THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #435 - August 9, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Saturday, August 9 1997 Volume 01 : Number 435
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #432
Helmet Head
where is michael?
Lyrics, Lyrics, Lyrics....
mark sandman= darren jessee's live hard,die fast bro
Philosophy
Yo
same as the back, except at the side
Web page / Darren Look-a-likes..
Another Random Poll
Jessee/Sandman
[none]
why people who like BF5 like BF5
wanted: bff live shows.....
helmet hat debate
NOT BFF RELATED
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 21:34:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Treesapper@aol.com
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #432
hey - anyone know if bff is coming to philly any time soon? thanks for any
info. -amber
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 97 23:26:59 PDT
From: evlbison <evlbison@neo.lrun.com>
Subject: Helmet Head
Helmet head... lets see. I seem to remember a cheesy 80's
movie called "Back to the Beach" in which Frankie Avalon and
Annette Funicello return to their old beach. Anyways, Frankie
has become a used car salesman who wears sharkskin suits and
has the yuppie "pseudo-perm" of the mid eighties. Several
times in the movie do people call him "Helmet head". This
therefore leads me to believe that people were laughing at
Ben's hair. I highly doubt that he was singing about his
member.
Later,
Steve
NO OFFENSE INTENDED TO ANYONE BY ANY OF THIS.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 23:42:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: SweetyX1@aol.com
Subject: where is michael?
Sorry about this post guys, but I am looking for Michael Bluejay. If you are
still on this mailing Michael, send me some E-mail so I know how you are
doing. I noticed your screen name says that you aren't a member anymore. =(
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 20:55:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Max Ryan Wall <wallmr@whitman.edu>
Subject: Lyrics, Lyrics, Lyrics....
Just to let you all know, oh those many of you wondering about what the
lyrics on the first album are, you can get the lyrics by writing to the NC
Po Box listed in the cover slip. Hope that helps you out. [:>) (Although
I'm balding, so it really looks more like this... (:>) Balding at 20. How
sad...)
Max
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 23:58:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: bobafett@ekx.infi.net (Boba Fett)
Subject: mark sandman= darren jessee's live hard,die fast bro
>
>
>P.S. Did anyone who went to HORDE notice the similarity between Darren
>Jessee and Mark Sandman from Morphine? Perhaps I'm just smoking crack,
>but they look like they could be brothers.
>
very much so... the first thing that my friend and i discussed when
morphine came up on stage was how mark sandman looked like a darren jessee
who had seen a little TOO much of life and done a few too many hard
drugs...not to say that mark sandman isn't sexy (he is...)and darren isn't
hard to look at.
Jessica B. Musselwhite
bobafett@ekx.infi.net
"Why am I the witness? And when I capture it on film, will it mean that its
the end ...and I'm alone?" - Mark (from Jonathan Larson's "Rent")
"I've faith that there's a soul somewhere who's leading me around...i wonder
if she knows which way is down." Ben Folds Five "Evaporated"
"She's not eatin' bacon, not eatin' sausage, and she won't eat eggs, not
eatin' chicken, not eatin' turnkey, she won't have a steak, but i just
can't help feelin' sorry for this poor little lettuce head. you know, i
can't stop cryin' cause i know this broccoli's dead." Reel Big Fish "Say 'Ten'"
"What's with you, today? Yesterday you were normal, today you're like the
chinese guy from Karate Kid" -"Empire Records"
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 00:00:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: mayns@netcom.ca
Subject: Philosophy
My interpretation of Philosophy comes from an article I read where it said that Ben's dad was a contractor. this came up because Ben was asked where he first got a piano and said that his dad recieved one as payment for a job and Ben starteed playing it. (don't have the reference, so all of this may have been totally corrupted whilst in my head). Anyway, I see Philosophy as being about Ben's dad, from dad's P.O.V., and his struggles in raising his kids.
Yeah!
Mayns
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 00:53:12 -0500
From: excandescent@cowland.com
Subject: Yo
>Anyone going to the Saratoga Springs show this Sunday? I'm going to try
>to make it out there and was just wondering if any of you guys are
>meeting up...
