THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #147 - October 8, 1996
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #147
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Topics for Today:
Reactions to Songs
PICTURES ARE IN!!!
add me to the list!
Re: new import cd singles
re: bootlegs
New Inmport Singles
Re: Song for the Dumped
RE: God Bless Ben Folds Five
RE: Bootlegs & Built To Spill/Doug Martsch
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 18:32:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: THE YANKEE <mcdonpj3@wfu.edu>
Subject: Reactions to Songs
Someone asked about what kind of reactions they had to songs on the disc:
<ramble>
I reacted most to :
First impressions:
Jackson Cannery-the way Ben and Robert hit you on that song when you've
never heard the disc is KILLER.
Best Imitation...-the best "take me as I am or not at all" song I've
heard in a while.
Underground-its "movements" remind me of Bohemian Rhapsody. Nobody
thinks of writing songs like that anymore.
More subtly:
Video-I think this has a lot to say about what people outside
Generation X think Gen X is supposed to be, and some of what is really
wrong with that. A lot for all to think about.
Last Polka-think about how many times the kindest truths ARE often spoke
but never heard.
Philosophy-I just really identify with how Ben's songs look at the value
of the individual.
</ramble>
Thanks for listening,
Patrick J. McDonough
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 19:03:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: THE YANKEE <mcdonpj3@wfu.edu>
Subject: PICTURES ARE IN!!!
These pictures were taken at the Ziggy's show.
The BFF pictures are mostly (not tooting my own horn, now) excellent quality.
They were taken from the left side of the stage with the keyboard in full
view. I used 200-speed film in a point and shoot 35mm camera with a
flash. The only picture that is slightly out of focus is the one of me
and Ben after the show, which I assume few people have any interest in
besides me.
Here are some shot descriptions:
1. Ben's head in between two other rather large fans
2. Right side of piano, Darren and Robert in full view playing hard
3. 3/4 of Ben over a few fans-full view of piano, amp, can sorta see
setlist
4. Ben playing wacky instrument for Stephen's Last Night, Robert
Singing over fans' heads
5. Ben playing/singing (Boxing?), both hands visible, Darren in
background below Ziggy's logo.
6. Ben and Darren playing full force, Last polka, I think...
7. Ben, three feet in front of me, piano stool in hand, ready to
toss-
8. Ben throwing stool like olympic javelinist-awesome...
9. Me + Ben.
In light of the recent discussion here, let me say this. These are good
pictures, and I would like to share them with fellow BFF enthusiasts. If
anyone would like pictures, please email me privately rather than clutter
the list.
As for the cost of reprints and mailing, I simply seek to be
reimbursed (or better yet, pre-imbursed for the cost of the pictures, a
good envelope, and postage). This is a strictly not-for-profit fan-to-fan
thing. If anyone would like to trade quality bootlegs for pictures, I
would be interested in that as well.
My email address, which I check regularly, is mcdonpj3@wfu.edu.
I will add this info to my homepage at
http://www.wfu.edu/~mcdonpj3/music.html
(sorry, no access to a scanner right now)
Later,
Patrick J. McDonough
==============================================================================
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 01:13:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tucker Linda Lorraine <tucker5@server.uwindsor.ca>
Subject: add me to the list!
Heh there, My name is Linda Tucker and I am your new #1 fan of Ben
Folds Five (ok, that was a little blunt but I do love those guys).
After many months of reading reviews, articles, etc, I finally decided to
pick up a copy of their cd. WOW. I am so incredibly impressed by this
band that I'm going nuts. I ordered all their cd singles available (3 in
total) and look forward to seeing them whenever they come my way.
I actually do a radio show on our local community station CJAM 91.5FM.
My show is a free-format kinda show. I called it A "Fishing Tale". As
soon as I heard the BFF cd I bought, I did a whole artist profile thing
on it from the info I got from your web page.
Linda Tucker
University of Windsor
Communication Studies - yr 2
==============================================================================
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 13:20:17 BST
From: Katy Appleton <K.Appleton@uea.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: new import cd singles
Damflevy@aol.com wrote:
> I have only been able to find part 2 of the cd single for
> "underground".
> Does part 1 have a live version of "Video Killed the
> Radio Star", or is it just "Video"
It's just "Video".
Katy
--
Katy Appleton, Environmental Sciences student, UEA, Norwich
* k.appleton@uea.ac.uk * http://www.uea.ac.uk/~u9511237 *
Back at uni and without any witty taglines... :o(
==============================================================================
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 20:57:55 -0400
From: - Steady Eddy - <bartok@istar.ca>
Subject: re: bootlegs
I have no problem with the sale of CD Bootlegs for profit. I
actually own quite a few myself(by other bands). The good ones provide
fans with live tracks that they wouldn't normally hear. If a BF5 CD Boot
ever popped up, I would spend $30 on it in a heartbeat. I could really
care less if some guy is making a profit on it. If it really does hurt
the band, they should just release a live CD of thier own(like Pearl Jam
did a few years back) with all of the songs on it, then we would have no
reason to buy bootlegs.
