Whatever and Ever Amen
Second album by Ben Folds Five, featuring the hit "Brick".
Ben Folds Five's second album, Whatever and Ever Amen, came out on March 18, 1997. The lead single, "Battle of Who Could Care Less," got heavy play on alternative radio and MTV. The band's biggest hit, "Brick," cracked the top 40 in many countries. A remastered version, featuring a cover of "Video Killed the Radio Star," was released on March 22, 2005.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Ben Folds Five
- Released
- 18 March 1997
- Recorded
- September–October 1996
- Chapel Hill
- North Carolina
- Genre
- Alternative rock
- Length
- 49:20
- Label
- 550; Caroline; Epic
- Producer
- Ben Folds; Caleb Southern
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces | Ben Folds | 3:52 |
| 2 | Fair | Folds | 5:55 |
| 3 | Brick | Folds, Darren Jessee | 4:43 |
| 4 | Song for the Dumped | Folds, Jessee | 3:41 |
| 5 | Selfless, Cold, and Composed | Folds | 6:10 |
| 6 | Kate | Folds, Jessee, Anna Goodman | 3:14 |
| 7 | Smoke | Folds, Goodman | 4:52 |
| 8 | Cigarette | Folds | 1:38 |
| 9 | Steven's Last Night in Town | Folds | 3:27 |
| 10 | Battle of Who Could Care Less | Folds | 3:16 |
| 11 | Missing the War | Folds | 4:19 |
| 12 | Evaporated | Folds | 4:28 |
Track listing from the source article.
Title, recording and cover
During recording, Folds told the Sheffield Electronic Press in November 1996 that the album might be titled Cigarette or The Little Girl With Teeth. The eventual title, Whatever and Ever Amen, comes from a line in the song "Battle of Who Could Care Less". The original cover showed individual photos of Folds, Sledge, and Jessee, with a hand-drawn Ben Folds Five logo and hand-drawn title text, set against a blue patterned background. The 2005 remastered version moved the band logo and album title to the center and added a fourth photo of all three bandmates sitting together, taken from the front cover of Japanese issues. The album was recorded in the front room of a house in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Folds noted that the producer, Caleb, was skilled at recognizing when "the ghost blew through the house." As the first release for Epic, the record company did not hear the recording until it was finished.
Track notes
Folds stated on the Nerdist podcast that the lyrics for "Cigarette" came from a newspaper article about a man named Fred Jones, who felt conflicted after his wife's personality changed due to a brain tumor. The article, from a 1991 edition of The Tennessean, actually described an implanted epidural catheter procedure that brought the couple peace. A sequel track, "Fred Jones Part Two", appears on Folds' first solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs. "Steven's Last Night in Town" was written about Ben Folds' friend Stephen Short, a Grammy-winning record producer and manager. An early mix of "Song for the Dumped" appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Mr. Wrong, released a full year before the album, though the song was not in the film. The first pressing of the album included a clip of an actual argument between Folds, Sledge, and Jessee inserted between "Brick" and "Song for the Dumped"; Folds later said the clip was removed from subsequent pressings to keep the band together. That first pressing also contained a hidden track on "Evaporated" and in the negative space of track 1 on the remastered version, featuring roadie Leo Overtoom yelling, "Ben Folds is a fuckin' asshole!"
Frequently Asked Questions
Which label released Whatever and Ever Amen?
Whatever and Ever Amen was released by 550, Caroline and Epic.
Who produced Whatever and Ever Amen?
Whatever and Ever Amen was produced by Ben Folds and Caleb Southern.
How long is Whatever and Ever Amen?
Whatever and Ever Amen runs 49:20.
More in 550 Music Albums
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced