Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Me encanto
An absolute gem of an album. Beautifully groovy and melancholic. So many stand out songs for me means the album as a whole must deserve a 5! If I had to pick one, then it’s ’Not Ready Yet’. A brilliant live act if you get the chance. I went along as a gig buddy for my mate a couple of years ago, and was blown away by the musicianship and catalogue.
Great production, nice drum beats
One of my favourites of all time. E’s at his best quirky intelligent funny tragic, a must own and listen on a regular basis.
Got a real soft spot for Eels.
I remembered the one song from the radio, and the rest was great
9.5/10
Mark Everett has faced a crapton of tragedy in his life and it shows with the bitterness in his lyrics. If didn’t read the Wikipedia article on the band, I would just think that the album was just another Ninety’s emo album. But armed with that knowledge, it was fascinating to hear a singer trying to process his trauma and turn into something great.
Always funny to hear the sound of a vinyl record crackle on a streaming track! Hearing Novocane For the Soul again takes me right back to the mid nineties, and still has that fresh sound that has stood the test of time I very much enjoyed hearing this whole album again, and look forward to revisting the rest of the Eels back catalogue
One of my favourite albums. There's musical variety but centred around a unified theme of ostracism. There's a lot of sadness in the music and being an outsider to society amplifies it but it's beautifully executed. There's hope shining through.
Aw man, I loved this album in the 90s, and it's tied to a lot of memories... first serious long-term girlfriend, first serious attendance in college, first bipolar breakdown. Listening to it again showed me that it might actually be better than I remembered.
I expected indie trash and was delighted to find so much more. Sure its pretty indie but its got some real lofi vibes at times and just has more spit and grit than I think I expected, this was a real surprise
I hadn't listened to this in ages. One of the few, very few, albums you get back to years and years later (29 years later, to be precise, even though that realisation really puts me in a bad mood) and realise again that it's an absolute stone-cold classic.
Excellent.
An album that is both eclectic and beautiful. As someone who often feels just outside of the lines of society, a lot of the songs, especially the title track, felt so warm to me, like it was saying that it's okay to be a "freak". I feel like this is an album that I can put on when feeling down that will both cheer me on in a way that doesn't feel cloying or impersonal. I'm a little tentative on giving albums I've only listened to once a 5/5, but I'm going to here. If I end up feeling different, I will change it later, but this album really emotionally connected with me in a way that I feel will stick with me for a long time.
One of my favorite albums! 5/5
Beautiful writing and some amazing, sad tracks. It almost feels like a small narrative with each song, and the final track was perfect
listened in one sitting.
Absolutely great and weird
I liked it.
I'm always extra critical of albums I loved in .y teenage years; was it really that good or had I just not heard enough music at that point, has it aged well, does it really stack up against truly classic albums. I was fully expecting to give this one 3 or 4 stars, but I still love it today. Obviously I was going to enjoy Novacaine For The Soul, Susan's House and Beautiful Freak, but there are multiple other gems in here too like Rags to Rags, My Beloved Monster, Flower and Your Lucky Day In Hell. It still sounds pretty unique today too.
I really liked this, how did I miss this band?
I’d forgotten what an exceptionally good album this was! This is another classic example of albums that disappeared in to the recesses of my mind after my ex-wife threw out my separated system and I no longer had access to any functional product that could play my CD collection. Happy to rediscover it.
Awesome.Never heard it
Shrek! This album was such a joy. Loved the vibe and it made me so nostalgic for my childhood. I feel like this guy is doing Jane's Addiction but is he doing it...better?
One of my favourite albums of all time.
Wunderbares Album mit überwiegend schönen ruhigen Liedern. Unbedingt empfehlenswert.
Reminds me of Marcy playground in their sound, I dig it. A few misses but mostly real good tunes, Not ready Yet is a realllll earworm. Top 3. Not ready yet, Novocaine for the soul, your lucky day in Hell
This is awesome!!
I was going to give this a 4 because it really surprised me. I've never been into grunge, but this was really good. I liked pretty much every song. I *was* going to give it a 4. That is until the last song. Now it may just be a cover, but any Futurama fans will recognise it as the song that plays at the end of the episode 'Game of Tones' when Fry is allowed to visit the dream of his mother who has been dead for a thousand years and Fry lacks any form of closure with. That scene absolutely destroys me every time and I felt it all flood back listening to it again. 5/5 would cry to grunge again.
I've seen this album cover before and I can't remember where. The music doesn't seem familiar at all though. I'm wondering how this slipped through the cracks back then. I was listening to this style of post grunge at the time, but I was also drinking a lot, so who knows. But anyways, this album kicks ass. Another gem from the generator.
An all-time fave since its release.
Eels' debut album, Beautiful Freak (1996), excels in its delicate balance between the genuinely strange and the effortlessly charming, a characteristic that defines its appeal. While the album frequently veers into dark territory with E's morose, quirky lyrics touching on loneliness and disillusionment, the undercurrent of infectious, lo-fi pop sensibility—especially on tracks like "Novocaine for the Soul" and "Susan's House"—ensures that even amidst the sonic shadows, there are immediately catchy melodies that captivate and delight upon the very first listen.
This is a beautifully written, performed and produced album. E paints ugly/beautiful pictures of underdogs like the Beautiful Freak in the title track, Spunky (who doesn't like her uniform) and a beloved monster. All of this accompanied by tight, simple and sometimes funky instrumentation. Not bad for a debut. Liked Songs Added: Novocaine For The Soul Rags To Rags Not Ready Yet My Beloved Monster Guest List Your Lucky Day In Hell
Wtd
имба. давно про них не вспоминал, а зря. надо будет заценить остальные альбомы.
Everything is always 10/10, I love Eels!!
I really liked this one. I listened to it twice, and their next album. It's definitely an odd one, but from a group that from their first album seems to have a solid identity. Added to my big list of liked albums.
One of my favourites, rock/indie but keeps it interesting with blends of other genres.
This might be the easiest review I’ve done so far, as I’m a bit of an Eels obsessive. I have 9 Eels records on vinyl, with a fair few being special editions. Of all these, Electro-Shock Blues is my favourite, but Beautiful Freak is a very close second. There’s something just so very warming about Eels music, and E’s voice is perfectly imperfect at expressing his feelings through song. If you haven’t heard this record before, I highly recommend it. Try the tracks Novacaine For The Soul and Susan’s House.
I remember this band being a thing in the late 90s and early 2000s but never checked them out. Instantly I could tell this was going to be one of the more interesting and varied albums on this list. I listened to it a couple times today and it was great. Happy it's here.
So good!
Una voladura
One of my favourites, rock/indie but keeps it interesting with blends of other genres.
Yes it's poppy but it shows how good pop can be, and I have a soft spot for this album (and for Eels in general). It strikes a nice balance between song variation (no bad songs at all on this album) and still having a coherent sounds album. Some interesting choices (instrumentation, some use of samples etc.) and good song writing elevate this above your run-off-the-mill commercial pop album. I should probably give it a 4 because is it really "must hear"? But I'll give it a 5 just because I love it and can't fault it, really.
When this was released, I copied it onto a cassette and listened on my Walkman on the bus to college every day for months. It became a weird obsession. The sad, melancholy "what's it all about" vibes really resonated with me. "Ready Yet" sums up those years so well. Listening today it still sounds great.
Love it always.
While this isn't my favorite Eels album, it's still great and I love listening to it. Glad to listen to it again.
