THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #187 - February 23, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #187
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Topics for Today:
Japanese single
[Fwd: My discovery of Ben Folds Five]
ADam's url....Jellyfish fans Listen!
about the KCRW compilation
BFF in MINNEAPOLIS?!?
BFF MP3? Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #186
BFFans & Musical Diversity
philosophy transcription
I'm livin' on babyfood.
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #186
Text of the postcard
The Missing FineExampl Music Info Site URL
Harvey and Sheila
The "Whatever" hands
Straight outta Santa Monica...
Ben Folds Five in Aus. I LOVE YOU BEN!!!
Oh well , maybe not . I'll try again ...
NO SUBJECT
Battle of who...
HELP ME FRANK!!
==============================================================================
[First, a couple notes: Sound clips for four of the tracks on "Whatever
And Ever Amen" are now up on the website at http://oeonline.com/bff/ for
your listening enjoyment. They are in .wav format so you can hear them if
you don't have RealAudio.
Second, Doug at Sony Music tells us that the video for Battle of Who
Could Care Less will debut on MTV in one of their "M2" hours on Thursday,
Feb. 27, around 2 PM. Those who get M2 via satellite can see the video
often on M2 starting Monday, Feb. 24. And it's reported below that the
video will run on "120 Minutes" this Sunday night/Monday morning, Feb.
23/24. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 13:11:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Chris Wagner <wagner@mts.jhu.edu>
Subject: Japanese single
Someone posted the songs on the two UK BoWCCL singles, but would someone
be gracious enough to post the tracks on the Japanese single?
Thanks,
Chris
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 12:45:23 -0800
From: Eric Ebert <ebert@cpg.mcw.edu>
Subject: [Fwd: My discovery of Ben Folds Five]
> Ps For the record, I thought all Ben Folds Five Fans liked old Queen,
> Billy Joel, and Dean Friedman? (And Andrew Gold, he of 'Lonely Boy'
> fame).
> Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 12:34:53 -0600 (CST)
> From: samuel jacob lewis <sjlewis@students.uiuc.edu>
> Subject: Question and stuff
>
> Hi, my name is Sam and I'm from the suburbs of the Chicago. I was once
a depressed music fan moping over the loss of Freddie Mercury and the
break up of Jellyfish until I heard Ben Folds Five....
WOW. Have you people been living my life WITH me? I mean, people who
dig BF5 will probably have some of the same tastes, but this is scary!
My friend Jerry, knowing what a HUGE Jellyfish fan I was (and that I was
still in denial over the fact that they would never record another
album), played "Underground" for me off of his CD Music Club Sampler
Something or Other close to a year ago, and I was instantly hooked. "I
figgered ya might like dis one", he said to me matter-of-factly, and the
rest is history. I ran to Barnes and Noble that week and grooved on
nothing but Ben Folds Five for the next two months. (Well, okay, so
maybe a Jellyfish, Queen, or Semisonic disc occasionally made a guest
appearance in my changer...y'gotta have *some* variety!) I can't wait
for the new album, and I'm praying they come to Milwaukee!
By the way, any fellow Milwaukeeans out there? (I'd settle for Cudahy
residents....) Btw, who is Dean Friedman?
L8r!
Erokk
"Life is a mood ring we're not allowed to see...
Life is a placebo masquerading as a simile." - TMBG
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 14:23:32 -0600
From: nancy <ndoodle@ou.edu>
Subject: ADam's url....Jellyfish fans Listen!
Adam is right, is little bit, is pretty darn swell. I'll tell you, if
you're a Jellyfish fan, go check it out. It's the best page on the guys
that I've read-really personal, easy to read, and you don't end up
hating him, cos' he lives that glam lifestyle of getting to hang with
the highthrones (andy sturmer?!) um, anyway, just letting you all know,
it's neat-o!
;)
nancy doodle!
Adam, fancy meeting you here! I'd like to see your signature! ha!
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 16:00:00 -0500
From: Andrea Merrifield <hapfield@mix-net.net>
Subject: about the KCRW compilation
I found out about the compilation from Entertainment Weekly so the CD
should be in local record stores........
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 15:08:01 -0600
From: "Finnestad, Lucas M" <LMFINNESTAD@CSBSJU.EDU>
Subject: BFF in MINNEAPOLIS?!?
