THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR

The Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #778 - January 25, 1998



Magical Armchair Digest    Sunday, January 25 1998    Volume 01 : Number 778



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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:

    Old live stuff
    VH1
    Missing link....
    Domo! Ben Chan Desu!  (want it?)
    re: what's brick about                  
    Rocking the Cornbelt
    Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #776
    Rock on!
    fear of pop news
    LA tickets
    SPIN
    Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #774
    Upcoming tour - DAT tapers
    re: what's a brick?
    WEAEA and ben's age
    Help!  Get me to Chicago!
    missing stuff
    re: songwriting tourney              
    [none]
    A question for all the people smarter then me...
    To: armchair@ford.il.fontys.nl 
    Shoowappshoowaddawadda
    Another Comparison

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 03:14:58 +0100
From: Jay Reddick <jreddick@nr.infi.net>
Subject: Old live stuff

Hi Fivers! (and you know who you are)
	I was reminiscing with a friend tonight about seeing Ben and the boys
way back before Whatever... came out, and I remembered the way they used
to play Best Imitation of Myself live. It opened with very sparse
instrumentation until the first chorus, kinda the way they play Fair now
(for those of you who have seen them live lately).
	Anyway, I would LOVE to get my hands on a copy of the "old" version of
Best Imitation. I have a live thing or two I can trade, or I'd be
willing to pay a bit. Whatever, email me.
Thanks!
Jay

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 03:17:36 EST
From: Emmaline20 <Emmaline20@aol.com>
Subject: VH1

Oh..the life of an insomniac. Who else can watch a straight hour of Bob Villa
and enjoy it? I bet very few people except for me, because frankly, at 3 in
the morning, not much else is on and the infomercials lately have been just
plain stupid. Having said that, I just thought I'd share with all of you that
VH1 is touting our three men as a "new face in 98." Short clip of the band,
with some video clips, interview and pics of them. Pretty neat, and hey, it
made me sit straight up in bed..well actually sit straight up on my couch, I
don't have a bed, but that's really another story for another time. Less than
a month til NYC..but hey, who's counting?

Sarah :)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 12:08:56 GMT
From: "Mark Piper" <mfp540@novell3.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: Missing link....

Brandon wrote:
> My little sis finally bought herself a copy of Amen, and it is missing
> something! The banter that is in between songs like Brick and Dumped is no
> longer there. Anyone know why?

Someone emailed me about this the other day (and I don't think it was 
you, Brandon), so I guess it's a pretty general thing. My own theory 
was (is) that at least a couple of the reviews I saw were not very 
complementary on the idea of the talking between songs. Maybe BFF 
took this to heart and decided to leave it off subsequent pressings. 
Either that or there are some bootleg copies circulating. Just a 
theory.....

Mark
+------------------------------------------------------+
|     mfp540@bham.ac.uk   pipermf@phymat.bham.ac.uk    |
|     Ben Folds Five: Looks, Brains & Everything -     |
|   http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html |
+------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 08:14:54 -0500 (EST)
From: Alexander Timin <ajt2911@garnet.acns.fsu.edu>
Subject: Domo! Ben Chan Desu!  (want it?)

I have an extra copy of the live 2 cd set from Japan.  (Bought it for a
friend, but now he doesn't want it!)  Need to sell it for the same price i
paid - $50.  Email me off the list if you're interested.  

Alex
ajt2911@garnet.acns.fsu.edu

NOTE - new email address! - my previous account was completely lost, so
please email me again if we had a trade going.  Sorry :(

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 98 9:06:54 EST
From: "Emily Durand" <edurand@nunet.neu.edu>
Subject: re: what's brick about                  

A few notes from my little BF5-innundated world...

1. Ben says 'Brick' is self explanatory because it is.  It's, as someone once 
posted loooong ago, about an unmerry Christmastime abortion.  Ironically 
enough, here we are celebrating 25 years of Roe v. Wade...this radio station 
here in Boston had people calling in about this, after giving the Roe v. Wade 
hint, and this girl suggested, "It's about his girlfriend who's really really 
fat."  I think she's thinking of that "Brick House" song...

