Reviews (page 3 of 10)
Feels more like alternativ pop rock than grunge. Many of the songs are quite catchy, and it’s a good experience. It gets a little flat in the end, but overall a good album. Favourites: Celebrity Skin, Awful and Malibu
Quite enjoyable.
I love grunge, but I always lacked the ability to list more than a few bands. I need to lurk more for these 90's bands, and courtney's voice is wonderful on this record.
The title track was inescapable when it came out, turned into one of those classic songs that gets used for commercials and movie trailers. I kinda loved Live Through This to my surprise, this seems much more harmless in retrospect. Sounds more like a typical alt rock album, than it's previous grungier style. I woundn't have included this in the list. It's fine.
It was so so. Celebrity skin was okay but they 2nd half of the album lowk all sounds the same
back to the same, it didnt amaze me. it was good
Todo lo que escuché del disco me gustó, no sé bien qué taanto me gusta, pero lo voy a escuchar alguna vez más y veré.
Courtney had some issues to deal with, but the music was generally alright.
Solid, though it's a second Hole album in this ranking - one would've been enough, they're pretty much the same.
I just love Live Through This so much that this album doesn't really compare - bit too pop-y
Okay, so I actually know the first song and that was a nice surprise, as I didn't know it was Hole who sing it (I didn't really know who they were in the first place). Overall, not a bad album, it has that sound from popular songs at around that time, but it's a bit similar-sounding after listening to a few of the songs. Not too bad though.
Cool, bit messy though.
Starts with a classic. The rest pretty good.
Empezó muy fuerte con un Temazo y nunca bajó el nivel, que buen álbum
The epitome of a late mid 90's California Grunge sound, which is a shame because their second album Live Through This was so good (their first album is basically copying Babes In Toyland). I'm actually annoyed I liked this album in 98.
(5/7) was negatively disposed towards this as "whatever Courtney Love did" but actually found it quite enjoyable
Strong start so far; might be better than the last Hole album on this list I don’t love grunge/listen on the regular but I can appreciate it; good to have on in the background Reminds me of Charlie’s Courtney Love has a good voice Kinda wish I could give it a 3.5
I fucking love Courtney Loveee downnn but this album is just forgettable sorry. Some good songs tho
Incredible!! Glad to have heard this. Northern Star was amazing!! Underrated for sure.
Ni fu ni fa
Yeah, nah. Corporate Alternative Rock. Pretentious. Malibu is good but rest….
Go-Go sound with attitude
Decent sound. Not as good as the other Hole album.
Not as good as I remember it being but there are still a few great 90s rock songs in here. “Reasons To Be Beautiful” and “Use Once & Destroy” are maybe my two favorite Hole songs and them being on the same album is great. I think overall the less they stay in a major key the better they sound. The grunge instrumentation and production really favor a darker sound and it’s easier for the singing to match when the songs are angry and aggressive. Courtney Love has never had a cheerful voice and has also never been good at sustaining a note (Northern Star is almost unlistenable entirely due to this) so any song where she’s the real focus isn’t going to turn out great. Lyrically it’s a nice change of motif from the mostly male dominated similar songs of the time to hear something from a woman, but Hole has always done that so it wasn’t anything new. Courtney Love gets a lot of shit but Hole are good and I like them. This is probably my favorite album of theirs and I’m glad it’s in here.
Overall: 7/10 I've never been the biggest fan of Courtney Love as a person, but I'll always defend her as a musician and artist. Her music is great. Her voice is rough but there's a feminine beauty behind all of that. The songs may not be the most original or daring, but she does her style very well. I'll always recommend Hole to anyone who asks about them. Fav Song: Reasons to Be Beautiful
I liked this a lot more than I expected. Maybe I never gave Courtney Love a fair chance.
If Courtney Love wasn’t a junkie tabloid darling then latterly Hole may have gotten the credit they deserved for their musical output. This album has 2 or 4 weaker tracks, with a little trimming at the time it would have been a tight package indeed but there is still alot to like, I got Big Star with CL vocals on some of the tracks and the singles are strong. 3.7
A lot better than I thought it was going to be, having only ever heard the single which was on mtv2 rotation loads in the 90s. Interesting to learn that billy corgan had a hand in quite a few of the songs. You can really tell - there's some great tunes on here. Except northern star which is bloody terrible.
new favourite album krahh
I've always liked Hole and this has my favorite songs by them on it. I've loved Celebrity Skin and Malibu since this album came out in the 90's. I know and own Heaven Tonight because it was in the movie Never Been Kissed. This was very enjoyable.
First song is widely known. Never thought I would listen to Courtney Love but here we are. The rest of the album told me little.
meh
That was a good album. CHEERS! Hole went twice 4.0/5.0 wasnt familiar with their music
This sounds like accessible radio rock, except… it’s actually pretty good. I thought they’d be edgier in some way but this was still a nice surprise. Cool tunes well executed. Maybe a bit uneven but Use Once and Destroy and Boys on the Radio in particular were great.
Definitely an album of the time
This is maybe the most known album out of this group of bands that became famous in the 90s. The mostly women rock/pop/grunge/punk groups that wanted to tell the world they could write modern rock music while also doing drugs, getting into legal trouble and making their success out of anything except their musical talent. Almost 30 years later and this album still rings hollow, non-authentic, attention seeking and showing that they were torn between their "punk-grunge bad girl" identity and their incessant need to be in the spotlight. The songs are catchy and under 4:00 so they could get radio time and their lyrics are mostly "oh its so hard to be famous" Enough context, this is about the album.... Its ok I guess. The title song is still a banger and "Hit so hard" is overlooked imo.
