Rocktrospectiva: The Succesful "Whip-Smart" Turns 30

Released on 20 September 1994, "Whip-Smart" was the second studio album by American singer-artist Liz Phair, the album was a critical failure but succesful debuted on No. 27 at Billboard 200, the album spawned three singles "Supernova", "Whip-Smart", & "Jealousy". 

The expectations ran high for Liz Phair's sophomore release. Phair's debut album had sold over 200,000 units by the spring of 1994 and was Matador's most successful release so far. The success of Exile in Guyville prompted many major labels to seek a distribution deal with Matador, most saliently Atlantic Records, which would form Phair's next album deal. As a result, Whip-Smart was one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Danny Goldberg, then-president of Atlantic Records, predicted that the record would "hit gold quickly".

described it as particularly difficult to make because at the time she didn't have many songs that weren't about the music industry, which displeased her manager. In fact, a substantial number of tracks on the final album (namely, "Chopsticks," "Shane," "Go West," "Whip-Smart," and parts of "Jealousy", previously known as "Thrax") were songs already written in 1991. Whip-Smart took about one month to record. The album was recorded in two distinct sessions: the first in August 1993 in Chicago, and the second in February 1994 in the Bahamas.

Guitarist Casey Rice described the initial sessions at Idful Studios in Chicago as subject to many distractions, such as "the phone ringing, people dropping by the studio, and so on". Phair wanted to move recording to New York City, but due to financial constraints, the band ended up continuing with Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas instead. The same team that worked on Guyville worked again on what would become Whip-Smart. The album was recorded and mixed by Brad Wood, with the assistance of Casey Rice. Wood characterized the recording process as very much spontaneous, saying that "[Liz would] bring in a song and we'd record the whole thing that day. I'd have to write a drum and bass part right on the spot." There was, however, pressure to improve on the sound of the previous record, to meet the expectations of Phair's newly formed fanbase.

The album is a chronicle of the beginning, middle and end of a relationship: "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." Phair also described the sound of the album as more confident and playful and less frustrated, tense, and sexual than it was her predeccessor album.

Critical reception was generally favorable, a record of such unexpected impact that most anything Phair could have done may have been found lacking" and that there's no question that Phair is a major songwriter and artist, but this album is more a solidification of her talents than a breakthrough statement even Billboard praised the album, stating "leave it to the phenomenal Phair to pull off the seemingly impossible. However, despite its early success, Whip-Smart quickly departed the charts. Even though the second single and title track "Whip-Smart" was also successful, it failed to capture the same amount of attention of "Supernova", and by the time the third single "Jealousy" was released, the interest in the album was much smaller. 

 

Whip-Smart Track List: 

 

1. Chopsticks

2. Supernova

3. Support System

4. X-Ray Man

5. Shane

6. Nashville

7. Go West

8. Cinco de Mayo 

9. Dogs Of L.A.

10. Whip-Smart

11. Jealousy

12. Crater Lake

13. Alice Springs

14. May Queen