The Thin Line

Songs About Photography

1. Photograph - Weezer
2. Photographs and Memories - Jim Croce
3. Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of you) - A Flock of Seagulls
4. Pictures of You - The Cure
5. Photograph - Nickelback
6. Photograph - R.E.M. and Natalie Merchant

Grado SR-225

I'm slightly unwell -- though surprisingly in an alert mood (must be the effect of exercising regularly again) -- and I'm listening to the some music on a pair of Grado SR-225.

There was a time in early 2005 when I "invested" in quality headphones in the form of the Etymotic ER4P canal phones and the 225's, the Ety's being my portables and the 225's as full-size desktop phones.

The 225 are forward-sounding phones and are popular among audiophiles for rock music listening. But I use it for everything. Some audiophiles would probably own a pair of Sennheisers for classical music, but I became slightly more sane and realized that I spent too much on headphones already. But "too much" is a relative term. The Sennheiser HD 650 is about $500 and you'll need a decent amp to drive it.

I simply stopped when I got the Grados. Right now, I'm in audio nirvana...

Bukas Palad Concert in NYC

I saw a Bukas Palad concert at St Malachy's at Times Square (they're doing a US tour again I guess). I found out at the last minute and decided to see it. The last time I saw them was about two years ago in the same church.

What's special about Bukas Palad is really the music, some of which are classics composed by Ateneo de Manila's Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ -- songs like "Hindi Kita Malilimutan" (that Fr. Manoling wrote while in high school) and familiar mass songs like "I Will Sing", "Anima Christi", etc.

They wrapped up with a solemn prayer and song ("In Him Alone") and then with a catchy Filipino song medley ("Manila, Manila", etc.).

It's nice. It's like being back in college.

I found out about the concert through a classmate from way back and her husband who are on vacation. When I say "way back", I mean a long time ago, like first or second grade. But she also went to the Ateneo in college and we had some common high school friends. It's a small city. Anyway, she had a curious history with a good friend of mine in high school.

The funny thing with most high school stories is that it's hard to get the complete truth because each person had a different piece of the story that never quite fits the whole.

Her husband played college tennis. Too bad we never got to play. On second thought, maybe that was a good thing... Hehe. He'd probably just get bored.

New CDs of Old Music

I bought the following CDs recently:

 

1. Radio Head - "Pablo Honey"

Their first album with the hit song "Creep". RH is the first band I heard to use guitar distortion (and to great effect).

 

2. Dave Matthews Band - "Under the Table and Dreaming"

I have the live Luther College album.  I remember hearing the acoustic version of "Crash Into Me" while waiting for a friend to show up at Powerbooks/Music 1 at the SM Megamall in Ortigas, Manila back in late 1999. I bought the album immediately. This one has the regular studio-recorded version of "Ants Marching" and "Satellite".

 

3. Chicago - "The Very Best Of: Only The Beginning"

A lot of their songs may seem cheesy to people nowadays, but I grew up hearing a lot of their songs. Was Peter Cetera really better off going solo?

 

4. Frank Sinatra - "Fly Me To The Moon" (Starbucks collection)

Does drinking over-priced coffee get people in the mood for Sinatra?

 

Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka - Basil Valdez

(One of Basil Valdez's best songs. Also one of The Eraserheads's worst.)

Pagmasdan ang ulan,
Unti-unting pumapatak sa mga halama't mga bulaklak
Pagmasdan ang dilim,
Unti-unting bumabalot sa buong paligid t'wing umuulan

Kasabay ng ulan bumubuhos ang 'yong ganda,
Kasabay rin ng hanging kumakanta

Maari bang huwag ka na
Sa piling ko'y lumisan pa hanggang ang hangi't ula'y tumila na

[Refrain 1:]
Buhos na ulan, aking mundo'y lunuring tuluyan
Tulad ng pag-agos mo,
'Di mapipigil ang puso kong nagliliyab
Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,
Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa
Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka

Pagmasdan ang ulan,
Unti-unting tumitila
Ikaw ri'y magpapaalam na
Maari bang minsan pa, mahagkan ka't maiduyan pa
Sakbibi ka't ulan lamang ang saksi

[Refrain 2:]
Minsan pa ulan bumuhos ka't h'wag nang tumigil pa
Hatid mo ma'y bagyo, dalangin ito ng puso kong sumasamo
Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,
Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa
Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka
(Oooohhh)

Maari bang minsan pa, mahagkan ka't maiduyan pa
Sakbibi ka't ulan lamang ang saksi

[Refrain 1:]
[Refrain 2:]

LYRICS: The Paris Match - The Style Council

(A small note: In the 90's I used to listen to an old band called The Style Council. "The Paris Match" is my favorite SC song, but it's actually sung by Tracey Thorne of Everything But The Girl. From the Album Cafe Bleu.)

Empty hours
Spent combing the street
In daytime showers
They’ve become my beat;
As I walk from cafe to bar
I wish I knew where you are;
You sort of clouded my mind
And now I’m all out of time
Empty skies say try to forget
Better advice is to have no regrets;
As I tread the boulevard floor
Will I see you once more;
Because you’ve colored my mind
’till then I’m biding my time

I’m only sad in a natural way
And I enjoy sometimes feeling this way
The gift you gave is desire
The match that started my fire

Empty nights with nothing to do
I sit and think, every thought is for you;
I get so restless and bored
So I go out once more;
I hate to feel so confined
I feel like I’m wasting my time

I’m only sad in a natural way
And I enjoy sometimes feeling this way
The gift you gave is desire
The match that started my fire

Musical Obsessions and Frustrations

I heard it in senior year in college. I was hooked the first time I heard it. I listened to it over and over. On an idle weekend morning, I’d put the cassette tape in my Walkman and just listen to it till around noon (taking intermittent breaks to play video games).

