THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #211 - March 28, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #211
REMINDERS:
* Change the subject of your reply to something pertaining to your
message (not "The Magical Armchair, Issue #nnn").
* Don't quote excessively, or quote the entire digest, when replying.
* Please keep non-Ben Folds Five content to a minimum.
* If you attend a show, you must post a review!
Topics for Today:
BFF: another new album
Bradford MacLeod
Shut up.
Brick response
Re: Inspiration for Brick
DJ antics
Re: Brick
Second Albums
Re: brick
Philly show and making it big
new album comments...
gams, trust me.
Incoming! The Reaction to my Post!
BF5 in Houston/Austin, etc.
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 12:32:29 -0600 (CST)
From: Bill Tatalovich <wt3@cec.wustl.edu>
Subject: BFF: another new album
Hey all--
I know that there's a lot of hullabaloo right now about the nw album and
everything, but has anyone given a listen to Eric Bachmann's (sp?) solo
album, oddly enough titled _Barry Black_? I got a listen of it the other
night, and I was pleasantly surprised. I mean, I like Eric's work in
Archers of Loaf (who, BTW, I saw about a week or so ago in St. Louis for
free), and how can you lose with guest artists like our own Ben Folds and
Darren Jessee? Ben actually plays drums on about half of the songs on the
CD, and he does a tremendous job with it (at least better than I could
ever do). Darren's only on one song, if I remember correctly. Anyway,
you might want to give it a listen...it's not much like Ben Folds Five,
it's not much like Archers of Loaf....it's just pretty cool.
Oh yeah, and does anyone have any idea how I can get my hands on a copy of
_Shut Up and Listen to Majosha_? I assume it's out of print, the campus
radio station doesn't even have it, and the record stores around St. Louis
aren't THAT good...any hints will be much appreciated. Thanks. See y'all
later.
Bill Tatalovich
wt3@cec.wustl.edu
"You're not the one who let me down / but thanks for offering..."
--Archers of Loaf
[There has been so much demand for Majosha, maybe Rhino Records should
do a reissue! -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 12:34:54 -0600
From: jbuff@uit.net
Subject: Bradford MacLeod
Hey! I give credit where credit is due.
This was a very good letter about the album. I completely agree with
your comments, even though you correct my "sampling" error.
Brett
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 13:42:47 -0500
From: John Glosson <JGlosson@webtv.net>
Subject: Shut up.
Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh wahhhhhhhh wahhhhhhhhh...you're acting like a bunch of
crying babies. "Slow songs suck...boo hoo". Just shut up. JUST SHUT UP!
Your little frat boy mentality is what propetuates bands like Silver
Chair and Hootie and the Blowfish. Get over it. If you don't like it,
then don't buy it. Crawl back into your frat house and drink domestic
beer while you listen to your Nine Inch Nails cds. BFF are artists and
conduct themselves as such, and make no effort to pander to the lowest
common denominator. To all of those readers with any level of
intelligence and appreciation for fine mucic, I apologize for the
negativity that I've brought to the Armchair.
Once again I remind the rest of you to shut up.
Thank you.
[There are all sorts of people with all sorts of tastes and all
opinions on Ben Folds five are welcome here. The moderator will tell
people when to shut up. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 13:45:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Marc <mjt7742@is2.nyu.edu>
Subject: Brick response
> From: Megan Hope Foster <mhfoster@artsci.wustl.edu>
> Subject: brick
> does someone out there know anything about ben's inspiration for the song
> "brick"?
> it's such a moving song...every time i listen to it, i get completely
> wrapped up in his emotions.
>
I was waiting for someone to mention this. I am in love with this song.
The inspiration sounds like someone dating a terminally sick person. It
sounds like Ben felt tied to her once he found out it was terminal and she
thinks she's dying for him, while he's ready to look for another girl.
Everytime I hear the chorus I want to cry. A sappy slow song hasn't
made me feel this way in a long time. Well, just thought I'd share.
Marc
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 14:00:38 -0500 (EST)
From: FHudetz@aol.com
Subject: Re: Inspiration for Brick
Megan,
I think that Brick is a song about abortion.
Tim S.
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 15:12:21 -0800
From: Hezbollah Harry <Heyzeus@swbell.net>
Subject: DJ antics
Everyone who has wondered why The Five don't call themselves the Three
will find this bit of radio dj idiocy amusing. A Houston DJ, trying to
make a little small talk before playing BoWCCL, related this anecdote:
"Last time they were in town, I asked Ben Folds why his band is called
Ben Folds Five when there are only three of them. He replied that he has
trouble counting."
I seriously doubt this "interview" ever took place, seeing as how nobody
at that station knew anything about music before the day Sony sent them
the single, but it still sounds like something Ben would reply to an
ignorant radio putz. Humorous, but sarcastic to those who know. The dj
then went on to introduce the song as "Battle of Who Cares Less."
josh
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 16:29:18 -0500
From: Mike Piccuirro <mikeman@pegasus.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Re: Brick
> From: Megan Hope Foster <mhfoster@artsci.wustl.edu>
> Subject: brick
>
> does someone out there know anything about ben's inspiration for the song
> "brick"?
