Exile In Guyville

An obviously well constructed album that just misses being my type of thing.

I liked Explain it To Me the first time I heard it, and I still do. The rest is fine.

Liz Phair...how come I can't think of any of her songs. I feel like I should know some. I guess we'll see. Why Can't I. That's the one I've heard. Not on this album but yeah. Well I do like the 90s guitar sound in here. So this was good, not quite a 4 but a solid 3. I especially liked the lyrics in Flower.

Powerful and strong. But funny and playful, I thought. Perhaps in a way that those following in her wake aren’t.

Really dug her lo-fi sound

I liked this album. An artist I had heard of but never actually listened to. Very raw production, vocals, and lyrics. I don’t really buy The Rolling Stones response thing. Highlights were Help Me Mary, Never Said, Mesmerizing, Fuck And Run, and Gunshy.

Barely tolerable singing and indie rock-pop singer-songwriter tunes. Stands out with, let's call it “feminine” flair and is quite easy on the ears throughout.

The sound is "Early 90s sitcom interlude"

No surprises here, not necessarily a negative but there was nothing that brought it out from just background music.

I appreciate this album’s place and Liz Phair as an artist. Love some songs on this album and find others to drone on a bit.

Songs like Flower with multitracked vocals are the most interesting here. Musically this doesn’t do much for me and there is not enough time in a day to really unpack it lyrically. Ultimately this feels meandering to me and many if the songs end with out resolving.

I think the biggest problem this one has is just becoming steadily unremarkable as the years moved on.

Pretty enjoyable and could certainly see why people like this.

Pretty decent overall.

Enjoyed it overall. Standout songs: Mesmerizing Divorce Song Strange Loop

Phair enough.

det är trevligt. hon är cool, några för många sömnpiller kanske.

Meh

I think this album and the writing are good, but I just don't love Liz Phair's singing. If I was bigger on Indie and Lo-Fi music, I'm sure this would be a 4 or 5 star album.

Grand. No real stand outs.

Courtney Love’s softer, less bratty twin sister.

Reminds me of PJ Harvey very much, who debuted 2 years before, or a more folky version of Nirvana. Lots of people in the comments complain about the singing. I don't agree. It suits the music. It's the blues. Great for about half and hour, then I got bored. That means it's around twice as long as it should have been. Favorite song: flower

Sounds so much like Hole! And it goes on a little bit too long. But I liked it.

Per the Wikipedia blurb: "in 2020, it was ranked No. 56 by Rolling Stone in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list." WTF??? This album was fine. It was not bad; I did not dislike it. But the 56th best album of all time? Go home, Rolling Stone, you're drunk. Or, more likely, you're conflating different and good. 3.0. This album is the threest three that ever threed.

From what I read about this album, it certainly deserves a place on the list. On paper, I should have liked this, but the stripped down, apathetic/angsty grunge-adjacent quintessential 90s thing just wasn’t working for me this time. I feel like I should have liked it.

I was not familiar with this artist, but this was a decent listen. Vocals were just meh but the early 90's indie rock feel was awesome. I would listen again.

My wife owns her next album Whip-Smart, but I was not familiar with this one. I can see the appeal, but I don’t think I’m the target audience. I respect her musical contributions, feminine strength etc, but it’s not doing much to grab me. Certainly there is nothing wrong with the album; I generally like lo-fi, stripped down works, but this just doesn’t stand out for me.

Man, this is the most early-90s sounding album I've heard in a long time. Her voice is a mixture of apathy and angst, like April Ludgate singing about how much she doesn't care about love. The guitar is almost completely clean+chorus+reverb throughout. While a nice, nostalgic time capsule, it fails to really grab my attention, and her voice gets old.

never heard of. Better than I thought. soft grunge rock

This was alright. I think I need to listen a few more times to make up my mind but I liked the strong 90s sound

I actually got into this one. It reminded me of being a teenager again. Not because I listened to this then but because it was kind of angsty and amateurish.

помимо того что я знала про Лиз (она поёт вот этим неприятным голосом который закос под Кортни Лав и Блондшел, только без ммм позиции последней) ещё оказывается ооочень хорни (я ожидаю это у Мигеля, но тут?) и в принципе мелодично но слушать я такое вряд ли смогу. но три звезды!)

I enjoyed this well enough, she reminded me of someone but I couldn’t/still can’t place it. Favorite track was ‘Never Said’

Tracks 4,5,6 are a dope back to back to back. soap star Joe is one of my favorites so far Flower is super interesting and minimal. Light BGVs and rhythmic melody with rhythmic minimal guitar stabs Gunshy is dope too

Indie pop poetry wasn't captivated by this but liked Fuck & Run a lot

C’est correct I guess, y’a rien de vraiment spécial qui ressort et qui me frappe au visage quand j’écoute ça

It's fine. Not a classic. Her voice can be grating at times but the songwriting is solid and the content at times suits her limited range. Very 90s.

3.5☆/5 10.12.2024

Couldn’t really get into it 3

its fine! I think Phair's vocal delivery just doesn't work for me.

It's okay. Not particularly memorable for me, despite the sex-laden lyrics.

A decent listen actually I was impressed

A bit too low-fi for me. Might have enjoyed this in 1993, but not enough to grab me these days.

It grew on me I'd go for 3.5 if I could

I'd kind of wondered when we'd get Liz Phair--and am a bit shocked that we only got one album by her, although I am belatedly realizing that I've always conflated her name with the Lilith Fair phenomenon--but I've never really enjoyed her music, unfortunately. It's a fine album, but it doesn't really do it for me. I thought her hit "Never said", "Soap star Joe" and "Flower" were probably the highlights of the overly long album. I almost regret having read the Wikipedia entry for this album, as it actually made me like both the album and Liz Phair *less* in the end. I have no idea who was involved in writing that entry, but it's incredibly confusing, poorly written, and doesn't really paint a very positive or thoughtful portrait of her. And I agree with the critics who challenge her claim that this album is "a song-by-song reply to the Rolling Stones' 1972 album "Exile on Main St." It just isn't that focused or interesting, I'd say. Sorry, Liz Phair!

