Someone I Used Not to Know but Now Know Well

(On an Obscure Artist known as Margo Guryan)

by aLfie vera mella

{dedicated to my friend and bandmate Christine Mazur, the one who introduced me to this obscure artist}

Born on September 30, 1937, in New York, United States, Margo Guryan is an American songwriter/artist whose style of Baroque Pop music resonates in the music of many contemporary Indie/Twee Pop bands like Club 8 and Camera Obscura.

Margo Guryan has three albums to her credit: the proper full-length studio album Take a Picture (1968); the compilation 25 Demos; and The Chopsticks Variations, her 14 variations of the Classical piece "The Celebrated Chop Waltz."

Guryan got to release only one proper studio album, Take a Picture (1968), which contains melodic, sunny, and poppy songs which in today's standards could easily be classified as Twee Pop—cutesy Indie Pop music often sung by female vocalists and whose song structures are simple but whose instrumentations are very melodically textured. The musicians credited in Guryan's album were John Hill (guitars), Kirk Hamilton (bass and flute), Phil Bodner (oboe), Paul Griffin (keyboards), and Buddy Saltzman (drums). Guryan has written also songs for and collaborated with many fellow artists whom included Cass Elliot, Glen Campbell, and Astrud Gilberto; but on her own as a performer, she released only one album, apparently because she didn't like the pressures and the compromises that involved in being a public performer especially when it came to touring.

Here's one notable song, "Someone I Know," off her only album for which Guryan used as a guide to write a background contrapuntal melody the 10th movement (popularly known as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring") of Bach's cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben ('Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life'), BWV 147.

Guryan's "Someone I Know" incorporated a piece of Bach's music into its background very effectively.

Johann Sebastian Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," the 10th movement of his cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 (written in 1716)

This was one of the many songs Guryan wrote for other artists, "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You" (1967), which she wrote for the '60s-active French singer Claudine Longet.

This was a demo version of "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You," which was sung by Guryan herself; released by Oglio Records in 2001 as part of  25 Demos, a compilation of songs in demo format that Guryan wrote for other artists.

Guryan's Influence on Twee Pop
Having listened to the music of Guryan and being familiar with many bands whose music may be classified as Indie Pop or Twee Pop, I could say that Guryan's music resonates in the musical styles of many contemporary Indie Pop bands, especially those sung by female vocalists; the likes of the Scottish band Camera Obscura and the Swedish band Club 8 come to mind.

Here's a beautiful YouTube video which used as its background music the song "Shine like a New Pin" by Camera Obscura, from the Scottish Indie Pop band's debut album, Biggest Bluest Hi Fi (2001).

Here's "Spring Came, Rain Fell," my favorite song from the Swedish Indie Pop band Club 8, from their fourth album with the same title (2002)

Final Note
To this day, Guryan remains active in the music industry as a songwriter and lyricist, albeit not prolifically. So far, the only recently new personal material she released was the single "16 Words" with B-side "Yes I Am"(2007), which are both politically charged songs. Guryan's penchant for Baroque music is still apparent in the sound of these songs. 

In her new single released in 2007, "16 Words," Guryan's Baroque sound remains obvious.

In 2001, Oglio Records released 25 Demos, a compilation of Guryan's recorded demos of songs she wrote for other artists. Furthermore, in 2009, the same record label released the album The Chopsticks Variations, which showcased Guryan as a Classical pianist (She was Classically trained as a child, majoring in piano). The album features Guryan's 14 variations of the popular Classical piece "The Celebrated Chop Waltz" (better known as "Chopsticks"), originally written in 1877 by the British composer Euphemia Allen under the pseudonym Arthur de Lulli (Yes, Allen was a female). 

Here's a rendition of Allen's popular piece nicknamed "Chopsticks," whose actual title is "The Celebrated Chop Waltz" (1877).

Here's Guryan's Variation 1 (titled "Round") of the famous Classical piece "The Celebrated Chop Waltz," included in the album The Chopsticks Variations by Margo Guryan, released in 2009 by Oglio Records.

Are You a 'Backmasked' Thinker?

(On the Myth of Backmasking and Folly of Backward Thinking)

by aLfie vera mella

Madali ka bang maniwala sa mga sabi-sabi, mga hakahaka, mga tsismis, at mga maling akala? Hindi ka ba muna nag-iisip bago ka mauto? Hindi mo ba muna pinag-aaralan at inaalam ang ugat ng bawat kaalaman bago ka mag-desisyong gumawa ng sarli mong konklusyón?

