Reviews (page 7 of 10)
I've never heard of this band before but I expected something more harder/heavier rock and to my surprise I was wrong. This is a good, consistent and moody alt rock album from the mid 1990s which I quite enjoyed.
Creative, some nice/awesome tracks, but too scrappy at times for my ears.
I’ve always enjoyed “Novocaine For the Soul,” but hadn’t heard any of the others. I was pleasantly surprised! At first I thought the album was a bit pessimistic, but on second listen it felt more like the lyrics spoke to finding hope in a cruel world. I connected particularly with the lyrics of “Flower” and “Guest List.”
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
Not a bad album but not a top 1001 album. If you want to listen to an average indie album just pick one at random.
Wait im loving this!!!! Its certaintly an of the era sort of vibe but i like it!! Pop but also sort of weird rock music I honestly dont know how to categorize it, moody and really cool.
Very 90's Alt.
Muy indie noventero. Además, como me gusta bastante la portada, le pongo un 5.
New to me, but I didn't feel a connection (at my advanced age, on a rainy December morning, planning a food shop). Not really my thing. I liked the guitar but I'm not a fan of the vocal style. Well-crafted though and I quite liked Rags to Rags.
Was excited to hear this again as I played it a lot when it was out. It now feels of it’s time, possibly as I’m no longer an angst ridden 28 year old in a bad marriage. Standout track was and still is Flower.
First track Novocaine for the soul took me straight back to the mid 90s. the rest of the album would benefit from a few more listens as it rather washed over me
Bit too depressing for my liking.
Good
Good. Started well but I couldn't finish. Got a bit whiny.
Considering how awful the cover is, surprisingly good so far. Novocaine is really good. Same with Rags to Rags and My Beloved Monster. And Flower. And Mental. And Your Lucky Day in Hell. Manchild is good too. Considering how horrifying the cover is, I had a surprisingly great time with this one. Consistently good the whole way through. Don’t have a ton to say, though. Just a really good album. 8/10 Top 5: 1. Novocaine For The Soul 2. Manchild 3. My Beloved Monster 4. Rags to Rags 5. Your Lucky Day In Hell
This album was a pleasant surprise with how enjoyable it was. A very easy listen even if nothing particularly wowed me. I would gladly come back to this one for another listen. Everyone’s saying the album art is freaky. I like it. Notable tracks: Susan’s House, Rags to Rags, Mental
Wacky College Rock. Reminds me a bit of Beck. Not a compliment. Susan's House has the air of a Mike Post theme tune about it.
There's some great bass playing on this album. It comes close in places to being a US version of trip hop. Susan's House is LUSH. It drifts a little towards the back end of the album, getting a little too heavy for my tastes. But interesting and something of an early 90's timepiece.
brilliant. saved. will be listened to again
I actually really liked this one
Fun album. Will listen to again
Je pisse sur les années 90.
C'était du Radiohead en extrêmement flingué, un grand bravo à Eels pour cette performance absolument passable.
almost made me fall asleep at work
Pretty good 90s Alt Rock
Good listen. Like the 90s feel to it. Might listen to it again soon.
It’s a nice by the numbers indie rock album. Good lyrics, good instrumentation. Nothing really mind blowing. Just a solid bag of songs. Lyrics specially are great - relatable and sad, about loneliness, depression, not fitting in etc. also has a nice winter feel to it. It’s a strong 3 for me.
Really cool and unique
não entendi o hype todo do álbum
3.5
Chill. I can get into this.
1996. Pretty okay alt rock; definitely unique in some songs. Wasn't expecting a song from Shrek.
Not bad - nothing to write home about. Melodic rock with both some heavier and poppy elements depending on the track.
Opens so well with Novocaine for the Soul and then Susan's House. Pretty impressive for a debut album as well. Songs like 'Guest List' and 'Mental' let the album down. More to come from the Eels (though perhaps not for the 1001 list) - this is a good start.
LOVE
Jsp j'ai écouté qu'une fois en dormant dans le bus ça avait pas l'air ouf mais écoutable quand même
rock forever
Mr. E is a gift
I usually go back and forth on liking an album from song to song. For this one, I was going back and forth within the songs. Rating 3 (I think).
Freakish but okay.
Great album. Plenty of variety, interesting, uplifting yet depressing melodies, and enough surrealism to keep it interesting but not clichéd.
Całkiem przyjemne, 4/5. Kilka znanych kawałków.
Just some very solid 90's alt rock, with a very suburban feel to it. Falls off a smidge on the back end, but it is overall a very solid record.
I actually kind of like this, sort of a downtempo Foo Fighters.
Mid-tempo alt-rock from the 90s with slacker lyrics that pass for thoughtful. No bad songs but nothing really stood out either. Could have used a drum machine (maybe they did). Cover is pretty disturbing tbh
I remember this coming out, I believe it was the first release on DreamWorks records, and it sounded like it - experimental, but on big production budget, sort of Smashing Pumpkins' grand-scale midwestern Goth meets Pavement's introversion. It can be a little annoying in places, but it's still a unique and challenging album.
