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Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

1993
Exile In Guyville
Album Summary

Exile in Guyville is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released on June 22, 1993, by Matador Records. It was recorded at Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1991 and 1993 and produced by Phair and Brad Wood. The album received critical acclaim for its ability to combine indie rock and lo-fi music and the concept behind it; in 2020, it was ranked No. 56 by Rolling Stone in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. It was certified gold in 1998 and as of July 2010 it had sold 491,000 copies.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.04

Votes

7181
Genres
Pop
Rock
Indie

Reviews

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Mon Jul 12 2021
5

Has sexual politics ever been better? More tuneful? More truthful? Smarter? When I'm listening to this, I'm inclined to say no. Especially now I've just learnt Phair wrote the whole thing as a track-by-track response to Exile On Main Street. It's also the birthplace of today's voguish Bedroom Rock sound (Japanese Breakfast, Soccer Mommy, Beabadoobee, to name a few from the last year). But somewhere along the line things got sadder, less melodic, less funny. What you get from Phair that you don't get from the new crop are the seemingly infitine personality facets. Here, Liz is a real cunt in Spring and your blowjob queen. She's tested by the male-dominated music industry to see how far she'll bend. She wants to be fuck you till your dick turns blue, jumps when you circle the cherry, and wants to be mesmerizing too. She also gets away with what the girls call murder, is done with the fuck and run game she's been playing since she was 12, and wants a boyfriend. But then again, the boys are just heroes "in a long line of heroes, looking for something attractive to save". And if you don't believe one person can be that complex, there are 18 songs on this thing. And if you don't believe one person can be that complex and prolfic AND consistent, marvel at how she's still able to pull a hook like Stratford-On-Guy out the bag at track 17. Just marvel.

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Sun Apr 11 2021
5

If Exile in Guyville is shockingly assured and fully formed for a debut album, there are a number of reasons why. Most prominent of these is that many of the songs were initially essayed on Liz Phair's homemade cassette Girlysound, which means that the songs are essentially the cream of the crop from an exceptionally talented songwriter. Second, there's its structure, infamously patterned after the Stones' Exile on Main St., but not the song-by-song response Phair promoted it as. (Just try to match the albums up: is the "blow-job queen" fantasy of "Flower" really the answer to the painful elegy "Let It Loose"?) Then, most notably, there's Phair and producer Brad Wood's deft studio skills, bringing a variety of textures and moods to a basic, lo-fi production. There is as much hard rock as there are eerie solo piano pieces, and there's everything in between from unadulterated power pop, winking art rock, folk songs, and classic indie rock. Then, there are Phair's songs themselves. At the time, her gleefully profane, clever lyrics received endless attention (there's nothing that rock critics love more than a girl who plays into their geek fantasies, even -- or maybe especially -- if she's mocking them), but years later, what still astounds is the depth of the writing, how her music matches her clear-eyed, vivid words, whether it's on the self-loathing "Fuck and Run," the evocative mood piece "Stratford-on-Guy," or the swaggering breakup anthem "6'1"," or how she nails the dissolution of a long-term relationship on "The Divorce Song." Each of these 18 songs maintains this high level of quality, showcasing a singer/songwriter of immense imagination, musically and lyrically. If she never equaled this record, well, few could.

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Tue Apr 20 2021
5

Bold and brash. I loved this. Had never heard of if, but I can hear her in all the young solo artists that I listen to all the time now

