#97 on my list of songs yah should know...

Song: p.s. You rock My World

Band: Eels

Album: Electro Shock Blues

Why:
Ok again an album that you should own. Definetally on my top ten all time favorite albums, probablly around 3. On it's own to anyone this album is a phenominal example of a talented artist painting his life into an album. Usually I don't really care about the personal lives of bands I like, but this a special oocasion because the album is boosted by knowing what E the main Eels member was going through in his life. Within about 12 months E's sister commited suicide and I believe he found her dead in the bathroom, the opening track is 'Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor'. Then his mother died of cancer...a lot of the songs tie into cancer and her death, but Dead of Winter is really discriptive. So this album is kind of a downer. E doesn't hold back at all in exploring his emotions and the sort of craziness that takes over your life during these times.

I really have sort of assimilated this album into my conciousness more then any other I know. During low points in my life electro shock blues has been a comforting security blanket and a sort of passing and active reminder that shit, gloriouslly opressing and downright 'unfair' shit happens. I always used to laugh at people who talk about albums that helpped them get better or when you hear someone thank an artist for helpping them. I kind of found that cheesy. Well I'll thank you mister E, you've definetally helpped me threw a jam opr two in my time.

So why p.s. you rock my world? Well it's the closing track and it's just a great ending to this whole album. In a moviue where everything is going wrong you sort of expect a holywood ending where all situations are resolved and smiles creep across the actors faces. Well anyone living through bad times knows that this sort of doesn't happen. And it doesn't here. The whole song sort of paints a picture of a time post tradgedy where your kind of just starting to go through your normal routines again, but still feeling that change in your life. There's lots of great lines: 'I was at a funeral the day I realised I wanted to spend my life with you' 'I don't know where we're going I don't know what we'll do' are a few. But the best , and what really hit me in the head after the whole albums feel was the last lines E sings... '...and how a careful man tries to dodge the bullets while a happy man takes a walk, and maybe it's time to live' So great. There's no yeah I'm a better person and I realise I'm gonna be ok and lfe is wonderful. That never happens. Instead you gat a sort of realization that you can't change the past and that worrying about the future is sort of futile so just live. But he doesn't stand up and shout I'm gonna live better. It's more okay I'm gonna try. That makes the song so much more realistic and powerful. On the eels next album in the opener Grace Kelly Blues E finishes the song by saying ' and me I'm feeling pretty good as of now. I'm not so sure when I got here or how. Sun melting the fake smile away. I think you know I'll be okay." So the character is getting by and trying to smile.

I always kind of cringe at really emotional songs sung or performed by people who don't seem honest or talented enough to convey their feelings. On Electro shock blues and p.s. you rck my world E and the Eels really do a great job of conveying a specific set of honest feelings and emotions that people go through. So you should listen to it. there nuff said.