THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #184 - February 14, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #184
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Topics for Today:
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #182
BFF fans in Boone?
BF5 on TV, and on radio...in Oklahoma?!
"Battle of Who Could Care Less" v. "Song for the Dumped"
Ozone Time.
An 'Indie Kid' Writes...
Great Caesar's ghost knows what's best for me....
BF5 on Leno (?)
Re: Ben on a Bus Stop recording???
Re: majosha
Grammar
O-zone & release dates
Where to get UK BFF singles (If you're not in UK)
Ben Folds News!
Ben Folds Interview Available
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #182
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 21:27:39 -0500
From: Michael Slawter <theslawters@sprintmail.com>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #182
If anyone is interested, I have quite a few songs that Ben wrote in
former bands that he is playing in BF5 including emaline, video, guilty
plus many many more. It's all on cassette but in great condition. If
anyone's interested the band that ben was in first was Majosha who put
out an ep (5 songs about Jesus) and one album (Shut Up and Listen to
Majosha). The album has all the songs on 5 songs just different versions
(both of which I have). I have to solo recordings of ben doing "Jackson
Cannery" and "Emmaline". I also have some other pretty interesting
recordings by BF5 so email me. If anyone has the Japanese live album
please email me and tell me how you got it.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 09:58:37 -0500
From: "Bryan L. Brown" <idaho@appstate.campus.mci.net>
Subject: BFF fans in Boone?
I hope I'm doing this correctly because it's the first time I've posted. I
did my undergraduate tour at UNC Chapel Hill (the interest in BFF was like
second nature) but have recently begun grad school at Appalachian State
University in Boone, NC. Now what I want to know is, ARE THERE ANY BEN
FOLDS' FIVE FANS IN BOONE? Someone has to be since BFF gets some play on
campus radio. So speak up and let me know where you are.
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 21:08:36 -0800
From: nancy <ndoodle@ou.edu>
Subject: BF5 on TV, and on radio...in Oklahoma?!
Hey, all! I officially broke rule #1 last week, by not changing the
subject heading. Sorry to disappoint you all. :(! BUT, I was posting to
ask again, that if anyone happens to tape Ben Folds Five on BBC2 or in
Dutch, could you please email me? I would do anything to get my hands on
that!!
Also, you won't believe it, but here in bumblef***, Oklahoma (sorry, I
had to get vulgar to express how colorful this lovely state is!) I heard
the new single! Yes! no doubt, it was our beloved Ben Folds Five! yahoo!
I liked the tune, it's classic BF5, but am worried that it might've
sounded a little studio savvy smoothed over! no! can't lose that raw
edge!
well, salutations all!
Have a great love day!
nancy doodle!
ndoodle@ou.edu
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 23:32:42 -0500
From: Mandel Ilagan <ilagan@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: "Battle of Who Could Care Less" v. "Song for the Dumped"
I got the latest issue of CMJ today and popped in the new Ben Folds Five
song, "Battle of Who Could Care Less." To quote Dieter, "I was as happy as
a little girl!" The song features some neat jazzy chord changes as well as
some knockout harmonies by Robert and Darren. The lyrics as always are
sharp...I mean, hey, it mentions "The Rockford Files!" What more could you
want? Seriously though, if the rest of the album is like this, I'll be
verrrrry pleased!
However, as great as the song was, I'm not sure if this is really the
single that's going to put "Ben Folds Five" into the big leagues. It's
seems just a bit too laid back for alternative/modern
rock/AAA/AlAnon/whatever-the-heck-it's-called radio. I mean, it didn't
grab me right away like "Underground" did when I first heard it. The song
will probably go over well with Ben Folds Five fans like me but as to those
who've never heard of Ben Folds Five, I'm not sure if it will make them BF5
"converts." This is why I thought "Song for Dumped" would have made a
great "breakthrough" single for the guys. Yes, there is the danger that it
would cause newbies to think of them as just the "give me my money back,
bitch" guys, but it would get them attention and with luck, bring them more
fans. Plus, dare I say it, the song would have made for a great video. Is
there any particular reason why "Dumped" is the single in Japan and not in
Europe or the U.S.? I mean, really, the lyrics can't be the issue. "The
Bitch is Back" made it as a Top 20 single back in the 1970s.
Now, I'm not belittling "Battle" at all. It's a wonderful song and much
better than most of the dreck out on the radio today! While groups like
Hootie and Blowhards...(whoops!) Blowfish put out bland pop with every song
sounding the same, Ben Folds Five are one of the few artists out there who
put clever, original spins on the ol' pop formula. It's just that if I had
some say, I would have picked "Dumped" or even "One Angry Dwarf." However,
I may be wrong...Hell, it wasn't too long ago that I had doubts about
"Wonderwall" being a hit for Oasis despite liking the song. It's just that
the way the radio world is with
brainless-line-dancing-$25,000-Pyramid-theme-sound-alike songs taking their
marathon perches at the #1 spot, "Battle of Who Could Care Less" could have
a tough (BAD PUN ALERT!) battle up ahead in getting heard by the masses.
