Live Through This

Actually and surprisingly really enjoyed this, some cracking tunes

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

I like this - good bit of nostalgia

The bookend tracks of 'Violet' and 'Rock Star' show the immense capacity that Hole had to absolutely rock! The album is powerful, dynamic, and genuine. That combination made it a standout from the crowded 90's grunge era and I'd go so far as to say that it was a better album than Nirvana's 'In Utero'.

Fist time listening to this Hole album. Who doesn't love 90's grunge?

bien aimé le genre punk rock hard. Et courtney love, bien que j'ai pas vraiment aimé l'autre album de Hole, est particulièrement bonne sur cet album 4.

Amazingly good.

I was today years old when I learnt Courtney Love was the singer of Hole. Slaps.

Raw and Iconic

Interesting

I was not expecting to like this much, as I was pretty nonplussed with "Celebrity Skin" earlier on this list, but this album is sweet. It rocks and doesn't feel like as much of a produced and manufactured thing as "Celebrity Skin." Courtney Love's vocals are killer.

Classic grunge/90’s tunes

This whole album would go hard in a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater entry

Powerful

This hits hard and sounds good

HL: “Violet”, “She Walks on Me”, “Asking For It” Quite liked it despite the grunge. November 25, 2022

Amazing feminist strength for the years she did this. The album is a ton of anger. She was born 30 years too early. She would have been a great « me too » defender.

I thought this was a great punk album all throughout. Great vocals. 7/10.

It's no Sleater-Kinney or Bikini Kill, but I can dig it.

This is one of those albums that works for me all the way across the board. Crazy to think that this came out 4 days after Cobin killed himself. I remember kind of reeling from that - one of those deeply Gen X 90s moments. I bought this the day it was released and wore it out. There's nothing here that doesn't work for me. And Rock Star is an incredible closer.

Did you know Courtney Love wanted to be the singer of Faith No More at one point in the 80s? There's video of a rehearsal on YouTube. It's not what you'd expect on any level, and definitely worked out best for all parties that the experiment never went that far. I owned this album (and the one before it), liked this album, saw them in concert on this tour, and then just kind of quickly moved on from this band. I'm guessing I felt they got a little too polished during the "Celebrity Skin" era, but now I'm wondering if I should give that a 2nd chance. I still like how imperfect all of this album is, but I can appreciate their pop sensibilities now more than I did at the time. Maybe I'd like a song like "Malibu" in 2022. Anywho, "Asking for It" was a really nice rediscovery for me on this listen. That's a cool tune and a good mix of the acoustic and electric sides of this band that works better for me than, say, "Doll Parts" or even "Rock Star." Also, did you notice that "Miss World" is I think quite literally the same three chords for the entire duration of the song? Verse and chorus, just one is distorted. Cool. I saw Hole on this tour and got a t-shirt, too! Mine was not soft; it was the faux gas station attendant looking thing with the band patch where a nametag/corporate logo would be. That really, really confused the hell out of some rednecks when I wore it to school. (Which makes me think of the dude who once asked me if I was into stock car racing because of my "Jesus Built my Hot Rod" Ministry t-shirt, haha.) I think that concert was the first time in my life I had registered the sight an adult who was completely off the rails. Courtney looked baaaaad. Rambling during song breaks. I think she climbed an amp and I was convinced for a second she was going to fall and die. It was pretty raw. But here we are and it's 2022, she's still alive and I haven't showered yet today.

Honestly, its a banger

Great album when it came out and it still holds up today.

I love this album.

Best album... still a murder.

Favs: - Credit In The Straight World

I've never listened to this whole album, I've heard a few of the song before, doll parts in particular. It sounded like Nirvana, if sung by a woman. It actually wasn't bad, I was surprised.

I dunno about Courtney and Kurt but Hole definitely made better music than Nirvana

Very compelling

Me gustó bastante... muy cerca de Nirvana

Had heard a couple but never the album... Solid al the way thru

Courtney Love is the real thing. Highlights: Doll Parts, Rock Star

Courteney Love and her band just took over the scene and made her space among the very manly world of grunge music. We can only thank her for that.

Good album. Never really bothered to listen to many female led metal bands but this was a very enjoyable album. Very short. I liked ‘Jennifer’s Body’ but none were unfortunately added to my playlist. Overall good album

Love it, girl punk forever

Great album front to back, standouts for me were Violet, Miss World, Jenny's Body.

Angry girl punk music lol! I listened to this in the morning when I started work - interesting way to start the day. But the whole album is only 38 min so listened to the entire thaang (that's how albums were in the 90s!). Haven't listened to Courtney Love much so this was a good exposure to her. I wouldn't choose this type of music to work to, but it would be perfect for tasks like cleaning the apartment or packing for a trip - something that would normally be tiring but this music would keep me awake. I actually liked a lot of the music that followed this album (in Spotify, which selected music similar to Hole) - No Doubt, Garbage, Nirvana...

Hell yeah what a powerhouse. Loved the DIY sound.

Growing up in the 90's we somehow thought that only Catholic school kids listed to Hole. Kids are fucking weird. I have mixed feelings about Courtney Love. Media at the time, especially after Kurt's death, wanted to paint her as a black widow - exploiting him for her own means until he couldn't take any more. Then I read "Dirty Blonde" and I gained a ton of respect for her. But, so many of these songs sound like Nirvana rejects that I'm back to not knowing what to believe. If I turn off the thoughts and just listen...I love this album. It's weird. Every other woman in rock/alternative gets my immediate love and respect. Why should Hole be any different?

It's neither as good as Scott says, or, as bad as Bort says. She did bang Alan Partridge in her hole though, so that's worth an extra mark.

