Login
Login

Somebody's Miracle

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Somebody's Miracle

| type = studio

| artist = Liz Phair

| cover = Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 4, 2005

| recorded =

| studio =

  • Henson Recording Studios (Hollywood, California)
  • The Village Recording Studios (Santa Monica, California)

| genre =

| length = 58:11

| label = Capitol

| producer =

| prev_title = Liz Phair

| prev_year = 2003

| next_title = Funstyle

| next_year = 2010

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Somebody's Miracle

| type = studio

| single1 = Everything to Me

| single1date = August 1, 2005{{cite magazine|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1612|page=21|date=July 29, 2005}}

}}

}}

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,{{cite video |people=Phair, Liz (interviewee) |date=November 13, 2005 |title=Breakfast with the Arts |medium=episode of television series |publisher=A&E Network }} 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.{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Dahlen |url=http://music.sfweekly.com/Issues/2005-08-17/music/music.html |title=Exile in Mainstream |work=SF Weekly |date=August 17, 2005 |access-date=September 24, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051220051636/http://music.sfweekly.com/Issues/2005-08-17/music/music.html |archive-date=December 20, 2005 }} 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,{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=liz phair|chart=all}}|title=Somebody's Miracle - Liz Phair|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=2012-02-17}} and has sold over 83,000 copies in the U.S.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/957331/ask-billboard-kylie-fever|title=Ask Billboard: Kylie 'Fever' |magazine=Billboard|date=2010-07-16|accessdate=2012-02-17}}

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."{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/arts/music/02phai.html |first=David |last=Carr |title=The Independence of Liz Phair |work=The New York Times |date=August 2, 2005 }}

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.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/liz-phair-lines-up-acoustic-tour-62639/|title=Liz Phair Lines Up Acoustic Tour|last=|first=|date=June 9, 2005|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=May 17, 2022}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/18/liz-phair-delivers-a-miracle|title=Liz Phair Delivers A Miracle|last=|first=|date=August 18, 2005|work=IGN|accessdate=May 17, 2022}}

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

{{Music ratings

| MC = 54/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/somebodys-miracle/liz-phair|title=Somebody's Miracle Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic|website=Metacritic|accessdate=2012-09-02}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/somebodys-miracle-mw0000170416|title=Somebody's Miracle - Liz Phair | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}Another brazenly varried set. [Oct 2005, p.142]

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3score = B−{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2005/10/03/somebodys-miracle/|title=Somebody's Miracle|website=EW.com}}

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4score = {{rating|2.5|4}}[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]

| rev5 = Pitchfork

| rev5score = 2.0/10{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/6256-somebodys-miracle/|title=Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle|website=Pitchfork}}

| rev6 = PopMatters

| rev6score = 4/10{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/phairliz-somebodys-2496034219.html|title=Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle|date=October 24, 2005|website=PopMatters}}

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7score = {{Rating|2|5}}

| rev8 = Slant

| rev8score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/liz-phair-somebodys-miracle/|title=Review: Liz Phair, Somebody's Miracle|first=Jonathan|last=Keefe|website=Slant Magazine |date=10 October 2005 }}

| rev9 = Stylus

| rev9score = B+{{Cite web|url=http://stylusmagazine.com/review_ID_3436.html|title=Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle - Stylus Magazine|website=stylusmagazine.com}}

| rev10 = Under the Radar

| rev10score = 5/10What'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]

}}

The album has a score of 54 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews". One critic wrote, "Miracle contains the singer's most winning melodies to date, not to mention her most confident vocals."{{cite news |url=http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/10/3/music/20051003113325&sec=music |title=Liz Phair yearns for everlasting love — on her new CD, at least |work=Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services |publisher=The Star |date=October 3, 2005 |first=Jim |last=Farber }} 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".{{cite news |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/liz-phair-keeps-it-smooth-miracle-wbna9593522 |title=Liz Phair keeps it smooth on 'Miracle' |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Today.com |date=October 5, 2005 }} Rolling Stone, however, gave the album just two stars, calling her vocals "thin and dry" and the album as a whole "plain and forgettable".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/somebodys-miracle-20051020 |title=Somebody's Miracle: Liz Phair: Review |magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=October 20, 2005 }} The A.V. Club wrote that Phair "has grown into the role of an MOR songstress."{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/liz-phair-somebodys-miracle-1798201098|title=Liz Phair: Somebody's Miracle|website=Music|date=5 October 2005 }}

