Reviews (page 6 of 9)
Girl rock / grunge
I like the album art
I didn't connect to it they way I thought
Second best Nirvana album of all time? I'm very familiar with the singles off this, listening to the rest and it all sort of sounds the same, if I was into it at the time it came out I'd probably appreciate it more but listening now it's fine.
Pretty good 90s grunge-rock. Strong Daria soundtrack potential.
Hole immediately after Nirvana? I smell a conspiracy. At least, I hope that’s what I smell. Way better than I expected.
This is also … fine. A few more standout tracks for me than the Foo Fighters album I got yesterday (love the synchronicity, wondering if I’ll get Nirvana next) but overall not something I’m likely to listen to again.
Violet-2/10 Miss world-3.5/10 Plump-6/10 Asking for it-7.5/10 banger Jennifer’s body-4/10 Doll parts-
I gotta say I'm accustomed to women screaming at me so this album felt absolutely fine
A good grunge record
Wow. That Courtney love sure can sing
Good spirit. Slight lack of tunes.
I don't like the vocals. And I found the guitar more generic and not too interesting Edit Apr 2 2026: 2 --> 3. It has grown on me. I keep repeating to myself: YOU SHOULD LEARN HOW TO SAY NO
It's clearly very good, just that I don't particularly like to hear it.
It's a great alternative rock album. It sounds raw and original. Courtneys voice sounds good too, in an original way with fearless expression. But then.. one questions the true originality eventually. Maybe this is just another great Nirvana/ Kurt Cobain album. This detail unfortunately affects the listening experience through the album.
It seems like ’m giving everything 3 these these days. Didn’t like it but not bad enough to give it a 2. (1 is for absolute crap that shouldn’t be on the list.)
Eh
Good
Very solid album! 3 1/2, really. I just don’t really like Courtney’s vocals for some reason. Maybe I’m just.. biased against Courtney..
6/10
Preferred the other hole album but maybe it'll grow on me
Godmother of femi-punk
Miss World is a pretty great song
Reminded me a little of a vitriolic Patti Smith.Worth a listen.
Solid but nothing really blew me away about it
Violet's great! She walks on me is pretty energetic Its good! Not much to say about it, I like the vibe of it for sure
A pop album i expect kees to listen to. A mix of the start of the pop girl era mixed with heavy rock influence. I overall enjoy it a lot. For sure an above average album for me. The intresting sounds of the transision of rock and modern pop created a unique sound that has replayablility while standing on its own. Overall 3.5
Denk dat 17 jarige angsty Lalique dit leuk had gevonden, de Lalique van nu wil rust en stilte. Maar cool.
Interesting and punky. I can see how this has influenced punk of even today. Courtney Love has a powerful raw voice that is really unique. 3.5
*Good alternative 90s album *Definitely hear the Cobain influence- guitars are grungy at time and her vocals go hoarse at the end of a phrase/word *Solid musically but it didn't overly wow me
I enjoyed this more than I expected. Not crazy about her voice though
Interesting to hear some grunge from someone other than a depressed white guy
Rockin
Courtney love grunge voice 10 hours
Courtney Love!
Siempre prefereí a PJ Harvey, Breeders, Throwing Muses o Sleater-Kinney, y junto a Hole, L7, Babes in toyland, etc. Muchas de ellas metidas en el saco de las Riot Grrrls. Pero Hole nunca me dieron mucho más. Tenían como Elastica el hándicap de ser la novia de un lumbreras como Cobain (Justine era la de Albarn). Un disco grunge o como quieran llamarlo, con buenas canciones y melodías, con una Courtney que acaparó portadas, escándalos y protagonismo. ¿Referente? Para mí , no. creo que hubo muchas otras antes, después y sobre todo con mayor talento.
Can anyone tell me why Courtney is so angy? Big chunks of this are bad, but in the deliberately bad way grunge kinda was.
This was the perfect album for what I was feeling today. Favorite Songs: Credit in the Straight World, She Walks on Me
Definitely not as strong as celebrity skin for me but still awesome. Def felt more like a pearl jam album then like a smashing pumpkins album. love her voice tho
Violet Doll Parts
Just what I expected - enjoyed this a lot
It's not the best album that Kurt ever wrote, but it's pretty good
Good, didn’t blow me away, but I still liked it.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Preferred its less heavy parts
3.5
Not much of a Hole fan but this album was really quite good.
Gear: 64 Audio Duo Artwork: 🥹👑👰♀️ Production: 🧃📻👍 Music: 😇👩🎤🖕 Ratinng: 🕳️🕳️🕳️(🕳️)/5
Doll parts
97/1089 a pretty cool angsty/grungy rock project. I really appreciate Love’s voice and how it’s incorporated very much like an instrument itself. I can see myself coming back to this and liking it more. faves: Jennifer’s Body, Violet, She Walks On Me, Softer, Softest, Rockstar, Doll Parts 67/100
90s rock. Lots of distortion. Female lead singer.
Pretty raw music, but enjoyable enough. Very of it's time and Nirvana-esque, which fits considering who was singing. Although I did not know of the relation when I started listening.
