Despite constantly being in the headlines – mostly for drug charges recently – you have to wonder just how far Courtney Love’s singing and acting career would have got if she hadn’t been Mrs Kurt Cobain. Her former band Hole certainly made the most of the grunge association to release three albums.
Courtney’s solo debut doesn’t deviate too far from Hole’s legacy, but seems to combine elements of all three of their albums. The vocal style is definitely more in the singing style of Celebrity Skin. Otherwise, however, it’s not quite as polished as that album, and somewhere between Pretty On The Inside and Live Through This. I’d say the song-writing is closer to the former (i.e. fairly poor), but at least the production’s better than Hole’s debut.
The opening track ‘Mono’ is probably the best the album has to offer – and the only single (so far). It’s a punky track, in which Courtney seems to present herself as a returning saviour of rock and roll. She’s certainly not that, however – or a good little sweetheart – instead it sounds more like a spoilt little girl’s tantrum, (metaphorically) shouting ‘look at me, look at me.’ It falls well below previous highlights such as ‘Violet’ or ‘Gutless’, to which it will inevitably be compared, but it’s not such a bad song.
Unfortunately perhaps, it isn’t representative of the rest of the album. If you bought this on the basis of that song, you’d be in for a shock on reaching track two. The rest of the album is much less aggressive, and more in keeping with Celebrity Skin-era filler (‘He Hit So Hard’, ‘Dying’, etc).
I have to say, an album full of tracks in the vein of ‘Mono’ would actually be worse. It’s certainly the standout track here in terms of sound – and maybe even quality – but more would just make a repetitive headache-inducing racket. Instead it’s a relief that the rest of the album is thankfully more tuneful.
Nevertheless, Courtney’s not a great, or even a good, singer, and these aren’t good songs. Not surprisingly tracks 2-12 pretty much blend into each other, and pass without making a lasting impression. There are a few ‘nice’ moments, but they’re soon forgotten. Perhaps the almost-contemplative ballad ‘Unreal’ is ‘best of the rest’, and several lyrical touches make a brief impression; but nothing has the urgency of former Hole material.
It’s certainly obvious that Courtney’s made the most of the celebrity lifestyle. Lyrics like “I have played with fire… With all the drugs… in the world” (on track 5 ‘All The Drugs’) probably come from personal experience, as there isn’t much inspired.
Despite all the failings, I must say it’s not a terrible album. I can put it on and listen to the whole thing through without feeling the slightest inclination to reach for the skip button. Unfortunately I just find little that makes any lasting impression (I thought much the same about White Stripes’ Elephant, but at least that had a few good singles).
Nothing really stands out in the 47 minutes of generic grunge-lite rock. If you do want to buy something of Courtney’s, I wouldn’t blame you, as her music career has certainly had its occasional highlights. If you don’t own Hole’s Live Through This and Celebrity Skin though, I’d buy both of those in preference to this. If you do have both, then you simply don’t need this because it has nothing to add. (If for some reason you simply must have some solo material, look for the ‘Mono’ single).
Ultimately, Courtney cuts a slightly sad figure, clutching at past glories. This album has nothing new to add, but she simply can’t stand to be out the headlines it seems.
(p.s. Melissa Auf Der Maur – ex-Hole bassist – has a solo album that p!sses on this from a GREAT height. Maybe that’s where the talent was!)
5/10
[Currently £6.99 on cd-wow if you still want it...]
Pictures of America's Sweetheart - Courtney Love
'Sweetheart'
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Prior to the release ofAmerica's Sweetheart, the media backlash against Courtney Love was ... more
in full swing. To be fair, Ms Love is a difficult celebrity to like--she's the screechy, indie-rock Madonna: singing, acting, courting the media and annoying the ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Prior to the release ofAmerica's Sweetheart, the media backlash against Courtney Love was ... more
in full swing. To be fair, Ms Love is a difficult celebrity to like--she's the screechy, indie-rock Madonna: singing, acting, courting the media and annoying the ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Prior to the release of America's Sweetheart, the media backlash against Courtney Love was ... more
in full swing. To be fair, Ms Love is a difficult celebrity to like--she's the screechy, indie-rock Madonna: singing, acting, courting the media and annoying the...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Sep 2nd, 2004
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