THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #480 - September 16, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Tuesday, September 16 1997 Volume 01 : Number 480
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Airplay
BSCHACK's Single Request
justification on my part
onionsprout is right
opening acts
Brick over Dumped
Bus Stop and Snuzz
Belated Happy Birthday to Ben!! (thanks Chuck!)
loooong time coming...
Gasoline for the Brick Flame...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 08:18:37 -0700
From: "Kamp, Marcus S" <Marcus.Kamp@PSS.Boeing.com>
Subject: Airplay
Perhaps if BFF want some airplay on MTV, they should try putting Puff
Daddy in their new video. Apparently, no matter how god-awful the music
or the video, the blessing of the Puff Father (or is it "Fatha"?) is all
one needs for success these days.
BTW, this is not a serious request or anything, so please don't take it
that way!
Did anyone else notice that this weekend's Sessions episode was Suzanne
Vega instead of the scheduled Michelle N'Dege-Ocello? A) Not only BFF
gets bumped around. B) What the hell is the real schedule? (And this
@ a time when the 2 PBS stations in Seattle are doing to their fund
drives!)
"I'll be stone-faced and pale, you'll pout in stereo 24 hours every day
of the year. Oh what fun, I can't wait till the future gets here."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 08:26:23 -0700
From: "Kamp, Marcus S" <Marcus.Kamp@PSS.Boeing.com>
Subject: BSCHACK's Single Request
The single for Where's Summer B? is worth having for the live versions
of Emaline + Tom and Mary.
PS. How can a song called "Mmm Bop" not be meaningless drivel?
"I wish it was last September."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 08:36:25 PDT
From: "onion sprout" <onionsprout@hotmail.com>
Subject: justification on my part
hey, I'm responding to Kendra's post "shame on you kim" because i'm kim
and I just to justify myself. well, let me just say that hey it's ok if
BF5 gets famous and all. I want them to make money but what i fear is
that they will not get the respect that they deserve. i know how good
they are and i realize how much talent they have...I just want their
efforts to be appreciated for their obvious talents and not for their
name and faces (as expressed in the "Join the Band" reel big fish
song--i think that's the one i mean).
although, i guess everything is great by BF5 and it is hard to not love
it, I'll just wish them luck and see what happens here. if they become
mainstream or not, I will always be a loyal Bf5 fan and I apologize for
any controversy I may have began on the armchair.
kim
bye-bye
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 12:31:59 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Thomas P. Kluis" <kluistp@cds.mrs.umn.edu>
Subject: onionsprout is right
I truly love BFF, but I don't want them to become a top-40 radio station
type band. Like onionsprout said, when radio station s pick up a great
group like bff up, eventually they get o heavy rotation and become "verve
pipes". Why can't we," the armchairians" (not meant to start the
name-thing again), keep bff sacred by keeping them on college radio and
other non-commercial type stations. If you love BFF, tell your friends
and play it for them, but don't give in to the radio-man. Stay true to
bff's roots...college radio.
Tom
"you never lose in your razor-blade shoes..."-Beck
------------------------------
Date: 15 Sep 97 13:40 EDT
From: KLEVERING.KRISTIN@ANN-ARBOR.VA.GOV
Subject: opening acts
I saw BFF in Detroit back in April and the opening band was Komeda. I
thought they were great, but had a hard time finding their CD. Found it in
July, at Best Buy no less, and I like them even more. I'm curious - if
anyone has seen them open for our boys and what did you think? Even if
you didn't like them. Email me at klevering.kristin@ann-arbor.va.gov.
Thanks!
And I agree with Brick being the next single. I swear like a sailor, and
the first time I heard "Dumped", I was turned off by the profanity. Loved
the tune, though. Now I love both, but it took some getting used to.
Can't wait to see the Brick video and end the controversy once and for
all!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 12:51:55 -0500 (CDT)
From: SCHUTTE <eschutte@eagle.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Brick over Dumped
I think that Dumped is great song and everything, but Brick should be
released next. Dumped is very straightforward and I think that a lot of
people will be offended. I played it for some of my friends, and while
some of them loved it, others didn't like it so much because they found it
offensive. Personally, I think they are taking the song to seriously, but
that's how they feel; unfortunately, there are probably some other people
who will feel the same way, also. I know that BF5 isn't trying to please
the world, but they probably want more listeners, and I think Brick is a
good way of getting them. Anyway, Brick is an awesome song (my favorite
from "Whatever..."), and it's a different type of song from others that
have been on the radio.
emily
p.s. in the cd changer:
1. BF5 "Whatever..."
2. BF5
3. Radiohead "OK, Computer"
4. Grosse Point Blank Soundtrack
5. Cake "Fashion Nugget"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 97 14:00:58 -0000
From: Charles D Folds <4rachuck@concentric.net>
Subject: Bus Stop and Snuzz
Hello-
I have recieved a number of e-mails about this lately so I might as well
put it on here.
I play in a band from NC called Bus Stop and we put out a few cd's over
the last 5 years. I still have copies of the most recent one. Ben plays a
little piano on the first song plus I think its a pretty good cd so you
might be interested. I also play in a band called Snuzz. The
singer/guitarist/songwriter (Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell) is someone Ben has
mentioned was a big musical influence to him at one time. We also have a
cd and Ben also plays piano as well as drums on one song, so you might be
interested in that as well. If you are, feel free to e-mail me, if you
are not, I apologize for taking up the space.
take care
chuck folds
4rachuck@cris.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 04:15:27 +0900
From: chiori-t@ppp.fastnet.or.jp
Subject: Belated Happy Birthday to Ben!! (thanks Chuck!)
Chuck kindly answered that Ben's birthday is Sept 12th.
wow he's a virgo, and I am too!
