Ben Folds - Way to Normal
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Ben FoldsEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2008-09-30
Model: N03-014048
Music Label: Sony
Free Music Notes for Way to Normal
Free Music Review: Everything You Could Have Wanted Out of Ben Folds at This Point in His Career
Hit: 5 Stars
Ben Folds has a lot to live up to. He was the front man in one of the most critically acclaimed pop bands of the 90's. It's funny how after losing his backup musicians (Sledge and Jesse), and a slight name change (dropping the "five" and just being Ben Folds), people really looked at him in an entirely new way. They said "he's gone solo!". And while this is technically true, I really doubt that Ben Folds Five would have been any different than Ben's solo career. He was always the front man, wrote 99% of all the music, and called 99% of the shots. The only difference on these records are different musicians playing drums and bass. As far as I'm concerned, the Ben Folds Five breakup did nothing in changing Folds' career musically.
All that being said, Ben did indeed reach his peak as a songwriter while he was with Sledge and Jesse. Which is nothing against the man. All artists reach a creative peak. The Beatles did, Noel Gallagher did, Led Zeppelin did, all the greats. Ben got a late start to the music business. Most artists make it big in their early 20's, and have lots of growing up to do before they write their best album. By the time "Brick" was a hit, Ben had already hit 30. So here we are, over ten years after Ben wrote his biggest masterpieces (Selfless, Cold, and Composed, Philosophy, not to mention the entire Reinhold album), and no, his albums arent as ground breaking. But they still don't disappoint.
Rockin the Suburbs was a great power pop albums, filled with upbeat piano based rockers and a handful of sentimental ballads (not to mention the title track, which still sounds nothing like anything else in the Folds cataloge). It was a consistantly good album. Songs For Silverman showed a bit change in his songwriting. The album had a few standout tracks, but overall felt a bit dreary. I have a few friends that would go as far as to call it a depressing album. I think Ben realized that the Silverman Route was not the correct one to take if he wanted to be a popular musician for a long time.
Enter WAY TO NORMAL. It's full of really upbeat, poppy, fun songs. More than any other Folds release, including the Five days. It seems almost intentional. Then again, perhaps he really WAS just that energetic after getting out of his bad marrige.(realllllly didnt want to bring that up, but i felt it was in content to the music). Not to say this album doesn't have any slower songs. Cologne is the standout track on the album. Filled with jewerly box esque piano licks and a spacey and heartfelt melody, this is the one song on the album that stands up to the days of the Five. The rest of the album is also well worth your money. Effington is fantastic, full of very interesting tempo changes and dynamics. You Don't Know Me is a mid tempo duet that is a great listen. Hiroshima is sure to be the opener to all the upcoming Folds concerts, with its stadium rock "Oh oh, OH OH!" shoutings.
Folds got it all right on this one. The humor is there. The energy is there. The emotion is there. Folds cant be expected to wrote another Reinhold Messener. It has youth and nostalgia on its side for all his fans, and nothing new stands a chance. I'm not disappointed in this album at all, it is great from beginning to end. Not the best of album of his career, but still better than 90% of what else is out there. Listen, sit back, enjoy, and smile. This is what Ben Folds does best.
Way to Normal Poster
Explicit version of Ben Folds' 2008 album Way to Normal. Ben Folds is best known as a solo artist and as the front-man pianist of Ben Folds Five. He is celebrated for a sound that bridges the worlds of Jazz and Power Rock. Consistently touring, Ben Folds has earned a reputation for his wit, musicality, and energetic live shows. With songs like 'Hiroshima' (which recounts his falling of the stage and hitting his head in Japan), Folds has proven to be a story-teller for the piano-rock generation. Way To Normal is the first full length release since Songs for Silverman, a very honest look at the last few years of Folds' life. Folds collaborated with Dennis Herring (Counting Crows, Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello) and the track 'You Don't Know Me' features a duet with indie songstress, Regina Spektor.Alternative Rock Music CDs
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