Electro-Shock Blues
Encyclopedia
Electro-Shock Blues is the second studio album by the band Eels
, released on September 21, 1998 in the United Kingdom and October 20, 1998 in the United States.
's (more commonly known as E
) sister's suicide
and his mother's terminal lung cancer
. Many of the songs deal with their decline, his response to loss, and coming to terms with suddenly becoming the only living member of his family (his father having died of a heart attack
in 1982; Everett, then 19 years old, was the first to discover his body).
Though much of the album is, on its surface, bleak, its underlying message is that of coping with some of life's most difficult occurrences. The record begins with "Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor," a sparse piece composed of one of his deceased sister's final diary
entries. Later, the album's emotional climax is reached in two tracks: "Climbing to the Moon", which draws upon E's experiences visiting his sister at a mental-health facility shortly before her death; and "Dead of Winter", a song about his mother's painful radiation treatment and slow succumbing. The album's last song, entitled "P.S. You Rock My World", is a hopeful bookend to "Elizabeth," containing subtly humorous lyrics that describe, among other things, an elderly woman at a gas station honking her car at E, incorrectly assuming he is the attendant, and E's decision that "maybe it's time to live."
According to the Eels official website, the song "Baby Genius" is about E's father, Dr. Hugh Everett III
, a quantum physicist who authored the Many Worlds Theory
. "Baby Genius" has, as the basis for its melody, the carol "O Sanctissima".
, the wicked satire of Randy Newman
and the soul-baring intensity of John Lennon
." http://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/B00000DF6N
However, fans of the band's heavily promoted hit single ("Novocaine For the Soul") taken from its more pop-friendly first album Beautiful Freak
seemed to be put off by Bluess sound and lyrics, sprinkled as they are with phrases such as "radiation sore throat got your tongue" and "they put the flower on the box / that's holding all the sand that was once you", due to which the album sold considerably less than Beautiful Freak.
The record has, though, gained cult status with fans, and is lauded by many to be the best album the Eels have recorded to date. In a 2004 re-review, Dom Passantino of Stylus Magazine
included an endnote in which he called Electro-Shock Blues "the greatest album ever put together" and that to disagree or be ignorant of this made the reader an "idiot." http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/eels-electro-shock-blues.htm
, Lisa Germano
, Grant Lee Phillips, and Jon Brion
.
In addition to CD and cassette
releases, Electro-Shock Blues was also offered on vinyl. This version included two 10" 33 RPM discs on see-through blue vinyl, limited to a small pressing.
"Cancer for the Cure
" was also featured in the soundtrack to the 1999 film, American Beauty.
The Daniel Johnston
song "Living Life" was played often on the Electro-Shock Blues tour, eventually seeing a studio release in 2004 on the tribute compilation Discovered Covered - The Late Great Daniel Johnston.
except where noted
Additional musicians
Production
Eels (band)
Eels is an American indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E...
, released on September 21, 1998 in the United Kingdom and October 20, 1998 in the United States.
Background and inspiration
Electro-Shock Blues was written largely in response to frontman Mark Oliver EverettMark Oliver Everett
Mark Oliver Everett is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and sometime drummer of the independent rock band Eels...
's (more commonly known as E
Mark Oliver Everett
Mark Oliver Everett is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and sometime drummer of the independent rock band Eels...
) sister's suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and his mother's terminal lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. Many of the songs deal with their decline, his response to loss, and coming to terms with suddenly becoming the only living member of his family (his father having died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1982; Everett, then 19 years old, was the first to discover his body).
Though much of the album is, on its surface, bleak, its underlying message is that of coping with some of life's most difficult occurrences. The record begins with "Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor," a sparse piece composed of one of his deceased sister's final diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
entries. Later, the album's emotional climax is reached in two tracks: "Climbing to the Moon", which draws upon E's experiences visiting his sister at a mental-health facility shortly before her death; and "Dead of Winter", a song about his mother's painful radiation treatment and slow succumbing. The album's last song, entitled "P.S. You Rock My World", is a hopeful bookend to "Elizabeth," containing subtly humorous lyrics that describe, among other things, an elderly woman at a gas station honking her car at E, incorrectly assuming he is the attendant, and E's decision that "maybe it's time to live."
