‘Live Through This’ by Hole

  This is the review that gets me in trouble. I’m gonna say it right out. I like Hole. So if you’ve got some vendetta against Courtney Love that doesn’t allow you to like good music out of some sense of loyalty to her late husband, stop reading. They gone? Ok now that all the rational people are left let’s move on.

 Hole was formed in late 1989 by the only two consistant members, Eric Erlandson and Courtney Love. After their first album, ‘Pretty on the Inside’, which was more of a noisy punk record, Hole released ‘Live Through This’, a pop/grunge LP that is more accessible on the surface. Bubbling beneath however is one of the most rattling things I can think of, Courtney Love’s voice. Say what you will about her but the girl can rock the fuck out. That voice could peel paint and I love it. I may not like her as a human but I can’t help liking her music.

 As for the rest of the album, it’s catchy but raw. It’s the equivalent of giving someone a hug before telling them to fuck off. Some parts are fun and infectious to the point you can almost dance to them, while others are just a sneering spit in the face. It’s a great balance and a great sound. No wonder it sold so many copies. Even in such a sad time, only a few days after Kurt was found. Some people even think he wrote most of the album, but I’ll leave the conspiracies to Wikipedia and YouTube commenters.  

 In conclusion, if you can ignore the Cobain uber-fanboys long enough to listen to some Hole, you might enjoy it. It’s a prettied up fuck you to everyone. It’s just good punk rock. 

Song: ‘Gutless’