Reviews (page 8 of 9)
I don’t like this at all. It’s like Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Tom Waits, but without any of the parts I like.
Nice alt-rock, calm vocals and distorted instrumentals.
Novacaine for the ears. Well put together, but not a whole lot to retain. Certainly not as good as some of their later work.
Pretty mediocre. Nothing on here that many other groups from the mid-90's weren't also doing.
edgy and boring
no
Eh, it was ok. I liked some of the songs, the rest was kind of dull. Very angsty.
This is kinda lame. Extremely boring parts and then mediocre pop in others.
Very angsty and a few good songs
Slow, sad, a little boring. Rags to rags is the best song.
This was a band that I didn’t catch back in the late 90s. Their first song Novacaine for the soul sounded really good. Really captured that 90s cake type of sound.
I did not enjoy this album at all. I found it a bit boring, tbh. I did finish it, but it definitely faded into the background the longer it went on
I remember the release. It was a strange album. Lots of falsetto
Would be better if his voice wasn’t annoying
Ok'ish
It made no impression whatsoever.
34/1001 First listen. Wish the rest of the album sounded as good as the first song. 3 plays and can’t think of anything else to add. Meh. 4/10
It's pleasant enough but not very interesting. And again, I question whether it's "important" or "influential".
Boring 90s music.
This album has zero dynamics. I suppose it has an audience somewhere, just not here.
where's the freak?????
I expected at least a little freaky…. Neither good enough nor off-putting enough for me to care
A rather weird but very listenable album. Nothing stood out particularly, but as a whole it was ok. Now here we have the difficulty of listening to several albums back to back, because if I were to have heard just this and nothing else might be tempted to give it a 3, but it just isn't as good as the 3's I have previously awarded. It's a solid 2.8 to 2.9, but if I were to give it a 3 I would be doing a disservice to all the 3s I have given before. So 2 it is.
some good songs and some that were mostly talking over the guitar. I don't really get the appeal since it feels like I have head these kinds of songs many times before, but better.
There was a week in 1996 when my radio alarm woke me each morning at half past six with Susan’s House. It was the single of the week on Chris Evans’s Radio 1 breakfast show, and it was testament either to the wave begun by Novocaine for the Soul or to the strange cultural power Evans then wielded that the single reached number seven in the charts - the highest UK placing of Eels’ career. I would have sworn that Mr E’s Beautiful Blues went higher, but no. Susan’s House it was: a very mid-90s nightmare of Pasadena that could almost have been Andersonstown too - except there were no doughnut shops in Andersonstown then. It’s the unsettling precursor to the follow-up album Electro-Shock Blues, which I’m fairly sure was in the ‘two-for-one’ bin at HMV from release. Mr E’s Beautiful Blues so starkly borrows elements from the first two album titles that I’m surprised its parent record, Daisies of the Galaxy, isn’t the canonical choice - the true amalgam of Everett’s competing modes: gentle champion of the loser and loser himself. But no: Beautiful Freak remains the one we’re told to listen to, just as Susan’s House is the one that charted. Go figure. It suggests a novelty. I bought the album at the time and always found it hard to play through to the end. E’s sad-sack persona feels wearily mid-nineties - too articulate to be as directly affecting as Mark Linkous - yet his commitment to the bit, to sadness and vulnerability and the genuine tragedy of losing his mother and sister, makes it hard to doubt his sincerity. He means it, man. It may not be sophisticated, but it can be touching at times. And I’d be lying if I pretended I wasn’t once a sad sack myself. Sure, the quiet-loud dynamic of alternative rock is done better elsewhere - with actual dynamics! - but the fuzz bass on Not Ready Yet still pleases me. And Susan’s House still wakes me up at 6.30, though I no longer have a radio alarm. 2 This is fine. There are no great songs here but there is a musical identity. Well…maybe musical identity is a bit strong, it’s more of a gimmick. You get pretty, often nursery rhymeish melody supported by twee minimalism mainly in the form of cheap keyboard sounds or untreated guitar contrasting sharply with cynical and often darkly snide, quasi-confessional lyrics. Sometimes this dualism of sweet and sour is underlined musically as garage rock gestures sprout up like mischievous weeds. It’s an idea worth [checks the rest of Eels’ career] flogging to death and far beyond, apparently. 2/5
One hit, kinda ok 90s
I have known a few songs by Eels before this, including Novocaine For The Soul, so I was moderately looking forward to this album. However, overall it didn't do much for me. I guess I have been listening to the greatest hits. Of the new-to-me-songs on this, Susan's House was the best. I would love to give this more, but only two stars.
En lite udda fågel i den ameriksnska indiemyllan. Lägger sig nånstans mellan Pavement och dess gelikar och mer klassisk collegrock och dessutom en hel del Beck. Det har åldrats förvånandsvärt bra, inte så att det är skitbra men till skillnad från mycket annat som idag låter urkasst. Tycker ofta det är så att det som var lite avigt och udda då är det som överlever bäst till vår tid. Första halvan av skivan är bättre sen tappar den lite egenart, de låtar som har det där Beck-aktiga funkar bäst. Någorlunda sympatisk amerikansk indie, en stabil tvåa
Tidstypisk amerikansk indierock från slutet på 90-/ början på 00-talet. Varken mer eller mindre.
Låter så väldigt amerikanskt, nästan collegerock, fast inte så störigt grabbigt. Lite för mycket av skriva-på-näsan-texter. Inte dåligt, men heller inget som sticker ut i mängden.
