Favorite Ben Kweller Album (poll)

[Ben 86]

Tell me which one is your favorite! i had to go with my Kite cuz the songs are the newest. but they're all my babies and it's hard to pick just one... On My Way was damn good though... Mike Stroud from Ratatat on lead guitar... he's in the right speaker and i'm in the left speaker. check out the solo on "Ann Disaster" and "The Rules"

[Dyl 19]

I have so much love every single album, it feels insane to choose! I voted Sha Sha, because it has been the soundtrack to my life and heart for so many years, but I feel like I’m turning my back on all the other beautiful babies

 

Some of My Fav Highlights on Every Other Album:

 

Freak Out its- 

That OG Version of Walk On Me is engrained as a part of me

 

On My Way-

The RIGHTEOUS pre chorus into the hook in I Need You Back

The *feels* in My Apartment


 

Ben Kweller-

Let’s be clear, this is an empirically perfect album, so it’s difficult to pick any singular moment— the flow, the songs, everything.

It forever reminds me of summertime bike rides and being madly in love

The structure of Run

The pure love of Sundress

The euphoria in “OF SOMETHING GOOD, OF SOMETHING GREAT” in Penny on a Train track

 

 Changing Horses-

Sawdust Man sounds like it could be a Harry Nielsen song. That jangly piano, the song structure…it’s all brilliant. 

 

 Go Fly A Kite— 

Jealous Girl’s perfect pop melody 

THOSE HARMONIES IN GOSSIP. I’ll never get over them.  

 

Thanks for all the years of rad jams, Kwells. 

It’s so wonderful to see you back in the world again

[Ben 86]

well first of all @Dyl ....

YOU JUST MADE MY DAY!!!!! 

not only are you the first person other than me and my web dudez to post a comment on the
new message board, but i love your in depth analysis of my entire discography. EPIC.
yes they are babies... your babies too. we love them all. haha
hashtag Harry Nielsen!!!
OG version of "Walk On Me"???? yer a true Kwellerhead through and through...

 

[BeachBoyNick 3]

Tough choice for sure, I’m going for BK album, such a great feel to the album.

love the others too though...?

 

 

 

[wolfhoundjesse 2]

My two favorite BK songs are on On My Way, but Ben Kweller is usually the album I queue up first, and it's the album I use to introduce you to people that need some feelgood music in their lives. 

Believer has some of my favorite lyrics coupled with that sweet, sweet melody, and it's the first song of yours that I immediately had to grab my axe and learn.

I really dig the diminishing drumbeat in Down, not forgetting the balls-to-the-wall section near the end. Power!

I have personally given Red Eye my best many, many times on a late night drive.

 

[Dyl 19]

1 hour ago, wolfhoundjesse said:

Ben Kweller is usually the album I queue up first, and it's the album I use to introduce you to people that need some feelgood music in their lives. 

 

Totally with you! Ben Kweller is generally my intro-album.

I spent several years working in a cute boutique in  Ohio where I was often in charge of making the playlists. I snuck in a LOT of Kweller jams, but especially tracks off self-titled. I would just WATCH the customers get happier when they’d hear Run or I’ve Gotta Move or any of those sunshiney tracks— and would often get asked what would playing. 

[OldHat 28]

This is tough because the first full length album has marinated in our mind holes for longer.  That shit is tender and you don’t even need a knife to cut into it.  Love all of them though.

Here are my rankings (best first):

sha sha

Ben Kweller

On My Way

Go Fly A Kite

Changing Horses

 

Even though it’s last, I have a soft spot for Changing Horses.  A great batch of tracks.  Ben needs to do a sequel to that one.  I know he has more country kicking around up there waiting to get loose

 

[JulYEAH 3]

They are all so great! I started listening to Sha Sha when I was in middle school and one of my best friends moved away. I was so sad about this but this album totally helped me out! I remember loving the line I’m maxed out like a credit card! This album also inspired me to learn to play guitar and I got one the following Christmas. So thanks for that!

On my Way reminds me of driving around in the desert in Phoenix when I was in high school. I blasted that one in my 1999 Nissan Altima and I actually crashed it while listening to your tunes in Tucson because I was so into it. No harm was done though! 