Very middle of the road album. Some good songs, some boring songs. If I could do half stars, it would be a 2.5 stars.
Most of the album was meh but a few songs are great.
This sure is Music! Nothing about it struck me as particularly good or bad, the platonic ideal of a 3-star album. If we could do half-stars I’d bump it to 3.5 for having a song on the Shrek soundtrack, but alas.
I liked all of this except Susan’s House… which was too try hard.
Album is good but not 1001 albums to live to for listening.
1. Novocaine for the Soul - 2000s alt rock Blink182 sound. Good guitar riffs, vocals are a little boring. Nice strings in the beginning. 2. Susan's House - Don't like the spoken word vocals. Chorus piano and vocals are good. 3. Rags to Rags - Good transition for Susan's house. Solo guitar riff is cool, drum hit, guitar, and chorus drop is pretty good. 4. Beautiful Freak - Piano as soft vocals are soothing, although the vocals don't really change throughout the song. The synth or accordion in the background is pretty cool. 5. Not Ready Yet - Guitar riff is sick, drums kick in hard but both end pretty shortly. The ending was heavy, but a majority of the song I was waiting for the drums to kick in. 6. My Beloved Monster - I remember this song from Shrek lol. The guitar, kicking drums, and the vocals are great. The transition from chill guitar riff to the heavy refrain is a lot of fun. The distorted guitar solo is great too. Favorite song of the album so far. 7. Flower - Chorus in the background sounds good, but once Everett's vocals kick in, they're pretty lackluster. 8. Guest List - Baseline is funky, but guitar, drums/symbols, and vocals are pretty basic. Harmonica seemed out of place. 9. Mental - The kick in this song is good, but I am getting bored with the similar guitar riffs and monotonous vocals in between the good stuff. 2nd favorite so far. 10. Spunky - Nice piano in the beginning. Sounds like violin or chello that kicks in with the baseline. These instrumentals match the tone of the vocals. 11. Your Lucky Day in Hell - Vocals are again pretty lackluster, but the instrumentation is good. Sounds like an organ/flute/synth/strings combo. 12. Manchild - Like flute like notes make you feel like you're floating, soft guitar reminds me of modest mouse. The gradual build up to the baseline is cool. Vocals are different on this song, higher and not as monotone.
Nice music, no show stopper but solid.
Absolute masterpiece. Can't even pick a favourite track, because it's all just amazing.
Niente di particolare
Fine, not my style
9/10
There’s not a single song on this album I like. It’s like wanna-be velvet underground. Woe is me garbage.
Really liked this. Reminded me a bit of Mogwai & Arab Strap with the talking rather than singing, and bleak tone which I quite like.
WHAT I ENJOYED: some beautiful & nostalgic mid/late 90's guitar tones; easy to listen to mild pop hooks and instrumentation; the themes of alienation and sadness expressed on songs like Guest List & Mental are pretty universal and easy to relate to GRIPES: I find the album artwork upsetting; the album felt really mopey and narcissistic (I guess the lyrics really hammer home that the depression/self-pity might have been a key ingredient here...) RECCOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: the idea of Rod Stewart covering early Weezer (what it sort of sounds like), the film Garden State, dressing like an elderly man, having no rizz, & complaining that women you're attracted to don't find you attractive #341 revealed / #490 rated
Can hear a fair bit of car Seat Headrest in this. Didn't recognise the Shrek song.
I found a few jams on this album I liked but honestly, never heard Eels before this and not the biggest fan.. it was alright, some of it was kind of boring to me though while some of it was mid to decent.. Overall: 2.1/5
"Life is hard and so am I. You'd better give me something so I don't die." With those words, Eels obtain and maintain a pace that hardly lets up with the forty plus minutes given. Beautiful Freak showcases itself as being amongst the best power-pop of the 90s with the kind of grit that would surprise. For a first album dropped by a nascent label, this is a good start that would pay dividends down the line. Favorites: Novocaine for the Soul, Susan's House, Rags to Rags, Beautiful Freak, Not Ready Yet, My Beloved Monster, Mental, Spunky, Your Lucky Day in Hell.
SHREK IN THE WILD (My Beloved Monster) Really good album with a lot of great tracks. E has that nice balance between utter depression and beautiful art in his songs. I'd recommend his autobiography to anyone that likes this album or just likes musician's stories in general.
Was expecting a freak album with the album cover art, but this actually had some pretty good bops. Susans house, Guest List, and Mental to name a few. I saved the whole album.
quite good
Hmmm it's fine, don't have much of an opinion either way
Yeah, this is some real American rock, with songs about guns and drugs. Kind of wild and weird, but really consistent, which I appreciate a lot. The album quality doesn't change as you progress towards the end of it.
Average weirdo indie rock
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.