According to the Eels official website, the song "Baby Genius" is about E's father, Dr. Hugh Everett III
Hugh Everett
Hugh Everett III was an American physicist who first proposed the many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics, which he termed his "relative state" formulation....
, a quantum physicist who authored the Many Worlds Theory
Many-worlds interpretation
The many-worlds interpretation is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts the objective reality of the universal wavefunction, but denies the actuality of wavefunction collapse. Many-worlds implies that all possible alternative histories and futures are real, each representing an...
. "Baby Genius" has, as the basis for its melody, the carol "O Sanctissima".
Critical and commercial response
The album was received very well by critics, gaining 4.5 (out of 5) stars from Allmusic []. The Los Angeles Times called Electro-Shock Blues "a brilliant work that combines often conflicting emotions so skillfully that you are reminded at times of the childhood innocence of Brian WilsonBrian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, the wicked satire of Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
and the soul-baring intensity of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
." http://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/B00000DF6N
However, fans of the band's heavily promoted hit single ("Novocaine For the Soul") taken from its more pop-friendly first album Beautiful Freak
Beautiful Freak
Beautiful Freak is a 1996 album by musician Mark Oliver Everett, his first using a full band and the name Eels...
seemed to be put off by Bluess sound and lyrics, sprinkled as they are with phrases such as "radiation sore throat got your tongue" and "they put the flower on the box / that's holding all the sand that was once you", due to which the album sold considerably less than Beautiful Freak.
The record has, though, gained cult status with fans, and is lauded by many to be the best album the Eels have recorded to date. In a 2004 re-review, Dom Passantino of Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
included an endnote in which he called Electro-Shock Blues "the greatest album ever put together" and that to disagree or be ignorant of this made the reader an "idiot." http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/eels-electro-shock-blues.htm
Lineup and other information
At the time of the album's recording, the only official Eels members were E himself and drummer Butch Norton, as Tommy Walter had left the band. Therefore, the recording features guest appearances by T-Bone BurnettT-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
, Lisa Germano
Lisa Germano
Lisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...
, Grant Lee Phillips, and Jon Brion
Jon Brion
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
.
In addition to CD and cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
releases, Electro-Shock Blues was also offered on vinyl. This version included two 10" 33 RPM discs on see-through blue vinyl, limited to a small pressing.
"Cancer for the Cure
Cancer for the Cure
"Cancer for the Cure" is a single released by American rock band, Eels. This tracks comes off their 1998 album, Electro-Shock Blues. It also features in the soundtrack to the 1999 film, American Beauty...
" was also featured in the soundtrack to the 1999 film, American Beauty.
The Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
song "Living Life" was played often on the Electro-Shock Blues tour, eventually seeing a studio release in 2004 on the tribute compilation Discovered Covered - The Late Great Daniel Johnston.
Track listing
All songs written by E (Mark Oliver Everett)Mark Oliver Everett
Mark Oliver Everett is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and sometime drummer of the independent rock band Eels...
except where noted
- "Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor" – 2:08
- "Going to Your Funeral Part I" (E, Jim Jacobsen, and Parthenon HuxleyParthenon HuxleyParthenon Huxley is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer who is known for his solo albums and for his involvement in ELO Part II and The Orchestra, both of which are latter-day offshoots of the 1970s-80s orchestral rock band Electric Light Orchestra...
) – 2:37 - "Cancer for the CureCancer for the Cure"Cancer for the Cure" is a single released by American rock band, Eels. This tracks comes off their 1998 album, Electro-Shock Blues. It also features in the soundtrack to the 1999 film, American Beauty...
" (E and Mickey PetraliaMickey Petralia (producer)Mickey Petralia is a producer, engineer, mixer represented by Next Wave Management. Mickey produced all of the music on the Grammy winning, Emmy nominated hit HBO series Flight of the Conchords-Selected discography:...
