Ben Folds Live is a live album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 by Ben Folds

Ben Folds

Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music

2002 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...

).

This album marked the first official release of the classic Ben Folds live routine, "Rock This Bitch

Rock This Bitch

"Rock This Bitch" is a series of improvisational songs that have been performed live by the pianist Ben Folds.-History:The song originated from a show at the Vic Theatre, Chicago on 3 October 2001 when a fan shouted "Rock This Bitch!" at Folds, who then proceeded to improvise a song; "I'll tell you...

", which he went on to perform at least 60 more times since, including on the releases Songs for Goldfish

Songs for Goldfish

Songs for Goldfish is a Ben Folds album of live and unreleased tracks packaged with Songs for Silverman and released through Ben Folds' website...

(under the name "Weather Channel Music") and on the Live in Perth

Ben Folds and WASO Live in Perth

Ben Folds and WASO Live in Perth is a DVD featuring performances by singer-songwriter and pianist Ben Folds, backed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra...

DVD (in which he "rocks this bitch orchestrally" with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra

West Australian Symphony Orchestra

The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...

).

This album was made available for a limited time with a bonus DVD. It had 8 tracks, including a video of the audience shooting the front cover (during which they all gave him the finger

Finger (gesture)

In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...

 and yelled "Ben Folds sucks!"). This was also notable for the first appearance of the altered, minor-key version of the Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...

 favorite "Song for the Dumped" on an official release. This version also includes Darren Jessee

Darren Jessee

Darren Jessee is an American musician and songwriter. He is perhaps best known as the drummer for the alternative rock group Ben Folds Five...

's "missing lyrics" ("You fucking whore" repeated a few times).

The Japanese release of the album included a live version of "Eddie Walker" and the studio recording of "Bizarre Christmas Incident".

The 'L' in "Live" on the front cover is actually an upside-down 'F', as though it used to say "Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...

", the name of Ben's group before he began his solo career.

The cover of the album was taken June 8, 2002 at Avalon in Boston, MA during the "Ben Folds and a Piano" tour. The original image is of everyone in the crowd giving Ben the middle finger, however the fingers are edited out of the photo in the cover shown here. The "explicit" version of the cover shows the fingers.

Track listing

1. "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" (Folds) – 4:17
2. "Zak and Sara
   Rockin' the Suburbs
   Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
   
   " (Folds) – 3:24
3. "Silver Street" (Folds) – 3:41
4. "Best Imitation of Myself" (Folds) – 3:13
5. "Not the Same
   Rockin' the Suburbs
   Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
   
   " (Folds) – 4:31
6. "Jane
   The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
   The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third and final studio album by Ben Folds Five, released April 27, 1999.-Origins of the album title:...
   
   " (Folds) – 2:34
7. "One Down" (Folds) – 4:03
8. "Fred Jones Part 2
   Rockin' the Suburbs
   Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
   
   " (Folds) – 4:39
9. "Brick
   Brick (song)
   "Brick" is a song performed by Ben Folds Five released on their 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen and later on Ben Folds Live. The verses were written by Ben Folds about his high school girlfriend undergoing an abortion, and the chorus was written by the band's drummer, Darren Jessee...
   
   " (Folds, Jessee) – 4:45
10. "Narcolepsy
    The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
    The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third and final studio album by Ben Folds Five, released April 27, 1999.-Origins of the album title:...
    
    " (Folds) – 6:04
11. "Army
    Army (song)
    "Army" is an alternative rock song by the band Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, and reached #28 on the charts in the UK.-Lyrics, composition, and popularity:...
    
    " (Folds) – 3:41
12. "The Last Polka" (Folds, Goodman) – 3:55
13. "Tiny Dancer
    Tiny Dancer
    "Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972...
    
    " (John, Taupin) – 5:23
14. "Rock This Bitch
    Rock This Bitch
    "Rock This Bitch" is a series of improvisational songs that have been performed live by the pianist Ben Folds.-History:The song originated from a show at the Vic Theatre, Chicago on 3 October 2001 when a fan shouted "Rock This Bitch!" at Folds, who then proceeded to improvise a song; "I'll tell you...
    
    " (Folds) – 1:17
15. "Philosophy
    Philosophy (Ben Folds Five song)
    "Philosophy" is a song from Ben Folds Five's 1995 self-titled debut album. It was written by Ben Folds. Folds continues to play the song on various tours as part of his solo career.-History:...
    
     (Inc Misirlou)" (Folds) – 7:16
16. "The Luckiest" (Folds) – 4:39
17. "Emaline
    Shut Up and Listen to Majosha
    Shut Up and Listen to Majosha is Majosha's first and only album. This album never made it to CD, and was only ever available on vinyl and cassette. All songs were written by Ben Folds and Millard Powers except "Emaline", written by both Ben Folds and Evan Olson...
    
    " (Folds) – 3:48
18. "Eddie Walker" - 3:25 (Japan release-only live bonus track)
19. "Bizarre Christmas Incident" (Folds) – 2:25 (Japan release-only studio bonus track)

Limited Edition Bonus DVD

1. "Not the Same
   Rockin' the Suburbs
   Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
   
   " (Same version as Track #5 on the CD)
2. "Philosophy
   Philosophy (Ben Folds Five song)
   "Philosophy" is a song from Ben Folds Five's 1995 self-titled debut album. It was written by Ben Folds. Folds continues to play the song on various tours as part of his solo career.-History:...
   
    (Inc Misirlou)"
3. "Army
   Army (song)
   "Army" is an alternative rock song by the band Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, and reached #28 on the charts in the UK.-Lyrics, composition, and popularity:...
   
   "
4. "Album Art Antics" (photographing the cover; see above)
5. "Eddie Walker
   Naked Baby Photos
   Naked Baby Photos is a compilation album comprising outtake material from recordings of Ben Folds Five's first two studio albums and live performances. Most of the tracks are previously unreleased rarities....
   
   "
6. "The Ascent of Stan
   Rockin' the Suburbs
   Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...
   
   "
7. "Tiny Dancer
   Tiny Dancer
   "Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972...
   
   "
8. "Song for the Dumped
   Whatever and Ever Amen
   Whatever and Ever Amen is the second album by Ben Folds Five, released in 1997. A remaster was made available on March 22, 2005. All of the extra tracks had been previously released except for a cover of the Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star", which is a staple of Ben Folds Five's live...
   
   " (in a minor key)

Personnel

• Ben Folds – vocals, piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• John McCrea – vocals on track 8 (of CD)

Production

• Producers: Mark Chevalier, Ben Folds
• Engineer: Marc Chevalier
• Mixing: Marc Chevalier
• Mastering: Ted Jensen
• A&R: Ben Goldman, James Hynes, Fleming McWilliams
• Project manager: Scott Carter
• Compilation: Marc Chevalier
• Crew: Marc Chevalier
• Photography: David Leyes, Steve Volpe, Ben folds
• Package design: John Heiden

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
2002	The Billboard 200	60
2002	Top Internet Albums	60