2. Anyone know if the woman pictured on the front of the "Kate" singles is 
actually Kate Folds?  

Off to continue to spead the good news of BF5, 
						em

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 10:31:21 -0500
From: Jennifer Spinner <JSPINNER@CAHNERS.COM>
Subject: Rocking the Cornbelt

Would anyone going to see BF5 either in St. Louis on Feb 14 or Chicago
on Feb. 15 be interested in getting together before either show to
throw down? We could fraternize and imbibe and revel in our shared
adoration of the best band in the world. Even those unfortunate
enough not to have tickets could join in. Send me a msg and maybe we
can put something together.
SPIN

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 10:29:32 EST
From: Pianogtar <Pianogtar@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #776

In a message dated 98-01-23 00:14:34 EST, you write:

<< So I'm taking this screenwriting class and for our second assignment we 
 had to write a non-dialogue scene.
 It had to have two parts, the first part being a main character getting 
 ready for a big date. part 2 had to convey what happened on the date and 
 if it went well.
 For the first part, I had the guy getting ready to propose to his 
 girlfriend and had "Kate" as background music.
 For the second part I used "Song for the Dumped" to help along the 
 notion that his girlfriend turned him down and he was pissed.
 
 So that's cool right...but that's not the best part. We have to read all 
 our work in class and when I came to the part where the music first 
 comes in, my teacher teacher says "Is this from Whatever and Ever Amen?" 
 And of course I said yes. So he says, "Hey, i just bought this CD, it's 
 pretty good."
 
 My respect for the man went through the roof. So this bodes well for the 
 rest of the semester I think
 
 Boy, I miss the armchair. i hope this ends up getting posted.
 
 ~Courtney
 The Sultraness of Swing
 "Sweet lord, this is what evil must taste like!"
  >>

I am taking a screenwriting class where the professor did not want us to score
(as in put music to our screenplay.) Which stinks because I could have found
at least 2 or 3 ben fold's five tunes  at least that i could put to it. 

I also had this dream the other night that i saw ben fold's five play at the
local barnes and noble where I lived.  I find it kind of wierd because he also
played another show ther the next night that i had to sneak into because i
sold my tickets.

oh well, enough for mumbling now and don't forget to see Jump, little children
when they come to your hometown.

porn name: dick midland 

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 11:39:33 -0500
From: Jessica Brandt <jbrandt@kent.edu>
Subject: Rock on!

Brad654 said:
<<At the risk of having the shit flamed out of me, i don't think "Brick" is as
great as everyone else seems to think it is. Don't get me wrong-- it's a
wonderfully-painted portrait, pretty music, etc, but for my money, there's
much better BF5 fare out there. For slow, thoughtful, wonderfully-painted
portraits, I don't think the boys will ever top "Boxing." As for the "sound"
of BF5, I gotta put "Brick" way down near the bottom of the list, since that
"sound," for me, is represented much better in "Dumped," "Philosophy,"
"Jackson," "Polka," etc....>>

My sentiments exactly. "Brick" is a nice song and all, but nothing like
that has ever happened to ME so i can't relate, and i can imagine it hasn't
happened to many of the people who love this song (not that it hasn't
happened to ANYONE) but it's a nice song, and BFF kicks ass on everything
they do, but  if i want a nice slow song i'd rather listen to Boxing or
Mitchell Lane. I think they should have released a different song that woul
dhave captured the true nature of the band...something kind of comical, or
more "innocent".....too bad "Fannie Packs" has so much swearing, it's a
musical masterpiece!


"I bet you never knew but now you know-
	I'm the undisputed king of this disco"
		--DJ Kool

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 11:17:10 
From: "Hannah Kuhlmann" <kuhl0025@tc.umn.edu>
Subject: fear of pop news

i just heard on the radio that the "fear of pop" CD is out in stores. . .!

