Live Through This

I've never listened to Hole. Courtney Love is a complicated and polarizing figure and for that reason I've never really had an interest in her music. I should've just listened. This is a monster of an album and grabbed me immediately with its punk and hardcore inspired grunge. It has memorable lyrics, great musicianship, all topped off with Courtney Love's incredible vocal delivery. Hole is supremely talented and after hearing this, much preferred to other grunge acts of the time. I'm glad I gave it a listen.

hits hard

This was one of my favourite albums as an angsty teenage girl. So there's a big slice of nostalgia going on for me. It's great though- angry, visceral, the themes and lyrics are sharp and raw and dark, melancholic. I loved listening to female hard rock growing up, mostly riot grrl and later 90s/00s punk, and I guess Hole were part of a pioneering movement of women bands, part of 3rd wave feminism that normalised rage and writing about female experiences. Thanks for that Hole. And of course lots of really catchy loud-quite-loud grunge Nirvana-formula songs, melodic but raw. Courtney's voice sounds a lot like Brody Dahl (or rather, the other way around). Favourites: She walks on me - verses especially are driving, noisy, punk Rock Star/Olympia - I WENT TO SCHOOOOOL Violet

A revered contribution to grunge and punk rock, Hole excels at capturing listeners' attention with 'Live Through This'. Courtney Love's rugged vocals is the key ingredient amongst crunch guitars and tasteful drum patterns in producing a generous serving of the punk rock spirit. This record is critically acclaimed for good reason - like the CHBs it manages to effortlessly present, in a complete package of both energetic and downtempo tracks.

Much more amazing than I have it credit for.

For my money probably the best grunge album

Oh man. What an album. Surprised I haven't listened to Hole very much before, because this is exactly up my alley. Some fun history in this one: there were some (very misogynistic) allegations that Cobain ghostwrote these tracks and Love's response was that he was a better songwriter--so obviously they were written by her. That's a pretty iconic comeback. Also apparently the title was inspired by a phrase from Gone with the Wind. Have to love an American classic. Fave track: Asking for It. A feminist anthem for the ages. This album was so ahead of its time.

lesbian vibes. girl in red/clairo type beat. Nvm, it's rock. pretty spicy ngl :0

EXACTLY what I wanted and needed to hear today. Melodic, cathartic rage.

I’m a little ashamed that younger me had some sort of block in my head that convinced me that this band was lesser than the other similar bands I liked at the time and wasn’t worth checking out, because I love this now and I’m sure I would’ve then too.

I was busy during grunge and wasn't paying much attention. But when I think of grunge, I think only of the dudes and shame on me for that. This album is superb!

About time I listened to this. Courtney Love, infamous wife of Kurt Cobain (that some believe killed him(!)). I don't know about any of that jazz, but I do know that I enjoyed this album. It struck me immediately as a female-led Nirvana. Not in a bad way, as I don't think it's purely imitative, but it's got the same vibe. I understand why people speculate that Cobain ghostwrote some of this. I love the punk energy here, and it's very enjoyable with a female vocalist for a change. A good number of killer tracks on here (pardon the potential pun, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I swear). I also love that there's a track called Jennifer's Body, which no doubt is where the movie got the title, because this music sounds EXACTLY like that movie and what the characters would listen to. I enjoyed it overall. It's on the edge between a 7 and 8 for me, but I'm feeling generous today so we'll round up. Favorite tracks: I Think That I Would Die, Jennifer's Body, Violet, Asking for It. Album art: Definitely iconic. I've seen this plenty of times, it really captures an essence so immediately. I think Courtney Love sued (or maybe just complained about) Olivia Rodrigo ripping this aesthetic for something she did this year. Wouldn't surprise me, given how brazenly Rodrigo wears her inspirations, but c'mon, you can't be shocked when you make something that looks and sounds so memorable. 4/5

Was great!! WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOOL!! ....IN OLYMPIA!!!!! !m!

I've only done 2 weeks into this 1001 album list and I've had 2 Hole albums. That's definitely 1 more Hole album than should be on a 'Best albums ever' type list and make me lose some respect for the author... Thankfully, this is their one really good album, mixing bitter emotions and lyric with some great songwriting and production that manages to walk the line between raw energy and polish.