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Wed Aug 18 2021
5

It was next to impossible to find new music in 1993, especially albums from a relatively new and obscure female artist who wanted to be your blow job queen and fuck you until your dick turns blue. The internet wasn't yet a thing, MTV and FM radio wouldn't touch such material, and we had to rely on reviews from Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine to even learn something like this existed. Even then, I don't recall any local record store carrying this album on cassette or compact disc, and I doubt Columbia House offered this album either. So it wasn't until the Wild West Era of Napster that I finally heard Exile In Guyville, and it's become one of my go-to albums ever since then. Sometimes I think this is the best debut album ever. It's certainly one of the top 5. Every song is written by Phair as a track by track response to the Stones' classic "Exile On Main Street". If the algorithm had any sense of humor, they'd recommend both albums consecutively to everyone. If listening on Spotify, make sure you listen to the remastered version with all 18 tracks available, as the link here goes to the old version where Spotify doesn't include some of the songs for whatever reason. Liz Phair would achieve more popular success after this landmark album, but never get back to this level of openness and rawness. A trailblazer like Liz Phair knew there's no way to top this masterpiece. If I could only keep 10 albums from this list, this would absolutely be one of them. Pour one out for the amazing Liz Phair. She'll fuck you and your minions, too.

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Mon Jul 12 2021
4

What a journey I went on with this album. I listened to it in two parts. The first portion on Friday, where my experience of it was as interesting enough background music, that didn’t wrassle for my attention too strongly with whatever else I was doing. Today, though, I picked up where I left off - with Canary - and something had shifted. Maybe it was that England lost the biggest game they’d played in my lifetime in the most painful way possible, but I heard what I think Ms Phair was selling. Her songs suddenly struck me from two angles - 1.) the stark, surprising lyrics: chock full of a certain kind of sexual ennui, oscillating occasionally into revelry and back again. 2.) The songs themselves, roughly hewn, simple-sounding but they have the same punch as anything by that other purveyor of rough-hewn, simple-sounding guitar-led songs from the 90s, Kurt Cobain; and honestly, I realised she is the first artist I think to ever draw comparison with Kurt in my mind as a peer and equal rather than an imitator. And I realise that possibly sounds like damning with faint praise, but it’s not intended as such. I’m so pleased I didn’t just settle on basing my review on my experience of the first half of the album. Well worth it.

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Sat Apr 24 2021
2

Turns out Liz Phair isn't a great singer. I assume this album was chosen because of it's writing...but it's hard to pay attention to the lyrics when the singing is so bad.

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Sun Mar 07 2021
1

I don't think she can sing, but she does so anyway. The lyrics are not good either. I don't ever want to hear it again.

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Fri Mar 12 2021
1

One of the worst things I've ever endured.

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Wed Jun 02 2021
5

this album has so much personality to it. fantastic storytelling. the lyrical style reminds me of mitski at times but its even better. i think it could've used a little more musical variety, a lot of the melodies got monotonous, although overall the energy/pacing was good. 9/10

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Sun May 23 2021
5

What a killer rock album. Excellent songwriting throughout and killer tunes to match. Every song is POWERFUL.

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Tue Aug 10 2021
5

I really should’ve listened to this long ago. It’s very much my shit. Great songwriting, shaggy, yet just polished enough production. Definitely earns the hype.

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Mon Oct 04 2021
5

These are good songs and I think they are holding up well. Love the idea of this album being a song by song reply to Exile on Main Street. The stripped down sound is perfect. Didn't connect until this listen that "Shatter" is often used as background music for This American Life.

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Fri Oct 08 2021
5

For someone who cares so much about musicianship, it might seem odd that I like Exile in Guyville so much. Liz Phair isn't much of a guitarist, and has a rough voice, to be generous. But the songwriting! The way Phair structures the songs on Exile is clever, interesting, and wholly original. The skeletal arrangements actually work in the album's favor, accentuating the songwriting and lyrics, which are uniformly wonderful. And for all of Phair's technical shortcomings as a singer, her interpretive skills set these songs on fire--she's completely naked emotionally. And, if that weren't enough, there's tremendous range in these songs, from rockers to drones and everything in between. Damned near perfect for what it is.

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Wed Feb 23 2022
5

Really fantastic. Great attitude, equal parts funny and strong. I've grown to be a big fan of this kind of music of late with artists like Soccer Mommy and Mitski, so to hear something from '93 this good has made me very happy.

