Ben Kweller

Ben Kweller

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 19, 2006)
• Original Release Date: September 19, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: ATO Records
• ASIN: B000H7ZZYM
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,500 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On his first eponymous effort, Ben Kweller sounds wise beyond his years--and younger than ever. Some songs come on mature and understated, like "Nothing Happening," others surge with youthful enthusiasm, like "I Gotta Move." Then again, Kweller is at that midway point between 20 and 30. His lyrics trod the same fine line between young and not-so-young. Rhyming "losing control" with "rock and roll" ("I Don't Know Why") seems pretty facile, but then he busts out with the infinitely more original, "I'm-a just a penny on the train track / Waitin' for my judgment day / Come on baby girl let me see those legs / 'For I get flattened away" ("Penny on the Train Tracks"). It takes dexterity to combine humor and longing without letting both sides down. Repetitive, if heartfelt ballad "Thirteen" messes with the momentum, but Ben Kweller is yet another winner from the man of the same name. His fourth full-length concludes with "This is War," in which the music-mad scientist splices the garage-rock rhythms of the White Stripes with the pop smarts of the Raconteurs... and the Monkees (specifically "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone"). Has Kweller been listening to Jack White lately? Or did he just discover Nuggets? Either way, here's hoping he keeps it up as the tambourine-fueled rocker is one of his best. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love It!, November 2, 2006

By	D. Delcampo - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a Ben Kweller fan since his first album. There are classic songs on the Sha-Sha album that just caught my heart. With Ben's sequel follow-up CD, I was quite disappointed and I knew many of his fans felt the same.

However, this NEW CD is absolutely Splendid and well-produced! This is very reminiscent of Ben's classic-style and catchy beats. This is well worth a listening to (for me, this will be about the 100th... at least). Check it out, you will be pleased.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST KWELLER ALBUM YET!, September 20, 2006

By	B. Rogers - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a Kweller fan since seeing him with Incubus a few years ago. A review of his latest album follows:
Ben Kweller's self-titled third album certainly earns its name, with Kweller playing all the instruments this time around. It also marks his first album without esteemed producer Ethan Johns, who had produced both of his previous efforts; working instead with British producer Gil Norton (best known for his work with Gomez and Foo Fighters). The change has Kweller trading in the raw rugged folk sounds of previous albums for a more refined sound, but somehow Kweller sounds more at home in his shiny new digs; crafting an album full of pop oriented rock n roll gems.
The entire album recalls the big glorious rock sounds of the 80s, when giants like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty ruled the airwaves. The same feel good melodic folk rock that made them so refreshing run rampant on Kweller's third effort. Kweller has no interest in aping the classics, despite the distinct taste of Petty that permeates through the breezy "Sundress". The melancholy song finds Kweller expressing his willingness to keep up with his lover's changing desires with the sweet "I do, anything you want me to" hook; further explaining, "And from the inside-out you've changed girl / You know you have, don't make a good thing bad".
The overwhelming sweet innocence in Kweller's songwriting combined with his brilliantly catchy melodies turns each song into a bouquet of wildflowers. Right from the start of the jangling acoustic folk rocker "Run", Kweller's wide-eyed exuberance pulls you in as he looks at his life on the road, and explaining that it would all be better with his wife by his side. Most directly about his relationship with his wife is the gorgeously memorable "Thirteen". With only a piano and some verses, Kweller tenderly recounts the highs and lows over the years with his childhood sweetheart; leaving a mark without the benefit of a hook. Kweller's rich picturesque lyrics on the song leave listeners wanting more when he abruptly finishes with, "It was in the back of a taxi / When you told me you loved me, and I wasn't alone".
The piano chugging rock n roll number, "Penny On A Train Track" is an uplifting and cathartic listen, where Kweller runs into an old high-school friend who makes him realize that he is a 'grown-up' now. The simultaneous nervousness and excitement of the moment plays out beautifully. Capturing both the elation of falling in love and the freewheeling fun of 80s power pop, "Magic" is perhaps the most instantly catchy tune on the album. The punchy, "She's magic", hook, describing his lover's incredible charms over him, works wonders against the nostalgic backdrop. Following the soft piano ballad "Until I Die", the rollicking "This Is War" closes the set as the loudest. Sounding like a mash-up of The Raconteurs and The Beatles, "War" is a lively and powerful taught 2:30 rocker.
Ben Kweller is easily the most consistent and rewarding album from the budding rock superstar. Gone are the annoying inconsistent moments on his younger efforts, leaving a tight rock album with enough melody and pop sensibility to make his third album a career defining treasure. Completely devoid of any missteps or minor stumbles, at the young age of twenty-five, Kweller sounds like he has found his groove. Ben Kweller is a breezy, poppy, and ultimately refreshing listen not to miss.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS ALBUM!, April 4, 2007

By	J. Greenberg (Hunt Valley, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've never been prompted to write a review before, on Amazon or anywhere else, but I've been listening to this album for the past month, and I want to encourage everyone to try it out! Ben Kweller is a musical genius - he wrote and performed every instrument on the album. The songs absolutely rock, with amazing chorus lines - a unique combination of 60's influenced psychedelia but with a completely (post)modern twist. There isn't a bad song on the album.