Wasn't sure how well this album would stand up after all this time, but it was like slipping on a favourite old t-shirt. Melancholy, but that's OK
Wasn't sure where this was headed with the opening line "Life is hard and so am I" but not to worry, it got great quick. How did I not know about this band/album? It's right up my 90s alt alley. Highlights: Rags to Rags, Novocaine for the Soul, Your Lucky Day in Hell.
Electro-Shock Blues and Blinking Lights And Other Revelations get even deeper and personal and are arguably more incredible works but this one is just a conventional set of great songs and definitely my go-to Eels album. On here they cultivate a nice, classic, easy-going, kinda Beckish alt-rock sound but the best songs are so much better and more meaningful and resonant than what Beck was doing with Odelay for example. Novocaine For The Soul is probably the most iconic and invigorating track and along with Susan’s House, My Beloved Monster and Your Lucky Day In Hell are amongst my favourite songs of the decade. Mental, Rags To Rags and Flower also very strong and Spunky, Manchild and title track splendid, supple, slender ballads. As well as the cool, cool, poppy beats, guitar and production, lyrically is where the album really shines. Every wry, woe-is-me couplet Mark Oliver Everett aka E fires out is pretty much pure humorous diamonds.
наспрадві щось поки дуже депресивне і трішки схоже на суміш нірвани та радіохед щоь дуже під що можна романтизувати життя і тд
Eclectic Indie. Pretty remarkable album by one Mark Oliver Everett DBA the Eels, musically diverse, lyrically interesting. Torn between 4 or 5 rating so let’s round up… this is a good one.
A lot of albums here start out strong then peter out. This is the reverse of that. The more I listened, the more I wanted to listen. From 'Oh, great background noise' to one of my favorite albums I've discovered through this site. 'My Beloved Monster', 'Mental', 'Your Lucky Day In Hell', a trio of songs I'd recommend to anyone.
I only knew of the song novocain for the soul off of this album. Listening to this album in it's enteriety- it is great! A new favorite.
Album 564 of 1001 Eels - Beautiful Freak (1996) Rating : 5 / 5 I had never heard of this before I started listening through the list of albums. It has come to be a favorite. It probably isn't going to chart of someone's list of greatest albums but it certainly makes to my list of favorites. Novocaine for the Soul and My Beloved Monster are two of my most repeated songs and the others tracks are on par with those. Though provoking lyrics with some nice musicianship. This one really strikes a chord with me.
No me esperaba nada y salí con un tesoro entre las manos. El álbum debut de Eels es excelente. Una muy buena compilación de canciones bien pensadas, trabajadas y ejecutadas, con tintes psicodélicos que toman algunos rasgos de otros actos de los '90s, como el britpop y el triphop, que logra destacarse por sobre otros trabajos contemporáneos. Sumamente recomendable, escúchelo por favor.
How do you make such downbeat music so uplifting? Utter genius 5.0
Surprisingly good album holy smokes
I wasn't sure what to expect with this album, another artist I've never heard of but I loved it! Will definitely listen again & check out other albums.
Beautiful and freaky
As someone who only knew Susan's House from the track list, this is some pretty damn stellar alternative rock. 4.5 bumped to 5.
Remettons-nous dans le contexte, nous sommes en 1996. L'Angleterre, arrogante et fière, se paluche sur la Britpop, une resucée plus ou moins inspirée de sa propre histoire. L'Amérique, elle, digère encore la gueule de bois post-Nirvana, entretenant la flamme d'un rock alternatif qui commence sérieusement à sentir le réchauffé. Le Top 50, n'en parlons même pas, c'est un champ de ruines. Et puis, au milieu de ce paysage un peu morne, un objet musical non identifié atterrit, sans faire de bruit, mais en laissant une trace indélébile pour ceux qui ont eu la chance de le voir passer. Cet objet, c'est "Beautiful Freak", le premier album d'un groupe nommé Eels. Eels, c'était avant tout un homme : Mark Oliver Everett, ou "E". Un type au parcours déjà cabossé, un songwriter de génie qui bricolait des chansons dans son coin depuis des années. Et le voilà qui devient la toute première signature d'un label qui sort de nulle part mais qui fait jaser : Dreamworks Records, le monstre monté par Steven Spielberg, David Geffen et Jeffrey Katzenberg. L'ironie est totale, le label des futurs blockbusters hollywoodiens signe en premier un des disques les plus intimistes, bizarres et profondément anti-spectaculaires de la décennie. Car "Beautiful Freak" est une anomalie, une merveilleuse anomalie. C'est un album qui sonne comme s'il avait été enregistré dans une chambre d'ado sur un 4-pistes asthmatique, mais avec la science mélodique d'un Brian Wilson sous anxiolytiques. C'est une symphonie de bric et de broc, une fusion miraculeuse où les samples de hip-hop crades et le bidouillage sonore le plus inventif viennent se frotter à des guitares saturées à la limite du larsen et à la complainte mélancolique d'un piano Wurlitzer. À une époque où il fallait choisir son camp – le rock, le hip-hop, l'electro – Eels envoyait tout valser et créait son propre langage. Un son unique, reconnaissable entre mille, fait de boucles hypnotiques, de mélodies pop imparables et d'une production faussement naïve qui cachait une sophistication de tous les instants. Mais réduire ce disque à une simple prouesse technique serait passer à côté de l'essentiel. Car "Beautiful Freak" n'est pas qu'un son, c'est un univers. Un monde peuplé de personnages attachants, de "beaux monstres", d'inadaptés magnifiques qui tentent de survivre dans la grisaille d'un quotidien suburbain. C'est un disque sur la solitude ("Flower"), sur la difficulté de communiquer ("My Beloved Monster"), sur les névroses d'un voisinage observé à travers une fenêtre ("Susan's House"). L'ambiance est souvent sombre, dépressive, torturée. La voix de "E", fragile, éraillée, est celle d'un homme qui semble porter toute la misère du monde sur ses épaules. Et pourtant, ce n'est jamais un disque plombant. Chaque chanson, même la plus triste, est traversée par une lueur d'humanité, une tendresse infinie pour ses personnages. Il y a un humour noir, un sens de l'absurde et une autodérision qui sauvent l'ensemble du pathos. "Novocaine for the Soul", le tube improbable qui les a fait connaître, est l'exemple parfait : un rythme hip-hop lourd, un sample vocal inquiétant, et ce refrain désespéré qui devient un hymne pour tous ceux qui se sentent décalés. C'est un disque qui vous dit : "T'es bizarre, t'es paumé, t'es un peu à la masse ? Bienvenue au club. On est tous des beautiful freaks." Cet album est une pierre angulaire de mes années 90. Je l'ai usé jusqu'à la corde, je l'ai conseillé, je l'ai presque imposé à quiconque passait la porte du magasin de disques. C'est un de ces albums-refuges, un de ces disques-amis qui vous comprennent sans que vous ayez besoin de parler. Une perfection, un 5/5, sans la moindre hésitation. Ce qui m'amène à la question qui tue : POURQUOI ? Pourquoi un groupe capable d'une telle réussite, d'un tel équilibre entre innovation et émotion, reste-t-il encore aujourd'hui une référence pour une poignée de connaisseurs plutôt qu'un pilier de la culture populaire ? Et j'ai ma petite théorie, peut-être que Dreamworks, avec ses gros sabots hollywoodiens, n'a jamais su quoi faire de ce bijou fragile. Peut-être que l'album était trop subtil, trop intelligent pour une époque qui commençait à réclamer du bruit et de la fureur simpliste. Peut-être que la tristesse de "E" était trop réelle, trop palpable, pas assez "cool" ou "grunge" pour être vendue comme un produit. Eels n'a jamais été un groupe "sexy". Il a toujours été un groupe sincère. Et la sincérité, mes amis, ça ne fait pas toujours vendre des millions. Mais au fond, qu'est-ce qu'on en a à foutre ? Le succès de masse aurait peut-être dilué leur propos, les aurait forcés à se répéter. En restant ce trésor caché, Eels a conservé son intégrité, sa pureté. "Beautiful Freak" n'appartient pas à tout le monde. Il appartient à ceux qui ont pris le temps de l'écouter, de le comprendre, de se reconnaître dans ses fissures et ses fêlures. C'est une petite merveille, un classique absolu. L'un de mes disques préférés des années 90. Et si vous passez à côté, c'est que vous n'avez rien compris.