I thought this was pretty good.
she killed kurt Boring and repetitive imho Highlight: Dying (kinda ironic, huh) and did I mention that she killed kurt 1.9
Courtney Love...this band would be so much better if she wasnt the singer, and if she just wasnt involved at all...matter a fact, it would just be a better band if it was a different band all together. #Nirvanasupremacy
Was ok. 3.2
Celebrity Skin is awesome... Awful was a decent second track... Dying was interesting... didn't get much out of the rest. Bad? No. Boring? Yea. Pretty straightforward 90s alt radio rock, with a chick who may or may not have murdered her husband leading the way.
Malibu is great and it has its moments, but not standout.
Really not for me. Trying to be open minded - it's definitely some people's idea of a good thing. It just feels to me like it leans very hard into something that felt trendy (in an alt way of course) at the time. That voice trends a fine line and sometimes that belt effect works quite well, but often I find it a bit grating
6.5/10
Favorite Track: Celebrity Skin
underrated classic, so many good songs on here "said he'd never ever ever go and heavens heavens heavens no, and he'd never ever ever go away-ay...baby i've gone awayyy"
Just one song that I like a lot. The rest are just ok.
Not for me, then again I’m not a huge fan of 90s grunge/alternative rock. It sounded like I was listening to one really long song.
Enjoyed this a lot!
Yea honestly not very good. Some good guitar works and everything. But I don’t like Courtney loves voice and it’s not very melodic.
Me gustó bastante. Me hace acordar a Oasis.
I like, gives me a bit of a chiller distillers vibe. Previously only really listened to live through this, this has less bangers but a big calmer
Not nearly as good as live through this but still pretty good
Track 1: heard this song before but never willingly, I do like it but it’s definitely carried by the strength of the chorus. 6/10 Track 2: definitely more replay value in this one compared to the first song, sonically very bubbly and nice undercut by Love’s harsh vocals that gives a nice contrast. 7/10 Track 3: shoegaze/dreampop vibes from this song that I think work very well, the guitars and vocals looping over each other creates a very trance like feel that I enjoy, 8/10 Track 4: seeing as the title track was the only song I knew from this album it definitely led me to believe this was going to be a heavier album than it is, with that being said I very much dig the mellow song writing and atmospheric production, with that also being said I do like this song a little less than the previous, on the spectrum of nirvana to Sheryl Crow this is a little too far on the Crow side (saying this as a Sheryl Crow fan). 5/10 Track 5: I like how this one’s more of a rocker but I will say that the guitars feel like they’re super far back in the mix and it detracts from the overall saturation on the mix, definitely still one of the stronger songs so far just based on a song writing standpoint. 7/10 Track 6: the reversed drum track is a nice touch, waiting for the rest of the band to come in, that was a little anticlimactic, just feels a little flaccid, still an alright song just wish it would pack a little more punch. 6/10 Track 7: question: can hole keep my attention for an entire 5 minutes? answer: barely. not a bad song by any means but this definitely could have stood to be cut in half. 5/10 Track 8: oooo acoustic, I don’t think Love’s limited range mixes well with the orchestral and theatrical production of this song, it sounds like she’s doing a cover. 4/10 Track 9: holy shit am I tripping or are all the songs on the back half all 5+ minutes, this one is definitely better than the last, strong chorus and an instrumental that suits her voice. 7/10 Track 10: eh it was alright nothing special. 6/10 Track 11: like the guitar effect, harsher vocals that I like, chorus could be better. 7/10 Track 12: good song, good closer. 7/10 Overall: 3/5 Favorite Track: Awful Leaf Favorite Track: Northern Star
this was everything to angsty teenage me... i can't be near you the light just radiates...
I haven't always loved the mixing on this album but overall it's really grown on me over time, visiting it now I'm really pleased
I would like to file an apology from teenage me to Cortney Love and the band Hole. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Good stuff, somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 but I'll land on the positive side
Ok
Listening session: june 26th, while chilling at home during the heatwave Listened to before: listened to a few songs before Thoughts: I like the grungy rawness of Live Through This more, but this album has some great classic tracks and Hole always makes me feel like an edgy teen girl living in the 90s Favourite tracks: Celebrity Skin, Malibu & Northern Star
no. Nipples though.
Celebrity Skin es una obra de arte atemporal del rock de finales de los noventa y un manifiesto sónico que ha envejecido bien gracias a su impecable equilibrio entre la crudeza y la sofisticación melódica. Desde una perspectiva de diseño formal, el álbum es una catedral de sonido californiano; las capas se entretejen muy bien, combinando ganchos melódicos con el toque alternativo para ofrecer una claridad de estudio deslumbrante donde la distorsión convive con armonías pop perfectas. El viaje a través del disco detona una inmediata total nostalgia al encontrarse con piezas inolvidables y enérgicas como el tema homónimo "Celebrity Skin" y la luminosa "Malibu". Sin embargo, el verdadero núcleo emocional se revela en la acústica e intimista "Northern Star", donde la voz es muy conmovedora y proyecta una fuerza y calidez que transmiten autenticidad desarmante, consolidando una autoridad superior desde la vulnerabilidad. Detrás del brillo de Hollywood y sus ritmos contagiosos, el disco es un documento conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un potente llamado a la conciencia sobre la alienación y la decadencia de la cultura de las celebridades. Posee una extraordinaria sensación de paz y fluidez estructural que lo vuelve idóneo para múltiples usos diarios, destacando con fuerza para acompañar el ejercicio, caminar o activar el trabajo creativo.
