Ben Folds Five C/D / POX

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I haven't found too much on here regarding this band.

I still believe their first album ranks among the very best of the 90's. However, I'm not as impressed with Ben's recent solo EP's.

Your opinions please??

― billstevejim, Friday, 21 November 2003 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

weird, i was just thinking about this band last night. i like 'em ok -- liked 'em better in college, but they were very much a "college" band.

― disco donut (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 21 November 2003 20:39 (twenty-two years ago)

There's some good pop songs on those BFF records. I haven't bothered with his solo work because I generally lost interest in the guy, while losing no affection for the older material. Like Disco Donut, I liked them mostly during college. Freshman and Sophomore years, especially.

POX:

Jackson Cannery
Army
One Angry Dwarf...
Tom & Mary
Selfless, Cold, And Composed
Underground
Your Redneck Past
Don't Change Your Plans
Emaline
Julianne

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 21 November 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw them do a couple songs on a tv show once. They were pretty funny, and the drummer was fantastic. I like the idea of them but have no desire to buy any of their albums ever, for some reason.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 21 November 2003 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I've got their first album, which truthfully I didn't mind too much. I do like "Jackson Cannery" and "Sports & Wine", but I don't find myself playing it too much. Lost interest completely circa their second album.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 21 November 2003 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, the first two albums are both pretty good, despite the fact that the second one contains "Brick," which I never liked, even before it became the band's breakthrough single. I heard the third album once, hated it, and haven't been tempted to pick up anything else.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 21 November 2003 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Eeeh, right, "Brick." I never liked that one. I remember seeing them live back in '98, and sitting impatiently through that song, waiting for it to end. Otherwise, that was a pretty good gig.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 21 November 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

"Brick" kinda killed the band, didn't it? I mean, from that point on, Folds was forced to talk about whether or not it was about abortion and whether or not it was autobiographical (whatever happened to poetic license?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 21 November 2003 21:04 (twenty-two years ago)

That's odd. I remember hearing something to the effect that they went about a year & a half without ever playing "Brick" live, after it became their big hit.

― billstevejim, Friday, 21 November 2003 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd agree with that, Alex. The main thrust of their music was mostly fun quasi-musical theatre pop, and that song warped the way they were percieved by many. It totally misrepresented them, and that always leads to bad things.

They played "Brick," I promise you. I don't think they played it every night, but I was there, man!

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 21 November 2003 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

They used to put on one helluva fucking show though man. I saw them do "Hava Nagida"! I'm sure I spelled that wrong.

"Brick" wasn't their only hit, neither (see: #4 in my POX).

1. For Those of Y'all Who Wear Fannypacks
2. Philosophy
3. Army
4. Song for the Dumped
5. The Last Waltz
6. Underground
7. Steven's Last Night in Town
8. Julianne
9. Uncle Walter
10.The Battle of Who Could Care Less

― somebody, Friday, 21 November 2003 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Plus, I always thought they weren't so much JUST a fun band as a Charlie Chaplin-esque fun-but-with-an-underlying-overwhelming-sadness band.

― somebody, Friday, 21 November 2003 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Where's Summer B
Alice Childress
Sports & Wine
Uncle Walter
Fair
Selfless Cold & Composed
Smoke
Battle Of Who Could Care Less
Emaline
Mess

― billstevejim, Friday, 21 November 2003 21:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, "Battle Of Who Could Care Less" was a much bigger hit than "Song For The Dumped." At least in terms of US radio/MTV, anyhow.

Somebody is right about the underlying misery of Ben Folds's music.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 21 November 2003 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

What's the song about him wanting his black t-shirt back from an ex? That's a fine `choon as well.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 21 November 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"Song For The Dumped", Alex.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 21 November 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyway:

"Battle of Who Could Care Less"
"Mitchell Lane"
"Sports and Wine"
"Jackson Cannery"
"Alice Childress"
"Evaporated"
"Mess"
"Smoke"
"Army"
"Fair"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 21 November 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Some critic or other once said that BFF's songs were either about the smirk behind the tears or the tears behind the smirk, which seems pretty accurate, anyway.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 21 November 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm sort of amazed by how little crossover there has been in the POXs that have been posted thus far.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 21 November 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The debut is my favorite, the second one has several good songs, and I never got around to buying "Reinhold Messner." (FWIW, "Rockin' The Suburbs" has several songs that I really like: "Annie Waits," "Zak and Sara," "Rockin' The Suburbs," "Not The Same")

POX:

1. Philosophy
2. Best Imitation Of Myself
3. Where's Summer B?
4. Army
5. Battle Of Who Could Care Less
6. Underground
7. Fair
8. Uncle Walter
9. Alice Childress
10. Smoke

― John Fredland (jfredland), Friday, 21 November 2003 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

1. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
2. Air
3. Philosophy
4. Jackson Cannery
5. Kate
6. Emaline
7. Where's Summer B?
8. Don't Change Your Plans
9. Underground
10. Best Imitation of Myself

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 21 November 2003 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, "Battle Of Who Could Care Less" was a much bigger hit than "Song For The Dumped."

"Army" was a bigger hit than either, I think. Quite a high school band for me - I don't think I've listened to the albums since then.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Saturday, 22 November 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

i only have one album (apparently the second one) and the songs that i really love are

one angry dwarf
evaporated
battle of who could care less
selfless cold & composed

i might check out that first one since it seems well regarded on here

― ron (ron), Saturday, 22 November 2003 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember seeing "Battle" on daytime MTV back in the day, Spring '97, as well as hearing it often on modern rock stations. It might have been a buzz clip.

"Army" and "Song For The Dumped" I don't think went beyond 120 Minutes.

― billstevejim, Saturday, 22 November 2003 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Magic
Selfless Cold & Composed
The Last Polka
Emaline
Philosophy
Don't Change Your Plans
Evaporated
Mess
Best Imitation Of Myself
Kate

― edward o (edwardo), Saturday, 22 November 2003 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The second album is the one with the best songs on it, really, but the best four or five on the first are brilliant, but I like the production on the first more - you don't get the harmonies on Whatever... but said harmonies were pretty prominent on the live versions when I saw them. The third one was a bit overcooked, but the opening four tracks are pretty special.

― edward o (edwardo), Saturday, 22 November 2003 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

meissner and suburbs sound very similar to me. not too keen on their overblown production. that's why i like the new EPs so much - quicker recording sessions and a rougher feel overall. still miss that great fuzz bass, though.

― phil turnbull (philT), Saturday, 22 November 2003 05:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The problem with Suburbs is that the best song is "Carrying Cathy" and it's just a blurred facsimile of "Selfless Cold and Composed" done in third person and about someone else.

― edward o (edwardo), Saturday, 22 November 2003 08:06 (twenty-two years ago)

As much as I love this band it used to bother me that they would edit the word "chronic" out of Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg songs but would let Ben Folds sing about "call up Paul and score some weed".

They're live shows were WAAAAAAY better than I expected after exposure to the CD only.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Saturday, 22 November 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Automatic classic, as he wrote a bouncy little tune called "Kate". I don't have that record anymore, I should.

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Saturday, 22 November 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I only have Whatever And Ever Amen and I was kinda scared by how much I enjoyed it when I threw it on recently. I didn't dig Rockin' The Suburbs nearly as much and I haven't heard stuff from the other BF albums except that single "Army," which totally would make my day when it came on the radio when I was dishwasher.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 22 November 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Anthony, you should pick up their self-titled debut album if you ever see it cheap/used. You'll probably like it a lot.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Sunday, 23 November 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, I was wondering where to go next. Thanks!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 24 November 2003 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

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