Eels

The Eels (band) were formed in 1995 when already-established pop star E was joined by Tommy Walter and Butch Norton and they released Beautiful freak, an underrated album, known too well for "Novocaine for the soul", and not well enough for the other well-crafted songs on it (including the fantastic title track). The band reemerged with 1998's Electro-shock blues, dealing with E's feelings about mortality, specifically the suicide of a sibling and the death of his mother, from cancer. A third album, Daisies of the Galaxy is was released March 14, 2000. It's happier and more upbeat, supposedly. And, incidently, is the first album I know of with the first single as a bonus track!

The Eels are largely driven by E (Mark Everitt), who writes both music and lyrics, and has played almost all the instruments apart from the drums, manned by Butch (Jonathon Norton), at some point.

Despite the somewhat flippant quotes below, the subject matter for the albums is intensely deep and personal, and yet even Electro-shock Blues is ultimately upbeat - with a message that, to oversimplify, is that life is worth celebrating, no matter how tough it seems at the time.

Notable E quotes on the albums

My apologies if these aren't word perfect... /msg me if so...

(on Beautiful Freak): "This is our greeting card to the world"
(on Electro-shock Blues): "If Beautiful Freak was our greeting card to the world, this is our phone call in the middle of the night that the world doesn't want to pick up"
(on Daisies of the Galaxy):"If Electro-shock Blues was the phone call in the middle of the night that the world doesn't want to answer, then Daisies of the Galaxy is the hotel wake-up call that says your lovely breakfast is ready."
"This record has two songs with the word 'daisies' in the title, and neither of them has the words 'pushing up' before it."

The band has also embraced the web, releasing two live albums through their website, http://www.eelstheband.com - where they also champion obscure music, and have occasional polls to decide the fate of Butch's beard and hair (with somewhat bizarre results). E has also followed the path of non-shaving, with a unabomber-style mountain of facial hair that he claims has got him stopped at airports. He claims this is entirely for the benefit of his partner...

More recently, the website featured an online competition allowing fans to compete to create a title for a new Eels track. Eventually, the band declined to pick a winner - instead creating the song 'Hidden Track' by stringing the entries together into a strangely compelling lyric.

Discography (albums only)

• Beautiful Freak (1996)
  
  1. Novocaine for the Soul
  2. Susan's House
  3. Rags to Rags
  4. Beautiful Freak
  5. Not Ready Yet
  6. My Beloved Monster
  7. Flower
  8. Guest List
  9. Mental
  10. Spunky
  11. Your Lucky Day in Hell
  12. Manchild


• Electro-shock Blues (1998)
  
  1. Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor
  2. Going to your Funeral (part I)
  3. Cancer for the Cure
  4. My Descent into Madness
  5. Three Speed
  6. Hospital Food
  7. Electro-shock Blues
  8. Efil's God
  9. Going to your Funeral (part II)
  10. Last Stop: This Town
  11. Baby Genius
  12. Climbing to the Moon
  13. Ant Farm
  14. Dead of Winter
  15. The Medication is Wearing Off
  16. p.s. You Rock My World
  
  
• Daisies of the Galaxy (2000)
  
  1. Grace Kelly Blues
  2. Packing Blankets
  3. The Sound of Fear
  4. I Like Birds
  5. Daisies of the Galaxy
  6. Flyswatter
  7. It's a Motherfucker
  8. Estate Sale
  9. Tiger in my Tank
  10. A Daisy Through Concrete
  11. Jeannie's Diary
  12. Wooden Nickels
  13. Something is Sacred
  14. Selective Memory
  
  Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (hidden track)


• Souljacker (September 2001)
  
  1. Dog Faced Boy
  2. That's Not Really Funny
  3. Fresh Feeling
  4. Woman Driving, Man Sleeping
  5. Souljacker Pt 1
  6. Friendly Ghost
  7. Teenage Witch
  8. Bus Stop Boxer
  9. Jungle Telegraph
  10. World of Shit
  11. Souljacker Pt 2
  12. What is This Note?


• Twenty-Two Miles of Hard Road - European Souljacker bonus disk
  
  1. I Write the B-sides
  2. Hidden Track
  3. Jehovah's Witness
  4. Mr. E's Beautiful Remix


• Oh, What A Beautiful Morning (rare live album, 2001)
  
  1. Feeling Good
  2. Overture -
     1. Last Stop:This Town
     2. Beautiful Freak
     3. Rags To Rags
     4. Your Lucky Day In Hell
     5. My Descent Into Madness
     6. Novocaine For The Soul
     7. Flower
  3. Oh What A Beautiful Morning
  4. Abortion In The Sky
  5. It's A Motherfucker
  6. Fucker
  7. Ant Farm
  8. Climbing To The Moon
  9. Grace Kelly Blues
  10. Daisies Of The Galaxy
  11. Flyswatter
  12. Vice President Fruitley
  13. Hot And Cold
  14. Mr E's Beautiful Blues
  15. Not Ready Yet
  16. Susan's House
  17. Something Is Sacred


• Electro-Shock Blues Show (new rare live album, 2002)
  
  1. Cancer for the Cure
  2. Fingertips part III
  3. Going to Your Funeral part I
  4. Efil's God
  5. Souljacker part I
  6. My Beloved Monster
  7. Novocaine for the Soul
  8. Not Ready Yet
  9. Last Stop: This Town
  10. Everything's Gonna be Cool this Christmas
      Bonus tracks:
  11. Flower
  12. Dead of Winter
  13. Electro-Shock Blues
  14. The Medication is Wearing Off
  15. Climbing to the Moon
      My Girl/My Beloved Monster (hidden 'cover')


• SHOOTENANNY! (to be released June 3rd 2003)
  
  1. All in a Day's Work
  2. Saturday Morning
  3. The Good Old Days
  4. Love of the Loveless
  5. Dirty Girl
  6. Agony
  7. Rock Hard Times
  8. Restraining Order Blues
  9. Lone Wolf
  10. Wrong About Bobby
  11. Numbered Days
  12. Fashion Awards
  13. Somebody Loves You

Revised 12/12/02 to include the new live album and website details, and 2/3/03 to include the new album listing (originally posted on said website)

Hastily re-edited to hardlink all the songs on the advice of wharfinger...