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.
Hot on the heels of their latest single "Manila", Rivermaya is set to release the full album on Digital Formats this week. So far there are no dates yet for the physical album release. But for those who can't wait to listen to their new songs, you could download them on the online music service sites posted above. And coming from those who were able to attend the exclusive listening party for their fans for this album, early reviews have so far been very positive. The band also released their second single last week "8 to 5". Check out the lyric video of the song below.
September 15 is just on the bend. And I know a lot of you guys can't wait for the release. So, soundtrip nanaman sa Friday!
Mike Elgar, Ryan Peralta, Nathan Azarcon, and Mark Escueta
(Photo taken with permission from Rivermaya Facebook page)
Ever since the departure of Norby David as Rivermaya's bassist, the band has been dealing with a revolving door status in terms of who would be playing the bass duties for the band. One time Rivermaya bassists Nathan Azarcon and Japs Sergio have been filling in quite nicely because both guys are no stranger to the band (With the former being the first bassist and the latter replacing him). But lately, it seems that Nathan had become a regular fixture in the band. Could this be a signal that he has returned home to the first band that ever launched him to superstar status as a bass player?
There is no official statement yet, but for this writer it would seem so. Tried nudging Mark Escueta for a statement and he could only come up with "The Best is Yet to Come!" Quite cryptic mind you, but I am not excited about the possibility that one half of Rivermaya is complete, but rather I am more excited about what Nathan could bring to Rivermaya as it is now.
Stating my case why Nathan Azarcon should be the NEW(OLD) BASSIST of Rivermaya.
In case some of you don't know, Nathan actually co-wrote (with Rico Blanco) the hit song ULAN in Rivermaya's first album.That song continues to stand the test of times that even up to now, whenever it is raining, Ulan never fails to make a radio appearance. He also wrote the painfully soulful ballad IF that was released as a single in Rivermaya's third album "Atomic Bomb". Nathan lasted with Rivermaya for two more albums that left quite a mark in the "It's Not Easy Being Green" and "Free" albums. His songwriting prowess however was showcased with his project band Kapatid, leaning towards blues and funk. And the return of former Rivermaya vocalist Bamboo Manalac would set the stage for Nathan to reunite with him and form Bamboo (the band). Now I personally believe that the musical engine behind the Bamboo band was really Nathan. In the linear notes of all the Bamboo albums, the songwriting credits were credited to the whole band, but I believe the edgier songs in the albums were recognizably Nathan's. Especially those bass driven songs. This can be confirmed when Bamboo band split into two groups, with Bamboo Manalac going solo and Nathan, Ira Cruz, and Vic Mercado regrouped (along with Junji Lerma and Jay-O-Orduna) to form the band Hijo. Bamboo's first solo album was a very different one from his band days, and though in the second album he tried to recapture the magic, I think the songs with Nathan (or even those with Rico) were still the better ones.
Nathan's efforts with Hijo kicked off to a great start. However it is too bad that after their EP, there were no new songs released. Maybe he needed to get himself back in a structured band set-up where he doesn't necessarily have to do the frontman duties most of the time? With Rivermaya as it currently is structured now, I think this will better showcase Nathan's full skills without having to hog the frontline. And his songwriting skills will be a more than welcome addition to Rivermaya. Will he or will he not rejoin Rivermaya? The plot thickens, and we could only wait with our unsatiated appetite for more new Rivermaya music.
In a stunning news that hit the Pinoy local rock scene, Norby David, the bassist/backing vocals of Rivermaya has left the band. Posting a very emotionally charged letter via his Facebook account, David has decided to move on to the next chapter of his musical career after some irreconcilable differences with the band. Below is his full statement taken from his Facebook Page.
What will happen next will be everyone's guess. But Rivermaya has been dealing this kind problem of replacing band members since its initial inception. So this won't be a death knell for the band. Like the very old cliche that the band has been dealing with, "What won't kill you will make you stronger." I personally would want to see Japs Sergio return to the band. But at the rate of how his solo career as Japsuki is blossoming, as well as the demands of being the front man of Peso Movement, this new found artistic independence would probably not make Japs head back to Rivermaya anytime soon. On the other hand, Nathan Azarcon (the original Rivermaya bassist), however should be a smart choice and fit. I'm not too updated with how Hijo is doing or how busy Nates is these days, but it would be nice to see him back with Rivermaya.