I liked this a lot. I knew Novocaine for the Soul but nothing else. I thought they were British. I've heard a few things about E and he sounds a really interesting guy
schöne Retro/Grunge/Rock/Retro 1990er Stücke
Loved this entire thing. One of my favorite new albums I've gotten on the list in a while. Rating: 4.7
Love this album.
One of my favourite albums from the 1990's 10/10
So much darker than I remember. Even better than I remember.
loved it!
Gave this a few listens - I knew Novocaine for the Soul and recognised a couple of other tracks but otherwise was coming to this album fresh. It's certainly a grower (and from a high starting point as I enjoyed it on first listen). Good stuff, classic 90s indie rock
I've absolutely adored this album since shortly after it's release. E does a fantastic job of contrasting the bleak with the beautiful, producing a record that is melancholy yet strangely optimistic in it's own way. It really is a fantastic listen.
Che dire? Una sorpresa
Had briefly glimpsed this album cover before in a "greatest psychedelic album" poll and I was very excited to listen and this really pulled through. Through some good headphones, this album is super immersive and enjoyable to listen to, right up my alley, with just enough variety in songwriting to keep it interesting
If you're only in it for powerful lead vocals, energetic songs, beautiful harmonies and big lead guitars. This isn't the album for you. But if you want some well crafted/written indie alternative music, then don't skip this record. E's vocals are considerably limited, but his lyrics and song craft are downright masterful. The bands only radio single "Novocain For The Soul" kicks off the album with some creative and uplifting yet depressing lyrics like "life is good, and I feel great, cause mother said I was a great mistake". "Susan's House" is a spoken word track over a simple drum groove that should not be skipped. And everyone who grew up in the 90's will remember "My Beloved Monster" from the OG Shrek soundtrack. Personally, 5 stars, no notes
Not the best album from the 90s to get five stars from me, but it is the most album from the 90s to get five stars from me.
Novocaine For The Soul Susan's House My Beloved Monster
"Life is hard, and so am I" LMAOOO immediate add to my liked songs. Bro IDK what it is but I love this album
Twisted Semisonic! I dig it!
I loved it.
Incredible album. PLUS a sneaky shrek song thrown in.
Great Album
Easy - This „freak“ gets freaky 5 stars.
When I started the album I didn't know what to expect. When I first heard the singer start I thought I was going to have problems with the album. I'm glad that I was wrong. This album is beautiful. The combination of the singers rough voice with the varying intensity of instruments works incredibly. My Beloved Monster was probably my top song, quick side tangent but I thought the singer sounded familiar and then I realized it was because this song was in the movie Shrek. Back to the review, definitely a worth while album to check out and one I plan to come back to. These are the kinds of albums that make this thing feel extra worthwhile since I never would have known to pursue this one if not for this.
Takes me back to high school girlfriends
There was a time when I really got into The Eels - not when they released this album but a few years later, early 2000s, so I know this album very well. To be slightly hipster again, although this has the most famous songs on it, their second album "Electo-Shock Blues" is amazing, though very sad and all about death and loss. I like their third album too. After that, I decided I'd gotten all the Eels I needed and just tend to vaguely keep an ear out for their new stuff. But I like every song on this album and, though I guess you have to be in a certain mood, I love it.
Listen to this and it's entirety while painting a wall white in the middle of a high traffic public hallway. It was a very relaxing experience.
This album I've never listened to before!
Muy indie noventero. Además, como me gusta bastante la portada, le pongo un 5.
Brilliant! Susans House - I think we used to listen to it in the distant past - a great album.
Love, still one of my favourites
So good! I’m was not expecting such a beautiful album. Loved the music, lyrics, uniqueness of it. I will listen to this album again, front to back. Can’t believe I missed this in college (aside from Novocaine for the soul)
Beautiful, great aesthetics, poetic
Muy indie noventero. Además, como me gusta bastante la portada, le pongo un 5.
brilliant. saved. will be listened to again
I actually really liked this one
Good listen. Like the 90s feel to it. Might listen to it again soon.
Really cool and unique
LOVE
Mr. E is a gift
Absolute masterpiece. Can't even pick a favourite track, because it's all just amazing.
The only mainstream album (which I agree is still debatable) by Eels, Beautiful Freak is a strange and gorgeous album. I can't really compare it to anything else; It's that unique. The big hit was Novocain for the Soul. Its syncopated rhythms and stop-start breaks are truly interesting, but the song somehow stays accessible. It was a mainstay of 90s alternative radio when it was released. The real highlight, though, is the title track, Beautiful Freak. It's a sad, sweet, tender letter to Mark E's sister who had committed suicide. This is not a song to make you happy or for dancing. Beautiful Freak, instead, forces you to contemplate the pain some people feel just by living. It is evocative and thought provoking. Some albums are listened to in the background. Not this. To do this album justice requires your full attention.
My first introduction to Eels and been a fan ever since, I have a ton of their albums but this was the fist and holds a special place. Love the edgy lyrics. Mental, Beloved Monster, Novocaine, Susan's House, Spunky, Lucky day.. so many great tracks
I really like it, great lyrics. Very depressed lol
I love this album
Loved it. #477 on my all time artists
amazing!!!!! loved it!!! exactly the style i’d go to, really good discovery 😃
One of my favorite albums of all time. I remember Emily Spetrino introduced Eels to me one night while talking to her on AIM. I immediately drove to Zia Records and bought all their albums. Funny, I am writing this as "I Write the B-Sides" plays.
Top to bottom, a great listen.
A beautiful and freaky album. One of my sister's favourite bands, so I will always have a fondness for that reason. There's a lot of good songs here though, and a handful of great ones. Susan's House is utterly unique, and the whole thing sounds like not much else. The closest comparison would be Beck (at least in my head), but E achieves more light and shade, and evokes more emotion. I was delighted to be reminded of this album, and cause to listen (properly) in full.
one of the nineties masterpieces
Surprise Shrek track! Scary cover! Joyously moody throughout
I loved this album and am surprised I've never heard of it until now. Reminded me heavily of those really alternative bands in the 90s like the Butthole Surfers. Loved the ominous poetry in the lyrics and just all around 90s composition.
Eels from the USA Genre: Alternative Rock 1996 2nd Listen: 3 Standouts: Susan's House, Novocaine for the Soul, Beautiful Freak, Spunky, Your Lucky Day in Hell Others: Rags to Rags, Not Ready Yet, My Beloved Monster, Flower, Mental, Manchild Rating: 4.5/5
Brilliant. Interesting and moving.