-Jared
>>first of all, i semi agree with you. however, do you really think that if
>>they were to put out a live album, the bootleg sales would drop? i don't
>>think so. there's a lot of bands out there with live albums. king crimson
>>put out an official bootleg album but there are still thousands of people
>>who want more and different live stuff.
ed
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 10:31:54 -0500
From: JLUE@HANYS.ORG
Subject: New Inmport Singles
The Underground Part One has Satin is My
Master, and Video (not Video Killed the Radio
Star). Both of these tracks were recorded at
Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC in 8/95.
As a matter of fact it's kind of funny that you
asked in this particular issue. I just received a
copy this morning.
What is on Part 2 of the set ?
Joe.
[Part 2 has the full version of Underground and two live tracks from
the Ziggy's show: Jackson Cannery and Underground. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 13:04:58 -0400
From: JWARNER <jwarner@aaas.org>
Subject: Re: Song for the Dumped
Just responding to that person who was looking for "Song for the Dumped"
and any other interested parties... it's on the "Mr. Wrong" soundtrack
(recent Ellen DeGeneres movie), if you're brave enough to buy it.
Justin Warner jwarner@aaas.org
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 16:28:36 -0400
From: Foligno Lara <lfoligno@cmp.com>
Subject: RE: God Bless Ben Folds Five
in response to rob s, the self-proclaimed bad rock critic -
i didn't discover bff through the cmj. i actually was introduced to
bff's music by a good friend of mine who is the program director of the
edge radio station up in albany, ny. he sent me a tape with
"underground" on it, and i almost wore the tape through playing that song
over and over, so i finally had to suck it up and buy the cd. the one
track that pretty much hit me between the eyes was "where's summer b?" -
don't know why, but it was one of those 'i've known this song forever and
only now has it been recorded' kind of experiences. as for the rest of
the tracks, they too have been permanently etched onto my brain. can't
wait to see them live. should be something akin to a religious
experience.
- Lara
ps - haven't been to sam ash or any other music stores lately; does the
bff album exist as a hal leonard-type piano-vocal-guitar book yet? if
not, do any websites have this info posted? thanks :)
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 14:34:30 -0700
From: Peter Duniho <peted@microsoft.com>
Subject: RE: Bootlegs & Built To Spill/Doug Martsch
Hi there! To this point, I've just been lurking, hoping to get info on
another performance like the incredible show I saw at Moe's Mo' Roc'n
Cafe here in Seattle. But, there's a couple of interesting threads
going on, and I thought I'd jump in now... :)
Just for introductory background info, I found out about BF5 from some
fellow Posies fans on the Posies "Dear23" Internet email list. I picked
up the CD at Planet Music while vacationing over Christmas back in MD
last year, and it *immediate* became my very favorite CD! :) The Moe's
show was in March, and was simply fabulous. So, here I am... :)
> Date: Thu, 03 Oct 1996 14:36:12 -0500 (EST)
> From: jpinkos@lakers.lssu.edu
> Subject: Bootlegs
>
> I have no problem with the sale of CD Bootlegs for profit. I
> actually own quite a few myself(by other bands). The good ones provide
> fans with live tracks that they wouldn't normally hear. If a BF5 CD Boot
> ever popped up, I would spend $30 on it in a heartbeat. I could really
> care less if some guy is making a profit on it.
I agree that bootlegs, if condoned by the band (as they seem to be
here), are okay. However, I definitely *disagree* that it's okay for
someone else to make a profit on a BF5 bootleg, assuming that the band
had not given explicit permission to sell it at a profit. Just because
the band isn't releasing a live album themselves, that does not then
make it okay for someone else to make a buck off the band doing the
same. The band, as the creative soul of the product, and the only
people who actually make the product worth any money, should and do have
complete control over how their creativity is used, and no one else
should be permitted to exploit them in this way.
Ironically, if someone is selling bootlegs at a profit (like $30 for a
CD, for example), it's probably the record label that's going to have
the most to say. And they've got lawyers...
Then, someone else wrote...
> Date: Thu, 03 Oct 1996 15:01:44 -0600
> From: Adam Metz <ajmetz@students.wisc.edu>
> Subject: Built To Spill/Doug Martsch
>
> For anyone who knows little about Built To Spill, they have about 3
> albums:
>
> *Ultimate Alternative Wavers
> *There's Nothing Wrong With Love
> *The Normal Years
> *Caustic Resin (EP)
Hey, can you provide some insight here. I've got an album by a *band*
named "Caustic Resin." The album is named "Fly Me To The Moon," and is
a sort of cool ambient industrial type of music. It was a Ken
Stringfellow (of the Posies) recommendation (via the Dear23 list), and I
like it a lot. The name of the band isn't something I'd expect to see
randomly generated by independent artists, so I'm wonder if there's some
connection between this Built To Spill EP, and the band Caustic Resin?
Anyone know?
Pete Duniho
peted@microsoft.com
ps. I mean this *only* in the best way (ie, anyone interpreting any
sort of criticism or slam here is reading in something that I didn't
mean to write!), but...has anyone else had the impression that the BF5
drummer (sorry, yes...I'm still so unfamiliar with the band, I don't
remember his name) has this look of almost agonized ecstasy on his face
while he plays? He's like a mad-man grinning and drumming away back
there! It looks like he's so happy, he's in pain...
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