Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a Shame It's Her Worst-Selling Record..., June 20, 2004
After an extensive break, having a son and getting divorced, "Whitechocolatespaceegg," which arrived at #35 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, surprised many Liz Phair fans in summer of 1998. Though its tongue-in-cheek lead single "Polyester Bride," didn't see the success that her breakthrough single, 2003's "Why Can't I?" (which entered the Hot 100 September 11, 2003 at #76, eventually peaking at #32, her first and thus far only Top 40 hit) had, one thing was clear: She could create songs that were easy to listen to and difficult to turn off...that's right...POP MUSIC! :::Gasp:::Even though this is extremely far from the slickly-produced but excellent self-titled album from last year, this is essentially its foreshadower; "Liz Phair" took the formula of this album and amplified it. Indeed, with "Whip-Smart" back in 1994, she proved with songs like "Jealousy" and "Supernova," her first song to make the Hot 100 (#78), that she could stick to guns; pushing the envelope with themes that near-completely dealt with sex while still crafting radio-worthy fare. "Whitechocolatespaceegg" is far more mainstream than anything she released previously, but it walks the balance beam between indieville and Top 40 land carefully; in fact, perhaps too carefully, which could explain why it has been her least-embraced release. From the opening title track, which many agree is in reference to her then baby son, to the awkward "Girls Room," this album is a mix bag of different infectious styles that without a doubt has at least one song to please every listener. "Big Tall Man" is a hilarious, extremely catchy tune likely inspired by her ex-husband, while "Love Is Nothing" and "Johnny Feelgood," melodically, sound like something you'd hear after popping a coin into a jukebox in a 50's-style restaurant. Other tracks, like "Go On Ahead" are lyrically reminiscent of "Exile In Guyville" in their examination of relationships, while the likes of others such as "What Makes You Happy" or "Baby Got Going" are so downright catchy that it's a true shame they didn't mark Phair's arrival at mainstream radio. The lyrics to the former are sung so perfectly; she gets an A+ for the acting job: "But mom, I'm sending you this photograph/I swear this one is gonna to last/And all those other bastards were only practice". How can you not love this woman? Although it is her least successful record, "Whitechocolatespaceegg," with its sing-along choruses and insightful lyrics (and at times appropriate lack thereof) deserves a second chance.
|
|
|
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not different, it's not better--it's all good, October 16, 2000
Some of the reviews below were a bit harsh towards this CD. I usually don't give many 5 stars out, but I felt I had to here to counterbalance the ratings given out by some other very biased reviewers. Liz Phair is an amazing artist. I'm no groupie nor do I own an autographed picture or anything like that. I just think this album along with her two others chronicle an amazing story told by an amazing story teller/poet. Her first album was a double EP released back in those early days of grunge and alterno-trend rock. When any cute girl with a tight t-shirt, an emotive voice and a half-way decent back-up band could release an album and seemingly go platinum. Liz Phair came up out of that swirl of here-today-gone-tomorrow chick-rockers with an album that was raw and honest and a little bit naughty (Exile in Guyville). Most of it she composed in her bedroom with (I think) a third-rate 4 track. Copies of her songs were duplicated and spread and duplicated again among women who themselves were dealing with all the hardships and questions of being young, attractive and intelligent. She was an underground phenomenon in Chicago. Somewhere, somehow, Matador Records found her, signed her and thus her first album. Whipsmart was her second album. Some say it is "too clean, too produced" compared to her first album. I disagree. I love that album for different reasons. But were talking about "Space Egg" and Liz Phair... So, now we're a couple of years later. Liz Phair, up to this point, has done something like 15 appearances total in that time--and those apparently weren't that great. She had horrible stage fright. She had made two excellent and very profitable albums (maybe the only two Matador has had so far) and now she had to top that. However, her situation had changed. She was no longer the bitter, angry young woman who had written Exile. She was in her late twenties, married, and had a son. A lot people, me included, wondered if she would go down in history with just those two albums or worse try and hold on to "the good old days" and release Exile II, except have changed too much as a person and an artist to pull it off. I thought, "Well, maybe Neil Young is right, it's better to burn out than to fade away." (I remember reading one article once where she said she just kept writing songs about changing diapers and babies and really thought she was going away fast.) Instead she did what a true artist should. She wrote the new album in her own voice, the voice of a late twenties woman with a kid and a husband and all of the growth that had happened in her life since the first two albums. And like I said it is an amazing album. Track after track is a different slice of life or just a mood. Liz Phair the poet comes through as much as Liz Phair the musician and Liz Phair the person. All of which have grown and grown together. The Liz Phair that everyone saw in Lilath Fair was someone who had struggled and beaten her legendary stage fright to be able to be up there. Although probably few knew it, which is telling in it's own right. She has grown as a person and as an artist and this album is a stop along the way that she has been nice enough to share with the rest of us. I think Neil Young was right--when you're losing your voice or you have nothing interesting left to say, then it is better. Liz Phair and this album don't fit into those categories. In fact, they are both in a league all their own. Buy this album.
|
|
|
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
liz phair is a musician not to ignore, November 18, 1999
By A Customer
i do not understand why liz phair has been one of the most misunderstood & maligned musicians i've ever seen. is it because if she comes from money? is it because she's a girl? from chicago? i don't know, all i can say is that everyone writing bad reviews seem to be jerky guys on some kind of mission. liz phair is a poet of MY generation, the chrissie hynde of MY generation- and for everyone else who doesnt' get her or like her - they can screw themselves backwards for all i care. this newest album harkens back to her first album ("exile..") in terms of originality, but it's also a progression from whipsmart - i don't know why people consider whipsmart to be inferior - they're all good albums - just different. exile is raw and uncut- i still love 6'1, flower,mesmerizing, divorce song,stratford-on-guy,&strange loop - but i also think other songs could have been dropped and i wouldn't have missed them. whipsmart is more "produced", but it has some great songs - "supernova" is one of the best love songs ever written, but don't expect it to sound like "looks like we made it" - that's not what our liz is about. thank the lord. other faves are: x-ray man, go west, & jealousy. as far as whitechocolate is concerned - it's a great album with most songs stellar, which is a rare find these days. perfect world, johnny feelgood, polyester bride, baby got going, headache and ride are my favorites. and girls room is classic bitey songstress liz. for a 1st album, you won't go wrong. however, if you really want to know what raw rock liz is about, you'll have to buy exile in guyville - it rocked my world when i first discovered it.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
is Liz Phair's 