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Wed Mar 02 2022
5

I LOVE HER!!! Liz Phair, your music helped define my 2021! 4.5

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Thu Mar 24 2022
5

Good album, enjoyed it a lot! Very well done, will need to revisit to listen more

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Thu Mar 24 2022
5

Really really liked this, great album with some catchy songs and some pretty slow ones, nice variety and a very good listen!

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Thu Apr 28 2022
5

lmao how did she go from this to “you’re being a penis… colada that is!” A

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Thu May 05 2022
5

This album is badass and awesome. Required listening for young women.

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Fri May 20 2022
5

I remember feeling empowered by this album in high school and that feeling remains. The low-fi guitar, mixed with funny yet true lyrics does what feminism does best…make sure that everyone knows that anything a guy can do, a girl can do as good, if not better. Though this album is situated in the 90’s, it is timeless and forward thinking.

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Mon Jun 13 2022
5

Seminal album of my young adulthood. I discovered Liz Phair in college and immediately related to everything she was singing about. The ideas of empowered female sexuality, owning your desires, and deciding for yourself what your narrative will be in relationships resonated deeply with me. I love her minimalist production too. The songs are so well-written, so sharply observant, biting and acerbic with a cynicism unheard of at her age. But damn if there aren’t sad pathetic little nuggets of optimism throughout as well. You root for this girl, you believe in this girl, you are this girl. Her dry monotone vocals shouldn’t work, but they do. They’re somehow sultry and raw all at once. Phenomenal album from a unique talent and a powerful voice we needed at this time. Thank you Liz for helping me feel empowered about my burgeoning sexuality and for helping me feel seen.

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Sun Jul 10 2022
5

Rounded up to 5. Liz Phair is a mix of singer-songwriter and grunge rock. You'll be able to relate to this if you've ever been a mess, had a bad relationship or dealt with shitty men.

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Tue Sep 06 2022
5

I forgot how brilliant this album is at times. Sometimes it flags, but mostly it rocks and still feels relevant.

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Sun Sep 18 2022
5

Ég verð bara að játa að mér fannst þetta algjörlega stórkostleg plata! MIkið var gaman að finna eitthvað sem maður hefur aldrei vitað af!

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Wed Nov 02 2022
5

For some reason I just loved the album. Even tho it was mostly pop music, I found it really different from the rest of the genre.

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Wed Dec 07 2022
5

So glad to revisit this. Amazing 😻

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Wed Dec 07 2022
5

Her Best works. Love Liz Phair and this album. Listened like 50x seen her 1 x

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Tue Jan 24 2023
5

what a nice album, i wonder what style she'll go in 2010. on a serious note, this is one of the best-written albums i've ever heard and it almost justifies every strange turn in her career. i mean if you've wrote "divorce song", every other album could be like "funstyle" and i could not care less. extraordinary album.

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Fri Jan 27 2023
5

Garagione. Semplice, con chitarre sporche il giusto, voce profonda, testi taglienti, autoconsapevole della distruzione, autoironica. GRRRL!

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Thu Mar 23 2023
5

Great album that covers different types of music- hard rock, soft rock, and soft hearted songs. It feels like a collection of greatest hits not a debut. This album is a response to the rolling stones album of a similar name which was very sexiest. That’s one of the reasons I love this album. The songs are all from a place of hating how the world is structured all around men and the anger that comes from that.

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Tue May 18 2021
4

Very intense, raw energy to it.

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Thu May 27 2021
4

All I had heard was "Why Can't I?" but I knew she was a staple of the 90s when it came to rocker females. And rock she did.

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Mon Jan 04 2021
4

это альбом с не самым сильным женским голосом, не самым лучшим продакшеном, но он узнаваем. этот красивый и милый инди-поп с примесью кантри не собирался стать великим, но критики решили на него молиться. альбом обладает несколькими мощными хитами вроде «Never Said» и «Fuck and Run», которые для целого поколения стали родными. Смотря на такое восхваление критиков возникает важный вопрос, а слушали ли критики вторую часть альбома, ведь если убрать четыре песни из промежутка «Girls! Girls! Girls!» до «Flower», то изменится лишь хронометраж. Поэтому 4, недотянуто до идеала.

