So in my previous blog entry, I thought that I have finally unlocked the mystery of the bootlegged Best of Rivermaya in my collection. But unfortunately, I was dead wrong when I tracked down Leo Givero, a Rivermaya completist/fan and asked him if he could send me photos of the album in his possession. It seems the Discogs uploader where I got my source from mistakenly uploaded the wrong album cover. This version of "The Best of Rivermaya Album" is probably their first Best of International Album as the track listing of the album consists mostly English songs from their first album up to the It's Not Easy Being Green Album plus three tagalog songs that were considered to be their biggest hits thus far. I say First "Best of" International album because if you recall, way back in 2005, Rivermaya was launched to the "Asian" audience after their highly successful MTV Asia Awards appearance that wowed the international community with their live performance of their massive hit You'll be Safe Here with the Thai Royal Symphony Orchestra. Back then, it was thought that this was the initial attempt for Rivermaya to break into the Asian Market which was released by Warner Music, at that time the label Rivermaya was signed to. But the existence of this rare "Best of" album speaks otherwise.
Track Listing and photo by Leo Givero
As can be seen in the album's back cover as provided to me by Leo Givero, the compilation consisted of 3 tracks from the self titled debut album Rivermaya, 4 from sophomore album TRIP, 6 from Atomic Bomb (Bamboo's last album with Rivermaya as lead Vocalist), 3 from It's Not Easy Being Green (Rico Blanco's debut as lead vocalist). This was compiled and released by Sony-BMG and it says that it was released in 2007 (There's a Carousell listing for this in case anyone is interested). I find the release date odd as by this time, Rivermaya was already signed under Warner Music Philippines. So apparently this is not the first "Best of" Asian release but actually an attempt by SONY-BMG to cash in on the prior Warner Music Release. As I am writing this, I'm experiencing a mild headache because the chronology of the "Best of" albums' released to the international audience is out of order. The Warner Music released album featured the Rico Blanco led vocals from the time they were signed with VIVA Music Philippines (Warner must have bought the rights to the songs for this release as Rivermaya signed with Warner after they left VIVA). This includes the English songs of the independently released Free album and those English songs from the Between the Stars and Waves album plus the hit single "You'll be Safe Here". No representation from their first VIVA Music Philippines Album Bagong Liwanag as it did not contain any English songs and was a very solid all Filipino sound track. While SONY-BMG's latter release featured the band's earlier works with Bamboo on Vocals until Rico's debut as the band's vocalist.
The bottom left portion of the CD inlay has a marking that says "Promotional Copy, Not for Sale", so is this a case of a product that never actually made it for public release? Or was this a promotional copy acquired by Leo Givero. He told me he bought it from a Malaysian collector who seems to have bought the product from Malaysia. If I remember it correctly, Rivermaya became a big hit in the South East Asian Market and I've sourced my Warner released copy of their "Best of" from Singapore. I just find it a shrewd business decision that the people at SONY-BMG made to ride on the success of Rivermaya after they left SONY-BMG. I mean this wasn't their first attempt at it. When Rivermaya signed with VIVA Music Philipines, SONY-BMG not long after released a "Best of Rivermaya" album which was a part of their Himig 90's collection of compilation albums. Anyway I think for Rivermaya collectors, this is truly a gem because not only is this rare but this is the only other "Best of" album that featured Bamboo on vocals (the other one being the Himig 90's album). Further "Best of" compilation albums were released by VIVA Music Philippines in 2006 which includes the single Posible written and recorded for the Asian Games, and two other Greatest Hits albums which I call the Red album and the Silver album. But that will be another blog entry for another day.
So the quest to find this album continues for me....
I finally got a copy of Rivermaya's latest album. This album is quite pretty hard to get because its availability is mostly limited to Rivermaya's mall gigs, online store of Star Music, or get it straight at ABS-CBN store at ELJ building. So I endured a couple of months listening to online streaming sites like Spotify. It has been 2 long years since the band last released an album, and this one is highly anticipated due to the fact that the band's pioneer bass guitarist Nathan Azarcon has returned to the band that first launched his musical career to mainstream music fame. And what more explosive way than to do the lead vocal chores for the album's carrier single "Manila". Easily the best song in this album. If you are quite familiar with Azarcon's body of work with his post Rivermaya bands (Kapatid, Bamboo, and Hijo), Manila is something that you could have easily heard from his old bands if they were still in existence today. The heavy bass leads is pure Nathan and mixed with Mike Elgar's virtuoso guitar leads and solos, well one can't stop head banging until you neck hurts. Nathan would contribute three more songs to the album, but his influence on the musicality of the band is quite telling as his bass lines is more pronounced in the other songs as well. There's also a haunting ballad that only Nathan knows how to write, the song Mula Ngayon has the bro-mance dynamic with his duet partner (and long time Rivermaya member), Mark Escueta, is a "kilig" moment for long time Rivermaya fans because of the message of the song that speaks about love, loyalty, and bond, perhaps a subliminal message that Nathan is going to be with the band for the long haul?
