Way to Normal
Encyclopedia
Way to Normal is a 2008 studio album by Ben Folds
. It was released on 30 September 2008 in the United States
and on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom
. The album is Folds' highest-charting debut ever in the US, reaching #11 on the Billboard 200
in its first week of release.
A music video for "You Don't Know Me" was directed by Eric Wareheim
, featuring Eric himself and his comedy partner Tim Heidecker
.
In 2009, Folds re-released the album in less compressed audio quality as Stems & Seeds
, adding various bonus tracks and providing "stems" for fans to create their own remixes.
as referenced in the track "Effington". "Effington" refers to Effingham, Illinois
.
The song "Hiroshima" is a reference to a time when Folds fell off the stage during a concert in Hiroshima and actually did bust his head. The subtitle "B B B Benny Hit His Head", besides furthering that reference, is also a call-out to the Elton John
song Bennie and the Jets
. John says "B B B Bennie" during the main chorus, which Hiroshima's subtitle mimics. Both songs share a faked audience in the background, as well as having a similar melody with different timing.
The metallic percussive effect on "Free Coffee" was achieved by placing Altoids
tins on top of the piano strings and feeding the audio output through a distortion pedal; Folds demonstrated this in live performances of the song. (See prepared piano
)
"Dr. Yang" was used in the trailer for the 2011 film, Mars Needs Moms.
"Before Cologne" was used in the introduction of the Apple iPhone 4S.
He claimed that he and the band recorded fake versions of songs from the new album when they "had a night to kill in Dublin", and had a friend leak it to the public "to give them something to listen to".
After confirming that the leaked Brainwascht, The Frown Song and Free Coffee Town were fake, he stated that they will be used as b-sides and bonus tracks on upcoming releases. A few days later, in a Rolling Stone
article Folds walked people through the differences between the real album cuts and the fake leak cuts.
The cover for the album seems to be a faked CT scan of a person's head, referencing Folds' fall off a concert stage in Japan and his subsequent medical needs. Hiroshima (the eighth track on the fake release and the first on the actual album) is a song that also references this experience, as the fall was actually in Hiroshima.
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...
. It was released on 30 September 2008 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The album is Folds' highest-charting debut ever in the US, reaching #11 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in its first week of release.
A music video for "You Don't Know Me" was directed by Eric Wareheim
Eric Wareheim
Eric Wareheim is an American actor, comedian, writer and director. He is one half of the comedy team of Tim and Eric. Wareheim, along with Tim Heidecker, created the television shows Tom Goes to the Mayor, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and Check It Out! with Dr...
, featuring Eric himself and his comedy partner Tim Heidecker
Tim Heidecker
Tim Heidecker is an American actor, comedian, musician, writer and director. He is one half of the comedy team of Tim and Eric...
.
In 2009, Folds re-released the album in less compressed audio quality as Stems & Seeds
Stems & Seeds
Stems and Seeds is a 2009 album by Ben Folds. It is a remastered version of his previous album Way to Normal in a different track order. Folds explained its release as being due to popular demand, as many fans requested a less compressed version....
, adding various bonus tracks and providing "stems" for fans to create their own remixes.
Track listing
Personnel
- Ben Folds: piano, Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, vocal - Jared Reynolds: electric bass, backup vocal (holding coffee cup on album cover)
- Sam Smith: drums, backup vocal (holding umbrella on album cover)
Trivia
The album is named after Normal, IllinoisNormal, Illinois
Normal is an incorporated town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 52,497 as of the 2010 census. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
as referenced in the track "Effington". "Effington" refers to Effingham, Illinois
Effingham, Illinois
Effingham is a city in Effingham County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,384 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Effingham County....
.
The song "Hiroshima" is a reference to a time when Folds fell off the stage during a concert in Hiroshima and actually did bust his head. The subtitle "B B B Benny Hit His Head", besides furthering that reference, is also a call-out to the Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
song Bennie and the Jets
Bennie and the Jets
"Bennie and the Jets" is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The song is written in the key of G major and first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs....
. John says "B B B Bennie" during the main chorus, which Hiroshima's subtitle mimics. Both songs share a faked audience in the background, as well as having a similar melody with different timing.
The metallic percussive effect on "Free Coffee" was achieved by placing Altoids
Altoids
-Flavors and varieties:-Mints:Altoids mints are available in eight flavors: peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, cinnamon, ginger, liquorice, crème de menthe and cool honey. "Sugar-Free Smalls", tiny square mints sweetened with sorbitol and sucralose, are also available in peppermint, wintergreen,...
tins on top of the piano strings and feeding the audio output through a distortion pedal; Folds demonstrated this in live performances of the song. (See prepared piano
Prepared piano
A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers....
)
"Dr. Yang" was used in the trailer for the 2011 film, Mars Needs Moms.
"Before Cologne" was used in the introduction of the Apple iPhone 4S.
Fake leak
On 16 July 2008, an anonymous user posted what they claimed was a "leak" of Folds's latest album on fan sites theSuburbs.org.uk and BenFolds.org. The file contained nine tracks along with a PDF of supposed cover art, and was a mix of what appeared to be legitimate songs from Way to Normal and bizarre pastiches of foul-mouthed humour and melodramatic pop. Accordingly, the online forums became full of debate as to which were real—and which were fake—until the 12 August 2008 when Folds admitted on Triple J radio that many songs in the leak were fake.He claimed that he and the band recorded fake versions of songs from the new album when they "had a night to kill in Dublin", and had a friend leak it to the public "to give them something to listen to".
After confirming that the leaked Brainwascht, The Frown Song and Free Coffee Town were fake, he stated that they will be used as b-sides and bonus tracks on upcoming releases. A few days later, in a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
article Folds walked people through the differences between the real album cuts and the fake leak cuts.
The cover for the album seems to be a faked CT scan of a person's head, referencing Folds' fall off a concert stage in Japan and his subsequent medical needs. Hiroshima (the eighth track on the fake release and the first on the actual album) is a song that also references this experience, as the fall was actually in Hiroshima.
Leak Track listing
- † - Real version of song featured on main album
- "Cologne (Piano Orchestral Version)" is a bonus track on the iTunes version of the album. "Bitch Went Nutz" was available to those who pre-ordered the album.
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | US Albums Chart | 11 |
| 2008 | UK Albums Chart | 70 |