Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #101 - June 18, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #101
Reminder: When replying to this message, please change the Subject: field
from Ben Folds Five Digest to something better describing your post.
Topics for Today:
My pal, Frank
BFF: Next Album name? and MORE!
ice storm woes
Just who are those Jellyfish people?
Three stars
Nothing in Particular ... Just Kudos!
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #100
Re: Ben Folds Five Rule!
BFF: Chilton, 2nd album, Covers
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 17:57:36 -0400
From: IamFult@aol.com
Subject: My pal, Frank
Last issue someone brought up the question, who is Frank Maynard. I've been
on the list since before 100 members and I still don't know. All I know is
that he took a trip to Disney World and had fun. So Frank, please, rise from
your humble couch of modesty and open up...share with the group if you will.
5oo members and 100 issues...you deserve it!!!
Congrats to all and I'll see you in the pit.
How 'bout on the Hello My Name is...stickers we just put our e-mail
addresses? Or what # member we are, if there is such a list that keeps
track.
[Well, I can tell you that Frank Maynard is the person who puts
together this mailing list... that should tell you something. You can
glean a few more bits of info from my personal homepage. Finding its url
is left as an exercise to the reader. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 19:50:32 GMT
From: Paul Teeple <bteeple@cyberdrive.net>
Subject: BFF: Next Album name? and MORE!
I've been thinking about what the next BFF album name would be, and really,
I'm absolutely baffled, because I haven't heard any BFF live because the day
they played Cleveland I was in Florida, but I think it would be fun if we
suggested or tried to guess the name of the next LP, since we are the
greatest Ben Folds Five Fans in the world. I also had a brainstorm idea
today for recognizing other people at concerts, does anybody remember those
tiny bicycle license plates with your name on them? We should all wear
those little liscense plates somewhere (probably attached to our shirts
somehow) with the name "BEN" on them. I liked the "HELLO MY NAME is:" idea,
but we would hurt the environment by throwing away those stickers after
every concert (I think <g>). Hey all you webmasters, have any of you found
any good BFF related images that would be a candidate for a document
background? If you do, could you send me some E-mail telling me where I
could find it?
-Paul
-http://www.cyberdrive.net/~bteeple/benfolds.htm
-http://www.cyberdrive.net/~bteeple/Spacehog/
"So put the sugar in the tank of the sheriff's car and slash the deputy's
tires, they won't get very far"
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 22:24:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jenn Halter <jlh4935@email.unc.edu>
Subject: ice storm woes
john says-
> By the way, I live in Chapel Hill, but have only
> gotten to see Ben once - that was in January the night of one of the
> big ice storms we had this past winter. Despite the ice and the
> cold, the boys played an awesome show. Unfortunately, I couldn't get
> anybody else to go with me that night because of the weather. I'm
I remember this night well- I was sitting under the stage right speaker
cabinet right behind Ben so I could watch him play. Then I grabbed his
set list off the floor (cleverly written on the back of a COLOR promo photo
with Ben's foot print on it) and then got it signed by them! and the
weather!! I was walking home down Greensboro St. and I made it to the
end of my driveway before busting and falling flat on my back- woo what a
headache! but it was worth it! :)
jenn
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 23:34:27 -0400
From: Tocadisco@aol.com
Subject: Just who are those Jellyfish people?
<< After BFF played the Hard Rock Cafe out here in Newport Beach last
December, my friend and I spoke with Ben between his set and Barenaked
Ladies' set. Being big Jellyfish fans, we asked him if he listened to
Jellyfish. He said he hadn't heard them, but people had told him that they
are similar in style and that they were probably both influenced by the
same groups. >>
I've heard Jellyfish mentioned a few times, who exactly are they? Do they
sound like Ben Folds Five? How many people are in the band and what
instruments do they play? Most of all, is it worth buying?
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 96 05:39:36 UT
From: L B <miawlac@msn.com>
Subject: Three stars
Got the review right here in front of me. Rolling Stone 's Jason Cohen gave
the album three stars (of a possible five) and said, "Beneath their sweet
veneer... Ben Folds Five hit hard and deep, thanks to vivid playing and Folds'
stellar songs."
By the way, I saw the band in Cincinnati this week and got to stand right by
the stage--in perfect view of Ben's keyboard. One word: amazing.
Lori
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1996 01:08:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Enrique G Ramirez <riquer@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
Subject: Nothing in Particular ... Just Kudos!
Hi everybody,
I just wanted to tell everyone that I enjoy reading your comments
about BFF and whatever else you like to talk about. I realize I don't
contribute much to the list, yet I always look forward to your keen comments.
excelsior! ....... rique
(PS: I just bought a chromatic harmonica. 'Tis a wonderful instrument!)
==============================================================================
Date: 15 Jun 1996 15:57:00 +0200
From: Daniel Rodrigues Parreira <parreira@aquawolf.xs4all.nl>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #100
On 14.06.96, maynard@mail.oeonline.com wrote:
> [They called it "the debut album of the year" or something like that.