It's good. Very nostalgic. Would this record have been made without her being married to Kurt? Probably not. At least not this made this well. She's an opportunist who made the most of her opportunity. Can't fault her.
she’s not a woman of many words, but i appreciate her anger, its giving jumping on my bed playing air guitar with an over exaggerated side part and blondie posters on my wall
In the right headspace for it probably higher rating 3. Plump - my fav so far 4. Asking for it - Love 9. She Walks on Me - Punk as hell
okay but not for me
6/10 Needs a few more actual tunes rather than just bashing the guitar. But sometimes I just want someone bashing a guitar
Some cool oldschool 90s angst
Good in places , ok in others
um hell yeah violet has been added to favorites
This album is angry and classic punk rock. The vocalist is RAW and at times a little out of key for me. Definitely not my favorite punk album but not bad. Actual rating...3.5 Liked Songs: "Violet" , "Plump" , "Asking For It" , "Jennifer's Body" , "Doll Parts" , "Softer, Softest" , "She Walks On Me"
This was fine. I’m really not a grunge guy and I don’t love the vocals here but it was ok
Pas mauvais, un peu criard, mais pas le pire dans le genre
L'influence de Kurt est très évidente, c'est une bonne écoute!
I don’t feel like time has been kind to Hole. None the less this is a decent enough grunge album but I can’t help but feel that the songs lack melody and interest. I’ve picked this album up a few times in the past and this is probably the last time I listen to it all the way through.
Fine, a couple tracks that I remembered.
No private session used for Spotify. Courtney is definitely a polarizing figure, but I love 90's rock and, as always, I try to separate the musician from the music. Some classic 90's angry rock here, which is nice to hear from a female perspective, but also some crap songs showcasing Courtney's questionable vocal range.
When this album started out I immediately thought it belonged in the category of, “angry girl music of the Indy rock persuasion.” I truly enjoyed this listen.
Good album in the grunge era but don’t think I’d call it one of the best. Musically and vocally well done, but wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it.
Liked this more than I thought I would! Musically so strong/guitar foundation doing the heavy lifting. Not a fan of her voice/the yelling. Ultimately would pick Garbage over Hole (the band not actual trash)
A good sounding album that I can see being important/nostalgic to some people. I was a kid in the 90’s and never listened to it until I was an adult, and it’s okay. It sounds like heroin music, made by the heroin heroine.
I enjoyed this. Certainly more than I thought I would. Aside from singles, hearing Hole played in clubs, and Courtney Love’s presence in the media I hadn’t actually heard their music much at all. This is good though. Not sure how many times I’d revisit it, but I liked it. Raucous and energetic. Played with intent with a good production. I wouldn’t have even thought about listening to it were it not on the list.
Does kinda sound like Nirvana... Rockin otherwise.
It's holey
Not too bad!
Standout Songs: Asking For It Jennifer's Body I Think That I Would Die Rock Star
In the context of this list, I am not sure that this is required listening. It is a bit derivative. If you are a fan of this style of music you get your money's worth. It is a very well produced album, with some great songs. I feel like I'm losing what the star score even meas.
It’s ok
it was okay
3/5
Courtney Love has been so controversial off and on the stage, that it has affected how she and Hole and their work is perceived. Among the stories of her upbringing, youth, relationships, musical partnerships, deaths, arrests, rehab, and more, it's a mess conflated with industry bias against female rockers. But all of that is just noise, if you can separate the music from the person. I tried to just listen to the album. And I think it's undeniable that there is raw energy, expressiveness, and emotional lyrics. "Every time that I sell myself to you, I feel a little bit cheaper than I need too..." She rocks out hard, and I really enjoyed a number of the tracks, including Violet, Miss World, Asking for It, and Jennifer's Body. Major issue is just reliance on an overabundance of repetition in some of the tracks.
425/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
As raw and melodic as Nirvana. Top track: Violet / Jennifer's Body
Not my style but appreciate the passion and the effort
I guess it was easy for me to forget how big this album was and how strong so much of the material was. This was a nice reminder. I still don't love Courtney as a singer, but she was much better than some of her more shrill contemporaries.
Some great songs on here, particularly Violet although it’s not a great album on the whole. I enjoyed listening to it though.
Pretty good
Loud and in your face. Not as good as other Hole albums, but OK.
I can only describe this album as “Campy”. It feels like the epitome of the 90’s grunge era “I’m not part of your system, and you can’t define or label me” mentality. Instrumentally proficient and occasionally even interesting. Lyrics and vocals on the other hand, a bit one note. Overall good listen, feels like a Time Machine to Seattle circa 1994.
3 / 5 A few hot boys but overall not one of the A tier grunge albums
Hur fan kan den där fittungen Love ha två plattor med på listan? Bara för att man gapar, har attityd, visar brösten och knarkar kanske. En okej platta trots att man kan tro att jag tyckte annorlunda.
I wanted to give this a high ranking because there are a lot of good things happening. To say that it’s Nirvana except with Courtney Love as the lead would do both bands a disservice, because it’s clearly its own thing, despite being the same genre. It’s raw, maybe too raw, and her seemingly random screams took me out of enjoying it as much as I wanted to. But good overall.
