1

News / Re: Pre-Order SO THERE

« on: July 17, 2015, 07:06:18 AM »

Threw my money at the Limited Deluxe. I couldn't pass up being 1 of 250.

I ordered it but as soon as I ordered it I was kinda like "the $40 one is suitable for me" so now I have to decide to keep or cancel.

2

News / Re: Pre-Order SO THERE

« on: July 17, 2015, 05:41:32 AM »

hey guys.  can I just pop in to say I also think that the album art is ridiculously bad?  at least i'm excited about the music and gelatin.

"180 gram, black, 2x LP (vinyl)
Digital Download Card
DVD featuring 24/96 Hi-resolution audio of the entire album
4 RC Silver Gelatin prints hand-selected by Ben Folds from his photo archives
1x Silver Gelatin fiber board print autographed by Ben Folds"

3

Tour Board / Re: World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA 5-12-15

« on: May 15, 2015, 08:17:57 AM »

Yes, solo. First time I've seen it live I think? Also I just realized "long way to go" was the end of fake "way to normal"... Another reused idea.

4

Tour Board / World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA 5-12-15

« on: May 14, 2015, 09:09:52 AM »

Hello everyone,

Haven't been here in ages but just wanted to drop a line and say hello.  Saw ben a couple nights ago in philly.

Wanted to note a couple things--
The song he opened with was the original "Ain't Got No Words" which he's clearly been kicking around for probably a decade-- you can hear the original version here: http://www.mp3too.com/download/22703-207166-aint-got-no-words-mp3.html\

The other new songs sound pretty good, "Long Way To Go" being my favorite aside from "Ain't Got No Words" which I should now mention is now called "So There" according to that webiste.

Full Setlist is here:
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ben-folds/2015/world-cafe-live-philadelphia-pa-6bc87e8a.html

Didn't stay to meet Ben, part of me wanted to but it was really crowded and I've already interviewed him on the phone once.

Over and out.

5

General Board / Re: Photos of the Folds

« on: October 16, 2012, 05:00:48 PM »

this one screams "the bens": http://www.stevevolpe.com/photography/benfolds/photosofben/files/collage_lb_image_page9_9_1.png

6

News / Re: Ben Folds Five get interviewed and fraggle-ized @ Comic-Con

« on: October 16, 2012, 04:58:55 PM »

http://www.benfolds.com/news/video-ben-folds-five-gets-fraggle-ized-new-york-comic-con

Interesting interview, looks like Ben might be working with Neil on an EP soon!

Darren's reaction to his fraggle picture is a bit weird, and the look he gives to the camera, he just looks like he doesn't give a f*ck. I hope Darren's still having fun.

i'm glad i'm not the only one seeing that...

7

General Board / Re: Similar Bands to Ben Folds Five

« on: October 08, 2012, 08:20:21 PM »

If you want to look the other way, and go before ben, a good place might be randy newman.  I know he gets alot of flack for his unique voice, but to me, he's truly the missing link between what elton john did, and ben.  Randy has a sense of humor in so much of his music, just like ben, and yet others are more heartfelt.  He's got a more of a new orleans vibe, but I can't help but hear certain connections between him and ben.

Shit yeah, I forgot all about Randy Newman. Ben's also mentioned Neil Sedaka enough that I figure he would at least warrant a listen.

it took me years to like randy, but now I really appreciate him.  I can bet you you'll be put off by his voice at first, but once you get adjusted he's got so many fantastic tracks.  I recommend his "songbook vol 1" as a good "piano only greatest hits" record.

8

General Board / Re: Similar Bands to Ben Folds Five

« on: October 07, 2012, 08:51:09 PM »

If you want to look the other way, and go before ben, a good place might be randy newman.  I know he gets alot of flack for his unique voice, but to me, he's truly the missing link between what elton john did, and ben.  Randy has a sense of humor in so much of his music, just like ben, and yet others are more heartfelt.  He's got a more of a new orleans vibe, but I can't help but hear certain connections between him and ben.

9

Album Board / Re: The Sound of the Life of the Mind - What do you think?

« on: September 27, 2012, 07:24:29 PM »

@pano:
yeah, i could hear what you mean on darren's drumming, but I don't know if it's his fault.  I think the type of songs they are don't always lend to the heaviest and flashiest of drumming.  it could also be a mix issue too-- when I listen to the individual beats, they're always fitting, and the fills are good... but it's just the context of them.

@brian golley:
we seem to share alot of the same sentiments on the new album.  Do it Anyway has become a recent favorite... i like the advice of the song, the energy, and the piano work is awesome.  but damn the organ in hold that thought.  it's such a deal breaker. 

10

Album Board / Re: The Sound of the Life of the Mind - What do you think?

« on: September 26, 2012, 07:36:15 PM »

props to LucasG for "slacker jazz", such an appropriate description

11

Album Board / Re: TSOTLOTM Additional Tracks/B-Sides

« on: September 26, 2012, 07:34:29 PM »

I found a tracklist of the Japanese bonus-version of TSOTLOTM. The bonus tracks are "Tell me what I did", "Stumblin' home winter blues" and a version of "Thank you for breaking my heart" by Ben Folds without the Five - maybe a demo version?

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=SICP-3654

Wonder if the guys recorded more than 10 Tracks during the album sessions. When Ben says they had rough ideas for about 2 more Albums (*), I thought there would be at least 1-2 more actual songs recorded to be released as bonus tracks. Does anyone know anything?