>
>Sandi
I'll be there. Dunno what kinda clothes I'll be wearing, so I
can't really describe myself but I'm gonna try to get a hold of a name
tag that will say "Hello My Name is Uncle Walter." Uncle Walter,
magical armchair, ya know? I figured I wouldn't wanna piss Frank off by
using his name :) Well, cya there. I can't wait.
- ---
"I dreamed last night that I was a car muffler. When I woke up, I was
exhausted." - Rose Nylund
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 17:52:16 +1100
From: Alex <hayfamily@wr.com.au>
Subject: same as the back, except at the side
evening
so yeah, im reading my armchair and am overcome by the number of
explanations (sp?) people want/need about songs...nothing wrong with
that at all...in fact, some of the theories have been downright
hysterical...great to see so many people listening to the words, because
i truly believe that listening is a lost art form...
cheers
Alex
** though earth holds many splendours, wherever i may die, i know to
what brown country my homing thoughts will fly **
D.M - My Country
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 12:01:09 GMT
From: "Mark Piper" <mfp540@novell3.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: Web page / Darren Look-a-likes..
Howdy
Quick message, that my web page has been vastly updated and
expanded, and is now pretty much ready for your perusal at
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html
Please visit, I spent many hours on some of the sunniest days of the
year indoors trying to make this thing work. Cheers
Secondly...Courtney wrote:
>P.S. Did anyone who went to HORDE notice the similarity between
>Darren Jessee and Mark Sandman from Morphine? Perhaps I'm just
>smoking crack, but they look like they could be brothers.
I see a new thread here...>8) Has anyone noticed the vague
similarity between Darren and TV presenter Jamie Theakston (that
bloke on "The O Zone"). I swear that after he interviewed them a few
months ago, he began wearing exactly the same sort of shirts that
Darren wears, and did his hair like Darren's (He's yet to adopt a
constipated grin). Just a thought... Readers, do *you* know someone
who looks like Darren? Hey, Darren could be like that guy Mal on TFI
Friday! (who looks like loads of different people Peter Shilton /
Lovejoy / Michael Glaser etc. without doing anything at all....)
Mark
+------------------------------------------------------+
| mfp540@bham.ac.uk pipermf@phymat.bham.ac.uk |
| Looks, Brains & Everything - |
| http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html |
+------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 08:38:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: Eric Patton <shirak@umich.edu>
Subject: Another Random Poll
Yes, prepare to groan in agony, for my warped mind has brought
another poll into existance. Well, it's better than the plaid bunnies it
was making earlier.... Anyway, here it is: What three bands or performers
would you like to see BFF play with? For my three, I'd have to say Cake,
Tori Amos (Yeah, come on. I DARE someone to say something about it), and
the Brian Setzer Orchestra. All three have very unique styles in music,
and the shows would just kick major ass, especially with Brian Setzer.
Also, TMBG gets an honorable mention, as well as Morphine (imagine a
concert with no guitars, it's easy if you try...). Laters all!! Oh yeah, I
will be changing my signature quote soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
ERIC
_______________________________________________________________________________
"Huge, muscular men are always one of three things: unmercifully
stupid, taken, or gay."
Kei, from Dirty Pair
_______________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 09:38:33 +0100
From: kareng@ici.net (karen gannon)
Subject: Jessee/Sandman
>P.S. Did anyone who went to HORDE notice the similarity between Darren
>Jessee and Mark Sandman from Morphine? Perhaps I'm just smoking crack,
>but they look like they could be brothers.
Perhaps both. Why didn't I bring Sandman up during the whole great bassists
thread? He, besides looking like Darren after about a week's starvation
(can you say cadaverous?), is an incredible bassist. He can do with 2
strings what most people only dream of achieving on 4. Morphine rocks!
- --Josh
"Don't you worry bout the day-glow orange life-preserver. It won't save
you. It won't save you. Swim to the shore as fast as you're able. Swim like
a motherfucker..." Morhine, 'Sharks'
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 14:51:46 +0100
From: Paul May <paulmay@bigfoot.com>
Subject: [none]
Hi Everyone
This week on my BFF page I've put up "The Theme from Dr. Pyser" in MP3
format. This is a live track, recorded in London I think.
