Customer Reviews

Juvenilia

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I bought this album on sale, I knew nothing about Liz Phair. I just remembered that I heard her name before and that it was registered in my brain on a positive note. I swear I didn't even know what type of music to expect, neither did I expect much anyway. Listening to it for the first time, I was Firstly relived to discover from the very first seconds that she's not in any way a Kylie wannabe, which was my biggest worry, and than I slowly found myself actually listening, paying enormous attention to each track. The first three were good and in the right areas of alternative rock but when the five following ones started, these demos that got her a recording contract, that's when I slowly got truly knocked over. They just didn't stop getting better, each one more incredible than the one before with the astonishing (one of my all time favourites) 'Easy' finishing the set. I tell you this, I don't think I've ever managed to actually listen fully with 100% attention to any album on the first time before. True, it's quite short (about 28 minutes long) but we're also talking about demos, Five songs that have only vocals and an electric guitar on them...she is now, beyond any reasonable doubt, my favourite female singer. However, even after knowing and loving all her other albums, this one's is absolutely unreplaceable as my favourite and forget what people might think about the disorder and lack of structure these songs have, I have never received a clearer feel of knowing where the song is and what the structure is on the first listening of any album as I did with this one, but I think it will come as no surprise when I'll say that Syd Barrett's `Madcup Laughs' is also one of my favourites. Conclusion? one of the ten best autumn albums ever and a splendid must to listen to when surfing the net.

These days you don't see much of Liz Phair, the comical and witty songwriter who mesmerized rock fans in the 90s. She released a mediocre pop album in 2005 and since then has not even showed her face in the public eye nor gave her fans an inkling as to what she has been doing. But, I will forget about present cirumstances.

1995's "Juvenilia" EP collects some of Phair's best work. And by best work I mean it includes clippings of her infamous 1991 demo tapes, Girlysound. "Jealously" is up there as far as commercially released Phair songs but nothing can get you past the beauty of "Easy". The song EASILY could pass as Phair's most impressive piece. From the guitar strumming at the beginning behind Phair's deep, monotone, nictotine stained vocals, you can't beat it. The song along with "Dead Shark" don't make me miss "old Liz", it just makes me smile to know that I own a piece of work that I truly enjoy and can place meaning to.

Juvenilia, the coveted Liz release, is a rare find indeed. I was lucky enough to find it at a cd store in good condition. One of the reasons this cd is sought out is for the Girly Sound songs that appear, these are songs that Liz wrote before her debut album. The songs appear remastered along with other rarities. There is Jealousy the song that appears from the Whipsmart album. It's hypnotic bass pulls you in, and you can't help but want to headbang to the song.
Liz also does some piano work on this record which is a nice listen. But the star songs of the album have to be the Girly Sound songs. Each are fun listens and you may even get a giggle or two out of them. Find this album and buy it, you won't regret it.

I spent a long time waiting for Whipsmart, and this EP felt like dessert after a tasty dinner. It's always nice to get more Liz. She's a talented singer/songwriter not in the tedious-overly introspective-I take myself and my ovaries too seriously-female singer songwriter mold, though she's taken a turn toward that with her most recent album, Whitechocolatespacegg. That said, this is a good album. You can certainly find umpteen dozen copies of girlysounds(the four track stuff Liz did in her apartment before Exile in Guyville) all over the internet, but for those of us committed, yet not obsessive fans, this is enough of that sound.
I'm absolutely crazy about Animal Girl, Turning Japanese and Dead Shark. She's talented. This is just more(and less refined) proof.

This EP is a hodge podge of early work and '96 era Phair. The turning japanese single blisters as well as the Jealousy song. The early work is moody but cool and fun. A must for Liz fans. IT's a really cool little collection. Looking forward to more in the years to come.

I don't know why this disc got slammed so much. Liz Phair is hard to listen to for some, but for the ones who get what she is saying it shouldn't be. The charm in this ep is the 5 girlysound selections. The only other way to find Girlysound material (on cd) is the "Secretly Timid" bootleg, and that is really hard to find (if you do, tell me!) The cuts on here are somewhat weak in certain areas but a song like "Easy" in all its sparsity and truthfulness cut through the sludge and show why Liz Phair is such an insightful musical entity.

Great!! How can you not love her remake of Turning Japenese and the song California!! Its great!!

Dead Shark is probably my favorite Liz Phair song--I love the guitar. Batmobile is also a favorite. South Dakota is kind of juvenile, appropriately. The Vapors' cover w/Material Issue is fun; RIP Jim. Ms. Phair should look back to her old peers for inspiration....

If you're curious about the girlysound tapes; this is probably a good intro.

This is raw, unvarnished Liz, a collection of odd bits of proto-Liz. Some tracks here are genuinely forgettable, but others should make it onto an full-length release. "Dead Shark" and "Easy" are brilliant!

This EP could very will be the third disc to 'Exile in Guyville'. Captures the tone and more reserved nature of Phair's best album. After this, there was a significant drop in quality, but this should be required listening to anyone who enjoyed 'Exile'. Seemingly loose, carefree and confident, Liz mixes covers, spoken word, and independent rock jams to form an excellent "little album". "South Dakota" is the standout track for me. Much better than "Whip-Smart" where 'Jealousy' is a single.