Another introduction and I generally like the music. Here and then some really nice tunes but in total nothing special or remarkable on. 2,5
This kinda sucked for me. There were some interesting textures/instrumentation, but nearly every song was two chords repeated ad nauseam with very little in the way of melody or rhythmic variation. The vocal performances were pretty subpar, which really was the nail in the coffin - something more inspired could've helped with the monotony. There were a couple songs (Susan's House had its moments) that held my interest, but overall not my thing.
Tem seus momentos legais. QoA Adonis New.
not for me. mopey slow boring
Had a phase with this album in HS. Have since sputtered out on it.
This really doesn't do it for me, oooutside of a couple songs. It picks up towards the end, though not quite enough.
I have a lot of thoughts about this one. I wish it were better. I do not think the guy had a good voice at all, but it at least works for this specific album and what it’s trying to do I guess. His tone barely changed at all throughout (except on the song Mental, which was pretty good). It feels like being a teenager again and having your friend show you this album, promising that it’s soooo good, but then it’s just kinda okay and you have to hide the fact that you don’t super love it from them or else they’ll crash out. It’s just nothing I’d listen to normally despite me liking some parts of it. Also, dreamworks had a record label?? No wonder Eels got a song in Shrek. Is this just an industry plant album? It sorta failed at being relevant then. The only reason people care about Eels now seems to be Shrek and the 1001 albums list, which I am not really sure it should be on.
I'm not sure I got this album, you know? It's a lot of mid tempo malarkey. I mean I felt like on every song they tried to be a different band. Sometimes I felt like they were pretending to be Beck, Nirvana, Randy Newman, and sometimes everything at once. It's like they went to a producer who had a ton of stuff and they set a price to every instrument and gave each member $15 for the song. Or they went to a thrift store and bought a bunch of music stuff and tried to use it all on the album. I couldn't shake the feeling that these are the guys in college who took their art like really seriously, like too seriously for their level of skill, and the problem was you, not them. But even with this, they got a song on Shrek, so that's kinda cool. Honestly, listening to this album made me feel like I should start writing music again, maybe the bar in my head isn't as high and I thought. Surely if someone can connect with this, there's a market for everything. Every little thing. Truly, all of it. Just every thought and feeling. Any idea. No limits. No rules. Nobody cares. You reading this, let's make a song, you play a triangle and I'll talk into a mic kinda whiney, and it'll be in the next Shrek. We'll get into a fight over the royalties and split up. Then 10 years later we will get back together and try again, but we will be different people, and the crowds will be too. It won't be the same. But we will always have Shrek
I forgot about this album while I was listening to it.
Meh
Only good song was the one on Scream 2 soundtrack. Not bad but won't listen to this again.
Easy listening, one of the songs “Guest List” reminded me of an Owl City or some band of the 2000s. My guess is they inspired it.
A bit trite to me, might have been forgivable if the beats were good but they were mid too. Album art is horrifying.
According to Wikipedia, "Beautiful Freak is the first album using the full band name Eels, in an attempt to get the records in the same general location in the stores as frontman Mark Oliver Everett's previous works under the name "E"." Much like this idea, the album was presumably very clever in 1996 but has become little more than a curio by the 2020s.
Very 90s. Pop grunge. Feel like I have heard parts of it before, but maybe it's the feeling that none of it stood out. I think I enjoyed "Your Lucky Day In Hell". Album felt like a rom-com soundtrack. 2/5 But "That Look You Give That Guy" is 5/5, which I know I've heard before. Though it's from another album, it just played after this one finished.
Different alternative band. Some good songs.
The music is pretty solid and seems like the production even better, but just listening to the lyrics made me want to give myself a wedgie.
Oh joy, another indie rock guy with a strained voice and nothing interesting to say
meh whatever
Trite but musically interesting. 2.5
Can't say I loved it or hated it
different for the sake of being different. I didnt mind Rags to Rags. But overall it just seemed like they were trying too hard to be more than they are, if that makes sense. Also a song from Shrek is here if thats your bag. This whole album just has a depressing, rainy day in a satellite city feeling that you cant escape.
Pretentious as fuck. First song was enjoyable… didn’t really like any of the rest of it… even the Shrek song. All of it was super unsubtle and that just didn’t click with me. I bet James Gunn loves this album (no shade to James Gunn it’s just that these guys reminded me of Spacehog and even Old 97’s)
This album was fine. It does explore a few different styles. But it honestly did not stand out to me at all. Seems like a very generic album for the time period.
Pretty good not a huge fan
Terrible cover. Worse album.
'This paint-by-numbers life / Is fucking w/ my head.' Inventive and varied, yet frustratingly monotone, Beautiful Freak is neither beautiful enuf nor freaky enuf to sustain my interest. E's vocals, how do I put it, are white, I mean really, really white, and while the instrumentation is compelling at first, it becomes all too predictable as well. But by far the record's worst aspect is the failed juxtaposition of the cute and the tortured, manifest in the weak, try-hard lyrics vocalized by a crooner far too hoarse to belt. It's that whispering quality indie/alt singers reach for but seldom persuasively attain. I can't tell if Bruce Springsteen or Paul McCartney is E's preferred model, but I can tell you that he's a far cry from both. Not whiney: whitey.
Boring
Pretty boring
I like that song from the Shrek soundtrack?
