See here for the idea behind this series of blogs. Here we go onto the next tracks from the Ben Folds (Five) catalog. Even though I was unable to attend the concert on the 17th, I thought I should at least finish this little project, so here we go. However, now that a concert has been added in New York City on December 14th, it might not be all for naught. Definitely need to finish this in time for the concert, and so that I can get working on some other writing projects I’ve been neglecting.
- “Password” from “Lonely Avenue” – The second half of this album, at least in my opinion, really helps to redeem the overall quality in whole. This song is no exception. I like the spelling of key words from the verses during the refrains, and the anger expressed in the final refrain about being lied to, yet another song written after a breakup.
- “Carrying Cathy” from “Suburbs” – This is a good song, and it really picks up at the end. The individual songs from this album do not make it my favorite so far, but the combination of all of them and Ben Folds’ ability to sing from different perspectives in all the songs that make it, at least so far, my favorite Ben Folds album. However, we’ll have to see how this all plays out as we get closer to the Track Twelves, which I think is about how far this will end up going when all is said and done.
- “Bitch Went Nuts” from “Way to Normal” – This song is alright, but I like the “fake” version of this song better. Like many other songs, this is a song obviously written from the viewpoint after a relationship ends and how she overreacted just a bit.
- “Uncle Walter” from “Ben Folds Five” – This song helps the album recover from the odd “Sports and Wine” and includes humorous lyrics to boot. I have always liked this song.
- “Late” from “Silverman” – This song was written after a friend of Folds died, and includes lyrics that he wishes he could have told him before he died, kind of a eulogy in song format.
- “Cigarette” from “Whatever and Ever Amen” – Short, but decent, song. Mentions Fred Jones, so often referred to as “Fred Jones, Part One.”
- “Your Most Valuable Possession” from “Reinhold Messner” – A answering machine from Ben Folds’ dad, with some piano in the background. Meh.
Average ranking by album to this point:
- “Rockin’ the Suburbs” – 2 (16)
- “Whatever and Ever Again” – 3.6 (29)
- “Songs for Silverman” – 4.1 (33)
- “Way to Normal” – 4.3 (34)
- “Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner” – 4.4 (35)
- “Ben Folds Five” – 4.6 (37)
- “Lonely Avenue” – 4.9 (39)
Until next time…
Robert Writes About... 