Reviews (page 3 of 8)
not my thing
Let rocket og fint nok. men jeg vender sikkert ikke tilbage da det lyder som en lidt dateret udgave af noget som er gjort bedre siden. - Det har sikkert være mere særpræget i 93, end i 26...
Albummet jeg kender fordi jeg ikke kender det. Et hypet album fra min ungdom som jeg aldrig havde hørt om før jeg opdagede folk undre sig over andre folk som ikke kendte det. Mest amerikanere der undrede sig over at europæere ikke kendte det. Det lyder lidt som Sherryl Crow møder PJ Harvey. Det er ret godt med sin low-fi lyd. Men det fanger mig aldrig sådan helt. Måske lyder det lidt for amerikansk. Måske også derfor jeg ikke husker det fra MTV. Tror faktisk slet ikke det blev spillet der.
This was okay. I wasn't in the best mood while listening to it so that may have colored my experience. I might give a few songs another listen soon, but overall it was just fine.
Not for me.
90s gold
Lyrics cut deep. Unconventional, reminiscent of Lou Reed & Iggy in places.
Not that good tbh
good and tolerable! just not my vibe
It's a solid indie rock album with poppy elements by a woman I can't really position. It's nice, but it's not something that will stay in my mind.
Founding mother
Love this LP- subsequent recordings were not so good. This is Liz with a brilliant idea and executing it perfectly
Exceptional
Very surprised at how mediocre this is.
4 ya this slaps
En tästä artistista ollut kuullutkaan ennen tätä. Oli aika valjua materiaalia. Pidin kyllä Liz:n äänestä, tasapaksuudesta huolimatta.
I had never heard of Liz Phair before, and after listening to “Exile in Guysville,” it doesn't seem like I've missed out on much. I'm generally wary of singer-songwriters who accompany themselves on electric guitar but just strum chords. Furthermore, Liz Phair offers neither a particularly expressive voice nor truly catchy songs, and certainly no sophisticated arrangements. “Exile in Guysville” is certainly not a bad album, but I can’t think of many reasons why it should be known worldwide. It’s also telling that the Wikipedia entry is available in only four languages. Liz Phair’s success seems to be a phenomenon limited to America—perhaps she resonated with certain parts of the country music scene. From a European perspective, however, I don’t consider this album particularly relevant.
Not for me, but very Cool low-fi sound, and very determined clear headed writing.
Enjoying more than I thought! Has such a familiar feel despite not having listened to Phair’s work before, which I guess goes to show what an influence she has had!
It's cool when you can directly tell who was influenced by the artist and sound--this album really made me think of Japanese Breakfast. I just know this album got lots of angry heartbroken 20yo girls through some tough times in the mid 90s
I got a few songs in and realized I was actively disliking every song so I stopped.
It sounds normal, a bit melancholic. I wasn't too keen on the vocals, but overall it's okay.
Another one to file under 'Never heard of this, no idea why it's here but I really enjoyed it'. Also another one to file under 'Thought it was just ok on first listen while working, but liked it a lot more on further listen with headphones while listening more closely'. A lot of interesting, stripped-back production and nice guitar touches revealed themselves on closer listening. Reminded me a lot of the more commercial-flavoured Hole and just as much of a righteous potty mouth to go with it.
完全没留下任何印象
Not great, but nit bad either.
Back when music was available only via physical media - expensive CDs/tapes or dubbed cassettes from friends - you were quite limited by cost and whatever your friends had in their collection. If you were smart about it, you could each buy one of the week’s newest alt and indie rock records and then make a copy of whatever your friend bought instead of both owning Stone Temple Pilots. But that ultimately still meant restricting music access to whatever your friends had or you could afford. In my case, the most femme we got was Juliana Hatfield, The Breeders, PJ, or, uh, Sonic Youth. Maybe throw in D’arcy and Kim Deal’s other band, such was the sense of feminism amongst guys genuinely trying to do right by the changing times, but still not nearly enough. As such, things fell through the cracks all the dang time and Liz Phair was maybe number 1 on the most overlooked list. And there she sat for far too long and when I finally got around to her a decade later, all I knew of her was I respected her integrity and clever lyrics, but that she tried reinventing herself as a pop rock star a la a much younger Avril or even somewhat adjacent to the TRL lane, embarrassingly so. Does any of that take away from or even bolster the value of Guyville? Did the thin production and even thinner melodic content ever stand a chance with my tastes? Probably not. I still don’t have a developed opinion about Exile on Main St, let alone enough of one to ostensibly interrogate it with a track-by-track indie rock answer, couched in a female gaze.
Yeah, I'm horny too
I get that some people would love this, but it's just not my kind of stuff.
Laissez faire
Long. Boring. Shit.
Maso
Pop. Kind of had the same dour mood in every song. Not for me.
> the Beatles
I really like the low fi charm of this one. I miss those early 90s days when independently recorded albums were cool. I didn’t know about the Exile on Mainstream connection until now (other than the name of course). I may try to listen to them song for song one day. This one rocks.
It grew on me
I get why this album is important, but coming into this for the first time now means it's lost it's magic USP. I can definitely hear where modern female rockstars got their influences from though!
Not really keen on this lo-fi style and still don't know how to feel about Liz's voice after listening to 18 of her songs. I understand its importance and themes but it's not my thing. Never Said was my fav song and first listen of the album
I can’t think of a better debut album from a 20ish year old female rock artist. Courtney Barnett maybe? Alanis Morrisette I suppose if you count it for rock. I listened to this while traveling through Chicago which kicked ass.
Buen disco. Me ha sorprendido su imagen; pensaba que sería mucho más dura y descuidada.
Pochette choquante! Vraiment une belle découverte après le dernier album décevant. Un bon petit indie rock du début des années 1990. Un mélange de ballades et de chansons somme toute entraînantes. On oscille entre le 3 et le 4, mais je vais mettre un 4 surtout pour l'amélioration par rapport au dernier album.
Her singing voice, especially in the lower regions, is abysmal. And she's doing that a lot on this album. I had a hard time getting through this one.
I've known about Liz Phair since this came out but I've never listened to her. There were a ton of killer albums released in '93 and this one slipped through the cracks. Which is too bad cause this is a really strong lofi indie rock record. I listened through 3 times and it got better every time. Dig the honest lyrics.
I didn't expect this to be so good. Sounds like a mixture of some of my favorite artists: Phoebe Bridgers, Car Seat Headrest, Elliott Smith, Stevie Nicks...
A less famous Sheryl Crow. Remind me why Liz Phair ever made it - is she like hot or something?
First time I heard about this chick. Now I understand why.
I really liked the start of this but it really dragged
I now know more about how the female mind works and what it's like to listen to music from the critical perspective of the other sex
Nothing special
Music of my youth.
Taylor swift could never. Really vibed with this.
Back when she was cool mom rock before she became regular mom rock.
