THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #191 - March 4, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #191
REMINDERS:
* Change the subject of your reply to something pertaining to your
message (not "The Magical Armchair, Issue #nnn").
* Don't quote excessively, or quote the entire digest, when replying.
* Please keep non-Ben Folds Five content to a minimum.
Topics for Today:
In regards to the sloow BFF Server...
NME are at it again ... surprise me
Ben Folds Five competition
BFF MP3
The beginning of an era...
The new album rules!!
Cake
New single
Re: Lyrics for Battle of....
Reviews of BoWCCL in Australia.
(no subject)
BoWCCL - Thoughts on the video and B-side...[SPOILERS]
Hit single?
BFF on IRC
Whatever and Ever Amen in Australia
"EXTRA" has been bery, bery good to Ben
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 02:20:53 -0500
From: Animate2 <Animate2@broked.underworld.net>
Subject: In regards to the sloow BFF Server...
I think most of you people out there have noticed the *really SLOW*
serverness which plagues the BF5 site... I got really frustrated trying
to download the BoWCL Quicktime video, (it kept stalling out) so I did a
little ping/traceroute on the www.sony.dreammedia.com site that the
www.bffweb.com site links us to once we hit the opening screen... IT
seems that the server that sony has decided to amass its internet sites
on has some major network problems... I was getting 54% packet loss at
some times... So the site isn't slow, just bogged down w/technical
problems on the server side...
Ok... now onto something a bit less technical and more BF5 related:
Does anybody know how I can get a copy of the new singles? Maybe a store
that would carry them or somewhere I can call up and order them from?
Last time I heard any new BF5 songs was when they last came to
Cincinatti and played this little club called "Club Gotham." It was a
really little place without all that much room to move... which isn't
neccessarily a bad thing;) I got to stand right next to Ben for the
entire concert (There wasn't that much of a stage) They played some
covers that I'd like to get on tape (if anybody has any BF5 concert
recorded, PLEASE CONTACT ME!:) The entire club was dark when they opened
(I thought the roadies were playing with the lights or something), and
then I heard Ben playing something on the piano that seemed vaguely
familiar. . . I didn't realize what it was until he started singing; It
was Liz Phair's "Chopsticks" It's kinda weird, listening to Ben Folds
sing about how he went to summer camp w/Julia Roberts... 'specially
since, well, he didn't:) They also played Champagne Supernova, An Elvis
Costello (???) song (Not sure of the name, but is goes "Can you tell me
why... I don't like Mondays... I don't like Mondays) and a couple other
songs... For a bit they were taking requests, and I almost yelled for an
XTC song, but that's just me...;P
Allan Hsu
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 12:34:13 GMT
From: Andy Hewitt <mbcx6adh@mh2.mcc.ac.uk>
Subject: NME are at it again ... surprise me
Leafing throught he pages of the music newspaper that everybody loves
to hate I came upon the review of the new BFF album .
Good points :
"From the opening line of 'Underground' (c'mon , admit it , a
classic)"
is one good point . As is :
"And exhaustingly adept as a musician that he is - let's face it ,
you could put Ben in a studio with every single one of our rock
illuminatiand he could outplay the lot of them"
is another .
They just seem to be all cut up about his attitude or something like
that . They don't like the whole 'uncool' type thingy and thinks that
songs about that kind of thing should be condemned out of hand .
They did like 'Smoke' and grudgingly 'Battle ...' , and gave it a
not-terrible six out of ten .
Hmmm , my mark for the reviewer . C- , could do better ...
And Mark , did you get the ticket for the show ?
Andy Hewitt
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 15:02:53 +0000
From: S E Press <SHEP@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: Ben Folds Five competition
Hi,
On the Sheffield Electronic Press at the moment, we are running a
competition which will be of great interest for all Ben Folds Five fans
- a chance to win one of three signed copied of the new album, Whatever
And Ever Amen, and get their questions answered in the process.
To find out more, take a look at:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~shep/music/comp/
It would be good if you could put a link in to this competition on your
website to spread the word amongst fans, but if you decide not to then I
hope you'll take the time to enter yourselves.
We have also got a hot new review of the new album, which can be
accessed though the competition page.
Thanks very much,
Ian Youngs - ShEP Music Editor
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 13:24:12 +0500
From: Patrick Savage <psavage@vt.edu>
Subject: BFF MP3
Mike Piccuirro <mikeman@pegasus.rutgers.edu> wrote:
> I have just discovered the beauty of the MP3 compression files. It's
> a new format for storing CD quality audio files with something like a
> 12:1 compression ratio.
I've put an MP3 of BOWCCL at the link below so check it out...needless to
say it's an incredible song although it took a little while to grow on me.
The file is zipped because for some reason it would get corrupted
otherwise...weird, but it's happened before and I have no idea why.
Anyway, enjoy!
http://www.cslab.vt.edu/~psavage/bff.zip
--
Pat
psavage@vt.edu
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 15:30:48 -0800 (PST)
From: Chad Wheeler <rednewt@hotmail.com>
Subject: The beginning of an era...
Hi there gang! This is my first post after reading MA for approx. 2weeks,
3days, 8hours, 46minutes, and 15(make that 16)seconds. ha. See, that's a
joke. Laugh. (canned laughter) Ha ha ha, No but seriously folks, this is
all a front for the dismal feeling of solitude I'm feeling at the moment.
It's definitly NOT cool to B alone.There is absolutely no one in this town
who listens to BFF, much less even heard of them. I got the new CMJ and I
needed to share BoWCCL with someone so badly, (and I'm not really ashamed
of this, well kind of...), that I called my best friend in Houston just to
play it for him. To make matters worse, he wasn't even home. That's right
troopers, you guessed it. When he gets home he'll have twenty+ messages (I
lost count at 24) all of BoWCCL neatly divided into 15 second intervals.
Ever the dutiful, or more precisly, ever the over enthusiastic, I paused
the cd after each stop and at the beep let her rip once again. It took
like twenty minutes but it was definitly worth it cause I got the
immediate surge out of my system. Its great! No, its super! No, its
Fantabuloso! Ha! Didn't think I could spell that, did you? well I can! I
can even spell words like "bruhaha" and "extraterrestrial" and even
"their." I have parochial grade school to thank for that. They scared me
away from religion, but BOY, can I spell! Anyway, speaking of words, what
happens if I call somebody "gormless"? I mean, what does it mean? What's
it all about? Alfie...No, Darren, and he's looking "gormless." Do Fold
Fivers in England speak english? *SARCASM* As an American, I demand my
constitutional right to have you speak English to me. I'm an American,
damn it!!! Alright. Enough of this nationalistic tomfoolery. Somebody
wanted the transcription man's address. I have it. rednewt@hotmail.com I'm
not posting it cause I'm not sure he wants it out but I'll ask him and
we'll just have to see...what's the deal with the piano books autographed
by Benjammin himself? I GOTTA HAVE ONE!!! It's better than the Franklin
Mint's Spring Line of Collectible Plates!!! I'm listing to CMJ right now
and I'm wondering, who IS Ben's hero? I'll bet it's Mr Rogers or someother
friendly PBS personality. Leads me to the next bus: I think it's something
about finding "...four portraits of General Apathy and Major Boredom
singing..." Of course, if someone wanted to post the real lyrics, hey,
wouldn't we all be happier... ;) Last bit, if anyone taped the 120 Minutes
De-But I'd really like to get my grubby midwestern hands on it. "America's
Heartland" frustratingly only beats mainly to Def LePUD, Poison, Trixter,
and the glamrock list goes on. Uggh. It's enough to make one think power
bangs are manly and coming back...however, that's to say they were once
IN...Oh right, about the 120Min. tape, I'd be ready to trade a blank
videotape for it or, if anyone's interested, I can send a pretty
interesting mix tape of Springfield's very own Zabba Zabba Productions.
It's a pretty funny tape, about three hours long and featuring such
professional home movie favorites, not to mention classics, as Psycho Boy,
The Magic Monkey, and its sequel, Thamien Russell and the Quest for the
Magic Monkey. We(ZabbaZabbaPro.) are film and theatre majors,
respectfully, so in all humbleness, it's pretty entertaining! Plus it's
free! Well I guess that's it, if Frank even decides to post this, (Frank,
this will never happen again, I swear! On the Franklin f****n Mint, in
fact. Besides, this is my first post so don't I get a warning or
something? Please post this. I beg you. I'll even stop stalking you...HA!
Now THAT'S a joke!!
Chad "ill in illinois" Wheeler
"Eggs and Toast.
Toast and Eggs."
-scene from Der Judge (a ZZPro.)
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:07:04 -0600 (CST)
From: samuel jacob lewis <sjlewis@students.uiuc.edu>
Subject: The new album rules!!
I just wanted to feel like the rest of you lucky ones and brag a bit. I
got the new album and it rocks my world. Don't listen to any negative
s*** you may hear about this album, you must hear it for yourselves. The
slow songs are as melodic as ever and the harmonies and "ba pa da's" are
out of this world. I also love the klezmatics on "Steven's Last Night In
Town", it totally gives the song a new flavor. Right now, I'm in love
with "Fair", "Battle of..." and "Missing the War" along with the Japanese
version of "Song for the Dumped" (hilarious). All in all, this disc
made me shake my ass all over my apartment. I felt weird saying that BFF
were my favorite band when they only had one record out but my opinion of
them has been strengthened. I will now let the world know "I F***ING
LOVE BEN FOLDS FIVE!!"
