Liz Phair
by Liz Phair
  • Record Label: Capitol
  • Release Date: Jun 24, 2003
User Score
6.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 83
  3. Negative: 25 out of 83

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. benc
    Jun 30, 2003
    0
    If you want cliched, derivative pop songs, buy an Avril Lavigne album. Buy a Britney Spears album. Don't buy this. If she's willing to alienate all her fans of her 90's output by releasing a record like this she doesn't deserve to win new ones, quite frankly. Imagine if Radiohead released an N*Sync album after "OK Computer". Would any of their fans still be buying If you want cliched, derivative pop songs, buy an Avril Lavigne album. Buy a Britney Spears album. Don't buy this. If she's willing to alienate all her fans of her 90's output by releasing a record like this she doesn't deserve to win new ones, quite frankly. Imagine if Radiohead released an N*Sync album after "OK Computer". Would any of their fans still be buying their records today?… Expand
  2. MDSChill
    Jul 5, 2003
    2
    It's just sad that Liz feels she needs to make a bid for commercial acceptance. I dug her written response to the NY Times critique of "Liz Phair" -- she's still a perceptive, clever woman with a lot to say; it's just that this album is ridiculous. She don't need no stinkin' Matrix. Get back, Liz. (and "H.W.C."? She's ridiculing her own propensity for It's just sad that Liz feels she needs to make a bid for commercial acceptance. I dug her written response to the NY Times critique of "Liz Phair" -- she's still a perceptive, clever woman with a lot to say; it's just that this album is ridiculous. She don't need no stinkin' Matrix. Get back, Liz. (and "H.W.C."? She's ridiculing her own propensity for honestly talking about desire, which was one of the freshest things about "Exile in Guyville")… Expand
  3. DiggerP
    Jul 6, 2003
    0
    Bland and irrelevant. This album is so lacking in passion, inventiveness and integrity, it actually makes her other albums seem worse in retrospect, since we now know what she was leading up to all along -- non-music for hollow people.
  4. seant
    Aug 12, 2005
    0
    this album sucks. period.
  5. ChristineR
    Jun 15, 2003
    0
    What a superficial album! The music and vocals are so glossy and overproduced, they're lifeless. The lyrics are lame and predictable. These are the kind of songs you'd expect from a 16 yr old who's just starting out, not an almost 40 yr old who should be able to write with more intelligence and maturity. Liz obviously wants to appeal to the teenyboppers who love Avril. What a superficial album! The music and vocals are so glossy and overproduced, they're lifeless. The lyrics are lame and predictable. These are the kind of songs you'd expect from a 16 yr old who's just starting out, not an almost 40 yr old who should be able to write with more intelligence and maturity. Liz obviously wants to appeal to the teenyboppers who love Avril. Which means dumbing everything down and making the songs as bland and accessible to the masses as possible. Shame on you Liz.… Expand
  6. MrFudge
    Jun 26, 2003
    0
    I agree with Christine R. Liz has lost her mind. That's the only explanation I have for this CD. I'm not a die-hard Liz fan. I do enjoy her older CDs - but times have changed and Liz has declared that all she wants is money, and lots of it. She's not interested in saying something meaningful, or making something of substance. All she wants is guranteed radio-airplay and has I agree with Christine R. Liz has lost her mind. That's the only explanation I have for this CD. I'm not a die-hard Liz fan. I do enjoy her older CDs - but times have changed and Liz has declared that all she wants is money, and lots of it. She's not interested in saying something meaningful, or making something of substance. All she wants is guranteed radio-airplay and has dumbed-down her lyrics, her music and herself to get it. For instance, "Why Can't I?" and "Red Light Fever" boast embarrassing lyrics that have all the cloying honesty of a 10 yr-old girls' crush on her swimming instructor. Liz, what happened to you? Also, I know she's always had 'explicit lyrics', but the sticker is bigger than her friggin' name for frig sake. She's also making a "clean version" of the album available - just to make sure the K-Wal-Marts will carry it too. This is just plain WRONG. I'm all for Liz making a living out of her music. However, I cannot support her shameful attempt to grab cash and spit on her old fans, looking to be the next teenybopper breakout. She's too old to compete with the youthful image of Lavigne and co. and the old albums sound too different to attract younger buyers. This is not an album, it's totally superficial Product. Before the album was out, I heard "Why Can't I?" recently on the MUZAK system in a local mall. That pretty much says it all.… Expand
  7. stacyd
    Jul 25, 2003
    3
