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RIFF068 - Hole - Live Through This

Season 2025 Episode 37

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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