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Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

Uncover the details behind the most iconic albums ever recorded.

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The Making of Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi’s Breakthrough Slippery When Wet
10 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi’s Breakthrough

Neil Johnson 12 November 2024
In 1986, Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" marked a pivotal moment in rock music, launching the band...
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Inside ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ – Alice Cooper’s Iconic Album Welcome to My Nightmare
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Inside ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ – Alice Cooper’s Iconic Album

Neil Johnson 11 November 2024
Alice Cooper's "Welcome To My Nightmare," released on February 28, 1975, marks his solo debut, blending hard...
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Exploring the Innovation of Houses of the Holy Houses of the Holy (Remaster)
10 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Exploring the Innovation of Houses of the Holy

Neil Johnson 11 November 2024
Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy," released in 1973, showcases the band's innovative blend of hard rock...
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The Making of Rock and Roll Over – Kiss’s Raw Revival Rock And Roll Over
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Rock and Roll Over – Kiss’s Raw Revival

Neil Johnson 11 November 2024
"Rock and Roll Over" by Kiss, released in 1976, returned the band to their hard rock roots...
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Dance With The Devil by Delain – EP review album_cover
3 min read
  • Review

Dance With The Devil by Delain – EP review

Neil Johnson 8 November 2024
Delain's Dance with the Devil EP, released on November 8, 2024, showcases their symphonic metal evolution with...
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Pink Floyd’s The Wall: An Epic Rock Opera Explored The Wall (Remastered)
16 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Pink Floyd’s The Wall: An Epic Rock Opera Explored

Neil Johnson 6 November 2024
Pink Floyd's "The Wall," released on November 30, 1979, is a groundbreaking rock opera that deeply explores...
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The Making of Vitalogy: Pearl Jam’s Evolution Vitalogy
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Vitalogy: Pearl Jam’s Evolution

Neil Johnson 3 November 2024
Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy," released on November 22, 1994, marks a crucial phase in the band's evolution amidst...
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Exhibition Of Prowess by Kublai Khan TX – album review album_cover
3 min read
  • Review

Exhibition Of Prowess by Kublai Khan TX – album review

Neil Johnson 1 November 2024
Kublai Khan TX's album "Exhibition Of Prowess," released on September 20, 2024, showcases their intense metalcore style...
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Decoding Tool’s 10,000 Days: A Progressive Metal Odyssey 10,000 Days
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Decoding Tool’s 10,000 Days: A Progressive Metal Odyssey

Neil Johnson 1 November 2024
"10,000 Days," released by Tool on May 2, 2006, is a pivotal progressive metal album that solidified...
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Podcast Episodes

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast
Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

Welcome to Riffology, where a GenX and a Millennial talk about the albums from their youth. Itโ€™s more fun than it soundsโ€ฆ

RIFF068 – Hole – Live Through This
byRiffology

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Hole โ€” Live Through This (1994)

Noise made human: sharp guitars, cracked-glass vocals, and songs that refuse to sand down the splinters. In this episode we unpack how Live Through This became both a blistering rock record and a time capsule of messy, real-life urgency.

The big picture

  • Why this album still feels dangerous: melody with teeth, beauty with bite.
  • Olympia-to-LA-to-Marietta roots and attitudes โ€” riot grrrl tension meets major-label machinery.
  • Courtney Loveโ€™s performance as intent, not accident: keep the cracks in.

What we cover

  • Recording sprint: tracked in 23 days at Triclops Sound Studios (Marietta, GA), with a live-to-tape energy.
  • Vocals with scars: a dozen-plus passes per song, but the imperfections stay โ€” including the famous voice break in โ€œDoll Parts.โ€
  • Cobainโ€™s cameo: backing vocals on โ€œAsking for Itโ€ and โ€œSofter, Softest,โ€ and why that detail got louder after his death.
  • Cover art, on purpose: Ellen von Unwerthโ€™s prom-queen shot (model Leilani Bishop) โ€” conceived and driven by Love.
  • DGC vs Geffen: what the indie-adjacent major imprint meant in the 90s (think Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Weezer, Beck, Counting Crows).
  • โ€œRock Starโ€ vs โ€œOlympiaโ€: the notorious DAT swap that left the track list and the audio mismatched โ€” and how the band treated the actual โ€œRock Starโ€ live.
  • Kristen Pfaff: her locked-in bass feel on the record, the tragedy that followed its release, and the pause before the band returned.

Why it still matters

  • Precision without polish: performances that breathe and bruise.
  • Hooks under pressure: pop instincts framed by claustrophobic mix choices that reward volume.
  • Cultural afterlife: songs that kept turning up in film and TV, proof the edges cut through.

Timestamps

  • 00:00 โ€” Cold open & why this album still stings
  • 02:54 โ€” โ€œRock Starโ€ vs โ€œOlympiaโ€ โ€” the title/track mix-up
  • 05:20 โ€” DGC vs Geffen โ€” who was on the roster and why it mattered
  • 48:58 โ€” 23 days at Triclops Sound โ€” capturing the fast, live feel
  • 49:33 โ€” Dozen-take vocals & keeping the cracks
  • 49:53 โ€” Geffen wanted the โ€œDoll Partsโ€ voice break smoothed โ€” it stayed
  • 50:05 โ€” Cobain drops by: โ€œAsking for Itโ€ & โ€œSofter, Softestโ€
  • 50:36 โ€” Ellen von Unwerthโ€™s prom-queen cover (Leilani Bishop)
  • 53:41 โ€” โ€œRock Starโ€ listed, โ€œOlympiaโ€ on disc โ€” the DAT snafu
  • 54:33 โ€” Kristen Pfaff โ€” playing, loss, and the bandโ€™s pause

Turn it up โ€” this one rewards volume.

You can find us here:

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RIFF068 – Hole – Live Through This
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RIFF068 – Hole – Live Through This
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RIFF067 – Tool – Undertow
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RIFF066 – A Perfect Circle – Mer De Noms
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RIFF065 – Deftones – White Pony
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RIFF064 – Anthrax – Sound of White Noise
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RIFF063 – Anthrax – Persistence of Time
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RIFF062 – Soulfly – Soulfly
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RIFF061 – Sepultura – Beneath the Remains
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RIFF060 – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters
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RIFF059 – Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails
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