Popdose: Listening Booth: Ben Folds, “Way to Normal” | Popdose
EricGrubbs
· 1 year ago
Me? The dude that wrote the mostly-glowing review of Ben Folds's work with the Five and solo in his Complete Idiot's Guide? I'm not growing that attached to Way to Normal. "Brainwascht" is a great track, but most of the record feels too bitter and unfocused. I still want to listen to the album more, but that's my first impression after a handful of listens.
DwDunphy
· 1 year ago
Most of the material involves his breakup with his third wife and, judging from Folds' attitude through most of those songs, it may not be hard to see why. The overall effect is that person each of us knows who screws around, loses his relationship and, yet, feels like he/she is the persecuted one. While I have no clue about the details of Folds' divorce, the vibe I get seems fairly clear.
Having said that, I really like "The Frown Song", "Cologne" and "Kylie From Connecticut".
ShalimarBojangles
· 1 year ago
He, um, left his third wife for an instructor at a Yoga retreat they attended together.
Classy.
DwDunphy
· 1 year ago
That pretty much sums up my emotional dischord then, since in fact it was his fault and yet he sings as Mr. Wronged.
As one who still worships at the altar of Reinhold Messner and who thinks Rockin' the Suburbs is a damn fine album, Folds has left me cold since his spate of EPs preceding Songs for Silverman.
I'd say you're on the money here Jeff. This is by no means a bad album, and it 'sounds' like it has all the right ingredients. But Way to Normal also sounds like it was dashed off in about 3 days - I'm sure it was a self-conscious reaction to the overcooked Silverman.
To me, it just doesn't sound like Ben cares all that much anymore. He's still got enough talent to get by and keep people listening, but I'm losing more interest all the time.
(I came this close to saying that he is now just doing the best imitation of himself).
DwDunphy
· 1 year ago
I'm also not loving Dennis Herring's squeaky, noisy production either.
DavidMedsker
· 1 year ago
<(I came this close to saying that he is now just doing the best imitation of himself).
Man, I wish I had thought of that when I wrote my review. I said almost the exact same thing, but that song never occurred to me. Damn.
tim
· 1 year ago
You've pretty much covered my feelings verbatim with this review. I used to be a hardcore Foldsfan, buying every EP and deluxe edition. But with this and the previous disc I've just grown away from whatever direction he's taking. I just ripped all the CDs to digital and sold them. No regrets. Still like him a lot, but the thrill is gone.
EricL
· 1 year ago
If you look on the cover of the LIVE CD, I'm in the first row. You can see the top of my head. I've been to a number of his concerts, and have followed him forever.
You are missing.... nothing. You nailed it. He's doing something he hasn't done before. He's pandering. It's like he said "I'll never be huge, so I might as well play to my fans and give them what they want." It's underestimating us. His fans liked him because, when he had the chance to follow Whatever... with a huge college pop album and take off he did Rinehold Mesner. When that was acclaimed and the 5 could have broken out as a huge cult band (think TV on the Radio big) they disbanded.
And now he's doing the same thing he did 10 years ago because he thinks we want to hear it. Ben needs to let go of the idea that he's still a punk kid, stop standing still, and follow his own muse. He makes GREAT pop now. You Don't Know Me and Landed are wonderful songs that a 40 year old can relate to. It's still there in flashes. He should trust it.
GrayFlannelSuit
· 1 year ago
I'll also add that the best thing he's done since Messner was the Has Been album. Even if you don't like Shatner, that album has some serious production and songwriting chops.
rwcass
· 1 year ago
He was already pandering with "Rockin' the Suburbs" -- the song, not the album. The song was his attempt to get on the radio, according to him, because he didn't know how else to, but that song doesn't fit with the others. It's not a horrible song, because Ben's great with melodies, but it was still embarrassing. Like you said, he should trust himself more.
On "Silverman," I felt like he did. But it was a "grower," and it took me two years to appreciate it. Some of the songs aren't good, but more than half the album got better and better over those two years. I was glad to see him growing up, cussing less for comic effect, and settling down with his third wife.
But now he's on to his fourth wife, and it sounds like the juvenile humor is back. I keep waiting for a free copy to show up at work, like when "Silverman" showed up at work in '05. I eventually bought that album last year -- I had given the free copy to a friend when I realized I didn't want to keep it -- but I'm not sure if I want to buy "Way to Normal" based on the reviews I've seen. Maybe I'll wait for a used copy.
I think "Reinhold Messner" is highly overrated. I also think "Song for the Dumped" is the worst song on "Whatever and Ever Amen." It exposed Ben's misogynistic side (though I know plenty of girls who love the song, so I'm not trying to get all Alan Alda on you here), which is apparently still in place on "Bitch Went Nuts." If you're on your fourth marriage by your early 40s, there's probably something about women you'll never be able to live with. On the "Silverman" DualDisc DVD, he says that there's a lot of pressure in the south when you're young to get married. But I'm from the south too, and nobody's pressured me to get married and divorced twice by the age of 32.
