Ultraelectromagnetic Jam: The Music of the Eraserheads
It was boring to watch the Eraserheads on stage. As they themselves admitted in interviews, they are not the most ‘telegenic’ bands during the time. Pogi rock ruled (rules?) the scene. They were the exception. There were no rock star poses, Mick Jagger struts or the Who type equipment destruction from any of the band members during their live gigs. In fact watching them play so intently, face down or eyes closed makes you think they’re really not that comfortable on stage. Yet, their performances are either sold out or almost always SRO.
It’s a roundabout way of saying the attraction to the E-heads has always been the music. While also not the most technically adept, a fact that they have also admitted in the past, they still managed to turn the OPM scene on its head. When they displaced Ariel Rivera from the charts back in the 90s, no one could make head nor tails of the band that produced ‘Pare Ko’. They already had a following with the Diliman crowd with Pop-U when they came out in 1993 with their first commercial album, Ultraelectromagneticpop! With catchy hooks, a pulse on the young people’s issues and a very Pinoy sense of humor, they convinced the entire country it was time to shake up the music scene. Back then, theirs was a unique sound in the midst of heart-wrenching, warbly ballads and sugary-pop music by singers slash artistas. The attraction to the Eraserheads was all about their music.
So it came as a surprise upon hearing the tribute album Ultraelectromagnetic Jam: The Music of the Eraserheads by various artists that 1) there’s already a tribute album for a band that, while broken up, its members are still very much active making music, and that their albums are still readily available in stores, and 2) it doesn’t do justice to the music which inspired the anthology.
To say that it is uninspired is an understatement. A good tribute album serves not only to remind the listeners how good the originals were but also to showcase the style of the particular artist covering the song. See the excellent If I Were A Carpenter. You need artists which have their own styles, a unique voice which will imprint the song with their signature and show the song in a new light. By that criteria, only veteran Rico J. Puno in Ang Huling El Bimbo, and the Radioactive Sago Project’s rendition of Alcohol manages to pull it off. And as much as I like them, Brownman Revival only did a passable reggae-tinged version of Maling Akala. Isha’s Torpedo is also memorable only for the fragility of her voice which manages to highlight the theme of the song: frustration. Which so much talent collected for the album, that’s exactly what I felt - this coulda been a contender.
Who picked the songs? Kitchie Nadal’s Ligaya was totally wrong for her. And with her chuckling through the line “ilang ahit pa ba ang aahitin” it only magnifies how inappropriate the song was for her. It’s not just about mixed genders of persona in the song. I could totally see her doing Shirley for the sheer “rocking out” possibilities. Even South Border’s With A Smile is unremarkable. The genius of this song is how easily it lends to the audience singing along with it. If you’ve been to an Eheads gig, you’d know this. South Border missed the mark - it was just another warbly lab song. Even Sponge Cola’s cover of the anthemic, uncensored Pare Ko, sounded hollow. It just was not out of the ordinary.
It’s easy to see why some criticized this album as just another marketing ploy to pillage the Eheads catalog and push the newer bands out there. The compilation isn’t particularly bad. It’s just not that good either. I’d still rather listen to the originals than put some of these songs in repeat on the CD. I’d rather hear and remember them as they were redefining pop music and not, as this album did, subsumed by it.
It’s ironic they had to include Para Sa Masa, a song which to me was more of the band’s complaint of the majority of its fans not wanting them to do grow musically and keep them in that happy happy pop music box:
“mapapatawad mo ba ako / kung hindi ko sinunod ang gusto mo
pinilit kong ihaon ka / ngunit ayaw mo na namang sumama”
Of course in this album, it is exactly that — a USA-For-Africa/Band-Aid sing-along which turned the original melancholic song into happy-happy-oh-don’t-worry-about-you-guys-we-totally-get-what-you-want anthem.
More thoughts on the album at Kristine and Luis are Listening and Gelay’s Log (who btw, has changed her address. She’s at http://www.derpinsel.com. Kindly make the appropriate changes to your links).
More Eraserheads at the Eraserheads Project.
Ultraelectromagnetic Jam: The Music of the Eraserheads Track Listing:
01. Alapaap - 6 Cycle Mind
02. Magasin - Paolo Santos
03. Spoliarium - Imago
04. Overdrive - Barbie Almalbis
05. With A Smile - South Border
06. Tikman - Sugarfree
07. Ligaya - Kitchie Nadal
08. Torpedo - Isha
09. Superproxy2K6 - Francis M.
10. Huwag Kang Matakot - Orange And Lemons
11. Pare Ko - Spongecola
12. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong - MYMP
13. Hard To Believe - Cueshe
14. Alcohol - Radioactive Sago Project
15. Maling Akala - Brownman Revival
16. Ang Huling El Bimbo - Rico J. Puno
17. Para Sa Masa - Various Artists
32 Comments, Comment or Ping
Gelay
Uy! Thanks!
