THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR

The Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #1083 - June 24, 1998



Magical Armchair Digest   Wednesday, June 24 1998   Volume 01 : Number 1083



                          THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
                    The Ben Folds Five Mailing List

TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THIS MAILING LIST
   Send an e-mail message to:
          armchair-request@maillist.il.fontys.nl
with the word
          unsubscribe
in the message body. Please DO NOT POST UNSUBSCRIBE REQUESTS TO THE LIST
ITSELF! If you are having trouble, send mail to
          owner-armchair@maillist.il.fontys.nl
and I will try to help you. To change your address, first unsub yourself from
your old address, then subscribe using your new account.

A WORD FROM THE LISTOWNER
   It seems that the off-topic chatter has gone way beyond the
acceptable level. Any discussion that is not related to Ben Folds Five is
not permitted on the Armchair, and this includes replies to other
messages from the Armchair that are themselves off-topic.
   I did not want to have to do this, but I have started unsubscribing
users without warning who violate this rule. I do not want to become the
List Nazi, so please cooperate by keeping your posts clean and on-topic,
or I may be forced to remove you without warning also. Please take the
time to reread the information file that arrived when you subscribed. If
you don't have it anymore, send a message containing the word 'intro' in
the message body to armchair-request@maillist.il.fontys.nl.

TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:

    Song for the dumped vidio.
    okay okay
    dawson's creek and more
    oh yes.
    The New Grateful Dead? 
    To New York Ben Folds Fans! Single Problem Solved!
    New "official" bootleg
    FINAL WORDS ON BEN'S SOLO ALBUM

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 00:29:50 PDT 
From: "Leesa Barbon" <leesabarbon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Song for the dumped vidio.

	Hi everyone. This is my first time to send a e-mail. I have been a fan 
of BFF for about three months. The first song I ever heard by them was 
"Brick" I have gotten sick of it from hearing I so much on the radio and 
playing it myself. My favorit song by them right now is "Smoke" I love 
it!!!!!! I also really like the song "Cigarette" Does anyone know what 
the songs means, is there a hidden meaning to it??? 
	This question has been bugging me since I first heard of BFF, how did 
they get their name and what does it mean, if anything. If anyone knows 
the answer, please let me know, I have wanting to know forever!!!!
	And last but not least, I guess maybe I should get to the reason I sent 
this e-mail. Someone had sent one earlier today regarding their new 
music vidio, "Song for the Dumped" I saw the vidio the other day and it 
rocks!!! It is the best, it is so funny. Die barbie head, die!!! :)

Anyways if anyone knows the anwsers to my question PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 
let me know. Or if anyone would like to be e-mail pals, e-mail me 
LeesaBarbon@hotmail.com
Cheers, Leesa

PS
Someday I plan to marry Ben Folds!!!!!!
*where do all the secerts live, they travel in the air*

				////
		      -(@ @)-
 ----------oOO--(_)--OOo----------


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 00:47:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Timmy Piper <timmypiper@yahoo.com>
Subject: okay okay

Okay okay, maybe i just went a whole lot overboard with the whole
brick thing.  I mean I liked the song, too.  I guess I was more fed up
with the radio stations for playing it so much and less annoyed by bff
fans.  It is true that only ben, robert, and darren decide what is
bff.  And brad, baby, don't call me "little" timmy. I'm 18 years old
and i'm a sophomore in college. Just because i prefer to be called
timmy doesn't qualify me as a diaper wearing toddler.  P.S. The next
single better be dick holster.

Timmy


==
"well spank my ass and call me charley, isn't this exciting.."
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 03:53:33 EDT
From: KamalaICB@aol.com
Subject: dawson's creek and more

In a message dated 98-06-22 22:07:43 EDT, you write:

<< I was watching the repeat of Dawsons Creek on Sunday (in the UK) and 
 they played Evaporated. It was when Dawson was getting dumped by the 
 blonde. The song fitted the moment perfectly. I had that song in my 
 head for the rest of the day. Maybe they'll play Song for the Dumped 
 next week.  >>


i never saw a whole episode of dawson's, but a friend of mine tapes them all,
and i was in his apt. at the end of the show that one time, and almost died
when i heard evaporated there.......in a way it was cool, but then again, in
another way it bothered me.......i just don't like it when TV shows make too
much of an emphasis on the music that they are using.....trying to push things
so they can make a soundtrack to the TV show orsomething....hmmm

anyways....

as this "favorite harmonies/melodies" thing continues, here's my parts that i
absolutely love

1- in julianne....the last time through the chorus.....darren and robert hold
their notes the entire time as ben finishes out the lyrics, and then they
totally sound like they need air, but keep holding it, in that triad at the
end, till the crash sounds.