> -fjm]
On the 5 copies of the album that are for sale at a local store here in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, there is a sticker attached to it with exactly
that quote.
_ _ _
_ | \ |_) |_) parreira@aquawolf.xs4all.nl
(_iao... |_/aniel | \odrigues |arreira parreira@ecsi.chem.uva.nl
parreira@tmbg.org
amsterdam, the netherlands, europe
biochemistry student at the pgp key available on request
university of amsterdam http://ecsi.chem.uva.nl/~parreira
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1996 13:17:21 -0400
From: Jessica237@aol.com
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Rule!
Hi, everyone. My name is Jessica Cohen and this is my first post to this. I
was so excited when I found out that there was a mailing list for Ben Folds
Five. It's so great to know that there are other people in the world who have
heard of and who like them. No one where I live has even heard of them.
Luckily, the local radio station has lately picked up on them and has been
playing "Underground" and "Jackson Cannery".
I got turned onto Ben Folds Five when I heard "Underground" when I was in
Florida in February. I came home (to New Jersey) and immediately ran out to
look for their CD. They didn't have it anywhere, but I found it in New York
about a week later. Now, all the record stores are carrying Ben Folds Five.
They are amazing, and I would love it if they could make a return trip out to
New Jersey sometime soon. The closest place they are coming soon is to New
York for Lollapolooza, but I am not paying however much it is to see one
band. Hopefully they'll come here soon.
Anyway, all I can say for now is that :
I LOVE BEN FOLDS FIVE!
Later,
Jess
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1996 14:49:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: eric t beteille <beteille@mary.iia.org>
Subject: BFF: Chilton, 2nd album, Covers
ALEX CHILTON:
Inspired by comments from my fellow Magical Armchair members (plug,
plug) I picked up a CD from Best Buy called "19 Years: A Collection
of Alex Chilton." I was curious to hear this "missing link" between
60s pop music and 80s/90s punk/pop/alternative. The connections are
unmistakeable. Alex was all over the musical map, sounding (at
various times) like Radiohead, Crowded House, REM, U2 (sort of),
Violent Femmes, Green Day (sort of), Buddy Holly, John Lennon,
and, if you really use you imagination, BFF. But Alex did his songs
*long* before any of these bands. The first half of this CD was
done in the first half of the 70s. So his older stuff is ahead of his
time, but, disappointingly, his newer stuff sounds dated. So if you're
*really* into your fave band's musical roots, get this CD. Otherwise,
wait for the next BFF record.
BFF's 2ND ALBUM:
Speaking of that, I'm just as excited as anyone for the next BFF
record (whenever and wherever that may be). But, I'm also a bit
cautious. The first record was the culmination of a lifetime of
work -- songwriting, re-arranging, practice, practice, practice.
My theory is the first album most bands do is their most brilliant
because they've been saving up for it their whole lives, but then
they do their 2nd album in less than a year. Unless BFF has been
saving some gems for us, the 2nd album will be newer, not-as-familiar
material, and many hard-core (close-minded?) fans could be
disappointed.
COVERS:
The main reason I started this BFF cover tune thread was that I heard
BFF do "Video Killed the Radio Star" at the Boulder concert. The BFF
version showcases the difference between song-writing and arranging.
"Video Killed" is a good song... quick, melodic, even powerful ... but
not in the way it was originally recorded by the Buggles. When
re-arranged for the BFF power trio, the song becomes huge.. if you've
seen BFF do it in concert, you know the reactions they get. These are
the kind of cover tunes best suited for BFF: good songs that become
great songs with the BFF spin. (Imagine "Underground" done by *any*
other band.... ugh....) I don't think covering other band's songs
takes away from BFF's talent or appeal.
So I like Frank's "Punk Rock Girl" suggestion, but ... Space Hog?
Oasis? I'm thinking more like... Tom Petty's "American Girl" (Oh yeah,
all right, make it last all night, etc. -- has an eerie resemblance
to the arrangement of "Song for the Dumped"), and the "Always Coca-Cola"
song (good tune, semi-lame lyrics, and I could do without Joey Lawrence
on vocals), and a few others mentioned already. See, if this were
farming, we'd pick the best one from each row, instead of the ones
at the ends of all the rows. (Whoa, deep.)
I now return you to your regularly-scheduled 5-line posts wondering when
the band is coming to a dinner theater near you. (Whoa, kidding.)
Eric
a.k.a. eric@hemi.com, beteille@iia.org, eric1@origincom.com
==============================================================================
[Took a few days off to rest up after passing out at the 100th Issue
commemorative celebration. Wow, what a party. You shoulda been there...
Ben played the piano with his teeth and Darren had one of those
mechanical monkeys that plays the drums. Anyway, another issue follows -
I split it up so it wouldn't be too big. -fjm]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben Folds Five Mailing List
Submit to: maynard@oeonline.com Admin. to: maynard@oeonline.com
WWW homepage: http://oeonline.com/~maynard/bff/
List archive: http://oeonline.com/~maynard/bff/list/
My oh my we're all impressed how sensitive you are