Rockin' The Suburbs (CD) ~ Ben Folds (Artist) Cover Art

Rockin' The Suburbs (CD)

By: Ben Folds (Artist)

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Ben Folds Artist Snapshot:

North Carolina's Ben Folds Five flouted convention at every turn; for starters, they were a trio, not a quintet. And for an (initially) indie pop-rock band, the absence of guitar (leader Folds was a singer/pianist) was an anomaly. The band's mix of catchy popcraft and offbeat, light-hearted lyrical content. After breaking through to the majors with two late-'90s albums, Folds dismantled the band and continued as a solo artist, scoring a big hit in 2001 with the characteristically quirky "Rockin' the Suburbs." Folds would continue to release crisp pop records sporadically throughout the '00s, while remaining a tremendous concert draw. Along the way, he would produce the long-awaited album by William Shatner.

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Track Listing

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DISC 1 for Rockin' The Suburbs (CD) Album By Ben Folds (Artist)
1   Annie Waits
2   Zak And Sara
3   Still Fighting It
4   Gone
5   Fred Jones Part 2
6   Ascent Of Stan, The
7   Losing Lisa
8   Carrying Cathy
9   Not The Same
10   Rockin' The Suburbs
11   Fired
12   Luckiest, The
 

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Review

Rolling Stone (9/27/01, p.70) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Pop's most introspective wiseass.... indulging his taste for florid Seventies-style AM-radio pop with epic displays of one-man band virtuosity.... Folds' songcraft is a winning mixture of the plush and the prickly..."
Spin (9/01, pp.160,162) - 7 out of 10 - "...This is his NYLON CURTAIN...comprehending paradox and understatement like Billy Joel never could..."
Q (10/01, p.119) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Sometimes, it sails close to novelty record territory but Folds demonstrates exceptional skill in marrying wryly observational lyrics to upbeat piano-driven craziness..."
Alternative Press (10/01, p.79) - 8 out of 10 - "...Absolutely beautiful..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/02, p.71) - Ranked #30 in Mojo's "Best [40] Albums of 2001".
Mojo (Publisher) (10/01, p.130) - "...Folds' songwriting continues to impress...."

Title Note

Personnel includes: Ben Folds (vocals, various instruments); Frally Hynes, John McCrea (vocals); Richard Fortus (guitar); Larry Corbett (cello); DJ Swamp.

Recorded at Krell Studios, Adelaide, Australia; The Mix Room and Ben Grosse's House, Los Angeles, California.

For ROCKIN' THE SUBURBS, Ben Folds has subtracted two from Ben Folds Five (bassist Robert Sledge & drummer Darren Jessee) and the remainder is one. While math may not be Folds' strong point, penning witty, intelligent pop tunes has been his forte from the beginning. With his solo debut, he proves himself eminently capable outside the safe structure of his able band. Of all the 70's/80's pop icons to which Folds is frequently compared (i.e. Billy Joel, Elton John, Joe Jackson), Todd Rundgren rings the truest. If one extends that comparison, "Still Fighting It" (with its instantly memorable refrain "it sucks to grow up") is Folds's "Hello It's Me," a somewhat simple yet subtly moving and eminently catchy ballad made for radio play.

On the title track, Folds proves he hasn't entirely grown beyond the goofball humor that first captured his audience's attention ("y'all don't know what it's like being male, middle-class and white") as he rags on either himself or (more likely) angry young rock bands like Limp Bizkit. This balance struck between sober maturity and youthful playfulness makes ROCKIN' THE SUBURBS a provocative record.

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