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Eels — Rags To Rags
Album: Beautiful Freak
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1643









Released: 1996
Length: 3:44
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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There's a spider crawling
On the bathroom mirror
Right on top of my right eye
And I can't stop staring back
How did I get this way?
Take a big look at a living lie

Rags to rags and rust to rust
How do you stand when you've been crushed?
So rags to riches was a bust

Sometimes I dream about it
What it's like back home
The railroad tracks and the pussy willow
But I had to leave it
And I go back
Whenever my tired head hits the pillow

Rags to rags and rust to rust
How do you stand when you've been crushed
So rags to riches was a bust

Busted once again
But I'll show them one day
That I can buy and sell the world

And one day I'll come through
My American dream
But it won't mean a fuckin' thing

Rags to rags and rust to rust
How do you stand when you've been crushed?
So rags to rags and rust to rust
Don't let me go
Rags to rags and rust to rust
Don't let me go
Rags to rags and rust to rust
Don't let me go
Comments (127)add comment
 SchoepTone wrote:

Always love me some Eels. A great live act if you ever get the chance.




Among the best live acts.
Posted 8 months ago by barrio    [ Reply ]
Yes! Thanks for switching to the unedited version.
Posted 1 year ago by nutrod42    [ Reply ]
 Lazarus wrote:

Everybody in my churches loves this song...

this version of the song is edited for sanitized commercial radio...  the version on the original CD is different...  the original says—

And one day I'll come through my American dream.
But it won't mean a fucking thing.





Kudos to RP for making it right as I just heard the full unsanitized version!
Posted 1 year ago by ROXYGOMAR    [ Reply ]
 Sofa_King wrote:



That doesn't make fucking sense - in the Eels song 'Novocaine for the Soul' which is also regularly played here the swear word isn't censored in the verse:

Guess, who's living here
With the great undead
This paint by numbers life
Is fucking with my head, once again

Same band, one song is censored, one isn't. What the fuck.

It may simply depend on what version of a particular song was uploaded, though I don't know all the avenues RP has to get the songs they play.
Posted 2 years ago by dwhayslett    [ Reply ]
I love that outrageous Cars-like guitar-jam in there! So glad I got to see E be E! Loved the documentary Parallel Worlds, too. Thanks, RP
Posted 2 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
 SquiddlyDiddly wrote:

Maybe it is because of the fucking swear words?




That doesn't make fucking sense - in the Eels song 'Novocaine for the Soul' which is also regularly played here the swear word isn't censored in the verse:

Guess, who's living here
With the great undead
This paint by numbers life
Is fucking with my head, once again

Same band, one song is censored, one isn't. What the fuck.
Posted 2 years ago by Sofa_King    [ Reply ]
Always love me some Eels. A great live act if you ever get the chance.
Posted 3 years ago by SchoepTone    [ Reply ]
 brian5 wrote:
Love it, but does it belong on mellow mix?
 
Mellow is by definition a relative state of being. I'm not listening the the Mellow Mix though.
Posted 4 years ago by bam23    [ Reply ]
Superb track but the Surgeon General has been let loose with the lyrical scalpel?
Posted 4 years ago by Eclectic_Ears    [ Reply ]
God, forgotten all about those guys. Thanks for the reminder, RP!
Posted 4 years ago by jrial    [ Reply ]
La pochette est vraiment belle
Posted 4 years ago by RIP    [ Reply ]
Aha eels.  I used to catch em and sell em for 2 shillings to an old man in the country near us in the early 1960s. He used to regularly spit on the floor (wooden) in the dining room and his wife would scold him. Gently.  Ah the good old days. Great track by the way
Posted 4 years ago by murr69st335    [ Reply ]
What's with spiders and eyes? Besides this, there's Cat Stevens' "Into White" with a spider dancing on his eye. 
Posted 4 years ago by Carl    [ Reply ]
 nutrod42 wrote:

Yeah, what's up with that?
 