>
> it's such a moving song...every time i listen to it, i get completely
> wrapped up in his emotions.
I think the article in Details mentions that the song is about taking
his girlfriend for an abortion. It would make sense with lines like
"Parent aren't here to find this out" and "They called her name at 7:30,
and I paced around the parking lot". Now, I don't know if Ben had that
experience in real life, but I would venture to say that he had.
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 16:51:25 -0500
From: Evan Chakroff <chakroff@ee.net>
Subject: Second Albums
ahh... my first message of real content...
My opinion of Whatever is that it is a good followup to the first album.
Much like how songs are ordered on and album, or a concert set list, here
is a slower album following a faster album. A change of pace. However, as
mentioned below, the lyrics have more depth to them. As for the sophomore
slump.... many bands have phenominal second albums, when their first album
is less than perfect. For example, Weezer's first release had a few great
songs, but not a lot. The second album, with only ten songs, is much better
musically and lyrically. In BFF's case, Whatever is _different_, not worse.
On another note, I think the addition of more instruments is hardly
noticable (except on Steven's) because they blend so well with the
piano/bass/drums.
-ec
On the desk: BFF: Whatever And Ever Amen, They Might Be Giants: Then: The
Earlier Years, Weezer: Pinkerton, Phish: Junta
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 17:03:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Marcia Huth <mdhuth@email.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: brick
megan->
brick is about an abortion. darren jesse wrote it and ben folds is
married, so i'm guessing they're singing for darren, but i dunno.
dan boland
mdhuth@unc.edu
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 17:20:49 -0500
From: Me <saltman@wesleyan.edu>
Subject: Philly show and making it big
> Is anyone else out there going
> to the Philly show?
I had to rearrange my finals, and I'm skipping the last day of classes, but
I am going to see BFF in Philly and I can't wait! My sister is the only
other BFF fan I know, though, and she can't go. :-( If you're at the
Philly show and you see someone sitting in line reading a newspaper or
something, come talk to me so I don't feel like a loser. Thanks. ;-)
>Do we really want them to become BIG? If
> they get bigger, us true fans will have to deal with larger venues and
> increased ticket prices. We'll lose the closeness of seeing them in clubs or
> small theaters. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see them hit the big time
> for two reasons: 1.) If there's any band who deserves it, it's them. And 2.)
> I can't wait to say "I told you so to all the people who jump on the BFF
> bandwagon.
I hate that I have to say this, because it makes me feel/sound like one of
those annoying alterna-girl posers, and I usually hate it when other people
say it....but I don't think I want them to become big here in the US. Oh,
God help me, I'm straight out of "Underground". Sorry. But they're already
enormous in Japan, (are they in the UK too?). I don't know, there are so
few artists I love and that I can see in small venues. I'm torn between
wanting everyone on earth to share in the love and magic that is Ben Folds
Five, and between being a selfish little snot who wants to keep all the
beauty for myself....Of course, I do tell everyone I know about them and
play the cd nonstop on my radio show at school. The people at the station
stuck "Whatever and Ever, Amen" in the regular library, without even a stop
in the new releases area, which would ensure that DJs would play it. I
think that's because, for the most part, the radio station here is
concerned with being as anti-mainstream as possible, which basically means
"music" that sounds like various farm animals being tortured, perhaps with
some screaming vocals, heavy distortion and the melodious tones of
fingernails scraping a blackboard thrown in for good measure....
Sarah
P.S. I *love* the new album, I think its definitely as good, if not better
than, the first. I have to ration out my listening so I don't get sick of
it too fast, but I have this intense desire to play it all the time. When
I'm not listening to it, I'm singing it myself (well, attempting to), which
isn't really pleasant for anybody but me, but hell, I think we already
established that I'm a selfish little snot, so I'm just gonna keep on
singing. ;-)
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 17:20:22 -0600 (CST)
From: "Daniel \"Superfly\" Meyerson" <demeyers@midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: new album comments...
well i know i haven't posted since before the list had an actual name, but
i just felt that i had to say something about the new album.
i'm completely in love with the song "brick".
i'm almost ambivalent towards most of the other songs RIGHT NOW. this will
change as soon as i listen to it a bit more, but my first impressions
about the songs that i like indicate my favorites most of the time, but it
always takes me a while to warm up to any new album especially after
having a first album that i worship on a pedestal.
looking forward to April 24th in Chicago
daniel
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 18:28:41 -0500 (EST)
From: ShirowFan@aol.com
Subject: gams, trust me.
yep. it tis pronounced "gams." how do i know this? i'm a worldly guy, that's
all.
hey--picked up a FREE copy of a John Spencer Blues Explosion video
today--will give away. I hate those guys. I am looking for the video that
comes with the bff CD at tower. see, in Kansas, we have crap. that's all. we
have to sort through crappy stores with crappy prices and crappy smells to
get CDs. i will pay almost any price for this, within reason.
