Forkers Central

Ben Folds covered Dr. Dre, and now he is hosting a contest for his fans to do their own videos. I think someone we all know and love has entered this contest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSJxvi767kQ[/youtube]

who?


I'm sorry I just have to say what's the point of ben folds covering that song...like that?

It's pretty funny to go to a Ben Folds concert and see a thousand white kids singing Bitches Ain't Shit.

I'm sorry I just have to say what's the point of ben folds covering that song...like that?

It's the art of the crossover track. Taking someone else's music and lyrics but making them unquestionably yours. The enjoyment here lies in the juxtaposition of Ben Folds' soft style with the hard, gangsta feel of the lyrics and content that is only ever explored in rap songs and never in piano ballads.

Another example from recent years would be Johnny Cash's cover of NIN's "Hurt."

yeah but the cash cover of hurt was very much like the nin version.

anyway, I guess it's just an odd choice, as rebecca stated thousands of white kids singing along to a gansta rap song in a very slow key must be an interesting site.

Cash's version was nothing like NIN's version. For me, listening to NIN's version after I listen to Cash's version simply makes Reznor look like a little whiny bitch.

He thinks he knows what hurting is all about? Maybe he thinks he does but I would say Johnny Cash has a much better grasp on what hurting really is.

Old age, losing your wife, past addictions, blah blah blah; everything that Reznor has done, Cash has done it better and longer and has a better perspective on it.

The two songs interpret hurt in an entirely different way and I believe that makes them extremely different songs.

agreed the cash verison is better. having seen nin do hurt live several times in the past couple of years...it's still done in the same style as done by cash. so the differences are less than the one of folds and dre.

I'm not arguing who has had more pain in their lives to indicate hurt better. There's no point in that because we know who'd win.

Chris the Great -- living up to his name!

- Mere "favorite 3 parts: baby birds, Oscar the Grouch and rapping graffiti!!!" 1975

Chris the Great -- living up to his name!

Yes!! That kid looks just like Chris!

There is a Youtube group with all the fan videos. Some of them are really good, but after three or four, the song starts to grate on me. All that profanity wears pretty thin.

Sybil

I'm sorry I just have to say what's the point of ben folds covering that song...like that?

On Ben's first solo album, the title track, "Rockin' The Suburbs" is poking fun at suburban middle-class white boys who think they're so bad off and act all gangsta blackand make records for the other white kids who think they're so bad off and act all gangsta black.

Then he takes a Dr Dre "classic" and turns it into a melodic pop "classic" exchanging Snoop Dogg for Jarvis Cocker.

IRONY.

He also cover's The Darkness' "Get Your Hands OFf Of My Woman", replacing all the guitar stuff with piano...again...IRONY taking a cock rock song and turning it into piano-bass-drum nerdiness.

Ben might have his serious moments these days, but he's still a comedian.

This video is incredibly uncomfortable to watch because I keep wondering when I made it.

Fuck you, doppleganger

Seriously? That isn't you?!

~WEIRD~

- Mere "eerie music" 1975

I'm sorry I just have to say what's the point of ben folds covering that song...like that?

On Ben's first solo album, the title track, "Rockin' The Suburbs" is poking fun at suburban middle-class white boys who think they're so bad off and act all gangsta blackand make records for the other white kids who think they're so bad off and act all gangsta black.

Then he takes a Dr Dre "classic" and turns it into a melodic pop "classic" exchanging Snoop Dogg for Jarvis Cocker.

IRONY.

He also cover's The Darkness' "Get Your Hands OFf Of My Woman", replacing all the guitar stuff with piano...again...IRONY taking a cock rock song and turning it into piano-bass-drum nerdiness.

Ben might have his serious moments these days, but he's still a comedian.

I admit I don't know much about ben folds or bf 5, so you've shed some lite on his sense of humor. maybe that makes a bit more sense now I suppose. or perhaps I still just don't get it...it might be the latter.

I'm sorry I just have to say what's the point of ben folds covering that song...like that?

On Ben's first solo album, the title track, "Rockin' The Suburbs" is poking fun at suburban middle-class white boys who think they're so bad off and act all gangsta blackand make records for the other white kids who think they're so bad off and act all gangsta black.

Then he takes a Dr Dre "classic" and turns it into a melodic pop "classic" exchanging Snoop Dogg for Jarvis Cocker.

IRONY.

He also cover's The Darkness' "Get Your Hands OFf Of My Woman", replacing all the guitar stuff with piano...again...IRONY taking a cock rock song and turning it into piano-bass-drum nerdiness.

Ben might have his serious moments these days, but he's still a comedian.

I admit I don't know much about ben folds or bf 5, so you've shed some lite on his sense of humor. maybe that makes a bit more sense now I suppose. or perhaps I still just don't get it...it might be the latter.

Admittedly, had I not been on the Ben Folds wagon for a while (12 years running now), I would give this a big what the fuck as well. I think Ben's first serious album was his latest one...little things like calling it "Ben Folds Five" when there clearly were only ever 3. A musical comedy act really, who has crossed over into serious songwriting here and there...

If you want more examples of Irony, track down Barenaked Ladies' cover of "911 is a Joke". Surprisingly, it's quite good, but hard to take it seriously from fat white Canadians...