Mula nang nakapagtrabaho ako sa Diwa Scholastic Press Inc., mula 2000 hanggang 2003, naging maingat na 'ko sa pagpili ng salita sa aking mga lathalaing isinusulat. Malaki talaga ang naging impluwensya sa 'kin ng trabaho ko ruon bilang editor at writer ng scholastic textbooks at magazines. Syempre, hangga't maaari ay hindi dapat offensive ang language at approach, dahil panay students at teachers ang target readers ng publications namin; bukod pa, dapat ay well-founded ang topics na isinusulat namin; dapat well-researched, hindi p'wedeng masyadong opinionated o hula-hula lang, kundi tanggal ka sa trabaho pag may nagreklamong eskwelahan.

Naalala ko tuloy nung bago pa lang akong editor ng BatoBalani Science & Technology Magazine for Highschool. Meron kasing magazine section na pinangalanang "Pseudoscience," kung saan ay tinatalakay ko ang false beliefs, mga paniniwalang matagal nang pinabulaanan ng scientific explanations. Ilan sa topics na ni-feature ko ay "Horoscope," "Palmistry," "Exorcism," "Speed-reading," "Paglilihi," "Agimat at Anting-anting (Amulets)." Ang sarap talakayin ng mga usaping iyan, mainly because hindi talaga ako naniniwala sa mga 'yan kaya napakadali, para sa akin, na i-refute ang mga ito sa tulong ng references at researches ko. Pero...

Isang topic ang muntik ko nang ikatanggal sa trabaho—"Backmasking"!

Ang approach ko kasi sa pagsulat ng article na 'yan ay masyadong strong...masyado kong binatikos. Hahaha! Basta, sinabi ko na ako mismo ay nag-conduct ng actual backmasking (which I really did) to explain the process. Ang bottomline: Kahit anong klase pang kanta (kahit spoken sentence) ang babaligtarin natin, weird ang magiging tunog nito...at meron at merong tatamaang "offensive message," o ika nga ng mga makikitid ang utak, "mensaheng galing kay Satanas."

Halimbawa, ang banda ko ay nag-compose ng isang kanta tungkol sa kalagayan ng Pilipinas...ako ang lyricist, ganito ang ilang words na naisip kong isama sa lyric:

"Huwag na sana taasan ang presyo ng mga bilihinHirap na hirap na n'yan palagi ay taumbayan...."

Tapos nai-record namin at nai-release...sumikat sa radio, dumami ang tumangkilik...pero dahil "Rock" ang genre—dagdag pa ang weird kong porma (na ika nga ng mga makikitid ang utak, lalo na nuong '80s...pormang "Satanista")—e napansin ng mga ipokritong moralista. Binatikos ang kanta, sinubukang i-backmask.

The Process of Backmasking

Ang backmasking ay ang pagpapatugtog-pabaligtad sa isang piraso ng musika o awitin. Madali itong gawin kung ang kantang iba-backmask ay nasa vinyl format, o plaka—walang gagawin kundi ang iikot lang ang plaka nang pabaligtad (counter-clockwise). Kung cassette tape naman, medyo matrabaho—kinakailangan e buksan mo ang cassette para makuha mo yung tape sa loob; babaligtarin mo ang pagkaka-spool nito, ibabalik uli sa loob ng cassette, tapos patutugtugin mo na. Kung CD naman, hindi ako sigurado pero baka may mga software na available para mapatugtog nang pabaligtad ang laman ng audio CD.

Backmasking is “a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward. Backmasking is a deliberate process, whereas a message found through phonetic reversal may be unintentional.”

Kung iyong susuriing maige ay wala namang nangyayaring extraordinary sa backmasking kundi ang mapatugtog lang nang pabaligtad ang kantang ni-backmask mo.  

Balik tayo sa halimbawa ng lyric na ni-compose ko:

"Huwag na sana taasan ang presyo ng mga bilihinHirap na hirap na n'yan palagi ay taumbayan...."

Ayun na nga, napagtripang batikusin ng ilang ipokritong moralista ang kanta naming iyan, na ayon sa kanila ay may hidden demonic message daw; kasi nung ni-backmask nila ay may lumabas na Satanic references. Eh, natural may tatamaan at tatamaang salita...

Ngayon, subukan nating i-backmask 'yung lyric na sinulat ko; ang epekto lang naman n'yan ay parang binasa mo yung lyric mula dulo hanggang simula...

Ang huling salita ay "taumbayan," ang una ay "h'wag"; kaya, dapat ang pagbasa ay pabaligtad mula sa "taumbayan" hanggang "h'wag."

Ganito ang magiging basa:

Nayabmuat ya igalap nayin an parih an parihNihilib angam ngan oyserp nga nasaat anas nga gawuh...

