Post #135673 by Tiki-bot on Sat, Jan 15, 2005 12:57 AM

I saw all the hype about FF a few months ago, gave it a listen, and meh. I don't even recall it now.

Let's play "6 Degrees of Ben Folds"! First, get Ben Folds' "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner" or any Ben Folds, for that matter. His solo album, "Rockin the Suburbs" is solid gold, too. Who can dispute:

i'm pissed off but i'm too polite
when people break in the mcdonalds line
mom and dad you made me so uptight
i'm gonna cuss on the mic tonight
i don't know how much i can take
girl give me something i can break

i'm rocking the suburbs
just like quiet riot did
i'm rocking the suburbs
except that they were talented
i'm rocking the suburbs
i take the checks and face the facts
that some producer with computers
fixes all my shitty tracks

No one has been disappointed in him yet and you sound like you have the gift of good taste to start with. Then get William Shatner's "Has Been". It's gold I tell, Jerry, GOLD! Seriously, it's touching, ironic, hip and oh so cool. And it's basically a Ben Folds album with guest stars. He wrote and produced and plays most of the songs. Then get Aimee Mann's "Lost in Space". She sings on Shatner's album and is the most underrated singer/songwriting genius out there. Sure, all her songs are melancholy and I can't imagine her being ebulliant, but it works and it's not particularly sad to listen to. I always thought of her as a mellow, more tunefully oriented version of Elvis Costello ca. 1980. Her melodies repeat like nursery rhymes - be warned!

That's all for now. Listen, then write a paper on how great these bands are and I will grade it for you.