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Courtney Love—one of the most underrate lyricists ever?

I know she is reviled by many and there are a number of people who claim she didn't write any of her music—but even if she didn't write the guitar riffs, the lyrics have always been consistent and clearly her own—and they have always been incredibly smart. "Northern Star" by Hole is just one example, though I think it is a crowning achievement of a song in her career. I can't think of many songwriters of her generation who have produced lyrics of that caliber.

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by Anonymousreply 23May 25, 2020 5:39 AM

UnderrateD, of course

by Anonymousreply 1May 25, 2020 3:55 AM

She had a lot of “help” with her songs. Eric Erlandson, Billy Corgan have been given credit for their contributions. Many think Kurt Cobain wrote a lot of the stuff on Live Through This, I believe it. Courtney and Eric has him all strung out on smack the whole time the three of them were locked away in their LA condo writing that album. It doesn’t sound like anything they did before it. I have a certain fascination with CL, I loved her kinderwhore look. I know she didn’t create it, but I think she perfected it.

by Anonymousreply 2May 25, 2020 3:56 AM

Not interested in Courtney, her day came and went during The People v Larry Flynt.

by Anonymousreply 3May 25, 2020 4:08 AM

I don't care if she plagiarized every fucking word on Live Through This, I thank God she put out that record, because it is one of the very few flawless records that I have ever experienced in my lifetime.

by Anonymousreply 4May 25, 2020 4:17 AM

She did have a lot of help, though I don't buy the whole "Kurt wrote her album" shit.

Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's cowrote one of the songs on Celebrity Skin.

by Anonymousreply 5May 25, 2020 4:27 AM

R4

GO ON! TAKE EVERYTHING!!!!!!

by Anonymousreply 6May 25, 2020 4:28 AM

She's no Anne Sexton. OP doesn't listen to a lot of music.

[quote] I can't think of many songwriters of her generation who have produced lyrics of that caliber.

As far as mainstream ones go.. Ani Difranco, Tori Amos, Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

by Anonymousreply 7May 25, 2020 4:32 AM

When I went to school

in Olympia ....

.... everyone's the same.

AND SO ARE YOU!

In Olympia ....

by Anonymousreply 8May 25, 2020 4:34 AM

R5 I don’t believe he wrote the whole album either. I think he had quite a bit of influence and certainly contributed to the creative process for that album, though. Courtney and Eric both try to downplay his involvement. I don’t think it was as minimal as they would have us believe.

by Anonymousreply 9May 25, 2020 4:34 AM

R9 It's probably somewhere in the middle between "He did nothing" and "He did everything."

But I also think it's more that he influenced Eric's playing a lot (not hers as much)

by Anonymousreply 10May 25, 2020 4:36 AM

So what does she do now? Fashion shows and parties. That's her life now.

by Anonymousreply 11May 25, 2020 4:40 AM

Does it even fucking matter? Courtney DELIVERED those songs. And if Kurt wrote the record then I feel bad for him not getting any credit, because Live Through This ended up being a whole lot more timeless than anything Nirvana ever did.

by Anonymousreply 12May 25, 2020 4:41 AM

LTT is a good album, but there is no way it will be remembered more than Nevermind or In Utero.

by Anonymousreply 13May 25, 2020 4:46 AM

R7 it's funny you assume I don't listen to a lot of music. Tori personally bores me to death, and Ani is not "mainstream." Even if you considered them among the best lyricists of that generation, it doesn't mean Courtney (who funnily enough quoted Anne Sexton verbatim in "Miss World") wouldn't belong in the same category.

by Anonymousreply 14May 25, 2020 5:00 AM

Live Through This definitely has Corgan's vibe, as muxh in how Courtney sang the lyrics as well as in the phrasing itself.

I agree with r4- acreaming along to Live Through This provided me with catharsis during some dark times, along with a few Tori Amos and Marilyn Manson CDs.

by Anonymousreply 15May 25, 2020 5:02 AM

Damn, sorry about all those typos!

by Anonymousreply 16May 25, 2020 5:03 AM

I think LTT has way more Kurt influence than Billy Corgan by miles—Kurt sang backup on a couple tracks on LTT. They were both influencing each other while writing their respective records (her LTT, him In Utero). Billy actually co-wrote half of Celebrity Skin, so if any of her records sound like Billy, it's that one.

by Anonymousreply 17May 25, 2020 5:04 AM

[quote] it's funny you assume I don't listen to a lot of music.

[quote] and Ani is not "mainstream."

She's the Norah Jones of the folk scene so I stand by my initial statement. You've got jejune and limited tastes. Own it. The actual good lyricism was happening in the last throes of the goth era. Courtney Love's HS poetry really doesn't compare

by Anonymousreply 18May 25, 2020 5:08 AM

Don't get defensive OP, you asked if she was underrated and the answer is plainly, no. She belongs to a group of mainstream imitators that were copying a much more profound subculture. Trent Reznor of NIN and Marilyn Manson belong there as well.

by Anonymousreply 19May 25, 2020 5:15 AM

No, not really.

by Anonymousreply 20May 25, 2020 5:19 AM

Some of her best lines weren't even in her songs. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt? Were you guys talking about astrophysics or something? "

by Anonymousreply 21May 25, 2020 5:31 AM

R19 / R18 fair enough if you think as much, but you personally insulted me and then asked me to "not get defensive." I wasn't really asking if she was an "imitator" or not anyway. I think her lyrics stand regardless. And I am aware of the goth music that laid the groundwork for that entire scene—Bauhaus is one of my favorite bands.

by Anonymousreply 22May 25, 2020 5:33 AM

Yes she very underrate

by Anonymousreply 23May 25, 2020 5:39 AM
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