Is it still the case that these tracks are ones uploaded by listeners and chosen for inclusion in the play list by Rebecca? Should we blame the listener or Rebecca? Would we have this if either had decided "should or shouldn't" and second guessed?  The choice might have been between the edited version vs nothing, right?
Posted 4 years ago by petesoper    [ Reply ]
Love it, but does it belong on mellow mix?
Posted 4 years ago by brian5    [ Reply ]
haha yes Bill that is a strange album cover Why do little girls give the most horror effect? 😱
Posted 5 years ago by Michaeljcovel    [ Reply ]
This is one great album
Posted 5 years ago by rabaak    [ Reply ]
 AskAlice wrote:
Radio edit {#Grumpy}

 
Yeah, what's up with that?
Posted 8 years ago by nutrod42    [ Reply ]
 you can switch out you want?{#Bananajam}
DrLex wrote:

Indeed, quite disappointing…

 


Posted 8 years ago by fincachato    [ Reply ]
 AskAlice wrote:
Radio edit {#Grumpy}

 
Indeed, quite disappointing…
Posted 9 years ago by DrLex    [ Reply ]
Radio edit {#Grumpy}
Posted 9 years ago by AskAlice    [ Reply ]
 Lazarus wrote:

Everybody in my churches loves this song...

this version of the song is edited for sanitized commercial radio...  the version on the original CD is different...  the original says—

And one day I'll come through my American dream.
But it won't mean a fucking thing.



 
Yes, best line in the song - but at least there's a gap in there, where you can shout out "But it won't mean a fucking thing" 
Posted 10 years ago by bb_matt    [ Reply ]

Everybody in my churches loves this song...

this version of the song is edited for sanitized commercial radio...  the version on the original CD is different...  the original says—

And one day I'll come through my American dream.
But it won't mean a fucking thing.


Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
Sounds R eel good
Posted 11 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]
I concur, this is a great CD.
Posted 12 years ago by rabaak    [ Reply ]
dig it
Posted 12 years ago by neuticle    [ Reply ]
For the first couple of seconds, this sounds like Fleetwood Mac.  After that, not so much...
Posted 12 years ago by IrieTom    [ Reply ]
 GT66 wrote:
The censored version? Really?
 
Bill and Rebecca work with what they receive (no censorship on their part, from what I understand.) If someone has an uncensored version, submit it for consideration! I'm always up for having a profanity used so often that it loses its shock-value...


Posted 13 years ago by Cynaera    [ Reply ]
I'm ashamed I haven't heard this before now. Good stuff.
Posted 13 years ago by estprophet22    [ Reply ]
and one day i'll come through my american dream
but it won't mean a f-ing thing

Every time RP plays this I miss the profanity. It just adds to the song.
Posted 13 years ago by jpdribbler    [ Reply ]
 GT66 wrote:
The censored version? Really?
 
Maybe it is because of the fucking swear words?

Posted 13 years ago by SquiddlyDiddly    [ Reply ]
The censored version? Really?
Posted 13 years ago by GT66    [ Reply ]
Like this one but the album cover shot is a tad off-putting.

Posted 14 years ago by Carl    [ Reply ]
One of my all-time favorite tunes. 
Posted 14 years ago by rabaak    [ Reply ]
7 {#Arrowu} 8

Posted 14 years ago by a_genuine_find    [ Reply ]
Eels Eels Eels Eels Eels Eels
Eels up inside ya
Finding an entrance where they can
Eels Eels Eels Eels Eels Eels

Eels

Posted 14 years ago by CamLwalk    [ Reply ]
One of the Eels better tunes.{#Clap}
Posted 14 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
Love the Eels!!!! Not to bad for sushi as well.

Posted 15 years ago by leathepea    [ Reply ]
I think it's great that his dad is a genius...and so is he in his own way!
Posted 15 years ago by coolpeople_rule    [ Reply ]
 Excelsior wrote:
I've discovered better groups in the $1 bargain bin at used CD stores.
  