（。
never noticed it was a weird stereo mix. reminds me of high school, good jams,
Meh. Sebadoh and Pavement did it better.
Very 90s, melodic, but ultimately the material feels a bit tired.
Very 90s, but there are other bands I would rather listen to
I only recognized the first song of the album. The album was alright, it’s just nothing really stood out to me.
This has been my favorite “discovery” so far on this journey. I had never heard this album before and my only knowledge of Eels was in their song “ You’re My Friend,” which isn’t great (a popular) song. Though I was initially distracted by what seemed like alternating Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith impressions, everything changed when I got to “My Beloved Monster.” “Holy shit!” I thought. “The Shrek song!” From then on, I listened with perked ears and ultimately, I went back and listened to it again twice through. The album fits squarely in alternative rock, not quite grunge but grunge-adjacent. The songs and lyrics are solid, but what tickled me the most were the whimsical production and orchestration choices. All in all, a great album that will enter my regular rotation. I do hate the album cover though. Just had to say it.
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
paar tracks ganz gut, aber hitted nicht den spot
This album is better than its cover art would make you think. 90s Rock.
I've known this album for years, and only listen to it occasionally. However, this album contains some masterpieces (even lesser known ones).
Niet heel tof. Maar vind abdere shit van eels soms wel cool. Misschien timing
I would be really into it when I was 15 years old.
A songwriter that wants to much, to ”pretto” A bad version of a 90’s rock band thats wants to be som much more deep and dark than it can live up to.
I can’t believe I’d never heard of this band. What an awesome album!
I can hear the 90s and the Jon Brion-y feels, but... it's just not for me.
Wasn't expecting much from the album cover but I actually really liked it. Solid 4 will listen again
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 😃
Really enjoyed! Was a nice time
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.
3.5 stars rounded up. This album reminded me of The Beautiful South and Pulp: cheery melodic rock with angry or acerbic lyrics somewhat ambivalently sung. Happy, catchy songs that with close attention reveal a dark or mean streak only in the lyrical content. I enjoyed it. If you like this, try Pulp’s His n’ Hers or Welcome to The Beautiful South.
Good. Would have loved it in '96. 3.8
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.
Another pleasant surprise! I only knew of Eels from the Shrek 2 soundtrack (“I Need Some Sleep”) so imagine my delight when a song from the Shrek 1 soundtrack came on, (“My Beloved Monster,” one of the album’s best). This is just a great showcase of alternative music that still sounds fresh today. I can imagine this album being released by an indie artist this year and it not feeling out of place. There’s even traces of Death Cab for Cutie here. This album was definitely up my alley and I’ll be checking out more Eels as a result.
3/5. Some solid 90's rock songs, nothing crazy original but had a good time listening to them. Not sure I quite understand what's going on with the lyrics but hey, they sounded good and that's the first step. Noticed some songs I've heard before and that was fun. It was a good album just might need some time to click for me if it's great or not.
Have not heard this in 25 years or more…I still dont think it’s very good T-T
Donkë. Album was all ogre the place.
Didn’t do anything for me
Not my genre but good
one of the nineties masterpieces
Produced. Melancholy. Barely aged.
First off, this song does not belong on the 1001 Albums I Must Listen to Before I Die... Eels was always an above average alternative rock band to me, and listening to this album this many years later doesn't really change that. I liked "Not Ready Yet," and there were a couple other songs that surprised me, but most of the album was very standard and didn't really impress me that much. I will give it 2 stars, because it is not bad, but it just is not an album I would ever tell anyone that they had to listen to, for any reason.
the eels are obviously talented and they write interesting lyrics. they had a good sound but the only reason im not givjng it a higher rating is mome of the songs stay with me. once they are over it is as if i didnt hear them be aise i can't recall any lyrics/melodies. but i can see why this would be on the list. i actually owned a copy of electro-shock blues which i really liked at the time which may have been their third or fourth album. this being their debut perhaps it just took a couple years to grow as musicians and songwriters.
Not particularly a standout but an enjoyable listen. It might not be something I would actively seek out but if it were to pop up again somewhere I'd be happy and fine with listening to it again. A decent recording representative of 90's era music though it has horrible and kind of unsettling cover art.
Nice try
not my thing but I can tell Eels put a lot of emotion into this album.
Dreamy anxiety pop
Mediocre
3/5
Novacaine is a fun track. For some reason I like it. 3.5 goin down to 3 due to vibes.
2/5 naaaahh
This was so close to being 4 stars ngl. Novocaine for the soul is a banger. Continue to think about the beginning of Mental. Susan's House is so chaotic I love it. SO FUNNNNN
Mental is Okay IDK what the fuck I just listened to. unremarkable is the only word to describe
Weird but flashback to shrek
Really nothing special.
One of my faves when it came out
Reminds me a lot of Collective Soul. Possibly because it's from the same era. I also feel the need to mention that I was surprised by My Beloved Monster. Not because it stood out, or was new, but because it's recognizable from Shrek, probably by most people.
