I'll tell you for the last time, why I do happen to love Miss Love. In the world of so much celebrity pretension, plastic perfection and bad reality TV, Courtney is the real deal- a woman with great talent as well as flaws, too often overshadowed by her random actions, who still makes more sense in actual conversation than half of celebrities out there.

Did you happen to read the conversation she had with the editor of "Interview" magazine? You probably skipped it the second you saw her name in the headline. Well, too bad- that piece was brilliant. Because Courtney is not just a raging alcoholic- she is eloquent, observant, smart and totally awesome. She's been through some rough times and she does not hide it. She's a mother and her daughter adores her. She's a rock star and she won't settle for anything that won't make her vocal cords ache by the end of the night.

The truth is rock really is near dead these days. The Smashing Pumpkins gave up. So did Liz Phair. The new PJ Harvey project is destined to come by unnoticed, by people other than music critics and skinny boys with leather wristbands and groovy hats at least. Where the hell is Green Day? Don't even get me started on Evanescence. Thank God for the White Stripes. And Strokes. Thank god for Courtney Love.

The notorious rockette's first solo CD, "America's Sweetheart", wonderfully sarcastic in its title, probably won't thrust its way up much on the album charts, polluted by hip-hop bland, void pop blond, and Norah Jones. And yet, it is so essential. At this point, we really do need a reeling and screaming shrew like Love to resuscitate the much fading original rock genre, or put it finally to sleep.

"Is this the part of the book where I gotta come and save the day? Did you miss me?" Hell, yes. Courtney's singing voice is pretty much like her appearance on David Letterman: loud, outrageous, hoarse, and at times borderline psychotic and out of control. Her final effort with the band Hole a few years ago, "Celebrity Skin" illustrated Love's Hollywood period, with its intensely sophisticated hard rock feeling. Well, Hollywood "Sweetheart" no more. Now she's on a bigger mission.

The album's cover art cleverly juxtaposes color pink and angel motifs with wardrobe skimpiness and electric guitars. The songs are often more flat-out punk rock than subtle guitar glam. Love teams up with Linda Perry here, but surprisingly does not come off sounding like Christina Aguilera, proving Perry's versatility and Courtney's consistency.

"Mono," "But Julian, I'm a Little Bit Older Than You" and "I'll Do Anything" are punk rollercoaster joyrides. They're loud, incredibly fast-paced, and overwhelming- sometimes a bit over the top, but all in all, true hits to your senses. Dare I say, refreshing? Bordering on vocal overdose that makes you wonder if it's her natural energy or a little extra something, Love boldly spits in the faces of Mainstream, and Co. And it feels good, and right. It feels somehow divine. It also makes you wonder of Perry's ulterior motives- wasn't she behind Aguilera's "Beautiful" after all?

The album is noteworthy for much more than its innate anti-pop premise and drunken ambition though. And Love makes sure her voice is not just a rampant scream in the speaker void. Tracks like "Hold On To Me" and "Uncool" stand out from all this relative animosity, which by "Hello"'s recurring plea for us to "shut up!" gets a little, dare I say, infuriating? Love bears her soul, when she is not trying to overscream herself. "Would it be uncool, if I could write a love song?" Would it be uncool for the rebel queen to expose herself and croon about love? Even the grungy "All the Drugs" and somewhat "Malibu"-ish "Sunset Strip" convey a vague idea of some sort of self-reflection on Love's behalf.

In the end, the lesson is simple: Don't judge a book by its David Letterman footage. Courtney Love's personal agenda may not agree with you, but it doesn't mean that under all the bruises there isn't a unique voice of pure poetic justice. "And if you want love now/ Or a needle and a spoon/ You gotta show a little faith in me baby/ I can't come over to you." Sometimes you need to scream real loud to break through all the appearances. Rock may be dead, but Courtney Love is far from it. Are you listening?

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