So, I guess that the fact that you've given a 1 to almost 25% of the songs you rate on RP means that you're not a "glass half full" kinda guy, huh?
Posted 15 years ago by Danimal174    [ Reply ]
I dislike when these types of comments always appear, but I think the vocalist sounds like the vocalist from Murder By Death. Interesting...

Posted 15 years ago by MonkeysInaBucket    [ Reply ]
I've discovered better groups in the $1 bargain bin at used CD stores.
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
romeotuma wrote:

Lotsa good 90's tunes today...

I was just thinking the same thing...great set too!!

Posted 16 years ago by archipunk    [ Reply ]
jesus and his lawyer are coming back
Posted 16 years ago by lophrequa    [ Reply ]
{#No}
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
hobiejoe wrote:
Absolutely. Though I'd rather the silence than be Bowdlerised to become '...a freakin thing'. I've said it before - if you're going to swear then bloody well do it properly.
Amen to that!
Posted 16 years ago by Danimal174    [ Reply ]
Chinju wrote:
I don't know why it irks me so, but I'd really like to see this replaced with a non-censored version ("but it don't mean... a fucking thing")
Then it's time for you or someone else with a decent uncensored copy to upload it.
Posted 16 years ago by Ag3nt0rang3    [ Reply ]
I don't know why it irks me so, but I'd really like to see this replaced with a non-censored version ("but it don't mean... a fucking thing")
Posted 16 years ago by Chinju    [ Reply ]
heh - he said
Posted 16 years ago by out_to_lunch    [ Reply ]
Great stuff! The album as a whole is a bit depressive, but very beautiful 9
Posted 16 years ago by ulibcn    [ Reply ]
superfido wrote:
Misunderstanding that is, sorry I'm an alien
beautiful freak, what a sublime tune, LOVE IT!
Posted 16 years ago by tricolour77    [ Reply ]
Misunderstanding that is, sorry I'm an alien
Posted 16 years ago by superfido    [ Reply ]
Ye! This is very much an missunderstanding of like the Jellyfish...90 ths
Posted 16 years ago by superfido    [ Reply ]
bcorcoran wrote:
They edited out an important line in this song. After they say "And it won't mean (pause)" "A f***in' thing."
Not cool! Let the music play..... Did RP censor John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" too?
Posted 16 years ago by FluorideFreeMN    [ Reply ]
bcorcoran wrote:
They edited out an important line in this song. After they say "And it won't mean (pause)" "A f***in' thing."
Ha! I missed that line too! Is this a special radio(paradise)-version?
Posted 16 years ago by daodot    [ Reply ]
Dopefinger wrote:
This album gets better as the years go by. A blissful melancholic coma of sound, perfect for the rainy days of your life.
I second that. Although admittedly quite dark, it's difficult for me to imagine burning out on this album (unlike much of what I listened to in the 90's...)
Posted 17 years ago by velvetglove    [ Reply ]
vladbad wrote:
Bellissima canzone, come tutto l'album del resto. V.
You like calzones? Me too! Been an e fan since the beginning...love me the eels as well. Quite likeable, esp. with that fuzzy guitar.
Posted 17 years ago by Roverfish    [ Reply ]
djinnthespazz wrote:
Anybody else hear 'Tusk' at the beginning of this song?
Damn straight until the guitar starts.
Posted 17 years ago by Marr    [ Reply ]
They edited out an important line in this song. After they say "And it won't mean (pause)" "A f***in' thing."
Posted 17 years ago by bcorcoran    [ Reply ]
Ah, college memories. Just happens that today in Austin is rainy and gray - perfect for this album.
Posted 17 years ago by MissAmy    [ Reply ]
djinnthespazz wrote:
Anybody else hear 'Tusk' at the beginning of this song?
um-wow! NOPE!!! Given the opening lines, might be interesting to follow w/BORIS THE SPIDER; just 'cause it ha spider in the lyrics
Posted 17 years ago by buckskin    [ Reply ]
djinnthespazz wrote:
Anybody else hear 'Tusk' at the beginning of this song?
