Live Through This

Pretty good. Another candidate for 3.5*.

I understand raw and gritty but this was too grating to warrant more than about 3 stars.

Well fuckin yeah

6.5/10

Generally I’m not a huge fan of grunge. I don’t mind Nirvana much and I do tend to like Pearl Jam, but I can’t stand Alice in Chains or Temple of the Dog and can’t say I really like Soundgarden at all either. Hole falls somewhere in the Soundgarden territory. This is an important grunge album, and Courtney Young’s vocals are impressive, but mostly this album doesn’t do a whole lot for me. I do think I’ve enjoyed this slightly more this time than in the past, so maybe it will keep growing on me.

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.

Album rips

Okie

taped out, dont remember what i thought

She is really great. I ❤️ this album!

I caught some provocative lyrics that I can appreciate. But ultimately, it was an exercise is perseverance to finish it his album. Screaming rock is just not my jam, and for every lyric that I found interesting, there were 4 more I found insipid or banal. Ick. Will not be repeating 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.

10! I LOVE this album!

A bit too shouty overall. 2.5*

Solid album.

Good Album. Reminds me of The Distillers. Somehow never listened to Hole before but I like the style and Courtney Loves Voice here.

It just doesn’t do much for me.

The hits are great, but it has too much filler.

Ok

Couldn't be any better; this is it. Grunge at its best. Loud and lyrically devastating.

There are reasons to appreciate Courtney Love: as a woman in rock, as someone who went through the wringer, etc. But her music is not one of them.

Not my vibe but some songs were good.

Not sure why we are promoting the music of a murderer

3.5 stars

Being Mrs Kurt Cobain was definitely a doubled edged sword for Courtney Love. It brought her fame and attention and I'd followed the narrative of Courtney being a fame hungry wannabe. But this album is really, really good. Better than most of the other grunge doing the rounds at the time. Courtney has amazing vocal flexibility, the band make a great noise ... yeah, its really good. Classic patriarchy behaviour that this doesn't get the praise it deserves.

This album is not for me it is maybe for somebody a little more goth and angry.

4+

So many albums to listen to. Not sure this was one of them has to be better albums that are not on this list

Its fine. Again, not really for me but I enjoyed it more then some of the others.

its also just fine ig but 1 star bc she was doing heroin while pregnant like tf

This is a good album. Solid sound, I like this kind of sound with female vocals, it really opens them up to more women specific themes to write about while keeping an aggro edge. It keeps it short too, not much filler.

This album is rad. Very high energy, and I love the lead singer. Had a few songs from this album favorited already!

Enjoyable listen

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.

Fits into the tiny space between L7 and Mudhoney, with hints of the Melvins and early Pearl Jam, and a bunch of other grunge progenitors. I loved it! Hope to see more of them later in the list

Went into this one with some negative bias. Just OK.

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.

too heavy metal for me

This is the crazy ho album Hole put out in the 1990s. Loved it.

- Never heard this before - Heard good things about it and can see why - Very very good album - Fav songs: Plump, Violet, Gutless

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.

Pretty good, better than I expected

Not my genre, although I can appreciate the music, somewhat. I'm not a fan of that vocal styling. But I'm glad I listened. Now I have an informed opinion, instead of an uninformed opinion. There's that.

I did enjoy Celebrity Skin more, but an ok album. Interesting lyrics, okay rhythms/melodies. 3/5!

Very grungy and ugly sounding. This is an album for the nihilist who hates beauty and order. This album is emblematic of the cultural decline of the West. What a tragedy.

Loved

Meh

Love me some feminine rage

This took me right back to middle school, but I won’t hold that against the album. This music is a lot more nuanced than I remember, even as it roars and snarls. I think this album is a true classic.

always love this album

I had higher hopes for this, but a bit too much screaming, instrumentation a bit too unvaried, and overall disappointing.

Truly the most ‘real’ grunge album I’ve heard. Incredible

Perhaps I'm just grumpy because my dog died and perhaps I will lose my 90s membership card but I am not a fan of Hole and never have been. Sadly this album did not change my mind. For me personally 1 star at best.

Grungy and raw. I certainly hear the similarities to Nirvana. It wasn't bad, but I don't see coming back to this album again.

I didn't love it, but I liked it well enough for a punk album.

It is good, but I have heard these songs before and completely forgot they exist. I imagine I will forget again.

Waited way too long to finally listen to this, absolutely lived up to my high expectations. The anger and angst are biting. 4.5/5

Second favorite grunge album

Fun record, nostalgia for Rockband too ('celebrity skin')

My getting this album today sparked a really intense (albeit dumb) debate with my best friend about pitchfork rating this album higher than nevermind and while I don’t think it’s quite that good-and even think it’s the lesser album compared to celebrity skin-I still really enjoyed this. Violet was a great starter and it was a rocking good time from start to finish.