What an album! I'd forgotten this existed. I think I had it on cassette or iTunes, or something... Great lyrics, great riffs. So bleak and twisted.
I love the Eels. This is a great representative album of the 90s.
I find albums hard to listen to because I get bored of listening to the same artist. But this was tolerable. I listened to this album while grocery shopping. I enjoyed the eclectic mix of textures explored across the album. Definitely got Beatles influence for sure. Whacky af
I thought about it but I'm gonna give this a 5. I know this album but have not returned to it in a very long time. This is engaging, melancholy, poppy, and complex. The band lost me through it's next...I dunno, 12 releases, but I was shocked and pleased to find this on the list, then again shocked and pleased at how much of the album I remembered and held up. It's so weird this ended up being the "Shrek" band too. It can be incredibly dark.
Clossic
Beautiful. Dark. Wonderful. Now go check the book to know more about the lyrics.
I had never heard of this artist or this album before; what a treat! It’s a great album, with wonderful songwriting. Some songs reminded me of other artists I enjoyed (“Mental” in particular struck me as a sensible version of a Manic Street Preachers song). Fav songs: Novocaine for the Soul, Susan’s House, My Beloved Monster, Mental, Manchild
Don't know how the hell that happened, but i've always been a big fan of their singles, still haven't heard any lp front to back. And i can tell this one is a real gem.
So damn good.
Had never heard of this band and was really enjoying it, then recognized the song from Shrek. Very much my vibes, ended up working to more eels and then a Spotify radio based off the album.
Lyrically stunning.
Maybe I will come back to this record and think it's too dramatic. But on first listen, it is a perfect mix of miserable with some beacons of hope. The lyrics describe feelings and situations so well - it's like Impressionism, but with music. The overall sound isn't anything super innovative, but it complements the themes of the songs well and is varied enough not to be boring.
4.5, rounded up. Kinda dull in a few spots, but overall good 90s indie/alt, I like the genre so it was nice to learn about another band. The lyrics have good prose. Guest List is so good. BT - Susan's House - Not Ready Yet - Guest List - Your Lucky Day In Hell - Manchild
Enjoyed it way more than i remembered
Very good. Not quite as good or as catchy as Daisies of the Galaxy but just enough to sneak into 5* territory.
Melodically brilliant with engaging lyrics
Very 90’s. Grungy folkish if I had to categorize.
Love this one.
Kind of grew up with this, because my sister loved this album, but it still surprised me that it came out in 1996. That's a full five years before Shrek! How early in production do you think they started on the My Beloved Monster scene?
Wasn't expecting to like this so much. Not sure why it resonated with me so much, but I loved it. Great songwriting and overall sound.
Novacaine for the soul: a little weird, but that hasn't hurt anybody! I'm still enjoying it :D I like this! It's weird, it's vibey, it's dynamic, it's good. between 4 and 5 stars. My Beloved Monster would have been a good song to end the album on. Flowers- Interesting use of instruments, with angel choirs, beach guitars, and synths XD I thought there were a lot of good songs in this album, a lot of dynamic and interesting things going on. It maybe could have leaned a little bit more on the "weird" aspect of it, or maybe have made it a little heavier, but otherwise I liked it! 5/5
Absolutely the perfect mix of melancholic depression and 1998.
Having known Eels solely from Shrek and Shrek 2 I didn't know what to expect. I honestly thought it'd be a cheap Beck rip off with repeating beats and samples. That's not inspiring because I reaaaalllly don't like Beck. Beck can get fucked because this is everything he wishes he could be. Beautiful Freak is one of those rare albums that had me interested in a challenge like this. I knew the odds of find more music that I love than I don't were against me. This is one that I loved. It captures my specific suburban fears and insecurities and ironic hope that feels like it was written only for me. The music was not nearly as repetitive as I was expecting having melodies in places I'm not used to finding them, like bass, for example. The genre experimentation was cool because it never felt like a mish mash of shit. It's like a little flirt with experimentation, like the songwriter is almost afraid to let loose lest he sputter out. Where has this album been all my life? 5
Another great 90s album. I especially liked Susan's House but lots of good selections and it all followed a theme
amazing
Awww, YISS! I remember buying this album. I would have been 16 years old, and this would have been the first album I ever bought on CD. I loved it. I listened to it a couple of weeks back, actually, inspired by another album in the 1,001 - and am very pleased to see it come up in its own right. This album is great. I'm not speaking from a history of nostalgic whatever - there are some supberb lyrics here "Looking out with an ugly face, Winston Churchill in drag"
Depressed people make beautiful music. My favorite Eels album.
If you like this, I’d recommend A Man Called (E) and Broken Toy Shop by E. Broken Toy Shop is definitely the precursor to Beautiful Freak.
Amazing album, I can't believe I didn't know this band existed, especially since I recognized one of the songs from Shrek! Best tracks: Novocaine For the Soul, Susan's House, Guest List, Spunky, and Manchild.
This ticks all of my alternative boxes. Mr Es autobiography is particularly good too.
Eels är mysigt!
Was my fourth or fifth favourite Eels album... but better than I remember it being
Incredible album. I had heard novocaine in the 90s and liked it, but never bought the album. I wish I had. The whole thing comes together in thoughtful and unusual ways. Great songs and song variety.
I went into this one cold. I may have heard something from it before, but I don’t think so. Really appreciated what felt like experimentation and creativity with restraint — every song had a spine of some sort. A hook/refrain/chorus that you were excited for it to get back to. Felt like someone with a degree in musical theory, but I say that as someone with nothing close to a degree in musical theory.m Also enjoyed that the lyrics had something to say, the use of spoken word, degree to which a lot of it seemed to be a subversion of something that initially seemed positive, etc.
Love this album, I used to listen to it a lot when I first got my car. I have great memories of it, but I'm drawing a blank at some of the titles on the second half. Looking forward to giving it another listen! Listening back to this, it's about as flawless as I remember. Love "Novocaine For the Soul", the piano and hip hop influences on "Susan's House", and the weird bee-guitar solo on "My Beloved Monster". Very weird and innovative, and that's just the big singles! Of the titles I didn't recognize, I knew them all and remembered most of the lyrics even. I love the melancholy and the weird humor on these tracks. Great bassline on "Your Lucky Day in Hell" too.
очень очень хорошо!!! есть немного/много от нирваны, но в более чилловом режиме и еще реденько, местами марс вольта теперь один из любимых
TBz 1. Novocaine For The Soul 2. Your Lucky Day In Hell 3. Guest List 4. Not Ready Yet 5. Mental I can keep going with top bangerz. I immediately connected with this album. It’s beautiful, dark at times, and deep. Solid 5!
It’s the Eels so of course I love it
4.5/5 pretty fucking goooooooooood
This album to represents the 90’s perfectly.
In 1996 I heard Novocaine For The Soul and hurried that afternoon to my local record store to listen, and buy, the album. The album with its weird cover, parental advisory sticker and emotional, quirky indie-rock music became one of my most loved albums of that year. And it has not lost any of its power over the years. The clever lyrics, the many beautiful tributes to his mentally ill sister, the wide array of techniques, samples, instrumentation and inspired production makes 'Beautiful Freak' one of the most interesting, and at times haunting, debut albums I've heard in my life. The songs go between samply dreamy to guitar grungy and the tracklist makes it you're never bored by alternating between styles throughout. And to think that this the prelude to Electro-Shock Blues, which might be even a better album.