When the guitar riff kicks in, it sounds more like Midnight Oil
Posted 17 years ago by CatInTheHat    [ Reply ]
djinnthespazz wrote:
Anybody else hear 'Tusk' at the beginning of this song?
Absolutely.
Posted 17 years ago by ploafmaster    [ Reply ]
Anybody else hear 'Tusk' at the beginning of this song?
Posted 17 years ago by djinnthespazz    [ Reply ]
This album gets better as the years go by. A blissful melancholic coma of sound, perfect for the rainy days of your life.
Posted 17 years ago by Dopefinger    [ Reply ]
DrLex wrote:
Aaahhh... censored lyrics... sudden vacuum in the music... my ears, it hurts!
Absolutely. Though I'd rather the silence than be Bowdlerised to become '...a freakin thing'. I've said it before - if you're going to swear then bloody well do it properly.
Posted 18 years ago by hobiejoe    [ Reply ]
meloman wrote:
I hear it, too. I think there's another song on this album that's very similar. Evidently not enough originality to fill an entire CD. Or maybe it's another CD of theirs. Who knows? Who cares? Another band that'll be forgotten in ten years.
it's already been 10 years. i think they'd be doing pretty well to have a fanbase for 20 years!
Posted 18 years ago by optimusprime10    [ Reply ]
Bellissima canzone, come tutto l'album del resto. V.
Posted 18 years ago by vladbad    [ Reply ]
jlind wrote:
Why do these chords sound so familar?
I hear it, too. I think there's another song on this album that's very similar. Evidently not enough originality to fill an entire CD. Or maybe it's another CD of theirs. Who knows? Who cares? Another band that'll be forgotten in ten years.
Posted 18 years ago by meloman    [ Reply ]
there are like 5 tracks on this album that make me go "oh, this one is my favorite" this is one of them.
Posted 18 years ago by ziggytrix    [ Reply ]
yeah, i'm diggin' it
Posted 18 years ago by miamizsun    [ Reply ]
can take it or leave it,but its ok!! good lyrics but still has too much of the generic grunge sound.
Posted 18 years ago by xs9095    [ Reply ]
If anyone thinks this reminds them of something, you may have heard the Eels before...they do a song on the Shrek soundtrack. They have a distinctive sound.
Posted 18 years ago by Wolf825    [ Reply ]
Gotta love this tune...and the ablum. Perfectly formed in every way. This guy can really write tunes and lyrics that really pull you in. I love the poppy-ness of it, tinged with a dark sarcastic edge...This was the soundtrack to my life 13-16. Many thanks for playing it.
Posted 18 years ago by NewNoise    [ Reply ]
Why do these chords sound so familar?
Posted 18 years ago by jlind    [ Reply ]
Aaahhh... censored lyrics... sudden vacuum in the music... my ears, it hurts!
Posted 18 years ago by DrLex    [ Reply ]
thewiseking wrote:
gotta love the eels, but that album cover is gonna give me nightmares
When I first saw it, I thought there's my next RP av. And so it shall be.
Posted 18 years ago by zipper    [ Reply ]
I'm terribly sorry but I just think this dirge supports the point of view of those who believe that US society needs help.
Posted 18 years ago by stornoway    [ Reply ]
From discussion I have heard on similar songs with *bleeps* or 'dead air' I have the impression Bill is bound only by the version that may have been uploaded. I also have the impression Bill would just as soon have the non-edited version of songs. Dunno 4 sho. KevinM wrote:
I've heard this on RP now a couple dozen times and I just noticed that.
Posted 18 years ago by MojoJojo    [ Reply ]
.. a fuckin' thing.
Posted 18 years ago by jeffhtuner    [ Reply ]
bajafisher wrote:
Yeahhhh, were gonna need you to move your bandwith down to the basement. and leave the swingline stapler!!
But I didn't get any cake ...
Posted 18 years ago by kazuma    [ Reply ]
Lostfreight wrote:
I've seen the Eels twice live. "E" himself is an amazing, quirky, idiosyncratic performer who just writes great music. I've have most of his albums, but never could bring myself to buy this one. I have to agree with others: the cover is just too creepy.
