REM's 5

If you are to choose only five REM songs

Yano takes over as 38th AFP Chief: Philippine Star Headline

Who among them? Si Dong Abay o si Eric Gancio. Sabay sila? Wow, galing naman. Tangina, naalala ko pa ang mga iyan noon. Hindi pa bipolar si Dong. Si Pepe ang front act sa UP Baguio. Parang weird di ba? Na siya yung front act. Asteeg pa noon ang Yano. Noong kinanta nila:

Kumusta na, ayos pa ba
Ang buhay natin, kaya pa ba
Eh kung hinde, paano na
Ewan mo ba, bahala na?

Sigawan ang lahat. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, Kwayet!!! Seryoso ang kantang iyan. Tayo iyan, di niyo ba alam? Akala natin mirakol ang EDSA, iyun pa rin pala ang buhay natin. Saan na ang APO? Ang Magkaisa na slo-mo? Ito ang kuwento ng EDSA. Ang galing ng Yano. Iyun nga lang, hindi maiwasan ang sobrang pag-iimbibe ng realidad. Nakabalik naman si Dong. So pasilip nga yung Star uli? "Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano will be installed today..." Ay puteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. Para, mama. Para! Maglakad na lang ako. Puteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.

"What if they come in through the back door or the bathroom window like that infamous Beatles song?"

That line was from "A Scanner Darkly" based on Philip Dick's work. Well, since this is Alessandra Ambrosio you're referencing, the answer is "Gladly."

Many Rivers to Cross

Hey, Annie Lennox finally got to sing "Many Rivers to Cross," my comfort song while crossing the mighty Marag River in the 1990s nine times. I cried when Wyclef Jean sang it in JFK Jr's funeral and cried when AL sang this is AI. Yeah, she is Brian Gorrell's favorite singer. And this probably what brought back the great Lennox to the Top 100 after more than a decade

Stephanie Wonder

Got it from Luis

Music Sunday: We are all Sons of The Boss

Which is true. For years, I have been carrying Bruce S's book and listening intently to his music. Although my music has since expanded, I still care for The Boss. Here's the best albums so far this year
And how stupid of me to know only now, New York Times features a superblog written by Suzanne Vega, Rosanne Cash, Andrew Bird and Darrell Brown

Jimi

Eric Clapton in North Korea's Approved Lyric Sheet

From McSweeney's

Wonderful Tonight

It's late on another glorious evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on just a modest amount of makeup, and brushes her unpretentiously short black hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful—but not wonderful in a seductive way—tonight."

Tears in Heaven

Would you know my name
If I saw you in some socialist paradise in the afterlife?
Would it be the same
Again, if I saw you in some socialist paradise in the afterlife?

Cocaine

If you got bad news (which does not exist), you wanna kick them blues (ditto).
Unlike Americans, don't do cocaine.
When your day is done and you wanna stay. Go home.
No Korean has ever tried cocaine.

"Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine"

Patti Smith sang this in her "Gloria." Who could not want to listen to the next lyric? That is the glory of great opening lines in songs and stories. They get you into the groove. They set the mood. "She was more like a beauty queen in a movie scene," MJ sang, and you know that Billy Jean is somebody you need to meet. When the Righteous brothers started their "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" with "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips," you just want to cry.

Nothing's Gonna Change My World: Beatles, Nasa and the North Star

NASA will broadcast the Beatles' "Across the Universe" towards the North Star to mark the 40th anniversary when that song was recorded.
"The broadcast will start at 0000 GMT Tuesday and will travel toward the Little Dipper constellation's brightest star at the speed of light, or 307,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second."
It will reach the North Star in 431 years. Yay!
Wherever you are, here's the time to sing along with John (the composer), George, Paul and Ringo. "Amazing! Well done, NASA! Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul," McCartney said.
Here's your sked:

