Wait, was Exile in Guyland not recorded in Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1992 and 1993 prosecutes professional and released by Matador Records? I thought it was the “Girly-Sound” from 1991, that was recorded on cassette tapes and handled around?
It seems to me that when LP switched to Avril Lavigne's crew, she began sounding more like Avril and less like Liz. I liked the way Liz sounded. Just my opinion, of course.
You can win. You have to be good in the first place, confident, with a little integrity and dignity by not worrying about getting on that big label and just make good music. Liz Fair sucked with the four track recordings and also during her crappy pop phase. That’s just a fact…
@jjohnson3469 spot on. Not only did she openly mock the industry and culture, but she outsmarted and beat them at their own game by writing songs I'm that style that were significantly better.
Liz’s album is sooooooo much better than Jewels and I like both of them! But Jewel did find some success with 0304. Liz was destroyed for no reason other than doing good music in another genre
I’m in my mid forties. I was just the right age when Exile in Guyville and Whip-Smart came out. I remember feeling like the early 2000s pop music made for and by young girls sounding a lot like it had been influenced by musicians like Phair, Juliana Hatfield and Lisa Loeb.
Avril Lavigne wasn't as talented as any of them though unfortunately. She is still playing 14 year old girl pop music in her 40s. Pretty sure Phair reversed course after the 4th albums poppy experiment.
They were influenced by them, but I can't think of any artist of that generation I would think of as being "better". But I'll admit, being a fan of Liz, Lisa, et. al....I could be biased 😂
In my mind I always go to that Billy Joel line "there's a new band in town but you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine". Hard to believe there was a time when people would read album reviews and decide whether or not to buy a CD. You would only hear the one track that got radio play. I bought Liz Phair's 2003 album because I liked White Chocolate Space Egg, start to finish.
'Polyester Bride' and Whitechocolatespaceegg are how I discovered Liz Phair. Quite a surprise to go back and hear Guyville. Ever since, whether its pop, adult contemporary, or something left-field, I've felt like every album is just Liz Phair doing Liz Phair.
Same writing, same power & emboldened statements, same blunt sexuality, same everything but production. God forbid an artist make a choice to make some money off of their art after a decade of hard work. The backlash was eye-rollingly stupid, IMO.
It meant something then. A lot. Remember her album it was awesome. She wouldn't be able to have a voice if the whole industry was still murderous toxic mysogynist corporate scum.
I didn't follow her indie career, but I loved (and still love) her pop music chops. She's on my list of witty songwriters and I've secretly wondered what would happen if Liz Phair and Robyn Hitchcock collaborated on a recording.
Oddly, my fondest memory of the song "Extraordinary" was when I was at Turner Field in Atlanta, waiting for Game 5 of the 2004 NLDS to begin. Hearing that song playing as the stadium began to fill, with the field empty except for the grounds crew, created a nice vibe, sort of like the calm before a storm.
I had heard of her name, but never heard her music until her pop stuff came out... so I have less reservations... I liked at least one of those songs of hers... Extraordinary honestly got stuck in my head for a long time
Longtime old-school Liz Phair fan. I think Exile in Guyville was a masterpiece and one of the very best albums of the 90s. I bought the self-titled album to smirk at because I'd read the reviews and knew it'd be terrible. But taken strictly on its own merits it was a pretty great record that still sounds good today. It certainly wasn't Exile in Guyville - not even close - but she already gave us that. And I'm glad she finally got to make some money, because she richly deserved it.
I was about 12-13 years old when Exile came out. I discovered her by watching Mtv's Alternative Nation and 120 Minutes. Shows which I watched religiously. To this day I am still in love with Liz Phair. A great talent and an absolute Goddess!
Liz has had some lyrically fun tracks over the years. On the album in discussion, there is a track H.W.C. lots of moms bought this cd for their daughters, boy did they get a surprise. Nowadays it would seem tame, just like tipper gore wanting P.A. Stickers on 2 live crew and mtv only playing their hit after 10pm🤣
IIRC even Phair later described the album as "a f***ing compromise disaster." I won't say it's great but it's far from the worst, especially after Funstyle, and a lot of the criticism seemed to be more about what the critic felt owed by Phair.
