Reviews (page 5 of 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.
Pretty good. 7/10
Poppispunkia hyvällä asenteella. Yllätyin, miten paljon tykkäsin, vaikka ei mitään tajunnanräjäyttävää olekaan. 4/5.
Enjoyed this a lot more than the other Hold album on this list. Not bad at all
Very cool
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.
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.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. Deserves more listens, to be sure.
Good album. classic grunge. really strong start. will revisit a few songs.
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.
I surprisingly really dig it
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".
4.5
It’s basically a Nirvana album.
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.
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
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.
more than the front lady! A lot more. I had to go through twice to try to appreciate more things than I could at the first.
-Pretty Nice alternative rock. It's got a cool sound. Nothing mind blowing, but solid and engaging enough. Probably a lower 4
Good jams! I like the vocals a lot, and some of the songs hit super hard.
4.25
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.
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.
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 actually enjoyed this. It's not as good as it was in 1999 when I listened to it on repeat, but pretty fun.
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.
Solid 4. It does tail off a bit but its a blistering first few songs.
Ok, Courtney puede cantar, no lo sabía. Quiero darle 3,5 pero no se puede así que redondeado a 4.
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.
I listened. The album just sort of floated by without me thinking to much about it. Sounded good
Very good. Less annoying than "Live Through This".
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 🌟
Rock alternativo del grupo de Courtney Love. Un megahit. Está bien.
Bastante chulo, en general. Y como tiene mi hit Celebrity Skin, ahí le va un 4.
Enjoyed it
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.
Went down the rabbit hole about the drummer. Love the whole album forgot how heartbreaking it is.
celebrity skin by hole 1. celebrity skin- famous, movie sound track vibes 5.5/10 2. Awful- Entertaining, catchy, i like it, 7/10 3. Hit so hard- slower paced, feels like it’s missing something, still good though but not as good as awful 6/10 4. Malibu- second most played on the album, verse isn’t anything special, skipable 4.5/10 5. Reasons to be beautiful- not a fan, just talking loud with music really 3/10 6. Dying- quiet, different vibe to the rest of the album not anything i’d be dying lol to listen to, second half is better 4.5/10 7. Use once and destroy- not too bad, would listen to it in the background of something 6/10 8. Northern star- acoustic vibes, kind of forceful talking with a guitar, very much emo 90’s “you don’t understand me mom” wouldn’t listen 3/10 9. Boys on the radio- movie soundtrack again, quite tolerable not bad at all, would listen 6.5/10 10. Heaven tonight- happy, one of the better ones, relatively catchy, would add to my playlist 7/10 11. Playing your song- it’s too forceful like take a chill pill or something why they going so hard 4.5/10 12. Petals- last song, didn’t end with a bang, forgettable tbh, chorus is better than the verse 4/10 Average rating: 5.125
Very well rounded power pop
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
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.
a je dobar album, odličan, a pjesma Dying je savršena.
Rock independiente. Bastante bueno!
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
My first introduction to Hole and I loved it! I’m definitely going to check out more of their discography after listening to this.
Hole is a great band. Each song on this album is great. Great vocals, melody, and lyrics. Great alt. rock entry.
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.
cool
Very good!
4.5
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...
The title track and the first few off the top slapped. The rest of it was okay.
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.
A more influential album that I had realized - punk/grunge making way for the neopunk pop sound that would continue through the 2000s.
The second best Hole album :D
Not as good as the one Kurt wrote, but still pretty good
I really, really enjoyed this album. I recognize a couple of the tracks, and they really fit together in a lovely vibe.
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?
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.
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
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"
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
Again pleasantly surprised although probably wouldn't seek out
Grupo de Courtney Love. PunkRock femenino.
I do get it Kurt, I get the appeal. Raw, yet commercial. Interesting stuff for sure.
Ruhiger als die Vorgänger; melodisch; schön zum Laufen lassen
90´S
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.
