This may be the most controversial Album Club selection ever. Okay, it's only the fourth Album Club selection ever, but still. Liz Phair long ago fell from grace in the minds of aging indie rockers. In 2003 in The New York Times, Meghan O'Rourke said Phair committed career suicide. Critically, things haven't really picked up since then.
But this is Album Club. Not Let's Rip On Someone We Used To Like Club.
In 1993, Exile In Guyville and Liz Phair were part of a mini-media frenzy. Rock critics (and even MTV) helped to write the script. Strong woman songwriter toils in basement, battling hostile male-dominated Chicago music scene to create heartbreaking work of staggering genius. Cynical hipsters can look back now and say she was already trying to manipulate the media. But they're wrong. Chicago music critic Tankboy nailed it. When this record came out, "...a LOT of girls that were suddenly like, OH my GOD, I think those same things too. And it’s O.K. I’m not alone!" It's a classic.
Join us Tuesday night at 9p CDT. Start the record and tweet along with #albumclub.
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