Aqui tem um problema pessoal: o álbum é até legal mas eu não tenho muito saco pra grunge... Algumas músicas são boas, tipo Doll Parts e Violet. Mas algumas me dão a vontade de ficar olhando pra parede em agonia enquanto não acaba logo

Their best album by a long shot. Kurt Cobain's influence is obvious. The rage in Courtney's voice comes from the heart.

This didn’t work as much for me as celebrity skin. More screaming, more angst lyrics from Kurt.

great 90s grunge. courtney love <3

I already knew about this album Very good grunge, nice to hear a female voice (Kurt Cobain's widow no less)

This album is as good as Courtney Love is crazy. And it is fucking good!

Rock solid album. More thematic depth than I was expecting, great '90s-style alt rock sound, and Love's vocals are delightfully raw. This was a pleasant surprise. Not 100% sure it quite deserves a 5, but I'm giving it one anyway.

I'll always remember hearing this album my freshman year of college. It was core shaking & everyone at the dorm was listening to it. A lot of us had mixed feelings because of her husband's death, but we had to admit this album rocked. I saw Hole at Red Rocks amphitheater, and I was a stoned & drunken mess (fitting considering the band). Great album with cutting lyrics and grunge angst.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Violet, Miss world, Asking for it, Jennifer’s body, She walks on me, Gutless, Rock star

rockin

Great energy, enjoyed the sound. Did not know a single song on here but easy listening

No.

Gruuunnnggge

It was pretty fine. Like the other Hole album, it wasn't bad. Courtney Love got too much shit.

As a dude growing up in the 90s it was fashions to hate Courtney Love, so this is my first listen all the way through to this. Honestly this is fun Riot Grrl - would listen to this again in a heartbeat.

Pretty standard riot grrrl sound and lyrical theming. Feels a bit on-the-nose most of the time.

Crazy that I get to talk about this only two days after Celebrity Skin. Because I called it. I said I thought Courtney would be better suited in a heavier format. And I was right. This is amazing. They go absolutely nuts here, and it's one of the most enjoyable album experiences from the 90's I've ever had. The best part of this album is without a doubt Courtney, and her energy/lyrical content. She is furious. Absolutely disgusted. Disgusted at the patriarchy, and at men, and at their vile behavior. And she puts it out into the world with such spite and vitriol. It makes me want to scream with her. I'll never have any way of knowing what those experiences are like, but what I do know is that she is glorious on this, and her being mad makes me mad at whatever she is mad at. The way she delivers "Fuck you!" on I Think That I Might Die is perfect, and I can't get over it. Her vocals are in a pretty consistent register throughout the whole album, but the power she brings in that register is so powerful. And the rest of the band is as equally on point as she is. They are heavy, distorted, and grunge as hell. She Walks on Me sounds almost punk with Courtney's vocals being so blown out on the verses. The only nitpick I have is that I wish the drums were a little louder in the mix. But I only nitpick when I really like something, so it's not a big deal. Rating: 9/10

Decent album. I've heard a couple of their songs before. It felt like all the songs were missing a little something to make it a great album

Was like an emo rock album by a woman It was ok, nothing stood out

Between 2 and 3 for me, a couple of good songs but a bit too 90s grunge sounding

I like very few Hole songs, and none of them are on this album. It's almost self-parodyingly grunge in every aspect: buzzy (but crisply-produced) riffs, snarlingly theatrical vocals. Nothing jumped out at me and I'm probably not revisiting.

Aside from “Violet” and “She Walks From Me,” two songs wholly emblematic of what made grunge a successful genre, “Live Through Me” does not live up to what her contemporaries were doing, let alone her grunge-icon husband.

Courtney Love qui chante. Pas mauvais, mais les chansons sont trop répétitives comme les Ramones. Est-ce que Kurt Cobain a ghostwrite sur cet album? On le saura jamais hein.

This album is a lot better than I thought it was. I never have Courtney much of a chance, but damn. This is a solid album.

Ihan jees ysärisoundit muttei mitenkään tajuntaa räjäyttänyt. 2/5

Hyvä meininki, muttei erityisemmin tarttunut missään vaiheessa.

Ihan toimiva levy ja kiinnostavia tekstejä. Taitaa kolmoseen jäädä kuitenkin.

First listen Saved 8/12 Top track: Violet

courtney love >:(

"Live through this" is what I've just done, listening to the album. Sure, there's some decent tracks in here, but the slower, more thoughtful stuff is atrocious. I can see the appeal, but it's not for me.

Shouty and stressful. I really don’t like her tone.

