Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Like an emo Lo fi beck, but kind of shittier. I get this connected with people and had a very particular aesthetic but it hasn’t aged well and kind of seems like an amateur go at sampling. The songs themself aren’t bad though but the production places it at a certain era. Not bad not good.
to freaky for me, it's rock but too chill. Eels had that banger from shrek tho, and all these songs are like that one. For that 3 stars
Tienen cositas pero no lo volvería a escuchar.
Conocía algunas canciones de Eels, pero las de este álbum me decepcionaron un poco en comparación. No estuvo mal, quizá si me termina interesando la banda/artista termino volviendo a escuchar el disco, estuvo bueno, pero nada wow ni tan destacable.
No pude esucchalro
I was not at all familiar with Eels previously, I think I had heard the name but no songs. I really enjoyed this listen, but admittedly can't discern why this is included in a list of greatest albums -- on first listen it sounds like a lot of other 90s rock.
Nice, quirky album of alt-rock from the mid 90s. Not going to be my new favorite album, but very much of its time.
beautiful feek
I think Eels is one of the most underrated bands of the 90s. That being said, this is probably not even in my top of eels albums. A bit more catchier than others
Nice
Started strong. Very mid
It's okay. Better than its opening single would suggest. 3.5, rounded down.
Twas OK
Laid back.
Another one that I think I'll love more than I did. I really need to have lower expectations going into these. 3/5
Would give 3.5 if I could.
Not my cup of tea. Sounds to 90:s for my taste
C'est cool, on sent dès la première chanson que c'est déjà la voix signature de Eels. Après le reste ne m'emballe pas tant que ça, mais bon album. Malus pour la pochette dégueulasse. Playlist pick : Novocaine For The Soul
In the labyrinth of despair that is this album, each song a melancholic maze, with an uncanny grace. Seems to have found the 'off' button on the hope meter and left it there. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Novocaine for the Soul - My Beloved Monster - Your Lucky Day in Hell
Not bad.
Average 90s alt rock album. Some inventive sampling/cross genre sounds, but nothing that feels like it breaks the mold. I like their sound. But this came out in the middle of my musical development. I still enjoy the single. Novocaine for the Soul
6/10
Not the most glowing review but definitely better than I expected it to be
Easy listening. Nothing mind blowing.
This was interesting. I’ve heard of this band and wanted to listen. I don’t feel like I’d want to repeatedly listen though.
So I volunteered to watch my neighbor's kids last night and I put this on while they were over, and they jumped right up and said "I know that song!"
3.5/5
pretty solid, a few stand out tracks.
I knew I was in for some shit when the line "Life is white And I am black" was said by the whitest man. This is something that my 13yr self would have loved, especially the track "Mental" which I can't help but fw hard. 3/5.
I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying this one. They have a unique 90s sound and for whatever reason I didn't bounce off it this time like I had in the past.
This came out at the tail end of grunge and got bracketed in with it, leading to a surprise hit for the single Novacaine for the Soul. However, the rest of the album is considerably quirkier, both lyrically and musically, than the typical output of the usual Seattle cob nobblers. The music includes strings, odd little jazz breaks and almost spoken narration on the track “Susan’s House” where the protagonist takes a pleasant stroll though a nightmarish landscape of urban decay and degradation. Lovely. The only really off putting thing about this is the cover, which has an uncomfortable image reminiscent of a 1930s freak show or similar, which I’m guessing is deliberate given the subject matter of the title track.
I hate the album art. Truly one of the worst from this list so far. It set my expectations for some real crappy 90s guitar. It was better than i expected and tapping into my love for the Shrek soundtrack gives it extra credit. Still not really my thing but not the garbage I went in expecting.
Decente, tiene el sonido característico del alternativo noventero pero con una calidez adicional de pianos y arpegios de guitarra muy lindos, las letras en su mayoría hablan de la desilusión del mundo americano y las injusticias de la sociedad, que van muy marcadas a su época ya al dia de hoy.
Correcto
I liked this, a good listen on this mornings early morning walk
anyone else think maybe the members of this band listened to some beck? idk just throwing it out there... also why is the cover so scary 😥 the cover for tubthumping used to scare the shit out of me as a kid and i think if i ever saw this one when i was younger it wouldve scared me too
Meh, bien
Better than I expected, actually. 3.5-ish
For some reason, I already knew and accepted that Eels doesn't have a definite article. I listened to Eels in the 2000s a little bit. This album on the other hand is very 90s. 'Susan's House' would be a good mashup with 'Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand'.
Not bad.
Es ist ein Album voller melancholischer Pop-Skizzen, getragen von E’s brüchiger Stimme und einer Mischung aus Alternative‑Rock, Samples und sanftem Weirdness‑Faktor. Songs wie „Novocaine for the Soul“ und „Susan’s House“ stechen klar heraus, doch als Gesamtwerk wirkt es stellenweise etwas unausgeglichen – stark in Atmosphäre, weniger stark in Durchgängigkeit.
Interesting and unique
I often saw this album in cd/record stores but never checked it out, so it's cool that I get to listen to this now. The sound takes some unexpected turns. My favourite was Not Ready Yet.
I remember them, and liking them. Nice little album
Soft, gentle, wistful, simple, sad. Very sad music.
The Above Average White Band. 3.5 stars.
It started out beautifully, but it grows stale quite quickly. There is just one emotion with this band and all the songs are written with that emotion in mind. The songs are very well written though, just a bit monotonous. 3/5
Very 90s, never heard of it though. Reminds me of weezer.
Rating: 5/10 Definitely a weird eclectic album that sounds exactly like something I would expect to hear on an alt rock radio station in the 90's. I was all around not psyched about it but also just interesting enough sometimes to hold my attention or move to the midtempo tunes. Maybe a 6
First listen to an Eels album, Susan's House pick of the songs. Some nice musical pieces and lyrics okay but all just a bit depressing.
