The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective

Assembled by Folds, this retrospective features all aspects of his career with Ben Folds Five and his solo work. The deluxe 72-track edition, with alternate mixes, live tracks, studio outtakes, and home demos, is the far more comprehensive look and a greater value, but either version gives you the insight necessary to see what a talented tunesmith he was from the beginning. The new track “House” is another captivating piano-and-strings piece that shows he’s still operating at full capacity. “Brick” is here in its radio mix. “Landed” features strings, while “Annie Waits” takes Folds’ Elton John influences and crafts them into his own compelling narrative. The remastered sound brings an added punch to classic band tracks such as “Philosophy,” “Underground,” and “Don’t Change Your Plans.” His collaboration with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for “Smoke” points up Folds’ great versatility. This is pop music with great things happening: simple yet complex, always ready with a pop hook without losing its musical soul. The real shockers are the demos, which are slightly rougher in sound but feature performances as accomplished as their studio counterparts.