Very good album

This album was great and got me into mre riot girl esc music. 8/10

the best part about this album project is to listen to albums by musicians you wrote off. for this purpose, i do my best to enter into albums as a blank slate. i, like many others, didn't give courtney love (and her band as a result) a chance before. but this album! it's gritty and dark. the lyrics and themes are heavy, and the feminine focus wasn't terribly popular in 1994. "asking for it" in particular grabbed my attention; its subject matter is relevant today and has been for decades. i commend hole for releasing a song like that in 1994 when it was rather edgy to do so. a reviewer at allmusic mentioned the phrase "raw pain" to describe this album, and i cannot imagine anything better to describe this album.

This band had historically been pretty heavily punk up until this point, but were outspoken about not wanting to do the same exact thing twice. The band found themselves gravitating toward the slightly more polished and structured sounds of alternative rock and grunge, despite protest from purist fans. This album was a result of those efforts, with the band finding some kind of balance between those punk roots and something a little bit more melodic, an outstanding offering that brought Courtney Love's charged feminist topics and harsh vocals to clash with more rhythm driven instrumentals. Love wanted to show a softer side of herself here, and she found a way to do it that worked for the band and their music. This album would inevitably lead to Hole not only becoming a figurehead of the woman-fronted grunge/alt-rock movement, but showing that they had the grit and attitude to exist among the best alt-rock grunge bands of the time. Love's vocals drip with fury and vigor and show so much range on this album, from raw screams to quiet growls. The clever lyrics mixed with that delivery and incredibly catchy melodies just send this album over the edge into greatness. I already loved Hole, and readdressing this album in its entirety only further cemented that. Really glad to see this excellent, often under-rated band on this project.

Yay, go Courtney

Rockin

Full disclosure, I am NOT a fan of Courtney Love! She's a horrible actress, but can act within her range and her singing range is very limited. She doesn't seem like a very nice person and it was unfortunate that she met Kurt (for Kurt's sake). With that being said, Live Through This is a great album! I don't care much for other Hole records, but this one hits the spot. It downright rocks, the songs are crunchy, the music is grungy-melodic, the guitars are loud and I can even tolerate Courtney's screams. I will listen to this often and play this loud!

I didn’t view the daily album until 9:30pm, and as soon as I saw this, I was scared I was going to have to run out and get a case of beer and a pack of Export A Lights. 😆

Alive, honest, loud, desperate, angry. Surprised I recognized two or three of the songs on this album.

Really solid album. Hole and Courtenay Love in general has always had to fight through the shadow of Kurt Cobain. Living or dead, the comparisons and criticisms were always present. If people could see past that (which they should, since their only real connection is their relationship) they’d find a deep and talented artist.

Nice rock.

I need to get over my irrational dislike of Courtney Love as this is a good record.

Love this album, nostalgic listen

Ok

This held up much better then Celebrity Skin. I guess I prefer songs ghost written by Cobain. Violet still kicks pretty hard.

This is the Hole album that I really like. Less poppy, more crunchy, grungy sounding. Very Nirvana-ish with it's start/stop songwritting and quiet/loud parts. And I love Nirvana, so it's not a stretch to like this one a lot, too.

Brilliant ablum with in some ways the worst timing of any release in the history of music. I feel sorry for how much that Courtney Love was hound after Kurt's death and I watched her unravel on stage not quiet a year later. Took me ages to listen to this again but when I did it eclipse most other late grunge releases.

Funciona bem demais dos riffs ao vocal.

Truly great grunge punk, can't believe I've never listened to this before

Good album. In my nostalgia zone so it gains a star

Thin and straggly power barfs of raw catharsis. Spilled bleach, sour milk and home truths all over the bathroom sink. Plus galvanic riffs, scratchy melodies, and one of the sweetest voices to ever scream "fuck you" in your face.

Courtney Love is a genuine rock star. Intense, angry, articulate, unpredictable, controversial, ambitious, unfiltered, strong, damaged, impulsive, charismatic. She has copped a lot of flack over the years, some self-inflicted damage, but a lot of grief for being crime of being a woman. This album is Hole (and Courtney) at the height of their/her powers. The songs are really strong, partially written int eh studio, but also having been partially worked on over the previous two years. There is some understandable Nirvana influence, but these are definitely Courtney's songs. It has the loud/soft thing (which was a step forward in musical development for Hole), a lot of punk rock screaming (and what a scream it is!), but the sheen of being well recorded and edited. I think there was a some selective editing on the vocals, the guitars and drums sound huge, and a some subtle keyboard sweetening in the background. Interestingly, the producers said they didn't double her vocals much to not cut the immediacy. I suspect she never sings a song the same way twice, so doubling is not really a viable option, but she certainly gives each vocal take her all. I'm glad they left in a lot of "mistakes" (vocal cracking, dubious intonation and wayward pitching are common), because the performances are raw and real. Just the right amount of polish, I think. Nobody would ever give this kind of budget to an honestly dangerous punk band anymore, so we may never hear an album like this again. It stands up as a powerful album, even 30 years later.

Good album. Punky, raw, but with a nice sense of melody that keeps things fresh and interesting and listenable. Very consistent from song to song. Much stronger than I expected. 4 stars

Holy Grunge. Good stuff. This list always manages to give you an album you don't expect from an artist with a more popular work.

A rough diamond, pressure-formed by pain.