Can’t stand her voice

Anthemic powerhouse of an alternative rock album, in a year (1994) where there was *a lot* of competition. Don't have much to add to the other positive reviews in this section--some of them perfectly explaining why the record is great. Melody-wise, performance-wise, theme-wise, *Live Through This* is just pitch-perfect---from the vicious, viscuous chords of lively opener "Violet" to the equally telluric and sardonic closer "Rock Star". 5/5. A quick note here: it's just simply mindboggling when you read the reviews about this album on this app and you realize that a lot of reviewers admitted they didn't get interested in Hole before for some sort of prejudiced reason they had against Courtney Love--a divisive figure for sure, but not always for the good reasons. I'm glad most of those reviewers changed their mind (lots of 5 and 4 stars from them), but still--seems like the feminist topics this album deals with are still relevant in 2023. Sadly. Number of albums left to review: 387 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 280 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 146 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 193

Yea not bad

It was the first time I listened to a whole Courtney Love album. It's classic grunge and punk, angry and loud. The songwriting reminded me a lot of Kurt's/Nirvana. It wasn't my favorite overall but wasn't bad either.

This was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Courtney Love is certainly a polarizing figure in pop culture, so I was admittedly dreading listening to this. This is actually a solid grunge record. Definitely inspired by Nirvana, but still good.

Pretty standard grunge/punk album. Don't love it or hate it. First time listening to Courtney Love, maybe knowing more about her would improve the experience. Favorite Track: Doll Parts

Punky some good tunes lot of angst. Can feel the grunge developing

Solid 90s rock, but I'm adding Courtney Love to the list of "rockstars I've heard older people rave about, but I don't get the appeal of."

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!

I don't recall ever listening to this all the way through, but it was more enjoyable than I thought it would be

Ok

This was far better that I expected.

This kind of thing is not my jam. I'm not into that whole apathy/anger/angst/disassociated/progressive grunge type of music. I didn't hate it but didn't enjoy it either. A one and done-r.

This is my first time hearing anything from Hole, and on the whole (see what I did there), I had a good time listening to this album. I really enjoyed the music (I'm an alt rock fan though, so that tracks), but I think I enjoyed the themes/messages of the album more than the actual lyrical execution, if that makes sense.

A little whiny sometimes but overall a solid album. I was surprised at how much it grew on me.

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.

It's OK.

At the start I was thinking about rating it with 5 Stars, but it was then a bit too much into the Popgenre. Some good songs in it definitely

p740. 1994. 3 stars Well done angry she-grunge, some sharp and hard delivery. Missing standout tunes though.

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.

I disregarded Hole as a shouty grunge band, so I was very pleasantly surprised. More tuneful with meaningful lyrics. I enjoyed.

First time listen- ended up really liking it. Raw but put together. It is so much better than their next album which is uninspired/tame.

Not trying to take anything away from Courtney's musician ability, but there's no denying Kurt's influence on Courtney's song writing. This and Celebrity Skin are SOO much better than Pretty on the Inside.

Rock with a female vocal that is both singing and screaming. Nothing special about this - pretty boring.

7/10 Dynamic, raw, angry Highlights: *Violet *She Walks on Me

certainly an album

Pretty good. Vocals ok, tries to be a bit screamo. Otherwise sounds similar to pixies.

I enjoyed it more than I thought

Whole

6.5/10 I can see why there was a point in the 90s when Hole and Nirvana were considered the pinnacle of the new Seattle grunge wave. This is a solid, in your face grunge album with surprisingly good vocals and a couple of good riffs. Not my genre, but one of the best of grunge.

Brani Preferiti: - "Violet" - "Doll Parts" Note: Non vedo nessuna particolarità in questo album, la seconda parte è praticamente un riascolto del grunge che suonavano i Nirvana... ma dopotutto come si fa a criticarli considerando che quelli erano gli anni del grunge e lei moglie di Kurt, creare un disco con similarità era una certezza. È un buon album grunge, piacevole nell'ascolto di qualche canzone ma onestamente non riesco a farmelo piacere più di tanto.

Not my style

Released one week after Cobain’s death. So raw and real

Few tracks sound too similar to each other, but it was enjoyable.

Damn, I never listened to Hole, but of course knew of Courtney. This hits up there with some of the top grunge albums!

This was close to being my first 5 stars. I don't know if it's my male gase talking, but in Love's voice you can hear a fury, that in some other guy could come across as aggressive posturing. Here you can feel the hurt.

Not my cup of tea.

I can tell this is a powerful album musically and lyrically. I don't care for the vocals though.

I dig it and wish I had listened to it earlier

Pretty good rock. Enjoyable with some memorable riffs.

Not a fan of Hole, but this was an awesome record for the most part.

Can’t believe I never listened to this album. The only Hole song I knew before was Celebrity Skin which is a lot more polished. This album is a raw mix of punk and alternative, it is pure grunge. Love Courtney’s vocal delivery especially when she screams her lungs off. Angsty teenage me would have loved this.

Beter dan verwacht! Sterk gezongen, diverse nummers.

A solid indie rock album.

Courtney Love, regardless of anybody’s feelings toward her, possesses a volatility that cannot be replicated or put on. It’s a shame that she’ll never get the credit she deserves for her writing on this album. A feminist record that doesn’t read as performative. A singular rock record in addressing post-partum depression and the body horror of breastfeeding and womanhood in general.

Grunge rock, speciel vokal, noget om gud

So much better than I ever expected. I wrote them off about 20 years ago and never bothered since, but this is great. Somewhere between early 90s punk and grunge. Can hear their influence in a lot of bands today. Couple of tracks that passed me by but overall its very good. Will return. Highlights: Credit in the Straight World, She Walks on Me, Violet, Asking for it.

Surprisingly good, way better than the other Hole album. See where the rumours Kurt Cobain was involved come from, there a real Nirvana streak running through it. Some songs were forgettable but 1/3 of the tracks were bangers, glad this came up.

A lot better than I expected, though still not my thing. The album is varied enough, grungey, and sounds very well constructed.

Not listened to much Hole before, was better and grungier than I expected. I liked more than I disliked so I'll probably listen to this again. Highlights: Violet Plump She Walks On Me I Think That I Would Die

I've listened to this album before and it's much better then celebrity skin imo. Violet, plump and Doll parts are both good tracks. Pretty grungey really 3.5

Goes way hard. Although Cobain's fingerprints are all over this, the band definitely find a way to make the album their own. 4 nostalgia trips out of 5

Great album, especially the first track Violet. Lots of energy and emotion.

Never listened to this album before, lets see what comes up...

It was a pretty good album. I had not heard it before, I know it is classified as "grunge" but it came across as more punk than grunge,. There was only minor screaming on it so it was tolerable. I would not seek the album out to listen to it again but I would listen to it again.

Ohne jetzt gerade zu übertreiben besser als die Hälfte von Nirvana, ich liebs schon beim ersten Mal hören. Selten das so sehr mit härterem Rock gehabt. Melodisch, aggressiv und einfach gut. 5/5

Grunge-punk-rock entretenido

Good solid album. I first listened to it back in 2019 and thought it was okay. I think its a bit better than that now. Biggest positive is how consistent it is. A quite high THREE for me

Quite grungy and punky. I actually liked it. Courtney Love isn't my favourite person in the world but I'll give her credit, this album works. Not as overproduced as Celebrity Skin (which I really disliked) but the rawness helps this album.

Cool - aggressive in the deep way!

It was okay, nothing much to it for me

8.5/10 Punk rock avant garde. Tres cool

It's a fine album. Doll Parts is a classic. Sometimes it veers from it's grungey base to sound a bit Velvet Underground which is cool. Nothing spectacular though - I had hoped that this review would be better - I really like Courtney Love, but the music wouldn't let me.

I really, really like the subject matters dealt with here and how brazen and bold they are. No mincing words. On first listen, I feel like I really pick up a heavy Sonic Youth influence, but heavier vocals. I enjoyed this, but I think it attempts to be a little harsh at the expense of either being a harsh record, or having songs that might be considered "poppier". Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Doll Skin", "She Walks On Me"

Enjoyed this more than Celebrity Skin. The rawer sound seems to suit Hole better. 3.5 stars.

Yeah I thought this was OK! Wasn't my favourite but didn't hate it either. I guess an ambivalent but maybe I need to listen again

I didn't mind it but didn't love it. Thing is it's right up my street but just isn't that good. Like a worse version of the Distillers

I don't really miss God but I sure miss Santa Claus

A pretty great feel-bad album. Confrontational, angry, but at the core it feels sad more than anything. Lots of muscle to the sound: if Alice in Chains represented the metal side of grunge, this might be the punk side. Second half is weirder and weaker, but still a strong project. Best song: Doll Parts

Never gave Courtney Love the time of day when I was younger and I stupidly bought into the slander that she was responsible for Kurt's death. Now older and wiser it's nice to give this a chance. Pretty decent. It's hard not to compare it to nirvana, with a lot of similarities but some differences. Bit publish, I like the vocals on most of the tracks. Overall pretty good, need to come back to it I think to make sure

You feel something familiar since the beggining of this album. Come on, it made me real. Maybe I need it in vynil to leasten better.

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

No. It's just impossible for me to get past how bored I was with the whole grunge scene in the 90s. Despite a kickass drummer.

I enjoyed this, it was a lot of fun. Best tracks; "Credit in the Straight World", "Rock Star"

another album already in my library. doll parts is a personal favorite

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.

Yeah, this is a really good album. The guitar and Love’s vocals are powerful and raw as hell, but I hear as much of The Cure as I do of the Melvins or Dinosaur Jr. And Violet is just about a perfect punk-rock song.

pretty good, sounds a lot like nirvana

The sexist knock on this record is that it doesn't count because Courtney Love was married to Kurt Cobain, so he must have written it. That's such a stupid argument. Even if he helped, so what? Artists mention bouncing ideas off their significant others all the time, and it's never an issue when the artist is a man. But I think the most glaring evidence to dispute that notion is that while Live Through This is good, it is no Nirvana. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with that! This is still better than the average record of the time.

