THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #1500 - May 2, 1999
Magical Armchair Digest Sunday, May 2 1999 Volume 01 : Number 1500
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
new interview
Letterman...
Geddy Lee
What a cutie!!
i thought about...your mommy
corduroy
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1499
Re: The "shitty" review
boink
leather jacket
Reply to a Reply from My Post
Re: Kate/Army
Spare reels info.
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1498
I've been thinking a lot today...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 17:50:30 -0700
From: Brian Chan <gokou@earthlink.net>
Subject: new interview
There's a new interview with BFF at wallofsound.com. Specifically,
http://wallofsound.go.com/features/benfoldsfive_1.html.
Brian Chan.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 22:51:36 EDT
From: OADn200SF@aol.com
Subject: Letterman...
Hey all-
First of all, the guys looked absolutely great on Letterman Wednesday. I
taped it so that I wouldn't have to stay up. Then the next morning I was
almost late for school because I couldn't stop watching it. Anyway, who saw
that kick-ass commercial afterward?? Speaking as someone who ::gasp::
doesn't have cable, it's about as close as I'd come to seeing the Army video
if I didn't have a great bud who'll let me watch her tape. (Luv ya Amy!) But,
just thought I'd ask.
Love and kisses (especially to the awesome trio!)
Sarah Z.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 23:11:14 -0400
From: Kristin Klevering <kristink@cyberzone-inc.com>
Subject: Geddy Lee
Hi all -
I'm still puzzled at why they thanked Geddy Lee in the liner notes. I was
a huge Rush fan in Jr.High - showing my age here - and I still love their
older stuff. Please, anybody who even has a guess post about it!
I love Ben's dimples, btw.
So far, my favorite song is "Mess". Made me cry the first time I heard it,
but I'm really starting to appreciate it at different level now. It does
seem like a part of the "Last Polka/Missing the War" trilogy. Loving "Your
Redneck Past" a lot more lately. Getting into "Regrets" and the rock
ending. I taped it for my boyfriend to hear, and we listened to it during
a long car ride tonight, and he likes it (the only band we both like
besides Belle and Sebastian) so far. I really like the whole album, and
discovering more I like each time I hear it.
It's been cool to read everyones opinion of the album, and no one is
slamming anyone yet! What a happy bunch we are!
The newly released tour dates pose many problems for me. Do I give up my
obligations for that weekend, already planned, to fly out to GA to see the
Atlanta show with a friend I promised earlier that I'd visit and take him
to the show if they came to his town on this tour? Ugh.
Later - Kristin
"I don't eat blue stuff" - Gerry Mills, RN
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 23:18:01 EDT
From: OADn200SF@aol.com
Subject: What a cutie!!
<<come on girls, aren't ben's dimples the cutest??>>
AMEN! :-D
Sarah Z.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 22:51:42 CDT
From: "Emily Huschen" <tillie82@hotmail.com>
Subject: i thought about...your mommy
and i thought i was just hearing things!! i'm glad that i'm not loosing my
mind.
i'm glad to hear everyone's opinions of the new album. makes some
interesting discussion. my personal favorite would have to be "magic" in a
heartbeat. there's just something about it that hits me, hard. it's
magnificent. i got home and had my mom listen to it, and she loved it as
well. she was also shocked that her rebellious daughter liked a song that
she did! hehe
well, everyone that gets to go to the chicago show on Monday, email me and
tell me how it goes. great, i'm sure....but details, details people, is
what i'm looking for. what are the odds that i was just in the city today,
and missed the boys by a few days?
hoping to hear from you,
emily
"from the back of your big brown eyes
i knew you'd be gone as soon as you could.
and i hoped you would.
we could see that you weren't yourself,
and the lines on your face did tell,
it's just as well,
you'd never be yourself again"
_______________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 23:50:31 EDT
From: Meezer327@aol.com
Subject: corduroy
Hello all,
Well for starters I just want to comment on the fact that
that Ben's dimples are amazing. No man on our planet makes
a pair of corduroys look quite as good as he. Saw Ben and
the boys at Irving Plaza on the 27th. Narcolepsy BLEW ME
AWAY!!! Robby Rob truly is da bomb!! But my freakin
disposable camera took the worst pics....I've got like
Robert's feet and Ben's head. But alas, I had an
unbelievable time. I am totally blown away by TUBORM.
