Ben Folds Five
The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner
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Ben Folds Five
The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner
Sony/550, 1999
RiYL: Elton John, Dave Matthews, Jellyfish |
Well, that was four years ago. BFF has just released its third full-length album, The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner, and the charm of the ultra-heartfelt, piano-driven toss-offs has worn thin.
On The Unauthorized Biography... -- named not for the man who first climbed Mount Everest without oxygen, but rather for the name the boys used on their fake IDs back in high school -- BFF seems to be making an attempt at maturity. Where frontman Folds once half-jokingly sang "Give me my money back / I want my money back you bitch" on "Song for the Dumped" (off 1997's Whatever And Ever Amen), he now sings lines such as "I loved you before I met you / and I met you just in time / 'cause there was nothing left" ("Don't Change Your Plans").
No matter what Folds sings about, he does so with undying sincerity. In the past, however, much of the effectiveness of this sincerity relied on the fact that -- with obvious exceptions such as "Brick" (Fold's honest recounting of a teenage abortion) -- he didn't really need to be taking the subjects so seriously. Unfortunately, the tracks on this record brim with severity, making Folds' sensitive-boy wails too much to handle.
Songs such as the melancholy "Magic" (with a string section and self-indulgent "sha-la-la" interlude) seem overly premeditated, as if the band sat down and tried to figure out as many ways as possible to make the track emotionally potent. Songs like this one can easily be envisioned in the cheesy dramatic moments of a made-for-TV movie.
Still, BFF hasn't completely lost its touch: Among a disappointing number of poor-me anthems, the songs "Army" and "Your Most Valuable Possession" stand out. Chosen as the album's first single for obvious reasons, "Army" harks back to BFF's lighthearted past with its catchy, pop piano line and less cliched lyrics ("Well I thought about the army / dad said son you're fucking high").
"Your Most Valuable Possession," on the other hand, is notable departure, a fine example of Folds' oddball genetics and dumb luck. Apparently the singer's half-awake dad called his popstar son early one morning and began to ramble on about the concept of decreasing body mass in space, leading him to decide that the brain is a person's "most valuable possession." The track therefore consists of Mr. Folds' entire, bizarre message set to some mellow piano music. You can't dance to it, but it's so weird that it's good.
In addition to the release of The Unauthorized Biography, a limited edition combo-pack is being sold which contains the CD and a video called "Spare Reels." Strangely, yet happily, only two of the eight songs on the video are from the new record. While the two new album tracks ("Don't Change Your Plans" and "Army") are just video footage of the band in the studio, the other six songs appear in the form of various concert performances with interview snippets thrown in-between tracks. Although the video contains footage of some of BFF's best songs ("Battle Of Who Could Care Less," "Missing The War" and "Song For The Dumped"), watching Folds stand at the piano, pounding the ivories, really does nothing to enhance the quality of the material.
For diehard BFF fans (a strange concept considering how benign the group's music is), the record and video will probably bring tears of joy, but for music listeners looking for something exciting to fall in love with, your money will be better spent elsewhere.
KATHARINE KELLY |