Oh What A Beautiful Morning

Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Eels' only officially commissioned live disc, gives E's loyal fan base a little taste of what a concert is like, as their touring for the previous album, Daisies of the Galaxy, was very sparse. The album compiles performances from all around the world, mainly taking selections from shows in Los Angeles and Glasgow, as well as a few of E's solo dates opening up for Fionna Apple. Highlights are numerous, including several covers (as can normally be found in an Eels set) like the Rodgers & Hammerstein title track and the truly haunting version of "Feeling Good," as well as an overture of previous album favorites, including Beautiful Freak gems like "Rags to Rags," "Flower," and "Novocaine for the Soul," and songs that have previously only been available on U.K. singles. E is joined by drummer Butch Norton and Lisa Germano taking care of bass duties. Germano does an excellent job of filling the void left by Tommy Walter, who left the band after Electro-Shock Blues. This is a necessary album for any fan of the Eels, and is certainly worth the time that one would spend finding this limited-edition treasure. Butch's comical take on the U.K.'s water faucet issues on "Hot and Cold" could be worth the price of the CD alone, and certainly is indicative of the lively and lighthearted antics of the Eels concert experience. ~ Jennifer Jones