The Most Cake

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In my exhilaration in knowing I’m gonna see what’s become of Hole (aka: Courtney Love) at the NorVa in exactly one week, I’ve spent my Saturday playlist going over three albums on repeat: Live Through This (1994), Ask For It (1995), and Nobody’s Daughter (2010). And then I wrote a little review of Nobody’s Daughter.

Mmmm….Raw and loud and pretty. Hole encompasses more than what’s said about them. It’s not wannabe grunge. It’s good hard rock and roll. And yes, a woman is singing. And yes, said woman is batty. And yes, she’s a starfucker at times.

pic: nachtkabarrett.com

Doesn't mean she doesn't do a damn good job evoking emotion with words like "amethyst." She's spoken word...shouted word.

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Ask For It is the best for live Hole--for those who want to hear the ache and power that was 1995 Hole. These live shows are tying together hits from Live Through This was new wave and 60s covers ("Hot Chocolate Boy" and "Pale Blue Eyes," respectively). This album brings you the real grunge--the heart and art of it.

pic: 100xr.com

Live Through This stands up on its own as one of the top 1990s albums, and to me, one of the great punch albums of all time. It’s aggressive and Courtney can wail with the best of the boys. Better than a good many roaming 96X etc. today.

pic: learntheguitarnow.com

 And onto Nobody's Daughter...

What’s up with her voice? She’s a cross between Bobby Dylan and Nathan Willett of Cold War Kids (you know, that Concrete Blonde throat-catch gasp?) on the majority of it...polished to the point of weird aunt creepy. The on-purpose airs she puts on with her lipstick before hitting the tabloids and twitters are now creeping into her diction.

There’s still a roar beginning physically in the esophagus, but really in the soul. Unlike the 1990s, though, it happens like two twice (versus twice in the chorus). She does some forced screams for "effect" but it sounds just like "effect" looks with quotation marks around it. Forced much?
It feels like she’s got a lot to say—poetically and with anger. But she’s scared to show the side of herself that, decades later, still holds fans like me captive. She’s too famous? Too plastic? Whatever she thinks she is, it’s obvious she’s withholding the true songs on this record—giving us snippets of the good stuff after they’ve been decorated and stretched all over. Its’ like she has songwriter dysmorpha.

Nobody's Daughter is somebody's daughter...somebody sad and regretful about decisions made days or decades ago that won't go away...somebody who is smart and has goals and wishes and wants...somebody who can't rectify the two selves (hedonistic artist and goal-oriented social/success ladder climber).

Part of what made early Hole so enjoyable was the belief that had in what they were doing was heard through every syllable. They were dirty kids and they wailed. There's nothing presented in this record to be believable or not--not enough substance to even question motives.

I went back and listened to both albums again and really understood the loss of Eric Erlandson on Nobody’s Daughter. The guitar today sounds more Bon Jovi than Bikini Kill. Please come back!!!

On the plus side, “Loser Dust” is one of the better tracks. I’d like to see it live and hope it’s played at the NorVa show. And, obviously, “Dirty Girls Get Clean” has the old school guitar strumming and whisper-wailing I love about Hole.

On "For Once In Your Life,” Love sings “I’ve lost my voice.” I don’t believe that. She’s misplaced some of it and I think it will come back.

Update: Here's my review of the show, with pictures I took (done with my friend Jesse.)