Ben Folds Five - Whatever And Ever Amen (1997)

Note: the CD I listened to was not the 2005 reissue.

In 1997, I was flipping channels one day and caught a brief promotional interview with Ben Folds. The dialogue was interspersed with song clips and the piano-based rock immediately caught my attention for two reasons: 1) there's not a lot of piano-based rock out there anymore, and 2) I thought the songwriting sounded a lot like Billy Joel (probably because of the piano). I immediately bought the CD and it turned out to be my best purchase of the year. I thought I would like a few songs, but Folds' lo-fi pop songwriting is so good, I liked the whole thing and it was immediately put in heavy rotation. We get a little taste of different genres throughout from straight ahead rock to ballads to waltzes to klezmer to power pop. Faithful readers of this blog know that I don't normally pay attention to lyrics, but Folds' sense of humor almost forces me to listen. And if the misogynistic lyrics to Brick don't hit you right in the gut, nothing will.

So today, after too long an absence, this disc is headed to my truck for some open road listening.

Press of the time:

• Entertainment Weekly (A): "everything you’d want out of a rock album"
• Billboard (Spotlight): "more satisfying with each experience"
• Rolling Stone (★★★½): "another batch of sweet songs"
• Stereo Review (best of the month): "nothing like you've ever heard"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #42

Tracks: My favorites have always been One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces, Song For The Dumped, and Battle Of Who Could Care Less. but Ten years ago, I put together a list of 30 "desert island" pop/rock discs and this made the cut because it's so dang consistently good. Normally, I can't stand hidden tracks, but the one on this CD is at least funny.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Along with the band's first album which I purchased almost immediately after hearing this one, I remember listening to Whatever And Ever Amen in my little maroon Honda Civic on my way to teach 8th grade English, 1997-1998. Man, that was a long year in the classroom.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Sound of the Life of the Mind (2012)
Lonely Avenue (2010)
Naked Baby Photos (1998)
Ben Folds Five (1995)

Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind (2012)

In 2012, I warmly welcomed back Ben Folds Five after a long absence. The group was easily one of the best bands of the 1990s and, even with Folds' solo work keeping me company, it had been too long. Folds plays a much more percussive piano when he's with these guys and I missed Robert Sledge's distorted bass. This is the trio's first studio album since 1999's The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, but I didn't care for that album or Naked Baby Photos, so I'm going to think of this as their first studio album since 1997's Whatever And Ever Amen. Great stuff here; I like the way Folds' songwriting has matured. He seemingly grew up listening to the same music as me, has a great ear for melody, and likes to throw in some unexpected chord progressions from time to time. Add some lyrics so clever I actually pay attention to them and, baby, you got a stew goin'. A solid return to form; if they ever decide to travel to my corner of the world, I need to catch their act live ASAP.

Currently, this is my second favorite BFF album to Whatever And Ever Amen. In addition to some great songs, I enjoy the artwork by Eric Joyner.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart:  #10

Tracks:  It's not often that an album leads off with the weakest track, but that's the case here. As a result, I usually skip Erase Me and start with the second track. But one bad track of ten isn't a bad batting average at all. My favorite track is Draw A Crowd, no contest. Other highlights are Michael Praytor Five Years Later, and the final trio of tracks: Hold That Thought, Away When You Were Here, and Thank You For Breaking My Heart. The last song's most obvious influences aren't Billy Joel or Todd Rundgren, but all the European composers from the Romantic Era whose sonatas and etudes Folds must have played thousands of times in piano lessons as a youth.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  Once purchased, this CD (on repeat) kept me company on a five hour drive to San Antonio in October 2012. I'll confess to listening to Draw A Crowd more than the other tracks.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Lonely Avenue (2010)
Naked Baby Photos (1998)
Ben Folds Five (1995)

Ben Folds Five - Naked Baby Photos (1998)

After just two studio albums, was there really enough stuff in the vault to release an album of outtakes and live tracks? I say no, but the record company must have thought there was. The band thinks their sound check/concert foolishness is more clever than it is. Needless to say, this doesn't get much playing time around here. An unfocused throwaway for hard-core completists only.

Here's your free advice for the day: at all costs, avoid doing a Google search for "naked baby photos." You have been warned.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #94 (Jan 31, 1998)

Tracks: The best tracks are songs we've heard on previous studio albums: the original version of Jackson Cannery and live versions of Alice Childress, Underground, Philosophy, and Song For The Dumped. Avoid most of the other tracks, including For Those Of Ya'll Who Wear Fannie Packs and The Ultimate Sacrifice.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Lonely Avenue (2010)
Ben Folds Five (1995)

Ben Folds Five (1995)

From the omniscient Wikipedia: "Ben Folds Five was formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill by Ben Folds. They were, in fact, a trio in spite of their name, and the primary motivation behind the name, apart from the band's well-known use of humor, was simple preference, according to Ben: 'I think it sounds better than Ben Folds Three.' Folds once described their music as 'punk rock for sissies,' a reaction to the angst prevalent in '90s rock."

Hyperbole warning: Folds' pounding of the keyboards has expanded the sonic possibilities of pop piano. I also like how the heavy feedback of the bass sounds like a guitar when it wants to. As far as songwriting goes, you can tell Folds grew up on a steady diet of Todd Rundgren, Billy Joel and Elton John, but his lyrics read almost like letters. I'm a fan; Folds should have been more popular than he was. He certainly deserved better than to end up on a music game show panel with Nick Lachey, a Boyz II Men leftover, and a Pussycat Doll.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: I like Jackson Cannery, Julianne, Where's Summer B.?, and Underground (which totally mocks the music scene of the time). The second track, Philosophy, starts off with a light Joel-like riff that turns into piano banging at the end with snippets of Gershwin thrown in for fun. I'm not sure if I'm just tired of listening by the end of the CD or if the CD simply falls apart at the end (I haven't written that in a while!). In any case, I'm usually done after about 9 tracks.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember listening to this in my little maroon Honda Civic on my way to teach 8th grade English. Man, that was a long year in the classroom.

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby - Lonely Avenue (2010)

I've liked Ben Folds since the mid-90's and I've liked Nick Hornby since the movie High Fidelity introduced me to his writing. I was looking forward to this collaboration and I wasn't disappointed. This could be Folds's best album as a solo artist. The songs are very popish and the lyrics are successful for the most part. I hope it leads to further collaboration. The edition I bought has a small book which includes 4 short stories by Hornby.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #36 (Oct 16, 2010)

Tracks: I've only listened to the CD a few times, but my favorite songs musically as of this writing are A Working Day, Doc Pomus, Claire's Ninth, From Above, and Saskia Hamilton (this song has a great video by Charlie McDonnell). A Working Day, which describes the frustration of being an artist, has the great line (appropriate here): "some guy on the net thinks I suck and he should know; he's got his own blog." I think Hornby does a great job writing humorous and ironic lyrics, the only exception is Picture Window, which is weak. Be forewarned: there's a lot of profanity.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember buying this CD from Amazon 4 or 5 weeks ago.