THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #745 - January 12, 1998
Magical Armchair Digest Monday, January 12 1998 Volume 01 : Number 745
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
shirt probs
Fnord
Clarity In A Lifetime Of Confusion, Or I Should Drink More
CDNow, BFF imports, Letterman
Openers for February tour?
BFF on Wall of Sound
why NBP is getting bagged /Emaline on guitar
snl
just saw brick on snl...
snl
ST. LOUIS SHOW
lots of stuff
1 song!
tom&mary&emaline......
SNL
Sat. Night Live
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 21:10:40 EST
From: Jessica237 <Jessica237@aol.com>
Subject: shirt probs
this is so weird. everyone is saying how many shirt probs they are having, but
i just wanted to say that THERE IS HOPE! i called for my 'cool in school'
shirt and got it aboujt 1 month later--WITH NO PROBLEMS. so, just calm down.
it'll all work out.
as for NBP, it has been getting horrible reviews. i guess it is only for
diehard fans, like us. it got a "c" in entertainment weekly, which is really
bad. whatever--i am still going to get it straight from school on tuesday.
anyways, gotta go get read for saturday night live. the tape is in the vcr...i
didn't go out tonight to make sure i'd be home for it. coolest thing--i trhink
some of my friends are going to stop by later to watch. should be fun!! have a
nice day. --jess
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 21:16:32 -0500 (EST)
From: Eric Patton <shirak@umich.edu>
Subject: Fnord
Okay, that's it. We're going to have to posse up and storm Clutch
Cargo's if we want any info from them. If I have to listen to that damned
recording one more time, I might be forced to do something. I don't know
what, but knowing my sense of humor, it'd probably be obscenely
biological. ;) Anyway, I'm glad to see that Eris' influence is starting to
spread. I've always thought that "Undergroud" had a bit of Discordian
flair to it. ;) Laters! Hail Eris!
ERIC
_______________________________________________________________________________
"The squirrel has not yet found the acorn that will grow into the
oak that will be cut to make the cradle of the babe who is destined to
kill me."
_______________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 21:53:56 -0500
From: "R.C." <rchallen@clemson.campus.mci.net>
Subject: Clarity In A Lifetime Of Confusion, Or I Should Drink More
Clarifications, two cents worth, and other thoughts that take up space
just like everything else on the Armchair:
1) I'm sure the reason many of the lyrics on the Japanese import of the
1st album are "wrong" stems from the fact that, once you copyright
lyrics initially, it's REALLY hard to update the copyright if you ever
change a line or two later on. And, for legal and publishing reasons,
lyrics MUST be printed in CD booklets as they appear with the copyright.
In other words: When Ben wrote "Underground" or "Wheres Summer B?" all
those years ago, those were his original lyrics... and the evolution of
the song accounts for small line-by-line differences. (BTW, that's the
reason most bands don't put complete lyrics on their 1st "major-label"
album... since they don't match up exactly with the songs anymore.)
2) I officially purchased NBP today... just to piss off Entertainment
Weekly, of course. So nice to finally hear "Eddie Walker" (a true gem of
a song) after years of fruitless searching for that damn 7". And "Twin
Falls" gave me goose bumps on first listen. So I'm a happy camper now...
thanks for sharing these with us, guys.
3) I'd just like to defend Dave Matthews and his band, if I may. But
please don't flood the list arguing with me. (Email in private if you
must.) "Pay For What You Get," "#41," "Granny," and many others have
passed the "goose bump" test on numerous occasions... And all the radio
overplay and credit-card hippie bandwagoneering that is now
(unfortunately) associated with DMB will never change that fact for me.
4) Here's a second to the motion of seeing Jump Little Children live if
you get the chance. Although a little noisier lately, they remain
talented, genuinely nice guys. I still have fond memories of sharing a
Denny's booth with 'em at 3 in the morning a coupla years back. Years
from now you'll be wishing you could've seen them for $5.
