BEN.

So it's about time that I've told you about Ben. By Ben I mean Ben Folds.

It's not often that I deliberately label a band/artist as my favorite band or artist because there are just so many. But Ben has stood the test of time, has been the soundtrack to my life, and has mystified me time and time again as far as his incredible talent, performance skills and his ability to always produce an awesome album. I have just about everything he's put out both with the band Ben Folds Five and as a single artists. About 6 LPS and a few EPs and a couple specials.

This is not the first time I have blogged about Ben. Check out my really extensive, almost scientific disection of his entire musical career if you like.

http://screamweare.blogspot.com/2010/10/ben-folds-15.html

My brother and I and his friend Henry made this "Ben Folds 15" album which is intended to be a Best of Ben compilation. It wasn't really our ultimate compilation but it was more of "if someone was only going to listen to a certain 15 Ben songs...which ones would they be?" type basis.

So here they are: 

1. Saskia Hamilton
2. Effington
3. Trusted
4. Cologne
5. From Above
6. Narcolepsy
7. Rockin the Suburbs
8. Brick
9. Doc Pomus
10. Not the Same
11. Jesusland
12. Zak and Sara
13. Late
14. Army
15. The Luckiest

But, I want to take this post to show you MY favorites..and why. I'm only going to pick a few (this is very hard for me to do). Hopefully you'll find it as exhilarating as I do...
 

1. Landed

Landed is a classic Ben song. He underlying piano counter melody just rolls off his fingers, yet when it's time to sing he uses simple block chords so that you can hear the story of the song. Almost every Ben song has a story... it's one of the reasons I've kept listening to his songs.

2. Not the Same

This is the song that that every one looks forward to at concerts. Ben gets the whole audience to sing the chords at the end of chorus. It's beautiful. He tells the same story every time about how he started doing this after 9/11 when his audience broke into perfect harmony, a capella at the end of the song. He's done it ever since. And every time it gives me chills.

3. Song for the Dumped

It's the  best angry song because it's...so angry. Yet it's so artistic. Most artists can't pull this off. Very conducive to private rock out sessions with your mirror and a comb. Because this song came off one of his very first albums (when he was still with the band), it's been around me for a long time and has always been a song that has stuck out.

4. Levi Johnson's Blues

I have to admit, this song is a cheap pick. Ben  did the music while Nick Hornby did the lyrics. And basically my favorite part is the story behind it...which was all Nick's idea. Essentially this song is about Sarah Palin's daughter's baby daddy being forced to marry her daughter to cover up for their sex before marriage scandal. Here's the  best part: the lyrics to the chorus came straight off Levi Johnson's myspace page. Give it a listen. The chorus is incredibly catchy as well (props to Ben).

5. Bitch Went Nuts

See, Ben has had 3 ex wives and now is with Fleur Folds, his fourth wife. So, like, I don't want to know about his personal life, but I'm totally okay with it because it produces awesome songs like this one. 

6. The Luckiest

This is off the album "Rockin the Suburbs" which was probably Ben's most popular album. My family listened to this on every single car trip when I was younger. This was when my brother and I were at the age where my mom still had to turn the volume every time Ben swore. And uh, Ben swears a lot. This procedure didn't last very long before my parents decided to get over the censoring thing. Anyways, this song is the last song to play on an LP filled with angry rants and general good, hearty, piano rock. I remember looking up at my mom in the front seat when this song would come on and seeing her tear up every time. Now I tear up too. It's the perfect love song and it truly does speak to me. Ben has a way with words.

7. In Between Days 

 I stumbled upon this when I was angry that I didn't own every single Ben song out there. It was my favorite off the EP "Speed Graphic." I just started noticing that I kept choosing it for play lists or liking it when it came on Pandora.  My blog is named after this song!

Thanks for enduring my expression of my obsession with Ben Folds. Hopefully you'll get a chance to listen to his stuff this week.

ps. a lot of his new songs from Lonely Avenue aren't on "Playlist.com" yet, so they don't appear in this playlist. Check them out anyways. From Above and Saskia Hamilton have some pretty nifty music videos up on youtube.