I remember when those songs were being played all over the radio stations. I thought it was Avril Lavigne. It sounded like music from a 20 year older, but I believe she was like 36-37 at that time.
Liz Phair had the gift and the curse of releasing a debut album so monumental, and so game-changing that its impact is still felt 30+ years later. I think you have to at least be a Gen X'er , if not older, to truly understand how revolutionary it was for a woman to be so open and honest about sexuality in her songs. Not leering like a cheap tart, but just telling it like it is in an industry not used to that. This is commonplace today, but Liz was there first. Exile was so groundbreaking that it was impossible to properly follow it up, and she paid the price over and over again.
I am a Gen Xer too. You're clearly biased here. It was different for an indie girl to talk like this, but women in other genres had already been doing so for a long time. But I suppose all of them were just "cheap tarts" to you. I mean, you've just set up a situation that reinforces your own prejudices, not one that reflects reality.
I was part of the pop wave.. not necessarily as a fan-- but bc I believe vh1 played this song non stop.. and then it was on the radio non stop. Now that I'm older I realize-- someone paid for that! Lol. I probably will love the song now! It'll transport me back to the couch
I always thought Liz Fair was great. She’s totally like one of the chicks I’d of dated in the 90s that I met at Barneys Beanery on a Thursday night, where I went back to her place & found out she was a lot kinkier than I was. Then I called her a week later to go bowling but she blows me off to hook up with a drummer she met at The Mint. I’m sure you know the type.
It's all about perspective. I first heard "Why Can't I" on a BBC program called TOTP2 (which showed old Top Of The Pops performances along with interesting anecdotes; each week they would also have something brand new). I immediately went out and bought the album; loved every track! I then went to try and find some more of her stuff on YT (I mostly had to search for albums online then as the record shops were very limited in stocks by then). Her earlier stuff just didn't grab me at all. So from my perspective (in the UK) not having heard the earlier stuff, giving this album 0 out of 0 is just an indication of the music IQ of that reviewer (sorry). "Friend of Mine" is one of the most heartbreaking songs about breaking up that I've ever heard. Later I lent it to some younger female friends ("Do you like Avril Lavigne/Sheryl Crow/Alanis Morisette? Yeah? Well give this a listen") and they absolutely loved it.
I used to call Liz Phair Sheryl Crow's alternative little sister. I know alot of people gave her shit when she did that self titled more pop oriented album record but i think songs like Extraordinary still had elements of what she started with but the sound was defenitely to polished. But honestly she already established by the time she did that fourth record and the cycle was changing with "artists" such as Lavigne and Hilary Duff taking top spots on the charts. A totally lo fi alternative fourh album might have reached whatever fanbase had not grown out their riot girl stage but might have caused her to completely be dropped from her label. A similar thing happened to Jewel but eventually she went back to a more traditional sound. Then did albums for kids. I am curious to hear that last Phair album though.
I never understood why so many people stick with the genre instead of the music? Liz Phair is smart, talented, still hot and her music still sounds as good today as it did in 1993. Instead of crying, hating and shaking your fist, sit back, enjoy the music and chill.
Liz had to make some sort of change with her sound, Whitechocolatespaceegg did not sell well and the alternative movement of the early 1990s had long passed. She could have continued making similar sounding albums but risk being dumped by her label for a lack of sales.
I had the biggest crush on Liz. We’re about the same age. I wore out whip smart and tortured other people to listen to it. Mostly in vain. In all honesty I lost interest after whip smart. Exile was good. But whip smart was intelligent, sassy and crude. I honestly wish she stayed that way. Raw and sweet. I prefer to remember her for that album. Her career should have been so much more. She was better than most of her contemporaries… Easily.💪👍🥃🎸
She will occasionally release a decent song. But White Chocolate Space Egg was her last good album. Her first three album were so good and the lyrics so smart. And now she sort of just sounds like a monotone Avril Levine.
I really liked Extraordinary--great song! But I hadn't gotten into Liz before that came out, in itself a clear sign that her style had changed. Whether that change was good or bad is an entirely different question.
I definitely think Exile in Guyville is Liz Phair's best album, and her best tracks. But as a fan of the artist, I want to cut her a break. She has my respect, whatever her subsequent musical direction. Go Liz!
I've been a fan since the 90s. I didn't blame her for wanting to make some money and I was actually hoping more people would hear about her and get into the older stuff. It's not my favorite album of hers. It's too uneven. But it's got some great songs, and her personality is still present, even if it's a bit on the slick side.
🤦🏻♂️ I loved her early stuff, AND I loved this album. It’s a lot of fun, and Little Digger is genuinely heartbreaking. Liz created great tunes. Critics create nothing but an inflated sense of self importance.
I see people defending Liz, but at the time it was a slap in the face. She was literally dismissing her own fans and openly saying she wanted money and purposefully was selling out. The lyrics which once felt personal became childish. She was very well into adulthood and was writing like a child. It was.....weird. It had also come to light that those original songs weren't as personal to her which made lots of people see her as fake and willing to do anything for money. That was equally tough for fans because she didn't feel genuine anymore. I personally have no opinion on the matter, but a lot of this was brought onto herself. She lied to her fans about her experiences then said "peace out" and started singing teeny bop songs for cash. She even told the press she wanted money. Why would her fans follow her on that journey?
Never heard of her. Not once. Which is weird because I was a grunge kid. Her name was never mentioned one single time in high school or university. She was zero at the time.
Critics are unneeded humans. I don't EVER buy or listen to music based on a review. I have all of Liz Phair's music and I like it all pretty much equally. If she had done 6 more Guyville's I would have been bored. But she didn't. She did what artists are supposed to do, she created music for her self and her aspirations. And there is NO fault in that. I have found her journey nice to listen to. Everyone seemed to completely set fire and char "Funstyle", but that album was way above the Liz Phair fanboys mental bandwidth. It was incredibly fun, sarcastic and full of melody. It's not her fault if "your gang" was too dumb to get it. In the end Liz will and should only create what she wants. To do otherwise is to not be authentic to her craft. Liz is a true artist. She has won, because she did what artists are supposed to do. Whether you like it or not, she colors her own canvas using her own musical brush. As it should be.
I see this all the time with bands and artists. If you don't like the evolution of an artist, just avoid the albums you don't like. Making a big deal about it makes no f**king sense. I liked some of that Poppier stuff she did. People can b**ch about changes like this all they want but she always liked Pop music so whatever, man. She was actually using her voice a lot better than she did in her early work. She limited herself vocally back in her early work. Liz Phair fans can complain all they want, I'm glad she did what she wanted despite the river her "fans" cried.
I own and enjoy her self-titled album but I also enjoy Exile. To me, most critics are just failed or wannabe musicians. Their opinions are nothing more than that - opinions. Sites like Pitchfork are so idiotic that no one should EVER take their reviews seriously. If you're basing your musical tastes and purchases on critics, I am so sorry for you.
Critics are worthless and only like crappy sounding indie stuff which is ok every now and then. They hate musical competency and mass appeal. These losers would hate Steely Dan if they came out now. Phair’s fourth album is good. These loser critics and fans think every band they like is supposed to be some secret that no one knows about so their fandom can somehow make them better than you. It’s pathetic. The second a band or singer had mass appeal, they sold out. That’s true sometimes but trying to have a wider audience doesn’t automatically mean you sold out.
I thought the Liz Phair album is great. I even love Funstyle, because it’s so diverse. I really like how she tries something different on every album, But there are still songs within the album that are very classic Liz.
Ugh her response to Meghan was something a 12 year old would say (have fun + wear hot clothes?? 🙄) Yeah she alienated alot of fans with this one. But i do think deep down shes always been into pop and the media did create the "90s feminist icon" label for her when in reality she's just a chameleon that goes with whats trendy. Tori Amos/Kim Gordon/Kim Shattuck -like introspective edgy chicks were very trendy in the 90s. But they actually believed in their lyrics. She just goes with whatever is popular. And she definitely was having a mid life crisis.
Women do this a lot where they make a response song/album that nobody asked for. It's not really a fair conversation when you just interject yourself into it after the fact.
