Rockin' the Suburbs

Rockin’ the Suburbs
Studio album by Ben Folds
Released September 11, 2001
Genre Alternative rock
Length 48:42
Label Epic
Producer Ben Folds, Ben Grosse
Ben Folds chronology

Rockin’ the Suburbs
(2001)		 Ben Folds Live
(2002)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (75/100) [1]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [2]
Robert Christgau [3]
Entertainment Weekly A− [4]
Los Angeles Times [5]
The Music Box [6]
Pitchfork Media 6.3/10 [7]
PopMatters (Thompson) [1][8]
(average) (Gilstrap) [9]
Rolling Stone [10]
Spin (7/10) [1]
Stylus Magazine C− [11]
Yahoo! Music UK [12]

Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock 2001 album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds. His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five (while still a part of Ben Folds Five, he released an experimental album called Fear of Pop: Volume 1), Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the well-known title track. It was released on the same day as the September 11 attacks. The album was recorded in Adelaide, Australia where Folds was living at the time.

"Rockin’ the Suburbs" is Folds' only single thus far to make Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking there at #28. The album peaked at #42 on the Billboard 200 chart, and at #11 on the Top Internet Albums chart. A remake of the title track featuring William Shatner appeared in the soundtrack for the 2006 film Over the Hedge, which stars Shatner as an opossum named Ozzie.

Track listing

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

No. TitleLyrics Length
1. "Annie Waits"    4:17
2. "Zak and Sara"    3:11
3. "Still Fighting It"    4:25
4. "Gone"    3:22
5. "Fred Jones Part 2"    3:45
6. "The Ascent of Stan"    4:14
7. "Losing Lisa"  Folds, Frally Hynes 4:10
8. "Carrying Cathy"    3:49
9. "Not the Same"    4:17
10. "Rockin’ the Suburbs"    5:00
11. "Fired"    3:49
12. "The Luckiest"    4:44
13. "Hiro's Song" (Bonus track on Japanese CD and US vinyl releases.)  -

Track notes

According to Folds, "Not the Same" is based on a true story of a person he knew who, under the influence of LSD, climbed a tree at a party hosted by Darren Jesse (not Robert Sledge, as the song states), stayed in the tree overnight, and when he came down the next morning was a born-again Christian. As for why he chose Robert's name to be used, instead of Darren's, he stated "it sounded better".[13]

The track "Zak and Sara" has been used in Asian Kung-Fu Generation's Nano-Mugen Compilation 2009.

Folds performed "Gone" with Street Corner Symphony on the finale of Season 2 of The Sing-Off and performed "Not the Same" with the Dartmouth Aires on the finale of Season 3.

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
2001 The Billboard 200 42
2001 Top Internet Albums 11

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
2001 "Rockin’ the Suburbs" Modern Rock Tracks 28

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Critic Reviews for Rockin' The Suburbs". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  2. ↑ Rockin' the Suburbs at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Robert Christgau. "CG: Ben Folds". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  4. ↑ Marc Weingarten (2001-09-14). "Rockin' the Suburbs Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  5. ↑ Steve Appleford (2001-09-16). "A Strong Crop in Fall's First Harvest (Ben Folds: "Rockin' the Suburbs")". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  6. ↑ John Metzger (November 2001). "Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs (Album Review)". The Music Box. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  7. ↑ Joe Tangari (2001-09-16). "Ben Folds Five: Rockin' the Suburbs | Album Reviews". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  8. ↑ Jason Thompson (2001-09-11). "Ben Folds: Rockin' the Suburbs (1)". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 2001-12-24. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  9. ↑ Andrew Gilstrap (2001-09-10). "Ben Folds: Rockin' the Suburbs (2)". PopMatters. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  10. ↑ Greg Kot (2001-09-04). "Ben Folds: Rockin' The Suburbs : Music Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  11. ↑ Colin McElligatt (2003-09-01). "Ben Folds - Rockin the Suburbs - Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  12. ↑ Chris Heath (2001-09-24). "Ben Folds - 'Rockin' The Suburbs'". Yahoo! Music UK. Archived from the original on 2004-08-25. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  13. ↑ R. Pally (2003). "The Ben Folds Interview". Fufkin.com. Retrieved 16 October 2004.

External links