By their very nature, re-releases and compilations are confusing to review. Fans are often torn whether or not to even buy a compilation disc: on one hand, it’s largely material you’ve heard before, rebundled in a convenient package; on the other, these releases traditionally contain “remasterings” of the material, ranging from upgraded sound quality on the existing recording to a completely different cut of the song. Because of this strange dichotomy, there are two schools of thought one could subscribe to when considering Ben Folds’ Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, which is largely an amalgamation of songs from his limited-release EPs Super D, Sunny 16, and Speed Graphic. Both schools have legitimate arguments; luckily, Folds’ material here is strong enough to overcome the fact that it’s all been heard before.
Folds says in the liner notes of Supersunny (you’ll have to forgive me for not wanting to type it all the way out) that, were it not for the immediate gratification factor involved in releasing the EPs online, they would have been collected into a full-length album somewhere between Rockin’ the Suburbs and Songs for Silverman, and that pretty accurately describes the tone of the original music here. From the satirical “All U Can Eat,” “There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You,” and “Rent a Cop” to the emotionally heavy “Learn to Live with What You Are,” Supersunny shows the range of pop that Folds is capable of producing. It all sounds awfully commercial to the untrained ear, but the lyrics are witty and unique, and Folds’ voice and instrumental prowess give the whole enterprise an irresistible quality. Just listen to the waltzy “Songs of Love,” actually a cover of the song by The Divine Comedy, and you’ve got the quintessential Folds song.
A slight disappointment in the makeup of the album is the inclusion of three – count ‘em, three – additional covers: of The Cure’s “In Between Days,” Dr. Dre’s “Bitches Ain’t Shit,” and The Darkness’ “Get Your Hands off of My Woman.” The first is such a Folds-like song that I never realized it wasn’t original until I was researching this release. The latter two, while enormously fun to listen too, quite frankly take real estate away from the prospect of having even more original material.
Two of the three departures from Speed Graphic, Sunny 16, and Super D (the third is “Bitches Ain’t Shit”) represent some of the best music on the album. The emotional “Bruised,” from The Bens EP, which Folds recorded with Misters Kweller and Lee; and “Still,” off of the Over the Hedge soundtrack, are welcome additions, rounding the edges of the album well when put against the goofy sounds of “Adelaide” or “Rent a Cop.”
Also in the liner notes, Folds notes that he wanted to release the songs on an LP so that fans could have a physical disc to hold onto; interestingly, re-upping on the digital versions by purchasing the album on iTunes brings you a special treat: two videos of “Landed” and one of “Bastard,” both from Songs for Silverman. No matter what iteration you invest in, though, it’s well worth it. Even if it’s “just’ a compilation disc.
Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5