Unique, funky and grungy and emo. Loved all but a couple tracks!
One of the more interesting alternative albums. I was very impressed with the musicality. Especially with the drums. Great listen
Perfect 90s indie pop album
Great album. Wonderful production. The opener is a (25 year old) modern classic.
What a cracking album. Not a bad track on it.
I enjoyed this so much, I listened to it again immediately after my first play. Lyrically & melodically unique and adventurous. Totally enjoyed it, and have added this and two additional Eels albums (so far).
Tuttu bändi aikojen takaa. Beatiful Freak ei itselleni koskaan ollut se läheisin tai tärkein Eels-levy, jota ihmettelenkin suuresti nyt jälkikäteen. Tämä levy nimittäin on juuri sitä rauhallista Eelsiä jota olen aina arvostanut. Mark Oliver Everettin kitarointi on soundiltaan jumalaista. Levyltä ei löydy suuria huteja. Hittejä sen sijaan enemmänkin. 4,5 joka nousee ylöspäin.
Löytyy tämäkin hyllystä. Ehdottomasti 5*
It is really important to kick off an album strongly, and Beautiful Freak understands this very well. From the very first second I am totally hooked! This is exactly what I expect from a pop record: quirky, versatile, surprising, filled with twists and turns, off-kilter. I had heard the following album to this one and the first thing that came to my mind was Beck; but when was that a bad thing? Also, I am reading that Mark Oliver Everett (the brain behind Eels) is from Virginia, USA, while I was convinced that he/they were British. They somehow sound British though, think of bands like Super Furry Animals or Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. No surprise then that opening track Novocaine For The Soul was a hit in UK). Track 2 features an upright bass while Mr E walks us over Susan's House all while taking a heartbreaking polaroid of a cruel, everyday suburban reality (There's a crazy old woman smashing bottles on the side walk/where her house burnt two years ago/people says that back then she really wasn't that crazy... Here comes a girl with long brown hair who can't be more than 17/she sucks on a red popsicle while she pushes a baby girl in a pink carriage/and I'm thinking that must be her sister, right?). Yup. I too have seen things while going over to Susan's house. The title track brings together Beach Boys arrangements, accordions, a spooky piano coda, and a lament about loving people when they are "different". My Beloved Monster instead is about that (beautiful) freak we all carry inside, begins with a banjo, that is soon left aside and adds some noisy flourishes. Flower is a nice update on American folk with a processed choir that points out at how we get slapped since day one and so on forever and ever. I really don't know weather someone else has ever sung the words "this could be your lucky day in hell" over such moving, lush melodies, and then go back to some distorted parts with such nonchalant elegance, but it works brilliantly. I wish I had more than 24 hours to spend with this album and write more about it, but I guess that is part of the challenge. Without any doubt, another essential that I surely need to add to my collection. On to the next one, but, hey, Beautiful Freak, see you soon, I hope.
Este disco me costó conseguirlo. Sonaba mucho en Radio3 pero en las tiendas habituales no lo tenían. Un disco que desde el principio enamora y suena diferente. Años después leyendo el libro de Mr. E le cogí aún más cariño al este trabajo. Libro por cierto 100% recomendable: "Cosas que los nietos deberían saber" de Oliver Everett, Mark. ► Imprescindibles: "Novocaine for the Soul", "Susan's House", "Rags to Rags", "Beautiful Freak", "My Beloved Monster", "Flower", "Guest List" y para terminar "Your Lucky Day in Hell".
A+ stand out tracks: -Novocaine For The Soul -Susan's House -Beautiful Freak -Mental -Spunky (one of my favorite, lyrically) -Manchild (loved the instrumentals)
omg love
Classic Eels here, with the lovely "Novocaine For The Soul." opening. So reminiscent of REM (No Pun Intended) this is a delightful, funny, scary and intriguing album. I want it on Vinyl Now! Highlights "Susans House" which is Velvety if you know what I mean. "Rags to Rags" another glorious eant from E himself. Love it all, rightfully in this list for all the right reasons!
Love this album. Great at the time and still sounds great.
Eel man
I have liked eels since Novocaine for the Soul - I had the single on cassette. I love the off kilter ness, the humour and the depths of misery it plumbs, without ever being po faced. And they're all singable pop songs too. Their first 3 or 4 albums are all essential imho.
Eels are a band I often forget about and then I remember them and I say "how come this isn't my favorite band?" I like Hombre Lobo and End Times both more than this, but this is still such a GREAT album.
Great album. I listened to it multiple times that day.
Muy indie noventero. Además, como me gusta bastante la portada, le pongo un 5.
che je voi di'
Not listened to this in years. Still as haunting, melancholy, and beautiful as it ever was.
smart, artsy, and enjoyable back to front.
Great album like it👍
Если вы думаете, что ни разу не слышали эту группу, то вы ошибаетесь: их песни звучали в первых трех частях Шрека. Но ни в этом их главная заслуга. Уже на данном дебюте 1996-го года Eels показали как должен звучать альтернативный рок. Песни разнообразны и держат ваше внимание на протяжении всего альбома. Звучание опередило свое время и при слепом прослушивании будет сложно понять в каком году выпущен альбом. Рекомендую всем поклонникам The Smashing Pumpkins и The Flaming Lips
Unusual and beautiful. Plenty more albums to discover.
I love this album. Beautiful melodies and lyrics to match.
First time listening to an Eels album front to back. I liked it a lot! Great flow, great overall production. Thumbs up!
I love this album, the lyrics, the music, the Gladys knight sample on 'susan's house', the distorted riff on 'not ready yet', all of it
Que buen disco. Muy fino
Great, unique style. I had not heard this album fully, and it is great
Happy!
Absolutely loved it
gorgeous i really like
Reminded me of Radiohead
This was an absolutely beautiful album! First time listening, but it’s gonna be my go-to-album this whole weekend
4/5
Minulla oli ihan hyviä hetkiä tämän levyn kanssa. Kuulosti paikoin ceeämäxältä.
Love this album...
i genuinely liked this album. weird enough to be unique, commercial enough for each song to be likeable. finding out it's also a one man show added to my appreciation of the music made.
Great album. Hell of a debut too. Most of their best singles on here. Not my usual style, but really enjoyed it.
11/1001 Uma grata surpresa, abrindo com duas pedradas como Novocaine for the Soul e Susan's House Novocaine for the Soul - 80 Susan's House - 80 Rags to Rags - 75 Beautiful Freak - 75 Not Ready Yet - 80 My Beloved Monster - 80 Flower - 75 Guest List - 75 Mental - 75 Spunky - 75 Your Lucky Day in Hell - 75 Manchild - 75 Media: 76.6
My dad used to listen to this band, I get why. Great stuff
feels like I'm in a early 2000's am to a degree lol, lyrics are nothing meteoric but they hold impact and weight just not the greatest song writing I've ever heard, this is staying in rotation in the car for sure tho, great work.
Pavement/dinosaur jr. Novocaine for the soul Beautiful freak
The album art was creepy as hell. The songs are low bpm which I liked. This feels like a multiple listen album for me to honestly like songs out of it. It was a good listen. Songs I liked: Susans house Flower Spunky Review - 8/10
ahead of its time!
gefällt, und trotzdem nicht einfach zum hören.
