Ben Folds Five

Well, a little while has passed since my previous review, so I figured it's about time to do another. I honestly just grabbed my discman and decided to review whichever CD was inside. So, I'm going to review another Ben Folds album, this time from his band, the Ben Folds Five (which, if I haven't mentioned, contains only three people). This album is the self titled debut of the Ben Folds Five, released in 1995. So, unless I have been horribly misled by wikipedia, this is the oldest album I have reviewed so far. That's...a little depressing, considering that this album isn't even twenty years old. Never mind, I guess. Here's the review:

1. Jackson Cannery
In an an interview with Ryan Schreiber of Turntable Online (no, I know nothing about it either) Ben Folds claimed this song was basically about being able to "quit life" in the sense that you can just stop doing everything and go do something else. I needed to look this up because, frankly, I can't make much from the lyrics of this song. Not the greatest possible thing to take from the first song of Ben Folds first album. The song itself was also named after someone who Folds knew who worked too hard (the Jackson part, not the Cannery part). The actual song has a good beat (something to be found all throughout this album), a great piano melody (something to be found on every Ben Folds album) and great vocals (which are spattered here and there). The sng is a really good way to start the album because it both shows what the Ben Folds Five can do and also what they don't do. They don't make boring songs. They don't make depressing songs. They also don't make many songs with obvious meaning, but that might just be me. The song seems a bit monotonous, but it does slow down at intervals, so I can hardly say it's a dull song.

79/100 - Yes, the rating system is staying, considering no-one has said anything about it. This song is lively, fun and a great way for the Ben Folds Five to have started their career. It does, however, suffer from not being very memorable, especially in comparison to other songs on this very album.

2. Philosophy
The notes from The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective claim this song is basically a take on a speech someone would give an the end of a movie to explain themselves, but it is pretty easy to take your own meaning from it, I suppose. I think it's really just about defending what you believe in without offending someone else (which may have something to do with the post that started this very blog in October 2011). The song has all the trademarks of a Ben Folds Five song, but with the piano even better and with more emotion behind the vocals. A fantastic song and with almost no competition, my favourite of this album, if not Ben Folds career so far.

94/100 - A brief but fantastic song. Whenever I think of Ben Folds music, this, You Don't Know Me or Adelaide pop into my head, and that sort of memorability doesn't come from just any song.


3. Julianne
This is one of those songs that you love for just one line (or, in some cases, not even for the line itself, but for how it's sung). Julianne has this, with the line "Being awake never felt like this before." The basic meaning of the song is denial, acting out of character because of it and generally making an arse out of yourself. The piano is good, the vocals are distinctive and the most distinctive parts of the song is how it starts off sounding like it will be a everyday rock song about a one night stand, before, after one verse, reverting back into the faux-cheery piano beat of a Ben Folds Five song. A very interesting piece of music.

80/100 - A nice song, but I haven't made my mind up about whether or not I like the sampling of the sound of bottles and cans being thrown into a bin, as I hear more than enough of that from my neighbours on a Saturday morning. It sets the song apart, but can be irritating when you aren't in a mood for "distinctive" music. But, to be fair, if I wasn't, I shouldn't be listening to a Ben Folds Five albm in the first place.

4. Where's Summer B.?
Well, this song manages to be all about change(which, by the way, is the safest thing to say if asked about the meaning of a song you've never heard of. Really), while still being about the lack of it. Read the damn lyrics yourself if you want to know how, or just take my word for it. This song has the same decent piano and great vocals of Ben Folds and the only real distinctive thing here is the backup singers, who have quite a prevalent part in the song. I think it adds an extra element to the song, although I can sort of see how it could be distracting.

73/100 - A nice song, but nothing too distinctive. The only real reason it loses points is because there is not much different between this song and the previous three. Not a massive problem, considering I happen to like that particular music, but a touch frustrating all the same.

5. Alice Childress
Well, this song is (ahem) clearly about change...lots and lots of...change. Yeah, no real idea. I suppose it seems a bit about not focusing on problems and the such, but I really don't know. A nice enough song, a little slower and more sentimental then the previous four songs which, although I tend to like the more up-beat BFF songs, is nice due to the fact I have something to say that I have just managed make go for a decent amount of space. Feel cheated? Too bleeding bad. Anyway, I'm starting to feel like a broken record, so for the rest of the album (unless I say otherwise) just presume that the song has good piano, a good beat and good vocals. This particular song also has a decent bit of backup vocals.

81/100 - Essentially the same as the rest of the album so far, but with just something which makes it stand out.

6. Underground
If you have heard of Ben Folds Five from somewhere other than this blog, I think you would have to have heard of Underground.  This, simply put, is what made Ben Folds famous. This song was #3 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1996, between Stinkfist by Tool & Pepper by Butthole Surfers. This was the only Ben Folds Five song to make it on the list until One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces the next year. Anyway, the song itself, in the words of Ben Folds from the previously mentioned retrospective album with the long name is "early 90's "coolness" but to Bee Gees cabaret music." The song in my humble opinion is about finding a group you're comfortable with and being yourself around them. The song also weirdly reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, perhaps merely for the title, perhaps because of the start of the song, which begins sounding like some dodgy They Might Be Giants song (no, I'm not saying that TMBG songs are dodgy, I'm saying it sounded like a dodgy song akin to TMBG) before launching into a full-blown Ben Folds Five song, with even more fervour than usual. I do like Underground, but not as much as Philosophy or Boxing (which is later on in this album). The one thing I can say about Underground is that it introduced me to Ben Folds and his "Five". I had heard and really liked the song You Don't Know Me  off of Way To Normal, but hadn't really investigated who or what a Ben Folds was. I have never been able to associate Underground with Ben Folds in any way. It just seems like a cover of a song by They Might Be Giants and The Bee Gees with just a touch of Queen (don't try that at home, kids. That song might be a touch too awesome). Not a bad song by any means, especially considering what it did for the career of Ben Folds Five and how it introduced the group to me.

