Ben Folds Five Tracklist
Ben Folds Five is the self-titled 1995 debut from the piano-rock group of the same name. Despite what their name suggests, Ben Folds Five consists of three members: Robert Sledge (bass), Darren Jesse (drums & percussion) and Ben Folds (vocals and piano).
The album, and the band itself, is notable for the complete exclusion of guitars in favor of piano-based songwriting. Production on the album was noticeably more lo-fi than their later releases, including minor mistakes and studio ad-libbing on finished tracks. Stereogum described the album’s lyrics as Folds being “the lovable wimp”.
The album spawned five singles: “Jackson Cannery,” “Underground,” “Where’s Summer B?,” “Philosophy” and “Uncle Walter”. The second of these, “Underground,” placed third on the 1996 Triple J Hottest 100 list.
Ben Folds Five received positive reviews but failed to make a significant commercial impact. It wasn’t until their next album, 1997’s Whatever and Ever Amen, that the trio broke into the mainstream.
