Tony Clayton-Leareviews Liz Phair

LIZ PHAIR Exile in Guyville ATO****

Liz Phair's debut album was released in 1993, at a point when a new breed of female (PJ Harvey, Björk, Tori Amos - the so-coined "hips, lips, tits and power" brigade) was nudging its way past rock's male-guarded doors. Exile in Guyville set the proverbial cat among the pigeons. Purporting to be a female-oriented song-by-song response to Exile on Main Street (can't see it myself, frankly), the album was equally at home as a pointed, painted fingernail riposte to the male-dominated underground music scene of Chicago, Phair's hometown. The sexually explicit lyrics were viewed as frank expressions of natural lust, although some of the album's more poignant, chaste moments were overshadowed. There's little doubt that Phair paved the way for the likes of Alanis Morissette's potty mouthings, yet Exile in Guyville remains required listening: 15 years old and still relevant, dirty lyrics and all. This anniversary edition also comes with a new Guyville Redux DVD. www.lizphair.com

Download tracks:Canary, Shatter