God Speed Norby! May we find you back on track with your musical career with Overtone.
In perhaps the first time in more than two decades the original (or should I say the very first incarnation) Rivermaya has regrouped on stage (sans Bamboo) and I was not present. Being a so called Rivermaya aficionado, I'm pretty darn disappointed that I missed this once in a lifetime event. Had to healed up my stubborn Plantar Wart. So pretty much the next logical thing to do is just catch the whole reunion gig on YouTube. So this Rivermaya reunion gig was masterminded by Perf de Castro, who ironically is the last man to be expected to call up the others to make a reunion gig possible. Perf, if you know the story, left Rivermaya after they released their debut album. Perf is here in the country to do a series of shows as he recently released a new single thru CD Baby. According to Perf, when he called his ex-bandmates, all were game and ready to join him on stage. Rico Blanco (who originally played keyboards before being forced to play lead guitars to replace Perf) went back to his keyboardist role, Nathan Azarcon donned his ax as the original bassist of the band, and Mark Escueta (who continues to play with Rivermaya as a guitarist along with some new members) went back to his drumming chores. Unfortunately, the original "voice" of Rivermaya, Bamboo Manalac was absent. Bamboo is said to be out of the country, thus missing this one night engagement.
The band played five songs, namely 214, Awit ng Kabataan, Ulan, Himala, and Kisapmata. In 214, Rico Blanco took up the vocal chores as he valiantly stood his ground amidst comparisons to Bamboo's original work. Rico is no stranger to singing this song live (as he normally includes this in his setlist during his gigs) but this is the first time you'll hear him sing it with the original arrangements played by the very same musicians that recorded the song for their debut album. The song has been acknowledged as the national anthem of Rivermaya fans, and it always automatically drives the audience to sing along to its chorus. They were also (as expected) titillated to hear Perf do his guitar solo for the song. In Awit ng Kabataan, Nathan Azarcon seemed to have lost a chord or two as he stuttered in his opening bass riffs (as well as throughout the entire duration) of the song. It was said that Nathan seemed to be the most nervous among the four as he now rarely plays old Rivermaya stuffs since he split up with Bamboo. So he had to relearn some chords on the spot. This time, Perf de Castro did the vocal chores and the audience as well as the band themselves had a kick listening to Perf's scintillating guitar solos in the song. In Ulan, the band exhorted the crowd to do the singing as Perf announced that none of them could remember the lyrics of the song (though I doubt it), to which the crowd gamely sang with the band. Hearing Rico's keyboard solo together with Perf's rhythmic guitars is so sweet to the ears. I mean I've never heard both of that together in the various Rivermaya gigs i've attended since Perf left. Nathan even managed to lead the band to twist the song to some reggae araangement.
Curiously, the songs Himala and Kisapmata were singles from their second album which no longer featured Perf on lead guitars. In Himala, Rico again took over the vocal duties and would work the song on the keyboards (a specialty he has been doing for years) with Perf on guitars. Perf had to improvise some chord lines to complement Rico's keyboards. Not to mention that he had to announce to everyone that it was actually Mark's birthday on that day. Kisapmata meanwhile was a free for all jam as the band members kind of let free a sampling of their smorgasbord of talents. But through the entire set, Mark Escueta proved to be the one that held the band together, the glue guy who made sure that the band still sound as Rivermaya as they could be, despite years and years of not playing together.
I had a silly smile on my face while watching the videos on YouTube. I'm sure the crowd was electric in the event proper. I mean, no 90s kid who loves OPM music would not rejoice at the thought that these guys actually played together after more than 20 years. For sure we all have those silly smiles on our faces while listening/watching them strut their stuff. Like taking us into some time machine to relieve those wistful years of the past. The feeling is great (even if I'm reduced to watching videos on YouTube). Now I don't know if this night is a portent of the things to come, but if another night like this never happens again, consider yourself lucky for those who actually witnessed the reunion of Rivermaya (again sans Bamboo) live in person. And if ever there would be another magical night where we could see these guys together on stage again and this time with Bamboo in tow, I certainly will never dare to miss it again. Even if I'll have to deal with another stubborn Plantar Wart again!
