Eels
If older sisters are good for anything, it's that they usually have a great record collection which opens a wondrous door for younger siblings. Also, they often let their kid brother play their guitar after they've lost interest in it. That's what happened to Virginia native Mark Oliver Everett, otherwise known as E.
Losing his father at an early age, getting expelled from school and arrested, it looked as though E was headed for a troubled life. But a budding interest in music helped turn him around. Soon he was writing songs and recording them on home equipment. In his early twenties E made the trek to L.A. Signed with Polydor, E released two albums that went virtually unnoticed, '92's "A Man Called E" and '93's "Broken Toy Shop." A tour opening for Tori Amos, to support "A Man Called E," was about the only positive result.
E then formed the Eels with bassist Tommy Walter and drummer Butch Norton before moving to Dreamworks. There the group recorded "Beautiful Freak" which contained the somber '96 hit "Novocaine For The Soul."
As so often happens in music, as well as real life, it's just when things are going right, for once, that tragedy strikes. Both E's mother and sister passed away. To compound the misery Walter bailed. E pressed on but his mood was evident in the dark sounding "Electro-Shock Blues." Despite contributions from T-Bone Burnett the album failed to connect. A brief tour with new bassist Adam Siegel preceded a return to the studio to record '00's "Daisies Of The Galaxy." This effort included R.E.M.'s Peter Buck but like it's predecessor failed to resonate with the public. Undaunted E put together The Eels Orchestra, a six man band of multi-instrumentalists for a world tour. The live "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" was issued via the group's official website.
"Souljacker" with help from producer/musician John Parish, became the Eels fourth studio album. Also onboard was new bassist/synthesizer player Kool G Murder. "Shootenanny" hit in '03. A number of E side projects followed including an indie film soundtrack. The group resurfaced in '05 with "Blinking Lights And Other Revelations."
Usually, any group with a history gets a retrospective ("greatest hits" or "best of"). But in '08, the Eels had two. "Meet the Eels: Essential Eels Vol. I.," spanned the group's first decade and focused on the singles. "Useless Trinkets" contained B-sides and '06 Lollapalooza shows. Also that year, nine of the band's songs, including "Man Up" (a new track), appeared on the soundtrack of the lackluster Jim Carrey film, Yes Man.
The Eels seventh studio album, "Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs Of Desire," came out in '09. "Hombre lobo" is Spanish for 'wolf man' or 'werewolf'. "Fresh Blood" was the lead single.
While busy promoting "Hombre Lobo," the Eels issued the live EP "The Myspace Transmission Session 2009." At the same time they announced that their next studio album would be "End Times." Not exactly the most upbeat title, it referenced themes of broken love and E's recent divorce. The set arrived three months later - January, '10.
One suspects that even without the tragedy that has hit E's life he'd probably be a morse character anyway. Start with "Beautiful Freak" containing "Novocaine For The Soul" and "Rags To Rags" ("rags to rags, rust to rust, how do you stand when you've been crushed"). Next is "Souljacker" with the nasty Punk-ish "Teenage Witch" and "Jungle Telegraph," a cross between T-Rex and Beck "Shootenanny" has the Blues "All In A Day's Work," "Saturday Morning" and "Rock Hard Times." "Electro-Shock Blues" features "Cancer For The Cure" and "My Descent Into Madness" which is another take on "Novocaine."
"Blinking Lights And Other Revelations" is a moody, contemplative, 33 song set dealing with love and loss. E gets help from Peter Buck, John Sebastian and Tom Waits as he expressively meanders through the songs - which actually sound closer to diary readings. It's the perfect thing to put on when the world is bearing down and you're seeking commiseration. "Losing Streak," a jaunty, 80s-ish track stands out because it is markedly different than the other songs - in style, if not theme.
Though "Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs Of Desire" begins with the Garage Rock "Prizefighter," it's the next track, "The Look You Give That Guy" that's the set's first head-turner. This hook filled ballad features E's reflective vocals and immediately commands attention. But it's not long before the Eels are blasting through "Lilac Breeze," a song with a potent bass riff. Then there's the pulsating "Tremendous Dynamite." Those songs are great but they get topped. With its distorted vocals and vibrant sense of urgency, "What's A Fella Gotta Do" is the set's prime cut. And yes, it Rocks.
Here's an idea. Maybe a musician going through a traumatic event like divorce should write a dozen songs about it but only put the best three or four of them on an album. "End Times" is loaded with ballads with "A Line In The Dirt" and the title track holding together the best. But the Alt. Country "Gone Man," the aptly named "Paradise Blues" and the Punk-ish romp "Unhinged" keep this set from getting too maudlin.