Ben Folds has two new EP's out and they're brilliant.

[RandomKoolzip]

Apparently Ben decided he was saving his best material for his indie label projects....After the disappointment that was the overcooked, lifeless "Rockin' the Suburbs," these two new EP's, "Speed Graphic" and "Sunny 16," are Folds's surprising comeback. Everything on them is as good as anything from his original band; dare I say that this is his best work since the first BFF album?

They're not on a major label, and Ben plays all the instruments (who knew he was such a great drummer?), so immediately people will dismiss this as "side project" stuff, but they'd be making a big mistake. There's so much craft, care, emotion, and humor at work here that I'm almost at a loss for words.

"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You," "Give Judy My Notice," and "All U Can Eat" are classics that deserve to be heard by any fan of music.


Hearing these EPs gives me hope for Ben's career, and hope for rock music. If the two EPs were compiled onto one CD, I'd declare it album of the year (and it's only June!)

[GOPisEvil]

1. Excellent! I was looking for CDs to purchse!

Now I have some! :-)

[Paragon]

2. Sounds cool, but...

I miss the "Five", if you will, in Ben Folds Five.

Ben's a great writer and pianist, but I wish he'd leave the musicianship on the other instruments to the experts. It's definitely noticable on Rockin' The Suburbs.

[RandomKoolzip]

4. These are SOOOOO much better than "RTS!"

Seriously....."Suburbs" was a real misstep, sounded like it was fucked up by producers trying to make Ben radio-friendly. "RTS" was like :"Red Rose Speedway," the two EPs are like "Abbey Road" in comparison, if I may stretch things a bit. This a serious return to form; believe it.


I miss the Five too. I really miss Sledge on the bass. The interplay between the three of them live was one of the musical highlights of the 90's. But this new stuff has the "live" feel and the organic aura of the first BFF album, even though he's on all the instruments. Seriously, I'm totally blown away, and I'd almost given up on Ben after "RTS....."

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

6. Ah - thing I loved most about the five was the bass

you better be right about this. If I buy these and they are not what you claim...

Well, you know what i'm capable of!

[Loonman]

3. I saw the 5 at Lollapalooza 3rd stage in '96

Great show, only like 15 people watching though, and it rained during the whole set.

[RandomKoolzip]

5. The night I first saw the 5 on Conan in Dec. 95....

was a real life-changing experience for me (really!) I was depressed by the state of rock post-Nirvava, and getting into older stuff like Randy Newman, the Band, Elton John (early) and Harry Nilsson. And here was a power trio, led by a piano player, playing exactly the music I wanted to hear.

I saw them that winter in a tiny club in New Orleans. I begged Ben to play "Rhapsody in Blue" and he DID. Then they played "Video Killed the radio Star." I was really hoarse the next day.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

7. You are so lame

You pavlovian pile of poop.

Love ya, babe!

[RandomKoolzip]

8. That's a very Berke Breathed-ian putdown.....

No, seriously, this is strong stuff.

Hey, you still want me to bring my pedals and casio keyboard to July 4th weekend?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. Abso-effin-lutely!!

BTW - that was the best compliment I was ever given.

*sigh*

[Screaming Lord Byron]

9. I saw the Five at QMU in Glasgow, March 1997.

One of the most extraordinary live acts I've ever experienced. Ben does a mean Belle and Sebastian impersonation, bizarrely enough.

[RandomKoolzip]

10. Yeah, and he covers a Cure song on "Speed Graphic"

And that's the only flaw on these EP's (Fucking Cure.....yuck!!!) "InBetween Days," my crotch, you mascara-addicted fop!)

The 5 were an incredible live band; unfortunatly they never found a niche; they were too snotty and punk for the HORDE/Jam Band crowd, too talented for the indie crowd; too aggressive for the singer-songwriter crowd, and too piano for the metal kids, etc. I remember hearing that they were touring with HORDE and people were totally confused.

[MAlibdem]

12. What are you TALKING ABOUT!!!!

Rocking the Suburbs was AWESOME!

Of course, pretty all Ben Folds music is awesome...

[RandomKoolzip]

13. I didn't like it.....

I'm a huge Folds fan, and RTS sounded like the new Liz Phair album to my ears: a bid for radio play. There were a couple of good tunes on it, but to me, it was ** out of a possible *****. These two new EP's are ****1/2 quality (stupid Cure cover fucks it up.)

[Magrittes Pipe]

14. One of these days, Koolzip will stop fellating Ben Folds long enough...

...for us to start talking about RAWK!!! :P

[Loonman]

15. Please

Anything is better than the canonization of the no-talent assclowns known as GBV.

[RandomKoolzip]

16. Yeah, but Robert Smith literally wears assclown makeup.

Bad choice of insult, dude!

[Magrittes Pipe]

17. He also has an assclown wig.

I'm just sayin'.

[RandomKoolzip]

19. No, that's Siouxsie Sioux's pubic hair.

Oh my Goth!

[Magrittes Pipe]

23. PEEEK-A-BOO!

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RandomKoolzip]

18. It is Rock, of a sort.....

Hell, Rock isn't the only music worth listening to...just ask Joe Carducci. At least it ain't the Cure. (The Cure for what? Happiness? Good Music?)

[Loonman]

20. Better than recording the same album 30 times in a row

Like I said before:

Robert Pollard once claimed he could write an album a day, when you listen to his unadulterated pap, you know his quote is true.

[RandomKoolzip]

21. But didn't we establish that Pollard could beat Smith in a knife fight?

The guy's an ex-high school athlete who still shoots hoops. He's agile. The only excercise Smith gets is going to Nordstrom's to purchase cosmetics.

[Loonman]

22. He'd have to be sober, for one thing

Pollard's liver is going to leap out of his body, any day now.

[Magrittes Pipe]

24. His liver is his best defense againt such bile as "The Love Cats"

[RandomKoolzip]

25. Yah. And Smith's a real tee-totaler.

And Pollard's liver will be natually black, not just dressed all in black like a silly little Goth loser!

[Screaming Lord Byron]

26. Bob Mould could take them both out.

And he'd be able to use his WWF skills to make it entertaining.

[RandomKoolzip]

28. D. Boon would EAT both of them....

and Bob Mould would write the script.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

30. It's a deal. I'll call the agent for the film rights.

[Magrittes Pipe]

31. Yeah, just don't let D. drive them anywhere...

...well, maybe Smith. :evilgrin:

[RandomKoolzip]

33. SSSSCCCRRREEEEEECCCCHHhhhhh!

Actually, D. was in the back of the van when the accident happened.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RandomKoolzip]

32. Woah!

Sounds like someone stepped on kitty's tail! (Relax, man. It's all in fun.)