Customer Reviews

Stems and Seeds

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had to search a bit to find a store that carried this CD, but as a huge Folds fan, it was worth it. The first CD doesn't mean much to me---it has isolated tracks which allow you to remix the Way To Normal album on your PC. If that's something you are into, go for it. The second CD is worth the price of admission, without a doubt. It contains a remixed version of Way To Normal which brings out a lot of new things in the music--for my ears, the vocals sound a LOT better on this version, for one thing. Ben also re-sequenced the album, so that the songs are in an order that, to me, is much more pleasing. After this, you also get the famous "leaked" tracks that Ben put on the Internet---these are AWESOME, not only are they better than the actual album tracks, but I really feel that they capture some of the loose, off-the-cuff, fun feeling that the Ben Folds Five had. Maybe these "leaked" tracks which were done for the hell of it freed Ben up to just be creative and not overthink things too much. Regardless, the songs are just great and I'm very glad to have them on a CD. This CD is probably mainly for true believers who buy anything Ben releases (I'm one of them) but I gotta tell you, this was definitely worth finding.

My only issue with Way to Normal was the production value. Ben's label probably hated him for doing this, but he really delivered for his die-hard fans this time. You've got all the stems that you can play around with and mix just the way you like. also, the newly mixed versions of the songs are VASTLY better. ben's voice even sounds clearer. the set also includes the entire fake album, the japanese version of hirosima, and a rehersal session for "you dont know me" on conan. its a great set all together. make sure to pick it up.

As many reviewers and fans alike have noted, _Way to Normal_ blasted listeners with a monotonous stream of overproduced loudness. Without exception, the versions here are improvements. The previously leaked tracks are a bonus, too. While I'll never have enough Ben Folds, at the end of the day, the songs really just don't do it for me the way past Ben Folds and BFF albums have. As an evaluation of the songs, I'd give the album 2 or 3 stars, but this release earns 4 stars from me for its concept. The songs sound fresher and more dynamic here, some of the bonus songs are hilarious, and, while I haven't tried them, the idea behind the remixing disc sounds fun.

As something of an aside--while the sound vastly improves on the original release of _Way to Normal_ the song sequencing seems bizarre. Maybe I am conditioned to hearing the songs in their original order, but it's VERY jarring going from "Hiroshima" to "Kylie," for example. And "Brainwascht" is a great little pop tune, but it doesn't have lyrical or musical punch as a typical Ben Folds album closer and ends the album really oddly. "Cologne" or "Kylie" (as in the original) would have been far better choices.

If you are a Fan and have a Mac or a PC to use garageband or audacity your new time hole is here. You will lose hours of your life coming up with new versions/variations of tunes off of Way To Normal...You can take out the distorted piano of 'Free Coffee' (Mute Piano 1)and come up with a Better version IMO. Cologne you can hear mute all but the Strings and Piano and get different perspective of these great tunes. Thanks Ben for putting this out there!

A very different look on the classic ben folds songs. As an avid fan, I really enjoy Ben's attention to detail and skills as a producer. I expected simple covers of his old songs, and I was pleasantly surprised hear new takes and complex editions of the songs I love.

Taking cues from his fans, Ben Folds released a remixed version of Way to Normal that I would recommend purchasing over the original release. The songs contain less distortion than their counterparts, making songs like Free Coffee easier to listen to. Not to mention the added value of the Japanese version of Hiroshima, the fake tracks that were leaked as a joke to the internet, and a live version of Folds' Spektor Duet that is by far the best version of the song you can buy. As an added bonus, the second disc can be popped into your computer, and you can make your own remixes of all the WTN tracks. Democracy rules!

First off, this new release by Folds is not technically a new one, so I just wanted to warn and advise buyers.
Disc 1 is the basic tracks of Way to Normal--although you have to have a Mac or special computer software to play around with them. I think Folds got really annoyed by the reviews of Way to Normal and just decided to let the public have open access to the bones (or stems) of the original album...probably just to shut them up.
Then on Disc 2 we have the original album remixed--showing better tone and not as "manipulated" or "doctored" as the original album (which a lot of people did not like).
After that we have nine extra unreleased tracks. These are where the worth of purchase is to be found.
"Cologne" has a new choir backing to it and works pretty well. It has also been squeezed together into one track, rather than be separated rather oddly like it was on the original album.
"Bitch Went Nutz" is an earlier and much better version of the original tune on the album. Here, Fold's narrative is _absolutely hilarious_ as he describes how his most recent relationship collapsed. He swears and he rants and is devastatingly sarcastic, all behind a really catchy jazz beat.
Next we have a completely unreleased track, titled after the actual original album, Way to Normal. I don't know why Folds didn't include this earlier because it is a memorable song with some really good lyrics on how much fear and dread can accompany the release of a new album--really, here, Folds attacks his critics again.
"Free Coffee Town" and "Love Sick Diagnostician" are two earlier versions of "Free Coffee" and "Dr. Yang" respectively. Because "Love Sick..." is more overtly personal again, and discusses how Folds may (ironically, intentionally?) want to kill himself after the collapse of his r'ship, it is probably stronger than the original track. "Free Coffeee Town" is pleasant, and of course doesn't have the "scratchy" effect the original had (also, the remix of this song has a more pleasant "scratchy" remix, so that you can hear the original instrument being played a little more clearly).
Next we have an early version of "Frown Song" that has a basic, thumping beat, and I would argue is more effective with new lyrics and overall arrangement. In fact, there's new lyrics all over the place with this unreleased tracks, and the overall air is much more personal and affecting. I find myself just starting at Disc 2, track 12, and going from there--it makes for quite a strong album! In fact, most of the tracks are better than the originals, so you end up feeling that perhaps Folds made the wrong choices on the cutting room floor and is showing you what the actual genesis for these pieces were.
Finishing off with a late night TV show rehearsal of his duo with Regina Spectre (including an off-the-cuff, roaring curse at the end), a Japanese version of Hiroshima and a stripped down, completely different "Brainwashed", this second disc is almost eight minutes of a fascinating deconstruction of a pretty good original album. You may not
play the original again!

Ben Folds is arguably one of the finest songwriters of our time. He consistently delivers as a perfomer also. I agree that this CD is even better than "Way to Normal". "Bitch Went Nutz" alone is worth the price of the CD.

I did not listen to Way to Normal so I don't know how the original sounds like, but I love this album. Lots of fun songs. I especially love Hiroshima, both versions. As a Japanese fan, I am very pleased to hear Ben singing Hiroshima in Japanese. The lyrics are actually hilarious; they are not just a translation of the English version. It's too bad for those who don't understand Japanese. :) I have typed up the lyrics in alphabets and posted on my blog (a few parts, I can not figure out what he is saying). If you want to be able to sing the Japanese version as well, please comment on this review.

I had heard the Ben Folds Five as warm-up music in a club, bought these two CDs thinking they would represent something like what I had heard. They didn't, and maybe it was the martinis in the club, but the tunes and arrangements are not quite as interesting as I had thought. Also, minor point, but there's plenty of swearing in the lyrics. This put me off just a bit.