U2's Fire

After a friend showed me his expansive U2 collection, I had the urge to listen to their early albums again.

I can't help but compare U2's "Boy" album with The Police's "Zenyatta Mondatta" album. Both being from 1980, the year when "punk rock" and "new wave" exploded in the Philippines (Devo, B-52's, XTC, Ultravox, OMD).

I still prefer The Police's album coz that was the first tape I bought in Grade School 😊. I also like the overproduction and tight playing of the trio. Who would have known how big The Police would have become, had they not disbanded?

Favorite early U2 track: "40"
Favorite U2 "new wavish" track: "The Unforgettable Fire" (okay, U2 is not a new wave hand, get over it 😄)

What's your fave?

Edie Brickell and The Beatnik Generation

The surprise "Modern Rock" hit of 1988. Folk rock music inspired by the 60's. Yes, they do seem late by two decades.

I used to love this album. Lounging around during hot summer breaks. 

Self loathing never sounded so good with "Circle" and "I Do". The anthemic "What I Am", with its "anti-everything" stance. 

"Shove me in the shallow water before I get too deep" - deep into philosophy and religion?

Daydreaming and The EBTG Road.

"The road is very long".

I was riding public transport yesterday and the song "The Road" from the EBTG album "The Language Of Life" suddenly played on my ipod, which was on shuffle play mode. Listening to MP3 files on my earphones is what I really enjoy while commuting, despite the poor public transport here in Manila, Philippines. I can relax, ignore the crazy drivers and daydream while looking at people going about their busy lives.

"The Road" is one of my favorite sentimental or melancholic songs. The line "I'll keep a good thought for you" really got stuck in my head. I dedicate this song for lost loves and dear loved ones that have passed on. 

"The Language of Life" is also my favorite album from EBTG. Polished production of "jazzy" pop tunes. I'm not heavily into their bossa nova-like early works, or the supposedly new wave phase in the "Love Not Money" album.

So try to listen to this album. Sit back, relax and daydream...

Life, Loss and Seona Dancing

LIFE, LOSS AND SEONA DANCING

It's been 3 years since I posted anything in this blog of mine.

I had set aside this blog to focus on some other endeavors. The death of a loved one really messed me up and made me think about my priorities in life, I guess this blog was not one of them. Anyway, I will try to add some stuff here when time and my mood to write is in sync.

Not to sound too depressing, but that famous song from Seona Dancing said: we still have "More To Lose" eh? Melancholic lyrics and that soaring synth-pop sound never sounded so good together!

When radio station 99.5RT  introduced More To Lose to Filipino listeners in 1985, they named the track as "Fade" by Medium or "Medium" by Fade, to confuse the other stations so that they can't get a copy of this great new wave/synth-pop track to play. Thus, 99.5 RT has exclusivity for more than a year as I recall.

Here are the photos of a Seona Dancing CD I have in my collection. A nice picture disc CD that contains all official versions of their limited discography.  Grab a copy if you can.

China Crisis

I was not an avid fan of China Crisis in the 80's. I initially thought their music was "safe" and plain. When one is younger, one is more inclined to take risk and experiment with more weird new wave stuff. Nowadays, I learn to love this band more. Age does changes things.

Item #1 : China Crisis - Collection Cassette Tape 

  

  The first tape I bought from them was the early 90's very best compilation from Alpha Records Philippines. I found the music here very easy to listen to. I immediately liked the songs "Black Man Ray", "Best Kept Secret", "You Did Cut Me", "Arizona Sky" and of course the monster hit "Wishful Thinking". I was amazed that many old tapes still maintain their audio quality specially quality tapes like this which I think is recorded by the local BASF tape replicating plant. I have many Philippine pressed vinyls that sound worst than some tapes, specially on the treble side, the high notes are "basag" and the pops are irritatingly loud.

Item #2 : China Crisis - Flaunt The Imperfection

Flaunt The Imperfection would be the perfect album of China Crisis. Excellent production work by Walter Becker. The album sounds very "pop-jazz' to me. Stand out cuts are "Highest High", "You Did Cut Me", "Bigger The Punch I'm Feeling" and "Blue Sea".
 

Item #3 : China Crisis - What Price Paradise

An often overlook album. The album sounds a lot like "Flaunt The Imperfection". Of course it could not match the perfection of its predecessor. Tracks like "The Understudy", "Best Kept Secret", "A Days Work For The Dayo's Done" and "It's Everything" makes this a must have for any China Crisis fan.

Item #4 : China Crisis - Warped By Success

Lush production with a different take by using some drum machines. Another album with lots of Jazz influences. A very good album if you give it time to sink in. Favorites include "Thank You", "Hands On The Wheel", "Good Again' and one of my all time favorite from this band, "Without The Love". The melody on this track drives me crazy.

Item #5: China Crisis - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain

This must be one of the longest titled album from the 80's. This is their attempt to make it in the exploding New Wave scene in the early 80's with danceable tracks like "Some People I Know Lead Fantastic Lives" and "African & White".

Item #6: China Crisis - Acoustically Yours

Gary Daly is fortunate to have a great set of musicians playing with them as China Crisis. This live set will attest to that. The version of "It's Everything" here is much better than the studio version. My favorites here are not the obvious hits but the tracks "It's Everything", "Good Again", "Thank You", "Hands On The Wheel" and "Diary Of A Hollow Horse".

Item #7: China Crisis - Diary-A Collection

Since I have all the studio albums, I was not really interested in any greatest hits compilation albums of China Crisis. Well, A friend did burned me a copy of this one. I have not listened to it much. I thought the compilation was done haphazardly.

Item #8: China Crisis - Live at The Dominion Theatre

This one is a signed CD-R copy being sold in the lobby of the PICC Plenary Hall during their first Philippine concert in 2002. I thought that cover was interesting and is different from the actual CD release. I bought this for P300 because I was disappointed with the T-shirt being sold at the venue. They were tiny in size and can only fit teenagers! 

What I cannot forget about this concert was we paid for the cheaper upper seats but was later asked to move down to the more expensive tickets near the stage which were almost empty. Well, I guess China Crisis is no Fra Lippo Lippi in terms of popularity in the Philippines :)

Item #9: China Crisis - What Price Paradise LP

 New wave music collectors can have endless discussions on which format is better. Well, to me great music is great music whatever the format is. My only gripe with vinyl is how can I enjoy this while on the road? :)

Item #10: China Crisis - Diary Of A Hollow Horse LP

Another great album from China Crisis. Even without Walter Becker, the succeeding albums after "Flaunt The Imperfection" are not that bad. Favorites are "Sweet Charity in Adoration", "Diary of A Hollow Horse" and "Red Letter Day". The weaker tracks are the last three on this album.

Item #11: China Crisis - Working with Fire and Steel LP

The second album must be the most popular in the Philippines. This one sounds similar to the first album with a lot of danceable tracks. "Wishful Thinking" can be played three or more times in a China Crisis concert and no one seems to complain :)

Item #11: China Crisis - Flaunt The Imperfection LP

One of the few Philippine pressed vinyl albums that sounds great. Credit goes to Dyna Products on this one.

The Blue Nile

Liking The Blue Nile is a matter of taste. A first listen to one of their albums would usually bore some people specially the so-called "New Wave" listeners. I have seen several times, people who bought the album "Hats" would later on sell their copies. But like wine, The Blue Nile sounds better with age and repeated listening. It's an acquired taste. 

Item #1 : The Blue Nile - A Walk Across The Rooftops

The photo on the album cover fits the music on the debut. "Automobile Noise" sounds good while driving in the middle of the night. "Tinseltown In The Rain" was a favorite of radio station BM105 in the mid 80's. This in my opinion is the strongest song in this album. "Stay" another song on the play list of BM105 is okay. I just find the repeated bass loop annoying at times :). "Heatwave" another favorite of mind sounds so soothing after a tiring day:  "Are we rich or are we poor? Does it matter anymore"?

