Customer Reviews

Daisies of the Galaxy

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Once in a while, maybe more so for some people such as myself, it feels great to get away from the pop chart junk, settle down on the road or in your bedroom, and give a listen to one of those brilliant, obscure groups that are too honest to be molded into an MTV mainstay. For their third studio effort, the beautifully bummed-out Eels return with their most subdued, yet no less melodic set of songs.

Like 1998's Electro Shock Blues, this album shows lead singer, E, tending towards quieter, folkish tunes like Grace Kelly Blues and Packing Blankets, with some more aggressive tracks like "The Sound of Fear." Then there are beauties such as "I Like Birds" that will inevitably have listeners waving their heads around, nodding to the hypnotic harmony.

This album is happier than its predecessors, the brilliant debut album and Electro Shock Blues, which focused on the recent deaths of people in E's life. That does not necessarily mean that this is a happy album. E may feel as if he has failed if any Eels album is labeled "happy." Like the editorial review says above, E is feeling OK. Just...OK.

Eels fans have no excuse to neglect this album, and with its comfortable melodies and lyrics stuffed with vivid imagery and real-life emotion, Daisies of the Galaxy will certainly calm the mood of anyone, Eels fan or not. No, it won't win album of the year on TV, but it may win album of the year in the hearts of many who give it a listen or two. That's what counts.

Yes, artists as Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and TLC rule the business with their ridiculous, always-the-same melodies and fony singing and stupidious text. These days, when you look at MTV, don't you just have to puke?

Slightly better are groups as Korn, Limp Bizkit and Methods of Mayhem who bring "cool" music, displayed in "cool" clips. But I say that these bands are more concerned about image and short-term satisfaction. Nothing to say about their skills to play instruments, those are great. They fill one part in my body: the music to hear when you want to rock, easy-listening tunes.

Why this long opening, you think? Because this CD of Eels (who have been put in my selection of top musicians by now), which was already availa- ble in Belgium in February, goes back to the nature of music. Beautiful melodies, simple but strong texts and you have to admit, E's voice may not be a beautiful voice, it's very pleasant to listen to his singing.

Also the guest musicians (like Peter Buck from R.E.M.)are top notch. From the great openener (Grace Kelly' Blues), to the emotional numbers (Daisies of the Galaxy and, the best song, Jeannie's Diary) and more happy and cool tunes (The Sound of Fear, Flyswatter and Tiger in my Tank), every song is most enjoyable (also the great bonus-single Mr. E's Beautiful Blues) and you will return to them over and over again. You will lay this CD in your player more then you realize and I think many will find this music more satisfying than other so-called "great" bands.

In my opinion, you can't buy wrong with this CD. The cover is also in the spirit of the CD itself: sweet, gentle, nice, beautiful and enjoyable. A great difference with their prequel Elektro-Shock Blues. One of the best CD's of 2000 already!

Oh, I can't wait for their 4th offering!

Daisies of the Galaxy is the third album released by the underated Eels. After 1998's depressing masterpiece Electro-Shock Blues this one is being touted as a "sunny pop" album. Although there are some happy songs on here the album will not lift your spirits like you'd expect.

"The Sound of Fear" is the first truly classic song on the album. It's typical of the album as it has a more upbeat nature to it but at the same time incorporates depressing, sarcastic lyrics. "Flyswatter" is hooky little number that features the perfect line "headlights, field-mice, spiders in the kitchen/ don't think twice about whatever keeps you itching." Daisies' single ""Mr E's Beautiful Blues" is the best track on here but is tucked away quietly at the end as a b-side. Sarcasm runs through it as E repeats "goddamned right it's a beautiful day" over a breezy tune with wonderful pretty harmonies.

All of the tracks on "Daisies" are good in there own way. "Grace Kelly Blues", "Jeannie's Diary", "Wooden Nickels" and "A Daisy Through Concrete" are all lovely introspective tracks that make the album far more solemn than it appeared. "It's a Mother----" and "Selective Memory" are among the most depressing songs E has ever penned.

Without a doubt "Daisies" is still a change of pace for the Eels. The songs are, in most cases, the most upbeat that they've ever done. That feeling of sarcasm and misery still lingers on this album so don't be expecting "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" for 45 minutes. END

One of those intriguing albums that makes you wonder how you missed it when it first came out. Ambitious and clever, full of wry sardonic tunes. Another reviewer described the music as breaking and "quivering with emotional instability," and that sums up the moody melodic tension perfectly.

Despite the sarcastic / bittersweet feel to most of the disc, the final cut "Mr Es Beautiful Blues" is one of the most optimistically melodic post-depressive songs I've ever gotten stuck in my head. God-damn right, its beautiful day.

