Saturday, November 23, 2013

Rewind: Squeeze Every Last Track.

Why do you press next?

It doesn't matter if you love music or not, you probably like at least one song. If you are a music lover though, you probably like more than just a few particular songs. You probably even have a large roster of artists and bands that you listen to. And being a music lover, I'd bet you could even identify which songs belong to which albums.

Still, even some of the most avid music lovers would say that not all the songs in a artists or bands album are worth listening to. There would at least be a track or two that just feels out of place. The black sheep among all the other tracks. Those songs that you wouldn't think twice of skipping.

Personally, being a big fan of OPM bands, I can attest to this. I'd buy an album of a band, put it in the player, and listen to it. First time through the album, i'll listen to each track. It is after all the first time i'm going to listen to some, if not most, of these songs. But after some time, I grow to like some tracks better, and just get to skip the rest of the songs. It just becomes a rule of some sort, you like some, you dislike some.

But there are instances where some albums prove to be the exception to the rule. This is what I, and my brother, refer to as albums na "walang patapon". An album where each and every track just proves to be a joy to listen to, where it feels like I'm doing a disservice if I skip even just one song in that album. Or simply, we could say that this albums are just better than most.

In this entry, i'll be listing albums of OPM bands that I personally consider as "walang patapon" albums. They're not listed in any particular order though. I'm just going to list them, and not rank them as to which is better than the others. I most likely would also miss albums that some of you might think should also be included. But then again, this is a personal list, so it greatly takes into consideration my preferences. Though I would gladly love to hear from you, dear reader, what albums you also consider a "walang patapon".

The list starts after the jump!


As The Music Plays




 Artist: Bamboo
Year: 2004

Track listing:
1."Take Me Down"  3:56
2."As The Music Plays The Band"  4:29
3."Mr. Clay"  3:56
4."Pride and The Flame"  4:49
5."Masaya"  3:45
6."War of Hearts and Minds"  3:53
7."Light Years"  2:27
8."These Days"  4:09
9."Hudas"  3:04
10."Noypi"  4:28

 Right off the bat, we could see that almost half of the songs in the album experienced commercial success (Noypi, Masaya, Mr. Clay, These Days). I don't think I need to expound on how big Noypi was back in the mid 2000s, and actually up to now. If there is one single that would always be remembered with Bamboo, it is Noypi. The other three singles that were released were quite different from each other, but nonetheless were all quality tracks.

Aside from those four, the rest of the album is just rock solid. Take Me Down, the album's opening song, is a nice simple upbeat song. As The Music Plays The Band seems to chronicle Bamboo's musical career until that point in time. War of Hearts and Minds has got to be one of the most underrated Bamboo songs of all time.


Mayonnaise



 Band: Mayonnaise
Year: 2004
Track Listing:

  1. "The Only Thing"
  2. "Tulog"
  3. "Bakit part 1"
  4. "Punk You"
  5. "Jopay"
  6. "Pink White Blue"
  7. "Dahil"
  8. "Eddie Song"
  9. "Home"
  10. "Pseudo"
  11. "Bakit part 2"
  12. "Aircon"


 Mayonnaise probably is the least famous among all the bands that is included in this list. But that doesn't make them any less good. Seriously, if you love OPM, you have got to give Mayonnaise a try, and may I recommend that you listen to their first album, the self-titled Mayonnaise.

I'd bet that to most, the only familiar song in that track list is Jopay, Mayonnaise carrier single. But they also released two more songs, Bakit Part 2, and apparently Eddie Song (as I see it in almost every videoke machine.) Tulog is a nice soft song, while Bakit Part 1 is a bit louder song. Punk You and The Only Thing are likewise loud songs, both having well written lyrics. Personal favorites, aside from Bakit Part 2, are Dahil and Pink White Blue. Seriously, Pink White Blue is awesome; a line from it: " 'Cause you're my angel in my own heaven, life is a miracle. "


Fuchsiang Pag-ibig





 Band: Silent Sanctuary
Year: 2006
Track List:
1. Rebound
2. Sandali Lang
3. Ikaw Lamang
4. Kundiman
5. Ingat Ka
6. Pink 5ive
7. For Tonight
8. Parol
9. Kismet
10. Nagtahan
11. Summersong
12. 14


Let me start this by saying that I absolutely love the name of this Silent Sanctuary album. Seriously, Fuchsiang Pag-ibig? Nice play of words, and the album art is very solid as well.

