Hole - Celebrity Skin

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NME.COM feature on Hole - Celebrity Skin album including album review, artwork, tracks, listen now, tour dates, discography and more.

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Album Review

Release date: 08 July 2005

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Hole - Celebrity Skin: Wikipedia Album Entry

Celebrity Skin is the third studio album by the American rock band Hole, released worldwide by Geffen Records on September 7, 1998 and one day later in the United States. Similarly to vocalist and guitarist Courtney Love's refined image during this era, the sound of the album itself moved away from Hole's harder alternative rock past and toward a cleaner and more radio friendly pop rock format. It was Hole's most commercially succesful album, garnering them a #1 hit single on the Modern Rock Tracks chart with the title track. Critical reaction to the album was largely positive, though not as universally so as the band's previous record, Live Through This.

Courtney Love penned all of the lyrics and the music was written by the band. Some songs were co-authored by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. The studio work took almost a year and a half, due to Love's rising movie career, fruitless recording attempts in New Orleans and Nashville in 1997, Corgan's involvement in songwriting and the actual album sessions, between Los Angeles, New York City, London and Miami.

The songs were written by Hole, some with the help of Billy Corgan; Courtney Love penned all of the lyrics. The studio work took almost a year and a half, due to Love's rising movie career, fruitless recording attempts in New Orleans and Nashville in 1997, Corgan's involvement in songwriting and the actual album sessions, between Los Angeles, New York City, London and Miami. According to Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson, Love was allegedly "not caring about" playing her instrument on the record, focusing only on singing and songwriting; Billy Corgan played bass on Hit So Hard; and Patty Schemel didn't play on the album, though she is credited as a Hole member on the sleeve.

The album received three nominations at the 41st Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

NME said "the first thing you think when Celebrity Skin smacks you in the nose is that you may never need to hear a rock 'n' roll record ever again. It feels that good as soon as Courtney sneers the word "demonology" across a monster riff revived from somewhere in LA in the late-'70s." The two-line review of the album from Blender called it a "mild letdown, not for the greedy pop leanings, but for the subject matter: Hollywood." Rolling Stone described the album as "sprung, flung and fun, high-impact, rock-fueled pop with the body and flexibility of really good hair. ... It teems with sonic knockouts that make you see all sorts of stars and is accessible, fiery and intimate – often at the same time." The album was featured in several year-end "Best of..." periodicals and also holds a spot in 1001 albums you must hear before you die.

Celebrity Skin was certified Plantinum by the RIAA on December 21st 1998.

The album received three nominations at the 41st Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. "Malibu" received a Grammy nomination at the 42nd Grammy Awards, for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The music video for "Malibu" also resulted in a 1999 MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Cinematography for Martin Coppen.

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