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

{{Track listing

| headline = Somebody's Miracle {{nobold|– Standard edition}}

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 58:11

| title1 = Leap of Innocence

| writer1 = Liz Phair

| extra1 = John Alagía

| length1 = 4:22

| title2 = Wind and the Mountain

| writer2 = Phair

| extra2 = {{hlist|Dino Meneghin|Joe Zook}}

| length2 = 5:33

| title3 = Stars and Planets

| writer3 = Phair

| extra3 = Alagía

| length3 = 3:54

| title4 = Somebody's Miracle

| writer4 = Phair

| extra4 = Alagía

| length4 = 4:23

| title5 = Got My Own Thing

| writer5 = Phair

| extra5 = Alagía

| length5 = 4:34

| title6 = Count on My Love

| writer6 = {{hlist|Phair|John Shanks}}

| extra6 = Shanks

| length6 = 3:41

| title7 = Lazy Dreamer

| writer7 = Phair

| extra7 = Alagía

| length7 = 4:55

| title8 = Everything to Me

| writer8 = {{hlist|Phair|Shanks}}

| extra8 = Shanks

| length8 = 3:19

| title9 = Closer to You

| writer9 = Phair

| extra9 = {{hlist|Meneghin|Zook}}

| length9 = 3:37

| title10 = Table for One

| writer10 = Phair

| extra10 = Alagía

| length10 = 4:12

| title11 = Why I Lie

| writer11 = Phair

| extra11 = Alagía

| length11 = 3:21

| title12 = Lost Tonight

| writer12 = Phair

| extra12 = Alagía

| length12 = 4:02

| title13 = Everything (Between Us)

| writer13 = Phair

| extra13 = Alagía

| length13 = 4:34

| title14 = Giving It All to You

| writer14 = {{hlist|Phair|Shanks}}

| extra14 = Shanks

| length14 = 3:44}}

{{track listing

| headline = Somebody's Miracle {{nobold|– Japanese edition (bonus track)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Somebody's Miracle|others=Liz Phair|year=2005|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records|id=TOCP-66448}}

| extra_column = Producers

| total_length = 61:03

| title15 = Can't Get Out of What I'm Into

| writer15 = Phair

| extra15 =

| length15 = 2:51}}

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Somebody's Miracle.{{cite AV media notes|title=Somebody's Miracle|others=Liz Phair|year=2005|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records|id=CDP 7243 5 77769 2 9}}

Production

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

  • 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

{{col-2}}

  • 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

{{col-end}}

Instruments

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

  • 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

{{col-2}}

  • 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

{{col-end}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+{{sronly|Weekly chart performance for Somebody's Miracle}}

! scope="col"| Chart (2005)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|Billboard200|46|artist=Liz Phair|rowheader=true|access-date=May 16, 2022|refname="uscharts"}}

=Singles=

class="wikitable"

|+ {{sronly|Chart performance for singles from Somebody's Miracle}}

! Year

! Single

! Chart

! Position

2005

| "Everything to Me"

| US Adult Top 40{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/liz-phair/chart-history/atf/|title=Liz Phair Chart History: Adult Pop Songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 30, 2022}}

| 27

2005

| "Everything to Me"

| US Pop 100

| 99

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release formats for Somebody's Miracle

! scope="col" | Region

! scope="col" | Date

! scope="col" | Edition(s)

! scope="col" | Format(s)

! scope="col" | Label

! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

scope="row" | United States

| October 4, 2005

| Standard

| {{flatlist|

}}

| Capitol

| style="text-align:center;"|{{cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Melinda |title=Phair Preps 'Miracle' |magazine=Billboard |volume=117 |issue=28 |page=59 |publication-date=July 9, 2005}}

References

{{Liz Phair}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Liz Phair albums

Category:2005 albums

Category:Capitol Records albums

Category:Albums produced by John Shanks

Category:Albums produced by John Alagía