I liked the Beautiful Monster song. It was in Shrek so it was nice to recognise it. Album was ok, not really my vibe.
📣
An album I've always meant to listen to over the years as Novocaine for the Soul is a decent song and now that I have, I doubt I'll listen to it again. It just faded into the background and got to the point where I forgot it was on :-/
It’s a fine Album, I liked a few songs, recognized the one from shrek. But the rest were kind of meh, didn’t regret listening. The vibe was alright, I’m between a 2 and a 3 for this
It sounded kind of bland and generic, similar to lots of other 90s alt rock bands, but worse than them.
Grungy and depressing. In Flower, the guy complains about people trying to bum him out. Well, he is bumming *me* out with his singing style. So monotone and laid back, you'd think he just didn't care about the vocals. It weighs the album down heavily.
point4.
Nothing bad to say but nothing really good to say either.
Kinda depressing. Kinda boring. meh. It's a 2.5 and that bad spoken word part in Susan's House is going to keep me from rounding up.
Couple of bangers, Novocaine is still great. But I do not want to go to Susan's house.
Fav: Rags To Rags Least Fav: Susan’s House Had no idea they worked on pretty much every Shrek film’s soundtrack
Groupe et album connu. Par connu je me souviens l'avoir emprunté à la médiathèque quand il est sorti, puis l'avoir rendu. Et rien du tout de l'écoute, pas désagréable à priori mais visiblement pas mémorable ... et je n'ai jamais tenté d'écouter les albums suivants. En écoutant de nouveau ce disque j'ai reconnu ... aucun des morceaux. Comme quoi il m'avait vraiment marqué à l'époque ! Bilan de cette nouvelle écoute : pas désagréable (+1), mais effectivement rien d'original ou de mémorable. =>2/5
Kinda boring, nothing special
Boy did they want to be Radiohead so so badly
On sait pas si le gars fait une crise d'adolescence ou une crise de la quarantaine. C'est pas mauvais dans son genre mais j'ai l'impression que c'est surtout parce que ça reprend tous les codes un peu emo de l'époque
Oubliable
Som en trubbig american pie-tribute
Completely whatever forgettable 90s music. Nothing memorable or standout at all, just in one ear and out the other
Шрек. Лучшая песня - My Beloved Monster.
Novocaine for the Soul Beautiful Freak
This guy sure is sad or something
Mostly unforgettable tracks. 90’s guitar riffs and some plinky plonky piano but it doesn’t do a whole lot for me. Kinda like a harsher, grungier Weezer. Fave tracks: Novocaine for the soul, my beloved monster
Boring af. It's getting a 2 because the arrangements are good and there have been some true 0's on this 1001 list that I had to give a 1 to. I wouldn't group this album with them.
2.5
Other than the first song, pretty forgettable. High 2, but a 2 because I'm not likely to listen again.
I remember when this album came out. My friend Scott Hale got it and we listened to it playing video games at his house and it sucked. They sound like a Flaming Lips cover band. Novocaine for the Soul was the hit and it's terrible. Susan's House is another dud. Tape recorded talking over the music is not creative, it's lazy. This is not what makes art. I'm tired and this album is not helping. This looks like a solid 1 so far. There has not been a decent song on this album yet. It's like Beck if he sucked. I hope they had to pay Giorgio Moroder royalties for Mental because they totally ripped off the bassline. Another song that could very easily be a Flaming Lips song, Spunky. This album is terrible. Your Luck Day in Hell is the best song on the album and it's not that good.
dude the cover... and the music is just a bit better than the cover, actually. 2.5/5
★★½
Sorry
I’ve tried numerous times to get into Eels’ music but it all sounds so forced to me. Like his voice sounds false, I don’t know how to explain this. I just think he tries to be smart and deep but it all ends being lukewarm
Kind of an offcut of 90s alt rock. Novocaine was a favorite when it was in the radio. I enjoyed the overall slacker feel of it, the sparse relaxed arrangements, the guitars' bright overdriven sound, and the high end slide/key parts, but it comes and goes without leaving much of an impression. Favorites: novocaine, guest list
This is nothing special
It’s good, but dated.
Novacaine For The Soul was a medium sizes hit in the 90s and after listening to this album I can see why they are a one hit wonder.
It was fine, I won't go out of my way to listen to it again
I was expecting Shrek bangers but this fell flat.
yeah, just not my thing. side note: pretty depressing
I don’t hate it but don’t love it. I faintly recognized the opening song. Interesting stuff.
I wanted to like this. I like the first track, I like Birds, but the whole album felt pretty contrived and hollow to me. Nothing hit after the first track
jaha että junamusiikiksi laitettiin tämä..luullan olla jotain taudetta tekevän. ollaan niin lauluntekijöitä olevinaan. tidellisuydessa aivam vitun sietämättömää lyriikkaa ja laulamista. instrumentaalit on osittain luunneltavaa. pianon pjojotuksesta plussapisteitä. toki amplifikaatio paskaefekti sillä nyt pakosti kuunnellaan niin tarkkaan niin kovasti.. annetaan nyt se kaksi mutta notaatio siitä että en koskaaan aikaisemmin elämässäni ole halunnut hirttää itseäni näin paljon että se antoi vähän niitä miinuspisteitä tällä kertaa. susan haus
Bland and boring. There is much better 90s alternative music than this.
Who? Depressing Alternative Rock.
