👍"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991)/Nirvana. My opening track that fittingly snared the angst, anger, rebellious mode and "freeness" of that generation's spunk; "I would sing off-key and the audience still loves it, never knowing the difference," Curt Cobain(+) discloses; the vid sums up everything for this atmospheric (smokey, too) number.
👍"Wonderwall" (1995)/Oasis. The Gallagher brothers' colossal hit; "There are so many things I'd like to say to you but I don't know how"; nice rhythm guitar, too.
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| "Little People" in the garden... |
👍"Natutulog Kong Mundo" (1995)/Wolfgang. Off their eponomously titled debut LP from Ivory Records produced by Kedy Sanchez; original line-up includes Basti Artadi, Manuel Legarda, Mon Legaspi, Francis Aquino, Wolf Gemora.
👍"Give It Away" (1991)/Red Hot Chili Peppers. Culled from Blood Sugar Sex Magik album; funk/rap rock featuring John Frusciante -- who later on left the group -- on guitar, Flea on bass and Chad Smith on drums. Never mind the glorified vocalist Anthony Kiedis.
👍"Zombie" (1993)/The Cranberries. My youngest daughter reveres this group led by Irish Dolores O'Riordan(+); perfect as...you nailed it!...soundtrack for the hit TV series The Walking Dead, even though it's way too late.
👍"Bilanggo" (1995)/Rizal Underground. Led by twin brothers Mike (the fastest guitarist (Noli Aurillo, too) alive) and Angelo Villegas (bass); "Bilanggo sa rehas na gawa ng puso mo"; from PolyCosmic Records; the band, featuring orig singer Stephen Lu, will be reunited for a European tour starting May this year.
👍"Daughter" (1991)/Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder typifies the nonchalant demeanor of a rock star who's disinterested with fame and glory; Pearl Jam is Neil Young's ("the godfather of grunge") best-loved back-up band after Crazy Horse, of course (nag-rhyme pa).
👍"Song 2" (1997)/Blur. The band from U.K. originally called this punk rock entry "Woo-hoo"; "When I feel heavy metal/And I'm pins and I'm needles."
👍"Losing My Religion" (1991)/R.E.M. The band lays down the instrumentation first...the vocal track follows. That has been their creative blueprint since the beginning. Rapid Eye Movement can thus also be called Reverse Engineering Mantra. Got that? Nuff said!
👍"Bulls on Parade" (1996)/Rage Against the Machine. American alt/rap metal band ranting again against the establishment; guitarist Tom Morello's tech-savvy sound is ostensibly displayed here.
👍"Prinsesa" (1995)/Teeth. "Wala man akong pag-aari/Pangako kong habang buhay kitang pagsisilbihan"; off their double platinum (maybe more) debut LP; vocalist Glenn Jacinto's lung ailment limited them from going full blast in their live engagements.
👍"Selling the Drama" (1994)/Live. "Now we won't be raped/Hey, now we won't be scarred like that." Redolent lines for d always fumbling president. Agree?
👍"Runaway Train" (1992)/Soul Asylum. The group's one and only substantial hit off their Grave Dancers Union LP; "Seems like I should be getting somewhere/Somehow I'm neither here nor there." A phase we all go through in life. Been there, done that...
👍"Loser" (1993)/Beck. The "Midnight Rider" (Allman Brothers Band) slide riff adds an idiosyncratic flavor to this spoken word rock opus. Meanwhile...we are "choking on the splinters."
👍"Awit ng Kabataan" (1994)/Rivermaya. Anthemic entry from my all-time treasured rock band; quintessential artist Perf de Castro (my peborit) on lead guitar.
👍"1979" (1995)/Smashing Pumpkins. This band together with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas, Sandwich, Blind Melon, Orange & Lemons, Meat Loaf, The Cranberries, Strawberry Switchblade, Cake and Mayonnaise (add Hotdog, too for good measure) are perfect choices for the forthcoming culinary-festival-cum-rock-concert sponsored by SM Hypermarkets to be held in MOA open grounds (free plug). Let us not forget the comebacking groups Cream, Raspberries, Vanilla Fudge, Moby Grape, Bread and Humble Pie. All of them regrouping for this gig. Just imagining things, fellas...
