stratford-on-guy, easy
― electricsound, Tuesday, 1 January 2008 23:16 (sixteen years ago) link
Ridiculously tough to pick once it's narrowed down to my favorites, the hooky midtempo rock n rollers:
"6'1"" – 3:05 "Help Me Mary" – 2:16 "Soap Star Joe" – 2:44 "Fuck and Run" – 3:07 "Divorce Song" – 3:20
"Divorce Song" and "Fuck and Run" have moved me to tears, whereas the others just kick ass. "Divorce Song" then, for not having even the appearance of leaning on shock value.
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 1 January 2008 23:19 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah "divorce song". probably her best-ever lyric.
― tipsy mothra, Tuesday, 1 January 2008 23:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Mesmerizing.
― SeekAltRoute, Tuesday, 1 January 2008 23:56 (sixteen years ago) link
Never Said
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 00:34 (sixteen years ago) link
An unbreakable 3-way tie for first between 6'1", Fuck and Run, and Divorce Song, so I voted Shatter, which has some serious sentimental value for me.
― kingkongvsgodzilla, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 00:57 (sixteen years ago) link
Couldn't choose between Fuck and Run and Divorce Song, picked Fuck and Run for the totally WTF lyric "even when I was 12..." WHAT, Liz??
Love Soap Star Joe, too.
Man what a great album
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 05:48 (sixteen years ago) link
"divorce song," easy. because what tipsy said, and that's saying something b/c she's got some good ones. also bonus points to ILM for no one yet even mentioning oh-so-quotable song that put her on so many maps way back when.
Hon. mention to the rockers: 6'1", Help Me Mary, Mesmerizing...
― rogermexico., Wednesday, 2 January 2008 06:42 (sixteen years ago) link
Shatter is so good.
― sleeve, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 07:02 (sixteen years ago) link
'Divorce Song' - 'cause it's helping me through mine today. My kid sis recalls fondly about how when this record came out, (93?), I sent it to her explaining that this was the best I could do to explain tough male/female relationships - me being the brother that couldn't see her through her high school years, being that there was a 9 yr difference between us.
― BlackIronPrison, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 13:01 (sixteen years ago) link
"Divorce Song" makes me feel like a disgusting pit. So I voted for it.
― kiss out the jams, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 18:52 (sixteen years ago) link
i don't know this is so hard. i really kind of came around to johnny sunshine in a HUGE way. i might have to go for it.
― Surmounter, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 18:54 (sixteen years ago) link
Wow, I chose Divorce Song as well, with Dance of the Seven Veils and 6'1" in a close race. 6'1" is special to me because that's my height and it reminds me to own it ;)
― Finefinemusic, Wednesday, 2 January 2008 20:07 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― ILX System, Monday, 7 January 2008 00:01 (sixteen years ago) link
one of my favorite albums of all time. voted "fuck and run" because, like the rest of the album, it's poignant, funny and it totally rocks. tough one, though, because i love at least five other songs just as much, esp. "dance of the seven veils" and "divorce song."
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Monday, 7 January 2008 00:15 (sixteen years ago) link
Great, great, great album. I remember buying it on tape many years ago. I always used to gravitate to side 2 but but the whole thing is fantastic. As previous posters have stated, there are at least 5 other tacks on here that could get the vote. But I'm going to go for Shatter because I love the sound of that guitar.
― sam500, Monday, 7 January 2008 00:31 (sixteen years ago) link
6'1" coz of the swagger
― Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved, Monday, 7 January 2008 01:38 (sixteen years ago) link
She did a mini set on KCRW sometime between "Exile" and "Whip Smart" where she played 3 songs that I don't think ever ended up on albums, and they were just amazing. I used to have a cassette of them that I taped off the radio. "Rise," "Wasted," and "Hurricane Cindy" (the last one she actually ended up recording for a b-side late in her career, but the lyrics were totally different and it was much less creepy). I miss that tape. It had cringey Chris Douridas drooling banter between the tunes.
― Savannah Smiles, Monday, 7 January 2008 10:58 (sixteen years ago) link
okay i did it. johnny sunshine it is.
― Surmounter, Monday, 7 January 2008 16:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Voted for "Explain It To Me" in the end. Love the electric strumming and weird electronic swirls.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 7 January 2008 16:20 (sixteen years ago) link
I honestly cannot remember the last time I played this, but I'd probably cite "Fuck And Run".
