July 2008 Archives

By Clarence Yu Contributor I have to admit before going on that I am not a gamer. I know absolutely nothing about PlayStations, PSP’s, Xbox’s, and other gaming brands and consoles that are out there. The last time I seriously played a game was when Atari, Apple II, Commodore, Space Invaders and Pac Man ruled the gaming universe. I checked out of the gaming world once the games became too complicated for my simple tastes. I am a guitarist as well, and will admit that I have tried the past Guitar Hero games in the hopes of blowing away the punks who know nothing about “real” guitar playing. News flash for me: I couldn’t even complete a game in mid-song. Generally speaking, here is how the game works: by using a guitar-shaped controller, you play along to rock songs by pressing the correct colored button on the neck at the right time; the notes that correspond to the correct buttons to push are displayed on the screen as the game is under way, and if you play well, the virtual crowd cheers you on, but if you hit miss notes and you get booed offstage. By progressing through levels of difficulty of the game, players are able to “unlock” new songs. Similar guitar based games can be found at your neighborhood game arcades, Time Zone and Power Station being the most prominent in Manila, though these are generic in nature. I sucked at the game, because I wasn’t used to the controller interface, and, in my mind, I didn’t believe that the game actually provided you with the actual experience of playing a real guitar. Basically, I dismissed the game as a ripoff of the guitar playing process. However, I am a serious Aerosmith fan, and I know most of their guitar riffs by heart. Thus, I have been following the news on their team-up with gaming company Activision for quite sometime now. With the release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith last month, I have mixed feelings about it even without playing the game myself. I have only read several articles and reviews about the game and have seen YouTube clips of the game being played. At the end of of YouTube videom jameslikecoulter, for example, mentions that "Aerosmith is pretty easy, but this song (Walk This Way) is pretty difficult," going on to mention "but this was my 10th time playing the song. You be the judge." (Notice his "You Rock" rating, with detailed statistics of his performance of the game. Note how detailed the statistics are, with riff and verse performance ratings). I am not sure if Mr. Coulter is a guitar player as well, but he can clearly demonstrate a knowledge of Aerosmith's songs by his comments, and in my opinion, has a good rhythmic sensibility to his playing. From a guitarist's standpoint though, my opinion is, why not just use an actual guitar as the controller of the game? First of all, the guitar shaped controller has no strings, just colored buttons on the fretboard that act as fret/string combinations. More important, the elements of guitar playing, such as tone, vibrato, and feel, cannot and will never be replicated by a game. Nonetheless, it might serve as a starting point for gamers to get into real guitar playing. For gamers whose only knowledge about Aerosmith stems from their last hit in 1998 “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” they are in for a treat: a greatest hits package, along with a storyline of the band's history since it's inception in 1973. Classic songs such as “Dream On,” “Same Old Song and Dance,” “Walk This Way,” “Back In The Saddle,” “Sweet Emotion,” up to ‘80’s and 90’s hits such as “Living On the Edge,” “Love In An Elevator” and “Rag Doll” are featured in the game. For Aerosmith and record executives, the potential success of Guitar Hero have made them important new sources of income for the band, as sales of traditional CD’s have declined over the past years. Famous bands who lend their names to the game can receive a straightforward payment of millions of dollars, plus a generous royalty on sales. Thus, a band like Aerosmith may expect to realize additional income aside from the traditional channels of music sales (CD's, downloads, ring tones). A line-up of other guitar-heavy bands such as Metallica and Van Halen are in serious discussions with Activision to put out their own versions of the Guitar Hero game franchise in the near future, perhaps in the hopes of enticing gamers to take a look at their back catalog of songs on traditional CD store shelves. While Aerosmith has been wise enough to capitalize on its career to find new sources of income, one may wonder at what cost: turning over access to their master tapes/recordings to the gaming company (Activision) to make their game more “legitimate.” However, Aerosmith certainly doesn’t need the money, with more than 150 million albums sold to date, and they remain a top draw on the concert circuit with no signs of slowing down. Perhaps the band simply wants to ensure the legacy of their music in the context of music history. Other bands may resist lending their names and master recordings in the name of artistic purity, which is perfectly understandable to hard core musicians, but how about struggling garage bands with dreams of making it someday? What do local Philipine musicians have to say about Guitar Hero? For Chuck Isidro, current lead guitarist for the popular Philippine band 6cyclemind and guitarist for the now dissolved band After Image and producer of various local Philippine artists, he believes that the game can “serve as a starting point for gamers who would like to know more about a particular band's music.” Mr. Isidro started playing in garage bands more than 20 years ago and achieved success via the traditional way, such as the gig circuit, disc sales, aggressive promotions through generous sponsorships. With this, he adds that "with the rising costs of having to get your music publicized through traditional channels such as CD's, and the costs of downloading music, this game can potentially serve as a medium to reach a wider audience." I ask if it is possible if there can ever be a Philippine version of Guitar Hero. He notes that "one disadvantage that local (Philippine) artists or bands like mine have is that our music is not known internationally," but then adds that, "nothing is impossible, though." For Tonet Lipana, lead guitarist for Rage, a local act that has been around for more than 25 years now, he thinks that the game "sounds fun.” It could perhaps get his students interested in listening to rock music again, he added. Mr. Lipana is also a noted session guitarist and a guitar instructor at the Yamaha School of Music in Manila. One can only hope that Guitar Hero:Aerosmith will hit three birds with one stone:

