Is "Tails" By Lisa Loeb and the Nine Stories The Most Influential Album of the 90s?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I suppose, to a certain degree, you could call it "punk". DIY ethic, definitely, but a very 90s style of Do It Yourself, where the pay off involves celebrity infatuation (Lisa Loeb was the original Sigur Ros in this respect).

So, Ethan Hawke or Matt Damon or Jude Law or someone catapaults this woman into the mainstream by putting on of her songs on those interminable "Gen X- whooo!" films that now will up the back row of video rental stores nationwide, and that should have been the end of that.

So she goes the number one without a record deal. And then doesn't bother to release an album for another eighteen months, to prevent capitalising (capitalism, probably) on it.

And, anyway, the album. It's actually fucking amazing, and yet... every single shit-assed crock of shite-ass in the charts at the moment seems to have listened to this album intensely. This whole Lilith Fair vocals MIT FEEDBACK!!! style of music that the world seems in awe of at the moment.

And so, after winning Grammies and Brits and all other manner of wackiness, AMG gives the album a 3, and all she's really done in the past few years is appear on the Legally Blonde soundtrack.

Ah well.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

And, yes, I fully realise the appallingness of the title of this thread, but, damn, its true. And we already know its the best album of the 90s, so... push.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

it's a good record!

― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

you guys are being sarcastic, right?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

No, seriously, I do think its one of the best records of the 90s. The only thing that features in the same genre of this that is even comparable is "Little Earthquakes", and I'd take "Tails" over that any day of the week. The opening line of the album, "Sorry sir, I stole your money" is like the lightest ever catalyst which just sets the whole album down as being... if Lisa Loeb was born 15 years later she'd probably now run the most visited blog on the internet. Sort of geeky emotion. Music to masterbate over Alyson Hannigan to.

And the opening few bars of "Stay"... really, acoustic guitars should have been banned after that, because nothing was ever going to top it.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

she had dinner at my house when she played my dad's club. she was very sweet. and short.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I think what makes me say "whatever" to L.L. is that I always got the feeling that she was merely a crude archetype.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

crude archetype of girls I dated in high school, that is.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 15:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought she was cute

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

haha!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

the thread title is a definite contender for 'statements that get you laughed out of ILM?'

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

worse than when dom argued that the barenaked ladies were the best band of the 90s?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

are you sure he didnt mean glass tiger?

― jack cole (jackcole), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

lisa loeb always struck me as the punchline to that evan dorkin "evolution of the indie rock girl" strip

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

''worse than when dom argued that the barenaked ladies were the best band of the 90s?''

well ok but Dom still gets the top two spots.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

When did I say they were the best band of the 90s? I said that "Stunt" was a good album. I don't even like "Gordon"...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyway, I wasn't expecting a positive response here. Female musician over the age of 25 = ILM cognoscenti anathema.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you'll find more positives for someone like diamanda galas, say (well, there better be praise for her).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

the followup's alot better dom

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"Firecracker"? I've never listened to it, to be honest. She sort of vanished off the UK radar around two months after someone did her on Stars In Their Eyes (qf Del Amitri).

Anyway, her last album has cover art done by Sanrio. And yet people still hate?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

jewel sorta stole her thunder I think

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Nonono - "Firecracker" sucks. Don't get it.

I'm with you, Dom - well, not about "Most -Influential- Album of the 90s," but about the "it-rules" stuff. They're smart, catchy pop songs, equipped for the ironic here-and-now, and there's a hearty ache to them, too. Unfortunately, it's indie guitar pop neither indie enough (see: Magnetic Fields), guitar enough (see: um, Mountain Goats?), nor pop enough (see: P!nk), to entertain the ILM Majority.

And Jewel!? JEWEL?! Have you ever -heard- this record? Loeb may be female, but she's not wispy or poetry-y, except perhaps in a wry archy and mehitabel kind of way. You'd be much better equipped to criticize her by sneaking up through the Crash-Test Dummies, or something.

(Oh, and: Gordon may well be one of the best albums of the 90s. One of the best Canadian albums, certainly. It is so good! You people hate fun!)

― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I just now read the entire thread title. Earlier I saw Lisa Loeb & quit reading - out of .. disinterest, I guess.

So...to answer:
HA!

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you're pretty on the dollars with why it could never play well with an ILM audience, Sean.

"Influential" was me being flip, but you've got to remember that "Tails" preceeded "Jagged Little Pill" and "Thursday Night Music Club". And "This Fire", for what its worth. So not did it only come before all that, but, really, was there anyone around doing all that female emotional stuff with the occasional movement into rock before? Now... everyone in the charts is having a go at it. I mean, if "Garden of Delights" was released now, it'd probably go number one and get the girl on the cover of Popworld.

And, come on, how many other albums use the word "quaalude"?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"but you've got to remember that "Tails" preceeded "Jagged Little Pill"..."