Not my genre

I know this album is well regarded critically, but I am not a huge fan of her voice, the instrumentation is jangly, and the lyrics are fairly explicit at times. Sure, the overall package was somewhat groundbreaking, it's always interesting to hear from a strong female songwriter, but I didn't find it all that compelling as a finished product for listening.

2024-09-19...

Reminded me of car rides with my dad growing up!

I knew surprisingly few of these songs. For such an acclaimed album to be out when I was in my 20s and for me to not be familiar with most of it tells me it did not grab my attention enough back then for a reason. I don't find it interesting. Sure, it's good. But not my vibe.

I had never heard of Liz Phair before and I thought this album was great. Reminded me a bit of Sinéad O'Connor? Almost a 4 but definitely a 3!

An interesting listen. Good songs. I need to listen again.

Very 90s, and not in the best way. It’s not a bad album, but for all the love it gets, I’m not seeing it.

It did a decent job of keeping me entertained throughout. I could see this one growing on me but thought it was just alright on first listen Rating: 3.4

A lot to like here. Original and raw. I dug it. Close to a four for me.

Not bad. Yet not massively gripping. Wanted to like it more due to it's reputation.

OK indie

I do quite this album and I knew it a bit beforehand. Fuck and Run comes up on my spotify a lot. But I wouldn't say I love this album, it's just quite cool and atmospheric.

🤷🏼‍♂️

I see the importance of this and how much is owed to Liz Phair by modern artists, but... you can definitely tell this is the beginning of something in that it's not quite what it could be.

I feel like I write this a lot but this is another album I feel like I should have heard but had not. I can hear Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls and other artists like that all over this album. It's amazing the influence is so clear. Phair's voice can annoy some people but it is the female version of the 90's slacker singing voice made popular by...pretty much every early grunge artist/band. Exile in Guyville was a little more chill than I had expected from a song-by-song response to Exile on Mainstreet. It's a very aspirational album with 18 tracks on a debut album being very aggressive. As such, it feels like it rain out of steam a bit at times. Otherwise, this album deserves to be in the book because it's good enough of an album and was very influential.

I mean it's not my jam, and I can't really relate to any of the lyrics. But all the same made me feel like a bad bitch

Exile in Guyville is the debut studio album by Liz Phair, originally released in 1993. Indie-rock darling Liz Phair sure made a splash with her debut album "Exile In Guyville". I wasn't born yet in the 90s, but I can imagine this record was a big deal. Indie/alternative rock was, and still is, a male-dominated genre. Phair sure made a statement that women belong in the genre with this record. However, I think this record should be remembered for more than just "this girl made a good record in a male dominated genre". It has catchy hooks and good songwriting overall. Multiple tracks had big hit potential. I also really think this album is the birth of that "bedroom pop" sound that is so popular today!

Appreciate this album more for what it was in 1993 rather than as something I enjoy in 2024. Fuck and Run is so catchy but the rest of the album isn't particularly memorable.

Fine

Peak raw 90s. The lyrics, the sound, all of it. Somehow (misogyny) this didn't reach the levels of popularity and radio play as other musicians of the same time but it should have.

this is another album i was aware of in its time, but never really gave the time of day to, probably for dumb reasons. there's a lot here that later groups would've benefitted from - her crazy sexy voice, her refusal to back down lyrically - enough that i'm surprised i don't remember this album being a pivotal moment. in terms of my own tastes, the tracks i found myself liking best were the ones more atypical of her overall sound - but they wouldn't have made the album if they weren't worth it, so maybe there's more like those out there in her catalog. i'll have to give it a better listen.

Good album. The guitar and sound of this one clearly inspired a lot of the 00s indie rock girls. Concept/lyrics are pretty solid, but the vocals aren’t great. It was a nice listen overall. ***

I certainly remember listening to this with a friend who was really trying to figure out a lot of things during college. We played racquetball hard every day and fell down laughing more often than not. But enough about Erica. Phair saves the two best songs of the album to mid way and toward the end. F and Run and Stratford on Guy are the clear favorites. Her guitar throughout and discordant vocals pepper all the songs and make for good listening-- and post racquetball bliss.

Onneksi luin wikipedia-artikkelin ennen levyn kuuntelua tällä kertaa, muuten olisin kannen perusteella odottanut jotain rajumpaa. Olikin rauhallisehkoa. Mutta hyvä asenne läpi levyn! Sanoitukset vetivät kuuntelemaan itseään, siitä iso plussa. Jos vielä melodiat olisivat samalla tavalla vetäneet.

This was a lot. Not sure I'll listen again, but I can get the idea of its influence and role in music history.

3-

Interesting. Definitely some Hole-esque riot-grl vibes combined with some "white guys play R&B in the late 60s" vibes. Not entirely sure my boat was floated enough to make this one I'll return to, but enjoyed the discovery none-the-less

I don't think I'm the target audience for this album and I felt like I wasn't the target audience the entire time listening to it. Her voice is unique, not good, but not terrible. It's different. And the lo-fi and stripped down production is good. But I was pretty bored listening to a lot of it. I'll have to give it another try sometime in the future, but for now, it was just okay.

Currently on 50% power because my earwax has betrayed me and plugged my hearing in my left ear. Well, I'll tell you one thing, the right audio output of this album sounds better than the entirety of "Exile On Main St.", that's for certain.

3. Decent in places

Half decent album this one

p708. 1993. 3.5 stars. Sounds like Courtney Love's younger, pissed off sister, which ain't a bad thing. Came to this cold and was surprised how much I liked it. All it's missing are standout tunes.

