Old, new sounds from old bands

Back when local bands were rocking harder than they ever did since the days of the Juan de la Cruz, Color It Red came along to breathe sweetness and light into the local music scene. That happened 16 years ago and it was mainly thanks to the vocals of Cooky Chua. Dulcet, mellow, such was Cooky then and it was because of her that tunes like Paglisan, Na Naman and Hand Painted Sky became anthems for the hip kids who also enjoyed moments of introspection along with the loud rocking sounds.

Cooky is always a pleasure to listen to and that is why the rare recording outings of Color It Red is always a welcome treat. I do not know if it was planned or merely coincidence but at a time when the local music scene is once again rocking with all its might, here comes Cooky with Color It Red with a new release. If I remember right, this is only the group’s fourth album in 15 years and its first in six years, so we might as well enjoy it. For all you know it might take a long time before they decide to come up with another one.

Also entitled Color It Red, the album is totally made up of new originals, most of them composed by members of the group. Leading the lineup is Dalawa, written by bassist Bopip Paraguya, which is right up there with the current band sound and must be why it was chosen as the carrier single. There are also the mellow Ilog ng Pagsinta, the pop love songs Stay and You, the big rocker Ang Mundo ay Bilog, the Latin-tinged Kung Ikaw Na Nga, the jazzy Sweet Freedom and From the Other Side of the Sea, which is based on a poem by Marra Pl. Lanot, plus Ikaw at Ako, Speak to Me, Panalo and If You Loved Only Me.

Color It Red is made up of Barbi Cristi on the rhythm acoustic guitar, Cooky Chua on vocals, Ariel Policarpio on lead guitar, Bopip Paraguya on bass, Jayvee Torres on drums and Sam Salazar-Baja on keyboards.

Warner Music compilations

If you like the rock groups of the past then these two well-packaged compilations from Warner Music should be of interest to you. I grant that the price of P350 per album might seem a bit too much but the albums are worth it, what with the bonus video CD that comes with every copy and all the hits. These do meet the demands of the fans but the producers should have also thought of the first-time listeners. That is my only complaint. There should have been a booklet inside with more info about these bands.

Teeth Greatest Hits has the music in one CD and the videos in the other. The VCD has live performances of the controversial Laklak, Shooting Star, Darating and Princesa taken from the PULP Freakshow of 2001 and from the NU Rock Awards of Laklak in 1995 and Shooting Star in 2000. Also included are the videos of Princesa and Shooting Star. The sound disc has all those aforementioned tunes plus Time Machine, Bum Squad, Tampo, Super Human, Tugtugan Na, Phone Rings, Epekto, Sorry, Puwing, Me, Unleaded and Dogs Can Fly.

Teeth was one of the most exciting groups of the ’90s and rocked harder than most. It was made up of Glen Jacinto on vocals, Jerome Velasco on guitars, Peding Narvaja on bass, Andrew Sergio on bass and Mike Dizon, who is now with Sandwich, on drums.

Cheese: The Complete Collection also has two discs. The video CD has Parusa, Enes, Steve, Gaido, Garden Fresh (In a Cool Dry Place), Mottaka, Hele, Monkeys, Trilogy, Disconnect and 10X Karma. These tracks are included in the sound disc which has 20 cuts including Fine, Doobie Tunes, Six, GMP, The Way, Few Seconds of Pain, O.J. 8Graz, Tupa and Guinea Pig.

I do not know if Cheese is still active but it was certainly one of the most innovative groups from 10 years back. It was made up of Ian Tayao on vocals, Paolo "8" Toleran on guitars, Enzo Ruidera on guitars, Tuts Calinawan on bass, Paolo Rosal on drums, CJ Olaguera on percussion and RT Deano and Biboy Garcia on the turntables.