Daisies of the Galaxy is the third studio album by American rock band Eels. It was released on February 28, 2000, in the United Kingdom, and March 14 in the United States, by record label DreamWorks.

Daisies of the Galaxy
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 28, 2000 (2000-02-28)
RecordedMarch-October 1999
StudioOnehitsville, Conway Studios Hollywood
Genre
Length44:18
LabelDreamWorks
ProducerE
Eels chronology
Electro-Shock Blues
(1998)
Daisies of the Galaxy
(2000)
Souljacker
(2001)
Singles from Daisies of the Galaxy
  1. "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues"
    Released: February 14, 2000
  2. "Flyswatter"
    Released: June 5, 2000
  3. "Jeannie's Diary"
    Released: 2000 (promo)

Production

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When the band's label requested that a clean version of "It's a Motherfucker" be recorded, the song was re-written as "It's a Monster Trucker", with modified lyrics and sound clips of lead singer Mark Oliver "E" Everett speaking "trucker lingo" on a CB radio.[1]

Release

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Daisies of the Galaxy reached number eight in the UK Albums Chart.[2] The single "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" peaked at number 11 in the UK Singles Chart;[3] the second single to be released from the album, "Flyswatter", charted at number 55.[2]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
The Guardian     [6]
Los Angeles Times    [7]
Melody Maker     [8]
NME9/10[9]
Q     [10]
Rolling Stone     [11]
Spin6/10[12]
Uncut     [13]

Daisies of the Galaxy received a generally favorable response from critics.

Fred Kovey of PopMatters called it "a fine pop record in an era that seems uninterested in pop unless it’s marketed with dance steps and a quicky [sic] bio. Though not the equal of the best work of Stephen Merritt [sic] or Elliot Smith [sic], Daisies of the Galaxy is worthy of attention by alterna-pop fans and anyone else desperate for catchy music for grown-ups."[14]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: "Unlike its predecessor, the album doesn't play like [E's] private diary; instead, it feels as if one is rummaging through his sketchbook. And, like many sketchbooks, some moments have blossomed, and others remain just intriguing, unformed ideas. For the dedicated, it's worth sifting through the album to find the keepers, since there are enough moments of quirky genius. But not all longtime fans will find this rewarding, since [E] has spent more time in creating mood than crafting songs. There are very few melodies that resonate like his best work, and the stripped-down, yet eccentric production – sounding much like a cross between Jon Brion and Beck – never feels realized."[4]

In a retrospective review for Stylus Magazine, Ben Woolhead described Daisies of the Galaxy as "a very special collection of songs indeed".[15]

Track listing

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All songs written by E, except as indicated.

  1. "Grace Kelly Blues" – 3:38
  2. "Packing Blankets" – 2:07
  3. "The Sound of Fear" – 3:33
  4. "I Like Birds" – 2:35
  5. "Daisies of the Galaxy" – 3:27
  6. "Flyswatter" – 3:20
  7. "It's a Motherfucker"[16] – 2:14
  8. "Estate Sale" (E and Peter Buck) – 1:36
  9. "Tiger in My Tank" – 3:07
  10. "A Daisy Through Concrete" – 2:26
  11. "Jeannie's Diary" – 3:37
  12. "Wooden Nickels" – 2:55
  13. "Something Is Sacred" – 2:52
  14. "Selective Memory" – 2:44
  15. "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" (E and Michael Simpson) – 3:58 (hidden track)
Japanese bonus track
  1. "Birdgirl on a Cell Phone" – 3:09

Personnel

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Charts

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Sales chart performance for Daises of the Galaxy
Chart (2000) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] 38
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 8
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] 34
French Albums (SNEP)[20] 40
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 49
Irish Albums (IRMA)[22] 24
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[23] 21
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 69
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 8

Certifications

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Sales certifications for Daisies of the Galaxy
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[26] Gold 35,000
Belgium (BEA)[27] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Gold 100,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Healy, Mark (May 25, 2000). "Q&A: E of the Eels". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Official Charts: Eels". Official Charts Company. 15 February 1997. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  3. ^ "Eels: Mr. E's Beautiful Blues". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Daisies of the Galaxy – Eels". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  5. ^ Browne, David (March 13, 2000). "Daisies of the Galaxy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (February 25, 2000). "Eels: Daisies of the Galaxy (Dreamworks)". The Guardian.
  7. ^ Hilburn, Robert (March 12, 2000). "Reassuring Words About Resilience of the Spirit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  8. ^ Paine, Andre (February 16–22, 2000). "Eels: Daisies of the Galaxy". Melody Maker. p. 46.
  9. ^ Wirth, Jim (February 17, 2000). "Eels – Daisies Of The Galaxy". NME. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  10. ^ Doyle, Tom (March 2000). "Eels: Daisies Of The Galaxy". Q. No. 162. p. 100. Archived from the original on November 21, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  11. ^ Hunter, James (March 30, 2000). "Eels: Daisies of the Galaxy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 15, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Harris, Keith (May 2000). "Eels: Daisies of the Galaxy / Supergrass: Supergrass". Spin. Vol. 16, no. 5. p. 159. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  13. ^ Williamson, Nigel (March 2000). "Eels: Daisies of the Galaxy". Uncut. No. 34. p. 88.
  14. ^ Kovey, Fred (March 13, 2000). "Eels: Daisies of the Galaxy". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  15. ^ Woolhead, Ben (July 18, 2003). "Eels – Daisies Of The Galaxy". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on August 6, 2003. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  16. ^ An edited version of the album was also released on the American market with "It's a Motherfucker" replaced by "It's a Monster Trucker".
  17. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  19. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  20. ^ "Lescharts.com – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  22. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Eels". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  23. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  24. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  25. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  26. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  27. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2008". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  28. ^ "British album certifications – Eels – Daisies of the galaxy". British Phonographic Industry.
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