Hypocritical Moralists

Pustahan tayo, kapag ipokritong moralista ang nakarinig ng backmasked version ng lyric na 'yan e eto ang ipipilit na narinig n'ya:

Nayamot...patayin ang pari...ang pari
...libangan...ay sarap nga na Satanas nga gawin!

E, halos dalawang sentences pa lang 'yan, eh paano na kung buong kanta ang i-backmask? E di andaming mga mishearing na mangyayari, na napakadaling bigyan ng mala-demonyong kahulugan.

Sa prosesong iyan ng backmasking, e hindi lang mga kantang nasa genre ng "Rock" ang kariringgan ng ganyang "hidden messages." Pustahan, kahit ang "Lupang Hinirang," o di kaya ang spoken version ng Holy Bible, kapag ni-backmask ay kariringgan din ng sangkaterbang "demonic messages" na ganyan.

Mabalik tayo sa nangyari na nga noong nai-publish na 'yung issue ng BatoBalani kung saan nandun 'yung article about backmasking...

Naka-receive ako ng phone call from my then boss (Executive Editor), informing me that he received a call from the head of a Catholic schools association; e malaking percentage pa naman ng subscribers ng Diwa ay Catholic schools. Nagrereklamo nga raw sa Pseudoscience article na "Backmasking," which they found offensive to the Catholic faith; threatening us na ipu–pull out na raw nila ang pagiging subscriber nila! Nataranta talaga ako, feeling ko e katapusan na ng career ko bilang editor. Ni-explain ko naman nang maayos sa boss ko 'yung details ng topic, tapos 'pinakita ko sa kanya lahat ng references ko, pati na rin 'yung sarili kong findings. Tapos, sabi n'ya ay ihanda ko lahat 'yun at magkakaroon daw kami ng meeting with the said Association.

Sa awa ng BatoBalani, hindi natuloy 'yung meeting. Although, excited rin ako, kasi, imagine, I would have had the chance to speak and present in front of priests! Chance ko na sana na ako ang mag-sermon sa kanila, with matching projector-and-white-board presentation pa.

Ang ginawa yata ng boss ko ay ipinadala na lang sa tumawag sa kanya ang lahat ng reference materials na ibinigay ko sa kanya. Siguro nahimasmasan rin yung mga pari na 'yon. O baka sinubukan din nila muna 'yung proseso na ginawa ko.

Hay, kundi e natanggal ako sa trabaho dahil sa backmasking na 'yan!

Naging mas maingat na ako sa pagsusulat mula nuon. Pero, matigas pa rin ang ulo ko. Sige pa rin ang sulat ko ng controversial articles; ang ginawa ko lang ay laging

ready ako to back them up with researches and reliable references.

Sa Madaling Salita

Sa panahon ng Internet e mga tanga, mangmang, ignorante, at kapos sa kaalaman at kakayanan na lang ang napag-iiwanan. Sa dami na nang impormasyong madaling matutunan e nararapat na pasulong ang takbo ng iyong isip imbes na pabaligtad na gaya ng backmasking at ipinipilit pa rin ang paatras na pag-iisip.

Or, in Simple Words
In the Internet age, only the stupid, the dumb, the ignorant, the intellectually irresponsible, and the educationally challenged are left out in the dark and sad state of misinformation and misconception.

Listen to the Rhythm of the Rain Again

(On the Music of The Cascades)

by aLfie vera mella

The Cascades was an American band / vocal group that was popular in the Philippines especially in the 1970s through the 1980s, particularly because of their debut album, Rhythm of the Rain (1962) (also known as the blue album), which contains most of their familiar songs, like "Rhythm of the Rain," "The Last Leaf," "Punch and Judy," "There's a Reason," "My First Day Alone," "Lucky Guy," "Angel on My Shoulder," and "Shy Girl."

In 2005, I had the opportunity to exchange e-mails with John Gummoe, a member of The Cascades. I think I wrote an entry on my blogspot about my love for the music of The Cascades, and Gummoe stumbled upon it and consequently contacted me. That time, they were planning to stage a concert in the Philippines, so he was kind of inquiring with me if their music was indeed popular in the the country. I told him that many Filipinos could actually sing along with or at least hum to many of their songs.

The single "Rhythm of the Rain" catapulted The Cascades to the charts especially in 1963; to this day, the song remains a favorite standard ballad in the Philippines.

Here's one of Gummoe's e-mail to me, dated April 5, 2005:

Thank you so much for your kind words. I always like to hear from our fans around the world. Are you in the Philippines? We are leaving Saturday for three concerts there, two in [Metro] Manila and our final day in Cebu, at the Waterfront Hotel. In Manila, we will be at the Araneta Coliseum and at the Hard Rock Cafe in Makati City. Thanks for writing and I'm so glad I was able to please you and your family all these years.       

