Pitchfork

Eels: they're wily creatures, tough to nail down-- but to the right person, they're a delicacy without parallel. So it is with Eels, the prolific, long-running crew helmed Mark Oliver "E" Everett.

In celebration of ten odd years in one odd band, Eels will issue Meet the Eels: Essential Eels Vol. I 1996-2006, a compilation of their best tracks and a couple rarities (a Jon Brion remix of "Climbing to the Moon" and a cover of Missy's "Get Ur Freak On", for starters), with a dozen music videos on a bonus DVD for kicks.

Add to that Useless Trinkets: B-sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006, a separate double-CD collecting 50(!) Eels curios, from their covers of Daniel Johnston's "Living Life" and Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" to performances on the BBC. An accompanying DVD contains a half-dozen clips from their stint at 2006's Lollapalooza.

Both sets feature track-by-track liner notes by E himself and never-before-seen artwork. And both will be available January 15 from DreamWorks/UMe.

Essential Eels:

01 Novocaine for the Soul
02 Susan's House
03 My Beloved Monster
04 Your Lucky Day in Hell
05 3 Speed
06 Last Stop: This Town
07 Climbing to the Moon (Jon Brion Remix) *
08 Flyswatter
09 I Like Birds
10 Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
11 It's a Motherfucker
12 Souljacker Part 1
13 That's Not Really Funny
14 Fresh Feeling
15 Get Ur Freak On *
16 Saturday Morning
17 Love of the Loveless
18 Dirty Girl (live at Town Hall)
19 I Need Some Sleep
20 Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
21 I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
22 Trouble With Dreams
23 Railroad Man
24 Losing Streak

Essential DVD:

01 Novocaine for the Soul
02 Susan's House
03 Rags to Rags
04 Your Lucky Day in Hell (non-Scream film version)
05 Last Stop: This Town
06 Cancer for the Cure
07 Flyswatter
08 Souljacker Part I
09 Saturday Morning
10 Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
11 Trouble With Dreams
12 Dirty Girl (live at Town Hall)

Useless:

Disc one:

01 Novocaine for the Soul (live from Hell)
02 Fucker
03 My Beloved Monster (live from Tennessee)
04 Dog's Life
05 Susan's Apartment
06 Manchester Girl (BBC)
07 Flower (BBC)
08 My Beloved Mad Monster Party (BBC)
09 Animal
10 Stepmother
11 Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
12 Your Lucky Day in Hell (Michael Simpson Remix) *
13 Altar Boy
14 Novocaine for the Soul (Moog Cookbook Remix)
15 If I Was Your Girlfriend (live) *
16 Bad News
17 Funeral Parlor
18 Hospital Food (BBC)
19 Open the Door (BBC)
20 Birdgirl on a Cell Phone
21 Vice President Fruitley
22 My Beloved Monstrosity
23 Dark End of the Street (live) *
24 The Cheater's Guide to Your Heart (live) *
25 Useless Trinkets *

Disc two:

01 Mr. E's Beautiful Remix
02 Douljacker Part I (alternate version) *
03 Dog Faced Boy (alternate version) *
04 Jennifer Eccles
05 Rotten World Blues
06 Can't Help Falling in Love
07 Christmas Is Going to the Dogs
08 Mighty Fine Blues
09 Eyes Down
10 Skywriting
11 Taking a Bath in Rust
12 Estranged Friends *
13 Her
14 Waltz of the Naked Clowns
15 I Like Birds (live) *
16 Sad Foot Sign
17 Living Life
18 The Bright Side
19 After the Operation
20 Jelly Dancers
21 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man (live at Town Hall)
22 Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (live at Town Hall)
23 I Want to Protect You *
24 I Put a Spell on You (live) *
25 Saw a UFO *

Useless DVD:

01 Saturday Morning
02 Eyes Down
03 My Beloved Monster
04 A Magic World
05 Not Ready Yet
06 Souljacker Part I

* previously unreleased