Then I studied abroad in college in England and will always associate the  Ben Kweller album with sitting on a train going through England and watching the green through the window. It really was over hills and over dales! And then when I got married my husband and I danced to Thirteen. 

Changing horses, I was working a brand new pediatric nurse at children’s national medical center in Washington DC and was STRESSED AS SHIT. My job was so stressful but your music helped me cope with the stress of my job.

Now I am a psychiatric nurse working with depressed teens in Berkeley, CA and every now and then I get to bust out a little guitar and get to teach these young kids about Ben Kweller. It usually makes them smile. You kick so much ass! Your music motivates and inspires me still. 

THANK YOU!!!!

Edited February 10, 2018 by JulYEAH

[Jbran86 1]

What about Radish???

[superbean 3]

I'm gonna go with Ben and say "Go Fly a Kite" because it's the most recent album. I also have a strong emotional attachment to it because my father passed away that February 2012 and I remember listening to it in my CD player on endless shuffle. Favorite tracks are "Justify Me" and "Mean To Me," and "Free." 

The world needs new BK STAT!!

Steve

[Ben 86]

Good call @Jbran86! I’ll create a radish poll next!!!

[Henry 1]

Go Fly a Kite!

[willyeklof 1]

There was a point in time that I listened to the self titled album at least five times a day. Shaped so many things in my life, I was still really new to music, and I learned all of the tracks and would imitate them, and it's led me down some amazing paths that I don't think I would've gone down had I not had such a burning love for that album. Penny on the train track is one that we jam all the damn time. There aren't a lot of tracks that me and my old pals all know collectively, but that one.. when we're all chillin together in a room, is always an amazing sing along song. That and Sundress. I learned how to play music off this album, and I couldn't be more grateful. 

Also, like many have mentioned already, it's so hard to choose just one.  After I listened to the self title, I went back through the whole catalog, which I had previously not heard besides "In Other Words" (which is the first song I figured out on the piano.) And Lizzy with the picking.. I'm tellin you man, you taught me everything I needed to know to learn music. You're music has changed my life in so many ways. 

Not trying to be the dick that talks about his own musical growth on a public forum about Ben, just wanting to share how much he's inspired me to be an artist in a world where most people hate on artists, especially when they're in the aspiring stages. Much love though, my intent is only to share goodness, and boost up and thank Ben Kweller for having had such an impact. 

Willy

[Ben 86]

Yo @Henry!
dont forget to put your vote in for Kite up top!!!   :-)

[guitwiz 13]

I feel pretty lonely saying Changing Horses is my favorite. Sha Sha was life-changing when I first heard it. It came to me about the same time as Neutral Milk Hotel, Weezer, Ben Folds and Sufjan Stevens... It opened up a world outside of the top 40 radio. The S/T brought me back to those feelings. And my girlfriend at the time was really into On My Way (joyous High School memories!). But Changing Horses was absolutely amazing.

I remember sitting in a car with friends and reading the liner notes. Something about Ben growing up in Texas (?) and being raised on country music. You can't escape your roots sometimes. Yadda yadda. I'm from Arkansas, so I can relate. My grandma took me to school every morning from 3rd to 7th grade and we'd listen to Merle, George, Conway and all the other classic "real country."

Hearing Changing Horses was a revelation though. It was a blend of that "indie" music that I had come to listen to, with what I grew up on. It was a statement to me that I didn't have to be ashamed of the country music I grew up on. Not to mention the fact that it was REALLY great. 

Time for me to pull out CH and give it another spin! It's been too long.

[OldHat 28]

38 minutes ago, guitwiz said:

I feel pretty lonely saying Changing Horses is my favorite. Sha Sha was life-changing when I first heard it. It came to me about the same time as Neutral Milk Hotel, Weezer, Ben Folds and Sufjan Stevens... It opened up a world outside of the top 40 radio. The S/T brought me back to those feelings. And my girlfriend at the time was really into On My Way (joyous High School memories!). But Changing Horses was absolutely amazing.

