2/01/2008
My hero
Ben Folds is coming to the area for a concert at the Beasely. Now I need everyone to be on their best behavior on April 26, so you don't scare him away. I need to find out what it takes to get backstage passes so I can meet him and make a fool of myself. So if anyone knows how to get backstage passes, it would be great if I could know.
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9 comments:
http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/music/images/benfolds-mso.jpg
take a look at this picture. This is not a picture of any sort of hero. This is the picture of a fag. This could possibly be one of the gayest posts anywhere on the internet. Maybe even worse than a love sonnet between 2 real fags. You are idolizing a guy that sounds like he is a drowning brick when he sings. His songs are lame, and his piano playing is mediocre. There is no manliness found anywhere in his cd's or anywhere in is life. You need to seek the council of your father of whom you speak so highly of. I know he will agree with me on this one. Shame on you, theres always one apple that falls far from the family tree. gay.
dude, I didn't even ask for an opinion from you about ben folds when I already know you think he is lame. you obviously don't understand piano playing by calling his mediocre. If this guy is my hero then maybe the best approach to this isn't by calling him gay or calling me gay. A NICE criticism would be apropriate, but only if I had asked for opinions.
Jason, you constantly call me and my intrests gay. I'm not offended, but i think you know that i am smarter than the average 16 year old, and so you feel like you have to try and make everything i do seem lame. I don't know why this is, but lets try and be nice to each other.
I got more to say.
I never said I was listening to his music because its manly. I listen to it because its WELL WRITTEN. You don't have to be manly to write music. Otherwise my sister michal wouldn't be better than you at writing music. Ben Folds uses so many of the same techniques as some of the greatest pianists like Ray Charles. Not only is he gifted in writing music, but he also plays like a beast. Like the Jimmy Page of piano. He does solos using only his elbows. Its not conventional but so is playing guitar behind your head. Jason, you only look at all music from a rock and/or heavy metal perspective. Ben wasn't trying to be rockin, he was trying to write good music. He even labled himself, when he was in ben folds five, that the style of music is rock for sissies, obviously not being serious. I have heard some really good funk riffs from him on the piano.
So you can stay in your guitar/rock world and I'll be in my piano world, and maybe I'll drop by sometime and you can keep those "gay" comments to yourself.
woah gunn, lots of speculation there.
1) you asked for opinions just by owning a blog and having a comments section.
2)I do understand his piano playing and its mediocre.
3)I never claimed to be a nice critic. Im a harsh critic.
4)gunn the average 16 year old is as dumb as a rock. Davis, Me, Tyler,Isaac, we were all dumb as rocks. Sure some kids get better grades like your bro and ty, but as far as being smart or wise about issues, we were all worthless. Kids retain knowledge, but have no reference point to work from, because they are not a part of the world yet. When i got out of highschool, i found out how much i didnt know about anything. Im not talking math or science, im talking about life.
5)You never said you were listening to ben folds for manly reasons. This is true, and you arent. Because there isnt any, and you should listen to music for manly reasons only, why? because youre supposed to be a man. Not a puss like ben folds and emulate him.
6)Ive heard Ray charles, elton john etc. Elton is an ok pianist, a better songwriter. Ray charles was a great pianist, his songs were about as rad as a piano can get. But ben folds as much as he tries to emulate from all that i have heard, doesnt even hold a candle. I have met and seen people that play piano better than him.
7)he labels himself exactly as he is "rock for sissies" minus the rock.
8)Im not stuck in a rock/metal world. I have joined the rock/metal world because it is the only thing men should listen to. Occasionally there is something out there that breaks the laws or is an exception to the rules, some of ray charle's stuff, some elton. I can appreciate piano if its good, and catchy and really entertaining. I dont immerse myself in it because its not that great in my opinion. But just based on Pop music 1000miles by vanessa carlton was one of the catchiest piano "riffs"(if you can even call it that), of the last 5-8 years of music. Its probably not that hard to play, i dont know maybe it is, but its way more catchy than any of ben folds stuff, and better written. I bet ben is a better pianist than her maybe, but shes wrote a better song than any of his and shes not that great. That makes him about as exciting as coldplay on the piano.
