Customer Reviews

Whatever and Ever Amen

5 star:		(208)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Whatever and Ever Amen proves that the spectacular pop song craft of 1995's self titled "Ben Folds Five" album was no fluke. The songs on here can become very addictive. He pulls off these infectious tunes just as well as Elton John, Billy Joel or Joe Jackson; he is definitely a gifted piano man.

I did not discover this album when I was in high school like a lot of people I knew, but it takes me back there every time I listen to it. It is a great record, symbolizing the time when it came out in 1997. Ben Folds has opened me up to the world of piano music. He is the reason I love Elton John and Billy Joel so much today.

This album is just filled with stand-out tracks. I'm sure everyone has heard the very memorable song "Brick", about the struggles with abortion. "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" kicks off the CD nicely with it's fast paced rhythm. The second track "Fair" is my personal favorite. "Song For The Dumped" is a song that everyone can relate to. "Smoke" is also one of my favorites; I'm not sure what the instrument he is playing is called, but it's chillingly sweet. Then you have "Steven's Last Night In Town", and fantastic swing number brightened up with some horns. They mix it up so much, and still keep the guitars out of the picture.

This album is very diverse and has plenty of material to be loved by all. I would recommend it to anybody who likes any kind of music; is that vague enough?

This album is considered by a lot of folks to be Ben Folds Five's best album. It certainly was their most commercially successful. Any way you slice it, it's purty darned good. This reissue sounds marginally better than the original release, but the selling point is ostensibly the seven extra tracks that have been included. Well, I'm here to tell you folks that they're not all gold. All of the tracks have been available officially and unofficially for some time and if you're a BFF fan, then most likely you already have them. "Video Killed the Radio Star", "She Don't Use Jelly", and "Air" are decent tracks but the others are strictly for completists only. If you don't already own the album, then by all means pick it up; the original is killer and worth the price alone. If you already have a copy of the original release, then the slight increase in sonic quality and the extra tracks aren't really worth shelling out another $15 to line the pockets of the record company. Go to Ben Folds' website and buy his recent EPs instead. He gets a much bigger cut of the money that way. ;)

The second release from the now defucnt Ben Folds Five is one of the best Rock albums not on your shelf. I bought this album along with three others one fateful night. I gave it one listen and paid more attention that night to the musical (if you can call it that) stylings of Semisonic. A few weeks later I popped this misnamed trio back into my CD player and fell in love. The opening track "One Angry Dwarf and Two Hundred Solemn Faces" was shocking to listen to because I had only known their one radio hit- the soft-core introspective "Brick"
The CD is great. So many reviewers note that there is a song for every emotional pitch. This is true- the tracks oscilate between frenetic energy (One Angry Dwarf, Fair) to melancholic solace seeking (Missing the War, Evaporated). Ben Folds Five is hard to characterize as a group because of their range and development as a group between their promising self-titled debut "Ben Folds Five" to their critically acclaimed "Rheinhold Messner."
This CD takes a few listens to understand- as it did with me. But this album alone coerced me to attend the best concert of my life- Ben Folds Five on Summer Stage at Central Park- accompanied by strings and horns- I managed to sneak my friends and myself back-stage to meet the band- way cool.
With the release of Ben Folds first Solo Effort since the breakup of this band we can see what Robert Sledge and Darren Jesse contributed to the group. Ben Folds Five was more comic and energetic- especially on stage- whereas Ben Folds himself (the creative force behind the band) continues in the direction the band moved in their last effort, Messner.
Having bought this album when I was 16 and now being on the cusp of 20 I must say that it changed my life forever. The infectious tunes are still popular at parties and I find myself returning to this album often to find solace. The songs express silly rage, regretful introspection,joyful adoration, and confusion. Ben Folds' lyrical genius is in his ability to tell short poingant stories- a lost art in modern rock.
Needless to say, this band -a one hit wonder by most people's standards- has far outlasted my naive interest in the pathetic but momentarily popular Semisonic. This LP should interest all struggling piano students, open-minded punk-rockers, nerd-rockers (Weezer fans) and pop fans who enjoy great songwriting. Get ready to jump up and down in raucus excited smiles and to perhaps shed a tear (if you are a wimp like me) with this incredible and powerful mix of an album.

One of the most endearing and frusterating things about Ben Folds (Five) is his (their) refusal to take things seriously. Ultimately, it resulted in a couple dreadful self-parodies (the title track of the otherwise excellent "Rockin' the Suburbs"), but on "Whatever and Ever Amen", there's a strong balance.

Thus, you have lighthearted pop ("Kate") mixed with heartbreaking ballads ("Brick"). Folds is a very talented piano player, and it's backed (on the rockier numbers) with Robert Sledge's amplified bass and Darren Jesse's solid drumming to give them a unique sound. It's like a giant blender full of Joe Jackson, Todd Rundgren, The Pixies, Beck, Weezer, XTC, Burt Bacharach, more.

On songs like "One Angry Dwarf.." and "Song For the Dumped", Folds' lyrics are spiked with bitterness and anger, yet he never feels *truly* pissed off when he sings lines such as "Give me my money back you bitch" (the chorus of the latter). Perhaps any anger is overshadowed by the delicious pop hooks.