Pretty kickass. Not my favourite sonically speaking but a bit does remind me of current girl rock bands that you hear like on 4ZZZ today, and some tracks like particularly She Walks On Me made me think of Amyl and the Sniffers. Asking For It could also be a modern song (unfortunately with that message always relevant).
This was good. Normally that half yelling style of singing really grates at me, but this album has enough interesting surrounds and melody to pull it off. It felt like what a lot of modern Australian bands are trying to be. A very solid 3.5.
Schließt eine Lücke im Grunge-Kosmos. Gut!
Some parts of this were really good, like plump and doll parts; the rest of it was alright. With a second listen, it might have ranked higher.
Live Through This Outside Nirvana, I don’t find Grunge to be a particularly interesting genre and as this does sit squarely in that box, it ultimately has limited appeal for me. However, Asking for It, Plump, Jennifer’s Body, Doll Parts, Credit in the Straight World and Rock Star are really good, and this is clearly a cut above most Grunge. Courtney Love’s vocals, direct, confrontational lyrics, pop nous and undoubted charisma and presence definitely set it apart, and when some of the garage-surf-pop influences come through it’s pretty enjoyable. On first listen this was a 2, but on repeat listens those points of difference came through and I enjoyed it much more. Not sure how often I’d come back to it, but I think it has enough about it to push it to a solid if unspectacular 3 🕳️🕳️🕳️ Playlist submission: Credit in the Straight World
Given the bad reputation of Courtney Love I assumed this was a bad band, which to be honest doesn't make sense at all. Truth is, this is a good album of 90s rock.
Lyrically, this album is pretty heavy. I can't speak for women as I haven't lived that experience, but putting those feelings into lyrics is very punk of them. Sound-wise, I thought this album was a standard 90s grunge album, but I think I was left waiting for a track that had more going on musically.
I enjoyed most of this record. I liked the performances and some of the vocals throughout the album. Favourite Track(s): Credit In The Straight World, She Walks On Me Least Favourite Track(s): Jennifer’s Body
The singles are, of course, all-time greats, but outside of those, Jennifer's Body, and Olympia, this one never really did much for me. I guess it's too raw to fit in with the alt rock, but too polished to really fit in with the riot grrrl albums that Love didn't really want to fit in with anyway.
It's like more in utero but with a female voice and a bit of the nevermind polish
I don't know if i'm just not a 90's / 80's music person or if this just isn't a great album, but I didn't vibe. It was OK
Her voice can get kinda annoying at times, but damn she knows how to scream. I liked how weird the lyrics were. “Pee girl gets the belt” is a particular favorite. Campy but still sincerely feminist. Guitars were great too
it is ok
Alright album. Bit too chaotic for my liking but a nice listen
Couple big songs. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it.
I wish I could give this a 3.5. It rocks pretty hard. 4* seems too much, but 3* too little. I will listen to this again
Going into this I had very little in the way of expectations, knowing basically nothing about Hole beside knowing who Courtney Love is, I just expected female Nirvana. And while there are certainly comparisons to make to Love’s late husband’s band, it would be a discredit to write them off as such. While the angst and raw energy is still front and center throughout the track list, there’s a real pop sensibility in the way songs are structured, and the clean guitars here and there help to break of the typical tonal monotony of an alt rock album from the 90s. I’ve always thought female singers in a punk context are better than their male counterparts, and I feel that extends to alt as well. While I would prefer the instrumentals on any given Nirvana album over the ones on this record, i honestly think I’d prefer Love’s vocals to Cobain’s.
I think I prefer when they went pop. I wonder how iconic this would be without the events of Cobain and Hole in 94, just another album maybe? Rock Star was my favourite.
Pretty loud :-)
This is a really good album. The production value and overall sound and feel of the record - the best manifestation of Hole so far. And Love is in the groove. She also mostly strikes a good balance between over the top angerfests and softer rants. This is also the problem with the album. Toward the end, the yelling seemed repetitive to the point that I began to care less about all the things she was singing about. It is hard to take so much yelling when it takes so little to understand the trappings of fame, fortune, exploitation, drugs, abuse, egoism, sexism, etc. Granted, she is experiencing all these things with much higher definition, but such is the challenge with art.
yeah it is okay
ok, good energy. bit samey after a few tracks. sounds of its time- grungy.
This is a good grunge record, but nowhere near the top of the heap. It’s nice to hear the influence of Cobain, but it didn’t really grab me all these years later.
This is neither an important nor interesting representation of grunge.
Conocía a Hole, pero la verdad es que apenas los había escuchado. El álbum tiene su rollo, aunque a primera escucha me sonó todo bastante parecido. Pero en la segunda ya me metí un poco más en lo que querían transmitir y en el estilo del grupo. Me despertó una mezcla de melancolía, tristeza, rabia… y ese aire tan noventero que se nota en todo el disco. La que más me ha gustado, sin duda, es Miss World. También me han gustado bastante Jennifer’s Body, Violet, Plump, Doll Parts y sobretodo la intro de Credit in the Straight World. Creo que le pondría un 6'5/10. No me ha disgustado, pero se me hace algo repetitivo por momentos.