Räyhäkkä laulaja, aluksi. Loppua kohti taantu fiilis ja jotain 2-3 välistä on oikea arvio.

Tohon levyyn ku olis lisänny Malibun, nii femma olis ollu lähellä. Hyvää rokkiräyhää mun makuun

Bit shouty, like I thought Hole were going to be like when I had one of their albums before but found them quite melodic them

Some standouts on the album, but I found the tracks too similar. The whole album was fading in and out of my attention Highlights: Doll Parts, She Walks On Me, I Think That I Would Die

Some fun punk, perhaps a little better than the other one of their albums on the list?

Ok, didn’t keep my attention. Will try to listen to again but not feeling interested in it 4/10

Meh. Early grunge

Aww man what an album

Kurt’s songs were awesome lol

Ya, I can do this. Stick it to the man, man.

I had this album in the 90s but haven't listened to it since then. It's a lot better than I remember it. I will keep it in the rotation.

This was pretty good but just didn’t click for me. I definitely enjoy the screamy hard rock vibe though.

The album is, unlike a lot of ”Celebrity Skin” characterized by its raw, intense and emotional sound, with lyrics that touch on love, loss, and betrayal. I was quite critical about Courtney Love’s vocal performance on my last Hole review and whilst it’s not amazing on this album, it’s way better surrounded by the more raw sound. Her powerful singing style are on full display throughout the record. Kicking drums and explosive guitar work are mainstay on this record and the influences of Nirvana are clear both instrumentally and most definitely in the vocal performance. I still have some problems with Love’s vocals even though they are a better listen on this album. The sound also fails to feel authentic and I just don’t see any point in listening to this album rather than any other 90s metal

I just have a mental block with punk, I can’t get into it.

I'm glad I was only barely aware of the "drama" surrounding Hole's lead until choosing to listen to this. Some people give me a headache. This music rocks my socks off for sure.

This is one of those albums that my wife had a copy of so I'm more familiar with this than their other albums. That said it's been a while and I really enjoyed listening to this and think my fave track is Rock Star.

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...

Some good tracks, but as a (w)hole it's not a great record. Close to L7, Babes in Toyland, and Dickless to my ear but with pop aspirations which makes them a little bit more listenable when Courtney Love is in control of her vocals. It's a shame that the semi-dis track/complaint song "Rock Star" closes the record given Hole can't seem to muster the kind of enthusiasm of a Sleater-Kinney or Bikini Kill in me. Overall, it's not my favorite 90s rock record, but it's not the worst of the era either.

5/10

Well, I lived through this. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. That said, always mad respect to Courtney Love for calling out Harvey Weinstein before it was cool, so to speak.

3/5. Some important work here with progressive lyrics. The songs are catchy somewhat but the musicianship isn’t the highlight. It’s good songs overall.

Ikkje et essensielt album i livet mitt, men da plage meg ikkje heller

Violet - 3/5 Miss World - 3/5 Plump - 3.5/5 Asking For It - 3.5/5 Jennifer's Body - 3/5 Doll Parts - 5/5 Credit in the Straight World - 3/5 Softer, Softest - 3/5 She Walks On Me - 3/5 I'm going to finish off this album, but at this point, I think it's going to be a solid 3/5. Not bad but not my favorite. I'd give it another listen.

Good grunge album Saved tracks: Violet, Jennifer’s Body, Rock Star

Never thought I’d be a fan of Courtney Love, but this was a banger from start to finish. Hard riffs, great vocals. Just a solid album.

It’s similar to Sonic Youth. It’s the super yelly side of grunge that never quite clicked with me. It’s not terrible, it’s just not good either.

Never heard of Hole before, and I don’t particularly like grunge but this album was actually pretty decent

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.

I'm not very familiar with Hole's music, so this was my first time listening to an album of theirs. This was a good album, with a few solid songs on it. I enjoyed the slower and more melodic songs the most, with "Doll Parts," "Miss World," and "Asking for It" being my favorites. Lyrically, "Asking for It" is probably the best track here, and it's pretty sad that a topic like victim blaming in sexual assault is still so prevalent almost thirty years later. Courtney Love has been such an interesting public figure these last thirty plus years, but she and the rest of the band really paved the way for other female musicians with their work. Even though this album wasn't my favorite, Hole is a talented band who really made their own way in the grunge scene. I wish I could give this album 3.5 stars instead of just 3.

Not as good as their first album

Vähän liian grunge-remuamista, myöhempi tuotanto iskee muhun enemmän. Tosi hyvä kansi

Paikoin todella lupaavaa, ja laulaja tulkitsee isolla T:llä, mikä on suoraan sanottuna aivan helvetin hyvän kuuloista. En siltikään täysin syty. Jonkinlainen määrä-laatu suhde keikahtaa vielä vaa'an väärälle puolelle.