But while I expected Nathan to take the lead in terms of songwriting for this album, surprise of all surprises, Mike Elgar takes center stage as he sings/contributes four songs in the album. Elgar also takes the center spot in the band's live performances as the pseudo lead vocalist (but this has never been the band's direction in recent years when it comes to having lead vocalists after the past departures of three former lead vocalists). Elgar's song 8 to 5 was released as the second single for the album which is also one of the well written songs in this album. A perfect follow up to for the hard hitting Manila as this song is slower and milder. And as usual, Elgar's guitar solos to these types of songs are such sweet listening to the ears. I actually don't quite remember any songs from Elgar's that aren't hard hitting. Sana Ikaw on the other hand evokes the classic Elgar songs of past, scintillating guitar riffs and solos. The other two (One Step and Sabay Tayo) however lyrically aren't much to my liking but the song structure is still top notch Mike Elgar. Curiously, Mark Escueta only sang/contributed one song (SBN). I mean, Escueta for the past few years have been so active in songwriting and I'm left curious why he only came up with one. SBN is one of those classic Escueta song that we are all familiar with since he became active in writing songs for the band. Feel good easy sounding on a lazy sunday afternoon and the likes. And finally, the last song in the album called Irena totally blew my mind. Penned and sang by Azarcon, the song recalls the fascinating story of Irena Sendler, a polish nurse and social worker who managed to smuggle and saved more than 2,000 infants and children during the World War 2 period in German Nazi occupied Warsaw, Poland.
In totality, I think the album leaves you wanting as it is only contains 8 songs. I have personal issues with albums that contains less than 10 songs, it kinda makes me feel short change. But hey, I guess that's the trend nowadays as recent albums from other artists also contains less than 10 songs. Still, with the advent of online music streaming, we have to be thankful that some of our favorite artists still releases physical albums. Nothing still beats the experience of listening to full albums compared to the "tingi tingi" singles, which more often than not makes music disposable in my own humble opinion. But that's another article for another day!
The new album can be purchased online thru Star Music's Facebook page or you could visit the ABS-CBN store directly to get a hold of the album. But if you are part of the online streaming generation, then Spotify and Itunes are your go to source for this album. You might not want to miss out the ever evolution of Rivermaya.
So I finally was able to purchase a copy of Rico Blanco's brand new album, Dating Gawi. I was pretty much surprised with Rico's direction for this new album to the point that I kind of got alienated with this new/old sound. It is actually ironic for me to feel such because I have always been drawn to Rivermaya because of Rico's penchant for creating easy sounding Pop-Rock melodies. Maybe I was far too removed from the sound of Rico Blanco's Rivermaya days (and has accepted the fate of it) that I would never expect Rico to go back to those types of song. Dating Gawi is Rico's back to the basics attempt at creating an album with a band. "With" being the operative word, because this is the first time in years (not heard since his Rivermaya days) that Rico wrote and completed a whole album with the same set of band members from start to finish. And what band members did he get for this album with no less than one half of the legendary Pinoy Rock Band Eraserheads joining him. Former Eraserheads band members Raymund Marasigan (drums) and Buddy Zabala (bass guitars) joins Hale guitarist Roll Martinez (guitars) to complete Rico's new crew. Each of them have already recorded and performed with Rico at different points in Rico's past two albums, so familiarity with them isn't new. And Rico with a band could sound fresh and also a case of deja vu for those of his fans who either have moved on or could not move on with the Rivermaya Blanco.