Fun! Very 90s, could be on a teen movie soundtrack.
4
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.
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!
muito bom!
punk rock for sure. no song stuck out but it's not bad.
Starts strong, finishes blah. 3.5/5
This is about what I expected it to sound like. I liked it more than I was expecting. I'm honestly shocked 2 Hole albums have showed up on this list so far.
I’ve never been a big Hole fan…or maybe I should say I’ve never really been a big Courtney Love fan, and by virtue of that I’ve never really gotten into Hole. Im trying to listen to this record with an open mind, and I think it’s been long enough since Courtney Love’s public persona overshadowed the band that I think I can give Celebrity Skin a fair shake. It’s legitimately ok. I do remember that this record was pretty big in its day, so I guess I understand why it would show up on this list. And I could see how it resonates with some people. I don’t think it’s brilliant, but it’s ok. There are some catchy numbers, and I can appreciate that sometime Love actually sounds a little like Belinda Carlisle. On the whole though, I don’t think it’s something I’ll ever come back to; I guess I don’t feel like there’s really a ton of proverbial meat on the bones of this record, even if it wasn’t an unpleasant listen. 7/10
I can just *feel* the 90s essence in this one, like I'm an extra in a WB teen drama and this is being aggressively pumped out of the speakers of one of the lead character's second-hand sedans.
Celebrity Skin is missing the spark that Live Through This had. I mean, it's ok, but if I listen to Hole I want to feel angry and angsty, I don't want to feel like I'm listening to adult contemporary.
Thoughts before listening: I think that Live Through This is one of the best albums of the 90s, but Courtney Love as pop star/celebrity always annoyed the hell out of me. This album feels like Courtney's attempt at big poppy radio hits, and the hits are catchy for sure. However, I felt at the time that this paled in comparison to its predecessor, and I never owned it. Review: Yeah, its just not as good. There's a poppy arena rock sheen, which I believe is often credited to Billy Corgan's involvement in this album, and this did produce a couple ear worms in the title track and "Malibu". I also like Courtney's iconic growly yet melodic vocal style. There are a handful of good deep cuts on here outside of the hits, but for the most part, I am not that into the album as a whole. Its missing the punk edge that drew me to the Live Through This album. That one is a 5-star to me, but this gets 3-stars.
I can hear the influence of Smashing Pumpkins in this one. Courtney holds onto the angry woman singing nihilistic depression songs roughly and slightly flat a little too long on this one though... it needed a little more variety.
Pretty good
I gave Live Through This a five but I don’t understand why this is on the list. Some good songs but overall nothing special
- Zio. Boycotting. - The album is good melodic polished 90s pop-grunge. - Instrumentation is tight and clean, and the vocals fit the vibe, except it sometimes gets more nasal and off-key than I like. - I find that the album is front-loaded - for the most part, it's not as catchy after Malibu (plus Heaven Tonight). - When you click on Hole in the Review section, Wikipedia takes you to an entry on, well, holes. lol
Not really into this.
Moments that make you realize the people writing this book are full of it "Patty Schemel's drums smack and crash"...except Patty isn't playing on the album. Schemel did drums on the demos, not the album (that's Deen Castronovo). Not the first factual inaccuracy I've found in this book. Glad I didn't buy it. You can read it on archive.org, btw. Anyway, album is pretty ok. Maybe if I had heard this in high school I would have been into it.
C’était plutôt cool ! Un peu grunge, un peu pop… c’est très accrocheur au début, mais c’est un chouïa redondant, mon intérêt s’était pas mal réduit vers la fin. Mais je reste content de cette écoute !
fun to actually hear Courtney Love's band. pretty meh for me overall though
Some of that was pretty cool but start to all sound the same.
you can hear Billy Corgan influence
It's fine, I guess. Courtney's singing voice never really worked for me, and this album doesn't change that, though there are moments when she's ALMOST on key. Maybe that's why she's famous.... Not a bad recording, decent musically, and culturally Courtney has had her moments, so sure, an album one should hear before they die. I guess
Courtney Love deserves to be more popular because of her music and less popular because of her outrageous media persona. I had never paid much attention to Hole, but this album is a perfectly fine power pop record with several great songs and fewer duds than I would've expected.