Two things: well, ok three, First off, THis is my first post and since
I've just been sitting here reading for a while i have to say that it
feels good to be listening to another band that we know will soon be
big, I don't usually like to pick up on a band once they are
radio-friendly (although some bands are definately worthy) Secondly, if
anyone has any knowledge on BFF coming to Minneapolis a post to the list
would be greatly appreciated. Last and surely not least, if anyone is
willing to spin a show or two for me, since I have no BFF to trade and
very little else wise all I can offer is tapes and postage, anyway, it
would be greatly appreciated! Thanks much
Luke
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 16:20:57 -0500
From: Mike Piccuirro <mikeman@pegasus.rutgers.edu>
Subject: BFF MP3? Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #186
Hey all,
I have just discovered the beauty of the MP3 compression files. It's
a new format for storing CD quality audio files with something like a
12:1 compression ratio. I've been listening to a lot of Dave Matthew's
Band (my other fav band) mp3 files and it's great. I've found rare
tracks and live versions of popular songs. I was just thinking it would
be cool if there were a place to get BBF songs off the net. If not,
could someone put the new CD on the net, please? That way all of us
(with a 486 66) or higher can enjoy the BFF songs that we don't have
access to. MP3 players, files and instructions on encoding a mp3 file
off a CD can be found at.
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/beast/mp3/index.htm
If there already is a place to get BFF files please let me know.
-Thanks
Mike
homepage http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~mikeman
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 17:21:05 -0800
From: Visual Purple <lmroger@netside.com>
Subject: BFFans & Musical Diversity
In the name of topicality, I heard BoWCL on the radio this morning and it
would have been a time of great rejoicing and jumping around because the
mediocre "alternative rock" station actually played them, but I was
really late to Spanish class. Oh well :( Waiting with bated breath for
the new CD
> to watch them. All I can remember is walking past the shirt stand for the
> second stage and thinking Ben Folds Five had some cool shirts (and a cool
> name, too) Now I really wish I could get my hands on a shirt :) sigh. I
Got mine free with the CD, heh heh :) Paid less for the CD & got the
shirt. Thank God for nice record store employees :)
> Other favorites of mine... at the moment, I am
> very much listening to soul coughing
> Dave Matthews Band - Genius
> Ben Folds Five - THE GREATESTCouldn't agree more. Anybody like Cake?
> I suppose this has shown that us Fab, Funky 'Folds Five' Fans are a rather
> diverse, unpigeonholable (?) bunch. Hurrah.
> PS : Does anyone here like Celine Dion and Hootie....?Um, it's the PS
that worries me. As far as I'm concerned, the only good thing I can see
in Hootie making it big is that they're freeing up Columbia clubs for much
better SC and NC bands (Is that considered a flame? Don't know much 'bout
Netiquette). But seriously, you aim a Scud missile at South Carolina and
hit at least ten bands better then Hootie (except maybe Edwin McCain).
Please check out http://www.scmusic.com for a comprehensive list of GOOD
SC bands. My point is, Hootie's OK, but they're not as good as
half-a-dozen other SC bands.
Oh, one more thing: UK fans, there's a UK band I like called Eden
Burning and I can't find their CD "Brink" anywhere for love or money. If
anyone knows of a CD store that sells it new or used, please email with
the address of the store. I don't want to buy from an individual,
though, sorry.
Oh yeah, sorry if the sig too long.
--
"In the desert / I saw a creature, naked, bestial, / Who squatting upon
the ground, / Held his heart in his hands, / And ate of it. / I said, 'Is
it good friend?' / 'It is bitter-bitter,' he answered; / 'But I like it /
Because it is bitter, / And because it is my heart.'" --Stephen Crane
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 19:51:47 -0400 (AST)
From: Daniel MacEachern <dmaceach@is2.dal.ca>
Subject: philosophy transcription
Hi, I missed the post about the gentleman with the transcription for
philosophy? Would he please e-mail me privately so I can get a copy from
him (or if someone has his e-mail address please send it to me).
Last Friday I was heading out to work at the school bar and my roommate
was headeddown Spring Garden Road so I asked him to check one of the magazine
stores to see if the new CMJ was in. It was, he told me, when he came back
to the bar later that night, and he'd picked it up for me. Immediately I
thanked him, until he told me that he'd left it at home, whereupon I
forced him to go home and get it for me. After much whining, he did.
Anyway, I played the CMJ disc at the bar that night, waiting for the
second track. Couldn't hear it all that well over the noise of the crowd
(it's very much a social bar, not a dance bar) so I listened to it again
later that night at home. The person who said it didn't grab them right at
first like Underground did, I would have to agree. It's grown on me some.