Yes, rock can be something outside of it, but, from the inception of rock music, wasn't the argument against it and the love of it all surrounding it being sexual, sensual, etc.? I have to say, every male rock musician I liked musically, there was a subtext of sex behind the reason they made music (to get girls) as well as their presentation of it. ijs.... 🤷🏿♀🤷🏿♀
What other topics do you want to see me cover?
You should do a video on Marianne Faithfull and how her addictions made her voice change.
Wait, was Exile in Guyland not recorded in Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1992 and 1993 prosecutes professional and released by Matador Records?
I thought it was the “Girly-Sound” from 1991, that was recorded on cassette tapes and handled around?
How about Seven Mary Three? The Hunger? Stabbing Westward? Drain STH? One more, Kittie. That of course if you haven't done them yet lol
I forgot one .... Veruca Salt?
I'd love to see a video on British band Curve.
If she didn't change, then they would throw her under the bus for sticking to her indie style frkm Exile. You can't fucking win.
It seems to me that when LP switched to Avril Lavigne's crew, she began sounding more like Avril and less like Liz. I liked the way Liz sounded. Just my opinion, of course.
Especially in the early 2000s, female artists on whatever became of the alternative charts were virtually non existent
@@twistoffate4791Yeah Why Can't I was to simplistic sounding for her but I liked the more rock pop Extraordinary lyric wise for a radio song.
You can win. You have to be good in the first place, confident, with a little integrity and dignity by not worrying about getting on that big label and just make good music. Liz Fair sucked with the four track recordings and also during her crappy pop phase. That’s just a fact…
You CAN win. You stay underground.
Same thing happened to Jewel in 2003 when she went bubblegum pop.
@@reallyretro yup
Excellent album. Like people missed the whole tongue in cheek video too for Intuition.
@jjohnson3469 spot on. Not only did she openly mock the industry and culture, but she outsmarted and beat them at their own game by writing songs I'm that style that were significantly better.
Liz’s album is sooooooo much better than Jewels and I like both of them! But Jewel did find some success with 0304. Liz was destroyed for no reason other than doing good music in another genre
@@jjohnson3469 I loved "Intuition," actually *shrugs*
I’m in my mid forties. I was just the right age when Exile in Guyville and Whip-Smart came out. I remember feeling like the early 2000s pop music made for and by young girls sounding a lot like it had been influenced by musicians like Phair, Juliana Hatfield and Lisa Loeb.
Wow. Like that's really interesting. Wow.
@@popcorn9791Putting someone down online. Very cool. Wow.
Avril Lavigne wasn't as talented as any of them though unfortunately. She is still playing 14 year old girl pop music in her 40s. Pretty sure Phair reversed course after the 4th albums poppy experiment.
They were influenced by them, but I can't think of any artist of that generation I would think of as being "better".
But I'll admit, being a fan of Liz, Lisa, et. al....I could be biased 😂
In my mind I always go to that Billy Joel line "there's a new band in town but you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine". Hard to believe there was a time when people would read album reviews and decide whether or not to buy a CD. You would only hear the one track that got radio play. I bought Liz Phair's 2003 album because I liked White Chocolate Space Egg, start to finish.
If you have a talented reviewer, then yes... you can get a feel for what's on offer.
@ I remember around 1998 when Amazon had the feature on their website where you could listen to a few seconds of every track.
'Polyester Bride' and Whitechocolatespaceegg are how I discovered Liz Phair. Quite a surprise to go back and hear Guyville. Ever since, whether its pop, adult contemporary, or something left-field, I've felt like every album is just Liz Phair doing Liz Phair.
Same writing, same power & emboldened statements, same blunt sexuality, same everything but production. God forbid an artist make a choice to make some money off of their art after a decade of hard work. The backlash was eye-rollingly stupid, IMO.
this.
Good call👍
The 90s were like the best drugs you could ever take, the 2000s was just the bedspins and a headache.
1000%
Bedpans?
I saw The Bedspins at a dive bar in '03.
Huge Guyville fan but "Why Cant I" is just a great song.