Nothing wrong with this. Grungey pop with nice melodies. Nothing remarkable but it passes the time.
vraiment bien, j’aimais déjà bcp petals, malibu et hit so hard. le reste est cool aussi, ça valait le coup d’approfondir
Incroyable. C'est littéralement le type de musique que j'entendais dans la voiture à la radio ou dans les vieux films. Désolé mais la mélancolie nostalgique c'est trop ma came. J'aurai aimé mettre 4.5 mais bon
Bon album, cool à écouter même si pas fan du style musical.
Overall Rating - 2.83/5 (5.67/10). This is another one of those albums that sounds exactly like the time it was recorded. It's very late 90s.
Just a good rock album.
노래가 대체적으로 좋았다. The song was generally good.
Really good alt rock album, though it did get a little samey towards the end. Personal favorites were Celebrity Skin, Malibu, and Use Once and Destroy.
3.5 rounded down
Would she have had a career if she weren’t married to Kurt? I suspect not, but don’t care enough to research. This wasn’t nearly as bad as expected.
Recognized the opening track immediately without really knowing what it was. Seems like quintessential 90s alt rock. That era after the peak of grunge where the sound was all an offshoot of that. This is a fine version of that type of alt rock. I’m enjoying it. There are a lot of catchy melodies here. Overall this feels like a solid 3. There’s enough here to be good and worthy of a spot on this list, but just doesn’t overly wow me. The back half isn’t as great as some of the better songs early on in the album, but it’s still solid. Comfortable with a 3 here.
Malibu remains one of the best songs ever. This album is raw, beautiful, honest, and a kick in the teeth.
I like it, don't love it entirely. It does prove to me that Courtney Love is talented and not entirely the tragic crazy figure I grew up to know her as. It's basically a sunny alternative radio record, both amusing and overwhelming. I have supreme respects for some of these songs hough it does take a lot out of me. I am tired (7/10, 3/5 on this scale)
I liked it, but not as much as I liked their other album from this list. It sounded less raw and more radio-friendly. Still a good album.
A couple of unwise excursions into balladry aside, this is pretty great. It's got the edge of grunge with a whole lot more melody and some nice bass sensibilities too.
Didnt liked it
I liked it more like soft rock
Then original Riot Grrl.
Sounds so poppy- did she sell out? Regardless, way more approachable Courtney Love!
Enjoyed it Standout songs: Hit so Hard Reasons to be Beautiful Heaven tonight
01) Celebrity Skin - 10,0 02) Awful - 8,0 03) Hit So Hard - 8,0 04) Malibu - 9,5 05) Reasons to Be Beautiful - 8,0 06) Dying - 8,5 07) Use Once & Destroy - 8,0 08) Northern Star - 8,0 09) Boys on the Radio - 8,0 10) Heaven Tonight - 8,0 11) Playing Your Song - 8,0 12) Petals - 8,5 TOTAL: 8,38 (84/100) Current ranking: 186/949
Very epic. Can see it influenced teen Jesus and the Jean teasers
Punk feel, girl power, drums/guitar/alt rock
MON FAVORITE. C'EST EXACTEMENT. Bien sûr, je l'ai écouté tant de fois, mais c'est toujours un plaisir de le réentendre..
Liked a couple songs, actively didn't like a few
Excellent album. One I revisit quite often. Courtney gets all the attention but great musicianship all round from Eric, Patty and Melissa. Love isn't a great singer in the traditional sense but the vocals sound great here and absolutely essential in defining that Hole aesthetic. The songs are well written and the production is great. Not a perfect album as the is a couple of skips but a very good one.
I'm already familiar with Hole and this album (I love the music from the 90s). I loved "Live Through This", but this album took me a few listens to grow on me. It's a lot more poppy and polished but there's hints of the grunge-y classic Hole sound throughout, not to mention the upbeat catchiness of many of the songs. "Celebrity Skin" is a pretty perfect song with a very recognizable riff that everybody probably knows. "Playing Your Song" is a song that could have been on "Live Through This". "Petals" is another one of my favorites: it's longer and darker-sounding, but it makes a good closer to the album.
Yeah, better then I think ....more better!!!!
I don't like American rock
Dribble. Mindless dribble.
Valid
This is really good. Markedly better relative to the other of theirs on this list yes, but also just flat out good. There’s a four year gap between this and Live Through This, so it’s just the band maturing in their sound. Maybe it’s not fair to compare to Live Through This, but it’s my only point of reference and it’s also on this list. Live Through This was noisy. This is much more settled in, a proper 90s rock album. The title track is a classic and a banger, the whole thing sounds like it should if you’re looking for 90s rock. No problems here.
Hole and Malibu Billy Corgan helped write Fine with hearing this album once every few years
Great! Had only ever listened to the title track - the rest is solid, with a few I've saved and will be digging back into! I much prefer the janglier end, the Billy Corgan-esque stuff just doesn't hit for me as hard.
Celebrity Skin Awful Use Once & Destroy Northern Star Playing Your Song
Celebrity Skin Dying Playing Your Song Petals
Mám radšej ich predchádzajúce surovejšie veci...
I knew like 4 songs going in. I like it, nice sounds. Can definitely hear the Billy Corgan sound on the songs he helped with.