John Claude Gummoe

However, that's about it for many people who know The Cascades. Even my knowledge about the music of the group was somehow limited to the group's debut album, which remains a regular on my media player.

That's why I checked them out on Wikipedia again to update my knowledge about the group and their music. That's when I realized that, actually, the group was able to follow up their debut with two more albums before the 1960s ended—What Goes On Inside (1968) and Maybe the Rain Will Fall (1969). I have already acquired copies of both albums. I will listen to them later. 

The Cascades in the 1960s and in the 2000s; the group released three studio albums in their heyday: Rhythm of the Rain (1963), What Goes On Inside (1968), and Maybe the Rain Will Fall (1969).

According to my research, lead vocalist Gummoe quit the group in 1967 to pursue a solo career; he was replaced by Gabe Lapano, who also made significant contributions to the songwriting and arranging process of The Cascades' last two albums.

The reason I suddenly got interested again with The Cascades is because my band haLf man haLf eLf would be making our original arrangement of "Rhythm of the Rain"; we would be incorporating the Classical piece "Les baricades mistérieuses" ['The Mysterious Barricades'] by the French Baroque composer François Couperin into the backbone rhythm of the song. We applied this style also on our arrangement of "I Melt with You" by Modern English, in which we inserted Bach's "Minuet in G Major" in the instrumental part of the song. This has been a distinct element of haLf man haLf eLf's music—staying true to haLf man haLf eLf’s declared style of music—Classical New Wave.

In the original arrangement of The Cascades "Rhythm of the Rain" my band haLf man haLf eLf is currently working on, we are incorporating into the backbone rhythm portions of "Les baricades mistérieuses" by the French Baroque composer François Couperin.

This is a harpsichord performance of  "Les baricades mistérieuses," which Couperin originally wrote for the harpsichord in the first place. The performer in this video is the American harpsichordist Elaine Comparone. I am more drawn to the sound of the harpsichord than that of the piano because it reminds me of the tiny brilliant beauty of musicbox melodies.



This is my band haLf man haLf eLf's original arrangement of "Rhythm of the Rain," although this video was taken during the practice session when we first tackled the arrangement as a group; so it's not yet really flawless. However, the musically observant should be able to notice the complex arrangement of our version. Notably, we used Couperin's "Les baricades mistérieuses" as the introductory to the song as well as the background of the coda. Also, we incorporated the Celtic tune "Roxborough Castle" (by Jeremy Sherman) in the instrumental interlude. Lastly, we use the bridge and the carrier melody of the song "(Feels Like) Heaven)" by the British New Wave band Fiction Factory as part of our version.

"The Last Leaf" is my favorite song by The Cascades; the story of the lyric of this song is actually in reference to the short story of the same title by the American writer known as O. Henry, who was actually William Sydney Porter; I'm an enthusiast as well of O. Henry's stories.

"The Woman's a Girl" is a beautiful song included in the second album of The Cascades, What Goes On Inside (1968), which still carried the musical style of the debut album. (Just never mind the video; this was the only video of it that I've so far found on YouTube.)

Many people who are familiar with the music of The Cascades most likely haven't heard of this song, "Maybe the Rain Will Fall," which came from the group's third and final album of the same title, released in 1969. In this album, The Cascades had obviously incorporated more Folk and Country influences into their music.

Final Note
The members of the band that eventually became The Cascades in 1962 when a record label signed them and released their first major single, “There’s a Reason,” were John Claude Gummoe (lead vocals), Eddie Snyder (guitar), David Szabo (keyboards), Ronald Lynch (keyboards, saxophone), Dave Stevens (bass), and Dave Wilson (drums). Their debut album, Rhythm of the Rain, released in 1963, became a major hit in many countries. The group continued to perform and make music until they disbanded in 1975. They reformed in 1995 and in 2004 for live performances, but nothing significant in terms of new materials came out of it.

Happy Halloween, Boo!

(On Why Many People Could Not Let Go of Their Superstitious Beliefs)

by aLfie vera mella

At this age and era, I still enjoy many of the festivities involved in Halloween celebration—especially the trick or treat for the kids, decorating the house with "scary" stuff, and most especially hitting the town in costumes—whether these costumes are scary or funny or simply outrageous.

However, even in high school and even before I finally became an atheist, I no longer believed in the existence of ghosts and other superstitious characters and "paranormal" activities. To me these are all lumped into beliefs arising from fear of the unknown and fanatic religionism.

The more broadminded, knowledgeable, and logical a person becomes, the less she becomes gullible and the more she becomes a non-believer of subjective stuff like religions and superstitions.