Rebound and Ikaw Lamang were the first two singles from this album. Followed by Summersong. I really don't know how to describe it but I just love listening to all the Silent Sanctuary songs. All of them were very well written. You've got some upbeat songs in Summersong, Pink 5ive and Nagtahan, and you've got the mellow songs in Kismet and For Tonight. 14 is also a very underrated song, very powerful in my opinion. Personal favorite though is Kundiman.


Noontime Show



Band: Itchyworms
Year: 2005
Track List:
1Patnubay Ng Magulang
2Theme From Noontime Show
3Ka' Tol
4Buwan
5Contestant Number One
6Akin Ka Na Lang
7Beer
8Balde O Salapi
9Salapi
10One Ball
11Love Team
12Wala Nang Puwedeng Magmahal Sa 'Yo (Stalker Song)
13Mister Love
14Everybody Thinks You're Crazy
15Falling Star
16Soap O Pera
17Production Number


 One thing that I will always remember about Noontime Show is that it is one of the very few albums that more or less had a theme in it. In this case, a noontime show. From Patnubay ng Magulang and the opening song, appropriately titled Theme From Noontime Show, all they way to the last song, the 12 minute song-Production Number. Of course everyone knows Love Team, Akin Ka Na Lang, and Beer, probably three of Itchyworms best songs of all time. Buwan is also an old favorite of mine- a slow and mellow song.


Palabas




Band: Sponge Cola
Year: 2004

Track List:
1."22"  
3:41
2."Partisan"  
4:41
3."KLSP"  
3:36
4."Neon"  
4:37
5."On The Floor"  
5:48
6."Stone's Throw"  
3:53
7."Jillian"  
4:14
8."Lunes"  
3:35
9."To The Sly And Cunning"  
3:39
10."Una"  
4:41
11."Dragonfly"  
4:48
12."Gemini"  
3:32
13."Jeepney"  
5:23
14."Closure"  
2:13

Probably the soundtrack of my highschool years, I learned of Spongecola a year earlier thank to my brother. Back then, they were the cool, underground, "next-big-thing" band. So we were all anticipating when Spongecola released their debut album, and we were not disappointed. Not at all. Their carrier single, KLSP, is a very solid carrier single to have. Lunes was very catchy, and we even got an Ely Buendia written song in Stone's Throw. Then we get that awesome stretch of songs from the very hearthfelt Una, the underrated Dragonfly, the song I will now always connect with Romeo and Juliet-Gemini, and ofcourse, Spongecola's Huling El Bimbo- Jeepney.


Sa Wakas



Band: Sugarfree
Year: 2003

Track List:
1. Burnout
2. Hintay
3. Mundong Malungkot
4. Taguan
5. Fade Away
6. Unang Araw
7. Mariposa
8. Telepono
9. Tummy Ache
10. Los BaƱos
11. Insomya
12. The Allan Song

Let me say something first: This is the album that made me start thinking about the "walang patapon" albums. Seriously, this is just one great album. It is just a thing of beauty! Burnout is still for me, Sugarfree's best song. Then you also have Mariposa, and Telepono in this album. Unang Araw is one of the best songs to listen to after someone leaves. Mundong Malungkot, Fade Away, and Los Banos are also very solid songs. We even got a Sir Jal-is-singing-this-song song in Tummy Ache! I think it is already obvious, but I just love Sa Wakas.

And before ending this part of the entry, just let me add that this just shows how the OPM Band scene boomed during the early-to-mid 2000s. The UP Fair from those years must have been out of this word awesome for a n OPM band fan like me.


ultraelectromagneticpop!


