Ben Folds is one of my favorite artists out there and this CD is his best. He writes the most inteligent lyrics and he has a since of humor at the same time.
B*****d 9.75/10 well written and classic Ben Folds.My 2 favorite song on the album

You to thank 9/10 Great piano and good lyrics.

Jesusland 9.5/10 weird song but very catchy.

Landed 10/10 Best song on the album.

Gracie 8.75/10 not the best but its cool he wrote it for his daughter.

Trusted 9.25/10 really cool music and lyrics.

Give Judy My Notice 8/10 not the best on the album.

Late 8.5/10 Weirdest song on the CD.

Sentimental Guy 9.5/10 Great slow song.

Time 9.75/10 Freaking awesome!

Prison Food 9/10 Really good song

It's not Rockin the Suburbs. There. I said it. But why would you want it to be? This album is much more mellow, but it still has the signature Ben piano licks, it's just a much more contemplative album. His sense of humor is still evident though, on tracks like Jesusland.
Overall: Great Album. 5/5.

I don't see why so many people are putting this album down and saying that it's not as good as Rockin' the Suburbs. This is not the case. Sure, overall, Rockin' the Suburbs has a stronger selection of songs, but Songs for Silverman is much more cohesive of an album, and thus results in being equally if not moreso an engaging and satisfying listen than Rockin' the Suburbs, which I believe suffers slightly in song continuity (I mean, Fired into The Luckiest? come on). Don't be deterred by the slightly less level of praise this album is receiving than Ben's earlier works. You would be doing yourself a big disfavor by passing up this gem of an album.

The music on this album is excellent; I won't attempt to duplicate the efforts of many of the reviewers. I'd just like to comment that the LFE channel on the 5.1 mix is waaaay too loud. Compared to my many other 5.1 recordings, the LFE channel in Songs for Silverman drowns out the rest of the music.

I've read some negative reviews on this CD and I've got to disagree with them. This CD is a lot more mellow than some of Ben's other stuff, but it is just as good. Some so-called Ben Folds fans trash this album because it isn't as rocking as some of his others, but they just need to realize he's gotten older. Now I'm not saying this is his best album because it's all a matter of opinion, but this is definitely the most mature album he's made. He's grown up. He's got a wife and kids and I think he's just mellowed out a bit. I love Sentimental Guy. It's just got such a classy, relaxing vibe to it. Definitely one of my favorites. Prison Food is also really good. When it gets to the part "floating by like a satellite", I'm just in this trance. It reminds me of some classic Neil Young or something. I think everyone should get this album. It's not one to make you want to rock out, but it is one you can peacefully fall asleep or just unwind to.

What can I say - it's Ben Folds. Everything I've ever heard by him is great. A particular favorite on this album is Jesusland.

Ben is the wizard with words like no other. His lyrics are simply genius! All of his songs tend to grab a hold of my thoughts and I find myself reminiscing about stuff that either makes me laugh, cry or just fixate on. I can't help but sing along to the catchy melodies.

I would love to see the stuff he never puts to music.

i didnt listen to a whole lot of the ben folds five material, to tell the truth, i really didnt care for it all that much. so last year i got around to trying rocking the suburbs and was pleasantly surprised. i was a little nervous about getting songs for silverman, but wow, it really is impressive. anyone who likes good music that is piano driven should check this album out. its not rocking the suburbs and it is unfair to put the two together, since they are so different. songs for silverman is complex, funny, sad and most of all enjoyable, so give it a shot and see what you think...i did and it was well worth the money

I love this album! It is one of my all time favorites! It is a very smart, punchy cd. The songs range from heartfelt and sweet (Gracie) to funny and honest (Give Judy My Notice).If you like strong guitar riffs then this definitely isnt for you, but for everyone else I completely recommend it!

this cd is the best cd by ben folds. all his cds are great but this one really sums up why he is so good. there isnt a bad song on the cd. i especially love landed, jesusland, prison food, and sentimental guy. if u r a true ben folds fan u especially like the piano solos in prison food. they are great. this cd is a must have if u like ben folds. i would recommend all his cds because i have all of them and i dont dislike one. i would strongly recommend this cd.

everyone who is putting down this album is a complete idiot. this album is genius and its ben at his best. this album is better than rockin the suburbs.

It should come to no suprise to fans of Folds that the piano rocker has made another beautiful CD with his sophomore solo effort, Songs for Silverman. If you aren't diehard fan, this is still something you should check out.

