Eels: The saddest story in rock music

[Brighton TID]

Also check out the documentary he made called Parallel Worlds Parallel Lives

I saw that. They reckon his father was a genius, up there with Einstein. The Parallel Worlds Theory is supposedly a really important 'discovery'

 

[Narrowing the Field]

Excellent band but I was unaware of the full hard luck of his family. In someway it has contributed to his great songwriting but still tough for the man......

 

[tinx]

O would recommend their live with strings album some of their best songs performed with a string orchestra absolutely brilliant. Been one of my fac bands for years.

 

[NMH]

Eels frontman Mark ‘E’ Everett must have the saddest life story in rock:

1. His father Hugh was a mathematician and quantum theorist, notable for formulating the Parallel Universes Theory in 1957. At the time, his theory was dismissed and he worked on military and industrial mathematics. Hugh was a distant father and an alcoholic. He died of a heart attack on July 19, 1982 with E discovering his body at home.

2. His sister, Elizabeth, long troubled by schizophrenia, committed suicide in 1996.

3. In 1998, his mother died of lung cancer.

4. His cousin, Jennifer Lewis was a flight attendant on the plane that struck The Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Following the death of his mother, Eels released their album ‘Electro-Shock Blues’. A lot of the music is about death and funerals but don’t be put off. It is morbid but also brililant (one of my top 5 albums of all time). All of his other work is brilliant aswell –check out Daisys of the Galaxy and Blinking Lights.

Fave Eels song: Old Shit/New Shit

I find this diatribe sordid and approaching disgusting.
People die, so??

1. E lost his Dad? SO WHAT.
His old man thought of a possibility that cannot and has not been proved, and makes no difference to my life. It was doubted at the time perhaps so they could fund more important work than "parallel universes" Tragic? I don't think so.
(Before anyone tells me the intricate details of parallel universes that prove me wrong in this, it means nothing to this overall point)

2. His sis was mental and topped herself. Okay, so this isn't great - but she did herself in, she wasn't blighted by MS or cancer or TB or whatever.
People die, it's not making me cry for 'E' that his family suffered a loss, many of us do.

3. My Mum died. My Dad died. I will, eventually, die. However, I will not be drama-queening over some 'C-list' popstar because his family are dying like...humans often do.

4. By degrees of separation, I imagine some family members or friends have been snuffed in tragic circumstances. Because the 9/11 terror was awful, and because someone I used to not know at all well but liked chatting with on the internet died in one of the towers I am saddened. 'E's cousinly relation hardly contributes "the saddest story in whatever profession" though does it, really?

That The Eels may have made a decent record is nice and I appreciate that you like them - but for "the saddest story in pop" I'd suggest you get a grip - there must be thousands of such common stories.

(Tim Buckley's widow/mother of Jeff Buckley, for instance).

 

[NMH]

http://www.8notes.com/biographies/orbison.asp

Scroll down to 'Tragedies' and consider too that he died at merely 52 years of age

 

[Don Quixote]

What about John Lennon? He had a bad life and he got shot when he was 40.

 

[NMH]

What about John Lennon? He had a bad life and he got shot when he was 40.

Yes, and he was deserted by his father at a very young age.
er...a bit like Julian Lennon, by odd coincidence.

 

[Smithy]

Yes, and he was deserted by his father at a very young age.
er...a bit like Julian Lennon, by odd coincidence.

The story of Jackson C Frank (cult folk artist) is pretty tragic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_C._Frank

 

[Franks Wild Years]

NMH, Mr Saxondale, get a grip.
Mark Everetts story is a sad story of loss. No more or no less sad than many others, just sad. And, like many others who have experienced such loss, his stoicism is admirable. Thats all.

 

[Don Quixote]

Yes, and he was deserted by his father at a very young age.
er...a bit like Julian Lennon, by odd coincidence.

It was all he knew.

 

[Fungus]

Woody Guthrie's life story is up there with the saddest. Almost everyone in his family dies in a fire, or of Huntington's disease. That's apart from the 30's depression and dust-bowl, and abandoning various wives and kids.

Book by Joe Klein is worth reading: Woody Guthrie: a Life: Amazon.co.uk: Joe Klein: Books

 

[NMH]

NMH, Mr Saxondale, get a grip.
Mark Everetts story is a sad story of loss. No more or no less sad than many others, just sad. And, like many others who have experienced such loss, his stoicism is admirable. Thats all.

Well, I just don't know how he, or most people on this Earth, can carry on under such circumstances. He, and everyone else who has to live, deserves a big medal and everything

 

[Brighton TID]

I find this diatribe sordid and approaching disgusting.
People die, so.


3. My Mum died. My Dad died. I will, eventually, die. However, I will not be drama-queening over some 'C-list' popstar because his family are dying like...humans do

).

With respect, not sure that you have written f***ing brilliant music on the back of your personal sadness. Think you may have missed the point.

 

[NMH]

With respect, not sure that you have written f***ing brilliant music on the back of your personal sadness. Think you may have missed the point.

