Ben Folds Five (album)

Ben Folds Five
Studio album by Ben Folds Five
Released August 8, 1995
Recorded Wave Castle, North Carolina, February 1995
Genre Alternative rock
Length 46:14
Label Passenger
Producer Caleb Southern
Ben Folds Five chronology
Ben Folds Five
(1995)		 Whatever and Ever Amen
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
EW July 28, 1995, p. 62
Melody Maker June 8, 1996, p. 48
NME April 27, 1996, p. 53
Option January, 1996, p. 92
Pitchfork Media [2]
Rolling Stone [3]
Village Voice February 20, 1996

Ben Folds Five is the self-titled debut album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1995. A non-traditional rock album by any estimation, it was an indie pop album that excluded lead guitars completely.[4] The album was released on the small independent label Passenger Records, owned by Caroline Records, a subsidiary of Virgin/EMI.

Ben Folds Five received almost universally positive reviews, and spawned five singles. The record failed to chart, but sparked an intense bidding war eventually won by Sony Music.[5] Several live versions of songs originally released on Ben Folds Five reappeared later as b-sides or on compilations.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Ben Folds, except where noted. 

No. Title Lyrics Length
1. "Jackson Cannery"     3:23
2. "Philosophy"     4:36
3. "Julianne"     2:30
4. "Where's Summer B.?"   Folds, Darren Jessee 4:07
5. "Alice Childress"   Folds, Anna Goodman 4:34
6. "Underground"     4:11
7. "Sports and Wine"     2:58
8. "Uncle Walter"     3:51
9. "Best Imitation of Myself"     2:38
10. "Video"     4:07
11. "The Last Polka"   Folds, Anna Goodman 4:34
12. "Boxing"     4:45

Reviews

The album received positive reviews from NME, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Entertainment Weekly.

AllMusic gave Ben Folds Five 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a potent, and extremely fun, collection of postmodern rock ditties that comes off as a pleasantly workable combination of Tin Pan Alley showmanship, Todd Rundgren-style power pop, and myriad alt-rock sensibilities."[4]

Personnel

Production

References

  1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r227966/review
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ "Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews". Rollingstone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/150496/benfolds?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscography&pageregion=triple1. Retrieved 2011-12-04. 
  4. ^ a b AllMusic review: "Ben Folds Five."
  5. ^ allmusic ((( Ben Folds Five > Biography )))
Ben Folds Five
Studio albums
Compilation & Rarities albums
Singles
"Jackson Cannery" • "Underground" • "Where's Summer B.?" • "Philosophy" • "Uncle Walter" • "Battle of Who Could Care Less" • "Kate" • "One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces" • "Brick" • "Song for the Dumped" • "Army" • "Don't Change Your Plans"
DVDs & Videos
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