Though if this truly is a concept album, what is the concept?
I agree that "Narcolepsy" is reminiscent of queen and to me
"Hospital Song" is very Pink Floyd. And I totally agree with
the kermit people.
Later,
Melissa
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 22:57:42 -0500
From: Megan Carey <mcarey@gac.edu>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1499
Ok, maybe i am just out of the loop, but WHEN WAS FOP2 DISSCUSSED?!?!?!?
i'm in the middle of no where Minnesota, and dont' get too much info, other
than what i can manage to skim out of the MA... let me know so that i can
attemptto be anup to date BFF fan!
thanks much,
Meggie
"People so seldom say I love you and then it's either too late or love
goes, so when I tell you that I love you, it doesn't mean I know you'll
never go, only that I wish you didn't have to..."
~Laurence Craig-Green~
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 00:48:54 EDT
From: Brad654@aol.com
Subject: Re: The "shitty" review
In a message dated 4/30/99 7:10:25 PM Central Daylight Time,
owner-armchair@maillist.il.fontys.nl writes:
> Was that not completely shitty for the most part, or what? After I read it,
> I ripped it up. To top it all off, the caption under the picture reads;
> "NEW GROUND: The Ben Folds Five ventures into new territory with TUBORM."
> Of course that added touch of calling them "THE Ben Folds Five" really
> helped the whole thing.
Well, I guess it's time for me to get flamed. I've had TUB for a little
longer than a week now, and I'm starting to be able to be objective about it.
At first, I thought, "Damnit! Give me another Jackson Cannery! Another Alice
Childress!" Then I realized that artist must grow, and had the boys given me
another Jackson Cannery, I would have, ultimately, been disappointed.
Anyway, then I started kind of digging old Reinhold, but the bottom line is
that this "shitty" review is, for my money, pretty dead on. It doesn't say
Ben sucks, or is an asshole, or is washed up. It just says TUB is indicative
of growing pains. Shit, all bands that last longer than one or two releases
have this.
I don't hate Reinhold, but it's not my favorite, either. And I don't think it
will be. I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about this, and he,
in his stupid
I-don't-like-BF5-so-I'm-going-to-talk-badly-about-them-in-front-of-you kind
of way, was trying to tell me that BF5 will put out worse and worse material,
his logic being that, in my opinion, S/T is the best, WAEA is 2nd best, and
now our buddy Reiny is third.
However, I was forced to point out to him that the Police saved their best
effort for their fifth release.
What the fuck am I talking about? I guess the whole point of this post is to
say that just because a reviewer doesn't like our boys' new effort doesn't
mean that the criticisms are not valid.
Disagreement is a good thing, you know.
Brad
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 00:51:39 EDT
From: GLYCRNGRL@aol.com
Subject: boink
I don't care if you guys like the new cd or not (although I hope you love it
and see how amazing it is!!), because it's your opinion, which is totally
fine =) But can you PLEASE STOP THAT SAYING YOU DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE IT
SOUNDS DIFFERENT?????!!!!!!!!!! For the love of freaking cheese, music is
SUPPOSED to be diverse. It's not supposed to stay the same, it's supposed to
EVOLVE and crap.
Geez.
- -Abby
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 22:06:24 PDT
From: "kirstine florussen" <partikleman@hotmail.com>
Subject: leather jacket
Brian,
I totally agree with loving Leather Jacket. It is one of my favourite songs
too. In fact, I could say that I've listened to it more than Army. But
then, I loved the Japanese SFTD as well. At least we know it'll never
become one of those overplayed singles...
Kirstine
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 01:27:45 EDT
From: Kudzugrits@aol.com
Subject: Reply to a Reply from My Post
Subj: your post
Date: 5/1/99 12:00:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: GLYCRNGRL
To: Kudzugrits
<< The people that loved "Brick" were most likely
disappointed when they bought WAEA because that was the only song on the CD
like that. On other hand, the people who like "Army" are going to be very
disappointed with TUBORM when they get an album full of songs that are not
like the big single. >>
I hate to be one of those people who bitch about other people's opinions, but
ARG! Yes, some people bought WAEA because of Brick, but that doesn't mean
they didn't like the rest of it. I think it was a good way for people to get
introduced to them...and about that being the only song like itself on the cd
is hardly true. Besides Brick there was Evaporated, Selfless Cold and
Composed, Missing the War, Smoke, and Cigarette. Only 6 (As oppsed to those
5) were more up-tempo.
