I downloaded this album off of iTunes, and I put exactly half of these songs in my 4/5 star smart playlist. That's pretty good; one more than Whipsmart, and over half of either her two peak albums. Unlike the others, though, where nothing dips below 3 stars, I find at least a third of this album actively annoying -- not even pleasant, well-crafted filler -- due to the ultra-slick production values, which give me the same headache I've gotten when I've tried to listen to all of Aja. So if you buy it from iTunes, go a la carte; if you want the whole album, you may as well buy the CD, as you can then get the 5 song downloadable EP, which I am eager to hear. Here are my seven keepers from the album, in descending order of preference: It's Sweet (Liz beats Stephin Merritt at his own condescending game,) Rock Me ("The Zima Gold/The fine Neapolitan/Make tonight a wonderful thing",) H.W.C. (the filthy core of pretty much every Archies song ever recorded rolled into one,) My Bionic Eyes (would have been a typically inscrutable and atypically rocking track on the wonderful 'whitechocolatespaceegg',) Little Digger (A Lifetime 2-hour movie's worth of emotions, crammed into one 3 minute pop song. In its own way, an awesome achievement,) Good Love Never Dies (Liz plots against male-pattern commitmentphobia,) and Extraordinary (because, well, she is.) I am especially intrigued that, of the 6 songs Matt M, who gives the album a 10, lists as standouts, I only selected two, and both of those are in the lower half of my list -- whether I like those other picks or not, that's a sign of an album with broad appeal. In the harsh criticism of this album, both here and in the press, there's a stunning lack of simply listening to each song individually and judging it on its own merits. I mean, this is 2003; don't you people have the CD-Rs and the MP3s and the such and such? Listen to the whole thing closely, twice. Cut the half you don't like. Give Liz the B+ she deserves, and resign yourself to the fact that others will compile their own B+ album from exactly the half you cut. There's enough Liz out there for everybody.… Expand

A well produced pop album. So what is wrong about wanting to spread your fan base? Infectious hooks, interesting because her father is chair of infectious disease at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago. I love this CD. Great Summer listening.

I can't believe how harsh fans and reviewers are being here. Ms. Phair has made it so clear that she wants that one hit that'll make people sing along to their radios in their cars and I think the lead single off her self-titled LP, "Why Can't I" gets that job done perfectly. And moreover, she's very straightforward about how deliberate she wants to make this her accessible album. In fact, recently in TIME magazine, she said how her fans shouldn't worry because "there'll be a sixth album and an eighth album." And this album should be based on its merits. Compared to so much shlock that's being released these days, this CD is still genuinely good. It may not be Liz's best, but that doesn't mean it's outright crap. I don't understand how critics who pan this album are able to give artists like Beyonce Knowles or Justin Timberlake high marks on a clean conscience. Liz doesn't ditch her smart-alecky lyrics, which is clear in "Rock Me" and "Extraordinary." If Sheryl Crow had some more attitude, she could be almost as good as Liz. (Ironic to think that Liz sang back-up on "Soak Up the Sun" isn't it?) In any event, if there are any music fans who are having doubts whether to buy this album, don't judge your decision purely on reviews, because it's mixed. Sample tracks from the album and decide if it's for you. On a side note, Liz still has her edgy artistic side intact, if people would note the access available to her internet EP via the CD, once the CD is placed in a computer. Her internet EP proves to be a nice outlet for songs that didn't fit with the "mainstream" theme of the album. And on a last note: About the cover, after listening to the album, the cover seems sexy, not at all distasteful like a certain Rolling Stone "spread." … Expand

I can't understand how an artist can be so widely criticized for simply evolving. Sure, Liz Phair's self-titled latest sounds completely different, but Liz herself sounds better than ever. The album has a breezy, confident air about it. Yes, it's her most polished work to date, but the music ranks among some of her finest. Don't listen to the jaded naysayers; "Liz Phair" is an absolutely pleasure. Standout Tracks: "Red Light Fever", "Why Can't I?", "Little Digger", "Firewalker", "Favorite", "Good Love Never Dies"… Expand

Ridiculously good.Her most consistent effort since Exile.

Liz Phair is genius!! This is the new OK Computer.

This album is the beginning of the end, I have to unfortunately admit. The album cover says it all, as it was unfortunately ripped from the Christina spreads in Rolling Stone.

everyone that has attacked liz for leaving her indie roots behind and selling out don't see the smaller details making up the bigger picture. ever since exile came out she has been going in a more pop direction. she has always hated indie. i do too. don't get me wrong i listen to indie music but the fans are horrid in how they throw stones at their fav artists who go the pop direction or sell out. well this cd is excellent. her best. to be honest exile sucked. i can't see why i even liked it and i go for that kind of music usually. anyway liz phair you go. this cd rocks!!… Expand

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

As Jackie S. said, there is nothing wrong with pop music, but there is something wrong with bad pop music. Unfortunately, most of this is pretty bad. It's like Avril Lavigne without the hooks, killer production, and this may be hard to believe, the depth. Tries to hard to be "edgy" and "adult." I mean, a song like "HWC"? What's the point? Silly.

I actually hated the CD when I first listened to it, but the more I play it the better it gets. Yes, there are some stumbles on it, notably the music written by the Matrix. But even that is inoffensive at worst. The rest of the CD is fantastic as always. HWC, Little Digger, Bionic Eyes, Good Love never dies and Firewalker are five songs I can't stop listening to.

Now that Avril Lavigne is the new antichrist, I guess everything that gets associated with her is equally evil. This is a fantastic record, a good summer time that really does have a lot of emotion and a lot of spunk, in every definition of the word (seriously). I think if we weren't all obsessed with finding more masterpieces we could appreciate good, fun albums again as good and fun, and not expect every record to change our lives. That's what Liz is asking here, and it's good to know some of us are on board.… Expand

Yes, I'm one of the "naysayers" who's to include an "Exile in Guyville" mention because...hello...it's relevant! Liz Phair made quite a historical entrance into the music world with her raw, sexy style of singing and uninhibited, poignant lyrics on "Exile". Each album that followed was a stumbling progression towards pop, ending with this Matrix-produced-cookie-cutter-pop album. I'm not going to condemn Liz for "going pop" or "selling out". But if she's going to go pop, at least make it good pop. And it's not even close. The music is lackluster. The lyrics lack any depth whatsoever. And where the use of sex in "Exile" was bold and clever, on this album it's simply gratuitous and obtuse. Good riddens, Liz.… Expand

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

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.

An average album, yes, but pretty damn good average at times. Agree with JesseF--different folks love and hate different tracks on the album. Faves include 'Friend of Mine', 'It's Sweet', 'My Bionic Eyes', 'Extraordinary', 'Red Light Fever'...Don't think many bothered to give this a snowball's chance in hell with the savaging it got in the advance buzz. Give it another listen...and then another.… Expand

"Exile... " is single handedly the most overrated album of all time. Screw what all the critics say, this album is a freakin' masterpiece and Liz Phair's best album to date. One of the greatest records of the past decade!!!!!!!!!!!

I really can't understand all the negative reviews, this is a good cd. Yes, it's not Exile nor Whip nor white, but it's still smart and catchy and Liz. Maybe people are feeling betrayed because she's not fitting into their pigeonholed view of her as ass-kicker?

this album sucks. period.

I remember seeing Liz when she toured with Cat Power years ago and they were both simply awesome. After hearing this album I was really disappointed, but I feel a lot of the very negative reviews are a bit unfair. Its a decent pop album but it just doesnt compare to her earlier albums, especially not with Exile in Guyville which is a classic. Maybe if she stayed with indie label Matador and not gone to a big corporate record label, she might still be up there with Cat Power as the best female singer-songwriters. Who knows?!… Expand

I had a lot of respect for critics before this album came out. This is what completely changed my opinion. How dare you compare her to Avril Lavign. This is far from that. Get over yourselves. Lofi is dead and it wasn't really that great to begin with. In fact Exile is possibly the most overrated record of all time. Stop living in the past. So what if her sound is glammed up. When Courtney Love and Polly Harvey did it they got universal acclaim. But everything has to be compared to Exile for Liz. This isn't 1993! At least she didn't cop out by add 80s keyboards like everyone and their dog. Get Spaceegg and this record. This critics could kiss my big brown ass. Go back to your Battlestar Galactica and get the hell out of music cuz you have no idea what you're writing about.… Expand

I loved this CD it rocked I love the song "why cant I" and every girl knows when she thinks about that special someone, she takes a breath and holds it in just wishing and hoping that their guy was there with them...

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

Give this CD a chance. It's still alt-rock, only catchier than before. It's great!

Lighten up people! Liz has! She has always wanted to be a star, it was the critics who dubbed her indie when she didnt even know what she was yet. Most of these songs could have appeared on WCSE or WS and nobody would have said diddly. Its just the new look and The Matrix that has people up in arms. And thats just clueless music snobs who think only the obscure can be good music. Sometimes cheese is brie, and Liz delivers the goods. I am glad to see she is so obviously in a good place in her life now! Go Liz, see you in Chi town in August!… Expand

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Liz Phair did a pop album. THANK GOD! I can appreciate but never cared for her first two albums. It was actually "whitechocolatespaceegg" that made me a rabid but albeit slightly chagrined Liz Phair phan. Now, I walk down the street listening to my hero belt out ridiculous pop music and I have a HUGE smile on my face. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH POP MUSIC (check out OK GO). There IS something wrong with BAD POP MUSIC. And, although this is rather over-produced, I can't wait to listen to these bubble gum anthems over and over and over again. THANK YOU LIZ!… Expand

When did accessible, crafty lyrics, catchy hooks and well produced riffs become so threatening? Liz already proved she's a powerful, credible artist-- Searching out a little mass appeal is her prerogative. And as a long time fan, I applaud her effort. I hope LIZ PHAIR sells 10 million copies, she deserves the success. To the 200-400 thousand misanthropes and critics who heralded 1993?s ?Exile?? as a seminal album and singular artistic achievement, I don?t disagree. But I also think it was the right album at the right time. Quit acting so betrayed by her current effort, it's only one stop on Liz's lifelong artistic roadtrip. (You might also want to quit pining after your high school crush, regretting the major you chose in college, and the job/relationship you've been stuck in since graduation. Grow up, move on, or go pin your frustrations on an artist who's similarly stuck in his/her past, or better yet, one who died trying to escape it. Plenty of those out there.) Congrats, Liz-- great stuff.… Expand

First of all, everybody needs to relax. It's just an album. Bad albums have been followed by good albums before. But, yes, this is a true disappointment. My wife and I were genuinely depressed to hear it. Rock and Roll is a genre in which the spotlight can actually ENHANCE the depth of the music (consider the Beatles' career!), so, in some way, I understand Liz' desire to be heard and acknowledge by a larger circle. It's just a real drag that she did this at the expense of her own identity. The woman who made this album is not the woman we were all blown away by?it's not even a woman anyone should be particularly interested in. Shocking. Let's hope it's the work that finally shows Liz Phair that it's time to stop hedging her bets and hiring countless producers. Find your strengths, Liz. You're challenging yourself in all the wrong ways.… Expand

Download the Internet EP if you want to know what the real Liz Phair sounds like (smart, honest, totally weird) -- the album proper is a conceited effort to appear as stupid and normal as the audience she's targeting. Boooooring.

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

A new sound for Liz, and it works suprisingly well.(and yes, some people need to calm down. God forbid she try to broaden her appeal a bit and sell some damn records) The Matrix-produced are for the most part simply "okay", with "Extraordinary" being the standout. Of the rest, "Little Digger' is heart-wrenching and beautiful. This a great pop album, and sadly, Phair is being crucified over it. It's no "Guyville" but I'm enjoying it more than whitechocolatespaceegg.… Expand

I am a long-time Liz fan, and despite how over-produced the cd may be, and how I almost must skip over the Matrix songs, I cant get enough of the rest. She's still the same songwriter she's always been.

Irresistably catchy and witty. Liz has changed, but who hasn't? If Exile was not the masterpiece that it was, would you be being so harsh right now? Hope Liz plays near here on her tour.

The response from Liz Phair's "old fans" only prove that indie rock fans, in intellect, are right up there with pro wrestling fans as the scariest people on earth: They breed, and once they're 18, they can vote. What a shame. Well, here's the truth: There are seven or eight truly classic songs on this CD. The Matrix can obviously turn anything into hits, and from the early sales returns, it appears this Liz Phair CD is going to be a monster hit. Boo hoo, indie fans, you who have somehow managed to equate good singing and songwriting as "selling out." Good lord.… Expand

definitely see how the matrix tracks are a little bland, but there is good shit on this record. even better is the internet ep, which should satisfy any real fans. I wuld love it if Liz Phair gained new fans from this album. Doubt it will work, but she's an artist that more people should know about

Much better than Whitechocolate for sure...dont really understand all the hate for this solid record....love "Rock Me" and "Friend of Mine"...the only song I skip is "It Sweet" the rest is a power pop winner....

You need know no more than that one of the songs on this piece of crap is entitled 'HWC'. That stands for 'hot white cum', and in the song [I am not kidding] Liz goes on at length about the benefits of her man's sperm on her complexion. Liz gave a clue that this garbage was coming on her last album when she said "you've got to have shitloads of m-o-n-e-y, money"

Or maybe a 9... it keeps growing on me. The thing with having a breakthrough CD, you can never excape it's shadow. Every review mentions "Guyville." As did all those that I read for "Whipsmart" and "whitechocolatespaceegg." What is amazing is that this record is as good as past ones... yet she hires a popular songwriting team and then a backlash. Maybe she's looking for a new audience, maybe she just wanted to make a rock record. Sure she's starting a new life after a divorce, maybe this is part of the change. In "Rock Me" she finds excitement in the new... like going to College or a new town and beginning again. Besides, I know that not everyone "know(s) who Liz Phair is." And maybe all those "Guyville" comparisons had just grown tiresome. Let's see who else is out there... This record keeps getting better as I listen. And if the media hadn't run with this "Liz Phair Goes Pop" story it wouldn't be a discussion. We'd all just be rocking out and happy that we have a new Liz Phair CD. At this point... I am.… Expand

Terrible, bad, bad!! The only positive thing about this album is reading all of the hilarously scathing reviews.

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

any singer (i think i stressed that right) who is affiliated with the Matrix will evidently have a sound much like avril lavigne. this is no different either. the new generation will spawn a wave of avril impersonators, more bubblegum pop singers and numetal bands. stay away from this album. ugh!

I LOVE IT! I'm a convert! I never used to like Liz before, but this album really showcases her amazing voice. The tunes are catchy and I can blast them in my car.

Exile in Guyville is a great album indeed, but the craft here is arguably just as strong. Great music comes in all genres, all styles, all production styles. When pop music is this well-written, I graciously bow.

I mean what can I say, if you have been a Liz Phair fan so long like me, you've gotta love it! Any direction liz goes, no matter what, her music is gonna rock forever!!!!!

Yes, its heavily produced, but it still rocks, and Liz still has more to say than just about any other 10 artists you can come up with. One of the best 5 albums of 2003.

Leave it to Liz to do just what she pleases. This album rocks! Many people just can't deal with artists that step out of the niche that was foiseted upon them. A couple of tracks may be (gasp!) appealing to large groups of middle schoolers. Big deal. There are lots of different sentiments and sounds here...and, yes, a polished production. What I love about Liz is that she can say and be so many different things. And its as fun and unpredictable as ever.… Expand

Considering it was 5years in waiting, it is a disappointment but it's still a good album. My personal fave is Red Light Fever which I just love! It may be her weakest album to date, but it doesn't mean it's rubbish.