For those of you who still want your details/photos up on my Magical
Armchair page, just drop me a line.
Thanks to everyone who's contributed up to now.
THE PEOPLE ON THE ARMCHAIR PAGE WANTS YOU!!!
_________________________
Come gawk at the People on The Armchair:
http://www.iol.ie/~may
_________________________
Paul
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 10:09:36 +0100
From: kareng@ici.net (karen gannon)
Subject: why people who like BF5 like BF5
>Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what it is about BFF that elicits such a
>>response from all who hear them?
I think it's because of the piano. It's something different in the mod rock
world. Not, that Jessee and Sledge aren't incredible, but there are a lot
of amazing drummers and bassists out there. What you don't see a lot of in
rock is REAL piano, not organs or synths, but real, hard to set up,
impossible to ship piano. But BF5 didn't become a jazz trio (WAY too many
jazz trios out there!), they kept rocking out and going
"absolutelyfuckingnuts", to quote Aidan.
- --Josh
P.S Just curious,what other bands do people on the list think are
completely different/abnormal? I would name Morphine,Rentals,Jethro Tull
and the Bosstones
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 23:35:52 -0700
From: aplauri@juno.com (Philip J. L.)
Subject: wanted: bff live shows.....
i have been a fan of bff for quite some time now, but something i have
never gotten to was starting my own bootleg collection. i am so
desperate for some kind person to do
some kind of blank trade w/ me. i really really want to get my hands on
three different tapes, and they are:
- -Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ 1/18/96
- -Zephyr in Salt Lake, UT 4/8/97
- -and lastly the demo tape w/ 13 demos
these are three that i REALLY, REALLY, want!!!!! i would appreciate SO
MUCH if some kind person could try to work something out w/ me... so
please tell me, or of someone you know that may have these shows or any
shows really!!!! thanks a lot....
philip
aplauri@juno.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 14:21:21 -0500
From: virginia miller <virginia@cybergal.com>
Subject: helmet hat debate
>I just couldn't resist a chance to run on & on about my interpretation of
>Philosophy (sorry in advance). As I see it it's a metaphor-Ben is like the
>archeitect (nice spelling)/construction worker(helmet hat or hard hat, torch)
>of his style of music which, as I think we can all agree is somewhat
>different than most music. I think he's saying he had a vision of this style
>of music long before he'd actually played it with anyone else, and when he
>tried to get others to try it with him they may have doubted him at first,
>but then found that it COULD be done ("I pushed you cause I loved you guys, I
>didn't realize that you weren't having fun, And I dragged you up the stairs
>and I told you to fly"). Then maybe even though they saw this type of music
>actually worked they still doubted-kind of like when you learned how to ride
>a bike-you got going pretty good and then you started thinking about what you
>were doing...like... "hey I'm doing this, two wheels! Oh shit!" and then
>you quickly crashed. ("You were flapping your arms and you started to
>cry...you were too high")
Thank you, Steve! After reading some of the posts about "helmet hat" I was
starting to think that either I or these people are insane. Steve's
interpretation may not be exactly what I'd say, but it's close enough. It
seems pretty clear to me that Ben is using a metaphor about building:
representing the building of music with the construction a physical object.
Until I saw a post questioning whether it was a sexual reference I hadn't
thought twice about it; I just thought it was a damn good metaphor in one
of my favorite songs. Maybe I'm just a naive little girl, but in this case
I don't see the need to look beyond the obvious...
Virginia
"I'm crazy, but I get the job done"--Ben Folds
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 16:19:46 -0400
From: david beck <drbeck@ibm.net>
Subject: NOT BFF RELATED
THIS IS NOT BFF RELATED, does anyone here listen to ben lee or g love,
cause i'm from columbus ohio, and just saw them at a show and they
rocked, so many fantastic details, i shall not waste armchair space to
describe them, but if you are interested, e mail me...
officer friendly
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #435
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