P.S. The video above is one of many that you could find in YouTube, try searching Rivermaya Reunion 19east and you'll see a number of videos uploaded. I also could not post photos of the Reunion gig in this entry as I have yet to ask permission to those who have photos of the event. But I will try to update this entry with Photos once I get a chance to ask permission. Really sucks to miss out an event like this.
Oh my God! Is this really happening? According to Perfecto De Castro (original Rivermaya lead guitarist from their debut album), former Rivermaya members Rico Blanco, Nathan Azarcon, and Mark Escueta (still with Rivermaya) will be joining him for a one night engagement, setting the stage for a Mini-Rivermaya reunion. Too bad though that Bamboo Manalac (original lead vocalist) couldn't join them. See his Facebook post below:
Perf has just released a new single through CD Baby, and what a way to launch the single here in the Philippines by dragging along his ex-bandmates. To the uninitiated, check out the album notes below:
Album Notes
Perf De Castro is the quintessential guitarist’s guitarist. Well-versed in a multitude of musical styles, his affinity with the instrument is evident in everything he does; from unleashing an emotion-laden solo with an overdriven electric guitar, to navigating complex musical counterpoint on his 10-string classical guitar.
Perf, as he is known to Filipino music fans, is best recognized as the original guitarist for 90s Pinoy Rock supergroup Rivermaya. Since his departure from the band he has added numerous credits to his wide and varied list of accomplishments; producing platinum-selling albums by Wolfgang and Marc Velasco, lending his guitar wizardry to Philippine Music Icons Mike Hanopol and Francis M, and garnering awards such as NU 107’s Guitar of the Year as well as from Philippine Music organizations Awit and Katha.
"Guardant" heralds Perf's return to electric guitar shreddom. Its driving and relentless groove provides a burly vehicle for the anthemic meloy and continuously modulating solos. This song is anime-sounding, conjuring up images of hordes of Guardants riding into battle.
I will be downloading a copy of the song soon and will give my thoughts about the song. Do support Perf De Castro as this landmark release would definitely help reintroduce him to the Philippine music scene after a long absence (since he is now based in the U.S.).
Well this is a first for Rivermaya. This is the first time that the band would be releasing a repackaged edition of their album that would contain a DVD. The last time Rivermaya included videos in their Audio CD releases was the Rivermaya Live and Acoustic way back in 2002. So this comes as a surprise. This also means that Panatang Makabanda has been successful enough to warrant a new release. Notable inclusions in this repackaged album are:
Music Videos of Tayo Lang Dalawa, Malayang Magmahal, and Pilipinas Kelan Ka Magigising
Lyric Videos
Outtakes
Live Performances
and more...
I'm excited for this release. But one thing that I hope gets to be released in the future is the Rivermaya Bagong Liwanag auditions DVD. I know hopes of having those episodes seen in Studio 23 gets released are slim, but I would love to see those episodes gets releases one day. That was the vocalist auditions that Rivermaya did when Rico Blanco left the band. The auditions netted them Jayson Fernandez who has since left Rivermaya before Panatang Makabanda was recorded and released.
I just recently came across with a Rivermaya song that was made specifically for toddlers and kindergarten. Teamed up with Mark Escueta's wife Magdangal, Rivermaya releases a playful song fit for the intended audience. Entitled Reading Books/Magbasa ng Libro and beautifully sang by the husband and wife tandem of Mark Escueta and Jolina Magdangal, the song is a back to back English and alternate Filipino version that teaches the children to learn to enjoy reading books.
Check out a sample of the song below (Filipino Version).
The Jooma Jam Vol. 1 compilation album boasts a stellar all-star line up of Filipino musicians from different genres to help our kids enjoy education and music.
For more info about the album and how to purchase the song, visit their website at: http://joomajam.com/
JB Music and Sports, the country's leading specialty store when it comes to musical instruments and accessories just held their 40th year anniversary last Dec. 1, 2014, at Valkyrie, the Palace, Uptown BGC. During their anniversary celebration, they honored 40 of the most influential names in the Philippine Music Scene. From great
rock institutions like Saguijo and Tracks, eternal classics such as The
Dawn, The Eraserheads and Juan Dela Cruz to the fresh talent that have
kept the scene alive such as Up Dharma Down and Urbandub and more. Among those named were Rivermaya and most probably Rico Blanco too (a full list is yet to be released as of this writing). I will be waiting for the complete list and post it here as soon as it becomes available.
For the meantime, check out some photos of Rivermaya and Rico Blanco below.