Rico Blanco and his "New" bandmates. (Photo from Philstar,com)
The chosen carrier single for Dating Gawi is the song called "Videoke Queen", a bombastic sounding ditty that probably is taken out of the pages of Marasigan's sound book. Rico has stated in interviews that before recording the songs, he brought along stick and bones versions of the songs for the whole band to pick on or pitch in their ideas. The guitars in this song prances all over from high to low, and crashes all over the place when the chorus comes. The song leaves you a slight case of last song syndrome if exposed too much to it. The opening track "Parang Wala Na" harkens back to Rivermaya sounds like "Elesi", "Umaaraw, Umuulan", and others like it. My personal favorite in the album, "Sorry Naman", meanwhile evokes the earlier sounding Sugarfree songs of Ebe Dancel when he was still hanging around with Rico Blanco more often. Another favorite here is the song "Wag Mong Aminin" which is a pseudo ballad sounding song that gives us another Rico Blanco masterpiece that aims to tug our heartstrings. The rest of the songs are your standard Rico Blanco songs that really does give you a sense of deja vu if you are familiar with his body of work while he was still with Rivermaya. I listened to the whole album in a loop for countless of hours and honestly at first it gave me a straight line experience. I guess I just missed (in a good way) the innovative, experimental, weird, and big on surprise sound that has been spoiling us since Rico left Rivermaya. Erasing that kind of Rico Blanco songs in my system is hard to flush out in the same way when I had a hard time flushing out those Rivermaya songs of Blanco when he started going solo.
To conclude, Dating Gawi is a beautiful album for all his fans to appreciate on. It won't matter at which part of Rico's musical journey you have come into, this album will appeal to all of you nevertheless. My only gripe is that Rico has left me hanging with only eight tracks in this album.
Sigh... music like these, where have you been? While the claims of OPM music is dead seems prevalent these days, songs under the mainstream radio's radar like those contained in Japsuki's Pinoy Pop album are left unnoticed and unheard. To the uninitiated, Japsuki is the pseudonym of Day Dream Cycle's creative force and one time Rivermaya bassist Japs Sergio. He's been using the name to create under the radar yet brilliant songs that the mainstream audience were just too unlucky to not hear of. Since leaving Rivermaya, Japs has released three albums to date. Monologue Whispers, his debut album under the name Japsuki, The Gentle Sound of Chaos with his band Peso Movement, and now Pinoy Pop under the name Japsuki again. I have yet to write album reviews for the first two albums, but give me some time, I'll write them one of these days. Honestly, after Rico Blanco, Japs is my favorite Rivermaya songwriter. I consider him one of the main creative forces of Rivermaya's songs during their rebirth post Bamboo and Nathan. And when Rico left, Japs' creative imprints were all over the post Rico Rivermaya songs. Breaking free from Rivermaya meanwhile, only gave Japs the creative freedom to experiment further and embrace his musical tastes. Monologue Whispers and The Gentle Sound of Chaos are two of his distinct and poles apart types of music.
While Monologue Whispers had Japs dabble into his favorite electronica harmonies, The Gentle Sound of Chaos would bring Japs' garage band sonic chaos. However, Pinoy Pop is a perfect marriage of both musical styles. Think of electronica without being too electronica, and a garage band that is orderly and far from chaotic, perhaps even leaning more towards Folk Rock songs. What works for me is that Japs has written and created songs for this album while touch basing on his being Pinoy, helped largely by an all Pinoy lyrics in the songs. There are lots of songs in this album that would remind you of the yesteryears of the 90's OPM band explosion (Eraserheads and Rivermaya would come to mind) but I wouldn't put it that way. Because even if it reminds you of those bands, the songs in this album sounds so fresh. There are a lot of easy listening tunes here that sounds so relaxing. Take note of the opening track, Comfort Zone, it gives you this marching guitar strumming but never really gets tiring to the ears. There are also a lot of witty songs with so much Pinoy flavor like Southside, Pinoy Time, Username, and Extra Kanin. Tell me, when was the last time you heard songs about mundane Pinoy habits? My personal favorites meanwhile are Ibang Mundo, Lipas Oras, Alala, and of course Hirap Bago Sarap.