I always felt Eels were underrated, this fine introduction and their next two albums, Electro-shock Blues and Daisies of the Galaxy are fantastic so I never got how their sales dropped off so steeply after Beautiful freak. A great balance of hooky, interesting edgy, melodic, perhaps there is a slight tendency toward slightly dour tones but overall definitely one of the 90’s under appreciated bangers in my opinion 4.2
This band passed me by but I wish they hadn't. I really like this. It's got a cool, trippy relaxed vibe about it. Like wilco meets avalanches or something.
This was a wild ride. Very shocking and crazy lyrics at times, but the music itself is good! Your Lucky Day, Mental, and a couple other tracks stood out to me as really well done. The whole album ended up being a grower - 7/10
4/5
I'm from Belgium and over here Eels is damn popular. It's even more popular over here then in their own country. And yes still to this date. Really enjoyed this album. 4/5
Novocaine For The Soul has been added to my Dental Playlist.
Loved this as a kid, definitely holds up!
I was expecting the worst based on the spooky ghost opening in the first track. But what I got instead??? Mid-to-pretty-good rock.
Pleasantly surprised by that, it was beautiful, also cool that a song from shrek in there. Standouts are susan’s house, beautiful freak, my beloved monster and your lucky day in hell.
8 - GOOD
Another album new to me...and this one I rather liked. Wikipedia says this is post-grunge. Well I don't know about that, but I will be adding it to my Qobuz favourites. Ans I love the cover.
Eclectic Indie. Pretty remarkable album by one Mark Oliver Everett DBA the Eels, musically diverse, lyrically interesting. I'm caught between a 4 and 5, and 4 it is...this time.
Love this musically and the very 1996 writing and vocal suit it perfectly. Solid opener, Rags to Rags is great, Mental is great, there's a lot of good moments throughout
Surprisingly good. Really liked the moody slow rock, great for driving across North Dakota under a heavy gray sky. I liked the dude’s raspy voice. Really liked the lyricism too.
I did enjoy this one and listened to the recommended for much longer than i thought
Great, solid indie music. Surprisingly consistent. Another great find for the effort. 4 "lucky day" stars.
I was ready to give this a 5, especially because of Novacaine. Just the right amount of 90s melancholy. But by the end of the album it felt a bit "sputtered out."
Novocaine for the Soul 4.5 Susan's House 4.3 Rags to Rags 4.2 Beautiful Freak 3.4 Not Ready Yet 4.2 My Beloved Monster 3.2 Flower 3.6 Guest List 4.2 Mental 4 Spunky 3 Your Lucky Day in Hell 4 Manchild 3.2 Score: 3.816666667
Good album. I had listened to some stuff by Eels already, but never paid much attention. Songs I enjoyed: "Novocaine For The Soul", "Susan's House", "Not Ready Yet", "Guest List", "Spunky", and "Manchild". This is in the 3,5 range, but leaning towards 4 (also because, after listening to this, I'm interested in listening to other material by Eels).
Shrek 2 kino
A nice surprise.
I quite surprisingly liked this album. They has a soothing vibe.
I bought this album and still like it. It's pretty dark, and a couple of the songs feel more like spoken word with some background music, but on a particularly bad day (which today happened to be), I really *really* appreciate Novocaine for the Soul. I ended up listening to that song 4 times today just for good measure, before I sputtered out.
**Eels – *Beautiful Freak* (1996): An In-Depth Review** *Beautiful Freak* is the major-label debut of Eels—the project led by Mark Oliver Everett (stage name “E”)—and remains one of the most distinctive albums to emerge from the mid-1990s alternative landscape. Released in 1996 on DreamWorks Records, it is technically Everett’s third album (following two solo releases as “E”), but it established the Eels moniker and the collaborative identity that would define his career. What makes the record endure is its tension: it is a pop album marinated in despair, a grunge record with a toy piano, and a deeply personal statement dressed in sonic eccentricity. --- ### **Production & Sound** The album was produced by a team of four, including Everett himself, alongside Jon Brion, Mark Goldenberg, and Michael Simpson of the Dust Brothers. This collaborative approach yielded a sound that is deliberately patchwork yet cohesive. The production layers distorted guitars, trip-hop beats, vinyl crackle, spoken-word passages, and unexpected instrumentation—such as the glockenspiel and toy piano on “Novocaine for the Soul”—over a backbone of concise, melodic songwriting.citeweb_search:1#1web_search:1#2 The result is what *Q* magazine praised as “a complete musical vision, a genre-spanning soundscape that reels you in with its myriad hooks.”citeweb_search:1#2 The Los Angeles Times connected this maverick approach to a lineage of outsider Los Angeles bands, noting that Eels chronicled “the outsider, underdog attitude in the shadows of a record industry that never embraces them commercially.”citeweb_search:1#2 --- ### **Lyrics & Themes** Lyrically, *Beautiful Freak* is obsessed with ugliness, anxiety, outsiderdom, and underachievement—but it uses these dark themes as a canvas for flickers of light and childlike tenderness.citeweb_search:1#0 Everett’s writing is starkly observational, often walking a line between empathy and detached narration. - **“Novocaine for the Soul”** opens the album with the unforgettable couplet: *“Life is hard / and so am I / You’d better give me something / so I don’t die.”* It sets the tone immediately—cynical, needy, and darkly funny. The song became an unlikely international hit, driven by its dreamy chorus and toy-piano intro. - **“Susan’s House”** is a narrative spoken-word piece set to a sampled Gladys Knight piano loop, detailing a walk through urban misery—dead bodies, arguments, drug dealers—before arriving at a place of fragile connection. It is one of the album’s most distinctive tracks, blending trip-hop rhythms with literary storytelling. - **“Not Ready Yet”** captures the paralysis of mental illness and self-doubt, its hesitant dynamics mirroring the lyrical refusal to engage with the world. - **“My Beloved Monster”**—later immortalized by its inclusion in *Shrek*—is a tender, almost nursery-rhyme-like ode to a partner who is as damaged and unique as the narrator. - **“Your Lucky Day in Hell”** opens with the surreal, darkly comic line *“Mama gripped onto the milkman’s hand / and then she finally gave birth,”* showcasing Everett’s gift for jarring, memorable imagery. The album’s childlike elements—toy pianos, simple melodies, wide-eyed cover art—serve as an idealized counterweight to the grime. As one retrospective noted, “childishness is presented as a kind of ideal state, the thing we’re all trying to achieve even as the world continues to slap us silly.”citeweb_search:1#0 --- ### **Musical Style & Influence** *Beautiful Freak* is often described as post-grunge, but that label is reductive. The album incorporates elements of hip-hop, soul, spoken word, chamber pop, and noise rock, often within the same song. The rhythm section of Jonathan “Butch” Norton (drums) and Tommy Walter (bass) provides a live, muscular foundation, while the production team layers samples and atmospheric pads on top.citeweb_search:1#1 The record’s influence is diffuse but significant. It anticipated the genre-blending, emotionally vulnerable indie rock that would flourish in the 2000s, and its mix of melancholy and quirk can be heard in artists like Beck, Car Seat Headrest, and The National. For many listeners, it serves as a gateway to Eels’ broader, equally eclectic discography; one fan noted that *Beautiful Freak* functions as a “microcosm” of the band’s next five albums, containing seeds of the electro-shock blues, daisy-pop, and souljacker experiments that followed.citeweb_search:1#3 --- ### **Critical Reception** Contemporary reviews were largely positive but occasionally polarized. *Entertainment Weekly* praised the “postgrunge pop melodies and quirky, intelligent production,” though critic Ethan Smith felt E’s urban narratives could come off as “a disingenuous, arty pose.”citeweb_search:1#2 The *Chicago Tribune* was harsher, suggesting Everett came across as “either naive and self-absorbed or patronizing and calculating,” while *The Village Voice*’s Robert Christgau dismissed it entirely with a “dud” rating.citeweb_search:1#2 Retrospectively, the album has gained