    Let me start by saying that even after 10 years I still pull out "Exile" and listen to it. It is that good. "Whipsmart" is not far behind it, and I still pull it out from time to time as well. However, I haven't listened to "whitechocolatespaceegg" in forever, and I can tell that after about 1 month, Liz Phair's latest will also be collecting dust on my shelf. I had a feeling Let me start by saying that even after 10 years I still pull out "Exile" and listen to it. It is that good. "Whipsmart" is not far behind it, and I still pull it out from time to time as well. However, I haven't listened to "whitechocolatespaceegg" in forever, and I can tell that after about 1 month, Liz Phair's latest will also be collecting dust on my shelf. I had a feeling that I was going to be disappointed after hearing the first single off the album, "Why Can't I", which did not even remotely resemble anything Phair had ever done before, but I was willing to give her my money, mostly out of past loyalty, and I don't completely regret it. There is at least one memorable song on the album......"Little Digger" and a few catchy tunes that I am ashamed to admit have gotten stuck in my head, but now that Liz has made her first truly forgettable pop album, can we conclude this experiment, please!! Liz, don't walk into the light. Stay away from the light! Come back to the dark side. You're needed here. We already have a world filled with Avril's, Michelle's, and Kelly's, but there was only one Liz Phair, and I am sorry to say that she is missing in action.… Expand
  8. SM
    Jun 24, 2003
    0
    With words from the movie Spinal Tap, this CD is "Shit Sandwich".
  9. Joe
    Jun 26, 2003
    1
    OK, I gave this album a chance. I don't hold Phair to Exile In Guyville standards anymore, and I still found this album painfully dull. It's so bland, except for the forced, awkward vulgarity and X-Box reference. It's not that she sold out, the albums not even good disposable pop. I honestly think Avril Lavigne writes better pop songs than"Why Can't I." It's too OK, I gave this album a chance. I don't hold Phair to Exile In Guyville standards anymore, and I still found this album painfully dull. It's so bland, except for the forced, awkward vulgarity and X-Box reference. It's not that she sold out, the albums not even good disposable pop. I honestly think Avril Lavigne writes better pop songs than"Why Can't I." It's too bad. This album is probably a 3, but I gave it a 1 because I was so disappointed and expected better from Phair, even for radio-friendly pop.… Expand
  10. Meat
    Jul 17, 2003
    2
    There has never been a CD more destined for the $2 Used for-sale rack. What a complete disaster...Its like Pearl Jam or Fugazi teaming up with Backstreet Boys. It was too funny reading the moron who wrote that this was the next Ok Computer. High Comedy for sure! Liz needs to take a page out of Pavement's history and see that if people aren't digging your stuff, its better to There has never been a CD more destined for the $2 Used for-sale rack. What a complete disaster...Its like Pearl Jam or Fugazi teaming up with Backstreet Boys. It was too funny reading the moron who wrote that this was the next Ok Computer. High Comedy for sure! Liz needs to take a page out of Pavement's history and see that if people aren't digging your stuff, its better to quit than to sell(out) this slop. HWC for sure.… Expand
  11. BrandonS
    Jun 19, 2004
    2
    While changing her style from her first album through whitechocolatespaceegg, Liz retained her depth, and there was a kind of emotional arc to it all. I feel like this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers type stuff, because it seems like this isn't really Liz Phair at all. The tragedy for me is that it makes me enjoy her past work less because this new one is just so bad. Maybe if While changing her style from her first album through whitechocolatespaceegg, Liz retained her depth, and there was a kind of emotional arc to it all. I feel like this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers type stuff, because it seems like this isn't really Liz Phair at all. The tragedy for me is that it makes me enjoy her past work less because this new one is just so bad. Maybe if she'd released only the Michael Penn produced tracks, she could have had a pretty interesting EP. Oh well. … Expand
  12. WXYZ
    Dec 7, 2015
    0
    Ew, no thanks.
  13. MariellyDewa
    Dec 12, 2017
    0
    liz phair presenteia fãs com câncer ............................................................................................................................

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Discussed Album of 2003
25
#25 Most Shared Album of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
40

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 21
  3. Negative: 11 out of 21
  1. AllMusic
    60
    There's nothing wrong with a change of pace, but there's a startling lack of depth in either the words, which are entirely too literal, or the music, whose hooks are at once too obvious and not ingratiating enough.
    Read full review
  2. Alternative Press
    40
    [A] slickly produced holding pattern. [Jul 2003, p.122]
  3. PopMatters
    10
    A highly overproduced, shallow, soulless, confused, pop-by-numbers disaster that betrays everything the woman stood for a decade ago, and most heinously, betrays all her original fans.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »