Search - Liz Phair :: Juvenilia

With Demos Like The These, Who Needs Producers

Howard Good | London, UK | 03/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I bought this album on sale, I knew nothing about Liz Phair. I just remembered that I heard her name before and that it was registered in my brain on a positive note. I swear I didn't even know what type of music to expect, neither did I expect much anyway. Listening to it for the first time, I was Firstly relived to discover from the very first seconds that she's not in any way a Kylie wannabe, which was my biggest worry, and than I slowly found myself actually listening, paying enormous attention to each track. The first three were good and in the right areas of alternative rock but when the five following ones started, these demos that got her a recording contract, that's when I slowly got truly knocked over. They just didn't stop getting better, each one more incredible than the one before with the astonishing (one of my all time favourites) 'Easy' finishing the set. I tell you this, I don't think I've ever managed to actually listen fully with 100% attention to any album on the first time before. True, it's quite short (about 28 minutes long) but we're also talking about demos, Five songs that have only vocals and an electric guitar on them...she is now, beyond any reasonable doubt, my favourite female singer. However, even after knowing and loving all her other albums, this one's is absolutely unreplaceable as my favourite and forget what people might think about the disorder and lack of structure these songs have, I have never received a clearer feel of knowing where the song is and what the structure is on the first listening of any album as I did with this one, but I think it will come as no surprise when I'll say that Syd Barrett's `Madcup Laughs' is also one of my favourites. Conclusion? one of the ten best autumn albums ever and a splendid must to listen to when surfing the net."

I look at the cars and I know you insure them

M. L. Bohn | Atlanta, GA USA | 07/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These days you don't see much of Liz Phair, the comical and witty songwriter who mesmerized rock fans in the 90s. She released a mediocre pop album in 2005 and since then has not even showed her face in the public eye nor gave her fans an inkling as to what she has been doing. But, I will forget about present cirumstances.



1995's "Juvenilia" EP collects some of Phair's best work. And by best work I mean it includes clippings of her infamous 1991 demo tapes, Girlysound. "Jealously" is up there as far as commercially released Phair songs but nothing can get you past the beauty of "Easy". The song EASILY could pass as Phair's most impressive piece. From the guitar strumming at the beginning behind Phair's deep, monotone, nictotine stained vocals, you can't beat it. The song along with "Dead Shark" don't make me miss "old Liz", it just makes me smile to know that I own a piece of work that I truly enjoy and can place meaning to."

Juvenilia

Suke | 07/20/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Juvenilia, the coveted Liz release, is a rare find indeed. I was lucky enough to find it at a cd store in good condition. One of the reasons this cd is sought out is for the Girly Sound songs that appear, these are songs that Liz wrote before her debut album. The songs appear remastered along with other rarities. There is Jealousy the song that appears from the Whipsmart album. It's hypnotic bass pulls you in, and you can't help but want to headbang to the song.

Liz also does some piano work on this record which is a nice listen. But the star songs of the album have to be the Girly Sound songs. Each are fun listens and you may even get a giggle or two out of them. Find this album and buy it, you won't regret it.

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