9) Gunn, im not out to get ya. Im just here to try to help you not to put a lot of stock into something gay. When i was a kid, I was into some lame music and i thought it was rad, I was fortunate to have people to slap me upside the head so i could repent and become the hairy manly man i am today. "We arent born men, we have to beat the child out of us."-jason scheibe
Ive got more too.
i almost forgot
10)You also said your sister was better at writing music than I. I dont think i need to elaborate on that one.
wow, and I thought I was ignorant. What makes you right? You have to realize something. Jason, I don't know what age it dawned upon you that you were the ultimate source of right, but you' would be one of the last people to say if piano playing is good. I don't know if you have heard of these people but, Benny Green and Lyle Lovett are both great pianists, but you would probably think its gay because its jazz. Jazz is an overall better genre than metal. Its simply just better written music. My piano teacher, who is one of the best jazz pianists in the area, loves ben folds and he anylizes his songs and always gives them positive feedback.
Jason, in your case, my dad must be pretty wussy. Listening to Joss Stone and liking it? A man can be a man and still listen to jazz/pop. I still listen to (and like) Metalica, Led Zeppelin, Audioslave, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. But, any man who limits themselves to rock/metal does not understand the rest of the world thats around him. A man is someone who "knows". Not someone who holds strong views about what it takes to be a man. Man should listen to this music you suggest, but also know whats going outside and around him. He should be able to give credit where credit is due even if its Keane with a beautious chord. You aren't thinking hard enough about what an artist was thinking when writing. Sometimes they might write it by accident but we can't know that.
Jason, why is it that I have to be a typical highschool student. The reason why I know that I know better than you did, is because I practically had other people go through it for me. my father, Davis, and Graeme. Before I reached the age of stuidity those three helped make sure that I didn't make the same mistakes as they did. I was enlightened enough to say to myself that I WONT fall in love for my teen years and I had made a conttract with davis and Graeme that I wouldn't. It is hanging on the wall next to me as I type. you might think that is gay, but if it weren't for that I would probably turn out like a wuss or a stu hoping that the girl will like me. I could have been down a very ungodly road if it weren't for those three. Well it didn't happen to you, but everybody is different. I don't want to hear your crap about things I am incredibly thankful for.
Hey your thankful for not being in a relationship thats great, im not giving you crap for that. You brought that up and said i should quit bothering you about things your thankful for. Your relationship status is not what we are talking about here mr. ADD.
You can like ben folds to your hearts content, im telling you that its not well written, its ok, maybe decent writing.
I havent heard of those jazz guys, but dont even try to say that jazz is a better written form of music. If anything jazz is known for its irregularity and inconsistency. Have you ever heard the true statement, "there is no wrong note in jazz."
Let me ask you, other than singing, have you ever played in a jazz band? Ive played in one all through highschool, ive played many classic jazz tunes, and i played in a small jazz combo before. I would say most of the music is poorly written. A few good riffs here and there, but as a whole its cluttered. I speak from experience.
If ben folds was a great pianist and one of the best songwriters, his music would be all over the place. He would be climbing the charts, he would be way more popular than he is. He is a hasbeen. He has a small following now. Lots of my friends who loved him went to see him when he came here, and were like, ahhhh, he wasnt as good as i thought he was gonna be.(and they liked him before). He had 1 well written song, "brick". he was a one hit wonder, and just decided to push through and keep making music anyway. which is fine, but brick was huge, ben folds five had a few other songs, people loved that stuff. If he was a great songwriter like elton and ray, he would have staying power and be huge and have number 1 hits, he has none. because they are boring songs.
You seem to think i live in metallica land and know nothing of music outside of it. I know and have played every style of music, save classical which im not interested in at all. I hate country, but i was forced to study it and thus know a great deal of it. I have listened to a ton of it. If you think about all the music you have heard and all the experience you have had, its probably been about 4-5 years of solid interest. You probably really got into music about 7th grade im guessing, like most of us did. Before that we are all like music but we dont make it our own till a little later in life. So if i started at that age, which i didnt, but lets say i did. i would have twice the musical years on you, as far as playing, performing, and listening to everything. Now add in the fact that i started taking drum lessons and listening to every kind of music with my drum teacher to get educated about every style at the age of 5. Now tell me once again that I have no experience and that i am stuck inside this little rock/metal world. I love rock, i think its the greatest genre, but its not all i know by any means.