Surprise Shrek track! Scary cover! Joyously moody throughout
Late 90s psychedelic rock.
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.
totally on here due to "Novocaine" but still a decent album, good for toe tapping background music
Deepe Lyrik ist aber eher etwas um sich hinzusetzen und nur die Musik zu hören.
Sounded a lot like other alt/grunge bands (foo fighters in particular in my brain)
Not that good
This peaked too quickly for me. I loved the first two tracks, both of which I had heard before. I hadn't heard any of the remaining tracks and sort of lost interest as they became more and more samey. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't something I'd go out of my way to listen to again. Middle of the road 3-stars from me.
Each number refers to a track. I write down how I’m feeling as the song plays. One and done LFGGGG 1. Ok an easy number from the mid 90s. Sounds like something I’d listen to in middle school. I don’t hate it, but it ain’t special yet 2. Pretty boring til the 2 min mark. I like the bass line and little use of strange voice overs, flute. The spoken word shit is played now but is a very mid 90s thing. I feel like every band had a song like this. 3. God this is not for me lol. It’s very pop driven rock and roll that would fit perfectly for radio. I get why someone would like this but it isn’t for me. I’m going to forget this as soon as it’s over 4. Lord no. These lyrics… The music is ok but overall a no from me 5. The guitar tone is nice but I’ll never listen to this again. There’s better rock from this era. Like without question to me 6. This sounds like discount Failure to me. Failure is a much better band imo. 7. Ok this is different. Cool vocalized intro but lord it’s all downhill from there. This album is a sleeper for me 8. “I wish I had my own walkie talkie to speak to god each night.” Gtfo sir 9. The bass line is nice but everything else is mid. Ok the outro is interesting 10. Another discount failure track 11. Oh I recognize this song. It’s actually a bop. One point for the Eels. I think this was on the Scream soundtrack 12. I’m not having any fun either intro person 13. Ugh what a snoozer closer Yup not for me. Boring all the way through for the most pasty. Solid 2/10 for me for that one cool guitar outro and a few cool idea like those cool vocals on track 7. Overall I was just waiting for this to be over
A good album with more relaxing and fun tunes and experimental stuff. A great example for a helpful discovery.
The first couple of songs were rough, but as the album went on, I started recognizing the songs. Quite a few were used in the Shrek movies' soundtracks, for example. He doesn't sing as much but kind of talks through the songs with his raspy voice. Somehow it works out. I'm a bit on the fence in regards to the amount of stars I'd give. On track 7 at the moment, and I'd give about 2.5-3 stars. Just finished listening to it. I'll give it 3 stars. It captures a certain feeling, but it just ain't for me and that's alright.
Quirky 90s pop-rock. Not really my thing. Some unusual stuff maintains interest a little, but just not enough there for me to grab onto.
Cool, chill, alt album. Worth another listen.
Promises something above the usual 90s angst-riddled Nirvana wannabe LP before diving headfirst into every trope possible. The opener and few tracks near the beginning felt original and skimmed on the surface of the era without feeling cliched, but terrible songwriting and whiny vocals drag the rest of this album down into a pit it has no hope of escaping.
Formative for the bright eyes era
Not my cup of tea
Really enjoyed, beautiful, freaky
Ugh
It was OK.
I like this album. Not sure it should be on a classic list but it's nice, inventive, found it moving at times, clever, nice. Yeah.
Too dark.
Digging it. Sounds early for 96. Could easily believe this was late 00's early 10's
An album to surprise me. Interesting indie-rock from US at a time when most of the interesting indie rock was here in the UK. Great set of songs, plenty of changes of mood and texture. Really good album.
I really dug this record. Not sure why I haven't heard it before. I was the perfect age for this record when it was released and the weirdness of it is right up my alley. This is good. I almost wish it was a little harder at times. The lyrics are Beck/The Flaming Lips level weird which I also like.
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
I bet this music is good for this genre. But I find it incredibly tasteless and void of any feeling
Nothing screams 90s like this album. Reminds me of Ween a tad Jamiroqui, down tempo, fun lyrics
Range of styles, from their big hit (90s electronic) to rock, punk and almost acoustic. Some good funky beats, some forgettable tracks.
Cool Sound, not into the vocals
Enjoyed the album!
it's alright. not going in any playlists, but it's alright to listen to and parts of it are kind of nostalgic (tho not necessarily for this band, just the style).