With "You to Thank," Ben's fingers grace the piano with a pretty, high register ballad. The sound may not be the rockin' beat that people heard in Army or other older tunes, but in the lyrics Ben maintains his use of simple but original images ("standing out on the sidewalk with our tatoos that looked like rings in the hot Nevada sun) that anyone can picture but may not have imagined before.

The following track, "Jesusland," will keep its audience entertained with its moving appregios and dynamic violins.

"Landed" is the uncontested gem of the album, giving people who have never heard of Ben Folds before just one reason to buy it. Once again he employs the simple image, describing a man when he calls a friend for a ride from an airport. The gentleman has just left his obsessive girlfriend, "treaded the sea of a troubled mind", returned to his friends, and as the story goes, he has "landed".

"Gracie" is another one of the highlights of the album. The song is dedicated to his eponymous daughter, and its cute melody makes it sound like the song that any father would want to write for his young one.

In short, buy this album for Landed. You'll get to hear Folds beat the crap out of his piano once again, and chances are you might enjoy some of his other tunes as well. If you really like Folds, it would be a good idea to get the Silverman package deal, which includes "Songs for GoldFish" and a nice DVD.

With *Songs for Silverman*--once it actually loaded to my PC, the only place it would play--I feel that it is I who should demand my money back you. . . .

The lyrics demonstrated the insight and emotional depth of a tenth grader's diary. (What kid doesn't feel a deep emotional and spiritual connection with Dad once she hears that he watched her "come out"? P.S. The pairing of the photo with the little girl in the storm drain . . . yuck. This image paints the childbirth picture with the metaphoric sophistication of a *Beavis and Butthead* "thingees" joke.) These nuggets of semantic wisdom were jammed into potentially-OK songs, but with such weird (i.e., unpleasant) vocal phrasing, I sometimes wondered whether he was singing, talking, or if he had forgotten that he was on the stick for delivering both the vocal AND the piano. (I've gotten this sense from him before, but in a way that was so much more evocative. One example that springs to mind is the way that "Narcolepsy" builds towards its climax. Unfortunately, for this batch of songs, the application of the technique just sounded lazy and uninspired.) On the other hand, I do have to admit that part of the fun of listening to the CD was reading the lyrics along with the music and wondering, "How in the hell is he gonna fit that entire next line of thirteen words into the song at this point?!? Perhaps he auctioneers on the side?"

I think that's why this CD doesn't have universal appeal. There are absolutely zero hooks. While the purist in me likes to believe that this isn't a problem--after all, there is certainly a glut of "catchy" bubble gummery out there--the truth of it is that I don't want to spend $20 and an hour of my life listening to songs that are so clunky and forgettable. The songs bear the white hot intensity of a bowl of cold, coagulated oatmeal.

Hate to say it, but I can't help but wonder whether Ben Folds really just wrote these songs over the weekend because he bet his neighbor--some guy named Silverman--that he could do it all by Monday morning, or else he'd cut both of their lawns for the next month.

I think this is a way overlooked CD; for those complaining about it not "rocking" enough...well too bad. That's why you get the cds that HAVE that sound on them. I've got several of his and BFF cds in my collection for just that reason. It's called artisitic growth...and I know that's a tough concept for our "in the moment mindset" we've all been pushed into to comprehend. Personally I think this album is an amazing combination of subtley and grace...that rivals pretty much any cd I saw nominated for a grammy last year. The arrangements are spectacular. Check out some of the melodies in the bass lines alone... how often is a bass line it's own melody anymore in a pop song? You could wrap a whole song around that alone, but it's just a part of the greater whole. "Jesusland" is one of THE coolest songs ever made (even more so in 5.1) It's got harmonies that "out Beach Boy" the weirdest Beach Boys music. I was a casual fan of Ben prior to this album...picked up his music because my wife liked him. I was not a big fan of his voice...but that has certainly changed. In our throwaway society we expect everything to knock us out right away...I'm guilty of that too, but in this case I'm glad we packed this cd on several long trips, because I discovered an album that now sits in my top 20 albums of all time. With the "discovery" of singer songwriters like James Blunt, Kt Tunstell and the like...Ben Folds DESERVES a much bigger audience and more respect for his songwriting and production abilities in addition to the enjoyable albums he puts out!

BF5 always had such a wonderful sense for great, rich harmonies -- where have they all gone? These songs sound more or less like most other bands who use overly simple harmony to excess in their songs. Thus, there is little to distinguish them --BF5 was one of my favorite bands! This stuff -- !?!? Even "Rockin' the Suburbs" had a few good-chord songs. Wow. Sorry, Ben.

