Skip to content

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

Uncover the details behind the most iconic albums ever recorded.

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • About Riffology
  • LastFM Collage Builder
  • Riffology Podcast
  • MP3 Converter
Rage Against The Machine: A 90s Revolution rage_against_the_machine-rage_against_the_machine
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Rage Against The Machine: A 90s Revolution

Neil Johnson 24 March 2025
Introduction In 1992, a seismic shift occurred in the musical landscape with the release of Rage Against...
Read More Read more about Rage Against The Machine: A 90s Revolution
From Rage and Soundgarden to Audioslave: A Defining Rock Album 4441_album_art
11 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

From Rage and Soundgarden to Audioslave: A Defining Rock Album

Neil Johnson 24 March 2025
Audioslave by Audioslave: The Making of a Modern Rock Classic Sometimes, a single album can alter the...
Read More Read more about From Rage and Soundgarden to Audioslave: A Defining Rock Album
Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy – album review album_cover
2 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Review

Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy – album review

Neil Johnson 23 March 2025
Riffology Score: 86/100 Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy is a fierce journey through the realms of melodic...
Read More Read more about Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy – album review
Exploring Faith No More’s Angel Dust: A Sonic Revolution 1432_album_art
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Exploring Faith No More’s Angel Dust: A Sonic Revolution

Neil Johnson 13 March 2025
Introduction In 1992, Faith No More released an album that would challenge musical norms and solidify their...
Read More Read more about Exploring Faith No More’s Angel Dust: A Sonic Revolution
The Way by Dorothy – album review Dorothy - The Way Album Cover
3 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Way by Dorothy – album review

Neil Johnson 13 March 2025
Riffology Score: 80/100 With their latest release, The Way, Dorothy offers a high-octane blend of rock that...
Read More Read more about The Way by Dorothy – album review
The Complete History of Faith No More Faith No More
15 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature

The Complete History of Faith No More

Neil Johnson 9 March 2025
Introduction Few bands have managed to carve out a niche as unique and influential as Faith No...
Read More Read more about The Complete History of Faith No More
Looking Back at Swagger: Gunโ€™s Defining Hard Rock Album 8830_album_art
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Looking Back at Swagger: Gunโ€™s Defining Hard Rock Album

Neil Johnson 7 March 2025
Introduction In the landscape of 1990s rock, Gun’s Swagger stands out as a defining moment for the...
Read More Read more about Looking Back at Swagger: Gunโ€™s Defining Hard Rock Album
Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts by The Wildhearts – album review album_cover
3 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts by The Wildhearts – album review

Neil Johnson 7 March 2025
Riffology Score: 90/100 The Wildhearts have returned with their latest album, Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts, and...
Read More Read more about Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts by The Wildhearts – album review
Gunโ€™s Gallus (1992) โ€“ The Story Behind the Scottish Rock Classic 8831_album_art
12 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Gunโ€™s Gallus (1992) โ€“ The Story Behind the Scottish Rock Classic

Neil Johnson 7 March 2025
Gunโ€™s โ€œGallusโ€: The Unfiltered Story of a Scottish Hard Rock Classic In the early 1990s, the British...
Read More Read more about Gunโ€™s Gallus (1992) โ€“ The Story Behind the Scottish Rock Classic

Posts pagination

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 … 31 Next

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

<![CDATA[

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:

  • Blog: https://riffology.co
  • All Episodes: https://riffology.co/podcast
  • iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-riffology-iconic-rock-alb-176865775
  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/riffology-iconic-rock-albums-podcast/id1691556696
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LIU9mein7QMw346q20nyy
  • X: https://x.com/RiffologyPod
  • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/riffology.co
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riffology
  • Email: [email protected]

]]>

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

Mailing List

  • The Making of Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - Monday 27th January 2025

1975 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2003 2024 2025 Alice in Chains Anthrax Entombed Green Day Iron Maiden Korn Led Zeppelin Linkin Park Megadeth Metallica Nirvana Ozzy Osbourne Pantera Pearl Jam Pink Floyd Podcast Queensrรฟche Radiohead Sepultura Slayer Slipknot The Smashing Pumpkins Tool

Archives

  • October 2025
  • September 2025
  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024

Categories

  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature
  • News
  • Podcasts
  • Review
  • Tech

You may have missed

Live Through This
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Live Through This by Hole

Neil Johnson 27 October 2025
61cFjl8EwAL._UF894,1000_QL80_
5 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

A deep dive into Doolittle by Pixies

Neil Johnson 27 October 2025
tmpcn7rfxas
5 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Para Bellum by Testament – album review

Neil Johnson 13 October 2025
Undertow album cover by Tool
21 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

Neil Johnson 5 October 2025
  • X
  • Blue Sky
  • Facebook
  • IG
  • Discord
  • Apple
  • Spotify
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.