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List Price: $11.98 | | Label: Sony
Salesrank: 83891
Released: March 18, 1997 |
| Our Price: $1.99 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Whatever and Ever Amen Track Listing:
1. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
2. Fair
3. Brick
4. Song for the Dumped
5. Selfless, Cold and Composed
6. Kate
7. Smoke
8. Cigarette
9. Steven's Last Night in Town
10. Battle of Who Could Care Less
11. Missing the War
12. Evaporated
Editorial Review:
Think of Ben Folds as Billy Joel minus the Tin Pan Alley heritage and armed with a sweet, wry, slacker ethos. In a guitar-free trio setting, the Chapel Hill smart guy pounds the ivories with gusto while singing a tremendous batch of funny ("Kate"), poignant ("Brick," "Evaporated"), pissed-off ("Song for the Dumped"), and hugely refreshing (all 12 tunes here) songs. --Jeff Bateman
Whatever and Ever Amen Reviews:
Whatever And Ever Amen 
2009-01-08 - I bought this album mostly based on one song ("Brick"), so the first surprise I encountered was Folds' extremely dirty mouth, which was definately unexpected. After hearing the first few tracks, I also noticed how the band jumps back and forth with a fun, jumpy song ("Fair"), a slow, depressing song ("Brick"), and then back to a fast, catchy song ("Song For The Dumped"). The only problem I had with the album is that a few of the slow songs were too slow for me. When I'm listening to the album, I can't help but skip "Selfless, Cold, and Composed," "Cigarette," and "Evaporated." I think it would do the band justice to stick to more upbeat songs, like "Kate," although throwing in a song like "Brick" could never hurt. This is still one of the coolest bands I've ever listened to that lacks a guitar.
Ben Folds Five 
2008-06-09 - Ben Folds is a genius. I love his mixture of beautiful piano music and hysterically funny or devastatingly sad lyrics. This album is the epitome of an emotional roller coaster. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys piano music and soothing melodies.
I love this CD 
2007-12-17 - If it were physically possible to wear out ripped tracks that are on my mp3 player from this CD then I would be guilty of doing so. The lounge-A-Palooza version of the Flaming lips tune "She Don't Use Jelly" I just can't get enough of. Those who love the piano or want to inspire younger people to keep taking their lessons when they are thinking of quitting should stack up on tunes from the Ben Folds Five catalog and pick up this CD as well as others.
asdf
2007-06-25 - Ben Folds Five is hands down one of the best power trios in all of rock music. All of the members are extremely talented, as this Chapel Hill, North Carolina trio . Alas, they truly were a talented group of musicians, and not just Ben Folds. Each member of this band, in my opinion, was extremely talented, from Ben Folds Jimmy Page-like do-it-all piano playing, Darren Jesse's jazzy, rocking, versatile drumming, and Robert Sledge who dishes out both fuzz bass and jazz bass with ablomb (he's truly more than just a back up). And that's why Ben Folds's solo career was pretty crappy, anyway (I don't know what happened, really).
Whatever and Amen was released smack dab in that year of 1997.
Ben Folds Five - Great Piano Based Rock
2007-03-22 - I first discovered Ben Folds Five by randomly clicking the channels on my TV remote control late one Saturday night. I think it was a "Soundstage" performance on PBS that I happened across. My clicker stopped on these guys and I ended up watching the whole show. I had no idea who they were, but they certainly grabbed may attention. After doing a little research discovered it was Ben Folds Five and ended up picking up this album. I am certainly glad I did. I honestly think that Ben Folds is one of the great singer / songwriter / piano men of our time. For those of us old enough to remember Elton John and Billy Joel back when they were young inspired songsmiths, Folds will instantly remind you of these artists. Throw in a biting lyrical sarcasm, similar to Warren Zevon and musical / lyrical chops of Joe Jackson and you get Folds perfect mix of music, vocals and lyrics. This album broke the band big time in the US with the hit song "Brick" that got a ton of radio airplay. Not your typical single, "Brick" lyrically deals with the subject of abortion on a very personal level, and is a great song. The rest of the album is also really great. Folds writing can be depressingly serious or hilariously funny. The band's music is all over the place with the piano being the lead instrument throughout. Highlights include "One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces", "Song For The Dumped", "Stevens Last Night In Town", "Battle Of Who Could Care Less", and "Fair". Although I don't think this is Ben's best album, the whole thing is strong and this is a nice place to start if you are looking for outstanding piano based rock.
