Welcome! Covering the alternative scenes such as grunge, punk and experimental; reviewing classic and new alt albums! Video reviews coming soon to YouTube!
The Smashing Pumpkins, unlike their grunge neighbors of the time, were diverse in the way they projected music. They used elements of 1960's rock, including psychedelic and also fused those elements with the elements of alternative rock of the time. They weren't exactly a "grunge band" and weren't labeled as one really, but they sure did sound like one at times. And many grunge lovers loved The Smashing Pumpkins for their dirty feedback, catchy guitar riffs and poppy lyrics.
Billy Corgan is the creative force in the band and strives and shines in "Gish", the band's debut album. Released before "Nevermind", "Gish" paved the way for many artists of the 90s as well as today, much like Nirvana did with grunge.
The Smashing Pumpkins most always take the "soft-loud-soft" approach on their albums and start "Gish" off with a hard rock number, "I Am One" and "Siva" and transform into dream pop with "Rhinoceros", which quickly gains back its heavy, loud feel by the end of the song and into "Bury Me".
Corgan's vocals are very unique and unlike anything that I've personally ever heard. D'arcy, the band's former bassist, said it best in a 2009 interview on Chicago radio, his voice is very unique, and different, but spectacular.
"Crush" (And this feeling shivers down your spine/Love comes in colors I can't deny) and "Suffer" have the same vibe throughout, very mellow and throat cuttingly deep.
"Snail" starts off slow but works its way up and soon takes us into "Tristessa", another hard rock song that has a catchy guitar riff with awesome vocals by Corgan.
"Window Paine", much like "Snail", starts slow and works it way up. And the solo Corgan sings in the middle of the song, is extremely amazing and sends chills up your spine.
"Daydream" is my favorite track on "Gish". Sung by Pumpkins bassist, D'arcy, the song is painfully deep but utterly amazing. And even includes a cello and violin section, which adds icing to this already delicious cake. This song gives you a glimpse of what The Smashing Pumpkins will do in the future with songs such as "Disarm" and "Tonight, Tonight".
A few seconds after "Daydream", a 1 minute hidden song entitled, "I'm Going Crazy", which according to Billy, was written in a matter of 5 minutes and captures a picture perfect essence of what exactly will be next for the Pumpkins once it ends.
"Gish" should not be passed up and, for new fans, should be the first Pumpkins album to look into, to understand how the band developed and morphed as they worked their way into "Siamese Dream", "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", and future albums ahead. The Smashing Pumpkins is a unique band and is an essential band that paved the way for 90s rock.**
One thing is for certain. When you think of the 90's, you think of MTV, and when you think of MTV, you think of "Beavis and Butthead". Two dim-witted teenagers performing foolish and stupid antics in each episode, sitting at the couch watching TV and commenting on the music videos of the time. They tackled mainly rock music, but they also commented on others including pop and hip hop. The show was a great success among teenagers at the time but parents weren't so pleased with the show's over usage of violence and sexual innuendos. But at the same time, for me, being a teenage boy, made me laugh a lot when I watched it. Because, let's face it, my friends sometimes act as stupid as Beavis and Butthead.
So it wasn't surprising that MTV would make a compilation album surfacing around the commentary of the two boys. Geffen Records, produced the record and made out a list of songs that would be chosen for the album. Many of these tracks were unreleased prior to the release of this album including "Deuces Are Wild" by Aerosmith and "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" by Nirvana.
Throughout the CD, between each song, you would get a commentary of Beavis and Butthead, describing how "cool" it is and how "kickass" it was! Sometimes even making out a complete skit, such as one where Beavis and Butthead meet the members of Anthrax and Run DMC.
The album is very diverse. There's the obvious stuff such as the grunge music, Nirvana's "I Hate Myself and Want To Die", which was a track made for their final album "In Utero", but never made the cut. Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, was offered $60,000 for the song to be featured in the "Beavis and Butthead Experience" album. He obviously accepted the offer. The song definitely sounds like an "In Utero" track. Dirty, grungy, and noisy. Which is why I love this track and bought this CD in the first place!
