OOR # 6 >> 18 maart > 2000

EELS

He had enough of being presented like the most miserable man in rock. So Mark Oliver Everett -
we all may say E - changed it on the third Eels-CD one stack: Daisies Of The Galaxy was going
to be a cleaned, sprightly record. 'But only for my own goodwill. If I would have go further
where Electro-Shock Blues ended, I hadn't survived it'.

by Erik van den Berg
readingtime 8'11"

'Whether I've been recognized on the street? It depends on which glasses I wear. But often I'm
not been recognized, no.' Besides E doesn't see the street much these days: to be chill between
a coupla British tv-recordings (National Lottery Saturday 25th???) and the start of the
European tour by the honour of Daisies Of The Galaxy, he found a the country nearby Hamburg
(Germany). He stays in the house of friends. 'I didn't liked to go back to L.A. in between.
Home is nothing. At least, nothing where I want to be confrontaded with.'
But even in anonymity of the German nature they know how to find E. Whether he had time to go
to Hamburg so he could talk to a dutch journalist in caddish hotel. 'But you have been lucky:
I've decided to do everything they ask me, for only one year. I'll be the yes-man in 2000,
pleased to meet you.' He bitterly smiles.

THE YES-MAN OF THE YEAR 2000 IS ANOTHER PERSON ALSO IN OTHER WAYS THAN IN TIMES OF, the last
Eels-CD. There was a thick mourningborder around Electro-Shock Blues, which had everything to
do with the familytragedie where E was involved during the recording. E's chronical depressive
sisther had commited suicide and his mother had cancer; it was just a matter of time, E knew,
before she also would die.Not a motive to cheerful music. 'It leaded to a record I had to make,
even if I knew that it would mean - espacialy in the US - commercial suicide for the Eels.
That's what happened. Such a depressing, black, sarcastic record, which Americans don't like.'
In november 1998, just after the releasing of Electro-Shock Blues and in between an American
Eels-tour, E's mother died. And 'cause his father died when E was a kid, he was suddenly the
was the only family member. 'The ultimate orphan.'
It wouldn't be surprising if the new record, where E and drummer Butch (the only other official
Eel) in 1999 began to work,would be more depressive than his predecessor. But, to cut a long
story (no don't!): It did not. 'On a sudden morning I stoot up and knew: This would be nothing.
Yes, my own end, probably. Because, how deep can you go, qua mourningproces? And how long can
you stay coming over with your image of most miserable man in rock? (Wow they are playing MEBB
on radio 3FM, right now) I changed my view I followed at the making of Electro-Shock Blues: in
stead of writing everything of me, I have taken my sad mood as my point of view and I wondered
how I could make something positive about it, something for derivation (afleiding?). Well, that
appeared to be simple: to relativate everything and to see the record as a new start. Sounds
sappy, but it worked.'
But I understood you have recorded a lot of dark songs too. Which aren't landed on the CD
eventually.
'Yes. That so-called new start didn't expressed himself in happy songs only in the beginning.
But it didn't feld right, two parts. I've putted all the rough work out of the album. The next
Eels-record must be totaly different, may be they will be useful then.'
On the first hearing, the new CD sounds like: E is going way to far with the relativating stuff
of his personal sores (?). The irony seems to be way to much, with the daisies- and
bee-paintings on the cover.
'Someone said written me, in the time of Elector-Shock Blues, that I have such a enormus
reservation towards my song-subject I bring to light. I called that total bullshit. The
opposite is true. Look, the ironic and sarcastic jokes are looking like reservation to
outsiders, but if you deal the stuff I had to deal with, the distance will be trustworthy. The
sinking in your own shit is become a routine job. And so your songs will sound.'

THERE ARE MANY ANIMALS WALKING DOWN your new CD. Songtitles like I Like Birds, Flyswatter,
Tiger In My Tank, songs about mice, spiders, birds...
'Yes. I also realised that after the record was done. I could have called it More Songs About
Flowers And Animals. But that's because: I just moved and I'm now having a backjard in which is
much... live. I'm being recording in my homestudio and look outside and I'm thinking: Where
should I sing about? No really, that's the way it thit go. That's the way how Packing Blankets
came out. Those blankets, you know, which are used by the remove companies, a couple of them
are hanging against my window. Against sound annoyance. Sometimes you only have to look a
quadratmeter to see something as use for a metafore.
And Packing Blankets are a metafore for...?
'Just: moving. What I've did'
It has nothing to do with your comeback to Virginia, last year, to get your parental home
cleaned?
'No. But it was an intense experience. That house... I've lived my whole childhood, it was my
only handhold, and now it had to be cleaned. It was a weird job. Call the rough dirty (grof
vuil), put things outside, search out personal things... I had a lack of time and had to make
much decisions: what could be throwen away and what I wanted to keep, in the little space I
had. I have putted much things just in a box; I look after it another time. But I was also
pleased with the little time I had; if I would be longer in that house then I had more time to
think. Maybe I would commit suicide then... You know what was nice? When I leaved the house and
for the last time closed the door behind me, I feld: I won't be back here again, nothing to
look for here and leave Virginia for good. That feld like a releaf (or what the heck you have
to spell it). I was in the midle of the recording of Daisies Of The Galaxy on that moment and I
suddenly knew where my record had to lead to. I defenitely decided to scratch the loud, black
songs.'

