Ripe (Ben Lee album)

Ripe
Studio album by Ben Lee
Released	18 September 2007
Genre	Indie pop
Label	Inertia, New West
Producer	John Alagia
Ben Lee chronology
Awake Is the New Sleep (2005) Ripe (2007) The Rebirth of Venus (2009)
Singles from Ripe
"Love Me Like the World Is Ending" Released: August 2007 "Numb" Released: October 2007

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	62/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Boston Phoenix	[3]
Drowned in Sound	5/10 [4]
musicOMH	[5]
Paste	[6]
Q	[7]
Spin	5/10 [8]
Uncut	[9]

Ripe is the sixth album by Australian musician Ben Lee, released on 18 September 2007. Produced by John Alagia, the album features guest appearances from Mandy Moore, Benji Madden, Benmont Tench, Rachael Yamagata, Rooney, Sara Watkins and Charlotte Martin. ^[10]

It entered the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 11 on 24 September. ^[11]

Track listing

1. "Love Me Like the World Is Ending" (featuring Rachael Yamagata) – 3:46
2. "American Television" (featuring Rooney) – 3:40
3. "Birds and Bees" (featuring Mandy Moore) – 3:09
4. "Is This How Love's Supposed to Feel?" (featuring Charlotte Martin) – 4:17
5. "Blush" – 3:55
6. "Numb" – 2:57
7. "What Would Jay-Z Do?" – 2:54
8. "Sex Without Love" (featuring Benji Madden) – 3:31
9. "Home" – 2:39
10. "So Hungry" – 3:34
11. "Just Say Yes" – 5:24
12. "Ripe" – 3:05

Personnel

• John Alagia – guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, tack piano, organ, shaker, tambourine, background vocals
• Matt Chamberlain – drums, tambourine, percussion
• Mark Goldenberg – electric guitar, slide guitar
• Nick Johns – piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harmonium, Wurlitzer organ, Mellotron, ARP synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, vibraphone
• Charlotte Martin – piano, background vocals
• Mandy Moore – vocals, background vocals
• Todd M. Simon – trumpet
• Sara Watkins – background vocals
• Ben Lee – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [12]	11
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [13]	8
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [14]	35

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [15]	Gold	35,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Ripe by Ben Lee". Metacritic . Retrieved 3 October 2016.
2. Thomas, Stephen (4 September 2007). "Allmusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
3. Welch, Victoria (13 November 2007). "Ben Lee - Ripe". The Boston Phoenix . Retrieved 16 June 2025.
4. Edwards, Tom (18 October 2007). "Ben Lee - Ripe". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved 16 June 2025.
5. Urdang, Ben (24 September 2007). "Ben Lee – Ripe". musicOMH . Retrieved 16 June 2025.
6. Sheridan, Tim (15 November 2007). "Ben Lee - Ripe". Paste . Retrieved 16 June 2025.
7. Slower tracks such as 'Just Say Yes' and 'Blush' veer too close to blandness, though the power chords of 'Sex Without Love' and humorous idolatry of 'What Would Jay-Z Do?' revitalise. [Nov 2007, p.141]
8. Occasionally, Lee's wit triumphs over his predictability. [Oct 2007, p.106]
9. His mystical belief in the power of love pervades the material, sometimes anthemically, sometimes playfully, but always disarmingly. [Oct 2007, p.96]
10. Eleven magazine Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
11. "Discography Ben Lee". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
12. "Australiancharts.com – Ben Lee – Ripe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
13. "Ben Lee Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
14. "Ben Lee Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
15. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 28 December 2021.