Music critics suck and have zero credibility.
You aren't kidding! Why would anyone listen to what one person's opinion of what music is .not me!
Agree! 🤝
The proof is when you listen to a lot of the stuff on their best-of lists, and it’s crap.
Most critics in general suck. They're just giving their biased opinion.
Also, most critics are failed musicians..so instead they rip apart other people's creativity!
Was never a fan myself, but I found the spastic response by the “indie” scene and media to her eponymous album downright hilarious.
the term Indie is so lose since the 90s!
It meant something then. A lot. Remember her album it was awesome. She wouldn't be able to have a voice if the whole industry was still murderous toxic mysogynist corporate scum.
I didn't follow her indie career, but I loved (and still love) her pop music chops. She's on my list of witty songwriters and I've secretly wondered what would happen if Liz Phair and Robyn Hitchcock collaborated on a recording.
Well dang, rather than delete my comment, I find out she didn't write them...??? Okay, "Exit" was her writing. And I love that album.
Oddly, my fondest memory of the song "Extraordinary" was when I was at Turner Field in Atlanta, waiting for Game 5 of the 2004 NLDS to begin. Hearing that song playing as the stadium began to fill, with the field empty except for the grounds crew, created a nice vibe, sort of like the calm before a storm.
Most critics really hates change. That's bad, because also musicians gets older and wiser.
Liz Phair's Capitol Records album was awesome, every bit as good as Whip Smart and Exile.
Respectfully disagree, "I am extraordinary" bubblegum crap would have never made it on EIG or WS
@iampob you can disagree with me just like I disagree with you. Doesn't mean either of us is wrong.
Self titled was my entry point in discovering Liz Phair over a decade ago and actually I much prefer it to the first two albums.
@@kristasweetleaf5695 "Extraordinary" is an awesome song, actually.
I had heard of her name, but never heard her music until her pop stuff came out... so I have less reservations... I liked at least one of those songs of hers... Extraordinary honestly got stuck in my head for a long time
Longtime old-school Liz Phair fan. I think Exile in Guyville was a masterpiece and one of the very best albums of the 90s. I bought the self-titled album to smirk at because I'd read the reviews and knew it'd be terrible. But taken strictly on its own merits it was a pretty great record that still sounds good today. It certainly wasn't Exile in Guyville - not even close - but she already gave us that. And I'm glad she finally got to make some money, because she richly deserved it.
Whip Smart one of the best. Right up there with belly Star ☆
"...Phair's longtime fans considered the [self-titled] album a trainwreck..."
Funstyle: "Hold my beer."
In all fairness, Funstyle was never intended to be released
I was about 12-13 years old when Exile came out. I discovered her by watching Mtv's Alternative Nation and 120 Minutes. Shows which I watched religiously. To this day I am still in love with Liz Phair. A great talent and an absolute Goddess!
Great video, btw. This is my favorite musical channel on YT. It's even, well-researched and thoughtfully delivered.
14:27 im still jealous of this guitar to this day
It's a pretty sweet looking Fender Mustang, that's for sure. And that color scheme pops.
Exile was enjoyable. I saw her at The Troub back then, she was a nervous wreck but very endearing. Not too crazy about her subsequent material.
Shatter is one of the best recordings of all time.
she’s going to see this video, I guarantee it
In that case, Liz, in response to your song H.W.C on this album, the answer is YES, I will. Lyrics that would make Cardi b blush🤣
Liz has had some lyrically fun tracks over the years. On the album in discussion, there is a track H.W.C. lots of moms bought this cd for their daughters, boy did they get a surprise. Nowadays it would seem tame, just like tipper gore wanting P.A. Stickers on 2 live crew and mtv only playing their hit after 10pm🤣
HWC is a hoot. The lyrical contrast in it combined with the sublime pop-style make it a blast. I
From beauty and authenticity to "the music they constantly play said nothing to me about my life".
With better tunes though!
IIRC even Phair later described the album as "a f***ing compromise disaster."
I won't say it's great but it's far from the worst, especially after Funstyle, and a lot of the criticism seemed to be more about what the critic felt owed by Phair.
Liz’s guitar playing, especially her chord voicings, is incredible.Very underrated .I hope she releases a tab book.
Just listened to her Self-titled album and it’s still amazing! Idgaf what ppl say. This album still holds up!
Total Hottie. Had a crush on her in the 90s.
Me too
They don’t make statues of critics…for a reason.
Whip Smart is one of my favorite albums.
I remember when those songs were being played all over the radio stations. I thought it was Avril Lavigne. It sounded like music from a 20 year older, but I believe she was like 36-37 at that time.
I still play Cinco de Mayo every Cinco de Mayo.
I really enjoyed this album when it came out. Yeah, it was really different from her previous output but that doesn't automatically make it bad.
Liz Phair had the gift and the curse of releasing a debut album so monumental, and so game-changing that its impact is still felt 30+ years later. I think you have to at least be a Gen X'er , if not older, to truly understand how revolutionary it was for a woman to be so open and honest about sexuality in her songs. Not leering like a cheap tart, but just telling it like it is in an industry not used to that. This is commonplace today, but Liz was there first. Exile was so groundbreaking that it was impossible to properly follow it up, and she paid the price over and over again.
I am a Gen Xer too. You're clearly biased here. It was different for an indie girl to talk like this, but women in other genres had already been doing so for a long time. But I suppose all of them were just "cheap tarts" to you. I mean, you've just set up a situation that reinforces your own prejudices, not one that reflects reality.
Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Donna Summer, Tina Turner - you know, all those cheap tarts.
@ We’re clearly not talking about the same thing. Have you listened to Guyville?
I was part of the pop wave.. not necessarily as a fan-- but bc I believe vh1 played this song non stop.. and then it was on the radio non stop. Now that I'm older I realize-- someone paid for that! Lol. I probably will love the song now! It'll transport me back to the couch
I always thought Liz Fair was great. She’s totally like one of the chicks I’d of dated in the 90s that I met at Barneys Beanery on a Thursday night, where I went back to her place & found out she was a lot kinkier than I was. Then I called her a week later to go bowling but she blows me off to hook up with a drummer she met at The Mint. I’m sure you know the type.
"Polyester Bride" from WCSE is a terrific song.
The Cure
masters of pop
while retaining their indie cred
"Can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson. 😊
It's all about perspective.
I first heard "Why Can't I" on a BBC program called TOTP2 (which showed old Top Of The Pops performances along with interesting anecdotes; each week they would also have something brand new). I immediately went out and bought the album; loved every track!
I then went to try and find some more of her stuff on YT (I mostly had to search for albums online then as the record shops were very limited in stocks by then). Her earlier stuff just didn't grab me at all. So from my perspective (in the UK) not having heard the earlier stuff, giving this album 0 out of 0 is just an indication of the music IQ of that reviewer (sorry).
"Friend of Mine" is one of the most heartbreaking songs about breaking up that I've ever heard.
Later I lent it to some younger female friends ("Do you like Avril Lavigne/Sheryl Crow/Alanis Morisette? Yeah? Well give this a listen") and they absolutely loved it.
I used to call Liz Phair Sheryl Crow's alternative little sister. I know alot of people gave her shit when she did that self titled more pop oriented album record but i think songs like Extraordinary still had elements of what she started with but the sound was defenitely to polished. But honestly she already established by the time she did that fourth record and the cycle was changing with "artists" such as Lavigne and Hilary Duff taking top spots on the charts. A totally lo fi alternative fourh album might have reached whatever fanbase had not grown out their riot girl stage but might have caused her to completely be dropped from her label. A similar thing happened to Jewel but eventually she went back to a more traditional sound. Then did albums for kids. I am curious to hear that last Phair album though.
I never understood why so many people stick with the genre instead of the music? Liz Phair is smart, talented, still hot and her music still sounds as good today as it did in 1993. Instead of crying, hating and shaking your fist, sit back, enjoy the music and chill.
Liz had to make some sort of change with her sound, Whitechocolatespaceegg did not sell well and the alternative movement of the early 1990s had long passed. She could have continued making similar sounding albums but risk being dumped by her label for a lack of sales.
