Shuffle...Tuesday? [Ben Folds - Learn To Live With What You Are]

Firstly, let me apologize for being behind in my posting of the inaugural Shuffle Sunday, but as most of you know it was Memorial Day weekend. I was away from Internet access and spending my weekend with my wonderful girlfriend and her parents at their cottage in northern Wisconsin. But now that I am done with my excellent vacation weekend and heading closer to reality again, on with the reviews!

I was very surprised by what happened when I hit my shuffle button for this first shuffle review, but at the same time I totally saw it coming. The song that popped up, just so happens to be by the same artist that I plan to review come Wednesday. The song is "Learn To Live With What You Are" by Ben Folds.

This song comes from what I believe to be the pinnacle of Ben Folds career so far. The album Supersunnyspeedgraphic, The LP, is a compilation of songs from strictly Internet released EPs. The twelve songs that make up the album work incredibly well together, both illuminating Folds's musical ability and cleverly backing it up with his cleverly placed immaturity that Folds fans love so much.

"Learn To Live With What You Are" is a well constructed piano rock ballad using simple chord progressions backed by a beautiful string section (not included in the original sunny 16 EP recording) and led by some of Folds's best love folly lyrical guidance to date such as "And I'm not saying that the effort is a waste of time, but I/Just love you for the things you couldn't change, though you've tried."

In the end, the song is definitely one of my favorite piano ballads by Folds and the LP it comes from gets my recommendation as being one Ben Folds's best. On Wednesday I'll open up discussion for another of Ben Folds albums which may need to be looked at in a different light.

Check out the song (Track 5) here:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12285406


Also, here is a link to the album I reviewed last week, The Head on the Door by The Cure:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12856474