HOLE

BACKDROP:
I love Courtney Love. Love, love, love her. She came to prominence as Kurt Cobain’s widow. She quickly became a magnet for controversy and outrageousness. Somewhere amidst all the craziness, she had a recording career, as well as an acting one. The latter produced nothing of interest except for a brilliant turn in “The People Vs Larry Flynt.” Didn’t hurt that she got naked in that one. I think Courtney Love may have been my first rock star crush. And as much of a mess as she is these days, I’d still hit it.



PRETTY ON THE INSIDE:
Nothing much on this that hasn’t been done better on a Babes In Toyland or L7 record. Interesting side note, Courtney Love has been in bands with both Kat Bjelland and Jennifer Finch. Hmmm. Still, it’s hard not to get sucked into the cult of Courtney. This is one of those albums that gets by on pure attitude. The punky-metal riffs tend to blend together and nothing stands out, but it all moves by quickly enough so as not to wear out its welcome.



LIVE THROUGH THIS:
Rumors abound that Kurt Cobain actually wrote this album. I could see that. “Gutless” is pretty obvious, don’t you think? And the music here is vastly superior to that found on PRETTY. Then again, maybe Courtney Love has improved as a songwriter. I don’t know if the mighty KC had anything like “Softer, Softest” in him. And the lyrics on this album make more sense than your typical Nirvana song. So let’s say the truth lies in the middle and this was a collaborative effort. Incidentally, I don’t buy the theory that Courtney killed Kurt, unless you count the fact that living with Courtney could drive a man to kill himself. But why would she want to slaughter that cash cow? And no, El Duce is not a reliable source. But I digress. Now that time has separated LIVE THROUGH THIS from the surrounding tragedies that proved the title ironic (Kurt’s suicide, the fatal overdose of bassist Kristin Pfaff), the album stands stronger than before. Okay, there are some flaws. The false starts in “Rock Star” are a forced attempt at sounding spontaneous. The “Old Age” excerpt at the beginning of “Credit In The Straight World” really makes no sense. (By the way, Wikipedia and Allmusic tell me that "Old Age" is a reworking of a rare Nirvana song.) But that’s minor quibbling for an album that rocks this hard. Courtney Love shows some nice range, from the aching tenderness of “Doll Parts’ to the vicious sneer of “Jennifer’s Body.” Guitarist Eric Erlandson—one of the most underappreciated musicians around, even his own band hates him—adds some nice textures, but make no mistake about it. This is Courtney Love’s show. And I, for one, wouldn’t have it any other way.



MY BODY THE HAND GRENADE:
This is a collection of, as the Who would say, odds and sods. It’s ironic that I’d say that because, as anyone who knows me can attest to, I hate the Who. Nothing too amazing or revelatory here. It is interesting to hear the demo of “Miss World,” and it’s nice to finally have the full version of “Old Age.” It would’ve been nice to have some more selections from their Unplugged session, particularly “You Know You’re Right.” I think this release is out of print, or maybe only available as an import. Either way, only hardcore Hole fans should seek it out.



CELEBRITY SKIN:
Let’s see. PRETTY ON THE INSIDE was L7-esque. LIVE THROUGH THIS was Nirvana-esque. CELEBRITY SKIN is Smashing Pumpkins-esque. Nope, don’t see a pattern here. Billy Corgan takes songwriting credit, but only on a third of the songs. Judging by how I perceive Corgan’s ego to work, he either wrote none of the songs but wished he did, or he wrote all of the songs but was ashamed he did. Interestingly, Corgan also worked on Marilyn Manson’s MECHANICAL ANIMALS, released around the same time. Both records are ruminations on the shallowness of celebrity. And the theme suits Manson’s limited (and somewhat fake) delivery better. Courtney Love holds back too much here, and restraint is not one of her assets. She’s a powerhouse personality and should be tearing the place up. For example, take “Malibu.” It strives to be like “Doll Parts,” but without the ragged emotionally hoarse vocals, it falls flat. The songcraft is arguably the best the band has produced yet the production polishes the rough edges, leaving everything castrated. Only in “Northern Star” does the band truly deliver, creating the majestic epic the bands has been building up to all these years. It’s quite unfortunate that the rest of the album does not mine a similar vein. Still, it’s a lot more entertaining than most albums released after a talent band has hit their creative peak.



FINAL THOUGHTS:
Since the breakup of Hole, Courtney Love has done some solo albums. She’s also done a lot of drugs. Guess which has been better for her career. But still, I love Courtney, as well as we all should. But where is her reality show? So many boring semi-celebrities get their lives documented (I think E! and VH-1 send television applications in the mail with free samples of Tide). How ‘bout this trainwreck? That’s one show I wouldn’t mind being on my television incessantly. And believe me, I’d watch it each time.