And that's the challenge many people just couldn't face——

They simply could not let go of their belief in superstition, ghosts, paranormal activities, etc...because they know deep in their hearts that all these are not different from their belief in their gods. Belief in the great unknown such as God and in superstitious characters originate from the same deeply rooted human fear of the unknown—all these are tied up or interwoven together. 

The moment they stop believing in ghosts and other superstitious beliefs, which have no scientific bases, they know that they should also stop believing in the existence of gods and other religious matters, which are full of illogic, inconsistencies, and contradictions. So, what happens is, they just keep on believing in all these just to remain "consistent." Because, to shed one is to reject also the other. And that is simply a great and bold decision to make. You earn the ire and ridicule of not only the religious authorities but also many of your family members and friends and, in general, the community at large in which you are residing.

I'm happy that I'm one of those who have long freed themselves from the chains and shackles of religions and superstitions. But this was not a short and easy task. The journey to this personal enlightenment took me years of studying, learning, honing my skills, and living by my own principles.

Enjoy the Halloween.

Who Has a Fuzzbox 'coz I'm Gonna Need It?

(On the Postpunk Band that Had a Very Long Name)

by aLfie vera mella

Any Rock musician knows what a 'fuzzbox' is, but to the uninitiated, a fuzzbox is an accessory foot pedal used for the guitar to give it a fuzzy or distorted sound. And this is a befitting name for a band whose melodiously infectious music was always wrapped in a subtly fuzzy guitar sound.

In memory of Fuzzbox bass/guitar player Jo Dunne (November 1968–October 2012)

My first introduction to the all-female band known as We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It (Fuzzbox, for short) was in 1987, when the band's single "Rules and Regulations" was a regular staple on Rock-formatted Philippine FM radio stations like NU Rock 107 and Power BM 105. 

Any Filipino enthusiast of Postpunk music knows the song "Rules and Regulations" by We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It, simply because it was a regular staple on Rock-formatted FM radio stations in the Philippines back in the late '80s.

The Music and the Look
More than anything, the very long name of this English Postpunk band was what initially drew me to them; and then their music as well as their sense of fashion in their early years. Because of how the members looked I regarded them as the female counterpart of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, another English Postpunk band.

The English Postpunk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik had most likely been an influence to the members of Fuzzbox in terms of physical aesthetics.

Other songs from Fuzzbox that I love are "Love Is the Slug," "What's the Point?", "Pink Sunshine," and their cover of the Norman Greenbaum original "Spirit in the Sky" (1969) and their a capella version of Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975).

Fuzzbox's "Bohemian Rhapsody" is to me the best and most imaginative cover version of this musically complicated song by the Progressive Rock band Queen.

To those who haven't heard it yet, click HERE for an MP3 copy of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Fuzzbox.

Now, here's the original "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" may be regarded as one of the most popular Progressive Rock songs.

What set apart the music of Fuzzbox from that of many of their all-female contemporaries was their incorporation of other instruments to produce very textured compositions, as represented by the saxophone-accompanied single "What's the Point?"

The song "Spirit in the Sky," originally written and recorded in 1969 by Norman Greenbaum, is a commonly covered song; to me Fuzzbox's version (1986) is one of the best, along with those of Bauhaus (1983), Nina Hagen (1985), and Doctor & the Medics (1986).

The Beginning
Fuzzbox was formed in 1985 in Birmingham, England, by "Vix" Vickie Perks (vocals, violin), "Magz" Maggie Dunne (guitar, keyboards, percussion, violin, vocals), Jo Dunne (bass, guitar, drums, piano), and Tina O'Neill (drums, percussion, saxophone). The quartet was able to release two studio albums: Bostin' Steve Austin (1986), which was reissued in 1987 as a self-titled album; and Big Bang (1989).

We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It released two studio albums: 1987's self-titled and 1989's Big Bang.

I've always regarded Fuzzbox as the female counterpart of the English Postpunk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik in terms of physical appearance.

The Rise
Armed with their solid self-titled album, Fuzzbox became commercially popular especially in the latter part of the 1980s—their music was a perfect bridge between the synthesizer-sounding guitars of Postpunk in the 1980s and the muddy distorted Grunge of the 1990s—instrumentally textured, subtly fuzzy guitar sound, infectious melodies, playful approach, and a sprinkle of feministic angst. Their music became more Pop-oriented in their second and last album, as highlighted by the singles "International Rescue," “Pink Sunshine,” and "Self," but the fuzzy element was still there.

"International Rescue," the first single off Fuzzbox's second and final album, Big Bang (1989); the fuzz may have been shed off the music of Fuzzbox, but to me it didn't matter; Fuzzbox's style remained within the boundaries of New Wave anyway. 