Now, Hirap Bago Sarap is just my kind of song. The opening line of "Nagsimula sa patingin-tingin" made me remember Teeth's "Nagsimula sa patiki-tikim" from the song Laklak. Silly I know, but I couldn't help it. Lines like "Tuloy ang Ligaya" (which segues to "aasahang", a line from Eraserheads' Ligaya) and "Himala" in the song also made me smile about slight Rivermaya references, again it's silly of me to correlate the lines to old 90's OPM songs but I just can't help it. Wait, in the song Ibang Mundo, if I heard it right, even slips the line "Wag ka nang umiyak/sayang ang luha" which very much reminds me of the song Sayang, the song that Japs wrote after Rico Blanco left Rivermaya. The songs just sticks on me in the same way how those songs of yesteryears sticks on us up to this day. Buried in our deepest consciousness that continues to be stoked from time to time every time we are awakened to slightly similar yet strikingly fresh songs. Pinoy Pop never really gets tired. The tunes are so classic Japs that I know of from the songs that I've heard from him during his time with Rivermaya. I wonder if Japs had a hard time writing these songs. Because the songs are just so easy on the ears. The melodies are helped largely by Japs cool to the ears vocals. The lyrics, well what can I say? Japs always had that wit in him. And not forced witticism mind you just for the sake of being witty. In writing this, I hope the songs in this album gets to have its day in the sun. Because Japs deserves it. We need more Pinoy Pop like these than the trash that we are hearing in the radio nowadays. Now whoever said OPM is dead?
You can stream/purchase the album at https://japsuki.bandcamp.com/album/pinoy-pop-2015
Here's another old album review I dug up in the internet. Rivermaya's isang Ugat Isang Dugo tribute album based on the 1980's indie compilation album "10 of another kind". This was Rico Blanco's last album with Rivermaya. Months later, he would leave the band to pursue other interests in his life as well as taking a break from music related business.
Rivermaya: Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo
I first heard of Isang Bandila on Abs-Cbn’s Bandila newscast program. And from the start, I knew it was from Rivermaya. Isang Bandila is one of those signature Rivermaya tracks that we have been hearing for decades. It kind of reminds me of Awit ng Kabataan for its Battle Cry type of message, and Alab ng Puso sound wise. And I was immediately hooked. As for thefollowing songs… A little disclaimer must be put in place first. I have always been an advocate of original songs. I really don’t appreciate bands covering songs from other bands and have it released and be included in a band’s full-length album. Well, tribute albums are an exception, because it’s a tribute album. And to know that Rivermaya’s next full-length album would consist of roughly 93% of cover songs, I was a bit disappointed at first. Because the band has been making excellent songs for decades now, and I believe for sure that they are still capable of making a new batch of excellent songs (well not unless they are in an artistic rut and their creative juices have been sucked dry). That was my initial reaction when I first heard of the album’s concept. Then I came across what Mark Escueta posted on the Ground a couple of months back that the reason why the concept was such would be explained in the album. This made me more eager to purchase their album at the soonest time possible. I spent two weeks since the release date was announced scouring the record bars here in CDO which unfortunately still did not carry the album. I got my copy from Cebu. What followed next was one of the most liberating musical experiences that I have ever had (one was the between the stars and waves album). Rivermaya selfishly released their own tribute album in a market flooded with tribute albums (Eraserheads and Apo anyone?), and I meant it in a good way. Eraserheads and APO have been time and again a commercial success. Reaping the monetary rewards with their excellent music and songwriting creations. But for the bands whose songs Rivermaya is covering for their new full-length album, they are the exact opposites. Most if not all of themare not heard of for such a long time already. They in a way representedthe underground music scene of the 80’s. An era where bands struggledto have their music recorded and released. The underground scenewhere excellent bands came into existence but eventually died downas a result of the young artistic spirits moving on to seek greenerpastures in the corporate world because their music never put foodon their tables. I personally never heard any of these songs before.I don’t know of any of you have heard them before (siguro yungmga nakakatanda, you’ve heard them na, but don’t admit it lest youwant people to know you are old hehehe). But this is the reason whyI am now appreciating the album very much. These are songs that arein a way new to me because they were never really big mainstreamsuccesses. They were raw 80’s underground music. Listening to themis just like listening to a new song that Rivermaya has penned. Each andevery song was a mystery waiting to be unlocked. And just like theprevious musical liberty that I have experienced with Between the starsalbum, I am now looking forward to knowing and hearing more aboutthe bands that Rivermaya has chosen to cover. Hoping that thiseffort by Rivermaya would in a way reawaken the original bands in this album's young artisticspirits and just for the fun of it and for the love of music, Reunite andrecord one reunion album for this generation to hear and discover.