Let me start off by saying that I'm a big fan of Ben Folds.

Also let me say that I never like a Ben Folds CD the first listen. Especially Fear of Pop, and this one. I learned to love Fear of Pop, and this one is beginning to creep its way on my playlists more and more. I'm not going to give a song-by-song listing, since there are some posted.

This CD IS Ben Folds, albeit a more subdued Ben Folds. While it might not be a driving down the road at 130mph sort of cd, its definitely a sitting around drunk on the computer wishing you had a life kind of cd. Not that I have that problem or anything. If you just want to mellow out, this is an excellent cd.

This has got some of his best songs, but is generally more inconsistent, especially compared to Rockin' the Suburbs which really only had 2 semi bad songs
1) Bastard-liking the lyrics, but just can't feel the backing instrumentals with it...6/10
2) You to Thank-eh, and that's really all there is to this song...5/10
3) Jesusland-again, similar problems to the first 2 tracks but the lyrics here are decent at least...6/10
4) Landed-love the song but the chorus when he sings "and it's bye bye, good bye" his voice raises in pitch kind of randomly and annoyingly...7/10
5) Gracie-the beat's pretty boring, but the lyrics are good...6/10
6) Trusted-this is a great song, music and lyrics successfully work together to give the necessary feeling for a break up song...10/10
7) Give Judy My Notice-powerful lyrics that really hit home with me although it also starts kind of suddenly and loudly...10/10
8) Late-tribute to the late great Elliott Smith i assume, and it's a fitting one, catchy and moving...9/10
9) Sentimental Guy-again, an amazing break up song and the piano part is one of the best...10/10
10) Time-he's on a row here with these type of songs, but this misses that extra amazingness cuz it gets kind of repetative (the song i mean, not the fact that he's had numerous types of this song)...8/10
11) Prison Food-weak way to close the album, a big disappointment after that string of great songs, lyrically simple and harmonically mediocre...5/10

Ben has crafted a great record here. It's more subdued than his previous records. There are no really great rock tunes.....but literally every song on this album is fantastic. I gave it a 4 out of 5 because I just wanted to hear at least one peppy song like zak and sara. But alas, I get to see ben on 04/21/06. Cant wait.

This CD is very different from Ben Folds' previous work. But different is not a bad thing! I find this album to be more introspective and somber. It is very well written and beautifully played. There are no fast tempo songs like "Army" but it is a really great album.

He is often compared to, and in many ways, similar to Billy Joel. Much like Joel his songs tell stories, his songs are rather open for different interpretation based on the feelings and mindset of the listener. However, their lyrical styles are nearly polar opposites. Ben Folds writes the songs Billy Joel would have written had he come of age in the 80s and 90s instead of the 70s. There's a certain Generation X detachment in Folds songs that sets him apart from predecessors and makes him unique.

In his latest outing, Songs For Silverman, Ben Folds waxes poetic about subjects as various as religion, relationships, parenthood, and the passing of friends/mentors.

Lyrically and musically this album is a departure from Rockin' the Suburbs, it lacks the wit but replaces it with a bit more of an emotional punch. At first listen, I was aching for the fun and the less dour tone of Folds previous works, but with each subsequent listen this album has tiptoed into my psyche with a gentle subtlety. Folds may not be telling any "new tales" in his songs, but he tells many of the tales of life we're all too familiar with in such a refreshingly deep and personal way that he makes his stories ours as well.

Ben Folds has once again given us a great album. The tracks on this album definitely reflect the talent musician that Ben is. I highly recommend checking this out!

I think what I love most about this album is its honesty-- Ben Folds doesn't try to gild the lilly and he lets his talent speak for itself. That impressiveness and talent comes from his blunt-yet-poetic lyrics as well as his greatness on piano, relying on very little else throughout the entire album. One can easily recognize this as a later Ben album by his decreasing dependency on other sound effects and instruments: what's left is a certain core bittersweetness when hearing of his reflections on so many personal areas of his life. The amount of details he gives about his life in his lyrics makes the listener almost have a feeling of discomfort.

Yet, the fact he gets so personal is partly what makes it so appealing: specifically on the song "Trusted" he gives the listener a very clear scenario of an instance with his wife. Even when expressing the most universal of emotions he does so in brilliantly unconventional ways ("someone came and washed away your hard-earned peace of mind"). I always believed that Ben Folds performing live must be the equivalent of someone taking their personal journal and reciting it-- and that must be incredibly difficult.

