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Eels: The saddest story in rock music



Brighton TID

New member
Jul 24, 2005
1,741
Horsham
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
 






Braders

Abi Fletchers Gimpboy
Jul 15, 2003
29,224
Brighton, United Kingdom
I think I knew 2 & 4 :(

could be a good thread for those who aren't aware of the Eels

for me it's about this
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CHAPPERS

DISCO SPENG
Jul 5, 2003
45,096
Playing Brixton in September (1st I think). Great band.

Favourite song is probably this

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deletebeepbeepbeep

Well-known member
May 12, 2009
21,801
I remember listening to Eels and playing Theme Hospital when I was a kid and it was FAB but not it seems rather macabre.
 






Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Roy Orbison could probably run him close. Wife killed by being hit by a vehicle whilst on the back of Orbison's motorbike. Both kids killed in a house fire, amongst other things.
 






Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,419
Location Location
Gloria: "My mother died when I was six. My father raped me when I was twelve".
Arthur: "So, you had six relatively good years then ?".
 




vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,273
He does have a slightly negative outlook in most of his songs, even the happy ones have some deep,dark undertones.

I like, Novocaine For the Soul, Trouble With Dreams among many others..... The Look You Give That Guy is a cracker too.
 




Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
Novocaine for the Soul is a great track.

Susan's House is lovely, I like Birds from Daisies of the Galaxy and the very uplifting Mr E's Beautiful Blues are my personal faves.

The most difficult album was Electro-Shock Blues which really is painful to listen to. Cancer for the Cure, Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor etc etc tough tunes and fair play to E for dealing with his issues like this.

Great musician.
 




rcf0712

Out Here In The Perimeter
Feb 26, 2009
2,428
Perth, Western Australia
Sad indeed, have you heard the first album he released this year in January? The track Mother was possiblythe most depressing thing he's ever done, ever.
Last year's Poco Loco however was an awsome album, one of my top 3 of 2009 - Fresh Blood, The Look You Give That Guy and Prizefighter are 3 of may favourite Eels tracks ever.
 


Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 24, 2007
10,658
Arundel
Sorry but the band has just lost a whole heap of credibility ... I really like this stuff!
 




rcf0712

Out Here In The Perimeter
Feb 26, 2009
2,428
Perth, Western Australia
Saw them at Reading touring Beautiful Freak back in the day, they rocked out back then.....
 


He wrote a book called 'Things the grandchildren should know' which documents his life. Sounds a bit morbid you say, but in fact it's one of the most life affirming things I've read and I have nothing but the utmost of respect for him for the way he's dealt with all the shit he's been thrown.
Saw them last year in Oxford and it was bloody great.
Also check out the documentary he made called Parallel Worlds Parallel Lives, about his father.

Anyone going to see them on tour in September ?
 


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