SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BEN FOLDS FIVE – BEN FOLDS FIVE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

BEN FOLDS FIVE
BEN FOLDS FIVE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
UNIVERSAL MUSIC

It was always surprising, to me anyway, that Ben Folds Five’s self-titled debut album did as well as it did when it was first released in 1996. The combination of classical, pop, satire, humour and rock, all into one album was brave and unusual at the time. But it seemed to strike a nerve, mostly with university students and indie radio stations. And it did launch Ben Folds Five. Of course, a year later, their song “Brick,” from their sophomore album Whatever And Ever Amen, really launched the band into super stardom. However, Ben Folds Five is an extremely important album as it laid the groundwork and introduced them to a huge audience. The trio, Ben Folds (lead vocals, piano), Robert Sledge (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Darren Jessee (drums, backing vocals), brought a new sound to the music world.

Now 30 years old, the album has received the expanded treatment to celebrate its birthday. The album holds up remarkably well. Listening to it in 2026, one can hear the west coast influence on the music, but they throw in several curve balls that keep the listener on its toes. A song like “Alice Childress” is influenced by Big Star and Todd Rundgren, but it still has the Ben Folds Five stamp. But a song like “Underground” has elements of 10cc and Elton John. But again, although they do wear their influences on their sleeves, they really do have their own distinct sound.

The new and expanded version features the abandoned and shelved first version of the album. These are finished and alternative versions of seven of the album’s tracks. This collection of songs was in Folds’ own personal archives and were transferred from a DAT tape. These versions are not drastically different, but the arrangements are much more piano based, and the songs are more traditional in their presentation than what was eventually released on the album. “Boxing,” for example, does not have the dramatic ending that was found on the released album. The demo for “Emaline,” which was not on their debut, is very fresh and quite poppy. It would have been a hit single.

Ben Folds Five was a striking debut album, and one that got the band noticed. This new edition of the album is a chance to re-evaluate the album and hear early versions of many of the songs. It has aged well, and the new remastering sounds great. The unreleased material will be welcomed by fans, but to these ears it is the remastered first album that is the drawing card. It sounds as fresh and exciting as it did 30 years ago, and it is nice to revisit the album in this manner.

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