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Sun Jan 31 2021
4

Don’t know about the exile on Main Street connection, but great nonetheless

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Wed Jun 09 2021
4

Great album, edgy Kate Bush that sounds like it's had a lot of influence on heaps of alt rock punk stuff around today especially in Aus. Dance of the Seven Veils, Mesmerising, Girls!.., Divorce Song all massive tunes.

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Tue May 11 2021
4

Not my thing. Although I can appreciate what this is, and some songs like F and Run kinda struck an interesting nerve. Almost like Cody Chestnutt did in a way.

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Mon Jan 25 2021
4

I find this very ovverated critically... it’s a solid record for sure. I don’t see this worthy of all the perfect reviews

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Mon Apr 12 2021
4

I can see how this is on this list. It's not my favorite style of music but I did enjoy some of the lyrics.

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Wed Dec 07 2022
4

This album is weirdly both great and bland at the same time.

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Fri Sep 04 2020
3

Feels like a usual indie rock album, it's a bit too long but it's enjoyable. Lots of tracks aren't that unique though, some of them feel too generic

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Thu Jan 28 2021
3

Not terrible, but not my favorite either. I like Liz's voice.

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Mon Jan 10 2022
2

idk ! not my thing i didnt like the sound sorry women everywhere

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Thu Mar 04 2021
1

I only made it through half... It's like a teenage girl singing her inner monologue.

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Wed Jul 28 2021
1

This record exhausted me. I remember the buzz after its release, hearing about how "revolutionary" it was. Was it? Is it? After all this time and a re-listen the remaster actually does give it a little more sheen (I'm very much not a low-fi fan)... the music is sometimes just "ok" (actually "Shatter" could or should be a great song) but sweet fancy moses there's no getting by her voice which is absolutely unmanageable and the up-front and dry mix (lo-fi!) does absolutely zero favours to. Was this album cool because of her "bold language?" Maybe. Ordinarily I'm all for it but not in and of itself - for the most part it's used in such a stupid high school back row of the class teenage-giggly way and as a result most of these songs just are a sloppy pile of absolutely nothing. If you get off on "pushing boundaries" in the sense that being edgy with sex and language in music is super important - or maybe all that's important - then go for it here. If you're of the theory that even if your lyrics have the effort of repeating a kindergarten nursery rhyme but you still need to put some effort and thought and creativity into actually freaking making art then you'll probably feel as I do after enduring this. This revolution should not have been televised and instead should have been exiled to the "do not release" pile. 2/10 1 star.

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Thu Apr 13 2023
5

Maybe she wouldn’t like to hear it, but she is a modern goddess and this is her “birth of the Venus”. This album is a life and sexuality manifesto coming from what you’d call a normal suburban girl from the 90s. It is sincere and yet ambitious. From the cover, with the iconic black and white photo - a wide open mouth and naked chest, like screaming “I’m tired of keeping this to myself, I’ll tell it all, guys”- and the purple font with the title of the album -a reference to “Exile on main St.”- you can tell what it’s coming: a girl fantasizing about freedom and happiness in a male-dominated world. Love how Liz Phair invites us to her head to see how she unfolds this story… so pure. Regarding to the music, I think that the sequencing is perfect and, oh gosh, the creamy guitar tone always gets me. The downside of this work could be the number of songs, maybe a lot for many people, but it’s justified for the concept of the work itself: a track by track response to The Rolling Stones legendary album. If not all the songs are fantastic, the place this album has for me is well-earned for its impact on pop culture (and I’m not going to lie, I have a crush on Liz, too, so fuck it, I’m giving it 5 stars)

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Mon Apr 17 2023
5

This is, without a doubt, one of the more realized, original, and expressively uninhibited debuts in rock history.