Apart from the cute melodies here and there, and the lyrics about outcasts, there is nothing here that is really interesting. This album is basically just a compilation of soft alternative rock from the 90's. The songs are very mellow and dramatic, usually having a guitar or piano playing some cute melodies, while the singer sings in a very raspy and quite voice. Regardless of the general songs being very static and slow, sometimes there are very distorted guitars to try to elevate a bit the energy, like in the choruses of "My Beloved Monster" and "Mental", which are also the most memorable songs. Perhaps this record might be a bit generic, but there is at least a feeling of sincerity, notably in the lyrics. As I mentioned, they mainly talk about themes related to outcast, like in "Beautiful Freak" where the singer shows love and sympathy towards a person that it clearly very different from the others. And these themes, accompanied by the overall sad tone, can make the album relatable. It is thank to this honesty that I can say that this is a good experience. Is not really remarkable, but it is decent enough.
Never heard of the band before and kinda makes sense as to why. Pretty middling punk 90s rock vibes, nothing with listening to a second time
Leaning really hard into that Pixies loud-soft dynamic that Nirvana had made popular at the time, but they aren't quite interesting enough, especially at the soft part, to carry it. Still a few good toones plus lol the Shrek song. 5/10
My kids have been watching a lot of shrek so I’ve heard beautiful monster a few times. Cool to hear the rest, a lot of the same vibes.
Cool, but found the vocals a bit boring
I do like this album but it's a bit slow at times. Reminds me of Levi jeans..?
I’ve always been interested in this album, so I’m glad I finally got a chance to listen to it. It’s deep. I like the themes, but it can be a downer if you’re not ready for it. It’s really good though.
This was an okay listen, but definitely not outstanding. I was familiar with the opening tune, which had a vastly different sound/feel from the rest of the album. You can definitely tell this is an album from the 90's.
"Beautiful Freak" offers some introspective, lo-fi textures in a generally cohesive and straightforward sound. Unfortunately, that's all that happens in the album; I didn't really connect to it, and its sound is quite uniform across all its songs.
Melodic grunge. I remembered the song My Beloved Monster from Shrek, which was an inspired choice.
I’ve always loved listening to Eels, and it’s been a while since I have properly, so I was excited to see this come up today. It’s been so long since I’ve listened to “Beautiful Freak” that I barely remember anything past “Novocaine for the Soul.” Listening back today, I realised that while I love a lot of Eels songs, they tend to be spread across albums. E is clearly a talented songwriter. He writes really catchy indie guitar melodies, and sets them to big beats. That’s the winning recipe of Eels. He does get a bit weird with some spoken word stuff, sound effects and other notions that seemed like a good idea back in the 90s. But that central concept of writing simple, catchy, understated guitar songs and adding those beats on top is what works so well. “Novocaine for the Soul” is the obvious one to call out. It’s one of my all-time favourite songs. E might not be the most nuanced poet with lyrics like “Life is hard, and so am I, you'd better give me something so I don't die”. But he does come out with some really clever concepts, like the idea of “Novocaine for the soul” to describe the use of drugs, entertainment or just general apathy as a coping mechanism for life. Everything about this song is brilliant: the guitar melody, the rhythm section and when it kicks off during the breakdown/solo, a particular favourite moment of mine in music. Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn’t keep up with the impossible standards set out by the opening track. Don’t get me wrong, everything is very enjoyable, but it starts to get a bit samey and repetitive. I think that’s why I used to listen to Eels tracks, rather than Eels albums. Dipping into any of these tracks by themselves makes them a lot more enjoyable than listening to them side-by-side when they start to blend into each other more and more. I feel a bit conflicted, because I do really like Eels’ music, including a lot of the songs on this record, but there’s not enough variation here. I guess there was a reason that I never really remembered much of the music on this album past “Novocaine for the Soul”. A harsh 3.5 stars.
capa HORRIVEL de feia, mas tem umas músicas bacaninhas (tem umas 2 ou 3 que são chatíssimas tho).
Jesus christ. This looks like it’s gonna be bad. Honestly for an album with some freaky looking child on the front, not too bad. The songs are not what I expected at all. It contains some very solid rock songs, I like the raspiness of his voice. The songs are quite basic but the songs are good.
It started off SO strong and just eeked out towards the end like a lingering fart
Bit mid
Well that's an album cover that will haunt my nightmares. But as for the music? It's pretty good. It's not anything mind-blowing, but it's good rock music. I don't know if I can pick out a favorite, but as a whole it's a fine album.
Interesting what got onto the charts in the mid-90s. A couple of killer singles here (Novocaine For the Soul, Susan’s House), and the rest meanders on without ever coming close to scaling those heights again. Your Lucky Day In Hell marks a slight point of difference from the rest, which often has Mark Everett mumbling in a low voice over some unremarkable indie noises.
Bandet bag soundtracks på Shrek (!!!), American Beauty og Yes man, har jeg læst mig til. Har en dejlig genkendelig, nostalgisk 00'er film-lyd, jeg kunne godt lide det faktisk. Ville give 3.5 ish
259/1001 Eels - Beautiful Freak Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I've heard the singles from this album, but I've always liked them and nothing more. I'm not sure this album has proved to me to invest more time with them.
3.5
Lød ret cool, fed produktionsstil
Not terrible
Eels: noted contributor to multiple Shrek soundtracks.
Allison was way into Eels back in the college days. So they earn some nostalgia points. This is good but not great for me, though.
Never heard this album before, but I liked Souljacker. Beautiful Freak sounded very familiar overall, probably because it fits in so well with the 90s alternative zeitgeist 3.5
After the first track I thought I'd uncovered a hidden gem. Turned out to be just okay.
