Pirates for Edgar

Whatever else may be said of Parokya Ni Edgar, one can’t deny that they’ve lived the roles of rock stars well; coming out with one CD after another fairly regularly, the Parokya have mastered the tricky art of the melodically crafted pop song.

Because the Parokya are successful pop artisans, their detractors are quick to point out that some of their tunes indeed sound alike, as if they were milking a particular chord progression to death. The argument is not without its merits, as a song or two in the band’s latest, Musikahan (Buhay na naman si Edgar, Patay Tayo D’yan), does sound similar to songs from earlier albums.

For one, Sige na Naman from the new album has echoes from Halaga of about three years ago, both with the same ringing guitars and lilting bass line. Another possible proof that the band may be running out of ideas, at least as a pirated version of Musikahan purchased in a nearby Muslim quarter goes, is their opting to rework old standards such as Apo’s Pumapatak ang Ulan and (Hotdog’s?) Beh Buti Nga. The Apo song at least is given new updated lyrics in trademark Parokya style (as in Trip [Siopao na Special] and Picha Pie).

The arrangement of Beh Buti Nga, meanwhile, hardly departs from the original, which makes it almost like a tribute.

Other times Parokya seems content in mining the tried and tested formulas, which makes them almost guilty of parodying themselves.

Huwag Kang Mag-alala has a bluesy feel with memorable refrain, Superstar uses vocal work as if sung through a sieve, and Sorry Na has attractive chord breaks with embarrassingly maudlin lyrics.

A clever song like the upbeat Swimming Beach can on repeated listenings come across as boring and contrived.

For the most part, Parokya may have more creativity and imagination in the later placed songs such as y, where vocalist Chito Miranda tries to do something slightly different with his voice, or could it be the effect of booze on the throat.

Critics of Parokya say that other bands like RiverMaya had the good sense to constantly replenish its membership as its sound evolved through the years. Not that a band cannot grow with the same members through the years, even decades; on the contrary it can, if there is sufficient musical fermentation around.

Abroad the rock and roll dinosaur the Who maintained more or less the four same members through the years while rearranging the whole rock landscape, until drummer Keith Moon died in 1978 and bassist John Entwistle just recently.

But a band like the Rolling Stones has sadly begun to repeat itself, giving vent to the notion that its members have become boring old farts. How can a middle aged millionaire be convincing when he sings about unrequited love in a funky mode? Only in Nabokov’s Lolita, and maybe not even there.

Closer to home, the most successful bands have opted to embark on side projects to keep the musical juices flowing, in a manner of speaking. And latest word has it that the Eraserheads’ Ely Buendia has quit the band.

This is not to suggest that vocalist Chito Miranda or bassist Buhawi Meneses start their own independent side projects, although it could help arrest the band’s slide into outright predictability.

In the meantime we can continue relistening to the acclaimed hits which more often than not are included as bonus tracks in pirated versions of CDs, such as Buloy, Inuman Na, Harana, and Lutong Bahay (Cooking ng Ina Mo).

This last song is very Edgar in its profane teasing, like Don’t Touch My Birdie, although the joke is effective only for so long.

(Not that we encourage consumers to patronize pirates, but in times of crisis, music fans have little choice, especially if one were unsure if all the CD’s cuts would stand up to the album’s price tag, which admittedly is very rare. Then again, the titles mentioned in this review might not be that accurate, knowing the penchant of pirates to mutilate song titles and names of artists themselves.)