THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #1503 - May 3, 1999
Magical Armchair Digest Monday, May 3 1999 Volume 01 : Number 1503
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Boat... boat
bff at tufts
your most valuable possession
Potty Mouth
The album, Narcolepsy, and Radiohead
TUBORM UK Chart position
Ben Interview in the Shrub
Aw, come on, the Williams show wasn't bad!
J'accuse Ben Folds Five for getting too old and growing up...
Kate's Army
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2 May 99 13:10:33 EDT
From: Rey Anthony <reyanthony@usa.net>
Subject: Boat... boat
Warning: This is a cross post to all BFF lists I'm on.
I'd like to express my appreciation and love for fans of Ben Folds Five. As
competitive as people were for spots on the floor at the shows I was at, there
was still an incredible comraderie and shared joy that I've yet to experience
at any other band's shows. I know I can always look forward to seeing old
friends and making new ones at a BFF show. Got the warm fuzzies just thinking
about. Take care. :)
Rey
http://www.rey.anthony.net
"Please cook my steak again,
Je suis American"
- - Ben Folds Five
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 13:21:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: connolly <mconnoll@emerald.tufts.edu>
Subject: bff at tufts
saw the band at tufts yesterday...pretty good show, but now the best i've
seen. the setlist was pretty similar to the ones they've been doing, but
they did do emaline. they were good, but they didn't seem as into it as
they sometimes do. they only did sftd as an encore, and it wasn't as drawn
out or energetic as it usually is; ben barely got on the piano :) but
still, a very fun show, i was surprised to see how many people in the
crowd were actually into bf5, seeing that everyone on campus had been
complaining that "ben folds five is headlining spring fling, they're the
ones who did brick".
as for the new album, i honestly think it is REALLY good, and i don't say
that solely because i am a fan of the band. it literally hasn't left my cd
player since early tuesday morning. personally, i have trouble comparing
the 3 cdsto say which is better, they're all very different. but even
after the "newness" of tuborm wears off, i'm sure i'll be listening to it
just as much as the first two.
- -mike
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 13:26:55 -0400
From: Lauren <choplin@bellatlantic.net>
Subject: your most valuable possession
heh, i almost forgot this part. first of all, i realized that i have the
same answering machine system as ben folds (or the same as the person
whose machine that was). i knew that female electronic voice at the
beginning sounded familiar. anyway, i made my mother listen to it, to
see if i was right, and she wound up liking it a lot! then she got the
idea to call my sister at college (who, incidentally enough, used to be
a bf5 fan but abandoned them @ w&ea), and leave the song on her
answering machine. well, she did; the entire thing. so then maybe ten
minutes later my sister calls back - "i knew that was you!" i tried to
say i didn't know what she was talking about, but no "your most
valuable possession by ben folds five, i read about it." she thought it
was amusing, as did i. :) her roommate, though, must have listened to
it first, because she woke my sister up, yelling "jenn! you have to
hear this message someone left on our machine!"...so at least it got
somebody. i think it's my mother's new favorite song (she also likes
pearl jam's remake of "last kiss"). :)
lauren.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 14:19:32 EDT
From: Slk24kgj@aol.com
Subject: Potty Mouth
Anyone wanna make me a copy of Potty Mouth on video if they have it, i will
send you a blank tape
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 12:34:34 -0700
From: Eric Matsuda <ejmatsuda@ucdavis.edu>
Subject: The album, Narcolepsy, and Radiohead
I've been on and off this list over the last year and haven't posted in
months. Did I miss anything new in the world of Ben Folds Five? :)
You know, I've been a BF5 fan for a while. So of course, I love all
their fancy rocking-out songs, and we've come to accept that as the BF5
sound, and the last two albums have already made BF5 one of my 3 or 5
favorite bands. But THIS is the album I've been waiting for them to
make. THIS is what I thought BF5 was going to sound like, before I ever
actually heard them and bought the first album. THIS is what now makes
them my favorite band.
All I can say is "Narcolepsy" will be the highlight of a Ben Folds Five
show from here on. It should be a set closer. Think "Where Did You
Sleep Last Night" from Nirvana's Unplugged show. Kurt didn't want to do
an encore after it because he felt there was no way he could top it.
And i can't believe other people are hearing Radiohead connections! I
just started noticing it, after the 100th or so listen. Especially on
"Hospital Song". That reminded me right away of "Subterranean Homesick
Alien" for some reason. "OK Computer" is in a special class of albums
for me. This includes such recent releases as Blur's "13" and R.E.M.'s
"Up". They are not necessarily the best albums of their careers, but
they are albums in which the artists reinvent themselves, where they
show a lot of bravery and risk-taking, albums which may be a difficult
listen at first. Also all of these albums have so much going on at once
that you can get a different experience with each listen and hear new
things you hadn't noticed before. I haven't decided if TUBORM fits
into this category yet. It fits some of the criteria, but some are kind
of iffy. Whatever, it's not like it makes it a better album by getting
into my little exclusive club anyway.
Eric
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 23:20:47 +0100
From: Paul Mawdsley <pmm26@cam.ac.uk>
Subject: TUBORM UK Chart position
The new album has got to number 22 in the album charts here in the UK - it
was the second highest new entry. I don't want to clog the list up with
another long review of the album, but briefly... I think the album is a
work of art; yes it is quite different from the previous two albums, and I
was always a fan of the more up-tempo tracks from those albums, but I still
like TUBORM a lot. The strings and horns add a new dimension to the old BFF
sound, which on the whole works really well. Can't wait till I get to hear
the boys live at the Forum next week.