Feb 4th 3pm Anchorage
Feb 4th 4pm Los Angeles
Feb 4th 5pm Guatemala
Feb 4th 6pm Chicago
Feb 4th 7pm New York
Feb 4th 7pm Montreal
Feb 4th 8pm Rio de Janeiro
Feb 4th 11pm Reykjavik
Feb 5th 12.00am Liverpool & London
Feb 5th 01.00am Europe
Feb 5th 02.00am Baghdad
Feb 5th 03.00am Moscow
Feb 5th 04.00am Karachi
Feb 5th 05.00am Dhaka
Feb 5th 06.00am Bangkok
Feb 5th 07.00am Shanghai, Manila, Baguio
Feb 5th 08.00am Tokyo
Feb 5th 09.00am Sydney
Feb 5th 10.00am Vladivostok
Feb 5th 11.00am Suva
Feb 5th 12.00am Auckland
Feb 5th 01.00am Kiritimati

Here's the lyrics:

Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup. They slither while they pass. They slip away across the universe. Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting thorough my open mind, possessing and caressing me

Chorus: Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world (4X)

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes that call me on and on across the universe. Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box. They tumble blindly as
they make their way across the universe. Repeat chorus

Sounds of laughter shades of life are ringing through my open ears, exciting and inviting me .
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns. It calls me on and on across the universe (Repeat chorus for 431 years)

Here's your KTV:
The Hallmark NASA version
A favorite: The Pleasantville version
The Beatles Anthology version

The song was composed by John Lennon who siad that the lyrics was among the best he made. Like some of his better songs, he wrote it in bed while ignoring his wife, Cynthia. The Sanskrit chorus means "I give thanks to Guru Dev or Teacher Dev" and is intended to lull you to higher consciousness. This song actually was released first in the World Wildlife Fund charity album. That's why there were bird chirping there.

Your Campaign Music Defines You

• Audio | Romney's campaign tune, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman Turner Overdrive
• Audio | Romney's campaign tune, Don't Stop Believing by Journey
• Audio | McCain's campaign tune, Take a Chance by Abba
• Audio | McCain's campaign tune, Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry
• Audio | Giuliani's campaign tune, Taking Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive
• Audio | Giuliani's campaign tune, Best of Both Worlds by Van Halen
• 
  
• These are the campaign jingles of the Republican presidential frontrunners. Your music defines you, according to Miami Herald Well, they are all old.
• And here's Hillary's campaign song. No kidding!
• 
  

Renaldo Fever

Those in the Philippines would answer:
1) Good twin of evil John Lapuz
2) Casino dealer channelled by Liberace
3) Pinoy Big Brother Forever
4) Latest incarnation of Bob Dylan
5) Former Olongapo (from San Simon town that's why he has Simon on his hat) pimp

The Filipino Liberace

Viewed 300,000 times. He already has his own website. Want a Brothers Forever Tshirt?

Fight Club is Ten Years

Fight Club, the movie, will be ten years old this year and guess what, David Fincher, the director, wants a musical.

Sunrise, Sunset

This is an HDTV video from NHK on the Earth rising and setting. Taken from the moon explorer Kaguya, the animated pictures are the first HD images of the Earth from about 380,000 km away.





In 1967, Louis Armstrong was paid only $250 to sing this song, which defined him more than his mainstream jazz tracks. It didn't make a dent, initially in the US, but it became Number 1 in the UK in 1968. This does not only show the maturities in the musical tastes of the two but an old (66 years old then) Black man singing an optimistic soulful song may have not struck the heartstrings of the Americans. A million copies of the original version were sold to date. Other artists who covered "WAWW" were The Flaming Lips, Shane MacGowan & Nick Cave, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole on Hawaiian ukulele, Nora Aunor (a version that haunted me to this day), Victoria Williams, Eva Cassidy, Joey Ramone weeks before his death, Tony Bennett and k. d. lang, B.B. King, Sarah Brightman, Rod Stewart & Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Katie Melua for Red Cross. God bless Kenny G, Buble and Celine for trying to cover it but the world is already wonderful without them.

The UP Madrigal Singers in Vigan

Nothing could be more enchanting during the Holidays that being serenaded by the Philippine Madrigal Singer on the cobble-stoned Calle Crisologo.

"The mayor is very romantic, that's why," was what former mayor (and now husband of Mayor Eva Medina) Ferdinand Medina said.