2+ Stars (6/15)
liked songs: Rags to Rags, Mental It was fine? Not a big fan of the singer's voice. Not the most interesting songs for me either. 2.5
I prefer "Daisies of the Galaxy", what the fuck is this —
Es un indie medio pop tranquilon que la verdad no me dejo gran cosa pero esta bastante chill.
12/3/24. Pretty decent album, good production and some enjoyable songs. Thought it was a little inconsistent.
Mixed feelings.. zoals eigenlijk bij alles van Eels. Ik vind het vet dat je hem eigenlijk niet goed kan categoriseren, en dat je direct hoort aan een Eels-song dat het een Eels-song is. Maar die unieke en herkenbare sound zorgt er tegelijk voor dat elk nummer verpakt zit onder dezelfde lo-fi stemmetjes, belletjes en beats. Ik ben daardoor eigenlijk nooit ondersteboven geweest van een heel album van hem. Individuele nummers doen het wel aardig, maar consistentie is ver te zoeken. 6/10 Highlights: Novocaine For The Soul Not Ready Yet
2+
Honestly, just not my thing
Opens up pretty nicely, Novocaine For The Soul hits all the classic tropes for '90s alt-rock nostalgia. Really slides downhill after that though and proceeds to just be really boring.
When I saw the album cover I feared I was in for a rough ride... and I was. Basically an album equivalent of Alice in the Wonderland, in a bad way. Feverish and dissonant, not at all to my liking. The singers voice also reminds me quite a lot of Elliott Smith, which I am not overly fond of. The only ray of light is 'My Beloved Monster', which I think I recognize from being in the Shrek movie. This recovers it from a dead 1 star to a weak 2 for me.
Like a lot of The melodies, but I'ddescribe most of the tracks as boring. I also don't like the vocals at all. Mostly just forgettable email alternative to me.
Different but fairly juvenile. Like Catcher in the Rye, what I would have fallen in love with if younger is just irritating.
Mostly boring. Didn't care for the vocals much at all. I've heard mich worse. I guess it's a 2.
Totally forgettable for me.
The album art kind of creeps me out
Olipa hidas levy, siitä en pitänyt. Tunnelmasta kyllä. Ei liian grunge, mutta atmosfääri on sitä. Tylsä kokonaisuus kuitenkin ja vähän masentava.
Too weird
not particularly inticing, okay.
Sounds like Ben Folds.
Though one can find some enjoyable tunes on the record, I would argue that better albums were released and/or recorded in this period. Not worth more than second listen, I m giving this 2 stars
Just blah 90s sound
Sounds like melancholic, emo-grunge. Not my type
2 stars
It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t great. It was fine.
Has not aged well. Nobody has to hear this before they die.
It was....alright I suppose.
#im14andthisisdeep
“Beautiful Freak” is the debut studio album by Eels, an 90s indie-sounding alternative rock group. This album is pretty mild. Interestingly, this is the second album produced by Dreamwork records.
Ok but not wild about it.
This album wasn't for me. It'd be fine as background music because it's not bad or anything, but I find nothing about it interesting, thought-provoking, or emotionally stimulating. A pure analogy for “meh.”
strange
I'm freaked Meh
I remember listening to this album a few weeks after it came out. My friend Thomas Lutzeier lent it to me. I remember liking it more than I'd imagined I would based on the singles I'd heard. Alas, I no longer like it more than I thought I would. It's ok.
A mediocre alternative rock album that felt like it was just trying to be different. Also the worst album cover I've ever seen
This seems like something I’d normally enjoy. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood, but really not a huge fan of this 4/10
Not listened yet
I recognized the first track, and I kind of liked the second. This was a mellow and somewhat different listen, but after the first two nothing else stood out to me.
Meh.
Took me a few attempts to get my way thru. Fairly approachable but a bit underwhelming. Some of the 90s era rock came off as dated
"My Beloved Monster" is a classic, but I thought the rest of the album was just OK.
Weird
# 187 : Not too bad, its was easy enough to listen to, obviously a debut album, it has that Shrek song on it, which probably got it in this list in the first place, somewhat of a surprise though. I liked Rags To Rags the most.
Ei huono mutta tylsä
Wasn't feeling it. Terrible album cover.
The mixing/mastering needs some work (channel tracking is noticeably off on more than one track). This is one of those mid to late 90s albums that began to shape indie rock into the genre we know today. The string background accompaniment on Novocaine for the Soul adds so much depth and nuance to the track. I prefer this album to Eels' more contemporary albums (particularly the last two). Your Lucky Day in Hell does remind me of the cult classic and highly underrated movie it appears in, Dead Man On Campus. All of that said, to me this one is just so-so.
Overall -it’s giving weezer RHCP crossover -I don’t really have any notes or comments cause I don’t think there is anything noteworthy -they have such a familiar sound I would of sworn I’d heard them -I’m torn between 2 or 3, to me it’s one of those albums you forget is playing when listening
I liked guest list. Not sure why this was influential… maybe the social commentary? Spunky is very depressing. Too depressing for me to ever go out of my way to listen to again.
Novocaine For The Soul is great, but they're one hit wonders for a reason. Not into the rest.
Ja, ganz interessant. Zwei Sterne.
This was...strange. I didn't hate it, but it made me uncomfortable.