One of his most accesable albums though...
Posted 18 years ago by lunar1963    [ Reply ]
I've seen the Eels twice live. "E" himself is an amazing, quirky, idiosyncratic performer who just writes great music. I've have most of his albums, but never could bring myself to buy this one. I have to agree with others: the cover is just too creepy.
Posted 18 years ago by Lostfreight    [ Reply ]
softjeans wrote:
Amen. I like the band, but I don't think I could buy that record.
You have no idea what you're missing.
Posted 18 years ago by DrLex    [ Reply ]
Correct me if I am wrong, but this sounds like a censored version. I own this album, and E sings distinctly 'it doesn't mean a fucking thing' in one of the verses. In this version I heard a rather clumsy edit that supressed the last three words of the verse. Not that I am particularly fond of the 'F' word, but I think that this kind of 'edited radio versions' are demeaning to the artist's work. You can either like the song or not, but playing an edited version for mass consumption is not in the line of what I expect from RP.
Posted 18 years ago by shevek    [ Reply ]
thewiseking wrote:
gotta love the eels, but that album cover is gonna give me nightmares
Amen. I like the band, but I don't think I could buy that record.
Posted 18 years ago by softjeans    [ Reply ]
The Eels are COOL!
Posted 18 years ago by pousso    [ Reply ]
biafra77 wrote:
OH MY GOOOAD ! ! ! that's it. i will never ever ... .... goodbye
I think this guy is talking about the wrong song and probably also the wrong band. This song is excellent, as is the entire album.
Posted 19 years ago by DrLex    [ Reply ]
gotta love the eels, but that album cover is gonna give me nightmares
Posted 19 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
bajafisher wrote:
Yeahhhh, were gonna need you to move your bandwith down to the basement. and leave the swingline stapler!!
Posted 19 years ago by yashpheh    [ Reply ]
stevebeaver wrote:
You're a dope.
i think he's ON dope. some good stuff. meanwhile, i'm still trying and wanting to like the eels, but i'm not there yet. .................. ..................
Posted 19 years ago by bluedot    [ Reply ]
biafra77 wrote:
OH MY GOOOAD ! ! ! that's it. i will never ever listen to Radio Paradise again. i cannot believe you played this...this...i don't know what to call it. you did it on purpose i know, just to get rid of me consuming your bandwidth. well you succeeded. this...corporate music industry degenerate embodyment of capitalistic manipulative social engineering project that represents everything that is evil in music today...can't believe you played it after you played The Clash, Ani DiFranco, Police, J.J.Cale, Morcheeba, Santana, Costello,... it's against everything you stand for... IT IS TERRIBLE ! goodbye
Yeahhhh, were gonna need you to move your bandwith down to the basement. and leave the swingline stapler!!
Posted 19 years ago by bajafisher    [ Reply ]
biafra77 wrote:
OH MY GOOOAD ! ! ! that's it. i will never ever listen to Radio Paradise again. i cannot believe you played this...this...i don't know what to call it. you did it on purpose i know, just to get rid of me consuming your bandwidth. well you succeeded. this...corporate music industry degenerate embodyment of capitalistic manipulative social engineering project that represents everything that is evil in music today...can't believe you played it after you played The Clash, Ani DiFranco, Police, J.J.Cale, Morcheeba, Santana, Costello,... it's against everything you stand for... IT IS TERRIBLE ! goodbye
I fully support your choice. Now, can I have your bandwidth?
Posted 19 years ago by jadewahoo    [ Reply ]
biafra77 wrote:
