Exile in 2018

One of the real treats of lifelong music listening is rediscovering the old favorites. One of the records (or, should I say CDs) that really put a good dent in my head this summer and caught me by surprise was Matador Records 25th Anniversary remastered reissue of Liz Phair's (now) classic EXILE IN GUYVILLE.  I picked up this set thinking I would listen a couple times, maybe let the nostalgia course through my veins a bit and then move along. What I hadn’t planned for and what actually HAPPENED left me dumbstruck by that fact that I'd completely forgotten how these songs were the soundtrack to my life in 1993, in two different record stores, and more importantly how well this record still holds up 25 years later. I was surprised, if not shocked, at how good it still sounded. Right on, right? Sure, there’s some nostalgia in there for the good times past but darn if this didn’t get under my skin again THIS summer, scored by great songs with emotional pull that still leaves a mark.

Originally released in 1993, EXILE is Phair’s song by song response to the Rolling Stone’s Exile on Main Street. Not sonically, per se, or even topically, but a deeply personal, feminist landmark of emotional brush clearing that’s continually included in countless lists, including Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest albums of all time and Pitchfork’s Top 100 albums of the 90s. If you’ve never heard Phair’s music before, here’s your point of entry. If you’ve haven’t listened in a LONG while, now's a great time to revisit.