(t5!) Top 50 Eraserheads Songs
One of my plans here in (t5!) is to list the greatest OPM (Original Pilipino Music) of all time, but due to my lack of expertise on the subject, I doubt I could do the rankings justice. Not having every Kundiman folk song, or every Manila sound club track, or every Pinoy rock anthem in my disposal (read: the Internet doesn't have it) won't allow me to properly research the topic, so any list that I can generate would include glaring omissions. Who knows, maybe a disillusioned former NU 107 employee is uploading his entire OPM song library in Soundcloud as we speak, and we can see this list some time next year.
But for now, let's focus on the Eraserheads, the greatest Filipino rock band of all time. Eraserheads came into eminence during a time when I was starting to take my music listening seriously. Circus was the first album (they came in cassettes still, kids) that I have ever bought with my own money. This foursome from UP Diliman had a huge impact in shaping my taste, either by revealing the type of melody that could bury in my brain or by teaching me the importance of composing albums with no fillers. It's safe to say that when I do end up compiling the best OPM tracks that exists, the top 50 would probably contain five or six Eraserheads songs anyway. Ranking Eraserheads songs is easy to do: compile every Eraserheads song released (130 of them by my count if you don't include interludes, even if they are as delectable as Circus' "No Royalty Album Filler No. 9"), run them through the official (t5!) ranking spreadsheet template, convert the results into graphics, and voila! You get the (t5!) Top 50 Eraserheads Songs of All Time!
So without further ado...
#50: Kananete
from Sticker Happy (1997)
[Right-Handed]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: You probably have to understand Tagalog to get this, so to those who do, you have to admire the masterful phrasing and clever internal rhyming of the verse "mahiwagang karne norte/lakbay-diwa singhot umpog-palad gulong-bola/sampal ng kananete/napa-este ang peste nagkandaleche-leche". "Mahiwagang karne norte!" ("Holy Corned Beef!") is such a fun expression that I don't know why it hasn't been part of my everyday lexicon all this time.
#49: Gatekeeper
from Fruitcake (1996)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: That Tom Morello-inspired toggle switch stutter that pervades throughout the song is hard to miss here. It fabricates a buzz that intoxicates your brain nerves, in the best possible way, of course.
#48: Easy Ka Lang
from Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
[Take It Easy]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: That muted breakdown after the guitar solo. Having its own "a little bit softer now" moment, like the one the Isley Brothers have in "Shout", is largely responsible for the song's early R&B vibe.
#47: Huwag Kang Matakot
from Natin99 (1999)
[Don't Be Scared]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment! Ely Buendia's voice goes into full-on easy listening mode here, just to emphasize that arm-around-your-shoulder sentiment of the song. If this turned out to be an unearthed Burt Bacharach track translated to Tagalog, I wouldn't be surprised.
#46: Kama Supra
from Cutterpillow (1995)
[Bed Supra]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: For one, there's no truer statement than Ely Buendia's line of "masarap matulog lalung-lala na pag umuulan" ("sleep is great especially when it's raining"). Secondly, I remember my 12-year-old self losing it when he casually mentioned that he and True Faith's Medwin Marfil were up late at night singing "Munting Nang Maabot Ang Langit". Being that True Faith was another hugely popular act during the mid-nineties, it seemed inconceivable in my head at the time that two worlds were colliding like this. If they released this collaboration as a B-side, I would have probably camped outside the local record store.
#45: Ha Ha Ha
From Sticker Happy (1997)
YouTube
Prof. Banloi's Trancendental Moment!: The facetious alliteration of Tagalog words that starts with "Ha". My personal favorite is "Hare Hare, peace na, peace na".
#44: So Right
From Pop U! (1991)
YouTube
Prof. Banloi's Trancendental Moment!: You can tell that that certain Eraserheads panache is already in this unreleased demo tape track, but the lo-fi-ness of it gives it an endearing homespun ambience.
#43: Hey Jay
From Circus (1994)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: I don't know what that jungle creature sounding percussions are called, but every time that shows up in a track now, I light up like a genie. I'm sure this song is where I first heard it. Please someone tell me what it's called.
#42: Run Barbi Run
From Run Barbi Run [Original Soundtrack] (1995)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: It's very rare to hear vocal harmonies in a song with punk leanings (Bad Religion comes to mind); it's even rarer to hear it done well. But if that wasn't impressive enough, the band also grandstands with a vocal canon in the choruses.
#41: Hula
From Carbon Stereoxide (2001)
[Fortune-Telling]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Coming from their only post-millennial full-length, "Hula" exposed that the one trait that they have adopted late in their careers is that start-stop guitar crunch. I'm sure it's the result of too many nights of listening to state-side guitar-pop bands like blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World.
#40: Hard To Believe
From Sticker Happy (1997)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The Eraserheads wear their Beatles influences on their sleeves— sometimes very blatantly—but this is quite the carbon-copy of "For No One", especially in the verses where they don't even try to hide the similarities. But, hey, there are worse songs that one can copy.
#39: Kaliwete
From Sticker Happy (1997)
[Left-Handed]
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: "Sabi naman ni Rico J. Puno, 'mag-ayos lang daw ng upo'" ("Rico J. Puno said, "just adjust your seating"). I have no idea what that advice means, but because it came from Rico J. Puno, the dirtiest old man in OPM history, I'm sure it's something perverted and funny. But the engima surrounding this lyric line makes "Kaliwete" so intriguing.
#38: Julie Tearjerky
From Aloha Milkyway (1998)
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The album Aloha Milkyway was the band’s attempt to conquer other Asian markets, and “Julie Tearjerky”, being that it’s the album’s first single, was the Eraserheads’ first official introduction to the rest of the world. Aloha Milkyway didn’t sell as well as cobra snake blood in Bangkok, but if you want to discuss Eraserheads with citizens of the Philippines’ transoceanic neighbors, this song would be a great starting off point.
#37: Slo Mo
From Cutterpillow (1995)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The most underrated aspect of Eraserheads’ splendor is the bass guitar work of Buddy Zabala, and his jaunty bass line is unabashedly playful in “Slo Mo”. Bass players are often constrained, either by themselves or by the band's style; Zabala never had those inhibitions
#36: Sembreak
From Circus (1994)
[short for “semester break”]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: I first heard “Sembreak” when I was still in elementary, and I vividly remember being excited about attending college because of this song. For me, college was a time when guys write letters to their girlfriends detailing their everyday activities during their two-week semester break. Basketball sa banyo!
#35: Wishing Wells
From Circus (1994)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: I adore the back-of-the-room drumming of Raimund Marasigan here, specifically that double-time portion after the choruses and that smile-inducing snare riff that punctuates it.
#34: Para Sa Masa
From Sticker Happy (1997)
[For The Masses]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: “Para Sa Masa” is actually a sarcastic dig at fairweather listeners who go out and buy the album only to listen to popular singles. It’s a bitter “apology” to those who aren’t happy with absence of poppy numbers like “Ligaya”. It’s the OPM equivalent of Jay-Z’s “I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars” statement in “Moment Of Clarity”. I doubt a lot of people recognized that; certainly these various artists who did the cover in the Eraserheads anthology didn’t.
#33: Sinturong Pangkaligtasan
From Natin99 (1999)
[Seat Belt]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: What if The Eraserheads stayed together long enough to embrace a more electronic direction? Would that be something you might be interested in? “Sinturong Pangkaligtasan” was a little teaser answer to that question.
#32: Torpedo
From Cutterpillow (1995)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The verses of this song always reminded me of Maureen McGovern’s “Can You Read My Mind”, the love theme from Superman: The Movie. Every time I hear this song, I always picture Clark Kent failing repeatedly in his attempts to court Lois Lane.
#31: Combo On The Run
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Be careful when listening to this song. If you have turned up your volume dials all the way to 11, that Ely scream in the beginning when they’re trying to cue up the song will puncture your ear drums. The “guit-guit-guit-guit-guitar” stutter before the guitar solo is pretty amusing.
#30: Pula
From Carbon Stereoxide (2001)
[Red]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Marcus Adoro wrote Pula, and I love it when lead guitarists takeover the songwriting responsibilities because they have an utter disregard for rhythm structures, chord progressions, and melodic patterns. They just want to get all the guitar riffs that are swimming in their heads printed on the track. More often than not, it results into positively weird recordings.
#29: Shadow Boxes Accountants
From Fruitcake (1996)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Sure, it’s basically an album filler, but this piano instrumental is so tranquil, so reminiscent of a Vince Guaraldi lullaby, that it’s impossible to not include it in this list.
#28: Christmas Morning
From Fruitcake (1996)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Speaking of lullabies, “Christmas Morning” functions as a sweet anti-lullaby, effectively marrying the 3-4 repose and the “wake up, little darling, it’s Christmas morning” line. It’s the first of its kind, at least, that I’m aware of.
#27: Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
From Cutterpillow (1995)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: I sing “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong” all the time to my wife; specifically the opening line “Hika ang inabot ko, nung pinilit sumabay sa’yo…” (“I got asthma when I forced myself to walk with you…”). I do a little witty play-on-word by replacing the word "hika" with my wife’s name “Ikha”, basically saying that I got her when she forced me to walk with her. Clever, innit?
#26: Sa Tollgate
Previously unreleased, From Eraserheads Anthology (2004)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The line “gumising ka, nasa tollgate na tayo” (“wake up, we’re at the toll gate”) brings back so many memories of my family’s trips to Manila when I was young. Trips to Manila meant shopping for toys and going to notable landmarks; the Balintawak toll gate meant that we’ve arrived after a trip full of anticipation, even though in reality it’s still a good thirty minutes away from any place worth being excited for.
#25: Fruitcake
From Fruitcake (1995)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: When I first heard this song, I though Ely Buendia was singing “there are ’besides’ to every story”, and I thought i was a phonetical stretch for a line that's barely coherent. But, after becoming more knowledgeable about music, I determined that he’s actually saying “’B-sides’ to every story”, and the whole song made more sense. It’s also a little insider joke told by the Eraserheads, dedicated to their fellow music geek listeners.
#24: Outside
From Carbon Stereoxide (2001)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Carbon Stereoxide has been praised (or reviled, I don’t know, it depends who you talk to, really) for using a wider variety of influences than before. But “Outside” is classic Beatles-aping Eraserheads, right down to the minor 4 chord and the psychedelic trimmings. I prefer the acoustic version though.
#23: 68 Dr. Sixto Antonio Ave.
From Natin 99 (1999)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Skillful build up on the instrumentation layering is displayed here, starting from a piano-drums blend and gradually intensifying into a full-blown wall of sound. I rarely break out the air guitars nowadays, but I am more than happy to do so everytime I listen to the bend lick at the ending of that guitar solo.
#22: Wala
From Carbon Stereoxide (2001)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: To mimic the “Wala ng…Wala ng…Wala ng sabon” (We ran out of…soap) intro to the verses, my wife and I like to kid around with each other. Everytime an item needs to be added to the grocery list, we sing “Wala ng…cup noodles”, “Wala ng…dental floss”, ”Wala ng…microwavable popcorn”.
#21: Fine Time
From Cutterpillow (1995)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Listen whenever the word “hope” is sung in the chorus. Isn’t it the most perfect aural encapsulation of the word “hope” in music history? It’s set up brilliantly with a bouncy major chord arrangement in the intro and verses, and then Eraserheads drops a devastating B-minor right when “hope” is uttered. I have no idea if this intentional or not, but Ely sounds like he is begging to be this girl’s companion, whether she needs one for a whole day or an eternity. "Basta kayakap ka ay OK" ("Just to hug you is OK")
#20: Palamig
From Carbon Stereoxide (2001)
[Refreshment]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: I feel like the band let drummer Raimund Marasigan freely assault his kit here. Marasigan takes the lead, enthusiastically occupying the treble range of the equalizer with his snares, while his band mates assume the atmosphere in the track.
