This is my entry into the "Chicks Rock" Write Off, hosted by talented kristinafh and dustygold, who both happen to be celebrating their two year anniversary on the site. Here's hoping dusty can return to regular duty here the way I have lately.

I'm not quite sure where to begin this review. After all, it's not easy to review an album that has received so much widespread critical success, an album that has been called an out and out "masterpiece," and an album that defines angry grrrrrl rock better than Alanis Morrisette could ever hope to do.

In the early 90s, Phair began getting into music, and recorded demos that were titled "The Girlysound Tapes." Because of Phair's lyrical honesty and power, the demo soon made its way throughout the country's indie rock scene. Phair signed to the Matador Records label, which released this album, Phair's debut, titled Exile in Guyville in 1993. Phair got the title from an Urge Overkill (you remember them don't you?) song called "Goodbye to Guyville.

So what is Exile in Guyville? Why is it awesome? What gives it such a grand place among all of the great albums released in the early 90s? Well, I'll tell you. Back in 1995, Alanis Morrisette came out with a little anthem called You Oughta Know. It was a catchy little dity, a girl-power anthem extroadinaire. There's just one problem. Liz Phair was that honest, that direct, and delivered a kick to the balls of every man alive two years earlier, and not just with one song, but with an album of EIGHTEEN of them!

6'1" and Help Me Mary kick things off, and immediately, it's obvious Phair isn't afraid to show off her obvious Rolling Stones influences. The drumming is simple, the guitar riffs exhibited are straight out of the Keith Richards handbook, and Phair even exudes some of that Mick Jagger sex appeal, except this time, males will be swooning. Granted, given the lyrical content of these songs, no male should be swooning, they in actuality should be reaching to cover their crotch, but Phair's voice sounds so seductive and inviting, even though she's singing about seedy, malicious men.

The song that broke Phair and this album, Never Said, was a minor MTV and radio hit. It's a jangling, simple rock song that continually repeats the phrase "I never said nothing." The sexual innuendo contained the the lyrics around that simple phrase is extremely strong. Let's cut straight to the chase: to me, this is about a guy having a small d*ck and it getting out somehow. Naturally, Phair claims "I never said nothing." Call me shallow, but knowing Phair, I think I'm "dead on balls accurate."

Shatter is one of the slower ballad-type songs on the album. It has a great atmosphere to it, and it's not often that a backup musician gets credit for "drone, feedback" in the liner notes. The drone and feedback is perfect for this song. It's the longest song on the record (almost five and a half minutes compared to an average of three minutes for the rest) and probably the most interesting. The first half of the song is purely instrumental, as Phair builds up a mood that's extremely tough to decipher. By the time she does start singing, her lyrics are haunting, beautiful, and even a bit shocking:

But something about just being with you
Slapped me right in the face
Nearly broke me in two
It's a mark
I've taken hard
And I know I will carry with me for a long long time

In comparison to that, Johnny Sunshine is actually kind of humorous, in a dark and kind of sadistic kind of way. This song is basically a list of everything a guy did to wrong a woman in a relationship (it's rather ambiguous as to whether that woman is Liz or not). Towards the end of the song though, the song becomes a heartbreaking showcase for Phair's pain and hurt. Her voice resonates with what can only be described as being close to a mental breakdown, yet strong in the face of deception.

Canary is a fabulous piano ballad that shows off another aspect of Phair's voice: just how fragile it can sound. Her vocal delivery is restrained yet still powerful.

Perhaps the most important message on the album though is on F*ck and Run where Phair sings:

What ever happened to a boyfriend
The kind of guy who tries to win you over, and
What ever happened to a boyfriend
The kind of guy who makes love cause he's in it, and
I want a boyfriend
I want a boyfriend
I want all that stupid old sh*t
Like letters and sodas
Letters and sodas

Maybe that's what every girl wants, I wouldn't know, I'm not female. However, she sings it with such great determination that I think maybe it is what every girl wants.

Exile in Guyville is the ultimate "Chicks Rock" record. Phair shows a willingness to rock out as well as a willingness to experiment with just about every type of sound you can possibly imagine for an indie rock record. Rock on Liz, rock on.

If you want to check out other chicks who rock, then you should look up the following names:

Kay Hanley, Tanya Donnelly, Eve, Michelle Branch, PJ Harvey, Shirley Manson, Gwen Stefani, and a whole bunch of others I'm too tired to remember right now.


The other participants in the "Chicks Rock" write-off are:adjensen, Afterglow34, arielssong, brothermansoul,
Charles_Tatum, chezon, chrisceb, churst, cletta1201,
cynicalone, Daniel_Rf, Darkmistress, DavidK93,
DavidMac, deaser26, Debbie26, divad23, dolphin4a,
dragonfire88, educatedphool, eplovejoy, FraggleMom,
frazzledspice, GinaHill, Greatpilgrim, gungian,
HawgWyld, JediKermit, jeff_wilder78, Joubert, jphalt,
kcfoxy, kevlog, KingpinLJC, kuuleimomi, lambchops,
LEDOMAINE, madtheory, mauriced, melissasrn,
MiDoyle, mnehr, movielover123, ObiWanJabroni, Officer,
pageclot, paulyoungotti, pogomom, Psychovant,
repulsemonkey, sarah_knipper, saulsbury, Saxguy,
scmrak, seric26, shadow_dream, sleestakk, sslabs,
sumo_rhino, SurgRN911, theciscokid, 3BCoach,
tigger500, 29th_Candidate, Wokelstein, xiphoid, and
your two hostesses, kristinafh and dustygold.







Recommended: Yes