(All Photos Taken from JB Music and Sports Facebook Page)
The much awaited Music Video of Rivermaya's latest single "Tayo Lang Dalawa" is finally out and available for viewing via YouTube. The music video serves as a some sort of a Pre-Nuptial music video for Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, both recently engaged to each other. The music video is currently climbing in the MYX Music Video charts. Check out the video below
Rivermaya has recently collaborated with Team Manila to release Rock Collection T-Shirts that would feature Rivermaya and its rich 20 year history.
As per their website http://teammanila.com/
TeamManila is a Philippine graphic design studio founded in 2001. The
brainchild of Jowee Alviar and Raymund Punzalan, the team has already
expanded to a team of fifty with an impressive portfolio of
award-winning works from both print and broadcast industries. Having
worked with a number of prominent names within music, film, broadcast
and graphic design industries, each project is treated as an opportunity
to get the client's message across in the most effective and creative
way by means of graphic design techniques and methods. Still driven to
push the design envelope further, the team is always on the constant
lookout for collaborations with creative entities on various
communication and design projects.
Tomorrow at Trinoma Activity Center, Rivermaya will launch the T-Shirts with an accompanying show that would also see the launch of their latest Music Video "Tayo Lang Dalawa" which stars the just recently engaged celebrity power couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera. Fans will also be in for a treat by purchasing a CD/T-Shirt combo will also get them VIP passes. These VIP passes are limited to 20 slots only and would come as a first come first serve basis.
The Rivermaya TeamManila merchandise can also be purchase through their online store (Pending Availability):
http://teammanilalifestyle.com/store/
The Tayo Lang Dalawa Music Video meanwhile will have its formal music channel run tomorrow night on Myx at approximately 8pm.
I was surfing through the net for some Rivermaya news when I came across two articles which states that the possibility of a Rivermaya reunion would no longer be far fetched. Well honestly it got me excited at first. And then I had mixed feelings. Rivermaya as they are now and the respective careers of the once Rivermaya band members are currently still rocking it out in the OPM music industry. Though I guess in their own ways, they never achieved the kind of success that they reached as a collective group, but still the fact that they are still making great music with different musical directions to explore means that they are here to stay, with or without the support of the "Old Rivermaya" fans. In recent years, Rico Blanco and Bamboo Manalac had always consistently said no to the thought of a Rivermaya Reunion....... until now. Albeit with differing views.
On Bamboo's willingness to reunite with his former Rivermaya Bandmates, this is what he had to say as per entertainment portal PEP:
"How about a reunion album? Now we do something different, na gumawa kayo ng new material tapos gawin yung concert, because we all have evolved, we have changed in time, you know what I mean? Because I've been singing that for the past how many years? We have evolved and changed. So, sa akin, get us in the studio, that's gonna excite me more. Pushing forward."
He further intimated that doing a live reunion show singing the past hits just for the sake of earning big bucks does not motivate him.
Rico Blanco for his part took the question with a different approach. As reported on the entertainment news portal PUSH, Blanco had this to say:
“I think, it has always been a question for us eh, where as at the
start of my solo music career I always said no because I wanted to focus
on new work, gusto ko umandar, gumawa ng bago but now I am a little
more relaxed, a little more open to the idea of Rivermaya. I don’t think
it will affect my career as a solo artist because my fans have been so
kind enough to embrace my new music and every time I come up of
something they always appreciate it so yung fear ko na hindi
maappreciate yun, I have gotten over that so yeah, I am open to a
Rivermaya reunion.”
Blanco also further added that over time his views on the subject matter changed, because he now accepts that there's just a certain segment of Rivermaya fans who are in for the nostalgia above all else:
“It’s just the fact na I think I realized it’s a different market.
People asking for a reunion is a different market and it’s not going to
affect my audience, my core audience nowadays who wanted new music for
me. I think having a reunion concert with Rivermaya has always been a
step backwards parang I am moving forward and it’s a step backward, no.
Nowadays I realized it’s just a different market who want to be
nostalgic. I guess we can give them a night or two to relive the glory days but
that should not stop me to enjoy doing what I am doing which is
creating new music and giving fans what they like, new material and I
have shows, I play my old songs but its really the new songs they want.”
Uhm, I don’t think it’s
gonna happen. I mean in the sense na there’s still Rivermaya.