2- last polka--great lyric (and music right after that lyric too) "you've been
pushing me around like i was a sore tooth" -BANG-BANG-BANG- BANG

3- the bridge in Selfless Cold and Composed....both times through "come on
baby and throw me a right to the chin"......i love those two parts

that's all for now

casey

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 00:50:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Timmy Piper <timmypiper@yahoo.com>
Subject: oh yes.

<some people have nothing better to do than waste our time pissing you 
off. can you TRY not to play along, please?> 

first of all, i am a little troll.  Secondly, just by responding to my
post, you are playing along.  Finally, I have a whole ton of things I
could be doing instead of pissing y'all off, but this is much more
fun.  And remember, everyone is entitled to his or her's own opinion,
and maybe some lunatic out there actually agrees with me; of course
they're afraid to answer after all the wonderful replys (and love mail
from the tillison (sp.) boys) i've been getting lately.  

Piper



==
"well spank my ass and call me charley, isn't this exciting.."
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 08:36:32 -0400
From: Anne Lyons <westlyon@ma.ultranet.com>
Subject: The New Grateful Dead? 

I've been thinking...
"No! Anne? You? Thinking? Don't hurt yourself there..."

So anyway... after reading about Ben as the 'It Boy' in Entertainment
Weekly's recent double issue... I got to thinking. I was very happy to see
Le Folds get some recognition in EW, even if it was just him rather than
the entire trio. I was especially happy since EW hasn't given them a really
good review since last year's write-up of the H.O.R.D.E. tour. They pretty
much panned NBP (at least as I remember it), and did anyone catch their
recent article on summer movie soundtracks? Although they were giving BFF
kudos for being a bright point on the album, they said something to the
effect that BFF did a passable imitation of Joe Jackson. Oof.

So while thinking that thought, I started to get into this whole thinking
thing, and so I thunk another thought... Why is it that while Ben Folds
Five has such a rabid following (DJ's urging folks to go early to a DMB
concert, because the opening act is not to be missed, etc.) and some
excellent industry buzz (great albums, great shows, Ben as the It Guy,
etc.) -- they don't get a lot of play? (And no, I don't mean in a "playa
hatah" kind of way!) Sure, Brick got into some very heavy rotation, and I
personally have heard Underground, BoWCCL, 1AD and SFTD on the radio... but
recently there have been posts on the list from people who have never heard
anything other than Brick, and there were even a couple who said that
they've never even heard that!

Take MTV... now. For the past couple of seasons of Road Rules and Real
World, they've been using a LOT of BFF as mood setting music. And as a lot
of us noticed at this year's MTV Movie Awards, they used BFF in some key
segments -- including the lifetime achievement award. The new VJ Dave, of
Eye Spy (I Spy? Sorry -- never actually seen it...), during the big VJ
competition grabbed a BFF CD as one of the three he could choose (of
course, Dr. Dre and Ed Lover *did* disparage him for it... but I digress.)
But does MTV play The Five's videos? Not really. I mean, even Brick wasn't
played a whole heckuva lot. And SFTD -- I've never seen that one played at
all! And I think it is a pretty freaking cool video (of course, I may be a
bit biased) -- I mean, c'mon! When was the last time someone sang part of a
song in another language just for a video? Of course, MTV doesn't really
play all that many videos anyway, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
They don't even play new videos for 12 Angry Viewers anymore, do they? But
I digress...

Another case in point is Dawson's Creek. As someone pointed out, Evaporated
was used at a key moment during the show. Now, since the beginning of the
season, I noticed that at the end of each episode, they do a sort of "back
announce" of the songs that were "featured" in each episode. So Paula Cole
gets a mention for the theme song after every single episode. But did BFF
or WAEA get a mention? No sirree Bob! And I don't think you can't get more
'featured' than the song used during the break-up of two of the main
characters!