Despite the Pop-leaning aesthetics of the 1989 single "Pink Sunshine," the fuzzy element in the music of Fuzzbox remained.

Queen's guitar player Brian May guested on the studio recording of the Fuzzbox 1989 single "Self."

The final single, "Walking on Thin Ice," off Fuzzbox's second and last album, Big Bang, is certainly very distant already from the fuzzy musical beginnings of the band.

The Fall
Because of the commercial breakthrough of the Pop-oriented album Big Bang, Fuzzbox immediately entered the studio to work on their third album, entitled Out of This World, releasing the single "Your Loss, My Gain"; but even before finishing the project, in 1990 they disbanded apparently due to musical differences.

"Your Loss, My Gain," a single off Fuzzbox's started-but-never-finished third album in 1990, and then they disbanded.

The Last Hurrah
In 2010, Fuzzbox reunited as a quintet, minus original drummer O'Neill but with the addition of bass player Sarah Firebrand and drummer Karen Milne, releasing a cover of "Pop Muzik" by M, only to disband again in the following year after a few live performances.

Fuzzbox's comeback single in 2010 and eventual swansong, a cover of M's 1979 single "Pop Muzik"

Final Note

This article about Fuzzbox is dedicated to the memory of its bass/guitar player Jo Dunne, who died on October 26, 2012, after a battle with cancer. She was 43.

“Rules and Regulations” is perhaps Fuzzbox's most-known song, but my personal favorite remains to be “Love Is the Slug.”

Three-Day Trip to Toronto to Watch New Order

Day One

October 23, 2012

Morning...

Leaving Winnipeg. Inna and I got up early to be sure that we had packed everything we needed for our three-day trip to Toronto, Ontario.

The roughly two-hour plane trip to Toronto was smooth; we were among only about 20 passengers.

We arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport around 8:30 a.m. We had breakfast at the airport’s Tim Horton’s.

From the airport, we rode Bus #129, which took us to the subway’s Kipling Station, a roughly 45-minute trip—fare was $3.25 per person. At Kipling, we boarded the subway train—$3-token—and alighted at Bloor-Yonge junction—about 30 minutes’ trip. The area of the streets Bloor and Yonge may be regarded as the heart of Downtown Toronto; Eaton Shopping Centre is there and countless other business and commercial establishments—boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices. If one is planning a trip to Toronto or any relatively nearby cities such as Mississauga, Markham, or Scarborough, Downtown Toronto is a must-see—very alive and animated, a pleasantly bustling community.

Lunch time. When we got out of the subway station and were already in the streets of downtown, it was almost midday. Before we had lunch at Hue's Kitchen (774 Yonge St.), we decided to check out first the record store Sunrise Records (784 Yonge St.). I bought only one vinyl record, $7—Free Hand (1975), the seventh studio album of the English Progressive Rock band Gentle Giant, which contains my favorite Giant song, “On Reflection.”

Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (1 Front St. East)
After lunch, guided by the tips of our friends Allan Grimares and Le-van de Guzman of California, USA, about "artist stalking," Inna and I decided to check out very early the venue of the New Order concert. There would be two shows—in the evening of that day and of the next day. And although we were watching the second show, we thought of going to the venue that day because, considering that it was the first show, it was very likely that New Order would arrive early that afternoon for the customary sound check. 

From Bloor-Yonge, we boarded a subway train heading Union Station ($3)—about 10 minutes away; we alighted at King St. station; and from there, we walked for only about five minutes to get to the venue. It was almost 2:00 p.m. We surveyed the building; there was one front entrance area and one back-door entrance.

We waited patiently outside the venue's back door.

Funnily, when we asked the security manning the back door where the backstage was, he happily ushered us in and directed our way to the stage, apparently assuming that Inna and I were part of the crew, who were already setting up the stage. We gawked around wide-eyed with our big backpacks. We were inside only for about 10 minutes when someone asked whom we were with and what we were doing there; after I said that we wanted to meet New Order, the guy immediately walked us out the back door, saying, “Oh, no, not here. You have to go out and wait outside.” We were lucky we were not handcuffed. Hahaha!

Outside, it was drizzling and a bit cold but tolerable. About 3:30 p.m., the two vans parked by the back door in front of us left. We got excited, because obviously the drivers were already picking up New Order members from the hotel they were billeted.

Our strategy and patience paid off!

Meeting New Order

Around 4, one of the vans came back and parked again in front of us—Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham, and Tom Chapman got out of the door!