Celebrity Skin might be the only work of Courtney Love's that I'm at all familiar with. She's much better than the tabloids laid her out to be. And it was unfortunate that she basically was in the musical shadow of Kurt. It's not my favorite piece of 90s nostalgia, but really listening to it has opened me up to other Hole albums. Celebrity Skin Malibu
Owned this album, and was probably the only Hole album I actually enjoyed. Celebrity Skin, the opening track, is. Great tune. Overall the album is ok, certainly my favourite Hole album, but probably only gets a 3 in the grand scheme of things.
Enjoyable - was expecting more punk
I like it when they skew closer to grunge/punk than pop/balladry.
Pretty good but still patchy as an album. Better than I expected. When they nail it, they really nail it. Where it misses the album kinda drags
ngl this is a bop
Grungey in a good way Fave track: Petals
Interesting at parts, nothing memorable though
Took two listens to get into it. There’s a few too many softer ballads in the first half, but it’s well balanced with grungier tracks like Use once and destroy and Playing your song. They probably had great live shows. 3
This was a nice trip down nostalgia avenue.
ok the main thing that strikes me about this album is that it feels like garbage (like, the band "garbage") but like. slightly underseasoned. yknow? like its just not quite there. maybe its that the production is a little too clean, maybe its i'm missing the grit of shirley manson's voice, maybe its just that there's no shadow the hedgehog ass songs on here. idk. but despite the sounds being pretty similar on paper, i definitely enjoyed this a lot less than garbage. that said i don't think its actually bad or anything. its a decent enough listen and there's a couple tracks i really do like a lot, especially "awful" and "playing your song", both of which got me humming along even on the first listen. there's good sounds to be enjoyed here. it's just a shame most of the album doesn't go so hard as this....
Honestly not my fave pop album.
This is a bit hit or miss for me, I enjoy one track and don't really like the next much. There are some good, chunky riffs but I'm not the biggest fan of Courtney Love's vocals, they're ok but at some points they're a little bit annoying. It does at points descend into butt rock a little bit for me Good, but not great Highlights: Petals, Playing Your Song
The title track opener is an absolute monster, but unfortunately the same energy and bite isn't sustained from there on in. Much of the rest is perfectly fine, but a little too straightforward and "radio" to grab me. Lyrically it's also a bit on the edgy side, but in what feels like a performative way.
Good
Courtney Love. I’ll be completely honest, and I know I’m not the only one who’s mentioned this. I only know her as the person who ALLEGEDLY killed Kurt Cobain. Very popular urban legend that persists to this very day. To find out that she was also a singer doesn’t actually surprise me in the least. It’s probably one of the main things that drew Kurt to her in the first place. Not only that, but they both happen to be prominent members of the Grunge community, as was very common in the 90’s, naturally. That’s when Grunge was really created, the Seattle Sound. Anyway, Grunge is one of my all time favorite genres, so I happened to find this album pretty good. Courtney has a great voice that lends itself to Grunge well, and the guitarist also understood the assignment. Billy Corgan, her first ex, was also a composer on this album, and you can really tell. That’s a little strange, but ok. It gives the album a signature sound. I’m here for that. Now, this is pretty much entirely an album of filler past the hits at the top, and I’m not going to fault it too much for that, but it does need to be mentioned. It’s an alright album. It doesn’t really grab me like it should, perhaps my slight reservations to listening to Courtney are too great. I’m just kidding, that has nothing to do with it at all. It’s just very repetitive, and a lot of the filler is very skippable. It’s an easy 3 from me. This is the first of 2 Hole albums I have rolled for this project. Favorite song was by far the opener, which was also the only song I recognized, “Celebrity Skin”. Even then, it’s just alright. That’s my biggest problem overall with this album. I am obsessed with Grunge music, and Courtney can definitely sing. So why does it not really do much for me?? I don’t know. It was fine. Nothing memorable but good enough to spend the day with and vibe out to it. Still very much a 3. But it’s a high 3. Would I return to it?? Actually, yeah. I think I would return to this. While it doesn’t blow me away, I still had a lot of fun listening to this today, and that’s all that really matters in the end.