Wat een debuutplaat. Mijn eerste kennismaking met E was het nummer Susan's House, een 90s compilatie met 'festival favorites' anno 98. De opname was niet live, maar het idee dat zo'n half spoken word nummer een festival favorite kon worden, was intrigerend. Het nummer is sindsdien altijd een Filip favorite gebleven, o wat had ik het graag eens live gehoord. Gebaseerd op het openingssalvo van de eerste 4 nummers zou ik een 5 geven, zeker als je daar nog latere sterkhouders zoals My Beloved Monster en Your Lucky Day in Hell. E is 1 van de allerbeste songwriters van zijn generatie, en zijn indiepoprock heeft vanaf de eerste plaat al de heel herkenbare Eels sound waar eenvoud siert. Het simpel houden is een kunst op zich. Veel doen met weinig. Een integrale luisterbeurt blijft een zeer mooie en aangename ervaring, maar het niveau kabbelt wel soms richting 'gewoon goed, maar niet bijzonder'. Er zijn latere platen van Eels die ik eerder zou opnemen in een lijst die '1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die' getiteld is. Emotionele rollercoasters als Electro-Shock Blues of het magistrale Blinking Lights and Other Revelations raken mij meer. Toch zeker niks minder dan een 4.
Meh. Shrek is echt ne kei goeie film!
Dit album heeft een all-time favoriet nummer van mij (Susan's house), maar tijdens het luisteren voelde het toch een beetje te monotoon als volledig album. Misschien heb ik te weinig depressieve gevoelens om zo'n albums ten volle te appreciëren? In andere reviews stellen mensen de vraag of dit album wel terecht in de 1001 albums-lijst staat, ben het daar een beetje mee eens. Die bass-lijn in de intro van Susan's house zal ik wel nooit beu geraken. Eels heeft zijn eigen herkenbare sound waar ik wel fan van ben, maar blijf toch vaak op mijn honger zitten als ik een heel album luister.
Have heard this album a few times. Nice sound
Honestly hadn't heard of them. Not a huge fan of the singers voice in most of the songs. favorite songs were "Mental", "My Beloved Monster", and "Guest List".
So 90’s. Really surprised by the quality of the songs here, but nothing incredible.
Booooring omg put me to sleep, permanently.
Brilliant. Interesting and moving.
New to me. Really like this despite the creepy album cover :-)
Nä vad fan är det här? 2 av 5 och då är jag fan generös.
Good album, felt super cohesive as a piece, and the intro and closing songs both stood out to me, and were experimental in just the right amount. The album appealed to the part of me that likes the Smashing Pumpkins, other similar rock albums, while also being fairly poppy and with a cohesive and uniform sound. Standout tracks: T1 (Novocaine for the Soul), T12 (Manchild).
has the song from shrek 1! my beloved monster crunchy 90's indie
None
Mostly mellow rock tunes that manage to be bitter AND playful.
Great song that novacaine the rest hrmph ok, ive listend now to a couple of his albums always the same, one cracker with a pile of duds. But in fairness what a great song
Like this, nice mellow vibe
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'd listened to this a few times before. I tend to enjoy Novocaine for the Soul and Susan's House, then kinda fade out for most of the album until I wake up again with Your Lucky Day In Hell. It's pleasant enough album, good vibes. 3.5
Although delightfully eery and at times heartfelt this album is ultimately tedious and at time sound pretentious. Highlights: Novocaine for the soul, Walking to Susan house, Your lucky day in hell.
I love the Eels. This is a great representative album of the 90s.
His picture on spotify is of him playing chess against himself, which made me spiral into a homicidal rage. Pretty good music though. 4 stars.
Très American mais cv c'est pas chiant
Solid Alt Rock, they get a stoner feel from the loose repetitive drum beat and the minimal use of electronic sounds. Cool young and raspy voice, cool way to have a isolated high pitched instrument - between ukulele, keys or guitar - give the songs a melodic touch beyond the singing.
There is something off about eels. They are snakes who have traded the shifting sands of dunes for the murky sea and its feeder estuaries. Or, they are fish who have bulked up and lengthened, stretched by millennia of water flowing past. They spark and fizzle, electric. But look closely into their dead eyes and see: there is nothing there.
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
Enjoyable but forgettable. I enjoyed it but don't remember enough about it to really say anything, except that I have a soft spot for spoken word over music.
Was kinda zoning out until My Beloved Monster came on. If this album was just 10 renditions of that song, I’d give it a 5/5.
Novocaine for The Soul - 7.5/10 Susans house - 7/10 Rags To Rags - 7.5/10 Beautiful Freak - 7/10 Not Ready Yet - 8/10 My Beloved Monster- 8/10 Flower - 7/10 Guest List - 8/10 Mental - 8/10 Spunky - 8/10 Your Lucky Day in Hell - 7.5/10 Manchild - 8/10 TOTAL - 92/120
This album is alright. Not bad at all but just not my favorite rock genre from the 90s. I've listened to this one before and tried to get into it but he tends to make at least one choice a song that just takes me out of it, it's difficult to pinpoint or explain though. It's feels a bit like Beck light, just not quite as catchy. Standout Tracks: Novocaine for the Soul, Susan's House, Not Ready Yet
Not bad. Average for the genre it feels like.
I really like this.
