Somebody's Miracle

Somebody's Miracle
Studio album by Liz Phair
Released	October 4, 2005
Recorded	Late 2004-Mid 2005
Studio	Henson Recording Studios (Hollywood, California) The Village Recording Studios (Santa Monica, California)
Genre	Pop rock alternative rock
Length	58:11
Label	Capitol
Producer	John Alagia John Shanks Dino Meneghin Joe Zook
Liz Phair chronology
Liz Phair (2003) Somebody's Miracle (2005) Funstyle (2010)
Singles from Somebody's Miracle
"Everything to Me" Released: August 1, 2005[1]

Somebody's Miracle is the fifth album by Liz Phair, released on October 4, 2005 (see 2005 in music) on Capitol Records. From September 2004 through April 2005,^[2] she composed fourteen tracks spanning from lo-fi guitar-driven to high-gloss produced tracks. 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 product.^[3] The first single, "Everything to Me" was released to radio on August 1, 2005. Somebody's Miracle debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200,^[4] and has sold over 83,000 copies in the U.S.^[5]

Album information

The album features a somewhat 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."^[6]

Release and promotion

Prior to the album's release, Phair embarked on an acoustic tour in the summer of 2005 in which she previewed the album's material. The tour, which had nine stops, commenced on July 26 in Boston, Massachusetts, and concluded on August 19 in San Francisco, California.^[7] To further promote the album, Phair headlined a month-long North American tour. The tour commenced on October 6 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and concluded on November 16 in San Diego, California.^[8]

Phair also performed the album's title track on the Charmed episode "Battle of the Hexes". She was also the last artist to perform on the show.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	54/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Blender	[11]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[12]
Los Angeles Times	[13]
Pitchfork	2.0/10[14]
PopMatters	4/10[15]
Rolling Stone	[16]
Slant	[17]
Stylus	B+[18]
Under the Radar	5/10[19]

The album has a score of 54 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[9] One critic wrote, "Miracle contains the singer's most winning melodies to date, not to mention her most confident vocals."^[20] 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".^[21] Rolling Stone, however, gave the album just two stars, calling her vocals "thin and dry" and the album as a whole "plain and forgettable".^[16] The A.V. Club wrote that Phair "has grown into the role of an MOR songstress."^[22]

This was Liz Phair's last album for Capitol Records. Her next album, Funstyle, was released on the independent label Rocket Science Records.

Track listing

Somebody's Miracle – Standard edition^[23]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Leap of Innocence"	Liz Phair	John Alagía	4:22
2.	"Wind and the Mountain"	Phair	Dino Meneghin Joe Zook	5:33
3.	"Stars and Planets"	Phair	Alagía	3:54
4.	"Somebody's Miracle"	Phair	Alagía	4:23
5.	"Got My Own Thing"	Phair	Alagía	4:34
6.	"Count on My Love"	Phair John Shanks	Shanks	3:41
7.	"Lazy Dreamer"	Phair	Alagía	4:55
8.	"Everything to Me"	Phair Shanks	Shanks	3:19
9.	"Closer to You"	Phair	Meneghin Zook	3:37
10.	"Table for One"	Phair	Alagía	4:12
11.	"Why I Lie"	Phair	Alagía	3:21
12.	"Lost Tonight"	Phair	Alagía	4:02
13.	"Everything (Between Us)"	Phair	Alagía	4:34
14.	"Giving It All to You"	Phair Shanks	Shanks	3:44
Total length:				58:11

Somebody's Miracle – Japanese edition (bonus track)^[24]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
15.	"Can't Get Out of What I'm Into"	Phair	2:51
Total length:			61:03

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Somebody's Miracle.^[23]

Production

Liz Phair – writer John Alagía – producer, mixing, additional production, background vocal arrangement Brian Scheuble – engineering, mixing, recording Jeff Robinette – assistant engineer, additional engineering Dino Meneghin – producer Joe Zook – co-producer, engineering, recording John Shanks – writer, producer, mixing Jeff Rothschild – recording, mixing Lars Fox – additional engineering Shari Sutcliffe – contractor/project coordinator

David Campbell – strings arrangement Allen Sides – strings recording Joel Derouin – concert master Tom Lord-Alge – mixing Ted Jensen – mastering Mary Fagot – creative direction Eric Roinestad – art direction, design Dusan Reljin – photography

Instruments

Liz Phair – vocals, guitar, background vocals Dino Meneghin – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, keyboards, guitar, drum programming, hand percussion Aaron Sterling – drums, percussion Oliver Kraus – cello Tim Bradshaw – keyboards

Sean Hurley – bass John Alagía – guitar, keyboards, B3 organ Bill Mohler – bass, acoustic bass John Shanks – bass, guitar, keyboards, background vocals Jeff Rothschild – drums Joe Zook – tambourine

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Somebody's Miracle

Chart (2005)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[25]	46

Singles

Chart performance for singles from Somebody's Miracle

Year	Single	Chart	Position
2005	"Everything to Me"	US Adult Top 40[26]	27
2005	"Everything to Me"	US Pop 100	99

Release history

Release formats for Somebody's Miracle

Region	Date	Edition(s)	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
United States	October 4, 2005	Standard	CD digital download	Capitol	[27]

References

1. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1612. July 29, 2005. p. 21.
2. Phair, Liz (interviewee) (November 13, 2005). Breakfast with the Arts (episode of television series). A&E Network.
3. Dahlen, Chris (August 17, 2005). "Exile in Mainstream". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on December 20, 2005. Retrieved September 24, 2005.
4. "Somebody's Miracle - Liz Phair". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
5. "Ask Billboard: Kylie 'Fever'". Billboard. 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
6. Carr, David (August 2, 2005). "The Independence of Liz Phair". The New York Times.
7. "Liz Phair Lines Up Acoustic Tour". Billboard. June 9, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
8. "Liz Phair Delivers A Miracle". IGN. August 18, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
9. "Somebody's Miracle Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
10. "Somebody's Miracle - Liz Phair | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
11. Another brazenly varried set. [Oct 2005, p.142]
12. "Somebody's Miracle". EW.com.
13. [It] isn't a miracle by a long shot, but the highlights show signs of a once-valuable artist trying to reset her creative compass. [2 Oct 2005]
14. "Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle". Pitchfork.
15. "Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle". PopMatters. October 24, 2005.
16. Sheffield, Rob (October 20, 2005). "Somebody's Miracle: Liz Phair: Review". Rolling Stone.
17. Keefe, Jonathan (10 October 2005). "Review: Liz Phair, Somebody's Miracle". Slant Magazine.
18. "Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle - Stylus Magazine". stylusmagazine.com.
19. What's disappointing about Somebody's Miracle is not so much a matter of genre, tone or production sheen, but that Phair has made herself indistinguishable by falling in line. [#11, p.112]
20. Farber, Jim (October 3, 2005). "Liz Phair yearns for everlasting love — on her new CD, at least". Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. The Star.
21. "Liz Phair keeps it smooth on 'Miracle'". Today.com. Associated Press. October 5, 2005.
22. "Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle". Music. 5 October 2005.
23. Somebody's Miracle (CD liner notes). Liz Phair. Capitol Records. 2005. CDP 7243 5 77769 2 9.
24. Somebody's Miracle (CD liner notes). Liz Phair. Capitol Records. 2005. TOCP-66448.
25. "Liz Phair Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
26. "Liz Phair Chart History: Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
27. Newman, Melinda (July 9, 2005). "Phair Preps 'Miracle'". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 28. p. 59.