Red Hot Chili Peppers also contributed a track for the album. A Stooges cover, "Search and Destroy". The song really shows off the band's heavy influence from punk rock and how it molded their "funk meets punk meets grunge" standards. Aerosmith's "Deuces Are Wild" was also contributed to the album. "Deuces..." was left off from their 1989 album "Pump".
There's also those heavy metal numbers from bands such as Anthrax, Megadeth, and White Zombie.
In the mix as well includes a R&B type "song", "Come to Butthead". A hilarious number where the boys rant about their obsession and craving for sex. "I would like, do something that really sucks, for your love..." as Butt-head exclaims in the song! There's also a redux version of Cher's "I Got You Babe" featuring Beavis and Butthead.
No matter if you're solely a grunge fan, a punk fan or heavy metal fan, this album is for you!
I found my copy of this CD for just $2 at my local Goodwill. It was totally worth it! Most copies of this CD go cheap online and in thrift stores and flea markets! So it's well worth cash, even if you're getting the CD solely for the Nirvana track, like I did, or for the Run DMC or Aerosmith track!
It's a great album, simply put! I would say that it would be great to see a Part 2 for this album, seeing as "Beavis and Butthead" has returned to MTV, however the album would probably be geared more toward dubstep and pop royalties than those from rock. **
The year is 1995, halfway through the decade and nearing a new millenium. New music was paving the way for the world; including the budding electronica. It was this year that Kurt Cobain had been gone for a year. Fans and friends and family alike were still grieving the loss of what has been said by many as "The Last Real Rock Star". It was official that grunge was probably dead but in some sense, still existent with the help from bands such as Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, and the up and coming band known as Garbage. Formed by "Nevermind" producer, Butch Vig in Wisconsin, Garbage began its roots in 1993 when grunge was in full throttle and the world was awaiting the "next Nirvana" as they called it in the early 90's. Vig sent in tapes of the band playing; to several labels. Keeping his name anonymous to prevent any extra ears and hands to get ahold of the material. Many producers claimed that at first, Garbage... well really did sound like their namesake; garbage. And they struggled to find a lead singer for the band as Vig didn't sing. But that soon changed when Steve Marker, guitarist of Garbage, saw Angelfish's "Suffocate Me" on MTV's 120 Minutes in 1994, this would be the one and only broadcast of the video. Scottish Lead singer and songwriter of Angelfish, Shirley Manson, was a sex goddess and had a voice that gave you goosebumps; a beautiful voice.
Shirley Manson of Garbage in the early to mid 1990's.
Shirley Manson had been working in the music business for about 10 years at the time. She was originally in a band called Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie; where she was a keyboardist and did backing vocals for the band. She wasn't a shadow on stage and she was and still is very talented. Record companies approached her with a solo album; which led her to recording an album with her Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie members under the name Angelfish. They only released one album in 1994 labeled "Angelfish" featuring the song which aired on MTV, "Suffocate Me". The band dissolved in 1994. Butch Vig knew this was the future of Garbage and shipped her to the States to start recording their first few sessions, one of them being for their first single, "Vow" along with "Subhuman" and the original version of "#1 Crush". Which already got honors and apraisal around the world even before their debut album was ever released. Critics admired their "up-to-date" sound and making transitions from the old style "rock and roll" standard to the then modern sound of electronic music and mixing of the songs. And the fact they not only electronically edited the guitar riffs, but also used household objects to add effects to their songs; such as a broken DAT tape deck (this is so 90's right?) and an air conditioner. It was goth, it was dark, it was grungy as well but it also made you get up and dance, or tap your feet if you weren't a break dancer.
Finally, after over a year of recording, in August 1995, "Garbage" was finally released to the public. And with the release, also brought heavy promotion of the band in stores as well as heavy rotation of hits such as "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains" on MTV and modern rock radio stations throughout 1995 and 1996. The album was filled with angst, revenge, deceit, depression, and betrayal. It was a teenager's gift in the mid 90's to have an album like this in their home.
