Everything Is

by

Neutral Milk Hotel

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Everything Is was the first recording mass-released by Neutral Milk Hotel, which at this point was largely still an outlet for the songwriting of Jeff Mangum, instead of a fully formed band. The recording was originally the second release on the fledgling Seattle label Cher Doll Records in 1994. The label in the form of a 7", with "Everything Is" as the A side, and "Snow Song, Pt. 1" as the B side. The first 50 7"s pressed also featured different artwork, with each sleeve being personally xeroxed by Mangum. The Cher Doll edition is now out of print, and standard copies can expect to sell for around $20-$30, with the hand-xeroxed version likely to sell for considerably more.

The British label Fire Records re-released the record in 1995, on CD and 7", with the 7" retaining the same A and B sides, and the CD version featuring an extra track, "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch", a five minute sound collage by Mangum. Both CD and 7" featured different artwork (which can be seen to the right). The Fire version is also out of print though not as collectible as the Cher Doll version.

In 2001, the recently founded Orange Twin Records (owned by members of Elephant 6 luminaries Elf Power) re-released the single once again, this time on CD only, adding the extra track "Tuesday Moon". The artwork remained the same as was previously seen on the Fire release. This version is currently in print.

The songs featured on the single are distinctly representative of the early, 'embryonic' Neutral Milk Hotel, and indeed, all but "Snow Song Pt. 1" feature in identical versions on earlier tapes which are in circulation. "Everything Is" appears on the second unnamed demo, which is assumed to have been produced in 1993. "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch" also features on this demo, and a slightly longer version appears on 1992's Beauty as "Hypnotic Sounds", allegedly one of the very first Neutral Milk Hotel recordings. "Tuesday Moon" can also be found on Invent Yourself a Shortcake, listed as "Love You On A Tuesday", although the version that appears on the Orange Twin re-release is culled from 1993's Hype City Soundtrack.

While the simple collage of "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch" is often divisive, "Everything Is" itself is a fan favorite, and was played live by the band on several occasions. "Tuesday Moon" appears on several live bootlegs, and "Snow Song, Pt. 1" often featured in the band's pre-Aeroplane live set, usually after "Rubby Bulbs". Very few live versions of "Snow Song, Pt. 1" include the second verse.

The UK release of On Avery Island (on Fire Records) featured the original two tracks from the "Everything Is" single as bonus tracks, though without the band's permission.