Fun album, I really enjoyed the vocals.
5/10
- good stuff. crazy vocalist - “she lost her innocence, gave it to an abscess” is brutal but a sick burn. presuming interpretation as losing your virginity to a terrible man - goodbye ending is always appreciated
This is a big claim, but grunge has a very pleasant texture - like a flannel shirt I suppose - and for whatever reason, the bands with a female element (Hole, L7, Babes In Toyland, Sonic Youth perhaps) managed to get that across. Live Through This doesn’t have particularly great songs but it has a remarkable and timeless sound.
Interesting
This was my first time listening to Hole. I ended up enjoying it more than expected.
Decent grunge. 3/5
Love has a great voice, but the album itself is kinda forgettable.
Good
Better than expected, but a bit one note - above average 6/10.
One of the most successful female led rock bands of all time
Idk, Courtney Love is a turd. Good for what it is, but what it is ain’t good.
it's mid
Not really listened to Hole before but I know grunge isn’t my genre. Appreciate some of the themes of this album surrounding motherhood and being a woman in the music industry, but this is doing nothing for me. Not bad by any means, just not to my tastes.
Lol the song I enjoyed most was a cover, oop
Hole is a cool old school grunge/punk band and they are always pretty consistent! Overall it was a pretty big album but still good!
I had never listened to Hole and I have misjudged Courtney Love. All I really knew of her was from the media, as the wife and tormentor of Kurt Cobain, the Yoko to his John, the Blake to his Amy. Supplier of drugs and by by all accounts a bit of a state. Oh and by the way she was in some band. Well it appears she was in some good band and had a modicum of talent, both as a songwriter and frontwoman. Maybe she was a fucked up addict and possibly all of the above but I enjoyed this album. Fair enough it was a clone of Nirvana, but a good clone. I like the album art too.
My kids used to like this, so I am familiar, it was alright
The music is there. Her voice though, dragged out. She seems like she was wanting to be the female version of Kurt. Great heavy grungy guitar and solid bass lines. The groove is there for the band.
Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be.
3.5 for sure though… how hard is it to make it a 10 point scale i ask you
I was never a Hole fan during my grunge days, so I wasn't terribly excited to revisit this album. But after all these years later, the sound actually holds up, while Courtney Love's voice is nearly as grating as I remember. There's even a few more tracks beyond the hits that sound pretty great.
interessant, die Hälfte des Albums ist bekannt, aber irgendwie der Bandname nicht bewusst
Listened Before? Y I had this one back in the day. I liked it, but always wished it was a different album when I was listening - i.e. I wished I was listening to Nirvana or Soundgarden or L7... It's okay. It has aged fairly well but nothing I need to hear with any regularity. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Violet
Bien
3.5
More rock than alternative. Not sure what it wants to be. Too much rock and screaming.
another kat stratford album. not completely though!
Quite good 👍
Never listened to Hole before for some reason. Overall I liked it, though a handful of tracks are a bit too hardcore punk for my taste.
she haunts me
Repeat listen
lyssnat flera gånger nu. det är initialt mycket oljud pga skriksång. Musikaliskt är det rätt ok, men det går ändå inte riktigt. Det pendlar mellan 2 och 3. Men Det som är bra väger upp (tex doll parts). Men jag är inte sugen på mer.
I have fond memories of this album. listening to it now, it feels like bubblegum that has lost it's chew. it's still good, but it's nostalgia for me is fading. maybe if I was in the right mood.
Pretty straight down the middle 90s alt rock. Heavy punk influence tempered by radio play ambitions, post-grunge production with big dirty guitars, loud-quiet dynamics, personal is political feminist lyrics delivered by an alternatingly whispered intimate / screamed guttural vocal.
It's a punky one.
An important album from an inspired band in the height of the grunge popularity. The band deserve credit for their relentless assault on the ears.
Courtney Love was irritating in the 90s so Hole kind of passed me by …. but I liked it 👍
Are we getting a second Hole because it's Masters week? I actually like this album. And it seems even better by comparison to yesterday.
3.5 stars. Liked the sound overall, but none of the sounds were particular standouts. A little more raw than some of their other stuff.
I like the song "Violet". But I'm not into Courtney Love's voice and even less so her persona, so I have a hard time getting into the rest of the album. I think I would like the album more with someone else on vocals (but if it wasn't for Love's connection to Cobain and/or her brash persona I probably would never have heard about the band in the first place). It's interesting to learn that before Hole she at one time sang with Faith No More (!) and also to learn that Michael Stipe and Drew Barrymore are godparents to Kurt and Courtney's daughter.
Vocals are a bit of an acquired taste in their rawness. Musicianship is strong. Highlights:"Violet" (intense opener), "Plump" (punky riff), "Doll Parts" (intriguing lyrics)
I listened to this album semi-recently but found nothing noteworthy. Thought maybe another go around might change that; it did not. I guess I'm not grungey enough.