― Alex in NYC, Monday, 7 January 2008 17:22 (sixteen years ago) link
I couldn't remember the last time I listened to it either, but this poll reminded me to pull it off the shelf/throw it, freshly encoded, onto the iPod. I went with "Strange Loop" but think I meant "Stratford-On-Guy."
― dblcheeksneek, Monday, 7 January 2008 20:21 (sixteen years ago) link
she played 3 songs that I don't think ever ended up on albums
there's basically an entire CD's worth of great Liz Phair songs that never made it to LP. "Wasted" and "Hurricane Cindy" are two good examples, there are at least a dozen more.
― sleeve, Monday, 7 January 2008 21:51 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― ILX System, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 00:01 (sixteen years ago) link
This is one of the least-disputable poll results I've ever seen.
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 02:13 (sixteen years ago) link
"Glory" is like the only song I like on this one.. and that one song where she's like "I wanna just want ur fresh young jimmy, slamming jamming ramming in me."
― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 02:16 (sixteen years ago) link
sad to see "dance of the seven veils" lose out so hard. it's the sleeper hit of the album!
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 06:01 (sixteen years ago) link
and no votes for 'canary' or 'gunshy' - both beautiful songs in there own right...but maybe not quite rocking enought to get the vote. i love the little tempo changes on gunshy and the fragile sounding piano on canary. hell - the whole album's great.
― sam500, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 06:12 (sixteen years ago) link
GUYS
― Surmounter, Thursday, 22 May 2008 02:22 (fifteen years ago) link
i'm really upset.
i just realized
i wanted to vote for dance of the seven veils, which is the one "johnny, myyy love..."
but i thought it was Johnny Sunshine so i voted for that by mistake! ARRRRRGHHHHH! and now Dance of the seven veils has no votes :(
― Surmounter, Thursday, 22 May 2008 02:23 (fifteen years ago) link
This disc is being reissued next month, I believe.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 22 May 2008 05:58 (fifteen years ago) link
missed the poll.. 6'1". I really like "Soap Star Joe" and "Canary" too. got this album back in 94, still listen to it.
― daria-g, Thursday, 22 May 2008 19:13 (fifteen years ago) link
prolly cuz it's pure genius
― Surmounter, Thursday, 22 May 2008 19:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Just back from the Chicago show. WOW.
― toby, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 02:48 (fifteen years ago) link
I HATE YOU!!!!!! what was the best song?
― Surmounter, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 02:49 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm not too sure! The obvious favourites (6'1, fuck and run etc) were in some ways less good, just because they were a straightforward band runthrough. More interesting was the effort they made on stuff like canary, flower, shatter, to replicate the sound of the record. Definitely one of those shows where you pick out a lot of stuff you didn't notice before - I'll be listening to the record a good deal tomorrow, I suspect.
― toby, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 03:07 (fifteen years ago) link
It was essentially all great though. Even the new song in the encore seemed promising (charming solo goes at chopsticks and polyester bride, too).
― toby, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 03:08 (fifteen years ago) link
nice -- i feel like that's a good sign, that those were the highlights.
― Surmounter, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 03:09 (fifteen years ago) link
i am so thrilled by the idea of a new song being "promising" (this from someone who liked albums 4 and 5 at first) i can't even put it into words
― Keaney Tong, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 03:37 (fifteen years ago) link
said new song:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NP8z5MQD9Sw
― toby, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 12:31 (fifteen years ago) link
Pitchfork and Jim DeRogatis seemed to hate her show (Google News search them)… I hope to hear better things from the people who show up at Hiro tonight and tomorrow. People seemed to like her in SF… maybe it's just the traditional Chicago hatred of her taking over.
― Keaney Tong, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 23:10 (fifteen years ago) link
Is the reissue remastered?
― milo z, Thursday, 26 June 2008 00:21 (fifteen years ago) link
DeRogatis looked like a bit of a dick to me (I know nothing about him more generally, fwiw); sat there with his laptop in the stalls, barely paying any attention. I think it's fair to suggest that his mind may have been made up before the show. Not quite sure that Mesmerising is a "potty-mouthed confession", either.