(105.1 fm in Minneapolis. . .)

- -Hannah
- ------------------------------------------
Hannah Kuhlmann - kuhl0025@tc.umn.edu
**FLASHY BEN FOLDS FIVE WEBSITE** AT
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1094/
- ------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 09:30:37 PST 
From: "chris pryor" <pryguy@hotmail.com>
Subject: LA tickets

I'm just posting to see if anyone has any extra tickets for the LA show.  
I went down to get mine yesterday and I guess it's sold out.  I guess 
that's what I get for being on Christmas break when they went on sale.  
But if anybody can help me out, I'd really appreciate it. 
Pryguy

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 12:46:34 -0500
From: Jessica Brandt <jbrandt@kent.edu>
Subject: SPIN

I haven't been around for a while so i dunno if y'all know this:

BFF was one of the runners-up in the SPIN Reader's Poll "best live band"
category. (basically, they shared 4th place). Pretty cool, eh?

There was also a blurb about them and the release of NBP. They mention
Ben's new project called "Fear of Pop". i was impressed. if i had the
article with me i'd reprint it but alas i don't.


"I bet you never knew but now you know-
	I'm the undisputed king of this disco"
		--DJ Kool

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:01:16 EST
From: BSCHACK <BSCHACK@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #774

In a message dated 98-01-22 22:48:17 EST, you write:

<< I can't make the NYC show because
 it's on a thursday >>

You're tripping.  The NYC show is a Friday night.  Better get a new calendar!

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 10:21:47 -0800
From: Tim Wang <twang@abac.com>
Subject: Upcoming tour - DAT tapers

Sorry guys..

I may have misprinted carl's address... it was csylvest@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu

I am pretty sure he is interested in DAT traders only.. but he has a lot to
offer if you're in that department...

- -t

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:28:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: jwMofo <miller_j@cc.denison.edu>
Subject: re: what's a brick?

hey. first post. longtime fan. blah blah. 
now, bff content: here's what i think about what the reference to "she's a
brick" is: okay, she's drowning,or more probably sinking into depression,  
just like a brick dropped into the water
would sink. make sense? of course i'm totally open to other
interpretations.

- -joe miller.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:26:44 EST
From: Mystic1879 <Mystic1879@aol.com>
Subject: WEAEA and ben's age

In response to Dreamer's letter I am writing this...IT IS REALLY NOT HARD TO
FIGURE THIS OUT.  I guess that you are not into nmemonics (spelling is bad I
know that) but it is really not that hard to figure out. W= what E= ever A=
and E=ever 
A= amen, so in turn, that makes WEAEA.  I am not trying to put you down in any
fashion, but if you were a die hard fan, you would have known that .  
As for ben's age I used to know it, but it has never been of any great
importance to me, so I just forgot it.  

Cheep cheep:
Meredith

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:50:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Peter Mast <mastpd@elmail.cc.purdue.edu>
Subject: Help!  Get me to Chicago!

As I've noticed about this time in a tour, the pleas for tickets start.
Well, let me add one:

Help!  I need Chicago tickets!  We called yesturday, and ticket master
said that they were sold out for Feb15 show.  I just need two!  Please,
e-mail me if anyone in Chicago knows how I might find some tickets.

Thanks!  E-mail me at:
mastpd@expert.cc.purdue.edu

Peter Mast

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:36:01 EST
From: Angrydwarf <Angrydwarf@aol.com>
Subject: missing stuff

In a message dated 1/23/98 4:35:12 AM, you wrote:

<<My little sis finally bought herself a copy of Amen, and it is missing
something! The banter that is in between songs like Brick and Dumped is no
longer there. Anyone know why? Was it because of the word "shit". That doesn't
seem likely, when you look at the lyrics to dumped. Pretty fishy, I'd say. >>


See if it has the "hidden track" at the end because I just heard the new CDs
don't have it.