And a not-quite-great BF5 song is still miles ahead of anything else, so
I'm hoping the album is slightly better. I really hope I don't turn into
one of those humorless "they used to be so much better before!" types.
Anyway.
Quick note to those of you who pick up the new CMJ, two Halifax bands
mentioned. Thrush Hermit has a song on the disc, "North Dakota" and
there's an article about Sloan.
Daniel
Halifax
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 19:07:40 -0500 (EST)
From: Yoda90210@aol.com
Subject: I'm livin' on babyfood.
Some guy said..
>> Ps For the record, I thought all Ben Folds Five Lfans liked old Queen,
Billy Joel, and Dean Friedman? I know I do. (And Andrew Gold, he of
>> 'Lonely Boy' fame).
Sorry, kid. I may not be the rule, but I'm definitely the exception.
I think there's a lot of name dropping of bootlegs and the likes on this
list, but is there anyone on this list that is actually sharing?
1-888-BENFOLDS5 is, of course, not a real number, because telephone numbers
only have 7 digits, and gee..that one has 9. Um. Yes.
Whoever made the Pizzacato 5 and Ben Folds 5 rconnection, you are king.
Again, thanks to the transcript guy, whoever that was.
I need to start learning names.
lv,
susie, who has been idle for a while.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 19:16:06 -0600
From: Dan Mauer <dmauer@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #186
Samuel jacob lewis <sjlewis@students.uiuc.edu> said:
> I was listening to one of my bootlegs (Hoboken, New Jersey 1/18/96) last
> night and at the end of the Freebird jam, Ben sings "Forever and ever,
> amen". Is this a part of the real Freebird song? Did Ben get the idea
> of the album title from "Freebird"? All you Skynard fans out there, it's
> time to speak up (that's not me as you all can tell however,
> "Tuesday's Gone" is a great tune).
Nope... Free Bird is one of my favorite songs; and there is no such line
in it... Oh well.
> Also, whoever wants to help me out, I'm looking for some Majosha to add
> to my collection. If you're interested in trading, drop me a line.
That goes for me, too... I see plenty of info on BFF boots, but nothing
from Majosha.
> [Any Santa Monicans: is there an address, phone or net contact for
> KCRW to order this? -fjm]
I know that the first two Rare On Air compilations were available at
record stores in the L.A. area... I don't know whether they were release
outside of CA, though. But I would assume this cd will be marketed
similarly.
--
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 23:04:41 -0500 (EST)
From: NakedVegan@aol.com
Subject: Text of the postcard
Okay, so about these postcards most of us got about a month ago... I'm
pretty sure they were printed and not handwritten, but maybe not? So I'll
reproduce the text below, preserving the line breaks, to see if anybody got a
different postcard. And also, this will serve as delivery of a virtual
postcard to all those poor folks who didn't get one in the mail:
Hello --
It's Ben, how are you?
I'm fine thanks. I haven't
left my house in a few
months so I look like Don King.
We just finished our 2nd
record this week -- goodnight.
Ben Folds
By the way, the photo shows Darren with short hair. Wonder when that
happened. Also, you know how towards the end of the Beatles' career when
they weren't having fun any more, how they always looked annoyed in their
group photos? Well that's how the boys look here, unfortunately.
DMJ@ACES.COM wrote:
> The other night, I was out at a local Houston club, the Blue Iguana, and
> there was a cool Austin band playing... El Flaco. After their set, I
> talked with a couple members of the band, and one of 'em mentioned that
> they will be opening for BFF at the Urban Art Bar in April. Coooool!
> (Sorry Bluejay! Heh...)
Damn! We were supposed to play with El Flaco at one of their Houston shows
(not the one you went to, one before that), but my drummer refused to go.
That would have been my tenuous link to BF5 -- I could have played a show
with a band that opened for BF5. Oh well, Chris from El Flaco comes to see
our shows frequently, so I guess it's still possible to set something up. :-)
-- Michael Bluejay (Austin, TX)
Check out the Austin Music Page at --> http://members.aol.com/bestpages
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 00:03:52 -0500 (EST)
From: FineExampl@aol.com
Subject: The Missing FineExampl Music Info Site URL
http://members.aol.com/fineexampl/index.html
I have the new album!!!!!!!!!!
i also have the first two import singles! the batle of who could care less!
Kids....get this CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the singles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
they are soooooooooooo HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! best of 97 material
here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
always,
JOhn Hartman NJ USA
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 01:08:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Michele <mmenuck@umich.edu>
Subject: Harvey and Sheila
Okay- the Hava Nagila thing...