👍"Plush" (1993)/Stone Temple Pilots. This supergroup remained at the foreground of the burgeoning 90's Seattle subculture; "And I feel, I feel when the dogs begin to smell her."
👍"Semi-Charmed Life" (1997)/Third Eye Blind. A perfect song for would-be strummers with its very basic chord pattern all throughout.
👍"Payaso" (1997)/Razorback. They have opened for Silverchair, Rage Against the Machine and Metallica; off their Beggar's Moon LP; past and present members: Kevin Roy, Tirso Ripol, Manuel Legarda, David Aguirre, Brian Velasco(+), Louie Talan.
👍"Black Hole Sun" (1994)/Soundgarden. Chris Cornell's(+) unmistakable mournful grief defined Seattle's claim to fame by having plenty of young turks that represented their genre; another noteworthy voice of rock gone for good.
👍"Creep" (1993)/Radiohead. The band's first hit with its pervasive (and supposed-to-be) gun-cocking that reminds us of suicidal maniacs: "I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo." No, you're not. We are all special human beings...and it's awesome being here; don't reply with "What the fog! I don't give a shirt!
👍"Next in Line" (1995)/After Image. From their preliminary Dyna album Touch the Sun; "What has life to offer me/When I grow old?" Wency Cornejo profoundly asks.
👍"Friday I'm in Love" (1992)/The Cure. The group's loftiest charting single in their 40-year plus career; reminds me of Imelda Papin's "Isang Linggong Pag-ibig." What a parallelism...shoot na shoot (both the same)!
👍"California Love" (1996)/2Pac(+). The compelling dance groove is hard to be rebuffed; considered as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Because he died abruptly? Just asking...
👍"Ironic" (1995)/Alanis Morissette. Grammy Award nominee for Record of the Year from her strikingly successful LP Jagged Little Pill; "It's like rain on your wedding day."
👍"Manila Girl" (1994)/Put3ska. Their first album released by OctoArts contained this dance-oriented number; Myra Ruaro, a.k.a. Skarlet Brown today, fronted this ska band; "Your feet is movin' steady/I dare you follow me."
👍"Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993)/Lenny Kravitz. This punk rock number has survived the passing of time. Still fresh and original since the day I first heard it.
👍"Kiss From a Rose" (1994)/Seal. Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, a.k.a. Seal, elaborately crafted this classic triple time and ethereal song we all enjoy up to this day. The wifey is extremely ebullient over this.
👍"Alapaap" (1994)/Eraserheads. Pardon me for using the hackneyed word again: the iconic Buddy Zabala bass riff says it all. Der u go...
👍"All I Wanna Do" (1993)/Sheryl Crow. Clapton's former back-up singer had a successful run as a solo act; the multi-instrumentalist also plays bass; a bluesy and country rock entry.
👍"Waterfalls" (1994)/TLC. Grammy nominee for Record of the Year. The unmistakable funky wah-wah is all over the place.
👍"Gonna Make You Sweat" (1991)/C+C Music Factory. Dis must be amplified while pumping iron...what else? Or do ya have other plans?
👍"Till I Hear It From You" (1996)/Gin Blossoms. Still regularly played by local DJ's; southern rock evocative of .38 Special, Eagles and Atlanta Rhythm Section.
👍"Kisapmata" (1996)/Rivermaya. Bamboo is known for turning a straightforward song into a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (sorry, millennials, for using an ancient (jurassic is more like it) word...hehe) hit through his unequivocal talent; his vibrato/tremolo chops is unmatched until today.
👍"High and Dry" (1995)/Radiohead. From The Bends LP; leader Thom Yorke (vocals/guitar/piano) rates this song: "It's not bad...it's very bad." Crass commercialism ain't his prerogative. But hits bring in lots of green bucks through record sales, streams, royalties, concert tours and endorsements so you'll have food on d table, money 2 pay your bills, etc.
👍"Lithium" (1991)/Nirvana. Off their ground-breaking LP Nevermind; "I killed you...I'm not gonna crack."