I testi sembrano interessanti (anche se non li ho approfonditi tanto), la voce invece in certi punti non mi ha convinto. Alcuni riff di chitarra sono fighi. Nel complesso mi è piaciuto, ma non me la sento di sbilanciarmi su un voto alto. Un po’ troppo lungo, o si tratta forse di una lunghezza percepita?

🤷🏼‍♂️

On paper, this is something I should really enjoy; I think if I had head it at the time I would have enjoyed it but it didn't make it where I grew up. Hearing it as an as adult I find it bland. It's lost on me.

Very good songs from front to back, but I don't think it really reaches that next level of greatness that its legacy suggests. Perhaps it was more of a product of being ahead of its time, but nowadays there are a regular stream of albums released on its plane of quality.

Better than I expected early era 90s rock

Pretty good. Probably not something I'll come back to, but I did not have an issue listening to this.

it's fineeeeeee, nothing special. Standouts were 6"1", dance of the seven veils, shatter, and canary cause of the keysss

My introduction to Liz Phair was Whip-Smart(1995) - the song, not the album. It was on some magazine compilation I’d acquired & it was definitely one of my favourite songs of the 90’s. Later I picked up her 1998 album Whitechocolatespaceegg & really enjoyed it, but I had never heard Exit To Guyville until last night. I've given it a few plays. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything on it as great as the track Whip-Smart, but I do like Never Said, Soap Star Joe, Mesmerizing, Fuck And Run (outstanding lyrics), Divorce Song, Shatter & Flower (more great lyrics). If I gave it a few more listens it may well be 4 stars but I’m giving it 3.

I liked it. I was expecting it to have a harder rock sound based on the album cover. It's certainly still rock though. I think I may need to give it a re-listen at some point, I wasn't really paying as much attention to the lyrics as I could've.

Hard album to rate. Sometimes I feel like I am listening to Phoebe from Friends and then there some really good songs.

Awful title aside this album somehow escaped my sphere but it's exactly what I would have listened to in the late 90s, early 00s.

Fun preppy rock. Was not prepared for how filthy the lyrics are. Made for a very uncomfortable train journey

Strong songwriting, a bit milquetoast.

3.5

Exile In Guyville is a really mixed bag in terms of quality for me. On one hand, there were songs that sounded great, had cool musical ideas, and had some pretty good singing by Liz but on the other hand some of the songs could be really boring, follow basic melodies, or just be way too repetitive and i also did find the pace of the album to be a bit too breakneck at points. The album mostly was good throughout its runtime but the bad parts were rather noticeable. Best Song: Canary Worst Song: Girls! Girls! Girls!

Minnti að þetta væri betra en það. Samt allt í lagi.

Not bad

It wasn’t bad

I remember when this album came out. It was all over The Village Voice and other alternative media. It was not played on the radio, and I never got a copy, so it has taken me 31 years to finally listen to it. That's a good way to judge an album like this. Does it stand the test of time? Yeah. So never really knowing much about Liz Phair other than she was a big deal in the early 1990s when she appeared out of nowhere, for some reason I thought this would be a punkier album than it is. I love a songwriter with things to say and a variety of ways to say it. A few weeks ago, I reviewed Adele's album, and while she has a great voice, the album was a whole set of tracks about a weird attract/avoid relationship she was having, and the songs were much of the same. This is not the case with Liz Phair, who is much more in her power, and explores different sonic landscapes to do her thing. Dance of the Seven Veils and Shatter reminded me of Billy Bragg's first album, Solo Guitar (with a drone on Shatter, but still). Some of these songs approach the grunge formula of the day, and I kept expecting Fuck and Run to have a big grungy drop in it somewhere, and the fact that it didn't was a bit of a letdown. Flower is really the kind of song probably none of us had ever heard before. It predicts the anti-folk movement. So, an interesting album. Not quite Nirvana, not quite The Pretenders, not quite punk enough, not quite Billy Bragg, not quite Riot Grrrls. But it does what it says on the tin. I liked it.

I just lost a whole review of this album. Damn! I heard somewhere that it was a feminist song by song response to Exile on Main Street. This delivers, big time. It is a rollercoaster. Going from raw to raunchy to sweet to vulnerable to courageous. Vulnerageous? always real and honest and authentic. Liz Phair seems not interested in telling me a pretty story, or being nice, or playing guitar heroically, or finding the smart arrangement, or even singing well. She dips her pen in authenticity and joy and pain and experience, and looks curious about where or how deep she can go while still holding things together. And she ends up telling a beautiful story. When I first heard her in the 90s, I did not speak the language, at least not fluently enough to understand what the songs were about. But what I did pick up on and resonate with is the vibe, and the broader themes in the songs. Not unlike other grunge and lo-fi bands I was listening to at the time, she made me feel like I too could write songs if I could access that experience. That sense of self-authorship and self-permission still permeates these songs as I listen to them years after, this time understanding what she is talking about. With this record, Liz Phair opened a space of possibilities and permission for people who did not see themselves in the music that was around, much like she did not see or hear herself in Exile on Main Street. What she did to remedy that is create something beautiful that was truly and apologetically hers. Here was someone standing fully in her own power and fragility, and inviting us in. And so it became possible for others, particularly women, to do the same. I have a lot of respect and time for this. What a gift to the world!

I liked some of it. But I mostly forgot since was working and it blended in the background Will I listen to again: 25%

Ok

Occasionally weird and more interesting than I expected. Not quite enough for me to want to revisit though

There’s some pretty good indie rock on this album, and there’s some not so good stuff. One of the songs I remember most is ‘Flower’, which isn’t good because I really really don’t like it. Anyway 3

Netter Indie Rock, den man gut nebenbei hören kann.

This album was a fun one for a few reasons: - I learned that Spotify cuts to the radio feature anytime I change audio devices, so a ton of albums have been cut short - I finally got a chance to look at the reviews of this album to realize I'm missing a lot of nuance and context... realizing I have been having the albums on in the background, not paying full attention Gave this album a second listen with the context of the reviews and Wiki and liked it a bit better. I won't need to revisit, but it's gone from a 2 to a 3.