Massive, massive respect to this. Never heard of her somehow. But love artists like Self Esteem who surely have been hugely influenced. Interesting lo fi vibe that I quite like but didn't seem to all fit as cohesively as a whole as I'd hope for. Lyrically very clever and important though.
mi piace molto la sua voce delicatamente rotta, non ricordo benissimo ma ieri credo di aver pensato che la mia traccia preferita fosse …dance of the seven veils. certo tutto l’album ascoltato di fila ad un certo punto pesa un po’, però direi che è un 3,5
Non l’ho finito ma mi sembra un buon album pop rock anni 90
I wanted to like it more
I like the cover and the music itself is decent 90s alternative rock that giving me some nice nostalgic chills but I could come up with at least 1001 albums that deserve to be on this list instead of this one. Also not sure why people call this lo-fi, 'cause it sounds rather well produced compared to anything I consider lo-fi.
i can feel my femcel senses tingling! songwriting was great of course, liz really knows how to relate with her lyricism, but the instrumentals still left something to be desired
Not for me, but a fine listen.
I was surprised how much I dug this. Reminded me of Jeff Buckley's posthumous Sketches for My Sweetheart. 4 - a great album even among this list
There's a surprising amount of people who choose "Liz Phair no good/Exile in Guyville overrated" as their hill to die on, and I'm happy to leave them there. Maybe I'll find out that it's generational. But I know that if someone says this album is boring, they have no idea how different and exciting it was when it came out. Barely a band, but it's not folk. It's not punk, but also feels DIY. At the time, it felt like totally different sound, a totally new voice. This was a year before Elliot Smith. I haven't listened to it in probably 15 years or more, but it still sounds pretty fresh to me. It was definitely a good listen. I don't find a whole lot of sameness, there's surprises over and over. It's juvenile and mature. Highs: Help Me Mary, F&R, Divorce Song, Stratford-on-Guy. New Appreciation: If I remember correctly, "Dance of the Seven Veils" was the low point for me in the past. Weird chord progressions, a little disjointed melodically and lyrically. And Girls! Girls! Girls! didn't used to feel substantial. But I enjoyed them on today's listens. 5/5
I’m a straight white man who married his high school girlfriend and we live in the suburbs with two kids. But we won’t get along unless you can comfortably sing along to “Fuck and Run.” Whether you take it literally or not, if you have anything in your life about which you can say “even when I was seventeen, even when I was twelve” … welcome home. I’ve been listening to this album for decades (not since I was 12, alas) and I am still learning from its stories, its perversity, its understatement, its honesty. Maybe I’ll find something more to say to honor it, but I doubt it — maybe if I report back in another decade.
An all-time album and probably my all-time musician crush. I really think Liz and I would have a lot in common, tbh. Except that I can't play guitar and have no discernible talents.
It gets better after a few listens. I Think I’m going to put it on now and then. I like the idea of writimg each song as a counterpart to Exile on Main Street
if living with privilage is a crime than ill be on death row tomorrow due to how im unable to detect sexism and never have been dealt with shitty men in my life. jarvis cocker will be my excutioner cause he once said "you'll never live like common people". also i will eventually say that "exile on main st. is better" at one point cause hey, i own that album on cd! sadly i havent listened to it in whole since i acquired it during my classical rock phase. anyway, one of my favourite critics on rym have said that guyville looks like an album that talks about how liz phair is putting on her rocker persona for the attention of men. but then he changed topic and said "well actually men also do that for the attention of women like look at all the manosphere influencers" and arrived at his final theory that guyville is about the shared experience between sexes, the experience of "disgust with the things one has to do when one is disgusted with oneself, and disgust with the parts of life that make one disgusted with oneself. Those being: the impulse we learn, often from an early age, to judge ourselves, in anticipation of the imagined judgement of others", to quote his words. and that just made me want to listen to guyville less. but still i brute forced myself through this via the sheer will to live, and guess what? he is actually right! there are songs that shows vaguly feminist themes but more of the time there is a light wave of dissatisfaction and disgustion covered around here, its not that type of "wake up and ruin the fucked up society" album but is instead just "frustrated". i like it but now, as i have been blocked by some really stupid radical feminists and gets really triggered by the whole topic andnow ive finished this, let us all raise a cup, to life! 4/5
Que disco surpreendente! Letras engajadas mas irônicas. O som é um low-fi/ pop-rock alternativo de ótima qualidade. Gostei dos vocais. CVJ Aria.
Of the strong female singer songwriters of that era, I’d rather listen to Tori Amos or Ani DiFranco. This had it’s moments, and I could see listening to it again, but I’m not convinced that it deserves the accolades it’s received.
I really liked it
Pretty boring, not my thing
I dunno, there might be something there, I can see this connecting with people, but not me.
Started this album and thought, “I like the music, but she’s not a very good singer.” As the album went on, the music continued to be consistently good, and her voice started to grow on me. In the end, this nearly joined the 5-star club, but fell just short. Maybe it’s because her voice can still be a little irksome at times, but in general this is a great album. It earns my highest 4/5.
I've never been a big fan of her voice, but the songs are legit. Soap Star Joe stood out. 3/5
Dit? Dit? Echt dit album? Moet je dit echt horen voor je doodgaat? Het grootste deel van de tijd klinkt het alsof Liz er zelf ook niet echt zin in heeft, de muziek is vrij matig en ik kan me er gewoon niet aan het idee onttrekken dat dit zo'n artiest is waar iedereen in dat jaar helemaal leip van was en daarna nooit meer echt wat van heeft gehoord. Het is niet perse slecht ofzo, maar het is gewoon ontzettend nietszeggend. De zang is vrij matig en ik kan nou niet echt enthousiast worden van een simpele akoestische gitaar voor een volledig album. Ik geloof dat ik wel eens van Liz Phair heb gehoord en dat ze een indie darling is, maar ik hoor het hier niet helemaal in. Misschien is de songwriting fantastisch, maar het is lastig er op te focussen als de muziek gewoon niet zo goed is. Nee, dit is niet een album waar ik gelukkig van word, of blij van word dat ik het heb gehoord voordat ik dood ben gegaan. FAVO: Het klonk allemaal een beetje hetzelfde eerlijk gezegd.
Just really bad
Mixed feelings, liked a bunch but too many that were meh. Faves were Never Said Nothing, mesmerizing, F and Run.
2/18/26 - Listened during work. Probably would have loved this when I was in high school or college. Definitely feel early Death Cab for Cutie was inspired by this album. Best Song - Never Said
The raw emotion and vulnerability here is breathtaking. Her guitar work is really interesting. I had to roll my eyes at all the reviews here saying she "can't sing." Perhaps her vocal style is an acquired taste that some may never acquire, but if you actually listen to this album, there are multiple moments when she gets out of the slacker mumble-tone and it's pretty clear that she can sing.
Nope. Another non-singer.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/liz-phair/exile-in-guyville/ Oh but this is nice! I was kinda expecting the overproduced Alanis Morissette 90s rock, but this is a lot more alternative than that. A bit too long, but I can see myself listening to this more and liking it more too.
