Mysterious New Songs?

So this thought just came in my head: Does Ben record demos?
People have been saying Ben wouldn't go through the trouble of recording bad versions of his songs or "fake songs" altogether, but what if they're just well done demos?

thats what i think - or early versions of songs he took to the band / record company. i don't think he has got anything to do with the leak.
thats my tuppence worth!

x

But demos usually sound a little something like the finished result.  Most of these don't.  Songs like Free Coffee sound like he made up a song to go with the title, rather than the other way around.  It's an obvious fake.

im sticking to my guns with my opinions. come on sept.

But demos usually sound a little something like the finished result.  Most of these don't.  Songs like Free Coffee sound like he made up a song to go with the title, rather than the other way around.  It's an obvious fake.

I think some people are taking this way too seriously. Some of you are acting like if we don't know the truth about these tracks in the next 24 hours, the world will explode and life will end as we know it. Honestly: get a breath of fresh air. I'm sure that eventually something will come up and we'll finally know what these tracks really are or aren't. If it takes until September 30th, then so be it.

I hate it how some of you are just so completely convinced that these tracks are fake, as if Ben had told you himself. If these do turn out to be the real deal (or close to it), then I feel bad for all of you who are 104.2% sure that these tracks are almost complete bullsh*t because you're going to be way disappointed. And, I mean, so what if these are the real deal? Songs For Silverman was a more laid back and serious album and it's only natural that Ben's follow-up album be something completely different. And let's face it: no matter how ridiculous some of these tracks are, they're funny as hell which I definitely think is a plus. I, personally, enjoy music that makes me laugh.

So seriously people: chill. I'm just as excited about the new album as any of you, but I think the last thing the world needs is more conspiracy theories. If we're going to be like that then I might as well propose the theory that these tracks are actually recorded by Ben's evil twin brother from Neptune and that the real Ben has actually been kidnapped and is currently tied up in a broom closet 0.02 miles west of Albuquerque. I think that's just as plausible as some of the other theories posted in this thread.

Oh, and Luke: it's not that uncommon for an artist's demos to sound completely different from the finished track. I, being a musician myself, know that I'll come up with a song one day and build all around it, and then I'll come back the next day and write something completely different because I'm not satisfied with how it sounds. I know some of these tracks are just downright silly, but like I said earlier: I think he wants this album to be really different from Silverman. He said in the press release that this is him finding his "Way (back) To Normal" and if you look back to the Ben Folds Five days, these tracks aren't that "out-of-the-norm".

Well, those are my two cents (along with everybody elses as well  ).

if you look back to the Ben Folds Five days, these tracks aren't that "out-of-the-norm".

As I said way back in the thread, these are the most percussion led songs since BFF and WAEA. There's very little actual "piano playing" from what I've heard (except Cologne), mostly Ben just stomping out chords. Which, completely contradicting myself, is unlike the first two albums, but is also unlike quite a lot else of his work. It's all very similar, with the melody coming largely from the singing and chords (and overdriven bass) than any impressive piano playing.

SFS was always a fairly whimsical album, SSSG was, IIRC, done mostly between RTS and SFS, so this is the first album that Ben Folds has done since TUBORM that has him and a band playing upbeat/rock music. So it's bound to sound a bit more like stuff from Ben Folds Five in a way that RTS didn't. Additionally, he's been playing drums for Amanda Palmer, which has no doubt reminded him that he loves them.

I wasn't keen on Free Coffee or Hiroshima from the live versions because they sounded very samey, but based on the leaked Hiroshima, and You Don't Know Me, I get what the style of the album is meant to be, and I have to say I think I'm going to love it. Some people like the whimsical storytelling Ben in things like Fred Jones Pt 2 - and I do too (he's a great storytelling musician, and I love Cologne as much as the others), but the main reason I like Ben is so I can crank it up to 11 and dance around the room to Kate, Zak and Sara and all the rest. This album seems like something that will do that (and as much as you all hate it, Dr Yang is in that league) and for that reason I agree with Michal - these songs are different to what we've heard before, but they're still Ben and still great. (And which songs get the biggest cheers at gigs are...)

I mean think - Ben's put out enough edgy songs in his life that the ones here aren't going to make that big an impact. I don't think he really cares about the record industry or needs to - his songs generally don't get played on the radio anyway these days, so why not just speak his mind? I don't remotely think the leaked The Bitch Went Nuts is real, but it's very funny and very Ben. "Parental Guidance" stickers will be on Ben's albums anyway - no-one who is going to buy WTN intentionally is going to be offended.

so this is the first album that Ben Folds has done since TUBORM that has him and a band playing upbeat/rock music.

i think what you meant to say was "...has done since WAEA..." 
TUBORM isn't exactly upbeat.   

I wouldn't be surprised if Ben pulled stuff like this off. After all, one of his recorded RTBs on myspace has him saying "songwriting is easy. Everyone makes it so f*cking complicated..." etc.

By the way, could anyone PM me a link to the album? pretty please?

--Dsus4

Here it is! The official track listing for the new album (there's already a thread on this, but thought I'd put it here anyways).

1.) Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hits His Head)
2.) Dr. Yang
3.) The Frown
4.) You Don’t Know Me (featuring Regina Spektor)
5.) Before Cologne
6.) Cologne
7.) Errant Dog
8.) Free Coffee
9.) Bitch Went Nuts
10.) Brainwascht
11.) Effington
12.) Kylie from Connecticut

http://www.nme.com/news/ben-folds/38331

Maybe I missed something - just because Ben sings in the first person doesn't mean it's based on fact. "My Name is Hiro I am 52" didn't make me suddenly rewrite the biography page.

~A

Hiro was 51.

N00b. 

This might even beat Guster "leaking" Keep It Together overdubbed with cat meows. . .

With all of the planned "leaks" happening in the last couple of years, this totally strikes me as a Ben prank. 

Quote from: Andy on July 21, 2008, 10:34:26 AM

Maybe I missed something - just because Ben sings in the first person doesn't mean it's based on fact. "My Name is Hiro I am 52" didn't make me suddenly rewrite the biography page.

~A

Hiro was 51.

N00b. 

I knew that! (Where's that edit button?)

Anyway, NME seems to be the only place that has a tracklisting. From my experience of NME I'd want confirmation from somewhere more reputable.
We can probably conclude that the press release from myspace is real - from a Google news search on Ben Folds it seems to have been sent out to several outlets.

~A

Quote from: kingrikk on July 21, 2008, 02:29:28 PM

so this is the first album that Ben Folds has done since TUBORM that has him and a band playing upbeat/rock music.

i think what you meant to say was "...has done since WAEA..." 
TUBORM isn't exactly upbeat.  

yeah, "army" and "your redneck past" have me reaching for the tissues every time.

Well I doubt the NME got their info from an official source as putting out something official that contradicted the leak would ruin the joke. We do know though that some media outlets have heard the (real) album so it's probably out there somewhere.

You don't that it's a joke though.

Well, Ben said the album would be very 'un-orchestral' in the Paste magazine interview. Clearly there are some strings in the leaked Hiroshima and You Don't Know Me. He couldn't have pranked Paste magazine, so it would make sense if the leaked WTN is just a bunch of scrapped songs. Unless, of course, you consider two songs with strings on an album so far 'un-orchestral'...

By the way, did anyone break out in laughter when, in the MySpace bulletin, Folds said SFS was "deliberately stoic"?