One of those mid-90s albums that had a really silly single, yet the rest of the album is better. Pretty interesting musically, but man I can't get past the lyrics that were obviously written by a dude in his 20s.
I thought I'd be ogre this one, but it really surprised me with its layers. Not like a cake mind you. This one had me feeling some shreksual feelings, so I've gotta give it 3/5 onions.
Boring sad alt rock
Good but needs something
Shrek
This album felt like it was ahead of its time. Could have fooled me for a 2000s album, I was not familar with the group until this listen and enjoyed mostly, but there were some questionable parts throughout.
Definitely 90s alt-rock. For better or worse.
Finde es relativ mid, mental het mir aber sehr gfalle. Eifach nöd so wük mini musig
Solids rockalbum. Paar geili songs aber au chli filler
Surpreendeu positivamente pelos climas, pitadas pontuais de guitarras e pelo vocal. Um disco com uma sonoridade cristalina e que revela sensibilidade.
This was a nice listen. I had always heard that this was an underrated semi-classic; it didn't blow me away or anything, but I think I would have been really into it if I had discovered it around the time it came out.
Nothing wrong here, but nothing all that special. Had I been in college in the mid-90s when it came out, I imagine I would have some fond memories of it. There are worse ways to spend 45 minutes. But ANY Warren Zevon album would be a more enjoyable way to spend that time.
Nothing outstanding but ok.
Beautiful Freak is an album that i am a bit mixed on. There are things i like about it and things i don't like about it on nearly every aspect of this album. The vocals are probably the only exception due to them being able to remain consistently good throughout the whole thing. The lyrics can be smart in some places but kinda creepy in others. The music is probably the part I'm most divided on. I would definitely be lying if i said there weren't any songs i did enjoy a fair bit as there were quite a few. There are a few parts where the songs get identity crises though, especially the first two songs. This album is far from perfect but there was still enough on offer for me to like it. Best Song: Novocaine For The Soul Worst Song: Susan's House
kind of boring but I like my corny and edgy music from the mid 90s so
Cool album. Again, one of those albums that the coolest person you know listens to, but not for me. It's almost post-grunge and experimental, so not a bad listen overall. If the instrumentation or the lyrics (not necessarily both) were more interesting, I would have liked it more. "Mental" and "Your Lucky Day in Hell" were the favorites this time.
Its fun if a little clunky with some interesting parts that bring down the overall enjoyment it might feel a bit of a copycat of similar music of the time period.
Middle of the road album. Songs towards the end were interesting
Sound sample for Atmospheres song about his Dad, "Yesterday"
Quite a fun and enjoyable listen!
just ok
the cover of this got me hyped, album was pretty good! some better than others but unsure if i’ll listen again
The biggest compliment I can give this album is a firm 3/5 stars. Despite how painfully 90’s it is sometimes (“Susan’s House”, I’m looking at you), there’s still some substance here. “Beautiful Freak” has its cheesy 90’s charm too. This HAS to be the worst album cover though. Worse than that Bowie one from the 2000’s everyone dunks on
great sound, alright lyrics, awful album cover. i liked it but it wasn't anything special
Unremarkable
Much better than I anticipated after seeing that creepy cover
Unusual 90’s rock
More of a 2.5 but a couple of standout tracks saved it from a lower rating
it's weird, listenable, not stellar
This mainly has mellow tracks and very few upbeat ones. It's enjoyable for the most part. Favourite Track(s): Spunky Least Favourite Track(s): Rags To Rags
Shrek
Parts of this album were interesting and "pretty", if that's the right word. For example, I thought Not Ready Yet was a strong song, and liked how it had quiet, soft parts mixed with harder, louder moments. Also there were some nostalgia fuzzies from My Beloved Monster thanks to the number of times I watched Shrek in my childhood. Unfortunately, I found a lot of the remainder bland and unimpressive. I feel like this album may have been a better listen when it came out rather than now, 30 years later. It has a bit of Butthole Surfers meets Beck sound to it, and that fits in with the release time. Now, though, I get stuck thinking of it compared to light indie more like Bright Eyes or Death Cab. I don't really like either of those bands, which probably explains why I am not overly into this one. By the time it was over, I was over it. I don't think it was bad, but it didn't do much that really stuck with me. There were a few highlights and then a lot of boring parts. It's probably fine more than anything. Overall: 2.7/5
This is like you messed up the Recipe making Built to Spill. Still okay, but not quite right. It could do with rocking a little harder. Totally unrelated, but the girl on the cover reminds me of the 1970s short British horror film Lost Hearts which I watched the other day. Go check that out.
Liked it, but I was feeling down at the time of listening and it deff didn't help.
Didn’t remember the album specifically but definetly some of the singles were recognizable. Good chill vibe for most of the album, with a couple odd spots here and there.
I don't recognize the band by its name, but the songs and sound feel very familiar. I'd call this peak grunge and a worthy inclusion.
My preferred tracks on this album are the first three tracks .
A decent enough standard alt-rock album overall. Given the bands name and that album cover I was expecting something a lot weirder, so was a bit disappointed, but was still worth a listen. 3/5
This album was a big surprise for me. Not that it is great but it is much more interesting than the lead single and the album cover would lead you to believe, i.e. it is not a Marcy's Playgroud rip off by edge lords. Instead I found this to be a sad and forlorn low fi (mostly) record with some real standout songs.
Worth playing twice. A third? Not sure yet ...
I'm glad we got an Eels album in this collection, but given that this, their debut album, is the only one (and definitely not their best output or even the best reviewed or popular album), I guess their style didn't jibe with the project's editors. Too bad, as I own a different Eels album, "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations", which would have been a nicer sampling of what they have to offer. Regardless, I enjoyed the album as a whole, especially their hit single "Novacaine for the soul" (and a fun floaty video), "Rags to rags", "My beloved monster", "Flower" and the aptly-titled "Lucky day in hell", although there's a degree of monotony (or perhaps just a lack of differentiation) in many of the songs that makes it hard to focus on them as much as I'd like to. (I suspect this may be part of their calling card, though, as "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations" suffers the same way.)