She's trying to be edgy but listening in 2026 it's pretty cringe. I don't know. Not really for me. 3/10
Weird to think that this album is (slightly) older than you guys. Curious to know whether either of you were already familiar with it (and also what you make of it). When it came out, it was BIG, especially in the Chicago area, since it was at the forefront of the 90s Wicker Park scene, when Wicker Park was the epicenter of coolness (or at least thought it was, lol) - a lot of indie music came out of there (or with connections there) then, and achieved a fair amount of success, probably not matched since, in the Chicago area. Before I forget, I just noticed that the video for "Never Said" (track 5) was filmed at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Trying to think of which of the 19 (!) tracks stands out, I'd probably (without thinking about it too much) choose that track, plus Fuck and Run, and Stratford-on-Guy. Feels more difficult than usual to rate this one, but I guess I'll choose 4 (rather than 3). Not something I'd choose to listen to a lot, but every once in a long while it's just the thing -- but maybe this is partly (and this wouldn't apply to you two) as a landmark of a certain time in my life. Also, though, I think the album has an impressive overall cohesiveness; the flip side of this, I suppose, is that (you could argue that) after a while, the songs start to sort of sound the same, and blur together. Still, I'm sticking with 4 stars, for an album that's a good way to spend an hour (every once in a while), plus, for me, a milepost from a certain time in my life, just before my sons came along :)
While it's not a genre that I typically enjoy, I did appreciate the playfully layered vocals and despondent harmonies. Musically it just doesn't do much for me. I imagine you need to have a strong emotional connection with it. Some of the lyrics were evocative and it's nice to have a female vocalist for a change in timbre and artistic perspective not my cupa tea init
Manages to embody classic rock tropes while being super weird and abstract at the same time
Aika perus ysäri alt rokkia. Ehkä hiukan indiempää, mutta vähän sellaista Alanette Morris tyylistä. Keskiverto levy. Parhaat: Canary (ainoo mikä jäi erityisemmin mieleen)
Some good some total crap Amricana pianos and guitar talking ok i did not die
I never really listened to Liz Phair in the 90s but I thought it was good. I found it interesting how chord-wise the songs were complex but as far as instrumental arrangements they were fairly simple. It was a nice contrast that made engaging songs.
Very Veruca Salt or The Breeders coded. I love the feminist message behind the songs. A really long album, but the songs are fairly short. Lowkey she seems like such a diva ! She has such a unique voice, it’s really nice to listen to. Fav song is ‘Never Said’.
Nice - as in "pleasant enough", not as in "awsome". 3/5
Not the best singer but I do enjoy the lyrics. Hit hard if you’re listening. The albums built very strong and the story is what gets me. Realistically a 3.5 but defintley closer to 4 than 3.
90's lo-fi rock? I'll pass, thanks.
🦷
Better lyrics than sound
Love the range. Glory was sexy and strange, Explain To Me sad and sweet. The intro on Shatter is some of the best guitar I've heard in a while, and Gunshy perfectly encapsulates all of the album's offerings. Also Flower made me seriously LOL
Wanted to love this more than I did, but still a good listen.
I was ready to die on this hill, but it wasn’t all there
i think this is my version of what Dana hears when i turn on Saves the Day
I don't think I really got this album. It was lofi, which I'm cool with, and I generally like Liz Phair's music, but I guess it's mostly her later stuff, because I didn't hear a single track on this album that stuck out at me as good music. They all kinda sounded like ideas she recorded in her bedroom as a starter track for making her album one day. I listened to it twice just to make sure I didn't miss anything and I still don't remember a single track, except Blowjob Queen, which I've known and listened to for a long time, and always found interesting, but not particularly enjoyable to listen to, mainly because of its odd arrangement and alien-sounding vibes. Two stars.
Legit interesting album. I wish she had the vocals to back up the content. 3.
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
It's a mid pop-rock album, pleasant, nothing inoffensive, but a bit boring overall. Will I ever relisten it? Probably no.
Yeah this was good fun. A few standout tracks and a few that just sound very of its time.
What a great listen. One of those albums from before you were born, that you’ve seen on all the “best of” lists but you don’t take the time to listen to until you wind up doing this silly project. I found this album to be funny, moving, catchy, and ambitious, sometimes all at once. I won’t say that every track hit me with equal power but I appreciated its range, from short and quippy tunes to long, experimental jams. The lyrics likewise covered a lot of ground, from Greek mythology to fellatio and much in between. I will definitely be returning to this record, but on first listen, my favorite tracks were “Soap Star Joe” and “Mesmerizing.”
At first I thought "eh" but that's why I read the wiki. Cool project that seemed to get more enjoyable as it went on. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first, but perhaps that's when I was turned on to the album's true essence. A talented artist in songwriting, singing and guitar playing. I enjoyed my listen but the likelihood of another is slim. 3.5 rounded down
It seems to be a lyrics first type of album, and the music didn't grab me. Meh.
Feels mid, felt almost like AI slop, is this what they fed the machine? There was some cool bits I enjoyed more towards the tail end of the album, but for me it felt a bit boring. 2.0/5.0 Best Song: Johnny Sunshine
Really mid, i've heard so many people rave about this album but i just don't get it? It wasn't bad, but i am never going to rush to listen to it again.
Quite a surprise, this album, a solid 5 from me ;-)
Good album- reminds me a bit of cat power?
It was a big part of Oberlin lore that Liz Phair hated her time there as a student and refuses to ever come back and play a show. I liked my time there fine, but this story really makes me respect her as an artist. Mesmerizing absolutely rocks.
Love this record, especially F**k and Run. Sorry I never listened to her before now
Very edgy, I like the raw guitar that you can hear throughout the tracks. It sounds like something that would accompany a Gilmore Girls episode or on the 10 Things I Hate About You movie. I added a couple songs and can appreciate the authentic experience being conveyed
3- Stars (7/15)
gasped out loud at a few of the lines on this, i don't think the singer-songwriting girls of today would ever be so bold and daring. this is confessional in a way that makes anything less look like phony posturing. she had her heart and her pussy on her sleeve (complimentary)
finally something GOOD!!!!!! this was so fun and i love the lyrics and i see why the 00s was for the alt girlies!!!!! i'm feeling her vibe
When to listen: after a breakup.
Exactly my thing.
I enjoyed this!
There's a lot you can talk about with this one but in particular I want to talk about how great that guitar sounds. She never really changes that part up, and yet it works equally well with the uptempo rockers, the slower stuff, and even the weird experimental bits! It's an absolute must-hear, for sure!
After a detour into synthesisers, this was a welcome return to guitar-driven music. The opening track, '6'1', kicks off with a decent riff and sets a promising tone. The concept behind the album—a track-by-track response to the Rolling Stones—is intellectually interesting and adds a layer of depth to the listen. However, while it is a perfectly fine rock album with a raw, lo-fi charm, it ultimately felt 'ok' rather than essential. It lacks the sonic punch and big hooks of the stadium rock I prefer. A solid listen for a Wednesday, but not one I'll be rushing to put on repeat.
Truly my first disappointment - I lit up when I saw this after hearing so much about it, but I just can't do the whole "Bored indifferent Gen X'er" thing
It is very good, but also extremely easy to ignore. I've had this album since it came out and every listen I have to force myself to focus on it; I enjoy it when I do, but it often just becomes musical wallpaper.
I gotta stop listening to these albums in the gym just because they’re so unpredictable. I probably would enjoyed this more if I was on a long road trip after a break up or if I was in love, angry, turned on, or annoyed by a man.
This was great. Another album that I should have heard but hadn’t.
i wanted to like this more than i did.