But not only lovers but evens nuns and priests led by Monsignor Abaya converged at the crossroads of Crisologo and Gen. Luna Streets to listen to the most awarded choral group probably in the world.

This would be second Christmas performance in Vigan in a row.

So it was a pleasant surprise that the Madz sang not only sacred but profane tunes.

The concert began with the singing of the doxology and national anthem sang by the Vigan's Children Choir.

The Madz started properly with their wonderful arrangement of the "Ama Namin" and followed by the Ilocano romantic classic, "Ti Ayat ti Maysa a Ubing."

Then they followed with a selection of folk tunes.like "Sitsiritsit Alibangbang" and "Pakitong-kitong." Then they sang "Ambango ng Bulaklak." The vocal gymnastics and bebop arrangement were so engaging that the double entendres were ignored.

These were followed by "Seaside Rendezvous" by the Queen and turned it into bebop with them turning into jazz instruments. They finished off the first part with the karaoke favorite "Bituing Walang Ningning."

The second part of the show was a serenade of Christmas songs like "Pasko Na Naman," "Deck the Halls", "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas."

It was the most ribald Filipino versions of "Christmas Tree" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." The first is about a student making a tall Christmas tree in 1983 and climbed by a female classmate who was stuck on the branches without her underwear. A female professor tried to rescue her but she, too, was stuck. The Madz's version of Rudolph had him with a red nose and reddened balls chased by naughty girls.

We kept glancing guiltily at the nuns beside us but they were laughing like the rest of the audience.

Two encores of Christmas songs were given by the Madz before greeting Mayor Medina with a traditional birthday song.

The Madz later made up for their naughty songs by performing during the start of Simbang Gabi at the St. Paul Cathedral.

Papaya Update

Good friend Elmer Mesina of Philip Morris is an avid collector of vinyl records and he has a 45 of "Papaya." It was recorded in 1973 so that settles the issue about the date, Edu M.
The "plaka of Papaya" of the other E.M. is in mint condition and he wouldn't part with it. One of these days, we will ransack Elmer's collection. Ito, meron ka?

Hoy, Your Papaya is Polish!

"Papaya" is ubiquitous now in the Philippines, thanks to Edu Manzano and his program. Marcos babies like me knew Papaya in their childhood but can't exactly point where the papaya tree came from. A Pinoy homeschool teacher pointed out that it was a Groovychick's remix of Urszula Dudziak's song. Dudziak is a Polish jazz vocalist and was a great scat artist with a five-octave range. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music noted that "Language barriers hold no problems for her, as she customarily eschews words in favour of a wordless vocalizing that is far more adventurous than scat." She recorded about a dozen albums but even Edu is not sure on what year "Papaya" became a hit. I had a feeling that "Papaya" was included in her album entitled "Urszula" because this album was produced by Arista Records in 1975 and she was 31 then. She later became a vocalist of Vocal Summit group, together with Jay Clayton, Jeanne Lee, Bobby McFerrin, Norma Winstone, Michelle Hendricks, and Lauren Newton so that must be the ultimate vocal gymnastics team. "Although her remarkable talent is worthy of greater exposure, Dudziak's chosen style has meant that she has remained relatively unknown except to the cognoscenti," EPM wrote. How ironic that a country like the Philippines, where the musical taste of the common person is the opposite of cognoscenti, would champion Urszula.

The Master's List

Pitchfork came out with their "Top 100 Tracks of 2007."
But give it to one of my favorite blogs, the Vulture, to put it into a pie-chart context.

David

When I was still studying at the UB Science High School. our Christmas Cantata was never complete without our Gregorian chanting and Dave Tabligan, who made it his panata to go home from somewhere in the world to play on piano Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. He used to have an Afro then and he was jolly and funny. Years ago, he went home for good and now plays at the Piano Bar at John Hay Manor. He is diabetic and slowly lost his signed. He also lost his Afro. I visited him yesterday and I have to introduce myself, short of telling him that I was a tenor till 4th Year. Ha ha ha. We became good friends back when I still go to Luisa's Cafe. Dave can still play any song ever recorded by a major label and some obscure ones and he still does it wonderfully. Merry Xmas, Manong Dave. Here's to you and dear Emmett, wherever you are.