Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 25, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Passenger
• ASIN: B000000IDK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,847 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Jackson Cannery

2. Philosophy

3. Julianne

4. Where's Summer B?

5. Alice Childress

6. Underground

7. Sports & Wine

8. Uncle Walter

9. Best Imitation of Myself

10. Video

11. The Last Polka

12. Boxing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 20-Somethinghood, March 10, 2005

By 

Kenneth S. Rose "sunsawed" (St. Louis) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ben Folds Five (Audio CD)

Ben Folds Five's first self-titled album is a homage to what seems to be a new stage in life: 20-Somethinghood, the period between adolescence and "real life." Many albums have covered adolescence, dating, cliques, fashions, finding yourself amid changes. But Ben Folds attacks the period after when all these questions are supposed to be dealt with, but in today's world a lot still go unanswered.

You think you have a secure identity, but you find the people around you changing until you second guess yourself. It's a time when you have your closest friends, but they always seem to slip in and out of your life as everyone tries to make their path. Everyone keeps moving, including yourself. You chase "the" relationship. You pass from crappy job to crappy job. You try to finally conquer the demons of High School. You try to regain your lost childhood.

Many of Ben Folds's lyrics read like letters, especially the brilliant "Alice Childress" and "Where's Summer B?" songs so intimate you think you've opened someone's mail. Ben sprinkles his songs with delicious humor as on "Juliane," a celebration of a mistake of a one-night stand, and "Uncle Walter," a song about a tongue scolding Ben receives from an absent girlfriend's drunken uncle. Ben assaults the trends of the mid-90's, the Grunge Era in "Underground" and Yuppie Psuedo-sophisticates in "Sports and Wine." Ben has a wonderful flair for making the little things people take seriously seem absolutely ridiculous and the tiny minutiae seem incredibly profound and intimate. All this culminates in "Best Imitation of Myself," where he simultaneously proves and debunks his own genius.

All this set to vitruoso piano refreshingly devoid of pretension with Robert Sledge serving as both Bass and Guitar with the same instrument to amazing effect. Darren Jesse completes the groove (Whither the other two?) of a trio that, in the day, was one of the 90's most captivating, rocking live acts. Folds caresses, attacks, seduces and kerplunks his 88 mistresses into Sonata, Honky-Tonk, Pinball Wizard, Sunday School Sing-A-Long, Wrecking Ball, Lounge Lizard and Kiddy Toy Piano often all within the same song.

"Ben Folds Five" is nearly to post-Adolescence what "Quadrophenia" was to adolescence. It captures the Mid-90's 20-Something experience without getting mired in its clichés, like a bad episode of "Friends." Its sardonic time capsule should stand the test of time. Even when the particulars of Grunge and Sports Bars are as dead as Zoot Suits and Leapers, you can still feel the timeless emotions of the period through them. There will always be the stupid trends you follow for no reason. The Cool Guys you can't ever believe you thought were cool. The endless routines and rituals you go through waiting for that one minute of connectedness that will show you your real path.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars S/T rocks!, February 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ben Folds Five (Audio CD)

Rolling Stone called this album "pop bliss," and they certainly weren't kidding. Ben Folds Five, comprised of piano, bass guitar, and drums, is one of the most original sounds out there, helping to make this certainly one of the best, if not the best CD I own. The first 8 tracks are all light hearted, head bobbin' fun, from the kiss-offish "Philosophy" to "Underground" to "Uncle Walter," a character whom I believe everyone can relate with. The band gets a little more introspective on "Best Imitation of Myself," then slows things down with "Video" and "The Last Polka." The final track, "Boxing," is one of the best songs I have ever heard - period. So, if you want an excellent debut album that you won't want to take out of the CD player for months upon months, I strongly urge you to check this album out, you won't regret it!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone (with taste), November 12, 2003

By 

D. Shaffner (PA and OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ben Folds Five (Audio CD)

I love all sorts of music-- from Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx, to Dave Matthews and Jon Mayer, to Sum 41 and Queens of the Stone Age, to Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, to Fatboy Slim and DJ Shadow, to Ella Fitzgearld and Norah Jones, to Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and beyond. But this is my favorite. Of EVERYTHING. In the whole world. Ben Folds Five was an amazing band, and to this day I internally weep at the fact that they are no longer together, because though Folds himself is a fabulous solo performer, the music is always stronger when performed with all the instruments intended to be used in the songs. But if you are only going to buy one Ben Folds or BFF cd, this should be it. It makes you smile, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you think. But most of all, it makes you happy-- to know that in this day and age musical prodigies do still exist.