Ah yes, the Kurt Cobain killer band. This is pretty good with an interesting sound, though the lyricism often isn’t as good as it seems to think it is.

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

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.

Mid nineties power pop punk grunge. There is typical teenage imagery running through the album of death - pretty standard for the time. The tunes are pretty good - I'd be annoyed as well if people claimed I didn't write the songs. Best Tracks: Violet; Plump; Doll Parts

There’s no reason boys names Kurt should have a monopoly on grunge flavoured angst. The first half dozen songs are good tunes. The lyrics of Violet and Miss World are good and the mocking lyrics of Olympia quite entertaining. Also, there’s something about how she sings “I wanna be the girl with the most cake” that makes Doll Parts shine.

In contrast to the other Hole album we were sent, this is more melodic with less of a hard-rock sound. She’s got that start-stop thing going on, something The Pixies and her late husband did so well, jumping from quiet acoustic to heavy guitars within seconds. The song-writing is quite good and she reminds me a bit of PJ Harvey at times. Courtney’s voice can be grating when she belts it out, but that’s all part of the package, I guess.

I just posted that "there's too much grunge on this list" after receiving Mudhoney yesterday and then this comes up. I think Courtney's voice is slightly more suited to grunge than say Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Cobain or Chris Cornell, but this genre still doesn't grab me.

Nope

It's like a bad version of Nirvana

Was kind of okay

Meh. So angry..

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

Vocal style is not for me.

wow so much better than i remembered

sounds familiar

I can't believe I lived through this.

Violet is kinda fun but I didn't care for all the other tracks. Courtney's screaming gets annoying pretty quickly.

It wouldn't be so bad if Courtney was on key from time to time

In a parallel universe, Kurt doesnt exist, and nobody care about Hole.

I really don't think Hole deserves to have 2 albums on this list, the 2 chosen for this list are very samey. However, I like the attitude of Courtney Love on these albums, the guitar sounds, the early grunge spirit.

Tried to listen to it a few times but found it far too aggressive for me. Felt anxious.

Unlike 'Celebrity Skin', this Hole album has BITE. It's quite Nirvana adjacent, which isn't really my thing, but the energy and commitment won me over to an extent. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Doll Parts Date listened: 07/04/23

Before today, I'd heard of Hole, but never listened to any of her back catalog. All I was familiar with were the hits. The lead singer of Hole is Courtney Love (Kurt Cobain's wife). So, naturally, Hole is a grunge band. I believe Kurt helped Courtney hone her voice, and you can certainly hear his influence on a couple of songs included on this album. This was a great album, and Courtney's voice instills a sense of anger, frustration, and desperation upon the listener. This album touches on topics such as body image, abuse, and mysogeny. For some reason, most of the songs on this album mention milk for one reason or another. It's enough to make a lactose intolerant lad like me shit myself simply by listening. Overall, a highly influential album, especially to female rock bands of the 00's. Courtney bulldozed down a lot of walls in her career, and paved the way for women in rock. Favorite songs: Plump, Doll Parts, Jennifer's Body, Gutless, She Walks On Me, Asking For It, Rock Star, Violet Least favorite songs: "Softer, Softest", Credit in the Straight World, I Think That I Would Die 4/5

This is a great album overshadowed by all the drama of Love's life. She is a talented musician with a clear voice in a crowded grunge landscape.

massa rock alternativo, mujer canta

I’ve heard the singles, but never actually listened to entire Hole album, and I’m pleasantly surprised! Just the right amount of angsty rock with a hint of punk. I think a random listener would think it all sounds the same, but the more you listen, the better the songs become, and it gets even better if you actually read the lyrics and piece it all together. Some songs gave be big Nirvana vibes, but not sure if that’s just because I’m subconsciously making the Kurt and Courtney connection, or if it’s the sound of the times/scene they were in. Listen again: Yes Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: Credit in the Straight World Worst Song: Softer Softest

3 1/2

Ya know, this album was better than I remembered. Lots of angsty screaming but some good songs in there too.

