Ben Folds is rockin' the piano

Ben Folds is not a rock star. He does not play packed arenas, receive regular airplay on MTV or even have groupies. In fact, he doesn't even boast Darren Jesse or Robert Sledge, the other two-thirds of the now defunct Ben Folds Five. Instead, he opts for only a piano and the occasional studio musician. \nFolds' newest release, simply titled Ben Folds Live, is a 70-minute, 17-track montage that flows so seemlessly between tracks that the listener feels like they are experiencing a genuine Folds set. Yet, the album was put together over nine separate dates on last spring's "Ben Folds and a Piano Tour," mostly at theaters, clubs and radio shows.\nNot since the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel has so much sound and emotion come from a man and his piano. Folds' style, one of juvenile crowd-pleasers mixed with goosebump-inspiring ballads, is displayed throughout the album. "Brick" begins with Folds' explanation of the somber story that led to his biggest hit, the tale of his decision, with his high school girlfriend, to have an abortion. It is surprising that this moment shares album space with lighthearted, improvisational tracks like "One Down," a bad song about writing bad songs, and "Rock This Bitch."\nThe small size of Folds' venues lends to his sound and the intimacy felt by the fans. On "Army," Folds leads the audience in perfectly imitating a horn section for a full 30 seconds, proving that his are not fair-weather fans. The album is a homogenous mix of all five of his recordings, spiced up with two unreleased tracks that are frequently played at live shows, completely improvisational pieces and even a cover of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer."\nThis is by no means an attempt at a greatest-hits album. Several Ben Folds radio staples are nowhere to be found, but the listener barely notices. For the novice Ben Folds fan, the album is simultaneously fun and inspiring, enjoyable even if only a few tracks are recognizable. For the fans who, like those at his shows, know the music by heart, the album is pure sonic bliss. Regardless of one's inclination to the piano man's music, this album is capable of being, as Folds would put it, "a hearty rock number"