5) Janet Jackson swiped a vocal melody from me on her new album. And
Marcy Playground snatched an entire chord progression (Bm/ A/ G/ D, on
"You Have No Idea," for the record). Except, of course, for the fact
that neither of these artists have ever heard ANYTHING I've ever
written. Stuff happens... Musicians stumble upon the same notes in the
same sequence from time to time... Deal with it. The only way Steve gets
a penny from Sony is if he hires the Rolling Stones' lawyers. It's a
bitter sweet symphony, indeed...
- --rICH
Visit The RICH Homepage and check out the brand-new CD,
LIFE/DEATH... 15 songs of romance and retribution...
Available independently from Desperate Man Records.
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stage/9035
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 23:14:25 -0500
From: "mike." <mikelawson@mindspring.com>
Subject: CDNow, BFF imports, Letterman
Hi there. I'm not much of a talker on this list but just thought i would
add my **little** bit of knowledge on the CDNow thing for Jodi who was
asking about a bff album there that said "s/t" next to it. THat means
"same title" and its just the foreign versions of the album. I believe, if
i remember correctly, that it was for the japanese version. THis is the
one that features "song for the dumped" in japanese (kano wae kaese(sp?).
Otherwise, the track listings are the same. As far as CDNow goes, I've
bought imports there before and, in my opinion, they are a little bit more
expensive and slower than other places like them. Try "cduniverse" at
www.cduniverse.com
this is a store just like cdnow but the same singles etc. are a few bucks
cheaper and they have delivered much faster to me than cdnow. I just
ordered the brick single with the ska remixes etc.(how odd does that
sound??) last friday and it shipped yesterday so.....
hope that helps everyone.
To whomever was trying to find a copy of the letterman show...I have it if
you no one else offered as well as the jenny mccarthy show etc.
I also have several live shows for "newbie" peoples if you are trying to
get your first couple of shows which i will record if you send me postage
and tapes etc. just mail me privately.
mike.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 23:25:26 EST
From: BenFolds J <BenFoldsJ@aol.com>
Subject: Openers for February tour?
Hey Armchairers,
Long time no talk. It's me again, I just was curious if anyone had heard
anything about openers for the February tour. I just hope it isn't Venus Fly
Trap Girls or whatever those kids were. Anyway...if ya know, post it to the
chair 'cause I'm sure everyone wants to know!
~Jordan
"The cruelest lies are often told without a word; the kindest truths are
often spoken, never heard."
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 23:49:15 -0500
From: Rodrigo Delgado <rdelgado@home.com>
Subject: BFF on Wall of Sound
Heh, there is a really cool article on Wall of sounds web site about
the release of Nake Baby Photos and the sucess of the single Brick.
Check it out in the news section of their web site.
www.wallofsound.com
Roy
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 15:34:24 CST
From: "Petra Starke" <naturalselection@hotmail.com>
Subject: why NBP is getting bagged /Emaline on guitar
Firstly, to answer someone's question about who plays guitar on the NBP
version of 'Emaline': from what I can remember of that pretty
embarrassing interview from LA LIVE ("Um...I had so many questions to
ask you...and I wrote them all down, and I can't remember
them...errr...") it's Darren. I seem to remember him saying that, and I
know he plays guitar so I'm pretty sure it's him. Personally, I think
it's crap all these Armchairers going on about BF5 + guitar = sacrilege.
Get over it, luvvies, it sounds EXCELLENT (IMO, much cooler than the
live b-side version we've all been listening to until now).
Secondly; in the last two digests people wrote in with some rather
less-than-complimentary reviews of Naked Baby Photos, and were wondering
why it was getting bagged. I think it's because this album is, and I
quote Darren here, "strictly for the fans". I can understand why
non-fans wouldn't like it (having a copy myself), and if I wanted to
introduce someone to their music I certainly wouldn't choose NBP as a
starting point. I think tracks like 'The Ultimate Sacrifice' (described
as "embarrassing" by one reviewer) are supposed to capture their energy
in live performance rather than show their musical (or lyrical) mastery.
