Album Review - Liz Phair

Liz Phair
Exile In Guyville (15^th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue)
2008 ATO Records

# of spins (out of 5):

How is it that I let a true American classic like Exile In Guyville ever slip from the front of my consciousness?

This is the album that broke molds, glass ceilings, and male egos all over early-nineties-alternative-rock-crazed-America. Without this album Alanis Morissette would be a “Where Are They Now?” former child star, waiting for Nickelodian to call about the “You Can’t Do the on Television” reunion show. If it wasn’t for Phair releasing this modest masterpiece – Jenny Lewis would still be playing second fiddle to Fred Savage in a 90 minute Nintendo Entertainment Center info-mercial. And mostly if it wasn’t for Phair’s exploits in Guyville, we wouldn’t have a glorious, unfiltered view into the empowered female’s psyche.

Ultimately, all I’m saying is that this is a monumental album and with this release they have mercifully left it alone, mostly. With the exception of adding three songs to the tail-end as bonus tracks, this original indie-masterpiece is left entirely in tact. The raw sexuality in her smoky, deep voice remains affective fifteen years later - as it still radiates from the stereo speakers like that of a jazz singer in purgatory. The piercingly sparse arrangements sound like sanity on the cusp of shatter. And her notably brash lyrics feel torn somewhere between a sexually enlightened, confident woman, and a heartbroken little girl that is drowning in self-doubt.

Unlike most vault raiding collections, I have to admit this modest collection of bonus tracks is impressive. “Ant in Alaska” definitely should have had its place on the original release of the album. It’s a fantastic song that falls right in line with the mood of Guyville – and as usual has some pretty slicing lyrics. “Say You” is another great song – however I understand its original exclusion because it does feel closer to what she was doing on her 1994 follow-up album, Whip Smart. Admittedly, “Instrumental” is fairly useless here – but it’s benign, it causes no harm to the collection. This track is obviously nothing more than a guitar line that Phair laid down at some point and never came back to building an entire song around.

What is wonderful about this re-release though is the inclusion of the documentary Guyville Redux. Produced and shot by Phair herself she spirals back down into the genesis of this groundbreaking album – with absolutely no sense of pretension at all. In fact if anything it seems like the album is a long dissolved relationship that she is trying to reconcile a sense of closure with. The most fascinating part of the documentary is that in interviewing integral figures of the Chicago music scene including members of Urge Overkill and Material Issue, the owners of the iconic Matador Records, Steve Albini, and even John Cusack; they end up telling this album’s story and by extension they end up telling the story of the early 90’s music scene in Chicago.

Previous Albums:

Somebody's Miracle

Liz Phair

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Whip Smart