Because Ben has already achieved great success, this album has a much more relaxed feel to it than his others. Some may classify this relaxed feel as being borderline boring with undertones of middle-aged angst, but I disagree entirely. I believe his complacency with where he is in his life (give or take) is just being reflected in his music.

THIS ALBUM IS BRIMMING WITH TALENT FROM BEGINNING TO END. I've always been a huge Ben Folds fan. However, I must be a realist. If you have never heard of Ben Folds this is not the album to start with. I actually REALLY got into Ben Folds after hearing the "Ben Folds Live" CD. You can really hear what he can do to a piano and it's so exciting to hear! In my OWN opinion, this is an album for already loyal followers of Ben Folds. This album shows more of the songwriting side of Ben Folds, unlike some of his previous work which places more of an emphasis on his piano playing skills (don't get me wrong though. Those songs are incredibly well written!!!). In the end, I say this is well worth a purchase for any Ben Folds fan. I'm not saying you WON'T like it if you're not a Ben Folds fan already. I'm saying it will be MUCH more enjoyable if you've heard his previous work before you hear this album.

The Dualdisk edition of this recording can't be loaded into iTunes. You can't even copy the AIFF files to your local disk. There's some evil hack in this CD that makes it impossible to listen to on your iTunes. Um, maybe Ben Folds isn't keeping up with current events, but that's how most of his audience listens to music these days. So he's totally screwed the pooch on this one. This is the only record that ever gave me a moment's problem on iTunes, and it took me about 90 seconds to return it to Amazon. SO IF YOU'RE AN iTUNES USER, DON'T BUY THIS! STOP! RIGHT NOW! JUST SAY NO TO DIGITAL COERCION!

While I love Ben Folds as a performer, I was unfortunately unable to get this album to work correctly in my computer. The non-DVD side refused to mount, making it impossible to transfer the songs to my iPod. After reading more about DualDisc, I found out that because of the way it is designed, it is A) impossible to predict whether or not a DualDisc will work in your CD player--even if one DualDisc works, another might not, and even brand new CD players can have trouble--and B) it may actually DAMAGE your CD player! Ridiculous! If they can't even guarantee that it will work, why bother selling it? If you want a product that is actually reliable, AVOID THIS RELEASE and purchase something that actually follows CD standards. I find it insulting that Sony only made the CD version available in its "special package" release, which costs much more.

Ben Folds is by far my most favorite artist, and I believe this cd is just another addition to his brilliant collection. If you only like Ben Folds In Ben Folds Five because of the fact that he swears and his lyrics are funny, then this isn't the album for you. But if you believe that his music is brilliant than you will love this cd. Landed is deffintly his best song, which was also his single. This album isn't as funny as stuff from Ben Folds Five but it is still just as amazing. I give 5 stars to every single Ben Folds and Ben Folds Five album. Long live Ben Folds.

Like most others, I am a big fan of "Whatever.." and of "Rockin' the Suburbs". So, since this albums release, I sort of expeced the disappointing follow up to a great album that "Unauthorized Biography..." delivered. I couldn't have been more pleased when I listened for the first time. It's true... this album doesn't rock as much as "Whatever..." but I wasn't expecting that. It's full of great piano work and Ben's clever, thoughtful, often humorous lyrics. I found myself enjoying "Bastard" right from the start & each new song as much as the last. The albumn is fast paced enough to keep it interesting and keep it from becoming background music.

Most good artists draw inspiration from their personal lives & as those change, so does thier music. The good ones roll with that rather than trying to recapture the sound they had when they were younger. Ben is rolling pretty well.

This cd was really good, great lyrics and melodies, ben folds is great. although this isn't his best it's, i never get tired of any of the songs no matter how many times i play them, but the dvd is pretty lacking minus the interview its a waste.

What an incredible find. On the advice of my 14 year old, I listened. I loved. With lyrics bright and energetic, Ben Folds engages me to not only listen, but to feel and identify, argue or agree with him. Not one to paint a rosy picture, but one to help me look courageously at a true picture, Folds is a genius in lyric and song. I am a fan forever. A "must give" on the Christmas list!!

Wow- what a refreshing sound in the day of harsh guitars and poorly planned lyrics. Folds' piano tunes ease out all tension from the lyrics which all to many can relate to.

ive been a ben folds fan for a while and personally songs for silverman was a disappointment. most songs were more sentimental and not as upbeat as ben folds' usual hits such as Army. but their songs did not follow the usual catchiness as songs like Brick either. overall this is a must buy for ben folds fans but not anything to look forward too.

