Liz Phair “Whip-Smart” released 25 years ago today, September 20th, 1994.  Matador Records. Whip-Smart is Phair’s second album; it’s not my favorite of hers but the only one we have on vinyl (I prefer her critically acclaimed debut Exile in Guyville and her 1998 release Whitechocolatespaceegg). Whip-Smart was fairly successful, debuting at #27 on the album charts with a Top 10 modern rock hit (#74 on the Hot 100), the danceable, swirly, poppy “Supernova.” It was also nominated for a Grammy in the Best Female Rock Performance category. Phair released two more singles: “Whip-Smart” and “Jealousy” but both failed to gain much traction; “Whip-Smart” made it to #24 on the Modern Rock chart but not the Hot 100 and “Jealousy” did not chart at all. Those are a few of my preferred tracks – though I also like ‘Support System” and the mid-tempo, Sheryl-Crow-ish “Go West.” Not surprisingly based on my general taste, these are the more (mostly) rocking tracks on Whip-Smart, I’m less fond of the super-sad, super-sparse songs like “Chopsticks,” “Shane” and “Alice Springs” where Phair’s monotone voice – which works for the riot-grrrl-lite vibe’d songs – becomes, well, really really monotonous.

Most of the album is lo-fi (with the exception of the highly produced “Supernova”) and, like most of Phair’s writing, Whip-Smart focuses on love and sex: “a rock fairy tale, from meeting the guy, falling for him, getting him and not getting him, going through the disillusionment period, saying ‘Fuck it,’ and leaving, coming back to it.“