The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
| The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 27, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | November 1998 – January 1999 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:30 | |||
| Label | 550, Caroline | |||
| Producer | Caleb Southern | |||
| Ben Folds Five chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner | ||||
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The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third studio album by Ben Folds Five, released on April 27, 1999. Produced by the band's usual collaborator, Caleb Southern, it represented a departure for the band from their usual pop-rock sound to material influenced by classical and chamber music, with darker, introspective lyrics on subjects such as regret, death, and loss of innocence.[1] The band broke up shortly after the touring period of the album[2], and as a result the record was considered the final release from the trio until they reunited in 2011[3] and released The Sound of the Life of the Mind the following year.
Title and packaging[edit]
The title of the album refers to a name used by the band's drummer Darren Jessee and his friends on fake IDs as teenagers. The band was unaware of the existence of the real Reinhold Messner, the first man to climb Mount Everest solo, and the first to do so without the aid of bottled oxygen, until work on the album had already progressed. They were informed of his existence in 1999 during an interview with DJ Bruce Warren of WXPN radio.[4] In the record's liner notes, the trio acknowledge that they may have subconsciously remembered his name from reading it somewhere, and Messner is thanked for his understanding and cooperation.
The album's cover and booklet are styled after biographies. This combined with the title has led to fans and reviewers viewing the album as a fictional biography about a character named Reinhold Messner.[5] This is supported by the very introspective lyrics featured on the album.
Music and Lyrics[edit]
Writing and recording[edit]
The writing style of the album has been described by the band as a reactionary process, a result of the fatigue from playing in a bombastic rock band. Bassist Robert Sledge stated in an interview with MySpace's Front to Back that this fatigue naturally led to the band playing lighter material.[6]
Lead singer and songwriter Ben Folds recalls being "tired of writing pop songs" and it led to changes in his writing style. As the new material was being written, Folds was "really into" chord progressions and voice leadings that he says kept finding their way into what he was writing. Naturally, the original demo for the album did not have traditional songs but rather was one long track containing all the musical ideas as a cohesive narrative. After some concerns from the label, Folds says, "Everyone took me out to lunch and asked me to split it up into separate songs instead of being one, and I remember Caleb saying – kind of implying that we were sort of in trouble pretty soon because nobody was hearing anything that sounded like real songs on the record."[6]
While split into 3 songs on the album, the tracks "Hospital Song", "Army", and "Regrets" were originally written as a multi-part suite.[4] In the studio versions of the songs this can still be heard however, as Hospital Song and Army transition seamlessly into each other. Then, Army's final 3 chords and the lyrics sung overtop those chords are then turned into the basis of Regrets' main chord progression. The final minute of Regrets then reprises the solo in Hospital Song, tying all 3 tracks together.
The album also featured the first track where the songwriting was solely credited to the band's drummer, Darren Jessee, in the song "Magic".[7] He contributed a demo of the song to a compilation album the year prior under the title "The Magic That Holds the Sky Up from the Ground"[8] before the song was reworked into the piano trio format for the album.
The album was recorded in a three-month span. Unlike its predecessor, Whatever and Ever Amen, which was recorded at Folds's house in Chapel Hill, Reinhold Messner was recorded at several recording studios. It features a notable amount of overdubs on nearly every song, such as a heavy use of string sections, french horns, and a dual horn section in the lead single "Army". The album's tracklist was nearly final, but the label requested that the album have at least one 'fun song'[4], so the band recorded "Your Redneck Past" to fulfill the label's request.
Due to the more considered approach of recording and arranging the album, the band left many songs on the cutting room floor. These songs included "Break Up at Food Court" and "Carrying Cathy".[9] They also recorded an unfinished, Jessee-penned song entitled "Leather Jacket", which would later be contributed to a benefit album for Kosovar Refugees.[10] Originally, "Don't Change Your Plans" was preceded by a long instrumental passage; Folds credits the album's late producer, Caleb Southern for helping edit down the song to its final product. He told an interviewer that Southern, "just cut it away and then all of a sudden it was this pop song . . . I didn't hear it like that at all, I just heard it as this little masterpiece thing.”[6] In a Reddit AMA, he claimed Southern "cut the parts he didn't like and literally left the unwanted bits on the floor. I imagine the floor was cleaned and the recording went into the trash."[11]
Lyrics[edit]
Both critics and the band members themselves have described The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner as, at least in part, a loose concept album,[4][5][12][13] following the Reinhold Messner character through his life, heartache, hospitalization, and childhood memories.
In an interview with WXPN, Ben described how the album originally followed a more direct concept centered around sleep. Several sleep-related songs were cut off the final tracklist, but a few remained on the final album.[4] During the WASO Live in Perth concert, Folds describes the song "Narcolepsy" as "about going to sleep, but it's about the kind of going to sleep that you can't help. I always related it to – there's a kind of narcolepsy where you're overstimulated in any kind of way, if you get really happy or excited or sad or whatever, you just go right to sleep; I realized that there are lots of guys out there that do this emotionally, including myself."[14] The vocal portion of "Your Most Valuable Possession" consists of a message left on Folds' answering machine by his father, Dean Folds, while he was partially asleep. The album's final song "Lullabye" also describes the narrator's childhood experiences through the framing device of a lullaby, book-ending the album with songs about sleep.
On the Ben Folds iTunes Originals album[15], Folds explains that the song "Mess" is a "loss of innocence song" about having so much baggage that now you are unable to completely explain your history; "you've made a mess." The song follows a breakup, possibly the one that occurs in the previous track on the album, "Don't Change Your Plans", as the narrator refers to his ex's new partner, saying "he'll never care for you more than I do". Darren Jessee described his lyrics for the song "Magic" as a love song written to either a good friend[16] or a composite of several people[17] he knew who passed away.
"Your Redneck Past" is an entire song that was spun off from a throwaway lyric in Army about the narrator's redneck past. "Regrets" then follows up both tracks with the narrator spiraling further down into recalling memories and regrets all the way back to childhood. "Hospital Song", which refers to a real hospital: Forsyth Medical Center, located on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem; features the narrator lying awake in a hospital bed, depressed at the news that the doctor just gave him, crying "I don't believe that it's true." In the context of the album having a loose concept, this re-contextualizes many other songs on the album as the narrator simply revisiting memories from his past before an unspecified illness takes his life.
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [18] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[19] |
| The Guardian | [20] |
| Melody Maker | [21] |
| NME | 7/10[22] |
| Pitchfork | 3.3/10[23] |
| Q | [24] |
| Rolling Stone |  [25] |
| Spin | 8/10[26] |
| The Village Voice | B[27] |
The record was given generally positive reviews, with Allmusic saying that it's the band's willingness "to forge a unique sound that makes The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner such an interesting album to listen to. There is care to these songs and, what's even more significant and fresh, there is also intelligence."[18] Robert Christgau gave the album a B in his Consumer Guide.[27] Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork notably gave the album a significantly more negative review than other publications, rating it a 3.3/10[28] and saying "this trio has run out of ideas."
Legacy[edit]
Speaking in 2005, six years after its release, Folds partially attributed the album to the initial break-up of Ben Folds Five, stating: "We were having a really hard time before we split, the Reinhold Messner period was financially and career-wise a disaster."[29] Folds stated in the iTunes Originals interview about the album: "The 'Reinhold Messner' record was – I think in a way it shows how naïve we were, and idealistic we were as a band to think that the music business would care about us extending ourselves and developing and being something different; because that record was a failure – in almost every way that you can fail. As a commercial release it didn't sell up to anybody’s expectations, critically it got sort of lukewarm reviews; and yet, I think that was our best work. I think it's a great record."[15]
The band reunited to play the album in its entirety at the UNC Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on September 18, 2008.[30] This one-off concert appearance was part of the MySpace "Front to Back" series, in which artists play an entire album live. The band were briefly joined on stage by Ben's father, Dean Folds, who read a transcript of his voice mail message that is used in the album song "Your Most Valuable Possession". A concert film of the show was later released on the Front to Back website, which spliced in new interviews from both the band and colleagues, discussing the album and their experience with MySpace.