So, what do y'all think of this phenomenon? While BFF seems to get the
credit they deserve, why don't they seem to get the exposure? Or is it the
opposite? Are they getting the exposure, but they aren't really getting the
credit they deserve? Is the mainstream ready for the full BFF experience?
Or have they already gotten enough with Brick?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Take care!

- -Anne

P.S. Elisabeth! Obviously I'm still here... but my last name is Lyons, not
Weeks. I am flattered, though, that you thought that I wrote that article!
Or rather, I think I'm flattered, as I have yet to read the article! It
could be the worst piece of writing you ever read and that's why you were
reminded of me, now couldn't it? *grin*

P.P.S. My favorite harmony is during the chorus of Alice Childress... what
pipes on Darren and Rob! But right on the heels of Alice is Fair. Just my
$.02

P.P.P.S. Sorry about the lengthy post! I just wanted to make sure I was
being clear...

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 09:59:39 EDT
From: StArGaSh@aol.com
Subject: To New York Ben Folds Fans! Single Problem Solved!

Hello!

       I, being the large Ben Folds Fan I am (like EVERYONE on this list) went
out shopping in Manhattan for music, among other things. Anyway, if you go to
the HMV near 34 th street, they have loads of Ben Folds Singles. All sorts of
import singles for ya. They have Brick with She dont Use Jelly, and another
really funky one with brick, and Im sure if ya bug em they'll find more.Just
be persistent. I also recommend trying the Virgin mega store. They would
probably have something. 

Just trying to help! :O)
                                                                              
Emily :O)

" Why is it that we dont see the end until its right there in front of
us?...."Dog's Eye 
                                                                              
View

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 14:47:49 EDT 
From: "Ted Baker" <tbaker4@hotmail.com>
Subject: New "official" bootleg

Fivers,

	I tired to post this earlier but I think it did not go through.  

	Has anyone heard anything of the new bootleg called Schroeder's Last 
Night?  It is of one of the Philly concerts in February.  I have not 
seen it or heard it yet - I only saw it offered as a "pre-order" item in 
a local bootleg store.  Anyone know anything??

Ted





______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:56:43 EDT
From: Keyserdan1@aol.com
Subject: FINAL WORDS ON BEN'S SOLO ALBUM

My apologies to people who are already in the know. I posted this on the AOL
board for all these people who were asking a TON of questions. Still
interesting info in there for all you die-hard amchairites....Not to worry.

IT IS VERY REAL. It's called "Fear of Pop". He's been working on it for a
WHILE now. I spoke to his brother, Chuck about it today. He's already heard
most of it. It's not at all what you guys would expect. He said that it's VERY
experimental. He said the only thing he could think of to compare it to was
The Propellerheads. Although he said that wasn't even a great comparison. He
particularly likes it b/c it reminds of him of the kind  of stuff Ben used to
screw around with when he was like 15. Another interesting note. For the
voiceover stuff...he's getting Mr. WIlliam Shatner! I for some reason find
that DAMN amusing. No official word when it'll be released. But he's
definitely gonna work on it this summer. He hasn't met with Caleb on it in
some time now. But to answer all those questions..YES Ben's doing a solo album
and NO he's not quitting the band. It's just a little side experiment. Hope
this clears everything.

SHAMELESS PLUG: I've got me a page with a DAMN nice bootlist and a rare BFF
MP3 or Real Audio song every week or so. For the next week..I'll have the
"Crosstown Traffic" MP3 up. It's a cover of the Jimi Hendrix Song and it
features Robert on vocals. Next week I'll be posting a Real Aufio file of
"Never Leaving Silver Street"....a paricularly rare "demo" Ben recorded a
while back. I THINK he's playing all the instruments on it. SO check the site
every once and a while. I'm always changing songs.  
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/Keyserdan1/Index.html">Keyserdan's Pseudo-page
</A> 
http://members.aol.com/Keyserdan1/Index.html

That's all for now.

Take Care.

- -Dan

------------------------------

End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1083
***************************************


             THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR - The Ben Folds Five Mailing List
               Submit articles to: armchair@maillist.il.fontys.nl
   Send administrative requests to: armchair-request@maillist.il.fontys.nl
                     WWW homepage: http://oeonline.com/bff
                  List archive: http://oeonline.com/bff/list/