THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #208 - March 27, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #208
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* If you attend a show, you must post a review!
Topics for Today:
BF5: Songs for the Dumped and Girls
This is a call
various replies
bff: a manifesto???
Philadelphia show
BFF - Hidden track
Demos, Majosha...
BFF email address
whatever and ever and procrastination..
Frumpy the Clown
Re:I love the slow songs...slow songs say so much....
BFF - Do we want them to succeed?
Salt Lake show anybody?
Another review.
Kate
Hava Nagilah
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #206
Jellyfish - where are they now?! (sob!)
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 09:30:48 +1000
From: "Driver, Emma" <Emma.Driver@Butterworths.com.au>
Subject: BF5: Songs for the Dumped and Girls
Someone said in one of these messages (sorry, can't remember who or
when) that girls probably wouldn't like "Song For the Dumped". This is
so strange: it's hardly a sexist song. It's just funny, isn't it?
There's nothing worse than buying someone dinner and then having them
dump you on their porch, of all places, no matter WHO they are ... it
reminds me of "A Can of Lemonade and a Pastie" by great Australian
songwriter Rob Clarkson, which shares these sentiments: "Well I guess
I'm getting bitter, and I guess I'm getting nasty, but I think you know
I'd love to take you out to dinner if you could handle a can of lemonade
and a pastie." Anyone dumped should listen to BF5's little gem and
follow it up with Rob if you can find him anywhere but Australia.
By the way, this list is great. I'm salivating to see BF5 live now, but
will they ever come over here? They're getting tons of coverage in
Australia.
With undergroundedness,
E2
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 16:35:30 -0800
From: Rudi Tomskaknovich <Heyzeus@swbell.net>
Subject: This is a call
To all my fellow Texans who know the pain of being the only person around
with decent musical tastes. Anyone planning on going to the April 16
Houston show, let me know. Most of the people around here would think
that Ben Folds Five is a new breakdancing maneuver.
Love,
Josh
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 17:59:44 -0500
From: Bradford MacLeod <bmacleod@waonline.com>
Subject: various replies
lots of traffic here... so much to say. so let's do it.
quite a few people say that the disc isn't catching on as quickly as
the first. i think that some of that is because there are expectations.
i think that when most of us heard the first one, the entire format was
fairly new--a small drums-bass-piano combo doing reved up poppy tunes
with an edge. it just hit like a freight train. the magic built and
stuck with you. plus, there is the inevitable characteristic of all
debut albums--the songs have developed over a number of years and the
best are picked. on the sophomore disc, things are usually put together
more quickly, songs that didn't cut it on the first disc are included
and there is often record company pressure to put out more product.
that said, i think the band manages to easily avoid the proverbial
sophomore slump. granted, the disc may not catch your immediate
attention like the first one. but it what it loses in immediacy, i
think it makes up in intensity and depth. several folks have mentioned
the number of 'ballads'. there is a greater ratio of slow to fast
songs, but listen to the lyrics. there is so much happening in these
songs that take more than the instant listen. there is an overall
darker quality to the record. even the up-tempo tunes are pretty dark
or harsh or sarcastic (except for 'kate' sitting there in the middle and
adding a bit of brightness to the procedings.).
as for the various extra instruments. i think that they broaden the
basic formula without getting overly precious in production. (face it;
they ain't jellyfish....) the overdubs (not sampling, by the way)
provide for a bit more sonic depth. the addition of the klezmatics
really ups the ante for a song like 'steven', building on it without
losing the live quality. one of my favorite sonic pieces is the
strumming of the piano strings during the opening verse of smoke--a
great way to get that acoustic guitar attack without the actual
instrument. the experimentation makes the album more interesting to me,
while retaining what i loved about the first disc--the energy, smartness
and hooks.
brad
p.s. for the listie into japanese music, check out some recent
stuff by ryuichi sakamoto, formerly of yellow magic orchestra. also, the
kome kome club, which might be hard to get outside japan.
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 18:14:22 -0500
From: Bradford MacLeod <bmacleod@waonline.com>
Subject: bff: a manifesto???