Joss stone by the way isnt jazz, shes blues/pop rock with maybe a little jazz influence. Shes mainstream, and she knows jazz doesnt sell, so she jumped that fence. If anything they label her as rhythm and blues. Blues arent my fav, but they are manly nonetheless.
Ok lastly gun, about a man "knowing" and not just saying what it takes to be a man.
Gunn, "I know". I know more than most people. I hate keane, but in fact they do have a wonderful chorus, well written. I heard the rest of their album and it sucked the big wookie. Sure everyone has hints of beauty, but as a whole his music was gay, and not talented. Gunn, I understand, i have instinct. Most of my friends said i wasnt book smart, but i had incredible intuition about everything. I can give credit where its due, i hear pop radio and every once and a while i hear something great and note it. Fall out boy, one of the lamest bands in the world had a chorus that was rad and brilliant, but the rest of the song sucked. I have the ear. I probably should have been one of those guys at record labels that listens to tapes and bands to tell what will be a hit and what wont. I can tell whats hot, whether or not i like it. Ben folds is not hot, that talented in writing ability, and i dont like them to sweeten that pot.
and as far as having your bros and your dad go before you to keep you from makinging those mistakes, thats great. That doesnt make you smart, it makes you fortunate you had people telling you where the potholes were. If they tell you this is good music, this is bad, that may help, but that doesnt make you any better or as good as them at picking out aesthetics, having a good ear, etc. My point in the stupidity thing, is not that kids are intellectually inept, its that they have no idea about the world. As much as your father tells you, as much as you see on tv, thats all knowledge. Untill you get out there like we all did, you see so many things you didnt know were there. You experience people, stories, life altering experiences that change who you are and how you view life in general. You make all these solid statements about things you know nothing but historical facts about, but no current experience with. Thats why i say highschool kids are stupid. They have no reference point. We were all that way. Your dad laughed at davis and me and tyler all the time for things we think and said, because he knew we had no clue. So does every other father. How often do dads say, your gonna have to trust me, you dont have a clue about this, you will understand someday.
some things just require experience and first hand influence.
Gunn, since you seem fairly flustered, and unhappy about harsh criticism, i will throw you a bone. In your defense, I have heard you drum, and youre not very good yet, but you have a decent sense of things. You remember well what was going on musically, and respond quickly to it. And you have a decent ear, you can generally hear whats needs to happen, which is an underrated skill. Ill give you that much. You are on your way, but just remember when you write about music and how great some things are. If you have a lot of experience, you might a have a stake to be able to say something is good, or great. Otherwise all you can say is I like them, they are fun.
Oh and by the way, the best guitarists, drummers, etc are all in metal, hands down. HardMetal may be aesthetically not that great, the songs could suck here and there, but the musicians are some of the best in the world. Metal is some of the hardest music to play. I can learn jazz guitar easily if i want, i can learn the country slide guitar if i wanted with ease, i could learn the blues in 5 minutes. Metal guitar could take me a lifetime. Its tricky, its hard, its complex beyond your wildest imagination. The drummers are some of the most insane,precise,skilled,speedy, drummers of all time. Again im not speaking for the aesthetics of metal, but the skill involved is high above any genre hands down.
Listen, comments on my drumming skill apreciated. Much Thanks to that.
The thing is jason, call me shallow or a follower, but I already believe almost everything my dad says and I understand it. our views on probably Ben folds and rap are slightly different. Even I am beginning to realize that rap, no matter how good it sounds, sucks. I can't recall the last time my dad has said, "You are going to have to trust me. . ."
Well good musicians don't always make it big like the rest. Like you said about your friend who is a really good guitarist but doesn't have the drive or motivation to use it to his advantage. Could be the same for Ben Folds. Of course he already has some publicity, but it is not exactly what the mainstream is into. Jazz music is so much better than the crap that is put on the charts. But it just isn't what the people are into.
I don't doubt how much you know, but it is how you use that knowledge. Also I would rather just digress from the subject and forget it, because we both gave our opinions about things but i don't think either of us are changing views. I'm sure you have things to say to what posted along with this.
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