I can say I've lived through this album and the experience was ok. Not a bad album, kinda grungy alt rock that did little to make me want to return. Plenty of decent songs though. 3.5/5
Quite good.
One of those rock albums that sounds a lot like other rock albums of the time. Nothing special.
I understand this album as being a tribute, in a sense, to Kurt, with such a similar style to Nirvana. It doesn't have that same legendary and rebellious youth sound that made them so successful. Grunge fans would appreciate this album, but not for me.
Lots of respect for Courtney, I love insane women but I wasnt exactly obsessed with the album.
I can see the merit of it, but I’m just not unit hat 90s grunge music that much.
Nothing special but not terrible. Couple of overused chord progressions of the 90s maybe
moeilijk geval... zeker niet slecht, maar na een tijdje geraak ik het toch wat beu, het stil-luid-stil-luid-spelletje is al iets te vaak gespeeld
tässä osataan ;) tässä kyllä osataan. omg n iin nostalkia semmosta nostalkiaa ysäriltä että pakko antaa viisi tähteä senmmosta senmmosta menoa kuitenkin oli parasta aikaa ehkä koskaan. nyt olen vanha paska ja vittutaa, ja kaikki on paskaa. huonoin aika nyt. silloin paras aika. selevät sävelet on, jos ei ymmärrä ei ymmärrä. ja jos ei ymmärrä niin turpaan tulee. koska nykyaika paskaa. kaikki mennyt päin vittuun. ei mikään enää onnistu. yrittää perkele mitävaan niin epäonnistuminen taattua. taattu vastaus on että: perkele nyt riittti. kaikki vaan luovtutaa. luovuttaa ja jatkaa matkaa.. kaikki vaan kävelee. minne? en tiedä.. oma kauhunsa sekin.. violet
Haven't heard any music of them yet, but of course know the infamous Courtney Love. Enjoyed another female voice
I mean it’s decent but not my style. I got tired of hearing this repetitive music
It was fine, for me it was a bit too much at times. There were fast uptempo songs followed by slow ballad-like songs, which was strange yet oddly comforting and added as a sort of counterweight to the sheer power of the record. Overall I quite enjoyed the record but it was not something I'd listen on a frequent basis, it's missing something special. Favorite track: Jeniffers body. Overall score: 6.8/10
Another totally new band for me. It was a fun listen through of the album. I felt like I was back in my youth listening to alt-rock bands. While it isn't the music genre of choice for me any more I still appreciate the songs and I liked quite a few of them. If I would have found them 20 years ago I can see myself feeling even more nostalgic today.
*turns to Billy Corgan* GET A JOB, STAY AWAY FROM HER
Screams 90s grunge. Hole had something special - not everything hits, but plenty of interesting songs here.
7/10
Meh
Kinda edgy. They do a great job of getting their anger/point across in both the music and lyrics. It's not great, not groundbreaking. In a sweeping generalization, it's about like most angry girl bands I've heard before.
I'm not going to pretend to know much about Courtney Love, but she's giving a lot of fuck you energy in this album. Very tough and gritty with some good headbangers. I think some it works for me, but not enough to get it up to a 4. Solid 3.
Better than expected. At least the first 8 songs.
punky grunge that gets a nod but not a frequent play
I don’t love this, but it’s not made for me.
Catchy hooks, I liked it just fine. Some of the slower songs I didn't care much for.
Cool alternative, but nothing special.
Don't love the grunginess. There's some good music in here, but it quickly gets wiped away with repetitive screaming. 2.5 stars.
Didn't really dig the last Hole album, but maybe this one will fill me up a bit more. Hehe I actually liked this much more than the last one. Still not my whole jam but solid enough.
Rigtig god energi!
Better than I feared!
Wouldn’t listen again, but no awful
An interesting listen, obviously I’ve heard of Cox and Hole but never got round to listening, not bad at all though I don’t listen to this kind of music much anymore.
Pretty good sounding punk album, female singer that had a punch but stayed on the right side of my preference.
Good to have a female lead in these type of grunge bands, and some point especially when she does an extended scream it sounds quite raspy and almost a female version of Kurt.. Lacks abit of character in the voice regardless so giving this a 3 (probably will be 2.8 worldwide)
Nothing great with this one all. Bit samey
Crunchy and heavy grunge record. I like it and it has grown on me a lot since I first heard it years ago. However I don't think it does that much to distinguish itself from the crop, other than having a female vocalist. The Kurt Cobain association definitely help, of course. And no, I don't buy into the conspiracy theories. Key tracks: Violet Miss World Jennifers Body Doll Parts
No me molestó pero tampoco lo encontré especialmente memorable. Tiene un par de canciones poderosas pero los gritos y voz rasposa de Courtney Love me terminaron cansando.
Not terrible
It’s amazing. I hated Hole back when it was a thing. But this whole exercise has taught me there is much worse music out there.
I can hear why people dig this album. I like it, but I don’t (Courtney) Love it.
A well made album with very few things actually wrong. Grunge is something I just never got into, so not for me.