88/100 - The third best song off this album. I still don't quite know what to make of this song. Which is not a great thing to write in a review. Also, used backup singers very nicely.

7. Sports & Wine
The fastest song off the album so far, I think the meaning of Sports & Wine is similar to Charmless Man by Blur and Common People by Pulp: Essentially, rich people suck. Yeah, there might be more to it than that, but I like keeping things simple. This song has better piano than a lot of the other songs, mainly due to the talent and energy that clearly go into making a song with that kind of speed to the beat. A very good song, even if there is not that much I can say. Damn, my reviews are getting short.

85/100 - A really nice, danceable song which I really like, even if I did keep getting it confused with The Wine Song by The Cat Empire back when I used to have a playlist on my computer.

8. Uncle Walter
This song is essentially about the "over-opinionated" (to put it nicely) elderly relatives many people have had, who grow increasingly creepy depending how out-dated their opinions are. My scale works like this:
LowLevels of Creepy - Insanely right wing, believe all people left-of-centre politically are closet communists.
Low-Medium Levels of Creepy: Uses quasi-racist phrases in everyday conversations, believes any variety of music that isn't classical is rotting children's brains.
Medium Levels of Creepy: Believes that every man should serve two years in the military to "build character" despite complete lack of military experience, possibly spitting whilst speaking.
Medium-High Levels of Creepy: Use of extremely racist terms in conversation, vehemently defends White Australia policy (varies depending on nationality of relative) and attacks land rights.
High Levels of Creepy: Uses the phrase "X actually had a point if you think about it.", X being guilty of any criminal offence other than civil rights protests. There is a disturbingly large chance in Australia that X will be Pauline Hanson. Please don't ask how many of these are based on relatives I have / had as a child. The amount is disturbingly high.

Sorry about that, but the review was very short. Anyway, the main focus of Uncle Walter is the lyrics, although the music is at Ben Folds Five quality.

84/100 - Would have been lower, but it gave me a chance to rant, and for that I am grateful.

9. Best Imitation Of Myself
Observant or knowledgeable reader(s?) may have noticed that this song is also the name of the Ben Folds retrospective album I have been mentioning. Well done. Have a cookie. The album of the same name reveals that the song is about how a record company signed the Ben Folds Five on the basis of earlier songs and expected them to keep releasing the same kinds of music, despite the fact the group was changing, eventually making Folds think that they wanted him to imitate himself, thus this song. I'm sure someone who has more creativity than me can find a deeper meaning than this, but I'm satiated with it. The song itself is a little slower than usual, but still faster than Alice Childress. The guitar also is a little more present here than previously.

77/100 - Not bad, but doesn't really do anything for me. Also, the fact the meaning of the song is very upfront and not as deep as the name implies didn't do it any favours in my mind. Even if I have absolutely no idea what the song is about, I at least like it to have depth.

10. Video
Well, meaning first, I think this song is about finding less and less excitement in things you used to enjoy and finding yourself more and more cynical about the future, if things are going to continue like this. The song is nice enough, but I find the lyrics very interesting, now that I have actually looked them up for this review (I just made it sound like I put some forethought into the review. I wish to remove any belief in this myth). I think there is probably something different for everyone who reads of hears the lyrics to this song, so I recommend checking them out and, if you can be bothered, telling me if you think it means the same.

82/100 - A thought provoking song which I truly enjoy, even if I do keep mixing it up with Ben Folds Five's cover of The Bugles' Video Killed The Radio Star. I keep getting my hopes up every time I see it on the track list of the album.

11. The Last Polka
We're nearing the end. Although the name of this song implies it is slower than usual or more sentimental, it isn't significantly more of either, although it is a touch darker, considering it centres around a couple in a failing relationship. I really like the pace of this song. I think more songs with darker, heavier themes should go with it. Just because a song is hard to write doesn't mean it should be slower, and if anything really important is said, slow the song down enough just to focus on it. I do really enjoy this song, and I really wish it was more memorable, considering the excellent beat.

86/100 - A really good song. The style of it made me think this was the unofficial Fred Jones Part 1 (which, as I mentioned (I think) in my previous review, about a song by Ben Folds called Fred Jones Part 2 without a song being called Part 1. The song Cigarette, I believe, is the actual predecessor of the song, but this song and it have a lot in common). The one problem I have with the song is that the word "Polka" in my mind is always linked to Weird Al Yankovic, which makes the possibility of such a sad polka unbelievable.

12. Boxing
My second favourite song off the album just happens to be both the last and the most depressing. Literally, the song is written from the view of Muhammad Ali about retiring from boxing. How I see the song, however, is addressing how human beings cope with frustration, being used, anger, denial and most of all, being able to do nothing to fix a situation. The mood of the song is sad and serene throughout the majority , but at one point it quickly flares up in the frustration of the narrator. Besides the lyrics, the song is notable for including violins (I think. Unless they're doing some extraordinary things with guitars over in North Carolina). A fantastic way to end the album, managing to defeat any (understandably) formed opinions of Ben Folds Five being formulaic by breaking the formula.

90/100 - Utterly fantastic. One of my favourites.

Well, that's Ben Folds Five by Ben Folds Five. I hope you enjoyed the review, please feel free to comment and I have nothing more to say other than that I hope to put up more reviews soon, despite the fact I have no idea what to review. Any ideas are welcome.

H. Rourke