Souljacker

Unlike some of Mark Oliver Everett's other albums, most notably Electro-Shock Blues, Souljacker is mostly based on stories of others rather than on Everett's own life.{{cite book |last=Everett |first=Mark Oliver |author-link=Mark Oliver Everett |year=2008 |title=Things the Grandchildren Should Know |publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=978-0-316-02787-8}} Characters were inspired from various sources, including circus freaks ("Dog Faced Boy") and a recording engineer with an abusive past ("Bus Stop Boxer"). German director Wim Wenders called "Woman Driving, Man Sleeping" his favorite Eels song and he used it in the segment he directed for Ten Minutes Older. Wenders directed the video for "Souljacker part I".

The strings used in the song "Fresh Feeling" were sampled from another Eels song, "Selective Memory" from Daisies of the Galaxy.

{{music ratings

| MC = 73/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/souljacker/eels/critic-reviews |title=Critic Reviews for Souljacker – Metacritic |work=Metacritic |accessdate=June 6, 2013}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/souljacker-uk-double-cd-mw0000213452 |title=Souljacker – Eels : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic |last=DiGravina |first=Tim |work=AllMusic |accessdate=June 6, 2013}}

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_1301.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040808052428/http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_1301.html|title=Eels Souljacker|work=Blender|author=Peisner, David|archivedate=August 8, 2004|accessdate=December 7, 2021}}

| rev3 = NME

| rev3score = 7/10{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/eels/5664 |title=NME Album Reviews – Eels : Souljacker – nme.com |last=Paine |first=Andre |date=September 26, 2001 |work=NME |accessdate=June 6, 2013}}

| rev4 = Pitchfork

| rev4score = 4.9/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2686-souljacker/ |title=Eels: Souljacker|last=Leone |first=Dominique |date=May 21, 2002 |work=Pitchfork |accessdate=June 6, 2013}}

| rev5 = PopMatters

| rev5score = favorable{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/eels-souljacker/ |title=Eels: Souljacker | PopMatters |last=Jamieson |first=Robert |date=March 29, 2002 |work=PopMatters |accessdate=June 6, 2013}}

| rev6 = Rolling Stone

| rev6score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/111991/souljacker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014025812/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/111991/souljacker |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 14, 2007 |title=Souljacker : Eels : Review : Rolling Stone |last=Kemp |first=Mark |date=March 1, 2002 |magazine=Rolling Stone |accessdate=June 6, 2013}}

| rev7 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York City|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=Eels|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/273 273]}}

| rev8 = Trouser Press

| rev8score = mixed{{cite web |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=eels |title=TrouserPress.com :: Eels |last=Zwirn |first=Michael |website=TrouserPress.com |accessdate=July 7, 2016}}

}}

Souljacker received a generally favorable reception from critics, with several reviewers comparing the album's sound to that of Beck. Q said "Everyone will say this sounds like Beck, but at the last count Beck would be lucky to sound like Eels." PopMatters wrote, "Souljacker is as strong as any of Eels previous albums, but even crawling through the muck there is a lot more joy and life here than heard before." NME wrote, "Souljacker's songs rock harder than most of E's nu metal enemies. But what's really terrifying is that E's just warming up. The next album will be a killer – and probably feature one on backing vocals."

Pitchfork was critical, writing, "Beyond the melodies that don't stick in my head and the beats that don't make me want to dance, the only real problem with Souljacker [...] is that it just seems like an underachievement."

The second track on the album, "That's Not Really Funny", was used as the theme tune to all three series of the BBC's animated comedy Monkey Dust.

"Fresh Feeling" was featured in the season 1 episode "My Hero" of the NBC show Scrubs, as well as the season 1 episode "Chuck Versus the Truth" of the NBC show Chuck, and the movie "Failure To Launch".

All songs written by E; additional writers in brackets.

1. "Dog Faced Boy" (John Parish) – 3:17
2. "That's Not Really Funny" (Parish) – 3:19
3. "Fresh Feeling" (Koool G Murder) – 3:37
4. "Woman Driving, Man Sleeping" (Parish) – 3:30
5. "Souljacker Part I" (Butch, Adam Siegel) – 3:15
6. "Friendly Ghost"  – 3:22
7. "Teenage Witch" (Parish) – 4:44
8. "Bus Stop Boxer" (Parish) – 3:42
9. "Jungle Telegraph"  – 3:39
10. "World of Shit" (Parish) – 3:29
11. "Souljacker Part II"  – 1:58
12. "What Is This Note?" (Parish) – 2:28

; Bonus discs

;;22 Miles of Hard Road

:Released in the United Kingdom

1. "I Write the B-Sides" – 3:55
2. "Hidden Track" – 4:25
3. "Jehovah's Witness" (Parish) – 3:39
4. "Mr. E's Beautiful Remix" (Butch 'n' Joey remix) – 3:53

;;Rotten World Blues

:Released in the United States

1. "I Write the B-Sides" – 3:55
2. "Hidden Track" – 4:25
3. "Jehovah's Witness" (Parish) – 3:39
4. "Rotten World Blues" – 2:44

Eels

• Butch – drums and percussion
• E – vocals, guitar, baritone guitar, piano, clavinet, Mellotron, and Wurlitzer organ
• Joe Gore – Guitar (Tracks 8 & 12)
• Koool G Murder – synthesizer, bass guitar, guitar, clavinet
• John Parish – guitar, percussion, drums, keyboards, melodica, and stylophone
• Adam Siegel – bass guitar (Track 5)

Production

• Ryan Boesch – programming, engineering, and mixing
• Greg Collins – tape transfer
• DJ Killingspree – liner notes
• E – production, art direction, and mixing
• Wally Gagel – programming, engineering, and mixing
• Brian Gardner – mastering
• Chris Justice – engineering
• Koool G Murder – engineering
• Jim Lang – string arrangements
• John Parish – programming, production, engineering, and mixing
• Dan Pinder – technical assistance
• Francesca Restrepo – art direction
• Rocky Schenck – photography

{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Souljacker}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Eels|title=Souljacker|award=Silver|certyear=2016|relyear=2001|id=13584-608-2}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true | noshipments=true | streaming=true}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|117729}}

{{Eels}}

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Category:2001 albums

Category:DreamWorks Records albums

Category:Eels (band) albums

Category:Albums produced by Mark Oliver Everett

Category:Albums produced by John Parish