Other highlights include the lush jazz of "Selfless, Cold and Composed", the New Orleans jazz-tinged playfulness of "Steven's Last Night in Town", the theatrical ballad "Missing the War", the insanely catchy pop of "Battle of Who Could Care Less", and the sophisticated-yet-silly "Fair".

In terms of writing catchy, engaging hooks, Folds is a master here. That's what makes "Whatever & Ever Amen" so memorable. Whether it's a humorous pop song or a melancholy ballad, everything is so hooky and infectious.

Did you ever what happened to the lonely, friendly outcast who used to go to your high school? For at least one high school class out there, the answer is that he made this album. This is easily one of the best album of the 90's, the outcast album for people who can't tolerate goths, but still want to go through their high school yearbook with a sharpie, drawing x's. Through this incredible album, Folds and the crew show the regular guy life that follows. He gloats at his success ("One Angry Dwarf"), deals with the ups and downs of love ("Song for the Dumped", "Fair"), and puts up with friends who wear out their welcome ("Steven's Last Night", "Battle of Who Could Care Less").

Generally, his lyrics are pretty casual (i.e. - I guess it's cool to be alone), but despite the simplicity of it all, he manages to be pretty poetic. In my favorite track, "Brick", Ben Folds Five turns in one of their best known and most beautiful pieces, about a guy taking his girl to get an abortion. Its heavy subject matter, but still not a topic beyond the average listener. With all the parts combined, and capped off with the incredible "Evaporated", WE&EA is certainly the best of Ben Folds, and is the best example of how piano rock can still rock.

Ahh Ben Folds Five, Robert Sledge, Ben Folds & Darren Jesse, just three guys from the suburbs making great music with meaning behind it. With fun and entertaining songs like "One angry dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces", "Song for the dumped", "Stevens last night in town", "Kate army" & "Battle of who could care less". It also provides plenty heart wrenching sad tunes such as "Brick", "Smoke", "Cigarette", "Missing the war" & "Evaporated". Basically this album creates the perfect atmosphere both musically and lyrically for whatever mood you are in.

You almost have to believe that Ben Folds, Darren Jesse, and Robert Sledge were completely unaware of what they had achieved on Whatever and Ever Amen. Presented complete with flubbed notes, after-track commentary, and phones ringing in the backround, Whatever is an undoubtable masterpiece that might never be equalled by its creators.

Some of the best things about this disc are the effortlessly acrobatic instrumentalism, the inspired harmony vocals, the implicit nods to Elton and Billy, and especially the very live production. Ben seamlessly slips in extra keyboards on "Song For The Dumped" and completes three part harmony on almost every track, but the album still sounds as if it might have been recorded in a single live take.

"Smoke" could have been mellow and pillowy, but instead it pushes Ben's unadorned voice to the forefront of its complex arrangement. The pair of kiss-offs ("One Angry Dwarf" & "Dumped") seethe with angst, while "Battle Of Who Could Care Less" softens the edges on a similar emotion. And, famously, the piano on "Brick" echos out as if to fill an expanse left empty by the other subdued performances on the first verse and then melts into the rhythm section to create the backbone of the chorus and the rest of the song.

The only fair critique of Whatever is that the energy of the disc ebbs and flows a little too much... "Brick" is bookended by two of the best upbeat songs on the disc while the raucous "Kate" is surrounded by mellower cuts. However, despite the inconsistent tracking, Whatever is a great example of good music, and will continue to attract new fans for years to come.

i absolutely loved this cd. it opens with the track one angry dwarf, which is quite possiblly one of the most intense piano pieces i have ever heard. i mean, not many songs make me play air piano, but this one certainly does. then there are the already known songs, brick, and song for the dumped, and much more. one of the best purchases ive made, and afterwards i had to get all of the ben folds five cds.

i started off with ben folds live, saw him live (and died of sheer amazement but was reincarnated just in time to write this review), and then i received this baby for christmas.

i don't need to make a detailed list of all the tracks on this album to describe how f'n excellent it is. each of them tells its own story of being a human today--you'll laugh, you'll think, and you'll maybe drive a little too fast when it's on the car stereo.

Have to say that I had heard of Ben Folds, but ignored him mostly until I sat down one night last week and was fooling around on the internet listening to Dave Matthews and noticed that people who like Dave Matthews also like Ben Folds. So I listened to One Angry Dwarf, Fair, and Brick and was thoroughly impressed, impressed enough to buy the entire album via download.

This is a record not just for kids . . . it is for forty year olds who remember the angst of being in eighth grade and being shat upon or in miserable relationships as young adults. It's funny as hell, and it's also very poignant.

One of my favorite records of all time is Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything . . . BFF has Todd's sensibility, favoring a cheerful, clear pop sound, with a good ironic sense of humor mixed with some sensitivity. There are a lot of f-bombs and at least one reference to masturbation thrown in, so you might not want to play it around your young kids until you've listened to it once. But this is just a great record and I can't wait to hear more of his stuff.