BTW, how is the new album being marketed? Is Sony strictly aiming for the
alternative/modern rock crowd or are there plans to branch out to much more
mainstream "Counting Crows"/"Hootie" Top 40-ish stations?
Anyhoo, sorry for the length of this guys...These were just some thoughts
milling through my head. Agree or disagree at will!
Mandel Ilagan
ilagan@fas.harvard.edu
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~ilagan
---------------------------------------
"A house full of naked hermaphrodites
and 24-hour Rockford Files."
- An interpretation of success by
Robert Sledge (1997)
---------------------------------------
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 09:56:43 +0000
From: King Lava Lamp <JOA95JWA@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: Ozone Time.
UK listies, The O-Zone is on at 11.45 AM on a Sunday, usually. And
I quite like it, if mainly for the lovely and talented Jayne
Middlemiss.
I was a bit pissed off by Simon Mayo raggin' on the Five but he's
rarely sincere so forgive the man.
And I want to hear about that shelved album too!
JOHN A
I'm a driver
I'm a winner
Things are gonna CHANGE I can feel it
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 23:50:46 -0000
From: Tom Whitaker <tom@tw.prestel.co.uk>
Subject: An 'Indie Kid' Writes...
Someone wrote:
>One more thing (to non-Brits)...
> In the UK, most people who like BF5 and Radiohead (who are mentioned
quite
> a bit on this) also like:
Radiohead - Huge yes!
> Kula Shaker
Ugh....Is this a troll?
> Manic Street Preachers (esp. ' Everything Must Go' album - very
Radiohead)
Well, yeah, I guess...
> Stone Roses (best band ever - ignore the NME)
Most overrated band ever. Even ignoring the NME.
> The Charlatans (who've come from good-but-second rate Roses imitation to
> groovy genius-types)
Who've come from second rate Roses imitation to third-rate Roses
imitation. Someone burn all the copies of f**king "One To Another" will
you?
> The Bluetones
Great singles, slightly dodgy, but still very good, album.
Would seem to me to be a list of bands liked by Joe Bloggs, regular indie
kid, who happens to like Ben Folds Five too.....
----------
Ouch.
I'm Tom. Sorrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy (don't you hate it when people say that?).
Just thought I'd defend myself. I am NOT a Joe Bloggs indie-kid (otherwise,
why would my collection include The Chemical Brothers, Neil Young, Pink
Floyd, Placebo and Machine Head?) O.K., none of those are particularly
underground or away from mainstream (except Machine Head), but my tastes
are a lot wider than you seem to think. I just picked the bands I liked and
THOUGHT WOULD APPEAL. Kula Shaker - I hate the people, but the album's
quite good, and a lot of people like it more than I do / MSP - I have not
met ONE person who likes Radiohead and not MSP/ Stone Roses - NOT overrated
at all! If you want overrated, see OASIS (who any Joe Bloggs Indie Kid
would have put atop their list, along with f**cking Sleeper et al) /
Charlatans - Agree to differ / Bluetones - We don't differ.
Yeah, all those I mentioned first time around are more mainstream than BFF,
but they're still worth checking out, unless you're the type who'll only
like something until it gets popular (wait for the BFF backlash,
starting...oh! it already seems to have done) Just don't expect them to be
better than BFF (except The Stone Roses....natch).
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 14:27:32 GMT
From: Mark Piper <pipermf@ugs1.ph.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: Great Caesar's ghost knows what's best for me....
Daniel (parreira@aquawolf.xs4all.nl> informed us that:
> They will play 3 songs: Jackson Cannery, Song for the dumped and Alice
> Childress. At least, that's what they say on "teletext".
Hmm, that's a bit strange. Promoting the new album so they play two old
songs (plus one that's been hawked around for a while already)........
Chrisitan (clg6@po.CWRU.edu) was wondering....
>On that same English-major track, can we get an OED definition
> of "faffing"? It's a fun word to say, and I'd like to include it in my
> vocabulary, but I really don't know what it means.
Well, it's not an OED definition, but I can tell you that "to faff" is to
do something useless, or deviating from the task in hand. For instance, if
I was supposed to be doing a computing exercise, and instead I was mailing
the Armchair to tell people wha t the word "faffing" means, I would be
faffing about myself (Note that someone would "faff about", rather than
just "faff"). Alternatively, something would be "faffy" if it were
unfulfilling or fancy. Salad is faffy food, Pot Noodles are not. Ballet is
fa ffy, rugby is not. Note that the word "faffy" is best pronounced in a
Welsh accent.....
