THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #1028 - May 30, 1998
Magical Armchair Digest Saturday, May 30 1998 Volume 01 : Number 1028
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Re: Hidden theme in My Philosophy...
Philosophy ending
My Pal Christine (absolutely no BF5 content)
Theme from Dr. P(e)yser??
(no subject)
my first sftd radio expierience+sleeping=cool///great cover songs
Extra BFF Ticket for Toronto Show
The music at the end of Philosophy (again)
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1026
leaving suckers
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1027
(no subject)
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1027
silverchair
hidden theme in MY PHILOSOPHY...
leaving the armchair
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 21:37:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: David Prager <dsprager@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Re: Hidden theme in My Philosophy...
> Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 15:41:34 EDT
> From: Jonsey27@aol.com
> Subject: hidden theme in MY PHILOSOPHY...
>
> This is the area of the song I'm concentrating on. Does
> anyone remember the airplane commercials on TV for either Delta or
> USAir? I think Ben is playing the theme to one of those companies!
Hello... first time poster, short time lurker... hope my comments
aren't out of order...
The theme he is playing is George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, a
wonderful song that was bastardized by United Airlines a few years ago.
BFF is influenced by a lot of other kinds of music than the music
they play. The fact that they are a piano/bass/drums trio automatically
associates them with a lot of the jazz combos of the 50's and 60's, and if
you listen to their music (especially the last 20 seconds of Underground
on the first CD, for instance), there is a lot of jazz-influenced music in
their playing. So incorporating Rhapsody in Blue into their song is a
brilliant move that sounds great.
One of the problems I have discovered about people who follow
popular music is that they don't understand the roots of the music. The
stuff BFF does is a combination of today's music with yesterday's jazz.
If you want to understand or hear BFF on a higher level, you need to know
more about their influences (and of course I'm guessing as to who their
influences are, but this is what I hear in their music): listen to
Gershwin, and Bud Powell, and Herbie Hancock, and other jazz trios from
the 60's (the Charles Mingus trio has some great stuff), and then listen
to BFF. You'd be surprised...
Man, for a first time poster, I sure jumped up on my soapboax
quick...
Dave
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 21:36:51 -0400
From: Sean Kiely <seank@CYBERNEX.NET>
Subject: Philosophy ending
yeah, Ben has been quoted saying that bit is from Rhapsody in Blue (used
for the airline commercials) by Gershwin. I suppose this has been
discussed before?
sean
"If I ever owned my own magical armchair, I think it would be tie-dyed,
and definitely have one of those fancy pull-out footrests."
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 21:33:11 EDT
From: YourPalCM@aol.com
Subject: My Pal Christine (absolutely no BF5 content)
<< I just wanted to say that watching the banter between Rusty and Chris Mal
has kept me entertained for the past few days as I catch up on my armchairs...
(I've been away from my computer...) thanks guys!!! >>
Christine,
You are quite welcome. Rusty and I aim to please! Hehehe.
Your Pal,
Chris Mal
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 21:47:54 -0400
From: Sean Kiely <seank@CYBERNEX.NET>
Subject: Theme from Dr. P(e)yser??
this has been bugging me for quite a while. I'm almost certain Pyser is
spelled like I just did, but I see it spelled with that nasty little e
in there all the time. On the single that it's on (I'm not sure which
one) How does the band spell it, is it Pyser or Peyser?
sean
"My grandpa has an armchair. It's blue and comfy, I don't think it flies
anywhere though"
P.S.... sorry, I'll read the whole armchair before I post next time so I
know whether I have more than one thing to say or not...
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 20:54:31 -0700
From: drew <thoma@unt.edu>
Subject: (no subject)
Phil Hartman died...i dont want to live here anymore.
this world sucks.
drew
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 22:21:19 EDT
From: TarintinoQ@aol.com
Subject: my first sftd radio expierience+sleeping=cool///great cover songs
ok i was asleep and i left my radio on and at about 1:50 i
woke up because well the radio was bothering me(the were playing some deftones
shit)as i wake up i hear 1-2-3-4 and i was still 1/2 asleep and kinda dazed
buti was like holy shit is sftd. as i listened and got to the chorus i noticed
there were no bleeps or any take outs. i guess since it was 1:50 and no one
was listening they just played the album version.well it was cool. and i will
still be selling brickheads suck shirts at the krock dysfunctional family
picinic. find me they'll be like $8
ok i have some really good songs that bf5 could cover
aerosmith-dream on
warren g-regualte(itd be good with the bow wow wow and good improve
background)
beatles-back in the U.S.S.R.
billy joel-captain jack
elton john-rocketman
see y'all saturday will be wearing a white blues brothers tee
mcgregor
*****************IN MY STEREO****************
money mark--push the button(hes the keyboardist for los
beastles(beasties)great keyboardist
luscious jackson--natural ingrediants
aerosmith--greatest hits(sing with me sing for the year)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 01:30:31 -0400
From: Vinkent Pang <vinkent.pang@utoronto.ca>
Subject: Extra BFF Ticket for Toronto Show
Greetings!