👍"Gangsta's Paradise" (1995)/Coolio. Sold 5 million (maybe more) copies in U.S., U.K. and Germany combined; nominated for Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
👍"Tha Crossroads" (1995)/Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The numerous vocal tracks are punctuated by subtle but effective musical undertones; "God bless you working on a plan to heaven/Even though the devil's all up on my face."
👍"Iris" (1998)/Goo Goo Dolls. The well-thought about strings interlude speaks volumes for this 3/4 ditty. Charoth (whatever)!
👍"Tubthumping" (1997)/Chumbawamba. Guitarist Bob Whaley said this is about the "resilience of ordinary people"; perfect for booze parties: "Pissing the night away." Ganern! (That's it!)
👍"Kaleidoscope World" (1995)/Francis M. Undeniably, Francis Magalona's(+) matchless song; Noel Mendez (on lead) and Perf de Castro shared guitar duties here.
👍"Drive" (1999)/Incubus. Alt rock from the California boys led by Brandon Boyd; "So whatever tomorrow brings/I'll be there with open arms and open eyes."
👍"Mr. Jones" (1993)/Counting Crows. Singer Adrian Gurvitz' clear cut improv lines add a different facet to this otherwise accessible tune.
👍"Hallelujah" (1994)/Jeff Buckley. Originally done by Leonard Cohen, this version catapulted Jeff's career into the mainstream; "Well, I heard there was a secret chord/That David played and it pleased the Lord." We sure wanna know what that freaking chord is, don't we?
👍"Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo" (1994)/Yano. Former Patatag (a classy protest group from U.P.) member Dong Abay and guitarist Eric Gancio with their breakout folk/rock number; shove-it-up-your-nose (saksak mo sa baga) and WTF lyrics; produced by Arthur Pimentel and Pocholo Concepcion for Alpha Records.
👍"Two Princes" (1993)/Spin Doctors. The skin-pounding of Aaron Comess took this 4-chord song to Top 40 prominence.
👍"Lovefool" (1996)/Cardigans. Something is wrong with the chord progression. Listen closely at the cluster of chords in the end of the verses...hindi sila magkakamag-anak (they are not related). Bara-bara (devil-may-care) songwriting; the catchy chorus saved the day for them.
👍Shoutout for these mega-monster 90's pop hits: "More Than Words" (1990)/Extreme; "Change the World" (1996)/Eric Clapton; "Don't Speak" (1995)/No Doubt; "Perfect" (1993)/True Faith; "Smooth" (1999)/Santana feat. Rob Thomas; "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (1998)/Aerosmith; "Torn" (1998)/Natalie Imbruglia; "Kahit Kailan" (1996)/South Border. The decade is never complete without these strokes of genius.
👍"Overdrive" (1995)/Eraserheads. Ely Buendia remains as the superlative rock OPM songwriter...no one else comes close (wid d exception of Rico Blanco). Kanta yon ah (that's a song title).
👍"One of Us" (1995)/Joan Osborne. Nominated for Grammy Award for Song of the Year; "What if God was one of us?"
👍"Spoonman" (1994)/Soundgarden. They were at the forefront of the garage band revolution/movement; can't keep up with the varying time signatures though.
👍"Block Rockin' Beats" (1997)/The Chemical Brothers. Off their Dig Your Own Hole LP, long before EDM (electronic dance music)/big beat permeated the scene; one of the earliest techno sounds (if I'm not mistaken).
👍"Firestarter" (1997)/Prodigy. Lead singer/frontman Keith Flint(+) took his own life at 49; "I'm shellshocked, fuckin' angry, confused and heartbroken, RIP, brother," says bandmate Liam Howlett; vid was shot in an old abandoned subway.
👍"Someday We'll Know" (1999)/New Radicals. "90 miles outside Chicago"; the group -- led by enigmatic Gregg Alexander -- dissolved after the release of their first album; covered by Mandy Moore and Hall & Oates.
👍"Meron Akong Ano" (1993)/Francis M. There are a lot of messages for this punk rap number, and if you're still hard-pressed finding it -- you have to first gulp an ice cold Royal Tru-Orange -- the answer is blowing in the winds of Scarborough Shoal.
