Liz Phair has persuaded Dave Matthews and his label ATO Records to reissue Exile In Guyville, and the new disc comes with a DVD featuring a documentary about the album. I'm told Mr. Albini appears in it, and I'm wondering if anyone here has seen it and what he has to say in it. Since his thoughts on Ms. Phair and her work weren't very charitable back in the day, I'm curious if he lets loose with full old-school venom on her and her many ridiculous creative and career missteps. I'm just not sure I want to pay fifteen bucks to find out. Anyone?

My favourite part of that letter is still this bit -

Steve Albini wrote:Clip your year-end column and put it away for ten years. See if you don't feel like an idiot when you reread it.

Hitsville's Top Ten

Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
Urge Overkill, Saturation
Dr. Dre, The Chronic
Nirvana, In Utero
P.M. Dawn, The Bliss Album...?
Bettie Serveert, Palomine
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Spinning Around the Sun
Suede, Suede
Stereolab, Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements
Digable Planets, Reachin (A New Refutation of Time and Space)

I will accept that a couple of these records are pretty decent but I think ultimately the rest of the list speaks for itself.

I will abandon modesty for a moment and admit that I consider myself something of a music hobbyist. My knowledge of so called 'alternative' music from the 90s is reasonable. Yet I have never heard a single song by Liz Phair and indeed, would not know of her(?) existence were it not for this letter by Steve. Not a criticism of Liz Phair, more of the people who hyped her(?) as the next big thing.

Exile in Guyville is excellent. She proved to be a one trick pony. Oh well.

Albini wrote:They don't, however, make timeless, classic music that survives trends and inspires generations of fans and other artists.

Exile in Guyville survived. It's being reissued. I still listen to it.

Boston made a good record, too. It's possible to be a pandering slut and to inspire people down the road. Oh well.

Minotaur029 wrote:Boston made a good record, too.

Ha! Take that, people who listen to music!

Wait. Boston sucked donkey balls. Never mind.

steve wrote:

Minotaur029 wrote:Boston made a good record, too.

Ha! Take that, people who listen to music!

Yeah that's about accurate.

Steve, you're not a fan of Liz Phair? But she sings songs about sex! And she is a girl! This was revolutionary!

Johnny C wrote:Steve, you're not a fan of Liz Phair? But she sings songs about sex! And she is a girl! This was revolutionary!

Yeah! Didn't she date that guy from Urge Overkill? Didn't Steve live with him at some point??

Please don't hurt me

Actually my favourite quote from that whole thing might be this:

For someone who whored himself on "The Wedding Present" aren't you presumptuous!

The Wedding Present are a pretty awesome band! Eat a dick, Bitsy Biron!

steve wrote:

Minotaur029 wrote:Boston made a good record, too.

Ha! Take that, people who listen to music!

Wait. Boston sucked donkey balls. Never mind.

The point I was making is that it's difficult to predict what records will have staying power. Two out of the ten records on that Hitsville list are taken seriously about fifteen years on. That's not a horrific batting average considering how boneheaded music criticism can be. Who knew that Kurt Cobain would kill himself, lending more weight to the In Utero stuff? Liz Phair might have appeared to be very dated at the time, but "serious" music people still like her stuff all these years later. That first Liz Phair record held up well...Urge Overkill?...not so much...

Minotaur029 wrote:Boston made a good record, too.

When did this happen? I am entirely unaware of this phenomenon. All the Boston albums I've been subjected to suck like a Hoover. Which is the good one?

Mark Lansing wrote:Boston?

First one. First side is better than the second.

Ty Webb or McGarvey could probably offer you a more passionate defense of this record.