One of me friends can't make it to the Jun 3 show in Toronto at the Molson Ampitheater next week
so if you wanna be there, you can have the ticket at cost (Seat 201 W 16). Drop me a line! Pager
(416) 866-0128.
Willie
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Underground/3695/
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 98 22:41:37
From: evlbison <evlbison@neo.lrun.com>
Subject: The music at the end of Philosophy (again)
Even though this topic has been coverd many times before, Ben is playing part of
Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin. I doubt that is the last we will hear of this
topic.
___________________________________
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evlbison@neo.lrun.com
Keep on swingin' baby!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 23:17:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ginger Nance <gnance@email.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1026
To the guy who asked about Philosophy, that's Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
he's playing, and yes it was used by Delta in a commercial for a while.
Oh, and just thought y'all might like to know that Joe Caparo's new band,
the Doleful Lions, has a new cd so go ask for it at your record store.
Parasol Records.
Ginger
Ooooo Ginger Nance
( ) ginger_nance@unc.edu
) ( http://www.unc.edu/~gnance
(o) GO HEELS!!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 20:58:40 -0400
From: schander@juno.com (joe s schanderson)
Subject: leaving suckers
>>Why do all these people leave the mailing list?
I guess I don't care WHY people leave...I mean if they don't like it they
should leave....
I JUST WISH THEY WOULDN'T FEEL THE NEED TO TELL US THEY'RE LEAVING AND
WHY THEY'RE LEAVING.
If you ever want to leave. Just leave. You'll be missed even if I've
never talked to you but JUST LEAVE.
BEN FOLDS FIVE SUCKS :)
mich joe
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 22:35:38 -0500
From: Tj <tjcon@schulte.org>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1027
yes dreamer, that was the theme from dr. pyser. it was more similar to the
version on "Teleconned: We want the airwaves," the cd put out by the ARD
(Americans for Radio Diversity)
anyways, a little story about BFF:
i wanted to go to the edgefest show on saturday and sunday, but i was
supposed to work 4-12 on saturday, so i talked to my manager, got it okay'd
and yada yada yada...
i never finished my end of the bargain, so the head guy got pissed when i
didn't show up, and called my house. saturday we came home early cus it
was a bunch of crappy metal bands...
and the head guy had called before i got home, wondering where i was
he called again after a little while, and was fuming mad. he told me not
to come in to work anymore, and it was a blessing. i am now going in for a
job working 40 hours a week, up from 15, and making 7.25, up from 6.80
i'd like to that ben for getting me fired, cus if they wouldn't have been
at the show, i never would have gone, and i'd still have that crappy job
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Gone savage
+ for teenagers with
+ automatic weapons and
+ boundless love
+ gone savage for
+ teenagers who are
+ aesthetically pleasing
+ in other words
+ fly.
+M. Doughty of Soul Coughing
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 00:34:50 -0700
From: drew <thoma@unt.edu>
Subject: (no subject)
Deidre,
Will you marry me?
Drew.
"drunk and stupid is a poor excuse to feel happy"~ahh...me.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 23:42:50 PDT
From: "Michael Della Bitta" <neptunelizard@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1027
>But I wanted to focus on track #2, My Philosophy.... (snip)
>Does anyone remember the airplane commercials on TV for either Delta
>or USAir? I think Ben is playing the theme to one of those companies!
>Whichever one it is, it is the same on that had the slogan, "Come fly
>the friendly skies". I'm anxious to hear what you guys have to say
>about this. Please tell me I'm not totally crazy here.
no, you aren't crazy. but the song isn't originally plane promo music,
it's "rhapsody in blue" by george gershwin. picture it a little more
downtempo, and with the theme played by a clarinet over a full
orchestra...
now i have a question of my own: does anyone know the story of the
spoken part just before song for the dumped on WAEA? if you haven't
heard it before, turn up your stereo. partway through, someone says "I
was thinking about, you know, respecting your work because of steven's
last night..." and someone else says "shut the fuck up" just before they
count off the song. this part's the second time in two albums where ben
says "get that shit" in between songs, the first time is just before
julianne, although he says "get that shit off, somebody" that time,
which is slightly more congruous with the context. anybody have a decent
clue as to what all this chattering is about? gotta love that they keep
stuff like that in the master, though, gives you something to think
about. or something... durrrr.
michael
p.s. what does everyone think of that organ part in the chorus of 'air'?
i totally think it makes the song... i'm kind of glad to hear them
branching out a bit, because i think for this next album it'd be cool if
they introduced a few more textures on a couple of songs. that organ
part totally adds to the etherialness of the song, not to mention rob in
the second half of the song just busting out all the distortion and the
wah pedal and droning on one note...
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 17:57:59 +1000
From: "Keenan's home base" <keenan@globec.com.au>
Subject: silverchair
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
siverchair AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
god they suck....they really really do.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 02:04:36 -0700
From: Thomas <777jet@bigfoot.com>
Subject: hidden theme in MY PHILOSOPHY...
The reason it sounds like the commercial is that the commercial is quoting
the theme from part of a George Gershwin tune called "Rhapsody in Blue",
the exact same theme which Ben quotes in Philosophy(high octave notes play
the theme). Ben is appreciating Gershwin by quoting him.
