Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #52 - March 15, 1996

                     Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #52
 
Topics for Today:
 
      Ben Boots
      BF5 on MuchMusic
      the five live in old Salt Lake
      BF5 in Seventeen
      BFF Digest #51 - Anna Goodman
      3LB thrill
      Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #51
 
==============================================================================

 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 01:33:56 -0500
 From: Bunbury <Adam.S.Bloom@williams.edu>
 Subject: Ben Boots

 What's the story with BF5 bootlegs?  I assume there are several out
 there, but how is the quality, and other such stuff?  Are they on CD
 or tape?  Were they taken directly off the board, or were they
 recorded by some guy sitting in the front row with a microcassette
 recorder?  How can I get my hands on a copy or two?

 Also to be asked... which are the best boots to get?  Any
 suggestions, comments, etc?

 TTFN,
 Adam

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 01:42:47 -0500
 From: Melanie Schatz <st942523@PIP.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU>
 Subject: BF5 on MuchMusic

 Hey guys!

 I'm sort of new here, and I just read on last night's post (#51) that BF5
 was on the tv show MuchMusic.  If ANYONE out there has a copy of this show,
 please write back to me...I would love a copy of it!

 Thanks!
 melanie
 st942523@pip.cc.brandeis.edu

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 23:52:04 -0700
 From: los daytones <Elizabeth.Dayton@m.cc.utah.edu>
 Subject: the five live in old Salt Lake

 Hi,
 Just a little salt for all of you lamenting your inability to see the
 "five." We saw them on monday night in Salt Lake City and they were
 life-altering. A nod to their harmonies and playing. It's a given that
 Ben can play, but I was standing right in front of Robert and I must
 say,  he man plays that bass like it is an extra bodily appendage. They
 played like a well oiled machine. Perhaps the best compliment came from
 two friends I dragged along who had heard nothing of their music. They
 loved it having never heard them! How often can you say that for a live
 band---I sure as hell couldn't say it for the Customers. I was witness
 to future juke box heroes on monday and I shan't forget.

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 10:37:22 -0500
 From: pprociss <pprociss@sun.tir.com>
 Subject: BF5 in Seventeen

 Hey everybody i was reading through my April edition of Seventeen
 magazine(and yes i still get it my mom payed for it so what the hec) anyways
 to my amazement on pg.116, i think it was there was a small section about
 bands with numbers in theire names. Listed was Seven Mary Three, someone
 else and tada! BEN FOLDS FIVE!! It says Ben folds Five=the goofiness of The
 Presidents of USA x Billy Joel- his sapiness. Whatever, how dare they
 compare them to the Presidents!!Anyways It doesn't really say anything else
 interseting about themexcept that there are three cute guys(it is Seventeen
 afterall) and there is a tiny like 2 x1 inch picture of the guys.
         Oh well even Seventeen is better than nothing!!Maybe i'll have my
 mom get another subscription....well, maybe not.

 Shannon

 ==============================================================================

 Date: 15 Mar 96 10:47:37
 From: Pat Meusel <Pat_Meusel@sonymusic.com>
 Subject: BFF Digest #51 - Anna Goodman

 Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 23:21:26 CST
  From: binky@clubhouse.email.net
  Subject: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #50

  Anybody out there have any info on Anna Goodman (co-writer of "Alice
  Childress" and "The Last Polka", two of the best pop songs I've heard in a
  long damn time)? Stuff like, has she recorded anything or collaborated with
  anyone I can get a hold of? I'd really appreciate any poop...


 Wasn't Ben married to Anna?  Not to get too Tiger-Beatish, but I think they
 split when Ben moved from NYC back to Chapel Hill.  She'd landed a gig at MTV
 and didn't want to leave.  And then space aliens came and...

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 14:33:24 -0500
 From: KurtCCrow@aol.com
 Subject: 3LB thrill

 I saw them open up for Ben Folds five they where really great.  I just got
 there album last night  it's great.. the song Diana  rocks..  if you can find
 it..  buy it...

 Later,
 Kurt

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 08:08:47 -0800
 From: Doug Swan <dswan@path.org>
 Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #51

 Eileen said:

 > Anyway, a few of my friends in Seattle went to the show at Moe's last
 > Saturday night, but their reviews of the show were quite different from the
 > mixed review by Doug Swan in Digest #49. How can anyone be disappointed
 with the live performance of a
 > band that puts everything they have into each show, sounds better live than
 > on CD (that's what I've heard), and plays at local bars for a $6 admission
 > price and hopefully a meal.

 Hi Eileen.  Thanks for the honest criticisms.  Actually, I have posted
 responses to several such observations in the last week (privately).  I
 guess I should have posted my responses for clarification.  First of all, I
 don't recall ever saying that I was dissapointed, if I did, it was a poor
 choice of words.  This was more a case of heightened expectations, rather
 than abject dissapointment.  From what I had heard on the list, I was really
 expecting something very special from a performance standpoint.  What I saw
 was a group of hard working musicians who kept contact with their audience
 and were very expressive from a presentation standpoint.  By their own
 admission, they said that this was not their most energetic show, as they
 were tired from so much travel.  Despite that, they put on the best "show"
 of the year (IMO), although a recent Posies show at the Backstage was pretty
 damn good too.  I already addressed the fact that the music was absolutely
 outstanding.  Their was nothing dissapointing about the show, other than the
 hype that preceeded it--and I should know better!

 > doubt they're going to take out a loan so they can invest in a device
 that'll enable Ben to catapult across the club while he's still playing...

 Hey, I kind of like this idea.  It would make his body slams even more
 spectacular! ;-)

 > Lastly, and then I swear I'll shut up, I really appreciate Ben's talents and
 > I am, in no way, taking anything away from him -- but as a bass player
 > myself, I must say that it really bothers me when people refer to BFF as
 > "he".  BFF is a band -- an awesome band.  They wouldn't be the same without
 > that killer rhythm section and those amazing back-up vocals.  Yes, Ben can
 > easily stand on his own, but the whole genius that is BFF would be lost
 > without Robert and Darren.  Not to say that another bass player and drummer
 > couldn't step in and do a good job, but it wouldn't be BFF.  A band is unique
 > because it's cast of characters are unique -- because they each have
 > something different to contribute -- because when they get together to play
 > there's chemisty... magic.

 You'll have absolutely no argument from me on this one.  The band is
 wonderful.  The bass player puts out an amazing amount of sound.  What I
 said, was that even if this band doesn't make it, I have a strong feeling
 that Ben will be around for years to come.  He does write the songs, he does
 sing ALL of them, and this group would not exist except for him (and vice
 versa).  That doesn't mean that Robert and Darren would not be very
 successful in other bands, or even as frontmen for their own bands.  I guess
 I should have also said that I think that Robert and Darren will also be
 around for some time to come.  This band has outstanding chemistry--as good
 as I've ever been priviledged to witness.

 > So, as awesome as we know Ben is -- and
 > he is -- please don't downplay the importance of Robert and Darren and the
 > fact that BFF is a great BAND.

 Never!

 > I'll shut up now.

 Me too.  Take care Eileen, I hope that my response has cleared up any
 confusion regarding my "review" earlier this week.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Doug Swan                                               EMAIL: dswan@path.org

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