Although I had heard a lot about Courtney Love through the years, I didn't realise she had her own band. Heavy grunge reminiscent of the 90s with a strong female empowerment/feminist overtone lyrically, that as a whole was often criticised and mocked for being whiny and overdramatic due to the 'Riot grrrl' movement, would resonate with audiences today. Best: Miss World; Jennifer's Body; Doll Parts; Gutless Worst: N/A

this album fucking rocks. the lyrics are great

Fucking iconic! This is a landmark grunge album. Love or hate her, Courtney’s artistry is undeniable. From her furious primal screams on Violet to her heartbroken guttural wailing on Doll Parts she leaves no piece of herself behind. It’s all out there on this record, every raw feeling. And I fucking love every minute of it. Masterpiece.

Hole is raw and potent. Courtney has an excellent delivery, and the sound has a solid blend of diversity and cohesiveness that helps elevate the album experience.

Hi- Violet, Plump, Asking For It, Jennifer's Body, She Walks On Me, Lo- Doll Parts Just a week before the release of this album, Kurt Cobain's death rocked the music world, forever upstaging his wife while simultaneously inextricably linking the two events in history. Live Through This is a time capsule captured just before it all went down. A stronger opener couldn't be had: Violet gets right to business, with Love painfully daring you to "Take Everything". A common theme through out the album is being beaten down by the world, while at the same time projecting the image of perfection, balancing ever-rising expectations until one just snaps, as perfectly illustrated in Asking For It and Jennifer's Body. Musically, it's a timeless catalog of femme-grunge, with crunchy guitars, lilting vocals, and hard-hitting drums. Every track is unique to each other, but they share a common tapestry and is recognizable as Hole. The only "weak track" I can think of here is Doll Parts because it's very repetitive; but yet it makes sense and I probably wouldn't change a thing.

I’m very familiar with this album cover, having routinely see it on T-shirts, but I have never listened to this. A bit strange since I was into 90’s growl rock back in the day. Somehow I never worked a Hole album into the rotation. What I’ve been missing out on is some awesome 90s feminist rock. The omission is glaring. The songs snarl with enough hooks to keep me interested. And as I dig into the lyrics there is a lot to work through. This is a great album. I have listened to a lot of music that seems to have influenced and been influenced by this. I’ve had a Hole in my 90s music puzzle that is finally filled.

Did you know Courtney Love’s boyfriend has a band ? Yeah she wrote all of his songs though

Like so many other albums I've listened to, the opener to this album, 'Violet', is arguably the best song on the album. Courtney Love's raw, savage energy and vocal performance is inspiring, her shouts of "Go on, take everything" chill-inducing. Fortunately, while 'Violet' is my favourite track on the album, it's far from the only good one. The album oscillates between higher intensity, punk-rock driven tracks ('She Walks on Me' being one of the heaviest) to more mellow, introspective tracks like 'Doll Parts'.

I was actually pretty surprised I knew so many Hole songs. Very consistent sound, didn't feel much variation between tunes but it fits right in with the 90s grunge movement. Separating the music from the artist, overall it's a good album. Well put together, songs have good hooks, Courtney can belt. A bit angry which I can't get into at this stage in my life but I would have enjoyed before. She definitely cribbed some songwriting notes from Kurt, not that that's a bad thing.

I love carpet. I love desk. I love lamp. I love Hole.

I remember clearly how fashionable it was to hate on Courtney Love when she was in the spotlight in the 90s. I hate it when that happens; always seems to bring out the nastiness in society. That being said, I didn't listen to Hole back then because my interest in "grunge" was somewhat fleeting. There was some music in that broad category that I enjoyed, but after a few years I lost interest. I did my best, as I generally try to do with this interesting album-generator experiment, to clear my mind of the heavy biases and prejudices I knew I'd bring to my listening. It's pretty much impossible to fully erase expectations, at least for this flawed listener, so I admit I still expected on some level to dislike it. It's better than I thought it would be. I found the songs to be more melodic and layered than I expected (reading the Wikipedia article on it, that seems to have been quite intentional), the composition and performances are good, and my only main criticisms are (1) I don't always like Courtney Love's voice as the main vocalist. I'm not sure why because she can sing quite well. Just how I hear it, I guess, but I always have to allow for the possibility that my brain cannot separate the voice from the image of the person. (2) Many of the tracks sound too similar to each other. The album is not so compelling that I intend listening to it regularly, but for the most part it was enjoyable.

Thank fuck that's over.

Rock star is a tune!

A damn good album. Courtney Love has a pretty damn good voice. I never wanted to listen to these guys because she's such a dumpster fire of a person, but I'm glad that this showed up on my list. But this album should have been titled "Thank Heaven That Our Singer Is Married To That Guy From Nirvana".

