Courtney Love - America'sSweetheart

Wed 31st Mar, 2004 in Music Reviews

Loud, obnoxious and guitars, Courtney Love likes to rub the world the wrong way. Listen to this album when you’re in a bad mood and there’s a pretty good chance you will enjoy it more than you would otherwise.

Her first solo project, America’s Sweetheart is a mixed bag of hot and cold tunes and it’s not for the overly-happy hearted. There’s nothing amazing about this album, but it’s sure as hell well produced and catchy.

And like all solo projects, it’s Love’s vivacious personality that is the main attraction here. Mother, super widow, rock star, actress, sex symbol, drug addict. Courtney’s got an autobiography that reads like a first year welfare studies text.  Without a doubt Courtney Love is good at being herself and at getting what she wants, attention.

To make America’s Sweetheart Love has employed a stack talented people. Guests include Kim Deal (Pixies, Breeders), Wayne Kramer (MC5), and long-time Love cohort Samantha Maloney (Hole). Many of the songs are also co-written with Linda Perry – the songwriter behind hit songs by Pink and Christina Aguilera

First track off the rank is Mono, a classic catchy indie-rock message to the new rock’n’roll kids on the block. With her own music abilities being somewhat limited, it’s a wonder where she gets this rock authority from. But then again Miss Love was married to the legend himself, Kurt Cobain. Perhaps the new millennium rock music is pissing her off and she’s missing the nineties and Nirvanna.

Standing out as one of the better tracks on America’s Sweetheart, But Julian, I’m a little bit older now is fresh and fast. The distorted layered sounds in this song work better with her voice. Minus the heroin drawl and wild screeches, Love’s vocals on the album sound a little plain and flat when she get’s down to the slower songs, Life Despite God and All the Drugs.

At the sweeter end of the counter, Hello smacks of cheesy riot grrl rock. It feels reminiscent of Hole’s Live Through This album where she sang about baby dolls and dresses. Slowing down in the mid-section, Hello actually sounds like Violet when Love sings: “My Babies Dead / His heart went blind on me / My dress caught fire”.

With an intriguing focus on her personal life, Almost Golden lends itself to a smile with lyrics about a messy relationship. “Sorry about the fire / Sorry about the torch / Sorry that I had to have my revenge”. Suggestive and unclear, it’s Love’s lyrics that fight for attention.  Is this woman a sham, or is she talented, or is she just having a bad life? But somehow I get the feeling that the answer doesn’t matter, or possibly even exist. Just shut up and listen. And don’t forget to heckle at the end.

Just after the release of this album, Courtney Love flashed her bare chest six times on the David Letterman show while standing on his desk. Afterwards she went out to a night club and was arrested for assaulting a man. With a track record for pulling these stunts, it’s a wonder why she bothered. We know that she’s no American Sweetheart. But then again maybe she doesn’t care. Perhaps she just wants you to stop and stare. Love her or hate her, you can’t ignore Courtney Love or her albums.