Thanks Azusa, you are the greatest!
That's all folks.
Sam Lewis
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:11:47 -0600 (CST)
From: Nate Mathews <nmathews@mork.uni.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Cake
I am also a big fan of Cake and in some ways BF5 and Cake come from the
same sort of southern style rock n roll. Other than that theyre alot
different. I like 'em both.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cross Country: Finally a practical use for golf courses
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 16:30:44 -0500 (EST)
From: Brad654@aol.com
Subject: New single
I just heard the CMJ disc about 5 minutes ago. Of course, the first track I
cued was BoWCCL.
I'm curious-- those of you who said the new single was
overproduced/different/not any good (pick one), I'd like to say that I think
the tune is a natural progression from the band's last record (or CD, I
realized I just dated myself there).
I mean, I'm pretty sure that none of us would have wanted "Whatever And
Ever..." to sound just like the debut disc. Would we? I, for one, dig when
you can hear the evolution of acts when you listen to a discography. Take the
Police: "Outlandos d'Amour" was straightforward, balls-to-the-wall
punk/reggae. The next record was more toward reggae, the next two began
leaning more toward pop, and then "Synchronicity" was a masterpeice, plain
and simple. And if you listen to "Outlandos," then "Synchronicty," it's
hardly even the same band.
All that to say that if BoWCCL had been a "Jackson Cannery" retread, we'd
love it for awhile because it was new BF5, but then we'd realize what it was
and scream bloody murder and wonder to ourselves if BF5 was a fluke, or if
Ben's creativity was dried up.
So the new tune gets my vote. I can't wait to hear the rest of the evolution.
I, like normal people, have to wait till the 18th. Poor us.
brad
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 19:18:46 -0500 (EST)
From: JoanneQ@aol.com
Subject: Re: Lyrics for Battle of....
For the person who asked about the lyrics of the new single, here's how that
part goes:
I've got this great idea, Why don't we pitch it to the Franklin F***ing
Mint
Find a pair of portraits of General Apathy and Major Boredom singing
Whatever and ever, Amen.
For anyone who doesn't know, the Franklin Mint puts out collectables such as
Gold-plated monopoly boards and Star Wars plates, for the amazingly low price
of 4 easy installments of only $29.95...
We happen to live right down the street from the Franklin F***ing Mint, so
it's kind of cool hearing it in a BFF song.
And for the person who said (888)BENFOLDS5 isn't a real #, once you dial the
first 7 numbers (10 numbers if you count the 888), the call goes through.
Companies do this all the time to make their phone numbers easy to
remember-any extra numbers you call don't affect the call. Well, bye for
now.
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 17:14:58 +1100 (EST)
From: Derek Scott <scoco@netspace.net.au>
Subject: Reviews of BoWCCL in Australia.
Well, I was pretty excited when my friend, who had Juice magazine showed me
a review of BoWCCL in Juice, but then when they were in Rolling Stone as
well...WITH a picture! I might buy the magazines or I'll just cut the pages
out of hers! I think she's going to scan a photo for me and I'll get the
reviews up sometime. So, if anyone's interested...
But that's about all the evidence over here I've seen of the new album. Hope
it comes out soon! But I'm going to Japan in about a month so I'll get some
great stuff over there, I hope!
Claire.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
! Claire !
! "i want to live and breathe. i want to be part of the human race." !
! -radiohead !
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 00:05:14 -0000
From: Jody Loughlin <jojololo@sprynet.com>
Subject: (no subject)
Ben Folds Five blows the hinges off!!!!! 2,000+ visitors to their web
site is a crock. Can't wait to see them at Irvine Meadows with Counting
Crows and get the new CD March 18. Bought their first CD over a year ago
and it's still one of our favorites.
Peter & Jody Loughlin
Tarzana, CA
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 20:44:35 -0500
From: Mandel Ilagan <ilagan@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: BoWCCL - Thoughts on the video and B-side...[SPOILERS]
As you know the video for "Battle of Who Could Care Less" did NOT premiere
last Sunday on "120 Minutes" (Grrr...), but it did make an appearance in a
great piano block during Thursday's M2 simulcast. It was great seeing the
video for Joe Jackson's "Breaking Us In Two." Brought back memories of
being raised on classic MTV...Anyhoo, I digress...
(A word of warning that if you haven't seen the video and don't want
details, please do not read on!)