Neem Courtney Love en maak de boel wat milder door een flinke scheut 2004 Ashlee Simpson aan toe te voegen en stuur het mengsel vervolgens naar een soort gecombineerde muziek- en theateropleiding en dan krijg je ongeveer dit. 18 nummers is een beetje veel, maar over het algemeen kan ik me hier geen bult aan vallen. De wat drukkere nummers, om maar even als een boomer te klinken, bevallen me wel een stuk beter dan de rustigere zeiknummers. Over dit album moeten we niet te dramatisch doen. Gewoon een drietje wat mij betreft. Of een twee als je heel zuur bent. Of een één als je er niet tegen kunt dat vrouwen ook succesvol kunnen zijn ;)
This was interesting. Has one of those coffeehouse 90s alt vibes that reminds me of growing up. The contents itself are all pretty interesting, but if I were to conceptualize this it is like an acoustic Courtney Love (though there's a chance this person hates Courtney Love, idk)
Bleh. .7
This is ok. Why did it get so much praise though?
Len Houmous once branded Liz UN-Phair after she cheated at monopoly when she was supporting Houmous & Chutney on their 1989 World Tour. You don’t cross Len about Free Parking. 2.0 3/18 Glory
What a shit album. Just absolute hot garbage. I’m convinced that Liz Phair got noticed simply because she was this alternative figure in a time where we wanted more Kurt Cobains and Courtney Loves. So many artists got signed because of the Nirvana era in the 90s. And a lot of those bands needed to vetted. Liz Phair is one of those artists. Such lack luster songs. Such a waste of time. Next.
Jesus christ generic ass
A very minimalist Lucinda Williams/Hole sound, with very forward lyrics. I was pleasantly surprised by this album.
1/5
It's Liz Phair, obviously it's great. End of review.
Not sure how it's never heard of Liz Phair before, as she's very much in the same area as artists I'm a fan of like Ani DiFranco and Jill Sobule. I enjoyed this and immediately listened to a couple more of her albums.
Peak. Flera låtar jag kommer börja lyssna på om repeat och visste inte ens vad artisten var innan. Hade vart ännu bättre på svenska men fortfarande
Very ‘90s. Very angsty.
Enjoyed the album, but not in the regular rotation.
Not always a huge fan of her voice, but I found plenty to like here, in lyrics and music. 6/10 Pretty Good
I like the alt-indie sound, however for me it needs cutting down a bit.
Shoe gaze rock that feels very 90s … in a good way! 4/5
Plenty of attitude, nice raw sound and loads of great ideas. A bit long and sprawling.
I imagine in many ways this sits more comfortably now than it would have in 1993. Reading reviews from closer to the time, I find many of them are boorish and some downright sexist. Men really weren’t used to listening to women musicians, maybe women generally. Liz Phair has an interesting voice you don’t hear too often which takes songs to places that a more polished performance wouldn’t be capable of. The songwriting is solid and most importantly an active effort has been made to not overcook anything. In the best possible way it sounds like a bunch of impulsive demos that capture the original energy and intent of the songs. Anything more and you’d lose the focus on the narrative Phair is stringing across the record. At some points the lyrics are compelling and at others genuinely shocking, all centering around her insecurities and the harm inflicted on her by various guys. I can’t really think of an obvious comparison. It's not quite Elliott Smith, not quite Alanis Morissette. It's its own thing.
Liz Phair gets a high 3 from me, I enjoyed the lyrics throughout and the general vibe a lot but it was quite long and only about half of it really got to me
Quite horny
All over the place structurally but does get better as it goes along.
Pfffffff - 1.5/5
Smart lo-fi indie rock album with a strong collection of songs. Phair's vocal and arrangements are simple and effective making this worth the listen.
Wonderful 90’s pop rock. Forget the Exile on main st comparisons and just enjoy.
This album was very boring to me, every song sounded the same and the style just isn’t for me. I’m not sure how some people ranked it the best album of 1993, but I guess people just have different taste than I do.
turning in my woman card i guess because geez this was not good. i'm a little bewildered by the opinions that this is a great rock album or even contains particularly strong feminist themes. it doesn't help that i find her singing to be very offputting, but to me this is.... very second wave if anything. it's very cis, it's very het, it's very white, and very middle class. i don't know how else to put it. a stepping stone of the times but listening to it today it's not exactly pleasant.
The only Liz Phair album I have ever listened to all the way before this is Funstyle, and I kept it that way for the longest time because I thought that was a really funny thing to do. If you haven't heard any of the songs on that album, listen to "bollywood" and try not to die laughing. So needless to say its pretty hard for me to take her seriously. I get why this album was such a big thing, but part of me feels like that's more due to the messaging of the album and its writing then... How the album actually sounds or is. This is one overly long, inconsistent mess of an album. When it's good it typifies the feminist singer-songwriter indie styles of the 90s, but when it's bad it is a slog. I don't want to dismissively call this "white feminism music," but when some of the songs came from mixtapes with names like "Yo Yo Buddy Yup Yup Word to Ya Muthuh" its hard not to cringe a little.
More boring Alanis Morisette
???
Ahead of its time yet also boring and bland.
Top 5 album for me.
I had never actually listened to this whole album. When I went to it on Spotify, I found I had already liked one song (Fuck and Run) but don't remember when or why I had heard that one before. I listened to this 3 times in a row. I definitely hear other artists that have some similarities - like The Waitresses (singing style mostly, prior to this), and PJ Harvey (contemporary to this, I think), and Poe (after this). This album is way too long - 18 songs. She could have dropped about 8 of these songs and had a much better album. I found myself actually liking a bunch of songs in the middle - they were much more interesting - Explain it to Me, Canary, Mesmerizing, Shatter, and Flower. These ones have a cool vibe that makes them stand out. So I ended up liking 6 songs total out of 18. Six songs on a shorter album would be a very good showing but since there are so many other less good songs it makes it a lot of work to find the good nuggets. Liked songs on Spotify: 6/18 Rating: 2/5
Personal opinion but I can’t stand the 90’s alternative genre style of song writing or singing. I don’t think Liz can sing well and the songwriting plays more pretentious than deep
wow, I didn’t read anything about this before listening and it is so mesmerising, powerful and shows complex emotions It’s also nice listening to a album written by a women she shows so many different sides and stories Also like this melodic rocky sound which I enjoyed
This is ass Bad vocals and just some guitar strumming accompanying? If it's some cool response to something, it could've just as well been good music. 1/5
I used to have the cassette of this because 'Canary' & 'Mesmerising' piqued my interest first time I heard them. I recorded it to see if I wanted to buy it on CD. Listening now the songs are all still really familiar, apart from the last three, I guess it was a C90 cassette. I did not buy it on CD.
“The fire you like so much in me Is the mark of someone adamantly free But you can't stop yourself from wanting worse 'Cause nothing feeds a hunger like a thirst.“ – from “Strange Loop” Before Jagged Little Pill, there was Exile in Guyville. Liz Phair manages to be cool, sexy, and alternative throughout this album, all while managing to put out a record that sounds as fresh in 2026 as it did in 1993. Though not every song lands, there’s a lot of good material in this album, and some parts that are excellent.
2.2
Vocals are terrible, music is forgettable, and I didn't find the lyrics to be that good either.
