Despite featuring some of her best vocals and some great songs, Somebody’s Miracle, Phair’s fifth album, is perhaps her most forgettable.
Once again working with assorted producers, including John Shanks, John Alagia, and her then-boyfriend, Dino Meneghin, Somebody’s Miracle was Phair’s last album with Capitol Records.
Phair has stated that Somebody’s Miracle was originally intended to be a song-by-song response to Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, but that she scrapped that concept when she realized it would take her significantly longer to complete the album.
Somebody’s Miracle retains more of the pop focus that her previous album did, but is a bit softer overall. It’s an album that focuses more on love, hope, and innocence. And despite some songs that don’t seem particularly memorable, it does contain some standouts; “Table for One,” for example, is one of her most poignant, inspired by her brother’s struggles with alcoholism.
I tried to write love songs that were sincere, and I tried to embody what I was singing and make my guitar playing mirror that.
Liz Phair
The Tampa Tribune, October 7, 2005
Somebody’s Miracle
Released: October 4, 2005
Label: Capitol Records
Format: CD
Country: US, EU, Japan, China, Australia, Canada
Availability: Moderate
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 01. | Leap of Innocence | 4:22 |
| 02. | Wind And The Mountain | 5:33 |
| 03. | Stars And Planets | 3:55 |
| 04. | Somebody’s Miracle | 4:23 |
| 05. | Got My Own Thing | 4:35 |
| 06. | Count On My Love | 3:41 |
| 07. | Lazy Dreamer | 4:55 |
| 08. | Everything to Me | 3:19 |
| 09. | Closer to You | 3:38 |
| 10. | Table for One | 4:12 |
| 11. | Why I Lie | 3:21 |
| 12. | Lost Tonight | 4:03 |
| 13. | Everything (Between Us) | 4:34 |
| 14. | Giving It All to You | 3:45 |
Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12 and 14
Vocals, guitar: Liz Phair
Electric & acoustic guitar, lapsteel, keys: Dino Meneghin
Drums, percussion: Aaron Sterling
Cellos: Oliver Kraus
Keyboards: Tim Bradshaw
Bass: Sean Hurly
Guitar, keys: John Alagia
Written by Liz Phair
Produced by John Alagia
Engineered by Brian Scheuble
Mixed by John Alagia and Brian Scheuble
Assistant Engineer & Additional Engineering by Jeff Robinette
Recorded and mixed at The Village Recordings Studios, Santa Monica, CA
“Everything to Me”
Vocals: Liz Phair
Bass, guitar, keyboards: John Shanks
Drums: Jeff Rothschild
Background vocals: Liz Phair and John Shanks
Written by Liz Phair and John Shanks
Contractor/coordinator: Shari Sutclife
Produced by John Shanks
Recorded by Jeff Rothschild
Additional engineering by Lars Fox
Strings arranged by David Campbell
Strings recorded by Allen Sides
Concertmaster: Joel Derouin
Recorded at Henson Studios, Hollywood, CA.
Mixed by Tom Lord-Alge
Mixed at South Beach Studios, Miami Beach, FL
“Wind And The Mountain”
Vocals, guitar: Liz Phair
Guitar: Dino Meneghin
Bass: Billy Mohler
Drums: Aaron Sterling
B3 Organ: John Alagia
Written by Liz Phair
Produced by Dino Meneghin
Co-produced and engineered by Joe Zook
Additional production by John Alagia
Mixed by John Alagia and Brian Scheuble
Recorded and mixed at The Village Recordings Studios, Santa Monica, CA
“Count On My Love” and “Giving It All To You”
Vocals: Liz Phair
Bass, guitar, keyboards: John Shanks
Drums: Jeff Rothschild
Background vocals: Liz Phair and John Shanks
Contractor/project coordinator: Shari Sutcliffe
Written by Liz Phair and John Shanks
Produced by John Shanks
Recorded by Jeff Rothschild
Additional engineering by Lars Fox
Mixed by Jeff Rothschild and John Shanks
Recorded and mixed at Henson Studios, Hollywood, CA
“Closer To You”
Vocals, guitar: Liz Phair
Acoustic Bass: Billy Mohler
Tambourine: Joe Zook
Guitar, drum programming, hand percussion: Dino Meneghin
Written by Liz Phair
Produced by Dino Meneghin
Co-produced by Joe Zook
Recorded by Joe Zook and Brian Scheuble
Mixed by Brian Scheuble
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
Tracks 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, and 12
Background vocals arranged by John Alagia
A&R: Ron Laffitte
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
Creative Direction: Mary Fagot
Art Direction & Design: Eric Roinestad
Photography: Dusan Reljin
Management: Gregg Latterman and Jason Rio for Asquared Management assisted by Caroline Linder
Somebody’s Miracle (Advance CD & Retrospective DVD)
Released: Fall 2005
Label: Capitol Records
Format: CD/DVD
Country: US
Availability: Rare
Prior to the release of the retail version of Somebody’s Miracle, a promotional advance copy of the album was released which also included an additional DVD titled “Liz Phair: Retrospective.”