Bonus: The band's alter ego, MC Honky (http://www.eelstheband.com/honkycontent.html), put out the retro tune "Sonnet no. 3 (Like  A Duck)." The video is way beyond amusing. http://www.eelstheband.com/likeaduck.mpeg

I must be one of the few people in the world to have found the last Eels c.d. 'Electro Shock Blues' just a little too depressing to enjoy.However on this the latest c.d. from Mr. E and Butch I've found myself feeling far happier!The songs may still be quite (lyrically) melancholy but they are supported by some of the best musical arrangements I've heard in a long time.After listening to the whole album you find there is a real feel good factor to the c.d.The first two songs are accompanied by beautiful,gentle horns and great back up musicians in the shape of Peter Buck and Grant Lee Philips.They drift along in a gentle laid back way and set the tone for the entire c.d.'I Like Birds' is a delightfully 'wacky' song,very much akin to the music of They Might Be Giants.Track 7 'It's A M......' is the most haunting,heart-broken song I've heard in a long time.Lyrically it captures the emotions and thoughts of normal people in a way the Whitney's,Britney's of this world would find impossible.'Jeannie's Diary'has not only a radio friendly tune but lyrics which give a brilliant insight to the inner thoughts of Mr. E.Finally the last track 'Mr. E's Beautiful Blues'-okay it may sound a bit too like Beck but it's still a great tune,cheerfully played-but filled with killer irony about all that's not great in this world.If you are looking for loud raucous guitars,tunes of break-neck speed go elsewhere-but if you are feeling in the need of a moments relaxation put this c.d. on and feel any stress or anxiety dissappear.

The driving force behind the Eels, is a man known simply as "E" (aka Mark Oliver Everett). For "Daisies of the Galaxy" he is joined by Peter Buck of REM fame, and many others. The album tells funny stories, speaks of sincere emotions of love and the fear of rejection ("Jeannie's Diary"), happiness ("A Daisy Through Concrete"), sadness, and all with a sardonic sense of humor. E is the first artist I've ever heard to rhyme "bird" with "turd" or make me feel sad for lonely truck drivers "truck driven' the black night away, waiting for the light of day". He's also the first artist to make a song ("Flyswatter") that is musically just spooky. The song just sounds spooky, and it's lyrics are very angry, but too difficult to figure out. One of 2000's hidden gems that is worth taking a look at.

This is probably Eels' most listenable album so far, a collection of surprisingly upbeat tunes that rarely lapses into the bleak offerings of the previous recordings. This is the Eels album you can pop on the cd player when you have people round and not have to fast forward half the tracks. Unlike Beautiful Freak or Electro-Shock Blues, both of which take time to appreciate fully, I loved this record almost immediately. There is ample evidence on 'Daisies' that Eels maintain the gift for churning out the catchiest pop melodies around, even if they choose to really let loose only occasionally. The unorthodox Mr E and friends continue to delight far more than they infuriate.

E and Butch return in eels' third album, and the songs are as beautiful and haunting as ever. Wonderfully different, yet reminiscent, of eels' first two albums, Daisies of the Galaxy reflects E's happy side -- or at least, happier than we have seen him in the past. From the haunting, Descent into Madness-like "Sound of Fear" to the beautiful, hidden song, "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues", Daisies acts as a compliment to eels' second album, Electro-Shock Blues. Where E-S B was desolate and dark, Daisies is hopuful and bright---but not too bright, still reflecting E's sadness and brilliance in the depressing-song department. In E's own words: "If Beautiful Freak was our wake-up call to the world, then Electro- shock Blues was the phone call in the middle of the night that the world doesn't want to answer, and Daisies of the Galaxy is the hotel wake-up call that says your lovely breakfast is ready." I look forward to many more excellent albums by these two in the future.

Well where do the Eels go?I'm sure that's what Eels frontman(and band itself)E found himself saying.How do you follow an album such as "Electro Shock Blues"when the album starts with a song of his parted friend lying on the bathroom floor dying...What did E do?Sure he could have moved into the Tate-LaBianca house(ala Trent Rezner), but instead it sounds as if he decided to just move on... So now we have the album "Daiseys of the Galaxy", and from the sound of it,it's pretty good;as a matter of fact,it's very pretty,but no too pretty.In this,his (their) third effort(fifth,counting the first two solo efforts),E finds himself exclaiming: "goddamn right it's a beautiful day!", and that in itself may best explain this album .It's as if E's letting us know he's okay(as exclaimed on track 1),but that he hasn't lost his edge.One other thing that's enjoyable about this album,like the two prior albums,is the orchestration,be it though an actual symphony, or through the moogs,organs,and various intrumentation which is quite pleasant.Not many bands this side of the atlantic seem to want to use anything other than guitars or samples,which is probably why their success overseas is greater than here in the states...but that's another discussion. All in all though,it's a fine effort and worth picking up,it's a shame that America seems to be drifting away from good music that's original and different ,such as this Eels album,instead veering

toward boybands and "gagsta"rap.Otherwise this album might have sold more than the fifty or sixty thousand coppies it'll probably sell.Oh well,hopefully the european tour will be nice...

I must start off by saying, " I love the Eels." I have all but one of their albums, which will be remedied soon.

I am partial to this CD. It's deceptively simple in its orchestration. It's subtle but powerful. I could go on and on, but what's the point?

It's unfortunate that this band never got its day in the spotlight. Sure, " Novocaine for my Soul," off their " Beautiful Freak" CD, is the song that turned me on to this band and did have some commercial air-play; but, as great as that song is, the Eels offer so much more.

This CD is unique. In many ways, its apparent simplicity is what smacks you silly.

This band is worthy of many accolades. Please, if you truly are a connoisseur of music, listen to this CD and their others.

It's absolutely great stuff.