Band: Eraserheads
Year: 1993
Track List:
  1. "Easy Ka Lang" 
  2. "Maling Akala"
  3. "Pare Ko
  4. "Shake Yer Head" 
  5. "Ganjazz"
  6. "Toyang"
  7. "Ligaya
  8. "Tindahan Ni Aling Nena" 
  9. "Honky-Toinks Granny"
  10. "Shirley"
  11. "Walang Hiyang Pare Ko" 
  12. "Combo On The Run"


The one that started it all. Aside from having one of the longest album names i've ever seen (and with it being a reference to Voltes V), it is also one of the best albums of arguably the greatest OPM band of all time, Eraserheads.

Included in the album are classics like Pare Ko and Ligaya. Then the fun, light-hearted songs about love in Toyang and Tindahan ni Aling Nena. A song about how it is to fall in love, featuring the infamous CASAA Canteen in Shirley, and the first great english song by the 'Heads in Shake 'Yer Head. It also includes Maling Akala, who many though was a Brownman Revival original. A fact that many responded with a "Paano kinanta ng Eraserheads yun?"



Circus



Band: Eraserheads
Year: 1994


Track List:
1Bato
2Sembreak
3Alapaap
4Hey, Jay
5Minsan
6Punk Zappa
7Insomya
8With A Smile
9Alkohol
10Wishing Wells
11Kailan
12No Royality Album Filler No. 9
13Magasin
14Butterscotch
15Sa Wakas
16Prof. Banlaoi's Transcendental Medication
17After Every Six Months Or Punk Zappa Three
18Wating
19Kailan Lounge


On this second showing of the Eraserheads in this entry, I bet you first noticed With A Smile. Of course everyone knows With A Smile. But this album also includes, among others, Sembreak (which I bet is something that we can ALL relate to), Alapaap (a song which has became the de-facto concert opener by the 'Heads), Hey Jay (a song that is even more relevant in our time right now), Minsan (about friendship), Kailan (about love), and Magasin (we all know what this is about).

Just pure quality from the first up to the last track.

And finally, for the last entry in this article, we have...

Cutterpillow




Band: Eraserheads
Year: 1995
Track List:




1."Superproxy"  Ely BuendiaFrancis Magalona5:45
2."Back2Me"  Buendia, Marcus AdoroRaimund Marasigan2:14
3."Waiting for the Bus"  Buendia3:27
4."Fine Time"  Raimund Marasigan3:01
5."Kama Supra"  Buendia4:36
6."Overdrive"  Buendia, Marasigan5:05
7."Slo Mo"  Buendia, Marasigan, Adoro, Buddy Zabala3:24
8."Torpedo"  Buendia4:17
9."Huwag Mo Nang Itanong"  Buendia4:11
10."Paru-Parong Ningning"  Buendia, Adoro, Marasigan2:47
11."Walang Nagbago"  Buendia3:24
12."Poorman's Grave"  Buendia4:36
13."Yoko"  Marasigan3:10
14."Fill Her"  Buendia, Marasigan1:47
15."Ang Huling El Bimbo"  Buendia7:29


Okay, let's get this out of the way. I am a BIG Eraserheads fan. But still, this is one of the reasons why they are considered the best OPM band of all time. Their first three albums arguably don't even have a bad song in it! Cutterpillow for me is the best OPM album of all time. I mean, just look at that track list. You might not recognize some of the titles in there, but trust me, this is one awesome album. David Gonzales of Allmusic was even quoted saying "In fact, there isn't a bad song in this album."

How good is Cutterpillow? It is a certified 14x Platinum album, being the 3rd best selling OPM album, and the BEST among OPM bands, having sold more than 400,000 copies!

Okay to close this entry, let me leave you with a Cutterpillow trivia. Obviously, it reached Gold Label status at 20,000 copies sold. My question is how fast did it reached Gold label status? 

A year?

Half a year?

A month?

No, no, and still no.

It reached gold status in one day.

Think about that. 20,000 copies sold in one single freaking day.

How did they manage to do that?

Huwag mo nang itanong.

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