Heighten awareness of the band's music to gamers, thus potentially boosting CD sales,

Serve as inspiration to struggling bands that technology can be used as leverage in furthering their music (imagine 'Guitar Hero: insert your band's name here'), and

Get gamers interested in learning how to play an actual guitar, thus setting off a new generation of potential garage bands. Notwithstanding, of course, the massive amounts of money that Aerosmith itself will receive. What about future, potentially lucrative games that might showcase other elements of a band? How about Drum Hero: Led Zeppelin? John Bonham will probably roll in his grave at the thought. Or, Vocal Hero: The Rolling Stones? Mick Jagger is known to be a businessman at heart, so he might consider the thought. At any rate, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith demonstrates how technology and music combined can be taken one step further, for mutual benefit.

By Erika Tapalla INQUIRER.net Although video has certainly been under the limelight in recent times with the advent of new media with the Internet, radio remains alive. In this video interview, young DJs for Underground Radio 105.9 discussed how radio remains relevant for rock bands in the Philippines. Brought to the Philippines by the Americans, the first radio station established in Manila was called KZKZ, and was set up in 1922 by Henry Mann. A few years later, more stations were put up in different provinces and used primarily for entertainment. It was not until after World War II that other radio formats emerged. In 1986, radio played an important role during the People Power I revolution. I was still months old (from conception, that is) and safely curled in my mother's womb so it would be difficult and impossible to recount the details that led to end of a dictatorship. I would like to bring forth a detail that my dad told me. He said Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Sin called on the Filipinos over a Catholic radio station Radio Veritas to support then General Fidel Ramos and former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile. This call triggered millions of Filipinos to leave their homes and make their way to EDSA where they called for Marcos' ouster. At that time, radio was used as a crucial medium to unite Filipinos. To this day, radio continues to be a source -- in some areas in the Philippines, the only source -- of information and entertainment. On the other hand, the local music industry thrives on this medium as their ticket to the ears of the Filipinos. Radio is not dead, that's for sure. Perhaps it's the content, the real star that was killed. Watch my video interview with DJs Niki Flojo and DJ Kris Isaac (known as DJ Memphis on air) about station Underground Radio 105.9 talking about the current state of FM radio in the Philippines.