As you pop in the CD and press "play", "Supervixen" is the first track and begins playing with a grungy/poppy intro. A man (or men rather) being captivated by one woman is the message behind "Supervixen"! "I will be your religion" says Manson. You can't live without her and you must "bow down..." to her in order to get what you want; her. We all know at least one girl who acts exactly as described. Allows men to honor her, worship her. In other words, for a lack of a better word, a woman who wants her man to be her bitch! It can't get any clearer than that. It's an A+ song. Shirley is sexy and she knows it and she proclaims it in this song.
Next we have "Queer". Though the namesake is queer and many people associated it with homosexuality, it's not to be confused. It's implying queer as in weird, strange, obscure. As the song says "The queerest of the queer". And according to the video, the song describes a sex favor, if you will. Shirley uses those looks, that charm, and her wits as described in the previous track to lure a man into doing a "favor" for her. And that favor? To drag him against the floor, shave his head, dress him down, then dump him out half naked. Sounds like a juicy number!
The 90's was filled with tons of great songs about sex, rape, murder, you name it! So why is it today we get drunk ketchup and Gaga proclaiming she's on top of the world? We're not always gonna be in a dapper mood; that's what the 90s were for!
"Only Happy When It Rains" is almost an ode to grunge, the early 90s and the way of thinking by the youth of Generation X. It's obviously directing toward Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, you name it! "I only listen to sad, sad songs"; "I only smile in the dark/My only comfort is the night gone back/I didn't accidently tell you that/I'm only happy when it rains". It's a great song, it was a perfect single and a perfect video as well. It hit the nail on the coffin! Perfect 10!
"As Heaven Is Wide" is one of those songs that sounded like it should be in a spy movie or a car chase scene. It should've been the theme song for "Speed"; if it was released a year earlier. It's full of revenge, it cuts deep, cuts to the bone ("If flesh could crawl/My skin would fall from off my bones and run away from here"). Revenge is a key topic in Garbage's catlog of music and they sing, write, make the music on par with the mood. The whole crew knows exactly what they're doing; even when they first started out.
"Not My Idea" is a pretty good song with a great guitar riff to start off! It got me banging my head, tapping my shoes, feeling crazy when I heard it for the first time. The lyrics are revengeful, the guitar riff is revengeful, everything about this song is about revenge; that's all you really have to know. It's yet another great track!
"A Stroke of Luck" is one of those experimental songs that I was talking about earlier. You know the use of tape decks and air conditioners? This one uses that A/C example. And might I add, gives it a mellow and... cool sound; I couldn't resist! If I heard this song in 1995, I would've swore I jumped to 2000 when I heard this! It sounds so ahead of its time. Something that should've been on "Version 2.0"! Put your mind in 1995 for a sec and you'll see what I mean. But nonetheless, an awesome track with a dark trip hop beat behind Shirley Manson's signature soft-loud-soft vocals.
"Vow" the earliest track made by Garbage is definitely one of those songs that may not get out of your head for weeks. In the same tone as "As Heaven Is Wide", the song goes into details about a betrayal and how the girl will get her revenge on the person that broke her. I have to be honest with you, somebody broke me a couple of months ago, betrayed me by saying things behind my back, as soon as I got in the car and left for home, THIS was the song that made me feel... better. Why? I guess because I vented it out by singing along with Shirley's revengeful tone of vocals. It's just one of those songs that anyone can relate to... heck! Pretty much every one of Garbage's songs are relateable in some way.
"Stupid Girl", one of the most popular songs by Garbage and the first song I heard by the band, was the song that got me captivated by the band and got me hooked. Why? Because it's gripping, it's emotional, it hits the nail on the coffin. Because there's a lot of these "stupid girls" in this world, much of them being teenagers. We all know them! We all know some girl who makes silly decisions and pretends "to be high", pretend they're "anything just to be adored". It gives me chills everytime I hear it. And I still haven't got tired of hearing it after at least 1000 times of listening to it!