Eh. It has its moments. Eeriest album cobver art its it +1 star
Thought it was the same singer as either Cake, Pavement or Wilco. Is it a requirement to have this kind of voice to do hipstery alternative rock in a band named after a single word? I liked it but I couldn't stop thinking about this and comparing them
I obviously remember the hype that surrounded Eels when _Novocaine for the Soul_ came out and I remember the 2nd single _Susan’s House_ too but neither really caught my imagination. 30 years on and the needle hasn’t really moved. They’re decent 90s alt-indie-rock whilst the rest of the album is a notch less than that. Fine but not really doing much for me.
Liked it more than expected
Pretty cool. Vibe kinda drags by the end of the album
3.5. not 4 because of beautiful freak lol
Epitome of 90's rock - solid, unremarkable
I feel like this was just ok. Some cool catchy tunes, and some stuff that felt really overwrought.
Solid work here. Many great tracks. 3.5 stars
I've also felt this album came off like a more pretentious, less authentic Wilco... but I like most of it anyway
No. 336/1001 Novocaine For The Soul 3/5 Susan's House 3/5 Rags To Rags 4/5 Beautiful Freak 3/5 Not Ready Yet 3/5 My Beloved Monster 3/5 Flower 3/5 Guest List 4/5 Mental 3/5 Spunky 3/5 Your Lucky Day In Hell 3/5 Manchild 3/5 Average: 3,17 Alright Indie record. Nothing that really excited me though.
Need to relisten
Better than expected!
Warm, slightly off-kilter grooves built from fuzzy guitars, muted bass lines, simple drum patterns, and softly sandpapered vocals that hover between weary and wry move this alt-rock album like rummaging through a box of odd childhood trinkets—each song a small, crooked keepsake, a little sad, a little sweet, and strangely comforting even when its charm feels frayed at the edges.
Not too bad
It was ok, there were a few good songs in there but the rest was a bit on the boring side.
Half the songs are great, half are just a bit meh.
Didn't like it. It wasn't unpleasant to the ear, but it was incredibly boring. If Wilco was a lot worse they would be Eels. 2.5/5
I like some Eels ok. not enough to put an album. very 2.5 star.
Album cover is so funny. Hard to get more 1996 than that. I like Eels just fine, there were a couple albums I got into over the years. Not sure I had ever heard this one in full. I enjoyed listening to it but am having a hard time finding much to say about it. I guess that’s a 3 star if there ever was one.
Quite liked this. Flower favourite track because of the backing vocal harmonies. I’d listen again
👀👀👀
I was previously only familiar with Novocaine for the Soul from this album. After listening to the entire album, I would say that is the best song on the album, but the album is fine outside of that. None of the tracks as a whole stood out too much, but there were lots of catchy hooks and melodies that kept things interesting. I would listen again.
would've loved most of these songs when I hated myself
need to listen again. nothing really stood out but i wasn't paying too much attention
No
aha merci alles glöscht. es isch sehr dark sehr ruhig sehr cute au. aber finds eig nume semi spannend. het meega öpis aber najaaa.
Had seen this memorable album cover before, but I never listened to the album itself. Pretty fun alternative rock. Reminds me a bit of Screaming Trees. Don't really remember much of this though. Will probably listen to it again sometime.
It’s got the Shrek song and is an otherwise interesting album, lyrically and musically, and isn’t as terrible as its album cover suggested. But did I need to listen to it before I died? Nah.
Okay. Svarbios temos, tiesiog nebuvo labai įdomu.
This was an interesting listen. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, but it was well worth my time to listen. It was unique enough to pique my interest and I respect it being on this list. But I’ll never come back to this album.
There are a few too many of these albums on the list. Records from the 90s that were pretty good in the 90s but where there is little reason for them to leave the 90s. That said, I quite enjoyed the album and there were 2 or 3 really decent tracks.
kind of creepy but I liked some of them
3.75
Love the quirky- ness. I like his voice mostly but sometimes it's like he's underwater or something.
That'll do, Eels, that'll do. 3/5
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Sounds better than the cover looks. Still had a few stinkers, but decent otherwise.
The music isn't bad, but these guys had to be a drag to have around, right?
paar ganz gute lieder dabei, paar mit denen ich nichts anfangen kann
If memory serves me correctly, Eels played the loudest show in Beachland history
"Life is hard, and so am I." Words to live by.
Bit of a mixed bag of an album for me. Hard to say anything bad about it but nothing that I really liked. Wouldn’t call it a boring album either. I guess it’s just got me a bit perplexed?
Moody and odd. Very 90s. Hit me on the perfect day.
7.5/10 3/5
In 1996 I bought 'Novacaine For The Soul' on CD single; remember them? I didn't buy the album, but perhaps I could sense that it might have been a disappointment, and so it came to pass some 30 years on, that after track 1, it's all a bit mediocre. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (5/10)
Really casual feeling but also really carefully put together.
Records from the 90s have noticeably better production than those from the 80s. This is a good example. The songs themselves are rather monotonous and solipistic. The first and last tracks were the standouts for me.
This is one of those cases where I thought I loved a band but had mostly only heard their singles, and the rest of the album just doesn't excite me that much. It's not bad, I just clearly prefer their sound in small doses.
3.1 2x in Heathrow awaiting boarding to Berlin
Meh, can’t say I liked this or the album cover
Very reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem sonically, which is a plus for me. Apparently the lyrics are deep and dreary, so I might need to revisit this with a closer listen sometime.
Loved novocaine back in the day. Rest of the album is pretty good too.
