Transcendental Medication

"A Fucking Star"
by: bill aicher

At least that is how Courtney Love has described Inger Lorre. Another way she has described her is as "despicable." I suppose that is what happens when people grow apart - they learn to hate each other.

If you own Hole's album Sassy, you no doubt have heard the message Inger Lorre left on Courtney's answering machine. It was pretty low of Courtney to do that, but then again, she had to keep up her "bitch" image.

Now it is Inger's turn to fight back. The first track of the masterfully done Transcendental Medication (Lorre's first solo album, and first album since the Nymph's broke up in '91) is entitled "She's Not Your Friend," and is directed solo at little Ms Love herself. Including lyrics such as "I thought you swore/ You didn't have a goddam gun/ Well son of a gun/ Did they make you run/ Into the first pair of arms/ That you mistook for love/ And maybe it even was... But she's not your friend/ She can tell you what you want/ But she's not your friend..." it is obvious Lorre is a tad bitter.

The album also includes a track entitled "Gibby Haynes is Next" which is aimed at the Butthole Surfer of the same name. A song which is almost equal to the stab Lorre took at Love.

Lyrics aside, this album still continues to shine. Whether it be the gritty, yet emotional voice of Lorre or the wondrous instrumentaion, nothing on this album falls below average.

One of the most exceptional tracks on the album is "Thief Without the Take," in which Lorre works together with the late Jeff Buckley to form a spectacular duet. (Buckley worked with Lorre on the demo tapes which scored her the record deal with Triple X Records).

Regardless of how you look at this album, it will be in comparison with Hole, given their past histories. This is unfortunate however, as both albums are spectacular in their own right. Hole did a great job releasing an album of female pop rock with a bit of an edge. Me, I prefer Lorre's album. She did a great job being musical, writing meaningful lyrics, and just plain expressing herself in a way any music enthusiast is sure to appreciate.