I had the biggest crush on Liz.
We’re about the same age.
I wore out whip smart and tortured other people to listen to it.
Mostly in vain.
In all honesty I lost interest after whip smart.
Exile was good.
But whip smart was intelligent, sassy and crude.
I honestly wish she stayed that way.
Raw and sweet.
I prefer to remember her for that album.
Her career should have been so much more.
She was better than most of her contemporaries…
Easily.💪👍🥃🎸
I loved how much people hated this record
Love Liz, been listening to her from the start and have all her albums. And to be honest I probably listen to this album more than the rest.
She will occasionally release a decent song. But White Chocolate Space Egg was her last good album. Her first three album were so good and the lyrics so smart. And now she sort of just sounds like a monotone Avril Levine.
You clearly should listen to some Avril then cause she wishes she could even touch Liz musically.
I really liked Extraordinary--great song! But I hadn't gotten into Liz before that came out, in itself a clear sign that her style had changed. Whether that change was good or bad is an entirely different question.
Exile is one of the 90s best albums. Still seems fresh
That album has excellent tracks like Red Light Fever, Bionic Eyes, HWC or Extraordinary
I always thought the 4th album was just her grown up album. I never understood why people get mad when artists grow and try new things.
I definitely think Exile in Guyville is Liz Phair's best album, and her best tracks. But as a fan of the artist, I want to cut her a break. She has my respect, whatever her subsequent musical direction. Go Liz!
Have to say neither her old work nor recent work really float my boat.
I've been a fan since the 90s. I didn't blame her for wanting to make some money and I was actually hoping more people would hear about her and get into the older stuff. It's not my favorite album of hers. It's too uneven. But it's got some great songs, and her personality is still present, even if it's a bit on the slick side.
Supergoddess.
🤮
🤦🏻♂️
I loved her early stuff, AND I loved this album. It’s a lot of fun, and Little Digger is genuinely heartbreaking.
Liz created great tunes.
Critics create nothing but an inflated sense of self importance.
Exile in Guyville is still a briliant abulm, she's awesome.
I see people defending Liz, but at the time it was a slap in the face. She was literally dismissing her own fans and openly saying she wanted money and purposefully was selling out. The lyrics which once felt personal became childish. She was very well into adulthood and was writing like a child. It was.....weird. It had also come to light that those original songs weren't as personal to her which made lots of people see her as fake and willing to do anything for money. That was equally tough for fans because she didn't feel genuine anymore. I personally have no opinion on the matter, but a lot of this was brought onto herself. She lied to her fans about her experiences then said "peace out" and started singing teeny bop songs for cash. She even told the press she wanted money. Why would her fans follow her on that journey?
Love the first two albums,if she got out there and made some money then good for her!🤙
Never heard of her. Not once. Which is weird because I was a grunge kid. Her name was never mentioned one single time in high school or university. She was zero at the time.
Liz Phair deserved better. Hole went pretty pop after Live Through This and didn't catch any grief.
I loved the first album when it came out. I never enjoyed anything else she released due to the extreme pop-leaning of the music.
Critics are unneeded humans. I don't EVER buy or listen to music based on a review. I have all of Liz Phair's music and I like it all pretty much equally. If she had done 6 more Guyville's I would have been bored. But she didn't. She did what artists are supposed to do, she created music for her self and her aspirations. And there is NO fault in that. I have found her journey nice to listen to.
Everyone seemed to completely set fire and char "Funstyle", but that album was way above the Liz Phair fanboys mental bandwidth. It was incredibly fun, sarcastic and full of melody. It's not her fault if "your gang" was too dumb to get it. In the end Liz will and should only create what she wants. To do otherwise is to not be authentic to her craft. Liz is a true artist. She has won, because she did what artists are supposed to do. Whether you like it or not, she colors her own canvas using her own musical brush. As it should be.
If she played the phonebook I would listen to it. I was in love with her BEFORE I saw her and lets face it...shes a stark raving honey.
I *love* "Why Can't I" and "Extraordinary", i don't care what anyone else thinks.
She was awesome. But after White Chocolate Space Egg, which was still good, it was over.