Music: 4 stars...very good album from Ben Folds. But unfortunately, the audio side of the DualDisc doesn't work in my Apple G5. The DVD side works but I'm not able to import the audio into itunes. So if you're planning to load the songs into itunes then download it into your ipod, forget it. In fine print at the bottom of the jewel case it says, "the audio side of this disc does not conform to CD specifications and therefore not all DVD and CD players will play the audio side of this disc." Of course, you don't know this until Amazon sends you the CD since they don't display the warning on the page. Be forewarned.

Songs for Silverman displays a more mature Ben Folds. We no longer have Ben whining about "what its like to be male, middle-class and white," or wanting his ex to "give him his money back." We know hear Folds putting more meaning into his lyrics and consequently more intelligence. There are certain tracks that really stand out lyrically, "Landed" "Gracie" and "Late" in particular. As a result, we get more emotion and less angst which is great. I always have had a knack for Folds's immature ranting, but it is refreshing to hear that he has the ability to produce music that is a little more insightful at the same time. If you were a fan of Folds's earlier music, you won't be disappointed however. Folds still has his tounge and cheek cleverness about him, just lacking the angst. In particular, "You to Thank" "Trusted" and "Give Judy My Notice" have that clever whim about them that act as Folds's musical John Hancock. You will be pleased to know that he has become more mature with his music without becoming an emotional teddybear.

Musically, the disc is for the most part very good. Folds displays grade A pop piano virtuosity on "Bastard" and "You to Thank" among others. "Landed" is probably my favorite tracks, reminding me of a modern "Tiny Dancer." It is a solid song, and his writing and vocal work display Folds at his best. "Gracie" is absolutely heart-warming as is "Late," his musical eulogy to songwriter Eliot Smith. "Sentimental Guy" has a great style to it, reminds me a little bit of Ray Charles's work. The other tracks are a little weaker, but still worth many listens. "Jesusland" is a little uninspired, sounding like a recycled version of "The Acscent of Stan." All in all this album is excellent work from today's King of pop piano. Folds's new band is also refreshing to hear. Unlike "Rockin the Suburbs" on which he was playing most of the instruments, he has accomplished musicians playing the other parts making for a more polished sound. This album is definately worth your money. The DVD side has some interesting features on it but its only worth watching once. Without the dualdisc, it would probably be a 4.5 star rating. The dualdisc gets a 4 star. Nevertheless, the album is great. A great addition to Ben's cannon of great music.

I actually became a "Ben-Head" when attending two "Odd-Men-Out" shows this summer. Originally just a Ben Lee fan (his album "Awake is the New Sleep" is also one of the best albums of the year) I am now a double "Ben-head", both Lee and Folds, and maybe perhaps Kweller if I got to know his music better.
While a part of me has an allegiance to Ben Lee that makes me sad to say this, but there are days I actually enjoy Ben Fold's music immensely more than anyone else's. Listening to Songs for Silverman, Rockin the Suburbs, and his 3 EPs all together is an amazing anthology of an incredibly talented and witty man who is not afraid to share his emotions and raw talent with the world.
The first songs that come to mind on this album as favorites are "Bastard" "Jesusland" the single "Landed", "Give Judy My Notice" and "Late"...and my very favorite of all: GRACIE!! what a wonderful track, I cried one of the first times I heard it!
So you are thinking, that is half the frickin album! But each of these songs are unique and so brilliantly Folds that I couldn't not mention. His piano skill is stunning, his voice one of my very favorites, and really, there is nothing to not like about Ben Folds! Buy this album, I can't imagine anyone not loving it.

From the early days of teen-angst-fuled piano bashing in "Whatever and Ever Amen", to the soul-searching mid life crisis album "Rockin' The Suburbs", Ben Folds has had the determination and time to push his musical career further than most with begnnings such as his. If you are expecting the same old catchy Pop Rock tunes from one of the gods of geek chic, this is not your album. In Songs for Silverman, Ben takes a lot of chances: vocally, musically, and lyrically. In the first track "Bastard", he half-comically points the finger at all kids under the age of 25 who take life too seriously. Each continuing track contains a message Ben musically wraps up in his meloncholy compositions and hands to the listener. As a father/husband/rockstar, Ben has had to stop trying to be cool and has passed the wisdom and knowledge of age on to his audience. The result is something truly terrific: blissfully bittersweet, personal, meditative music.