I didn’t dislike it but it just wasn’t that great. Nothing stood out to me that a lot of other rock albums have done and they don’t do it better. Malibu was a good pop rock song. I also just don’t like Courtney loves lyrics, and the vocals are good. Northern Star is lowkey insufferable. Boys on the radio and playing your song are great. Good grunge
Way better than expected. Kind of very much a secret pumpkins record.
Mira que me caía mal Courtney, a la que veía como poco talentosa, aprovechada de Cobain y sobre todo con muchas ganas de copar portadas y popularidad. Sin embargo con el paso de los años mi valoración ha cambiado, talento ella y su banda sí que tenían, además de una discografía envidiable para cualquier banda. Aquí, el siempre difícil tercer disco, lo solventan de maravilla. En su momento me pareció un desagradable intento por rebajar pulsaciones para atraer más público, pero el tiempo lo ha puesto a un nivel muy superior a otros coetáneos. Algo parecido me sucedión con el debut de Elastica, que luego sí he sabido disfrutar. La inicial Celebrity Skin potente pero engañosa para lo que vamos a escuchar el resto del disco, da paso a devaneos melódicos de gran altura en Awfull y Hit So Hard. Malibu, el single más conocido del álbum , no es de lejos la mejor del lote. Reasons to Be Beautiful sigue ese camino, que a mi se me hace algo plano. Dying se queda a medio camino entre lo acústico y lo dramático, pero se agradece el parón. Use Once & Destroy vuelve al buen camino y destaca sobre manera Northern star, de las pocas en las que no interviene Corgan (compuesta solo por Love y Erlandson) , pero suena 100% a Smashing Pumpkins. Boys on the radio, tiene un brillo que podría ser una canción de Weezer. Aún así se me hace un poco larga, algo que no me sucede con Heaven Tonight. Playing your song sí que suena a Nirvana. Petals es un buen cierre para un disco que se alejó lo suficiente del Grunge para mantenerse a flote.
3/5
Good album. She is more fragmented that I thought. Nod to Billy Corgan for this one. 7/10 Top song Malibu
Solid album. CL is such a brilliant front person.
El buen rock
sommige liedjes waren goed sommige minder.. ik vind haar stem niet zo
Hole, I love. Celebrity Skins in one of my favorite songs ever,though as an album, it was just ok. It shoud have been a single, as my friend should
Celebrity Skin is an absolutely incredible opener, full of brash energy, and Courtney Love's presence is absolutely infectious. The rest of the album follows this more polished sound, but unfortunately does start to bleed into one
Knew the first song. Was Okay but probably won’t listen to the album again
I assumed I would hate this. I assumed wrong.
90's alt-rock in a single album. Perfectly serviceable for people who like it. The title track is THE song I think of when I think of Hole, though I can never remember the name. If alt-rock's your jam, this is a great album. If its not, it's still not bad at all.
Solid Atleast the music sounded different. 6/10
5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Enjoyed more than I thought I would. Almost, but not quite, a 4.
Back as a teenager I was always pretty critical of Hole due to all the rumours surrounding Courtney Love and Cobain's death, and Cobain writing Hole's songs. Apparently most of that was just BS, looking it up now. And in retrospect, a lot of this sounds like classic grunge/alternative from the era. Considering this was 98, it still maintains a kind of earlier 90s sound even while other Grunge acts like Stone Temple Pilots weren't sounding that grungy anymore. High 3, maybe a 4.