"Dog New Tricks": I think this song is about someone who puts someone down; put Shirley down maybe. Made her "feel worthless", used, abused, and neglected.
"My Lover's Box" is about someone yearning for love in their life, I believe. Lost love, abandonment from others, etc.
The last few songs really touch on the same topics so I'm not going into detail with "Fix Me Now". It's a lot like "Dog New Tricks" and "My Lover's Box".
As always, Garbage always has a gripping last track that makes you wanna crawl for more and leaves you hanging. That perfect example: "Milk". A very ambient song that puts your mind at ease for 4 minutes and leaves you at peace after listening to the first 11 songs. It's an amazing track, one of Garbage's best songs, and should not be dodged.
After their unknown status rose to the top, Garbage made millions on their first record. Giving Shirley Manson a job that she would still have today. Today, they are still going strong and just finished recording their fifth studio album, "Not Your Kind of People" (click here to see my review on the album). Which turns out to be a great album, just as good as their first. To be honest with you, I have never heard a necessarily bad Garbage song or album. They're all great albums and leaves you with a sense of "you're not alone".
Keep your eyes pealed for "Version 2.0" this summer!**
Garbage has always been the band to be on the outside looking in. They know what it's like to be outsiders, misfits, what have you. They even label themselves as "weirdos". And they're pretty comfortable about it. A lot has changed since 1995 for Garbage. At the time, Shirley Manson was in her late 20's, breaking up with her former bands Angelfish and Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. Butch Vig had famously recorded some of the 90's best albums; "Nevermind" by Nirvana, "Dirty" by Sonic Youth, and "Siamese Dream" by The Smashing Pumpkins. What started out as a filthy garage band, turned into a collaborative effort and from there, made fame with their first two albums "Garbage" in 1995 and the Grammy nominated "Version 2.0" in 1998. Now that the band members are no longer spring chickens and pretty much know the ropes around the music biz, they were extremely tired of mainstream record labels. Preferably, the one they were with when they recorded "Bleed Like Me". The record company, had high expectations for the record and only cared if the record reached number 1 on the Billboard Charts and sold millions of copies. Even though "Bleed Like Me" peaked at Number 4 on the Billboard 200, the label was still not satisfied with their efforts. And as Shirley said in an interview with AVClub:
After a while, we really got beaten down by corporate expectations, and as a result, I think we all just wanted to buck against that. It was like a creative straitjacket. Because when you’re signed to a record label, you have to run all your music through them, and they decide whether they will release it or not. After a while, you just want to scream, and hand them some really obscure, weird, obtuse, unmarketable music, but then of course they’d never release it. I think taking a hiatus was our reaction against that. We wanted to free ourselves of that straitjacket. Then, of course, years passed, and you start to feel creative again, and get excited about the notion of getting into a room with people you love, and making music. That’s basically what happened. I think we were all surprised by the record that we made. It wasn’t the record we thought we’d make. I think we thought we would make the kind of record we’ve talked about doing for years, what we call our bummer record—it’s all bummer songs. But we were excited to be together, and you can’t control what comes out. This is the record that came out.
As a result, Garbage fought against the mainstream and created their own independent label, Stunvolume. Which essentially broke the boundaries they once had. They were free to put out the songs they liked the most and put them on the record. Which, I personally, applaud them for that. They took the right step in their career.
So how exactly does NYKOP sound and does it reflect the Garbage we know and love? It sounds great, and yes, it does reflect the "Garbage sound". It sounds amazing. This is a great record; on up there with their first two albums! "beautifulgarbage" and "Bleed Like Me" are great albums, but NYKOP seems like an updated "Version 2.0" to me. And that's great! Because I love "Version 2.0"! "Automatic Systematic Habit", "I Hate Love", and "Sugar" sound like "Version 2.0" if it was released in 2012, instead of 1998. "Blood For Poppies" and "Man on a Wire" sound a lot like the "Bleed Like Me" sound. Guitar driven, not much electronic frills in it but enough to make it a great song! "Battle In Me" gives me a "Supervixen" feel to it when it jumps into the chorus with the "stop start" guitar riff. It sounds familiar, it sounds modern but still sounds grungy!