(*) http://thesynthesizersympathizer.blogspot.de/2012/05/ben-folds-audio-interview-new-ben-folds.html

yay! that's my blog you cited!

12

Album Board / Re: The Sound of the Life of the Mind - What do you think?

« on: September 25, 2012, 04:33:59 PM »

you guys have good observations.  it's been a while since I've really been on here frequently but i've enjoyed this thread alot, despite my rambling...

13

Album Board / Re: The Sound of the Life of the Mind - What do you think?

« on: September 24, 2012, 08:03:25 PM »

the funny thing about these records-- I may talk smack on certain tracks, etc... but continue listening... until they win me over... in a way...

but yeah, at this point I feel like I know more about ben's music than any other stuff I listen to.  it's a combination of listening to alot of it over the past 7 years (i know many of you have me beat by much longer) and learning to play so much of it-- you get a feel for what chords he uses, his progressions, etc.  In fact, learning so much ben in the beginning has forced a certain foldsiness to my style, which i'm not sure is a good or a bad thing, because it's probably a little bit of a bastardized elton john... so it goes.  But yeah, if you're gonna analyze chord by chord, it gets much less adventurous as he gets older, sadly.  It's all over the place the first 3 records.  We get less so once we reach RTS, and slope down from there.  I hope ben always tries to push the envelope, and maybe we'll see something different on the next record.

14

Album Board / Re: The Sound of the Life of the Mind - What do you think?

« on: September 22, 2012, 08:34:03 AM »

I'm certainly going to keep listening to it.  The musicianship is fantastic-- they all sound so good together, and the piano work is fantastic on some of the tracks.  Do it Anyway has grown on me, so I don't see why the rest can't.

15

Album Board / Re: The Sound of the Life of the Mind - What do you think?

« on: September 20, 2012, 08:22:31 PM »

also does anyone else feel like Draw a Crow is to TSOTLOTM what Saskia Hamilton was to LA?

i absolutely agree.  it's the later on track in the album that kind of catches you by surprise.

Hey everyone, been a while.  I'll chime in a bit on the record.
Now, track by track:
Erase Me- a bit too dissonent, quirky, all that.  I forget what the exact term is, but it sounds like he's modulating keys too much in a way that just makes the song too much of a stretch to be pretty by any means.  Always skipping this one now.

I don't think it's supposed to be pretty by any means, but can see how the modulations during the latter-part of the bridge could be off-putting.

sometimes it works.  I know alot of tracks that have it work, but that one just can't do it for me.

I try not to be hard on ben's newer records-- as someone else mentioned in this thread, I got into ben and the five at a huge musical developmental age for myself that can't be washed off or worn off, even if I came to hate ben.  I have gotten over other bands from the time period who came after, but this music is what set off the spark, and the reason I still write on this forum some 7 or 8 years later.  I wouldn't expect this album to be as good as whatever and ever, and all that.  i was hoping it would have more variation, and maybe a bit more experience.  I was hoping it would sound like whatever happened to that ben folds we all knew from 1995 as an older experienced guy; I think perhaps because there are less personal references.  I think ben plays a different piano style after going solo, and it can't be done; everything seemed to get more impersonal and more "composer-esque" in the solo days (as in, seemed like he was making up stories in a book rather than talking about real people), and now the old sound can't be retrieved.  and that's fine-- i'll keep listening, perhaps the next record will "get it right" for me moreso... after all, Lonely Ave seemed like leaps and bounds over WtN. 

when I go back and listen to the self titled, I can't help but notice how starkly different the playing is from now.  there are moments where there is pure piano bliss, and then there's certainly interesting chord mashing-- look at jackson cannery.  there are licks in there, but the verses are all these odd chord progressions, and it's fantastic.  it was like nothign i ever heard before--- putting a fun spin on piano.  of course, there are all sorts of reaches on this record though-- the beautiful elton john style intro to philosophy.  the dark piano mashing of the last polka.  the sincerity of best imitation.  whatever and ever amen topped this by toning down the wild behavior, and replacing it with perfect pop craft.  no track on that record slumps, it reaches in all directions-- one angry dwarf and fair have fantastic energy, there is so much smoothness in the harmonies on battle fo who could care less, and yet those odd chord changes remain.  tuborm took things a step further, doing away with some of that raw chord mashing and making it more about using the piano like all the classical ways we had heard it before-- lullabye like an old 70s jam, narcolepsy borders on classical piano at points, as does mess.  these records are all so damn diverse; the latter two work especailly well as concept records.  there's this general feeling in all of them.  so again, if i'm losing you at this point and you don't agree, perhaps this is just the time i found the music, but...

i also started listening to ben folds solo at the time, and the only releases were RTS, live, and the EPs.  and they were all pretty good, but we see an emergence of more impersonal tracks, at least as how i see them, and there are less chord stretches.  and i don't mean chord strecthes like "erase me", because that's a different sort.  and again, that's all fine, but it might just be that that original BFF sound is gone and can't be retrieved because we did 10 years of solo ben.

so... i don't know if any of that will make sense to you guys.  my only credentials are that i'm an avid listener and i have studied ben's music and learned to play imitating him.  i've looked at chord readings and all that, so the chord comments aren't bullshit.  tell me what you think?

and don't tell me that i'm asking for him to recreate something old-- the jumps between those three records all make sense, and are natural.  they borrow from the old and add new.  unfortunately we've just left that entire arena with the sound of the life of the mind.  it has a few good "solo" sounding ben tracks, but I don't hear much of the five in it now.