I don't know what to say about this album. I liked it out of the gate and it just rocks for me. 3/5
I do like a lot of more experimental, story telling albums this one specifically isn't my taste HOWEVER I do like a bunch of the beats and bass lines, though simplistic in nature i do appreciate the simplicity. That being said the album Isn't one of my favorites. Not Ready Yet truly stuck out to me and resonated with who i am and identify as. Favorite track: Not Ready Yet (single handedly saved the album for me ngl) HM: My Beloved Monster & Manchild
Big Eye Alien Girl isn't real, it can't hurt you
I liked this more than I expected to, but I didn’t love it. I liked “Not Ready Yet”.
Started out kind of liking it, but just medium for me. Not bad, but too into it.
Weird cover. Album wasn't bad. Didn't really retain anything, but it sounded good. 3/5 Probably won't listen again
7.5
Fun. Not much else to say after a first listen.
Awful cover, less awful music. Some good songs on here, but I didn’t really like the singer’s voice all that much.
I like it a lot! Beste sang: Guest list
I didn't dislike this in a way where I couldn't wait for the album to end but only a few track really pulled me in.
I'd like the first half of the album pretty chill and soft listen. But the second half is a little bit boring.
I liked some of this, some of it was annoying. I disliked a lot of the writing. To be fair, there are several songs that could grow on me, but, initially, no.
I liked listening to this I’m just not sure I would come back to it. Favorite songs were Rags To Rags, Not Ready Yet, and Mental.
6/10
Really liked the lyrics! It's ironic and sad at the same time and it's beautiful. Could really attach to an album hero. I think record more about lyrics, but music is awesome too and goes hand in hand with lyrics. Cool moves like choir in flower, or wicked guitar effects in beautiful monster and mental. I also love subtle drums and overall dynamic of album. Album is very inspirational and gave me strength points to carry on, maybe tomorrow will be my lucky day in hell :)
Not my thing necessarily but good musically
I hate this album cover. As for the music, I liked it, but didn't love it. I was actually more intrigued by the autoplay songs after the album ended. I think they got better as they figured themselves out.
Perfectly fine and relatively interesting, if anodyne and highly controlled/restrained (and thus never achieving liftoff). Editors/critics are straining in the extreme to make Beatles and Bryan Wilson comps. Production so pristine and precise as to seem clinical, even pharmaceutical. Talky vocals do get a bit tiresome. One always expected to like this band in real time more than one actually ever did – not sure who's mainly responsible for that. One's not any more moved by this now as one was then, which is to say not especially much.
Very distinctive sound. So much so I instantly recognised the only time I’ve heard it before; that bit in Shrek 2 where Shrek can’t sleep. Made for a relaxing night time drive anyway
Could’ve been a four, but not quite. Simpsons: No
life is hard and so am i what IS that album cover final rating: 6.7/10 final notes: a bit simple in my likings, as someone who has a very cooked brain. the lyrics are a bit odd, but it's quite interesting too favorites: novocaine for the soul, mental, guest list least favorite, spunky, manchild
This album is alright but just feels a bit lacking and unexciting and just doesn’t really stand out as a great addition to the 90’s musical offerings.
6/10
“…while these 12 songs are marinated in misery and grunginess, that’s not the point of them so much as it is the darkness that enables you to see the album’s light. It’s a dim, flickering light, but it’s there just the same and it comes in the form of the record’s most childlike elements.” https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2018/07/19/from-the-crate-eels-beautiful-freak/
Første album i listen. Blir nok mer gjennomtenkte vurderinger over tid, men greit å få ned det første. Dopa vokal og generelt nedpå og trist. Usikker på favoritt-sanger så langt. Sansynligvis My Beloved Monster pga Shrek. Pga det høres egentlig hele albumet ganske sent 90 til tidlig 00. Midt i 2. gjennomhøring blir dette mest bare trist og tungt. Ganske monotont. Nesten så jeg tror noe er galt med headsettet...
Pues sin mas, no esta mal pero me suena bastante generico y repetitivo. Tiene un toque nostalgico que mola pero a la vez le falta algo. Al final ha terminado mejor de lo que esperaba.
Que buen disco. Muy agradable, son mucho mas que el hit que les pegó aquí.
It was a good album but I felt like I have heard better albums on this list. It did feel great as the last few albums I didn't like much and I am a rock genre enjoyer so I didn't feel at all surprised that I would like it. I never heard of the band Eels before but their tracks have many views which makes me want to visit their other albums and see if they are better than this one.
Extremely proud of myself that I did not recognize that a song from this is on Shrek. Shrek sucks we have to stop pretending it’s a nostalgic classic. All Star is a phenomenal song though. Eels is fine I wonder if these guys know they don’t have to arpeggiate every chord.
Decent album. Randomly hearing the one song from Shrek felt like getting punched in the back of the head
Wasnt bad, interesting reminder of the 90's
Interesting album that I remember from my youth. A few hit songs but mostly chill oddball music. This is the music that the alt kids at my school listened to. I like the album and it brings back memories. Might not listen to it all the time but every once in a while would be nice.
I remember this one well from when it was new. There’s a couple good tracks, but the singers voice wears on me for a whole album.
The singles, “Novocaine for the Soul” and “My Beloved Monster” are both great, but as a whole the album just doesn’t work for me. Good but not great 5/10
Thoroughly fine.
it's aight
A solid alt-rock outing from the 90s, with some nice use of guitar fuzz, generally moody and downcast lyrics, and a couple of well-placed trip hop elements, but ultimately nothing really all that special.
it's a testament to how samey this all sounds that, as I went into this album knowing exactly what Shrek song was on here, three songs made me go "this is the one!" before My Beloved Monster actually showed up. In the context of the 1001 it's actually a decent record, but I don't see myself throwing it on again anytime soon. Standouts: My Beloved Monster • Mental
I liked this album a lot on second listen because I felt like i was appreciating things I had not heard before. I would have liked a little more variety, as songs like Mental and Rags to Rags split it up nicely and there were a few spots where it dragged. However, this is an easy 3.5 I could see becoming a 4.