“They still have an album, they’re still touring, still doing their
thing, ‘di ba? So, it’s just weird to say a reunion na buo pa sila,
right?
"Ako, I said, it doesn’t excite me in that sense to do a reunion show."
Pero okay sa kanya ang isang ideya: "How about a reunion album?"
“Now we do something different na gumawa kayo ng new material 'tapos
gawin yung concert, because we all have evolved, we have changed in
time, you know what I mean?
“It doesn’t excite me na we’re gonna sing 'Ulan' again na kami lang, you
know what I mean?
“Because I’ve been singing that for the past how many years? We have
evolved and changed. So, sa akin, get us in the studio, that’s gonna
excite me more. Pushing forward!”
Mas gusto ba niya ng mga bagong kanta?
“No, I mean, that would be my idea, that would be exciting. But just to
do a reunion show, for me, it’s just making a buck and it doesn’t
motivate me,” dagdag pa niya.
Two very contrasting views indeed. Bamboo's take is akin to what the Eraserheads did recently for Esquire Magazine, where they recorded a two track album that came as a free item in an Esquire Magazine that featured the Eraserheads as the cover story. That story featured an in-depth account of the Eraserheads reunion show at London. Blanco's take on the other hand is more of engaging the nostalgic side of things just to give the die hard Rivermaya (original line up that is) fans a trip down memory lane.
Rico, Nathan, Mark, and Bamboo
Being a long time supporter of Rivermaya and all its members, my stand on that matter is that yes why not a Reunion concert? But let's tweak it a bit. Instead of all the original members doing a 15 to 20 song set list, why not bring in all the current bands (Rico Blanco as a solo act, Bamboo as a solo act, Nathan Azarcon's Hijo, and Mark Escueta's Rivermaya, as well as Perf de Castro) that the original band members are playing for nowadays and make them actually be a part of the show. We can start of with the original members doing a 5 song opening number, then one by one let the current bands that they are in play a song or two respectively, and then for the finale, reunite all of the original members for a swan song. By doing this, at least they would be accomplishing the task of introducing their new sound to the old Rivermaya die hards. I'll be the first in line if a show such as that would finally be produced for Rivermaya. Bamboo's new material suggestion is also nice, and who wouldn't want that? How about the show's tickets would also come with a digital download of that new track that Bamboo is proposing. We'll be getting the best of both worlds if that happens.
But at this point I think it's going to be a tall order because it would be unfair for Mark, Norby, Mike, and Ryan (the current incarnation of Rivermaya) to shoulder the weight of the popularity of that one night show. I'm all for a reunion concert/project. But maybe now is not yet the right time.
What is more important for me however is reading this statement (with regards to if his past band mates had learned of his change of views about the reunion concert) from Rico Blanco:
“I don’t know and everything’s good. I am open with the boys and it’s
a matter of someone… you know producers have been approaching me for
years na about a reunion concert but no one has really been serious, you
know. May black and white, may details.”
One of these days a Reunion concert will happen. But that is in the future to look forward too. What's important is let us support what Rivermaya and its past band members are doing now. For Rico, Bamboo, Nathan, Perf, and Mark.
“Because I’ve been
singing that for the past how many years? We have evolved and changed.
So, sa akin, get us in the studio, that’s gonna excite me more. Pushing
forward!”
Uhm, I don’t think it’s
gonna happen. I mean in the sense na there’s still Rivermaya.
“They still have an album, they’re still touring, still doing their
thing, ‘di ba? So, it’s just weird to say a reunion na buo pa sila,
right?
"Ako, I said, it doesn’t excite me in that sense to do a reunion show."
Pero okay sa kanya ang isang ideya: "How about a reunion album?"
“Now we do something different na gumawa kayo ng new material 'tapos
gawin yung concert, because we all have evolved, we have changed in
time, you know what I mean?
“It doesn’t excite me na we’re gonna sing 'Ulan' again na kami lang, you
know what I mean?
“Because I’ve been singing that for the past how many years? We have
evolved and changed. So, sa akin, get us in the studio, that’s gonna
excite me more. Pushing forward!”
Mas gusto ba niya ng mga bagong kanta?
“No, I mean, that would be my idea, that would be exciting. But just to
do a reunion show, for me, it’s just making a buck and it doesn’t
motivate me,” dagdag pa niya.
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!
