scottasin Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 My personal favorite piano-rock player. Beautiful songwriting, I've always just loved changes and melodies, so powerful and evocative and yet very catchy, at least to me. I've always preferred his first three albums with Ben Folds Five far over anything else he's done, but I celebrate the vast majority of his catalog. Here's a few of my absolute favorite of his tracks. [video:youtube] (these following two are the opening one-two punch on his debut album, and I think its one of my favorite album openings of all time) [video:youtube] [video:youtube] __ [video:youtube] [video:youtube] (and for a bonus, just because I'm excited, I got my first automobile today, an 85 GMC Jimmy in fantastic shape, here's a picture) https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/1618454_10201436675419453_1447595739_n.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Yes, absolutely love him. My Philosophy is a rad part. The Luckiest is a gorgeous song. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Yes, absolutely love him. My Philosophy is a rad part. The Luckiest is a gorgeous song. Another Ben Folds fan here. 'My Philosophy' has been a favorite for years now. That intro pulls you in, and things just keep getting better from there. Love the way 'Underground' wraps the vocals and piano around one another. And who else could make 'One Angry Dwarf 200 Solemn Faces' work the way it does ? Guy's a national treasure 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 one more BF fan here. Angry Dwarf is simply awesome. "...and give me back my black t-shirt" has become a regular punchline in all of my class lectures. ...on a slightly unrelated note, I'm totally digging Gabe Dixon's songwriting lately - another piano player songwriter... .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Huge Ben Folds fan as well. Great songs and changes. And a hell of a performer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickd Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Another big fan here. He's great live too, gets a really big sound out of a trio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks for this. Off to buy some tracks. This is another example of the (showing my age) Grand Funk Railroad - Status Quo effect. Over where you are (Grand Funk Railroad country) - everyone will be familiar with Ben Folds Five. Over here (Status Quo country) - the band have a very low profile. Thanks for reminding me I wanted to buy a few tracks - but have still to do so. Btw - Bob Marley and ABBA - are they in the collective USA consciousness or ... How much are they part of your musical soundscape? Lastly - unless it's been covered on the X Factor our radio playlists are classic rock free (mostly). It''s been a long time since I heard Robert Plant tell me that "It's bin a long time since I ..." I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottasin Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Another big fan here. He's great live too, gets a really big sound out of a trio. he's in my top 5 not seen artists... I'm still absolutely kicking myself for missing him playing a solo show RIGHT before the BFF reunion tour the year I was in college... I was all depressed and away at school and he played in my hometown, and I just didn't wanna figure out how to make it back for some reason, and missed it. I don't let myself be a sap like that anymore, I've seen so much good music since then. Thanks for this. Off to buy some tracks. This is another example of the (showing my age) Grand Funk Railroad - Status Quo effect. Over where you are (Grand Funk Railroad country) - everyone will be familiar with Ben Folds Five. Over here (Status Quo country) - the band have a very low profile. Thanks for reminding me I wanted to buy a few tracks - but have still to do so. Btw - Bob Marley and ABBA - are they in the collective USA consciousness or ... How much are they part of your musical soundscape? Lastly - unless it's been covered on the X Factor our radio playlists are classic rock free (mostly). It''s been a long time since I heard Robert Plant tell me that "It's bin a long time since I ..." Well, I'm a 22 year old living in Colorado, the state where marijuana just became recreationally legal (and let me say just once that I'm happy I can go to a store and not have to lie about my health or buy from an illegal dealer) that Bob Marley is still well and fully alive in my generation. Personally, I was raised on his music anyways and love the various keyboard work in his music. ABBA are still recognized, but not nearly to the extent Bob Marley is. However, disco as a whole has made a HUGE resurgence in the jamband/electronica scene, even more solidified by Daft Punk's last album. As far as classic rock goes, I'm just a huge fan in general and its my favorite style of music alongside of 'jazz' (which covers a much broader spectrum as a whole), and I'd say a decent 20 to 30 percent of people my age still have a large appreciation for classic rock music and modern day artists that are aesthetically similar, if not more. It is however sadly on the downswing in my opinion compared to what makes up the sound of the current Top 40... But, I've always preferred old things to new things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickd Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Definitely see Ben Folds live if you can. He does tour in the UK from time to time - I saw him in Sheffield, but I missed his last tour. In terms of buying tracks, I'd say start with any of the Ben Folds Five CDs from before the reunion and then go from there. Not that his other stuff isn't good. And yes he's very low profile in the UK I'm afraid... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losendoskeys Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Never heard of him.......... Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Force Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks for reminding me about Ben Folds. I scored his "Whatever & Ever Amen" CD when it came out (1998??) and thanks to your reminder am "Spinning" it again via iTunes. Steve Force, Durham, North Carolina -------- My Professional Websites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DulceLabs.com Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Never heard of him.......... You have probably heard the BFF hit "Brick" a while back... one of the saddest songs I have ever heard. [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 My Philosophy is a rad part. My favorite BF song, if I had to pick only one. I'm a big fan. I remember hearing that first album for the first time in a record store. It was like bits of early Billy Joel, Elton and Todd Rundgren by way of Joe Jackson run through a "raw' filter. Loved it. I've seen him 5 times, the tours in support of Whatever, Reinhold, Rockin, Songs for Silverman and Way To Normal. What's been cool is the warmup acts became big maybe 3-6 months later: Train, The Fray, Sara Bareilles among them. Love of Folds' music is something I share with my oldest daughter. The past few shows we've seen together. When we saw the Songs for Silverman show, he told a story of going to Java's earlier that day. It's a coffee place next to the Eastman School and my daughter had been there earlier that day, too, but didn't see him. The Java's staff recognized him and wouldn't let him pay for his coffee though he insisted. Between that visit and the concert, he wrote and premiered "Free Coffee" that went on the next album. When we saw him here the next time, he enhanced the story and showed the prepared piano sound in "Free Coffee": [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 [video:youtube] A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr88s Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Another big Folds fan here. No kidding - JUST YESTERDAY I was wondering to myself why I have seen no mention of Ben Folds on KC since joining earlier this year. I bought Whatever and Ever Amen at a used CD store in Toronto back in 2000; it was cheap and I picked it up because I knew 'Brick' from the radio. I pop it into the player and One Angry Dwarf starts blasting. Thirty seconds in I'm thinking: what the $*@# is this, and where has it been all my life? I wanted to get my (then gf, now wife) into him but figure that 'Song For The Dumped' and 'One Angry Dwarf' were probably not the best approaches; I strategically played 'Don't Change Your Plans' and 'Mess' and got her in hook line and sinker. I like his BFF material much better than the solo but respect most of what he's done musically. I saw him live back in 2007 at Radio City Music Hall in NYC and have to say it was the most enjoyable concert I've ever been to. I really like the OPs song choices. While I'm no big fan of jazz (Anathema around here, I know), 'Selfless, Cold, and Composed' is a standout track. Thanks for the post. Nord Stage 2 Compact, Yamaha MODX8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangefunk Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Definitely see Ben Folds live if you can. He does tour in the UK from time to time - I saw him in Sheffield, but I missed his last tour. In terms of buying tracks, I'd say start with any of the Ben Folds Five CDs from before the reunion and then go from there. Not that his other stuff isn't good. And yes he's very low profile in the UK I'm afraid... I bought their 1995 CD on the strength of hearing them on "The Chart Show" (remember that monstrosity of a programme?) and also "Later... " with Jools Holland. So I guess they had a good run in the UK during that period (circa 1995-96). For me Ben Folds was like a return to the classic 70s way of writing with killer hooks. A bit Alessi Bros, even ELO ish (The chorus on "Underground" could be a track off Out of the Blue). Thanks for the reminder of this band though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Martin Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 He's supposed to be at NAMM this week. ;-) -Mike Martin Casio Mike Martin Photography Instagram Facebook The Big Picture Photography Forum on Music Player Network The opinions I post here are my own and do not represent the company I work for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickd Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Got to love his sense of humour too... go search for Ben Folds Chatroulette on YouTube! (I'm not posting an actual video here as rather NSFW due to bad language) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Mullins Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 My personal favorite piano-rock player. Beautiful songwriting, I've always just loved changes and melodies, so powerful and evocative