Apparantly there is some remastering - I think the Pfork review mentions it?
― toby, Thursday, 26 June 2008 13:26 (fifteen years ago) link
i love that song
― Surmounter, Thursday, 26 June 2008 13:33 (fifteen years ago) link
divorce song
― cum dude (Princess TamTam), Friday, 29 April 2011 21:13 (twelve years ago) link
why can't i breathe whenever i think abt u
― markers, Friday, 29 April 2011 21:16 (twelve years ago) link
I didn't really think that I realizeed how highly I regarded this album (top 10 of the decade for sure) until I realized that five or six songs from it were among my favorite ever ("Glory", "Explain it to Me", "Canary", "Fuck and Run", "Divorce Song", "Johnny Sunshine"). My favorite out of all of these, and the one I wouldve voted for, is Explain it to Me. Love that song.
― if hongroes could fly this place would be a geirport (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 29 April 2011 22:46 (twelve years ago) link
I don't remember this poll but I probably would have either voted DS or F and Run. Popular choices it seems. This album was really important to me for a long time.
― \(^o\) (/o^)/ (ENBB), Friday, 29 April 2011 22:56 (twelve years ago) link
oh yeah F&&R and DS are def #2 and #3 in my book...way glad they won!
did anybody ever do a runoff?
― if hongroes could fly this place would be a geirport (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 29 April 2011 23:00 (twelve years ago) link
Her electric rhythm strum is one of my favorite songs ever.
― My mom is all about capital gains tax butthurtedness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 30 April 2011 02:48 (twelve years ago) link
aww man, one late write-in vote for Dance of the Seven Veils, because I too am a cunt in spring..
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Monday, 2 May 2011 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
no, apparently I voted way back in the day. I guess Future Lex is nastier than Past Lex. I am still 6'1" though.
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Monday, 2 May 2011 16:13 (twelve years ago) link
― My mom is all about capital gains tax butthurtedness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, April 29, 2011
SOTM - she and brad wood found a great sound on this record.
mesmerizing in particular. the bluesy little hook from same is one of my fave things to play when I'm just hangin' on the couch with a guitar.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Monday, 2 May 2011 18:30 (twelve years ago) link
Anyone listened to her episode of Joe Rogan yet? I just realized that it was up.
http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/liz-phair
― how's life, Monday, 9 April 2018 14:26 (six years ago) link
i'll be honest, the 'joe rogan' part is a likely unsurmountable hurdle right out of the gate
― star wars ep viii: the bay of porgs (bizarro gazzara), Monday, 9 April 2018 14:31 (six years ago) link
Yeah, I get that. But he isn't 100% unlistenable and can be a good interviewer (with some very glaring exceptions). My breakdown of when I'll listen to Rogan from another thread:
how's life wrote this on thread Post a controversial opinion on board I Love Everything on Oct 13, 2017lol, I'll listen to Joe Rogan if one of my favorite musicians is on. Then it'll be like Ok that was pretty cool. Who's next? A guy who hunts invasive pigs in Patagonia? Great! Sign me up! Subscribe! Next? A b-list stand-up comic. Ok, sure I guess... Next week? The more speculative side of evolutionary psychology! EJECT EJECT!This repeats itself every 6 months or so for me. Substitute in Milo Yiannopoulos, an anti-feminist woman, or some MMA fighter in the last slot as necessary.
lol, I'll listen to Joe Rogan if one of my favorite musicians is on. Then it'll be like Ok that was pretty cool. Who's next? A guy who hunts invasive pigs in Patagonia? Great! Sign me up! Subscribe! Next? A b-list stand-up comic. Ok, sure I guess... Next week? The more speculative side of evolutionary psychology! EJECT EJECT!
This repeats itself every 6 months or so for me. Substitute in Milo Yiannopoulos, an anti-feminist woman, or some MMA fighter in the last slot as necessary.
Point being, there's a two-hour Liz Phair interview up.
― how's life, Monday, 9 April 2018 14:36 (six years ago) link
omg, like 10 minutes in and they're talking aliens.
― how's life, Monday, 9 April 2018 15:37 (six years ago) link
I enjoyed it, it's just 2 hours of stoner talk
― flappy bird, Monday, 9 April 2018 16:43 (six years ago) link
Yeah, I was enjoying it. I just got up to the part where Liz starts talking about how maybe demons are dog ghosts and had to take a little break. I'll finish it up tonight.
