Somebody's Miracle

Infobox Album | Name = Somebody's Miracle
Type = Album
Artist = Liz Phair


Released = October 4 2005
Recorded = Late 2004-Mid 2005
Genre = Modern Adult Contemporary
Length = 57:07
Label = Capitol
Producer = John Alagia
John Shanks
Dino Meneghin
Joe Zook
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:6z820rjaq48c~T1 link]
*"Blender" (Favorable) 10/2005, p.142
*"The A.V. Club" (Mixed) [http://avclub.com/content/node/41328 10/5/05]
*Pitchfork (2.0/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/20834/Liz_Phair_Somebodys_Miracle 10/3/05]
*PopMatters rating-10|4 [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/p/phairliz-somebodys.shtml 10/25/05]
*Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau|hm3 [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=818&name=Liz+Phair link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|2|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/7640646/lizphair?pageid=rs.ReviewsAlbumArchive&pageregion=mainRegion&rnd=1130386829956&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040 10/20/05]
*"Slant" Rating|2|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=670 link]
*"Stylus" (B+) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=3436 10/7/05]
*"Village Voice" (Favorable) [http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0543,christgau,69144,22.html 10/20/05]
Last album = "Comeandgetit"
(2003)
This album = "Somebody's Miracle"
(2005) | Next album = "Exile in Guyville: Reissue"
(2008)|

"Somebody's Miracle" is the fifth album by Liz Phair, released on October 4, 2005 (see 2005 in music) on Capitol Records. From September of 2004 through April of 2005, she composed fourteen tracks spanning from lo-fi guitar-driven to high-gloss produced tracks.ref|A&E Much like her debut album, "Exile in Guyville", "Somebody's Miracle" was originally modeled after another canonical album, "Songs in the Key of Life" by Stevie Wonder, though only elements of this exist in the final productref|SFweekly. The first single, "Everything To Me" was released to radio on August 1, 2005. At an estimated 81,000 copies, "Somebody's Miracle" remains Phair's lowest selling LP to date.

The album features a softer side of Phair, with themes of innocence, loss, and love. Many critics and fans accused Phair of having lost her edge. Phair responded to backlash by saying, "If you are an old fan and it doesn't fit what you need, don't buy the disc." [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/arts/music/02phai.html The Independence of Liz Phair - New York Times ] ] Prior to the album's release, Phair embarked on a short acoustic tour where she played in smaller venues, bars, and clubs. After the album's release, she and her band went on a more extensive tour playing at larger venues.

Reviews of the album were mixed. One critic wrote, "Miracle" contains the singer's most winning melodies to date, not to mention her most confident vocals." [ [http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/10/3/music/20051003113325&sec=music Liz Phair yearns for everlasting love — on her new CD, at least ] ] . MSNBC wrote that in comparison to her 2003 self-titled album, "Somebody's Miracle" was "less blatantly commercial, but still smooth, reflecting her increasing shift toward a clearer sound" [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9593522/ Liz Phair keeps it smooth on ‘Miracle’ - ALBUM REVIEWS - MSNBC.com ] ] . Rolling Stone, however, gave the album just two stars, calling her vocals "thin and dry" and the album as a whole "plain and forgettable." [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/7640646/review/7685167?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview Somebody's Miracle : Liz Phair : Review : Rolling Stone ] ]

When promotion for "Somebody's Miracle" was over, Phair was dropped from her record label, Capitol Records.

Track listing

"All songs by Liz Phair, unless otherwise noted."
#"Leap Of Innocence"
#"Wind And The Mountain"
#"Stars And Planets"
#"Somebody's Miracle"
#"Got My Own Thing"
#"Count On My Love" (Phair, Shanks)
#"Lazy Dreamer"
#"Everything To Me" (Phair, Shanks)
#"Closer To You"
#"Table For One"
#"Why I Lie"
#"Lost Tonight"
#"Everything (Between Us)"
#"Giving It All To You" (Phair, Shanks)
#"Can't Get Out Of What I'm Into" (Import Release & iTunes Bonus Track) (originally recorded from Girly Sound)

Personnel

*Liz Phair - Guitar, vocals, Vocals (background)
*John Alagia - Guitar, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond)
*Tim Bradshaw - Keyboards
*Sean Hurley - Bass
*Oliver Kraus - Cello
*Dino Meneghin - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Drum Programming, Lap Steel Guitar, Hand Percussion
*Bill Mohler - Bass, Bass (Acoustic)
*Jeff Rothschild - drums
*John Shanks - Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals (background)
*Aaron Sterling - Percussion, Drums
*Joe Zook - Tambourine

Production

*John Alagia - Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Mixing
*David Campbell - String Arrangements
*Joel Derouin - Concert Master
*Mary Fagot - Creative Director
*Lars Fox - Engineer
*Ron Laffitte - A&R
*Tom Lord-Alge - Mixing
*Dino Meneghin - Producer
*Dusan Reljin - Photography
*Jeff Robinette - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
*Eric Roinestad - Art Direction, Design
*Brian Scheuble - Engineer, Mixing
*John Shanks - Producer, Mixing
*Allen Sides - String Engineer
*Shari Sutcliffe - Project Coordinator, Contractor
*Joe Zook - Producer, Engineer

Charts

Album

Singles

References

1. Album production dates were described by Liz Phair in an interview that appeared on "Breakfast with the Arts" series, A&E Television Network, November 13, 2005.

2. Chris Dahlen. [http://music.sfweekly.com/Issues/2005-08-17/music/music.html "Exile in Mainstream"] . "SF Weekly". August 17, 2005. Retrieved September 24th 2005.

3. David Carr. "The Independence of Liz Phair" published August 2, 2005 in the New York Times.