I Enjoy Being a Girl (album)

I Enjoy Being a Girl
Studio album by
Phranc
Released1989
Recorded1989
GenreFolk, folk rock
Length34:56
LabelIsland
ProducerVictor DeLorenzo
Phranc chronology
Folksinger
(1985) 		I Enjoy Being a Girl
(1989) 		Positively Phranc
(1991)

I Enjoy Being a Girl is an album by the American musician Phranc, released in 1989.[1][2] She supported the album with a North American tour.[3]

Production

[edit]

The album was produced by Victor DeLorenzo.[4] "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is a cover of the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein composition from Flower Drum Song.[5][6] "M-A-R-T-I-N-A" is about Martina Navratilova.[7] "Bloodbath" criticizes Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.[8] "Myriam and Esther" is dedicated to Phranc's grandmothers.[9] "Rodeo Parakeet" is about Phranc's bird that enjoys riding on dogs.[10] "Toy Time" is a tribute to Toys "R" Us.[11]

The album cover art was in part inspired by a photo of Alice Faye.[12] Orson Bean wrote the liner notes.[13]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Robert ChristgauB[15]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[16]
Houston Chronicle[17]
Orlando Sentinel[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[18]

The Calgary Herald determined that the "heavy-handed protest anthems are the album's weaker entries."[19] The Globe and Mail deemed the album "a delightful piece of work: funny, committed, romantic and charming."[20]

The Washington Post wrote that Phranc "has a warm but not particularly lovely voice, and her strumming is basic at best, but she's a folk singer in the true sense of the word—she seizes her inspiration of the moment and makes music about it."[21] The Houston Chronicle praised the "earnest, endearing quality not unlike Jonathan Richman."[17]

AllMusic wrote that "'Myriam and Esther', a traditional folk ballad with a distinctly female perspective, is the type of earnest song that only Phranc seems able to pull off in post-modern times."[14]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks composed by Phranc; except where indicated

  1. "Folksinger" – 2:05
  2. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers) – 3:16
  3. "Double Decker Bed" – 2:02
  4. "Bloodbath" – 2:54
  5. "Individuality" – 2:31
  6. "Rodeo Parakeet" – 3:01
  7. "Take Off Your Swastika" – 3:30
  8. "Toy Time" – 2:34
  9. "M-A-R-T-I-N-A" – 2:36
  10. "Myriam and Esther" – 3:41
  11. "Ballad of Lucy + Ted" – 4:19
  12. "Moonlight Becomes You" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 2:27

Personnel

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  • Phranc – producer, vocals, guitar
  • Victor DeLorenzo – producer
  • Connie Grauer– backing vocals, arranger, keyboards
  • Jimmy Eanelli – bass guitar, 12-string guitar
  • Brian Ritchie – mandolin
  • Kim Zick – percussion, drums
  • Scott Leonard – engineer

Release details

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Country Date Label Format Catalog
1989 Island CD 422–842 579-2
LP 422–842 579-1
Cassette 422-842-579-4
1990 PolyGram CD 842579

References

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  1. ^ Heim, Chris (2 June 1989). "Feminist-folkie Phranc...". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 50.
  2. ^ Potter, Mitch (23 June 1989). "A Phranc, fearless addition to neofolk set". Toronto Star. p. E8.
  3. ^ Hoekstra, Dave (December 1, 1989). "Dave's Dawn Patrol". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 7.
  4. ^ Hochman, Steve (26 Feb 1989). "Phrancly Speaking". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 69.
  5. ^ Cromelin, Richard (22 July 1989). "Folk Singer Enjoys Being Phranc at Last". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 1.
  6. ^ Erskine, Evelyn (15 Nov 1989). "Phranc talk with your average punk folksinger". Ottawa Citizen. p. H2.
  7. ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (2 July 1989). "Music". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 6.
  8. ^ Heaton, Michael (July 28, 1989). "Women for everyone's taste". The Plain Dealer.
  9. ^ Ploetz, Elmer (August 11, 1989). "If in music, as in physics, there's an equal and opposite reaction...". Gusto. The Buffalo News. p. 41.
  10. ^ DeVault, Russ (September 21, 1989). "Phranc-ly, She's a Unique Folk Singer". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D3.
  11. ^ "Phrancly, My Dear". Scene. Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. May 8, 1992. p. 1.
  12. ^ Morrison, Sheila (28 Jan 1990). "Phranc's motley musical blend". Entertainment. The Province. p. 87.
  13. ^ Stout, Gene (January 26, 1990). "Gender-Bending Phranc Mixes Hip Humor with Folk Tradition". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. What's Happening. p. 7.
  14. ^ a b "I Enjoy Being a Girl Review by Denise Sullivan". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Phranc". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  16. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 528.
  17. ^ a b Racine, Marty (August 20, 1989). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 8.
  18. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 299.
  19. ^ Mayes, Alison (3 Aug 1989). "Phranc: I Enjoy Being a Girl". Calgary Herald. p. F5.
  20. ^ Dafoe, Chris (3 Aug 1989). "I Enjoy Being a Girl Phranc". The Globe and Mail. p. C6.
  21. ^ Brown, Joe (11 Aug 1989). "Feminine Folk, Rockin' Proud". The Washington Post. p. N23.
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