Fun record but nothing too outstanding
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
I just love Live Through This so much that this album doesn't really compare - bit too pop-y
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
Yeah, nah. Corporate Alternative Rock. Pretentious. Malibu is good but rest….
Decent sound. Not as good as the other Hole album.
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
I thought this was pretty good.
Was ok. 3.2
6.5/10
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
Nothing wrong with this. Grungey pop with nice melodies. Nothing remarkable but it passes the time.
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.
노래가 대체적으로 좋았다. The song was generally good.
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.
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.
Sounds so poppy- did she sell out? Regardless, way more approachable Courtney Love!
Very epic. Can see it influenced teen Jesus and the Jean teasers
Yeah, better then I think ....more better!!!!
I don't like American rock
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.
"I didn’t Courtney Love it, but I did Courtney Like it 👍🏾"
3.5/5
🔥🔥🔥
Courtney love you ain't that bad
+++
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
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
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.
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.
It was solid, just okay. 5.4/10
Perhaps I judged you too harshly
had a really good time with this actually. fun
Cool. 3
Belinda Carlile, sneering, cynical, wine drunk at a Chili's after a bad breakup. In a good way. 3.4
Good album.
okay only liked 1 sorg or two
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Pretty good, a little more of a pop rock album than I expected
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.
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
Pretty good grunge/alt rock album.
Wasn't bad, but made me feel kind of depressed after a whole album.
Not bad
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!
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
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.
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
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. ★★★
Good start, but tails off afterwards. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate 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
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.
I didn't think this was all that interesting. It's much less moving than the earlier Hole albums. It's too polished.
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.
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.
I didn’t love it. Stand-outs - Malibu - Petals
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.
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.
This was pretty good. Favourite Track(s): Celebrity Skin Least Favourite Track(s): Hit So Hard
Tiene esa vibra muy noventera, la verdad no estaba nada mal.
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
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
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.
🙂
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.
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.
neat
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.
Started off strongly, but… 1. Celebrity Skin 2. Boys on the Radio 3. Hit So Hard
Coolos, je connaissais Celebrity Skin qui est un peu chiante à force et le reste est dans la même vibe
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
I remember not liking the singles off this album because they sounded too polished. I’m glad I gave the whole album a listen. It was pretty good. Definitely polished but I don’t mind that now.
Definitely prefer Live Through This. Still good
i don't know if its 1/5 or 1/10 so i'll put out of 10 going foward 7.2
Okay but not a top 1000 Give me some Mudhoney if you want to include some subpop
Weirdly, this album does not immediately strike me as something that sounds like it was made in the late 90s (at least with regards to the songwriting). This kind of alternative rock was not really the direction rock radio was moving in 1998. Credit to Hole for sticking with their own stylistic taste and not trend jumping -- this album sounds like a compilation of 80s college radio rock songs, but supercharged with an ultra-hi fi production quality. Hole were determined to carve their own lane and there are a few great songs here, including the last handful of decent tunes Billy Corgan ever wrote. But also, you gotta admit there's quite a bit of filler here, especially on the back half.
Meh.
Not bad, imo
A very nice bit of post grunge from the band. I’m sure the Corgan songs helped sell it, but the songs the band did together are the heart of this album. Will return.
I like the guitar tone of Celebrity Skin at the start... but then the vocals are very upfront in the mix and I don't like that. I would like it much better if the vocals were more burried and the guitar was much more at the front. That is a big issue of mine with modern production. I wasn't too interested in the rest..
I think I like Hole now… but kind of peaked at track 1
I think I prefer Live Through This. This one is a bit too polished. Still, some bangers on here.
Started very very strongly but didn't really maintain momentum. Still, lots of likeable songs. Maybe a 2.7?
i think i much preferred Live Through This, but this is still such a solid 90's grunge rock album, i def love majority women bands.
