When all words fail she speaks, her mixtape's a masterpiece
In so many ways, the Ben Folds Five is a victim of the success of "Brick." Richelle, a big fan of piano pop/rock and the person who (for some reason) made great pains to turn me on to the group, always rued the fact that no one ever listened to the rest of their songs. I only stayed away because, for the longest time, I thought that all of their songs were weepy ballads, and who wanted to listen to an album full of that?But Whatever and Ever Amen, from which "Brick" and "Smoke" came from, was a masterpiece that straddled earnestness and irony (the sentimental "Brick" is followed by the rocking "Song for the Dumped," which Folds sings with tongue firmly in-cheek). You get the feeling that the records were made by, and (perhaps more importantly) for, people who embrace both sarcasm and empathy.
The fusion of these two qualities is most apparent in the love song "Kate," where Folds sings about his dream girl who makes mixtape masterpieces, who's got daisies in her footsteps, who might be smoking pot, and who brings a rainbow everytime she smiles.
Fortunately, a digitally-remastered edition of the album came out recently, which makes it easier to find it on Multiply.
Labels: music
8/18/2007 11:41 AM -- 
ms.chelle says:
You make it sound like i pestered you into listening to ben folds five hahaha. Have you heard 'philosophy' yet? I really like that song - my non mushy favorite. Ooh i should make you listen to mc lars! :)
8/19/2007 3:56 AM -- jona says:
saw ben folds live once. reminds me of a less flamboyant elton john but with same somewhat crazy glasses. was a really good show. i remember at one point, he played the piano by hitting it with the piano seat. it still sounded good. he also did a rendition of snoop dogg's (?) "b*****s and h**s" or something like that with audience participation. he mostly did songs from rockin the suburbs and songs for silverman though. . .
8/22/2007 5:26 PM -- jaemark says:
chelle, i have a copy of that song, but i'm looking for the whole album. meron ka? :D
jona, ikaw din ung nagbigay sa kin dati ng mga mp3s na galing sa rocking the suburbs at sa silverman eh. ok din sila, pero mas trip ko ung mga luma na kasama ung buong banda :)
8/26/2007 10:21 PM -- age: A says:
ayus talaga song-moments mo jae. minsan natatawa ako pero pagdating sa dulo, marerealize ko okay din pala mga na-ti-tripan mo.
rak on!