👍"Sex and Candy" (1997)/Marcy Playground. "I smell sex and candy here/Who's that lounging in my chair"; one hit-wonder group.
👍"Unbelievable" (1991)/EMF. Danceable rock; used later in the movie Coyote Ugly.
👍"Stupid Girl" (1995)/Garbage. "This song could just as easily be called 'Stupid Boy.' It's just a song of reproach to a lot of people we know," says lead vocalist Shirley Manson, who's always in eyeliners in those days.
👍"Multo sa Paningin (Multong Bakla)" (1994)/The Youth. The sardonic jab at the third sex smells of something homophobic. Uncalled for gender insensitiveness for this otherwise above average ska-inspired track. Vice Ganda must have hated this...
👍"Shine" (1994)/Collective Soul. Post-garage music from this Georgia-based band; "Heaven let your light shine out."
👍"Stay" (1995)/Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories. The ultimate breakup song about confusion, sadness and longing; I used to play the intro in my guitar.
👍"Streets of Philadelphia" (1993)/Bruce Spingsteen. "I was bruised and battered/I couldn't tell what I felt/I was unrecognizable to myself"; Tom Hanks starred in Philadelphia, a movie about AIDS.
👍"Lakas Tama" (1996)/Siakol. A recent scuffle (posted in the internet) involving two band members ensued in one of their concerts; off their Ivory Records Tayo na sa Paraiso LP; "Lakas tama, ako'y nawawala." (Heady trip, I'm gone.)
👍"Right Here, Right Now" (1991)/Jesus Jones. British alt dance band off their Doubt album.
👍"Interstate Love Song" (1994)/Stone Temple Pilots. The DeLeo brothers unceremoniously fired singer Scott Weiland in 2013 because his solo activities and erratic behavior were detrimental to the band. Tama na...sobra na (enough is enough); grungey number 2 d core.
👍"Hard to Handle" (1990)/Black Crowes. Originally done by Otis Redding; "Pretty little thing let me light your candle."
👍"The Rockafeller Skank" (1998)/Fatboy Slim. "Right about now/The funk soul brother"; skank means a sleazy or unpleasant person; big beat from the DJ.
👍"Closing Time" (1998)/Semisonic. Obviously, a perfect closing song for bars; "I know who I want to take me home."
👍"Stars" (1991)/Simply Red. "So many words are left unspoken/The silent voices are driving me crazy"; the Guwapings (handsome boys) -- Jomari Yllana, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Eric Fructuoso -- used this cut to promote themselves in d 90's via a dance number.
👍"When She Cries" (1992)/Restless Heart. This one was discovered posthumously through an alluring alumna of Pinoy Big Brother back in the day. The local radio stations naturally followed suit making this a return-of-the-comeback breakout hit; perfect for (I'll say it again) road trips: "The road I have traveled on/Is paved with good intentions."
👍"Walking in Memphis" (1991)/Marc Cohn. "Put on my blue suede shoes" is an obvious allusion to Elvis...a fitting tribute to the king from Memphis.
👍"Something's Always Wrong" (1994)/Toad the Wet Sprocket. Off their 4th LP Dulcinea from Columbia Records; an adult contemporary/nu wave cut; sprockets are wheels with teeth used in bicycles, motorcycles and cars...
👍"Himala" (1996)/Rivermaya. "Hindi mahanap sa lupa ang pag-asa/Nakikiusap na lang..." Teka...mahirap i-translate yan, camote cue ang lolo nyo. I will pass on that; another heart-wrenching vocal delivery from Bamboo Manalac.
👍"6th Avenue Heartache" (1996)/The Wallflowers. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jakob Dylan -- Bob Dylan's son -- fronts this great band.
👍"You Get What You Give" (1998)/New Radicals. "Wake up, kids, we've got the dreamers disease," warbles Gregg Alexander.
👍"Harana" (1997)/Parokya ni Edgar. Even if believing in themselves is not their cup of tea, the band achieved superstar status by filling in big arenas and having multi-platinum albums in the course of their illustrious career. They have 15 best-selling albums from Universal Records (correct me if I'm wrong) to their credit; the wifey is ga-ga over dis.