Scott

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 98 13:48:04 EST
From: "Emily Durand" <edurand@nunet.neu.edu>
Subject: re: songwriting tourney              

re: SLAY's proposal of a big NCAA-esque "contest" as to our "favorite" 
tracks, why the heck not?  I've been playing Rotisserie Band Creation with my 
friend Paul for years and Ben, ROb and Darren always get a lot of play, so 
let's try to winnow the wheat from the chaff as to the song catalog.  My 
little suggestion would be to leave out stuff that Ben didn't actually 
*write* though, even though they choose great covers.  Hmmmm, maybe we should 
revisit the summer's big activity: choosing tunes for BF5 to cover....go 
ahead and flame me if you must.  Hey speaking of covers, I bet any minute now 
they are going to show up on the cover of something, let's hope it's not 
Rolling Stone, the industry-wide kiss of death...Cheerio!  Em

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 14:05:48 -0800
From: "McCunney" <smccunne@midwest.net>
Subject: [none]

I went to England about a year and ahalf ago and Ben Folds was already
getting big there so I bought their first CD and was impressed imensely,
now I'm getting ready to go to my first BFFshow on Valentine's Day in St.
Louis, I'm very excited to say the least.

Brian

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 15:43:44 EST
From: SarahBF5@aol.com
Subject: A question for all the people smarter then me...

Okay...heres my question: On the NBP liner notes it says that "Bad Idea" was
writte for a soundtrack. What movie? This has been really bothering me, cuz i
could swear i've heard that song while watching a movie, but then...i could
also be crazzy. If u know, please let me know, either through a post or just
emaill me privately...doesn't matter to me how u do it. Thanx a bundle, cuz
this is really starting to get on my nerves. Have a good weekend, folks. Live
well.
Adios, 
Sarah
  
"I'm sure back home they think I've lost my mind"

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 15:52:48 -0500 
From: berserker@cowland.com
Subject: To: armchair@ford.il.fontys.nl 

       subscribe

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 16:02:58 EST
From: SarahBF5 <SarahBF5@aol.com>
Subject: Shoowappshoowaddawadda

Hello again. 
>  well, my daughter thinks third eye blind is better than ben folds five... 
>  just thought i'd let you know how teenagers feel.... 
Well, I'm still a teenager, and I hate 3rd Eye Blind, and I know that all my
friends would agree, so there are still some teenagers out here w/good musical
taste. I'm sorry that all these people are quitting the list cuz its time for
the "old and the new" to part. Even though alot of us may be new to the list,
we are not new to the band. I have liked them since the end of '95, and I
waited this long to join the list cuz i didn't know about it beforehand. I
just wanted to clear that up, cuz hearing all that kind of stuff makes me feel
bad. Please don't flame me, i'm just expressing my opinions. Live well.
- -Sarah

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 22:51:25 -0700
From: uselink@juno.com (Jeremy V Davis) 
Subject: Another Comparison

Ok, well someone made the Oasis BFF connection a while back so I thought
I'd show what I thought compared even better career wise so here we go.

Ben Folds Five                                                       
smashing pumpkins
- ----------------------                                                 
- --------------------------
1st album released on Caroline                                1st full
album released on Caroline
2nd album released 2yrs later on a major label         2nd album released
2yrs later on a major label
Brings 3 singles increasingly popular, 3rd being        Brings 3 singles
increasingly popular, 3rd being
a balled  type (with Brick)                                       a
balled type (with disarm)
3rd album a b-sides and rarities album including         3rd album a
b-sides and rarities album including
a cover (Twin Falls) 1yr later                                   a cover
(landslide) 1yr later


Well that's it. I hope I don't piss people off by posting something big.
Tell me what you think. (Aside from flaming)

Laters,
            Jer
- --------<uselink@juno.com>---------
"Blind man on a canyon's edge of a panoramic scene" - Ben Folds Five
"It's all technical stuff, you wouldn't understand."  - Ben Folds

------------------------------

End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #778
**************************************


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