> 3. Brick- ARGH! I would just like to comment that there are TOO MANY
> FRIGGIN BALLADS ON THIS CD! BFF is all about high energy, high
> performance music. Some slow-downs are fine, by all means, but this album
> (as I will further elaborate) has too many
i just had to comment on this. "bff is all about high energy,
high performance music"!?!?!?!? where is the ben folds five manifesto in
which this was spelled out and why wasn't i mailed a copy!?
it's absurd for any of us to decide what any artist is
"about" and then criticize them for not living up to the standards that we
have decreed! any artist presents their own vision in their own way and
perhaps hopes that others will somehow share some of this vision. and
sometimes, yes, this vision changes and grows. sometimes in a direction
that's appreciated and sometimes not. granted, i especially like the
upbeat numbers and would like more of them, but it is not up to us to
decide what direction an artist takes with their work. period.
brad
(flame me if you will)
> Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 20:30:53 -0500 (EST)
> From: Treesapper@aol.com
> Subject: philadelphia
>
> Hey...any philly fans on the Armchair? Be in touch if you're going to the
p.s. yo! i'm from philly. haven't got tickets yet....
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 18:26:51 -0500 (EST)
From: Hilarie Surrena <walflowr@Op.Net>
Subject: Philadelphia show
Hey,
Yes, there is a Philadelphia fan on the armchair! I'll be at the
show on 4/30 at the TLA. I have no idea who the opening act is or if
they're even local. Odds are they're not. Is anyone else out there going
to the Philly show?
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 15:34:16 +0000
From: Rob Wingfield <Rob.Wingfield@halcyon50.demon.co.uk>
Subject: BFF - Hidden track
On Sun, 23 Mar 1997, at 14:31:06 -0500, Paul Rodriguez
<mppr@ix.netcom.com> wrote
> No one's mentioned it yet, but I assume most of you have heard the hidden
> track on the U.S. release of _Whatever and Ever Amen_. If not, it comes in
> at 5:28 on track 12. Does anyone know who the speaker is?
>
> If overseas buyers don't have it, it goes like this:
>
> The track is live in a club. The speaker says, "Look, man, I got your
> hidden track right here, pal. Right here. Listen. Ben Folds is a f***in'
> asshole." The crowd cheers.
Well, it's on the UK release as well. It doesn't beat the bonus track on
the Ash album '1977', though. For anyone who hasn't heard it, it's
basically, to put it politely, a puke party.
Personally, I think that the new album is better than the first one, but
I've only been into BFF for about two weeks, and bought both albums a
week ago! How long has the album been out in the US? It's been out for
about a month here, which sounds as if it was before the US release,
which is strange.
Rob.
--
_____________________________________________________
| | |
| Rob Wingfield | Rob.Wingfield@halcyon50.demon.co.uk |
|_______________|_____________________________________|
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 19:19:26 -0500 (EST)
From: "Ryan C. Hayward" <rhayward@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Subject: Demos, Majosha...
Hope everyone is enjoying the new album. I finally got it today, and
don't want to offer any opinions on the music quite yet, but I will say
that I think the liner notes are hysterical.
Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have recently acquired a
couple things which might be of interest. First is a tape of some demos
of songs from both albums and a few songs not on either. Second, I
also taped a copy of the Pots & Pans (Majosha) record "Shut Up and Listen
to Majosha." I don't like it on anywhere near the same level as BFF, but
it's interesting to hear some of Ben's old songs, and definitely worth it
for the original versions of "Video" and "Cool Whip."
I'm primarily looking to trade, so if you're interested, write me a
private e-mail (rhayward@princeton.edu) and we'll see if we can work
something out.
Thanks!
-Ryan
==============================================================================
Date: 24 Mar 1997 18:30:50 CST
From: rosaliem@bbs.exoticomm.com
Subject: BFF email address
Has anyone tried out that "bffmail@aol.com" email address? Has anyone
gotten a reply? I am wondering if it is to get on another email list or
what...Thanks a lot!
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 16:48:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Pollyanna Rhee <jrhee@wolfenet.com>
Subject: whatever and ever and procrastination..
Okay... well, when I went to Ellensburg on the 21st to pick up the BOWCCL
singles.. I was the first person to get them (Eastern Washington is so out
of it) and so they had 4 copies each left and I saved the graphic coupon on
my computer, so if anyone couldn't get the singles I could go down and
them, I don't know how many I could get away with taking at one time
though. If don't let me take them and there are still copies available,
the store will probably sell them for about 1.98. Let me know...
