Ben Folds'Ben Folds Live'

Sony Records

Grade: B+



This Wednesday, Brandeis will be blessed with Ben Folds and his piano, playing in support of his first solo live album, aptly titled "Ben Folds Live." As a longtime fan of Folds' music, I have had the pleasure of seeing him live six times, five with Ben Folds Five (BFF) and once with his backing band for "Rockin' The Suburbs," his solo debut.

The way it worked out, I got to see him on every tour at least once, with this coming show being the first I will miss (concert conflict). Fortunately for me, I have this CD to listen to.

When I heard it was only from his "Ben Folds and his Piano" tour, I must admit disappointment. For anyone who has heard "Rockin' the Suburbs" or seen Folds live with the full band, it is a sight worthy of recording and repeated listening.

Also, when dealing with live albums, the main point to focus on is how the material is translated onto the stage and how its sounds changed, particularly when all but one instrument is removed. I wasn't sure how many of the songs would hold up without drums, guitar, bass and back-up vocals.

With this in mind, I popped in the disc, finding myself pleasantly surprised with much of the material culled together by Folds, while still feeling a little bit confused by several of the choices. It starts off nicely enough, with "Whatever and Ever Amen's" "One Angry Dwarf." In the past, this song had been a consistent source of improvisational fun by BFF, particularly by bass player Robert Sledge.

With only Folds playing, he can never quite get to that level, an observation that many had with his backing band: they were good, personable and fun, but the BFF element was missing. This is to be expected, but it does not make the loss any less apparent. But, rather than harp on this, I'll try to keep to what is novel or interesting in this collection, because there is quite a bit.

The first song to really focus on is "Silver Street," a non-album track. It's a simply beautiful song, one that I hope Folds will include in some way in his future studio recordings, particularly if he is the one who wrote it. It's followed by a good version of "Best Imitation of Myself," a selection easily transferable to the solo medium. This transition makes it a good live version without ever breaking away from the album take.

'The Luckiest," one of my favorite songs off his solo album, sounds exactly as it does on the record. It's akin to listening to an Unplugged album and half the songs are already acoustic - good for what it is, but still lacking.

The reasons to buy this CD, however, are "Silver Street," a cover of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," "One Down" and a rare solo "Emaline," as well as the improvised "Rock This Bitch," coined by an audience member and riffed out by Folds. "One Down" is an angry-Ben song about the recording company pressure that plagues all artists on major companies.

It is a well crafted song expressing his feelings about compromising his music as well as a slight love thread that intertwines with the main theme.

Also, "Army," with the audience substituting for the horn section, is surprisingly infectious, especially because it reminds the listener of Folds' on-stage charm.

Unfortunately, some of the other selections, particularly "Not the Same," sound awkward without the full band. This song has a driving drumbeat that serves as the foundation, something Folds does not replace, but simply pauses when appropriate. As a fan of the song, I don't think he pulls it off.

The rest of the songs are good without reaching that energy that he is capable of with BFF or even his backing band. Go see the show Wednesday, and see how he does. If you like what you hear, buy this CD.