<<Then the CD's would make more sense as a whole in the music style
category. >>
Music is supposed to be diverse. How boring and uncreative would it be if
every band {especially them} put out the same CD over and over again?
*******Now here's what I say in response to your thoughts******************
I am a musician myself, and I realize that music is supposed to be diverse.
But what if every time you went to buy a CD from an artist that you know for
doing a certain type of music and it was different, wouldn't that piss you
off? ESPECIALLY when you have been looking forward to it for 16 MONTHS!
There are NO OTHER BANDS out there lke Ben Folds Five, and they went and
changed it. I LOVE FEAR OF POP, but that's because I KNEW that it was a
different style of music. If you're going to change styles, then atleast
warn everyone. Why is there always ONE PERSON who has to complain. I was
just stating an opinion... AN OPINION... and I didn't make any cuts on the
band whatsoever. I said THEY ARE GREAT! I know about diverse music. I've
played french horn in concert bands and symphonies, I've played trumpet and
trombone solos in jazz bands, I've played mellophone and alto bugle solos in
marching bands and drum and bugle corps, I've played piano and keys in
various different bands, I have been a drum major, I have sung leads in
musicals in the community and in college and I have been in professional
comedy improve singing group and created an indoor marching group for
basketball games, I have sung in church choirs, conducted church choirs,
created and sung in a vocal jazz ensemble, I've written and had a rock
musical-comedy about life in a college dorm performed, and I have written
concert band music, and am now recording a CD of "pop"ish music such as
Fleming and John with piano, strings, organ, brass, clarinet (which I also
play), timpani, harpsichord, electric bass, drumset, and vocal leads and
harmonies. If you wanna talk about diverse, then lets talk about diverse.
Your turn.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 01:46:32 -0400
From: "Dan Cohen" <wizard@twcny.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Kate/Army
>
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 16:26:52 EDT
> From: MFH333@aol.com
> Subject: army
>
> i was looking in my weaea cover for no apparent reason, and was just checking
> it out and happened to notice that next to where they wrote 'KATE', there is
> written right next to it 'army'. maybe this has no connection at all, but i
> thought it was weird.
>
> mess is still my favorite song. it slightly reminds me of REM's 'losing my
> religion'. god, i can't stop listening to tuborm. my friends are already
> getting sick of it. i am definitely going to the kosovo thing, anyone with
> me? it will kick ass, but does anyone know what time they play?
>
The whole Kate Army thing, to the best of anyone's knowledge,
was a takeoff on the Kiss Army, the glam-rock band Kiss' fan club
that was around a while back. I really doubt they intended it to be a
prediction of their next album's first single.
~Dan
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 01:52:32 EDT
From: Cheese143@aol.com
Subject: Spare reels info.
Does any one know if I'll be able to buy Spare Reels seperately? I bought
TUBORM at Sam Goody cause I had a gift certificate there, but they didn't
have the digi-pack thing so I was forced to settle with the regular CD
~Ok, thanx, Sammy G
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 02:49:26 -0400
From: Alex <as5503@cnsvax.albany.edu>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1498
hey all-
i just got back from the Williams College show and they played some
pretty good stuff.......a little too much on the new album.....but, it was
good.....mess was great and narcolepsy was really good too. The best of the
night in my opinion was Song for the Dumped, that kicked it. One thing was
true and Ben said it too, "sorry bout the crappy acoustics, but thats not
our fault", that was too true.....oh well. I think that Ben was extremely
wasted, especially at the begininng when he fell off his stool and needed
the stage crew to help him up......and Fleming sounded great, it was a good
show, but it didn't top the Amherst one, thats my fav so far. Later all.
-AJ, but i was never cool in school.....so you probably
don't remember me.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 May 1999 02:59:07 -0500
From: Sarah Troupis <s-troupis@nwu.edu>
Subject: I've been thinking a lot today...
Hi everyone out there in BFF land! It's been almost a year since I've seen
the boys live - Monday's show is not coming anywhere near fast enough.