I remember sitting in a car with friends and reading the liner notes. Something about Ben growing up in Texas (?) and being raised on country music. You can't escape your roots sometimes. Yadda yadda. I'm from Arkansas, so I can relate. My grandma took me to school every morning from 3rd to 7th grade and we'd listen to Merle, George, Conway and all the other classic "real country."

Hearing Changing Horses was a revelation though. It was a blend of that "indie" music that I had come to listen to, with what I grew up on. It was a statement to me that I didn't have to be ashamed of the country music I grew up on. Not to mention the fact that it was REALLY great. 

Time for me to pull out CH and give it another spin! It's been too long.

One of my favorite records on vinyl that I own.  That was a great pressing.  I’m gonna go pull that out now...perfect for a rainy day.

[guitwiz 13]

Still get chills... "I'll be your glove, I'll be your scarf, I'll be the cross that covers your heart. But I don't want you to get tired of me honey, after such a good start."

[bradotts 1]

BK finding his country voice is still my fav. I have all of them and Sha Sha definitely has a deep place in my heart, but there is something about hearing someone who doesn't identify as a "country" artist, to interpret those songs in their way (I.e, Karl Blaugh, Teddy Thompson, BK , etc) that is just so magical. 

[klovescoffee 2]

I have to go with Sha Sha because it was my first BK album and I loved the lyrics - poignant, funny, clever. Plus the piano & rhythm/syncopation on How It Should Be. Senior year of high school/early college. Also ACL in 2003. (I think Taylor Hanson was backstage with his first kid, which kind of blew my mind, haha.) Thanks for signing my hat, BK!

Self titled gets honorable mention because it's the one that got my sister onto the bandwagon. We jammed out together at the ACL set. (2007?)

<3

[jfra 16]

I'm going to take this seriously and listen to all of the albums again before I just go with my first instinct. I'm almost halfway through Ben Kweller, and it struck me that the drums sound better produced than on the first two albums. It's not the playing, of course (JDK is one of my favorite drummers of all-time), but the drums on the first two sound more distant. On self-titled, they're more thumpy and present, which I like better myself. Any insight, BK?

I also realized in my research that I don't own a physical copy of Ben Kweller. WTF?!

Edited February 11, 2018 by jfra

[roboJeff 0]

I picked Go Fly A Kite! Although Sha Sha is a close 2nd. To me, Kite is (this far) Ben’s “Career Album”. The songs are solidly amazing thoughout and it captures pieces of the entire genre span of Ben’s career as a solo artist - rock, folk, indie, county, blues...

Often, Kite combines elements of every previous album into a single song. When I want to really show a new fan what BK is all about, I put on my Go Fly a Kite vinyl and set up the Lizzy art panorama by the record player! ❤️

Edited February 11, 2018 by roboJeff

[bigbagofnothing 6]

I picked On My Way for personal reasons. My buddy burned me a copy of it and i popped it in, waiting for "that song with that "sex reminds her of eating spaghetti" song". I waited, track after track. Ultimately, i was disappointed bc that song wasn't on this album but dang this was a freaking awesome album with catchy tunes and deep lyrics. then when i learned how to play on my way on guitar, it was on. 

[shashashadont 1]

Come on man, I can't make a decision like this!

no solution

[kmvdor 1]

While I'll never forget hearing Sundress for the first time on myspace and becoming an instant fan, I can't help but say Changing Horses is my favorite. That record blew my mind. It was the country/folk BK album I never knew I needed. It also probably has my favorite album art of all the records (Go Fly A Kite's diorama is a close second).

[OldHat 28]

14 minutes ago, kmvdor said:

While I'll never forget hearing Sundress for the first time on myspace and becoming an instant fan, I can't help but say Changing Horses is my favorite. That record blew my mind. It was the country/folk BK album I never knew I needed. It also probably has my favorite album art of all the records (Go Fly A Kite's diorama is a close second).

I agree on CH’s album art.  I have always wanted a Changing Horses 2 with red album art and a similar motif.  Ben’s voice sounds so good over country tunes...although it sounds good over all kinds of tunes.