stature. AllMusic’s James Chrispell noted that “tinges of despair and downright meanness surface just when you’ve been lulled into thinking this is another pop group,” while *Trouser Press* observed that “E’s material works best when he finds the rare balance between his misanthropy and his capacity for warmth.”citeweb_search:1#2 --- ### **Pros** - **Inventive Production:** The arrangements are consistently surprising—harmonica bridges, gospel choirs, vinyl crackle, and jazz bass lines appear without feeling gimmicky. - **Melodic Strength:** Despite the experimental touches, the album is built on strong, concise pop hooks. Songs like “Novocaine for the Soul,” “Your Lucky Day in Hell,” and “Guest List” are immediately memorable. - **Lyrical Distinctiveness:** Everett’s writing is darkly funny, surreal, and emotionally raw. He avoids generic angst by grounding his misery in specific, often bizarre imagery. - **Cohesive Vision:** The album flows as a unified piece. The tension between sweetness and grime, pop and noise, gives it a singular identity. - **Emotional Resonance:** Tracks like “Not Ready Yet” and “Flower” articulate depression and alienation with genuine empathy, making the album deeply relatable for listeners who feel out of step with the world. ### **Cons** - **Vocal Limitations:** Everett’s weary, semi-spoken delivery is an acquired taste. Some listeners find it overwrought or “whiny,” and it can flatten the melodic potential of certain tracks. - **Inconsistent Pacing:** The middle of the album—particularly around “Rags to Rags” and “Mental”—can feel monotonous to some ears, with similar tempos and emotional registers blurring together. - **Pretension Risk:** The spoken-word passages and urban-misery narratives occasionally tip into self-consciousness. As one critic noted, the “warts-and-all portrayals of urban life” can feel like a posture rather than lived experience. - **Sample-Heavy Texture:** The reliance on loops and atmospheric pads dates the album to its mid-’90s moment. For some, this gives it a nostalgic charm; for others, it makes sections sound like “beige dirges.” - **Polarizing Tone:** The album’s relentless focus on despair, even when leavened by humor, can be exhausting. It is not a record for listeners seeking catharsis or uplift—it is more interested in sitting with discomfort. --- ### **Verdict** *Beautiful Freak* is a masterpiece of flawed beauty. It captures a specific post-Cobain moment in American rock—when grunge’s aggression was mutating into something more introverted, sample-based, and emotionally literate—while remaining utterly singular to Mark Oliver Everett’s vision. Its greatness lies in its contradictions: it is radio-friendly yet uncommercial, childlike yet steeped in adult misery, poppy yet poisoned. Nearly three decades later, it remains an essential, if sometimes uncomfortable, listen for anyone drawn to music that finds light in the margins of darkness.
i think this album really starts to take off on track three, "rags to rags". that, "not ready yet", and "my beautiful monster". saw them once. it was a good show, had never listened to them. also never listened to them again until now, but that was before streaming was a thing.
All time terrible album cover but a really enjoyable album. There wasn’t a track on it that I didn’t enjoy but it needed a few that I really loved for me to give all five stars. Haven’t listened to Eels in forever so will have to go through their albums at some point. Top Track - Mental
Love this album cover first and foremost, it's so goofy, like who are you? Get away from me. Overall, though this was a pretty weird record, I think I'll need a fair bit of time to wrap my head around it. But first impressions were generally positive; it's definitely unique in its own twisted (freaky) little way, and also undeniably disorienting. It was sort of Weenish at times, with its consistently facetious presentation, in even some of the most serious songs. 'Susan's House' was maybe the most glaring example with this cutesy piano prop'd up against this very dark spoken word piece, making for an uneasy listening experience, but it's certainly effective. Even after finishing this, this album evades easy genre-classification - there's a bit of trip-hop in here, but also weird alternative and grunge spins, like with the catchy 'Rags to Rags', maybe my favorite song here. 'My Beautiful Monster' has a weird outro; it's just another song that feels super unsettling given its twisted depiction of love paired with these cacophonous, feedbacky guitar interjections. The album itself is filled with this sort of imagery, a lot of harsh depictions of self and growth, coming to a head with the subdued 'Guest list' and further tied in with the following 'Manic'. Kind of reminds me of "M&A" by Modest Mouse, given its very minimal sublime and personal nature - 'Spunky' here sounds very much out of that album. It's really not a very layered album (musically), has that old-school hip-hop ethos where there really is only one melody, or sample looping, and not too much in terms of standard song structures. But the stark nature of it all only added to the album's appeal for me. I dug this thing for the most part. Actually, while listening to it, I didn't notice that it was from all the way back in '96, which makes it even more impressive. It sounds like the type of lowkey, soft-spoken, experimental indie that would start popping off in the early to mid '2000s.
novocaine for the soul
Another clinker I’d never heard
Great
Beautiful album, I've never listened to it before but will be back for more
Needs more songs from shrek
Liked it, was surprised I’d never heard them before.
This is one of those albums I never really heard of outside of this list but I find very interesting. The music sounds very different than everything coming out around this time and holds up fairly well all these years later.
I had never heard of this band, or this album, and I liked it quite a bit. It's unusual, and a bit weird, and yet, it's using fairly conventional instrumentation, vocalization, and modes. I'll definitely have to give it a few more spins, and see if they've got other albums.
good listen, 3.7 id say
This was surprisingly good. A bit unexpected. A great debut album for this band. Felt a bit experimental, too. A pleasant experience, all in all.
My seventh album of the project, and the first time I've gotten one by an artist I've simply never heard of. This was very cool! I do see myself getting back into this one and turning it over in greater depth. Really cool songs. The first tune kind of turned me off, but I'm glad that I stuck with it.
a weird mix of art rock and butt rock that i didnt expect. pretty cool (?)
Don’t you think I know? If you had heard Flower before hearing Eels debut record, you might have thought that the album was a bit morose. Well it fucking is. Don’t you think I know. Beautiful Freak sums up the record - it is definitely a beautiful sounding electro-pop record but also freakishly shaded with sorrow. The guitar work and tone on Guest List is another highlight. Even if you have become a little disenchanted with the hit Novacaine For The Soul which had massive airplay, the rest of the album is filled with gems. Along with the above tracks, the back half is truly great. Mental and Your Lucky Day in Hell are easily as catchy as Novacaine. It is the guitar tones on this record as well as E’s vocal approach that make this record pretty special. E’s vocals are simple and expressive and the phrasing makes the hooks on tracks like those on Susan’s House both pleasing and emotional. There are no hints at all as to what will come next in this record and that is what makes it a record you should spend time listening to rather than playing in the background. Not a perfect record but a great one. Don’t listen though if you are already feeling a bit blue. You’ve been warned. 4/5
Didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 has that slightly scruffy, lo-fi feel, but it never comes across as unfocused. The songs are simple, a bit odd, sometimes even awkward, but that’s exactly what gives them their charm. There’s a mix of melancholy and quiet humor running through it that keeps things interesting. Not every track sticks, but the overall mood really works, and I’d definitely like to hear more in this vein.
Waking up with an ugly face Winston Churchill in drag Looking for a new maternal embrace. Banger lmao. Good listen, doesnt feel too long, perfect for rotting.