I HEARD YOU HAVE AN ARGUING WITH THE AMERICAN MORALKNIGHTSGILDE (MORAALRIDDERSGILDE) AT THE
MOMENT. There had to be a changing of some songs to get your record in Walmart.
'I rather don't see too much about that subject; it got me in a lot of trouble already. It's
true that there is a controverse going on, but that has nothing to do with the censorship
(spunksters!) matter, 'cause in the censored version of It's A Motherfucker I perfectly sing
monstertrucker (laughs) and God damns in Mr. E's Beautiful Blues aren't to get recognized. It's
about my response at the matter: I've shouted in an impulsive mood that I hate all christians,
'cause they totally missed the point. I mean, isn't it true? They do as if we make satanistic
music. But every normal person curses on a time? I don't trust people who don't curse. And my
songs are about the normal live and about realistic persons. However, it costed a lot of
trouble and I'm a little tired about it. I seriously doubted to emigrate. I tried to make a
statement with changing motherfucker into monstertrucker. To show how absurd it is.'
Why did you go with that?
'Because Walmart is the only place fur much Americans to buy CDs. But to be honoust: it's more
a sign to the recordcompany. We don't want to obstruct too much. They don't really earn that
much money with us.'
But in fact you don't really care how much records you're selling
'No. And I mean that. I gave up earning much money long time ago. In America we aren't as
popular as in Europe. All the tours of Electro-Shock Blues we've done were loss in money.'
But which goal do you have with the Eels then?
'Make records. Be creative. Look back at previous records and to be incontent with it. And then
want to make a better record. Ad finitum. But the believe in much people buying the records is
gone for a long time. The more as you see it's more about entertainment (lotteryshow 25 march?)
than about art.'
Do I taste some bitterness?
'Hey, where do you think my lyrics come from (laughs)? But say it by yourself, people don't
care anymore about developing their taste. It's easy to take a bit of everything with the
profussion of entertainment and information than know a lot of a coupla things. Nobody is
anymore knowing everything of one thing. The freaks are dying.'

YOU SAID, YOU WANTED TO MAKE RECORDS ENDLESSLY. Do you trust your own talent?
'Now I do, yeah. Less in the past; I went to bed in the past with the fear that my Eels-career
would end the next day. But writing songs is going good these days. Unless the leg of source of
inspiration.'
Is music enough for you?
'Man, it costs a lot of time already, so I can't do anything else. But I don't have
inspirations in other ways, no.'
Where are your musical roots?
'Everywhere. I only have one big answer for that question. Have you got an hour?'
Let me ask it in an other way then: where are you looking for in otherones music?
'That's just like asking: what are you searchin' in the sun going down? That undefinable thing
what makes it special. But I think my preference is a positive loading. Without going to be
funny, you know? I like happy music. Good happy music, although that's hard to find. It has to
make me flash creep. And now you are going to say that's what happen with melancholic, touching
songs. But it isn't. Ever listened to Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' of Ray Charles? It make me
flash creep with a very cheerful manner.'
Are the Eels catagorised with 'good happy songs' anno 2000?
'Yeah, I think so. Daisies Of The Galaxy sounds happy, but a littlebit melancholic too, like
life itself.' (laughs)

ARE YOU MORE THINKING SINCE YOUR WHOLE FAMILY DIED, about the length of your days on earth?
'Absolutely. It also scared me: I'm scared of being told I've got an disease and to make it not
long around here. That's what made me realise how worthful life is. It's one reason of the
sound of Daisies Of The Galaxy: I want to be amused, so why make sad songs?'
In A Daisy Through Concrete you sing: 'Wake up the dying, don't wake up the dead'.
'Exactly. No time to lose, act now! Why should you think too much about the past? You can't
change it. The present is more interesting above all. You can only learn about the past.'
And? Do you regret something?
'Yes. About the fact I'm still a workaholic. I married my music. I have to make things
constantly. I remember what the ex-wife of Stevie Wonder said about him: That man is sleeping
with his taperecorder. I didn't understand it, but now I understand. I'm that way too.'
You don't have a family/household?
'No. I would like to, but... How should fit a woman in my life at the moment? The whole year
2000 is about touring, touring and again touring. A relationship simply don't fit.'
How old are you?
'36. Too old huh? To meet a nice woman?'
Absolutely
'Yeah... Then it's the best to admit I don't sing about girls in I Like Birds, but about real
birds.' (laughs)
However: the most impressive song of the record.
'It's a tribute to my mother. She loved birds. At the cleaning of the house I found several
birds stuff. I've taken all these things and developed a passion for birds. The throughs are in
my backjard, I bought a little bath for the birds and the birds appeared automaticaly. I try to
keep the rememberance alive in that way. But eh... To come back at the bachelor's life: is a
woman interessed in a man who's life is fixed by little birds and music?'