I tried listening to the songs (again) after I made the entry, and I just have to note that there’s something with the performance of “Para sa Masa”. Geeze, the (male) singers (except Rico Puno and Ebe Dancel) sound the same! Hindi ko sila ma-distinguish. :(
Dec 5th, 2005
Gelay
Kuya, pahabol, I modified the track listing. Mali pala yung binigay ng friend ko eh. Paki-bago na rin itong nakapost sa blog, hehehe.
Dec 5th, 2005
heidi kafatid
Bakit ikaw meron na nito, ako wala pa????
Dec 6th, 2005
ibalik
pareho tayong nasa isip. apir. dont get me wrong, im one big eheads fan. sila ang nag balik sa akin sa para muling tangkilikin ang sariling atin, pero, masyadong maaga para mag release ng tribute. tatlo pa lang naririnig kong kanta sa album na yan. reaction ko…..’la lang.’
Dec 6th, 2005
ces
narinig ku na album na nilabas ng jam. two songs lan nagpabilib sakin. un superproxy na version ni kiko at huling el bimbo. still, the best padin ang original, kaya the best padin eheads. mjo unethical nga din un “tribute” xe these people are still making good music. nu gusto nila palabasin with this album?.. too bad, xe i can’t think of a good purpose.
Dec 7th, 2005
francis
yea, i agree wit d others..d best p rin stil ang eheads. dey ‘defined’ d 90’s music locally. but in fairness 2 those artists in d album, ok nmn din. parang sakto yung kantang (shud i say) ‘na-assign’ sa knila sa knilang klase ng music na pnatu2gtog..like overdrive by barbie, wag kng mtakot by orange & lemons, ligaya, wit a smile, halos lahat. dun ako nabilib sa album!! 2 stars out of 5
Dec 8th, 2005
Jio
I got to listen to the songs, via MP3 collection from one of my friends.
I would agree to most na, iba pa rin talaga ang pagawit ng mga E-heads sa kanilang mga kanta; iba pa rin ang orig. Una palang pakinig ko ng Pare Ko ni Ely noong 90’s — nafeel ko ang angst and rawness and true feelings about what he was saying in that song. Unlike the version today by SpongeCola… parang alam mo may kulang, lalu na sa pag-sabi ng cuss words sa chorus. Yun bang walang conviction sa pagmura, basta lang sabihin yung salita for the sake of the song.
I would also agree na mali nga yung version ni Kitchie Nadal for “Ligaya”. Parang bagay lang yung style niya sa pag-awit sa kanta niyang “Hwag na hwag mong sasabihin” kesa gawin din niya ito sa “Ligaya”.
I was surprised naman sa version ni Paolo Santos for “Magasin”. Naiba. Pero nasanay na ako sa kanya sa pag-awit ng mga English songs, kaya medyo para sa akin, hindi bagay siya kumanta sa Tagalog. Nasanay na rin ako sa “Maling Akala” ng Brownman Revival. Para sa akin, ok ang version nila.
For me the best ones: Rico J. Puno’s “Huling El Bimbo” (cool), Francis M.’s “Superproxy” (rap mix makes it cooler) and MYMP’s “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong” (bias ako, kasi ito ang pinakapaborito kong kanta ng EHeads, at para sa akin, maganda ang version dito ng banda).
Dec 13th, 2005
enuh
i watched the album launch. disappointing. who was in charge of production? sabog, lifeless at nakakainis. and it also felt weird (as echoed by other blog entries), that, a tribute album to a defunct band whose members are alive and kicking, albeit in different musical directions, was put together at such an early stage. it felt awkward coming to the eulogy where the ‘deceased’ is very much alive.
i was hoping that the rest of the album would be better than the songs performed live (i’m a brownman revival fan so i was hoping to catch them), and among others, kitchie’s live version of “ligaya” was horrible. even OnL disappointed me.
i suppose they got the more popular acts (at least in real-time memory) - e.g. cueshe (ugh), OnL, hale, etc. to ensure the marketability of the album itself. i was looking forward to hearing parokya, bamboo (new band, but it IS bamboo), even rivermaya (tho i don’t like them at all) do their thing.
anyway, the insights were very useful and are enough to deter me from getting my own copy. i’ll probably borrow one first and see for myself.
thanks!
Dec 15th, 2005
arvzzy
I havent heard of the new album tribute for eheads… but im sure em excited to get a copy and listen to all the music of eheads… can it be possible that eheads make an album… 2006…. how i wish….