This is a good - not great - album. I'm not sure why it's on the list. It's good, but kinda blah. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Novocaine For The Soul Susan's House My Beloved Monster Your Lucky Day In Hell
What a solid band
Non male come album, anche se verso la fine diventa fin troppo lento.
This album makes me want to find a woman named Susan, go to her house, and hide in the bushes. Bonus points for mentioning 7/11. I like how each song is distinct and it doesn’t just blend into one like the last album on here. Flower had a dope instrumental track. I also enjoy how this lowkey has some love songs going on. I think this album did a great job at creating fun sounding instrumental tracks with unique/whacky lyrics. However, did not feel like saving any to Spotify. Will be playing Beautiful Freak and Be My Monster at my wedding.
Love Eels and love the lead singer’s voice. Was enjoyable to listen to and def had a few bangers. Thought it was different, weird and fun. Also the nostalgia hits. Probably wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to the entire album from start to finish again hence the 3 stars.
I never listed to it deliberately before this list but somehow heard most of the songs from the album. It was fine but I found it a bit dull. I liked the "Mental" the most compelling on this album - both music- and lyrics-wise.
I can't decide if I like this or hate it. Feels very dystopian. 3 stars or C+.
"life is hard so am I" wtf how old are you? are you really opening your album like that 😭 also nah this album sounds like eels just wanted to produce a first album (surprise it's actually their first) the second half is much better though!!
I remember Novocaine for the Soul getting a lot of airplay on MTV when I was in high school. I thought it was okay then, and I don't think I have different feelings about it today. In general, this was better than I expected based on my previous knowledge of the one track. I also quite enjoyed Not Ready Yet. There are songs ranging from "okay" to "wow, this is quite good." There are a few reviewers making comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Elvis Costello, which I find curious. I can't stand either of those guys, but I liked this album. When enjoyable, I'm having a hard time understanding why this is on an essentials list. ⭐⭐⭐.75
Is this a Beck side project?
This is the first time I listen to Eels. I enjoyed the Album. The sound is a bit repetitive so it was hard to not lose interest. I did look up other albums and found some good songs.
Surprisingly good! I hadn’t heard of Eels before and then I recognized a few songs like ‘my beloved monster’ (thank you Shrek!). I enjoyed the listen and can see myself putting this on again.
++: Novocaine for the Soul, Susan's House, My Beloved Monster, Flower, Your Lucky Day in Hell +: Beautiful Freak, Not Ready Yet, Mental, Manchild +-: Guest List, Spunky -: Rags to Rags 6,7/10
Not my preferred listening material - second half of album was more interesting to listen to than first half though. First half went a bit 'background listening' but "Flower" was my favourite track.
Thought I was in for Korn with that cover. Instead some fun style-spanning indie rock. Not an essential album but a fun one nonetheless
A good album, but sometimes a little sad for my tastes.
My Beloved Monster is my favourite song because I heard it from Shrek. When I heard it I was like.. "Oh yeah, it's that song!"
It's a nice album, but nothing special. In the day I always thought the Eels were a bit overrated. My original score was 2 stars, but I really like the album title!
Ganz gut, manches aber schon etwas zu oft gehört.
Some good songs. Always thought of the Eels as wildly experimental yet there’s some very good mainstream songs here. Susan’s House had me from the get go.
Thats ok
Better than expected! The songs are actually pretty good but the singing leaves a lot to be desired.
I get what they are doing, although some of it sounds amateurish/juvenile. 3.5
It's not bad. Definitely has its moments, musically and lyrically. Always like the line, "Jesus and his lawyer are coming back." 3.5* and it seems like a very mood dependent album for me. Not likely to come back to it, though.
Only song I know is Novocaine for the Soul
I enjoyed it. Not great, but good.
Pretty good sound. There’s something there.
Not bad! 3.5/5
I'm here for Shrek and Novocaine, but the rest of the album is not bad.
Not awful by any means and might actually get better when familiarity sets in but on first listen not really moving me emotionally.
I was lamenting that I should have given this band more of a chance back in 1996. I was thinking they were pretty good and I might have liked to see them live. I just didn't like Novocaine that much. Just I was thinking all this, the album started to get a bit boring to me. All in all I still see the appeal. Appeal. Enough to say you must listen? Nope
Was not familiar with this album. Didn’t hate it.
I remember seeing tgis in the 90s and just never got around to it. What a great find after all this time.
Das Album Beautiful Freak wurde von der US-amerikanischen Band Eels eingespielt, deren kreativer Kopf Mark Oliver Everett ist. Die Aufnahmen fanden unter anderem in den Studios Sunset Sound Factory und The Bomb Factory in Los Angeles statt. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album im Spannungsfeld zwischen Alternative Rock, Indie und Pop, mit Einflüssen aus Lo-Fi und elektronischer Produktion. Die Arrangements sind reduziert, mit einem Fokus auf Gesang, Gitarre, sparsamer Elektronik und gelegentlichen Streicherelementen. Songs wie „Novocaine for the Soul“, „Susan’s House“ oder „My Beloved Monster“ gelten als prägende Titel des Albums. Sie zeigen eine Mischung aus melancholischem Songwriting, introspektiven Texten und einer leicht distanzierten Klangästhetik. Die Veröffentlichung markiert einen frühen Meilenstein im Werk der Band, der durch seine eigenständige Handschrift auffällt. Die Produktion wirkt durchdacht, bleibt aber zurückhaltend. Die Themen kreisen um persönliche Isolation, zwischenmenschliche Unsicherheiten und das Leben am Rand gesellschaftlicher Normen. Das Album erscheint insgesamt geschlossen, ohne sich in stilistischem Selbstzweck zu verlieren. Es legt den Grundstein für die weitere Entwicklung der Band und bleibt durch seine nüchterne Direktheit bemerkenswert.