OH MY GOOOAD ! ! ! that's it. i will never ever listen to Radio Paradise again. i cannot believe you played this...this...i don't know what to call it. you did it on purpose i know, just to get rid of me consuming your bandwidth. well you succeeded. this...corporate music industry degenerate embodyment of capitalistic manipulative social engineering project that represents everything that is evil in music today...can't believe you played it after you played The Clash, Ani DiFranco, Police, J.J.Cale, Morcheeba, Santana, Costello,... it's against everything you stand for... IT IS TERRIBLE ! goodbye
You're a dope.
Posted 19 years ago by stevebeaver    [ Reply ]
WonderLizard wrote:
Everett's first discs, "A Man Called (E)" and "Broken Toy Shop" (highly recommended) came out in 1992 and '93 respectively. Beck's "Mellow Gold" in '94. Theft is such a pejorative term--let's say it was in the air. They and Damon "Badly Drawn Boy" Gough are the reigning kings of one-guy-alone-in-the-studio. I don't think any of them has penned a bad note...
E lived in Beck's old house for a while. Beck left a piano in there and E was determind to write a song using it and put it on his album. It's on DAiSIES OF THE GALAXY I don't have my copy handy so I don't remember the title but it's the one that goes "Litte field mouse living under the house..." I read this a while ago on the eels web site, or maybe in the liner notes, or maybe in a dream.
Posted 19 years ago by stevebeaver    [ Reply ]
MsfStl wrote:
(click here) There you go. I too got turned onto the Eels here at RP. I can't ever figure out if the sound was stolen from Beck or vice versa. Either way I like it a lot! (pimp)
Everett's first discs, "A Man Called (E)" and "Broken Toy Shop" (highly recommended) came out in 1992 and '93 respectively. Beck's "Mellow Gold" in '94. Theft is such a pejorative term--let's say it was in the air. They and Damon "Badly Drawn Boy" Gough are the reigning kings of one-guy-alone-in-the-studio. I don't think any of them has penned a bad note...
Posted 19 years ago by WonderLizard    [ Reply ]
I've been a fan of E since he debuted in '92, and have very much enjoyed following the Eels success and new sound. I definitely recommend his early stuff if you like them.
Posted 19 years ago by Roverfish    [ Reply ]
jbwiv wrote:
Hmm...dead air when he says "an f'ing thing"...is this a censored version?!? Surely RP wouldn't take part in that.
I've heard this on RP now a couple dozen times and I just noticed that.
Posted 20 years ago by KevinM    [ Reply ]
Solid work from a solid band.
Posted 20 years ago by MikeWC    [ Reply ]
Oakjefferson wrote:
if you don't like the eels, you don't like music
if you don't like the Eels you don't like The Eels would be more like it. Personally I like the Eels
Posted 20 years ago by stubbsz    [ Reply ]
The Eels are all that!
Posted 20 years ago by mig7    [ Reply ]
if you don't like the eels, you don't like music
Posted 20 years ago by Oakjefferson    [ Reply ]
https://www.eelstheband.com/
Posted 21 years ago by blkstd    [ Reply ]
catmaven wrote:
Me neither. Intriguing. They sound more rough-hewn than commercially slick, to me. A bit repetitive in the way that young fledgling bands like the Beatles tend to sound, but somehow I like the song anyhow. Would somebody please post a URL link to their history?? :D
(click here) There you go. I too got turned onto the Eels here at RP. I can't ever figure out if the sound was stolen from Beck or vice versa. Either way I like it a lot! (pimp)
Posted 21 years ago by MsfStl    [ Reply ]
Cool album... For more info on Eels follow the AMG link above...
Posted 21 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
bmarti wrote:
Very cool. Shows how hip I am -- I've never heard of these guys. doh!
Me neither. Intriguing. They sound more rough-hewn than commercially slick, to me. A bit repetitive in the way that young fledgling bands like the Beatles tend to sound, but somehow I like the song anyhow. Would somebody please post a URL link to their history?? :D