Dec 16th, 2005
emer
i got the album, because i am a moron and would probably buy anything with “eraserheads” slapped on it :(
Dec 19th, 2005
Elli
ok naman yng album…
nkakainis lng yung ibang songs…
As a MYMP hater, shempre ayoko nung version nila nung “huwag mo nang itanong”.. ano ba yan.. ginawa yta nilang senti.
astig talaga c Ebe lalo na dun sa “para sa masa”..
yng sa spongecola, ok lng nman kya lng di bagay kay yael. although ang ganda ng boses nia.. shocks..
cno ba c isha? pero cute yng version nia. azteeg tLaga yng sa imago.. wooHoo!
sana man lng sinama yung bamboo. ang galing galing nun eh.. >.
Dec 21st, 2005
kitchie fan
pakinggan - ligaya ni kitchie mp3 !
Dec 25th, 2005
jet
hey, gusto kong bumili ng cd na yan….
Dec 31st, 2005
daniboybravo
ei mark, nag-aahit rin naman siguro si Kitchie kahit papaano, hahahaha!
Tama si Lourd, sobrang laki ng “pressure playing the songs of a band that defines the music of one decade.”
Gusto ko rin yung alcohol. Admittedly, mas gusto ko syang pakinggan kaysa sa original version ng e-heads. Bagay kasi yung kanta sa Sago.
Peace awt.
dan
Jan 1st, 2006
dan18
rowk on!! ultraelectromagnetic jam!! grabe ang ganda ng cd na yan! well… grabe eheadz!! still rocking on!! grbe love it!
Jan 4th, 2006
SonnyBv
Wa na me talaga say sa eheads!!, talaga lang halos minahal na ng masa ang mga songs nila!,
For me, pwede na sila tawaging “The legend band in OPM industry”,
Dapat lang silang gawan ng tribute album..
Halos karamihan ba naman ng sikat na OPM artists sa ngayon eh, Eheads ang Most Infuluence. Alala ko pa nun, kahit san me mag punta, kinakanta mga song ng eheads, Mga tambay sa kanto, mga bata, matanda, babae, lalake. kahit sino, nagustuhan, at alam mga kanta nila..
Totoo yan, admit it or not!….
Jan 5th, 2006
Sid Lelis
sus! binaboy ng cueshe’ and hard to believe!!
anpanget amfuta! yung sa sponge nman(hoy! sounds the same lang kaya?) di man lang binago ang areglo! astig pare yung sa orange and lemons..lupet nyo tlga dude eversince kaso turned off ako sa pinoy ako..napakinggan ko kasi yung “chandelier” you guys can’t deny it..
galing mo kiko no.1 k talaga
pero ang talagang magaling ay ang legendary eheads..pare laki ng influence nyo sa pilipino music..sana magreunion na kayo!wala ng samaan ng loob db!? sayang eh..panis pa rin mga banda sa inyo..MGA WALANG KWENTA mga banda ngyon puro gaya gaya..yung “Sige” ng 6cyclemind pinaghalong tono ng “Torete” at “please don’t touch my birdie” tapos yung “Stay” ng cueshe’ parang “perfect” ng simple plan..wala ng ideas na maganda ang mga composers ngyon pare..
kaya na-degrade and level ng OPM
THINK ABOUT IT!
Jan 8th, 2006
Sid Lelis
sa madaling salita
eraserheads pa rin ang totoong astig at genius sa musika..
oo marami talagang bandang teknikal,pogi at malupit sa tugtugan..
kaso dude bokya ang mga compo nyo!
nakakaawa naman ang pinoy nowadays..
nags-slam sa mga music ng bagong banda
eh inuuto lang kayo ng mga yan!
dahil yung mga kanta nila eh ginaya at kinuha nila ang idea sa ibang kanta (rip-off kumbaga)
let me tell you..
i-download nyo at pakinggan ang mga songs na’to
and see how they sound alike..
1. The day you said goodnight - Hale
Dare You to move- Switchfoot
2. Sige- 6cyclemind
Please don’t touch my birdie- Parokya
Torete- Moonstar88
3. Stay- cueshe’
Perfect- Simple plan
4. Pinoy ako- orange and lemons
Chandelier- The Care
Jan 8th, 2006
mheldz
cno-cno yung kumanta sa para sa masa??
medyo d ko mkilalaa yung mga artitst e..pero lam ko na anjn clang lhat sa ultra album..
Jan 9th, 2006
pin
everything seems ok. the prob is with the freaking “cueshe”. these boys aren’t in this league man. whats up with that?! making them sing an eraserheads song.damn the man! hehehe anyway…hayaan na natin to. but i hope next time, the prioducers would know what bands to put in this kinda music.
Jan 9th, 2006
mc 13hundred
i don’t really like tribute albums, I agree that some songs is just not right for some artist but overall the this album is OK or even better.