Thanks to all who replied to my offer of trade.
Sorry to those who I couldn't make it.
And to those who are going to mail me now....please don't. thanx.
chiori ',',' but I've got my philosophy "."."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 17:34:10 -0400
From: Valerie Hochschild <unter@on-it.net>
Subject: loooong time coming...
Hi, Fivers.
It's been a few months since I posted anything here, but I've been
reading...oh, good Lawd, have I been reading! And it's because I've been
reading - going through all the digests for the week, once a week - that I
haven't been able to post. There's soooo much material to read, by the time
I've read it all, I've forgotten what to respond to or have no time to
respond. Sorry, Frank, but you know I have to do other stuff as well. ;-)
I did catch one of the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic things, and it was
wonderful! If you're like me and saw BFF on tour before the strings were
brought in (or you haven't seen them at all yet), you'd do well to listen to
it -they're buried in the archives now somewhere. While the strings were a
nice change of pace, I don't know if I'd be wacky about them at multiple
gigs. Still, a pleasant diversion, and it's always good to give more string
musicians some work.
As to the word that "Brick" is the new US single (and the squabbling
surrounding it) I say it's a good choice (as a single, not the squabbling).
In my perfect world (HAH!), it would've made a great follow-up to "Kate" as
a single, but this will have to do. I can see how people would find
"Dumped" a more logical next single in light of the previous two - "Battle"
and "Dwarf" - because then they would have completely shot the "wacky" wad
that typecasts them as strictly a full-on pissed and goofy band, which would
be unfair. But while "Brick" is a big shift of the gears as far as singles
are concerned, I think it's a little overdue. I'm not saying there's
anything *wrong* with "Dumped" or the other songs of that ilk - what's
important here is what will work better on the radio at this time. Those of
you working on some kind of assumption that the radio singles are selected
solely on "Quality", you're nuts. It's a more complex set of considerations
than that, which does include a bit of gut feeling. "Brick" could work on a
lot of radio stations of various stripes. Come to think of it, it would
work better on stations that weren't very hard on the previous singles (or
haven't heard of them at all), because a music director at a station already
all over those singles may go (dumb guy voice: on), "Duh, hey, this is slow
and quiet and Ben Folds Five is fast and loud and kooky. I'm
confuuuuused.." (dumb guy voice: off) And DON'T think some of 'em don't
think like that. Again, this sort of thing can be sort of a crap shoot as
to what is a hit on the radio, so we'll just see how it goes. But "Brick"
at least has a better chance of opening some doors that haven't been opened
yet. Whether some of you would rather not have those doors open....well,
that's your opinion.
To finish catching up, my thanks to the person who posted the Cake Kate
article, which was really terrific. Her writing is consistent with all the
positive comments by those who've met her. She seems like a swell dame.
That's it, gang. Keep up the good words, and I'll hang on for dear life.
Peace,
Valerie
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 18:20:04 -0500
From: Joe Herbster <TBoneGuy@concentric.net>
Subject: Gasoline for the Brick Flame...
Dear Armcharians,
Well, it is just about that time again, for the much awaited, and
much hated response that I give to the stuff that's on the Armchair.
I've decided that I would dedicate my little message about Brick. I was
a late comer to this debate and I still am heated over it, so bear with
me here. I support the AIDS theory. I'm sorry, but I personally feel
that all of the lines that people are quoting that are "definite
abortion supports" work better for AIDS. Allow me to explain:
1. The song is being sung by a guy that is infected with the AIDS
virus and has a girlfriend/wife. The first two verses are describing
the setting. Then, we get into the juicy stuff...
2. "And we drive, now that I have found someone, I'm feeling more
alone." He's got the virus, he has infected to her. He is going to die
soon, and the only reward he receives for fighting the virus off for a
little longer is seeing her die, I would feel pretty alone too.
3. "They call her name at 7:30, I pace around the parking lot. And
I walk down to buy her flowers, and sell some gifts that I got." The
AIDS testing list calls her name at 7:30 and he leaves and paces
nervously around the parking lot because he knows she has it, since he
does. He goes to get her some flowers to break the news to her and sell
the gifts he got for Christmas, because he is going to die soon anyway.
4. "Can't you see? It's not me you're dying for, and she is
feeling more alone then she ever has before." He's saying that she is
not dying for him, and then she realizes that she is going to die or
watch him die, and she feels alone.
5. "As weeks went by, it showed that she was not fine. They told
me son, it's time to tell the truth and..."
Weeks go by and she realizes that, oh boy, she's got the virus.
Then the doctors say, buddy, you better tell this girl the truth because
you just gave her a really horrrible virus. Then... she breaks down,
literally, her body gets killed by the virus. And he breaks down,
figuratively, because he is tired of lying to everyone he loves about
having the virus.
6. "And she's alone, and I'm alone, and I now I know it." They are
driving back to her place, and they are alone together once more. And
they both are really, really alone, because they have no one to turn to
to save them, and now he realizes just how horrible of a thing he has
done by giving her the virus.
The chorus is pretty self explanatory, so I won't go into that.
Well, that's what I think about the AIDS theory. I just am putting
that out there for all of you who might not understand where us AIDS
people are coming from. I think the abortion theory works too, but I
just think that this works better, that's my opinion, nothing more. And
by the way, Aaron Dawson was right when he said that Brick is a truly
beautiful song, and that it really does show how much musical talent
this group really has. And SFTD, while entertaining, really isn't quite
the masterpiece that Brick is. It really does make a great single.
I've said my piece. Bye.
- -CA
In the CD Changer:
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen
Ben Folds Five - Kate #1 (single)
Ben Folds Five - Kate #2 (single)
Ben Folds Five - Battle of Who Could Care Less (single)
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
Dave Matthews Band - Crash
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #480
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