Something to Remember Me By

Ben Lee

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 1997)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Grand Royal Records
• ASIN: B000001X3I
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #91,955 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #60 in	Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Singer Songwriters
  #97 in	Music > Indie Music > Pop > Singer-Songwriters

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Perhaps the most amazing thing about 18-year-old Ben Lee's music is that you don't need to cut him any slack for his age. Lee's songs tell simple stories of innocent love and broken hearts balanced with a wicked sense of humor that is well beyond his years. Centering around his acoustic guitar and folksy voice, his second full-length album not only conjures up memories of a young Louden Wainright III but firmly establishes him as a seasoned songwriter. Perhaps the most remarkable part of Lee's writing is his ability to write from an 18-year-old perspective without sounding like a trite youngster or a pretentious kid, proving that writing about who you really are goes a lot farther than giving the people what they want. --Bill Snyder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surely a Memorable Effort, April 11, 2000

By	"sts13goofy" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Three years ago, after seeing the video for "New Song" on MTV's 120 Minutes, I immediately had to find this album. "New Song" was the hook, but what reeled me in were the stellar tracks populating the rest of the album. Lee, not yet 18, makes a remarkable showing on this album. His music could simply be described as a boy and his guitar, but that fails to underscore his talent as a songwriter.

Much of Lee's work on this album (and on his earlier Grandpaw Would) are stories of a young man searching for love, and searching for himself. These themes are present in standouts like "How to Survive a Broken Heart" and "Career Choice," the former of which brought Lee a wider audience through its appearance on the soundtrack to There's Something About Mary. Lee also shows a sense of humor in "End of the World," and "Household Name," a song about 80's television teen idols. The entire album is solid all the way through, and yet leaves room for great artistic growth. Look for great things to come from Ben Lee, but don't forget this one, either.

Quick Picks: If you like Ben Lee, try these (and vice versa): Luscious Jackson, Rufus Wainwright, Lotion

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Usually Don't Give Out 5 Star Reviews., September 2, 2007

By	A. Covert "Music Addict" (Up North, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An album has to be pretty amazing for me to hand out a top rating. This is one of those albums. Every track on here is incredible. You won't have to skip a single one. Just let the album play. It will hold your attention all the way through. Ben covers a variety of topics here, but his specialty seems to be the pain of young love. Maybe it's because he started making music when he was so young, but he captures the feeling of those early relationships perfectly. The songs here have a live feel to them, like he's playing them right in the room with you. It's mostly him and his guitar with a few other instruments thrown in here and there. Two of my favorite tracks come in the middle and towards the end of the album. "Ketchum" is a beautiful slow song with violin and cello on it and "Grammercy Park Hotel" just has that feeling of what it's like in a big city during the very small hours of the morning. Ben has put out some really great albums, but this one is the one I find myself listening to the most. I highly suggest you pick this up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gonna Make It Through, September 27, 2008

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I watched Ben Lee in the film The Rage In Placid Lake, which is admittedly offbeat, but he was charming. The only other CD I have by him is Breathing Tornados, which I played profusely. This CD is over a decade old and seemed like a good buy at a $2 sale. Despite having been out for quite a while, I REALLY like this music and am so glad I finally encountered it! I think it has held up well. Australian Lee at the time this CD was recorded in Los Angeles sold more in the USA than in Australia. But this disc has a lovely folk sound with acoustic guitar. "2 Sisters" has a sweet shuffle to it as Ben relates about two girls who did not get along. "Household Name" that cites Michael J. Fox and the cast of "Family Ties" may seem a bit dated now that the old series has been forgotten a bit, but it puts a smile on my face as he relates about child stars on "Different Strokes," "The Cosby Show" & "Punky Brewster". Petra Haden who does vocals on her dad's new CD Rambling Boy plays violin on the lovely "End of the World." Probably the optimism of the chorus on "New Song" makes it my favorite, "I'm gonna make through & I'm gonna do it all." This is a sweet set, well worth dusting off or discovering. Enjoy!