But Liz Phair had "Exile In Guyville" (and "Whip-Smart" if you wanna get technical) out before "Tails", altough I'm guessing Loeb means more to the recent batch of female singer/songwriters (Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, etc.) than Phair ever did.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I have asked for my email accounts to be deleted from this loathesome forum and have recieved nothing but abuse. Under the Data Protection Act I would remind you that I am entitled to this, yet the post continues to be put up by someone hiding under a moniker. I'd like to know why ILM allows people to hide under monikers and steal names while they sit and giggle like schoolgirls as they play on their silly chat room.

I see that you encourage the spamming of other people's accounts and find this behaviour despicable. I shall be alerting every moderator on this thread and be asking, nicely, for the posts to be removed before going to ILM's web host and if need be taking this further. I have asked you to remove the post bearing my personal email details and reveal the person who has posted under my name. I see no respect shown to privacy on this forum only a bunch of thugs looking to harrass and undermine someone's personal account.

― Calz (Calz), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Lisa Loeb gives me the horn.

― honest guy, Tuesday, 3 June 2003 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I suspect Tori's a god to the recent batch of pianer playin anti-Britneys. Alanis always talked up Tori also.

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Just looked at the AMG and ALL of Loeb's albums earned three stars except "Hello Lisa" which hasn't been reviewed yet (paging Ned). I find this strange.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hello Lisa" and "Cake and Pie" are the same album, if I remember. One was released.... god knows.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I think "Hello Lisa" was like a remixed and re-recorded version of "Cake & Pie". But still, there should be an LL album that gets something other than 3 stars.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

paging Ned

I regard the prospect of reviewing a Lisa Loeb album as something I'll gladly and happily pass on to others. In all cases. At all times.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 01:03 (twenty-two years ago)

this album is great and "Stay" is a dead-set classic single.

Is it my imagination or is Nine Stories most of the band Ida?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 01:19 (twenty-two years ago)

lisa loeb always struck me as the punchline to that evan dorkin "evolution of the indie rock girl" strip

Why have I never seen this?

― jm (jtm), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

lisa loeb always struck me as the punchline to that evan dorkin "evolution of the indie rock girl" strip

"Femo"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 4 June 2003 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I bet she is a really really nice person.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Lisa Loeb's barrier to ILM success surely must be that as an artist with which to engage casually she's not terribly striking, glasses aside. I mean, I must have seen video clips to about four or five of her songs, but of those I can only remember "Stay", and that *alone* is not enough to necessarily convince people that she's some fascinatingly distinct artist (though it is a good song). I'm sure if I chose to invest energy into listening she might turn out to be fantastic, but there's not enough of a female singer/songwriter fanbase on ILM to be hyping her up. But I know next time I hear her I'll pay more attention.

Incidentally, the great lost female singer/songwriter album of the 90s is Heather Nova's "Glowstars" from '93 - which should have been much *more* influential than it was (um, zero influence?) - interesting stuff lyrically, vocally, sonically all at once etc.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 04:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah NOBODY mentions Heather Nova... at all...

― jm (jtm), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I give up.

*pulls trigger, slumps over*

― hstencil, Wednesday, 4 June 2003 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

in my first year at Otago, I ran into a swag of Heather Nova fans (most of them from Syndey, IIRC - heh wasn't m4rc3l one of them?) - she seemed to be pretty popular. however I think that was for Siren, not the earlier stuff.

― Ess Kay (esskay), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The later stuff is a total steep decline. Siren is immensely uninteresting.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

*fact*: liz and dan from ida do backgrounds on "stay", which makes it good by me.

*fact*: there's nothing punk or indie or any of that about making a record on your own. punk/indie/whatever describes an attitude... plenty of folks have self-released albums over the years without being punk/indie/whatever (or p/i/w).

*fact*: there's nothing influential about having an actor like your music and giving you a leg up. it's just dumb luck, and good for miss loeb.

*fact*: miss loeb has been doing cartoon voiceover work of late. last i heard, she was cast as mary jane in the new spider-man cartoon. again, good for miss loeb.

― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

is that really the same lisa loeb? i saw her name on the spiderman credits and went "uh... nooooo?"

― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Having rewatched the MST episode today which, quite by chance, happened to be the one with a parody of Lisa Loeb in it, I have to say Bridget Jones does a far better Lisa Loeb than Lisa Loeb would ever do. Fact.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

*fact*: liz and dan from ida do backgrounds on "stay", which makes it good by me.

yay! i knew i wasn't crazy

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

Deny that.

― Period period period (Period period period), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

Just checked the AMG, and Lisa's last two albums each earned 4 stars, Tails is up to 3 1/2, and Stewart Mason finally reviewed Hello Lisa.

― Orgy of Pragmatism (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 19:52 (nineteen years ago)

I make this correction more for the sake of books than for the sake of Loeb's backing band: it's "Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories." No article. Putting the article in there would be like calling them "Lisa Loeb and the Crime and Punishment."

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 19:58 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.