I'm just as surprised as you are 5

Well shit, I wish I had given this a chance earlier. Love is in possession of the perfect vocals for what Hole is doing here. Such a good blend of both snarl and harmony in her voice and the band is so strong behind Love, blistering thru the entire album. Despite the heavy themes, Love sings with a playfulness at times, giving this grunge album a fresh feel, there’s humour at times too, Rock Star specifically. Overall really strong songwriting and personality displayed. Not a bad track on this one, really just fucking great. Upon reading of the tragic loss of bassist, Kristen Pfaff I learned that her replacement, Melissa Auf see Maur only came to be the replacement bc her roommate got in a fight with Billy Corgan after tossing a bottle at him at a Punpkins show in Montreal. Auf der Maur apologized for her roommates behaviour and this was the start of their friendship, that roommate btw became the drummer of the great Godspeed Black Emperor. Anyway, thought that was all neat. 5 stars!

Grung

At the time, I thought this was over praised in the wake of Kurt Cobain's death. And somehow in 2020, this album went from being previously ranked 467 to 106 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Greatest Albums List. I always wondered how this would have been received had it been released during Cobain's life instead. I like a lot of Hole's songs, including many on their follow up album. I'm not in the camp that suggests Cobain wrote most of these songs. Rather, I'm sure Kurt likely influenced and inspired Courtney Love. What ultimately matters is this is a great album. Unfortunately, listening to it reminds me that it was released one week after Cobain's death. It also brings back memories of rumors about Cobain and Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff carrying on an affair, and Pfaff dying two months after this album's release. And then I end up going down rabbit holes suggesting Love's involvement in her husband's demise. That's one slippery slope. I'll just focus on the fact that Courtney Love had a pretty good run while she was interested in the music more than the fame.

Hole is 2/2. What a great rock band and what a fantastic voice! The raw power gets you going and you can right away see what the live experience would be like. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Grungy and brash; I can't really explain my adoration for this style of music, but I really groove with it. Courtney has such a strong voice and intense presence, and even though I didn't vibe with every song, I still enjoyed the ride.

This album rocks! I never gave Hole a chance based on the anti-Courtney Love feelings in the mid nineties. Shame on in me. As far as I'm concerned, this is real grunge right here.

honestly pretty close in quality to ''nevermind''

3.7 - It's good but it's derivative - Courtney Love made herself a chick version of Kurt Cobain. Mostly, I appreciate her swagger - she sings with such a loose but ferocious intensity. And "Violet" remains a standout in the grunge rock canon. But somehow I can't shake the feeling that she's a scenester who wanted to be famous at any cost, and for a brief moment was able to channel that ambition to place herself and her voice in the right place at the right time.

I’m sure it was hard for Courtney Love to feel dismissed as a musician because she was Kurt Cobain’s wife, but I think this album shows she earned her own recognition. I don’t love everything on here but I do like a lot of it. It rocks hard.

UGH, I cannot stand Courtney Love's voice. I appreciate the musicality and feel of it, but I just can't take her voice at all.

2/5. Not great, but better than I expected given some of the reviews here! No real standout tracks, angry, mostly tuneless grunge without much to say really. Can't imagine I'll ever listen to it or any song on it on purpose, but wasn't offensive enough to give a one.

This Hole is a little sloppier and more aggressive than the other one on this list. …I feel like I’m missing a word in there somewhere. Oh well, proofreading is for suckers.

This seems to be a very angry woman shouting over what is otherwise very standard and very mediocre garage rock for almost 40 minutes. I skipped the seconds halves of most songs, and stopped altogether after half the album. So luckily I didn't need to listen to it for 40 minutes.

Some of the songs sounded like Phoebe from Friends, some of them were just shouting. Dire

Courtney killed Kurt and got away with it. She is a trashbag.

Not a fan at all. Her voice, imo, sounded awful

No

Not my jam. At all. Was boring and loud in my opinion.

Nah

I made it to "She Walks on Me" and that was enough. God I hated this album.

Ffs these are all muso crolitic wnkfests please for the love of christ send me something i can listen too

4.5 really like

Good 90s punk

The best of 90s punk angst

Great

100% jeugdsentiment, en een van de platen die mijn muziekale smaak voor een heel aardig deel beïnvloed heeft. En nog altijd vind ik het erg tof om te horen.

Kijk daar werd ik nu weer eens echt blij van. Typisch zo'n album wat voor mij in de vergetelheid was geraakt. Daarbij ook nog eens een van de lievelingsalbums van mijn lieveling

Lo amo.