Another mid-90s alt-rock effort, but not necessarily the most significant example of the era, commercially, stylistically, or artistically. Mostly moody meditative lyrics, sometimes bordering on sophomoric, folded into pop hooks with some sophisticated production. It is an album that shows a lot of promise but ultimately sounds uneven in terms of overall songwriting quality. The best tracks on the LP are the collaborative efforts with sessions pro Mark Goldenberg.
Nice singing unimpressive 90s alt rock
Novocaine for the Soul doesn't save this otherwise unremarkable album. A much worse version of what Sparklehorse was doing around the same time.
Really capitalizes on the esoteric depravity of the late 90's Alt scene. Songs are depraved and depressing, yet still have a quality of warmth. Interesting that Dreamworks studios was their record label, probably how My Beloved Monster ended up in Shrek.
Started a little slow, but the more I listened the more I liked it. Songs would have been better with a little more tempo and a heavier sound, but overall not bad. I added two songs to my “liked” playlist on Spotify- My Beloved Monster and Susan’s House.
I didn't listen as closely as I should have. Seemed fine but uninspiring. Maybe more/closer listens would have helped.
Remind me of Weezer and Smashmouth, not a fan
Read his book - he has had a miserable life. The music is both depressing and uplifting at the same time. Some lyrics are very basic rhyming couplets. Voice can grate but it adds to the atmosphere. Beautifully produced.
A few solid tracks on here I will definitely be having on repeat
It's not bad, but it just feels so...average? Nothing really ever really sticks out to me in this album. Favorite track: Novocaine for the Soul
Better than I had imagined and I’ve been putting off listening all these years. Another band that I know the singles but they weren’t compelling enough for me to either buy the cd at the time or go back to listen. Great music throughout but a little samey by the end
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.
The epitome of mid-90s sound
Not my vibe
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
It's alright.
A nice record with some solid hits. But there are better Eels records
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.
Pretty typical 90s alternative seemed to me. Good but i didnt hear one of the greatest albums ever.
Every song that I almost added to one of my playlists gave me a reason not to by adding some strange quirk.
Very edgy. Not bad.
Sorry... not my jam, like at all.
An impressive fusion of indie rock with other genres. Frontman E’s performance, while it is very charismatic, can come off as bitter in many instances, though, as the majority of the lyrics deal with a multitude of afterthoughts about a failed relationship, mainly of negative thoughts. However, the unique songwriting definitely makes up for those issues as a whole, as this thing is a joy to get through.
Album luistert lekker weg. Moet wel zeggen dat het niet volledig mijn aandacht pakt, maar ik kende deze artiest niet en moet zeggen dat ik het wel prettig vind. Beste voorbeeld van dat dit album voor mij echt een beetje achtergrond muziek is, is dat ik uiteindelijk 3 nummers heb geluisterd die niet op het album stonden en van een andere artiest waren omdat het album al was afgelopen. FAVO: Mental
Ik ben continu aan het wisselen tussen haat en liefde op dit album. Productie is vaak interessant, maar soms ook zeer cliche. Daarnaast vind ik wederom het stemgeluid van de zanger vervelen op de lange termijn. Maar er staan wel wat fantastische stukken op, zoals Susan's House, of die synth solo aan het einde van Mental om maar wat te noemen. De hele vibe is ook heel erg sad boi being sad en dat is niet bepaald iets waar ik graag 45 min naar luister. Ik ben zelf al zielig genoeg. Oh god, hoeveel Radiohead albums staan er in deze lijst?! Favorieten: Susan's House, Mental, Spunky
I don’t like this. The lyrics are clunky. I get the impression that the band thinks the songs are more clever than they are. The vocals and the style of the music sound like a product of the 90’s in a way that grates on my nerves a bit. Very bad album cover too.
Really interesting start to the album with the stark changes in the production, from lofi-ish moments then instantly into full modern rock sections. It's not your typical gradual / tasteful approach but I appreciate it. Definitely unique. The singer here reminds me of Elliot Smith at times. Man, I really love how eclectic the instruments are here. Track 2, "Susan's House" has some Alicia Keys-like piano parts but then goes into this drum n bass Moby~ish spoken word part. Super cool. I really love the simple, incredibly catchy choruses. So good. I liked this a lot. Specifically I enjoyed how you never really knew what was coming next; they didn't have one formula that they rinsed and repeated for each track over and over. Solid 3/5 that with more listens could probably be a 4.
It was okay! Would use as background music
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.
the eels are pretty cool. but no need to listen to their albums. find ur fav songs and stick w those
Creepy and obscure, while beautiful. Novocaine for the Soul is epic!
Pretty enjoyable, high 3! 3.5/5
Love the style of eels
Exactly what you'd imagine an Eels record to sound like I guess. Nice.
Shoutout to Mental and Your Lucky Day in Hell for mentioning MAMA. Mental is the best song. Sounds like Nirvana.
singer is kinda bad, i dont like the instrumentals on a bunch of the songs. i empathize with the anxiety expressed. not ready yet, mental
Kind of weird but kind of good
Lyrically stunning.
