Ben Folds ‘Way To Normal’ Album Review + “Fake” Leaked Songs vs. Actual Songs
Most album reviews are usually just the writer trying to impress you with big words and complex sentence structure and not really getting to the point. They will usually mention the history of the artist and how this album works in comparison to their other efforts and some other worthless babble. I am going to make this easy on you and give you a review with information you can use. That word defines why you logged onto the internet today - INFORMATION. Hope you enjoy the “to the point” review:
BACKSTORY
This is Ben Folds’s first official LP since 2005’s Songs For Silverman. He released a full album compilation of all his EPs [Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP] that featured a couple new songs ["Bruised", "Still"] that were outstanding.
WHERE TO BUY
I know we all love the convenience of iTunes, but I got it at Best Buy today for $9.99. It’s $12.99 on iTunes.
SHOULD I BUY IT?
Yes, you should definitely buy it. It’s worth every cent.
Most reviews don’t tell you this simple fact and that’s seriously just about what every wants to know.
HOW MANY STARS OUT OF 5?
4.5/5
I think it would be a good “first album” for a new Ben Folds fan. It could be a good starting point because the songs are generally upbeat and semi-mainstream. The single, “You Don’t Know Me” is a good starting point, followed by “Bitch Went Nuts” and “The Frown Song”.
“You Don’t Know Me” MUSIC VIDEO
TRACKLISTING (each song with out of 5 rating)
1. Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)
- (4/5) Good opening tune. Worth the download.
2. Dr. Yang
- (4/5) Very Ben Folds Five-ish with a prominent distorted bass line and alt. rock style
3. The Frown Song
- (5/5) One of the best songs on the album. Great hook.
4. You Don’t Know Me (featuring Regina Spektor)
- (5/5) Arguably the best song on the album - certainly the most radio friendly.
5. Before Cologne
- (3/5) I hate to call this a “filler” track, but it’s more of an intro to “Cologne”.
6. Cologne
- (5/5) Great great song. Slower tempo and a perfect diversion from the rest of the album.
7. Errant Dog
- (2.5/5) This song starts a 2-song lull in the album. Average tune.
8. Free Coffee
- (1/5) I don’t really get this song - it’s borderline annoying…although the end is funny.
9. Bitch Went Nuts
- (4.5/5) I love this song but the ‘leaked’ version is better. Read more below this list.
10. Brainwascht
- (4/5) Good and classic BF song. Worth the .99 cents.
11. Effington
- (5/5) One of the best songs on the album. Hilarious lyrics.
12. Kylie From Connecticut
- (3/5) Good but not great.
Not going to buy the entire album? Here are the 4 best songs:
“You Don’t Know Me”
“The Frown Song”
“Effington”
“Bitch Went Nuts”
THE ALBUM WAS LEAKED…?
So evidently, Ben Folds released a fake album of songs that he leaked to the internet weeks prior to the actual release. He was quoted as saying they had a “night to kill” and did it as a joke. I recently posted the ‘leaked’ version of “Bitch Went Nuts” and it’s WAY different than the actual ‘real’ version.
Take a listen to the difference. Which do you think is better?
“Bitch Went Nutz” leaked version, not on the actual album
“Bitch Went Nuts” album version
Here is the link to the “fake” album that you can listen to into its entirety. I figure the fact that it’s fake and purposely leaked they won’t mind that I tell you guys about it. The ‘real’ album is much much better, fyi.
1 Comment so far
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“Free Coffee” is my favorite song on this album. Listening to it, I get the feeling it’s about a man who lost himself, but then became famous. He uses Altoid’s tins in his piano, then presses the distortion, to get that tinny sound to the piano. Other than you rating “Free Coffee” as the worst song, I agree with your review.