767. Live Through This - Hole

A band I'd been introduced to as a teenager, their lead singer (Courtney Love) was infamous, primarily because of her oft-complex relationship with Kurt Cobain. Whilst not a huge Grunge fan, I appreciated the importance of this relationship in shaping a seminally important musician, but probably didn't take the time to fully invest in this particular album. 

The opener kicks things off with real energy and no little angst. It captures the anger, speed, distortion, and limitations of the grunge scene fairly well. However, the rest of the album does indicate an element of flexibility that many bands at the time couldn't match. From the slow yearning of Doll Parts, to the outright pseudo-satanic intro of Credit in the Straight World.

The album reminds me of Sleater-Kinney, with a little more variety, and slightly less of a Pop-y vibe. The mis-titled album closer Rock Star (replaced by the song Olympia too late for the cover art to change) is a superb piece of music, which is stunning in its simplicity. 

It is worth noting that this album was released a few days after Cobain's suicide, adding a dramatic edge to the title, and certainly giving the album additional publicity. 

The album is a pretty good one overall, and certainly better than my distant memories recalled. There is a decent variety to the tracks, and certainly Love's lyrics and vocals are more deserving of praise than they have historically garnered. 

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 1. Violet
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 12. Rock Star

Next week is 968. Savane by Ali Farka Toure.