THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #137 - September 6, 1996
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #137
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Topics for Today:
Absolute Newbie with a love of all things nice
BF5 at Hard Rock Cafe
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #136
there is truth in the ruination power of evil MTV...
hello/tabs
BF5 at KC Lollapalooza
Tape chain
Ben Folds Five
BF5 at Reading Festival
Jumping Labels
BF: a Couting Crows lyric
Rerelease of Underground
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1996 20:03:57 +1000
From: Earthy Rock <custer@ros.com.au>
Subject: Absolute Newbie with a love of all things nice
Well, Hi, I'm new.
I live in Australia and Underground has been given a thrashing on some
alternaive radio stations over recent months. Well, I got the album, fell
in love, and here I am now!!! Basically, I don't know a whole lot about
much, so I'll be reading with interest and prolly asking a few stoopid
questions along the way too. Anyway, hi.
Cyas,
Ad.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
! Adam Poskitt !
! custer@ros.com.au !
!Get out your big stick!
!and beat the hell out !
! of anything that !
! stands in your way !
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1996 08:40:15 -0400
From: Phish4dead@aol.com
Subject: BF5 at Hard Rock Cafe
i went to england for a coupla weeks, one of which was in london. i went to
the hard rock cafe there. it was cool. eric clapton without facial hair in
the 60s---woah! he looked like chris robinson of the black crowes. anyway,
they have t.v.s all arond playing music videos, and bf5 were one of the
videos, uncle walter. it was a cool video, this old fat guy zipping around in
his ez chair, and the boys chasing him. although i couldnt hear it becuase of
the din in the restaurant, i sang along. ben looked cool i had never seen him
before. maybe theyre big in the UK, but i think not. people over there either
like the beatles, retro alternative, or oasis. later
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1996 09:12:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: THE YANKEE <mcdonpj3@wfu.edu>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #136
> Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 12:40:03 -0400
> From: ZDarrah106@aol.com
> Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #135
...people, kill your
> television...it's a mindless distraction...sorry for venting...zach
My Dad, an English teacher, had an interesting insight about the
phenomena of rock videos a few years back. He said, "I know you guys [my
generation] like it, but you don't have your own memories for songs
anymore. I'm always going to remember where I was when I first heard
this song or that song, or who I was with at the time, or something funny
my friends and I did while it was playing..."
I think he's right. I'll wager that part of the reason I reacted so
favorably to BFF was that there was no video clips to confuse me about
who they were and what they were about. I learned that exclusively
through the music and their live show. Ben, if you read this from time
to time, consider this unsolicited advice: if you MUST make a video, just
send some guys with a camera or four to a live show and try to capture
some of the energy. Maybe let fans, not cameramen, film the performance. :)
> ps. Wouldn't it be cool if BF5 covered Piano Man? :)
No. As a pianist who plays cocktail-style gigs and gets asked to play
the piano at parties, etc., that's almost like playing "Heart and Soul."
Even Billy Joel hates that song, probably more than anyone else.
Patrick J. McDonough
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1996 13:32:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: "DAVID A. MEYERSON" <davidmey@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu>
Subject: there is truth in the ruination power of evil MTV...
> Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 12:40:03 -0400
> From: ZDarrah106@aol.com
> Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #135
>
> I hope they dont play BFF on MTV...they ruined enough bands with their
> petty production methods...they have the tendency to label bands in
> their own little way and it ends up the complete opposite of what the
> band and the fans expect from the wholeness and true nature of
> music...people, kill your television...it's a mindless
> distraction...sorry for venting...zach
and for most part i agree with this except for the one exception that i
have to bring up. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS. in the list of relatively
underground bands, TMBG has gotten more than it's fair share of MTV play:
1. they hosted 120 minutes 2 times
2. several of their videos have gotten airtime (some even during semi
prime hours)
3. they've used at least 4 of their songs as sound bites and one of them
was even used as the theme song for this short lived tv show "Squirt TV"
which wasn't that good, but i gave it the benefit of the doubt.
so my point is that it is possible to get MTV airplay and not get
ruined. it just has to been done super carefully and if any of the band
is reading this right now, if you want to get some video play on MTV,
right now, only do it on 120 minutes. that's the show that will get you
in touch with the coolest of the cool fan base and you won't get
destroyed by the blithering idiocy of the majority of those regularly MTV
watching morons.
may the force be with you
daniel
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 02 Sep 1996 18:05:54 -0600
From: Ethan <eb10996@cedarnet.org>
Subject: hello/tabs
Hello, I am new to this list, but I am on other ones. So I don't
really know how you guys work. But I heard about this band from my
girlfriend cos' she went to Lollapulozza (whatever), and she gots a cd
and a autograph. Anyway, I think they are sooooooo cool, and since I
play the bass I would really like to learn some of thier stuff. So if
anyone out there has any tabs please send them to me.
benny =)
[There were some chord charts posted a couple months ago. Check the
Armchair Archive web page. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1996 22:46:49 -0400
From: BRWard01@aol.com
Subject: BF5 at KC Lollapalooza
Just recently came across a review of BF5 at the opening Lollapalooza show in
Kansas City in June. BF5 only merited one sentence in the review by Chuck
Edie that appeared in Spin magazine. To wit:
" And the Ben Folds Five were jumpier than I expected-I'll take Joe Jackson
(who Folds looks and sounds like live) over the prissy Todd Rundgren mimicry
on the three-man Five's CD anyday."
Prissy Todd Rundgren mimicry? Joe Jackson sound alike? What?!? Maybe the
performance was subpar, but this is the first truly negative (though
spectacularly superficial) review I've scene of the boys' CD. What's the
buzz? Anyone out there also see the KC lolla? However I must admit a BF5
cover of "Breakin Us in Two" (sic) by Joe Jackson would smoke.
