My Body, the Hand Grenade
Encyclopedia
My Body, the Hand Grenade is a compilation album by alternative rock
band Hole
that includes b-sides, demo recordings, live songs, and other rarities and unreleased tracks by the band. It was released on October 28, 1997 through the band's European label, City Slang Records, who had previously released their singles "Teenage Whore
" in 1991 and "Beautiful Son
" in 1992.
The album was compiled with the intent to bridge the band's dynamic shifts in musical style, from their noise rock
beginnings and debut album, Pretty on the Inside
(1991), to their more streamlined, highly acclaimed followup, Live Through This
(1994). The album features tracks from the band's first recording session in the spring of 1990, as well as several b-sides, singles, and rare live songs from between 1991 and 1995. Production and mixing of the album was done chiefly by the band's lead guitarist, Eric Erlandson
.
The band's third studio album, Celebrity Skin
(1998), released a year after My Body, the Hand Grenade, also featured a starkly different music style from Live Through This, with a pop rock edge, again illustrating the group's shift in musical styles. My Body, the Hand Grenade was available in both the United States and United Kingdom, and peaked at #82 on the UK Albums Chart
. The album went out of print
by the millennium, and is considered a rarity among Hole fans.
's husband Kurt Cobain
) and parts of Hole's performance at MTV Unplugged
.
The live tracks, "Drown Soda" and "Asking for It", were recorded at London's Brixton Academy and the Reading Festival on May 5, 1995 and August 25, 1995, respectively. Tracks from the band's MTV Unplugged session were recorded live at New York
's Brooklyn Academy of Music
on February 14, 1995.
Most of the songwriting credits go to Hole, although the official BMI website denotes that most of the songs were written by just Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson
, except "Retard Girl
", written solely by Love; "Old Age", co-written by Kurt Cobain
with additional arrangements by Love, "Beautiful Son
" and "20 Years In The Dakota", written by Love, Erlandson and Patty Schemel
; and "Drown Soda", the only case on the album of a song credited to a full Hole line-up , which at the time of writing was, Love, Erlandson, Jill Emery
and Caroline Rue.
Cobain, though uncredited on the album, plays bass on "Miss World
." Courtney Love, who was typically a guitarist, also played bass on "20 Years In The Dakota". "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" and "Season of the Witch
" are cover songs, written by Carole King
and Gerry Goffin, and Donovan Leitch
, respectively.
The liner notes also explain that the compilation was put together to document Hole's progression from the punkier Pretty on the Inside
(released in 1991) to the more basic alternative-based Live Through This
(released in 1994). The album was dedicated to former Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff
and Kurt Cobain.
and no wave
music) and literate, aggressive lyrics, many of which mix derogatory language with cryptic and religious themes.
In particular, "Retard Girl" is a narrative of a girl being abused and made fun of on a playground, which is likely metaphorical. "Turpentine", as well as "Retard Girl", feature historical and religious references as well; "Turpentine" features lyrics alluding to Christianity ("I know all you devils by your Christian names / And I know all you bitches by your Christian names", "Bless my body and bless my soul / Wrap it in turpentine"), while a line from "Retard Girl", which reads: "As shines the moon among the lesser fires", is directly pulled from a book of Latin poems by Roman poet Horace
."As shines the moon among the lesser fires" is an English translation of a lyric from Horace's Book I of Odes, written circa 23 BC.
"Burn Black" and "Dicknail" also feature aggressive language and themes alluding to rape
, incest
, and female competition. "Beautiful Son", written and recorded in 1992, features a more mellow guitar riff than the previous tracks on the album, and its lyrics make references to Kurt Cobain
's cross-dressing
as a child. Love said the song-writing process was an attempt to "be a little dumber" and that she "was always trying to write a very complex song without ever having learned to write an easy Beatles
song." "It just had a riff," Love said. "It wasn't super smart but it sounded good and that's when I started learning things don't have to have lots and lots of notes. That the best songs are carried by simple lines and simple melodies." This illustrates the band's turning point from their noise rock beginnings to more mellow, accessible sounds.