It's like a softer Nevermind, enjoyable enough. B
It was fun to revisit this album, which was a revelation to me when it came out; this was the first time that I heard a woman singing in a style that was raw and aggressive. (The only other women I knew in music at this time in my life were like Enya. No slight to Enya, but my love of grunge was deep.) It kicked me off in other directions that I am thankful for. I didn't realize that I knew almost all the lyrics to every song. It's got great dynamic range and tempo changes, and I think Courtney Love got a lot of undeserved flak and drama for making this album. Not every song is amazing (I'd say that the best one is the first track, "Violet," and the album could end on "Softer, Softest"--the other songs I don't really care about), but it has a great consistent sound. It's hard to separate from my nostalgia, lol.
Grunge was the music of my youth and my generation, and I do like it ... but I lean more towards the Pearl Jam end of the spectrum rather than the Nirvana end, and this is (probably unsurprisingly) very Nirvana-y. It's OK, I didn't dislike it, but it was just there. Nothing stood out for me.
I don't really care much for 90's mainstream alt-rock, but this is a solid example.
I heard a song from this album, either Violet or Jennifer's Body at a punk-themed bar near my apt. Album was alright, I am not the biggest fan of punk or grunge.
6/10 - A little screamy but pretty good. It was not as screamy as some of the albums that were only screaming but still a little too screamy.
I feel like generally I would enjoy this I just wasnt in the right mood for it Will give it benefit of the doubt & relisten at some point
Have to say I enjoyed this more than i thought I would
Pretty fun album, wouldn't put it on for myself, but wouldn't turn it off either
I liked it but not enough to put it on myself
I really wanted to hate it but I kinda liked it!!
Liked this a lot more than I expected - great production and lots of energy - but the repetitivity starts to lose interest. Still, not bad
Intense, raspy vocals and music. I remember thinking this sounded much like Nirvana that I remember from way back, and I didn't notice until later that it was Courtney Love singing.
Almost squeezed a fourth star out of me, because I liked the second half of the album more than the first. But... nah! It's three stars from me. Not bad.
I wasn't feeling the album at first, but then Plump and Asking for It came on. I can feel the rage and despair - so good. I dont know if I would play the whole album again, but I would definitely put some songs onto a playlist. Favorite lyrics: "I dont do the dishes. I throw them in the crib"
I like this kind of music, but I've always thought of them as followers rather than leaders. Not bad though. Favorite song: Gutless.
Never liked this one. She’s upset they were never as big as Nirvana - but they’re not as good.
This album goes harder than I remember. Solid listen.
Good rock album. Not awesome like Celebrity skin, but, it's good.
Starts off on fire but disappointing towards the end
Besser als gedacht. Corona + Altersmilde raffen sich zu 3 Sternchen auf.
Liked most of the songs on here, similar vibes to Nirvana obviously. Doll Parts is probably my favourite.
Courtney Loven bändi. Taas tätä perushyvää ysäri alt rokkia. Ehkä kummiskin sitä keskivertoa parempaa. Parhaat: Plump, Jennifers Body, She Walks On Me
I always tried to imagine this album being released without the obvious ties to Nirvana...and how it would be viewed. For me I enjoyed a few of the songs back in the day...but always thought a lot of it was loud, clangy and lacked direction. Pretty sub par but a couple of strong songs.
I’ve noticed a trend in baby names in the last 10 or so years. Parents seem to be just choosing random nouns to be their kids name. And I honestly thought it was a pretty stupid trend. I also noticed this trend with band names. Hole, Cake, Pavement, Tool, Garbage. All bands that, if it’s petty, I have a hard time taking seriously because I think their name is dumb. I don’t think that about anymore. I do think their name is kind of stupid, but the music was pretty alright. I knew that this was Courtney loves band and perhaps Kurt Cobain had some influence here that seems to be disputed. It was fine. A few standout tracks, others just faded. Like most albums. Three stars. I am whelmed. Standout Tracks: Violet, Plump, Doll Parts, Credit in the Straight World
OK
Slightly mediocre/average sounding grunge. No real stand outs in the album, but a consistent quality that made for an enjoyable listen. Not sure if anything will still with me though.
Never heard this whole album it wasn’t bad. Very 90s grunge.
This was good. I understand the importance but this sounded like every other album in the genre.
i liked it. heard not that much grungy rock in the last few months, so it was kinda refreshing. was also familiar with a few tracks.
I didn’t totally love it but recognize its impact.
Good growl
Pretty good, one I might revisit, medium 3.
Better than Courtney Loves reputation would have you believe, seems obscured from her very public persona that this is actually decent 3.5*
Better than I expected but not great.
3.5
30 years ago when I bought this album (my first ever CD purchase) I would have given it 4 maybe 5 stars. I was a big Nirvana fan and this came very soon after Kurt Cobain's death so it felt quite personal and a bit voyeuristic. 3 decades letter and it's still a great record but doesn't have quite as much of an impact on me. Kurt aside, Courtney has produced a great record here.
It sounds a lot like a Nirvana album with Courtney Love on vocals to be honest. Good in places but not amazing. Definitely an influence on the post-grunge/punk scene, can hear shades of this in things like Ash and Garbage.