Liz is trying on a dress for a change it seems. I will always love her, she is my soul mother...although exile in guyville will always be my favourite, I think as fans we should support her as she tries out new things...I mean you guys may think she is all tough but she said it in 'chopsticks' (whip smart)"secretly I'm timid"....this cd does not deserve all the negetivity it got, I mean for POP it's pretty damn good.… Expand

Rico A. hit the nail on the head when he wrote "Maybe people are feeling betrayed because she's not fitting into their pigeonholed view of her as ass-kicker?" Liz has been both hugely helped and hurt by prevailing trends and her relation to the zeitgeist of two eras. With her debut in 1993-4, she perfectly fit into the low-fi aesthetic and riot-grrl revaluation of women in rock at the time, not to mention exciting hormone-soaked fanboy critics of the day with the frank sexuality of some of her lyrics. Plus it wasn't just her debut album that generated the buzz, it was also the tapes she made in her bedroom on a 4-track mixer, eagerly traded among music cognoscenti, that put her indie cred rating into the stratosphere. That's the Liz the critics loved and have never forgiven her for not remaining -- barefoot and in the bedroom churning out clever 4-track gems for all time. But Liz is ambitious and her 2nd album, Whipsmart, was an all-out well-produced (by indie standards of the day) rocker -- and the critics hated it! They dumped all over what in my opinion is her best album, and she's laboured under their derision ever since. Cut forward to 2003 and the now 36-year-old Liz, as charmingly slutty, and ambitious, as ever, makes a stab at more popular success with the self-titled album this review is about. But the poppy sheen doesn't make it any less distinctively a Liz Phair album, and the song writing and lyrics are as sharp as ever, along with her very effective guitar technique and unique, one-of-a-kind voice that fans like me love. Now the fanboy critics, ten years older and more cynical, slot Liz into a different stereotype of a sexually forward woman -- the cougar/milf, no longer the object of erotic veneration that the sexy indie rocker chick was, but instead a target of derision and scorn, and still after ten years not forgiven for leaving the 4-track in the bedroom behind. "Liz Phair" (this album) is full of gems -- "My Bionic Eyes", "Red Light Fever", and the poignant "Little Digger" are among the finest tunes of Liz's whole career, as is "H.W.C." (Hot White Cum), a song most critics mistook for a failed dirty joke, failing to see that while it is witty it's not lewd but rather a heart-felt, bright, sunny, sex-positive love song, waxing poetic about a physical property of her lover other than the usual ruby lips or sparkling eyes -- and it's a great tune besides. In fact, over all a great album from one of the finest, and least understood, female rock musicians of all time.… Expand

What the f***k! Im a huge fan of Liz Phair and this album is her BEST! It contains very catching pop songs and is as explicit and sexual as I always loved it ! Im tired of stupid and fancy artfags critics that judge something good just because it is different, but in fact it is crap ! I really recommend this album for good pop lovers and especially for Liz fans because she gave her Best for this one ! Go LIZ PHAIR ! FUCK METACRITIC !!!… Expand

How in the HELL does fucking Fergie get a 58 and this record gets 40? This was the most played album on KCRW the year it came out. The most influencial station in the world. When even preppy, trendy college rock stations ignore the critics that's when you know the unemployment lines are going to get much longer.

Smart, fun, and catchy pop. It's perfect.

Ok i'll admit...pop fans should like it. It has catchy songs. But Liz Phair used to have depth and she used to be interesting. Now she sounds like Avril Lavigne. She also doesn't have the chops to sing these kind of songs. Okay, i'm an indie kid but I have no problem with her becoming commercial. I just wish she would've brought her personality to the charts. Oh and not worked with the matrix.… Expand

It's so funny when people degrade pop music just because it's pop music, regardless of its merit. Why are people allowed to experiment with any type of music except pop? Phair's album is a stellar piece of work, as are all her albums. Her talent shines through on each track regardless of genre. Well done!