Is Ben Folds Jewish or something?
Michele Menuck
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 11:42:05 +0000
From: King Lava Lamp <JOA95JWA@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: The "Whatever" hands
The two hands are on the cover of the new album which I have just
got. It also has a highly amusing spiel on how the album was
recorded. There are also full songwords, some ace pictures of the
band...Robert is *gasp* topless! Ben is driving a ship by the looks
of things. Darren just looks bloody gormless.
You'll have to forgive me but I'm going to run home and listen to it
now. Incidentally the last time I ran like a goon in public was the
day I got the first album.
Hoo-hah, hoo-hah.
Some stranger is reading this over my should-ah
JOHN A
I'm a driver
I'm a winner
Things are gonna CHANGE I can feel it
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 07:35:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Rahoolio@aol.com
Subject: Straight outta Santa Monica...
Folks,
The KCRW "Rare On Air" CD is a national release--sorry, I've forgotten the
label--and should be available at "finer stores" (in the USA, anyway) after
2/25. The version of "Alice Childress" therein is just one of many fine
songs on the CD...I seem to recall Me'Shell NdegeOcello delivering a knockout
track too.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there IS a New Orleans standard called
"Gimme My Money Back, You Bitch" (hey, it's a strange town); maybe Ben simply
found the title an inspiration and decided to offer his own spin...
Ane whoever mentioned Dean Friedman might be amused to learn that at least
one of the--ahem--older Armchair subscribers counts "Ariel" as a guilty
pleasure, and Ben sorta strikes me as just the kind of smart-ass to revive a
song like that! Boy, I'd be honestly thrilled. As for Andrew "Thank You For
Being a Friend" Gold, I wonder if the guy receives royalties every time a
syndicated episode of "The Golden Girls" is run? Sweet deal...
Still waiting for my store to receive that magical promo package from
Sony,
Rahoolio
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 23:42:26 +1100
From: Very Fruity Indeed <ad@healey.com.au>
Subject: Ben Folds Five in Aus. I LOVE YOU BEN!!!
Uhhh... DOes that BFF page say Newcastle, AUSTRALIA!? WHOA!!! That can't
be true!!! If it is, I'm there... But, I think it's some sort of admin
error or something... Anyone?
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Ad %
%Yeah and stuff%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 13:20:51 GMT
From: Andy Hewitt <mbcx6adh@mh2.mcc.ac.uk>
Subject: Oh well , maybe not . I'll try again ...
Just got 'round to reading the armchairs after two days being very
ill . I agree with anybody saying that the single is utterly
excellent . I liked it at first , then it seemed to go a bit flat and
then it grew and grew and grew and (I'm sure you get the idea) on me
until now when I would say that I love it dearly . The second b-side
on the first CD is also excellent . I haven't a clue what 'Dr. Psyer'
was , but the theme definitely rocks .
The O-Zone thing was really a bit of a let down as the interviewer
was a total fool , but the article in the NME and the review of the
album in this months MOJO were both very good .
That'll do for the moment so I'll hand over to the next message .
Andy
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 97 09:57:29
From: bminnick@locrscs.LEGIS.STATE.PA.US
Subject: NO SUBJECT
Frank, I believe the KCRW Rare on Air CD I wrote about the other day is
readily available through Mammouth/Atlantic on Feb. 25.
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 11:14:23 AST4ADT
From: Kevin Hubert <EKH3854@UMoncton.ca>
Subject: Battle of who...
Hi fans!!!
Well, I finally heard the new single Battle of who could care les....
Very good...
I bought the CMJ new music magazine, and that is why I have the new
single!!!
My radio station has it, so they will start playing it soon ( I
hope)...
take care people!!!
Kevin Hubert
Info-com
Universite de Moncton
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/8728
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 16:14:43 GMT
From: Sarah Fire <Sarah_Fire@hths.mcvsd.k12.nj.us>
Subject: HELP ME FRANK!!
Hi Frank, I'm on the mailing list, though I've never posted before. I just went
to ticketmaster and it said that the Counting Crows are playing in New
Brunswick in *5* Days. Please Please Please tell me that Ben Folds 5 isn't
opening for them!!! I'm sure it's sold out, I had no idea! I thought they were
playing much later in the year!! OH THIS IS SO TRAGIC!! I've been waiting to
see them live for so long...
sob sob
[BFF are opening for Counting Crows for only six shows on the west
coast, so they will not be appearing in NB. Check the web page for the
Counting Crows dates. -fjm]
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