The latter half of the album features demos and live recordings of songs, including a demo for "Miss World" and live versions of "Softer, Softest" (recorded on MTV Unplugged) and "Asking For It", all three of which were featured on the band's second album, Live Through This (1994). The track "Old Age", whose intro was featured on the band's cover of "Credit In The Straight World" from Live Through This, was controversial due to it having been originally written by Kurt Cobain. Love stated in an interview that "Old Age" was "partly someone else's composition. It's something somebody had a little bit of and I said 'let me have the rest of it' and I wrote this thing in it and tried to make it goth. I found it, wrote it, and recorded it the same night." It was later revealed that a version of the song was recorded by Nirvana during the Nevermind recording sessions, but Cobain threw the song out and gave it to Love, who rearranged musical pieces and rewrote the lyrics.
My Body, The Hand Grenade also featured two cover songs, "Season of the Witch" by Donovan
, and "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)", which was written by Carole King
and recorded by The Crystals
in the 1960s. Love referred to it as a "feminist anthem" after performing it during MTV Unplugged in 1995.
cover and a promotional poster. The album was not released officially in the United States, although it was imported for sales in American retail stores.
in 1997, Courtney Love revealed the significance of the choice of artwork included in the album.
In 2010, Hole also reused the images of Marie Antoinette and Anne Boleyn from the My Body, the Hand Grenade artwork on their fourth studio album, Nobody's Daughter
. However, both of the images were modified to depict both Antoinette and Boleyn as headless, which Love defines as "symbolic." The vinyl LP release of My Body, The Hand Grenade, also featured the headless portrait of Anne Boleyn on the back cover, the same as depicted on the back cover of Nobody's Daughter. The centerpiece of the vinyl LP on My Body, The Hand Grenade featured a full-bodied portrait of Marie Antoinette, as opposed to the headless version seen on the cover of Nobody's Daughter.
and Eric Erlandson
except where noted.
Guest musicians
Technical personnel
Technical personnel (continued)
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
that includes b-sides, demo recordings, live songs, and other rarities and unreleased tracks by the band. It was released on October 28, 1997 through the band's European label, City Slang Records, who had previously released their singles "Teenage Whore
Teenage Whore
"Teenage Whore" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written collectively by the band. The song was released as the band's third single and the first and only from their debut studio album, Pretty on the Inside, in August 1991...
" in 1991 and "Beautiful Son
Beautiful Son
"Beautiful Son" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written collectively by frontwoman Courtney Love, lead guitarist Eric Erlandson and drummer Patty Schemel. The song was released as the band's fourth single in April 1993 on the European label City Slang...
" in 1992.
The album was compiled with the intent to bridge the band's dynamic shifts in musical style, from their noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
beginnings and debut album, Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. Released August 23, 1991 on Caroline Records, it was Hole's first major label release after their formation in 1989 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
(1991), to their more streamlined, highly acclaimed followup, Live Through This
Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home....
(1994). The album features tracks from the band's first recording session in the spring of 1990, as well as several b-sides, singles, and rare live songs from between 1991 and 1995. Production and mixing of the album was done chiefly by the band's lead guitarist, Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson is an American musician known as the co-founder, former songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole.-Early life and career:...
.
The band's third studio album, Celebrity Skin
Celebrity Skin
Celebrity Skin is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Hole, released worldwide by Geffen Records on September 7, 1998 and one day later in the United States...
(1998), released a year after My Body, the Hand Grenade, also featured a starkly different music style from Live Through This, with a pop rock edge, again illustrating the group's shift in musical styles. My Body, the Hand Grenade was available in both the United States and United Kingdom, and peaked at #82 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The album went out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
by the millennium, and is considered a rarity among Hole fans.
Background and songwriting credits
My Body, the Hand Grenade is the only compilation album to be released by Hole. A significant highlight of the album is that the band's first studio session and first two singles are featured in their entirety (with the exception of "Johnnie's in the Bathroom" on both), as well as the inclusion of a demo version of "Miss World" (recorded with Courtney LoveCourtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
's husband Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
) and parts of Hole's performance at MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
.