Rivermaya covers the Wuds' Inosente lang ang nagtataka with Raimund Marasigan
I am elated to know that Rivermaya is not just a band who creates their own music for other people to consume. But they are also a band willing to humble down and rework, rerecord and unearth old classics that never saw the light of day during this new generation. Songs that had began to die down and never to be appreciated, never to be heard of again. We are a lucky bunch. We are a lucky generation that Rivermaya is doing this not for them selves, but for us, and for the bands that had their songs included in Rivermaya’s new album. I can’t comment much and compare the songs with the original versions because I never heard any of them. But I totally enjoyed each and every song. Makes me feel the re-emergence of 80’s music once more. Tracks that stood out for me aside from Isang Bandila were Golden Boy, a reworking of a song by Ethnic Faces. Things Are Getting Complicated and Healing by Dean’s December, Ilog by Joey Ayala (which also featured Rico’s cousin, Kitchie Nadal), My Sanctuary and Sumigaw, Umawit Ka by Identity Crisis, And lastly, Things Within by Silos. I’m looking at this album as a tribute album. And what makes this tribute album so special is that it came from the heart. This was no marketing gimmick that a recording company had thought of in order for them to cash on. This was no project wherein the hottest and the biggest bands of the current year were grouped together, and in a way using their popularity to give life to classic surefire hits. This was a project that Rivermaya had only originally intended to be for their listening ears only. Well, not until they made a realization to share these songs to the new generation, songs that influenced them and made them who they are now. And guess what? The album is one big Jammingan ng Rivermaya as fans! With that being said. Rivermaya’s Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo is hands down the best tribute album ever released. Way much better than the Eraserheads and Apo tribute albums!
Here's another retro review that I dug up in the internet. Bagong Liwanag back then was Rivermaya's answer to their fans' questions whether Rivermaya would disband in the wake of Rico Blanco's decision to leave the band.
Rivermaya: Bagong Liwanag
First and foremost, I have to make this statement. The
reason why I continued to follow the career of Rivermaya even when Bamboo left
the band years back, was because of Rico Blanco. I always considered him as the
heart and soul of the band. And it was because of his impressive songwriting
skills was what made me choose to believe and support the band during Blanco’s
era.
With that said, let’s proceed to the Album Review.
I personally couldn’t wait to grab a copy of the Bagong
Liwanag album (good thing Rivermaya’s long time drummer Mark Escueta provided
me a copy of the EP, thanks again Bro!). When the band released their first
single Sayang (the last track in the EP), a statement to the public in song
form about the recent departure of their erstwhile front man, I had my serious
doubts if the band still had it. Written by bassist Japs Sergio, Sayang is a
stripped down song with only an acoustic guitar to accompany the vocal work.
While the lyrics were very moving, I was looking for that particular oomph that
Rivermaya songs were generally know for. Sayang couldn’t give me that, but then
again Imbecillesque, a song that was originally released as part of the FREE
album, wasn’t a soaring song either.
Mark would later share in the band’s mailing list that the
intention of Sayang was really that. No fireworks, no musical acrobatics, but a
stripped down, sincerely heart tugging song that aimed to reach and touch the
hearts of those who have supported the band through it’s fourteen years of
existence. If for that reason alone, I could say that Sayang was a huge
success, and it undoubtedly touched the hearts of the listeners.
Without a pure vocalist in their current lineup, the band
made an arrangement that says whoever wrote the song, he will be the one to do
the vocal chores. The vocal chores were divided into two songs each for Mark
Escueta and Japs Sergio, and one song for guitarist Mike Elgar. Written during
the turbulent months, the band managed to finish 5 songs to come up with this
EP album. In less than two months, the band came up with these songs as a
tribute and collective statement for their friends, fans, as well as to the
music public. Sayang was their opening salvo, but the first track of the EP was
an even bolder statement. Carrying the moniker Banda ng Bayan these past few
years, Japs launched the welcoming track by naming the song Banda ng Bayan.
This is one of my favorite tracks in the album. Listening to this song reminded
me a lot about previous Rivermaya hits such as Liwanag sa Dilim, Kisapmata, and
Ulan. And I personally like the particular line “Pag pugay, kami ay nagbibigay
pugay sa aming mga kasama, nakasama, tuloy ang ligaya.” Could this mean that
they have finally put the bitterness of their unjust fate behind and just focus
on the new future ahead? And the declaration of “Tayo po ang Banda ng Bayan”
certainly showed that the band is still here alive, kicking and riding the
waves of their fans, peers, and the whole music community’s tremendous love and
support.
The second song, Sumigaw, is an even more surprising song.