Cheers,
Pollyanna
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 20:17:41 -0500
From: Sarah Antonangeli <kmpage@student.umass.edu>
Subject: Frumpy the Clown
Ahh..the wrong email address up above, don't ask me how. :) Anyhoo..the
reason for my posting. As I was perusing today's comic section in The Daily
Collegian, our school's newspaper for all of you who don't attend UMass, I
happened across the best comic we have printed, "Frumpy the Clown," drawn
by none other than Judd Winick, who, if memory serves me correctly, and it
has been known to fail..anyhow, he was on the Real World III, not to be
confused with any other Real World..the one with the evil Puck. Reading the
comic I noticed something was printed on this little girl's tee-shirt, and
guess what it was...Ben Folds Five. Not only does he have a rocking comic
strip, he has excellent taste as music as well. I thought this was really
cute and so I decided to share it with all of y'all!
Sarah :)
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 21:00:06 -0500
From: Jennifer Delamar <47km67nb@coastalnet.com>
Subject: Re:I love the slow songs...slow songs say so much....
Armchairians,
I must say, I tend to disagree with the opinions of many BFF fans. I, for
one, love some of the songs discarded, or critiqued. I love Fair, Brick,
and Evaporated. The fast ditties are great, too, but those songs are very
pretty. I just thought I would give those songs a thumbs up. I mean, sure,
we are all opinionated, but I just thought I would voice my adoration for
those beautiful songs.
Jennifer Delamar
aka Karaoke Queen
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 21:22:16 -0500 (EST)
From: Enloejr@aol.com
Subject: BFF - Do we want them to succeed?
For some reason or another, I have put off signing on to the Magical
Armchair until just recently (I guess it was due to the excitement of the new
album). But now I'm glad I did. It's nice to hear from other BFF fans as
obsessed as I am. In my area, most people haven't heard of them. I try to
educate them, but, for some reason, people are afraid of the unknown.
About a year ago, I had the good fortune of seeing BFF at Club Babyhead
in Providence, RI. This was definitely the best club show I've seen. It may
have even been the best show I've EVER seen. They ROCKED through the entire
first album, plus, "Steven's Last Night in Town", "Song for the Dumped", and
a few other's that I didn't recognize. But to me, the epitome of this show,
was the two covers they did. The first was "Crosstown Traffic", by Jimi
Hendrix. The second was "Video Killed the Radio Star", by the Buggles. To me
this really showcased their collective talents: "VKtRS" showed how really
tight their harmonizing is. (Maybe a future a cappella song would be nice)
And as far as "Crosstown Traffic", any band that can pull off Hendrix that
well without a guitar, has definitely got it's chops down. I also got to talk
to Ben and shake his hand after the show.
I was lucky enough to get a promo version of "Whatever & Ever, Amen" for
FREE, about five days before it was released to the public. I was initially
disappointed, but after a while, it grew on me. (I may be dumb but, I think
"Brick" is about an abortion, right?) I wasn't really thrilled with the new
arrangement for "Song for the Dumped", either. But the coolest lyrics on the
album have to be, "I've got this great idea, why don't we pitch it to the
Franklin F***in' Mint? We'll find us some portraits of General Apathy and
Major Boredom singing, "Whatever & Ever Amen"". Also I liked One Angry Dwarf
& 200 Solemn Faces, right from the get go.
Well point for writing is this: Do we really want them to become BIG? If
they get bigger, us true fans will have to deal with larger venues and
increased ticket prices. We'll lose the closeness of seeing them in clubs or
small theaters. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see them hit the big time
for two reasons: 1.) If there's any band who deserves it, it's them. And 2.)
I can't wait to say "I told you so to all the people who jump on the BFF
bandwagon. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?
Anyway, sorry for the LONG read. In closing, if anyone has any live,
unreleased, or bootleg stuff taped that they can sell me, please let me know,
at - Enloejr@aol.com.
Thanks,
Darrell
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 22:20:42 -0500 (EST)
From: Bnanakingg@aol.com
Subject: Salt Lake show anybody?
Ok....
So I found out that BFF is touring with Counting Crows.... two days after
they come to Salt Lake, but then I was reading to find that BFF is passing
through on April 8th at a place called the Zephyer Club. Here's my little
problem: the Zephyer is a bar and I'm only 17.. Is anybody going to this
show and would be willing to tape it for me as I stand outside in the cold,
wishing that I were born a few years earlier?
Take care,
Bryce
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 97 22:10:00 -0600
From: "Scott A. Schneider" <echo@msn.globaldialog.com>
Subject: Another review.
