Electro-Shock Blues

Eels

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 20, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dreamworks
• ASIN: B00000DF6N
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,676 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The sound of Eels' Electro-Shock Blues, the follow-up to the band's intriguing Beautiful Freak, reflects a year in which leader Mark "E" Everett suffered the loss of his sister to suicide as well as the illness of his mother and other tragedies. The music's hushed, sometimes dark sound and Everett's earnest vocals are often more convincing than his diary-entry lyrics, despite the power and daring inherent in describing illness in alt-pop settings that recall everything from hip-hop to Tom Waits. --Rickey Wright

Entertainment Weekly

Blues is oddly moving and surprisingly accessible.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shocking Blues, September 26, 2005

By	Sacco (here there and everywhere) - See all my reviews

Everyone who knows the Eels knows their frontman/leader/ect doesn't flinch from writing songs about the darker things in life. Even so this is probably the bands darkest album too date. Starting with a song about his sisters suicide and then a song about her funeral its hard to imagine a bleaker start to an album, especially when its backed by the Eels twisted alt pop. Its pretty accurate to describe 'Electro-Shock Blues' as being a concept album, all about death, depression and even the light at the end of the tunnel. In the hands of another band like Marylin Manson or Pink Floyd this might by an unbearably selfrighteous, indulgent and wallowing experience, but E has just enough off kilter humor and quirkiness to pull it off without every giving unto those tendencies. Who else could write a song about watching your world crumble around you and going insane and include line like "voices tell me I am the sh*t" as E does on 'My Descent Into Madness'.

Probably the least 'rock' of the Eels albums, 'Electro-Shock Blues' is all twisted jazz, occasional drum loops, distorted violins, and breathy vocals. Like most Eels albums its got weird nursery rhyme quality, but this time its darker and more nightmarish. Theres only one real break for a pop song in 'Last Stop: This Town' which lightens up the gloomy mood and direction the album is taking up to this point. From their it quitely builds until finally there is relief at the end with 'PS You Rock My World', which its lucky because the confessions of E are so depressing that by the end your in desperate need of relief. Its not an easy album to listen to, and take really appreciate it it needs to be listened too in full, but as E will tell you the good things in life never come easy.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The eels have me Climbing to the Moon, January 31, 2000

By	"gapskank76" (San Bruno, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is the 3rd or 4th time I have reviewed this record, and I will persist until one of my reviews gets posted. I will persist because this album is worth raving about. the eels have been compared to Soul Coughing and even Cake. I have a hard time seeing the similarities. The eels have a fresh, original sound. (Yes I said original). Sure, lead singer and songwriter E has his influences, but he brings something all his own to these songs. He has an intruiging voice, and a knack for writing a pop song that doesnt neccessarily fall on the ears as such... It took me a couple of listens to really dig my teeth into ElectorShock Blues, but It quickly became one of my favorite albums. Some might say that the lyrics are melodramatic. They might be, but this is a concept album about sickness and suffering (if you dont know, you should read up on what was going on with E before this came out). E captures the feeling of being powerless and alone perfectly. Check it out, give it a careful listen or two. You wont be sorry.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars masterpiece of sorrow, October 1, 2000

By	Kelly EC (England) - See all my reviews

"Eels" are such an over-looked band. This second album is particular beauteous. The opening song is iced and fragile- it transports you directly into an atmosphere of devastation. What follows is wave after wave of naked emotion.

Some crackin demented tracks like "Cancer for the Cure" and the stonking "Hospital Food", are balanced by delicate acustic pieces like "Climbing up to the moon" and "3 speed". The title song and "Baby genius" are brilliant momonts of pause. But the key song here is the perfectly balanced, catchy "Last stop: this town"- possibly the definitive "Eels" tune.

Yes...it's disturbing. Listen to it at night and you'll feel haunted. Especially lookin at the sleave with a child drawing of someone crying over split milk and a tomestone which reads "Sing along at home". But this makes the final track "PS you rock my world" all the more uplifting- a peaceful light at the end of an insane tunnel.