And other tracks like 'Emaline' and the 1st version of 'Jackson Cannery'
show their origins. So really, when you put NBP together with WEAEA and
the self-titled, you get to trace a neat line from the band's
beginnings, through their polished album work, through to their live
performances. And with extra additions like the speaking and laughing in
between tracks what results is a fairly well-rounded view of the band.
So while some reviewers are writing NBP off as being rough-edged or
incomplete, it's really only so when taken out of the context of Ben
Folds Five's complete oeuvre.
weeding it out,
Petra
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 00:32:26 -0500
From: schander@juno.com (joe s schanderson)
Subject: snl
Wow, now I remember why I don't watch SNL anymore. I of course had to
watch it for BF5 but man oh man. After taking time off for this, the
first show of the year, what a bunch of dumb skits.
They should've kept Norm for the news.
michigan joe
Was anyone else scanning the people in the background of the Judge Judy
skit? Desperately looking for Ben, Darren or Robbie Rob.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 00:42:40 -0500
From: grippe@cowland.com
Subject: just saw brick on snl...
and i must say its weird to see ben playing an upright. heard
"brick" in mcdonald's again and it reminded me of how i forgot to set up
a tape to record snl tonight :( and i think the manager was hellbent on
1. pissing me off and 2. making me miss snl, but i actually got out of
there and ran home and threw the tape in the vcr.
space cowboy: i feel damn guilty about bringing this song up
because i dont want anybody to get sued (though its obvious to anyone
that ben's not the type to rip people off musicaly) but unfortunately
whats done is done :( thankfully, to me for some reason steve miller
doesnt exactly seem like somebody who would be lawsuit-happy.
kat6kat6@aol.com: wow youve been to all the shows ive been to,
except summerstage :>
wow! i kept it short this time!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 00:59:04 EST
From: Brer L <BrerL@aol.com>
Subject: snl
okay, folks, let's give snl a buzz.
saturday night live e-mail : snl@nbc.com
yeah. 1100 complaints should be good, and that's about how many armchair
members there are.
stupid show.
the bands are the best part -- this is ridiculous. ben folds should have
been able to play 2 songs. it's not that tough.
and "the skits were running long" is no excuse (although that's the one they
always use), because the skits suck. not funny. sorry.
so long,
b.
p.s. "THANKS TO THE BEN FOLDS FIVE'"
--the samuel l. jackson.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 00:11:52 -0600 (CST)
From: "Adam 'DeLicious' DeLisse" <adeliss@comp.uark.edu>
Subject: ST. LOUIS SHOW
There should be no confusion...the St. Louis show at the American Theater
IS on Feb 14, Valentine's Day. This is according to the postcard that
everybody on the band's postal mailing list got. I think the band's
publicity people would know when the band is playing. As for tickets,
call the American Theater at the number provided a couple of issues ago
and check there.
Adam DeLisse
.
/ \
/ V \
/ \
/ V V V \
/ V V \
/ V V V \
/ \
/ V V V V V V V \
/ V V V V V V \
/ V V V V V V V \
/ V V V V \
/ V V V V V V V V V \
/ V V V V V V \
/ V V V V V V V \
/____________________________ \
...............and people say there is no beauty in math..............
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 01:14:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Ginger Nance <gnance@email.unc.edu>
Subject: lots of stuff
Well, first let me vent my anger that the boys only got to play ONE SONG
on SNL, and that it was a way brisker tempo for Brick than they usually
play. But the George Clooney/Speed Racer cartoon was cool, and Robert (as
usual) gets mad cool points for goofing around with Sam Jackson at the
end. Also, Entertainment Weekly slammed NBP, calling the band's early
songs "underdeveloped" and "inferior." Emaline, inferior? \/\/hatever!!!
Oh yeah, to whoever asked, Ben said that one of them plays the guitar on
Emaline, because all three guys are guitar players, but he didn't say who.