👍"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" (1992)/R.E.M. A sidewinder is a venomous rattlesnake, FYI; college rock from the LP Automatic for the People.
👍"Counting Blue Cars" (1995)/Dishwalla. The group's name came from a Hindi term for a person providing satellite TV to a neighborhood.
👍"Magasin" (1994)/Eraserheads. From the Circus album -- another multi-platinum seller from the lads; could have been inspired by the J. Geils Band's "Centerfold."
👍"Far Behind" (1993)/Candlebox. "Now maybe I didn't mean to treat you oh so bad" is a line alluding to Andrew Wood(+), the lead singer of Seattle group Mother Love Bone, who od'ed on heroine in 1990.
👍"Mmm Mmm Mmm" (1993)/Crash Test Dummies. This Canadian group is led by the easily identifiable bass/baritone vocals of Brad Roberts; a crash test dummy is a life-size doll/model of a person used in tests to see what happens to people when a car gets into an accident.
👍"Follow You Down" (1996)/Gin Blossoms. From their Congratulations, I'm Sorry album; "Did you see the sky/I think it means that we've been lost."
👍"No Excuses" (1994)/Alice in Chains. Acoustic rock/grunge off their Jar of Flies LP; lead singer Layne Staley(+) died of heroine overdose in 2002. What else is new?
👍"Minsan" (1994)/Eraserheads. A song about long lasting brotherhood; perfect for maboboteng usapan (drinking sessions) with bosom friends...San Mig Lite 4 me any old time.
👍"If It Makes You Happy" (1996)/Sheryl Crow. The simple yet compelling intro sums it all up. "Really now?" my alter ego asks sarcastically.
👍"One Headlight" (1997)/The Wallflowers. This roots rock band was formed in 1989; "Hey, come on, try a little/Nothing is forever." Whatever that is...
👍"Nothing Compares to You" (1990)/ Sinead O'Connor. This side project of Prince(+) is the biggest hit of Shuhada' Davitt, better known as Sinead O'Connor -- an Irish singer/songwriter/producer.
👍"All I Want" (1991)/Toad the Wet Sprocket. "The air speaks of all we'll never be" -- a Zen-like line from frontman Glen Phillips.
👍"Jeremy" (1991)/Pearl Jam. Grammy Award for Best Rock Song about Jeremy Wade Delle, a high school student who shot himself in front of his English class in 1991.
👍"Torpe" (1997)/Hungry Young Poets. Barbie Almalbis' first incursion into the scene before forming Barbie's Cradle; "Namamatay na ang mga rosas diyan sa tabi/Di ka pa rin bumibili."
👍"Basket Case" (1994)/Green Day. The band's first single where Billy Joe Armstrong croons: "I went to a shrink to analyze my dreams/She says it's lack of sex that's bringing me down."
👍"Slide" (1998)/Goo Goo Dolls. Formerly known as the Sex Maggots (another bad band name); led by Johnny Rzeznik from New York.
👍"Reklamo nang Reklamo" (1997)/The Jerks. Off their album Haligi ng Maynila produced by Gabby Lopez for Star Records; Chickoy Pura -- through ups and downs -- had come a long way since his Katrina's days. Truly deserving to be called a dyed-in-the-wool rock star.
👍"Best I Ever Had" (1999)/Vertical Horizon. Alt/Indie pop by former Philippine visitors from Georgetown Univ. in Washington, D.C.
👍"Laklak" (1995)/Teeth. Chosen by prog rock radio station NU 107 as Song of the Year; punk rock/grunge entry from Warner Records produced by Rene Salta.
👍"You Learn" (1995)/Alanis Morissette. From the Canadian's best-selling album Jagged Little Pill produced by Glen Ballard.
👍"I Don't Want to Wait" (1996)/Paula Cole. This American singer/songwriter has taught voice in Berklee Coll. of Music in Boston; used in the TV hit series Dawson's Creek.
👍"Walang Hanggang Paalam" (1991)/Joey Ayala. From his Magkabilaan LP; "Ang pag-ibig natin ay/Walang hanggang paalam/At habang papalayo/Papalapit pa rin ang puso"; a stirring and uplifting tune to end this 90's rock singles playlist from my all-time musical hero...