Super cool album. The first half of the album was super edgy teenage angst but by the end it turned into something entirely different! It got weird in the best way. Favorite song was Johnny Sunshine. Added to my Spotify library.

Rock, but not outstanding

This would not be regular rotation for me.

Proper songs in many cases and I like the overall style.

Took me back in time. Not sure I wanted to go.

Hard to call this good or bad. It's just there. I knew the song Fuck and Run but that was it. The rest of the album seems fine.... 3/5

Again middle of the road. I didn't find it super special. Wasn't terrible had a good voice and good guitar playing but aside from that it was just. Mid.

I really like Never Said, Shatter, Strange Loop. My favorite genre is indie but the indie albums I’ve heard so far on this list have been very average.

Some of those lyrics were a choice for the 90s. The sound was okay. She sounds like a grown woman trying to make mid-20s alt music though. Idk how to explain it completely. The 90s had a sound. That’s all I’m saying.

Interesting listen, not totally my thing but I liked it. Good album.

Album d'américaneries sans trop d'intérêt que je ne vais pas commenter plus que ça par manque de temps mais surtout d'envie. Je vous invite en revanche à me faire une liste des coquilles et différentes fautes d'ortographe qui se cachent dans mes quelques 1080 critiques pour les corriger une fois que le générateur aura les fonctionnalités d'un vrai site internet et pas celles d'une page web des années 90. Cela se passera bien sûr via l'adresse électronique robertestleperedemikeladd@gmx.com

C'était banal et sanas intérêt, critique que je pourrais coller sur au moins 500 albums de cette liste. Si vous aussi vous voulez nous rappeler à quel point la liste de Robert est une arnaque, vous pouvez nous contacter à l'adresse mail suivante: robertestleperedemikeladd@gmx.com

Seems overrated. Alt-rock with a hint of early 70s rock n roll (the Exile on Main Street influence). Slightly juvenile sex talk and swearing like 1987 Beastie Boys having a go at Alanis Morrisette. A low 3.

Liz Phair definitely falls into that 90s gritty women vocals "bucket" that I enjoy so very much. Unlike most of these women, though, Liz really didn't try to fit squarely into the grunge genre, the rock genre, or the pop genre. She kind of bounces around and does her own thing. She is categorized by some as "indie", and that may very well be the best fit for her. To me, that indie quality makes her a little less interesting than many of her early 90s gravely voiced female, more rock-oriented cohorts. There is still a baseline enjoyment that takes place here, for me. At times, the songs even sounds a bit like 90s women folk, but with the dichotomy of the gritty vocals. Overall, I do think this album is a worthy inclusion. But I don't think it's as hard-hitting as it could be.

Reminded me of Courtney Barnett. Honest lyrics and stripped down sound were enjoyable

6'1 3.5 Help Me Mary 3.4 Glory 3 Dance of the Seven Veils 2.8 Never Said 3.7 Soap Star Joe 3.5 Explain it to Me 2.8 Canary 2.9 Mesmerizing 3 Fuck and Run 2.8 Girls! Girls! Girls! 2.5 Divorce Song 3.1 Shatter 3 Flower 2.9 Johnny Sunshine 3 Gunshy 3.1 Stratford-on-Guy 3 Strange Loop? 2.8 Score: 3.04

OK, ohne irgendwie besonders hervorzustechen! 3/5

Indie singer songwriter with edgy lyrics, I enjoyed.

This is one of those albums that you can tell has influenced a lot of stuff that came out after it. I feel like there wouldn’t be a Phoebe without this album, for instance. It has that kind of raw, blunt energy in its lyrics and very singular vision in its instrumentation. Like, she’s probably not playing all the instruments on the album but it feels like she made the whole thing herself. There are a lot of highlights: the lyrics/meaning behind Fuck and Run, Divorce Song, and Flower hit especially hard, and I feel like the slower songs are Liz’s strong suit on here musically, especially Canary which is amazing. However, I don’t think it’s consistent enough to give a 4. Very strong 3 though.

Too I-am-woman-hear-me-whine for me. Which… you know… I love Alamo’s and I love Brandi Carlile and I know I *should* love Liz. But mostly I just kept checking the track numbers to see how close I was to done with this album.

I know virtually nothing about Liz Phair but this was a good listen.

Different in a good way, not bad and would recommend

Heard of this artist, maybe listened to a song on the radio, never this album. Interesting music, very cool. Love her lyrics. Nothing you'd expect. Won't be able to listen to the whole album.

Surprise - no idea Liz Phair was already singing in 1993. The songs are weird though, nothing like the one track I know her for. This definitely sounds like one of those albums that is significant historically but doesn't make fantastic listening. Maybe it'll grow on me but right now kind of meh. Which is disappointing, I guess, I want to like it.

Pretty solid, better than expected

Meh, it’s was fine?

Liked parts of this album, but some of the lyrics were lacking a refined edge. 3/5 Might listen again

Great music. Shit singing. Lyrics that have me confused about whether she is filled more with misandry or self-loathing. She needs therapy and to stop blaming all men for her shitty life choices.

Going into this album, I wasn't that excited. I could tell that there was a good intent behind the album based on the research I did, but I wasn't sure if I would like the album or not. Fortunately, I thought it was a good album. I like the singing. It's nice. The concept behind the album is certainly respectable. Although, if I had listened to Exile on Main Street before this one, I would probably be able to appreciate it more. The sound is good, but it gets slightly repetitive near the end. The writing is also well made. Based on the pre-research, I expected it to be way too vulgar for my tastes. Fortunately, while the themes are always there, it really isn't that bad in that department. Overall, this seems like the kind of album that I'd be able to appreciate more on a re-listen, if I ever decide to do that. High 3/5.

