Sixteen Tons of Eels
Written: Aug 09 '05 (Updated Aug 10 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Entertaining, sparse, great raw performances...
Cons: Not the best Eels and not for new listeners...
The Bottom Line: Everett can do no wrong with this fangirl--Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs) is more proof of E's immense talent.
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| lambchops's Full Review: Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs) - Eels Movies |
Mark Everett is a master in the art of modern pop. In no uncertain terms he knows how to write, perform, and make audiences enjoy music. Strange, though, is the fact that still most people don’t really get him. Sure he’s an unpredictable singer-songwriter—that’s a bit of what in the end makes him so excellent.
Everett is also known by the pseudonym The Eels. That’s right, “The Eels” are not a band. They are actually a guy, and that guy is the outrageous and fabulous E or Mark Oliver Everett. His biggest hit came when Dreamworks still thought it necessary to sell him has a band. Novocaine for the Soul was, like many listeners, my introduction to E’s music. At this juncture, I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even bother to follow-up for years following Beautiful Freak (1996). I don’t know what I was thinking.
Since making his debut as The Eels, Everett has carved out quite a niche. Indie rock fans love him, quirky rock fans adore him, and pop fans can even find solace in his hip tracks. What the singer-songwriter does so well is to combine unlikely emotions with even more unlikely instruments into a tidy and appealing package. He makes me feel at home yet uncomfortable. It’s a truly astounding mix. While it was his first Eels album that gave Everett the most commercial success, he has done so much since to cement his place in history. From Electro-Shock Blues to Daisies of the Galaxy and from Shootenanny to the most recent Blinking Lights and Other Revelations he’s a man who can do no wrong.
What impresses me even more still about Everett is that he sounds great live. This fact comes across both in concert and on his live limited edition releases. Thus far fans have been gifted with Electro-Shock Blues Show and Oh What a Beautiful Morning. Both are incredible. Most recently Everett released Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs). The impromptu recording was created for a 2003 broadcast of KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. In early 2005, the songs became available on iTunes. Fans must have shown a great deal of interest because soon thereafter it was available exclusively through The Eels official website. It now rests comfortably in my own personal collection of nearly 30 of Everett’s singles, live releases, solo releases, and studio releases. Oh yes—I’m a fangirl.
Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs) is a curious little album. It collects new recordings of Eels classics, covers, and a few from the then-new Shootenanny. It’s brief but is full of so much goodness fans will cherish it. As with all musical rarities, it’s not for new listeners. If you’re new to The Eels I still suggest starting with either Electro-Shock Blues or Daisies of the Galaxy. Despite my adoration for this release and its impeccable quality, I obviously can only recommend it to existing fans.
The Beatles (Lennon/McCartney) track I’m a Loser kicks things off. While of course not one of Everett’s originals, he still manages to do something with the well known track. Hip and chipper it fits into the general Eels “loser” repertoire. He turns it into a kicky, vaguely country rock track. Even though I love the song, I do think it is somewhat pale in comparison to my Eels favorites here. Packing Blankets is just the beginning of those. The acoustic sparkle works well with the pop track. Similar, Saturday Morning is lovely. The original was an uptempo song. It’s still very upbeat in this interpretation, but the slowed pace makes me focus more on the lyrics which is refreshing.
Glimmers of acoustic genius can also be felt with live favorite Lone Wolf. The bittersweet song of self-acceptance and realization works perfectly in this low key context. Numbered Days is a sparse, emotional song. What is most striking is that Everett can carry the whole thing with his gruff, uneasy voice. It is his voice that time and time draws me in to the whimsical web. It is Last Stop: This Town that proves to be one of the most striking songs. Stripped of its sound effects and weird instruments it is a gorgeous song. Everett’s voice soars. My least favorite song on Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs) is really outstanding in the original upbeat arrangement. Here it just doesn’t go anywhere and loses the purpose. Still, anything from The Eels is better than the vast majority of popular music.
The final trio of songs kicks off with classic novelty truckin’ song Sixteen Tons. E often performed this track during his Tour of Duty in support of Shootenanny. It’s not outstanding nor can I say I’ve ever really enjoyed the original, but it’s still a fine enough song here. However, listeners will find the slight bit of patience it takes to get to the last two songs is worth it. Grace Kelly Blues is easily one of my favorite Eels songs. Catchy lyrics, a great melody, and Everett’s carefree delivery help to make it something special. I most appreciate the low-key production values and how they prove that E is both a master performer and songwriter.
My Beloved Monster is another Eels classic. Everything is tremendous about the performances from the vocals to the instruments (the heaviest electric guitars of the whole album); there are few songs that are more representative of E’s music. It never fails to make me smile—especially this line:
My beloved monster and me
We go everywhere together
Wearin’ a raincoat that has four sleeves
Gets us through all nasty weather
Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs) may have its flaws, but E still captures my imagination. There’s something special about the way he weaves in emotion though at the same time is dejected and detached. His energy (however dark) is impossible to ignore and on this 10-track live recording his talent really shines through. Eels fans rejoice—we’ve been given yet another reason to fall in love all over again.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. I’m a Loser
02. Packing Blankets
03. Saturday Morning
04. Lone Wolf
05. Numbered Days
06. Last Stop: This Town
07. Rock Hard Times
08. Sixteen Tons
09. Grace Kelly Blues
10. My Beloved Monster
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Related Reviews:
A Man Called E (1992)
Broken Toy Shop (1993)
Beautiful Freak (1996)
Electro-Shock Blues (1998)
Daisies of the Galaxy (2000)
Oh What a Beautiful Morning (2000)
Souljacker (2001)
Shootenanny! (2003)
Mark Oliver Everett - Levity Original Score (2003)
MC Honky - I Am the Messiah (2003)
Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (2005)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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