Another proof that a little bit of melody can turn the angsty punk into an alt-rock beast. Released a week after Cobain's death and carrying a considerable amount of suicide references, I'm not surprised that this album created a buzz during that time. But whatever happened between Love and Cobain, these few things are clear: Courtney Love is a kickass singer, and this album can definitely compete in her husband's musical field. One of the best punk albums I have ever heard. "Feminist" punk that actually works.

Hell yeah! That angry female grunge/punk rock always gets me. It's a surprise to me how I've missed out on Hole, though, thinking about it, I realize I am familiar with the song 'Celebrity Skin,' but that's been the extent of my exposure. A strong start, with 'Violet' setting high expectations for the album. Love goes from the softer notes to the complete ear-ringing shouting so well.

I had forgotten how great an album this is. Love’s vocals are so strong, the music is dirty and raw, but often has a pop structure. This is a record to listen to from top to bottom. And it sent me off to listen to Celebrity Skin again with renewed interest, but that’s for another time…

I purchased this album back in the 90s, although I really didn't care for it much...I think I was trying to be cool or impress someone or something. Now and then over the years, I have revisited it, even as recently as last year, I think. I never enjoyed the album all that much...but today, I did. Maybe it is a result of this project exposing me to such a variety of new sounds that something familiar has an attraction or maybe I am more openminded or something... Whatever the case, this album really rocked for me today!

Fucking banger. I've loved this album since I was about 12 though...

I have a very well loved copy of this on CD; happy to dust it off and give it a spin today.

10/10.

I always forget how much I love this album but once I put it on it all comes back to me.

It seems to get overlooked because of the circus surrounding her but Courtney Love wrote some amazing music. This and Celebrity Skin are head and shoulders above anything, except Nirvana, that came out of the grunge boys club of the same era. Courtney's voice both literally and lyrically is the most perfectly punk of the era.

This album continues to be a "go to" for me. There isn't a track on here that I skip, and it was an album of a place and a time that was perfect for me. This was my introduction to Hole as a teen.

I did not have high hopes for this album after listening to Celebrity Skin, but I actually really enjoyed this album. It's more of the sound I was hoping for. I loved Courtney Love's vocals in this album. The lyrics and themes were pretty depressing, but that's part of what I liked about it. While it wasn't my favourite song, I loved the way that Rock Star started and ended, and it was a great way to finish the album. My favourite songs were I Think That I Would Die, Jennifer's Body, and Doll Parts.

Love it!

One of the top 90s records

raw, real, pure. stan hole hate love.

Good strong album

Really a great album. Had never listened to it much growing up and now regretting that I hadn't. 4.5/5

My favourite Hole album, grunge rock at its finest!!

One of the best albums of the 90s in my opinion. I feel like Hole's music gets overshadowed by people's judgements of Courtney - I didn't read the comments before rating in case I had to wade through a sea of sexist trash.

Peak grunge. Excellent

Good. Some pretty poppy sounding post-grunge that is enjoyable.

I like this album, thinking maybe 4 or 5 Star rating.

One of my favorites too bad Courtney love sucks

Goddamn Courtney Love is a great punk rock singer. Her dynamic range is insane. The way she instantly switches from "normal" singing to throat-shredding howl never fails to thrill. I don't think I ever listened to this entire album before. Too bad for me because this album is killer. Yeah, it's definitely front-loaded, but none of the latter tracks are bad and that last track is fantastic. Plus, the album has nice variety. I'm going on the record: This is my favorite grunge album. And it's not even close. Those grunge dude bore me with their grunting wallowing in self-pity. Courtney is righteously pissed and I'm so there for it. Also, "Violet" is one of the greatest opening tracks ever.

Fantastic album, punches you in the face, comforts you, then punches you again. Rocks really hard. Courtney Love's voice is so present, great lyrics, very enjoyable. Will listen again.

This record really holds up.

I had just started getting into grunge when Cobain died. Shortly after, when I was 13 this album came out. Despite the fact that it was produced and announced before his passing, Love got so much heat for releasing it. It's a fantastic grunge album that had so much influence on me as a teenager girl.