Hole continued to evolve with each album. Before, they were hardcore punk. After, they took on a clean alt rock sound. Here they are their grungiest. Lots of similarities with Nirvana, substantiating rumors of Cobain's contribution to this album's songwriting. Indeed, this album sounds more like a Pixies album than In Utero, despite Cobain recruiting Surfer Rosa's Steve Allbini. Just like In Utero, Live Through This manages to combine unique melodies with a rough, genuine attitude. Courtney Love's vocal delivery carries the energy and emotion of the show, but Pfaff's basslines shock us with their range of sound. There are accessible pop songs like "Miss World," "Softer Softest," and "Doll Parts" to appeal to most audiences. The first side is much more polished and coherent, whereas the second side takes more risks, kicking off with the abrasive hardcore "Credit in the Straight World." I get Soundgarden-vibes from the bass in "I Think That I Would Die." Pretty consistent through this, and even the weaker tracks were enjoyable due to the diversity. Favorites: Violet, Asking for It, Doll Parts, I Think That I Would Die, Rock Star

“Courtney Love- yeah she sucks, but that album is good”- record store guy who I bought this Hole CD from I couldn’t agree more

Man, what a voice lead singer has... Reminded me of Nirvana, which makes sense looking at relation between Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. Released a week after Cobain's suicide. Harsh. I really enjoyed this record. Felt grungy, dirty, pure. Highlights: Jennifer's Body, Rock Star

Fajny, agresywny grunge. Nie znałem kompletnie, więc przyjemne zaskoczenie. Nic szczególnie nie odstawało, właśnie troszkę nazbyt monotonne. Ale całkowicie przyjemna i niezbyt długa płytka, zasługuje na to 4.

great modern punk album

Mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Un poco repetitivo en un par de canciones pero en general movido, con buenos guitarrazos y mucha energía. 3.5 que subo a 4 porque los disfruté.

Fett fett fett

Had never heard this in full before now (though the singles, particularly "Violet", were on Triple J all the time), and I really should've done. I think it does run of steam a bit in the second half, but on the whole it's really good.

3/28/22 Super interesting to learn about Courtney Love and the history of this album. It was a thing that I am glad I heard but probably will never listen to again. Ish I heard this in the height of my emo phase in high school lol. But overall very classic 90s grunge which is super fun!

Better to stand out than be bland, bit shouty but overall good.

hell yeah! love Hole (who I learned about three days ago when Celebrity Skin was introduced to me lol)

Hard rockin

I loved this a hole lot (hahaha). Had NO idea that this was Courtney Love. Hell, I didn't know she was in a band!

Really enjoyed. Great grunge album, a little unpolished but that’s part of the thing that’s enjoyable about listening to this music rather than something way overproduced

Always liked this, good tunes, great voice, great lyrics.

Shouting, gravelly female vocals Courtney Love - questionable...

Can't go wrong with this album, just some classic 90's shit

Awesome

This was even better than I remember it being. Courtney Love was such an amazing front woman.

Very solid grunge of the 90s, yet it doesn't feel as notable as other grunge records. Still gotta admire Courtney Loves charisma through all the songs. Favorites: "Violet", "Doll Parts", "Credit In The Straight World"

Such good grunge music. I liked it a lot

Angry chick music. I digged it.

Genuine enjoyable album

Violet immediately hooks me with the great dynamics in the song writing. The acoustic guitar work is a real highlight, they use it to cut the sonic atmosphere of the booming guitars and drums and make it a real treat for the ears.

A good record from the heyday of 90's alt rock. Hard for me not to like it. There is definitely a heavy Nirvana influence, even if the rumors about Cobain having ghostwritten it are false. Hard for me to say it's a classic or a must listen though. Probably somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me if I'm honest but my love of this genre and period bumps it to a 4.

Courtney Love is problematic. This album is a gem.

REally enjoyed this grunge record.

Due to the controversy surrounding Courtney Love I never really gave Hole a chance. So I’m really glad they came up in this - it’s about time I had a listen. I enjoyed the album way more than I was expecting to. Amazingly crafted songs and hooks, so much attitude and raw power. The subject matter along with their wall of sound absolutely blows you off your feet. A high 4/5 - Really enjoyed the album, probably going to dive back in.

A lot of bangers, a lot of angst, a lot of mentions of milk. It's smack dab in the middle of the grunge era and is clearly a classic of the genre. It's very raw, and you can hear it in not only the lyrical content, but also in the unprocessed vocals and instrumentation at times that are imperfect and feel human. Not to say that it doesn't still sound really good, because it definitely does.

This holds up really well

ehh

Dit album bracht ik exact wat ik ervan verwachte. Grunge, gemengd met wat punk en pop. De Cobain-invloed is inderdaad soms niet ver te zoeken. Goed album!

Loved this! As much as Courtney Love is a polarizing character you can’t deny their first few albums slapped. Very important contribution to grunge. Fave tracks: “Doll Parts” “Asking For It” “Jennifer’s Body”

Eclipsada por su matrimonio, que no por su marido, creo que eran mejor grupo de lo que la gente piensa y tienen un par de discos (este es uno de ellos memorables) con unas cuantas canciones para la historia del rock. Miss World, Doll Parts y Rock Star.

Un disc presoner de la seva llegenda. Composat en ple vincle matrimonial amb Cobain (hi ha qui diu que ell és gran protagonista de les lletres i melodies del disc), publicat entre la mort de Cobain i la de la baixista de la banda, amb un tema fantasma, ‘Rock Star’, enretirat en últim moment (no dels crèdits, però) per la seva fatídica predicció a les lletres… tenia tots els números per convertir-se en històric. I ho és. Pel seu misticisme i pel seu punch postgrunge, del millor que va donar el génere i que va fer de Courtney Love una rock star a tenir en compte. Perfil que confirmaria pocs anys després amb el també excel.lent ‘Celebrity Skin’

This was a pleasant find, angsty, impassioned rock.

