Search - Hole :: Grease Your Hips

These superb live performances were broadcast from a hometown gig in Hollywood and also in Berkeley, California in late 1994 . Vocalist and songwriter, Courtney Love - influenced by an unholy trinity of Big Black, Sonic Youth and Fleetwood Mac - had formed the band five years earlier, in Los Angeles in 1989 with Eric Erlandson. Hole's first album, 'Pretty on the Inside' was an extremely abrasive piece of work and was clearly influenced both by local hard-core punk bands and by the East Coast 'No Wave' scene. Not released until April of '94, Hole's sophomore album, 'Live Through This' was a different matter entirely. Released just four days after Cobain committed suicide, the record was a massive commercial success. Hailed by 'Rolling Stone' magazine as possibly the most potent blast of female insurgency ever committed to tape, it eventually went multi-platinum. Although denied by the band, the rumour that it had actually been Cobain who had written most of the songs only added to the impetus. At the time of the 'Live Through This' recording sessions Hole's line-up had stabilised with Courtney Love on vocals and guitar, Eric Erlandson on guitar, Kristen Pfaff on bass, keyboards and backing vocals and Patty Schemel on drums. But in June, just a few weeks after the release, Pfaff was found dead following acute opiate intoxication, next to a bag containing drug paraphernalia. She was replaced by Canadian bassist and backing singer Melissa Auf der Maur, who appears on these live broadcasts and remained with Hole for a further five years. 'Live Through This' is, of course, heavily featured here - there are excellent live versions of all but two of the original album's twelve tracks. The album's three successful singles, Doll Parts, Violet and Miss World are all spotlighted. Then there is a wildly eclectic trio of covers: Duran Duran's Hungry like the Wolf, Goffin & King's pop masterpiece He Hit Me (And It Felt like a Kiss), originally recorded in 1962 by The Crystals.