Ben Folds Five were a three-piece band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They were together only a short while before the seven-year itch sent lead vocalist Ben Folds off to work on solo projects. This article concentrates on the band: Ben Folds (vocals and piano), Robert Sledge (bass), and Darren Jesse (drums). Although they officially split, they did get back together in 2011. Ben Folds was working on a career-spanning retrospective compilation, and Jesse and Sledge joined him to record three completely new songs, enjoyed themselves and decided to record another album. So as we begin the game of Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It under the Ben Folds Five banner, we have four full-length records, one compilation of rarities and two live albums.
As they are one of my favourite all-time bands, discounting a collection I am unable to live with is difficult, harsh and near impossible, but you pay your money, and you have to make a choice. Let the games begin. It’s all just for fun, isn’t it? Nobody’s going to come round and remove my copy of the record, are they? Discounting the two live albums, especially given that The Complete Sessions At West 54th was originally available only on DVD, we are left with five to choose from.
From the opening bars of a pounding piano of Jackson Cannery from the eponymous first album, it was obvious that Ben Folds Five were special. “Stop the bus / I wanna be lonely / When seconds pass slowly / And years go flying by” simply sparks your interest with those words alone. In fact, the first record is a strong contender for one I cannot live without, and I still return to it, over 30 years after its release. Hang on though let’s not get too far ahead, though we have a few more to consider.
Naked Baby Photos is a collection of live versions, demos and a few outtakes. Ben Folds original band was called Majosha. They had one album released in 1989 called Shut Up And Listen To Majosha. You can still track down a copy through YouTube and other online sources. The bass player in the band was Eddie Walker, and on Naked Baby Photos, he gets one of the standout songs named after him. Now it would be easy for me to consign this one to AUK Room 101, but with the aforementioned track and the brilliance of Emaline (another Majosha deep cut written by guitarist Millard Powers), there is no way I’ll let it go. As a side note, the Majosha album includes a few more tracks that later appeared on Ben Folds Five and Ben Folds recordings, including Video and Kalamazoo. Worth a listen. So that leaves just three; one stands out, one fades into the background, and the other is a platter of brilliance, which was a complete bonus for us Ben Folds Five fans. Whatever And Ever Amen, released in 1997, is an exceptional set of songs. From the opening bars to the vaporising end. A strong contender and certainly not one I can live without. The Unauthorised Biography of Reinhold Messner, released in 1999, is slick and does contain a couple of personal favourites. A change of direction for the band, the critics and fans on the whole loved it. Fast forward thirteen years to the band’s “make-up” album, The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind, which is a solid suite of tracks. The single Sky High is spectacular, as is the ode to Frank Sinatra’s minder, On Being Frank. All that said, we have a decision to make, and one will be blown sky high (sorry), whilst the other will simply be blown away.
Can’t Live With It: The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner (1999)
A very difficult 
decision, as always with this feature. There is nothing terrible about this record. When the band named it, they didn’t realise that there was an actual explorer called Reinhold Messner. Check out his book My Quest For The Yeti if you are interested in that sort of thing. The name was used extensively at Darren Jesse’s school to make fake identity cards, and Jesse himself masqueraded as Messner for a while. The real Messner was a good sport about it, and the band included a disclaimer in the liner notes. Moving on to the music, why can’t I live with it? It’s slick, well-written, jazz-tinged with the occasional café music thrown in and some quirky narrative. What, I hear you cry, don’t be a fool, how many cafes would play this? It would be perfect, and I would be happy to listen to it whilst sipping a cappuccino. The collection includes a host of well-crafted songs, but I have always found the decision to open with Narcolepsy, although brave, ultimately flawed, and has me reaching for the skip button; it’s either that or start rearranging my sock drawer. It’s lyrically clever, and Ben Folds absolutely loves the song, as it’s still often in his set to this day. When the first album starts with the pounding Jackson Cannery and the sophomore album One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces, maybe the band made a conscious decision to take things down a notch or two, or in this case five. There are some excellent cuts included that, once this is put away forever, will be missed. Jane is a beautiful song, as is Don’t Change Your Plans. Army tells the story of Ben Folds previous band after Majosha. A collective who called themselves Pots & Pans sacked Folds and got a different name, Bus Stop, just as it says in the fan favourite song. Whether his grandma was supplying apple pies fit for the microwave is unclear, as it may be just poetic license, but it is one thunderous moment in a sea of calm. It is all too safe and orchestral. Back in the early 2000s, on a Ben Folds forum website, Woke Up Late, one thread was titled “Which Ben Folds Five album would you recommend to someone who had never heard the band?” The winning answer was The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. The people decided, I disagreed, but that is democracy.
Can’t Live Without It: Whatever And Ever Amen (1997)
This is the record that should be recommended. After the chaotic but brilliant debut, the band found their stride with their second release. Opening with the marvellous One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces, you are taken on an adventure in sound. Frenzied piano playing, hammering bass and screeching guitar, what better way to open a set? The band’s humour, personified by the little asides between songs and the liner notes, is both insightful and comical. “This recording was made with the utmost care and professionalism. Each instrument was tuned before and often during the recording sessions, and arrangements were rehearsed or at least discussed.” Look out for the hidden track to find their true feelings about Ben Folds. Picking out memorable tracks is easy; there are twelve to choose from. The obvious choice would be Brick, which relates to Folds’ experience of taking his high school girlfriend for an abortion. Neither preachy, pro-life, nor pro-choice, it just is, drawing on all the emotion involved in making a tough decision for a host of reasons. Folds’ piano leads us through the story as he lyrically paints a picture of love, loss and regret. Expressing a sense of bereavement in two simple lines, “Can’t you see / It’s not me you’re dying for / Now she’s feeling more alone / Than she ever has before”. Simply heart breaking. An extremely courageous choice for a single, with some fans feeling it was not what the band were about. It hit a chord with others and did well in the UK, Australia and Billboard charts. Following Brick with Song For The Dumped always felt weird. Could this be the same girl subjected to such vitriol? Hopefully not. There is a pace to the series of songs that works so well. Where the follow-up Reinhold Messner is pleasant, this is challenging. One minute tender, another taking on the world and everyone in it. Selfless, Cold and Composed brings a string arrangement into the mix with violin and cello. Covering a relationship, when you want a reaction, only to be subjected to an infuriating lack of emotion. “Come on baby / Now throw me a right to the chin / Don’t just stare like you never cared”. Steven’s Last Night In Town tells the tale of a name-dropping Englishman who moved in the same circles as the band. Telling everyone that he was leaving and that they should him throw a party, only to return the next day, making every night going forward his last night in town. Dazzling clarinet from Matt Darriau and accompanying Frank London’s trumpet, there is a real party atmosphere to the number.
The set concludes with the poignant Missing The War and the beautiful Evaporated. The band’s harmonies on the former are impeccable, Folds’ piano on the latter mixed with an aching cello tees up one of the best lines of his career. “I poured my heart out / It evaporated…see?” Plain to see that I can’t live without this one. Returning to it many times, and on those rare occasions when someone does play Brick on the radio, we are back in high school with Folds, reliving that raw emotion all over again.