Paul
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 18:26:54 -0500
From: Jessica Brandt <jbrandt@kent.edu>
Subject: Ben Interview in the Shrub
There's a pretty extensive interview with Ben in this month's Shrubbery.
Also, there's a contest to win a signed Brick/Fair 7"
Get your butts over to www.theshrubbery.com
Also, if anyone has a bff page and would like to help "sponsor" the
contest, email me!
Jess
***********************************************************
* --+-READ THE SHRUBBERY-+-- *
http://www.theshrubbery.com
--New Every Month- -Humor, Music, News and More--
***********************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 18:43:18 EDT
From: Astro111@aol.com
Subject: Aw, come on, the Williams show wasn't bad!
Hey there-
Well, not many people have discussed the Williams show, and I read a
few negative reviews. I know that person didn't have a great time because of
the crowd, and I agree the crowd did suck (I noticed during Mess when people
were talking and it was a quiet song, how rude), but I thought that the boys
were amazing. Fleming and John were fantastic (I totally recommend to
everyone to go out and buy the CD as I'll do as soon as I get $$$, or go
listen to a few songs at flemingandjohn.com).
I really felt power and and incredible amount of energy during
Narcolepsy. I felt sorta like the notes were like melting into my head. Man,
are they great. And, of course I have to brag a bit- before the show started
(I was there earrrrllllyy with Lindsay- YAY LINDSAY FOR TAKING ME!- and I met
Jody- Nice meeting you!- and all of a sudden Darren comes over and pulls up a
chair to talk to us. I was speechless because it was my first time meeting
any of the band, but it was so nice of him to do that. I would think he would
want to keep to himself before the show, but he was great! And, after I met
all 3 of them. I have to say that Ben is the nicest man alive. He was so
genuine and sweet. Yay!
Well, there is my take on the Williams show. One Amazing Night!
- -RobinA
"You're not a kid no more"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 00:43:57 +0100
From: Anthony Leung <anthony.leung@virgin.net>
Subject: J'accuse Ben Folds Five for getting too old and growing up...
Hey people,
Got some things to say about the New album and it's not all good. I
wanna start by quoting something someone posted:
>I know that this doesn't describe you Ben, or many of us for that matter,
but people that say shit like this piss me off(not you Ben). If you ask
me,
the TRUE HARDCORE fan would love all of their albums. The true fan
sticks
with a band through the rough spots and watches them grow up musically
and
mature.
<
This is not true. I consider myself quite a hardcore fan, but I don't
love this album. Doesn't mean I've abandoned Bff though! A true hardcore
fan doesn't = a mindless idiot with preconceived ideas.
Anyway, why aren't I thrilled about this album? Truth is, I wasn't
thrilled about Waea, and I was thrilled with the S/t because that was my
discovery of music. With the first two albums it took me absolutely ages
to get appreciably enthusiastic about the album, because of the nature
of all the parts. So the album may grow on me, but I'm not so sure.
For a start, it's got that vibe, I don't know what it is, but it's very
similar to the Fear of Pop cd, which I didn't like that much either.
It's not something really I can sum up, but it's really epitomised in
the Army single posters, the picture on the front, and the songs towards
the end of the album, from about Army/the Hospital Song to Jane. Anyone
know what I mean? It's hard to explain, but I think even the lads know
it because of the way they've finished and started with the more
conventional Bff type songs, perhaps Lullabye is supposed to neutralise
the bitter taste in the mouth of the disappointed fan. Didn't Ben
mention something about this being a challenge to fans? Well, I've
failed; none of it rocks at all. Army is mediocre, and the rest are
doubtful. Only Mess, Magic (I think any song with sha la li le li in it
has gotta be the best-Last Polka is amazing!) and Lullabye would make it
on to an all-time best compilation for me. Also Don't Change and Narc
are ok songs, I think Magic is magic, and well, I don't know exactly
what it is she does, but Anna Goodman is a very good influence on Ben
Folds. I don't know how Caleb Southern has been involved in the album,
maybe Ben was really assertive on this one.
I gotta admit, the musicianship and everything is amazing and stunning
and of the highest calibre-trust me, I know that, and have always known
that! (by the way, the guy who said Darren had more control of the
rhythm on this album, I am shocked by the implications of that
statement. I know plenty of drummers (some famous) who reckon DJ is a
Rhythm King live!). the Only thing is, I just don't like the vibes, and
why has Ben Folds' head grown more and more foetal-like?
Bring Back the days of moshing, losing you head and crashing upon waves
of ballad/slow song mastery! What would a whole album of Cigarettes
sound like? We need Stevens, we need Last Polkas, Kates and whole bunch
of Solemn Faces!
I'll leave before I get stoned to death...
Seeyaround,
Anthony
P.s. Well, probably a bit late for the big 1500 but happy 1500 to the
MA!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 00:43:50 +0100
From: Anthony Leung <anthony.leung@virgin.net>
Subject: Kate's Army
Hey ma!
>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.
Hey! I've always wondered about that too! One thing though, both are
number 6 on respective albums, so maybe it was a hint of things to come!
By the way, I was just thinking, if Reinhold Messner was a moniker that
Ben and his mates at school used when he was young, and the album is
titled, the Unauthorised Autobiography, then put two and two together,
and you get Ben Folds' autobiography, unauthorised or not! Right?
Anthony
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1503
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