Shelved First Attempt

Before Ben Folds Five released their 1995 self-titled debut, they had recorded a full-length during a breakneck three-week session with G. Love & Special Sauce producer Dave “Stiff” Johnson. The band decided, according to vocalist/pianist Folds’ liner notes, that the result “didn’t feel like us” and put the album on ice. The appropriately named Shelved First Attempt, which is being released in conjunction with Ben Folds Five‘s 30th-anniversary edition, is raucous and pleasantly ragged, with early versions of tracks like the power-poppy “Philosophy” and “Uncle Walter” having a looser-limbed vibe; the Ben Folds Five standout “Julianne” is a bit more of a strut than the punky rave-up that appeared on the debut. Rarities like the chiming “Emaline” and the riotous “Dick Holster” round out the collection, which Folds and his bandmates have made peace with over the years.