Penned by Mark Escueta, Sumigaw continued to set the tone of the album that
showed the band’s resurgence and resiliency amidst the tragedy. ABS-CBN TV
channel Studio 23 even personally handpicked the song as their new station I.D.
Mark, who was always been relegated the least spotlight during the band’s 14
year career is now the de facto voice of the group. Mark was also the least
contributor in the band’s songwriting chores during their existence, deferring
to Blanco and former bassist Nathan Azarcon (and later on to Japs, Mike, and
Kakoi). But he did wrote the hit song Nerbyoso from the It’s not easy being
green album with the help of Blanco. Sumigaw is a very good vindication for him
that proves to us that he does have the songwriting skills. Sumigaw is a very
good uplifting song, a battle cry, an assurance that Rivermaya isn’t going
anywhere but up. The state that they are in is just temporary, and they are
here to stay.
While the first two tracks proved to be happy and joyful
songs, the third track Nawawala had the angst. Mike Elgar wrote this song on
the very same day Blanco revealed his intentions of leaving the group. We can
objectively say that this song was his personal response to appease that
turmoil that was building up inside him during that time. Writing songs is also
not that new for Mike. He had been a consistent contributor to the band’s track
lists ever since he joined the band.
But, while the song Nawawala was angst ridden, the fourth
track Olats, took an opposite direction. It somehow poked fun at the band’s
current misfortune. That instead of dwelling on the sad and unfortunate things,
the band instead chose to laugh at their current situation. Again, Mark Escueta
proved that he has a lot of songwriting prowess in store.
The men left standing (Mike, Mark, and Japs)
Music wise, the trio still has it. They still have the
musical tightness. Vocal wise, I don’t see anything different. Blanco was never
a pure vocalist in the first place. The three of them are no different. They
have satisfactorily handled their respective vocal chores in their respective
songs. And we are no longer stranger to the trio’s vocal chops. They have
previously done their vocal works on past albums. The EP also contains
instrumental versions of the five songs. Since they lost a vocalist, these
instrumental tracks are an open invitation for us to sing along with the band.
And it might even come in handy for those who would be joining the auditions as
the band’s new vocalist.
The five songs in the EP is a going back to the roots
offering from the band. They have stated in their press statements that the EP
is a tribute to the 90’s pinoy rock, the great era of the band explosion that
brought us such bands as the Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, and of course, the
first incarnation of Rivermaya. If we look at the band’s previous full length
LP Between the Stars and Waves, the band seemed to have gone on an experimental
mode. And that LP took them away from the type of music that they are famously
known for.
If I were to describe the Bagong Liwanag EP, this album
definitely harkens back to the band’s earlier days. The EP proves to all of us
that they still have it. Although Blanco’s songwriting capabilities are
incomparable and second to none, the remaining guys draw their songwriting
strength straight from their heart. There might no longer be the soaring poetic
lyric that is accompanied by the soaring melodies of Blanco’s musical genius,
but the sincerity of the songwriting process and the story behind every song
has clearly imparted a message that Mark, Mike, and Japs can hold their own.
Again, I am a big fan of Rico Blanco, but it has been clearly established by
the Bagong Liwanag EP that Rivermaya is bigger than him.
The Audition poster
I can’t wait to hear the rest of the new songs that would be
released for the new full length album due before the year ends. The EP gave us
glimpses of those songs. And yeah, there are more brilliant and sincere songs
coming our way. Calling Bagong Liwanag as an EP is actually deceiving. Because
it is far more than what we know of what EPs are. Tons of bonus tracks (check
out the preview of the new songs for the full length album, I like Mark's
composition Closer, had an 80's new wave brit feel on it), a high speed audio
message from the band, instrumental tracks good for those who want to sing
along. Bagong Liwanag is a fresh start to rejuvenate Rivermaya.
My Verdict? Tuloy Ang Ligaya! Now on to the auditions and
let’s get a real vocalist.
VIDEO: Behind the Scenes at the Rivermaya Auditions (excerpts from the Bagong Liwanag TV special, Sept 16 @ Studio 23)
Here's an old Review I made that I managed to dug up in the internet archives. This originally appeared on Philmusic's website way back in 2007. This was Rivermaya's intended initial foray into the International Market. Unfortunately, that dream was not realized when Rico Blanco decided to leave the band, leaving the remaining members of Rivermaya back to square one. Still trying to find my groove in writing Rivermaya updates. So pardon the delayed posts.
