I had to do it...so bear with me folks!
Liz Phair. Yet another 90s artist that rescued my ears from the boring, cookie cutter world of top 40 and introduced me to music outside the box. I first saw the video for Supernova so I bought the CD (her 2nd at the time, Whipsmart). I liked it and then sought out her first, Exile in Guyville. Read up about her, but the whole idea about Guyville being a song by song response to the Rolling Stone's Exile on Mainstreet was a bit lost on me. I never was much of a Stones fan then , just getting more into them now (I know, shameful??!!). I still don't get it completely, but I read that she did it kind of obscurely, so it's not just the lyrics that are "responding" to the songs, but guitar parts, or solos in the same spot, as well. I could be wrong on that, it's been a while since I researched that stuff.
My first fave from it was Mesmerizing. Here is a clip from '99 (not my vids, just found on youtube):
But overall the whole album, wow. It was just so perfectly raw and different. And that sound of the guitar drew me in. Just the fact that it was so prevelent, and not just playing typical rhythm strums and chords (not that I knew what chords were back then). But it was so different and I loved it.
I was lucky enough to see Liz live a few times over the years, and each time in a close setting. When her 3rd album was out, she did a taping of a show Sesstions at West 54th Street. Then a few years back she did an acoustic type tour. My friend and I drove up to Boston to catch that, again, intimate setting. We sat maybe 6 rows back on folding chairs in a small club. And Liz had a great rapport with the crowd, she was cracking jokes and took some requests. And more recently, we got to go to her Exile In Guyville anniversary show in NYC, where she performed the full album.
Her lyrics are sometimes childish and whiny but witty and somehow intelligent at the same time. And yes, risque too, like Flower, F**k and Run, and a few others with choice words in there. But iit's just done brilliantly. EXCEPT on her self titled album, the song "H.W.C.", was a bit too much for me. I won't get into the meaning if you don't already know
, but it just seemed like forced risque-ness to me. Like 'OK here is the obligatory pervy song because it's what people know of me".
But on that same album, she has a song called "Rock Me" that's about having a fling with a younger guy. So young in fact that he's unaware of who she was in her hey day:
"Your record collection don't exist
You don't even know who Liz Phair is
Your potential with no credentials
Your mother taught you how to be a sensitive man"
That gets me everytime!!! Brilliant
OK let me wrap this up, I'm sorry for rambling so much...but in my defense, one last bit of info. Her signature guitar is a Fender Sonic-Duo II. I always thought it was a Strat with a Tele pick guard...but I never knew much about guitars. Here's a clip from that same youtuber above, song called "Firewalker" with the guitar (also a fave song of mine):
Thank you all for your patience, and time. I hope you all enjoy what I've contributed, and I hope I didn't over do my posting new topics for the day!
