Tuesday, May 4, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 7
N
Entertainment
Ben Folds Five changes style, abandons quality
Ben Folds Five
The Unauthorized Biography of
Reinhold Mesner
Rating: C-
Ben Folds Five has gone from alternative to Top 40 crossover and now brushes on the edge of mediocre adult contemporary music.
By Matt Cox
Kansan music boy
pianist/read singer Ben Folds has t a k e n another turn in style with the third album. The famous critics like to say he has "matured" on the new album. All Folds did was try something new so he wouldn't get stereotyped as a certain style.
It comes as no surprise that
Maturity? No. The decision to metamorphosize had the potential for an excellent album, a horrible album or The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.
Folds messes with horns and unique percussion, on a lot of the tracks to try to cover up the gaping hole where a guitar part should be.
The previous two albums were written in an intelligent way so that the piano served nicely as the rhythm instrument.
With the new album, there is an element missing in the way the music was written. The bass lines tend to use more distortion effects to try to get a rock guitar sound.
The first single, *Army*, is the most radio-friendly song on the album. It has a very simple piano rhythm and a delightfully singable chorus.
phone.
It doesn't work.
Of course, whenever the music gets going, something about it brings to mind Harvey Danger's Flagpole Sitta with the addition of xylo-
Oh well. It's still a nice song that radio listeners will hear for at least another two weeks.
Also, don't expect any song to replicate the success of their VH-1-esque Brick.
What you will find is unique coffeehouse-acid piano on tracks like *Narcolepsy* and *Your Redneck Past*. They are reminiscent of Folds' side project, Fear of Pop, featuring William Shatner and members of Fleming and John. Both songs flirt with odd drum explosions at even weirder times.
Once the weirdly cool drum track settles in, so does the fact that *Narcolepsy* has intense classical overtones. Piano riffs fly away in a super-happy-like way. It then explodes four
minutes later while Folds sings "I'm not tired" about 70 times. The idea for the song is commendable.
But as far as entertainment value,it's not worth listening to again and again.
Not all the songs are experimental.
Don't Change Your Plans is the best contender for the follow-up single.
It's a love song about how the only reason Folds wants to stay on Earth is for a girl. Cute! Folds sings, "All I really wanna say is that you're the reason I wanna stay."
Regrets reminisces the second-grade love experience. It's the most interesting song on the album. Once you think the song is going to be modern, effects make his vocals sound straight out of a '70s B-movie. Then the beat takes on a fast, techno rhythm to totally throw the listener for a loop. It never gets old. Too bad that couldn't be said for most of the other songs.
Fans of Ben Folds Five should pick this album to stay faithful. Fans of Brick shouldn't go near it.
By Brendan Walsh
Kansan movie critic
Muppets and more coming to silver screen
It seems that every year about this time there are certain things a person can count on. As summer creeps near, students spend more time on the porch of The Crossing than in class; Royals fans give up hope for even moderate success; and Entertainment Tonight interviews Will Smith about his upcoming summer blockbuster movie.
Well, truth be told, Will Smith didn't have a big summer movie last year. No doubt those holding stock in movie studios are excited about this summer's Wild, Wild West. Not venturing too far from the success of the special-effects filled Independence Day and Men in Black, Wild, Wild West has Smith in another good-guy role. This time around he is James T. West, out to save President Ulysses S. Grant from assassination at the hands of a 19th century villain. Those who enjoyed the earlier incarnations of Smith's moral hero role will no doubt like this version.
Above: The Muppets embark on an extraterrestrial adventure in hopes of finding Gonzo's long-lost family from a distant planet in *Muppets From Space*. Right: In the live-action feature *Inspector Gadget*, a scientist (Joely Fisher, right) transforms a security guard (Matthew Broderick) with robotic parts after he nearly meets a fatal end. Both movies are due out this summer. Contributed photos
While Smith finds success playing nice guys in action movies, Kevin Costner finds success playing baseball. For Love of the Game showcases Costner as a legendary pitcher whose career is quickly winding down. The movie's director is Sam Raimi, who recently directed the critically acclaimed A Simple Plan, as well as the Eulid Dead trilogy.
The late Stanley Kubrick's last film, Eyes Wide Shut, features Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise naked — really naked. More substantive information about the film is very hard to get, though rumors are abound on the Internet. Warner Brothers worked hard to keep the movie from getting slapped with the taboo of an NC-17 rating because of its explicit drug use and sexual content. The studio succeeded and announced this week that the film received an R rating.
There hasn't been a decent Muppets movie since The Muppet Christmas Carol, and that wasn't nearly as good as any of the first three Muppet movies. This summer's Muppets From Space seems more along the lines of the original The Muppet Movie series, so hope remains.
Everyone's favorite Cajun, Adam Sandler, will return to the big screen in Big Daddy. Sandler's character has just been dumped by his girlfriend for avoiding responsibility, so to prove his maturity, he adopts a five-year-old kid. It's natural to be suspicious of any movie that has a cute kid as a principal character, and it might be hard for Sandler's brand of humor to get past the precious close-ups of the kid.
After a string of rather mediocre movies, Spike Lee will try again with
Summer of Sam. Set in 1977, the movie tells the tale of one New York neighborhood's reaction to the perceived threat of the serial killer Son of Sam. More about paranoia and witch hunts than the actual killings, this movie has the potential to return Lee to his rightful status.
Disney's animated version of
Disney's animated version Tarzan will be entertaining for those whose idea of excitement is using toasted Wonder Bread on their bologna sandwiches. Disney will also be profiling from Generation Xers who feel nostalgic about Inspector Gadget.
Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts are sure to be adorable in Notting Hill, in which Grant plays the owner of a bookstore and Roberts makes the huge leap of playing a movie star. It's just a guess, but most
Kevin Kline, left, as Artemus Gordon and
Bowfinger will unite Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin for the first time. Frank Oz, who directed In & Out, also directed this movie. That's a bit omous, but it will be interesting to see if Murphy and Martin can create any onscreen chemistry
likely the odd couple will fall in love, have problems, realize their love for each other and live happily ever after.
Will Smith as James West team up in Wild, Wild West, a comedy with action, fantasy and adventure, coming out this summer.In front is The Tarantula, a diabolical weapon and transportation device invented by Dr. Artiss Loveless, played by Kenneth Branagh.
Contributed photo
Those who liked the first installment of *Austin Powers* will most likely enjoy the second, though perhaps to a lesser extent.
There's also some movie
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MORE OF IT. ALWAYS.
Now Thru Finals.
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