Still one of my favourite ever albums, and in a world where I am constantly trying to listen to stuff new to me, it's one of the few records I still regularly return to. I don't care so much that Courtney is so divisive, this is just an excellent and timeless record to me. Really hits. The fact the record is imbued with tragedy, the deaths of Kurt and Kristen occuring so closely to it's release is undoubtedly part of why it stuck with me as an impressionable teenager, but does not explain why that stick has never wore off well into adulthood. The fact this album has come up in the week we just got the prognosis of my partner's cancer and the full scope of the battle ahead brought into stark relief, is well.... fuck....timely. This album is pure catharsis. It's vital. It's necessary. No punches pulled, and yet all wrapped up in melody. The harshness is still there in the lyrics, but musically it pulls back from Pretty on the Inside's onslaught. I like that too but this balance makes for a perfect record. I don't really miss God, but I sure miss Santa Claus.

I already know so many clever political songs from this album, very curious to hear the whole thing! That was awesome. That felt like Rage Against the Machine levels of righteous fury. Five stars

Fajne

It took me an hour to go from "meh, too noisy and messy" to "god, I love this". Doll parts, the song I've known as Tricky's, sounds so fresh and powerful, I can't help listening to it on repeat. Oh, and the cover is a legend!

I think this is vastly underrated masterpiece of the era - lyrically, musically and thematically - Love and co really don’t get enough credit. From the urgency in Violet to the rose thorn rasp in Miss World - all have deep meaning in a genre where the voice of women is generally muted - while Love is confrontational while being vulnerable, honest and jeering at the same time. A great great record.

Courtney Love is my favorite grunge vocalist now haha what the fuck

A quite extraordinary album. Love is an underrated artist. If you thought male grunge acts had it bad, my god, their angst and anger was nothing compared to this. Raw, impactful, taking a stand and making a point. My new favourite band thanks to this project.

I’m quite excited for today’s album. I’ve previously listened to Celebrity Skin and thought it was fantastic, so I’m hoping for more of the same today. Fingers crossed! Songs I already knew: None Favourites: Plump, Jennifer’s Body I love this album. There is so much attitude, but without sounding the same all the way through. I adore Courtney Love’s voice - there is plenty of natural distortion there but without losing any melody. She reminds me of a slightly cleaner sounding Brody Dalle whom I’m also a fan of. The guitar tones of this record are fantastic too - the cleaner sounds are good, but when they crank up the distortion it is simply bliss. The lyrics to Plump reveal just how unchanged the media is now in regards to promoting unrealistic bodies. This is genuinely a timeless album and very easy to recommend.

love angry women who go rahhhhhh nyowwrrrr pow pow pow

This exercise has made me realize I'm a significantly bigger grunge fan than I thought. Insert obligatory comment about Courtney Love here. On the basis of this album alone, it was fantastic. Powerful backing instrumentals. Great voice for grunge. Ever topical subject matter. This album's got it all. Favorite track: Asking For It

Look, I get it. Courtney Love's voice can be a hard sell for some folks. Her riot grrl gone grunge aesthetic isn't for everyone. But it 100% works for me. The songwriting is razor sharp, the performances are in your face and unrelenting, and the production is peak 90s grunge. But the biggest selling point here is Courtney Love. Not only is her songwriting top-notch, her performances bounce between sweet crooning and ragged screaming. She refuses to let you get comfortable. And that's SUPER appropriate given the subject matter of these songs. They're not comfortable. "Live Through This" is a rare example of an album where the lyrics and the music are perfectly matched. It's masterful and I'm here for it. Full marks.

J’aime toutes les chansons de cet album. Elles ont toutes leur accroche particulière. Et je ne veux pas les réduire à un groupe féminin, mais leurs paroles ont saisi l’essence de l’expérience des femmes

One of the best Grunge albums and, in general, one of the best rock albums of the 90s. The instrumentation and the singing meld perfectly to create that quintessential grunge vibe. Not a bad song on the album. My favorites are "Violet", "Jennifer's Body", "Miss World", "She Walks On Me" and "Doll Parts" but no song on this album is lower than a 7.5 out of 10 to me. An easy 9.5/10 and sometimes it is even a 10/10 for me.

Lotta nostalgia for this - probably my fave Hole album... wait - I said that about "Celebrity Skin" when it came up 😆 Well, whatever. Due to a quirk of history I like Hole more than I ever liked Nirvana - didn't say that last time around! Fave track - "She Walks On Me" this time around - there are a bunch of tracks I love, though. "Violet" always hits home...

Kurt’s songs were awesome lol

my friend mahika is a big fan of hole! for good reason it seems. i liked it on first listen but i appreciated it a lot more on the second. lyrics had a lot of meaning. great sound.

An incredible album, every track was brilliant. Best tracks: Violet, Miss World, Jennifer’s Body, Doll Parts, She Walks On Me, Rock Star