These girls continue to rock, with some great grunge elements and a voice that pushes the music further. I wouldn't say this is as good as their other album on the list.
Most of it sounds the same other than the opening and closing track
Interesting, but not my type, sometimes dark, emotional and introspective
Back in their heyday I really didn't like Hole. Now it's somehow more palatable. I knew Celebrity Skin and maybe Awful, nothing else. Decent album.
This isn't bad, it just feels sort of toothless in comparison to "Live Through This." There's a flying apart, no fucks to give, anger that that album has, which has been replaced on this album with a sunny Cali vibe.
No longer reaching for the brass ring but already firmly in hand, Courtney Love gets Billy Corgan, a big producer, and a studio drummer to help her create the most radio-friendly and ready-for-masses expression of herself. She has never lacked ambition and Celebrity Skin is the band's peak. Sounding better than ever with more attention to craft and clean lines, it's the sound of Hole sold-out and bought in on the machine. No longer raw, but hollowed out to present an illusion of pure surface (celebrity skin), it's even more soulless than before — the band's name takes on yet another meaning.
Nice listen, didn’t do much for me in the first listen but grew on me after few listens.
So, I knew nothing about Hole. We played celebrity skin on either guitar hero or rock band. Celebrity Skin is pretty good but the rest of the album is just not that great for my listening tastes.
ого нирвана (2) чуть лучше прошлого но я все равно ненавижу кортни лав
The first songs felt very similar, but they had a nice vibe going. I really, really liked northern star, it had a different sound from the rest. After that song, the album takes a turn for the better Highlights: "Northern star", "Boys on the radio", "Petals"
Solid alt-pop, even ahead of its time a bit maybe. Not much that sticks with me on first listen.
It's like Nirvana without the stuff that makes Nirvana interesting, but also like Alanis Morissette but kind of sad and bitter instead of angry and spiteful. I feel like "a little too clean" is a criticism I give to way too many of these albums but she really could've benefitted from taking from her boyfriend a little. It's totally passable, and I really liked Northern Star because it felt like she was finally breaking new ground, but I feel like I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and struggle to remember anything from it.
Nice
Courtney Love y su carta de amor/odio súper grunge a Hollywood.
4/1/26. Feel like this is classic 90s and right up my alley. Giving this a full listen made me appreciate the band more; it's nothing crazy, but still a fun, loud listen.
This was a very pleasant album to listen to. It's not groundbreaking, but it does the alt rock sound very well.
Had mij niet helemaal mee, er waren wel een paar nummers die er bovenuit staken, zoals Malibu, Celebrity skin en Petals, maar bleef een beetje op mijn honger zitten bij een groot deel van het album. Het mistte in het algemeen een beetje die rauwheid en agressiviteit die in de nummers van Live Through This wel zaten. Favoriet: Malibu
"Celebrity Skin" has a lot of attitude, from its chunky riffs, aggressive vocals and distorted guitars. The punchy "Malibu" is a great song, and demonstrates the albums uneasy polish; it has generally tight, controlled production, which reduces the more abrasive elements of its sound, and has it sounding halfway between pop rock and 90s alt rock.
I played Celebrity Skin live with a cover band 16 years ago at my girlfriends request. We broke up three days later.
Really impressive and important album. Good music.
Much better than I expected. I was ready for something more "alternative" but It was pretty comercial and easy to listen to.
I’ve heard this before. Surprised to see this one show up since I think it’s their weakest album. Sorry to pull a music geek trope but I like their older stuff better. Not to say it’s a bad album. The songs are good, and they’re very clean. And the producer did some producer shit by replacing the band’s drummer with a session drummer and bringing in some other musicians, including Billy fucking Corgan, to co-write new parts to some of the songs, which is extremely insulting to any musician. Though certainly Courtney Love was involved in these decisions. So while I like this album I’ll be taking a point off for a band that came out of the 80s indie rock scene falling for this kind of studio interference.