A solid surprise.
Eels delivers an intimate and moving record on otherness and the fringes, plus it's on the Shrek soundtrack
After 4 jazz records in a row this is like manna from heaven. Songs with a structure and a tune. Lyrics as well some great song writing throughout. Definitely some grunge in the guitar work at play.
This album is a beautiful collection of freakish bedtime stories. Each chapter begins with a "once upon a time" vibe. The author's slightly gruff yet kind voice, coupled with chapters of mostly dark stories, creates a sleepy feeling.
Loved this — scratched the Death Cab itch
This is the sort of album that if I'd listened to it a lot when I was a teenager, I imagine that I'd have loved. I wasn't sure at first, but the sound grew on me and it's one that I may well go back to a few times to see how much I enjoy it. With time this could easily rise to a 5, but for now a solid 4.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Very melodic with intricate instrumentation and unconventional production that makes it stand out. I think my high school self though I was writing songs like this, ha. Captivating bass, but I got a little tired of the singing voice by the end. Favorite songs: Not Ready Yet, My Beloved Monster, Guest List
Paar hele coole nummers, ook wat mindere. Leuk gemaakt
Beautiful Freak
Barenaked ladies if they were sad and did drugs
J’adore les changements d’ambiance sur les mêmes morceaux. Une harmonie construite au service de l’ambiance et des changements d’images, complètement au service du chant (paroles et toplines). J’adore l’ouverture de l’album, coup de cœur pour Lucky day in hell. 4 car je pourrais réécouter l’album.
I liked this significantly more than I thought I would. Based on album artwork I was fully expecting it to be hard rock. This is more similar to the type of rock music I like.
I thought I was going to hate this from the album art but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
Pretty good. Worthy of a second listen
What if Butthole Surfers were more marketable? A decent album, reminds me of Soul Coughing. The mid 90s were rife with a ton of these corporate backed bands as execs were desperate to find the next grunge. It's pretty fun overall, great to visit as a time machine to my youth.
I got sushi for dinner and got eel because I was so hyped about this music I've never heard before.
I’d never heard of this band before today but I really like this. The album feels like a mix of Wilco, Counting Crows and Tommy Guerrero. Some clever, groovy songs with lovely melodies. I definitely want to check out more of Eels’ stuff.
Had some reservations about this album but pleasantly surprised all the way through definitely an album you wanna listen to when you’re in a funk. I feel like it does have emo tones to it, but also some genuinely good storytelling on majority of the tracks here good job great lyrics like like flower and guest list good fine four out of five
This might not be a good thing but I’ve been enjoying more “emo” music lately. I actually connected to some of the songs on here. Solid sound and it was well put together!
Lyder rigtig lækkert faktisk, positiv overraskelse fordi coveret er rædselsfuldt
pretty chill, denk wel dat elk liedje een beetje hetzelfde gaat klinken door die zanger, als dit te vaak luistert
"Beautiful Freak" refreshed me after enduring LTJ Bukem's long album. 2.5 hours of DnB wasn't for me. I loved "Novocaine for the Soul" from the first second. The tracks that followed were really good. "My Beloved Monster" was on Shrek, so that's a bonus. 4 stars for "Beautiful Freak".
Ooooooooh, yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhh. Reminds me of high school.
Good mellow alt sound.
Only recognized My Beloved Monster, which I had forgotten about! I liked the rest of the album as well!
very lyrical/romantic, stays in the head, love his voic, chill
A fun late 90s album which embraced the sound of the time!! I could imagine listening to this with both my dad and my friends lmao Top Picks: Novocaine For The Soul My Beloved Monster Mental Your Lucky Day in Hell
Had no idea what to expect from this but the weird ass cover art doesn't reflect the music particularly well. Some thoroughly decent songwriting on offer here. I was entertained throughout the full 43 minutes.
This one deserves to be on the list. What a beautiful album.
a man named E!
Veldig bra! Synes det høres veldig ut som Sparklehorse, bare mer rocka. Tror dette kan bli en fremtidig favoritt!
в целом неплохо, местами даже прикольно, но пресновато. альбом норм
Always loved Novacain, but never went any further with the group. Love the feel of this entire album, it has a nice bass/warm tone. Songs are uniformly good. Solid 4
I want sure I knew any Eels tracks, then it started and I was immediately hit by a rush of nostalgia for mid-90s student days. I really liked this, there's something about the style and arrangements that just appealed to me.
Wat een vet album is dit toch. Hele goeie muziek, ook al is eels niet een van mijn favoriete bands.
Cool Album
Makes me want to explore more of Eels! 4/5
Like the album - bought at the time - decent listen
I bought this around the time of its release at a point when alternative bands appeared to have become the mainstream. Pretty wild to think of songs as strange as Novocaine for the Soul and zsusan's House both going top 10 in the UK. Despite really liking the album, this is still the only Eels record I own or have listened to properly I think hearing about Electro Shock Blues and the circumstances behind it, it just sounded too bleak and harrowing for even me as a gloomy teen. Sometimes we run away from things that seem too raw and although I liked subsequent stuff I heard it didn't speak to me in quite the same way. Listening back to this it holds up really well, though the dark and morbid themes stood out a bit more than when I first listened all those years ago.
Eels were always somewhat of a mystery to me, so I kind of avoided them. I liked having to listen to a full record of theres. I really loved a lot of this, especially "Not Ready Yet." Some of it doesn't work as well, but I got really into the groove of it as a whole. The noise gate and kind of compressed sound they always use take a little getting used to, but feel very cool in the context of a full album. It can feel a little clinical but E's voice and some of the instrumentation have a really unique human quality that makes the whole thing work.
pretty good
Quite the concept album. Surprised this is a debut album, seems like something a band would do to experiment in their later years, not in a bad way. Themes of drug use and tough emotions through the album, balanced well through the pacing.
This is the type of music I would have listened to in high school if I were in high school before Juice WRLD released music. I still like it though. Also Shrek.
Cool
Heard of the Eels, but didn’t connect them to the first track, which I really like. The rest was good. Not amazing, but definitely something I’d listen to a few more times.
Never heard this when it came out. What a shame! Skewed view of the world is refreshing and brilliant. I’m going to listen to more of this talented man.
I was surprised that this slipped through my radar, this was really good
Terrible album cover. -1 star Everything else was surprisingly good. I found something to like about every track on the album. Maybe I'm showing my age, because this is that classic 90s sound that's rooted firmly in the 90s but also timeless and modern at the same time. The lyrics aren't outstanding or that groundbreaking. I recognized some of the songs from the radio (Novacaine For The Soul) and the Shrek soundtrack ofc (My Beloved Monster). But they did have that - again - specific alt-rock/pop 90s quality that I love. Would've been 5 stars except for the awful album cover. I added several of these songs to my 90s playlist.
Sad but great
2000s Indie Rock. I love Eels. Interesting instrumentation, cooky vocals. Weird in a good way.
i didn’t think i’d like this but it was really good. i added four of the songs.
I might have had this album at one stage. Pretty good, had an interesting/unique sound back then. I still like it, but might not be the best Eels record. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: No: 39/149 (26%) Will I get? Maybe
Some essential indie tracks of it's time. love the shrek soundtrack. love the gladys knight and the pips sampled song. Love the closer that was used in Futurama. Good band good band.
cover art makes me intensely uncomfortable and so does the music tbh. i love it
This is as good as an album as you can get with a front man that can't quite sing