The tracklisting is nearly identical to the official release with the exception of “Can’t Get Out What I’m Into” (a re-working of “Gigolo” from Phair’s Girly-Sound cassettes) from as track #9 in place of “Closer to You.”
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 01. | Leap of Innocence | 4:22 |
| 02. | Wind And The Mountain | 5:33 |
| 03. | Stars And Planets | 3:55 |
| 04. | Somebody’s Miracle | 4:23 |
| 05. | Got My Own Thing | 4:35 |
| 06. | Count On My Love | 3:41 |
| 07. | Lazy Dreamer | 4:55 |
| 08. | Everything to Me | 3:19 |
| 09. | Can’t Get Out Of What I’m Into | 2:52 |
| 10. | Table for One | 4:12 |
| 11. | Why I Lie | 3:21 |
| 12. | Lost Tonight | 4:03 |
| 13. | Everything (Between Us) | 4:34 |
| 14. | Giving It All to You | 3:45 |
Somebody’s Miracle is about my lack of ability to keep relationships for a long period of time. It kills me. It breaks my heart. And sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be able to get that right.
Liz Phair on the meaning behind the title track of Somebody’s Miracle
iTunes Originals, November 2005
Liz Phair: A Retrospective
Singles
“Everything to Me” was the first single was released to radio on August 1, 2005, but a retail release was never issued.
The single peaked at #27 on the Adult Top 40 and at #99 on the Pop 100.
Videos
Everything to Me
Director: Phil Harder
Director of Photography: Thomas Marvel
Released: 2005
Reception
Somebody’s Miracle received mixed reviews. Most of the negative reviews came from outlets that still had beef from Phair’s version of pop music and her unapologetic desire to work with hit-making producers.
Nevertheless, Somebody’s Miracle was still a commercially successful album for Phair; it peaked at #46 on the Billboard 200.
On Somebody’s Miracle, Phair is more confident than on her previous mass-appeal bid, 2003’s Liz Phair. She’s split the difference between the Matrix and Michael Penn by working with John Mayer/Jason Mraz producer John Alagia, and along the way she’s discovered that there are other ways to be honest than taking your clothes off —although when the subject calls for a cock tease, she’s ready.
— Georgia Christgau, The Village Voice (October 18, 2005)
Perhaps still smarting from the controversial, crossover-crazed Liz Phair, everyone’s favorite saucy divorcée now wants to be all things to all fans. Somebody’s Miracle lurches from rootsy balladry to greasy-spoon boogie to rehashed alt-rock. But Phair sounds mostly bored, coming alive only on fizzy numbers like the rueful title song, the proudly hackneyed ”Count on My Love,” and the wistful ”Leap of Innocence,” with its very Phair-ian lyric twist. B-
— David Brown, Entertainment Weekly (October 3, 2005)
Somebody’s Miracle is mostly generic pap that any number of next-big-has-beens could have cranked out, a useless piece of plastic poking a pointy heel in the eye of the carcass of the artist Liz once was.
— Amy Phillips, Pitchfork (October 2, 2005)
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