Andy (mbcxadh@mh2.mcc.ac.uk) hit the nail on the head when he said:
> Bis are clearly "pants" or "Not good"
You forgot "bobbins", another word for our fair foreign friends to learn
and use at will.
And jg (gillet@pi.net) mentioned that the O-Zone featured:
> the worlds cutest presentor (jayne middlemiss)
Did anyone see those, ahem, "glamour" photos she did?? They were published
in FHM or Loaded or something similar. *Nice*.
Okay, I guess I'll shut up now. I've got a bit off-topic....
Mark
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| mfp540@bham.ac.uk | pipermf@phymat.bham.ac.uk |
| Looks, Brains and Everything, the unofficial UK Ben Folds Five site |
| http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html |
| If you haven't found out already, it's gonna blow your minds! |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 97 10:34:37
From: bminnick@locrscs.LEGIS.STATE.PA.US
Subject: BF5 on Leno (?)
A thought occurred to me this morning while driving to work. I think it'd be
really cool if BF5 performed "Steven's Last Night In Town" with the Tonight
Show band. What do you think, Alan? Boys? That could be a most memorable gig!
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 97 15:42:19 -0000
From: Charles D Folds <4rachuck@concentric.net>
Subject: Re: Ben on a Bus Stop recording???
>Is is just me, or do the lead vocals on Bus Stop's "Facin' Out" sound
> exactly like Ben?
> Just curious, given he has no album credit, and Chuck is given no credit
> for vocals.
>
> -Stuart
They do sound a lot alike. The singer is guitarist/vocalist for Bus
Stop, Britt 'Snuzz' Uzzell. Ben and Snuzz have very similar vocal styles
and to tell you the truth, I think Snuzz might have been a little bit of
an influence on Ben. I know that they both are huge fans of each others
music.
Ben has played piano on a few Bus Stop tracks, but never any vocals.
I dont sing anything, I just play the bass.
chuck
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 97 15:42:23 -0000
From: Charles D Folds <4rachuck@concentric.net>
Subject: Re: majosha
>What's the word on Majosha?
It was Ben's band in the late 80's.
>It it something I'm
> gonna have to order?
They made a few hundred of them back then, and that's it.
>Will I find it lurking in the lost corners of a
> local music store?
It's possible, but not probable.
>What this whole Majosha/Pots and Pans connection?
Pots & Pans was what they called the remaining couple of members of
majosha when the broke up, it only lasted a few months.
chuck folds
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 17:47:26 -0500 (EST)
From: Antigone19@aol.com
Subject: Grammar
<< I've noticed a few people calling our favorite piano jam-
master "Ben Fold"...No! It's Ben Fold*S*, and that means Ben FOLDS' Five
and not Ben FOLD'S Five. Gahh, that drives me crazy. Alright, you guessed
it, I'm an English major. >>
I always took the band name the same way I take The Dave Brubeck Quartet (or
is it Quintet?) - Ben Folds is the man's name AND a part of the band name -
its not HIS five, the band is Ben Folds Five, NO apostrophe necessary. (And
I always did wonder why it wasn't Ben Folds Three, or The Ben Folds Five, but
those are other stories I suppose). Thats all. But I've been wrong before
(I too am an English major, though).
Thanks to those sweeties who responded to my request for tapes...
Marla
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 14:00:36 GMT
From: Jaime Hargreaves <cs96jjh@brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: O-zone & release dates
Yeah, BFF are due on the O-Zone on Sunday... hmmm...
(repeated on Tuesday evening as well)
Do I share the same frustration as other UK fans in not
being able to lay my grubby hands on a copy of BoWCCL? A
trip into Harrow and London (missing a day and a half of
Uni, skive freaks!) could not produce a copy... A guy in
Virgin told me that it "had been, ur, delayed". Oh well.
At elast they are getting a fair bit of airtime on the radio
(heard it 6 times in the last coupla days on Capital FM &
Radoi 1)... keep it up!
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 12:02:29 -0700 (MST)
From: "Eric T. Beteille" <eric@hemi.com>
Subject: Where to get UK BFF singles (If you're not in UK)
No, I don't work for this place. But they did get me a cool deal
on a Crowded House import disc. So I recommend them.
Pandora's Music Box
http://www.probe.net/~pmb/
They list:
$10 Ben Folds Five-Battle Of Who Would Care (UK CD1)
$10 Ben Folds Five-Battle Of Who Would Care (UK CD2)
$10 Ben Folds Five-Where's Summer B?/Tom & Mary (live)/Emaline (live) (UK)
Them's American dollars. For the completist in all of us,
Eric
P.S. - I guess BFF is *not* opening for Counting Crows on April 9
in Phoenix? That date was on the original list, but cannot be
confirmed by anything since. Bummer! If you know differently, please
let me know. Thanks.
