Last Stop: This Town
| "Last Stop: This Town" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover by Seth | ||||
| Single by Eels | ||||
| from the album Electro-Shock Blues | ||||
| Released | September 14, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | DreamWorks | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Eels singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Last Stop: This Town" is a song by American rock band Eels. It was released as a single from their 1998 album Electro-Shock Blues. It was co-produced and co-written by Eels frontman E with Michael Simpson of the Dust Brothers.
Content
The song is about E's sister Elizabeth, who committed suicide prior to the recording of Electro-Shock Blues.[1]
Music video
The music video for "Last Stop: This Town," directed by Garth Jennings and produced by his company Hammer & Tongs, features E singing to the audience with various vegetables strewn around him. As the video progresses, a carrot is slowly turned into a clone of E. Interspersed throughout is a performance video of Eels performing the song on a multiple rotating platforms that move up and down. Near the end of the video, the carrot clone is strapped into a toy robot and walks away.
The music video was nominated for "Breakthrough Video" at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.
Release
The song was released commercially in Australia and the United Kingdom and as a promo only in the United States. "Last Stop: This Town" reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1998[2] and spent four weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks from November 14–December 26, 1998.[3]
The song and its music video appear on the CD/DVD Meet the Eels: Essential Eels, Vol. 1 (1996–2006). The B-sides would later be collected on B-Sides & Rarities 1996–2003 and Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996–2006. Live performances of the song are featured on Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Electro-Shock Blues Show, Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs), and Live and in Person! London 2006. In 2007, a performance for the Bridge School Benefit from October 18, 1998, was released on The Bridge School Collection, Vol. 3, released exclusively through the iTunes Store.
Track listing
- Australia and United Kingdom
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Last Stop: This Town" | 3:27 | |
| 2. | "Funeral Parlor" | E | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Novocaine for the Soul" (by The Moog Cookbook) |
| 3:07 |
United States
All tracks are written by E and Michael Simpson
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Last Stop: This Town" (radio edit) | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Last Stop: This Town" (radio edit) | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Last Stop: This Town" (album version) | 3:27 |
Personnel
- Eels
- E – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, organ, production
- Butch – drums, backing vocals on "Last Stop: This Town"
- The Moog Cookbook
- Brian Kehew – synthesizer
- Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – synthesizer
- Additional personnel
- Elton Jones – backing vocals on "Last Stop: This Town"
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Michael Simpson – production
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | September 14, 1998 | DreamWorks/MCA | Compact disc | DRMCD-22346 |
| United Kingdom | September 14, 1998 | DreamWorks/MCA | Cassette tape | DRMC 22346 |
| United Kingdom | September 14, 1998 | DreamWorks/MCA | 7" single | DRMS-22346 |
| Australia | September 1998 | DreamWorks | Compact Disc | DRMDM-22346 |
| United Kingdom | 1998 | DreamWorks/MCA | Compact Disc (one-track promo) | WDRMCD 22346 |
| United States | 1998 | DreamWorks | Compact Disc | PRO-CD-5112 |
Vinyl and cassette releases only contain the title track and "Funeral Parlor".
References
- ^ Everett, Mark Oliver (2008). "11 – Happy Trails". Things the Grandchildren Should Know (Hardback) (First ed.). New York City, New York, United States: Thomas Dunne Books. pp. 125–160. ISBN 978-0-312-38513-2.
- ^ "Eels | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "'Last Stop: This Town' at Billboard.com". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
