Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five

Advantages: Top class lyrics, universal appeal and great melodic rock.
Disadvantages: Tails off a bit towards the end.

...don't know, the uniqueness of Ben Folds Five lies in their use of piano instead of the usual guitar - a pleasant change from the guitar-band culture of the 90s. The trio is: Ben Folds, piano, Robert Sledge, bass, Darren Jessee, drums. But the real question is, now that they've released three more albums, does this one hold its own? Well, yes. Track Listing 1. Jackson Cannery, 2. Philosophy, 3. Julianne, 4. Where's Summer B?, 5. Alice Childress, ...
...a chill-out style song, which Ben Folds Five remarkably fail to pull off - it just sounds as energetic as the other songs. This isn't a bad thing, but the laid-back tempo makes the slightly hyperactive singing a bit odd. - Hands down, the catchiest song on the album is 'Alice Childress', with its superb pop-style chorus, which is great fun and nice and upbeat. - 'Underground' is a hilarious take on the moshpit culture - utterly funny. It starts ... Read review

Advantages: Clever, witty, funny
Disadvantages: Samey, defunct

...of billing yourself but then Ben Folds Five aren’t or should I say weren’t a typical band, they split up in November 2000. For a start they had no guitars, no guitars say it aint so!! Just a piano, bass and drums were enough to give the trio their distinctive sound, which quite frankly rocks out just as much as any rock band, we’re not talking Megadeth but they do sound pretty solid when they want to. Oh and they were a trio, Ben ...
...Ben Folds Trio. “in this time of introspection on the eve of my election I say to my reflection god, please spare me more rejection 'cause my peers, they criticize me and my ex-wives all despise me try to put it all behind me but my redneck past is nipping at my heels” …….Army Along with Weezer, BF5 got labeled as nerd rock, which I suppose is fair though they are much wittier than the likes of Weezer. They write extremely ... Read review

Advantages: this album is like no other
Disadvantages: none

Ben folds five are an american trio of bass drums and piano. The diversity of ben folds` piano combined with robert sledge`s distorted bass create a unique sound only recognizable as the sound of bf5. This sel-titled album is their first and best. 12 tracks full of spirit and energy. Presented as though they were in your living room, this c.d. is programmed to perfection. 1)Jackson Canary - The opening track will get you hooked from the start with ...
...a heavy handed ending as ben does his rendition of `rhapsody in blue` with attitude. Catchy chorus,catchy song. 3)Julianne - Once again,a shock for the listener as the piano develops into an element of rock. In contrast to the previous song, this takes an in- your-face approach 4)Where`s summerb? - In my opinion, their best song. Completely different from the previous song. This is incredibly catchy and shows how simplicity is just as importnat ... Read review

Advantages: Awseome arrangements and beautiful lyrics
Disadvantages: Ther's only three of em and the're Ben folds FIVE

Ben Folds Five . Genius' at work . I recntley bought two of their albums (Whatever and ever amen , Reinhold Messner ) on the recommendation of a friend . I couldn't be more glad . Ben folds five are a truly unique band with harmony , melody and meaningful lyrics in a music world dominated by harmony pop . Whatever and Ever Amen features some of the best songs i have heard this year songs like brick (A touching ballard about abortion ) and song for ...
.... The unauthorised biography of Reinhold Messner is much of the same , however this albm trails a bit towards the end . The songs become too slow and not overly imaginative . However both albums are well worth listening to if you can get your hands on them for a reasonable price . ... Read review

Advantages: Great band
Disadvantages: Not enough coverage

...British radio and television discover Ben Folds Five soon. I'm a big fan but have never heard their songs on national radio and have only ever seen a couple of their video's on the sky digital channel MTV2. Not only do they have catchy tunes but their songs also have great and often very funny lyrics. They are also unique in that they are a three piece, with the main sound coming from Ben Folds' piano. I'm sure that if they got more coverage they ... Read review

Advantages: Easy listening, excellent piano melodies
Disadvantages: Not to all tastes

...Well not his "Debut" on paper but his first proper album written without the assistance of his former band mates, as his true debut was Ben Folds Live, a live medley of Ben Folds Five classics mixed with some newer tracks. This is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy this album. Ben Folds - Formerly of hit band Ben Folds Five made the transition from his group, to basically the same set up, with him, a drummer and a bassist. You may ask, well what's the difference? You would be right to ask this as the set up is basically the same and the lead singer is the same. What has changed is Ben's excellent vocals and I feel he has truly excelled from his days in BF5 and is now much more melodic, but he is still capable of using his 'geeky' edged voice when needs be. Songs such as 'Fred Jones Part 2', 'The Luckiest' and 'Still... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Tracks: Russian Hill; Joining A Fan Club; Ghost At Number One; Bye, Bye, Bye
Disadvantages: Track: Brighter Day

...some catchy tunes and a dreamy sound in the main; only slightly let down by the last couple of songs. It really deserves a listen; you may be surprised what you've been missing. If you liked this album, you might be interested in... 'Bellybutton' by Jellyfish [their debut album]. 'Ben Folds Five' by Ben Folds Five [part-influenced by Jellyfish] 'The Land of Pure Imagination' by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. 'Alpacas Orgling' by L.E.O. [one-off supergroup with Andy Sturmer] Thanks for reading. © tumblewheel, July 2008... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good mix of mellow and rock tracks
Disadvantages: The two Instrumentals

...?? The Page influence shines through in this classic rock track. Track 3: Jamiroquai – Deeper Underground A dark quiet intro. Into this track sounds like it could be a sample from the film. This is the typical sort of song we have come to expect from Jay Kay and Jamiroquai. I’m sure if you are a fan of the one with the funny hat then no doubt you’ll love this. Track 4: Rage Against The Machine – No Shelter Before I heard this track I hadn’t really bothered with RATM. I thought they were a bit too heavy and hardcore for me. But this song changed my mind on that. It’s an anticapitalist song against things like Nike and Coke. The music is a sort of punk rock/heavy rock. Track 5: Ben Folds Five – Air Like with RATM, I had never really bothered with Ben Folds Five but for different reasons. However like with the last track after... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful