Celebrity Skin

This is a review of the vinyl version. I assume you already know you like the album, if you are considering buying the record.Overall, this is presented in a nice little package. The artwork on the front and back cover are quite nice to look at, and it includes a handy insert with the lyrics. The record sleeve is actually amazingly nice for a new record: nice paper with a protective plastic film inside. The 180 gram vinyl is well pressed and clean.I have to knock off one star from my rating because the bass level is artificially low, in order to squeeze 25 minutes of music to each side. This drops the sound quality below that of the CD or a good mp3. Despite this, my copy is so well pressed that is sounds excellent if I raise the bass a couple of notches.

Having listened to "Live Through This" for weeks on end before returning to "Celebrity Skin, at first CS sounds pastel by comparison; CS is definitely smoother than its predecessor. But now that I've gotten to know it again on its own merits, I understand why this is Hole's most commercially successful album. The more prevalent major key melodies takes edge off of Courtney's anger. Conversely, this album contains Courtney's most memorable lyrics to translate the inevitably angry, searing subtext. "Awful" sounds practically joyous, yet its message is not and the contrast is compelling. Said formula works well throughout the record. Highlights include: (1) "Northern Star": a haunting ballad, a cry for help, a prayer. Is this song about Kurt Cobain? Maybe ..... and (2) The album's poignant final cut "Petals" wherein Courtney reminisces about the "the sweet boys in the summer of their youth". The quasi-orchestral instrumental coda of "Petals" is a brilliant fade-out for this song as well as for the entire record.I'll end with some of my favorite quotes from "Celebrity Skin":*****"..... A walking study in demonology.""..... I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh.""..... So so sugarless / Hooker waitress / Model actress / Oh just go nameless.""..... I can't be near you / But I just radiate.""..... Love hangs herself / With the bedsheets in her cell.""..... I know that you are rotten to the core.""..... She's the grace of this world / She's too pure / For the likes of this world / This world is a whore.""..... Tear the petals off of you / Make you tell the truth."*****For whatever lyrics I misheard, I paraphrase.Stephen C. BirdAuthor, "To Be to Is to Was"

I always enjoyed Hole's music when I'd see videos on MTV, and I never had the extra money to get this one. I'm glad to finally have it in my collection.

I'm not going to go into great detail about each song, but just say that almost every song on this album is at least solid, and some of them are all-time classics. This is definitely an album I can listen to all the way through without skipping tracks and I haven't (yet) gotten sick of it...it's got that great replayability factor going for it.My favorite songs are "Celebrity Skin", "Malibu", "Reasons to be Beautiful", "Playing Your Song", and "Petals". As others have said, the Corgan influence is very strong here, but that's all for the good as far as I'm concerned because the Pumpkins outrock just about anyone. If you had Billy sing instead of Courtney on "Northern Star" or "Petals", you could drop them right into Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness and no one would be the wiser. The only song I really don't much like is the 2nd track "Awful". I almost like it, but its overly-poppy blandness annoys me. This must be one of those polarizing songs because a lot of people hate it and many say it's their favorite on the whole album...go figure. I usually don't pay much attention to lyrics, but on this album they do have meaning and resonance, and I actually found myself trying to figure out at various points what she was saying (the lyrics of "Hit So Hard" are interesting to try to interpret...it might not be as obvious as it looks at first).Anyway, I don't give 5 stars lightly like many people do when they just "don't hate" something. This is a great, great album that should be in your collection. It's totally addicting. The production values are very good here, much better than the somewhat muddier-sounding Live Through This (also an excellent though very different album). It will be a shame if Hole never does another album. I expect it will be as different from this as this was from LTT. I'd like to see Courtney collaborate with Black Francis (Pixies) or Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) or Ed Kowalczyk (Live)...could make for a powerful combination. Since with Courtney's earlier work we have to assume she was basically "collaborating" with Kurt Cobain, and she had the Pumpkins/Go-Gos influence on this album, I think she's at her best working with others. Too much emphasis is put on who takes credit for writing a song, or if the artist is selling out or "staying true to their roots", but if it's good it's good, in my book. And this is very good.

Although this album didn’t have the angst or aggression that Live Through This does, it certainly doesn’t mean you should shy away from this either. Make no mistake, this band made a pop rock record but I guess that’s what happens when you make it big. You change up your sound - and at the time, it wasn’t a bad thing because Grunge was already done by this point so they moved in a different direction with less distortion but certainly more pop hooks and appeal to the masses.

I really like almost every track on this disc, it's gutsy and loud (The only way to play it!) My lady likes it but thought the name "Hole" a little offensive, maybe because the group is totally comprised of women. So what they are great. Buy it and try it!

Could it be that Courtney was actually more talented than Kurt? No hate-mail please. I realise she wasn't as pretty.

Pardon the pun, but I really do love this album. Hole - fronted by Courtney Love - are wonderful. This album is great and I really love it. Was very pleased with the price paid also.

this record was purchased as a gift .The person to whom it was given was delighted with it.

my cd collection