Wasn’t familiar with Eels, so was glad for the introduction. Not bad at all. A little vanilla in spots, but a good listen. I’d revisit it. Made me think of Blink 182 for some reason.
This is another one of those “Time Capsule” albums, this time from the mid-1990s. It felt like an Indie-version of the Wallflowers. I can see where bands like BJM or Dandy Warhol’s could have emerged from this. There were a few really solid tracks on here, including Guest List and Mental, as these two songs had a clear identity, where so much of the album feels kind of lost in itself (…like all of us in the 1990s). Overall, listenable and maybe even repeated, but not an immediate “go to”.
Random thoughts: - I know Novocaine For the Soul before listening to this one. Great track! - kind of a Beck/90s vibe. - pretty good and I probably should have been into the Eels in the 90s. I missed out.
This album comes across as they are trying to be bigger and and deeper than they really are.
Eels, and E in the royal sense, are a hard act to label, evey album has one absolute banger (sometimes more) that just rocks you to your core and then the rest is fucking eclectic as all hell. "Novocaine For The Soul" remains a mid-90s anthem though.
Pretty good, might have to check it out again sometime
It’s a solid album, but nothing special. Novocaine for the Soul is the highlight
My depressed teenage self would’ve loved this album
I don't know that I've ever sought out Eels, but whenever their music works it way into my feed I really enjoy it. As it turns out, I think I'm maybe a singles guy for them? This album is good, not great, and I had really kind of anticipated the latter. It does have the great mellow/weird vibe that I wanted, but in the cases where they clearly want it to be darker and grittier it doesn't accomplish what it sets out to.
Novocaine For The Soul - I do not like the melancholic music-box in the intro. Still, this does have the energy of a radio single that would do well in the 90s, and at no other time. Haha oh I get it he says "before I sputter out" and then the song goes quiet for a few beats! Don't get me wrong, it's a good song, but it sounds like jangle pop meets Radiohead Susan's House - This is my favorite off of this album, though the cliche of EQ'd spoken vocals is not lost on me. The pacing is perfect for this song's purpose. The crowd "hooray" and "wow" samples are an interesting and funny choice. Storytelling? Sure. Rags To Rags - I'm sure I'm missing something deeper with the juxtaposition of a crowd cheering and the description of a decrepit living situation. Beautiful Freak - kinda dragged on, the sonic textures were interesting. rather melancholic Not Ready Yet - I like the guitar work and the mixing, soft-loud dynamic. Can relate to lyrics now and again. Noise outro My Beloved Monster - basic, almost infuriating 90s guitar riff. Lyrics have a nostalgic quality but taps into raw emotion. noisy, halfway minimalist solo outro Flower - ghostly backup vocals, can't tell if it's synth or not; main lyrics in the form of a desperate prayer. judging by album's context i can see why these lyrics are so downtrodden. still, almost seems teenage angsty? Guest List - wonderful instrumental section, jazzy rhythm and subdued guitar riff to match. lyrics seem to be a dollar store version of Creep by Radiohead Mental - I like the bassline driving it in the beginning, soft-loud dynamic returns. Nirvana-esque lyrically and chorus-ly, that is to say, angsty Spunky - starts off on the WRONG FOOT with the piano. Cheapens the story the song tells. I do not like this song as of 40 seconds in Your Lucky Day In Hell - What the heck... James Bond chord progression with the synth lol. Winston Churchill in drag. One of the stronger cuts from this album Manchild - Phone call intro with woodwind section. The Wall-esque guitar arpeggio ONLY in the right channel (cue eye twitch). Lyrically, title suits it. "And then the album will end with me going back and forth between these two chords on the synth and guitar! Yeah yeah and then I'll add in phone chatter. It'll be awesome." The album was listenable.
Thoughts before listening: Interesting choice here. My thoughts on Eels is that I really liked their alt-rock radio hit and I always thought of them as being "smart" rock. Meaning it was somehow above the fray of the typical pop-punk or wannabe grunge bands that filled up radio and MTV playlists in the 90s. I don't believe I've listened to the whole album so I guess I'll see if I was right. Review: "Novocaine For the Soul" is a banger, which I'm immediately reminded of since it's the first track on this album. The rest of this is in a similar vein of quirky 90s alternative rock mixed with some electronic/hip hop beats. This definitely feels like something that was heavily Beck inspired albeit with more of a rock sound. This has been an enjoyable enough listen full of interesting songs that I'll give 3-stars.
Title track was good. Heavy nirvana influence, maybe some RHCP and event slint. It’s one of the more unique rock albums we’ve heard but I don’t really want to hear it again. High 3.
Ok 90s indie rock. First track was the strongest I think.
This album cover scares me. The music was ok
Pretty standard indie rock
More mid 90s alternative rock. This was cool. I have seen this album cover before, I enjoyed the record but just kind of forgettable. More great production though - I really do love the 90s music. Another 3.5 but think I’m rounding down here. No flaunting these guys but hilonestly I don’t even know if they came out with another record. Not interesting enough to see history or if still around.
no se estaba re loco
reminded me of alex g
Seems to be rated as one of their best, but sounds average to me. Not as good as Souljacker.