After all these years, Shirley Manson still sounds as gorgeous today as she did in 1995. Shirley Manson is one of the few musicians who actually has different tones, moods, and vibes in her voice. Her voice alone can make a song sound depressing, happy, revengeful, and lonesome. She's still a badass at heart, but she's grown up a little; she's aged gracefully. She still has a voice of an angel, looks that can kill, and a personality that can make anyone's heart melt.
Butch Vig still has those stellar drumming capabilities that are on up there with Dave Grohl! Hits it right on the money!
Steve Marker and Duke Erikson play the guitars as lively and as hardcore as possible. Especially in "Blood For Poppies", "Battle In Me", and "Man on a Wire". "Battle In Me" has a guitar riff that just forces you to bang your head back and forth!
Some of the highlights of this record is "Sugar", "Not Your Kind of People", "I Hate Love", a gripping and creative song that touches on something that no one has ever dreamed of discussing out loud. "Beloved Freak" is another tune that'll stick in your head. As I've said before, Garbage is outsiders. And "Beloved..." touches on being on the outside looking in. But at the same time, being proud you are on the outside and "Let it shine" as Shirley proclaims in the song!
The deluxe edition and vinyl editions include 4 additional songs; "The One", "What Girls Are Made Of", "Bright Tonight", and "The One", which is worth the few extra dollars! Some people are skeptical on these songs but I personally enjoyed them and they're just as good as anything Garbage has done!
This album is definitely for the ones who feel neglected, isolated, and confused. It's got lots of grungy lyrics. It hits you like a Mack truck; which is what Garbage is famous for! According to the members, it's okay to feel like an outsider; you can create some spectacular songs if you are.
Garbage still has that 1990's appeal. And yet they continue to make it sound modern at the same time as well. Garbage has done it again!
It's a wild roller coaster of emotions. Garbage is back in their A-game! And I have a good feeling, they're not going anywhere, anytime soon. Let's just pray that we don't have to wait another 7 years for another Garbage album!
It's been a very long and tedious 7 years since Garbage released their grungy number "Bleed Like Me", a very underrated album that had very little promotion under it's belt but had a kick! Though it wasn't as good as their first two albums, it was a solid record that focused more on the old standard on rock and less on their electronic roots. There's been a lot of buzz lately all over the internet on Garbage's latest record that's ready for purchase on iTunes and will finally be on store shelves tomorrow May 22nd. I haven't been a Garbage fan for long, about 6 months ago. But once I heard "Stupid Girl", the first Garbage song I heard, I was instantly hooked! Throughout that 6 months, I have purchased each of their records, and each shows how much Shirley and Co. has matured since 1995 with their first release. And even still, "Garbage" and "Version 2.0" haven't aged much, and still sound pretty modern. So without further ado, here are the 5 reasons you should buy "Not Your Kind of People" and why is it worth the $15. 1. Garbage still seems to keep churning out songs that are ahead of its time, or are with the times. With "Not Your Kind of People" you hear a lot of elements used in the modern day music of today. For instance, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. 2. Garbage's music has a tendency to really hit the nail in the coffin. In other words, unlike most musical acts of today, they cut to the bone, they don't beat around the bush. They tell it like it is. Their lyrics cut deep and hit you hard. And I wouldn't be surprised if we get those kind of lyrics on "Not Your Kind of People" 3. As I've said before, a lot of buzz has been going on lately about it. And there's a lot more promotion for it than their previous album. Geffen, their label for "Bleed Like Me", promoted the album poorly. And even though it reached number 4 on the Billboard 200, it only sold about 27,000 copies in its first week. "Version 2.0" their much anticipated second album sold 500,000 copies in its first week, in North America alone. Plus, bear in mind, the Garbage crew worked independently on "Not Your Kind of People" on their own label Stunvolume. So the creativity, the music, the mixing, the production was all in their own hands. And wasn't tied down by a mainstream record label. 4. Shirley Manson has said in interviews, the songs on this record are some of the best she has written in years. And she's so right! "Blood For Poppies" their lead single, was written by Shirley after she read in the LA Times about an opium trade. "I Hate Love" is a very gripping song that, as been done in their previous albums, cuts to the bone. Even her own father thought it was very controversial. 5. Garbage has matured over the years. With each album, they sing about numerous controversial topics. The music in this record is more electronically driven than their previous album. But it still has that grungy, 1990's appeal but with a more modernized, 2012 sound. Bands have to mature, without maturity, there's a huge inbalance in their music. But with Garbage, they are perfectly balanced and fine tuned. The members, including Shirley, have aged gracefully over the years and so has their music. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, buy it! You know you want to!
