New Eels al*** arrives

Bruce do you have a copy of this yet? and if so what do you think?

I tried to order from amazon yesterday but it was listed as 'unavailable' and the price had gone upto £12.99.

Cheers

Hawk

I ordered it yesterday but waiting delivery with a couple of other items, they are quoting next week. Looks like I got lucky with the price!

Bruce

Well,it's back to 8.99 now and 24 hour delivery

Listened a few times now. Definitely more 'Electro-Shock Blues' than 'Shootenanny'. Lyrical preoccupations with death and (unhappy) families, some more upbeat stuff especially on Disc 2. Not an 'easy listen', but it does have a certain melancholic appeal. At the moment I'd rate it as more interesting than essential.

Bruce

I have just recently purchased Blinking Lights And Other Revelations and I have noted in more than one place on this forum that the impression is that it is a pretty gloomy affair. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE !!!

I would venture to suggest it is almost entirely to do with marvelling at the wonder of life or stories about people finding a positive path from dour circumstances. The lyrics never seem to veer into any notion of hopelessness. It certainly touches on the dire and negative aspects of the world we create but never seems to give into it. But within the negative it always seems to find the seeds of something good. And if things are painted as being insufferable then the theme is pretty much "stuff this, I'm off to start again".

Personally I have found this album uplifting.

I honestly think anyone thinking it is a downer has not given sufficient attention to the lyrics.

If you did get the impression it was all a bit depressing then I really do recommend giving it another whirl whilst reading the lyrics at the same time. It will be worth your while.

As it says on the album

quote:

And I was happy to be alive
In a magic world
Long days and dreaming nights
Wide eyes take in all the sights
A little wonder goes a long, long way ..

I think it is fair to say it is melancholic and introspective but I know what you mean. I do like the last track, ties up loose ends and makes you feel he has 'pulled through'. A sense of resolution with his (?abusive or just absent) father, and a brighter look to the future.

(Even 'Electro-Shock' manages to end on a positive note if I recall, although it is pretty painful getting there; 'radiation sore throat got your tongue' indeed!)

One of the more thoughtful albums of the year.

Bruce

I don't profess to be a fan of Eels although I always hold a distant fascination with anyone who consistently receives good reviews - a kind of mental note to myself to investigate at some point when nothing else seems interesting.

This year I have gone mad prior to the birth of my first born fearing that I may never buy music ever again once I become a middle-aged Dad (of course the issue is not the buying but hearing over the screaming!!!). I have bought more new music this year than for about 5 years and enjoyed just about everything bar the new Ry Cooder (the very definition of worthy and dull - even so it has a couple of good tracks).

I bought the Eels album based on reviews in Uncut, Mojo and a few papers plus his appearance on Later.

I got off to a slow start with it as it struck me that the instrumentation falsely leads you to believe the melodies are quite slight. I was also under the false impression that the second disc was the weaker and more one paced.

Now, several weeks later I find myself generally agreeing with Norman (slightly less so with Bruce although I do seem to share much of my tastes with the latter).

Blinking Lights is a teriffic double. I can't comment on it in relation to the earlier stuff but it is what might best be described as an album of fragile optimism with beautiful strong melodies allierd to low key arrangements and instrumentations. It's an album to generally listen to rather than feel but I would say it's a thing of beauty and one of those rare things - a double album that absolutely justifies its' existence.

IMHO of course.

Mike

Mike

quote:

bar the new Ry Cooder (the very definition of worthy and dull - even so it has a couple of good tracks).

Oh dear, my copy is on order. Not up to 'Talking Timbuktu/BVSC then?

Bruce

I like the Eels, however this new album I have played twice.

The songs are to sporadic and short and the recording is on the bright side of teeth explosion.

A shame.