1

News / Re: Chances for any new music? And which direction?

« on: July 08, 2020, 12:08:59 PM »

I would LOVE to hear a new upbeat album, a rock album. So There was indeed mostly the concerto, the 8 other songs just seemed tacked on. Capable of Anything, Not a Fan, and Yes Man appear ground up written for the album, but So There is ancient, Long Way to Go is from WTN days, F10DA isn't a real song per say, Phone in a Pool was lifted from unreleased recording sessions, and I'm Not the Man is a rejected song from a movie soundtrack. I really feel we haven't gotten a front to back Ben Folds album in years. When has he mentioned not liking TSOTLOTM? Just curious.

He did just drop 2020, which seems like a fun little song to hold us over... at least I hope that's all it is, because it isn't exactly the next Annie Waits, hah.

2

General Board / Re: Best Concerts You've Ever Been To

« on: April 17, 2020, 07:18:19 AM »

I saw Ben in Boston last August with Violent Femmes. Ben was great, I met him earlier during his book signing, but I was really impressed with Violent Femmes too! Pleasant surprise.

3

News / Re: New CD-Set out on June 22nd 2018?

« on: May 02, 2018, 05:07:51 PM »

My first reaction is I WANT THIS. Then I say woah, woah, I don't buy CDs anymore. I own all the records on vinyl anyways, plus spotify is a thing now.

I don't like how they exclude Lonely Avenue and So There. They are Ben solo albums, just with a hint of collaboration.

But I REALLY want to read the book.

4

General Board / Re: It's A Boy!

« on: November 23, 2017, 09:19:39 PM »

This kind of thing makes me so happy. Thanks for stopping by.

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Album Board / Re: Thoughts on BF/BFF vinyl

« on: September 19, 2017, 08:05:33 PM »

Supersunnyspeedgraphic!

I have mixed feelings about this. I love the EPs, don't get me wrong, but I do not like this release. I don't like the re-visited versions of these songs. I really think that Ben should have just let them be!! I also don't like how it skims over half the stuff he wrote on the EPs.

This would be a good opportunity to just release all three EPs as they originally were, in a vinyl format.

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Album Board / Re: Thoughts on BF/BFF vinyl

« on: March 29, 2017, 07:10:21 PM »

Just got Messner in the mail. I've owned Silverman since 2005 on vinyl.

This album sounds great and looks great. I just got it on standard black vinyl. The album art looks amazing and the packaging is sturdy. Listening to this album front to back is just fantastic, sometimes I forget how amazing the early albums were. Finally have his entire catalogue on vinyl.

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General Board / Re: Who's on your Ben Folds Mixtape?

« on: January 04, 2017, 09:56:36 PM »

Paul McCartney - Don't Change Your Plans
I really feel this song would fit his voice. It has the same kind of bouncy melody of many of McCartney's own tunes (I am, however, imagining a young McCartney singing the song, not modern day)

Michael Stipe - Picture Window
One of the best voices in his genre, I feel his vocals would kill in this one.

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Album Board / Re: Thoughts on BF/BFF vinyl

« on: December 29, 2016, 08:38:58 PM »

In this day and age, vinyl is the only physical format that really seems practical, why go out of print? Eh, what do I know.

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Album Board / Re: Thoughts on BF/BFF vinyl

« on: December 25, 2016, 09:44:01 PM »

http://www.bullmoose.com/p/24373143/folds-ben-songs-for-silverman-180g-vinyl


Worth mentioning. I have the original, but this is happening too. I think this makes all his releases pretty easily available for vinyl purchase.

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General Board / Re: Ben Folds/Five Studio Album Covers- RANKED!

« on: November 22, 2016, 09:21:49 PM »

1 - Rockin the Suburbs.
2 - Whatever
3 - Reinhold
4 - Sound of the Life
5 - Lonely Avenue
6 - Ben Folds Five
7 - Way to Normal
8 - Silverman
9- So There

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General Board / Re: What Song Did You Write in Your Paper Airplane?

« on: November 22, 2016, 09:17:28 PM »

I'd love to throw something crazy obscure like "Lydian Song" at him, just to see his reaction.

12

Album Board / Re: Thoughts on BF/BFF vinyl

« on: November 22, 2016, 09:15:14 PM »

I'm stoked about the Reinhold vinyl. Does anyone know if there's going to be a limited color release for this one? I got the W&EA orange version, but I jumped the gun on the Rockin' the Suburbs release and pre-ordered from a standard black vinyl version and missed out on the yellow release. Just curious if Reinhold is getting a red release or something along those lines. Don't want to miss out on that.

13

Album Board / Re: Way To Normal Fan Remaster

« on: October 06, 2016, 07:47:02 AM »

This sounds excellent!

14

General Board / Re: Rockin' the Suburbs 180g 2-LP reissue

« on: February 26, 2016, 10:36:27 PM »

Just got mine today, haven't listened to it yet.

I will say, however, that the cover art leaves something to be desired. The photo was already pretty shadowy to begin with, this release makes the right side of his face nearly a complete shadow.

15

General Board / Re: Ben Folds covering the Beatles?

« on: January 14, 2016, 08:34:02 AM »

He didn't seem like much of a Beatles fan in 1997:

O: "What are your influences?"

BF: That one's a real drag. It's dumb, because influences are by nature subconscious; you're not aware of them. You don't know. Say I'm the biggest, well, Joni Mitchell fan. Maybe not the biggest, but I love Joni Mitchell. I'm not gonna sound like Joni Mitchell. [Laughs.] Why would I want to sound like Joni Mitchell? I've got Joni Mitchell records, and they're great, and I couldn't possibly be that good. If I love her, that's what I'm gonna think, right? So maybe I'll pull influences from things I'm not aware of, things I've heard on the radio, maybe the Bee Gees. Now, I don't own a Bee Gees record—I don't care about owning a f*cking Bee Gees record—but I know that we sound like the Bee Gees sometimes when we're joking around. And that must be where it came from. I don't own any Carole King records, but I think there's influences there. Todd Rundgren... A lot of '70s stuff that I heard on the radio, I don't buy those records. But that's part of your sensibility, so those are influences, but you don't want to sit there and rattle them off, because you find yourself not being able to hold a conversation with someone about it. It's like, "Yeah, The Beatles, big influence," and I can't tell 'em five f*ckin' Beatles songs. Influences are subconscious, and when people ask that, I'm like, "Uhhhhh, I don't know."

http://www.avclub.com/article/ben-folds-five-13467

I honestly don't know if I take much of what Ben said early in his career seriously. It's funny, because he is by far my favorite person to read interviews by, I think his view on life and angle on music is so unique and humbling. This is a side of Ben that I didn't see emerge until the mid 2000's, however. Prior to that, especially in the BFF days, he was NOT a chatty stage presence , and he gave almost nothing but sarcastic remarks in interviews. He was also no stranger to putting down other musicians, especially those he was compared to (Joel!). In the end, I think it was just a young man trying to feel comfortable in his newly famous skin.