"I didn’t Courtney Love it, but I did Courtney Like it 👍🏾"
It’s very 90s. Reminds me a bit of a grunge elastica. The title track, Malibu and Petals are great. The rest isn’t so bad either.
3.5/5
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.
🔥🔥🔥
Courtney love you ain't that bad
+++
Solid alt rock album, fun, good vocals and instrumentals. Would listen again. 4/5
Maybe it being shiny and plastic is a part of the bit: a commentary about shiny plasticism. Either way, I was put off a bit by listening to Courtney do anything but screech. But then I swung the other way.. the songwriting hadn't gotten any worse (maybe a bit less urgent) and the guitars haven't gotten any less oppressive (maybe a bit quieter.) Stevie picked up the pieces and went home, why shouldn't Ms. Love?
Super
Honestly, this was all fine. Just not for me. It sounded grungy and Courtney is an incredible performer but the music does not connect with me.
Certainly not a shade on the urgency of Live Through This, but still pretty glammy and shimmery. High 2s.
Doesn't offend
I was never a big Hole fan. Celebrity Skin was a hit and it’s fine. It’s basic grunge. This was my first time listening to the whole album. It’s fine. It vacillates between standard grunge tracks and more mainstream rock/pop offerings. I found myself thinking “this sounds a little like (band I like better.) there was a track or two that sounded a bit like the Bangles a couple that sounded like Concrete Blonde. 6.5/10
It never occurred to me that there was more than one Hole album anyone would be interested in. Evidently I was wrong. According to Wikipedia, "The band sought to use Los Angeles and the state of California as a unifying theme, and began writing what they conceived as a "California album" in 1997." Amazing! When inspiration strikes, run with it. Mind blowing ingenuity. Where do you get your ideas? Anyway ... I don't know whether this album is good or bad. All I know is that I don't want to listen to it. Not for me.
At the time, I wasn't a big fan of Nirvana. I thought others did it better (Mudhoney), or had more fun with noise and nihilistic rebellion (Jesus & Mary Chain). Maybe I just wasn't ready for my slice of the Gen X lineup to fade into irrelevance, but I voted No on Nirvana. And consequently, on Hole, which seemed to me to be very clearly a money+fame grab on the part of Ms. Love. Throwing Muses and PJ Harvey were infinitely more interesting as proto-Riot-Grrls, I thought. Listening to it now, the idea that Love's sloppy drawl is the equivalent of a radical feminist critique of anything is still laughable. Sorry... there are far better bands from the era doing the Rock of their time.
I really don't like her voice and I didn't find any of the lyrics interesting or clever.
If only the second half of this record had been like the first, I would have been able to move this out of ever-growing cluster of three-star reviews. I had never heard this album as it came out after I stopped listening to Hole but of course I was familiar with the opening track, which I've always liked. I was pleasantly surprised by the next few songs as they were stronger than I had expected. I'm not sure what I thought about this record but for some reason i thought it was going to be very slick. I didn't find it that way at all and had high hopes but the second half of the album became less and less interesting. Oh well, it was worth a shot.
A reason I love this project is listening in full to bands I thought I knew. I am off this era and never listened to this album. I didn't dismiss Hole but I didn't seek them out either. This is a super solid album. Diverse sonically, thematically interesting....I don't know if it goes in my rotation but I am happy to have found a new appreciation for the band.
Fantastic album. Never been a fan of Hole, but this album won me over anyway. Billy Corgan's influence/song-writing is definitely noticeable on several tracks.
For years, I've had a preconception that I just didn't like Hole. This record is great though. Clean production (it sounds SO good), really great songs and I guess if I look past the obvious problem of Courtney Love, it's good stuff. Favourite tracks: Celebrity Skin, Awful, Malibu, Reasons To Be Beautiful, Dying, Northen Star, Playing Your Song, Petals.
I'm realising from this list that Hole are a *lot* better than I was led to believe. Not quite as good as Live Through This but still a very very good album
Great album, some killer singles and the guitar tones here are fantastic. Has a bit of a lull halfway through but picks back up in the last few tracks.
Obviously the title track is a banger but I think I only actually enjoyed about 3 tracks on this
Didn't expect this change of direction from grunge to power pop / alternative rock. While still a decent record, losing all the energy that I loved from their previous project, "Live Through This" is not something I was looking for. As said, the group decided to change the sound for this album, having a way softer approach. There is no frenetic rhythms or riffs, there is no screaming and there is a lot of acoustic guitar. Have to clarify that the electric guitars, when they have distortion, can get very distorted, and sometimes Courtney Love does shouts, but never to the the point where it could be considered real screaming, at least not when compared to their previous work. What there is instead in this record is a collection of songs full of very decent and catchy melodies. The first two songs are the ones that shine the most in this aspect, as they are incredibly memorable. However, the rest of the album never reach those same highs. Thankfully it also never gets to the point where it becomes boring. When it comes to the energy, as basically most of the rocks album, it is primarily centered in energy and then it has its slow moments, like "Dying", "Northern Star" or "Petals", that add appreciable sentimental tone. So overall, I think it is a nice album. I might not be something I would anticipate from them, and I wish it had more attitude like their magnum opus, but still a decent experience.
