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] Certifications
[edit] Charts
[edit] Chart positions
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[edit] Year-end charts
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[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
- ^ Owens, Thom. Whatever and Ever Amen at Allmusic
- ^ Caro, Mark (1997-03-21). "Review: Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen (Epic)". chicagotribune.com (Chicago Tribune). http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-03-21/entertainment/9703210380_1_robert-sledge-and-drummer-angry-dwarf-ben-folds-five. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ Willman, Chris (1997-03-28). "Whatever and Ever Amen Review". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,287252,00.html. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ Nichols, Natalie (1997-03-16). "In Brief: Ben Folds Five, "Whatever and Ever Amen,"". articles.latimes.com. The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1997-03-16/entertainment/ca-38702_1_ben-folds-five. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/15382-whatever-and-ever-amen
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Ben Folds Five: Whatever and Ever Amen". http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=266. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/61892/albums/album/165699
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-1998.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Whatever+and+Ever+Amen&sa=Ben+Folds+Five&smt=0. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "American album certifications – Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Whatever+and+Ever+Amen%22. Retrieved 2012-02-18. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ^ "australian-charts.com Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen" (ASP). Australian Recording Industry Association. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Ben+Folds+Five&titel=Whatever+And+Ever+Amen&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ ベン・フォールズ・ファイヴ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Whatever and Ever Amen by Ben Folds Five" (in Japanese). oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/105494/1/ ベン・フォールズ・ファイヴ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "Chart Stats - Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=47334. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "allmusic ((( Whatever and Ever Amen > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/reveal-r256553/charts-awards. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4871310779.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1998". aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-1998.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1998". billboard.biz. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1998/the-billboard-200. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
[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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