Track Listing

1. annie waits
2. zak and sara
3. still fighting it
4. gone
5. fred jones part 2
6. the ascent of stan
7. losing lisa
8. carrying cathy
9. not the same
10. rockin' the suburbs
11. fired
12. the luckiest

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4025 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2001-09-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
On the evidence of Rockin' the Suburbs, Ben Folds's decision to jettison the two-piece Five that had backed him on four largely excellent albums has not resulted in any significant shift in trajectory. The Ben Folds Five were only getting better, gradually discovering the confidence not to hide their musical uniqueness (there have been too few piano-led power trios) and lyrical intelligence behind undergrad Barenaked Ladies-style gags. Songs like "Mess" and "Brick" signaled an extraordinary new songwriting talent worthy of comparison to Folds's obvious idols, Elvis Costello and Paul Simon. Only this album's title track harkens back to Folds's fondness for comedy, and it is by far the weakest track here. The rest is mournful, reflective, and, at best, quite magnificent. Folds's hymns to his family, "Still Fighting It" and "The Luckiest" are shot through with an honesty that's rare in alternative rock. The acerbic essence of character sketches such as "Carrying Cathy," "Losing Lisa," and "Zak & Sara" are leavened with a generous compassion. Folds's second solo effort is his best album yet. The remainder of his career must be anticipated with equal parts expectation and impatience. --Andrew Mueller

Customer Reviews

The Genius of Love
In the 70's, I and many a peer were captivated by the music and genius of Todd Rundgren- a kid who exploded onto the scene as part of the group Nazz with searing, psychedelic phased guitar riffs that paid tribute to British Invasion groups like the Who and Cream. Todd went on to rule the studio, playing every instrument, singing all vocals, and putting his musical ideas and idioms to vinyl with an indelible personal stamp. Much to his credit on Rockin' The Suburbs, Ben Folds proves himself to be a modern-day Todd, sprouting beautiful melodies, edgy accomplished instrumentation, and vignettes that paint musical landscapes of everyday life and the people who flow in and out of it. Ben's magic lies in his juxtaposition of sad, borderline-existential lyrics with exuberant, happy melodies. Throughout it all, he weaves the underlying melancholy of time marching on to the beat of the young growing old. The album features eleven tracks, each as inspiring as the next:

The pop hubris of "Annie Waits", handclaps and all- a Billy-Joel-sounding anthem that finds Annie waiting for a friend who, like Godot, never shows.

The up-tempo exuberance of "Zak and Sara"- two madcap hippies who revel in each others musical adventures and their own uniqueness (Zak spelled without a "c" and Sara spelled without an "h"), taking everyone else along for the fun ride

The wisdom of "Still Fighting It", harking back to some of the Beach Boys' most earnest hymns, as a father describes to his son what he will someday feel like to fly away on his own and fight the inevitable sadness of growing old

The 6/8 tempo of "Gone"- with a triumphant flick of the middle finger from the one who was dumped

The emptiness of "Fred Jones Part 2" and what it must feel like to retire, realizing you have to face yourself even more than when you could hide in the comfortable everyday activity of a regular job

The flowing keyboard lines and soaring melodies in "The Ascent of Stan", a tale of the inevitable cop-out of a former hippie who joins the echelon of the institution and finds out why his father was once such a resigned man

The steady bounce and happy melancholy of "Losing Lisa" with its personal reaffirmation of letting go with pride

The wistful waltz of "Carrying Cathy"- the sad recollections of a dear friend after pall-bearing at her funeral, realizing someone was "always carrying Cathy" until her tragic fall to death

The steady bounce of "Not the Same"- the trials and tribulations of a clergyman hanging onto the "one good trick" he uses to help people with their problems

The uninhibited nod to the bass line of Lou Reed's Walk on The Wild Side in "Rockin' The Suburbs"- replete with Weird Al lyrics that mock the white middle-class suburbanites who try to be cool, but not without plenty of self deprecation in lines like "I'm rockin the suburbs just like Michael Jackson did...except that he was talented" and "some producer with computers fixes all my sh...y tracks"

The vaudevillian up-tempo "Fired" with its major seventh chords that seem to tap on the shoulder of the guy who wants to walk away after discovering that "everybody here was fired" and shouting it out to a Motown tempo

The beautiful balladry of "The Luckiest" which, like Big Star's "Blue Moon", borrows the cascading lines and chord progressions of Pachabel's Cannon to express the comfort and fortune we feel to be in the company of loved ones- and the urgency we should feel in letting them know how much they're appreciated before these short lifetimes are over.

Then, just as the album ends, Folds proclaims himself the luckiest, takes a deep breath, and exits stage left...
Good morning, son, you are indeed a bird, flying higher than you've ever done before...

really surprised
I'll admit stright off the bat that I'm not a fan of Ben Folds Five. I've tried a few times to get into them, but couldn't. However, I've always been drawn to Ben Folds' voice and songwriting, and the beautiful piano parts of their music.

When Ben Folds' solo release came out, I was tempted to buy it, but put it off because I was worried some of the jokey stuff would still be there. After hearing a few songs off the CD, I just went ahead and got it. All I can say is "WOW". This is one of my favorite CDs of the year. There's still a lot of wit to it, but the lyrics are more provocative, and the songs a little more serious. "The Luckiest" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. "The Ascent of Stan", "Annie Waits", and "Fred Jones" are probably my other favorites on the CD.

If you are putting off buying this CD because you don't like BFF, don't hesitate. I know there are a lot of huge BFF fans out there, and that's great, but I like Folds' solo stuff *much* better. I can't wait to hear what he puts out next.

Ben Folds does quite well all by himself.
The breakup of Ben Folds Five was very disconcerting for their many fans. After their third album, which some consider their best, the disbanding was a terrible shame. Fortunately, Folds' talent still shines without the aid of Darren Jesse and Robert Sledge, the other two musicians who completed the trio Ben Folds Five. Folds' songwriting seems stronger and more consistent on this album. The subjects he chooses to focus on, though, remain the same, the crafting, however improves. The vast majority of the songs are character studies, which focus on the tragic circumstances of people, such as "Fred Jones Pt.2," "Not the Same," and "The Ascent of Stan." Folds displays his pity and empathy for his subjects, and the result in every song is poignant and beautiful. Besides character ballads, Folds' other songwriting tool has always been musical irony and comedy. He pulls this trick as well, as the first single "Rockin' the Suburbs" exhibits. Folds also offers his take on love in "The Luckiest," which is the complete opposite of his earlier love song "Song for the Dumped" from BFF's second album. Folds' music, like his songwriting, also isn't greatly different from his earlier group efforts. Folds plays every instrument on this album, including, of course, the piano. The songs are catchy and complex, and will stay with you because of their message or because of their cleverness. Overall, this album is nearly flawless, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially Ben Folds Five fans. Ben Folds is an excellent songwriter and musician whose musical gift continues to evolve magnificently.