Some moments of excitement but not my fav in general

Was very worried after the opener that this might be a massive dud - but really picks up. Responded most to the acerbic, low-key acoustic tracks. Some of the rock songs didn't do enough instrumentally to really get me excited. Would need another pass on the lyrics but sounds like there's some gems in there and I'm sure that's what elevates it to a classic for many. Three and a half. Fave track: Dance of the Seven Veils

Just ok.

Confesso que quando começou, esperava ser bem pior. Começa com um rock genérico dos anos 90, uma Alanis Morisette na fase ruim, mas o disco vai se salvando conforme a minutagem vai passando. Ela tem uma composição profunda e consegui perceber muitas influências de bandas atuais nesse tipo de som: soft rock com leves pegadas eletrônicas e uma voz feminina que mescla entre o doce e o agressivo.

sjećam se da sam očekivao više od ovog albuma

I meannnnn its alright?!

In a modern context there’s absolutely nothing wrong with what Liz is doing here. When looked at in context it is no wonder that many woman spun this as an act of sexual rebellion. Shes snarky, kinda mean and knows exactly what she does and doesn’t want. Great stuff.

I’m just not sure I’ll ever go back and listen again, but it was a nice listen

Revisit

It was ok. Not really made for me.

Parecido por estilo y rango vocal a otras cantantes estadounidenses. Mezcla de pop y algo de rock. Canciones muy parecidas. Se puede escuchar, pero pasaría sin pena ni gloria

Not for me

Not my favorite

I really thought I’d like this more. A lot of pressure on the cover me thinks.

Like, I get it, but I struggled to really /like/ it.

I honestly wasn’t in a huge music listening mood today but I still gave it my best effort and it was ok. This was ultra 90s in the best and worst ways from confidently trashy lyrics to lame slow songs and extremely 90s production. Mesmerizing was the standout for me. I’m sure this was groundbreaking from a general sound and writing perspective back in the early 90s but for me it was pretty forgettable.

On first listen I find this inconsistent - some of it immediately catches my ear (Canary, Divorce Song, Stratford-on-Guy) and some will likely need repeat listens.

Nicht unsympathisch, aber doch etwas dünn

This was cool. I had heard some of her stuff but liked a lot of this.

- never been a huge fan of this annoyed vocal sound - some of the lyrics are really interesting and raw

Interesting album. Decent sound

Rating: 6/10

Wow, she’s not a very good singer, especially the first couple of songs. Unless this is affected to follow the whole bit about copying the Stones’ “Exile On Main Street”. I do like the overall sound (of the music), it has an open, sparse, not-overproduced sound that is refreshing for the early 90’s. Lyrically, there’s nothing dramatic here, nothing outstanding, but neither insipid. On the other hand, there’s a lot of profanity that comes off as gratuitous. I don’t mind profanity, but I do mind gratuitous. Meanwhile, some of these songs are quite good. All are at least OK. I’m left thinking high 3, leaning towards rounding up. But over a full hour, it starts to lag a bit, and I sure wish she could sing a little better. so I’ll round down. 3/5

It felt kinda monotone. Not my vibe. - 5/10

Not bad, but just so long. I was putting off reviewing this because I couldn't figure out which songs I liked.

It grew on me as I listened. Liz has a nice voice, but her songs are kinda floppy and I don’t love the style. Still, not bad. 6/10

Didn’t like it very much, got pretty bored throughout 5/10

Holds up really well for a 30 year old album, and you can really hear the influence this has on a lot of indie today. 6.5/10

Some decent songs.

It’s definitely not bad, but its edginess can sometimes make me cringe. Like “watch out, y’all, here comes a badass.” Eh. I think her voice is perfectly average. The mixes are pretty cool sometimes, though. I dunno. Not bad, not great to me.

This album is an amazing artistic statement and as a debut that is impressive, I wish it were more flushed out across a larger band it feels like a single musical strand at times and while I want to go back and relisten I also feel like I want to because it is so well regarded but I am not as enthralled. Her guitar playing is great and the themes are are very powerful but I can’t remember one song that really felt unforgettable. What did I miss.

Kind of fun.

A few good songs. Bad length

Rated 3 more for memories than love of the music. Song was everywhere when I moved to Chicago at age 23. I never understood all the hype.

I thought this album was a pretty good listen. It's a shame that some of the tracks are missing off spotify

I think if I were in college in the 90s this would have been on heavy rotation. I enjoy this album for what it is, and I can see how important it is to the genre and time period. For me now, it's fine. Nothing I would listen to all the time, but I'm glad I experienced it. I think my favorite songs from it are "Dance of the Seven Veils" and "Never Said." Also after listening to this I totally understand why people said Liz Phair sold out when she became more mainstream. This album is definitely better than that.

Some interesting back tracks and rhythms on a few songs. Not too much interesting vocally

The blueprint for all of the indie girlies

Sounds very 90's alt-singer-songwriter. I guess because it is. It's alright, but I'm not really into it that much.

Whoa she said cunt! Decent alt rock from the 90s. Not sure how I hadn't heard any of this. Probably because I was a child in the 90s and there's a lot of dirty swear words on this

Pretty lewd. Also pretty decent. Would listen again

Enjoyed the song writing. Pretty bold

This album has been talked about as some sort of generational work for women my age, but I never really connected with it. Even Liz Phair seems a little baffled by the reception of her album in that regard. The album fits in well with other things that were going on musically in 1993, but what really works on this album is Phair's songwriting. Lyrically, her songs are frank and emotionally honest, in a way that was uncommon for women artists at the time. Her vocals are rough though, which works about half the time. One thing I will say for this album is that it has aged really well. She could put it out today and it would sound just as fresh. Fave Songs: Never Said, Shatter, Johnny Sunshine, Explain It to Me, Gunshy

Not what I was expecting. Can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I think definitely worth another listen

Interesting album. Something I wouldn't listen to normally, but it kinda fit the mood I was in. Will probably link this to playing Uncharted forever now. Interesting voice and reminds me of indie movies with shoegaze soundtracks. + Glory + Dance of the Seven Veils + Soap Star Joe + Fuck And Run + Flower + Johnny Sunshine + Gunshy

Admittedly, I don't get the fuss about Liz Phair. I do get her impact on music and see the importance of this album. But it doesn't sound like more than the typical early 90s female hard rocker. 3.5/5.