PS
It’s nice to now too, that lots of people appreciate the music of eheads! i believe they are one of the best local artist ever
Jan 12th, 2006
mauen
i looove the eheads so at first i was really excited that they came up with the album — until i heard it. it just sounded wrong. one, the “spirit” wasn’t there. two, they don’t do justice to the original (i agree with you).
how i wish the originals would reunite and do one show… even just once. i’d watch it at any cost.
Jan 15th, 2006
suzierivera
dapat siguro di muna ginawan ng tribute album ang eheads kasi im still hoping na mabubuo uli sila!
Jan 16th, 2006
nameless idiot
maybe the tribute might wake them up and become eheads once again
Jan 21st, 2006
keempee
di nga maganda mga versions don sa album. akala ko ako lang nakapansin. or ganon siguro kagaling ang eheads at ibang iba talaga ang dating ng pagkanta nila, even though they’re not the greatest vocalist/guitarists/drummer in the world.
how great were they? nung UP fair around 2001 ata (the last fair they attended before they disbanded), rap metal was the in-thing. so greyhoundz, cheese and chicosci ang antay ng mga tao. when those bands sang, ok lang, nagtatalunan mga tao, sisigawan. pero nung heads ang nagperform, ibang klase. they sang alapaap, magasin and another song, and they transformed sunken garden into one giant sing-along.
shet, baket kayo nagdisband??!!
Feb 7th, 2006
OADG
A fitting tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time.
Feb 15th, 2006
ella
Sobrang COOL….astig tlga..wla akong msabi s mga revivals,..pero ciempre loyak p din ako s eheads…elementary pa lng ako yan n ang umaalingawnagw s tenga ko..nkakainspire kc lahat ng kanta..grabe,,,Eraserheads…mga kuya you’re all one of a kind..Goodluck & more power.
Apr 24th, 2006
orphen
wala parin tatalo sa EHEADS malupit tlaga!!
sana hindi nalang ni revive un mga kanta nila..
sana marami pang magawang kanta c ely
astig! kc ang mga kanta nya
Apr 28th, 2006
Kevin
Well, e-heads did what no band could have done better… They ruled the 90’s! On of the greatest local bands and nobody could deny that fact..
Maybe they should have included Regine Velasquez’s version of “Tuwing Umuulan” in the album.
The funning thing is, in my local town here, I’m one of the few na avid fan talaga ng e-heads… So when one of my neighbors heard the original of “Tuwing Umuulan”, belive it or not, guys, he said,
“Sino nagrevive ng kanta ni Regine? Sintunado naman eh…”
I wanted to slap the guy!
Jun 22nd, 2006
markmomukhamo
Hi Kevin! I think it was Basil Valdez who did the original “Tuwing Umuulan” although I think the E-heads put a unique stamp on it. I’m not a big fan of Ms. Velasquez. She has talent, true but my ears hurt when I listen to her.
Jun 22nd, 2006
Philip Pinean
I agree with that, Eraserheads is the best local bands of all-time. In those times kasi, as far as I remember, walang kalaban ang Eraserheads maliban sa Parokya Ni Edgar at Rivermaya when it comes to that kind of genre. Kaya ganoon na lang sumikat ang songs nila dati when I was in high school that time. Also ang mga foreign songs na sikat dati ay ang mga boybands like Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Spice Girls, All Saints & etc . But I am not quite happy with the revival album. Some of the songs were just sang like a bystander singing it in a karaoke machine (hope u get what I mean). Maganda pa yung pagkaka-revive sa APO Hiking Society songs.
i agree with the so-called “rip-off”.
actually some depicted it as a “discreet imitation”.
take a look of this famous song by Toni Gonzaga the We Belong.
pinoys out there for your information the song was imitated “so to speak” from the original japanese song. even I was amezed when I heard it in a streaming website.
the song was (drum roll) First Love by Utada Hikaru
download the songs from a Limewire client and see for yourself
We Belong - Toni Gonzaga
First Love - Utada Hikaru
Nov 23rd, 2007
KC
I agree na magaling talaga ang Eheads at parang naging karaoke lang ung tribute na ultra electro magnetic pop JAM…
Lagi kong wish na sana magkasundo na sila at mabuo uli ang Eraserheads kaso palabo ng palabo dahil may kanya2x na silang banda pero sobrang natuwa ako dahil nagkaroon sila ng reunion concert kahit na bitin due to emergency. Sana makarecover na si Ely dahil gustong-gusto ko na uli silang mapanood. Ang galing binago nila ng konti ung mga kanta sa concert pero maganda pa rin lumabas. Sana maglabas sila ng CD or DVD nito at bibili ako. Panget ng quality sa youtube puro sigaw naririnig ko e natatabunan ung boses at tugtog.
Sep 5th, 2008
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