This is unrelated and I swear this did not affect my rating of this album at all but I just have to say — what a terrible album cover. As for the music itself — I found it to be uninspired, generic, the lyricism being predictable and even cringy at times. It’s worth noting that I discovered one of the songs off this album appeared on the Shrek soundtrack. That makes a lot of sense to me, for some reason.
I will not let the reviews sway me before finishing going forward to form my own opinion. The lack of info on the wikipedia summary is always concerning, just don't know what I'm getting into. I recognize Novocaine for the soul? Alternative 90s, with that recognizable drum pattern (Susan's house). It's ok, if a little out there, but enjoying it, 3* for first half. Second half was meh, 2*. Lots of 2-3* lately...
A typical 90s alt rock band that borrows from other players on the scene, from grunge, Britpop, power pop, and electronica. The synths often feel a bit forced and often repetitive. Quite a lot of good ideas, and only one song takes it too far. It's a pretty decent record but nothing I'd feel proud to share with others beyond 3 tracks. Novocaine for the Soul 4/5: catchy typical 90s power pop with raunchy grunge-like vocals and Beatlesesque melodies and back vocals Susan's House 4/5: electronic rock using house-like beats and synths, also catchy and pleasant; a bit cheesy but I honestly like the bridge and piano closer Rags to Rags 3/5: grungey merging Beatlesesque jangle pop with distortion; reminds me of Stone Temple Pilots Beautiful Freak 2/5: a boring piano ballad, but has a nice dreamy, pleasant atmosphere; the instrumental ending was my favorite part Not Ready Yet 3/5: slacker indie rock with a simple beats and a quiet guitar section; includes a grunge chorus; it's a bit long and doesn't get interesting until the last third My Beloved Monster 3/5: features a taste of country in the chorus and some psychedelic effects with all the weird noises; it's creative and wacky but messy; at first I wondered how this inaccessible song could be the 2nd most popular song, until I noticed it was featured in Shrek Flower 2/5: another country-infused alt rock piece, featuring overused angel-choir samples; pretty forgettable Guest List 2/5: chill mix between alt country and power pop, but pretty forgettable Mental 3/5: grungey, very Nirvana-like with some distortion and electronic effects Splunky 1/5: another lame ballad with slightly notable yet repetitive synths Your Lucky Day in Hell 4/5: another favorite, memorable and catchy with varied sections; honestly would've been a stronger closer, especially with that extended ending Manchild 2/5: pretty forgettable and lame but at least an appropriate closer Average 2.75, which I weigh down for the purpose of this list. Bonus points to creativity to give each song some identity. Strong openers and appropriate closers, but some changes could be done to the track order, and the middle section was incredibly weak.
Released a few years after Beck broke out, *Beautiful Freak* is very much of its time--and this *not* in a very good way. Why go for a *partial copy* of Mr. Hansen's mix of self-deprecatory folk, tongue-in-cheek indie rock, groovy hip-hop-inspired rhythms and melancholic ballads, when the original version is so convincing on its own? I felt this in 1996--remember, this was the first full-length release of Steven Spielberg and David Geffen' brand new joint label *Dreamworks*, and the promotion for this band--that almost no one had heard of before--was so huge for such an "indie" act that it was hard to avoid it at the time. Yet, as I said, I didn't take the bait back then. And I don't take it either today, even though I really tried hard to keep an open mind as I went back to this debut album... So why don't you take that bait, you might ask me? Well, for starters, the "dated" aspect of *Beautiful Freak*'s production is not to be underestimated here, even if it's not the only issue I have with this record (more on that later). To be more specific on that aspect, I'd say those outdated aspects are mostly striking in the first third of the LP, maybe because of the involvement of Michael Simpson, one half of the production duo The Dust Brothers, who produced... Beck's *Odelay*. Professional work here, I guess... Yet what felt fresh in the Beck album feels very much like a formulaic approach for the Eels debut. Opener *Novocaine For the Soul* sure is a perfect earworm, as "dated" as it sounds, there's no arguing about that! But after that, the album is very much a mixed bag--with a couple of great songs here and there (*Your Lucky Day In Hell*, *Flower*), and in between, either fillers almost feeling like interludes (example: the title-track) and/or more of the same formula (example: "Rag To Rags"), whose results are rarely memorable in those other cases. Plus there's quite a large share of hackneyed, awkward lyrics in this record!--lyrics about feeling... awkward (exemple: " Mental"). Quite awkward indeed. And very often, not even awkward in an "endearing" sense, to be honest. Not going to discuss *My Beloved Monster* for very long, by the way. If that clumsy indie-rock track had not been featured in *Shrek* (a movie produced by... *Dreamworks* Studios!), you can bet your boots no one would give a rat's ass about such a weird little tune today! So the dated soundscapes are not the only element to be blamed here. Compare "E" with Beck, once again: through his songwriting chops and his natural versatilty, Beck did manage to transcend nineties aesthetics so as to turn them into something that could often feel "timeless", fun and, also, emotionally relevant, quite often. As for "E", well... It's not that Mark Everett lacks such talents (he can write amazing songs as well). It's just that he has less spades of those enviable skills in him, and therefore often comes short of truly stellar moments for full-length releases. In other words, I'm not saying Everett shouldn't be a songwriter and a musician. He deserves the job 100%. But we're talking about "essential albums" here, are we not? Which leads me to me the *overall* issue I have with Mark Everett's music as I went back to three or four more albums of his today, just to see what I might have been missing out after all these years. Turns out I didn't miss that much in terms of *albums* (individual songs are a different story). The problems plaguing *Beautiful Freak* as a whole indeed seem to be everywhere in Eels's discography: the disjointed aesthetics rarely gel into a convincing track sequence, a large share of self-indulgence is to be found in the writing (both the music and the lyrics), and the LPs have problematic "dynamics" overall. You have a lot of decent arrangements and forays nto different music styles that are interesting on paper. But they very rarely