Rivermaya: You'll be Safe Here (Asian Edition)
I
finally got a copy of Rivermaya’s debut Asian release album courtesy of
Alex Balistoy (Salamat ng marami tol!) and I finally got to savor the
songs all over again. So I’m here to make a review of the band’s Asian
debut.
SPIRITS: Official Soundtrack Music Video
First and foremost, this is such a very delayed but long awaited Asian release.
After
more than a decade of us Pinoys savoring their music, it’s about time
that the band has finally come up with a very strong material for our
neighboring Asian countries to savor and enjoy. You’ll Be Safe Here, the
carrier single for this album, in my opinion, is and has been the
band’s biggest single to date. With its soaring melodies and its poetic
lyrics, it has totally captured the band’s very essence of 12 long years
of making excellent music for our listening pleasure. The moment I
first heard this song, I knew this would somehow make it big. What with
the backing of the country’s biggest multimedia network ABS-CBN, and
using it as the theme song of their seminal but genre bending fantaserye
Spirits, the song has made such a huge impact and reach that even far
flung provincial cities in the Philippines get to hear the song played
on the radio. The song was such a huge hit in the Philippines that it
even garnered numerous awards, which led to the band’s nomination in the
MTV Awards earlier this year. So it was just fitting that the band
chose this as their carrier single and their ticket to Asian or even
international success. The recent 2006 MTV Asia awards held in Thailand,
which was beamed over millions of household all over Asia (or maybe
even the world), was the band’s initial introduction to the world at
large. And they did our country proud by playing alongside the Thai
Royal Symphony Orchestra with so much excellence that I cannot help but be sentimental
about it. (If any of you reading this has a copy of that performance,
please, please, please, send me one. I’ve been dying to own a copy of
that performance.) They were garnering rave reviews from the entire
music community both Asian and Western, which really proved to the world
that Filipinos can compete in the global stage. I can’t stop raving
about the song, but it’s not the only song in the album.
Rivermaya at the 2006 MTV ASIA Awards
The
rest of the songs in the album are an amazing mix of stunning music and
sheer lyrical wizardry that defines the Rivermaya that we now know in
this new millennium. All of these English songs were taken from the
albums Free and Between the Stars and Waves. I always considered Free as
their most angst-ridden album ever released. The songs Faithless, and
Serious Offender to name a few totally rocked my ears a few years ago.
Giving them the Asian stage now will surely introduce to our Asian
neighbors the harder and edgier side of the band. The songs from the
album Between the Stars and Waves on the other hand, offer the
experimental side of the band. (I made a review of this album way back,
and I’m trying to upload it soon.) Songs from this album shows us the
lighter side of the band, songs that are reminiscent of brit bands
Coldplay and the likes. Songs like Sunday Driving, Bali Song (this
wasn’t spelled this way in the Philippine release, is the band perhaps
making a clever reference to Bali, Indonesia now that that they have
made it into the Asian market instead of Balisong, which is a local
knife made in the Philippines.), and the haunting 241/My favorite
song.
My self made Rivermaya International Album
While the album is a very good compilation of their best
songs to date, I could not help but wish that the band should have
included songs from the album It’s not easy being green. They have such
excellent songs in there that could have easily made it into this album
if only it weren’t because of label differences. Songs like Shattered
like, and It’s getting late are my strong favorites. (Which now leads me
to remember years ago, when I thought Rivermaya was about to break up, I
was able to compile my own version of Rivermaya: International Hits
album, a What could have been release for the International Market that
was composed of all their English songs from their debut album up until
Free. I have a hard copy of that compilation which I was able to
artistically package and even have it signed by all of the Band’s old
and current line-up. See below, It’s a treasure!)
I missed out Perf de Castro here, he has been an enigma since he left Rivermaya
But nevertheless,
Rivermaya has never failed to capture our attention here in the
Philippines with their wide assortment of album releases (Little Trivia:
They have already released 13 albums here in the Philippines, 6 of them
which was written and composed by this current line-up.). The band’s
Asian debut will surely open the ears of our neighboring Asian
countries, and with that task soon to be accomplish, Rivermaya will
surely be able to expand their fan base and share their music with no
set of boundaries to limit them.