Simple chordal arrangements, straightforward vocals and pop-friendly choruses. If you'd like a yardstick against which post-grunge singer-songwriter guitar rock can be measured, this is probably as good as anything else. Go janglier and you'll get The Shins. Brighten it up a bit and you get Ted Leo. Add a transparently crushing depression and you've got Elliott Smith. Mix in a little bit of country and you're listening to Wilco. I'm not saying it's the very best, just that it offers a sort of centre-of-mass or average around which everything else sort of rotates. There's always something a little bit arch or wry about Eels -- probably an affectation of E, their sole songwriter. It works, mostly, most of the time, but it wears thin, naturally. The album closer, Manchild, breaks that spell and is worth sticking around for. Anyhow, it was solid and perfectly fine. In fact, you probably should actually listen to this one. It's competent and of-its-time in a good way. It sounds a little wistful but still sunny, like a bummed out Californian writing songs outside on a nice day. Eels are solid like that: kind of dark but also kind of hooky and light. You could pick up an instrument and learn most of these songs in an hour -- but they wouldn't have quite the polish of the original, as there's real craft in each of these works.
Took one look at the album cover and was sure I’d hate this. But then it started playing and I realized I know this album from college, though I don’t think I’ve listened to it again since the late ‘90s. It’s actually quite good.
Tunes were interesting and chill. Never heard of these guys before, but it was a pleasant listen. Makes me feel nostalgic about teenage summers for some reason. Swimming late at night with girls. Listening to music. Driving with the windows open.
Beautyful Freak 💯
Decent album with a few solid tracks. I like the Eels, but I don’t think this album is really a favorite of mine.
Interesting album by an unfamiliar band. I’ll remember their name going forward.
Very melancholy, didn’t give it as close of a listen as I should’ve. It’s really nice but wouldn’t race to listen afain
Upon discovering that DreanWorks is more than just a movie studio, this wasn't too bad. It's just typical generic '90s Alternative Rock.Oh, it also has a song in the original "Shrek" movie too. Favorite Track: "Susan's House".
I like the idea of the Eels more than I like the Eels.
Loved the cover.
Honestly this was just a big snooze; all sounding the same and way too slow. I guess the Shrek song saved it but honestly.... meh. 5/10.
Shrek Favorite track: Beautiful Freak
This is about as 3 as it gets. The songs would be better if they weren’t so depressing.
I can't tell if I like this or hate this. It started out strong with the first track but I kinda of fell off.
Not a terrible album but not one that really pulled me in all that much. Just okay.
Not for me. It has somewhat collegerock vibes but a lot more sophisticated - however doesn’t really work for me
Started off hating it, but didn't mind it in the end.
A perfectly fine album. Not great but not terrible either. My favorites were "Mental" and "Your Lucky Day In Hell." This one sounds a lot like Beck meets Radiohead, but just ended up as an average album.
about on par with the follow up, though less essential since it doesn't have Last Stop: This Town. writing is good, vocals not so much, never actively offputting deserves to be one of the 1001? probably not. Electro-Shock Blues probably should though
exactly the vibes I expected from the name and the album cover , some nice stuff in there but his voice gets boring after like 5 songs max
Based on the first half, this would be a 9 or even 10. After that, interesting but not to the same standard. 7 over all, which converts to 3 stars.
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-98bb639bd7fd2f1ed173fd80a79b1d2d-lq animu girl with gigantic eyes. 3/5 manchild was my highlight
classic nostalgia-invoking shrek music
смутно кажется что я его слышала и в целом норм, но многовато репа и мало запомнила хитов (хотя снова больше чем ожидала)
Some bangers on here, like susans house which reminds me of something Fred again would write, but he will always be the shrek-adjacent guy to me.
This shit sucks too. This fucking list man, I swear. I am really questioning my life decisions. 3/5.
ok esse eu fui muito julgando a capa horrorosa e sem sentido fui terrivelmente surpreendido por um álbum bem mid das ideia que qualquer banda dos eua poderia ter feito entre 1993 e 2001 ultimamente esse site tá me dando uns álbuns tão merda que esse eu não vou massacrar, tá tudo bem ser medíocre de vez em sempre.
bem normal né não fede nem cheira. rock alternativo noventista meia boca
Another band I missed out on, although I recognize Novocaine. Didn't realize Eels and E were the same guy - one of the first shows I ever saw E was the opening act and I figured that guy disappeared but Wikipedia indicates he is quite successful in the soundtrack world. This was right up my alley genre-wise and for when it came out but somehow I just can't get into it. Maybe a little too much ironic detachment for me. Maybe I have no further capacity for alternative rock that came out in the mid-90s.
Ça s'écoute mais rien de transcendant, un peu répétitif sur 45min. Mentions honorables à not ready yet et mental
Vraiment pas très original, tout est toujours pareil, mais la fin est cool.
If I had been a teenager in 1996 this would have rewired my brain chemistry I think. Also a pleasant surprise in the form of "My Beloved Monster", an underrated jam from the Shrek soundtrack.
I can hear that it's good, but I'm also aware how overplayed all the singles were.
As an ogre currently experiencing the complexities of falling in love, this album has really hit the spot
really great guitar tones and overall instrumentation but it goes on for a while and its kinda eh overall idk its cheesy
Fint!
Fine. Why does the book’s author keep picking such early career (& 90s) albums? Gets boring. Three stars
the song ‘my beloved monster’ is on the shrek soundtrack and i really liked it as a kid, so i remember wanting to listen to more of eels’ songs, but when i saw that THAT was the album artwork i was so repulsed that i never revisited them again. so here we are like 16 years later. also i have heard 'novocaine for the soul' and quite a few of these songs before in various contexts so i’m counting it as "partially listened." still i thought this was nice—not really markedly different from other alt rock albums of the 90s. i think the aesthetic sensibility of this album is very unsophisticated—i.e. it’s tacky—and i’m bothered by that. the lyrics are kinda try-hard/too emo-adjacent but the melodies are generally pretty nice and catchy. it’s definitely easier on the ear than earlier iterations of grunge. honestly i think it’s closer to pop… and unfortunately i’m always going to hear this guy’s voice and think of shrek so that’s another major barrier to my claiming to enjoy this record fully. but it’s better than i expected i won’t lie!