HOLE LOTTA LOVE

Reports on the status of Hole’s much-anticipated follow-up to 1995’s “Live Through This” album have ranged from talk that it is nearly completed to gossip that it’s barely started, with group leader Courtney Love too occupied with her pursuit of Hollywood and fashion world stardom to actually care about her rock career. One published story went so far as to cite a photo of producer Michael Beinhorn seated in a recording studio with no tape in the machine and the console not turned on as “proof” that no work was being done. The withdrawal of original executive producer Billy Corgan from an active role is often referred to as evidence that the project is in peril.

Cliff Burnstein, Hole’s co-manager, says the album actually is nearing completion and that the negative reports are nonsense.

“They’ve cut backing tracks for 16 songs and Courtney’s started doing vocals on some of them,” he says. “I expect it will be finished by the end of January and out in April.”

What about Love’s nonmusical exploits being a hindrance?

“Fortunately, that hasn’t detracted too much,” he says. “Maybe slowed it down, but there’s a lot of other work to be done besides her parts. And it’s not like when she’s somewhere else she isn’t also working on the album, polishing lyrics or whatever.”