Zack: Courtney Love is such an enigmatic pop culture figure now, and sometimes a downright pariah, that I was unsure what to expect from a Hole album. I’ve heard singles like Doll Parts and Celebrity Skin and always thought they were kind of alright, but I wasn’t convinced that a full album would be consistently entertaining. Live Through This certainly delivers, though. There have been rumors circulating around it for years that Kurt Cobain ghostwrote the entire thing, and I can kind of see where those come from. There is, apparently, no actual evidence for such an accusation, but Live Through This has the kind of polished aggressiveness that Nevermind perfected. Which is not to say that Live Through This is anywhere near as good an album as Nevermind, but the aesthetic is similar (although the lyrics are actually decipherable here). Overall, Live Through This was loud and catchy and fun, and it makes a bit more sense why Courtney Love remains culturally relevant now.
Favorite Tracks: Violet; Doll Parts; She Walks on Me
Emily: Courtney Love has gotten a pretty bad rap over the years, particularly in the post-Cobain years where she tended to make a spectacle of herself on MTV while battling several personal demons. She's generally retreated from the limelight in the past few years, but it seems like her personal life is her longest-lasting legacy. That's really a shame, since Love has made some damn good music. Women weren't a huge part of the grunge scene, but Hole really breaks through that. Love and her bandmates take that signature grunge sound - the growling guitars, lo-fi production, and scream-howl vocals - but put a unique (and dare I say female?) spin on it with lyrics about motherhood and beauty standards and catchy hooks that are somehow both raw and made for radio. I really enjoyed this album, and I'll definitely return to it when I'm in a grunge kinda mood.
Favorite Tracks: Violet; Jennifer's Body; Doll Parts
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