Posted 21 years ago by rKokon    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by ScottFromWyoming: Don't sweat it, Bill. I happened to be visiting in LA when this album was in the charts. It was in fact being shoved down their throats.
I am from the LA area and have been for quite some time and I NEVER heard of the Eels except on RP.
Posted 21 years ago by KevinM    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by biafra77: OH MY GOOOAD ! ! ! that's it. i will never ever listen to Radio Paradise again. i cannot believe you played this...this...i don't know what to call it. you did it on purpose i know, just to get rid of me consuming your bandwidth. well you succeeded. this...corporate music industry degenerate embodyment of capitalistic manipulative social engineering project that represents everything that is evil in music today...can't believe you played it after you played The Clash, Ani DiFranco, Police, J.J.Cale, Morcheeba, Santana, Costello,... it's against everything you stand for... IT IS TERRIBLE ! goodbye
Right. Okay. Seeya! P.S. Fill me in here--who is "GOOOAD"?
Posted 21 years ago by rgj13    [ Reply ]
Hey, I really like this but what happened to \"...a fucking thing.\"
Posted 21 years ago by missjanuary    [ Reply ]
If you don't own this album...buy it. Marketing blitz or not, this is an absolute jewel in my collection. Just a spectacular album. Hmm...dead air when he says "an f'ing thing"...is this a censored version?!? Surely RP wouldn't take part in that.
Posted 21 years ago by jbwiv    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by BillG: Hmmm... you may not like the Eels (somehow I get the impression that you don't) but this is a far cry from the soul-free crud pumped out by the corporate "star-maker machinery" (to quote Joni Mitchell). -bg
Don't sweat it, Bill. I happened to be visiting in LA when this album was in the charts. It was in fact being shoved down their throats. I think LA people get a raw deal sometimes. Instead of being allowed to "discover" talent on their own, they're told what's cool. The idea is that if LA buys into the act, then the rest of the nation will follow. Often this tactic backfires when independent thinkers refuse to buy or listen to an artist because the marketing leads them to believe the artist is inconsequential. The rapid burnout prevents these people from ever actually "hearing" the music. Then the act fizzles and has to go it alone, without significant "buzz". I personally have never heard Eels anywhere but LA and Radio Paradise. I also observed this phenomenon with Joan Osborne. I believe both these artists would have more widespread sales and respect if the marketing geniuses had not been so bombastic. Hm. Took me 3 songs to write that. Duh.
Posted 21 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]
Just thought of another one man band that, to me, is making much stronger music - he\'s more current too - than Eels: Badly Drawn Boy. How about \"All Possibilities\", \"You Were Right\", \"Have You Fed The Fish?\", \"Silent Sigh\", \"Born Again\" among others? FWIW, BDB also garners greatly enthusiastic raves from the music critics.
Posted 21 years ago by mperry    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by biafra77: this...corporate music industry degenerate embodyment of capitalistic manipulative social engineering project that represents everything that is evil in music today...can't believe you played it after you played The Clash, Ani DiFranco, Police, J.J.Cale, Morcheeba, Santana, Costello,...
Hmmm... you may not like the Eels (somehow I get the impression that you don't) but this is a far cry from the soul-free crud pumped out by the corporate "star-maker machinery" (to quote Joni Mitchell). -bg
Posted 21 years ago by William    [ Reply ]
Whenever I hear Eels, it makes wish instead to hear World Party, another (and, to me, better) one-man band.
Posted 22 years ago by mperry    [ Reply ]
oh thank you thank you thank you....definitely more more more eels please!!
Posted 22 years ago by mlsully7    [ Reply ]