Courtney Love is music's most fascinating character. Notice I say the word character because she has gone way beyond anything that could be considered a normal personality. Courtney is considered a genius, a fraud, an opportunist, a legitimate talent, a grieving widow and a conspirator in a plot to have her husband murdered. All this and she's only 40 years old.

Courtney Love began her life on a commune where she says her father gave her acid. She went through reform schools in her youth, only to travel the world from a trust fund that she inherited. During her travels she was a stripper in Japan among other things.

"When I was a teenage whore..."

Early on Courtney wanted to be famous. She met many people during her travels. She was up for the role of Nancy in the movie "Sid and Nancy" and though she didn't win the role (Thankfully. It would've been a role she could never live down given the circumstances) she did win a role in the film. Before she broke out Andy Warhol loved her and put her on his MTV show. Courtney did her thing in the Olympia riot grrrl seen and quickly became its star. She's been accused of plaigerism by her former group members in Babes In Toyland, but she soldiered on. She released "Pretty On The Inside" which blasts out of the seen hard. It should be noted that though Courtney is accused of riding Kurt Cobain's coattails she was signed to a major first.

"See I told you from the start
Just how this would end
When they get, what they want
Will they never want it again"

Of course the whole alternative scene breaks and Courtney latches on to Kurt Cobain. They become good and bad for each other mainly because two drug abusers don't mix. But while Courtney is always somewhat aware of how she's coming off and is a relative smart-ass Kurt Cobain is way more sensitive. Courtney can be in a drug induced hze and still know what time to drop the name or quotable one-liner. So Kurt kills himself. Courtney gives a eulogy that is both cathartic and infuriating, of course. The whole vigil was mesmerizing, and boy did Courtney put on a show, which of course was both genuine and intentional.

"Back when Live Through This" came out a bunch of 13 years olds went around saying Kurt wrote my stuff..."

So Courtney releases "Live Through This" just days after Kurts death. It was purely coincidental but this being Courtney's life it couldn't have happened any other way. Immediately the album was a classic. This is Courtney's maternal album. There's lots of talk about milk. (The milks in my mouth...It makes me sick!/Where is the milk?!?) There's references to her baby being taken away and slander from Vanity Fair about her drug use. Lots of esoteric feminist poetry. So what happenes. Rumors run rampant that Kurt wrote her stuff. If you ask me it's not true. Just read Kurts stuff then read Courtneys.

"And oh, they've bought and sold it all, it's gone
They've taken it and built a mall
And now they're playing your song"

They say Madonna is the queen of re-invention, but Courtney pulled off a hat trick that was more extreme then anything Madonna has pulled off. And who would've thunk it after their disasterous yet hilarious meeting during the VMA awards, compacts loosly in Courtney's hands. But she did. Courtney went from gutter grunge to Hollywood glam, with all the surgery, charm school and drug rehab that was required. Ever the authentic, Courtney got an agent and publicist and started going after roles and press. She won the role of Althea Flint and won the New York Film critics award for Best Supporting actress. She would've won the Oscar that yeat IF her ego didn't force her to put herself in the running for best actress as opposed to supporting. Courtney will be the first to tell you that she won the Oscar, or practically, tongue partially in cheek. But many critics considered this Courtney Stepford Courtney. She'd go on Today and tsk tsk the interviewer for brining up her drug-addled past. She sit in with the gaggle-happy broads on "The View". Courtney Love would never do these things, but the "new" Courtney was all too willing, winning over the poplace in the process.

"Oh make me over
I'm all I wanna be
A walking study
In demonology"

Courtney fusses over "Celebrity Skin" within an inch of it's life. It's her "California" album, full of gange, spark and shine. Filled with talk of water, widow laments, and the use of the word Love as the noun and her name (And now they sat that Love is dead/ Love hangs herself). "Celebrity Skin" is a mild disappointment on first listen only because it's not as great as "Live Through This." Maybe because the subject matter is less interesting. Maybe because she tried really hard to make a mass-market album. It would've sold gangbusters had Love had the disipline to promote it the way it should've. An album like this needs the Madonna/Britney treatment. Love is a Cancer, and if you believe just a little bit in horoscope mythology Cancers are notoriously lazy, or at least Love is. Undisciplined to a fault, her live performances would be more memorable for being good then being the messes they sometimes are if she'd practice more. But alas that never happened, and "Skin" didn't do the millions it should've. Her misguided tour with Marilyn Manson didn't help. But all in all these were good times. A-list movies, a hit album, a grammy nomination, red carpet sprees. Who woulda thought, then...

"So I know Glenn Close and Glenn and Meryl are friends. And when Glenn told Meryl I won the part of Macbeth over all these people, Meryl says, "Oh thery're just stunt casting." So I get Meryl voicemale from Glenn and I do a reading of, "The wrethched whores, the"- you know the rest, and I proved my salt with Meryl, and there you go."

Needless to say "MacBeth", which would've been a starmaking turn for Love, didn't happen, and her behavior over the past year might be an indication. Not that the defunct project caused her spiral or vice versa, but to say Love fell off the wagon is an understatement. Though her antics were still entertaining. Hissing in court. Impromptu press conferences outside the courtroom. Name dropping infinitum. Now Courtney seems to be on the brink of a recovery. Her last court appearance had her prancing around with the grace of an oldtime satarlet. So what of Ms. Love? She's easily the most quotable celebrity out there. Nobody gives interview like Love, throwing any number of references at you. Her newest album, "America's Sweetheart" is almost a mess. This is her drug album appropriately. References to fire and being caught on fire are on this album. But it's also the flipside of "Skin" in that while skinwas about the sunny side od LA, "Sweetheart" is more Sunset Strip and dashed dreams. It's packed with words and references to wannabes. I wish Courtney would've been lucid enough to promote this album. We need her, mother of rock, to put the Ashlee's and Fefe's and Branches in their place.