Cheers,
Thomas
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 15:41:34 EDT
From: Jonsey27@aol.com
Subject: hidden theme in MY PHILOSOPHY...
BF5 guys and gals....
Before I begin, let me say that Ben Folds' self-titled first album
is the
best one to date! I love it because it's got so many of my favorites on it.
But I wanted to focus on track #2, My Philosophy. It is my favorite on the
album. At the end of the song, Ben goes off on the piano. He is playing
majorly loud. Then he all of a sudden starts at the low notes and works his
way up to the high ones and right after that it is back and forth between low
and high ones. This is the area of the song I'm concentrating on. Does
anyone remember the airplane commercials on TV for either Delta or USAir? I
think Ben is playing the theme to one of those companies! Whichever one it
is, it is the same on that had the slogan, "Come fly the friendly skies". I'm
anxious to hear what you guys have to say about this. Please tell me I'm not
totally crazy here. Thanks everyone and I hope I've given you all something
to think about. Later guys (and girls!).
~Miller
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 04:08:57 -0500
From: "Louie Nash" <louie@tamu.edu>
Subject: leaving the armchair
I'm going to apologize in advance for the length of this post. It may be
slightly off-topic, but I felt it to be important, and somewhat relevant to
the list itself. But you won't hurt my feelings if you scroll past. That's
probably what I'd do.
And so...
"Why do all these people leave the mailing list? I realize it's not
quite the same as it used to be, but hell, stick it out."
I've been considering leaving for quite a while myself. And I have made up
my mind to do so, and I told myself that I couldn't until I was able to
justify my reasons to the list. I can't speak for others, like Michael
Bluejay, but I can speak for myself. The following is the nuts and bolts
behind MY decision to leave:
Yes, I have been on the list since the "good ol' days" or whatever you want
to call them. Frank still compiled the list manually, we argued over what
to call ourselves, what to chant at concerts, how much BFF sounded like
Jellyfish, and other such stuff. Back then the list was composed of a few
people like myself and Michael Bluejay who were lucky enough to have heard
the band, whatever the random circumstances may be. Let me tell you, it WAS
pure luck finding ANYTHING about BFF anywhere. I lucked upon the CD when a
friend of mine shoved it in my face. Back then, it TOOK brute force to
convince people to listen! :)
Anyway, yeah things have changed. Some good, some bad. It just takes wisdom
to realize that none of it matters enough to get in a snit about. Yeah,
there may be "teeny-boppers" on the list. GOD FORBID! Personally, I don't
care. I'm of the opinion that BFF will always create quality music. It's
not the fans that do the writing and composing so who am I to argue with
society? If it takes teeny boppers to give me four more BFF albums, so be
it. It's far better than losing them now to obscurity. They have too much
potential, and it would be such a loss. But that's not why I'm writing
this... entirely.
Yes, the list has changed. But people like Mr. Bluejay and myself aren't
leaving the Armchair because we reached some critical delusional decision
in our lives that we should abandon our musical integrity and quit
listening! WE'RE NOT GIVING UP ON BEN FOLDS FIVE FOR CHRISTSAKE!
It's like this...
Each digest contains some 20K of setlists, concert reviews, opinions,
arguments, spams, flames, accidental unsubscribe posts, meaningless drivel,
meaningful drivel, interpretations, hopes, dreams, whatever.
Yes, the balance of the meaningful to meaningless may have changed over the
years, but the list IS still much more the same old list than many of us
will admit. And THIS is actually why I am unsubscribing. I've probably read
about 1000 show reviews. I may have only been to 2 BFF shows, but I feel
like I've been to many more. OF course, that IS a good thing, but lets face
it... there's a point at which it all gets a little tiring. You can only
read so many setlists.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that ANYTHING on this list should
change. I'm not the kind of person who has the cajones to suggest that I
should have any control over the expressions of others. In fact, it's quite
the contrary. I say post whatever and ever the hell you want as long as
it's on topic. Many people argue that if I don't want to read something,
then I can just scroll down and enjoy the rest of the Armchair. Well, that
has ALWAYS been my course of action. But recently I have noticed that I
MIGHT read a post a night, and just scroll right past the rest hoping for
something that I didn't already know, or some enlightening discussion on
the music. Recently I've noticed that I spend far more time deleting
armchairs than reading them.
I think that it all just comes down to my attention span. I've been on for
a couple of years. It's time to move on. I'll never stop listening to the
music. The self titled album and WAEA will be like the old Spinners records
that my Dad hasn't stopped listening to since high school.
As I ride off into the sunset now, don't feel broken hearted because the
list is dying. I assure you it's NOT. The last couple months I've noticed
MANY new faces. Most of them are in tune with the same vibe that Frank's
list had back in '95. All that matters is the music... not me, not Michael
Bluejay. Who knows. Maybe we'll be back someday. Don't worry about us. Our
ears won't fall off if we stop reading the Armchair.
Have Fun!
Bo Nash
louie@tamu.edu
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1028
***************************************
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