Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #17 - January 16, 1996
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 01:02:21 -0500 (EST)
From: matthew larkin mondlock
Subject: love that bff
I just got on this mailing list and normally I'd lurk a little longer
before posting, but I'm used to receiving longer digests (Chalkhills,
anyone?). So I thought I'd try to make it a little longer. I'm glad to
see these guys spreading out more, heck, I'm in Bloomington, IN (IU). I
think I'm gonna go home for the Chicago show on the 27th. I can't wait.
I've been trying to spread the word around here but it's tough when your
fraternity brothers won't listen to something until they see it on Mtv.
Then they listen to it until it's been crucified. I think it's totally
appropriate that they covered "Video Killed the Radio Star."
BTW: Who else has heard Barry Black's album? I bought it when I noticed
Ben was on so many tracks because I figured it had to be similar. No
disrespect to Ben but I think he should cut musical ties off with Eric
Whatshisname. It's one of the strangest (not in a good way) album's I've
ever heard.
Anyone else into Jellyfish?
Matt Mondlock
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Date: Sun, 14 Jan 1996 22:15:59 -0800
From: afukushim@sd31.gov.bc.ca
Subject: BNL defence.
Hi, this is my first post here. I havent heard BFF yet, I was added to the
list out of interest, but am going to get the album soon..very soon. Up
until now I've had little to say....
>To me,
>the Bare Nakeds are simply a novelty act with little to say and no
>idea how to say it. That gets old very fast.
Oh my, oh my are you ever going to have alot of people jumping down your
throat. As a huge BNL fan I would have to disagree with you. For starters,
have you heard every BNL song, or just a few? Some BNL songs are like that
in a matter of speaking. Yoko ono, isnt really a novelty song if you listen
to the lyrics, it's a song that talks about the strength of love dispite
fame and fortune. Or at least that's what I get out of it.
>I mean, the first time
>you hear the little Yoko Ono thing it's hilarious. The second time
>you roll your eyes. The third time you vomit. Sort of like Yoko
>herself.
Hey, it's alright to not like a song, that's no reason to dislike a band.
There are loads of great songs that come out of BNL...
>Ben Folds, on the other hand, writes great songs and that's
>why the album works, not because the instrumentation is odd.
Okay, have you heard BNL's second album 'Maybe You Should Drive'? If not,
give it a shot, it's quite a bit different than Gordon, a little more
serious. Also, on Gordon, check out 'Brian Wilson', 'What a Good Boy', 'Wrap
Your Arms Around Me', 'The Flag', and 'Blame it on Me' These are great
songs, with great musicianship backing them up.
>The disc endures because of
>the songs, not the novelty. The Bare Nakeds fall apart because the
>songs are no better than the novelty
BNL has been referred to as a novelty act in the past, but they got over
that label after Maybe You Should Drive was released. They showed that they
weren't 'here today, gone tomorrow'. I'm not going to make any comparisons
until I actually hear BFF. I find it hard to believe that you can judge a
band based on one song.
My 2 cents (Canadian funds),
Brian
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Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 00:17:11 -0800
From: "John A."
Cc: XCPD19A@prodigy.com
Subject: RE: BF5 vs. BNL
Reuben Frank is intrigued that so many BF5 fans also love BNL. Let me say this:
First, Thank God we all have different taste in music. If we had to listen
to what everyone else thought was good (like majority rules in musical
preference), we would all be listening to nothing but top 40 and rap/dance
tunes.
Second, I have no intention nor desire to convert anyone into a fan of BNL,
Third, Ben Folds Five is a fantastic band, with fantastic music. That is
not in dispute.
With that said,
Fourth, several lines in Reuben's post leads me to believe that he has not
listened to much of BNL except perhaps Yoko and $1M (maybe the Gordon CD).
To say that BNL is "simply a novelty act" is simply an uninformed
statement. They do have some novelty songs, and they are a very humorous
and light hearted group of guys, but they do have MANY serious, deep, and
soulful songs on their records, especially on the last two (MYSD and BOAPS-
soon to be released). They are talented musicians and singers as well, and
they have a "group-chemistry" that is unexceeded.
Reuben, go buy "Born on a Pirate Ship" when it is released in March. I have
heard the CD and you wont be disappointed - unless you are weird :-)
Sorry to succumb to this obvious flame bait, and to waste you BF5 readers
time on the list. FranK, feel free to censor me if you feel this post is
inappropriate.
Visualize whirled peas
____________________
John Anderson
e-mail: jha@famedent.com
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Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 09:52:32 -0500
From: "Brian R. Kessler"
Subject: Northampton, MA show...
The show is going to be at Pearl St on the 21st, not Iron Horse on the 18th.
Hope to see all you New Englanders there...
b
--
"Every star that shines in the back of your mind
Is just waiting for it's cover to be blown..." - Uncle Tupleo
--
Brian R. Kessler
voice: 802-769-7600
e-mail: IBM Internal - bkessler@btv.ibm.com Internet - bkessler@vnet.ibm.com
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Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 10:14:35 EST
From: REUBEN FRANK
Subject: RE: BFF vs. BNL
John A --- Stupid me, not basing my opinion on unreleased product .
... roob
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Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 10:03:35 EDT
From: Ned Norland
Subject: BF5 on the radio...
Well, I just found out that I won't be able to go to either of the shows in
NJ, which is a bummer since I planned to tape it...if anyone lives near
Princeton and is going to one of the shows, mail me and you can borrow my
tape recorder...but anyways, I was driving home from a Noise Addict show
last night (great show... of guitar) :) and flipping through radio
stations. I end up on the local cheese-alterna-rock station (collective
soul/natalie merchant/you get the picture) and the guy announces, this is a
live song from Ben Folds Five...and I hear "I was never cool in
school"...it was a great version, I'm curious where they got it from since
there was no audience noise...possibly the appearance on Letterman (or was
it the other guy?)...but I remember him actually singing the second chorus
regularly and laughing at the part where they scream if that's any help...
-ned norland
nnorland@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us
-----Princeton Regional Schools takes no responsibility for the
accuracy or content of the above message.
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Date: Mon, 15 Jan 96 18:42:43 -0100
From: pat caron
Subject: (no subject)
Love to hear any news from this great trio!! From Minnesota's biggest
fan!! Looking forward to the 1/31 1st Ave. gig. Lemme know if you need
a place to crash!!!
pnc.
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[Brian and John, what we have witnessed is properly called a Roobrage.
You see, Roob is from Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, where
hostility is often treated as a compliment. They are best left alone,
admired for what they are - a frank expression of his razor-sharp wit -
and are not to be taken personally.
The list is up to 80 members, and without any significant Usenet exposure
yet. Spread the word. -fjm]
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