It's hard to believe that 18 years has passed since this album was released. Much less 18 years since Kurt Cobain died. Now you know we can't talk about LTT without bringing up Kurt. Now I don't believe those stupid conspiracies about Kurt writing this album. This stuff doesn't really sound like lyrics from "In Utero" or "Nevermind" or even "Bleach" for that matter, in my opinion. And we all know "Violet" and "Doll Parts" were both written before she dated Kurt; in fact, "Violet" was written after her stint with Smashing Pumpkins frontman, Billy Corgan. But believe it or not, Courtney listened to Nirvana, she heard Kurt play his music while at home and on the road and both Kurt & Courtney pretty much had the same taste in music. So it's understandable to think that Kurt wrote "Live Through This", however I beg to differ. Hole had released one record previously. The raw, dirty, "rough all around", "Pretty on the Inside". And with all intents and purposes, it sounds totally different than "Live Through This" and many early Hole fans in 1994 didn't want to accept this new, poppy, soft, clean grunge, if you will, that was "Live Through This". It was like a transition from Nirvana to Foo Fighters, very noticeable, very crazy, and you can tell Courtney struggled to find a sound or an edge that suited her very well. And I believe she still struggled with it for many years. Now mind you, "Live Through This" is a great, fantastic album. One of my favorites of all time. In this album, Courtney still has her rough edge, like in the first Hole album. That raspy, grungy voice of her's is still as prevalent in 1994 as it was in 1991. But the sound of ecstasy "Sonic Youth like" guitars or the "Sub Pop sound" of the late 80s and early 90s that was POTI was now being replaced by a "Nevermind" like, DGC sound; dirty but not as rough around the edges. "Live Through This" is no "post grunge" album by no means. And it's not lacking any common ground that was found in grunge or 90's alternative rock albums. But you can tell, pop influences were surrounded a lot more in this record. And I enjoy pop, not today's pop but you catch my drift. "Live Through This" was released April 12, 1994; four days after the lead singer, Courtney Love's husband Kurt Cobain of Nirvana committed suicide in Seattle. The album starts with a revenge-y number, "Violet" which as pointed out before, was written about Courtney and Billy Corgan's relationship before Courtney married Kurt. This song along with two other songs on this album were popular on modern rock radio and MTV in 94 and 95 along with "Doll Parts" and "Miss World". "Violet" is your typical Courtney Love song ("When I get what I want/I never want it again") but still a masterpiece at best. It's a great intro for what's to come on the album. Next we have "Miss World". We know every girl, at least once in her life, have had self image issues. This is exactly what this song touches on. The perfect outlet for any girl (or guy for that matter) to relate to in some way. The lyrics alone give you goosebumps for anyone feeling like they wanted to die in their own skin ("I'm Miss World/Somebody kill me/Kill me pills/No one cares"). After the somber tone of "Miss World", we walk into "Plump". One of my favorite tracks on this record. "Plump" touches on weight issues and bulimia ("They say I'm plump/but I throw up all the time"). At first glance, Courtney Love knows exactly what it's like to be on the dark side of girldom. And she already had a rough life; abandonment from parents, drug abuse and working as a stripper and becoming a D-rated movie star in the late 80s. "Asking For It" was written about an incident that happened in the early 90's at a Hole concert; where Courtney was almost raped.