I'm waiting for the second comeback. Until then do you think she's worth the wait?

courtney is worth the wait. she is brilliant/crazy.....among the best
i love live thru this. i was able to tap into it. great album.
i really like celebrity skin. it still feels very current.
and then comes america's sweetheart. i didn't get it at first and when i did, some of the songs really spoke to me. it rocks, plain and simple.
i've read how courtney has boxes of lyrics and with all that she is going thru right now, i'm sure it'll make its way into words, she knows how to craft a song, and she can use her voice too. she can construct a masterpiece out of this pain.
of course, we might have to wait at least another 4 or 5 years to get it.

interesting read. did you write all of this?

Anxiety said:

I did, typos (d'oh!) and all. Trying to spark an in depth discussion on my favorite (Let's face it I love Prince but he's seen better days) songwriter.

i think courtney's an amazing lyricist - i wish she could find a constant collaborator who could write music that does justice to her words. she kinda reminds me of michael stipe in that they both have a very lopsided strength as songwriters in that regard.

What's the matter, my baby's dead
his heart went blind on me
My dress caught fire
from 1 match that you gave me
And all that's left is your bill and
the breath I got
Yeah I won't sit in your misery cuz the phonecall's gone and
noone's comin'
noone's comin' noone's comin'
noone's coming for you

From "Hello"




Sorry 'bout the fire
Sorry 'bout the torch
Sorry I had to have my revenge
Send it in a note
Said you cannot go
Say you are sick you can't get dressed

Come on be on fire
Come on be a liar
My dress is the prettiest
Cover me in burns
Everyone take your turn
I'm already humiliated

From "Almost Golden"

Lyrics from "America's Sweetheart" make references to being burned or on fire, the complete contrast to "Celebrity Skin" which makes references to water. The "Skin" album is dedicated to the city of Los Angeles, which is notorious for it's low water supply, and also to anyone who's drowned.

When you think about it they make sense. "Skin" was about celebrity and it came off the heels of Kurt's suicide. Love makes references to dying as well, hanging herself in "Reason's to be Beautiful". So the drowning dedication can be a, if not the, reference to that. The water could also be considered a purifyer, or baptism considering the major transformation she made at the time.

"America's Sweetheart" is a much harsher statement. Where "Skin" was jangly and pretty, "Sweetheart" is more grungy. It's about the flipside of celebrity, the side that Love is on now. It's the lower rungs of Hollywood Blvd. where the drugs and the wannabe starlets wallow. Just read the lyrics the "Sunset Strip", Love watching from atop the Hollywoodsign, the girls with stars in their eyes, how everything's already happened and she knows that she won't see tomorrow.

wow. i think i'll just sit back and read what you have to say. it's refreshing to hear someone pick apart c.lo's work without making bitchy comments about her weird-ass personal life.

Anxiety said:

I'm surprised the negative comments haven't started flooding in yet, but I'm ready. It's no secret Love has a huge drug problem. When she's strung out she does wierd things. It's when she's clean that you see what a truly talented woman such as herself can do. And clean or not, Courtney will always be Courtney. That's a cool thing to count on.

Oh, and I think Courtney's weird behavior is downright genius when she has her wits about herself enough to have a method to her madness. Her stint as veejay on MTV's "24 Hours of Love" was some of the best television I've ever seen in my life (until she started slacking off in the second half and playing reruns of previous hours, that is ).

A major problem with Love's latest release, "America's Sweetheart", is her voice. What a difference a voice makes. Love's vocal talent can be argued for days, but the main fact is that whatever limitations it always had her voice is just shot on "Sweetheart". This would've been a much better record if her voice was up to snuff.

Courtney's main vocal weakness is one of tune. She wavers out of tune but not as much a detractors would have you believe. And in other genres this would be a problem but in the grungy rock of alternative music it's not a big minus.

Her strengths is in her singing. She can display a lot of passion, anger and sorrow that lesser singers like Ashlee and Fefe and Kelly couldn't pull off if they had an instruction book.

Anxiety said:

Though there were many great moments I ultimately had problems with "24 Hours of Love". She had all this stuff planned but when it came down to it she couldn't get clearance for all of it, mainly her plan to show "Times Square". It was relegated to a video of one of the songs. I read some of her ideas and I thought, "wow, this is gonna be great". All in all one of her ideas where she had in studio guests/fans tell what their favorite albums were and why was cool except for her occasional badgering, and she had a really good discussion about Eminem that I might go into later.

So who caught a glimpse of Courtney Love at the World Music Awards last night? Like Whitney Houston she was well behaved and seemed lucid. Signs of a comeback?

Anxiety said:

Should I get the ball rolling then?

Courtney Love is a no-talent junkie whore!



That should get it started.

minneapolisgenius said:

I doubt it'll work. I'm beginning to realize what's wrong with these deconstructions of mine, they're too lengthy.

CynicKill said:

You know, the length's not a problem for me.
I like this one and the DC deconstruction.
Don't necessarily agree with everything but they're fun reads.

Keep it going.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

i think it was an interesting read too...

i took my niece a number of years ago to see courtney - not being a fan myself but my niece thought she could do no wrong...

she put on an interesting show and eventually bared her breasts (wtf!) but i just didn't think the girl can actually... um... sing?