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

I agreee with everything that has been said about this album. It's very slick and not nearly as good as her previous offerings, but I still love and and, though this is is my least favorite album of her, it's still a lot better than a lot of other music out there.

With words from the movie Spinal Tap, this CD is "Shit Sandwich".

While the songs sound way too polished, they are still fine pieces of music. I had the fortune to see her live @ Bonnaroo and was exposed to a few songs off this album there as previews, and I must say that live they had a raw sexuality that is a little lost on the recorded version. That being said, I still give this album a solid 9, as it is very impressive and I find it refreshing that a woman in her mid thirties can still be in touch with a younger mind without having to dumb down her lyrics. Much love Liz. Peace -- Mitch… Expand

When did accessible, crafty lyrics, catchy hooks and well produced riffs become so threatening? Liz already proved she's a powerful, credible artist-- Searching out a little mass appeal is her prerogative. And as a long time fan, I applaud her effort. I hope LIZ PHAIR sells 10 million copies, she deserves the success. To the 200-400 thousand misanthropes and critics who heralded 1993?s ?Exile?? as a seminal album and singular artistic achievement, I don?t disagree. But I also think it was the right album at the right time. Quit acting so betrayed by her current effort, it's only one stop on Liz's lifelong artistic roadtrip. (You might also want to quit pining after your high school crush, regretting the major you chose in college, and the job/relationship you've been stuck in since graduation. Grow up, move on, or go pin your frustrations on an artist who's similarly stuck in his/her past, or better yet, one who died trying to escape it. Plenty of those out there.) Congrats, Liz-- great stuff.… Expand

When did accessible, crafty lyrics, catchy hooks and well produced riffs become so threatening? Liz already proved she's a powerful, credible artist-- Searching out a little mass appeal is her prerogative. And as a long time fan, I applaud her effort. I hope LIZ PHAIR sells 10 million copies, she deserves the success. To the 200-400 thousand misanthropes and critics who heralded 1993?s ?Exile?? as a seminal album and singular artistic achievement, I don?t disagree. But I also think it was the right album at the right time. Quit acting so betrayed by her current effort, it's only one stop on Liz's lifelong artistic roadtrip. (You might also want to quit pining after your high school crush, regretting the major you chose in college, and the job/relationship you've been stuck in since graduation. Grow up, move on, or go pin your frustrations on an artist who's similarly stuck in his/her past, or better yet, one who died trying to escape it. Plenty of those out there.) Congrats, Liz-- great stuff.… Expand

While she's definately trying to go mainstream with this one, it's not THAT bad. Still not used to the Matrix produced tracks - I think Michael Penn's production suits her better.

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

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

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

This album is superb. All of her previous albums have been excellent, but this album is so much fun, and, as usual, her lyrics are witty and playful. I think that for anyone who doesn't like this cd or any of her other music I recommend seeing her live. She is sooooo sexy, so flirtatious, and so much better live than used to be now that she has somewhat gotten over her stage fright. Honestly, when you see the girl live you will understand what she is all about. … Expand

This is my favorite Liz CD. I know that everyone was upset that she released something commercially acceptable but it sounds great and the lyrics are still .. Liz. The CD is worth it's cost just for "Extraordinary". I think it's the perfect pop song!

unfairly criticized. there's a lot of smarts underneath the shiny production. a very fun record.

The sound is surprisingly good. Liz slides into this radio friendly sound well and it's catchy and fun. A roll down the windows pop knockout and it's all helped by *gasp* the producers sparkly, layered pop production skills but...the lyrics are awful. they are like a parody of her earlier work and induce cringes on occasion and after such a great trilogy of albums before it, it doesn't matter how catchy and shiny it is. it lacks what made Liz great which leaves this as simply a catchy pop album and a confusingly shallow one at that.… Expand

Liz really did a good job on the album!!!!!!!. "Why Can't I": was the most popular song the yuear it came out....Such good lyrics and sounds.....I still dont know how this album only got a 40