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Sun May 07 2023
5

This album is an aggressive feminist alternative masterpiece. The jangly guitar playing in particular reminds me of something the Smiths might play though it has been co-opted into more of a grungy style. The lyrics are confessional, angry, occasionally transgressive and openly talk about female sexuality. The candor with which Liz Phair sings is arresting and pleasantly surprised me. The closest album I can think of is Jagged Little Pill though I think this is the better album overall.

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Mon May 08 2023
5

An all time favourite of mine. Never hit this level again and that’s ok.

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Fri May 12 2023
5

I wish I had heard this album when it was released. Someone gave me a copy of her album, Whip-Smart, which I loved. But I didn't hear this album until the early 2000's. It's such a great album.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
5

I was introduced to Liz Phair and this album by a friend about ten years after its release. I spent the early 2000s listening to a lot of Liz Phair. It was great to reconnect to this today. I listened to the remaster and it sounds terrific! Liz Phair has that imperfect delivery that makes these songs really special to me. There's real passion and emotion driving these song that connects with me every time.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
5

At first, this just had a vague 90s indie sound that is not generally my jam. But I warmed up to it pretty quick. Her voice has an interesting atonal tone and I found many of the songs musically and lyrically compelling.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
5

I have listened to some Liz Phair before, but never a full album. I really enjoyed the sound and experience!

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Wed Jun 14 2023
5

Wow! This was great. Loved the music, voice, lyrics. So exciting to see an artist like this burst out with something really exceptional.

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Sat Jun 24 2023
5

This album turned 30 years old yesterday The first time I encountered Liz Phair was in the 2000s and she had that song Why Can’t I come out and it was all over MuchMusic and the radio (seems like it’s her most popular song on Apple Music). All of the stuff I was reading about her though was about how she had sold out, wasted potential and now she’s just pop music. The other time I would hear about her (and this album specifically) is as a footnote in writing about Exile on Main Street. I’m pretty mute I had read in Rolling Stone or Spin a piece written by Phair about the Stones record and how much she liked it. 30 years on now, this is about the most contemporary sounding album I think I’ve heard on the list. If you listen to indie rock radio there are a ton of acts that are going after this lo fi, confessional style of rock. I’m thinking Courtney Bartlett, Phoebe Bridgers and Boy Genius and Lana Del Ray. Yet Phair is still more pointed in her lyrics regarding sexual relationships especially. This album sounds timeless, while even on her next album songs like Supernova are peak 90s production. I’ve got to say this has been one of my great discoveries and one I think I need to own on vinyl.

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Wed Jul 05 2023
5

Goddess. I wish I'd been aware enough to appreciate Phair in the early 90s.

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Sun Jul 09 2023
5

There is not much to be said about this album that has not been said in every other review of it. It is truly one of the best albums of all time. I personally love the rawness of this album and the honesty in the lyrics throughout this album. It seems like it is a very personal album which makes it feel better in a way. I don't really have any criticisms except for the fact that I feel like it may be a track or two longer than it need to be and some of the songs on this album are a little too slow for me but besides that this album is perfect from start to finish. Easy 10/10.

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Fri Jul 21 2023
5

i've heard a lot about this album but I haven't ever listened to it. i like glory, i like never said. i like explain it to me. so far i like it i can see why it has this acclaim. the sound is cool. it's all blunt and matter of fact on this album but melodic still. it feels kind of timeless. no all these songs are good and have a point of view. deserves multiple listens. its real in a way that most of us think about things but never dare to say those unfiltered thoughts. she does it unapologetically and that's so damn cool.

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Tue Aug 08 2023
5

Honest, stripped down and raw at times. Really enjoy Liz Phair's delivery and there's enough mix of pretty basic arrangements with some more melodic/driven alt rock songs. A great set.

