Customer Reviews

Broken Toy Shop

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have listened to this whole album through a few times, and after hearing A Man Called (E), I wasn't surprised at the good quality of this one. E has a very real sense of originality to his songs...when hearing them, it's almost as if he didn't even try to play good, it just came out that way. Standout tracks are Manchester Girl, Shine It All On, A Most Unpleasant Man (the best track, in my opinion), My Old Raincoat, and The Only Thing I Care About, and although all the other tracks are good as well, some just don't measure up to the others. But I must say that I do like "A Man Called (E)" a bit more than this one, but that's the thing - a BIT more. Broken Toy Shop is a great buy and an even better listen - if you like anything EELS have put out, this one's a good record to add to your collection...quite impressive.

This is E' s first of 2 cds. He is rock, not soft or hard rock, just inbetween. The tunes will get stuck in your head and you'll be playing the disk over and over. E is now a member of the Eel's. These are his solo albums. For an Eels fan or someone looking for a good rock album, this is the one.

A man called e and Abroken toyshop are profoundly astonishing and origanal albums. Following are three more adversly fantastic epics - Beautiful Freak, electro shock blues & daisys for the galixy making up an altogether complete collection. Phase by phase of E's Life is remarkably reflected throught your musical collection of one of the most origanal and alive artists of today.

I see many reviewers talking about how this isn't as good as the Eels works, but I think it's just as good! As much as I like A Man Called E, I'd say that this is far better, much more internal and more rockin'. E has been a consistently remarkable artist for many years now and this overlooked gem is not one to pass up, with original, distinctive music and heartfelt lyrics that you can't get anywhere else.

Mystery artist E's second full-length CD slipped out without much fanfare. His later releases with the Eels attracted some Modern Rock radio attention, but this one just fell through the cracks.

Which is a shame, because it picks up nicely where his debut ("A Man Called (E)") left off. Very smooth pop music with a great producer's touch. Production is co-handled by E and Michael Koppleman this time. Last LP's producer, Parthenon Huxley, can still be found on most of the tracks. E himself is about 2/3 of a one-man band, filling out each track with a bass player or drummer. The nice thing, though, is that it doesn't sound like a one-man band, it sounds like a band.

I tend to think of Todd Rundgren when I listen to E's discs. Not so much because I think they sound like Rundgren's, but because there is a similar sense of sophistication to the arrangements and playing. E manages to infuse a lot of his songs with a sense of meloncholy that is rare in pop music.

Another solid outing.

While some of the tracks on this release are better than others, it remains well-balanced, with no shortage of good music.

"Shine It All On" is great radio fare (whether it got the airplay it deserved or not), and "The Day I Wrote You Off" is a surprisingly well-written and potentially tear-jerking number that alone would make the CD worth buying.

The other tracks round out the CD nicely, including "L.A. River," which is a great toe-tapper.

While not quite up to par with E's eels work, this CD isn't bad. Songs such as "Manchester Girl," "A Most Unpleasant Man," "My Old Raincoat," and "Permanent Broken Heart" really foreshadow the lyrical style of the eels. Also, that depressing yet somehow still upbeat style found in such eels classics as "Novacain for the Soul" and "Mr.E's Beautiful Blues" can be found in Shine It All On" and "LA River." "The Only Thing I Care About" is also a particulary catchy tune. My only complaint isn't with the lyrics, but rather with the sorta cheesy early 90's Gin Blossoms-esque music found in many of the songs. I still must recommend this for fans of the eels or even those who are interested in them and don't know where to start.

You mast try buying something from eels or Mr E, they are really good, and if you like eels you will enjoy this cd, is just a little better than "A man called E"...

After listening to A Man Called E and the three Eels CDs, I was expecting a bit more out of this E offering. Don't get me wrong, it is a good album... some of the tracks are very good listening, with very strong lyrics. My favorites are The Only Thing I Care About, LA River, A Most Unpleasant Man (the highlight of the album), Someone to Break the Spell, and My Old Raincoat. However, many of the tracks don't really stand out at all... the music is too dismal and the lyrics too bland. Shine It All On, Standing At the Gate, Mass, She Loves a Puppet, and Eight Lives Left were especially disappointing. So while the album's good tracks are very enjoyable, the bad tracks detract from the experience significantly when you compare this album as a whole to other E/Eels stuff. I'd recommend A Man Called E and either of the first 2 Eels albums far more than I'd recommend this.

E yet again amazed me with this one. He is great, and he can shine it all on anytime with me, cause he is sooooooooo damn great!!!!! "The Day I Wrote You Off" rocks!!!!!!!