Michael Bluejay's guide to

I made this logo as a gift for the band. It reads the same upside-down as rightside up.
I was proud that when I gave it to Robert at a show in Apr. 1997, he remarked, "That's fucked up!"

Contact | BF5 home | Michael Bluejay home

Last update: September 26, 2012

This site was selected as the MacroMusic
Noteworthy Site of the day on Feb. 12, 1999.

Ben Folds Five news

Sept. 2012. The newly-reunited Ben Folds Five releases a new album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, and launches their first tour in over a decade. The Magical Armchair has the tour dates.

Stuff on this site

• Ben Folds Five FAQ

• MP3 of me sitting in with BF5 on "Best Imitation of Myself"

• Order albums and sheet music

• Chord charts for some songs

• My lousy MIDI recording of Best Imitation

• Similarities between BF5 songs and other songs

• A Who's Who Guide to Ben Folds Five

• Interviews with the band from the 1990s

• BF5 Haikus

• Picture of my BF5 tattoo

• The piano market (piano stocks)

• BF5's shows in Austin

• SXSW 1996 concert photos

Other sites

• The band's official site

• Magical Armchair (well-known fansite)

• Wikipedia article about the band

• Lyrics at BestLyrics.com

• Misheard lyrics

• Ragogna interview, Oct. 2012. Excellent interview with Ben; touches on some technical aspects of the music as well as the meaning behind some of the lyrics.

• BF5 All Together Now. Japanese fan site, in English & Japanese. Doesn't seem to have been updated since 2000, but has some cool GIF animations of the band.

• The Strangest Thing. This large fansite died in 2002, but here's the archive.

• 1997 interview

• Hotel Lights. Darren Jessee's critically-acclaimed other band

• ChuckFolds.com. Ben's brother's site about his own music

• Phil's Finest Hour was an Australian band with a BF5-like sound. Unfortunately they seemed to have disappeared, and I can't find any recordings of them listed anywhere.

Ben Folds Five timeline

1966. Ben born on Sept. 12.

Mid-1980s. If the song "Army" is truly autobiographical, Ben works at Chik-Fil-A, contemplates joining the army, and plays in an unsuccessful band.

~1987-90. Ben forms Majosha with Millard Powers. Band wins a "Battle of the Bands" contest.

1994. Band forms in Chapel Hill, NC, with Folds, Darren Jessee on drums, and Robert Sledge on bass guitar.

1995. Debut eponymous album on Caroline Records. "Underground" is a semi-hit single.

1996. The band gets a large following in Japan, courtesy of a Japanese TV drama in which one of the characters is a big fan, but gets a lot less attention the U.S.

1997. Second album, Whatever and Ever Amen. The single "Brick" launches the band to stardom, and "Song for the Dumped" and "Battle of Who Could Care Less" hits the Top 25.

1998. Ben releases his first solo album, Fear of Pop, though Ben Folds Five is still going strong.

1999. Third album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. "Army" charts in the Top 20.

2000. The band breaks up amicably in October. The bandmembers' projects post-breakup aren't detailed here; instead see the Wikipedia articles about Ben, Darren, and Robert.)

2005. A remastered and expanded edition of Whatever and Ever Amen is released, including seven new bonus tracks.

2008. The band reunites for a single show in Chapel Hill. (NME)

2011. The band reunites to record three new songs for the compilation album The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective.

2012. The band releases their fourth studio album, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, and begins their first tour in over a decade.

Interviews from the 1990s

America Online Q&A

Extremely rare, BF5 answers fan questions live on America Online. 4/97

Chris Comer

Three audio interviews, including with Robert Sledge.

Austin Chronicle

On hitting animals with their tour van. 4/18/97

Select Magazine

Ben on politics and the '96 election 12/96

Sheffield Electronic Press

Ben talks about other bands, and Darren throws a fit. 11/23/96

Consumable Online

Ben talks about life in Lollapalooza and WEAEA. 7/25/96

RASP! Magazine

They talk about early shows, Billy Joel, and Tom Waits. 5/30/96

Grid Magazine

They boys discuss polygamy, the 70's, and who they'd like to see naked. 4/96

Turntable Online

Ben discusses success, the meaning of songs, and Tori Amos. 3/96

NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday

Ben talks about the debut album and their first video. 1/28/96

Ben Folds Five studio albums
1st album (July 25, 1995)	2nd album (Mar. 18, 1997)	3rd album (Apr. 27, 1999)	4th album (Sep. 18, 2012)

Compilation albums
Naked Baby Photos (Jan. 13, 1998) live tracks, alternate versions, obscure covers	The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (Oct. 11, 2011)

Sheet Music
Keyboard Signature Licks Sheet Music Order for $23. Expertly written note-for-note sheet music for selected songs from all four BF5 albums, plus commentary, interviews with Ben about the songs, and a practice CD! Read my review.	Whatever & Ever Amen Sheet Music Order for $20	The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner Sheet Music Order for $20.	Naked Baby Photos. This is a collection of live & alternate versions and some covers. This is a good source for songs from the first album since the sheet music for the debut album is long out of print. Order for $20.

Listen to free samples

Listen to the samples of the entire Ben Folds Five catalog on iTunes for free

Ben Folds Five (1995)
1. Jackson Cannery
2. Philosophy
3. Julianne
4. Where's Summer B.?
5. Alice Childress
6. Underground
7. Sports & Wine
8. Uncle Walter
9. Best Imitation of Myself
10. Video
11. The Last Polka
12. Boxing

Whatever & Ever Amen (1997)
1. One Angry Dwarf & 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

Bonus tracks: (on the re-released version) 13. Video Killed the Radio Star
14. For All the Pretty People
15. Mitchell Lane
16. Theme from Dr. Pyser
17. Air
18. She Don't Use Jelly
19. Song for the Dumped (Japanese)

The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999)
1. Narcolepsy
2. Don't Change Your Plans
3. Mess
4. Magic
5. Hospital Song
6. Army
7. Your Redneck Past
8. Your Most Valuable Possession
9. Regrets
10. Jane
11. Lullabye

The Sound of the Life of the Mind (2012)
1. Erase Me
2. Michael Praytor, Five Years Later
3. Sky High
4. The Sound of the Life of the Mind
5. On Being Frank
6. Draw a Crowd
7. Do it Anyway
8. Hold That Thought
9. Away When You Were Here
10. Thank You for Breaking My Heart

Ben, Darren, and Robert rode bicycles in the Uncle Walter video. If you ride a bike, check out my guide to How to Not Get Hit By Cars.

Ben told me in 1998 that Darren Jessee (BF5's drummer) is a vegetarian. Vegetarianism and even veganism are a lot more common now than they were in the 90s, so props to Jessee for being ahead of the curve on that one. Other vegetarian musicians include as Paul McCartney, Prince, Madonna, Natalie Merchant, and a host of others (including many you've never heard of, like me). Get the scoop on meatless diets on my Vegetarian Guide site.