I think the video is well done. It doesn't have the sloppy look that the
"Underground" video did, but on the other hand, it doesn't have all the
goofiness that made "Uncle Walter" great. The editing, mixing the black
and white footage with the color footage, has a nice effect keeping the
visuals interesting and lively. At times the black and white shots called
to mind The Police's "Every Breath You Take" video...Yeah, it's a stretch,
but in a way it did. It's interesting though to note what got bleeped out
and how it got bleeped out. "Weed" is blatantly not there (It did survive
in the closed captioning) and "F***in'" is also bleeped out. However, the
"F***in'" is still pretty discernible despite the edit. The video is
highlighted by some foolin' around by the band. Notable bits include
Darren on the piano and Ben on the drums, Ben sporting a fake mustache, and
Robert flashing the ol' "Satan" sign with his fingers at the end.
All in all, the video is professional-looking, simple, and pretty much
straightforward, but certainly not bland. The only things that I would
have wanted to see were just a tad bit more humor and maybe even a cameo
appearance by Jim Rockford himself, James Garner.
I managed to pick up the singles for BoWCCL and I give a thumbs up to both
of 'em. Great B-sides! "Champagne Supernova" country-style is a hoot, but
the best and most interesting of the lot has to be "For Those of Y'all Wear
Fanny Packs." I'm still trying to figure what it's all about...that's IF
it's about anything at all! Any takers on what it's about? (And don't say
"six minutes long!")
Anyhoo, I just wanted to throw my two pennies in...
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: 26 Feb 97 22:15:07 GMT-1
From: Jos van Oijen <jvoijen@foxhunt.xs4all.nl>
Subject: Hit single?
Today I got the new CD. It has a sticker "includes the hit single
BATTLE OF WHO COULD CARE LESS" on it. I think it's an import CD. Or is
there a single released in the netherlands an has it become hit?
BTW the live version of 'song for the dumped' which was here on TV is
much better than the CD version.
-Jos- who just wrote his first message on this mailinglist
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 08:53:57 +0200
From: Bryan Snead <rsnead@awod.com>
Subject: BFF on IRC
I'm new to the List, but I'm a huge fan of BFF. I was wondering if you all
would want to start a chat session on IRC with all the other fans, if you
don't already have one. If you have no idea what IRC is, then go to
http://www.localnet.com/%7Eangstboy/irc.html and it will explain all.
Please I would like everyone's imput.
Thanx
Bryan Snead
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 01 Mar 1997 19:25:32 +1100
From: Very Fruity Indeed <ad@healey.com.au>
Subject: Whatever and Ever Amen in Australia
OK, this is mainly for Australian people. If you know, well chuck this
away, but if you don;t well cool. The new BFF album is out on the 14th of
March. So, go out to your local rekid store and make sure they'll have it
there for you on that monday there.
As for the single, who knows? I reckon it could be another UK thing
only... I'd hate to have to import them from there again. :)
Bye
Ad.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Ad %
%Yeah and stuff%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
==============================================================================
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 12:24:44 -0500 (EST)
From: Wri10@aol.com
Subject: "EXTRA" has been bery, bery good to Ben
Hey sports fans!
Just a quick note -- though I'm embarrassed to admit I even had this show ON,
the syndicated tabloid rag "Extra" apparently has someone on staff selecting
music who was sending us a little friendly nudge through the ozone. Friday
evening, while I was cooking dinner, they announced a report about a baseball
(I think) player who'd retired and whose wife had recently overcome some
difficulties with infertility. Whomever chose the musical background for the
piece must have at least listened to the first album once, because the loops
were from "Sports And Wine" and "Boxing". I'd say hats off to Extra, but I'm
still trying to get over the trauma of having admitted to people I actually
had the show on...
And for those of you who are in Greater Cincinnati -- WNKU has broken
"BoWCCL" as of last Wednesday. CALL THEM AND REQUEST THE SINGLE!!! They
were very good to the boys on the first album, they played it a lot, probably
due in no small part to heavy requests. I don't have the phone number, but
the frequency, if ya' don't know it, is 89.7 FM. If you haven't discovered
this station yet, give it an ear on Wednesday evenings -- they play what they
call "Wednesday Night Premieres" -- new songs from new acoustic-oriented
alternative and indie artists, on which show I originally heard "Summer B."
oh, so long ago. Great station, at least once "All Things Considered"
finally winds down for the evening.
Ciao!
MA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR - The Ben Folds Five Mailing List
Submit to: maynard@oeonline.com Admin. to: maynard@oeonline.com
WWW homepage: http://oeonline.com/bff
List archive: http://oeonline.com/bff/list/
You need to have your little fun with the boys