― how's life, Monday, 9 April 2018 16:46 (six years ago) link
Haven't listened to it yet, but she's on the latest Song Exploder talking about Divorce Song.
http://songexploder.net/liz-phair
― how's life, Friday, 11 May 2018 11:41 (five years ago) link
I really wish those Song Exploders were an hour long. They're great for the most part but I always want more.
― flappy bird, Friday, 11 May 2018 16:21 (five years ago) link
My thoughts exactly! It's seemed like they could have covered a lot more
― rip van wanko, Friday, 11 May 2018 16:23 (five years ago) link
I'm not a gearhead or even a musician but I don't remember it being mentioned what kind of guitar she used
― rip van wanko, Friday, 11 May 2018 16:25 (five years ago) link
I'd bet it was her old Fender Duo Sonic. She's had other guitars since but probably not at the time.
― how's life, Friday, 11 May 2018 16:54 (five years ago) link
Having never listened to Liz Phair before it's insane reading old ILM threads (not this one, the other ones)
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 11 May 2018 16:57 (five years ago) link
Haven't listened to it yet, but she's on the latest Song Exploder talking about Divorce Song.http://songexploder.net/liz-phair― how's life, Friday, May 11, 2018 4:41 AM (nine hours ago)
― how's life, Friday, May 11, 2018 4:41 AM (nine hours ago)
I wonder if "Shane" was a sequel to "Divorce Song":
I know that it was the nightThe war broke out becauseYou and I were driving around
You were doing a storyAbout if people understoodWhat had happened to their worldTonightIn bedSleepingThe world tonightIn bedAsleep
You said that you were in touchWith the draft resistorsIn case the big boys called you upYou're gonna have to let 'emDick you aroundBut don't let 'em makeYou doWhat you can't live withTonightIn bedWith meSleepingYou looked like you were just a little kid
Shane, I said, you've got to watch your ass
You've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartYou've gotta have fear in your heartFear in your heart
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 11 May 2018 21:21 (five years ago) link
This album is one of those albums that I've discovered is a "root" over the past 27 years since I first heard it.
I don't have much that's profound to say about that, but I don't think there's a song that I don't like on here. Hard for me to believe that "Canary" got 0 votes in the original poll, it's always been one of my favorites.
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:10 (one year ago) link
Before I started here, but this is one poll where I agree 100% with the co-winners (virtually tied for me, too).
― clemenza, Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:11 (one year ago) link
Agree with the top five tbh
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:14 (one year ago) link
xxp yeah it's all great, including the three zero-vote tracks
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:15 (one year ago) link
I think I probably ended up voting for Shatter in the end, as I said upthread
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:16 (one year ago) link
I don't like "Stratford-on-Guy" at all, it's boring. I think each of the tracks that didn't get any votes are better.
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:18 (one year ago) link
(I mean I still like it, but it would be near the bottom of my list)
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:19 (one year ago) link
I like songs about looking out of plane windows, bored.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:23 (one year ago) link
I'm not totally sure what made me think about this record today, for what it's worth— I was doing some work after dinner, and all of a sudden the phrase "tell him to jump higher" came into my head.
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:28 (one year ago) link
This album has some of my favorite electric rhythm strumming.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:32 (one year ago) link
reposting these great mostly-unreleased tracks here:https://www.mediafire.com/file/lkcseenpa3i1ccd/Liz_Phair_-_Unreleased_Songs_Collection.zip/filehttps://www.mediafire.com/file/c1unravlu2fbti8/Liz_Phair_-_Unreleased_Songs_Collection_part_2.zip/file
1. Desperado Theme2. Oh My God3. If I Ever Pay You Back4. Tell Me You Like Me5. Firewalker6. Hurricane Cindy7. Don't Apologize8. Beginning To See The Light9. I'm Like That10. I'll Get You High11. Conversation Overheard Between Two Bouncers12. Wasted13. You Have No Idea14. Russian Girl15. I'm A Believer16. Waiting For The Bird17. Freak Of Nature
1, 4, 9, 14, 16, 17 - from White Chocolate Space Egg solo demos boot CDR2 - Squirt TV, 1.963, 8 - Minneapolis 4.22.955, 7 - Wellesley 4.30.996 - unknown demo10, 13 - NYC 4.25.9511 - live, source unknown12 - KCRW, 12.8.9415 - live, source unknown
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 September 2022 01:50 (one year ago) link
100% same
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 8 September 2022 02:04 (one year ago) link
xp thanks, sleeve!