Item #2 : The Blue Nile - Hats

"Hats" would be the masterpiece album of The Blue Nile. Perfect music for going around  the town at night. "Over The Hillside" is a great opening tune for the masterpiece "The Downtown Lights". The snare drum accompaniment to the bass is quite hypnotic. Best heard in solitude. "Let's Go Out Tonight" is so hurting and sweet at the same time. "Headlights On The Parade" was an NU107 favorite in 1989. Another great song about nigh time and watching the headlights. "Saturday Night" must have inspired the techno/rave club scene of the late 90's to make chill down  music after a night of partying. "From A Late Night Train'" is best for tucking in at bed time. 

Item #3 : The Blue Nile - Peace At Last

"Now that I have found peace at last, tell me Jesus will it last?" opens the first line of this album, from the song "Happiness". The unique voice of Paul Buchanan is once more highlighted on this album. This time around, more guitars are added on this album, maybe to fit in the mid 90's acoustic craze. Fans were wondering why they took 7 years to make a follow up to Hats.

Item #4 : The Blue Nile - High

"High" is a return to form for The Blue Nile. Again guitars were used  to accompany the keyboards and synths that were present in "Hats". "Because Of Toledo", "She Saw The World", "Soul Boy" and "Stay Close" are some of my favorites from this album. But nothing beats the masterpiece "High". Waiting almost 10 years in between albums seems not to bad after all.

Lyrics for "High":

I don't wanna wake ya

When ya sleeping so quiet

The motorcycle going by outside

Are we the same?

Caught at the lights

Why are we going home with our lies?

In the bowling alleys

In the easy living

Something good got lost along the way

We could be high

We could be higher

We could be high

Yeah yeah

I wanna make you understand

We could be high

Look at the morning people

Going to work and fading away

Look at the morning people

Going to work and fading away

Why don't we stop the traffic?

Why don't we stop the traffic?

Look at the morning people

Going to work each day

We could be high

We could be high

Yeah yeah yeah

We could be high

Yeah yeah

We could be high

Yeah yeah yeah



To complete the collection. My vintage cassette tapes :-)

Cold Wave

I thought only a few people remembered the music of  Frazier Chorus. Until I saw how many people liked their hits "Dream Kitchen" and "Typical" on facebook postings . Specially in the 80's and new wave groups. The debut album "Sue" features many more dreamy synthpop goodness. Listening to the album is like being hit by a cold wave.

Item #1 : Frazier Chorus - Sue

I'm glad I did not discard my cassette tapes when I bought the CD versions in the mid 90's. Although the tape format is the worst when it comes to sound quality and preservation, the memories attached to them while growing up is worth more than the value of a CD. If my memory is correct, I bought this tape in National Bookstore Harrizon Plaza branch. I've played this on my tape deck recently and it still sounds good. Thanks to the BASF tape used on this one. 

One is not enough :). Actually the second CD was a gift. The friend who gave it did not know I already have one in my collection. Both CD's are Made in Germany.

Item #2 : Frazier Chorus - Cloud 8 Mixes (CD Single)

This CD single features a better version of  "Cloud 8" than the one on the second album "Ray". It has the sharp dance grooves which fits the dance clubs of the early 90's.

However, the real gems here are the 12" versions of "Dream Kitchen" and "Typical". More so the different intro of "Typical".

Frazier Chorus was originally from 4AD Records. I used to have a 4AD compilation CD which is titled "12 Inch ’87 Anthology" . It features the original versions of "Sloppy Heart",  "Typical" and "Storm".  Here is the link to that CD: http://www.discogs.com/Various-12-Inch-87-Anthology/master/414759

Below are the 4AD versions:

No embed data for "Storm" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg5jm6Zj6II

Just click the link