==============================================================================
Date: 13 Feb 1997 22:33:08 CST
From: rosaliem@bbs.exoticomm.com
Subject: Ben Folds News!
Hey guys! Tonight was the Ben Folds Five show in New Orleans. Of course,
it was awesome! They were playing for this music industry convention
called the Gavin Convention, and there was no cover and free food. How
lucky can you get? Well, since I anticipated there being a huge line
wrapping around the block, I got there at 5:15 pm. Right when I walked
in the door, there was Ben on the pay phone!! I talked to him and
mentioned the Magical Armchair,and he said for me to tell Frank that he
hasn't forgotten about doing the second part of the interview, and he
said he is going to get around to doing it as soon as he can.
I also got to talk to Darren before the show, and I met Robert
afterwards also. They are all extremely nice, friendly, and
approachable. I asked Robert if they were here for Mardi Gras this past
Tuesday and they said no, they are taking a break before they have to go
on tour.
I took some pictures, so if anyone would like one, I would be happy to
send you one when I get them developed, just e-mail me with your
address.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! They sneak-previewed the songs from their new
album!!! All of the songs I heard were excellent. They even do a ballad
this time.
I have to say, that I really appreciate being on this list because I
know you guys like them as much as I do.
Take care!
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 00:25:14 -0600
From: "Greg Monkey (Drunken Monkey Fanzine)" <pavement@idir.net>
Subject: Ben Folds Interview Available
Dear Armchairees,
My name is Greg. I run Drunken Monkey Fanzine. I'm about to do a
repressing of the first issue, featuring a big interview and pictures with
Mr. Ben Folds himself, as well as interviews with Rocket From The Crypt,
Possum Dixon, and Fig Dish. This is sorta the last chance to ever get a
copy of the first issue, so if you are interested in getting one, email me
privately and I'll gladly put one aside for you. They are 3 bucks, post
paid, and more fun than the bathroom at your local Waffle Hut. So, if you
are interested, email me!
drunkenmonkey@juno.com
Thanks!
Greg
~~~~~~~ Drunken Monkey Fanzine Online...a high-tech, lo-fi experience. ~~~~~~~
******* http://www.angelfire.com/ks/drunkenmonkey *******
######## drunkenmonkey@juno.com ########
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 11:17:03 -0800
From: martini <martini@itl.net>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #182
Okay,
I can agree wholeheartedly with the bloke who recommended They Might Be
Giants - 'Flood' is an excellent album and so is there self-titled
release...but I would just like to comment on one thing about some of the
messages I have read...useless and inane it may be but a comment it is..
I have found that Ben Folds Five fans don't seem to be liked just by the
'regular' indie kid. Even in reviews you see how the critics comment on
how there is such a vast diversity in the crowd they bring. I, also, have
seen them live (lucky me - and they were great!!!!) and noticed the
difference in cultures, age and class (although this is not a class
issue)...and I know why as well. It's because Ben Folds Five aren't
bringing out manufactured chart sell outs..Ben Folds Five are brilliant
musicians who breathe a breath of fresh air into the music
world..humourous lyrics and brilliant piano playing...really, what more
can you ask for?
> >One more thing (to non-Brits)...
> > In the UK, most people who like BF5 and Radiohead (who are mentioned quite
> > a bit on this) also like:
>
> Radiohead - Huge yes!
They are okay...
>
> > Kula Shaker
>
> Ugh....Is this a troll?
Kula Shaker - are The Stone Roses on LSD...a bit sad really..
>
> > Manic Street Preachers (esp. ' Everything Must Go' album - very Radiohead)
>
> Well, yeah, I guess...NO NO NO NO!!!
>
> > Stone Roses (best band ever - ignore the NME)
>
> Most overrated band ever. Even ignoring the NME.
> Possibly the most boring album in the world - too many Zepplin influenced
tunes on Second Coming..
> > The Charlatans (who've come from good-but-second rate Roses imitation to
> > groovy genius-types)
>
> Who've come from second rate Roses imitation to third-rate Roses
> imitation. Someone burn all the copies of f**king "One To Another" will
> you?
> The Charlatans are even worse.
> > The Bluetones
>
> Great singles, slightly dodgy, but still very good, album.
> Oh please..
Doesn't anyone here like The Beach Boys, Stina Nordenstam, Sophie
Zelmani, The Smiths, Sebadoh, Bare Naked Ladies, Bjork, The Cardigans,
The Darling Buds, Paul Simon, The Rentals, Papas Fritas, Daniel Johnston,
Velevt Crush, Morrissey?
Gotta go, sorry for taking too much of your time.
Leah Martini
Quote: 'Life on a limb, like alot of things, would be better if we didn't
try...I tried'
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