There are two artists known as Hole: 1) the American alternative rock band fronted by Courtney Love, and 2) a British experimental project active in the late 1980s.
1) Hole is an American alternative rock band that initially formed in Los Angeles, California in 1989 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love and guitarist Eric Erlandson. The band went through various lineups through the subsequent decades before its dissolution in 2002, but is now currently fronted by Courtney Love, with lead guitarist Micko Larkin (formally of Larrikin Love), Shawn Dailey (of Rock Kills Kid) on bass, and Stuart Fisher (formally of Ozric Tentacles) on drums.
Hole's abrasive, self-consciously obnoxious style of alternative rock was initially influenced heavily by punk rock and noise rock and had a brief period as a three-guitar lineup, first with Eric Erlandson and Mike Geisbriecht, then briefly with the musician Errol Stewart. The band released two singles, firstly "Retard Girl" in 1990 and then "Dicknail" in 1991, both on independent record labels.
The lineup that recorded the band's first album "Pretty on the Inside" (1991) was Love, lead guitarist Eric Erlandson, bassist Jill Emery and drummer Caroline Rue. The album, which was produced by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, was critically praised by rock journalists despite its limited popularity in the United States; overseas, however, the album was a hit within the UK rock scene, and its lead single, "Teenage Whore" entered the UK indie rock chart at number one.
After touring an extensive tour of Europe and the United States, Rue was fired from the band in 1992 and Emery left soon after, to be replaced by Leslie Hardy and Patty Schemel, respectively. Hardy left without contributing to the band, and was subsequently replaced by Kristen Pfaff of Janitor Joe in 1993. This lineup then recorded and released the hugely successful album "Live Through This" (1994) which found the band following a more commercial grunge sound. The album was released in April 1994, and in poor timing, just 4 days after Courtney Love's husband Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Nonetheless, "Live Through This" was massively acclaimed by critics and earned #1 slots in "Best Album of the Year" lists and sold extremely well. It spawned a string of singles, most notably "Doll Parts" and "Violet".
Bassist Kristen Pfaff died of a heroin overdose shortly after the album was released, and the band left the public eye for the entire summer of 1994, dropping out of various festivals and canceling shows. In September the band made their first public appearance since Cobain's death, and Melissa Auf Der Maur replaced Pfaff on bass for their following tour.
The band then took almost 4 years to release follow up album "Celebrity Skin" in 1998 due to Courtney Love's burgeoning film career. During the recording sessions, Patty Schemel left the band and was replaced by a session drummer on the album. "Celebrity Skin" once again found the band taking a different approach to the previous record, experimenting with California-inspired rock and power pop. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, a longtime friend of Love's, helped write the music on several songs on the album. "Celebrity Skin" went on to be the band's most commercially successful album, with its lead single "Celebrity Skin" making it to number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, and "Malibu" charting at number three. The band toured with Marilyn Manson briefly to support the album, but dropped out of the tour after arguments between Love and Manson on production costs due to Manson's elaborate stage theatrics. The band then toured on their own thereafter, appearing notably at Sydney's Big Day Out Festival in 1999.
Samantha Maloney was hired as the band's drummer on the tour. Melissa Auf Der Maur then left the band in 1999 to join The Smashing Pumpkins. Due to Courtney Love's acting career and legal issues with the surviving members of Nirvana, 2002 saw Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson, the two remaining members of the band, announce the dissolution of Hole.
However, On June 17th, 2009 Courtney Love announced the return of Hole with new members Micko Larkin (Larrikin Love) on lead guitar, Shawn Dailey (Rock Kills Kid) on bass, and Stuart Fisher (Ozric Tentacles) on drums. The comeback album "Nobodys Daughter" was released in April 2010, and saw the band take yet another stylistic turn, focusing on more of a folk rock/singer songwriter approach.
2) John Everall. John Everall or John Severall is most known for his work as Tactile, Spacemarker, Multicide, and Mesh and was the label boss of Sentrax Recordings. Through the years he worked with various artists: Nigel Ayers, Mick Harris, Jhonn Balance, Karl Blake, James Plotkin, Little Annie, Joe Banks, Shane Embury. It's difficult to discribe the sound of Hole; it has some goth, industrial and electronic influences, with some tracks having an In The Nursery sort of sound.
This is not the best album by Hole, but it's probably Courtney at her best when it comes to songwriting. She's a great lyricist and as someone said, when I listen to this album I feel her soul.