Music was solid, but I'm not too fond of Courtney's vocals.

solid female empowerment rock album. good stuff

Love the raw anger coursing through this. Makes me think of so many good nights out spent dancing to Doll Parts

7/10

Didn't expect this as a must-listen. It took me back! 3 for the album, extra 1 for 90s nostalgia.

Great, powerful rock album. Every song belongs on the album and knows to entertain

Opens and ends with fury. I like the rest too

grungey. Might just be a sucker for female vocalists, cuz I don't think it was really all that interesting

Wasn't expecting to like this too much but it was surprisingly entertaining. Was a little repetitive at points, but overall a good album. Very 90s. Very grunge.

Enjoyed it. Sleater-Kinney vibes.

Superb female-fronted grunge/garage rock. Though the compositions tend to be repetitive, Love's take-no-prisoners energy makes each track its own inherent testament that needs to be heard until the end.

Like the White Stripes, I definitely did not give this album its due respect when it came out. I had bias against Courtney Love pretty much my entire adolescence as she always seemed like bad news. Even when she broke through as an actress, I just had a bad sense of her. This album actually is as solid of an alternative rock record as anything else that arrived in the 90s including Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, or Green Day. There's a tragic personal depth to the album beyond the enjoyable riffs and rhythms. I can see how these relatable themes could be very valuable to coming of age audiences, especially young women.

Rockigt punk

Znači, očito sam postao neki njihov fan. Prvo sam poslušao Celebrity Skin koji mi je jako dobar, pa potom ovaj, i taman se eto našao i ovdje u 1001. album. Ovo mi je malo slabiji od Celebrity Skin, ali isto tako ima stvarno dobrih stvari, baš mi je drago da sam ih poslušao.

Great grunge album with lots of swagger. Good music to maybe murder your spouse to

Courtney love gets a bad rap. she was as damaged as Kurt by the time he died and in the wisdom of my years now unfairly blamed. this album is cool. very punk

Punky, female vocal. Pleasently surprised

Really enjoyed this album

I feel super confused about this one, genuinely lost about how to rate it. One song I love and the next I don't. For the first time listening to these albums, I actually went back and re-listened to a few songs because at first listen I honestly could've rated this 2, 3 or 4. I still feel unsure, but I genuinely think I will come back to this one - there's something about it that makes me want to carry on listening.

Who knew I would really like Courtney Love music?

Неплохо, пару песен ушло в лист.

Very catchy

¿El disco buen del grunge?

Endlich wieder eine Frau am Mikro hier. Mir gefällt die Musik und ich wünschte es würde heute noch mehr sowas geben. Pro 90ies revival!

John actually introduced me to Hole! I liked this, had kind of a Joan Jett vibe.

Enjoyed today’s album. Never really liked Hole, mainly because of Courtney Love, but when one of their big tunes come on I’m into it. Plus some decent Nirvana sounding album tracks on there too. Might just copy and paste that as my review tbh

Good! Will come back next time I’m feeling angsts 8/10

This is a good rock album. which is a shame as shes a horrendous person. Its feminist content is way ahead of its time and has catchy hooks.

Cool. Vibes. Powerful lead singer

Alles drin, was (female) teenage angst beinhaltet und was den Rahmen fasst um die popkulturelle Auseinandersetzung von weiblichen Minderjährigen mit Selbstbild, Fremdwahrnehmung, Sexualität, Ansprüchen, Verfügbarkeitsmythen - musikalisch eingekleidet im alten "Gish" Fummel der frühen Pumpkins und doch stellenweise schon den großen "Malibu" Pop/Rock vorwegnehmend, der da noch kommen soll. Bei allem Hang zur rotzigen Punkrock Attitüde bleibt das alles vor allem eine Auseinandersetzung amerikanischer Prägung. Wenn in "Girl Interrupted" so absolute Hotties wie Winona Ryder und Angelina Jolie die "Durchgeknallten" mimen, so darf in der US Variante gesellschaftskritischer, Körperfetisch aufs Korn nehmenden Feminist Rocker nicht drunter gehen; Love, Auf der Maur und Co. könnten rein visuell der angeprangerten materialistischen Gefälligkeit kaum mehr entsprechen, und sprechen dann doch zu den pummeligen Outsidern. Femen-Rock quasi - der schöne Schwan predigt tönend dem Gefolge hässlicher Entlein. Und da ist echt nichts verwerflich, wenn schöne Menschen sich diesen Themen zuwenden - es bleibt jedoch ein Geschmäckle, wenn Barbie geköpft wird von einer kajalverschmierten Barbie mit Messer. Dennoch bin ich vollends überzeugt, denn in der Gänze sind Text zur Musik vor allem in der ersten Albumhälfte pures Gold. "Was she asking for it? Was she asking nice? Did she ask you for it? Did she ask you twice?" 4 Fragen, 1 Bild, stark, eindeutig, genial. "I'm miss world, somebody kill me Kill me pills" the pain of being what the world expects of you. "I'm eating you I'm overfed Your milk's in my mouth It makes me sick" The thin line between lust and disgust. Schon in der Schule (in Olympia, Washington) hat man´s gelernt: "Everyone's the same We look the same We talk the same yeah We even fuck the same" Hat alles für mich noch Gültigkeit - leider nach knapp 30 Jahren das Frauenbild und der sich daraus ergebene Konflikt - und auch musikalisch nicht so angestaubt wie manch männliche Kollegen dieser Zeit. stunned 4.2

Cool

Better than most other punk I've listened to. I think Courtney Love's vocals are quite good and the album is short enough not to overstay its welcome, but it definitely didn't stick in the same way other albums on this list have. 7

it's like, yeah, you know, yeah.

