Review by LarryG
4 stars out of 4
I'm not a big fan of Courtney as self promoter or partial cause of the
suicide of a musical genius but as writer & performer, it's hard to
deny her work on Live Though This. It's a transition between her
earlier, wilder work and the radio friendly, tamer Celebrity Skin and
Live Through This has punk energy while still being accessible. The record
came in the wake of investigations into whether the admitted former heroin
user was an appropriate mother as well as the drug problems of various
band members and the presumably explosive family life which preceded Kurt
Cobain's death. References to the anxieties of motherhood proliferate.
Love's rage juices up the music. Miss World and Violet are interesting
expressions of inner turmoil as Love explodes on the choruses, but they're
also great rock songs. A couple songs like Gutless are just punk rants
but most of Live Though This is fast but textured and catchy. Credit In
The Straight World and Rock Star, simply based on Courtney's electric
guitar, are interesting musically and actually provide some insight into
Love. In my mind, the record suffers when it slows down with Love's less
than profound observation that she's Doll Parts but usually it's a great
rock record.
Here's what others reviewers have to say:
"...Try divorcing Courtney Love the gossip-column item...from this
album to find Courtney Love the punk-rock musician..." Included
on Neil Strauss' list of the Top 10 Albums Of '94 New York
Times 1/5/95, p.C15
"...Love delivers punk not only as insinuating as Nirvana's but as
corrosive as the Sex Pistols'. More significantly, LIVE THROUGH THIS may
be the most potent blast of female insurgency ever committed to tape..."
Rolling Stone 12/29/94-1/12/95, p.191
"...The result is a personal but secretive thrash-pop opera of urban
nihilism and passionate dumbthinks..." 8 - Excellent New
Musical Express 4/9/94, p.40
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