Album Review: Ben Folds Five - Live

Ben Folds is a strong 'live' performer as he connects naturally with the audience. Having taken his cue from the great '70s acts like Elton John and Paul McCartney, he shaped his strangely cloying songs around a big theatre type of performance. The great thing about Ben Folds Five is that the other two players manage to keep out of his way while he stretches for his big vision. This 'live' album is a reminder that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Of course there are the hits here, like Brick and Song For The Dumped, which deserve acclaim. The album also captures material from their recent 2012-2013 tour that saw the band reunited after a long hiatus. As you'd expect, the album is heavily laden with some of their newer material, like the fuzzy bass drive of Erase Me and the more gentle Sky High, both sitting well with the band's older material. There's a blues jam called One Chord Blues/Billie's Bounce that allows Ben Folds to rap off the cuff. Perhaps the only weakness is that some of these classics, like Uncle Walter or One Angry Dwarf, receive a little too much aggression as the band play up to the crowd, speeding up and getting raucous in spots.

Ben Folds sounds happy to be back with his band mates and by the sounds of things they still have the energy to keep up with him.