Invasion!
Many people who lived during the ‘60s are proud to have been part of the British Invasion, otherwise known as Beatlemania. Having been unfortunate to be born 15 years late, I did not experience the phenomenon known as the Fab Four. The Beatles heralded the growth of a new form of pop music, rock and roll at its finest.But here in the Philippine Islands, another phenomenon was born during the ‘90s, for which I have been witness to. The Eraserheads was born during the later part of the ‘80s and the first half of the ‘90s saw the rebirth of the Pinoy Band scene. Now this part of music history I can proudly saw I was witness to.
This piece is an experiment in historical documentation and the analysis and opinions are all mine. In depth analysis of the albums and songs of both bands are pending and are very good subjects to tackle. Whew, parang technical paper, me scope and limitations.
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I recently got copies of the albums of the Eheads, Ultraelectromagneticpop!, Circus and Cutterpillow. Listening to the songs within these albums just brings back memories of the ‘90s, particularly college days. Although they shrug off that they have been heavily influenced by the sound of the Beatles through their frontman Ely Buendia, I cannot help but draw parallelisms in terms of their musicality and also in terms of their development and eventual disbandment.
The Beatles started off with teenybopper songs, like Please, Please Me, Twist and Shout, and I Wanna Hold Your Hand. The Eraserheads started off with radio friendly- amidst- the- cuss lines songs Pare Ko, Ligaya and Toyang. Both bands have been rejected by Major record labels before being accepted into their respective major companies. What is noticeable about the Eraserheads is their raw sound in terms of recording, and the use of instruments. The Beatles started off the same, just a four piece band consisting of lead, rhythm and bass guitars accompanied with the drums.
Moving fast forward, the Eraserheads then ventured into the sophomore album Circus, which as they explained, was the way it was for them when they reached stardom through the first album. The sound in the album has improved tremendously, with the inclusion of various instruments outside of the four piece band. Songs such as Wishing Wells, Butterscotch and Sa Wakas have shown their knack at experimentation with the inclusion of percussion instruments and their ability to compose deep yet reachable lyrics. The album can be likened to the Beatles concept album Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, wherein the songs revolve around a central theme, masterfully varied in terms of musical instruments used and central characters introduced.
The third Eheads album, Cutterpillow, was according to many the last great Eraserheads album. Their music by this time was more refined, giving more emphasis on rhythm and theme instead of lead guitar parts, drum fills and bass lines. Songs such as Waiting for the Bus, Poorman’s Grave and Fine Time have been given life through the fusion of great lyrics with excellent guitar and drum parts. I can then compare the album to the Abbey Road Album of the Beatles, the last great album they recorded prior to their breakup.
Fruitcake, the fourth Eraserheads album, is very similar in theme to the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine album, where the band members are transformed into cartoon characters, and the songs revolve around a story. Like the Beatles battling off the Blue Meanies through their music, the Eraserheads have to contend with the loss of Christmas and the mono-virus through their music along with their friends. Although being an experimental album, the Eraserheads has again achieved musical success with the inclusion of other instruments into their songs such as violins in the song Lightyears.
The later albums of the Eraserheads for me have gained less recognition, but gems have been found in these albums. Songs such as Julie Tear Jearkie, Pop Machine and Huwag Kang Matakot have still kept the distinct sound of the Eraserheads. But unlike the Beatles, who have managed to cook up one final album, Let It Be, to show their musicality as rock and rollers, the Eraserheads has failed to go back full circle, having been lured too deep with the use of electronically improved sounds that are not very radio friendly.
And finally, with the release of the Eraserheads Anthology, the Eheads hoped to again capture the current generation as their audience. But unlike the Beatles who met up again for one final Anthology album, the Eheads have yet to sign up again for one last time.
It’s nice to see the development of groups in terms of their musicality and their careers. The Eraserheads have indeed contributed much to the local band scene and although disbanded, has left a generation singing out songs such as Easy Ka Lang, Maling Akala and Pare Ko, songs that they can relate to.
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