Ben Folds Five

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Ben Folds Five

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Ben Folds Five's first self-titled album is a homage to what seems to be a new stage in life: 20-Somethinghood, the period between adolescence and "real life." Many albums have covered adolescence, dating, cliques, fashions, finding yourself amid changes. But Ben Folds attacks the period after when all these questions are supposed to be dealt with, but in today's world a lot still go unanswered.

You think you have a secure identity, but you find the people around you changing until you second guess yourself. It's a time when you have your closest friends, but they always seem to slip in and out of your life as everyone tries to make their path. Everyone keeps moving, including yourself. You chase "the" relationship. You pass from crappy job to crappy job. You try to finally conquer the demons of High School. You try to regain your lost childhood.

Many of Ben Folds's lyrics read like letters, especially the brilliant "Alice Childress" and "Where's Summer B?" songs so intimate you think you've opened someone's mail. Ben sprinkles his songs with delicious humor as on "Juliane," a celebration of a mistake of a one-night stand, and "Uncle Walter," a song about a tongue scolding Ben receives from an absent girlfriend's drunken uncle. Ben assaults the trends of the mid-90's, the Grunge Era in "Underground" and Yuppie Psuedo-sophisticates in "Sports and Wine." Ben has a wonderful flair for making the little things people take seriously seem absolutely ridiculous and the tiny minutiae seem incredibly profound and intimate. All this culminates in "Best Imitation of Myself," where he simultaneously proves and debunks his own genius.

All this set to vitruoso piano refreshingly devoid of pretension with Robert Sledge serving as both Bass and Guitar with the same instrument to amazing effect. Darren Jesse completes the groove (Whither the other two?) of a trio that, in the day, was one of the 90's most captivating, rocking live acts. Folds caresses, attacks, seduces and kerplunks his 88 mistresses into Sonata, Honky-Tonk, Pinball Wizard, Sunday School Sing-A-Long, Wrecking Ball, Lounge Lizard and Kiddy Toy Piano often all within the same song.

"Ben Folds Five" is nearly to post-Adolescence what "Quadrophenia" was to adolescence. It captures the Mid-90's 20-Something experience without getting mired in its clichés, like a bad episode of "Friends." Its sardonic time capsule should stand the test of time. Even when the particulars of Grunge and Sports Bars are as dead as Zoot Suits and Leapers, you can still feel the timeless emotions of the period through them. There will always be the stupid trends you follow for no reason. The Cool Guys you can't ever believe you thought were cool. The endless routines and rituals you go through waiting for that one minute of connectedness that will show you your real path.

The first BFF album I purchased was "Whatever And Ever Amen," off the strength of previously heard songs and viewed videos like "Battle of Who Could Care Less," "One Angry Dwarf.." and the ever-popular "Brick." So I backtracked and got this one. It's a good album, but for me, it lacks some of the perfectly meshed rock and pop brilliance that made "Whatever and Ever Amen" a masterpiece. This album is one that I really have to listen a while to get that gratification that came so easily when I pressed the play button on "Whatever..." It doesn't really bring me in honestly. But I do love Ben Folds Five. If you're a really big fan and want to try some of the earlier works, I would recommend this one. As you can see, there are a lot of 5-star reviews for this one. And of course, "Whatever.." is a high-ranked album here, too. When Ben Folds Five, I've noticed that they've become like wine, getting better with age. Start from here and move up through the BFF world.