It made me wish I could play the violin. I walked into some music stores a dozen times in the San Francisco Bay Area inquiring about a cheap violin and the possibility of lessons.

The song is entitled “Romance No. 2.” It’s a violin concerto by Beethoven. Mind you -- although I love listening to music, I listen to bits and pieces of everything. I’m not an obsessive classical guy like a lot of audiophiles.

The other piece I only obsessed about for maybe a year or two. This one’s a piano piece -- “Consolation No. 3” by Franz Liszt. This time, I’m wishing I continued playing the piano till high school. A piano would not have been accessible in college as I lived in the school dorm within the Ateneo de Manila campus (I grew up in the province of Tarlac north of Manila), but still, if I kept the faith, maybe I could play it by now. The fact is I have the notes (downloaded it as a PDF file just last year). I found that I would need a lot of practice just to get it. I gave up when I got busy and forgot about it

I’m not a naturally gifted musician unfortunately. Some people might be able to play the piece by ear.

Ah, but the party line is that I don’t want the piece played by ear. I want to hear it played exactly how Liszt wanted it to be played.

(I’m reminded to ramble on about this again is because I thought I encountered someone who may be able to play BOTH the violin and the piano piece. Well imagine that. Although I don’t really know.)

I have always been consistent about describing the two pieces to friends: Romance No. 2 “oozes and flows” while Consolation No. 3 “trickles like soft rain”. But I’m probably just being weird about this.

Ok, back to alternative and pop rock...

Worst Filipino Concert I've Seen Ever

I'm not sure which was the worst part of the Pops Fernandez and Regine Velasquez concert in Atlantic City is:

1. The bad script and the cheap (and often inappropriately crude) jokes
2. Getting gum on my jacket
3. Inner-ear tinnitus
4. Nicknames like "Asia's Song Bird", "Concert Queen", and now [drum roll] "Prince of Pop". It made such a bad case for the rest of the music industry in the Philippines and Asia.
5. Atlantic City
6. The music

For the most part, it was my fault since I never really cared about music from either female artist. But I thought it would be a fun trip with a bunch of friends. That wasn't the case either.

I've seen Regine Velasquez in a Jose Mari Chan concert when I was in high school, and she wasn't that bad. But that may be because it was a Jose Marie Chan concert, so they probably had Velasquez on a short leash. I probably wouldn't mind seeing a few other Filipino artists, particularly the bands. Most Filipino ballads written for solo acts from the time I was in college just aren't what they used to be when I was a kid. I always find the songs unoriginal and uninspired, and often the best songs were recycled from the 70s or 80s.

I could have just gone to B&H PhotoVideo, played around with a few lenses, and spent the rest of my Sunday kicking back.

All of the concerts I've seen featuring American artists have been pretty good. I should be as discerning with Filipino artists. I simply fell into the trap of sucking something in just because it was Filipino. Big mistake.

What's That Song Again?

And so, I wake up thinking "Animals strike curious poses." What's that song again?

I go into the shower thinking that "animals strike curious poses".

Minutes later, I turn on the ignition and pull out of the parking space thinking "animals strike curious poses".

I finally get to work thinking "animals strike curious poses".

So my teeth are grinding in annoyance and my best guess was that it was an 80's song. I logged into Yahoo, and pinged a friend from my last job. He had to know. He was quite literally a punk -- a remnant of the 80s.

"That's 'When Doves Cry' by Prince."

"Ah."

And a long sigh of relief...

. . .

"Marvin, you ROCK THE CASBAH!" A perky chick from the business group approached me from behind.

"Thanks."

"You know where that came from?"

"It's from "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash," I replied.

"Ooh Marvin. That was a tough one," a sarcastic voice from my right interrupted.

"U-huh," The business chick continued. "You know what a casbah is?"

"It's a place, a location, like an old part of a city in a Middle East country," I said.

"Ah-ha! And you thought The Clash were making it up back in the day, right?" She exclaims, not losing a shred of enthusiasm.

"Not really," I laughed. "I was probably five years old when that song hit the airwaves."

Rock the Casbah. Hmm.

. . .

"'I'll be there for you. These five words I swear to you.' -- now what song was that again?" The QA guy said aloud as he was walked past my area, addressing no one in particular.

"That's Jon Bon Jovi," the Project Manager sitting next to me replied. "And shame on you for knowing that song..."

"I'm from Jersey! Bon Jovi's from Jersey! Of course I listened to Bon Jovi!"

"And besides," I turned to the PM. "YOU knew the song yourself."

"Was I talking to you, Marvin? Was I talking to you?"

Very Ape - Nirvana

I am buried up to my neck in
Contradictionary flies
I take pride as the king of illiterature
I'm very ape and very nice

If you ever need anything please don't
Hesitate to ask someone else first
I'm too busy acting like I'm not naive
I've seen it all, I was here first

Out of the ground
Into the sky
Out of the sky
Into the dirt