Pros: A more mature and powerful style is introduced in this album.
Cons: A little bit short.
The Bottom Line: "The Unauthorized Bigoraphy..." is an inspiring and powerful musical reflection of emotion and feeling. It is one of the greatest albums ever.
idono's Full Review: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner by ...
Ahh... Ben Folds Five, the guitarless trio who manages to inspire through excellent songwriting by Ben Folds, and the band's excellent music style.
Without a doubt, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, Ben Folds Five's fourth and final album, is the bands most mature and most inspiring album.
Ben Folds Five consists of three(only three, not five) members -- Ben Folds(piano), Robert Sledge(bass), and Darren Jessee(drums). They are probably more known for their piano-pounding punk sound in their earlier albums than they are for the sound found in this album. But, the sound in this album outdoes any of their previous releases by far.
Let's take a look at each song on the album.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy, which definitely has a Queen-like sound to it, starts out with solo piano playing a simple theme. This intro turns out to be the basis for the song. The song explodes after the intro with crashing drums and distorted bass. The song becomes much more dramatic. Near the end, the dynamic level goes back down to finish the song.
Final Judgement: Definitely not the best song on the album but it has good points to it.
Don't Change Your Plans
Don't Change Your Plans, a pop song at it's best, with a definite Burt Bacharach influence, is one of the best songs on the album. The song was originally two or three songs, and it came to be as one song, for the most part, as an idea from Caleb Southern, the band's producer. The song tells a rather sad story over a moving beat.
Final Judgement: One of the three best songs on the album for sure. A catchy tune that you could listen to more than once.
Mess
Ben Folds has called Mess a "cowboy song" and it does have a cowboy feel to it, though, through the excellent songwriting, it has it's own feel to it, and has a whole lot of energy. This song is played on a piano with tack-like things in the hammers, which makes it sound like a Harpischord
Final Judgement: Another One of the three best songs on the album. A Catchy two-beat pattern.
Magic
Magic was actually written by band member Darren Jessee as "The Magic That Holds The Sky Up," and was originally acoustic guitar and vocals. Darren presented the song to the band, and Ben Folds came up with a piano part to the song.
The song begins with a piano intro which also makes the basis for the verses in the song. A while into the song, the tambourine, tympani and synth bass come in. The "Sha-la-la" vocals parts definitely add to the feeling. The song is "a composite of people I've known who have died.(Darren Jessee)"
Final Judgement: Soft and sad, yet very powerful and inspiring, Magic is another one of the best three on the album
Hospital Song
This short song was originally meant to be longer, but for reasons, it had to be cut. This is how it became the miniature little masterpiece that it is. After a few listens, you grow to really like the piano sound that is incorporated into this song.
Final Judgement: A little short, but worth a listen to let it grow on you.
Army
Army is probably the closest to the sound that the band has in "Whatever and Ever Amen," it's previous album. A lot less serious than the rest of the songs on the album, with a very abrupt start. It includes a saxophone and trumpet part as a sort of bridge during the song.
Final Judgement: A Catchy indie-rock sounding song that is what you will be looking for if you are looking for Ben Folds Five's previous album's sounds.
Your Redneck Past
Right after Army, Your Redneck Past continuues the non-serious side of the album. With a goofy sounding synthesizer and a rather obnoxious sound, the band lightens up to talk about hiding your redneck past.
Final Judgement: A funny song which didn't need to be on the album, but is good for a few listens.
Your Most Valuable Posession
A answering machine message left by Ben Folds's father, and a jazzy-sounding background make up this track. The song somehow manages to catch you, even though it doesn't seem like it would.
Final Judgement: Unless you are a hardcore fan, who just has to hear Ben's dads voice, this track really isn't necessary.
Regrets
Probably one of the lesser-noticed songs on the album, has a different sound to it. It's about regrets... stupid things you've done in your life.
Final Judgement: Some people will like it more than others, it's a little different than the rest.
Jane
Ben gives his advice to Jane, to be herself. Along with
"Regrets," it's a little different, and seems to be missing something that the other tracks have.
Final Judgement: A little different, just as "Regrets" is. Worth a listen though to see if you like it.
Lullabye
A very beautiful song. It starts as a gentle waltz, but eventually turns into a soulful gospel waltz sound. The piano solo is definitely gospel-sounding. One of the better songs on the album, for sure.
Final Judgement: One of the better tracks, very inspiring and soothing. Very Beautiful.
In closing, I would definitely like to reccommend this album as it is very powerful and I beleive that one can feel the emotion in the music. The three most powerful tracks, Don't Change Your Plans, Mess,and Magic are filled with a musical reflection of emotion and feeling.
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