I, flanked by New Order's Tom Chapman (bass) and Phil Cunningham (guitar/keyboards/percussion)

While the other fans immediately milled around Morris and Gilbert, having their vinyl records autographed by the couple, Inna and I approached the ignored Chapman and Cunningham. Pictures with them and a little chat, and they went inside already without waiting for the other fans who were too busy with The Other Two. When the fans finished having their autographs, we immediately approached Gilbert and Morris for our turn for pictures. 

I and Inna with New Order's Stephen Morris (drums/synthesizer/percussion) and Gillian Gilbert (keyboards); the husband and wife were also the duo known as The Other Two, which released two studio albums in the 1990s, The Other Two & You (1993) and Super Highways (1999).

Many music listeners do not know that the duo comprising The Other Two, which became popular for the hit single "Selfish," were actually New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert.

 I with Stephen Morris and with Gillian Gilbert of New Order and The Other Two

Gillian and Inna—The Other Halves

After about 30 minutes, the other van arrived—with Bernard Sumner in it. He seemed in hurry, so I approached him right away and asked to sign my Republic (1993) and Electronic (1991) albums. I did not bring my other CDs; I’m not a big fan of autographs anyway; I’m more interested in having pictures of myself with the artists.

Inna and I with New Order's frontman, Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitar, melodion, keyboards), who is a member also of the New Wave bands Electronic and Bad Lieutenant

Many New Wave fans are stuck in the '80s, failing to realize and acknowledge that the genre has become ongoing; they seem to lack the ability to appreciate the music such artists produced in the ensuing decades. All they know are the old hits. For instance, apart from being a member of New Order, Sumner was also a founding member of another New Wave band, Electronic, which was formed in the 1990s and featured also Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys, and Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. 

This is my favorite song from Electronic, "For You," a single off the group's second album, Raise the Pressure (1996).

New Order's Bernard Sumner, Phil Cunningham, Tom Chapman, and Stephen Morris are also members of the New Wave band Bad Lieutenant, formed by Sumner in 2007 after the second breakup of New Order. Bad Lieutenant still carried the style of New Wave music. 

This is my favorite song from Bad Lieutenant, "Sink or Swim," a single off the band's only album, Never Cry Another Tear (2009)

We left Sony Centre for the Performing Arts very happy and contented—our mission for our trip to Toronto was half-accomplished! We met all the members of New Order and had pictures with them taken because of resourcefulness, patience, good interpersonal skills, confidence, strategy, and of course, tips from friends.

Meeting My Friend Andy Gutierrez of Feet like Fins

After the encounter with New Order at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, we took a taxicab from the venue back to Toronto Eaton Centre—$14—about 10-minute drive. We had to meet up with an old friend of mine, Andy Gutierrez, the bass player of the ’90s Philippine Alternative Rock band Feet like Fins. He has been living in Ontario, Canada, since the late ’90s, particularly in the city of Scarborough (near Markham). The last time we saw each other was around 1993, when his band Feet like Fins was active in the music scene and I was a regular of the legendary spots like Mayric’s and Club Dredd, where Andy and his band and my own band Half Life Half Death used to play.

Feet like Fins’ guitar player Eric Magno lives also in Ontario (since 1996), though a bit far from Toronto; Andy called him on the phone to maybe meet up with us; he couldn’t go out; he was babysitting his kids; I just said hi to him on the phone.

Andy and I first met each other in 1988, when we were both students at University of Santo Tomas; we used to see each other every Sunday, during the weekly ROTC (Philippine Reserve Officer Training Corps [ROTC], a military program for college students in the Philippines). At the time, he was a member of a band known as Veils of the Miraculous, while I was already with my band Half Life Half Death.

Vortex (2309 Yonge St.)

Andy, Inna, and I had dinner at the foodcourt of Eaton Centre; despite the limited time, Andy and I got to catch up with each other’s stories and personal lives especially in Canada. Afterwards, Andy accompanied us to a record store named Vortex—about 10 minutes’ drive from Eaton Centre. Luckily the store was still open, for it was already almost 9 p.m. 

I hurriedly rummaged through the stacks of vinyl records—I ended up purchasing about a dozen albums, which included This Is the Sea (1985) by The Waterboys, Midnight to Midnight (1987) by The Psychedelic Furs, Arias & Symphonies (1982) by Spoons, Thriller (1982) by Michael Jackson, 12 Original Recordings (1982) by Bow Wow Wow, and God’s Own Medicine (1986) by The Mission.

Andy dropped us off at a subway station around 9:30 p.m.; Inna and I boarded a train to Islington Station (about 30 minutes away), where we took Bus #34 to Oscar Peterson Boulevard in Mississauga (45 minutes) until we reached the house of Inna's friend Mistah and her family, where we spent our first night.

Inna's friend Mistah, who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, invited us to spend an evening at her family's lovely home.