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Sat Aug 12 2023
5

This album is a nice exile from ho-hum music

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Wed May 05 2021
4

No sé cómo descubrí este disco en su momento, pero me gustó mucho. Además el título, la portada, las canciones tienen un hilo conductor con un mensaje bastante claro e interesante. Canciones como Help Me Mary, Mesmerizing, Fuck And Run o Johnny Sunshine. Un gran disco que merece la pena escuchar.

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Sat May 15 2021
4

Creo que nunca había escuchado a Liz Phair y muy agradable. Se puede distinguir ahora ese sonido noventero y a ratos me sonaba como un mashup de The Cranberries con un poco de PJ, algo de Fiona, hasta me cuestioné si existe una categoría llamada "rock de mujeres" así como hay "escritura de mujeres" (según). Varios moods, todo a su punto, ya fuera algo más ligero o divertidón. Canciones fav: "6'1''", "Never Said", "Explain It To Me" y "Fuck and Run". 8.5/10

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Sun Mar 07 2021
4

A special record, to dive in and explore on subsequent listenings. Very 90s. Very good.

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Sat May 15 2021
4

Pues cómo que sí fue underwhelming. No sé que esperaba exactamente pero igual... Me gustó Help Me Mary suena super super años 90. Mood: rockero, peo no lo suficiente

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Wed Jun 02 2021
4

7/10. Maybe deserved an 8 as it was definitely quite good, but it did get a bit samey listening to the whole thing, and it's not really my style.

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Tue Jul 20 2021
4

Really good. Not something you listened to song by song or very often.

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Tue Apr 27 2021
4

never heard of Liz Phair, but this was fun. Like.... an indie Alanis Morrisette

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Wed Jun 02 2021
4

Felt real sad but sounded great. 8

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Thu Apr 01 2021
4

Never listened to Liz Phair. Love her style. very Good album.

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Wed Jun 09 2021
4

Good storyteller. She could be strong and vulnerable simultaneously eg. Fuck and Run and Shatter. Was also intrigued by the edginess/unique production of Flower.

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Sun May 09 2021
4

Great guitar riffs and a “fuck you” attitude throughout the whole album

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Sat May 08 2021
4

I was surprised I liked it alot

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Tue Jul 20 2021
4

Brilliant confessional singer-songwriting, this consistently engaging album is witty, caustic and unabashed.

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Sat May 15 2021
4

she hits an emotional chord like few others do with her lyrics. My natural cynicism is now compounded by emotions.

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Wed Jun 09 2021
4

Sounds like Courtney Barnett, or more she sounds like her.

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Mon Jun 28 2021
4

I expected some pre-packaged 2000’s trash pop. Instead I got a moody, thoughtful singer-songwriter gem that I would never have found without this website. It took forever to figure this out, she sounds like Johnny Cash Does Indie Grunge. Shatter is amazing. The guitar sounds like The Durutti Column (i.e. haunting, eerie, heartfelt). Divorce song was an enthralling listen, as was Stratford-On-Guy. I did not expect to give this album more than 3 stars, but it is a very strong 4!

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Fri Jul 23 2021
4

Great lyrics. Edgy. Enjoyable sound. "Flower" is a great song.

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Wed Aug 11 2021
4

Good one! I dig her voice and the music - somehow both relaxing and uncomfortable at the same time. Will listen again.

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Sat Aug 28 2021
4

4.0 + This album wins because it’s honest. Liz Phair can’t sing or really play guitar. All she can be is herself and that’s what I hear on this record.

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Wed Sep 01 2021
4

I got into this a year or so after it came out and just loved it a lot, and still give it the occasional listen. Decades after the fact I still think it's very good. The signing is not terribly strong, though in that it's a class in playing to your strengths. And despite being very much a young person's product the lyrics still hold up. Certainly still a landmark of a certain facet of the 90s indie sound.

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Mon Oct 04 2021
4

I like Liz Phair. Makes me feel nostalgic. Wasn't a huge fan back in the day but had many friends who were.

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