Eels ”“ multi-membership vehicle for Mark “E” Everett ”“ are one of those bands that I've managed to somewhat overlook in the 1990s, so it was with pleasure that I waded into this huge 3CD (and accompanying DVD) retrospective, comprising a 25-track best-of ”“ Meet The Eels: Essential Eels and two CDs’ worth of B-sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased called Useless Trinkets, as a chance to get myself up-to-speed on all things Eels before their forthcoming UK tour in March.The best-of is, in the nature of these things, the most satisfying of the three CDs spanning, as it does, 10 years of output from 1996 (Beautiful Freak) to 2006 (Blinking Lights and Other Revelations). Listening through it, with Everett’s well-documented (not least by the singer himself) personal tragedies in mind, it's hard not to be drawn in and moved. Losing his father at 19, then his troubled sister to suicide, and his mother to cancer, it is evident that much of his distress, and hopefully his healing too, has been channeled through his creativity. Touchingly, and presumably representing the changing in fortunes and emotions over the 10 years, the CD starts with the cry of psychological distress that is 'Novocaine For the Soul' ("This paint-by-numbers life / Is fucking with my head") but ends with a much more optimistic and positive outlook, with E asking, on 'Losing Streak' "Was I wrong about the world? / It’s a beautiful new place" and stating that "My losing streak is done".  He has a voice which can brilliantly convey the whole gamut of emotions that he lays bare in the songs: from malaise ('Novocaine For The Soul'), to despair at humanity ('Susan’s House') to love and heartbreak ('It’s a Motherfucker', 'I’m Going to Stop Pretending'); and even though he's obviously a fan of the vocoder and other vocal effects, the emotional directness still succeeds in shining through. Judicious (but never gratuitous) dropping of the F-bomb gives appropriate emphasis to his words ('Fucker', 'It’s a Motherfucker', 'Novocaine' etc).Musically, Eels are one of those bands who sound pretty much out of time. Despite toying with a range of styles -from country-tinged (the wondrous 'Railroad Man': possibly their finest moment?), balladry ('I’m Going to Stop”¦'), hip-hop (a largely pointless cover version of Missy Elliott’s 'Get UR Freak On') and electro (a more successful cover of their own 'Novocaine') ”“ they are still always readily identifiable as themselves, and rarely sound dated.The two Useless Trinkets CD's contain the kind of material one expects from a rarities compilation. There are multiple different versions of some of their best-known songs, such as three more 'My Beloved Monster's: one of which ”“ 'My Beloved Mad Monster Party (BBC)' ”“ is, I think, a lively improvement on the original; two more 'Novocaine For the Soul's, including the aforementioned bleepy and rather ludicrous, but entertaining electro version. There are also a range of cover versions ”“ I particularly enjoyed the touching rendition of 'Can’t Help Falling in Love'; and live performances. Less successful were the two novelty Christmas songs ('Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas' and 'Christmas Is Going To The Dogs') and the execrable 'Vice President Fruitley' (which I found so vastly irritating I had to click to the next track each time it came on).In summary, these releases serve very different audiences. Meet The Eels is great for those, like me, looking for a way in to this band, and gives an appropriate and enjoyable overview of some of their finest moments. The two Useless Trinkets CDs are probably best enjoyed by the more committed Eels fan or completist, and as such certainly have much to recommend them. It's probably a testament to Everett’s prolific output that the majority of this is eminently listenable with very little in the way of irritating musical doodles and filler that often pad out such releases. A unique talent. Meet The Eels: Essential Eels: 75% Useless Trinkets CD1 / CD2: 60%Links Eels [official site] [myspace] [buy it]