Meh. :/
When this first came out I was like "weeaaakkkkkk" but then after winter and the warm weather came back I've been completely obsessed. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT
I agree with stepha603 one hundred percent. What makes this album one of the best is that you can feel Courtney's pain in her voice and lyrics.
Some of the lyrics on this are probably her best. I've really been listening to Samantha lately, and God, some of the imagery in that song is fantastic. I understand that some people don't enjoy the sound of this as much as her earlier work, but it's clear that Courtney poured a lot of herself into this one. It's always been Hole's lyrics that have really gotten me, anyway.
this album is fucking great.
I confess that this is not my favorite album, for example, best ass, music, or with many sounds that would become "hits", but I have in mind how important this album was to Courtney Love. And so it becomes very important for me too. I think "Nobody's Daughter" one of the best albums I've ever heard. I feel the soul of Courtney when I listen. And I love and admire.
Courtney gave a speech the other day (not sure what the event was, but I saw clips from it) and she called this album her "masterwork" in spite of the fact that it didn't sell— she said it has only sold like $19,000 to date which, in other words, means it was a total flop. I think her quote went something like: "I don't care if you like Live Through This, I don't care if you even know who I am— suck it. Nobody's Daughter was better". She put a lot of work into this album and although the public's swallowing of the material was not nearly as good as it was for Live Through This or Celebrity Skin even, I think she honestly feels like this was "the one", you know? For her as an artist, it was probably the hardest she's ever worked. Much respect to her, and I love the album, even though the older Hole will always be my personal preference. The songs here are definitely more structurally complex and the subject matter is a lot different.
The album of my teen years!
fucking perfect.
flop
I don't care what anybody says about Ms Love and Hole. I love them. I don't give a shit what drugs they do or what a bitch she is. She writes songs the way I like them. I even still play her solo album America's Sweetheart. That record rocked and nobody gave it the time of day. Celeb Skin and Nobody are great records for different reasons. You go Pink_Boy.
That's quite a demanding comparison, Pink_Boy...
how can anyone not like this album? i think its alot better then Celebrity skin
I guess that this is one of those albums that get slightly better with each and every listen
the melodies on this album are perfect.
i don't know why most don't like this album but for me it is great. that album is light and pleasant. may not the same as the other Hole albums but worth hearing.
I've felt lukewarm about this album for awhile now (sans a few songs, title track and "Never Go Hungry", to name), but I'm really, really digging it now. Songs are catchy as hell and Courtney can still scream like fucking crazy. It's definitely a nice addition to her body of work. Different, and a bit more mature at this point in her life, but still smart lyrics and a true rock 'n roll spirit to it.
DISLIKE!
Obviously different from the earlier Hole stuff, but Courtney has matured a lot as both a person and an artist since the Celebrity Skin era. This album has grown on me.
Not the greatest for sure..
I don't like it. I prefer first and second album. This album is ... trivial.
nice and old. i'd stick it in there
Best Hole album [2]
best Hole's album
love this album so much!!
dislike
Because she recorded it with her band. It was a band effort, and she considers her band to be Hole. Pretty simple really.
this isn't a hole album. i just can't understand why courtney couldn't release it under her own name.
#100
Almost a year later, I still love this album. Probably my favourite Courtney/Hole record so far.
Loser Dust ♥
Loser Dust ♥
This should be a solist album... but its not bad I like it in fact
Niezły album, chociaż osobiście bardziej preferuję te starsze płyty Hole.
skinny little bitch <3
I don't like Courtney Love but this album is great ! [2]
♥
I don't like Courtney Love but this album is great !
Go, Courtney!
malo malisimo
Thank you so much for the acoustic crap, but... Where are the guitars? :(
Okay, this really doesn't suck. No 'Violet,' but a helluva lot better than the solo album.
very very talented bitch
PL: http://www.magazyngitarzysta.pl/muzyka/recenzje/4506-hole-nobodys-daughter.html
i want an official release of the original album (Courtney solo album) without the over production, the acoustic version it was really awesome, a new way in her carrear, but this "Hole" version it's ok too
Not as good as the 2 albums that came before this. The smoking has really damaged her voice so it's lost so much range and the album focuses too much on being confessional making it very 1 dimensional in the process. If the vocals sound like this after being produced in a studio id hate to hear them live.
what... i am snoozing to these previews.
Agreed.
♥