Solid power pop stuff, although I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the earlier, grungier Hole album that we got a while ago in this challenge.
I hate how much I *didn’t* hate this :-|
i hear a lot of foo fighters and smashing pumpkins which is hilarious on both counts
Wel echt een hele sterke opening
A couple of good songs but kind of meh mostly.
Ugh I hate this band. Last record was so forced and predictable. I didn’t hate this one at all more polished. Couple good songs. Still hate her.
First track is really good. Not too many other standouts for us but the whole thing was an enjoyable listen.
The album is ok for me. It dragged on for a bit and I got bored halfway through and everything started to sound the same. I did very much enjoy a women-fronted rock band tho
Feminist rock, couple fun songs
It's nothing amazing, it's perfectly servicable 90s post grunge. I'm not blown away by any of the songs bar the opener. It's not bad by any means, just nothing special.
Eh. This was ok. I dig the title song, but the rest did not catch me.
Much more consistent than I thought and a few real bangers.
It was aight
It was fine, pretty forgettable
Enjoyed this album Classic grunge album, first time listening to anything by Courtney Love and I thought it was pretty good. Didn’t blow me away but I can’t say I disliked any specifics songs. I think the lyricism was the strong point of the album alongside vocals on some of the songs.
-celebrity skin is one of those songs you realize you know but didn’t actually know -learned that lead Courtney Love was wife to Kurt Cobain and I totally hear that in this -overall I like it but Love’s voice is really abrasive at times like Northern Star is both really good and also hard to listen to Fav: Playing Your Song
Decent 90s alt rock. I wouldn't mind hearing this on the radio, but I probably wouldn't actively seek out the album. Celebrity Skin is the top pick here
Surprised I didn’t hate it, but a lot of the songs kinda sound samey.
Live Through This is a way better album but somehow this album made the list
A reasonably enjoyable album, but clearly not as good as Live Through This. With Celebrity Skin, Hole renounced their former punk-grunge vibe, replacing it with a sweeter, more polished radio-friendly sound. But without the anger and the raw energy, their music just feels too generic, sounding like so many other mid-90s pop-rock bands. They're still competent artists with a real identity, and I did enjoy "Dying" and "Northern Star" ; but the album as a whole is already too far removed from their roots for me to really love, and some of the songs bored me. I doubt I'll listen again. 5/10
More of an area pop/rock outing for Hole on this album which has a couple of big hits and fan faves. Malibu is pretty much a Cure tribute while Celebrity Skin and Boys On The Radio still cut it.
"The drugs, they say, are made in California/ We love your face, we'd really like to sell you" Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 3 = 3.0 INTRO This was not the Hole album I thought I'd be seeing. Have most definitely heard this all the way through a few times, but it's been a while. I recall liking Live Through This a lot more, as this was a bit poppy for me at the time. but tastes change, so we'll see. I've known that Billy Corgan had his hands in the mix on this one with co-writing credits on a good portion, so curious to see how light the touch is here. I don't recall this sounding like Smashing Pumpkins at all, so ... THE TRACKS "Celebrity Skin" - Strong opener here, and I'm guessing the biggest hit from the album. Steering well away from the gruge sound and in some weird power pop, post-grunge but still squarely alternative sort of genre here. Hell of a kevel set for the album, and I recall at the time some people complaining about how mainstream this sounded. But is this that far from some of the radio friendly stuff Foo Fighters were doing around the same time? A more than solid earworm, and we're in and out in under 3:00. "Awful" - This sounds like a slow motion Blink 182 song to my ears now. Not necessarily a bad thing as that band knew their way around a hook. In case you were unclear on how poppy this was going to be based on the first track this one drives the nail in. I can't deny it's very catchy. Really only a bit in the last forth for a few seconds where we sort of travel back in time to the old sound, and then right back in to end strong. "Hit