I have done a lot of stuff "on the back of personal sadness" actually, but your point isn't hard to miss - it's just not tragedy enough for me to respect 'E' and my point is that you are reaching to find some varieties of pathos for this 'poor mug' from a pop band.
I'm more amazed about early bluesmen who suffered indignities, ill health, bad treatment and torn families yet managed to get out some great music despite it all and before they died in poverty.
There are others too, who have endured many rigours of living and record music.
Lack of recognition for their fathers would be a bit of a giggle for many of them, and death of a cousin a manageable aside to their own personal lives.

 

[BeepBeepImaJeep]

his parents died of natural causes and his sister committed suicide? not sure how that's a big deal?

he makes good music, though.

 

[NMH]

his parents died of natural causes and his sister committed suicide? not sure how that's a big deal?

he makes good music, though.

How can you be so heartless?
You ought to be banned...... Hiney see to it, would you?

 

[rcf0712]

I find this diatribe sordid and approaching disgusting.
People die, so??

1. E lost his Dad? SO WHAT.
His old man thought of a possibility that cannot and has not been proved, and makes no difference to my life. It was doubted at the time perhaps so they could fund more important work than "parallel universes" Tragic? I don't think so.
(Before anyone tells me the intricate details of parallel universes that prove me wrong in this, it means nothing to this overall point)

2. His sis was mental and topped herself. Okay, so this isn't great - but she did herself in, she wasn't blighted by MS or cancer or TB or whatever.
People die, it's not making me cry for 'E' that his family suffered a loss, many of us do.

3. My Mum died. My Dad died. I will, eventually, die. However, I will not be drama-queening over some 'C-list' popstar because his family are dying like...humans often do.

4. By degrees of separation, I imagine some family members or friends have been snuffed in tragic circumstances. Because the 9/11 terror was awful, and because someone I used to not know at all well but liked chatting with on the internet died in one of the towers I am saddened. 'E's cousinly relation hardly contributes "the saddest story in whatever profession" though does it, really?

That The Eels may have made a decent record is nice and I appreciate that you like them - but for "the saddest story in pop" I'd suggest you get a grip - there must be thousands of such common stories.

(Tim Buckley's widow/mother of Jeff Buckley, for instance).

oh the humanity.....

 

[Buzzer]

I find this diatribe sordid and approaching disgusting.
People die, so??

1. E lost his Dad? SO WHAT.
His old man thought of a possibility that cannot and has not been proved, and makes no difference to my life. It was doubted at the time perhaps so they could fund more important work than "parallel universes" Tragic? I don't think so.
(Before anyone tells me the intricate details of parallel universes that prove me wrong in this, it means nothing to this overall point)

2. His sis was mental and topped herself. Okay, so this isn't great - but she did herself in, she wasn't blighted by MS or cancer or TB or whatever.
People die, it's not making me cry for 'E' that his family suffered a loss, many of us do.

3. My Mum died. My Dad died. I will, eventually, die. However, I will not be drama-queening over some 'C-list' popstar because his family are dying like...humans often do.

4. By degrees of separation, I imagine some family members or friends have been snuffed in tragic circumstances. Because the 9/11 terror was awful, and because someone I used to not know at all well but liked chatting with on the internet died in one of the towers I am saddened. 'E's cousinly relation hardly contributes "the saddest story in whatever profession" though does it, really?

That The Eels may have made a decent record is nice and I appreciate that you like them - but for "the saddest story in pop" I'd suggest you get a grip - there must be thousands of such common stories.

(Tim Buckley's widow/mother of Jeff Buckley, for instance).

Definition of diatribe: A thunderous verbal attack. The only diatribe here is the above quoted post.

The point being made by many people and completely lost on you it would seem, is that quite clearly personal tragedy has shaped the musical career of Mr E. In itself, of course his own troubles have nothing to do with you but if you're a fan of his music or you can find a song by him life-affirming/moving/whatever then yes, it does make some difference to your life.

Your comments about his sister killing herself "isn't great....but at least she didn't have cancer". Wow, I'm not sure what bearing this has on your argument but that's as crass and as stupid a comment as I've ever read from you - and there's been many.

Your standard response to anything seems to be that the other person is drama-queening. In this case, I'd respectfully suggest that the only person camping it up to high drama is yourself.

 

[NMH]

Definition of diatribe: A thunderous verbal attack. The only diatribe here is the above quoted post.

The point being made by many people and completely lost on you it would seem, is that quite clearly personal tragedy has shaped the musical career of Mr E. In itself, of course his own troubles have nothing to do with you but if you're a fan of his music or you can find a song by him life-affirming/moving/whatever then yes, it does make some difference to your life.

Your comments about his sister killing herself "isn't great....but at least she didn't have cancer". Wow, I'm not sure what bearing this has on your argument but that's as crass and as stupid a comment as I've ever read from you - and there's been many.

Your standard response to anything seems to be that the other person is drama-queening. In this case, I'd respectfully suggest that the only person camping it up to high drama is yourself.

I don't need to even read your rubbish opinions ponce, you HAVE to join in with the anti-NMH sentiment, especially since I didn't take your poor-hurt-boy side in 'Hat-gate'.
You seriously weak person, but keep trying the 'ner ne ner ner' playground attitude, you won't get over it anytime soon I can rely on that

 

[Buzzer]

Hat-gate again? You're obsessed, you sad little man. Time to move on. We all have.