On my second ever listen to "Live Through This", I was reading up about Hole and the life of frontwoman Courtney Love. The articles very quickly spiralled into a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories implicating her in the death of husband Kurt Cobain, whose suicide came days before "Live Through This" was released. The toxicity towards her seems to be perpetuated either by Nirvana fans, sexist critics, or both, with some of her inflammatory statements and behaviour over the years simply fanning the flames. It's a pity that this ugly and tragic context has eclipsed Hole's work, because "Live Through This" is a decent album: perhaps the most consistent of its kind I've had on the list so far. Coming in 1994 at the tail-end of grunge's first wave, it was a conscious attempt by Love and the band to produce something more polished and melodic, separating it from many other grunge or riot grrrl albums and bringing it much closer in line with Nirvana's later work (cue the stream of theories around Cobain ghostwriting, because heaven forbid a woman could do this on her own). From the very first track, restrained and simmering resentments are packed tightly against explosions of fury and rage, taking Nirvana and Pixies' dynamics and amplifying them even further. "Violet" begins quietly and then bursts into flames, guitars kicking in and vocals screeching up an octave. Things progress in much the same way, with the occasional dip in energy ("Doll Parts") or power ("Credit in the Straight World", "Gutless"). Love's vocals- tight, gritty, intense- are a minor revelation, allowing the songs to soar rather than sink in the sludge. For a prime example, take the astounding closing track "Rock Star". It belongs in a hall of fame of vocal-cord wrecking performances, right alongside the likes of Lennon in "Twist and Shout". Thematically, the songs frequently return to the pressure on Love's shoulders: the expectations of her as a mother, a woman, a celebrity, the wife of the most famous rockstar in the world. "Jennifer's Body" tells a harrowing tale of a woman kidnapped and mutilated. "Miss World" shows the inner turmoil of a major starlet held on a pedestal. "Asking For It" addresses a horrifying incident of Love being sexually assaulted by fans during a stage-dive. Milk and blood flow through "Plump", "Softer Softest" and "I Think That I Would Die" like rival currencies. These are weighty topics which necessitate the volume of screaming, even though the songs sometimes grow a little too predictable to do them justice. While it's still too heavy for my tastes in general, with not enough stand-out melodies, I appreciate "Live Through This" is a strong album. Rating a high 3 purely for personal preference, though future listens may lift it slightly.

An album that when it was released was unfortunately overshadowed by the suicide of Courtney Love's famous husband. On this successful rock album you hear a woman who clearly struggles with life, with all the sad undertones of a tortured junkie. Live Through This is listening to anger and incomprehension. The music Hole produces reminds of the harder work of Nirvana and The Gun Club. A grunge classic

4.25

love angry women who go rahhhhhh nyowwrrrr pow pow pow

Just some great grunge. Courtney's personality gives this record some charisma, plus it actually has something to say. A great record.

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.

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.

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

Answered a question for me. Never knew Courtney Cox had an album. Not really a fan though.

Not my taste. Only a couple songs I enjoyed.

A surprisingly strong consistent album. Doesn't reach the heights or dramatic depths of Nevermind but they are some great songs here and Love's delivery is suitably angry to give them import. I'm impressed. 4 stars

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.

buraco mesmo

The female grunge rocks.

Great

Courtney Love (Kurt Cobain backups). Controversial. It’s okay grunge

Já, já, þetta er allt í lagi. Ég er ekki fan en þetta er klárlega besta plata Hole.

I feel bad giving this a three, because my partner quite likes this album, but this just felt like generic grunge. There were some moments here that stood out a bit better, but I forgot it as soon as it left my ears, and had to remind myself what songs sounded like pretty often. Nothing here is bad at all, just kind of boring.

Seemed fine I guess.

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!

better than I thought it would be

Fajne

Nope

Alright. But probably will never listen to it again

not really bothered about this

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

Not bad. Some recognizable songs that I didn't know the titles for.

Favorites: -Miss world -Asking for it -Jennifer's body -Credit in the straight world -Softer, softest -Rock Star

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.

catchy angsty teen grunge

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

As a teen, I assumed that Kurt wrote most of these songs. I think I had been programmed to dislike Love just like we had all been programmed to hate Ono. But the reality is that all people are complicated and have problems. Listening to this record now as a 40 something, I am saddened by it. It's good. Really good. I should have given it more attention at the time. The post punk on here is great. And the grunge undercurrent is undeniable. It's great. And I will now go listen to the rest of Hole's very small catalog.

Got the decibels, but doesn’t deliver on the brilliance department.

Hljótt svo hátt. Gól.

Actually and surprisingly really enjoyed this, some cracking tunes

I can think of a thousand albums to recommend hearing, and Hole wouldn't be TWO of them! I'm only 100 albums in and this really makes me doubt the credibility of this list. But whatever, neither album are that bad. Just not too memorable.

Unusual that I actually prefer the album tracks to the singles. Miss World and Doll Parts don't do anything for me, but Plump, Jennifer's Body, and She Walks on Me are all standouts. Though this is a good album, I'm not sure why Hole is on this list twice when this is the better of their two entries.

This album kicked butt. Great sound from start to finish

Loved! I really like the vocalist and the late 90s Alternative rock / punk rock / grunge sound.

Angsty femme rock. Just okay IMO 3.5

Listened twice. Enjoyed it. I prefer punk to grunge in general including in riot grrrl so I enjoyed the more punk leaning passages more.

Meh

Isn't this the Hole album that's rumored to have been written by Kurt Cobain? It sure seems like it. Great album

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.