I had a few of Liz’s albums but years later, I only kept Exile and WS. No, I don’t need to post a rainbow to explain myself!😂
Yes, that’s the very definition of “selling out”.
This was my introduction to her, at the time I thought she was a new artist.
My favorite solo singer …. Critics don’t Create Anything, they ride the coattails of talented people. Just Go away… permanently
Saw her Atlanta about 10 years ago. One of the worst concerts I’ve ever been to. She seemed bored and it killed the mood in the small venue.
I liked both Exile and Liz Phair and thought the backlash was ridiculous.
I see this all the time with bands and artists. If you don't like the evolution of an artist, just avoid the albums you don't like. Making a big deal about it makes no f**king sense. I liked some of that Poppier stuff she did. People can b**ch about changes like this all they want but she always liked Pop music so whatever, man. She was actually using her voice a lot better than she did in her early work. She limited herself vocally back in her early work. Liz Phair fans can complain all they want, I'm glad she did what she wanted despite the river her "fans" cried.
I love this channel. I find out interesting trivia from artist I know of, but may not be a big fan of. Thanks for your content.
The best thing about that polished album was the cover.
I own and enjoy her self-titled album but I also enjoy Exile. To me, most critics are just failed or wannabe musicians. Their opinions are nothing more than that - opinions. Sites like Pitchfork are so idiotic that no one should EVER take their reviews seriously. If you're basing your musical tastes and purchases on critics, I am so sorry for you.
Critics are worthless and only like crappy sounding indie stuff which is ok every now and then. They hate musical competency and mass appeal. These losers would hate Steely Dan if they came out now. Phair’s fourth album is good. These loser critics and fans think every band they like is supposed to be some secret that no one knows about so their fandom can somehow make them better than you. It’s pathetic. The second a band or singer had mass appeal, they sold out. That’s true sometimes but trying to have a wider audience doesn’t automatically mean you sold out.
I thought the Liz Phair album is great.
I even love Funstyle, because it’s so diverse.
I really like how she tries something different on every album,
But there are still songs within the album that are very classic Liz.
Naw, she had done enough and deserves "retirement $". ;)
Her early stuff was great. Her later stuff was great.
I’ve never heard Nellcoté described as “derelict”..
I love Lis. She dosnt know that Kieth Richards is responsible for 50 percent of the Stones lyrics?
Thank you for the post! ❄️☃️🎄✌🏼
One of her best albums
"I need somebody baby.
I need some money too.
I need somebody baby,
how 'bout you?"
~Iggy Pop
She also did a rap album
Out of all those 90s girrrl riot singers I was always more of a Tori Amos fan.
Ugh her response to Meghan was something a 12 year old would say (have fun + wear hot clothes?? 🙄) Yeah she alienated alot of fans with this one. But i do think deep down shes always been into pop and the media did create the "90s feminist icon" label for her when in reality she's just a chameleon that goes with whats trendy. Tori Amos/Kim Gordon/Kim Shattuck -like introspective edgy chicks were very trendy in the 90s. But they actually believed in their lyrics. She just goes with whatever is popular. And she definitely was having a mid life crisis.
🤡💩^
Women do this a lot where they make a response song/album that nobody asked for. It's not really a fair conversation when you just interject yourself into it after the fact.
I like all her albums.
Love you Liz❤
Love Whipsmart🤙🏼
I don't really know anything about this album, but it can't be all that bad if Pitchfork hated it. Pitchfork was for cooler-than-thou hipsters.
She certainly had more advantages than most musicians...sex sells...
That's why rock music exists....
Yes, rock can be something outside of it, but, from the inception of rock music, wasn't the argument against it and the love of it all surrounding it being sexual, sensual, etc.? I have to say, every male rock musician I liked musically, there was a subtext of sex behind the reason they made music (to get girls) as well as their presentation of it. ijs.... 🤷🏿♀🤷🏿♀
White chocolate space egg is a great album.
Yeah she really hated her voice. That's why she recorded it.
I was more of a Juliana Hatfield guy.
people get so butthurt when an artist does something that they're not used to. get over it and just let people do what they do.
it was at a skatpark if he can see it