I wrote off Hole when they came out. Definitely made a mistake. While this album was different than Live through this, meaning more poppy and accessible, it still had that Courtney live edge
I liked this! would listen again
The kind of rock you would expect in an indie video game from 2007 that you didn't like much, but played anyways because you wanted to be friends with your brother. 4/10
Really enjoyed this one, Love's voice continues to be great, good grunge sound that rivals Nirvana, first half was good, back half was even better.
oh yes
you know what fuck it. maybe need to start listening to hole when im upset instead of sad girl pop
It was solid, just okay. 5.4/10
Perhaps I judged you too harshly
Never listened to this before, but it's a pet fun record. Would be happy to listen again and may even go grab a copy
had a really good time with this actually. fun
Cool. 3
This is the second time I've seen Hole on this list and the second time I've loved the album. Am I becoming a fan?
Belinda Carlile, sneering, cynical, wine drunk at a Chili's after a bad breakup. In a good way. 3.4
Good album.
No skips. No flaws.
I liked this way more than I expected to. I was expecting something much more morose, but what I got was a compelling disdain that's much easier for me to connect with. Good music.
very good
Never heard of this band but I really fuck with this album. A few songs in the middle lose me a bit but the first 4 tracks + Boys On The Radio are my favourite.
Music so good I almost forgot Courtney Love is racist
Feels very 1998
okay only liked 1 sorg or two
Nej tack. Tonårsrock, inte min grej. Hade passat bra i high-school filmer från usa.
Su álbum anterior vs este son la perfecta demostración de la diferencia del grunge con el resto del rock alternativo. Y soy más del grunge yo. Medio "popeada" la fórmula de este album. Siguen sabiendo hacer canciones igual. E interpretarlas. 5/10
Could definitely hear Billy Corgan in some of these songs
Front loaded. "Reasons to be beautiful" felt like a real road bump, with "Dying" winning me back if only for a bit, since the following two tracks did not impress vocally, despite the instrumental and a few key moments of "use once & destroy" being great. "Northern star" really put me off, I think the extremely bright twangy vocal delivery doesn't particularly lend itself to an otherwise solemn acoustic track. The rest is unremarkable except for the great album closer.
yeah its ok i guess 3.5/5
This album is better than I remembered it. Great sounding and good songs. Courtney can't really sing, but that was never the point anyway.
Love or hate Courtney Love, this is an excellent album.
Pretty good, and also pretty same-y throughout. Polished with a lot of buffed out edges. It definitely sounds pretty dated to the late 90s/early 2000s. This is probably a better album if you have nostalgia for it, but I don’t. 3.2/5.
Drums drag. Voice is whining. Guitar is boring.
Well better then the last hole Album I’m still not a fan of country loves voice.
Had no idea it was Courtney Love. Banger after banger and her songwriting? God love. But for my personal taste, not a repeat.
Pretty sick
mid
Fine
Rockig, aber auf ne sehr langweilige Art. Da sollte nach Nirvana doch mehr gehen.
I expected this to be a lot edgier, it’s not that bad but it’s not really what I expected from a band that made Mrs. Jones.
Better than I was expecting, the title track si definitely the best one though, none of the others really capture that energy and sparkle and it kind of meanders and trails off.
𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘯 sounds like a post-grunge album that’s trying very hard not to get messy. The hooks are strong, the production is huge, and Courtney Love clearly knows how to carry a song, but the whole album feels strangely held back. For music that aims this much at drama and intensity, it rarely sounds truly dangerous or chaotic. That cleaner, more polished sound makes the album easier to get into, but it also takes away some of the edge I was hoping for. There are definitely good songs here, just not enough moments where the album really comes alive for me.
Good but felt too pleasant for the genre
No esta mal, eso si celebrity skin temazo
3/5
This is probably a 3.5 star album, i enjoyed the variety and the quality of some of the songs given an album I've never listed to! Will have to be 3 stars because it doesn't feel like a 4 star.
Perfect contrast of beautiful, jangly guitars and a singer who sounds like she's gargling acid
Celebrity skin - 3/5 Awful - 4/5 Hit so hard - 2/5 Malibu - 3/5 Reasons to be beautiful - 3/5 Dying - 2/5 Use once & destroy - 4/5 Northern star - 2/5 Boys on the radio - 4/5 Heaven tonight - 4/5 Playing your song - 3/5 Petals - 3/5
Familiar with Hole but not aware of any particular songs. Easy rock n roll album to listen to, I’ll possibly explore more of Hole’s music in the future.
Celebrity Skin sounds like what you would expect from a 90s grunge and alternative rock turned to a commercial sound would sound like. Very polished production (just in the nick of time before the digital loudness wars) and most of the songs are pretty good. The parts I didn't like were fairly spreadout through the album though the middle is quite nice and it ends on a strong note. The album song name is quite the earworm. People need to stop hating on Courtney Love for the dumbest reasons, some of which I'm sure is rooted in some form of rock misogyny about women frontmen (frontwomen? some college student will be the expert on this). She can entirely be her own person without her past lover who shot himself having any effect on her own musical ability. It's stupid criticism to bring up for a band that doesn't even sound like Nirvana, at least on this album.
Pretty good, a little more of a pop rock album than I expected
Kind of fire. Spin this one back
After discovering the brilliant ‘Live Through This’ on this list, I was actually disappointed to see this also on here. This is the Hole I already knew - the overly produced and much more commercial, watered down version. The early 90s rough and ready grungey stuff is just infinitely better. If Celebrity Skin had come up first it might have scraped a 3 because there is nothing *bad* about it. But now I’m all in on grungey Hole this just sounds like pop music in context.
Catchier than I expected. “Awful” and “Northern Star” are knockout songs.