#19: Kailan
From Circus (1994)
[When]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: It’s fair to claim that Eraserheads revealed, sometimes accidentally, their doo-wop affections in some of their tracks, but "Kailan" is a blatant homage, including all of the genre's signifiers: backing vocals as rhythm, arpeggiated chords, sappy lyrics. The only thing we’re missing is a talking bass in the bridge.
#18: Ligaya
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
[Happiness]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: “Ligaya” is the Eraserheads’ first ever single, and you know right from their introduction that they are savvy lyrical craftsmen. The technique of keeping the same sentence structure with each line (“ilang _ pa ba ang _, o giliw ko?” or “how many _ do I have to _, my love?” and filling those madlibs with clauses that range from “songs to sing” to “bottle caps to collect”) was an awakening for me as a kid, simply because my exposure to OPM lyrics at the time consisted of nothing but love clichés.
#17: One Last Angry Look
From Pop U! (1991)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Native Filipino instruments! I have always wondered why there aren’t more Filipino musical artists using instruments like the kubing or the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palendag here. As “One Last Angry Look” can attest, a really imaginative songwriter would have made good use of these unique indigenous sounds.
#16: Pare Ko
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
[My Friend]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: “Pare Ko” is the ultimate bro break-up song, the male Tagalog equivalent of “I Will Survive”. It has everything you need as a remedy for a heartache: an anthemic chorus, vigorous curses, beerhouse slangs, call-and-response opportunity with your drinking buddies.
#15: Harana
From Bananatype [EP] (1997)
[Serenade]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Most likely the most overlooked single of the band because (1) it was off an EP and (2) there’s another equally famous OPM band with a sex tape celebrity as a lead singer that released a single with the same name. But don't believe anyone that that "Harana" was better, this "Harana" is solid from the intro crescendo to the whirring “na-na-na” fade out.
#14: Maselang Bahaghari
From Natin99 (1999)
[Finicky Rainbow]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The guitar layering in this track is intense—fuzzed-out arpeggios, reverbed chord drops, wooly bass notes, cauterized power slashes all meticulously harmonized into a transcendent pastiche. The layering is so elaborate that the Eraserheads (or in this case, Ely Buendia’s new band, Pupil) have a difficult time duplicating it live.
#13: Maling Akala
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
[Wrong Assumptions]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Granted that I didn’t do the proper research to back up this statement, but I still stay that the reggae boom that OPM witnessed in the mid 90s (headlined by bands like Tropical Depression and Weedd), you can all trace it back to “Maling Akala”.
#12: With A Smile
From Circus (1994)
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: This is by far the most mainstream Eraserheads song. If you’re a person who grew up in the Philippines in the 90s, and you couldn't sing this song by heart, then you should just go back to whatever rock you crawled out of. Nobody wants to know you exist.
#11: Ang Huling El Bimbo
From Cutterpillow (1995)
[The Last El Bimbo]
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: That suggestive second verse that sends chills down my spine every time I hear it: "Naninigas aking...katawan" (which translates to "her body is stiffening" but the English translation doesn't do the raunchy delivery justice) and "At dahan dahan...dumudulas...ang kamay ko...sa makinis mong braso" ("And my hand...is slowly...sliding down...your smooth arms"). It is playful and evocative and funny and effective at installing lewd images in your head.
#10: Balikbayan Box
From Sticker Happy (1997)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: This is such a relatable story if you’re an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker); when you’re killing yourself in a foreign land, and the only thing your family back home really cares about are the money and the gifts you’re sending them. “Umuwi na tayo dahil wala ng sense ang ating mundo” (“Let’s just go home because there’s no sense in living in this world”).