"We had just gotten off tour with Mudhoney, and I decided to stage-dive. I was wearing a dress and I didn't realize what I was engendering in the audience. It was a huge audience and they were kind of going ape-s**t. So I just dove off the stage, and suddenly, it was like my dress was being torn off of me, my underwear was being torn off of me, people were putting their fingers inside of me and grabbing my breasts really hard, screaming things in my ears like "pu**y-wh**e-c**t". When I got back onstage I was naked. I felt like Karen Finley. But the worst thing of all was that I saw a photograph of it later. Someone took a picture of me right when this was happening, and I had this big smile on my face like I was pretending it wasn't happening. So later I wrote a song called "Asking For It" based on the whole experience. I can't compare it to rape because it's not the same. But in a way it was. I was raped by an audience, figuratively, literally, and yet, was I asking for it?" - Courtney Love.
"Jennifer's Body" is a juicy number. It's like a scene out of a thriller movie, really puts you in the shoes of a torture/murder victim. In fact, yes, the 2009 film of the same name starring Megan Fox, is based loosely on this song. And "Violet" is featured in the end credits of the movie, according to the Wikipedia article. The producer is a huge fan of Hole. "Doll Parts" is one of the more popular songs by Hole. Written before Courtney and Kurt were dating, Courtney tries her best to be with Kurt. Sending heart shaped boxes (sound familiar?) and miniature toys, candies, and flowers. All to get no answer from Kurt. So as a result, "Doll Parts" was written. The structure of the sound, the pain is A+ and you can feel it in every breath Courtney takes. To top it off, the wailing of Courtney exclaiming "Someday you will ache like I ache" instantly puts your heart, body, soul and not to mention, your eyes, on total meltdown. Courtney does a fine job of transferring her pain, anguish, angst, as well as rage and hatred against the world into the ears of the listeners. And allows others to feel like they're in Courtney's life for 40 minutes or so. "Credit in the Straight World" is an old cover from Young Marble Giants. The original sounds very hipster-ish, almost punk, and acoustic as such. But add Courtney's raspy flair, the guitars of Kristen Pfaff and Eric Erlandson and the banging of Patty Schemel's beats, and you've got yourself a grungy/very 90's number. Hole makes this their own with their punk roots and charm. "Softer. Softest" is like "Doll Parts" Part 2; starting right where it left off. Courtney expresses her hatred for pee girls and sour milk; it's goosebump worthy. The tone, the mentality of "Doll Parts" are still intact in this song. Water works are all up in this record. Don't be surprised if you need a Kleenex or two. "She Walks On Me" is an ode to early/post punk. Back when the Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Wipers made themselves at home. This is where Courtney still proves to her listeners, she still hasn't lost her early Hole roots... yet! She still has her edge, but she's growing up from her babydoll days. But yet somehow, she was still comfortable with it in 1993 and 1994. It's definitely a punk song, for sure, with plenty of fast riffs and screams to make you get up and bang your head! "I Think I Would Die" is possibly my favorite on this record. It's definitely the song for rebellious teenagers, faced with being forced to fit in with the conformity of high school kids. Forced to wear the same clothes as the preps, listen to the same music as the other kids, that kind of thing. An already good song, the F-U makes this song 10 times better! It was the cherry on top of an already delicious ice cream sundae! The Hole crew is at their best here! "Gutless" is a step down from the last track, but still great in it's own right. It's contradictory and very Nirvana like. Like a track off of "In Utero" except instead of Kurt, we have Mrs. Cobain in his place. The final track is labelled as "Rockstar", however, the track is really called, "Olympia". The reason? Courtney wrote Rockstar, before the death of Kurt. Included is a verse that goes "How'd you like to be Nirvana/I guess you'd rather die". Courtney thought it would be in bad taste, as Kurt died 4 days before the record was released. And opted to replace the song with another one that didn't make the cut. However, since labels, sleeves, and CD's were already manufactured, many people believe "Olympia" is actually called "Rockstar", but don't let it fool you. But "Olympia" touches on life as a teenager growing up in Olympia, Washington in the 80's; where everyone knew the music scenes of Washington, wore the same clothes, talked the same, acted the same, you catch my drift. A punk song about the grunge scene? Way better than the original, proposed track in it's place! It should've been the first choice, but hey, we're not complaining now are we? So in a nutshell, "Live Through This" is one of those records that defined the 90's. And inspired many future musicians. It's possibly Hole's best record, according to critics and fans. After the album was released, however, Courtney wasn't relishing in the success of the record, due to the death of her husband and soon went downhill. And bassist, Kristen Pfaff died in the summer of 1994 from a heroin overdose and was replaced by Melissa Auf Der Maur. Who stayed with the band until 1999. As a result, Courtney's heroin addiction returned, she relied on the booze once more. Most of the time while on tour for the record, she was often high or drunk and slurring the vocals and causing scenes with fans and even went off on someone that threw water at her and screamed out she killed Kurt. In 1995, at the MTV VMA's, she threw her compact at Madonna (which was very hilarious, I must admit), got on stage to perform, nonetheless, drunk as a skunk. And by the end of the night, flashed her lady parts to the press and was eventually drug out of the red carpet, passed out, by her fellow bandmates. Although Courtney seemed to be going the same route as her husband, she turned herself around. And in 1996, starred in the film, "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" and released the "post grungy" record, "Celebrity Skin" in 1998. So should you buy this record, if you don't already have it? Why of course you should have it! You would have to have no life to not have this masterpiece of a record. However, don't hold me accountable when you start bawling like a baby when you hear "Doll Parts" **
Hello everyone! My name is Tyler Day and I live in North Carolina! I am 18 years old and a huge music fan! I enjoy writing a lot and writing things all the time is my kind of thing! I've always had a thing for music; the styles of music that I've listened to, though I don't like admitting to it at times, has changed over the years. From infancy on up to about 11 years old, I listened to mainly Country as well as the current pop music, as well as 80's New Wave and hair metal (my parents practically raised me on these genres, except for the pop). When I was 11 years old, starting middle school, I met some kids at my school that were into the emo scene and loved punk rock. They got me hooked on Green Day, My Chemical Romance and HIM. But MCR and HIM just wasn't my thing and didn't care too much for them. But I fell in love with Green Day and much of their catalog but mainly "American Idiot", which I will do a review on very soon. I loved their punk sound, I loved the guitars and that was my first glance into the world of punk rock. But as time went by, the average teens steered me away from the punk rock royalties and moved me into a more mainstream appeal. That being Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. But sooner or later, through word-of-mouth, and the awful Miley Cyrus cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", I fell in love with another fantastic punk band, Nirvana. But this time, I did a lot of discovering into their background, their influences and artist associated with them. And with the internet more common than when I was 11 and the ease of access to sites such as Pandora and YouTube, I found a plethora of alt bands that I now listen to everyday. Hole, Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, L7, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Carpenters, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, No Doubt, and Foo Fighters. From then on, I threw Lady Gaga and Ke$ha out the window and now prefer the sounds of grunge and alternative than the phony boloney sounds of today's pop/autotune mess of music. Don't ask me WHY at one time, I was in a love affair with Ke$ha!
Today, I am 18 years old, and almost out of high school; ready to start my career and begin messing around at what I'm going to do. Debating between forming a band and being a music journalist is not the easiest thing to do. I write music, and stuff about music and I want to play music. So here I am guys! And don't worry for you out there, if you would like to hear my band in the future I will keep you posted on it as soon as I can!
