Pretty on the Inside

Pretty on the Inside is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Hole, released on August 23, 1991[nb 1] on Caroline Records. It was Hole's first major release after the band's formation in 1989, and features vocalist and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, lead guitarist Eric Erlandson, bassist Jill Emery and drummer Caroline Rue. Pretty on the Inside was produced by Sonic Youth vocalist and bassist Kim Gordon and Gumball frontman Don Fleming. The album is noted for being Hole's only material to be predominantly influenced by noise rock and punk rock, due to its graphic lyrics, distorted guitar riffs, screaming vocals, and "sloppy punk ethics". The album was well received by alternative music critics upon release, garnering favorable reviews in major music periodicals such as Spin and NME. In contrast to its moderate success in the United States, Pretty on the Inside received more attention in the United Kingdom where the "Teenage Whore" single entered the UK Indie Chart at number one in September 1991. Pretty on the Inside has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States and gained a contemporary cult following among rock fans. Despite its critical acclaim, frontwoman Love has, in later years, referred to the album as "unlistenable". An LP version of the album was reissued in the United States in August 2011 to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.