cohere into a stimulating statement. The only exception I *could* make is *Electro-Shock Blues*, a album about grief and mourning, where--given its heavy subject matter--such "disjointed aesthetics" become assets. Especially at the end where a string of shattering-yet-life-affirming ballads create one rare effective sequence of songs that is truly affecting. This context also explains how the topsy-turvy sequencing in the first half of the record makes sense this time around, because the album is really about someone trying to reconstruct his soul after not one but *two* tragedies. One can only commend Everett for his bravery as he dealt with those heavy losses in his family. And, for me at least, that bravery and honesty paid off on an artistic level here, no doubt. Podiums and rankings about "essential albums" are unimportant compared to all that. Yet apart from that album (and maybe a string of great singles in the very middle of *Daisies Of The Galaxy*--namely, "I Like Birds", "Flyswatter", and "It's A Motherfucker"), I guess I can only appreciate Mark Everett's talents as a writer of individual songs, and not as someone who crafts great albums. Which, really, is nothing shameful. After all, there are not so many songwriters who wrote more than 10 absolutely great songs in this world (at least that you've heard of). And Mark Everett is one of them for sure. Buying Eels' compilation "Meet the EELS" right now to remind me of that later... I give *Beautiful Freak* a 2/5 grade for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". Which translates to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes (5+2). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 335 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 299 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 161 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 214 (including this one, many others are more essential to me).
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.
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.
almost made me fall asleep at work
não entendi o hype todo do álbum
Jsp j'ai écouté qu'une fois en dormant dans le bus ça avait pas l'air ouf mais écoutable quand même
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.
Album is good but not 1001 albums to live to for listening.
Niente di particolare
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
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
Average weirdo indie rock
Meh. Sebadoh and Pavement did it better.
Very 90s, but there are other bands I would rather listen to
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.
Donkë. Album was all ogre the place.
Didn’t do anything for me
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.
Mediocre
2/5 naaaahh
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.
Deepe Lyrik ist aber eher etwas um sich hinzusetzen und nur die Musik zu hören.
Not that good
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
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.
Ugh
Too dark.
Meh. Shrek is echt ne kei goeie film!
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".
Nä vad fan är det här? 2 av 5 och då är jag fan generös.
None
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.
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
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.
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
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
Every song that I almost added to one of my playlists gave me a reason not to by adding some strange quirk.
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
It wasnt even that big at the time, so a lightweight addition to this list
2 best song not ready yet. Worst Susan’s house over all pretty cringe but I get y ppl like it
boring
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
nah 2*
Bit meh, didn't hear a banger but not unpleasant
Not my kind of music
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
Nah, not for me.
Lots of quiet-loud dynamics. Songs definitely have some depth and variety, though there’s something about the sound I can’t totally gel with. Not something I’d be inclined to return to, but certainly interesting. Best song: Flower
Ganska behagligt men inget jag lyssnar på igen
Pretty weird and sad lyrics. Not the worst album I've listened to, but certainly not the best. Album art is freaky, but I kind of dig it.
There were some good parts which I really liked but then there were some really bad points. The singers voice was very unique and it worked in the good parts. Novocaine for the soul started the album really well and I was excited for the rest of the album but then it went quite downhill. Makes sense after looking at the listen numbers on Spotify that song has 40 million listen then the next highest on the album on has a couple million.
meh
Am I just a walking bag of chewed up dust and bones?
Not for me.
This is another pretty generic nineties rock record. Saw flashes of Nirvana, Shrek and Gorillaz, but they weren't all that bright. 2.5
Not insulting, not noticeable, not anything
I expected to like an emo indie album more than this. Really liked Susan's House, but nothing else stands out.
Thoroughly bored
Not my cup of tea at all. Was a real chore going through this album.
Just too indie/Neutral Milk Hotel-kinda vibes for me. Flower and Mental are favorites but not bangers
Wasn't too keen on this one. A couple of good tracks but the rest were forgettable. I will give it another listen just in case.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this one, but this dude's detached attitude and sprechstimme schtick wore thin after the second song.
A few decent songs but wouldn't listen to the whole album again.
Novocaine was that enjoyable ubiquitous song on the radio that one 90s summer. The rest of that album does not score as high as that one song.
Honestly there wasn’t anything necessarily bad about this album, it was just morbidly boring. I thought the voice was sleazy and almost careless. It wasn’t awful but I wouldn’t listen again.
I need to re-listen to this; It was alright though... Too sad and mopey for my taste.
I liked that it had a different feel than most 90s albums we've heard on the list but ultimately nothing really stuck out or would draw me back fot another listen
Kinda feels like a lot of decent ideas just thrown together. Some good stuff here and there but really bogged down by some very fleshed out bad ideas. Susan’s house.
This was nostalgic at first, and rapidly became confining.
Okay, so VERY 90s sound, and also, I'm shocked at how many of these I knew. OR DID I? Is it just the sound of the 90s that has lulled me into familiarity? Any way, sometimes familiarity breeds nostalgia and stars, and sometimes it doesn't. Nothing wrong with this album, but nothing I'm going to come back to.