I don't love grunge, but I do like the messages conveyed on this album. Objectively, it's a well-produced record with some amazing vocal performances. It would have gotten a higher score if I were a fan of the genre, but unfortunately, it's not something I'd listen to ever again. 3.5 stars
This 1001 project had already delivered up Celebrity Skin, which I loved. So my mid-90s media-led prejudices about CL had already been dispelled, and I was eager to listen. This is a great grunge album. I don't actually love grunge, or it would have another star, but it's got some brilliant tracks on it (Violet, Asking for It, Doll Parts). I also loved the cover version, Credit in the Straight World, and am consequently now enjoying Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth (apparently beloved by both Kurt and Courtney, and I can see why so far). Love Courtney's voice, incidentally.
Not bad.
Fun but most songs sound the same to me
Alternative rock / grunge / punk rock. Not bad, but nothing special, notable only for Courtney Love and its connection to the late Kurt Cobain.
Bão
This album is pretty good, hadn't heard it since the 90's. Some very inspired themes at play so doesn't feel uninspired or anything. I'm still a bit ambivalent but recognize the quality, perhaps I'm not the demographic. Will be listening again however, will be good to amp up my familiarity.
I always avoided this band as I just thought they were famous for being Kurt Cobain's wife's band and for the stuff Courtney Love did outside music that the music itself. However on listening I enjoyed the album more than I thought, Doll Parts being a particular highlight. Does it deserve to be in the book, In my.opinion no as I Feel L7 and The Breeders were both better female led bands from the same era and both have albums that could be in the book ahead of this one.
3.5
I was never much of a fan of grunge. I do have Nirvana’s “Nevermind”, but don’t love it. It’s good, but…. Yeah. I mostly know Hole through Courtney Love’s reputation, and some clips along the way (that I don’t even remember). Nothing back then inspired me to seek this out. And nothing in the ensuing 30 years. But now I have a reason to check it out. Overall, it is a lot better than I expected. Nice energy, it rocks without being a wall of noise. Loose feel, not overproduced. No synthesizers or electronic drums. On the other hand, the vocals are not good. Some great music has been made with mediocre singers, if they bring a style or personality to their delivery. Not the case here. Love’s singing is absolutely a detraction. And the songs are largely forgettable. “A” for effort, but I can’t round this 3.5 up. So 3 it is.
When I first listened to this album, probably in high school, I only liked Doll Parts and Rockstar. I still love Rockstar, it’s easily my fav song on the album. This time though, I liked a few more of the songs than last time. The ones I didn’t care for were the ones where the guitar was too beefy for my taste. I love the guitar on rockstar, gutless, and she walks on me. But the first half is too much of that thick grungy guitar that just doesn’t do anything for me. I like a more raw guitar sound. So for me the second half of this album really shines compared to the first half.
This was sweet! I'm glad this album was in there, because I do think its a really cool relic of a band that gets overlooked. I had honestly never really give Hole a chance, because of all of the stuff with Nirvana / Cobain. I was just never interested, but this is a really cool record! Its aggressive, its sad, its upbeat. Its kind of everything. It really encompasses that grunge before it went fully alt-rock and shed its punk roots. Its no wonder that Kurt Cobain fell in love with this woman and this band. Its very similar to Nirvana in sound, themes and music. I'm glad I listened to this one!
After some listening sessions it started to grow on me. Doll Parts is quite charming. But I prefer celebrity skin
Going in, I've only heard one song by Hole, Celebrity Skin. It wasn't bad. The first couple of songs on this album were pretty promising. The rest was just kind of there, it devolved into some angry potty mouth stuff for the last few tracks. Overall, just average. Best track: Violet
Lots of good stuff on this. It wears out its welcome as it goes along for me, though. I think I'd like all of the songs on their own out of context, but as an album it doesn't build in a satisfying way. It starts to feel yell-y and makes me wish it would be over.
growing on me
3.5
This didn’t sound like I thought it would based on the album cover. I really liked Jennifer’s Body and reading the history made me appreciate it was a little wacky.
Pretty well composed and mix for a grunge album. 3.1.
It's a bit hard to hear Hole and not be influenced by Courtney Love's sad and often incredibly abrasive life and personality. Overall, while this might have been considered a "softer" version of Hole, I'd say it's pretty representative of what I remember of Hole, and sadly not all that distinctive from the other grunge/alternative acts that existed in the massive hole and shadow of Nirvana. (It's funny how there are so few bands that seemed to resent Nirvana's rocket-to-fame the way so many West Coast bands resented Green Day (and maybe Weezer too?).) Honestly, I'm really surprised at all of the best-album accolades that are listed in the Wikipedia entry for this album. It's fine, I guess, but neither musically nor lyrically all that interesting to me, sadly.
Durchschnitt!
Aww it's a girllllll's Nirvana 3.5
I wish Courtney Love still made music and I wish they let her be in movies.
Some nice songs
Was OK. Thought it may be better. Kind of the same thing over and over.
I know I might be a pleb/pophead for saying this, but I think Celebrity Skin is the better Hole album 🫢. This one is still good tho. I love female vocalists in grunge bands and Courtney Love kills it. Miss World is a slapper
Much better than I expected. Stirring stuff.