I've heard of this artist for years, but never listened to her music. I left the country the year this album came out and so missed it. What a treat to "discover" this album more than 30 years late! Definitely the kind of music I like--rough around the edges, great voice.
I have never heard of Liz Phair and with good reason. This is awful and does not deserve to be on this list.
Incredibly frank.
Great. Indie low-fi rock. Woman's perspective blunt. The guitar riffs and song structures are interesting.
This is background music. I’m not going to give it more stars just because she swears.
mehhh interesting but too long
Really liked the sound. This was fun.
She was a sensation when this one came out, saw her in a small theater in Chicago shortly after this one was released .Nice record
Didn’t like it
like it. an odd one where I think I might appreciate it more if it wasn't similar to some of my very favourite music. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
What a treat. I didn’t know this was a sorta janky bedroom sounding recording, I guess I assumed because of the time it came out that it would be slick and produced. Liked this a lot, a definite go-again after I’m done this list.
I can see why this album was quite the craze when it released, offering a refreshing perspective on the industry. The writing is brash and intrepid, i like it. Overall I didn't vibe with most of the tracks, Gunshy was lowkey the standout for me.
I could see the more socially conservative middle Americans being shocked and awed by this, hence it's continuing glowing praise. But it just sounds like a much lesser PJ Harvey. 3*
This is a rare instance of me seeing your review before writing mine. I don’t have much to add, even though I have listened to Exile In Guyville many more than three times. I wouldn’t dare compare anything to The Holy Bible. Phair dares us to compare it to Exile on Main Street, but I won’t take the bait. 90s rock critics would compare it to other female alternative rock artists, because they didn’t have the imagination. The most interesting comparison, I think, is to Eurythmics’ 1987 Savage, where Annie Lennox utilises a similar oppositional structure, taking male rock cliches and subverting them. While Phair is more upfront about that with her title, I feel that it is much less of an intellectual exercise for her than for Lennox. More importantly, I think that take the oppositional stance does not result in binary opposites. The work of these two women are vastly different and diverge from their source targets in very different individually specific ways. I don’t know that the specific, individual charm of Phair extends past this one album, but what an album it is, warranting many listens. 4 This gets better every time I listen to it - the first time I can say that since this was only my third time. I finally unpacked my CDs at the weekend, having acquired a nice new 12 rank cd tower into which to stuff my top ranks. Exile in Guyville went straight from rank 11 - the little wooden stand that I bought from that business enterprise club that you were in in school - up to rank 7! …or so. Truthfully the ranks have changed a bit. The new (fixed) tower takes fewer CDs per rank than the rotating tower did. So 7 is actually higher than it sounds. Liz Phair’s isn’t difficult songwriting to appreciate. Striking lyrics - jaded in tone but amusing and colourful. Subtly tricky, counter-intuitive melodies. All apparent on my first couple of listens a few years ago. Why didn’t I return? I suppose I never found myself in the mood. That there might be a prerequisite mood is a credit to the album all the same. I am never in the mood for The Holy Bible either - though I am entirely absorbed by it every time something prompts me to listen to any particular track. Exile in Guyville probably isn’t that good. Probably. Give me another 5 years and another couple of listens and I’ll know for sure. 3.5/5
I feel like this album could have been shorter, it got a bit monotonous with her vocal delivery at times. But overall it is a seminal album that spoke to the female of a certain age experience at that time so I’ll always appreciate it.
Entspannt
Overall Rating: 6/10 Andere Anmerkungen: entspannt
Tragically, this is not for me. I feel like it *should* be based on who I am as a person but I just don’t vibe with it.
I liked it! I thought I wouldn't as much as I did. She rocked. Flower is an insane song holy mackerel. Not in the musical sense. I think one of these has potential to be an earworm but I didn't quite find it, liked the first track but the featureds didn't do it for me.
This one surprised me in a good way. It has that rough post punk sound and honestly reminded me a lot of Courtney Love, in terms of attitude and delivery. There is a rawness here that feels intentional and confident. Eighteen songs in fifty five minutes gives it that punk rock pace where things move fast and rarely overstay their welcome. Mesmerizing, Fuck and Run, and Divorce Song were the clear standouts for me and really carried the album. Favorite song: Mesmerizing
2.5 I do appreciate the force she was back on the day but just wasn’t my vibe…at least the day I was listening
Not for me! 1
Really didn’t like this at the start, felt very generic 90s American indie rock and I thought the melodies lacked complexity. It did grow on me and by Explain It to Me I could give it two stars, but definitely not more. Whenever I see the phrase “released to critical acclaim” I shiver with horror, and this is a good example of why.
Back side of the album really loses me
Beautifully grungy. Had never heard of Liz Phair but this album checked all the right boxes for me.
I've already been a huge fan of this album. Was the first time I considered anything from a feminist perspective.
Oh dang! Didn't think I was gonna like this one, but I worked out pretty quickly that this was going to be a 5. I've listened to a few albums on here that have made me uncomfortable because of some of the more explicit content, and that's true of this one as well... The difference is that unlike Alex Harvey, Ian Dury or Dr. Dre, Liz Phair is being clever and confrontational. Where other albums got overtly sexual because horny, "funny" or braggadocious, Exile In Guyville is doing it subversively in a way that highlights sexualisation and goes full feminist on its ass. "Flower" in particular made me squirm, and really made me stop and think about some of the things men say about women in their music. Deeply uncomfortable to listen to, and that's exactly the point. I now have a problem: I was intending on trying to collect vinyl copies of all the albums I give a 5 to, so I can listen to them and enjoy them... and now for the sheer songwriting and artistry I'm going to have to get a copy of an album that made me feel gross, and that I definitely can't put on around my kids! For real though, this album went hard even when you take the lyrics out - musically it's full of bangers. I'm not even mad, this was an experience!
sings very off
3/5
Blind album and artist. Not for me personally. Dont know why but I just couldn't get into it and I wanted it to be over by the end.
This is an exceptional sounding record. The production is consistently excellent throughout. The artistry is also consistent, without sounding same-y. The writing and vocals don’t really speak to me. I’m certainly not the target audience. But a very enjoyable, pleasant listen.
Drab music with the most boring version of the sounds of 90s alt rock: stripped back, lo fi, basic chords strummed at a medium pace - it all just sounds gray and overcast. That's the mood she's going for and she achieves it well, it's a long slog through 18 lyric centered lovesick bitterly let down songs. Tedious.
Chill album. I enjoyed it. 6/10 Favorite Tracks- “Square” “Broke” “Life”
enjoyable story line
Gæren dame
Raw, unvarnished grooves built from dry, slightly grimy guitars, unfussy bass lines, steady but unpolished drums, and vocals delivered with a plainspoken, cutting directness move this indie rock album like a late-night streetlight flickering over cracked pavement. Try not to trip while walking on.
Too long. I think I got it in the first 3 songs, and there were 15 more. 2/5
Not aware of Liz Phair previously. Enjoyed it a lot. i liked the lofi guitar / vocals and caustic nature of the songs. Not one to play in front of the kids. Alot of the reviews on the platform slate her singing - but that was one of the high lights for me.
