Critic's Review
Joe Schanderson, All Music Guide
Although it doesn't specify in the packaging, "Where's Summer B?" is actually a version edited from the one found on Ben Folds Five; a few mild obscenities have been removed. The other two tracks were previously unreleased and were recorded live in 1995 at Ziggy's in North Carolina. There are other versions of both "Tom and Mary" and "Emaline" to be found on Ben Folds Five releases, but these two stand out as superior. In live performance, the raucous groove of "Tom and Mary" is wonderfully evident. This recording's charm may be partly due to the slightly increased tempo, but no matter the cause, the effect is delicious. Originally written with a guitar, "Emaline" is a very simple but catchy song. Again, the tempo seems to be a little faster here, and once again the song is the benefactor. It is easy to imagine how this song, slowed down, could be extremely depressing but there is a spunk to it that is absolutely captivating.