Not sure of the timelines of how this fits into the whole Courtney/Kurt story, but given this is 1994 is sounds a lot like Hole's attempt at in utero. The vocals are raw and passionate, but the music is dull, derivative and uninspired. Shame
Not bad.
Ganska gött. Stark trea
slightly above average
‘Twas alright 6/10
Gurlvana. 6/10
Meh
Solid but unremarkable album. I don't expect I'll be revisiting.
Enjoyed Violet. Miss World - real jump-around track Bit short on lyrics, though. Lot of brief words and repetition. (Probably what they should have called the album!) She walks on me was the best track for me. It's a dark album, without much depth. A 3
One of the good grunge albums. I like this.
I had to live through that first time round. My GF at the time was a big fan. nExT!
Very Hole very 90s indie rock
Very nice.
Big 3
Listening to this album showed me that while Nirvana will always be Nirvana, Courtney Love isn't anything to scoff at either. Hole proves a pretty solid alternative rock sound.
A gritty and dark grunge album from Hole, filled with violence, sex, and high gain guitars. Front woman Courtney Love has impressive vocal range and variety, from guttural bellows to cutesy ad-libs. Bass work is aggressive and driving, and drums are smashing and hard. Stand out tracks include “Violet”, “Plump”, “Doll Parts”, “Credit In The Straight World”, “Gutless”, and “Rock Star”.
good stuff! catchy
Starts off sounding very Nirvana ("go take everything" in that over-pushed vocal sounds just a bit too similar, Courtney). Miss World, I'm sure, is Hole's own super hit. It's ok as grungey riot grrl early 90s US rock, four years later they made another, hit album, Celebrity Skin, arguably more accessible and satisfying, but that would be a big argument nonetheless!
The mixing kinda sucks... The vocals seem isolated from the rest of it. I dunno, I think Pretty on the Inside is far superior.
Day57 - a better album than i remembered. violet is a good one
Very grunge era album that carries it's themes across well. The vocals can be real powerful at times but they can be inconsistent. The chords are simple and that can help and hurt the sound. It's super 90's and I do love that style. The structure definitely needs work.
The album also contains some listenable songs but in the end it is just average.
Back in the day, I had always dismissed Courtney Love as a female Kurt Cobain wannabe. I think that still holds true. But with the wisdom of age, I also see her carrying on the tradition of Patti Smith, Chrissy Hynde, and Debbie Harry and I have a bit more respect for that.
Pretty good. Another candidate for 3.5*.
6.5/10
Surprisingly good
In a time when everyone tried to sound like Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love made an album to sound like Kurt Cobain.
Well done, Courtney. Rage and passion. Not to be a regular listen but enjoyed it for a day.
Okie
She is really great. I ❤️ this album!
Standouts- "Plump," "Asking For It," "Doll Parts," "Credit in the Straight World," "I Think That I Would Die," "Rock Star" Lyrics/Vocals- 3/5 Instrumentals- 4/5 Vibes- 3/5 Overall- 3/5 Hole has some really good tracks, and this album in particular has some really good songs. The lyrics are deep, impactful, and punchy. They really portray anger and frustration at essentially what it's like being a woman, and more specifically what the expectations of being a woman are especially if you're somebody famous. However, Courtney Love's vocals did pull me away from the album at times. Even if being off-key is a part of conveying that emotion, it does really pull you away and make it harsh to the ears. However, the vast majority of songs were the angry, gravelly vocal style of your average grunge singer. The instrumentals were great, and overall this was a good album. You can tell that Kurt Cobain was involved in a variety of ways and the instrumentals themselves sound like Nirvana. Listening to the lyrics for the messages changes the experience tremendously. If you are a fan of grunge or riot grrrl music then this will appeal to you.
Solid album.
3.5 stars
I only really knew the singles from Celebrity Skin, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this album. I enjoyed it. Grunge always felt very male-centric, so the feminine perspective was refreshing. The songs are hooky and melodic but still edgy and aggressive. Lyrically it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I think “Violet” might be my favorite track. This is one of those situations where it’s difficult to separate the art from the artist just because of how infamous Courtney Love is. I personally knew her more for the train-wreck media moments than her time with the band, but it seems her behavior on stage is full of controversy and downright terrible stuff too. So, a decent album from not great people.
OH YESSSSS BIT OF RAWWCKKKKKKK
Best Song: Doll Parts. I like how raw and wracked her vocals were here. Worst Song: Rock Star. A nice vocal performance, but lyrically just way to corny. Probably great for edgy high schoolers though. Overall: A pleasant album that's rough-around-the-edges in a good way. It's definitely dated, but it has a certain likeable authenticity.
I think Hole gets a bad rap. People (including myself) kinda shit on them because they saw Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain's Yoko. I never became obsessed with Nirvana like a lot of people did, and - in retrospect - I think this album rivals a lot of what Nirvana and their contemporary's were doing at the time. It's dirty. It's punk. It's kinda shitty but on purpose. It's a solid representation of the grunge era.