This album is such a bummer. Every tempo is set to depression. Kinda like a tedious version of Sparklehorse. Enjoyed a few songs, but overall not a record I'll be returning to.
Idk kind of an abrasive sound.
Honnêtement long à passer au travers. Pas foncièrement mauvais, mais juste fatigant à écouter. Trop un son "typique" 90s que ça en tombe sur le coeur.
Even though I knew several of the songs on this album, I wasn't a fan.
Very 90s but forgettable
This feels like a student attempt at performance art. It's extremely amateur and basic both musically and lyrically. Plays like a highschool kid who's really into Cake trying to make something "real" in his basement because nobody will be in a band with him. Did not enjoy.
Very repetitive and didn't catch me
It's not bad. It's not great. It just is.
Not really my thing to be honest but I understand why people like it. It does sound dated, as you might expect with a mid-90s album. Still, its got its high points. The songs are well written and the album is cohesive.
I was not familiar with this band or any of the songs. It was just ok. Totally unremarkable
Generico album alternative di metà anni '90. Nessuna canzone spicca per originalità e tutti i brani sembrano scopiazzature da altri artisti. Bonus: la copertina è una delle più brutte che abbia mai visto.
I remember loving 'Novocaine For The Soul' when I first heard it. I find the rest of the album interesting with a couple of good tracks, but overall a little disappointing after that first hit. I always feel they need winding up a bit as songs tend to just meander and generally don't get anywhere.
This is the debut album by the American rock band Eels - whose only permanent member is Mark Oliver Everett, and he is the main contributor to this album. Reviews were mixed for the album and it ended up being more popular in Europe than America. The alternative rock on this album was musically great, but the lyrics were self-absorbed and patronizing which turned off some listeners. I liked listening to this album in the background while I worked, but I don't think I need to listen to it again. It was just alright.
Lite svårt att gå igång på den här plattan. Egentligen inte så dåligt men den tilltalar inte mig. Tyckte en låt var bra.
Other than Novocane, meh
Maudlin and basic, spending time in the company of Eels is a tiresome affair and the worst of sixth form poetry.
i liked some of the tracks but overall a pretty dry experience
A completely inconsequential album. The musicians are fine, and there are even some nice moments, but the lyrics are almost painfully vapid, cliche and shallow, and the singers voice is fine for a song or 2, but too monotonous to carry a whole album. This was gonna be another 1-star, until Mental came on, if they had only pursued the sound they had on this song and maybe pushed it even more, this would have been a much more memorable album.
Interesting production with some early highlights in 'Novocaine For The Soul' and the catchy 'Susan's House'. I'm not quite sure that the lyrics hold up, like on 'Guest List' which sounds like a sad RHCP song. There is a fine line between naïve and simple lyrics. That cover still gives me nightmares.
Oh I love the sound of 90s alternative. The drums, the fuzzy guitar, the vocal delivery. Starts and ends on high notes but the middle gets a bit hazy
I've heard of the Eels, but I'm not familiar with their stuff. In an odd coincidence, I *just* heard "Novocaine for the Soul" yesterday. I remember the opening lines catching my attention, but I can't say the same for the rest of the song. It's possible I heard it back when it came out, but if I did, it obviously didn't leave much of an impression. The spoken word bits of the album remind me of Nada Surf's "Popular," which apparently came out a handful of months before this album, so that's an interesting bit of synchronicity. "My Beloved Monster" has a whimsical charm and "Mental" isn't bad either, but the rest literally just blended into the background as I went about my morning. Feels like the answer to "What if Beck had less personality and was trying way too hard?" It's a shame we can't give half-stars, because I liked this album more than the ones by The xx and Travis (both of which I gave two stars), but I can't bring myself to give it three stars. 2.5 stars feels about right.
C’est très « de son temps » comme album. La voix du chanteur fini par énerver à mesure que l’album avance. Il y a pleins de bonnes choses, mais c’est dispersé dans l’album en entier, ce qui fait qu’aucune toune est vraiment excellente.
I found the lyrics, although interesting, to be too doomsday-ish, pretentious, and a bit too terse (Susan's House, Flower, Guest List . . . etc.) This album left me seeking songs that are more positive-in-a-profound-way. Favorite track: Rags to Rags
Kinda boring rock would not listen to again but not bad
Ja känner att de finns int rikit makten å känslan i musiken här för att de allvarliga ämnena ska kunnas tas på allvar… tbh!
Låter som att det inspirerade ett visst LUM album men det här är inte alls lika bra.
2.5/5
I liked the song from Shrek. Other than that it's pretty boring music, honestly.
2, I like but not as much as other stuff
First time really listening to Eels. I feel like maybe I would of enjoyed it more if I have a past connection to it. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it.
Eh. 5/10
Beautiful Freak is just okay, radio paint-by-numbers soft indie rock. Vocals are compelling, rest is meh, 2/5.
Don't actually have a huge amount to write about that one. Opening track is good, but goes a bit beige after that. Not unpleasant to listen to, but in no way memorable. Could have waited until after my death. 2/5.
Listened to on 3/31/22 1.5/2 Favorite song: your lucky day in hell Absolutely not - I’m worried for all of their mental wellbeings
Just flat out odd and depressing.