I really enjoy this album, but it’s a time and place for me. I like much more than some of the albums on this list, but I’m surprised it’s included.
The fuck?
Solid quirky American indie
Lovely indie weirdness.
Decent
'Life is hard. And so am I'. Few opening statements (first words of the first song on his first album) by an artist have proved so powerful. And so true, as anyone who has read Mr Everett's autobiography will know. Eels would go on to prove that he was an enduring artist with more than a few amazing records. But this first 'Beautiful Freak' remains his most innocent, honest and sensitive. Well rooted in the 90s, it is also a beautiful and brilliant testament to its era
God awful album art. But I liked the music. Sounds like CAKE, but, darker?
A pleasant listen with beautiful guitar melodies
Heh jos ironicle tää äijä niin 5 tähteä mutta ei se varmaan ole ironicle...... tähti lisää koska tunnelma pysyy ja pystyy wibailla.. tähti pois koska tunnelma on liiaksi chilling&wibing menoa.. Not art music guys...
Dod not like
I am familiar with this album from when it was released. I liked it then, but would not say it's great. I feel the same now. However, it does have such a unique sound that merits exploration. And a few really great songs.
Beautiful Freaks is one album that encapsulates really well what many alternative bands were doing during the second half of the 90s. Some songs had some radio play, others were fans darlings. Novocaine for the Soul still bangs hard, must say. Beyond that, I don’t know what this work has to offer. I do not find it if innovative or greatly influential. It is fun, thou, like many other good bands from that scene.
It wasnt even that big at the time, so a lightweight addition to this list
This is not my favorite Eels album, as one of their later works in the 2000's trilogy may be, but I see why this album was put on the list. It's an introduction to their sound and it would probably be a bit disconcerting to place the listener right in the 6th or 7th album by the band without there being any huge radio hits on it. "Beautiful Freak" is a really good album and if you like this then you would probably like most of Eels output. Novocaine for the Soul is a great song and I think E does a great job of mixing a low-fi sound with great hooks. I would recommend this album to people, as I think it will surprise some people.
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.
Worst album cover of all time.
One can sense a certain amount of twee in E's sensibility, at a closer look. Unexpectation does a whole lot of work for Beautiful Freak. And it's surprisingly old, the 90s certainly informing indie-pop bones which would become more typical after scavenging. Like the white cover, the album's held together by implication as much as anything else; Space for a mirror, the pleasant if not flattering though.
2 best song not ready yet. Worst Susan’s house over all pretty cringe but I get y ppl like it
This album was a pleasant surprise. There were some interesting sounds and lyrics.
Very of its time, which is fine, but it also didn't really catch me. Ok, but not more nor less.
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
boring
I have never heard of Eels before, and after listening to "Beautiful Freak" I know why. It is just your average 90s soft rock album, with many boring songs, few slightly interesting and many, many average and unnoticeable tracks. 30 years later it sounds like a generic 90s album, created by ChatGPT, or by a parody group. I think, at least in my case, to like albums from 90s, you have to be at least a little bit sentimental about it, otherwise it will be a negative experience. "You should have been there and see it for yourself to understand". In this case I wasn't there, so no appreciation towards it on my behalf.
I'm a huge fan of Eels, but for some reason I'm not as familiar with this, their debut album, as I am the rest of their discography. Every one of Eels' next five albums after this is a 5/5 album. What's more, each has a distinct and different style and sound to the record that came before it. If I had paid Beautiful Freak more attention I would have realised that it is like a microcosm of the next five Eels albums all squeezed into one record: -The dark, bass-driven, 'Susans House' and 'Your Lucky Day in Hell' would fit well on 'Electro-Shock Blues'; -'My Beloved Monster' has a similar innocent sentiment to 'I Like Birds' and wouldn't be out of place on 'Daisies of the Galaxy'; -The musically diverse 'Novocaine For The Soul', 'Flower' and 'Mental' could be from the more experimental 'Souljacker'; -The lyrically and musically straightforward, but endlessly catchy, 'Rags to Rags' and 'Guest List' are reminiscent of 'Shootenanny'; and -The sadly personal and dreamlike 'Beautiful Freak' and 'Spunky' share some DNA with tracks from 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations'. Despite the diversity in this record it flows beautifully and comes across as a single piece. It is excellent and a great introduction to a brilliant artist with an outstanding discography. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Novocaine For The Soul Date listened: 22/07/23
another indie folk that I have nothing to comment on after listening multiple times
Enjoyable but relatively innocuous overall. There are a couple of cuts with replay value here, but it's not worth the time of a complete listen in the near future. Only a little sells itself, so I struggle to understand its inclusion on this list. Score: 52/100
Fun album.
Didn't really vibe with this one too much today, but I think it might be something I will enjoy when in the mood for it. God I hate that album art though. Favourite: Mental
Novocaine for the Soul, Beautiful Freak, My Beloved Monster. Very unique sound. Could have fallen in the 90s alt trap but they kept their sound interesting.
