America's Sweetheart
by Courtney Love
  • Record Label: Virgin
  • Release Date: Feb 10, 2004
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 72 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 72
  3. Negative: 17 out of 72

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  1. [Anonymous]
    Feb 9, 2004
    0
    please do not buy this
  2. MW
    Feb 11, 2004
    0
    Without Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgain or Hole, she's just a hole. She should O.D. already.
  3. brandon
    Mar 5, 2004
    0
    I agree with DE, Courtney Love's music is a waste of time and money.
  4. CantedView
    Apr 12, 2004
    2
    Courtney had me leading up to this album. I had read some recent interviews, and it sounded as though she was ready to direct a big FU at critics and listeners alike. It sounded like she was ready to unleash something that would vidicate her self-indulged antics and constant public displays of buffoonery. Instead, this album, utterly devoid of any such merit, followed. This album's Courtney had me leading up to this album. I had read some recent interviews, and it sounded as though she was ready to direct a big FU at critics and listeners alike. It sounded like she was ready to unleash something that would vidicate her self-indulged antics and constant public displays of buffoonery. Instead, this album, utterly devoid of any such merit, followed. This album's lyrics are among the least insightful to have been commited to a recording of any notable artist in memorable history. They are so bad, in fact, that I pity her. I pity Linda Perry for having her name drug around this work--as Love has been so keen to do. At one point recently, in Interview, she went so far as to pull rank on Perry by reducing her to some sort of stage hand in Love's preproduction process. Come on, anything even closely resembling genius that has appeared in her past albums has always suspectly taken place under the direction of certafiable types, like Corgan or Cobain. She has never been able to prove that anything of substance in her repoirtoir has been of her own devising. To date, I am not convinced that she is capable of anything other than medicore songwritting. Then comes the sound. I was equally dissapointed when Liz Phair reduced her sound to similar watered down pop-punk crap that annoys any of us seeking craft behind a band's lead vocals. Love, it seems could muster neither adequately on this album, her ability to direct her supporting musicians seems to have been a pointless attempt, as there is no connection between the two throughout the album, and her voice, something that has in the past been capable of saving an otherwise uneventful track, has since lost its power and now just tends to sound like a forgery of its past self. Courtney Love, is this is the best you have to offer? If so, start coming to grips with the fact that you are almost wholy talentless. Any remaining facination that the world will hold for you will, I asure you, will have nothing to do with your attempts such as these as a musician. I would imagine having another session with some real musicians before bowing out of music entirely would be a good game plan for your career (and legacy, which we all know has nothing to do with YOUR music anyway).… Expand
  5. mk
    Mar 8, 2004
    0
    and the album drops off the face of the earth almost instantaneously...
  6. yasmine
    Apr 12, 2005
    0
    I would've probably loved this album if I was still a carefree, reckless tween but I really can't listen to it without cringing. The music itself is outdated and tacky and the lyrics are self-rightous and egotistical. It really wouldn't matter who made this album - be it an angst-ridden, self-obsessed 20 year old or a sexually frustrated, delusional 40 year old - it'd I would've probably loved this album if I was still a carefree, reckless tween but I really can't listen to it without cringing. The music itself is outdated and tacky and the lyrics are self-rightous and egotistical. It really wouldn't matter who made this album - be it an angst-ridden, self-obsessed 20 year old or a sexually frustrated, delusional 40 year old - it'd still be a piece of crap. I understand that being a 'punk' rock record, the voice doesn't really matter but Courtney sounds so much like my aunt singing on the karaoke machine, pissed out of her head while slurring her way through a cheesy ballad....it's funny yet very painful to listen to. It also sounds obvious that Courtney's voice relies on a great deal of autotuning as the live performances indicate how busted up her voice really is. Singing and music aside, the name dropping and celebrity references are extremely embarrassing. The lyrics are juvenile and repetative (how many times must one mention burning and fire?) and just too self-centered for me to take it seriously. Her personal problems, unfortunately, just so happen to magnify the tragic, patheitc figure that is Ms. Love even though the music speaks for itself. But seriously kids, Courtney has not come back to save rock for you. Instead, she's come back to spit in your face and laugh at your utter stupidity because you think it needs saving you bunch of MTV loving twatlets!… Expand
  7. KacTus
    Feb 12, 2004
    1
    would be better if it was 72min shorter..
  8. MikeK
    Feb 17, 2004
    1
    wow i didn't know whores made music nowadays...
  9. DE
    Feb 28, 2004
    0
    why couldnt she have been the one to go? why kurt? it just isn't fair.
  10. Joe
    May 24, 2009
    1
    Hole had like 2 good albums, that's all courtney has contributed to music worth listening.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Discussed Album of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. The A.V. Club
    30
    Love has nothing new to say and no better way to say it.
    Read full review
  2. Uncut
    20
    America's Sweetheart is petulant and self-pitying. Worse, it's self-righteous. Worse still, it's musically crass. [Mar 2004, p.98]
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    This being Courtney, there’s also an emotional rawness to ‘America’s Sweetheart’ which you’ll either love or be repelled by.
    Read full review
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