Especially considering I spent six hours in front of the TV tonight. Ah,
Friday night, twenty years old, college student, a can of Coke in hand and
no life whatsoever. Can't beat that. You know, I'm thinking I could
definitely pass for someone who should be in Battle. Except I watched the
Dukes of Hazzard tonight instead of The Rockford Files...whatever. Anyway,
shout out to Emily! Okay, now that I'm acting all ghetto, (too bad you
guys can't see what a typical middle class white girl I am), let me move
on. Oh, but I will warn all of you that there's probably nothing
interesting going on in this very long post, so unless you're looking to
waste your time, I'd suggest moving on to the next one.
I've been getting a kick out of all the posts about the whole 'People who
eat doo doo on film' thing because John Waters, who made Pink Flamingos
(the movie where Divine the ultimate Drag Queen - we're talking even cooler
than RuPaul here - and star of her very own E! Entertainment Celebrity
Profile or Mysteries and Scandals or some other gossipy show) is at my
college this weekend. But I neglected to go see him. Oh well, that's
life. I like to believe that John Waters and BFF being here on the same
weekend is more than just a coincidence, but you know, I don't really think
that's true.
[Sarah takes an hour and a half break to listen to her friend talk about
this date she's going on tomorrow. Boo hoo, reminder of exactly how many
dates I've been on since college - a big, fat zero. Oh, wait, except for
that one ill-advised Homecoming Dance with my one friend, that's a big fat
zero for this entire life of mine. Aren't you guys glad you get to hear me
complain about this? I warned you to quit reading]
So, I'm going to put in my own two cents on some musical things, which will
eventually get around to being BFF related, I swear. Anyway, last year the
Smashing Pumpkins (What? Shouldn't you be posting this to Listessa - The
Smashing Pumpkins mailing list?) put out an album that did not sit well
with many fans. I, being the wannabe Pumpkinhead that I am, rushed out to
get the album. Three songs in, I was wondering what exactly was up with
this strange album - and I already knew one of the songs I was listening to
well, because it was the single. By the third to last song, I was in love
with Adore (the Pumpkins album), nearly in tears (but that could have had
something to do with the fact that I was having some roommate problems -
geez, you guys are going to think I'm a real loser by the end of this -
wait, I am, nevermind). But I think that despite the fact that Adore
seemed really different than every other Pumpkins album, in reality it
wasn't. None of the songs reminded me of songs on other Pumpkins albums,
but there was something there throughout that had always been on Pumpkins
albums - maybe raw emotion in the music or lyrics, I don't really know.
And I think I knew not to expect a carbon copy of Siamese Dream or Mellon
Collie with Adore, just because this band that had been together for years
had suddenly gone through a huge decision to fire an integral member of the
band. To be the same band would have been wrong for the Pumpkins. I don't
know, I guess going into TUBORM, I didn't expect such a grand departure
from everything else that had happened before with BFF.
So, move on to almost a year later. Different band, pretty much the same
issue. Sarah goes to buy TUBORM by BFF, already knowing not to expect
Underground or One Angry Dwarf from it. I put the CD on my stereo and
start listening. Three songs in, I'm really wondering what's up with this
album. Army, the single, comes on and me, being the anti-radio in Chicago
person that I am, has never heard it. I'd heard everyone saying, "Oh, it's
for the old school fans, it's really like the old stuff." And I'm
thinking, "Um, were they on crack? This is so far from Underground it
isn't even funny." Eventually, the end of the CD rolls around, and I'm
wondering when Ben and the boys turned into a Burt Bacharach cover band.
But, I've loved the boys for years, I remember going out to buy the first
CD junior year of high school after hearing 3/4 of Underground alone (which
was heard on non-Chicago radio, of course), so I'm going to force myself to
like this CD, even if it kills me. Which is not the right attitude to have
about a CD, but whatever, I've been told I really don't have the right
attitude about most things in life. And I'm getting by just fine,
thankyouverymuch.