The live tracks, "Drown Soda" and "Asking for It", were recorded at London's Brixton Academy and the Reading Festival on May 5, 1995 and August 25, 1995, respectively. Tracks from the band's MTV Unplugged session were recorded live at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
on February 14, 1995.
Most of the songwriting credits go to Hole, although the official BMI website denotes that most of the songs were written by just Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson is an American musician known as the co-founder, former songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole.-Early life and career:...
, except "Retard Girl
Retard Girl
"Retard Girl" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love. The song was released as the band's debut single in April 1990 on 7" vinyl by Sympathy for the Record Industry. The single was produced by Love's then-husband, James Moreland,...
", written solely by Love; "Old Age", co-written by Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
with additional arrangements by Love, "Beautiful Son
Beautiful Son
"Beautiful Son" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written collectively by frontwoman Courtney Love, lead guitarist Eric Erlandson and drummer Patty Schemel. The song was released as the band's fourth single in April 1993 on the European label City Slang...
" and "20 Years In The Dakota", written by Love, Erlandson and Patty Schemel
Patty Schemel
Patricia Theresa Schemel is an American drummer, most notably known as the drummer of the alternative rock band Hole from 1992 until 1998.-Early music career:Schemel learned to play drums after her father bought her a drum kit at age 11...
; and "Drown Soda", the only case on the album of a song credited to a full Hole line-up , which at the time of writing was, Love, Erlandson, Jill Emery
Jill Emery
Jill Emery is an American artist and former musician based in Los Angeles, California. Best known as the bassist for the alternative rock band Hole from 1990 until 1992, Emery left the band after the subsequent tour for the band's debut album, Pretty on the Inside and was replaced by Kristen Pfaff...
and Caroline Rue.
Cobain, though uncredited on the album, plays bass on "Miss World
Miss World (song)
"Miss World" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written by frontwoman Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson. The song was released as the band's fifth single and the first from their second studio album, Live Through This, in March 1994.-Origin and recording:Erlandson and...
." Courtney Love, who was typically a guitarist, also played bass on "20 Years In The Dakota". "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" and "Season of the Witch
Season of the Witch
Season of the Witch, also known as Hungry Wives, and Jack's Wife, is George A. Romero's third horror film. Filmed in 1971 and released in 1972, the film is about a housewife who becomes involved in witchcraft...
" are cover songs, written by Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
and Gerry Goffin, and Donovan Leitch
Donovan Leitch
Donovan Leitch may refer to:* Donovan , British musician* Donovan Leitch , son of the above, British-American actor & musician...
, respectively.
The liner notes also explain that the compilation was put together to document Hole's progression from the punkier Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. Released August 23, 1991 on Caroline Records, it was Hole's first major label release after their formation in 1989 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
(released in 1991) to the more basic alternative-based Live Through This
Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home....
(released in 1994). The album was dedicated to former Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff
Kristen Pfaff
Kristen Marie Pfaff was an American bass guitarist, best known for her work with Hole.-Early life and career:Pfaff was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, attending Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. She spent a short time in Europe and briefly attended Boston College before ultimately...
and Kurt Cobain.
Composition
Since it is a compilation album, the composition of the songs spans across a period of six years. The opening tracks on the album, which are from the band's first recording session, exhibit the band's earliest style, noted for its abrasive guitar work (heavily influenced by noise rockNoise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
and no wave
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
music) and literate, aggressive lyrics, many of which mix derogatory language with cryptic and religious themes.
In particular, "Retard Girl" is a narrative of a girl being abused and made fun of on a playground, which is likely metaphorical. "Turpentine", as well as "Retard Girl", feature historical and religious references as well; "Turpentine" features lyrics alluding to Christianity ("I know all you devils by your Christian names / And I know all you bitches by your Christian names", "Bless my body and bless my soul / Wrap it in turpentine"), while a line from "Retard Girl", which reads: "As shines the moon among the lesser fires", is directly pulled from a book of Latin poems by Roman poet Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
."As shines the moon among the lesser fires" is an English translation of a lyric from Horace's Book I of Odes, written circa 23 BC.