So Hard" - Pretty generic, yet pleasant enough one here with another drop in the middle that sounds like them reverting to their old sound, but briefly. This one's not making many playlists I think, but accomplished the task of keeping the ship steady. In another world I could imagine the Bangles having a much longer run and eventually doing something like this. "Malibu" - Remember this one being the best track. Down beat rocker uses the quiet/ loud dynamic between verse and chorus here pretty expertly. This is top tier power pop with hooks galore. I stand by my previous call. "Reasons to Be Beautiful" - A bit harder, and appears Hole has not shed its previous sound completely yet. Notably do not see Corgan's name on this one. Love's scratchy caterwauling is put to great use. A little more than halfway through and despite the harder tone, this is still catchy enough. Not quite a Live Through This outtake, but maybe a reminder that not all the rough edges have been sanded off yet. "Dying" - Slowing things WAY down here for this one. Starts quietly and builds to a mid tempo thing that hangs with the previous tracks, but just barely. Most generic sounding one of these so far, and could imagine this as filler on a Pumpkins album with some changes. "Use Once & Destroy" - This one is lacking the Corgan writing credit, but the instrumentation sounds the most like a pumpkins song to my ears. On the chorus the band briefly gets its own identity back. Still nothing terrible going on here, but I can feel the momentum from those earlier tracks slipping away. "Northern Star" - An Acoustic opening that picks up with some strings and very martial sounding drumming that come in later to try and give this a sort of epic feel. Doesn't quite work for me though. One of only two tracks credited soley to the lead guitarist. Interesting swing, but doesn't quite connect with everything else, and leans a bit too hard into the ponderous for my tastes. I can imagine late-period James Hetfield coming up with these lyrics. "Boys on the Radio" - Even more of a Bangle vibe here with an ear-friendly but of mid-tempo jangle pop. Close your eyes and imagine if Susanna Hoffs maybe had a 2 pack a day growl, and was way more into distortion pedals. "Heaven Tonight" - Even harder lean into that jangle pop sound on this one. Doesn't sound anything like the Cheap Trick song of the same name, but this would not be out of place as a middling track on an actual early Cheap Trick album. This one hits for me, even the electronic tremelo effect that comes in late I'm down for. Purest bit of power pop on the album so far. "Playing Your Song" - Then we dip back into a bit of rougher, older sounding material. Nice contrast to what came before, but find myself wanting more of that sugary ear candy. Fine enough. "Petals" - Solid downbeat closer that splits the difference between the downbeat rockers and the wispy, jangly tracks. HIGHLIGHTS - "Celebrity Skin" - "Malibu" - "Reasons to Be Beautiful" - "Heaven Tonight" LOWLIGHTS - "Dying" - "Use Once & Destroy" - "Northern Star" FINAL THOUGHTS Overall we get a slick, (mostly) polished version of the band which seems laser-focused on courting the charts, and which seems to have been pretty largely successful. A real radio friendly unit shifter even. I find it pretty wild that this didn't get a follow up until 2010. And was that really just a solo album branded as a Hole album? The equivalent of these touring cassette-era acts where there's one lone band member left using the name? I don't think it could be argued that this wasn't a professionally produced, cohesive sounding collection of hummable alt-rock. And the hits on this are still radio mainstays. I do feel like I might still agree with my old self that Live Through This is the superior album though. If we get to it. Surely that's got to be on this list, right? PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Drop "Dying", "Use Once & Destroy", "Northern Star"
ok, wife started dancing and singing along immediately-so it must have been popular
I just can't with Courtney, I just can't with this whole band in general. 3/5
I feel pretty similarly about this Hole album as the last one. I did enjoy the vocals a little more here. The riffs and rhythm section is really strong Liked Songs: "Awful" , "Hit So Hard" , "Reasons To Be Beautiful" , "Boys On The Radio" , "Heaven Tonight"
75/100
Reminiscent of every 90s teen movie. (12 songs, 50 mins)