By Clarence Yu Contributor I've been very lucky to have a sixth sense when it comes to getting a hold of good music. In these days of downloading music, I rarely buy CD’s, and if I do, they are from bands that in my mind deserve a slot in my CD case drawer. Journey is one of those bands. When a friend advised me of his impending trip to Manila I immediately requested him to find me a copy of their latest release, Revelation, which is available only at Wal-Mart Stores in North America. Much of my interest stemmed from news that their new lead singer was Arnel Pineda of the Philippines. I am one of the lucky ones to have possession of it at this time, and would like share my thoughts on the band in general and a personal review on the new album. Journey burst onto the music scene in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, ruling the pop/rock scene with a lethal combination of catchy melodies, syrupy, sugar coated lyrics, and the “Voice” -- as Steve Perry, the original lead singer of Journey, was and is called up to this day. With a voice as sweet as saccharin, guitar riffs extraordinaire, (Neal Schon), driving keyboards (Jonathan Cain), a thunderous bass (Ross Valory) and a jazz/rock fusion groove (drummer Steve Smith), it was tantamount to eating ice cream on a hot summer night. And who does not love ice cream? It’s sweet, and it tastes good. With Journey, the music they have created over the years is as sweet as sweet it can ever be. Who can ever forget those long drives at night when you turned up the radio and heard, “Send Her My Love,” or “I’ll Be All Right Without You” without getting a chill up your spine. Or for others who still remember prom nights with the local band playing “Faithfully.” Filling stadiums and breaking adult oriented rock (AOR) chart sales, the “City By The Bay” band (“Lights”) had mass appeal in large part due to their excellent pop songwriting. Tales of broken hearts, fidelity, commitment, breaking up, making up, faith, love and anything sappy in general were common themes of every boy and girl relationship that the band collectively tapped. “Separate Ways,” “Open Arms,” and “Don’t Stop Believin,” stand out as classic examples of their excellent songwriting abilities, and they were a band that people actually flocked to stadiums to see live in concert before the onset of MTV (a formidable feat, in my opinion, considering that music videos were not en vogue during the time). After considerable success with Journey, Steve Perry went solo with two albums while maintaining membership with the band. “Foolish Heart,” and “Oh Sherrie” were probably the most commercial successes from his solo venture, and remain staples on classic rock radio to this day. With the arrival of heavy metal and hard rock in the mid to late 80’s, the band found difficulties in maintaining a fickle audience, no doubt by this time largely influenced by the visceral images from MTV. The band never formally called it quits, but it was apparent with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain’s new band, Bad English (“When I See You Smile” being their most notable chart success), that things were not quite as stable within the homefront. Fastforward to 1996. Journey “reunites” with an excellent album “Trial By Fire” produced by none other than legendary Kevin “Spank” Shirley, also producer of well-known bands such as Aerosmith and the Black Crowes, to name a few (the nickname “Spank,” owing to the distinct wall of sound that he is known for creating during the recording and mixing process). Steve Perry then refuses to tour behind the album due to vocal cord problems and hip-replacement surgery, and the reunion was short-lived. The year 2001 marked the arrival of the aptly named release “Arrival” with new singer Steve Augeri and new drummer Deen Castronovo in tow (Schon’s and Cain’s bandmate from Bad English). Unimaginable at the time to find a singer to fill in Perry’s shoes, Augeri was first introduced to the general public as a member of Journey via a cut on the “Armageddon” movie soundtrack album (“Remember Me”), and Deen Castranovo faithfully duplicated the classic sound of drummer Steve Smith (his most famous recorded performance outside of Journey being drums and percussion on the 1984 Bryan Adams track “Heaven.” Augeri gave the band a second life and renewed hopes for fans of Perry’s voice, which Augeri aptly duplicated, albeit on lower octaves. “Higher Place” and “All The Way” were strong cuts from this album, but were met with little commercial response from fans, most of whom were die-hard Perry fanatics. The band’s decrease in popularity was evident on their 2001 Live Concert DVD “Journey 2001,” playing to a much smaller audience relative to the stadiums they filled in the ‘80’s. After a second album, Augeri called it quits (or Journey fired him, depending on what you have read) owing to “vocal cord problems.” Sounds similar to Perry’s departure? After a brief tour with temporary singer Jeff Scott Soto (from Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force---music fans, just Google it), the band again called it quits. A brief resurgence, notably in the final episode of The Sopranos, where “Don’t Stop Believin” was featured in the final cliffhanging scene, and in a derivative remake of “Open Arms” by Mariah Carey, perhaps renewed hopes for the band that they could still write and record simply good music without the “Voice.” The search was on for a new singer. Risky as might have been in searching, other bands had pulled it off before (Van Halen, Genesis, Motley Crue), finding second lives and even more success with new singers. Enter Filipino Arnel Pineda. Pineda’s story is the stuff of a million American Idol fan’s dreams combined. With a 25- year music career in Manila and Hong Kong, singing with numerous cover bands under his belt, Arnel first gained prominence in the Philippines as lead singer of the ’80’s band, AMO (in English, loosely translated as “Master”). The infamous (or famous, depending on your point of view) story of Mr. Schon’s discovery of Mr. Pineda on YouTube is now a part of urban legend. Basically, Mr. Schon felt that looking for a singer the traditional way was time consuming, thus committing himself to hours of browsing on YouTube. He found a clip of the band “Zoo,” and in his gut, he knew Pineda was the one. After a brief audition process, the band immediately went in to record their latest release, again with Shirley on producing duties. Considering the limited amount of time the band had to adjust to Mr. Pineda and vice versa, Journey version 3 was able to churn out high output, with a 3-disc package: one disc of 11 new songs, the other an 11 re-recorded greatest hits compilation, and the third, a live DVD of their recent performance at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. With a huge question on whether Mr. Pineda could fill in the void left by Mr. Perry and co., I was, suffice to say, quite hesitant to listen to the new disc for fear of disappointment. The opening track, “Never Walk Away,” was enough to erase any doubts in my mind. I was blown away immediately. The opening, soaring guitar riff with a crash of drums and bass was enough to keep me smiling as it opened the door to the possibilities of a new, relevant Journey. Mr. Pineda’s voice was immediately seared into my brain with the first line: “So young in love and they couldn’t wait/said their vows just to run away.” Alright, that is cheesy lyric but that is what great songwriting is all about. Again the songs revisit familiar themes of running away, love, broken promises, etc., the band fires on all cylinders on this driving, propelling track. Strong cuts on the album include: the ballad “After All These Years,” which is sure to make waves on Adult Contemporary Radio. “What It Takes to Win” is an aerobic, anthemic tune that would fit in great on any boxing movie soundtrack. “Like A Sunshower” is a doo-wop type of ballad with a chord structure reminiscent of “Lights” from Journey’s earlier material but is strong enough to stand out on its own. “Change for the Better” has Mr. Pineda showcasing vocal staccato breaks reminiscent of an earlier hit, “Any Way You Want It.” Mr. Pineda’s voice is full of fire and soul, and combined with the band, becomes an instrument unto itself. I’ve seen a YouTube performance of “Never Walk Away” and Jonathan Cain (keyboards) is playing rhythm guitar. The song is pure melodic rock, without the aid of keyboards, and from a technical standpoint, that’s very difficult to pull off. There is an ethereal, live ambience feel to the whole album, like it was cut live in the studio. Mr. Pineda respectfully gives a nod to Steve Perry by being able to duplicate his signature high tenor, yet infuses his own raw, rough and fiery style. I doubt if Mr. Perry would be able to pull of the rough and raw vocals of Mr. Pineda on “What It Takes to Win.” The rest of the album is very strong material, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t post high sales. Mr. Schon and Mr. Castronovo are in fine form throughout the album. Mr. Schon is truly an underrated guitarist, who not only is technically good, but rhythmically great. I am particularly impressed with Mr. Castronovo’s rock-solid drums and the raw, primal sound of the production by Mr. Shirley. The 2nd disc of re-recorded versions of their greatest hits is good but not great. That’s fine with me, and enough to keep a Journey fan’s appetite wet. I am a guitarist myself, having played in Filipino cover bands for 20 years and I know that Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here. But he is the most optimal singer, a consummate professional who is the best fit for Journey. After all, he has been singing Journey tunes for most of his career. I guess he had 25 years of rehearsal, and he rightly deserves this job. With Mr. Pineda on vocal duties, there is that distinct possibility that Journey may finally escape the stigma of “The Voice,” and finally be given credit simply as a group of guys who made good music, and are still continuing to make relevant, good tunes, as a band that never tried to be hip in the first place. Hard core fans and critics may disagree, but opinions vary, and, as they say, music does the best talking. Listen for yourself and close your eyes. There might be a day when the question is reversed: Will Mr. Perry be able to fill in Mr. Pineda’s shoes? Buy this disc, and don’t stop listening and believing.

