The Return of Courtney Love
Encyclopedia
The Return of Courtney Love is a 2006 documentary film
by Will Yapp documenting the progression of musician Courtney Love
's second studio album, How Dirty Girls Get Clean, as well as her recovery from drug addiction. The documentary was first broadcast on More4
in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 26, 2006.
in March 2006 to find her chanting with friends in her living room — a routine, as Love practices Nichiren Buddhism
. Love goes on to explain her religious and spiritual experiences.
The next focus of the documentary is Love's ill-fated 2004 solo debut, America's Sweetheart. Co-writer and partial producer, Linda Perry
— also a friend of Love's — explains the circumstances surrounding the album's recording, citing Love's drug abuse as the reason for the album's ruin. As well as this, Perry and Love's friend Billy Corgan
of The Smashing Pumpkins
state that the reason for the album's critical and commercial failure was Love's public image, which at the time was plagued by constant court appearances and an infamous appearance on Pamela Anderson
's Comedy Roast.
After Love's recent background is explained, the documentary focuses on the recording of her then-upcoming solo second album, How Dirty Girls Get Clean. As Love and her solo band perform a rehearsal version of the title track, Love explains the album's songs, calling them "all acerbic [...] none of them are tender love songs or very nice. They're all songs about disaster." Love also explains her motivation for the album. Later in the documentary, the focus again switches back to the recording of How Dirty Girls Get Clean with in-studio footage, as well as documenting the song-writing and production process with Linda Perry and Billy Corgan
. After three weeks of recording, a fully produced version of "Sunset Marquis" is previewed.
The next segment of the documentary focuses on Love's late husband, Nirvana
frontman Kurt Cobain
, their relationship, and his death. As well as showing never-before-seen private home footage, Love shows the coat that Cobain killed himself in, becoming emotional and saying that "it freaks [her] out." Further explaining their relationship, a clip of Love performing "Pacific Coast Highway
" — a song rumoured to be about Cobain — is shown. Further in the documentary, legal issues concerning Love's rights to Nirvana's back catalogue are highlighted, as well as Love's financial state.
Love's other non-musical projects are also showcased at one point in the documentary, specifically her book Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love. At this point, Love also explains her childhood and upbringing, referring to it as "Dickens
ian." Incidentally, Love's relationship with her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain
is also explored. Love then visits her personal mentor, Carrie Fisher
, and discuss methods for Love to avoid attention in British tabloids and Love's romantic history.
As the documentary ends, Love talks about her future ambitions and the release of the album.
Music featured in the documentary includes:
Four of the featured songs in the documentary appeared on Hole
's fourth studio album, Nobody's Daughter
, in 2010. Nobody's Daughter — which was the final product of Love's unreleased How Dirty Girls Get Clean — was originally due to be the reworked version of How Dirty Girls Get Clean, however, was rerecorded as a Hole album in 2009.
criticised the documentary's content and director, noting that it "wasn't painful viewing for the reasons its subject intended [...] but for the cowed awe of Will Yapp, the film's writer, director and producer. It's one thing to ingratiate oneself with a subject to elicit their secrets, but this was something else. Yapp seemed to want to be Love's friend, not her inquisitor."
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Will Yapp documenting the progression of musician Courtney Love
Courtney 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 second studio album, How Dirty Girls Get Clean, as well as her recovery from drug addiction. The documentary was first broadcast on More4
More4
More4 is a digital television channel, run by British broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat and Sky, UK IPTV broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media and in the Republic of Ireland cable networks...
in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 26, 2006.
Overview
The documentary begins with director Will Yapp arriving at Courtney Love's rented home in Beverly Hills, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in March 2006 to find her chanting with friends in her living room — a routine, as Love practices Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren...
. Love goes on to explain her religious and spiritual experiences.
The next focus of the documentary is Love's ill-fated 2004 solo debut, America's Sweetheart. Co-writer and partial producer, Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
— also a friend of Love's — explains the circumstances surrounding the album's recording, citing Love's drug abuse as the reason for the album's ruin. As well as this, Perry and Love's friend Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
of The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
state that the reason for the album's critical and commercial failure was Love's public image, which at the time was plagued by constant court appearances and an infamous appearance on Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
's Comedy Roast.
After Love's recent background is explained, the documentary focuses on the recording of her then-upcoming solo second album, How Dirty Girls Get Clean. As Love and her solo band perform a rehearsal version of the title track, Love explains the album's songs, calling them "all acerbic [...] none of them are tender love songs or very nice. They're all songs about disaster." Love also explains her motivation for the album. Later in the documentary, the focus again switches back to the recording of How Dirty Girls Get Clean with in-studio footage, as well as documenting the song-writing and production process with Linda Perry and Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
. After three weeks of recording, a fully produced version of "Sunset Marquis" is previewed.
The next segment of the documentary focuses on Love's late husband, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
frontman 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...
, their relationship, and his death. As well as showing never-before-seen private home footage, Love shows the coat that Cobain killed himself in, becoming emotional and saying that "it freaks [her] out." Further explaining their relationship, a clip of Love performing "Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Coast Highway (song)
"Pacific Coast Highway" is the fifteenth single from alternative rock group Hole. It is the second single from the band's fourth studio album Nobody's Daughter...
" — a song rumoured to be about Cobain — is shown. Further in the documentary, legal issues concerning Love's rights to Nirvana's back catalogue are highlighted, as well as Love's financial state.
Love's other non-musical projects are also showcased at one point in the documentary, specifically her book Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love. At this point, Love also explains her childhood and upbringing, referring to it as "Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
ian." Incidentally, Love's relationship with her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain
Frances Bean Cobain
Frances Bean Cobain is the daughter of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Hole singer Courtney Love.-Childhood and youth:...
is also explored. Love then visits her personal mentor, Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, and discuss methods for Love to avoid attention in British tabloids and Love's romantic history.
As the documentary ends, Love talks about her future ambitions and the release of the album.
Previewed music
The Return of Courtney Loves highlight is the music previewed throughout the documentary. Rehearsal clips, demo previews and in-studio recording footage showcase the progression of songs later released and provide a unique insight in to Love's song-writing process.Music featured in the documentary includes:
- An acoustic rehearsal version of "How Dirty Girls Get Clean"
- An in-studio recording, a rehearsal version, and a rough studio mix of "Pacific Coast Highway"
- Two rehearsal versions of "Stand Up, Motherfucker"
- A demo preview of an unknown song
- An in-studio recording of "The Depths of My Despair"
- A rough studio mix of "Happy Ending Story"
- An acoustic rehearsal, an in-studio recording, and a rough studio mix of "Sunset Marquis"
- An acoustic rehearsal of an unknown song
- An in-studio recording of "For Once in Your Life"
- A studio recording of "Sad But True" is featured in the United States version.
Four of the featured songs in the documentary appeared on 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...
's 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...
, in 2010. Nobody's Daughter — which was the final product of Love's unreleased How Dirty Girls Get Clean — was originally due to be the reworked version of How Dirty Girls Get Clean, however, was rerecorded as a Hole album in 2009.
Reception
Though well-received with Love's fans, Tim Teeman of The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
criticised the documentary's content and director, noting that it "wasn't painful viewing for the reasons its subject intended [...] but for the cowed awe of Will Yapp, the film's writer, director and producer. It's one thing to ingratiate oneself with a subject to elicit their secrets, but this was something else. Yapp seemed to want to be Love's friend, not her inquisitor."