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CD REVIEW Live CD shows Folds ’ nassion & “BEN FOLDS LIVE” Ben Folds out of BY BEN ANGSTADT THE GAMECOCK It’s always a treat when a live album offers something different than studio-recorded CDs. In his latest release, “Ben Folds Live,” Ben Folds definitely gives a sound that most of his listeners have not heard before. On this release, recorded dur ing his summer 2002 “Ben Folds and a Piano” tour, Folds per forms songs from his albums with Ben Folds Five and his 2001 ► solo release, plus a few extra songs never before released. The album includes no back-up band; Folds, with his piano, is the sole performer, though he dpes get some help from the au dience, which he recruits to harmonize on “Not the Same” and to act as a horn section on “Army.” A good number of the tracks he performs on the album have received less attention than his radio hits. Songs such as “Best Imitation of Myself,” “Jane,” “Narcolepsy” and “The Last Polka” have made fewer appear ances in Folds’ live shows than have his better-known songs, namely “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces” and “Brick.” This decision to include less er-known songs allows Folds to give listeners a better look into his repertoire. The only down side of this decision is that most of these songs are not as fast paced and charismatic as the more popular ones. The sedated tone results in a less exciting, less upbeat album, but one that still is full of Folds’ musical tal ent and top-notch performance ability. Folds has included enough of his upbeat, popular songs, how ever, to keep the album from be coming an entirely slow collec tion. “One Angry Dwarf,” “Army,” “Philosophy” and “Emaline” all provide a little more excitement. “Philosophy” is one of the strongest tracks on the album and, judging by the au dience’s reaction to it, one of the best received. But the true standouts on “Ben Folds Live” are the songs that do not appear on any of Folds’ previous releases. “Silver Street” is a song he wrote earli-, er in his career and shelved until recently, when he began per forming it live. The satirical “One Down” mocks the record ing contract that requires Folds to write 13.6 songs a year. One of the tracks was completely im provised based on a comment from an audience member. But by far the most outstand ing song on the album is Folds’ cover of the Elton John classic “Tiny Dancer.” He plays it with a passion and makes it obvious that it is one of the songs that in spired him to become a musi cian. In addition to the CD, “Ben Folds Live” includes a DVD with a few of Folds’ performances from the tour. The success of Folds’ concerts lies in his inter action with the audience, and the depth of this interaction is impossible, to convey on a CD alone. The DVD gives a true view of Folds’ onstage persona at its best. So, for die-hard fans and even listeners who have enjoyed what they have heard of Folds on the radio, “Ben Folds Live” is a must-have. It’s a solid album that delivers throughout and shows the true character of a musician who really loves his job. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotma il. com CD REVIEW" King Crimson redefines sound Klf»9 Crimson “HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY WITH” King Crimson ★ ★★ outofi?r<n5-iir& BY DENNIS MING NICHOLS THE GAMECOCK “Happy With What You Have to be Happy With,” the latest EP from prog-rock guitar legend Robert - Fripp and his eclectic band King Crimson, features material that will appear on Crimson’s upcom ing album, “The Power to Believe,” available in February 2003. “Happy” consists of three dis tinct songs: “Happy With What You Have to be Happy With,” “Eyes Wide Open” and “Potato Pie.” They are tied together con ceptually by creepy harmonized tiaikus, Fripp’s patented Crimscapes (ambient guitar mu sic) and a tubular bell solo by per cussionist Pat Mastelotto. The title track is a hard-rock romp that might turn traditional Crimson fans away. The song fus es Adrian Belew’s pop-sensible lyrics and vocals with some trite industrial percussion fills and is tied together with metallic riffs. After hearing this departure, most fans will not recognize the sound as King Crimson’s. “Eyes Wide Open” is a spacey ballad featuring Belew’s echoing vocals and a wealth of beautiful noise. “Potato Pie” is blues-rock more in the key of Crimson — spacey and dissonant. The EP also includes yet anoth er arrangement of the Fripp’s tour de force, “Lark’s Tounge in Aspic,” an instrumental epic fea turing complicated polyrhythms, loud distorted guitars and sonic manipulations that only Fripp could produce. Following a sell-out tour with Tool in 2001, Crimson has been in the studio writing new material and redefining its sound. In fact, the history of the band has been a series of redefinitions in style, mu sical direction and band members. King Crimson was created in London in 1969 by Robert Fripp; Greg Lake, before he was bassist and lead singer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Ian MacDonald; Michael Giles; and Peter Sinfield. The group specialized in progres sive psychedelic rock similar to that produced by bands such as Pink Floyd and Yes, but for its time, it was much heavier than other bands. King Crimson’s debut album, “In The Court of the Crimson King,” broke.ground for rock mu sic and, other than the Beatles’ White Album, was the most suc cessful British album of 1969. But after only two years with this out fit, all of the members except for Fripp left Crimson to concentrate on other projects. King Crimson stayed alive with Fripp as the inheritor and princi pal composer. Subsequent incar nations of Crimson received large amounts of underground support but little mass exposure. It wasn’t until 1981 that Crimson received its just rewards. “Discipline” took a totally differ ent approach to rock composing that neither Fripp nor his con temporaries had explored before. Hailed as Crimson’s most creative album, it features Fripp, Belew, Tony Levin on bass and Bill Bruford of Yes on drums. Four years later, the group dis banded and reemerged in 1994 with Pat Mastelotto playing per cussion and Trey Gunn on Warr Guitar, a bass/guitar hybrid in strument, to complete the sextet. Today, King Crimson exists as a quartet of Fripp, Belew, Mastelotto and Gunn. They have continued to open doors of rock music to a more ■ serious and musical level while maintaining their rock aesthetic. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Midtown CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 tempts to put its voice in today’s punk movement. Recently, Recover has been pro ducing its original material. But thefjand has only called itself Recover for two years; before that, it jammed as a Green Day cover band. Recover struggled early on to find its sound. The band said in an interview on the Web site www.boringstory.com that it experimented with all kinds of genres — punk, hard-core, emo — but has finally settled com fortably into its own element. “We are playing music that we love and that people can feel good listening to,” Tweedy said. “I call us super rock,” Vela said. Recover recently released a new album, “Ceci N’est Pas Recover,” which means “This Is Not Recover.” After having gone unnoticed for some time by the music industry, Recover grew contemptuous of the flashy, choreographed acts that domi nate pop culture, according to the band’s news release. The band wants the new record to represent everything it stands against. The guys of Recover also said they like to have a wild time at their shows. “We lose our minds when we get on stage,” Keyes said in an interview on www.bor ingstory.com. Recover will take the stage at 7 p.m. tomorrow, followed by Taking Back Sunday. Midtown will be the headlining act. Cover will be $7. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditoriahotmail.com Qc/ihII{\wM an historic residence Efficiency $505 One Bedroom $565 Two Bedroom $600 Rent includes all utilities and cable TV. All rates quoted are month to month. (Leases available, prices subject to change) Located across from the University Of South Carolina Horseshoe and the State Capital, Cornell Arms offers the premier location for downtown living. (803) 799-1442 1230 PENDLETON STREET COLUMBIA, SC 29201 ) ’ COMMUNICATIONS 101: I I 1% 8 SunComr UnPlan today I I-—— --- f ■ II SAME SUBSCRIPTION FEE EACH MONTH. CALL ALL YOU WANT, ANYTIME, TO ANYWHERE IN AMERICA. _ . NOKIA 5165 DON'T PAY FOR ANOTHER PHONE CALL AGAIN! 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