― west coast heat dome blues (morrisp), Thursday, 8 September 2022 02:05 (one year ago) link
Good ol’ “Hurricane Cindy”
Thanks sleeve.
― The Triumphant Return of Bernard & Stubbs (Raymond Cummings), Thursday, 8 September 2022 02:06 (one year ago) link
(I have all the WCSE demos somewhere but don’t know where, and it’s been a while.)
― The Triumphant Return of Bernard & Stubbs (Raymond Cummings), Thursday, 8 September 2022 02:12 (one year ago) link
I know it's lo-fi but "Conversation Between Two Bouncers" is just incredible
happy to throw these out into the world again! I made this from my own bootlegs CDRs and tapes, I got like a dozen boot tapes off of eBay in the mid-2000s and went through all of them for the gold.
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 September 2022 02:31 (one year ago) link
(the tapes were bought as a lot, to be clear)
many thanks, sleeve.
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Thursday, 8 September 2022 02:44 (one year ago) link
First-past-the-post is so cruel. "Dance of the Seven Veils" and "Canary" might even have been my favourite tracks 2/3 of a lifetime ago. Some days, at least.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 8 September 2022 06:03 (one year ago) link
I was shocked how few songs she played from Exile a few years ago and there wasn't a big audience pop for "Fuck and Run" or "Divorce Song" - and most of the audience sang along to "Why Can't I" (which I like). Completely flipped my expectations of what a Liz Phair concert audience in 2018 (or 2017) was into.
― papal hotwife (milo z), Thursday, 8 September 2022 06:07 (one year ago) link
A lot of great songs on this album (“Shatter” is sorta its lowkey MVP)… but I still remember what it is was like to hear “Fuck and Run” those first few times, in someone’s car, it felt like something totally new and I just had to get the album.
― west coast heat dome blues (morrisp), Thursday, 8 September 2022 06:28 (one year ago) link
sleeve, not for the first time, you are a true hero to Liz Phair fans around these parts!
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 8 September 2022 13:14 (one year ago) link
"Why Can't I" still pops up on the semi-reg on Adult Contemporary/Hits Radio.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 8 September 2022 13:42 (one year ago) link
that’s pretty wild, I was just driving home late at night and “Shatter” popped up on the shuffled iPod I use for car play, I marvelled at its greatness in the dark.
― assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 8 September 2022 14:07 (one year ago) link
Newly released outtake to mark 30th Anniversary: https://matablog.matadorrecords.com/2023/06/22/liz-phair-exile-in-guyville-30th-anniversary-edition-miss-lucy/
(I have a ticket to the L.A. show in November)
― Bittern Storm Over My Hammy (morrisp), Thursday, 22 June 2023 16:12 (ten months ago) link
This is one of the greatest albums of all time, also: Brad Wood and Gordon Raphael tied for #1 in the category of "spectacular producers who deserve more acclaim that they've received".
― professional window (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 23 June 2023 14:32 (ten months ago) link
*than, doy
― professional window (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 23 June 2023 14:33 (ten months ago) link
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Friday, 23 June 2023 21:51 (ten months ago) link
old friend asked me to be her date since her actual date couldn’t make it tonight— amazing show tbh.
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Thursday, 23 November 2023 04:19 (five months ago) link
(Philly show)lots of gen xers and older millennials with their young children, everyone singing along to every song. very lovely experience
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Thursday, 23 November 2023 04:20 (five months ago) link
yeah I went to the SF show weekend before last & it was so funalso singing “Fuck & Run” at the top of my lungs the first time in a while is very therapeutic <3
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 23 November 2023 06:18 (five months ago) link
If I was voting today it probably would’ve been “Mesmerizing”.
― The Triumphant Return of Bernard & Stubbs (Raymond Cummings), Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:14 (five months ago) link
yeah "Mesmerizing" is a jam. loved seeing her perform it live the other nite.
― jaymc, Friday, 24 November 2023 05:10 (five months ago) link