MAKATI City -- When the moon decides to show its face and signals the awakening of night clubs, the streets are filled with anything but economical vehicles parked in single file, all shiny and newly polished. The car door is opened by their haggard sleepless bodyguards, the loud pumping beats then exposed to everyone within the vicinity. All eyes now magnetized to the pairs of legs that extend to hit the curb, topped with either overpriced limited edition sneakers or spotless five-inch dangerously sharp stilettos as footwear. Low-waist baggy jeans sweeping across the floor, skintight skirts, loose shirts, cleavage-bearing tops, baseball caps, not to mention the overtly lavish bling-blings -- these are common signs of the classier hip-hop culture in the Philippines. But there is also the so-called “ghetto” group of hip-hoppers, or the gangsters. The ones we tend to look away from when we're walking down a dark alley in fear of our lives. They are the ones with large holes in their ears and hidden scars that tell a story of pride and skewed courage. Classy or ghetto, rich or poor, the hip-hop culture remains to be a huge part of the Filipino culture. In the video below, hip-hop artists Gino Ferraren a.k.a Nimbus9ine, Matt Panginiban a.k.a Godswill, and Mark Navarro a.k.a Marquiss, respectively explain hip-hop culture in the Philippines and how it changed their lives. There are many elements to the birth of hip-hop in the Philippines but perhaps the most influential factor would be the heavy influx of American musical styles brought to the country by the Americans during the late 1970s when cassette tapes, videos, books and magazines were passed around in the towns and barrios surrounding the American military bases, such as Clark Air Base in Angeles City and Subic naval base in Olongapo, City. According to hip-hop artists Gino Ferraren, also known as "Nimbus9ine," the 1990s proved to be the golden age for Filipino hip-hop, as local artists Francis Magalona and Andrew E. (E for Espiritu) pioneered this music genre in the country. Since then, rap artists emerged and even dominated music hit charts. The demand for the hip-hop fashion increased, forcing the establishment of FUBU Philippines in 2002. In 2005, the first Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards were held. Hip-hop culture in the Philippines has its sub-brackets. There are production labels on the constant lookout for promising rap artists, event production companies that promise a thumping time in the biggest clubs, dance groups, clothing lines, club DJs and radio disc jockeys. Whatever aspect you wish to incorporate hip-hop into your life, rap artists Nimbus9ine, Matt “Godswill” Panginiban, and Mark “Marquiss” Navarro choose to tell their stories through verse. In the video below, I asked them to freestyle to a random repetitive beat (from L-R: Nimbus9ine, Godswill, and Marquiss). Hip-hop listener or not, they say something that may be of relevance.