Let me start this article by stressing a few line from Ely Buendia in
his latest song Sabado “buti na lang
Sabado bukas”. It could have been a different story had the Nostalgia
concert held in a separate date other than Friday. It is always nice to end a
busy week with an impressive viewing of a concert I have long been waiting for
without worrying of a next day’s work schedule. I had all the time in the world
to rock and roll. Thank you so much to
the organizers of Nostalgia Dekada 90 concert last October 31, 2014 at SMX
Convention Center in Davao City featuring two of the most popular bands in the
90s, Wolfgang and the legendary Ely Buendia of Eraserheads.
I was fortunate to have been invited by a good friend Sir Andy Ugdoracion
for a VIP ticket to the show and with the consolation of a half-day work scheme
in relation to All Saints Day and All Souls Day, I travelled to watch for
Captain Ely Boy performing live in SMX. I was way ahead of the schedule along
with some of the obviously-excited Eheads fans. I had a long chat with some of
the fans while we were sipping the very cold San Mig Light as we waited for the
show to start. We didn’t care about our names, but we blended well with each
other instantly because we had the common language used during our conversation
–Eraserheads.
My salute to Wolfgang for a very entertaining performance. Basti
Artadi and company were in their usual alternative tunes. And when Ely stood
out to take over the stage, all of us were overwhelmed. It was my first time watching him performing live. I was amazed by the energy he brought out, and when
he started singing some of the songs from their first three albums I was able
to reminisce my early college days. It was indeed nostalgia.
The performance by Ely during the concert was for me a reaffirmation
of the band’s greatness. The simplicity of their music made them
phenomenal. The way they blended their music well with the real-life story of
my generation was exceptional. What’s good about the Eheads is that they don’t
complicate their music. The melody of every song is a testimony of every Juan
dela Cruz experience. Their lyrics seem to be very simple but the message can
hit you in the eye.
Influenced by the Nostalgia
Dekada 90, I decided to list down 10 of the most personal favorite songs of the
Eraserheads. Of course, this does not mean that I do not like the other pieces.
In fact, I love all of their songs but
there has to be something special, songs that had already been a portion of my
personality up to these very days.
This compilation starts from the breakthrough Eheads album
Ultraelectromagneticpop and stretches to their last studio album Carbon
Stereoxide. Some of the songs in my list depict my life’s circus and eventually
helped shape my individuality. It has everything to offer in my 37 years of
existence interfacing an ingredient of life, love, friendship and survival.
I do not want you to be bored by this list, but I hope this selection
will be part of yours too.
10. HUWAG KANG MATAKOT.
Being one of the singles of the Natin99 album released in 1999, this song
speaks about an assurance. Just when all
the Eheads fans thought of an inevitable disbandment, they made sure to leave a
promise to all of us that the Eheads will always be there no matter what
happens. As a true fan, there is always reason for us not to be afraid of after
disbandment because for as long as we listen to their songs, they would be
alive forever and their music will be heard generations after generations.
09. HEY JAY. Perhaps, this
is one of the Eheads songs that did not gain huge popularity in radio airplays
and fan request. However, this is a masterpiece. It reminded us of the true
meaning of respect. The song portrays the life of a gay friend Jay who suffers
discrimination. If you listen closely to the song you can feel the sincerity of
Ely’s voice. The sympathy of a real friend is obvious. For those who did not
hear the song, I advise you to look for it in youtube and I am sure you will be
enlightened by its message.
08. MINSAN. A cut from the
Circus album, this song clearly articulates friendship that had been forgotten
by the passing of time. One of the few good lines I like in the song is the
finale that says “at kung sakali’ng mapadaan
baka ikaw ay aking tawagan dahil minsan
tayo ay naging tunay na magkaibigan,” The song reflects the real meaning of
preserving friends that despite the distance and time will always remain.
07. TORPEDO. I can always
relate to this song especially during my high school days. Courting a girl
during our time where there were no cellphones was one of the hardest things to
do. Aside from the humorous lyrics, I
also like the arrangement of this piece as well as the melody. Marcus Adoro,
Raymond Marasigan and Buddy Zabala also did their share of making the song even
more captivating.
06. TOYANG. This is definitely
one of the most romantic love songs ever produced in the history of Pinoy
music. As usual, the message of the song was overpowered by the witty lyrics
but if you make further word-for-word scrutiny you will distinguish the
loveliness of this song. Some of the lines that depicts romanticism is “mahal ko si Toyang pagkat siya’y simple
lamang, kahit namomroblema basta’t kami ay magkasama” and “makita lang ang kislap ng kanyang mga mata
ako ay busog na,” and who else can be lovelier than them?
05. LIGHT YEARS. This song,
I believe, is dedicated to a very special person. I have always tried to
cultivate the deeper meaning but there is always a mystery associated into its
lyrics. Nonetheless, the song is spectacular as it talks about chasing someone
beyond reach. It is like chasing an impossible dream. What makes the song
special also is that it was the very last song performed by Ely in their first reunion
concert in 2008 when he suffered a heart attack.
04. PARE KO. From the Ultra
album, Pare Ko is a song about friendship. While courtship is a thing that
should be enjoyed in school but somehow it also gives us annoyance which is
being explicated in the song. The youthful voice of Ely reminded us all of a
teenage trouble but at the same time relates friendship as a refuge. The line “O pare ko, meron ka bang maipapayo, kung
wala ay okay lang, kailangan lang ay ang iyong pakikiramay, andito ka ay ayos
na,” and I guess there ever has been a single youth on earth who never felt
the same. I will always love this song for sure although
a lot of people hate this.
03. SEMBREAK. In his letter to his classmate Kim, Ely sang
an expression of boredom while having a semestral break. To some extent, I love
the honesty of this piece. Usually we resort to doing strange stuff at home during
dull moments. Like some of the song lines, I also did the same during my
college days such as cuddling a guitar, writing letters and send them through
snail mail, basketball sa banyo, fixing a bicycle and waiting for the rain, just
to name a few. It also articulates a wish to all students, “sana ay may pasok na para at least meron na
akong baon.”
02. FRUITCAKE. For me, this
is one of the best Christmas songs ever. The arrangement is excellent and it
really sounds like their idol The Beatles. From the album of the same title,
Fruitcake conversed us all of the lone message in yuletide and that is love.
The holiday should give us happiness. It should also be sweet. The one thing we
should never forget about the song is that the season should be sustained all
throughout the year, not just in December as described in this line “It’s the season for being happy, but the
reason is dead and gone, if the reason for being happy takes a backseat when
the season’s done.” Our life as
Christians should be like fruitcake made of candied or dried fruits, nuts and
spices and added with a wine spirit to make it even delicious as it grows old.
Life, indeed, is a piece of cake.
01. ANG HULING EL BIMBO. This
song deserves to be op top on this list and I guess I don’t need to explain
why.
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