Whatever and Ever Amen is the second album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1997. A remaster was made available on March 22, 2005. All of the extra tracks had been previously released (as b-sides, soundtrack contributions, etc.) except for a cover of the Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star", which is a staple of Ben Folds Five's live show.
[edit] Album recording
The entire album was recorded in a house Ben Folds rented in Chapel Hill. Due to this fact, the album has several lo-fi occurrences. A phone ring can be heard at approximately 2:56 in "Steven's Last Night in Town;" Ben Folds has said the ring was a friend calling from Minnesota, but it came at such a perfect timing, the band decided to leave it in the song. Robert can be heard laughing slightly after it rings as well. Crickets can also be heard in the background of "Cigarette."
The track "Steven's Last Night in Town" was written about Ben Folds' friend Stephen Short, a Grammy-Award winning record producer and manager.[citation needed]
The album's title comes from a line in the song "Battle of Who Could Care Less." Helped by a comedic video directed by Norwood Cheek, "Battle of Who Could Care Less" helped the band break through in the UK in early 1997.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Ben Folds except where noted.
| Lyrics |
| 1. |
"One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" |
|
3:52 |
| 2. |
"Fair" |
|
5:55 |
| 3. |
"Brick" |
Folds, Darren Jessee |
4:43 |
| 4. |
"Song for the Dumped" |
Folds, Jessee |
3:52 |
| 5. |
"Selfless, Cold, and Composed" |
|
6:10 |
| 6. |
"Kate" |
Folds, Jessee, Anna Goodman |
3:14 |
| 7. |
"Smoke" |
|
4:52 |
| 8. |
"Cigarette" |
|
1:38 |
| 9. |
"Steven's Last Night in Town" |
|
3:27 |
| 10. |
"Battle of Who Could Care Less" |
|
3:16 |
| 11. |
"Missing the War" |
|
4:19 |
| 12. |
"Evaporated" |
|
4:28 |
[edit] Personnel
[edit] The band
[edit] Additional musicians
[edit] Production
[edit] Chart positions
| Year |
Country |
Chart |
Position |
Weeks |
| 1997 |
Japan |
Oricon Weekly Albums Chart (top 100) |
6 |
8 |
| United Kingdom |
UK Albums Chart |
30 |
3 |
| United States |
Billboard 200 |
42 |
|
| 1998 |
Australia |
ARIA Albums Chart (top 50) |
9 |
32 |
[edit] Singles
| Year |
Single |
Country |
Provider |
Chart |
Position |
| 1997 |
"Battle of Who Could Care Less" |
United States |
Billboard |
Modern Rock Tracks |
22 |
| United Kingdom |
BPI |
UK Singles Chart |
26 |
| "Kate" |
39 |
| "Brick" |
United States |
Billboard |
Modern Rock Tracks |
6 |
| 1998 |
Adult Top 40 |
11 |
| Top 40 Mainstream |
17 |
| Australia |
ARIA |
ARIA Charts |
13 |
| "Song for the Dumped" |
United States |
Billboard |
Modern Rock Tracks |
23 |
[edit] Track notes
The lyrics for "Cigarette" were inspired by a newspaper article about a man who sought a divorce from his wife after finding out she had a brain tumour, on the basis that she was not the same person he had married.[citation needed] The "sequel" track, "Fred Jones Part Two", is on Folds' first solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs.
The first track ("One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces") has been covered and recorded by singer-songwriter VanVelzen, and also by pop rock band De Poema's (in a translated version, with the title changed to "Groot en Belangrijk"; "Big and Important"), both Dutch acts.
Nick Hornby writes one of his essays in the book 31 Songs about "Smoke".
[edit] References
[edit] See also
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| Studio albums |
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| Compilation & Rarities albums |
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| Singles |
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| DVDs & Videos |
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| Related articles |
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