Surprisingly better than I expected

It got me in the right mood

Legitimately good album, even though I personally can’t stand Courtney Love any anything she stands for culturally, historically, or otherwise.

Proof that the last punk album that I rated wasn’t negative because it was a female vocalist. I think her style sounds way better than Cobain. All in all quite a good album for what it is. Not my genre, but still worth listening to.

Not bad

Maybe too pop-ish, but catchy interesting singing. 7

Presque du Nirvana

I don't really miss God, but I sure do miss Santa Claus. Similar to the first Hole record, this one was another banger. A little harder than the first record we listened to? I think I officially like Hole.

I liked it, i would probably give it 3.5 but 4 seems right.

Album espetacular, sugiro ouvir com um grado

dope ass punk album

I know the drama with Courtney, but not info to have a real opinion on that so putting aside personal stuff, I have to say I liked this album. Some of the songs blended together for me, but I'd listen again, so I have to give it a solid 4.

pretty great grunge album

Sorry Hole, I've already had my Riot Grrrl fix today... Since my dad was sad about Jennifer Finch dying today, I checked out the album with his favourite of their songs on it earlier, and it was cool but breezed past me a bit, it didn't really grab my attention but had some decent songs and riffs. I'm pretty sure from my memory and other bands I've heard and seen, this tends to be the pattern with my opinion on the genre/scene. Sure, I love and agree with the lyrica, but the music itself isn't really my thing. This seems to continue that pattern unfortunately. The first two tracks are pretty good and I like the energy a lot, but then most of the songs after feel so similar at times I genuinely thought my Spotify glitched and returned to the first songs again and I didn't notice. There are also some other pretty cool bits where it suddenly kicks in and Courtney's vocals suddenly increase in intensity, but even those lose their impact for me throughout, leaving me entertained but a little bored by the end of the albums. None of the songs really had any notable parts for individual instruments or the whole thing other than this though, so that's about it.

There's a story that Kurt Cobain wrote almost all the songs on this album to help his wife (a bit of mystique is added by the fact that Kurt shot himself four days before the album's release). Both Courtney Love and the rest of the band responded evasively to these claims — saying he stopped by the studio a couple of times, maybe gave advice, maybe sang a little, but nothing more. Of course, we'll never know who actually wrote the album, but after listening to it, the reason for such speculation becomes clear — it literally sounds like Nevermind for women. The melodies, simultaneously grunge and punk rock, their structure, the calm vocals in the verses that turn into screams in the choruses, the lengthy lyrics — everything here is reminiscent of Nirvana. If an album is inspired by another great album, it can't be bad, at the very least, but the question of why I should listen to Live Through This when I can listen to Nevermind remains open.

not a huge punk fan but enjoyed this

Se nota algo de Kurt

There are a couple songs on here I like, but the rest kind of run together.

I knew a lot more of this album that I thought I would. It was nice to get a female perspective on the grunge movement even if it came with a lot of baggage...

2.5 - I like this more than I thought I would in middle school when I never listened to it, but less than I wanted to.

this sounds a lot like early foo fighters

3,0/5

Decent album. Liked the energy and the vocals match well with the music. 3/5 Might listen again

Je to ich počúvateľnejšia forma.

Courtney Love does grunge so well. Way more fun to listen to than Kurt Cobain.

There are some good tracks. I genuinely think "Doll Parts' is a great song. However, much of it feels middle of the road, at least at this point, and it's hard to compare to even early to mid grunge at the time. I just think I can get most everything Hole tries to deliver in this album with a Sonic Youth album, and the latter will be on a higher level.

Not as strong as I remembered

Started awful, but there's actually some charm to it.

Whoa, is that the girl from the hit Alex Cox film Straight to Hell? I wonder if she's famous for anything else. I'm fond of this sound, but this isn't, like, a prime example. It's kinda noisey (J Mascis influence noticeable), kinda repetitive (as this kind of thing often is - not a knock, just saying it doesn't move beyond the trope), and the lyrics aren't super great and her voice isn't, either. It's just fine. Not sure why it's on this list save for her screentime opposite Joe Strummer (not famous for anything else, surely).

Verstehe den Hype nicht

Solid enough, if a bit commercialised grunge in places, which feels at odds with the DIY aesthetic that it originally curated. Don't hate it but it's never going to set my world alight.

Angst alt rock in the melodic grunge realm. Generally a good, honest, raw listen with some solidly memorable songs. But it starts to run a bit together for me and doesn’t really stand ahead of the pack of other grunge and alt rock that I like from the time, though I do appreciate the sound and topics being filtered through a woman’s lens

Nice to revisit! Better than I remembered it!

It was good but her voice grates on me.

6/10 Divertido, movido, me hace acordar a un viernes de locos, buen album

Pretty cool, especially the song about Olympia (still holds true today) but not quite a 4* album.

Solid grunge. Courtney is talented, not sure about the replay value for me

tenía muchas ganas de que me toque para escucharlo, destaco mucho su voz. pero siento que le tengo que dar otra escucha (que no sea en el colectivo) para prestarle más atención

2.8

Pretty cool rock songs

Pretty decent.

Just kind of boring really. No standout tracks, just some by the numbers vaguely grungey music played well enough by a band who wouldn't be remotely as big as they are if not for their lead singer's marriage. That's not to shit on them entirely, it's fine enough, nothing amazing, but based on their songwriting and performance, is their success and fame proportional? Not really, no. They're average as hell, and so is this album. All the songs languish around the 6/10 mark, competent enough, yet not particularly interesting or essential. Some lyrics are quite good and have something important to say about the lived experience of women, however, the songs as a vehicle for delivering these lyrics are nothing to write home about. I'm intrigued by the start of most of these songs, and by the end I'm left with a sense of "oh, was that it?"

