Liz Phair-Whip-Smart (1994)


 

Artist: Liz Phair

Title: Whip-Smart

Label: Matador/Atlantic

Format: CD

Catalog 25Number: OLE 107-2/92429-2

Year of Release: 1994

Country and Year of Edition: US 1994

Sell Price: $3.11

Sell Date: 9/21/24

Condition: VG+/VG+

Discogs Last Sold  8/6//24 NM/VG+ $5.00

Low: $0.49

Median: $2.24

Average: $2.73

High: $6.25

Current low price: $0.98

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 88

Have/Want: 1475/82

Where Sold:  Cheverly, MD

Time It Took To Sell:  14 years

Where and When Bought: new when it came out at Sounds on St. Mars

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A

Sad To See It Go: No

I gave a cursory glance to a Facebook poster about a Gen X parent telling whoever would listen that her Gen Z daughter said her mom's generation was emotionally unavailable.  While listening to Whip-Smart, LIz Phair's excellent know-it-all-soph-o-more release, I thought about the post and the knowing chuckle I gave.

I forgot how much I loved this album and the prior one.  Liz Phair connected in a way that was emotionally appealing to myself and my generation until her "slutbag" era was replaced by the "mommy 'n' me" pop record.  I'm not sure if she's evolved into the sexy menopausal divorcee who no longer gives a fuck about anything, but it wouldn't shock me.  Maybe I should pay more attention.

In any event, the album opens with the 1-2 punch delivering two sides of the coin.   The introductory "Chopsticks" where her pick up let's her know his sex preference to "do it backwards"....Liz dispassionately holds the "F" in "that's just fine" and concludes "that way we can Fuck and Watch TV."    So indifferent, how could I not love her?  It's like loving a piece of meat at the butchers and then taking it home-- for both parties.  The Joylessness of Sex.    Then on the single that actually grazed the lower regions of the Billboard Hot 100 at like 98 or something, the coin flips and tells her (probably different) lover "you Fuck Like A Volcano!"    Upending cliché with the ejaculation not the volcano but the actual fucking.  I played this 7" single like 10 times in a row before the album came out and it still sounds great today.

The whole album is excellent but there are 2 more winners that rise to that level.  "Jealousy" nails it "putting me behind your eyes/and what did I see/I saw Hip!/I saw Thighs/I saw Secret Positions That We Never Try!!!"  The other one, Cinco de Mayo decides to "burn out Ohio" concluding "it wasn't me this time, letting you go."  

For those who would not forgo a nice cut of steak from the butcher.

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998)

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