3.5

Liked some. She sings about fucking - a lot. The line about when she was 12 was a little shocking. Second half was better than the first. Doubt I'll listen again.

Not too bad. Better than average.

Nice album Easy to listen to nothing special though

Hmmm.. Don’t know about this one really. OK I suppose but not more than that

Well, it's about what I expected. It's alright. Good enough, but nothing I'd really seek out again. My favourite song was Canary.

Good!

-Didn’t write a BL (but never heard of Liz Phair)- AL: a very solid record. I liked the tonal sounds she was producing - very rock esque but also very drone and minimalist, you could almost imagine My Bloody Valentine making a lot of the licks without their signature layering and distortion. FT: “6’1”, “Glory”, “Fuck and Run” 3/5

Killer debut

11th July 2023 Listened during the day while working in the office on annual results call. Garden party in the evening. Enjoyed this - vibey indie punk with a real feminine drive. 3.5 if I could.

I’m torn between 3 and 4 stars - for starters it’s too long, it’s also has a mediocre start and mediocre end - but the mediocrity sandwiches a wonderful middle part that is risqué on point and ahead of it’s time - with some strong songs. But we’re rating albums not parts of, so I guess it does not hit the mark.

Something I'd never heard of and interesting enough to listen to without really exciting me. I quite liked the style, and it reminded me at times of Half Man Half Biscuit or The Mountain Goats - neither of whom appear on this list at all but are well worth a listen. Perhaps if I listened to it a couple more times I'd grow to like it more, but as it is it's another that's perfectly OK without being ground shaking.

Great album, but not one I listen to often

Je me demande si Avril Lavigne ne c'est pas inspiré de cette chanteuse. Pour moi on dirait du Avril Lavigne trop soft.

Worth looking this artist up on Wikipedia as it gave more context. Could see where they had influenced others but the content was a little juvenile for my today tastes. (I was also never a real fan of acts like Garbage)

3.5/5

Lindo disco, no lo conocía y me gustó, más allá de que seguimos en la línea de discos eeuu-céntricos. Pensándolo en su contexto, entiendo que fue parte de la camada de mujeres que saltaron a la fama en una escena dominada por hombres y que eso y aportar al estilo de rock alternativo de inicios de los '90 fue lo que lo hicieron entrar al ranking. 30 años después, si quiero escuchar algo del estilo prefiero ir con PJ Harvey o Alanis Morrissette.

Best Song: Fuck and Run. I like the almost spoken-word quality that this song has. It feels very raw and indie. And nothing beats a chorus of "Fuck and Run". Worst Song: Soap Star Joe. Really just didn't like that chorus. Overall: It's okay. It comes from that genre/era where the singer seems to be doing their best to seem as though they're too cool to try all that earnestly, instead sort of sitting back and letting their vocals roll out onto the floor. It feels like live music for a dive bar, in good and bad ways.

För all del.

Didn't particularly enjoy this. It's easy listening but quite boring in essence. All about relationships etc. Comes off a little desperate

Sometimes a little annoying and overly long, but the album is brilliantly written and completely original. A decent record.

I know this sound had started to emerge a bit more by 1993 but it's still remarkable how recent it feels. Bit too indie for me to really enjoy but great voice and very well put together.

This is good. Must've been pretty shocking for a WOMAN to produce something as explicit and casual about sex as this in such a conventional musical format back in 1993, although I guess this kind of sound wasn't as well-established then as it is now. That said, her voice lets it down a bit, and that probably drops it down from a 4 to a 3.

Sound is wel lekker herkenbaar voor een 90s kid, maar verder toch ook weer niet heel spannend. Voor dit soort plaatjes zou je 2,5 ster moeten kunnen geven.

Niet onaardig en best aardige dingen gehoord. Maar echt briljant vond ik het niet.

meh

4/18, 22%

ei huono. indie on trigger sana... ja ''huono laulaja'' no niin on mutta ei haitta.. jos olisi niin sanottu ''hyv' laulaja'' TEUKÄLÄISEN MIELESTÄ HYVÄ SIIS... niin olisi niin paskaa kuunnella mutta onneksi oei ole... melkein tunti ei kuintenkaan tätä jaksa popittaa. hyvä fontti yas girl ei vieläkään naisartistia vitosessa :( mesmerizing

Pas très sensible à sa voix, mais j'aime bien les passages instrumentaux. Plus l’album avançait, plus mon appréciation grandissait

Ive been to Guyville. It has some great songs but extremely forgettable, directionless ones as well. Rating: 6.5/10

An interesting sound. The personality of the album is like PJ Harvey meets Sheryl Crow. There are good moments to the album, in particular the soft sound and the unique style of singing and melodies, but the lack of dynamics and big defining highlights make it forgettable by the end.

Decent rock pop although I have to say the constant "lewd" topics made this feel a bit forced

good vibes, okay songs

não é ruim mas nada de mais

Not sure about this one. There are some good tracks on it, but others I didn't liked. 3/5

Major girlboss vibes

I guess it was okay? It's cool that she was one of the first female voices in Grunge and everything, but I just thought the album was okay. Nothing really special in my opinion, but some songs did have a good bite to them for its time.

Never heard of Liz Phair before and didn't recognise anything off the album. Decent though and glad I did. 3.5

This didn't really do much for me.

Grrrrrrrl!

The 90s were cool. You could just be kind of an acerbic white lady with a guitar and sing about how you hate blowjobs or whatever and you could have a hit record on your hands! Let's go back to the 90s.