Your Pal, BRWard
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 14:24:44 -0400
From: DMedsker@aol.com
Subject: Tape chain
I got some inquiries about my comment regarding the tape chain I assembled
with some people on the Trash Can Sinatras list. I would like to make the
same proposal to the BF5 list and see if we have any interested parties.
Here's the deal.
Each person interested makes a tape. The tape can consist of anything, old
stuff, new stuff, remixes, B-sides, whatever. The only rule is: No Ben Folds
Five! The purpose of these chains is to broaden musical horizons, and since
everyone on this list is in agreement about the genius of Ben, we don't need
to put them on any of the tapes. I've heard four tapes from the Trash Cans
list, and so far, there has not been one repeat. In fact, I haven't even
heard the same BAND twice. And the first tape I saw, I only knew four of the
bands on there.
Anyway, each person deals with only two people on the list, one to get tapes
from and one to send tapes to. I will assemble the names and addresses so it
creates a loop, and the tapes will go clockwise around the list until you get
your own tape back in the mail. And hopefully, you will have heard a ton of
new bands. If anyone is interested in doing this, please email me privately
at dmedsker@aol.com.
Later.
David M
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 1996 17:55:50 -0600
From: Ethan <eb10996@cedarnet.org>
Subject: Ben Folds Five
Hello, is anyone out there. I swear that I am the only one on the list
cos' I ain't getting any messages. I was wondering if that was true.
Well anyways someone please write me if you gots info on where I can
get some Ben Folds Five stuff.
benny =)
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 11:14:50 GMT
From: "A GARBI REG:00263121" <GARBIA-U@m4-arts.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: BF5 at Reading Festival
No, I didn't actually go. Far too much money.
But the NME (British music paper for those who still don't know)
gave BF5 a great write up. Reviewing the whole day on the second
stage, the writer has just said how bad the last band (Jack) were:
' Then Ben Folds - head honcho of the Ben Folds Five trio (hello?) -
leaps on his piano and hula dances like Billy Joel with a pineapple
up his arse, and the afternoon takes an upturn. He is a hotel lounge
pianist on very scary drugs indeed, smashing at his keyboard through
the twinkly '70s-tinged pop of 'Julianne' and 'Philosophy' and making
the idea of a 'savage Supertramp' sound pretty damn sexy. Crikey.'
Make what you will of this, but from an NME writer, that is a good
review.
'Underground' has been rereleased back in Britain. Over 2 CDs we get
the full and edited versions, plus a live rendition of 'Underground',
plus live versions of Jackson Cannery, Video and Satan Is My Master,
all from a gig at Ziggy's sometime. All very cool, and looks like it
might make the Brirish chart this time around. Well, whatever next?
Andy.
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 10:29:45 -0400
From: DMedsker@aol.com
Subject: Jumping Labels
According to a recent issue of Tower Records' magazine Pulse, Ben's next
record is coming out on Sony's 550 label. Did you guys know that? I had no
idea...
They finally made it to the show,
David M
[This was announced last January. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 12:39:37 -0400
From: Tom Spagnardi <toms@worldrg.com>
Subject: BF: a Couting Crows lyric
A friend of mine got hold of an advance copy of the upcoming Counting Crows
album "Retrieving the Satellites" due on the streets Oct. 15. One of the
songs is called "Monkeys" and one of the lines from this song is:
I've got nowhere but home to go;
I've got Ben Folds on the radio now.
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 96 14:18:33 UT
From: Tim Young <Mr_Tim@msn.com>
Subject: Rerelease of Underground
I bought the rerelease of Underground today on two CD singles and I have to
say that one of them is so much better than the other. The one with 'Satan is
my Master' & 'Video' pales into insignificance compared to the one with
'Jackson Cannery' & 'Underground' on it. Now... this is either due to a wild
difference in my taste or a terrible mistake on the part of whoever chose the
songs. In any case, it has just made my hungry for the next album ...
Has anybody got a complete recording of the gig at Ziggys?
Tim
==============================================================================
[Here's the kind of company BFF are keeping, at least in the
Netherlands: -fjm]
playlist subbacultcha #70
september 2nd 1996
1 meat beat manifesto - edge of no control (cd: satyricon)
2 jammah tammah - parade (in concert sat: 't vervolg, beverwijk)
3 urusei yatsura - velvy blood (lp: we are ...)
4 tunic - between the lies pinner (lp: neptunes compilation)
5 offday - what is it
6 bennet - if you met me ... (cd of the month: supernatural)
7 spoon - the government darling (cd: telephono)
8 apemen - el rey del surf (this saturday on a festival in the hout
in haarlem with the bouncers, spacemarines and others)
9 guzzard - sixed (in concert thursday: vera, groningen)
10 dick dale - wedge paradiso (sat: paradiso sun: atlantis, alkmaar)
11 jon-e-2-bad - run the rhythm (cd: cutting edge)
12 frank black - men in black (live) (b-side of the week)
13 stereolab - perculator (cd: emperor tomato ketchup)
14 ben folds five - philosphy (cd: ben folds five)
15 bis - popsocks (lp: neptunes compilation)
16 cooper - hanging on the telephone (fri: patronaat, haarlem)
17 evil superstars - death by summer (cd: love is okay)
SUBBACULTCHA is a weekly 'alternative' music show on a local radio
station in uitgeest, the netherlands. do you play in a band or do
you run a label? your music is always welcome. just e-mail!
gillet@pi.net
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Did I make me up, or make the face till it stuck