466 - Hole - Live Through This

[csberry]

This CD sits in my CD cabinet and hasn't been played in over a decade now. Listening to the album today let me know that it may be time for me to re-listen to this album, Nevermind, pretty hate machine, and other early 90's alternative albums that I burned out on long ago.

While it is hard not to think of Nirvana and Nevermind when listening to Live Through This, this album does stand on its own. I've done my best to table an internal debate about the change in Hole's sound from their debut to this album and the role Kurt may have made in the sound this album has. Regardless of influence, the songs on this album contain anguish, frustration, and defeat with just enough production polish to not grate the ears and pop hooks to make the passive listener remember songs after the album is done.

Just after Black Francis became Frank Black and released his debut solo album, I received an interview disc with Black and Pere Ubu's David Thomas. On that disc, the two of them discuss that there has yet to be a female that rocks as well as men. Women, they felt, were still singing like they would on a pop song, just louder. I think this album is evidence on how a woman vocalist can have her feminine purr and delivery but also caterwaul like Iggy Pop.

Songs I knew I liked: "Violet," "Miss World," and "Doll Parts"

Songs I didn't know but now like: I had forgotten how much I liked "Rock Star" (especially the false starts), "Asking For It," and "I Think That I Would Die."

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I'm not a fan of "Gutless" other than one line - "I don't really miss God, but I sure miss Santa Claus."