and yet very catchy, at least to me. I've always preferred his first three albums with Ben Folds Five far over anything else he's done, but I celebrate the vast majority of his catalog. I'm probably in the minority but I prefer his solo stuff (particularly "Rockin' the Suburbs" and "Songs for Silverman"). He is an excellent song writer who uses a wide vocabulary of piano styles within a pop context (not easy to do.) He actually has DYNamICs in a pop song..who would have thought it possible these days? I've heard him have some shaky vocal performances on live video clips, but the one time I saw him live he sounded great. Here is one of my faves (about one of my favorites): [video:youtube] Yamaha CK88, Arturia Keylab 61 MkII, Moog Sub 37, Yamaha U1 Upright, Casio CT-S500, Mac Logic/Mainstage, iPad Camelot, Spacestation V.3, QSC K10.2, JBL EON One Compact www.stickmanor.com There's a thin white line between fear and fury - Stickman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 For me Ben Folds was like a return to the classic 70s way of writing with killer hooks. A bit Alessi Bros, even ELO ish (The chorus on "Underground" could be a track off Out of the Blue). Not hearing it - help me out, five good ELO tracks? Three will do if two of them are "Mr Blue Sky" and "Don't Bring Me Down." I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 He's supposed to be at NAMM this week. ;-) Rockin the Suburbs of Anaheim!! With a Casio PX5?!!? Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I think Mike Martin told him he's doing a demo of the new Casio PX5 wireless breath controller. It's not connected to anything, doesn't send any midi info anywhere - in fact it has no working parts - but if he's blowing into it maybe it'll cut down on the singing and grunting. We're still talking about Keith Jarrett aren't we? I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddyg3042 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Well, I'm a 22 year old living in Colorado, the state where marijuana just became recreationally legal (and let me say just once that I'm happy I can go to a store and not have to lie about my health or buy from an illegal dealer) Look for "Kate" while you're there; "Everyday she wears the same thing I think she smokes pot, She's everything I want, She's everything I'm not, Oh I...Have you got nothing to say?" "May you stay...forever young." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 A bit Alessi Bros, Thanks for the reminder of this band though.. Ben Folds aside, thanks for that reminder! ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangefunk Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 [video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLUUV_ZIALE Can't be beat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadroj Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Friend once asked me to one of his gigs a few years ago. I hadn't heard of him and politely declined. (Nowadays I prefer going to gigs if I haven't heard of the artists before). Friend tried to persuade me. "But he plays piano. You'd like it." "Yeah, right, everyone "plays" piano. I'll pass thanks." Have since learned from my ignorance and am no longer a stuck up $%^&. Love him. Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Big fan of Whatever & Ever Amen, although I regrettably haven't dug into much else. I do really like his collaborative album with Nick Hornby. Big fan of Nick's writing as well. [video:youtube] Also FTR, Bob Marley is a commercially-exploited cultural figure along the lines of Ché Guevara. Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Got to love his sense of humour too... go search for Ben Folds Chatroulette on YouTube! This. Definitely. Some moments are 'spit milk out of your nose' funny (even when you're not drinking milk... go figure that one out! ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Aiken Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Should listen to more. Some people tell me my solo stuff sounds like him, and I have never disliked anything I've heard of his, but have not really delved into the catalog. Songwriting trumps playing for me, and while clever, I haven't heard anything that has really moved me, but again, I have not delved. I shall. Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottasin Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Well, I'm a 22 year old living in Colorado, the state where marijuana just became recreationally legal (and let me say just once that I'm happy I can go to a store and not have to lie about my health or buy from an illegal dealer) Look for "Kate" while you're there; "Everyday she wears the same thing I think she smokes pot, She's everything I want, She's everything I'm not, Oh I...Have you got nothing to say?" Oh WHY have you got nothing to say, actually... Where's Summer B has a pot reference in it as well, if we're gonna be pointing those things out. Its definitely in his top tier of songs in my opinion, too, lyrics aside. Also FTR, Bob Marley is a commercially-exploited cultural figure along the lines of Ché Guevara. I definitely won't disagree with you here, although he might still be part of my generation's culture, the way he's actually viewed is far from what he would have wanted, thats for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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