"Burn Black" and "Dicknail" also feature aggressive language and themes alluding to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, and female competition. "Beautiful Son", written and recorded in 1992, features a more mellow guitar riff than the previous tracks on the album, and its lyrics make references to Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
's cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
as a child. Love said the song-writing process was an attempt to "be a little dumber" and that she "was always trying to write a very complex song without ever having learned to write an easy Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song." "It just had a riff," Love said. "It wasn't super smart but it sounded good and that's when I started learning things don't have to have lots and lots of notes. That the best songs are carried by simple lines and simple melodies." This illustrates the band's turning point from their noise rock beginnings to more mellow, accessible sounds.
The latter half of the album features demos and live recordings of songs, including a demo for "Miss World" and live versions of "Softer, Softest" (recorded on MTV Unplugged) and "Asking For It", all three of which were featured on the band's second album, Live Through This (1994). The track "Old Age", whose intro was featured on the band's cover of "Credit In The Straight World" from Live Through This, was controversial due to it having been originally written by Kurt Cobain. Love stated in an interview that "Old Age" was "partly someone else's composition. It's something somebody had a little bit of and I said 'let me have the rest of it' and I wrote this thing in it and tried to make it goth. I found it, wrote it, and recorded it the same night." It was later revealed that a version of the song was recorded by Nirvana during the Nevermind recording sessions, but Cobain threw the song out and gave it to Love, who rearranged musical pieces and rewrote the lyrics.
My Body, The Hand Grenade also featured two cover songs, "Season of the Witch" by Donovan
Donovan Leitch
Donovan Leitch may refer to:* Donovan , British musician* Donovan Leitch , son of the above, British-American actor & musician...
, and "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)", which was written by Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
and recorded by The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
in the 1960s. Love referred to it as a "feminist anthem" after performing it during MTV Unplugged in 1995.
Release
The album was released in Europe through City Slang on compact disc and vinyl LP. A special limited edition LP was also released, featuring a gatefoldGatefold
A gatefold is a type of fold used for advertising around a magazine or section, and for packaging of media such as vinyl records.- LP covers :...
cover and a promotional poster. The album was not released officially in the United States, although it was imported for sales in American retail stores.
Artwork and packaging
Most of the artwork featured on the album - as well as in the liner notes - was noted and debated by fans upon its release. In an interview with Melody MakerMelody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
in 1997, Courtney Love revealed the significance of the choice of artwork included in the album.
Interviewer: "The artwork shows a dress you wore in the early nineties as a sort of museum piece. Is it really in a museum?"
Courtney Love: "The dress is still very current. People still design off that silly dress. The truth is I used to wear those dresses more than slips, but those dresses never got as famous as slips and I wanted them to have their due."
Interviewer: "The artwork also has a car wreck and a picture of Marie AntoinetteMarie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
. Why did you choose them?"
Courtney Love: "We actually show Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
too. She was Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's wife who had her head chopped off. When I was little, I used to see these pictures of her with this necklace that had a B on it. I always had a fascination with ancient history, Roman especially, and early English, and I kept imaging her getting her head chopped off, for my whole life. Then, I told my friend Joe, who did the art. He always had an obsession with Marie Antoinette too. She was also decapitated. We also thought about Jayne MansfieldJayne MansfieldJayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
, just the idea of a woman having her mouth and eyes and ears taken away from her. And, hand grenades, the top comes off. You just pull out the pin and it explodes. So, if you take away someone's mouth and their eyes and their senses and their brain, they explode. I saw a grenade in my head, I saw taking out the clip, and then I thought of a human body and what happens if you take out the clip."
In 2010, Hole also reused the images of Marie Antoinette and Anne Boleyn from the My Body, the Hand Grenade artwork on their fourth studio album, Nobody's Daughter
Nobody's Daughter
Nobody's Daughter is the fourth studio album by alternative rock band Hole, released worldwide on April 27, 2010 through Mercury Records. The album was originally conceived by Hole frontwoman Courtney Love as a solo project titled How Dirty Girls Get Clean, following her poorly-received solo debut...
