29 min listen
Rock N Roll Librarian: Hit So Hard
ratings:
Length:
82 minutes
Released:
Jun 18, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
This episode the Rock N Roll Librarian Shelley Sorensen and C Swain review ‘Hit So Hard’ by original drummer for the 90’s grunge band, Hole.Patty Schemel's story begins with a childhood surrounded by the AA meetings her parents hosted in the family living room. Their divorce triggered her first forays into drinking at age twelve and dovetailed with her passion for punk rock and playing the drums. Patty's struggles with her sexuality further drove her notoriously hard playing, and by the late '80s she had focused that anger, confusion, and drive into regular gigs with well-regarded bands in Tacoma, Seattle, and Olympia, Washington. She met a pre-Nirvana Kurt Cobain at a Melvins show, and less than five years later, was living with him and his wife, Hole front-woman Courtney Love, at the height of his fame and on the cusp of hers. As the platinum-selling band's new drummer, Schemel contributed memorable, driving beats to hits like "Beautiful Son," "Violet," "Doll Parts," and "Miss World." But the band was plagued by tragedy and heroin addiction, and by the time Hole went on tour in support of their ironically titled and critically-acclaimed album ‘Live Through This’ in 1994, both Cobain and Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff had died at the age of 27With surprising candor and wit, Schemel intimately documents the events surrounding her dramatic exit from the band in 1998 that led to a dark descent into a life of homelessness and crime on the streets of Los Angeles, and the difficult but rewarding path to lasting sobriety after more than twenty serious attempts to get clean. ‘Hit So Hard’ is a testament not only to the enduring power of the music Schemel helped create but an important document of the drug culture that threatened to destroy it.Our hosts also discuss the companion documentary film of the same name with previously unseen footage of Cobain and Love. This is some real rock n roll archaeology, so dig in with a listen and then tell us what you think!Support the shows by wearing cool rock n roll gear from TeePublic: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/rocknrollDisclaimer: The views expressed here by Shelley Sorenson are made in her capacity as a private citizen, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the San Francisco Public Library or the City of San Francisco.
Released:
Jun 18, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (34)
Rock N Roll Librarian: Elvis Costello: Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink: Welcome to a new part of the Rock N Roll Archaeology Project - the Rock N Roll Librarian! Once a month, in between the main show episodes we will be diving into a Rock N Roll book with our own real librarian who rocks - Shelley Sorenson. Shelley has been a librarian for 33 years, a music fan longer and a singer/guitarist and will provide some great insight as she co-hosts each episode with the host of The Rock N Roll Archaeology Project, Christian Swain. This week Shelley and Christian review Elvis Costello: Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink. Released on October 15, 2015 by Blue Rider Press. Head over to www.rocknrollarchaeology.com to contact us and you can help support the podcast by purchasing this book through the link below. by Rock N Roll Librarian