There was a recent interview Folds did with Paste magazine in which he said that when he produces other artists, like William Shatner, he tries to get them to let go of their self-perceived strength, because that's usually not their main strength in his opinion. But I'm not sure Ben follows that advice himself, because he won't drop the juvenile humor and cuss words that served him well once -- in the 20th century -- but which don't serve him well now that he's in his 40s. And married for a fourth time. With a head of hair his mama didn't give him.
DwDunphy
· 1 year ago
"With a head of hair his mama didn't give him..."
Plugs or rugs?
rwcass
· 1 year ago
I don't know, but I remember him complaining about his thinning hair in interviews in the late '90s, and by 2003 he had bangs again. That's not exactly normal.
DavidMedsker
· 1 year ago
I admit, I listen to "You Don't Know Me" and sing along, but in the back of my head, I'm thinking, "You're on your fourth wife, Ben. It's not them, it's you."
"Bitch Went Nuts," meanwhile, is pure pandering.
jefito
· 1 year ago
Did you catch him on Conan the other night? Regina Spektor sounded great.
GrayFlannelSuit
· 1 year ago
That was a very good performance. Loved Jason Sudeikis and his trombone issues.
Jerry
· 1 year ago
I think the "leaked" version of the album - the fake songs with similar titles that he recorded in a few days and released as a stunt - is just as good as the actual album. I actually like the fake "Bitch Went Nutz" better than the real one. It just proves Ben's at his best when he's just having fun and not trying too hard.
And I second GlayFlannelSuit's comment about Has Been. I'll forgive 100 bad Ben Folds albums if he keeps producing albums like that for other people.
All Comments
Having said that, I really like "The Frown Song", "Cologne" and "Kylie From Connecticut".
Classy.
http://www.benfolds.org/forum/59450
I'd say you're on the money here Jeff. This is by no means a bad album, and it 'sounds' like it has all the right ingredients. But Way to Normal also sounds like it was dashed off in about 3 days - I'm sure it was a self-conscious reaction to the overcooked Silverman.
To me, it just doesn't sound like Ben cares all that much anymore. He's still got enough talent to get by and keep people listening, but I'm losing more interest all the time.
(I came this close to saying that he is now just doing the best imitation of himself).
Man, I wish I had thought of that when I wrote my review. I said almost the exact same thing, but that song never occurred to me. Damn.
You are missing.... nothing. You nailed it. He's doing something he hasn't done before. He's pandering. It's like he said "I'll never be huge, so I might as well play to my fans and give them what they want." It's underestimating us. His fans liked him because, when he had the chance to follow Whatever... with a huge college pop album and take off he did Rinehold Mesner. When that was acclaimed and the 5 could have broken out as a huge cult band (think TV on the Radio big) they disbanded.
And now he's doing the same thing he did 10 years ago because he thinks we want to hear it. Ben needs to let go of the idea that he's still a punk kid, stop standing still, and follow his own muse. He makes GREAT pop now. You Don't Know Me and Landed are wonderful songs that a 40 year old can relate to. It's still there in flashes. He should trust it.
On "Silverman," I felt like he did. But it was a "grower," and it took me two years to appreciate it. Some of the songs aren't good, but more than half the album got better and better over those two years. I was glad to see him growing up, cussing less for comic effect, and settling down with his third wife.
But now he's on to his fourth wife, and it sounds like the juvenile humor is back. I keep waiting for a free copy to show up at work, like when "Silverman" showed up at work in '05. I eventually bought that album last year -- I had given the free copy to a friend when I realized I didn't want to keep it -- but I'm not sure if I want to buy "Way to Normal" based on the reviews I've seen. Maybe I'll wait for a used copy.
I think "Reinhold Messner" is highly overrated. I also think "Song for the Dumped" is the worst song on "Whatever and Ever Amen." It exposed Ben's misogynistic side (though I know plenty of girls who love the song, so I'm not trying to get all Alan Alda on you here), which is apparently still in place on "Bitch Went Nuts." If you're on your fourth marriage by your early 40s, there's probably something about women you'll never be able to live with. On the "Silverman" DualDisc DVD, he says that there's a lot of pressure in the south when you're young to get married. But I'm from the south too, and nobody's pressured me to get married and divorced twice by the age of 32.
There was a recent interview Folds did with Paste magazine in which he said that when he produces other artists, like William Shatner, he tries to get them to let go of their self-perceived strength, because that's usually not their main strength in his opinion. But I'm not sure Ben follows that advice himself, because he won't drop the juvenile humor and cuss words that served him well once -- in the 20th century -- but which don't serve him well now that he's in his 40s. And married for a fourth time. With a head of hair his mama didn't give him.
Plugs or rugs?
"Bitch Went Nuts," meanwhile, is pure pandering.
And I second GlayFlannelSuit's comment about Has Been. I'll forgive 100 bad Ben Folds albums if he keeps producing albums like that for other people.