bit better, like Malibu, Reasons To Be Beautiful and the beautiful (and for me best song) Northern Star All in all a little less black and dark than its predecessor, and just a good rock album.

Very cool

Enjoyed this a lot more than the other Hold album on this list. Not bad at all

Poppispunkia hyvällä asenteella. Yllätyin, miten paljon tykkäsin, vaikka ei mitään tajunnanräjäyttävää olekaan. 4/5.

Pretty good. 7/10

8/10. I didn't care for the other Hole album I've had, and wasn't looking forward to this. But, I ended up quite liking it. 8/10 as a first impression, but I could see that moving around if I listened to this more.

I have good memories of the two hits of this album, Celebrity Skin and Malibu, I was 13 at the time and wasn’t aware of the Cobain connection nor the Corgan one. It wasn’t until many years after that that I learned about the hate Courtney caused and how this record was hated among the purists… well, I really liked it, I can hear Corgans touch in almost every song, this is a good record even if it’s above its bands talent.

I've only known Hole as being the band Courtney Love was in and had never heard a single song. I enjoyed it. A little repetitive and a little long, but I did enjoy that 90s alt rock feel. 3.5/5

Aside from the 90s nostalgia kicking in, I didn't quite realise at the time how much accuracy Hole were holding a mirror up to LA media culture at the time. Courtney Love's vocals aren't the best, but she kicks ass and it's great rock and roll!

Nostalgic

You have to suffer through Courtney Love but this is still an amazing album. Starts out strong but does lose some momentum towards the end.

Very good Rock (post-Grunge) album. This is a collection of very strong songs, expertly played and I was pleasantly surprised that Courtney Love can actually sing. 4/5

I was really not expecting to like this album as much as I ended up doing The riffs are well executed and the hooks work on each songs The singers voice isnt super annoying like some other ones we've had 7/10

Hole kicks all kind of ass on this album The title track stands out as a great riot sing a long song and Awful follows up with the perfect kind of 90's alt summer rock. Malibu is such a classic. Courtneys vocalization really kicks ass as she dives into those deep lows, a nice fuck you to pop queen convention. Love that wavy guitar work on Use Once & Destroy. Really killer instrumentation too - I have no idea where half those sounds are coming from. Courtneys vocals are really strong throughout the entire ride and Im a sucker for this era / genre which made this a really enjoyable listen. Standout Tracks: Celebrity Skin, Awful, Malibu, Use Once & Destroy

Still such a great album to this day. Great work Hole.

It’s easy to forget that Courtney love used to actually be talented

Great album. One of the first to oust Harvey W, good 90s album with female singer Courtney love

Defying all likely odds, 1001 gave me this album literally two days after the last Hole album, so Hole is definitely fresh on the brain and I was ready to hear this. The title track, Celebrity Skin, is just one of the best alternative rock songs of all time, and I'll die on that hill. It comes out of the gate with immense attitude and musical energy. That opening can be recognized in a second or less. The lyrics are deliciously edgy and delivered in that burn-it-all-to-the-ground way that Love personifies, analyzing what it is to be famous from a not-so-glamorous point of view. This whole idea of fame and the California lifestyle becomes a recurring theme on this album. Hole, again being a band that doesn't like to repeat their exact style twice, takes a much more alternative rock approach on this album, shedding most of the remnants of their punk and grunge persona from previous albums. This feels like Hole's most mainstream album, which may be viewed as a negative by some, but I don't think they don't suffer from it. All of the fury of their work is still there, just in a slightly different form, and sometimes not as overt. Again, Courtney Love, to me, is just a voice of an entire movement of angsty yet justified 90s women who were seeking feminism through their music. This album is no exception to that and is another great example of that era and corner of music history.

i always enjoy when artists change their general sound, and i love it even more when they can make it sound *good*! i had listened to their earlier album, live through this, as part of this project, and the two albums could be confused for belonging to two different bands! the reason i mention this is because of the pop sound here--it's such a departure from their grunge and punk. but hole does still incorporate punk-y aspects, and celebrity skin contains that great mix of punk and pop. hole has a lot of strengths, but their lyrics seem to be something special. i'm drawn to them in every song. love's vocals are perfect for the punk and grunge genres, partly because her voice isn't the clearest. she brings something great to pop songs with that voice! and i do like albums created around a concept: l.a., in this instance. definitely an enjoyable album and well deserved place on this list.

Muy buen disco de rock, con voz poderosa y riffs de guitarras muy identificativos como auténticos iconos.

While sounding a bit more 'radio friendly' than the 2 albums before this it still maintains a punk rock aesthetic akin to Courtney Love's songwriting style. I wouldn't say it's a show stopper, but paradoxically every song on here sounds great and fits within the over 'Hole' feeling.

Great stuff. Given that I grew up on alternative rock like this, I was honestly surprised that I didn't know about this album. But I suppose I can only blame one person for that: my dad.

Guitar rock from the end of the 90s: combo of grunge / power pop, with excellent songs that still sound fresh today. At the time I rated it as a 4-star album but close to 5 (that is, 8/10).

Never would have thought about listening to this album if it wasn’t suggested. I was pleasantly surprised. Pretty good 90’s grunge/punk straight up rock.

good stuff

Better than expected

Classic 90s album and such a triumph for Courtney Love.

I remember seeing this album for sale at Blockbuster when I was 11 and being too afraid to buy it. It was shelved beside Nine Inch Nails which I knew was too intense for my innocent child brain. I bought Counting Crows instead. It was a solid choice and I stand by it. But I do wish I’d known about the aching transformative powers of Hole sooner. I got there eventually though. This is a great fucking album. Not as good as Live Through This, but a strong foray into the newly pop washed late 90s for Courtney.

Very good grunge rock. Has one-two bad songs in the middle but overall very good.

Loved every second of the angst

Favorite: Celebrity Skin

Really enjoyed this. Great songwriting, really strong lead and backing vocals, guitars sound really crisp. Really strong pop/rock album with some 90s edge.

Ah, Hole, of Courtney Love fame, and for some of us, star of that late night TV show episode. But did I know her / their music? Hell no. Is it more polished, less raw than expected? Absolutely. Is that a good thing? Definitely. Some really polished tracks, have a listen, eradicate those stereotypes.

Solid late 90's sound. Corgans influence on several tracks stands out.

Good

Great

Good, girl grunge. Not good girl, grunge. I liked it.

For a first listen this album is pretty great. Heard some not so great things about the more you listen to it so I'll keep the amount I listen to Hole short and sweet

One of my favourite grunge albums. Courtney love is a anaimal.

Great album. Problematic figure but who knows.

liked this album better. probably because it was written by billy corogan

Pleasant surprise. Was expecting whining and against but melodic and enjoyable.

I had never listened to the full album before. I could see listening to this again.

I’m suffocating on the 90s of this.

4.0

The singing is not good at points, but overall its a decently solid alternative rock project.

My wife’s favourite band, I usually have to leave the room… I found this surprisingly palatable, it’s a strong start! powerhouse riffs, catchy chorus, nicely crafted pop/mosh music. I do find her tone like finger nails down a chalkboard though, she’s usually just dancing around the ‘correct’ notes, drifting in and out of tune. This album has not converted me, but it did surprise me. Didn’t expect I’d be able to get up to half marks but on the strength of the singles I can happily give this a 4.

一般般

This album rocked. Great grunge vibe throughout, coherent sound. Big ups.

Reasons to be beatiful is nice.

Tails off, bit samey

A bit poppy for me but title track and Petals were good. Also can hear similarity to Nirvana.

Extremely well-produced, competent album. The A-side was pleasant to listen to but didn't really make my ears perk up, while the second half became much, much stronger. On balance, not exactly patchy, but neither is it forgettable nor excellent. Solid 3.4-3.5. I would go gaga over a similar album that kept the sonic experimentation up for the whole length.

A fun album. Surprisingly heavy for 90s alt pop. Some songs stand out.

iconic opening track

Hole muito bom

Courtney Love, who woulda known huh? Not me cuz idk shit. But good sound imo

90-te alternativa, kortni love.

Good rock album.

Not too bad. 80's Rock chick

That sort of ok if semi-bland mid to late 90s American rock that you would find in every teen movie/tv series of the time. Nothing awful, nothing great. The kids hanging outside Todds in their black hoodies and pink hair would love it

Some nice late 90s rock with a great pop sheen across the top.

I don't think a list of 1001 albums for requisite listening before death genuinely needs 2 hole albums but there it is. My comments on the prior one are fine for this one too.

Some definite bangers

Not bad. Some fun songs but I feel like they all covered the same territory.

Pas vraiment ecoute, pas tro0 mon style et on dirait que ca vient d’une autre epoque. 3

“Celebrity Skin” by Hole (1998) There’s a lot of pain, frustration, anxiety, and writer’s block in these lyrics, as if Courtney Love just wants to get it over with. Here we have a superior poetic intellect that doesn’t quite succeed In reaching its potential. As a lead singer, Courtney Love’s approach to pitch is to execute lazy looping slurs, hopeful that the correct note is in there somewhere. It usually is. But I wouldn’t want to listen to this voice everyday. If I were forced to, I’d probably end up shooting myself. Very good use of rhythm electric guitar effects (chorus, sustain) that help stabilize an otherwise marginal performance. Very good drum work by Patty Schemel (or whoever). Nice production elements make some tracks rise above the barely listenable. This is competent rock, but not a classic. 3/5

Kinda fun although it falls off near the end. First track is great

Pleasant enough, but aside from a few tracks that caught my ear there is nothing here that is drawing me back.

Fuck Courtney Love. Best track: Celebrity Skin

Immeasurably better than the other Hole album we had, they are a lot more melodic and less shout.

I didn’t realize how many times I’ve thought “it’s too early for that dress” about someone over the course of my life. I liked this a lot more than I remember liking it at the time it came out.

A fun girl rock album. Great ripping guitars and angsty vocals. It didn't keep my interest the whole way through, but there's some good stuff on here. Favorite song: Celebrity Skin

This was pretty good. Feels like pop for edgier than average teens.

not bad

Probably a 3.5

Der var et godt nummer, mens resten var okay.

Better than I thought it was going to be, but did not do too much for me.

Well polished production and a very accessible, poppy, sound, make this a decently enjoyable listen. The tracks I have lukewarm feelings towards, are those that go aggressively heavy on the guitars and drown out a more subtle and pleasurable sound . It just goes too heavy on the teenage-angst that I am not keen on, but there are enough extremely catchy tracks that I have trouble getting out of my head. When it's more mid-tempo, with great hooks and a thin layer of aggression, I find myself enjoying this record. Standout tracks are Awful, Malibu and Petals. 3/5.

Mostly it was boring. The first two songs, however, left me wanting more. Celebrity Skin and Awful have been stuck in my head since I first heard them a few days ago. Awful feels like the perfect mix of angst from Nirvana and the production value of Smashing Pumpkins. For that, I'm rating the album a three just because I love these two songs so much. Otherwise, I find the songs to be boring and just more nineties songs. Highlights: 1, and 2.

First half be some playing need for speed on the xbox when your parents arent home vibes, second half has more variation but it gets grating towards the end. Solid album tho