Love a bit of Courtney fr fr. Heard a good amount of Hole before, but was my first time listening to this album all the way through. Really good! Some of the songs towards the end got a little shouty, but the mix of pop and grunge is very welcome, as opposed to just grunge. Everything in moderation I say x
Being an un-enlightened boy of 14 in 1998 meant following the prevailing thinking that Courtney Love was the enemy. She killed Kurt Cobain (a famous performer at the time), she only wanted to be famous (unheard of!), and she was just a bitch (self proclaimed, it turns out). But she was hot, so of course I watched their music videos anyway. But that’s the extent of my experience with Hole. So it was interesting to listen to this without that weird baggage (and I didn’t even like Nirvana!). This is a great sounding record. Good songs, fun hooks. Love’s vocals and lyrics about stardom and California are solid. And it's so polished and slick, by design, that it works great as an 90s alt swan
Stellar
This isn't bad per se. Just generic in-your-face rock that the grrrl scene at the time was doing way more fiercely. Again, I don't understand why is this considered an "essential" album. If you've listened to punk-ish grunge is the 90's, you've already listened this album. 3 stars is a generous rating.
God I want a cigarette so bad. Fav song: Petals
music for when you just wanna take your bra off and think about the ongoing California water crises
this album was so important to 15 year old me courtney I'm so sorry people tried to yoko you favourite song: reasons to be beautiful, use once and destroy
Some really, really solid alt-rock. Particularly enjoyed the more melodic songs towards the end. High 4. Boys On The Radio was my favourite track
Much poppier than Live Through This...maybe Courtney was feeling happier after getting away with murder? Kidding. She clearly just liked money. Hole and Liz Phair both went pop after their big breakthroughs. I like this album better. Malibu is good. You forget how good Courtney Love was based on how she is now. I'm really liking this, outside the singles this is a really tight album. It all sounds like Hole without sounding exactly the same. I am loving this album. I did not give Hole their due when they were popular. Great album, this was a surprise.
Better than expected. A few good songs, a couple not very good songs. The rest is fine.
uh this is fine? it's fine.
Honestly enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would.
3/5
Strong start then faded
Pretty good grunge/alt rock album.
Good album.
Wasn't bad, but made me feel kind of depressed after a whole album.
It was good. Not fully my style but I can see how people like it
Had never listened to Hole—good 90s rock.
Not bad
Damn! Did not expect this. Poppy indie grunge…love it! 4.
I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked Hole when first released. It was raw, melodic, and cool lyrics. And Courtney Love was so fun to watch. Throw a compact at Kurt Loder and Madonna? Check. Shoot heroin at Charlie Sheens house? Check. Threaten a reporter with Quintin Terentinis Oscar? Check. And her recent interview with Billy Corrigan requires one to wear a 5 point seatbelt because it is a wild ride.
I liked this so much more than I thought I would. Four stars!
This album started off strong but unfortunately because a lot of the songs sound the same they all started to blend together toward the end. Gonna be difficult to be memorable when that’s the case
Habilt
Börjar riktigt starkt med titelspåret och låter överlag bra. Stark 3:a!
Ett par igenkännbara låtar, men inte min grej
Kände inte till bandet men kände igen flera av låtarna. Kanon!
Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: Celebrity Skin I don't know what to write. I like this. I like the softer side of grunge - late-grunge, alternative rock, whatever. I got Garbage's debut studio album pretty early on on the List, and it took me a few listens to get into. Getting into this album was a lot easier. It's like if Alanis Morrissette or Liz Phair had a proper rock band. No complaints.
Loved it
So glad she decided to make some pop rock before sealing the hole. This album hits so hard.
I haven't expected to like this but did It has a nice mix of poppy melodies and grunge grit
Very likeable gloss to the evolving sound of Hole on this record. Some excellent power rock, songs with massive hooks but still enough anger to pack a punch. Ignore all of the noise around the making of the record, the songwriting etc, and just give it a listen.
Classic late 90s rock sound. Some great songs. Prefer the 1994 album! :)
Would give it a 4.5 if I could. Really really enjoyed the first half. Second half was good
Нічого незвичайно в цьому альбомі немає, проте сам по собі він не поганий, скоріше доволі посередній. Лише одна пісня мені здалася трохи кращою за інші
8/10 Didn't give this a listen back in the late 90s - I wonder why? Courtney Love had an odd perception, her celebrity overwhelming the music in many ways. But this is great - superb songs of tuneful punkiness, polished, yes, but still retaining a great energy. The supporting players - especially Billy Corrigan - really come through too
5 de 5 Álbum importante para el power pop y alternativo, que se caracteriza por adoptar un sonido más refinado y una producción pop pulida y glamorosa. Una carta de amor y odio a L.A, donde las canciones se destacan entre algunas melodías pegajosas y otras con letras agras hacia la fama y fortuna, también explora la súperficialidad, la búsqueda de identidad tras la tragedia, todo desde la perspectiva de una Courtney Love madura pero sin dejar de ser cínica.
I mean its alright like
okay
I dunno dude. Again, it was fine. But is it one of 1001 I had to listen to? 3/5. Average. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it.
This one's a banger through the first few songs, then starts to kind of fade. Not sure why Hole deserves two albums on the list of those I must hear before I die, but an argument can certainly be made to include this one.
I saw Hole touring this album at Glastonbury where Courtney Love came out wearing angel wings, a pink bra and tutu. They were great but somehow I've never actually listened to this album, perhaps unfairly I had always viewed it as their 'pop' or 'FM.radio' album. A song like Malibu I've heard a few times and always thought it was a pleasant, shimmering pop song but not as punchy as Celebrity Skin, but listening to it this time the emotional depth of it hit me. A friend of mine has been going through a difficult time recently and listenijg to Courtney's defiance as she sings "come on be alive again / don't lay down and die!", I got an urge to send this their way. It's not without it's flaws but it's very good and wish I'd delved beyond the hits sooner Best tracks were Northern Star, Petals and Boys on the Radio.