Exit in Guyville This reminded me a little of Teenager of the Year, perhaps not as scuzzy, but with some of the same lo-fi alt indie rock feel, the sense of a singular person behind it, and in the number of tracks. Although Frank Black is possibly a better tunesmith, I think this feels more successful to me than Teenager of the Year. She’s an excellent lyricist, and the varied viewpoints and attitudes, ranging from sneering, to heartfelt, to angry, to caustic, to funny around the connected themes of sexual politics and relationships is great (and blow jobs). That’s not to say there’s nothing catchy on here - 6’1”, Never Said, Mesmerising, Fuck and Run, Flower, Johnny Sunshine are all great melodies, from classic lo fi pop to slightly odd and off kilter. It’s also an album that gets better on repeat listens, when you can digest everything, and there are songs like Glory, Soap Star Joe, Canary, Shatter or Gunshy that I didn’t really notice the first time around. Occasionally it does drift into standard-ish alt-rock, but even when it does like on Dance of the Seven Veils, there’s always a great line or two; I only ask because I’m a real cunt in Spring. I haven’t listened to Exile on Main Street side by side with it, but I like the idea of it, although I would presume its more of a feels and vibes match up, as lyrically and musically they don’t seem like they are direct responses. I’m keen to give this more listens, as I think it will improve further, but for the moment I’ll go with a solid 4. 🚶🚶🚶🚶 Playlist submission: Fuck and Run
I don't know what passed as a passport photo in 1993 but these days that album cover is not ticking any boxes. It says a lot about someone if they can sound like Sheryl Crow and PJ Harvey simultaneously. 'Help Me Mary' is particularly corvine. It's a double album and one must always call in to question if any double album merits its length - especially when the aesthetic is a homemade one. Even over the last quarter though it keeps throwing up great tunes like 'Johnny Sunshine'. A marvelous two-chord, monotone lamentation. Or 'Shatter' with which you can just drift off without it being as actively enjoyable as the bangers on here. Or 'Stratford-on-Guy', a later album highlight; and 'Strange Loop' as catchy as any 80s R.E.M. track. They say this is an important album for its social commentary through a gender-lens, sexuality, and empowerment. I don't know about any of that, but this bitch can write a tune. A marvelous album.
I don't listen to lyrics, so I can't say anything about that. The music is all quite dreamy and not bad, but also not great. Liz is not a bad guitar player, but here singing is where she lost me.
Excellent 4.5/5
Seems I am not the best audience for this one. Can live without it.
reminds me of Hole yet somehow sounds insufferable to me
Forgot how great this record is!
1.5/5
I found this enjoyable. A bit grungey and somewhat lo-fi. Quite explicit lyrically, and seems searingly honest. Good stuff
Sounds a lot like Hole. Didn’t wow me that much.
Every time I listen to this album, I’m reminded that it isn’t as screamy as the cover would make you think. I get why Gen X got so excited about this one but the edge is worn off a bit.
Liz is masterful here. Some really catchy tunes.
Too edgy, too monotonous, too long
Dunno if it's cos I've not listened to albums for a while but I swear I'm enjoying everything atm... this one was a bit different and I really liked it.
I didn’t like it. I feel there was a lot going on I missed but I just didn’t care to explore that.
6' 1" Never Said Fuck and Run Divorce Run
Thoughts before listening: This album really has persisted as a critical favorite for a long time. I often see it making the top of best albums of the 90s lists and from time to time even sneaking into all-time album lists. I don't know that I really think it deserves all that praise although its not bad. "F and Run" is a good tune, and I think I know a few more like "Divorce Song", but otherwise I have never really been overly blown away by this album. Review: Yeah this is a singer-songwriter album for the 90s alt and indie rock scene. Its sexually explicit and emotionally raw bedroom pop rock that is delivered from the female perspective. Some songs are really good and others are a little too lo-fi for my ears. In addition to the songs I called out previously I am also enjoying "Never Said". This is undeniably a "cool" album, especially for people like me who came of age in the 90s, but something just doesn't quite click for me. I'll add the good songs to my playlist and give this 3-stars.
One of my all-time favorites! Liz is a queen.
Not my thing. Just nothing about these appeals, it's inoffensive musically and is removed from any genre I like.
Muito bom!! Isso sim faz valer a pena fazer esse projeto quando vc acha uma coisa legal igual essa cantora e esse album!!
not my kinda thing
Lyrically very interesting but tonally not so much. This means a lot to a lot of people but in the words of ultravox this means nothing to me.
No standouts
Not crazy about her sound and music.
Saw a Stones IMAX concert film from ‘91 today. That shit rocked. So does this album which is notably inspired by the Stones’ Exile on Main St.
Yeah, nothing really spectacular or unique here. Not sure what makes this remarkable. It’s like crap pub rock or busking. I’d never heard of her before getting this album, and there’s a reason for that.
Fun! ★★★★
I've never heard of Liz Phair before, but she seems like a singer-songwriter type based on this album. The music itself isn't quite my taste. Perhaps an uneducated opinion, but she kinda sounded to me like Taylor Swift if she leaned slightly more punk instead of country or pop, and there wasn't enough variation in instrumentation or complexity going from one song to the next to keep me invested, unfortunately.
No private session used for Spotify. I have listened to this album quite a bit over the past few decades, listened it to it three times today since it came up. I like how it has some 90s rock, but some indy and moody mixed in. Some raunchy lyrics without coming across as juvenile.
Not for me
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Mesmerizing, Flower, Fuck and Run This album was... hypersexual, but like in an authentic kind of way? Singing about wanting a normal boyfriend or relationship. Getting ravenously turned on in normal sorts of ways by normal things. Female sexual escapades. There's a little bit of everything (sexual) going on. I get a lot of Smashing Pumpkins vibes, though without the cryptic, esoteric lyricism that's normal present in Billy Corgan's songs. Very early 90s grungy, stripped down alt-rock. And then on a couple of songs, like Mesmerizing, there are some really good guitar licks going on.
Never heard about this
If instead of being negative seven-eight years old when this album was being recorded I'd had the chance to weigh in on the production I would have begged Liz Phair to transpose every song up by a major third—for her own sake, because some of the vocals here sound downright painful, and also selfishly so that I + the thousands of other women these songs have spoken to over the decades could have an easier time singing along with them—but that's literally the only change I'd ever ask for. Truly an incredible record. The kind of emotional range you have to have as an artist to pull off both "Shatter" and "Flower" with a convincing air of authenticity, not only on the same album but BACK TO BACK... and this is not even touching the masterpiece that is "Divorce Song" just one track earlier... I could and have listened to this album all day long. Thanks for everything, Liz <3
A bit melancholy, and a bit lovely. Not too bad.
Her voice is unspectacular, but I loved this album anyway, because it's the feminist 90s scene plus her lyrics and music style are great.
