Whitechocolatespaceegg
Whitechocolatespaceegg (or whitechocolatespaceegg as typeset on the cover art) is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released in 1998. whitechocolatespaceegg peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200.[11] As of July 2010, the album had sold 293,000 copies.[12]
Whitechocolatespaceegg | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 11, 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1996–1998 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 51:10 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Liz Phair chronology | ||||
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Singles from Whitechocolatespaceegg | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The Baltimore Sun | |
Chicago Sun-Times | |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | A[4] |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[5] |
The Guardian | |
Los Angeles Times | |
Pitchfork | 6.4/10[8] |
Rolling Stone | |
Spin | 6/10[10] |
Album information
Unlike her previous two albums, which dealt heavily with themes of sex and relationships, Whitechocolatespaceegg focused more on motherhood and family, as Phair had recently gotten married and given birth to a son.
The album received generally positive reviews. Rolling Stone called it "engagingly intimate" while at the same time "playful and pop-y, with just enough dry humor." The magazine also praised the album for its storytelling-esque lyrics.[13] The Washington Times wrote that Phair had successfully proved she was "no longer an unbridled twentysomething but now, at 31, a wife and mother, [who] has grown as an artist as well as a woman."[14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Liz Phair, except where noted.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "White Chocolate Space Egg" (Jason Chasko, Phair, Doug Stoley) | 4:35 |
2. | "Big Tall Man" (Chasko, Phair) | 3:49 |
3. | "Perfect World" | 2:15 |
4. | "Johnny Feelgood" | 3:22 |
5. | "Polyester Bride" | 4:05 |
6. | "Love Is Nothing" | 2:16 |
7. | "Baby Got Going" (Scott Litt, Phair) | 2:02 |
8. | "Uncle Alvarez" | 3:52 |
9. | "Only Son" | 5:08 |
10. | "Go on Ahead" | 2:53 |
11. | "Headache" | 2:53 |
12. | "Ride" | 3:04 |
13. | "What Makes You Happy" | 3:36 |
14. | "Fantasize" | 1:55 |
15. | "Shitloads of Money" | 3:39 |
16. | "Girls' Room" | 1:46 |
Total length: | 51:10 |
No. | Title | Length |
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17. | "Freak of Nature" | 2:03 |
18. | "Hurricane Cindy" | 2:48 |
Outtakes
There exist several circulating outtakes from the album. Most of them have never been commercially released, however, several bootlegs include these songs, which are listed below:
- "Oh My God"
- "Desperado Theme"
- "Hurricane Cindy"
- "Rocket Boy"
- "Russian Girl"
- "Stuck on an Island"
- "Tell Me You Like Me"
- "I'm Like That"
- "White Bird of Texas"
- "Freak of Nature"
- "Bars of the Bed"
- "Blood Keeper"
- "Greased Lightning"
"Blood Keeper" was supposedly presented for the Scream 2 soundtrack, but was later shelved. "Hurricane Cindy" was included in the Japanese import, and later re-recorded and released on the comeandgetit EP five years later. "White Bird of Texas" and "Greased Lightning" were released as b-sides to "Polyester Bride." "Oh My God" was performed with another song as "Oh My God/That's the Way I Like It" on a television network in 1996. "Rocket Boy" was re-recorded and released as a promotional single, and was included in the Stealing Beauty movie soundtrack. "Stuck on an Island" was released on the "What's Up Matador?" compilation. "Freak of Nature" appeared on a radio sampler, Local 101, sold in the Chicago area,[15] and along with "Hurricane Cindy," was included on the advanced promotional copy of the album. The songs "Tell Me You Like Me," "Bars of the Bed," "Desperado Theme," "Russian Girl," and "I'm Like That" have yet to receive an official release or performance.
Personnel
- Liz Phair – guitar, piano, vocals
- Leroy Bach – acoustic bass
- Scott Bennett – organ, bass, drums
- Bill Berry – bongos
- Peter Buck – guitar
- Jason Chasko – bass, guitar, piano, drums, background vocals
- Nathan December – guitar, electric guitar
- Tommy Furar – bass
- John Hiler – organ, piano, keyboards, background vocals
- Scott Litt – acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica, violin, drums, keyboards, background vocals
- Scott McCaughey – guitar
- Mike Mills – bass
- Troy Niedhart – accordion
- Ed Tinley – guitar, clapping
- Randy Wilson – keyboards
- Brad Wood – organ, bass, guitar, drums, keyboards, background vocals, clapping, drum machine
Production
- Producers: Liz Phair, Jason Chasko, Scott Litt, Brad Wood
- Engineers: John Hiler, Liquid Grooves, Chris Sabold, David Schiffman, Ed Tinley, Brad Wood
- Assistant engineers: Victor Janacua, Matt Judah, Brad Kopplin, Julie Last, Chris Sabold, Al Sanderson, David Schiffman
- Mixing: Victor Janacua, Tom Lord-Alge, Brad Wood
- Mastering: Ted Jensen, Katrin Thomas
- Programming: John Hiler, Randy Wilson
- Loops: Liquid Grooves
- Treatments: Scott Litt
- Art direction: Liz Phair, Frank Longo, Jon Mathias, Mark O.
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1998 | Billboard 200 | 35 |
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "whitechocolatespaceegg – Liz Phair". AllMusic. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- Considine, J. D. (September 13, 1998). "A shocking, conflicted Phair to remember". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- DeRogatis, Jim (August 11, 1998). "Fun Phair // New album soars despite slow start". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- Christgau, Robert (2000). "Liz Phair: Whitechocolatespaceegg". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- Browne, David (August 14, 1998). "whitechocolatespaceegg". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- Sullivan, Caroline (March 5, 1999). "Liz Phair: Whitechocolatespaceegg (Matador)". The Guardian.
- Hochman, Steve (August 9, 1998). "Liz Phair, 'Whitechocolatespaceegg,' Matador/Capitol". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- Moll, Susan (August 1998). "Liz Phair: Whitechocolatespaceegg". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 17, 2005. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- Chonin, Neva (July 30, 1998). "Whitechocolatespaceegg". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- Lukas, Paul (September 1998). "Liz Phair: whitechocolatespaceegg". Spin. 14 (9): 186–87. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- allmusic ((( whitechocolatespaceegg > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))
- "Ask Billboard: Kylie 'Fever'". Billboard. 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- Whitechocolatespaceegg : Liz Phair : Review : Rolling Stone
- Liz Phair grows confident about music.(Arts) | Article from The Washington Times | Questia Online Library
- "Matador Records – Liz Phair".