Beautiful Freak

Performer: Eels
Engineer: E; Jim Jacobsen; Jon Brion; Mark Goldenberg; Matt Thorne; Amir Derakh
Producer: E; Michael Simpson; Jon Brion; Mark Goldenberg
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Eels: E (vocals, guitar, Wurlitzer, Theremin); Tommy (vocals, bass); Butch (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: Mark Goldenberg (guitar, keyboards); Jon Brion (guitar, trombone, Chamberlin); Jim Jacobsen (keyboards, loops). Personnel: E (vocals, guitar, piano, Wurlitzer organ); Butch Norton (vocals, drums); Tommy Walter (vocals); Jon Brion (guitar, trombone, chamberlin); Mark Goldenberg (guitar, keyboards); Jim Jacobsen (keyboards, loops). Audio Mixers: Michael Simpson; Billy Kinsley; Rob Seifert. Photographer: Ann Giordano. With his band Eels, the one-lettered pop wiz known as E expands on both his name and his dark, baroque vision. Eels are like your precocious teenaged brother, brimming with talent, discontent and alienation. Their musical aptitude is ingratiating enough to mitigate their gen-X sad-sack persona. The trio employs a variety of sonic strategies, including hip-hop beats, spoken narratives, orchestral touches and choral voices, to round out a tart, twisted version of guitar-based alternative rock. Not a band likely to be found on the sunny side of the street, Eels spin tale after tale of disaffection and existential ennui. Even a love song like the title track revolves around the concept that the object of the narrator's affection is desirable mostly because she's just as much a misfit as he is. "Guest List" presupposes God's disregard for the singer with an almost anticipatory glee. Eels' ace in the hole is their pop smarts, which are up to the task of contrasting their bleak outlook with immediately arresting melodies and arrangements. The gestalt of these two elements makes BEAUTIFUL FREAK an original and spellbinding recording.

Rolling Stone (12/26/96, pp.196-198) - "...E sings with a gruff, throaty vulnerability that is far preferable to the irritating weediness of Weezer's Rivers Cuomo....BEAUTIFUL FREAK has a spare, tight-focus sound that flatters E's low-key melodies...and his keen eye for absurdist detail..." Entertainment Weekly (10/11/96, p.92) - "The Eels' postgrunge pop melodies and quirky, intelligent production make for catchy modern rock that's miles ahead of the competition..." - Rating: B Q (12/96, p.147) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...Imagine Beck's ODELAY rhythms, The Beatles' songwriting maturity, Sparklehorse's simple production, Brian Wilson's visionary editing and arrangements and you have a complete musical vision, a genre-spanning soundscape that reels you in with its myriad hooks..." Melody Maker (12/20-27/97, pp.66-67) - Ranked #43 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year." NME (Magazine) (12/20-27/97, pp.78-79) - Ranked #33 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.

Singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett started out under the moniker A Man Called E, releasing two albums of dark, melodic pop in the early 1990s. After forming Eels and signing to a new label, Everett's work became even darker, and the production became more textural and sophisticated. Aside from a quirky, experimental 2003 effort under the name MC Honky, Everett has continued to refine his emotionally uncompromising, skillfully crafted vision with Eels, often to great critical acclaim if not stunning sales.

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