Heard the new Liz Phair album in it's entirety and it is SMOKIN! I fear that her oldest/hardcore fans (and critics) will snear at the slick production value. Accusing her of selling out. It's not as raw as her first two albums. Some of my friends that are hardcore Phanatics thought "whitechocolatespaceegg" was too commercial sounding. They will probably hate this. I've loved everything Liz has done. I don't mind her evolving production-wise. The lyrics and vocals are what's most important to me. Both are still great. The lyrics are still biting

Wow, I have heard nothing but bad things about the new album. You've given me some hope, at least.

For the record, I don't like whitechocolatespaceegg either. I don't mind an artist evolving or becoming more commercial, as long as it's an EVOLUTION - Liz's changes have seem planned, deliberate and unnatural.

Well, I do sense that the producers went into this to make Liz a bigger star. So maybe the goal was to make her more commercial. Still, it didn't turn me off. It's a very catchy album. And will be playing on my CD player for a long long time.

Terrible, terrible album.

Even by commercial power pop standards, this thing has no redeeming qualities. Every song seems to have been Matrix-ized and seems directed squarely at Adult Contemporary radio stations alongside Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. And obvious attempts at holding onto past glories ("White Hot Cum") seem forced and awkward.

Very disappointing. She should retire from the music biz... it's obvious that she lost whatever she "had" on Exile and Whipsmart.

I completely disagree with the post above. I don't think it's a terrible album whatsoever. And she should definitely not retire from making music.

Just want to add. I'm on my fourth full listen of the album. Of all the songs, there are only three that I would consider full on (shamelessly) commercial. The rest just sound like a more polished regular Liz IMO.

Gah, when did this come out???? I love all of her records, including WCSE. I'm tired of indie-cred "sellout" bitching. If it's a good record, I'll buy it. Now to go find it!!!

pics?

I am so in love with this broad.

Amen. She can give to me the hot, forever!

-Gunshy

Reading this thread makes me want to hear it even more than if she still sounded the same as "Whipsmart" (which I love BTW). I'm curious.

Release date?

I saw an interview with her about a month ago on MTV2, and I thought she said it wasn't coming out until late summer.

Haven't heard it yet. Only chimed in to say that it wasn't the commercialness of WhiteChocolateSpaceEgg I didn't like, it was the boring songs.

The first two CDs (especially Exile) I loved from the first time I heard them; WCSE I listened to a bunch of times, and it just never caught on with me.

I don't care about "indie cred"; I care about a CD that I can't wait to hear again when it's over, not one that I have to force myself to listen again.

Also, it's fine if a CD has to grow on me, some of my favorites are like that, but WCSE never did.

I'll probably give the new one a chance, but I won't rush out to buy it the first day like I did with her last one.

I've only liked her first album. In fact, I loved it at the time. It was about the coolest thing I'd heard that year.

All of her follow-ups just fell flat for me.

i have a bunch of pix of her. I took some at a Material Issue concert-she was dancing in the crowd with a woman the whole night. i also took a bunch of her at the recording studio w/MI the next day.

she's eating a banana split w/whipped cream while wearing a short skirt. it was funny cuz some friends of the recording studio people were there just to see her. she was sitting on a couch and it was just about a scene out of "Basic Instinct". One guy said to his friend "Dude. I can't stand up." Classic.

sadly these pix are in a box somewhere in the basement.

i also shot one of her concerts a few years back. did anyone attend one of these? b4 the show pix of her nude from the photo booth session were projected. i did some shots of them while they were up for history's sake.