I like the instrumentation but some of the singing structure was off
Decent find
I had to stop the first song because I decided Liz couldn’t sing and this would be a painful experience. I then remembered how many articles ranked this album highly over the years and decided to soldier on. The album got better for me but I still don’t think Liz is a great singer. At least my or in this album. She sounds tired and disinterested a lot of the time. It didn’t speak to me but I think it wasn’t meant to/
For many years I’ve heard all the lore behind this album and what it means. But this was my full first listen through. For me, it’s a very middle of the road album. I can see why in 1993 this album hit so many people over the head. She’s definitely a pioneer and opened the door for many more women to make rock music with raw lyrics. Overall, I think my biggest beef with this album is the vocals. Very dry and monotone. Some tracks it works (i.e. Divorce Song and Never Said). I feel like this is an album that gets better with more spins. But on initial listen, it’s cool. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, but I liked it. 3.50
Perfectly listenable but didn’t wow me. Since it was on the riot grrl playlist I was expecting more alt-rock, rather than the singer-songwriter vibe. Not bad
A bit low-Fi for my tastes. Guitar work on “Mesmerizing” was really enjoyable and there was a couple other songs I enjoyed. Probably won’t be coming back to this much which is why it gets a 3.
One of the greatest albums ever recorded.
This definitely requires multiple listens because getting through this was a challenge. It wasn't even bad. I could not for the life of me stay engaged with this the entire way. This was all a pyrrhic victory. Her unfiltered honesty resonates with many but it does nothing for me. 2.75/5
I really liked parts of what I heard, but it was a bad day for me to listen to it. I might revisit this when I'm in a better headspace.
I’m not a big fan of Liz Phair. The only song I’ve ever really liked of hers was her song from the early 2000’s called Why Can’t I, which everyone called her sell out song. I only knew Never Said on this album. The songs were short, but there were a lot of songs.
Very meh. Not for me
Thrilled when this popped up this morning. Just a pleasure to listen to a perfect album. Frank, unsparing, catchy. One of my desert album islands. I love it start to finish. Top tracks: Fuck and Run (one of my favorite songs of all time), 6’1, Help Me Mary, Divorce Song, Flower, Never Said
Another artist I had not heard of and a progenitor to Alanis Morissette was an interesting discovery.
Little too long for my liking, but I love her energy.
4 stars 90s female singer songwriters are a soft spot for me since my first musical love was Alanis Morrisette. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Alanis listened to Exile in Guyville, even though it’s not really similar sounding and generally poppier. I first heard this album in 2017 when I was looking for break up albums to mope to. This didn’t quite fit the brief, but was enjoyable and I took note. I enjoyed what I listened to, but I don’t know that I have the full album a complete listen front to back. In doing so for this project my initial reaction was that it was enjoyable and light. But I found myself wanting to give it a second listen right when it finished, which is a good sign. I listened more intently and appreciated it more. Each song is well written and unique. There is a lot of character in it. It flows well, and the songs have an emotional impact. I will continue to listen and it may grow on my list.
Not everyone needs to make an album.
Ett alldeles för långt album som jag verkligen borde lyssnat på när jag var sexton
Voice. Bad. Tried to enjoy it but nope.
No, sir, I don't like it. I have this weird thing about wanting singers to actually have good voices. At least she admitted stealing that lighter. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
Listenable
Love me some 90’s chick rock. Personally, I’d take Alanis, Veruca Salt, The Breeders, or Natalie Merchant with or without the 10,000 Maniacs, but I liked this too. 3.5⭐️
I understand it's probably pretty important in the grand scheme of things: a female solo indie rock artist in the early 90s.....but it really did nothing for me.
Hating Liz Phair makes me feel in league with the Guys of Guyville but ... I have given this album a lot of chances and I simply don't like it. 1.5
this feels like such an insane pick from liz phair's catalogue. most of it is so bland
I like a good chunk of the back half of this album; the problem is that the front half is so long and (to me) unenjoyable. There's so much music here and it becomes a drag. Starting at, like, track 10 gives for a nice experience.
Some really goood songs. Rest mid
Quite enjoyed this one. Elements of PJ Harvey and Hole (though more musical and calmer than the latter). Probably went on a bit too long and felt liked it tailed off a bit.
I guess Liz Phair is considered indie in the same tenuous way that Alanis Morissette is! To be fair to Liz (who I had never heard of before) some of the songs are good and have an edge and in places it is definitely lo-fi, almost veering into the Pavement category.
My main thought on this album was whether she had ever been marketed in the UK?! Never heard of her. While the album is overly long and a bit too samey. The music is quite dark and broody and some of the guitar work I like. It’s generally likeable, but it’s not really drawing me back in for another listen.
Girls!Girls!Girls!
Sorry
There is a bonmot to describe albums like these: SEMINAL. Also, the songwriting is catchy as hell. I mean, the Lo-Fi predecessor recordings are even more seminal (if that's even possible), but once you get over the "Hi-Fi" shock, there is no reason to love Exile in Guyville just the same.
I was in college when this album came out, and it was all over the college radio station (late at night) and in every one of my girl friend’s 3-CD Aiwa bookshelf stereos. The low-fi guitar, mixed with funny yet biting 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 very much a product of the 90’s, it is timeless and forward thinking. You can hear the roots of a lot of what female artists today are doing on this album. 4.5⭐️
Good
I liked this album, but I can't say that any track really stood out to me. Rocky pop sounds better than the modern stuff. 4/10
7.5/10
-this wasn’t bad at all, kinda reminded me of Hole. Liz Phair has a nice touch for making exciting music and seems to have a decent range, so she definitely deserves some credit for putting this album together -not my absolute favorite, sludges on a little long toward the end. but i would definitely listen again -Favorites: 6’1, Fuck And Run, Flower
At first I really didn't like it as she was off key a few times, but her style really grew on me as I jammed the album. By the end, I was suggesting her to other people to give a listen.
Clever, with a sense of humor and a cool backstory as her “conversation” with the Stones’ Exile on Main St. I appreciate what she’s doing but the music itself doesn’t charm me. If only her voice were as smooth as her swagger.
I’m pretty sure Liz Phair existed first but I’ll say it anyway. Liz Phair sounds like she is trying to be Hole. I mean, this is prime Hole sounding. If Courtney Love did a whole cover album of this album I wouldn’t think twice about it being a Hole album. About the album as a whole. It sounds dark. It’s on the south side of feeling pop. Definitely not a sell out album. These songs don’t catch you bobbing your head to the beat but they do keep you engaged. Man, this is so much like Hole it’s ridiculous. So I guess that’s a healthy formula to me. I give this a pass. And not even a pass. A 4 star I think. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s just not a middle of the road album. It has something extra in it that makes me appreciate it more. It’s an odd feeling. I will remember I listened to Liz. I won’t remember this album other than I think I see her nipple. I won’t recommend her to anyone Yet I’m struck by it in a way that is best reserved to almost mind blowing music. Hmmmmm Choice cut: Never Said
Tja, weer zo'n jarennegentigmevrouw die in haar eentje loopt te rocken. Met een laag stemgeluid dat er regelmatig 'tegenaan' zit (een theatereufemisme voor 'vals'). Het is niet verschrikkelijk, maar komt ook niet boven de middelmaat uit. Vergelijkingen met Fiona Apple en Aimée Mann dringen zich op, en deze dame zit ergens daartussenin.