Rather lovely, in its way
eels! the unique vocal stylings of “e”, somewhere between singing and speaking. dark lyrics. great album. highlights: “novocaine for the soul”, “rags to rags”, “your lucky day in hell”.
This was pretty good. One of the songs reminded me of several other songs. It was the song Susan's House. I did a whole write up about this on my work computer and then didn't hit save... so this is what you get. 3 stars. Which makes me feel bad about giving Incubus 3 stars, because this was way better.
Recently heard a different Eels album and liked it. This one is great, too. Digging this guy even if it does sound like a Beck ripoff but I like Beck too so if you’re going to rip someone off, rip someone off that’s good.
nah 2*
Maybe 3.5?
Very advanced indie. Slow, with very unique arrangement. The vocals are great, and the songs go down some adventurous paths. Sometimes it works out nicely, others are less so. I really likely the style and would listen again.
Reminds me of Gorillaz in a way but more focused solely on the indie rock aspect. Finally an indie-rock album that sounds different from the rest that's been generated from the 1001 albums list. There's a few songs on the album that I quite liked and I'll probably go back and listen to. The opening track "Novocaine for the soul" and "Not ready yet" stuck with me. And there's was some unexpected Shrek. But songs like "Flower" was a snooze.
Didn’t know they did Novocaine For The Soul. Pretty good album. I could get into it but it’s nothing especially remarkable to me.
quite right
I knew bits of this quite well. An easy listen while cooking on a Sunday morning. Lots of the drumming was rather good.
I liked some of this. Good alternative 90s rock
So I really enjoy their Sophomore album Electro-Shock Blues. I've listened to this before one as well, but don't have the same burned in impression. Pretty cool that their lead singer is the son of one of the foremost quantum physicists behind the many worlds theory. Novocaine for the Soul has a similar, but brighter feel to it that ESB has. Susan's House features more of the same quirky elements that I enjoy about Eels. Always found their songwriting to be solid with tight if a bit theatrical compositions. Mostly had this in the background. I enjoyed what I heard, but did not find it as moving as ESB. 4 / 5
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
Bit meh, didn't hear a banger but not unpleasant
Very 90’s. Grungy folkish if I had to categorize.
Not my kind of music
A strong album with standouts in Novocaine for the Soul, Rags to Rags, and Splunky.
Love this one.
I don't know why I disliked this so much. It got good towards the middle where there was nice melancholia but the guy can't sing and I found the music boring
I liked this way more than I thought I would—crazy good guitar work especially. I don’t know how widely sampled this was, but a few parts called to mind some more recent artists.
Surprisingly not terrible for mid-90s rock, although it is very 90s. Do you think Eels paid Princess Beatrice to use her likeness on the cover? Would rate 3.5.
mostly nice mediumlow energy alternative simmer with some cringe lyrics
*Shrug* Not bad, not great.
This one of those 'suburban' albums that American bands can do so well (think Gin Blossoms, first Counting Crows etc.) - think kids on bikes, the 7-11, walking over to someone's house (oh they actually did that). We didn't quite what a singular and depressive talent E was from this, by far their most 'band' record. But a great set of songs. If it was a photo it would be a 'golden hour' shot of trees, a street, a twenty something couple walking away from the camera.
i think this juuuuuust misses out on a 5 just on the second half falling off a bit. the first half of the album hits really good though, specifically Novocaine for the Soul to Not Ready Yet. Extra love to Susans house with its changeup midway through.
I... weirdly like this (hate the album cover though)
Such a different album that I really enjoyed, had very through provoking lyrics and the music was great.
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?
Would this be considered emo? I never had a great grasp on what counted, but I figure if like Fall Out Boy or Green Day qualify, then this one might be on the board. Any case, hated it. I'd missed out on most of the Angry Disaffected White Guy 90s/00s groups, and while they're all annoying to some degree, some of them are incredibly fun for kind of exactly that reason, and I'd like to figure out what's the alchemy that causes that. Like Eels here never had a chance, too mopey, but NiN was alright!
Shrek.
This was excellent, really liked this album. Only really knew Novocaine For The Soul but the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint either so a thumbs up here!
I liked it!
Figured I would hate it but it thoroughly surprised me.
Nice album, although it can be a bit whining now and then
This sounded okay, I guess, but not an album I'll likely to put on again.
Beautiful indeed: many things to enjoy on this album.
Nah, not for me.
Creepy music but made it into shrek
Boring smoky vocals.
I really enjoyed this album. I see their influence on a lot of artists that I listen to. I also listened to the album while playing elden ring so I do not have any really specific thoughts other than it was good.
3.5/5
3deep5me... actively hated this album
A nice easy album to listen to. I enjoyed it, although I don’t think there’s much here, substantially speaking. Not incredibly original or deep. Not particularly interesting or innovative. None of the songs were necessarily bad, though. 3/5