Hmh, hetkittäin ihan kaunista kitarointia, mutta aika vaisua menoa keskimäärin. Ottaen huomioon, kuinka kovia indie-levyjä ysärillä ja nollarin alussa tehtiin, on tän listan valinnat kyseisestä genrestä ollut tähän asti ihan kummallisia.
Hmm, tää levy oli tullu mulla jo kertaalleen eli ilmeisesti tää ryhmä sekoittelee uudelleen näitä mulla jo tulleita levyjä. No, tän suhteen on kyllä kääntynyt mielipide aika voimakkaasti kun on kuunnellut enemmän näitä levyjä. Aika laiskaa eikä juurikaan puhuttele tämmönen "cool" apatia, joten 2/5.
Not sure why but not the biggest Eeels fan
Nothing here for me to grab on to. Nothing stands out. Dull.
Forgettable.
Wel lekker alternatief zweverig sfeertje maar niet echt herluisterbaar
Best Song: Susan's House. Down-earth lyrics that don't tread so heavily on cliché ideas. Worst Song: Beautiful Freak. Cheesy and massively overplayed lyrics. I think the writer thought the juxtaposition of "beautiful" and "freak" was a lot more unique and poetic than it is. Overall: Sounds like the soundtrack to a movie I wouldn't like. Feels as though the music derives its whole purpose from believing it is counter-culture.
Ja, richtig, diese Kritiker Darlings gab es auch noch. Anfangs ganz schön catchy, aber nach 2 Songs sind die Strukturen doch zu einfach gezimmert. Indie Rock halt zu einer Ben Folds/Beck‘schen Post-Crossover Zeit ehe Neues von Dandy Warhols oder Grandaddy den 90er ins neue Jahrtausend verhalfen. Die letzten beißen auch Super Furry Animals’ Golden Retriever. 2.3
Hat mich schon bei Erscheinen nicht sonderlich interessiert.
Wasn't crazy about this one -- a little too indie for me I think. Almost sounded like Wilco but I didn't find as many songs I loved. Cool cample of that Gladys Knight song that Atmosphere samples -- and I didn't hate the two songs at the end.
Sounds a bit like Soul Coughing making a Babybird album, but without being quite as good as either.
Like it for the first minute and a half, then meh.
Novocaine for the soul is a classic 90s slacker tune - and definitely the highlight of the album.
Pues está entre masomenos a chafon ... Cómo llego a la lista?
Another one I've never heard of - album cover is creepy. It's indie rock, first song vaguely familiar but that could mean nothing, it's suuuuper generic alternative rock. I kept thinking the next song was gonna be going the distance by cake. 2/5.
Life is hard and so is this guy
4/10 eh
The album has a juxtaposition with the dark lyrics and melodic instrumentals and chorus’. The chorus’ seem too repetitive. The album has a sense where it’s easy to listen to but it’s hard to enjoy. 5.6/10
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Susan's House, Your Lucky Day in Hell Cutting Edge: Flower, Guest List Overall Notes: Very mellow indie rock. Some of the lyrics are fun and cute, others are just odd. Not really my thing.
Meh. One or two good tracks.
Thought it was alright. I could hear glimpses of music I like but not enough. No song got above a three.
2.5 Everything was just kinda alright... Better that System of a Down because I could actually finish it
Feels like a 90s emo album. Nothing to write home about. Novocaine For The Soul really only hit.
Ok, a few good songs
I remember the opening track. Brings me back to when I first started driving. Mostly forgettable.
Grungy/rock, Nirvana feels Its good, but not amazing. Will need to listen to again.
La pochette est pas seulement moche, elle est aussi carrément dérangeante. Les instrumentales sont diversifiées mais semblent toutes assez moroses et neutres. Le son a globalement assez vieilli je pense. Les chansons sont assez répétitives, ce qui amplifie la morosité. Mais si on ne rentre pas dans la chanson ca rend l’écoute longue. La voix du chanteur y est pour bcp. Globalement l’écriture ne m’impressionne pas, c’est très littéralement « le monde est méchant ». On a quand même des tentatives musicales éparses dans les morceaux, qui captent l’attention, et l’album se tient en 45 min, c’est loin d’être le pire. Quand même je souligne : le chanteur parolier a 33 ans quand l’album sort, c’est impensable à la lecture des texte ! Parfois les paroles sont pas juste immatures mais juste mauvaises et énervantes, elles gâchent des chansons potentiellement sympas (Guest list ?). D’habitude je peux très bien écouter un album sans porter particulièrement attention aux paroles mais là c’est carrément distrayant. Et pour finir car ça ne suffisait pas de commencer par ça : c’est quoi cette pochette infâme, avec le titre « beautiful freak » à côté : eurk
Like Beck but more uncomfortable.
Blast from the past. Remember it being a bit better if I’m honest.
I wanted to like this so much, but it was too grungy for me. Kinda bummed me out to listen to it, and I felt like I couldn't relate to the content at all.
No like
A tough one to judge. Pleasant enough but not much caught my attention, even after two listens. Sounds more like the work of a solo artist than a band. I liked Mental. I would have given this a higher mark, but I didn't like to title track, especially the lyrics.
Je débuterais en me plaignant de la voix du chanteur, ark. Les pianos, banjos, et autres sont souvent wack. Je l’évite, la maison de Suzan, n’y aller c’est pourri, beautifull freak Je lévite, not ready yet, c’était bon
Nope
Not terrible, just not for me.