The lead single, "Army", was featured in the Viceland comedy series Nirvanna the Band the Show as the end credits theme song.[31]
In 2017, the album was reissued on a 180-gram vinyl. The reissue was sourced from the original mix reels and sported a new master by Kevin Gray.[32]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Ben Folds, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Narcolepsy" | 5:24 | |
| 2. | "Don't Change Your Plans" | 5:11 | |
| 3. | "Mess" | 4:03 | |
| 4. | "Magic" | Darren Jessee | 4:02 |
| 5. | "Hospital Song" | 2:05 | |
| 6. | "Army" | 3:25 | |
| 7. | "Your Redneck Past" | 3:43 | |
| 8. | "Your Most Valuable Possession" | Folds, Jessee, Robert Sledge, Dean Folds, Caleb Southern | 1:55 |
| 9. | "Regrets" | 4:07 | |
| 10. | "Jane" | 2:42 | |
| 11. | "Lullabye" | Folds, Anna Goodman | 3:53 |
| Total length: | 40:30 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Birds" | Robert Sledge | 2:09 |
| Total length: | 42:39 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "(Theme From) Dr. Pyser" | 3:14 |
| Total length: | 43:44 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Ben Folds Five
- Ben Folds - vocals, piano and keyboards
- Robert Sledge - electric bass, synthesizer, double bass and background vocals
- Darren Jessee - drums, percussion and background vocals
- Additional personnel
- Antoine Silverman - violin on 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11
- Mark Feldman - violin on 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11
- Lorenza Ponce - violin on 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11
- Jane Scarpantoni - cello on 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11
- Ken Mosher - alto saxophone, baritone saxophone on 6, 11
- Tom Maxwell - tenor saxophone on 6, 11
- Paul Shapiro - tenor saxophone on 6
- Frank London - trumpet on 6
- John Mark Painter - flugelhorn on 1, 2, 6, valve trombone on 6
- Dean Folds - answering machine message on "Your Most Valuable Possession"
Production[edit]
- Producer: Caleb Southern
- Mixing: Andy Wallace
- Additional Editing: Roger Lian
Charts[edit]
Album - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Billboard 200 | 35 |
| Top Internet Albums | 3 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Army" | Modern Rock Tracks | 17 |
References[edit]
- ^ "The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner Turns 20". Stereogum. April 26, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ NME (2000-11-01). "BEN FOLDS FIVE FOLD!". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "Ben Folds Five Plotting Reunion Album | Exclaim!". Ben Folds Five Plotting Reunion Album | Exclaim!. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ a b c d e "Ben Folds Five - Truth & Rumors". exit 13. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
- ^ a b Browne, David (May 7, 1999). "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c Silver St. (2021-05-27). Ben Folds Five - Live at UNC Memorial Hall, 2008 ('Front to Back' Reunion). Retrieved 2024-05-25 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ben Folds Five – Magic, retrieved 2024-05-25
- ^ The Garden Place - Songs By Our Friends - Vari... | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-05-25
- ^ MTV News article: "Ben Folds Five Fields Fan Queries While Working On New Album."
- ^ Leather Jacket by Ben Folds Five on Apple Music, 1999-06-06, retrieved 2024-05-25
- ^ "I am Ben Folds. I play piano. AMA!". Reddit. 10 September 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ Kemp, Mark (September 19, 2008). "Ben Folds Five Revive "Reinhold Messner" at Inaugural MySpace "Front to Back" Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ "Review - The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ BenFoldsVEVO (2019-07-22). Ben Folds - Narcolepsy (Live In Perth, 2005). Retrieved 2024-05-25 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b A New Clean Slate by Ben Folds on Apple Music, 2005-08-30, retrieved 2024-05-25
- ^ "Darren's mother speaks". 2002-10-03. Archived from the original on 2002-10-03. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ Ben Folds Five – Magic, retrieved 2024-05-25
- ^ a b Kurutz, Steve. "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner – Ben Folds Five". AllMusic. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ Browne, David (May 7, 1999). "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner / Return to the Centre of the Earth". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
- ^ Sweeting, Adam (April 30, 1999). "Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (Epic)". The Guardian.
- ^ "Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Melody Maker. May 8, 1999. p. 46.
- ^ Long, April (May 4, 1999). "Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ DiCrescenzo, Brent (April 27, 1999). "Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ "Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Q. No. 153. June 1999. p. 102.
- ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (May 13, 1999). "Ben Folds: The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
- ^ Himmelsbach, Erik (June 1999). "Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Spin. Vol. 15, no. 6. p. 140. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (November 16, 1999). "African Connection II". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ DiCrescenzo, Brent (April 27, 1999). "Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ "Ben with the breeze". The Age. 2005-04-01. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
- ^ The Suburbs.co.uk: "Did You Just Shit Your Pants? Cause I Sure Did."
- ^ "Nirvanna The Band The Show (Season 2) by Andy McHaffie on Apple Music". Apple Music - Web Player. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "Ben Folds Five The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner 180g LP". Elusive Disc. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