) – 4:46 - "My Descent Into Madness" (E, Paul Houston, Dan NakamuraDan the AutomatorDaniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
, and Michael Simpson) – 3:54 - "3 Speed" – 2:45
- "Hospital Food" (Butch, E, and Jim Lang) – 3:23
- "Electro-Shock Blues" (E and Petralia) – 2:29
- "Efils' God" (E and Simpson) – 3:19
- "Going to Your Funeral Part II" (E and Jim Jacobsen) – 1:30
- "Last Stop: This TownLast Stop: This Town"Last Stop: This Town" is a 1998 single from the album Electro-Shock Blues by Eels. The song was released commercially in Australia and the United Kingdom and as a promo only in the United States. It was produced and co-written by Michael Simpson of the Dust Brothers and Eels frontman E...
" (E and Simpson) – 3:27 - "Baby Genius" (E and Lang) – 2:04
- "Climbing to the Moon" – 3:38
- "Ant Farm" – 2:11
- "Dead of Winter" – 2:59
- "The Medication Is Wearing Off" (E and Petralia) – 3:51
- "P.S. You Rock My World" – 3:08
Personnel
Eels- EMark Oliver EverettMark Oliver Everett is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and sometime drummer of the independent rock band Eels...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Butch – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Additional musicians
- Jon BrionJon BrionJon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
– ChamberlinChamberlinThe Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by Iowa, Wisconsin inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. Various models and versions of these Chamberlin music instruments...
and organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
on "Climbing to the Moon" - T-Bone BurnettT-Bone BurnettJoseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
– danelectro-shock bass on "Climbing to the Moon" - Lisa GermanoLisa GermanoLisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
on "Ant Farm" - Parthenon HuxleyParthenon HuxleyParthenon Huxley is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer who is known for his solo albums and for his involvement in ELO Part II and The Orchestra, both of which are latter-day offshoots of the 1970s-80s orchestral rock band Electric Light Orchestra...
– guitar on "Going to Your Funeral Part I" - Jim Jacobsen – bass guitar and keyboards on "She Loved", clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
on "Going to Your Funeral Part II" - John Leftwich – upright bass on "Ant Farm" and "Dead of Winter", bowed bass on "Dead of Winter"
- Elton Jones – backing vocals on "Last Stop: This Town"
- Bill Liston – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on "Hospital Food" - Volker Masthoff – vocals on "My Descent into Madness"
- Cynthia Merrill – backwards celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
on "Efil's God" - Grant-Lee PhillipsGrant-Lee PhillipsGrant-Lee Phillips is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his versatile voice, intense lyrical narratives and dexterity on the acoustic twelve-string guitar, a style that often sees him compared to Neil Young, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.- Background :Born in...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, and backing vocals on "Climbing to the Moon" - Stuart Wylen – ½ RhodesRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
, guitar, altoAlto fluteThe alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It is the next extension downward of the C flute after the flûte d'amour. It is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range...
and bass fluteBass fluteThe bass flute is the bass member of the flute family. It is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. Because of the length of its tube , it is usually made with a "J" shaped head joint, which brings the embouchure hole within reach of the player...
s on "The Medication Is Wearing Off"
Production
- Chester BrownChester BrownChester William David Brown , is an award-winning, best-selling Canadian alternative cartoonist and, since 2008, the Libertarian Party of Canada's candidate for the riding of Trinity-Spadina in Toronto, Canada....
– illustration - Greg Collins – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Debbie Dreschler – illustration
- E – productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Hugh Everett III – illustration
- Jim Jacobsen – production, mixing, and conductingConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
- Jim Lang – mixing and conducting
- Stephen MarcussenStephen MarcussenStephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Joe MattJoe MattJoe Matt is an American cartoonist. He started drawing comics in 1987 and is best known for his autobiographical work, Peepshow. In addition to his cartooning career, he is known for his large collection of vintage Gasoline Alley comic strips. Matt lived in Canada from 1988 to 2002...
– illustration - Mickey Petralia – production and mixing
- Francesca Restrepo – art direction and design
- H. Scott Rusch – illustration
- SethSeth (cartoonist)Seth is the pen name of Gregory Gallant , a Canadian comic book artist and writer. He is best known for comics such as Palookaville.Born in Clinton, Ontario, Seth attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto...
– illustration - Michael Simpson – production
- Adrian TomineAdrian TomineAdrian Tomine , a popular contemporary cartoonist, is best known for his ongoing comic book series Optic Nerve and his periodical illustrations in The New Yorker.- Biography :...
– illustration
External links
- The Electro-Shock Blues Story -- From the Official Eels Site