> 1. One Angry Dwarf- Highest energy of any of the tracks...maybe the best
> song on here, but it wasn't exclusively new for this album (a point I will
> make later). Rating: 10
I agree... this is going to be the next single.
> 3. Brick- ARGH! I would just like to comment that there are TOO MANY
> FRIGGIN BALLADS ON THIS CD! BFF is all about high energy, high
> performance music. Some slow-downs are fine, by all means, but this album
> (as I will further elaborate) has too many. That said, Brick is the best
> of the soppy slow pieces of crap. It's actually quite a good tune.
> RATING: 7
"Soppy slow pieces of crap"? Personally, I thought the track was pretty
damn catch for a ballad. I agree that the second album isn't as
high-energy as the first... but if the second album sounded identical to
the first... well then, Ben Folds Five would run the risk of becoming
Green Day (in the essence that everything sounds like it could fit on
one, huge album. Diversity is a good thing).
> 4. Song for the Dumped- Okay, I'm spoiled. I've seen this showstopper
> in concert and it was a billion times better. But I take this song with
> the same grain of salt that I take a Dave Matthews record...you just can't
> imitate the live show on cd. This is of course a classic, just wish they
> could have squeezed something more out of it. RATING: 9
Yah. And as far as studio versions, the one on the Mr. Wrong soundtrack
is better.
> 5. Selfless- Hi, I'm Ben Folds. I'm the bastard love child of Billy
> RATING: 3.5
Well, I don't know about "this just sucks", because I'd rather be
listening to it than something like Oasis or Alanis, but I found it to be
one of the more "boring" songs...
> 6. Kate- Great song. Rollicky, classic. RATING: 9
It's alright. I'd maybe put it in 4th place on the album.
> 7. Smoke- Bah. The only thing saving this song are the accompanying
> instruments. Still very bad, very sappy, not enough Robert and Darren.
> RATING: 4
Interesting lyrics, a song that's gotta grow on you, I guess. I hate it
at first. I like it now, but not nearly as much as other BFF stuff.
> 8. Cigarette- Needless on the record. Absoutely. I HATE this track
> it's a waste. RATING: 1
Well... only a waste of a minute and a half. Not the best, but not
exactly something I'd cue up for my friends and go "doesn't this ROCK?!"
> 9. Steven's Last Night
> RATING: 9
Swing-era Ben Folds. Rock on.
Well... those were the comments I felt the need to comment on. I like a
lot of the songs on the new album, but I think that the first album is
better overall. If I had $12 and a choice between the two for a long car
ride, I'd pick the first.
My top five picks, in order: Angry Drarf, Brick, Steven, Battle, and a
tie betwen Kate and Song/Dumped.
My least favorite: Selfless.
...and there you have it.
Scott
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 10:38:46 -0500 (EST)
From: BUSCSAW1 <BUSCSAW1@livjm.ac.uk>
Subject: Kate
Just who is Kate???
Top album, does anyone know when they'll next be in the UK??
Kate
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 01:03:39 -0600 (CST)
From: Leonard Barszap <lendakike@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Hava Nagilah
Who is singing on Hava Nagilah?
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 07:47:32 -0500
From: "James A. Rota II" <googotz@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #206
Ben Folds Five at Irving Plaza, NYC 4/28/97...
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 16:05:37 +0
From: "S I PICK (BA (Hons) Design)" <AJBA0048@newi.ac.uk>
Subject: Jellyfish - where are they now?! (sob!)
Boo, hoo.
Rading that last post in the last Magical Armchair reminded me what a
groovy band Jellyfish were, before they had to split up and go their
separate ways - Andy S moving on to produce the weird "Moog Cookbook"
(www.moogcookbook.com/), though I reckon Spilt Milk is one of the
greatest albums ever, and listening to Ben Folds Five always reminds
me of Jellyfish - they're sort of like a replacement to my Jellyfish
fix, though a very good replacement.
And I agree with what someone said about Whatever... being one of
those albums you can't stop listening to - it gets better with every
play!
By the way, any e-mail would be appreciated. I'm currently staying in
a hostel in the holidays all by myself, and the thought that I might
turn into Jack Nicholson from The Shining over the two weeks might be
too much...
Thanks for everyfink!
Steve ;)~
AJBA0048@newi.ac.uk
http://www.ace.mdx.ac.uk/hyperhomes/houses/steven/home.htm
"Love is blind, deaf and dumb but never mind..."
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I wonder if she knows which way is down