Not enough 90's angst which I think is what they're best at. Seems like this album was trying to be Nevermind or Siamese Dream but it's far from those
I've never heard a Courtney Love album before so coming to this after only knowing her reputation from feuds with other musicians (like Dave Grohl) was quite the surprise. This is some quality 90s alt rock which I am a sucker for.
Not their best, but a lot of what made them great is audible here.
It's a decent album, but I don't like her and I don't think anyone would know who she is if it weren't for Kurt Cobain.
Strong album.
Haven’t even thought about this album in probably 20 years but it still holds up.
Dated, but still enjoyable. ★★★
great hole album but the other one is so much more peak
I'm not sure exactly why I ignored Hole the first time around, except that I think I fell into a lot of of the "Courtney destroyed Kurt" hype at the time which I think has proven to be bogus and pretty classically sexist. I developed a deep love for riot grrl in the 00s and you can't really get deep into that without acknowledging her in some fashion. My friend Sparky was also dating Melissa the bass player at the time so there was jealousy 😂. Anyway, Courtney is a much better writer and rocker then she's ever really gotten credit for. This is a spectacular album and only misses five stars with me bc I'm not crazy about her voice all the time. But all of the songs were interesting. And I really need to listen to their whole catalog at some point.
Fun album that makes for an easy listen
Hits, followed by genuine fun. Not one of my favourites, but I feel a little guilt at not giving it full marks.
They are so cool. This is so cool.
Shocking for anyone familiar with Hole’s noise rock punk-infused earlier albums, but good fun nonetheless. It’s power pop with a punchy production filled with hooky rock anthems like the title track and “Boys On The Radio.” Right up my alley.
Good start, but tails off afterwards. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it
Just shouts
This is a really solid album, there are a lot of bangers on here as well as some catchy songs. It’s not as good as “Live Through This” though. What stands out to me here are the guitar riffs and the raspy vocals full of character.
Super! I like it.
Not a bad album. A little one noted throughout, but the songs are fine. A little more refined than some of the early grunge. 3/5 Might listen again
Greaaaaaaat! Superb
Very repetitive but with some tracks being catchy. Not the biggest fan of the singers voice for the most part and of emo kind of music in general.
Not bad at all 4/5
Really wasn’t familiar with them, and for some reason I was braced to not like this. I don’t think I would seek it out, but I thought it was fine.
A more commercial alternative rock is the general description of this third and final album by Hole. It's a shame, it does sound like it was one of the last puzzle pieces on building a sound that was copied and hashed out excessively over the course of the following decade. There's some respect for how the album was built, it feels artistic, though I feel terrible for Schemel, I don't think the effort would've suffered so much with her on the drums, but I wasn't there. Overall, it might not have been when it came out, but because of future context it feels aggressively mainstream, which was a lot less than I was hoping for this band. I don't know if I should blame them or cultural context, but it's not asking for another listen. 2.3/5
I didn't think this was all that interesting. It's much less moving than the earlier Hole albums. It's too polished.
Killer opening to an album and then just ho hum 90s. Would have probably given it a 3 but I need to force myself out of middle
Celebrity Skin kicks ass. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't hold up to the promise of that song. It's kinda boring, somehow.
Lacking in emotion and rather flat.
Pretty mid, not bad, just not excellent either.
Bra! Inte mitt favoritalbum med Hole men gillar ändå. Jag tycker kanske att det är lite väl tillrättalagt i produktionen. Jag saknar de slamriga gitarrerna och Loves råa röst. Celebrity skin är bra, Malibu helt ok men gillar Northern star bäst.
good stuff
I didn’t love it. Stand-outs - Malibu - Petals
It's got a few ok tracks.. I'll probably never listen to it again.
Really thought this might break my 12-ish streak of albums I rated less than 4 since it is the best album I've gotten since I gave Rumours a 5, but unfortunately its just not hitting me. One of those, objectively a 4, just not for me albums. Celebrity Skin is great, although a lot of that is coming from nostalgia playing Rock Band. The rest of the album is really good too, hitting that 90's alt sound that just works. But I don't know, its just not grabbing me. Probably because I do like Live Through This more, and probably because this album doesn't feel particularly cutting edge.
Definitely my kind of thing, was probably just a bit too young when it came out to properly appreciate it
I remember a colleague doing a cd copy of this for me when it came out. It seemed to have moved away somewhat from the grunge sound to a more melodic alternative rock in the style of Garbage. There are more arrangements with strings and so forth, Courtney Love had never sounded more commercial and tuneful.
I didn't give Courtney Love or Hole a chance at the time, if I had I might have liked it. Having said that my preferences have changed. The sound is distinctly of its time.
Apologies Courtney Love, I was unfamiliar with your game. This album was fucking fantastic, great songs, great melodies and just great everything.
3/10… grunge / whimsi goth / *1998
This was pretty good. Favourite Track(s): Celebrity Skin Least Favourite Track(s): Hit So Hard
It was a good listen. The songs are catchy and well-produced. It has some Nirvana sensibilities but also foreshadows the happy, skate-punk vibes that would dominate the 2000s. I liked the vocals, except for when they veered into pretentious wankery, such as at the end of “Reasons to Be Beautiful.”