Enjoyed the listen, still unsure if I like it enough to dive into a 3rd listen

I really really like Liz Phair. But with this album, I think I like the lofi vibe much more than I like the actual songs. All of the stories are pretty great, but the actual melodies tend to lull me into a hypnotic state that sends my brain elsewhere. Never Said and Divorce Song are stand outs for me. But Whip-Smart and Whitechocolatespaceegg are better all the way through, I think.

Kinda liked, kinda was bored by it. I never quite caught Liz-fever back in the day, and while I can appreciate it more now... a lot still just kind of feels like Sheryl Crow minus the pop melodies. For an album with 18 tracks, I'll say though that I was surprisingly engaged with the last six tracks. Everything from "Shatter" on stood out to me the most and probably would've made for a pretty sweet EP.

Guyville's second half veers all over musically, a left-field choice which Phair wrangles with her voice over all. The record says a lot, takes time to do it, too. You can hear many an indie record buried in there.

Ok. Listenable but not something I’d select.

OG angry bish music

I'm sure that 15-year-old me would have adored this album

of it's time a bit. sounds a bit dated now

interesting. 3.5/5

aight

Not as good as I remember...I feel like some songs of hers I really like aren't on this like I thought they were

I don't really know what to think. I started it and some parts were okay, and then when I came back to finish late at night Spotify was on shuffle so I don't know if I heard all the songs but I think I did but some were greyed out so I couldn't listen and some were not so good but some I didn't mind and I'm tired and confused.

Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.

The songs are put together well-enough, and lyrics are quite good. It is a bit too monochromatic, though.

It has some fun moments

Good moment but clearly of an era.

I'm having a really hard time rating this album. There are certain parts that are deserving of a 4 / 5. And then there are parts that I get bored of really quickly and deserves a 2 / 5. Phair's songwriting is quite unique and she's great at sounding innovative - even as the album progresses. But on the other hand I'm having a hard time coming to terms with her vocal.. It's really not that good, is it? The lo-fi approach to production really has its positives; the excellent "Dance of the Seven Veils" and "Fuck and Run" being prime examples. On the other hand I find that the album is 6-7 songs too long for it to still be interesting as the guitar fades away on the otherwise great closing track, "Strange Loop?". I'm going to listen to this again; for sure. But the next listen is just as likely to make this lose a star as it is to make it gain one.

I tried this some years and found it hard to engage with...Let's go again....Yeah. I still don't understand the accolades. Its OK...Half baked tales of sexual liberation. Some sketchy guitar. No massive tunes.. i mean its bold and brash for a solo album but give me PJ Harvey anyday. 2.75

This isn't really my thing, but Phair has a strong voice (metaphorically speaking)—smart, confident, mischievously funny, and justifiably sick of our male-dominated society's shit. The three-song stretch of "Mesmerizing," "Fuck & Run," and "Girls! Girls! Girls!" was my favorite, and "Flower" had me cracking up.

Good listen and worthy of another go around

Well I thought it was alright.

There's a lot to like, the lyrics are great, and must have been ten times as refreshing 30 years ago. It zips along without any songs outstaying their welcome, and the minimal instrumentation keeps it from becoming overblown. Phair's voice is less enjoyable at times, disaffected 90s snark feels indulgent these days, and had it been the ten best tracks, this would have been an absolute classic, rather than just a Good Thing. That said, I feel like this is the lay up that allowed Alanis to dunk on em a few years later!

Not bad. Definitely not my vibe but not bad.

It was good but not great.

Loved the vibe of this one but it did drag on a bit (I think I just don’t do well with longer albums on a first listen) Fav track: dance of the seven veils

It was alright. For being quite simple instrumentally it still feels ‘loud’ with Liz’s angst and passion on each song. 5/10

Tykkään soundista, sopivan simppeliä kuitenkin pienellä koukulla. Taitaa olla leidin itse säveltämää ja pitkälle soittamaa kamaa joka on aina hieno asia soittavalta artistilta.

Uus tuttavuus, toimivaa kamaa hyvältä aikakaudelta

decent guitary music, but nothing special

Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.

Nice one, enjoyable

This might be the most 90s alternative thing I've ever heard. A bit too long, didn't go anywhere and she can't really sing, BUT there is a bit of nipple on the cover. 3/5.

This is pretty good, but it's hard to escape a feeling of losing the thread a bit in the last third or so. Phair claimed to have had the idea to "respond" to the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street at some point in making this, and it kind of feels like some songs are there mainly to make up the numbers. I do suspect this is one I'll get more from on relistens.

While there's definitely some radio filler on here, most of the LP shines with mesmerizing songwriting and decent instrumentals. I'm not big on lyrics so much as form, but Phair's vocals make it impossible to ignore the narrative structures that clearly drive each track.

Ágætis væb á þessari plötu en hún er svolítið löng og lögin renna dálítið saman því útsetningarnar eru ansi einfaldar, þótt gítarpartarnir séu það kannski ekki. Renndi henni tvisvar, kannski að ég yrði hrifnari í þriðja sinnið.

grows on you

Pretty cool lo-fi rock album. Not really my type of thing though.

This is pretty cool. It def has that 90s alternative vibe, but Liz has quite a bit more going on than her poppier peers of the time. I’m surprised that this reminds me more of Sleater-Kinney than Alanis, but I really dig Phair’s atmospheric songwriting. It’s definitely LONG, but she covers so much ground it all feels essential - even if not on a single listen. 3.5

She's not a great singer but it doesn't really matter, the whole package is OK. Just not great or particularly memorable.

I can see why this album was included, Liz Phair was considered a breakout female star on the 90s alternative rock scene, and for supporting Smashing Pumpkins. For an angsty, sexual empowered, vocal-led singer/songwriter - it's alright. Feels like it paved the way for the likes of Alanis Morissette, Tracey Bonham, et al. Could have been half the length and still had the same impact.

Not my favorite Liz Phair album, but still a good one.