Very punk rock, pretty cool too.

This was a good album, but... I don't know, I just didn't vibe with it as much as the other Hole album I heard through this. The instrumentation was there, Courtney Love's voice was good, the songwriting was fine, but I just didn't totally get into it.

Pretty fun - kinda like bikini kill, lots of talk of milk. Kinda same-y though

imagine kurt singing these songs

I didn't mind this album, I love a female led punk group, but this album is missing something - cohesion, novelty? 3/5

middara

Music like this makes me feel like I'm in a pub basement somewhere in London listening to a grunge band thrash on a drum kit and sing undecipherable words into an echoey room. That's not necessarily a criticism, the grunge rock vibes just transport me to that place, with how raw and honest it is. On the whole I enjoy the album, it's a good listen with a few strong highlights, but as with the type of gig I refer to there's something about it that washes over me and doesn't feel particularly memorable. 6/10.

Upbeat, good.

A bit one-note.

Favorite Track: Jennifer's Body

As one would expect from a debut of a punk/grunge group, this is more raw than later offerings. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

So I am torn on this one. A great use of rock for righteous outrage. And the symbiosis with nirvana is clear. But I get worn down by it rather than energised. Maybe I am just getting older.

Review - never listened to a full album. It's good, but it just made me want to listen to other better alternatives rock of the era. Score - 6.5/10 Need to listen? NO

Good intro and outro but middle is mid

Aika tasaista renkutusta 2,5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finger the hole

Interesante

Very solid

Lo primero que debo decir es que es un gran álbum de grunge. Tiene todo lo que el género tenía en ese momento. Lo segundo para decir es que tenía todo lo del género en un año cuando ya el género había dado todo eso hace tiempo. Si a eso le sumamos la situación de sonar muchas canciones parecidas a Nirvana, la comparación se vuelve inevitable cuando ya Nirvana hacía 5 años había soltado estos mismos sonidos. Una mierda comparar así, sabiendo todo el trasfondo atrás, pero realmente hay un parecido musical imposible de evitar notar. Aún así, porque banco al género y porque me gustó en lineas generales el album, 7/10

Tja

Crafty melodies, rock noise, and intense writing: smart white-hot anger and desire. It's a pretty good record.

Not bad!

Can't think of much to say about this album. Perfectly fine grunge.

Even during Courtney Love's pre-celebrity days, Hole never did much for me. By the time Live Through This came out, I was actively avoiding everything in this world because it felt so overexposed and performative. (That said, I thought "Violet" was catchy.) All these years later, I can say I didn't miss much, but I liked this more than I expected—particularly the first half. By "Softer, Softest" it gets repetitious, but the run from "Violet" through "Doll Parts" is solid, and I appreciated the commentary in "Rock Star." I'd still never want to hang out with Courtney Love, though. 3.5 stars.

I wasn't a fan at first but then it started to grow on me about halfway through. Fav song on it is probably 'I think that I would die' or 'rock star'. Hole, or at least the vibe I'm getting from this album specifically, is giving a rockier version of No Doubt and I'm here for it.

I didn't expect a hole album to be on here, and to be honest this just feels like nirvana with a frontwoman. There are much better albums I could have listened to from that era, such as jagged little pill by alanis morrisette and version 2.0 by garbage. Its not a bad album but it isnt very memorable either

Fine

I actually really liked the punk rock sound here but the voice is an absolute killer for me. I respect it, I like the sound in theory, but I don’t like how it ultimately sounds.

Was ok, nothing amazing. May not listen to it again.

Great grunge pop, probably wouldn't put it on this list though.

Raw and angry. It’s good, but I can hear a bit of immaturity in the album that gets polished (in a good way) in their later work. Love has such a good voice, but her yelling masks it. This feels like alive is trying to act a part instead of being herself. I do like the record though. Just not as much as other Hole work.

Really solid 90s grunge/rock album. Love the vocals. Doesn't really have a standout song for me, but no duds either.

The career defining album of the most beloved rock-and-roll wife since Yoko Ono. Honestly, Love's incredibly raw and sometimes vicious performance surprised me. There's a nice mix of polished big-budget alt rock that often veers into gruff, uncompromising hardcore, usually at Love's direction. Though the album's sound palette sounds pretty dated today (you can basically pinpoint the exact year this was released) it's still a standout entry in the very, VERY wide alt rock landscape. Key Tracks: Violet, Plump, Jennifer's Body

It was kind of noisy. Sounded alright, but lot of screaming and I had a headache.

Good grunge album - a little to much screaming into the mic to be great - Surprisingly spoty in quality: hole have some of the best grunge songs and others are just really dull

Under produced but decent raw material

Excellent grunge album. Has a couple of hits that still hold up.

Not bad, very straight down the middle grunge, however I don't love Courtney Love's voice all the time on this

Punk/post-punk with a bit of grunge. Strong vocals, control even during distortion. Can you call it feminist? Definitely a statement on the treatment of women in society. Definitely aggressive, powerful, self-assured. I respect it and can see how people would love it, but it doesn't resonate with me. Best track - Plump, Jennifer's Body, Gutless 3 stars

not the worst, felt lots of nirvana-ish vibes here but it wasn't bad. felt a lot like feminine rage, which I'm very fond of, though it didn't really match my tastes.

Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Good - Violet is an angry opener, but I like Miss World more. The first few tracks are good but there isn't much variation. They all sound a bit too similar for me. I like Jennifer's Body and Doll Parts is very good, I love the vocals as they get angrier. Rock Star is a good closer. I could maybe see this becoming more enjoyable with more listens but I'd say it's a good album.

in terms of musical context, it's quite a shock to be me (i don't know who the fuck Hole is) and learn that Courtney Love fronts this band, and especially that there was some hot goss about whether or not Kurt Cobain had anything to do with this album. feels very much like... not my circus, idk. this was a cool listen. I'm actually glad to be somewhat divorced from the history of this album because it allowed me to listen to it for its own merits and on its own terms, which made it actually really enjoyable. when it went hard, I wanted it to go harder. when it softened, i still wanted it to go harder. still, it was an enjoyable listen, and i don't think i'd skip any of these songs if they came on shuffle. i don't know that i'd go out of my way to choose this record, though. i think "She Walks On Me" is the standout track. I'd seek that one out probably

i've seen only hate for Courtney Love online. i think that's what the cool kids are doing. idk man she's got a cool voice and i thought this album was fun enough. i probably won't listen to it again, but i'm not skipping Hole any time soon.

Some key representation that acoustic guitars and pop diva antics aren’t the only avenues for female artists; you can also be loud, abrasive, and wild. I didn’t love the album, but it def opened doors for women in punk and heavy music and I liked a few of the songs

90s rock. No problems. Her being cobains lady definitely plays through, their styles merged it seems. Kinda hard and more loud punk style.

I liked it more than I thought I would. Good songs to start, then the quality drops.

The first half of the album didn’t really feel right in my ears. The instruments and vocals felt too separate to me. I thought Asking For It and Jennifer’s Body (didn’t know where the film’s name came from either) were phenomenal, but the rest of the album wasn’t as great for me. I’m more of a Britpop person than a grunge person anyway. I can totally get why people would love this album though, especially if you had been an angsty teenage girl with this, which I am not.

Loved the grungy mess

It's obviously pretty damn difficult to discuss and/or praise this album without discussing the context from which it came. Nirvana. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Grunge as an entire era. And now we have to somehow contend with this existing outside all of that. It's alright. I mean obviously it sounds like Nirvana, but that's not because I'm subscribing to the conspiracy that Cobain ghostwrote all these songs. He didn't, even though I could easily imagine his voice and guitar work in place of Love's. No, it's because that's just straight-up how grunge sounds sometimes. And how grunge sounds is...not reeeaally for me. I like it when she screams! I like harsh vocals. And I like the more straightforward punk songs, especially in the last half. Gutless and Olympia are an awesome one-two punch. Funny enough, even though it almost functions like a Bikini Kill diss track, Olympia reminds me more of Sleater-Kinney than anyone. But I'd rather listen to Sleater-Kinney, unfortunately. It sounds pleasant, but I couldn't fall in love with this one.

med

Really enjoyed this, prefer this album to celebrity skin

Good, compact album. Underrated at the time.

Love this, three stars, altogether now 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 “I went to school…” Tom.

Hole was a part of the 90s that I let pass me by. I think I felt that they were in the shadow of Nirvana so I kind of wrote them off. But on this fresh listen I find them to be very much of this era but also somehow quite unique.

Okey, super punk y con esa voz rasposa y agresiva del rock. Debo decir que quizas no es muy mi estilo, pero aun asi disfrute escuchando She Walks On Me, Plump y alguna que otra más.

I had heard some of these songs but not the whole album. It was better than I thought it would be.

Meh meh meh

I've never been able to separate this album from Cobain's death-think this released just a few weeks after his death. musically this was a good listen, but Love's vocals just never appealed to me.

Shouty stripped back noisy fun

learned a lot, but didnt enjoy it as much hehe. should revisit

hi girl

7/10

decent overall, actually. Not anything memorable

While this is quite a decent listenable album, it’s another standard 1990s record that doesn’t need preserving.

joan jett energy 🤘🏻

Like the vocals and sound, just a little too sad for ya boy... I get that that kinda the point, but we need good vibes in these trying times. Ope, didn't realize this was Courtney Love until I looked into it more...

Live Through This es un álbum con mucho talento y una identidad bien marcada. La interpretación de Courtney Love y las letras crudas le dan un peso emocional fuerte que se aprecia fácilmente. Aunque no es del todo mi estilo, puedo valorar su sonido agresivo y honesto. Me gusta, pero no me encanta—se queda en un punto intermedio. En general, le doy un 3 de 5 sólido y respetable, pero no algo a lo que estaria escuchando todo el tiempo.

The years have not tuned my ears to make Courtney's voice less grating, quite the opposite it seems. Not sure we're even listening to this is she isn't Curt Cobain's girlfriend/wife. Sure there's moments here and there, and Hole had their moment in the spotlight, just not sure anything here warrants a "gotta hear this!" callout.

Reikä-Love. Ihan okei rokkenrollia. Laulu oli välillä aikamoista määkimistä, mutta kylläkait tätä mieluummin kuuntelee kun turpaansa ottaa.

No questioning this is a classic and a very important record in grunge I would give it a 4 but I find my self sick of Courtney screaming the same thing over again by the end of most of the songs 3/5

⭐⭐⭐ Ett ok album varken mer eller mindre. Har svårt att se dess kultstatus, tycker det är lite för många spår som är medel och för få som sticker ut positivt. De som är bra är bra men det dröjer till tredje spåret med Plump som jag tycker det först lyfter. Det är möjligt att texterna är något som går mig förbi och att jag saknar den emotionella kopplingen till albumet. Det får bli en 3a, det är nästan definitionen av medel. Bäst är Plump, Jennifer's body, Doll parts, Rock star.