#09: Spoliarium
From Sticker Happy (1997)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Eraserheads lyrics are mostly enjoyably straightforward and descriptive, but the lyrics of “Spoliarium” is revered for real meaning of its lyrics. Many have deciphered it to be a song about the curious case of Pepsi Paloma, an 80s sexy Filipina actress who was allegedly raped by popular actors, Vic Sotto, Joey De Leon, and Ritchie D’Horsie. After I came across this revelation, some of the lyrics started to make more sense to me.
#08: Shake Yer Head
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Do me a favor. Listen to the entire song in one sitting. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Done? I bet you didn’t notice the absence of drums. Buddy Zabala’s bass, on his own, is so rich as a rhythm section that kicks and snares is not needed to form a structure.
#07: Alapaap
From Circus (1994)
[Sky]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Of course, if your goal to be the Beatles of Filipino music, you have to have the token drug-influenced song about being on drugs, but for public relations reason, it's not really about drugs and, in actuality, is about freedom and vitality. "Alapaap" is basically Kobe mimicking the Jordan fist-pump and fadeaway.
#06: Lightyears
From Fruitcake (1996)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: Fruitcake was the album when Ely and the gang decided to take their shtick into full-on psychedelia. Sure, the majority of the tracks constructed can’t exactly be compared to those in Revolver, but they at least made a classic like “Lightyears” during this time span. Here, they decided to employ a string section and didn’t waste their services, peppering each bar with an arrangement and going hard with a full-on levitating string solo.
#05: Toyang
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: You can clearly distinguish all of Eraserheads’ influences in “Toyang”. In this track, they go from big band, to 60’s surf rock, to children’s playground music, to punk, to reggae, to Ilocano torch song. Without question, it’s the most fun track in the band’s discography.
From Circus (1994)
[Sometimes]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: The amount of graduations “Minsan” soundtracked during the mid 90s in the Philippines was probably immeasurable. I know that the high school class I would’ve graduated with if I didn’t leave for Canada used this in their ceremonies. There is no other OPM song that is better at reminding the importance of holding on to memories of friends and good company.
#03: Tindahan Ni Aling Nena
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
[Mrs. Nena's Store]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: I think that being commanded by their mother to buy something from a tindahan (corner store) is customary for every boy in the Philippines. And I think because of “Tindahan Ni Aling Nena”, it is also customary for every boy in the Philippines to wish to fall in love with the store owner’s hot daughter. This may also feature Buddy Zabala’s best work as the band’s bassist.
#02: Magasin
From Circus (1994)
[Magazine]
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: In “Magasin”, Eraserheads proficiently combines the two things that they do so well: unexpected minor chords and detailed storytelling. The chord progression in the end of the chorus—especially in the last one, when it’s fortified by single bass notes—perfectly encapsulated the disappointment of not having enough money to buy the raunchy magazine featuring a childhood friend. And thanks to Ely Buendia’s ability to paint a vivid scene with his words, it felt like you were personally experiencing this heartbreaking tale.
#01: Shirley
From Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
YouTube
Prof. Banlaoi's Trancendental Moment!: A blog post can be created by just listing all of the extraordinary elements heard in “Shirley”: the virtuoso piano performance in the intro, the crunch of the guitars, the “lab, lab, lab, lab, lab” chant, the Phil Spector doo-wop bridge, the subdued break when the title character and her object of infatuation breaks up temporarily, the spazztic outro, “Shirley” is such a classic track that another wonderful OPM band named themselves “Ang Bandang Shirley” to pay homage to this song and to Eraserheads.
And, of course, the “Shirley” love story. I was ten years old when this came out in 1993, so I didn’t have first-hand knowledge on what exactly being in-love feels like. I thought Ely Buendia articulated the feeling so clearly by describing every detail of Shirley’s bliss. I also wanted to experience the extra skip in your steps, the improvement on how you look and feel, the heedlessness of it all. I had no idea where CASAA was; all I knew was that I wanted to walk there holding hands with the one I love someday. Even at such an ignorant age, I easily realized that it’s not just “ganyan ma-in-love si Shirley” (“that’s how Shirley is when she’s in love”), it’s ganyan ma-in-love lahat (that’s how it is when ANYONE is in-love).
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