The album is straight forward, raw in parts and laser focused on telling the story of a woman afloat in a setting that is as ill-fitting as hand-me-down clothes. The emotional baseline of the album isn't explosive or outraged like some of Liz's female-lead contemporaries (i.e. Alanis), but much more dry-witted and ambivalent akin to Courtney Barnett (who I really hope is on this list!) For exemplary paired down tracks, I'd point to 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' and 'Shatter'. For songs that include the band, I enjoyed 'Never Said' and 'Divorce Song'. Floating somewhere in between the two vibes are great tracks like 'Soap Star Joe'.

The music style is very different from the album cover lol The start of Canary is a star.

Narrow and a bit one-note-y as many cult classics are. When this came out, I remember thinking “what’s all the fuss?” though the endorsement of all the cool chicks made an impression. Yes, it’s substantive. And certainly the cleverness, raw emotion, pluck and attitude of the songs’ “characters” are all appealing. It also overreaches and/or seems to be trying too hard at times. “Fuck and Run” is a minor classic and “Never Said” and “Canary” are easy to like. Super resonant of the ‘90s, a borderline relic, actually; would sharper or more expansive production have made this more timeless? She’s more than a one-hit wonder, sure, but it’s only one record so maybe a “one-off” wonder? 3.5 is the score, rounding down.

possibly would have gobbled this up as a teenager, got my alternate sources of feminist indie locked in these days

There are a number of decent songs on this. The first 5 come to mind. After that it's hit and miss. It would be higher rated if they had culled some of the filler rather than making a 56 min album. The indie stuff had a role in the music scene but some of it is boring.

I can totally hear the indie rock and alternative influence this has had on music. Could get better with more listens.

Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville Canary She lost herself on the way back home, trying to find any solution of where's north, to go opposite. Rough vocals, grunge era and purple static, that's the recipe for an ordinary album in the middle of the 90s. Few tracks connect stories that Liz told about Johnny and her affairs, during the same time the tracklist go up and down as the instruments and her vocals are rusting and tearing apart all the way. Creating heroes, losing their minds and fame, while who takes the advice and glory is the one and only Liz walking alone in Guyville. C

3.5/5

Not usually a fan of singer-songwriter material. Always feel that the songs will be nice when they’re finished. And Phair’s voice sounds a bit strained in places - even from the start. But I do quite admire the no-holds-barred lyrics and subject matter. Not my usual style of listening choice but warmed to it more as it progressed, especially when other instruments got involved, such as the extra guitar on Mesmerizing or the synth loops and doubled vocals on Flower. 2.5 stars

Nice band feel to this, despite being a solo effort. Proper guitar, drums and bass set up. Powers through, right from the opening chords of the first track. It loses some of the bite when the sound is stripped down to just guitar and vocals. Still, a mighty impressive debut.

I can hear this albums influence on many records in the indie world since it was released. Points for that. I have to say that I think listening to the album is a mixed bag though. There are some solid songs but I think they are outnumbered by songs that do little for me by about a 2 to 1 ratio.Yet another album that really could've edited down a bit in my opinion. 2 stars for the music 1 for the lasting influence

Kind of a boring, overlong album, innit?

i can understand why its held in the esteem it is. not my bag though

I knew a few songs. Enjoyable album.

My 90s crush on flat singers is still running strong. Juliana Hatfield all the way. Sorry Liz. I'm a Lemonhead.

Say, this sounds like it influenced a lot of 90s indie music.

The best from this album IMO: - Glory - Never Said - Mesmerizing - Gunshy - Stratford-On-Guy Not bad. Very interesting chords at times. Some songs remind me of Blur. 3.3/5

Enjoyed this one. Cool songs and lyrics. Very 90s dropped D. Angsty songs fav was the divorce song though none of the others really stood out. 3.5

-Damn they actually kinda go ham in "Strange Loop" -I like the fast-paced lyrics on 'Flower" and "Johnny Sunshine" -This is stronger than the average singer songwriter album

Love the righteous anger, hate the singing voice. Best track: The Divorce Song

Ahead of her time. Really helped pioneer the feminist rock movement. Liz Phair was always unapologetically crass and sexual in her lyrics when it was still a double standard where men could be crude but women had to be proper in their songs. My only knock is Musically, it takes a few interesting turns but kind of sticks in the same generic realm. Fave songs: “Fuck and Run” “Help Me Mary” Fave Tracks:

Kind of caught me off-guard how honest/explicit some of the lyrics were in comparison to the voice. Not bad, but nothing blew me away.

Liz Phair walked so that Garbage could run. Suffers from the problem with first albums where Liz has recorded nearly every song she's ever written so there's a real mess of genres and songs that probably could of been cut with no great loss. Overall I'm enjoying listening to this

Loose, sparse. Seems fitting that I listened to this in the Seattle area (even though Liz was based in Chicago): very riot grrl, lo-fi, grungy. Certain points I was into, certain points not so much. Eighteen songs is a bit long. Favorite tracks: "Fuck and Run", "Divorce Song", "Soap Star Joe", "Shatter"

Good album…should have been a couple of songs shorter but good variety in songs

Phairly good.

Phairly decent

the female Elliot Smith but not as good

3/5 interesting but nope.

liked how raw the lyrics were

yeah, this was fine. i didn't much care for her music back then, and i really don't now, although i absolutely love her unwillingness (at least on this album, i've never met her or anything) to take absolutely no shit whatsoever.

Fun album, would listen to it again.

Pretty intense lyrically, but some good songs

3,5 star but not 4. Okay-ish but totally forgettable music

3/5 Not really catchy, sounds like the radio

not my style

Gritty and hard-to-listen-to lyrics delivered with emotion and catchy tunes. Has you happily singing along to inappropriate and embarrassing songs. Gets better with every listen.

Like an 80s Joni Mitchell. Glad to have listened although probably wouldn’t relisten.

A bit raw. Liz is ok in small doses. Not my favorite but not bad.