There is some good in this post, though--tonight's SNL appearance merited
the boys a FRONT PAGE blurb in the Raleigh News and Observer!! Yay! If I
remember correctly, a while ago someone asked how many copies of their
albums BF5 has sold...well, according to the article WEAEA has sold about
287000 copies (hope my memory is right!), which puts the boys well on the
path to going gold. That's all for now, so bye!
Ginger :)
***alone songs***
Emaline
Philosophy
Ooooo Ginger Nance
( ) ginger_nance@unc.edu
) ( gnance@email.unc.edu
(o) http://www.unc.edu/~gnance
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 22:16:51 -0800
From: edahn01@sprynet.com
Subject: 1 song!
One song. . .one frickin' song! One gosh darn muther fudgin' toe slappin' song.
Gimme my money back you. . .GRRRR! Oh well, at least the pianos were in a skit.
If they brought both pianos, doesn't that imply that they were planning on
playing a second song? It will be interesting to find out what happened.
Oh, and if you're looking to find a good band, check out Fluid Ounces. They
sound a lot like BFF, and they've been doing it since '94. You can hear them at
www.spongebath.net.
KRTZ FRDRCK DN
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 01:18:42 EST
From: Brian34295 <Brian34295@aol.com>
Subject: tom&mary&emaline......
rICH wrote:
<< The two bonus tracks are "Tom & Mary" and "Emaline," both live. These
tracks also appeared as B-sides of the "Wheres Summer B" and "Uncle Walter"
singles, so if you have either of those singles there's no point getting this
thing. If you want to hear those 2 songs (and you should, because "Emaline"
especially is one of BF5's best), buy Naked Baby Photos... It has the
previously unreleased studio versions of each. >>
actually, if you will go to i think frank maynard's page and read the
statement by ben about the CD, you will find out that every single track,
including the two that you mentioned, have never ever seen the light of day
until now......or am i wrong? if so, let me know....just tryin' to help, but
i know that i read him say that somewhere....
later....
"you're my hero, i confess..." - ben folds five
Brian34295@aol.com
dead to the world
http://www.expage.com/page/brianzpge
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/chillandenjoy/index.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 01:23:35 EST
From: Emmaline20 <Emmaline20@aol.com>
Subject: SNL
Well...just let you all know I did get my cable back in time to see the
wretched piece of programming they call Saturday Night Live. Obviously, the
people over at SNL don't see talent when it's in their faces, or else they
would have stopped some of those humorless sketches from ever being broadcast
and allowed BFF to at least play another song. I was under the impression most
bands got to play two songs..so what happened this time? The only bright
moment in the dismal show was when they played "Brick"...it was so weird
though to see Ben facing the other way and playing an upright piano. My
friends and I have been waiting months for this and were all disappointed. I
even took my time to compose a rather scalding letter and emailed it to NBC
and vowed to boycott the show. Not that I really watched it any other time cuz
it hasn't been funny since the 80's. Was anyone else as disappointed as
myself?
Sarah :)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 01:48:46 EST
From: SouperDv <SouperDv@aol.com>
Subject: Sat. Night Live
What a dissapointment...Ben Folds first ever nationally televised performance
and Ben gets sick. He had to be, I mean his vocals were strained, and he even
rested his head on the mic at one point. He looked ready to hurl at any
moment. I suppose thats why they only did one song...
Can't wait for Naked Baby Photos...Emmaline and Satan is My Master are great
songs, and I'm excited to hear the rest for the first time. Me and several
fellow fans from school (I've converted the ENTIRE drama department at
Centennial High School in Franklin, TN to Ben Folds fandom...before Brick came
out I might add) are gonna skip school and go buy the new album.
Lets see...top songs would have to be "Selfless, Cold and Composed" and "The
last Polka".
It's kinda ironic...I got my ex-girlfriend into Ben Folds and her favorite
song is "Song for The Dumped". It's now my theme song...
"Well F*** You Too!" - BF
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #745
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