In a story I broke yesterday, the songs of Ben Folds sounds pretty good sans any musical instruments (see: If There Is a God He Is Laughing at Us and Our Football Team). But still nothing beats him when he is on his piano pounding away and the pinnacle was back during the Ben Folds Five era when they released Whatever and Ever Amen. That album is this month’s Scooter Hall of Fame induction.
When most people think of piano players they think of the Piano Man at the local lounge, but Folds isn’t one to stay seated and instead takes the Jerry Lee Lewis root to the instrument and goes even further sometimes making The Killer seem like Alicia Keys in comparison. Just take a listen to first track to hear that with the fuzzed out and frantic One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces. But Ben saves his angriest tirade for an-ex girlfriend A Song for the Dumped which remains to this days the greatest Kiss Off song ever in the history of music.
Even when Folds isn’t raging against anyone, there is a melody to these songs without getting to smaltzy (except for Brick, but the heavy handed topic adds much weight to the song). The band goes down to New Orleans for the jazzy Steven’s Last Night in Town which sounds like it was recorded in the French Quarter. And after hearing the song, I kind of want to be Kate also. One downside to the demise of the Five is his solo work lacks the detailed harmonies that can on songs like Fair or The Battle of Who Cares Less.
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