Hole And Corner - Bela

Advantages: Very original, great musically, and really beautiful lyrics
Disadvantages: (none)

...Hole are a band who are always likely to be in the limelight. Not just because the lead singer Courtney Love was married to the late Kurt Cobain (of Nirvana), or because Courtney is a huge character in herself, but because the music is amazing. There is not many female-fronted bands around, (well not compared to the number of male-fronted bands), so when a band like Hole writes music of this calibre, it is certain to get noticed. This is Hole’s third album (with the title coming from the name of an American celebrity photo magazine) and drew very mixed reviews when it was first released in 1998. Hole fan veteran, John Peel, clamed it was “just rubbish” after praising and promoting both of Hole’s other albums on his Radio 1 show. However, others have said that this is Hole’s best offering to date. Gone... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good collectors item, shows a more "raw" Hole
Disadvantages: Only four songs!

...The First Session CD, is an EP containing four tracks: Retard Girl (Hole's first single) Phone Bill Song Turpentine (First ever Hole song recorded) Johnnies in the bathroom (a spooky spoken track) Similar in style to the album, Pretty on the Inside, this CD features the more 'raw' Hole. Lead singer Courtney Love rasps and screams the lyrics attacking your ears with her fierce sound. If you prefer the sweeter sounds of Live through This or Celebrity Skin, this might not be the best buy. This CD would make a great collector's item for a fan of Hole - as well as completing your CD collection, the inside booklet also features a full printed interview with the band as well as several photographs from Hole's early days. One of the problems of the CD is the shortness of it but this is easily explained as it IS an EP and is easily made... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Emotional and powerful lyricism, unusually fronted by a female vocalist and songwriter.
Disadvantages: A constant connection to Nirvana that distorts the album's mentality and construction.

...Overview… Formed in 1989 with Courtney Love at the helm, Hole signed an eight-album record deal with Geffen Records four years later. The band's characteristic strong lyricism was incessantly linked to Courtney Love's marriage to Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Indeed, it seems the band's success has largely been a result of this connection, particularly following the suicide of Kurt Cobain in 1994. Hole's first album 'Live Through This' coincided with the release of Nirvana's final album 'In Utero', and this comparison has continued with debates surrounding the Love/Cobain relationship. The third album, 'Celebrity Skin', was released in 1998 and features a more distant 'pop' as opposed to 'rock' approach. It is probably the band's best-known album, supported with strong single sales, most notably 'Celebrity Skin' of the album title... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful