Any Liz Phair fans? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Bennett]

Hey Everyone,
I recently started to get really into Liz Phair's music. I picked up Exile In Guyville, Whip-Smart, Whitechocolatespaceegg, and yes even her self titled album over the past few weeks. I'll be the first to say that her self titled album is for the most part pretty awful(though some of the songs that aren't getting radio airplay are decent) compared to any of the other three but those other three are really great discs. The free internet EP that you can download when you buy her new one was pretty good too(and made up for some of my disappointment with the self titled disc)
It seems like everyone loves Exile but opinions are pretty mixed with Whipsmart and Whitechocolatespacegg. I for one think they're both excellent discs. The guitar hooks are still simple and while the lyrics aren't quite as meaningful as Exile, they're still quite good. There is also definitely a subtle move towards more pop oriented songs(and not to mention higher production values and her singing voice moving away from the husky one on Exile) but I'm really digging all of these discs.
I hear she's touring and I'm really considering going if she makes it towards Boston or New York, but I'm curious as to if her setlist will be mostly stuff off of her first three albums or if she'll just play to death her new stuff. Anyone seen her in concert lately?
As I read more about her, I'm really curious to hear what some of the early versions of some of these songs sound like (I read in the review of Whipsmart that the Girlysounds version of that song is alot more stripped down and that particular reviewer preferred it that way).
It's funny, a friend of mine in college was big into Liz Phair but I never bothered to borrow any of the discs from her. Looks like I should have jumped on the oppurtunity back then.

 

[Will_B]

I'm glad you were able to succesfully download the free EP. I myself never was able to manage it, so I sort of feel like I got gypped out of the "complete" album (no offense to Egyptians intended). Hopefully she'll release it as a CD-EP sometime.

I haven't seen her live, but I saw a video of a Tower records in-store performance, which was brief but was mainly her new material and some of her classic fan-favorites. I'd say absolutely GO to her show if she comes to your town. She might not be the best singer or the best guitarist but she's a fun show who makes her fans happy. The new material blends well into the old, live.

The new material really is not that bad. I listen to NPR driving home and at the end of last year I remember one of their music critics urging people to please reconsider her most recent self titled album, that all the criticism against the production of the album wasn't intended to make people not even listen to it. I'd agree!

 

[Dave Bennett]

Will,
I wasn't able to get the EP on my Macintosh but i had no trouble downloading it on my parents PC(I then just burned it to an audio CD from Windows Media Player). I think the Mac WMP can't handle the lisence issue yet so that's why I was having issues.
I've listened to her new album extensively and there are some decent songs on there, they're just very different from her other stuff. I agree though that it's not as terrible an album as some think, the key is to stay away from the songs that are getting massive radio airplay as those tend to be the ones that she cowrote with others and that seem to be further from her old stuff.
I found that she's coming to both New York City and Boston in the next few months and I might try and make it so one of the shows depeneding on the timing and cost of tickets and travel costs.
I caught an abbreviated concert of hers on DirecTV freeview the other day and she seemed quite good and she only played like two songs off the new album(which is good since the songs she chose to play where probably my least favorite songs on the disc, the extremely "poppy" songs). Either way though I think I'm gonna shoot for seeing her in concert.

 

[Grant B]

I have been a Liz fan since Exile and have seen her quite a few times. The new one has some songs that really shouldn't be coming out of her mouth. Some others have grown on me.
I saw her at her opening show in SF late last year and it was good...the previous time I saw her was better. That time it was just her up on stage with a bunch of furniture. She invited people from the audience to sit in the chairs and couches - pretty cool. She had stage fright for most of her early career and the people/ setting made her feel like she was singing for friends. She is coming back to a larger venue next month so I am glad I saw her at the Fillmore Ballroom
http://thefillmore.com/
Check out Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits; she does the Tra la la Song (Banana Splits Song) with Material Issue
Hey if anyone is interested in a very cool Liz Phair Poster from the Fillmore, I have an extra one and will consider trades .....DVDs LDs CDs. My walls have only so much space.

BTW she did a 'sing-a-long' version of flower after the 1st encore. Most of the place was half out the doors. Dont leave until you are sure!!!

 

[MarkHastings]

I've noticed that too. That's my least favorite...Oh well. My favorite is Whitechocolatespaceegg. The lyrics to "Shitloads of Money" are so perfect. For everyone who says she was a 'sell out' for doing her latest album, I say listen to "Shitloads of Money"

 

[Dave Bennett]

Mark,
I never even though about "Shitloads of Money" in that sense. It really is quite funny and ironic in that way.
I for one still think Exile is her best but Whipsmart and Whitechocolatespacegg are very good albums and I think they're vastly underrated by most people.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I think I saw the same thing, and rarely see someone seem so bored by their own material. I used to worship at the alter of phair, then came Whitechocolatespaceegg which certainly cooled me but didn't completely turn me off- then her ne "matrix" pop record, i threw up my hands and gave up.

-V