Didn't love it. Didn't hate it

this hole was a little sloppier than the other but i preferred this one

I love the sound of all the instruments and I think Courtney’s voice is one of the best rock voices. Love the raw production, some moments remind me of in utero. But I feel like most of these songs are missing compelling hooks, so you can easily tune it out. I think best enjoyed in a bar or playing at the record store.

I did enjoy some parts, found her voice got a bit grating to my ears as it dragged on.

This was good but she’s kind of gross

Better than the previous one, but still

After learning who ‘Hole’ were before listening I was expecting some scream type grunge and I was not disappointed with this woman fronted grunge punk bands album. The first 3 songs had even my daughter looking up from her breakfast and asking who I was listening to so she took note too. She loves Paramore and Olivia Rodrigo and I reckon both those have taken inspiration from Courtney Love. ‘Doll parts’ was a welcome well placed track which showcased some softer vocals. ‘She walks on me’ showcasing the best guitar work on the album in my opinion along with some solid vocals so is my best song on the album. By the time the last song ‘Rock star’ appeared I felt like Courtney was well overdue a throat sweet. Overall I enjoyed the album and can see where lots of the female punk acts that have arrived on the scene of the 00s will have taken lots of inspiration.

Really a record of two halves. The first was average at best. She is not the best singer in the world, especially when she goes to high pitch. The second half I really enjoyed it didn't seem so forced

Like a female nirvana or pixies. The loud soft loud approach to music. Not really my style but not really bad either

Gave this one a couple listens through. Was already familiar with Doll Parts and the remainder of the album delivered a style I would expect from Hole. Didn’t find the time to dig much further than that.

I generally think Courtney Love is a despicable person and this is a Nevermind rip-off but still a pretty decent record

Good

To be honest, I kinda like this album more when the songs are rougher and more aggressive. Which there is plenty of, I just find it a bit ironic when this was supposed to show off the band's "soft edge". I liked it overall, a good album with songs that, unfortunately, have lyrics that still are very relevant.

un po’ disonesta perché ho sentito pochissimo, però la sua voce mi piace un sacco

Apple suggested there were rumors that Kurt Cobain had more influence on this album, and I can see why. It's much more grungy and Nirvana-like than Celebrity Skin. They are both good but in different ways!

Ei ollu ehkä iiihan mun juttu, en kuunnellut kai ees ihan loppuun. Pitää antaa kyl uus mahis paremmalla ajalla sillon ku tekee mieli vähän heavympää.

Ik vond het lowkey wel iets hebben. Redelijk stevig maar tegelijk ook niet overweldigend. Ik moet ooit eens de tekst ervan opzoeken.

my god pouts on the cover of the magazine

Not bad

I MADE MY BED I'LL LIE IN IT I MADE MY BED I'LL DIE IN IT

Hard to remember they're a real band, pleasantly surprised

Surprisingly cathartic.

this is certainly an album

Can't say I enjoy it, but I don't mind it.

Songs all start out like they're going to be interesting especially the music, but when she starts singing it's all repetitive and whiny. Their previous album, Celebrity Skin, was so much better. Doll Parts and Softer, Softest were decent. Best song: Softer, Softest

Grungeband med Courtney Love, Kurt Cobains enke, som vokalist. Faktisk gitt ut en uke etter hans død. Intenst og fengende. Vesentlig svakere andre halvdel. Top 3: Jennifer’s Body, Violet, Doll Parts

I appreciate the bad girl vibes but it was not for me

Not really my thing, but not bad.

Brought back memories of being 22 and taping John Peel radio shows.

Upon my first listen, I thought I wasn’t into this album, but now that I’ve relistened, it seems I just wasn’t in the mood that day. I listened today while working out and actually appreciated a few of the songs more, like Violet, Jennifer’s Body, Doll Parts, Softer, Softest, and I Think That I Would Die. The messaging in I Think That I Would Die is painful having read more about Courtney Love, her marriage to Kurt Cobain, his addiction to heroin and their battle for custody after Love was accused of shooting heroin while pregnant. Speaking of Kurt Cobain, I can definitely hear some Nirvana adjacent chord progressions and her speaking voice reminded me faintly of Gwen Stefani, both of which I enjoyed.

Did Kurt ghostwrite parts of this? Do I really care? Either way, grunge goodness abounds on this one. Favorite track: Violet

cool

cool to listen to while I talk or think or think what to write has some of that catchiness to it that can't last

This feels like an album I want to listen to when I'm working on art and being creative to escape or process she*t. It's angsty, punky, and grungy. There's a nostalgia for the growing up in the 90s in the Northwest with it feminine anger. Like Alanis in the 90s but less polished, more raw and real. But it runs the gamut of emotions too. Not every track sounds the same. Some are softer some are angrier some are fun. And Courtney Love's voice also moves from raw to sweet from track to track or even int he same song. I have a new appreciation for her as a vocalist.

Meh. I get why people would like this, but it's not for me. No thanks.

Good, but nothing immediately stood out on its own for me.

Preferred her subsequent album

A very gutsy and forceful album with a fantastic vibe. I love when Courtney gets properly angry on the mic towards the end and the contrast with the popper vocals. I can hear the influence on several bands from my teenage years. Because of the relative lack of hits it doesn’t quite match up to Celebrity Skin for me, but I could see why it would be their top album for many. Certainly it’s their most iconic.

High 3 for today’s Hole album, i don’t like the sound as much as the other of theirs we had but the vocals, lyrics, attitude, and some of the guitar playing really gets me going but overall less my thing this time around

No

Never heard of the group but was a nice introduction.

Good for that 90s alt scene where looking back, there weren't really that many problems. Fun!