Songs for Silverman

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Songs for Silverman

Studio album by Ben Folds

Released

April 11, 2005 (Australia)
April 13, 2005 (Japan)
April 25, 2005 (U.K.)
April 26, 2005 (U.S.)

Recorded

2004

Genre

Alternative rock

Length

44:08

Label

Sony (UK)
5170122 (CD)
5170123 (CD/DVD)
Epic (US)
E 87104 (LP)
EK 87104 (CD/DVD)
EN 94191 (DualDisc)

Producer

Richard J. Alcock, Piero Giramonti, Calvin Aurand, Ben Folds

Professional reviews

All Music Guide link
Insiders' Guides (9/10) link
Pitchfork (5.8/10) 04/27/05
PopMatters (4/10) 05/13/05
Rolling Stone 05/05/05

Ben Folds chronology

Super D
(2004)

Songs for Silverman
(2005)

Songs for Goldfish
(2005)

Songs for Silverman is an album by Ben Folds, first released on April 26, 2005, by Epic Records in the United States. The album reached #13 on the Billboard 200, making it Folds' highest-charting album. The album is named after Ben Goldman, Folds' former A&R representative at Sony BMG. Folds explained, "I was always sending songs to him for the album, so I wanted to name it after him. But somebody found out and flipped out, so I changed it a bit and turned it in." [1]

[edit] Singles

The first single, "Landed," reached #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #40 on the Adult Top 40. The planned UK issue was cancelled, though the single was treated to a digital-only release.

The single "Jesusland" reached #42 on the UK airplay chart on 2 October, 2005. It has also been playlisted by Xfm London and BBC Radio 2 (which lists it as "download only"). The track was slated for a UK single release on 12 September 2005, but it was mysteriously deleted and never made it to store shelves. For fans of the UK series Little Britain, the video for this single features Matt Lucas as a televangelist interspersed with scenes of a journey through what may well be "Jesusland" itself.

The next single in the UK, "Late," which was written as a tribute to the then recently deceased singer/songwriter Elliott Smith, was playlisted by XFM.

The song "Gracie", track five on the album, is written about Folds' daughter of the same name. His son Louis had a song written for him on Rockin' the Suburbs, Folds' 2001 studio release, called "Still Fighting It".

[edit] Track listing

All songs composed by Ben Folds.

"Bastard" – 5:23
"You to Thank" – 3:36
"Jesusland" – 4:30
"Landed" – 4:28
"Gracie" – 2:40
"Trusted" – 4:08
"Give Judy My Notice" – 3:37
"Late" – 3:58
"Sentimental Guy" – 3:03
"Time" – 4:30
"Prison Food" – 4:15
"Bitches Ain't Shit" (LP only bonus track) – 3:54
"Side of the Road" (Japan only bonus track) – 2:58