Beste Kenneth Burns, Complimenten met de opname met jouw beschrijving van dit album. Ik heb met voorbeelden al vaker later weten hoe belabberd de samenstelling van dit boek vaak is. Maar jij vat in één entry alles samen. Bewonderingswaardig. Ik begin aan dit album en wordt direct overvallen door de valse zang, die wat mij betreft niemand hoeft te horen. Het boek pak ik er bij in de hoop op rechtvaardiging. Jouw rechtvaardiging is dat eindelijk een vrouw zong op alternatieve muziek of zelfs grunge. Je verward hierbij alternatieve muziek met valse zang met een gitaar. En als we het vals zingen buiten beschouwing laten, heeft de opzet ook zeker iets van singer-songwriter muziek. Ik snap dat dit lastig voor jou is, vanuit jouw country-achtergrond. Het boek heeft jou geen logische match bezorgd. Vanuit dat perspectief begrijp ik ook wel dat je niet vaak een vrouw op alternatieve muziek hebt horen zingen. Dat zal inderdaad niet vaak gebeuren in Nashville. Mag ik jou uitnodigen om jezelf te verbreden? Want zoals iemand op Reddit schrijft: “De jaren 90 zijn een schatkamer aan alternatieve muziek van vrouwen.” Je zou kunnen beginnen met het boek ‘1001 albums’. In dit boek vind je naast Amerikaanse muziek ook veel Britse muziek. In de jaren ’90 kom je vast meer alternatieve muziek tegen met vrouwen in de hoofdrol. Omdat jij nogal lijkt te waarderen dat de betreffende dame uit de toon schiet, raad ik je bijvoorbeeld Post orgasmic chill van Skunk Anansie aan. Kijk daarna ook vooral verder. Niet alles belandt in het boek. Zo kan je eens No need to argue van The cranberries proberen. Deze dame schiet minder uit de toon, maar lijkt zich sterk te conformeren aan jouw lading van de term alternatieve muziek. Het is een typisch jaren ’90 geluid, wat alternatieve rock en singer-singwriter klanken combineert. Het kon niet in het boek terecht komen, want het was geen debut album én het was met name door de hit Zombie veel te populair. Die populariteit moet jou aanzetten, want het gaat jou er om dat Liz Phair een vrouw was die dóórbrak. Nou Kenneth, kijk eens even op https://bestsellingalbums.org/. Dan zie je dat Liz 500.000 schijfjes heeft verkocht en dat die Cranberries er 14.000.000 hebben verkocht. Iets zegt mij dat dit niet jouw ware argument is. Jouw volgende argument haal je warempel zelf onderuit, nog voordat je het uit. Je noemt dat het album carrièrebepalend is. Ik hoop dat je dat daarmee bedoelt dat je hoopt dat het schrijven hierover jouw eigen carrière verbreed. Want Liz heeft het niets geholpen. Na dit album kreeg ze, en ik quote jouzelf, ‘beperkte aandacht’. Het laat zich raden wat wel jouw rechtvaardiging is om dit op te nemen. Ik zie één deel van jouw tekst, dat ik wel herken. Liz rept vrij expliciet over seks. Is dat dan jouw ware motivatie? Het past wel bij de andere entries in het boek. Muziek biedt over het algemeen wat vrijheid voor generende onderwerpen. Maar in dit boek lijken de stickers met ‘explicit lyrics’ toch wat oververtegenwoordigd. Mijd het vooral niet, maar denk niet dat het goede muziek is, vánwege de uitgesproken primaire gedachten.
Als dit uit een ander decennium had gekomen, had ik dit waarschijnlijk tot op de grond toe afgebrand. Ik vind het nu nog wel enigszins geinig, want je herkent de 90s gelijk. Waarom ze de boel in de badkamer heeft opgenomen, is me verder een raadsel. Het klinkt hol en dof. Aan de hoes te zien, had ze ook geen zin om zich verder aan te kleden. Ik had vooraf nog nooit van Liz Phair gehoord, wat ik toch altijd apart blijf vinden met muziek uit de 90s. Ik dacht alles wel te kennen, maar de snoblijst blijft wat dat betreft verbazen. Overigens had dit de snoblijst niet hoeven te halen, want we missen er he-le-maal niks aan. Ik zou er op een goede dag best een 3 voor kunnen geven, als het niet zo lang had geduurd. Hoe krijg je het voor elkaar om hier een uur mee te vullen? Ik ben het gejengel na een paar nummers wel zat. Ze zingt vals, haar gitaar is half vals, ik mis drums en uberhaupt tempo. Wat een waardeloze troep, kattengejank, ik heb het halverwege afgezet. Verrek, brand ik het toch nog af.
I remember downloading this off Napster in high school and I really enjoyed it. Turns out it was actually Whip-Smart and it was mislabeled. Consequently I kinda like that album better. Still enjoy this though.
This is a new one to me, a musical blind spot. I’d usually see the long track list as a negative but in this case it worked in Liz’s favour; I wasn’t really feeling it at first but over time I came to like it. It’s one of those albums where the whole package is greater than the sum of its parts; it doesn’t contain loads of great songs IMO but does welcome you into the artist’s world/head for a while. All of 90s guitar music seems to be present here, but it also sounds like it could be contemporary - the lo-fi sound and unfiltered lyrics are very ‘now’. She even predates Alanis on the latter front, so presumably deserves some credit as a trailblazer.
Men are the fucking worst and it’s the cross we have to bear. That mini riff in Never Said will be in my head for a week.
Why are men?
i couldn’t get into it/: nothing bad about it, just not my vibe
Admittedly, this album was a struggle for me to get through. It just felt very flat. Lots of unnecessary chord changes and no real vocal dynamic. Just really not for me.
Guyville wasn't far enough. And could we find somewhere without a recording studio?
Fine, 90s girl rock
Note my shit. Du genre de rock british sluggish
I've come across references to this album for years and years but this is the first time I've heard it. I definitely expected something bigger, brasher, more bombastic, simply because of its reputation. But I do actually like this quite a bit. It's kinda like some of the earlier Fiona Apple or Elliott Smith material in that it's accessible material delivered with a plain, easygoing attitude - like you could imagine your friend playing these songs to you on a porch, despite the fact that the songwriting is so strong. I'll definitely revisit this. Must-listen #245.
Love this album, so playful and fun and real!
classic, good, all timer
Boring
Every song I didn't love was under 3 minutes long.
rock. all over. not my bag.
You know, not something that I would seek out. However, I dig the punk, alt style. She’s got the attitude and the music is dynamic while also engaging.
*I am certainly not the intended audience for this album but the crass lyrics and in your face vocals don't do much for me. *The guitar tone is so 90s, it felt like I was sitting in Central Perk *The album had some good moments but reallllllly dragged by the end.
cute little album with a nice mood to it. Nothing spectacular, but ok!
Liz Phair in 1993: "Every time I see your face I get all wet between my legs." Taylor Swift in 2025: "It's kind of making me wet." There you have it, folks. Yet another instance of Taylor Swift stealing other artists' music. For shame, Taylor. For shame.
''Can you believe she wrote all these songs by herself?'' ''Yes''
I’d never heard of Liz Phair before this, and the album definitely didn’t gel with me. The vocal delivery feels odd, and the first half of the album especially felt bland and samey, despite some interesting guitars & instrumental work. It definitely picked up in the second half and became more interesting - Mezmerizing & Flower felt like high points - but overall this one will be quickly forgotten.