Sarah--your posts always make me smile. :)
Ben was asked, if he could fold any five things, what would they be?
His answer: the Jacksons. I love that boy.
review. i know you little bffers just wanna listen to the damn thing, but,
it's america, and i can post this review because it's my right, dammit.
the Cd is great. there. i said it. the hidden track is funny. thank you all.
tip your waitresses.
Selfless, Cold, and Composed,
dave-o
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 19:01:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Jason Martin <un036034@wvnvaxa.wvnet.edu>
Subject: Incoming! The Reaction to my Post!
Hey there folks...
Well, it seems I got some discussion kicking with my last post, so I
thought I'd do a followup:
Hey, I'm a hardliner, but the album grows on you, here's what I thought
the last 20-25 times I've listened to it:
1. I'll eat my words for something I didn't say last time. I should have
said "BFF TO ME is uptempo etc." I implied that but in hindsight I should
have typed it. I'm not trying to force them to fit into a style. But at
the same time, you can't make me like slow songs. I don't like them. Too
many bad memories from jr. high dances! (j/k). Seriously, I like upbeat
stuff. Hey, that's my bag. Moving on...
2. Brick is much better than I gave it credit for. I like Fair more. I
even like Smoke more. But Selfless is still Billy Joel in a can, Missing
and Evaporated I still just don't like. I would like anyone to justify to
me why Cigarette is on this record. Even my piano-phile roommate skips
it, and he likes anything with piano at all!
3. Many people have sent me email either saying "Hey right on," or "Hey
jerk." Either way that's cool. One guy said "I'm prepared to be flamed."
I just don't work like that. I have a lot of strong opinions. If you do
too, that's swell. Here's my mission for this post (and will probably
cause a furor): Where did it say that you have to like every note they
ever produce? If no one ever criticizes, nothing would ever get better.
Taking into account the short amount of time between records, I would rate
this higher the more I hear it. But some of the piano solo and Ben
testing his vocal range a bit too much (he's not the best there ever was)
I think hurt the album. That's my thing.
4. People talk about formulas. Don't like em either! But at the same
time there's something that drew us all to the band. For me, it was that
unbridled enthusiasm they had. I just feel like it's missing on this one.
Maybe you were drawn by the tenderness of Boxing or Philosophy or
something. Maybe you dig ballads. That's your thing, so enjoy. I'm just
out here spouting off from my perspective.
Finally...
5. Keep it coming! After a lull, finally some good BFF discussion!
Thanks for keeping us all connected, Frank!
Jason
WVU
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 19:17:12 -0500 (EST)
From: NakedVegan@aol.com
Subject: BF5 in Houston/Austin, etc.
Sorry for posting about the Austin show as though it was news when in fact it
had already been announced in a previous Armchair. The reason I didn't know
was that sometimes I don't get all the issues of the Armchair at this email
address, although they go through to my other email address fine (which I
just now checked, and saw the earlier Armchairs which mentioned the U.S. tour
dates).
Anyway, I do have one correction to make: El Flaco is NOT gonna open for BF5
in Houston. Chris from El Flaco tells me they never finalized the deal, and
so it's not gonna happen. According to the tour dates that were posted on
the Armchair, Komeda is the opening band in both Austin and Houston (and most
other places, for that matter).
Regarding one reader's assertion of many songs on the new album that "that's
not what BF5 is about!", don't you think that BF5 *themselves* are the best
authority as to what BF5 is all about? How can you presume to tell a band
what they're all about?
Granted the new album is DIFFERENT from the original, but that just means
that the new album is what BF5 is focused on now. It's proper to say "The
second album differs from the first", but it's ridiculous to say "The second
album is not BF5."
And regarding that difference, bands just can't win with their second albums.
If it's SIMILAR to the first, then critics will say they're doing the same
old thing, ho hum. If it's DIFFERENT from the first, then critics will say
why are they doing this new crap rather than sticking to what they do best?
They lose with the critics either way.
The first album grabbed me immediately, not even a minute into my first
listen of Jackson Cannery. The second album doesn't do that for me. That
doesn't mean it's bad, just different. But that certainly means that there
can be some disappointment there. All of us joined this mailing list because
we liked the first album. It makes sense that when presented with something
DIFFERENT from the first album, that some of us will like it and some of us
won't. That says nothing about the quality of the effort.
I've only listened to the new album once. I'm thinking it will be the kind
of thing that grows on me with repeated listenings.
By the way, did I mention that when I was in Raleigh/Chapel Hill a few weeks
ago, every shop I went to I'd ask, "Does Ben Folds shop here?" The unanimous
response was, "Who?"
Finally, the typo in my sig below has been fixed so you can actually get to
my website. Sorry, and d'oh!
Michael Bluejay (Austin, TX)
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