Skip ahead to today. About 30 listens to the album later, I still don't
see many relations between these songs and the old ones - I hear different
types of lyrics, different things happening musically (not that that's bad,
it's just different). Things are growing on me, but I have to admit that
as a whole, I don't like TUBORM as much as the other two albums - totally
personal opinion, I can see why people would absolutely love this album and
think it was the greatest thing in the world since Ramen noodles (and to a
college student, to be put in the same sentence as the creation of Ramen
noodles is nearly the greatest compliment in the world). It's a pretty
album, it's just that it's not the album for me. I have grown fond of Army
- - I love the 'God, please spare me more rejection' line (I now have this
little thing I do at that point, which involves me clasping my hands
together in an almost prayer-like stance. A couple of the girls in my dorm
now think I'm crazier than they did last Monday, but that's life). I wish
there was a rousing chorus to Army, but I can deal. Narcolepsy has grown
on me since I decided to make my own little connection between the lines 'I
don't remember all last year' and 'I'm drowning' with Brick. The drowning
as a part of Brick and the not remembering all last year as something I
wish had happened to me. Not that I don't like the Brick fans - I think
BFF is a band that deserves more fans than nearly every other band in the
world - but it was really hard for me to give up this band that I sort of
thought of as 'my band' to the rest of the world, especially if I had to
give up BFF with a song that I didn't think represented the band. It's an
old argument, it doesn't have to be rehashed here. I welcome anyone to the
world of BFF who is going to appreciate this fantastic band, let's leave it
at that.
I am hesitant to say that I love 'Don't Change Your Plans,' because
everyone's saying 'Brick II,' and I don't want to be associated with that
(my little sister is still bearing our joking for telling my brother and I
Brick was her fave song the day WAEA came out) But I do love it right now.
It was the first song off of the album that struck a chord with me (even
before Army - which I thought would be the first - did). Why, I don't
know. But I'm guessing it's the hypocrisy thing - 'I won't move to L.A.,
the leaves are falling back East.' Hmm, I suppose Australia's technically
not L.A., but...I guess you could consider Australia East, since it is in
the traditional 'East' of the globe. I love hypocrisy - read Elmer Gantry
by Sinclair Lewis. Now that's hypocrisy at its finest.
Go Darren - Magic is a pretty song. Not really what I'd expect from Darren
(my current roommate, Eve, and I named our fish after him after a little
post-show comment he made to Eve made her a bit Darren crazy for a while.
Eve hands Darren a pack of her cigarettes to sign. Darren: Damn woman, you
smoke menthols? I don't know, it just makes her happy to think about it.
Everyone comments to her about smoking menthols, Darren just happens to be
the only one in her fave band that ever made this comment to her).
I've started to change the words to Your Redneck Past to Your Redneck Ass
in certain, seemingly appropriate places (as in, 'There's a hundred ways to
cover your redneck ass'). Whatever, I do this to songs all the time. I
don't know why, I just do. Something about adding words my parents would
disapprove of makes them more interesting. Yes, I'm still getting over the
whole teen rebellion thing. Yes, I know I'm pathetic.
Your Most Valuable Possession - Ok, my mom just leaves psycho messages on
my machine. Nothing cool. Certainly nothing I'd like to admit came from a
member of my family. Just kidding, Mom. I love you, thanks for passing
that 'quirky/eccentric' trait on down to me. At least it keeps people
around me amused, including myself (often times when I'm alone. Scary,
huh, girls that talk to themselves. No wonder I never have any dates...).
Okay, definite fave of the album right now is Lullabye - hello, anytime you
mention James Earl Jones in a song, that means it's going to have to be
good. I mean, the man was the voice of Darth Vader, not to mention the
fact that he has been in two of the best baseball movies ever - Field of
Dreams and The Sandlot (yes, I think it's a fantastic movie, a lot more
meaningful than some kids playing ball in an old field, which is what
people think it's about). Just beautiful, wonderful, a perfect ending to
any album. This is really the only song on the album that makes me think
of the other albums. And it's not a reminder of Evaporated or Brick - it's
more a reminder of the first album songs Strangely, the song it really
makes me think of is Where's Summer B. Yet another 'I don't know why, it
just does,' for my files.
I'm pretty indifferent to the rest of the album. Except Regrets, that song
just weirds me out for some reason. It'll probably end up being my
long-term fave, that's the way these things are with me. So, to anyone who
made it this far in the post (all two of you, no wait, one of you, that
other one's me rereading it), thanks for hearing me out.
Sarah (Newly crowned Queen of the long, meandering posts)
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1500
***************************************
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