Wow I’m pleasantly surprised. I don’t remember liking this so much when it was out in the 90s.

I’m not really a grunge fan, but this is ok

Hole

My favorite Hole album - powerful riffs with great hooks, personal lyrics covering a variety of topics from post-partum depression to being a woman in a male dominated society, and catchy melodies. Definitely follows the early 90s "grunge" pattern but it works amazingly well with Love's vocal ranges. The raw power of her singing in "Violet" gets me every time.

This record really holds up.

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 is THE Hole album. Such deep and genuine emotion here. There is a tragic ache that runs through it, but a righteous feeling of triumph as well. The songs are all anthems and make me want to sing along.

I haven't heard much of Hole and didn't realize it was Courtney Love either. She somehow gets a really bad rep for some reason. Regardles, this album (coming after the death of Kurt Cobain) definitely has an edge and is on a mission. I dig it.

Standouts: Miss World, Softer Softest, I Think That I Would Die Others: Violet, Asking For It, Plump, Doll Parts 3.5

In 1994, I was in a very heightened phase of album-buying. I would hear one song and if I loved it I would go out to buy the album. This was the case with ‘Live Through This’. I heard ‘Doll Parts’ and immediately fell in love with it. I am very well aware that Courtney Love does not have a huge range. I also know that usually I hate shouty singing. But for whatever reason this touched a part of me and I am happily shouting along with most of it. There are a couple of songs in the middle that don’t quite make the grade. But most of it is clever and fervent and passionate, and I can still sing along to almost everything. I also once stayed in the same hotel where Courtney Love and Steve Coogan had their fling so every time I hear her sing it makes me chortle. Back of the net!!!

I never listened to this album until now. I vehemently avoid any Courtney Love music primarily based on media influence of the time. I really liked this album and want to give it another listen when time permits. I do like the musicians she surrounded herself with through the years but never gave her the time of day. I'm sorry I missed this one from back in the day but I was also at the beginning of my relationship with my wife at this time so my music listening opportunities were influenced by different motivations.

There are one or two songs on this record that I don’t care for, but that is more than made up for by how much I love all of the other songs! One of my favorite lyrics ‘Like a liar at a witch trial, you look good for your age’ - Plump

I feel the need to preempt this review with a note that I'm not a Courtney Love hater. I'd consider myself ambivalent. But as I know she's got her detractors and this is not a positive review, I thought it worth spelling that out. My dislike of this album comes down to one thing: as a vocalist, Courtney Love is a one-trick pony and that wears thin real quick. If there were some variation on the theme of overwrought, out-of-tune, predictable verse melody to shouty shouty amped-up chorus, maybe it would work. But there isn't. So it doesn't. It all leads up to this feeling more like a concept of a band that was willed into existence than an organic collection of players that produced this flavor of music. In the end, that doesn't even matter. It's boring when it's supposed to be arresting. Or something. It ain't. I disagree with this album's inclusion on the list of must-listens. Two stars because Love is better than most at shouting.

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.

This was such a pivotal album for women in their 20s during the 90s. We didn't have much (any?) female led grunge/rock/punk music on the radio. So when you're hanging late night with your girlfriend and Doll Parts comes on and you both want the most cake, you really feel seen. And the music hits hard...in a very good way. I know some people have issues with Courtney Love and I won't pretend to know much about her. But being a widow and a mother and a rocker at 29 still produces a lot of feelings and feelings are what I want out of my music. I really do love this album but it's not a 4. (Sometimes I hate the rankings in this project. I know I'm not consistent.)

This is a 2 all day long, same as Celebrity Skin. Like that album there's a few decent standouts but it's really nothing special

Not my thing, but glad to have tried. Blend of indie scream/yell, with some decent melody. Not an easy listen to get through, but I could get there for the artistry of it. Missed the Nirvana sound class - will come back after a study

People give Courtney Love a hard time, but I've got to say, Hole made a brilliant album here. It's a standout work from an era where a lot of the music just blurs into a sludgy, unmemorable mess. I was really surprised at this album and am sorry I never took the time to listen to it until now. Hole perfectly conveys the mood and sensibility of the time in which this was made. Every song is catchy, well crafted and moves beautifully into the next, which makes for a really engaging listen. Love's energy is also simply incandescent. She simultaneously conveys a grit, raw vulnerability, brokenness and rage that must have been so compelling for young women to hear. That is no small feat in a genre dominated by men. Not to mention, these songs really rock. Fave Songs: Doll Parts; Jennifer's Body; Violet; Softer, Softest; Asking for It; Plump

Enjoyable 90's alt rock.

Big fan of grunge but Fuck Courtney Love. 2 thumbs down 👎. Hilariously it rolled into Nirvana after the album finished.🔪🔪🔪🔪Could of done without this one!!

tranqui pero no escucharía de nuevo creo. 6,5/10

I like this - good bit of nostalgia

Tøff damerock!