Overall, You’ll Be Safe Here
(Asian Edition) is a fitting Asian/International debut album for a band
that has been lording over the Country’s music Scene. But I could not
help but comment though that the Release could have been more perfect if
it included a video of their 2006 MTV Music Awards performance. And a
brief linear notes in the CD sleeves about the band’s history to
introduce them to the Asian market could have also helped, Now that
could have really made this album perfect. But then again, maybe it’s
just my wanting to own a copy of that video and my frustration as a
writer/chronicler of Rivermaya’s continuing music odyssey has led me to
say that. So please, if any of you has a copy of that video, please send
me a file of it. And if somebody out there needs someone to write
something about Rivermaya, please hire me to write for Rivermaya!
P.S. Here's their MTV Asia Performance via Youtube! Enjoy!
So I'll be kicking off my Album Reviews by reviewing Rivermaya's latest album, Panatang Makabanda. It's been 2009 since Rivermaya had released an album, and in between those years and now, a lot had happened. Jayson Fernandez (the vocalist they got from a talent search) left the band to go solo. Japs Sergio (Rivermaya's bassist since 2001) went on an indefinite leave. On top of that, they were left without a manager after longtime manager Lizza Nakpil was embroiled in a financial controversy with the band. Easily, these developments would have sent any band packing to their death knell. Well, any band but not Rivermaya. The band has been known to weather the storms no matter how huge the challenge is. This is no different.
Ryan, Mike, Norby, and Mike
With Mark Escueta (original drummer and current guitarist/vocalist) and Mike Elgar (lead guitarist since 2001) left to hold the fort, both guys recruited Ryan Peralta and Norby David to form the New Rivermaya. The good thing about this recruitment is that there were no auditions. They formed this lineup in the traditional way. Both guys were no strangers to Rivermaya, as they in one point of time sessioned for the band. So it was practically "let's hit the studio and jam." The new album Panatang Makabanda is the fruit of their labor. The band rode on the album's carrier single "Pilipinas Kailan ka Magigising" as their coming out party, right when the Philippine's mid-term elections was approaching. "Pilipinas..." was the right song at the right time as the band's patriotic sensibilities emerged anew (who could forget past songs Awit ng Kabataan, Mabuhay, Posible, and Bandila to name a few). Penned by Mark Escueta and ably assisted by the rest of the band, "Pilipinas..." relaunched Rivermaya for this current generation with Mark on the forefront. The song harkens back to the glory days of Rivermaya's anthemic sound, with scintillating guitar solos provided by Mike, rich bass lines of Norby, and the explosive drumming of Ryan. The music does not feel different to the type of music that Rivermaya is known for. Same goes for the rest of the songs in the album. This version of the band has went back to Rivermaya's roots. I've always believed that when Bamboo left the band, Rivermaya with Rico Blanco on vocals were experimenting on their music and veered away from the type of songs that they were known for. Panatang Makabanda is a re-introduction of Rivermaya via version 5.0 (Okay that's version 1.0 Bamboo, 2.0 Rico-Mark-Nathan-Trio, 3.0 Rico-Mark-Mike-Japs, 4.0 Post Blanco). "Pilipinas..." isn't even my favorite song of the album.
Pilipinas Kailan Ka Magigising Music Video
Personal favorites from the album are: Malayang Magmahal, Tayo Lang Dalawa, Song About You, and Can't Hide it Anymore. I love Malayang Magmahal's cool sounding musical textures. Song About You on the other hand pretty much reminds me of the 70's pop rock songs, with even some traces of The Beatles' softer sounding songs. Tayo Lang Dalawa and Can't Hide it Anymore are what I would like to call signature Rivermaya songs, Alt-Rock with very strong pop sensibilities. The rest of the songs in the album are gems too (they even managed to sneak in celebrated rapper Gloc-9 in the song Nasa Sa'yo). I was actually surprised to find out that this album is better than I expected it to be because after Blanco, Japs was my favorite songwriter. In the lyrics department however, this is where the noticeable difference is seen. I have always been big on lyrics, and that's why I'm drawn to Blanco's work because of his uncanny knack for writing witty lyrics without sounding forced. But the lack of wit is however replaced with more heartfelt lyrics. I've never heard Rivermaya songs that is as honest and stripped down as this. No lyrical bravados that are hard to decipher. Just simple words that are easier to relate to. Those post Blanco albums before this one were tumultuous times. There were some anger and moving on written all over the place. Panatang Makabanda is a fresh start. And I like it very much. I can only hope that Rivermaya version 5.0 will continue to write more music and albums. I think this is the happiest period of the band's existence. Old and new fans should purchase this album. Trust me, you don't need the baggage of the past to appreciate what this version of the band has given us.
