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RIFF068 - Hole - Live Through This

RIFF068 - Hole - Live Through This

Published: October 27, 2025 • Duration: 1:20:28

Hole — Live Through This (1994)

Noise made human: sharp guitars, cracked-glass vocals, and songs that refuse to sand down the splinters. In this episode we unpack how Live Through This became both a blistering rock record and a time capsule of messy, real-life urgency.

The big picture

  • Why this album still feels dangerous: melody with teeth, beauty with bite.
  • Olympia-to-LA-to-Marietta roots and attitudes — riot grrrl tension meets major-label machinery.
  • Courtney Love’s performance as intent, not accident: keep the cracks in.

What we cover

  • Recording sprint: tracked in 23 days at Triclops Sound Studios (Marietta, GA), with a live-to-tape energy.
  • Vocals with scars: a dozen-plus passes per song, but the imperfections stay — including the famous voice break in “Doll Parts.”
  • Cobain’s cameo: backing vocals on “Asking for It” and “Softer, Softest,” and why that detail got louder after his death.
  • Cover art, on purpose: Ellen von Unwerth’s prom-queen shot (model Leilani Bishop) — conceived and driven by Love.
  • DGC vs Geffen: what the indie-adjacent major imprint meant in the 90s (think Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Weezer, Beck, Counting Crows).
  • “Rock Star” vs “Olympia”: the notorious DAT swap that left the track list and the audio mismatched — and how the band treated the actual “Rock Star” live.
  • Kristen Pfaff: her locked-in bass feel on the record, the tragedy that followed its release, and the pause before the band returned.

Why it still matters

  • Precision without polish: performances that breathe and bruise.
  • Hooks under pressure: pop instincts framed by claustrophobic mix choices that reward volume.
  • Cultural afterlife: songs that kept turning up in film and TV, proof the edges cut through.

Timestamps

  • 00:00 — Cold open & why this album still stings
  • 02:54 — “Rock Star” vs “Olympia” — the title/track mix-up
  • 05:20 — DGC vs Geffen — who was on the roster and why it mattered
  • 48:58 — 23 days at Triclops Sound — capturing the fast, live feel
  • 49:33 — Dozen-take vocals & keeping the cracks
  • 49:53 — Geffen wanted the “Doll Parts” voice break smoothed — it stayed
  • 50:05 — Cobain drops by: “Asking for It” & “Softer, Softest”
  • 50:36 — Ellen von Unwerth’s prom-queen cover (Leilani Bishop)
  • 53:41 — “Rock Star” listed, “Olympia” on disc — the DAT snafu
  • 54:33 — Kristen Pfaff — playing, loss, and the band’s pause

Turn it up — this one rewards volume.

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