I am unsure as to how I missed knowing of Ben Folds. Simply amazing and traditionally not a piano enthusiast, I can't get enough of his talent.

Rockin' in the Suburbs is his best, in my opinion, however this is a close 2nd. One of the things that this shows is that he gets better and better as time goes on. One talented dude!

"songs" is definitely not shallow. it is full of thick meaty tunes that you can sit down with in your dark leather chair with a glass of wine, read a thick book and call yourself a philosopher, it's that tasteful. this is probably not the case for most folds fans or for anyone really. this album is for a thoughtful mood and if you catch it at the right time it can be heavily nostalgic. all songs for silverman needs is some funky songs that you can groove to that fits the mood of the album and that would be quite a feat to craft for anyone, but i guess folds just wanted a more serious, melodious, beautiful album, much like beck's "sea change".
if you're new to folds, don't start with this album some would probably write him of as being boring. start with rockin the suburbs and expand from there. another more practical quality of songs is the sparse swearing and the record zero f**** which is always nice for us faint of the ears. a real musician dosn't need a foul mouth to attract attention
ending with that random bit of wisdom, songs for silverman is a beautiful ,romantic, musically sound album and definitely worth the time
just perfect for a lovesick summer

I respectfully disagree with Gabriel's Buddy. There are a few tracks on this album that I wouldn't hesitate to use in a Ben Folds introduction. While it *might* not include any of his top five songs, historically speaking, I can hardly think of anything negative to say about this album.

One or two tunes here are a little more derivative than most things Ben puts out, complete with Steely Dan influences (particularly in Give Judy My Notice). However no artist can be 100% innovative on every track they compose, and Ben continually weaves a tapestry that is NEVER humdrum - even when he lightly chooses from the influence of his past.

The tunes are catchy and some are even good, but I don't find any of the music special. There was always an edge to Folds' music, something he was rebelling against or exploring.

However, in this album Ben reaches middle age, writing songs about his daughter and other tunes with good melodies but otherwise unmemorable. If you are a fan, certainly get this and add it to your collection. You will like it and listen to it many times. But this isn't the CD you pull out when you want to share Ben Folds with someone who doesn't know him. Then you pull out Rockin' the Suburbs or Whenever and Ever. Even his LP, Sunny 16, has a bit more variety than this album even though that had only 5 songs.

It is good to grow up and not all songs can be about high school or one's teenage years. Bruce Springsteen remained relevent during such a transition, Billy Joel did not. Ben's following Mr. Joel's path.