The lovely home of Mistah and her family

Unfortunately Inna missed the call of our friend Jessel, who was contacting us at around 8:30 to let us know that Elephant Stone was playing a free gig at Horseshoe Tavern in Downtown Toronto that very night. Too bad; we missed the show and photo opportunity. Elephant Stone is a Québec-based Canadian Indie Rock band; it released its debut album, The Seven Seas, in 2009. 

Every time I visit Toronto, I never fail to meet up with my friend Jessel, who always took me around to the wonderful books-, toys-, and music stores in Toronto. Jessel himself is a humble owner of thousands of books, toys, and records both in CD and vinyl formats.

Too bad, we missed the free gig of the Canadian Indie Rock band Elephant Stone in Downtown Toronto when we were there. My favorite song from this band is “I Am Blind.”

Next blog...DAY TWO of our "Three-Day Trip to Toronto..."

Is This Stranger than I Thought?

(On the Pop Sensibilities of The Cure)
by aLfie vera mella

I'm aware that many Cure fans and also music reviewers always regard the Dark Trilogy of Cure albums (Pornography, 1982; Disintegration, 1989; and Bloodflowers, 2000) as the best and most seminal of all the works of The Cure--in fact, even Robert Smith himself feels this way too--as he is very open about it in various interviews.

The Dark Trilogy of The Cure: Pornography, Disintegration, and Bloodflowers

However, considering my personal musical taste, I don't share that general preference. Although I like the dark, gloomy, and gothic side of The Cure (and Postpunk and New Wave music, for that matter), I like better its lighter and colorful but more musically complex side--much layered, textured, "overpolished," and uses a lot of melodies and instruments. I may be a very introspective person and could be reflective, somber, and solitary at times especially when I'm in a poetic mood; but for the most part, my personality is more in touch with its positive, light, and colorful side; and that applies also to my taste in music.

The lush tetralogy of Cure albums: The Head on the Door, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, Wish, and Wild Mood Swings

Having said that, to me the best Cure albums are not the so-called dark trilogy but the tetralogy of well-produced and much layered and orchestrated Cure albums--The Head on the Door, 1985; Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, 1987; Wish, 1992; and Wild Mood Swings, 1996. In these albums where I find Robert Smith and the rest of The Cure most in touch with musical architecture and their pop sensibilities.

Structure-wise and instrument-wise, "Six Different Ways" is my favorite song from The Head

My favorite song from Kiss Me is not "Just like Heaven" but "How Beautiful You Are...."

I get so euphorically high every time I listen to "High," my favorite song from Wish.

The highlights of the tetralogy albums are "Inbetween Days, "Kyoto Song," "The Blood," "Six Different Ways," Push," "Close to Me," and "A Night like This," from The Head; "Catch," "Why Can't I Be You?", "How Beautiful You Are," "Just like Heaven," "Hot Hot Hot," "Like Cockatoos," and "The Perfect Girl,' from Kiss Me; "High," "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea," "Wendy Time," "Doing the Unstuck," "Friday I'm in Love," "Trust," and "A Letter to Elise"; and "The 13th," "Strange Attraction," "Mint Car," "Round & Round & Round," and "Return."

This is what I really love about The Cure's music--the melange of instruments playing against each other in a mellifluous delight! "The 13th" is my best pick from Wild Mood Swings.

Both the self-titled Cure album of 2004 and 2009's 4:13 Dream have their lush moments--"End of the World," "(I Don't Know What's Going) On," and "Taking Off" from the former; and "Underneath the Stars" and "The Only One" from the latter; but placed alongside the rest of The Cure's entire discography, they pale in comparison--both lyrically and structurally.

The last two albums of The Cure: The Cure and 4:13 Dream

By the time The Cure got to Wish, many fans have already written them off their radars; not me--I stood by the band through all its musical adventures and continue to to this day. The video of "Taking Off," from 2004's self-titled illustrates my feelings every time I listen to my favorite Cure songs. 

Having been a passionate listener of The Cure (and the entire Postpunk / New Wave genre, for that matter), finding the most infectious song in an album is an easy task for me. In 4:13 Dream, choosing "The Only One" as the highlight of the album is not difficult.

Final Note
To this day I am still waiting for the next Cure album that would follow the musicality and production style of the four albums I dubbed as "the lush tetralogy." But judging from the recent interviews of Robert Smith, this wish of mine seems still far from getting realized; it looks like Smith himself is still waiting for all his muses to gather altogether once again 'round his nest-haired head--to inspire him to make another lush and colorful masterpiece of a musical painting.

The rest of The Cure's studio discography are Three Imaginary Boys (1979), Seventeen Seconds (1980), Faith (1981), and The Top (1984),