Tiene esa vibra muy noventera, la verdad no estaba nada mal.
The polished pop over Love's seedy lyrics and this being a reflection of the polished appearance of California with dark truth beneath is a really cool concept, and I think they fucking nailed it. Last night, I mistakenly told my wife I hadn't heard this while album, but on today's listen, I do remember having listened all the way through and it being a "no skips" album. I don't know why this fell off my personal rotation, but it's going right back in. Northern Star is fucking incredible, and beyond what the earlier parts of the album led me to believe it was taking me ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Malibu is a great Sheryl Crow song. And Courtney Love's voice is powerful and gritty. But of all the alternative albums, why is this one on the list?!
My opinion of this record is summed up in the title of the second track. That was nearly an hour. Title track still bangs though
Haven’t listened to much Hole outside of the hits. The quality is pretty consistent throughout and a really fun listen. Strong 3
Pop rock con courtney love, me gustó. 7,5/10
I already knew them but i never bothered to listen, its super cute but i don't think i'll replay it again
A solid punky rock album. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I don't think it will leave a lasting impression on me. 5/10
One awesome song. From there, nothing extraordinary.
This took nine months to record?! How? Why? Bloated, so-called "alt rock". Alternative to what though? Very mainstream sounds. The only saving grace were some interesting lyrics written from the female perspective. Definitely prefer the first two albums - similar lyrically, much rawer musically. Contemporaries Bikini Kill and Babes In Toyland were infinitely better than Hole. Neither feature on this list, although Kathleen Hanna's Le Tigre do. Looking forward to that album - guaranteed five stars.
It’s got some good beats kinda repeats itself but it’s not bad
Better, and more pop, than I expected. Slightly hamstrung by the fact that the title track is so good it makes the rest of the album seem worse
Errrm, prefer babes in toyland
This is #day626 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's my second and last record from Hole. Honestly, I think Live Through This alone would've been enough. I get that Celebrity Skin is their most commercial record and all that, but somehow, nothing here really stands out to me. Polished radio rock, if you will. "Petals" is probably the most memorable song. Otherwise, let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day627.
I recognized and like the first 2 songs. Overall good album and kind of reminded me of bad girl Gwen Steffani.
Been a bit since I've heard these songs, and I'm surprised I've heard quite a lot of them before. This is really fantastic grunge-pop, maybe even more so than an album like Nevermind. I think perhaps some Courtney Love bias may have played a factor in not giving these songs much attention the first time around. While the album has a great first half, but okay second half, overall this is a pretty good album.
Courtney Love will always have a special place in my heart as a Nirvana aficionado as a teenager and general advocate of women in punk. I stupidly didn’t pay attention to the album name and listened to the whole of Live Through This thinking it was my album of the day. I’m happy I did that before moving on to Celebrity Skin. They are so different and capture Hole from its darker, grungier side, to a more melodic pop punk take. How does one get her vocal cords? Being a chain smoker for 10 years? A deal with supernatural forces? Throwing a riot? Asking for a friend. On Celebrity Skin: this album is a lot of fun and powerful. I don’t think I’d be able to take it seriously from many other people. Hole will be a band I came back to, and this album in particular.
How did I get two Hole albums in a row? What did I do to deserve this? This one is just as mediocre as Live Through This. Only ok song was the title track, everything else just sucks.
Yo leí que Courtney Love bató a Kurt Cobain, así que como creo todo lo que leo le doy un 2 (igual, re genérico el album)
Pretty generic
This is such a vibe! Courtnley love is such like a great singer and makes great songs i lovee
2,4/5
First time I listened to the full album and was surprised that it was more like Malibu than Celebrity Skin. Was expecting more of the latter but it was still pretty good. Would revisit this.
🙂
🎧Liked this a lot more than I expected to!
I listened to this a lot when It first came out, but not sure it aged all that well. Some of the songs still hold up but for the most part it sounded dated.
This was very fun
Pretty good album. Alternative rock but a bit more on the poppy side. Mostly enjoyed the listen. Hadn’t really heard much from this band or Courtney Love except for the track Celebrity Skin. Musically I like it a lot. There’s something keeping me from a 4 though. Solid 3.5.
Better than Boston, but still not vibing too hard. A lot of music I listen to is derivative of both of them though... but harder lmao
Maybe the real reason Kurt Cobain shot himself was because he knew his girlfriend was the real talent
neat
A good, poppy alt-rock album! Good arrangements, plenty of hooks and lots of attitude
I was expecting different, but this sounds like pretty standard jangly-guitar slighty-disaffected 90's rock. Not too interesting, although I like her gutter punk voice.
Very solid album, better than expected
Interesting kinda rock. Didn't not enjoy
Started off strongly, but… 1. Celebrity Skin 2. Boys on the Radio 3. Hit So Hard
ohh yeah
très cool !
Coolos, je connaissais Celebrity Skin qui est un peu chiante à force et le reste est dans la même vibe
never thought I would say this... but I think I officially don't like Hole.
Obviously, I knew who Courtney Love is but didn't know that Hole was her band. Heard Celebrity Skin many times here and there, but didn't know it was theirs. This just to show the fuck I give about this kind of music. Quite surprisingly then, listening to this album was all in all a decent experience, although the boring/useless songs outnumber the interesting ones.
Κλασική grunge rock early 2000's. Μια χαρά, δεν μου φάνηκε κάτι ξεχωριστό για να προσθέσω. Reasons to be Beautiful