Milo here.
Why have just one MMM when you can have two, eh? Within a week as well? You’re doin’ lucky, you are…
Today, we’re looking at one of my favourite bands in Hole, and their 1998 hit Malibu from Celebrity Skin. Check the video below:
Is Celebrity Skin Hole’s best album? Far from it. Is Malibu a prime example of Hole watering down their sound for the masses? Most likely. That being said, while it decidedly lacks the furious bite of Pretty On The Inside, or the post-grunge perfection of Live Through This, this song strikes a chord as an excellent alt-rock-crossover track.
The breezy guitar riff from Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson has a lot in common with some of the lighter cuts from Live Through This and is a major earworm — kicking in instantly and refusing to release its grip until two weeks. Similar is Love’s vocal performance, where she primarily favours her cleaner singing style throughout — giving it a very dream-like feel, reminiscent of much of Hole’s discography.
I’d also like to give a shout-out to session drummer Deen Castronovo here for their straightforward but extremely effective approach to the beat on this thing, drawing many similarities, to my ear, from GNR’s Sweet Child O’ Mine. If any of you wanna look into that and get back to me, I’d appreciate — I’m not gonna because I don’t wanna be wrong.
Also interesting is the poignant lyrical content of the song, drawing from Kurt Cobain’s death in a very moving way, which becomes much more apparent when you look into the lyrics, and does change the meaning of the song to me very notably.
ALSO WORTH CHECKIN’ OUT:
Lots of hugs, kisses and lacerations
Milo.
Stuff and That. 
Ohhh Shit. You’ve hit a home run here Boys. Malibu by Hole is a fuckin’ peach. I love the idea of dumb sexy pop being done by people you know, know better. That’s how you know it’s supposed to be sexy right? This song rules for all the reasons people knock it. We didn’t need another Doll Parts or Olympia. That would have been treading water. So on Celebrity Skin, Hole tried to absorb a wider influence. They did slinky, they did groovy they did poppy. But they did it as Hole. And it’s Brilliant. Only Awful on that record is better. The irony. It’s killin’ right?
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Damn! Big fan? Haha. Yeah I really do see the many pluses of Celebrity Skin, even if I prefer Live Through This personally. The alt-rock crossover is sexy as hell and no one but 90s Courtney Love could do it better!
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Right. She couldn’t stay that messy screaming thing. She needed to evolve. And so she became the most wasted rock star of all time (but not in the way you’re thinking). Courtney Love should be more famous than Madonna. But people suck.
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Yeah people do suck. I do love my messy screaming Courtney though.
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Then I take it you bought America’s Sweetheart, Miss Narcissist and You Know My Name?
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Haven’t delved overly deep into her solo stuff, it’s a will-do though.
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It’s all marvellous
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