. However, both of the images were modified to depict both Antoinette and Boleyn as headless, which Love defines as "symbolic." The vinyl LP release of My Body, The Hand Grenade, also featured the headless portrait of Anne Boleyn on the back cover, the same as depicted on the back cover of Nobody's Daughter. The centerpiece of the vinyl LP on My Body, The Hand Grenade featured a full-bodied portrait of Marie Antoinette, as opposed to the headless version seen on the cover of Nobody's Daughter.
Track listing
All songs written by Courtney LoveCourtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
and Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson is an American musician known as the co-founder, former songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole.-Early life and career:...
except where noted.
Musicians and personnel
Musicians- Courtney LoveCourtney LoveCourtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
- vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, bass (on "20 Years in the Dakota") - Eric ErlandsonEric ErlandsonEric Erlandson is an American musician known as the co-founder, former songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole.-Early life and career:...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Jill EmeryJill EmeryJill Emery is an American artist and former musician based in Los Angeles, California. Best known as the bassist for the alternative rock band Hole from 1990 until 1992, Emery left the band after the subsequent tour for the band's debut album, Pretty on the Inside and was replaced by Kristen Pfaff...
- bass (on tracks 1—5) - Caroline Rue - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion (on tracks 1—5) - Patty SchemelPatty SchemelPatricia Theresa Schemel is an American drummer, most notably known as the drummer of the alternative rock band Hole from 1992 until 1998.-Early music career:Schemel learned to play drums after her father bought her a drum kit at age 11...
- drums, percussion (on tracks 6—14) - Kristen PfaffKristen PfaffKristen Marie Pfaff was an American bass guitarist, best known for her work with Hole.-Early life and career:Pfaff was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, attending Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. She spent a short time in Europe and briefly attended Boston College before ultimately...
- bass (on "Old Age") - Melissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
- bass (on tracks 10—14)
Guest musicians
- Jack EndinoJack EndinoJack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
- bass (on "Beautiful Son") - Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
- bass (on "Miss World")
Technical personnel
- Eric ErlandsonEric ErlandsonEric Erlandson is an American musician known as the co-founder, former songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole.-Early life and career:...
- producer, engineer, mixing - Barry GoldbergBarry GoldbergBarry Goldberg is a blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:As a teenager in Chicago, Goldberg sat in with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Howlin' Wolf. He played keyboards in the band supporting Bob Dylan during his 1965 'electrified' appearance at the Newport Folk Festival...
- producer, mixing - James Moreland - producer, engineer (on tracks 1—3)
- Michael James - producer, engineer (on tracks 4—5)
- Jack EndinoJack EndinoJack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
- producer, engineer, mixing (on tracks 6—7)
Technical personnel (continued)
- Craig MontgomeryCraig MontgomeryCraig Bryant Montgomery is a fictional character on the soap opera As The World Turns.-Actor history:Since the character of Craig Montgomery was introduced in January 1982, he has been portrayed by four actors in total...
- producer, engineer (on "Miss World") - Paul Q. KolderiePaul Q. KolderiePaul Q. Kolderie is a record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Abandoned Pools, and The Go-Go's...
- producer, engineer (on "Old Age") - Sean SladeSean SladeSean Slade is a record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with artists including Hole, Radiohead, Warren Zevon, Juliana Hatfield, Dinosaur Jr., Uncle Tupelo, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Boo Radleys, Sebadoh, Lush, the Go-Go's, and The Dictators among others. In 2005 he produced The...
- producer, engineer (on "Old Age") - Hal Wilner - producer, engineer, mixer (on tracks 10—12)
- Miti - producer, engineer (on tracks 13—14)
- Steven Marcussen - mastering
- Brian Celler - album co-ordinator
- Courtney LoveCourtney LoveCourtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
- art direction - Joe Mama-Nitzberg - art direction
- Catherine Lorenz - design
- Alex Slade - photography
- Vickie Berndt - photography
- Mark Selinger - photography
- Stephane SednaouiStéphane SednaouiStéphane Sednaoui is a French-American photographer, director and producer whose work includes music videos, art projects, photographic essays, portrait photography, fashion photography and photojournalism....
- photography