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« on: September 26, 2010, 09:21:50 PM »
There’s something to be said about a creative individual. Creativity is without a doubt inside all of us, but very few of us ever dig deep enough to see what we’re capable of. There’s something to be said about a talented individual. Everyone has their fair share of talents, but so few of us find the determination, or better yet the patience, to nurture those talents into truly masterful abilities. There’s something to be said about Ben Folds.
Since I was fifteen, I’ve been a huge music fan. Music from any genre, any era; everything is fair game. I’ve listened to hundreds upon hundreds of artists, and I’ve gained a small group of favorites that I’ve listened to so much that I can barely listen to them anymore. Once every few months, I “rediscover” them for a day or two, get my mind blown, then put them back on the shelf until next time. On that list of favorites, you’ll see some obvious choices such as The Beatles and Neil Young, some trendy staples such as Radiohead and The White Stripes, and some obscure artists that I can’t believe the world hasn’t discovered yet. Among all these artists, none have ever hit me quite as hard as Ben Folds. Whenever I “rediscover” Folds, it tends to grow into a “become re-obsessed with his entire body of work for a week.” I’ve heard his albums so many times over the years, yet I continue to come back for more.
One has to ask themselves “why?” There has to be a reason for such an immense appeal to what can ultimately be considered standard pop/rock music. I’ve grown up quite a bit since buying my first Ben Folds Five record, and after all these years I can safely say that the reason I love this music so much is because Ben Folds, intentionally or not, has created one of the most down to earth, honest, and relatable bodies of work I’ve ever come across.
If Ben Folds was your neighbor, you’d probably think of him as the friendly, intelligent, funny guy who lives next door who you occasionally share a few words (and possibly a few beers) with. You don’t see him every day, but when the two of you do happen to have a conversation, you tend to talk about the smallest, simplest details of everyday life from interesting perspectives. We all know people like this. People who can talk about a walk they took last week and leave you thinking “Wow. That must have been great.” Ben Folds is one of those guys. What separates Folds from your introspective neighbor, however, is the fact that he can take that story about the pleasant walk and turn it into a four minute song, presented with all the appropriate words and melodies that make the storytelling six hundred times more powerful. When you hear “Alice Childress”, you see yourself walking down the street on a summer’s evening, wishing your friends were with you in this new chapter of your life (even though you know deep in your heart that they just wouldn’t fit in.)
Ben Folds has done what surprisingly few creative types have attempted, and that is to build a musical career on the complexities found in everyday human life. I’m willing to bet this wasn’t intentional, seeing as how nothing he has ever written seems unnatural or forced. Just as David Bowie wrote songs about starmen and velvet goldmines, capturing the minds of his listeners with whimsical fantasy, Ben Folds has captured his listeners with songs about everyday life from the perspective of someone who takes a step back and looks at it all “from above.” He’s made us wonder what it would be like to take a random exit off the highway and start a new life (Effington), made us ponder about life choices we made years ago (Army), and made us realize that in the big scheme of things we will all be replaced and forgotten (Fred Jones Part 2). He’s also been known to take a tiny iota of a thought and develop it into a fully blown life realization. In “Cologne,” we find the character disconnected from someone who once was a big part of his life. As he reads the astronaut story in his hotel room, he thinks to himself “I wonder if she’s read that story too.” Your ex-girlfriend who hasn’t spoken to you in five years has more likely than not been watching the same movie, on the same channel, at the same time as you at least once. Despite break ups and other life changes, we’re all still living in the same world. There is no such thing as total separation. It’s these unique outlooks on details that most people would overlook that make the foundation of a Ben Folds song.
The best thing about music is that no matter what mood you’re in, there’s an artist who has created music that perfectly describes how you’re feeling. When you’re depressed, pessimistic, or angry, Nirvana can be the perfect remedy. When you’re having an upbeat, great day, some guilty pleasure pop music can keep you going. To me, Ben Folds has always been the music to describe the parts of your day when you’re too busy living life to really think about what you’re actually feeling. While KISS would write a song about the crazy rock concert you went to last night, Ben Folds would write a song about the two hour drive home from the concert. I don’t know of anyone else who can pull that kind of stuff off in such a thought provoking manner quite like he does.
I would consider myself a creative individual When I die, I’d like to leave my mark on this world that I’ve been born into. Ben Folds has done nothing but inspire me to keep trying to perfect my skills at expressing my ideas via the creative process. His hard work has certainly paid off for himself and for his fans. I can only dream that something I create will cause a total stranger to sit down for an hour and write a mini essay about their admiration, appreciation, and passion for my work. There’s something to be said about Ben Folds.
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