JIM PAREDES - LARO

                The saying “you  only realize the value of something when it’s gone,” was in my mind when I wasn’t able to find a copy of Apo Hiking Society’s  final studio album (The Apo: Jim, Buboy and Danny), released in 2009. Apo Hiking Society retired as a group in 2010. 

                 Well it was not something that I have had and had lost; but the  feeling is the same because that CD was in and out of  my mind ever since it was announced during  Apo’s concert in Araneta  Coliseum  in 2008 . Countless times I had   gazed at that CD when I’m in my favorite music store in Cubao  but did not have  enough motivation to purchase it.  Tsk.Tsk. I have not been listening intently to  OPM classics these past years but…   

                Lately,  I don’t exactly remember what triggered it  , I have been listening to a lot of  OPMs and enjoying them again  immensely. This is the reason why that final APO album entered my mind... but  it’s no longer available or is now out of print, when I wanted it. Whew! I hate that feeling. Unexpectedly, I came across a CD that bares a familiar name on the cover.  Jim Paredes’  Laro to the rescue…

             

                I’ve read this is actually his second solo album. The first entitled, Ako Lang,  was released in 1996.   He stated that for this release he  wanted to do an album of pure joy and fun,  oblivious of what type of music  people listen to nowadays.  No wonder the title of cd is  Laro.  If I will judge this CD with enjoyability  and fun as  the  criteria, this will definitely get a  perfect score as I have absolutely enjoyed listening to this  in its entirety.  It even gets better  with repeated listens.  

                The style  is diverse. From the surprising opening  'mild' rap to   bossa, lounge music, funk  and  pop.  The themes are varied. He exhorts us to patronize  OPM music in "OPM Rap."  "Butong Pakwan," a delightful song  is  about how important this dried seed is in our Filipino culture during infanticipation.  There are serious topics presented in playful and lighthearted manner like, "Feeling Guilty," about a possible mutual marital indiscretion. In "Sinungaling," he laments that the world seems to be  populated by liars. He sings about being used  in  "May Araw Ka Rin." 

               Although, I think the best tracks  are the love songs which are all very radio friendly  such as “Ang ganda mo,” “Lumisan na siya," “Sumpa” and “Palagi-lagi,"’ my favorites are "Live Your Own Life" and track no.7. The former, for personal reasons I find the positive message to be encouraging and  soothing. "Live your own life, hold on to your own truth,  decide your own faith, make your own mark,  all you got to do is start. Everything you'll ever need is inside of you." The latter, during my initial listening, made me put down  the newspaper I was reading in surprise  when I heard the chorus. Did I hear it  right?  ”Libog Lang Yan?”  Yes, it’s  “Libog lang yan."  Checking   the print on the   inlay and the back cover,  the first word of the title is not clear enough to read( hahaha). This simple and straightforward song is hilarious and very memorable.  

               To those who like Apo or misses Apo or is hungry for a new and refreshing Apo-like music or a fan of Jim Paredes whether as a singer or a writer or both or  anyone who likes OPM but have not heard about this cd and fortunately stumbled upon this blog, I will emphatically state this is a must-buy and a treasure. 

                Sure this is not Apo but it has the Apo-vibe in it minus the voice of Buboy and of course Danny Javier. It has the  humor , the wit, the beautiful ballads, the mushiness, the inspirational, the simple and hummable great tunes.  After all Jim Paredes wrote many of the Apo Hiking Society's classics such as “Mahirap magmahal ng syota ng iba”, “Panalangin”, Batang-bata ka pa”, “Yakap sa dilim”and “When I met you” among many others.

"OPM noon dakila't magaling, OPM ngayon dapat lang buhayin". Iisa lamang ang tuwid na paraan. OPM ang dapat tangkilikin ni Juan" -  Jim Paredes (from "OPM Rap")

Tracks:
OPM RAP
BUTONG PAKWAN
ANG GANDA MO
MAY ARAW KA RIN
SINUNGALING
FEELING GUILTY
LIBOG LANG YAN
LUMISAN NA SYA
IN MY HEART
BASIC LOVE
SUMPA
LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE
MANAGRAP AT MANAGINIP
PALAGI-LAGI

December 15, 2012
Addendum: 4 tracks from Laro were actually taken from his 1996 album Ako Lang" "Libog Lang Yan,"" Lumisan Na Sya," "Basic Love" and "Live Your Own Life".  "In My Heart",  is a new version of an Apo Hiking Society song which appeared in their 1986 album, Direksyon.

STING BACK TO BASS TOUR: LIVE IN MANILA, DECEMBER 9, 2012 - An Absolute Blast

              Clad in a body-fit black long sleeved shirt and leather pants  revealing his fine physical form, the 61 year old acclaimed musical artist, environmental activist and former lead singer of the legendary Punk/New Wave band ,The Police, known by his stage name , Sting , breezed through  the 21- song set list of the Manila leg of his Back To Bass Tour smoothly and masterfully amidst  a S.R.O. audience in the  iconic  Araneta Coliseum.

                Sting (real name Gordon Sumner) delighted the audience by performing his  all-time classic hit songs including those from his days with The Police. The audience was up singing  and bouncing  with “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,”   “Everything She Does Is Magic,” ”English Man In New York,” “Message In A Bottle,” ”Wrapped Around My Finger,”  DeDoDoDo, DeDaDaDa,” “Roxanne.” “King Of Pain” and of course with his most popular song,  “Every Breath You Take,” Grammy song of the year awarded in 1984.   The excellent rendition of non- radio hit songs such as The Police’s "Driven To Tears,"  “Next To  You” and  “Demolition Man” managed to pump-up the audience just as well.  Other popular Sting songs performed  were the following: “I Hung My Head,” “Seven Days,” “Fields Of Gold,” ”Heavy Cloud, No Rain,”  “Shape Of My Heart,” “The Hounds Of Winter” and “Dessert Rose”.  Curiously,  no track from his debut solo album, Dream Of The Blue Turtles,  was included in the set list.

             Playing bass all night, for the final song Sting switched to guitar ,  rendering  a more personal touch to the song “Fragile.”  A   song about our  very own mortality.  He dedicated the song to the victims of the destructive  typhoon Pablo which ravaged Mindanao, claiming hundreds of lives just few days before the concert .

The  sold-out concert lasted more than two hours  with  Sting’s  superb physical conditioning very evident as he glided through it  seemingly effortless. His powerful voice was in perfect form, soaring easily to the high notes. The band’s  performance was spotless and  though  it was a Sting affair each band members  was  given the  opportunity  to shine and strut their wares on several occasions. Particularly memorable for me was the haunting voice and the   extended wailing  of the female back-up singer in  “The Hounds of Winter” reminiscent of Pinkfloyd's " The Great Gig In The Sky;" and  when the violinist shifted to 'hyper' mode, he really 'rocks'. The band also did a highly  entertaining instrumental jamming  towards the latter part of the concert.            

  All the ingredients for a memorable night of live concert were present last night.  The coliseum was packed to the rafters with more than 10,000  highly enthusiastic  audience. The audio was exceptionally sounding  clean, crisp and very clear... and  most important of all was Sting and his band’s virtuoso performance. The show was an absolute blast, a fitting ending to cap a memorable   year of concerts  in the  Araneta Coliseum.

Set list:

If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police )
Englishman in New York
Seven Days
Demolition Man (The Police )
I Hung My Head
The End of the Game
Fields Of Gold
Driven to Tears (The Police)
Heavy Cloud No Rain
Message in a Bottle (The Police)
Shape of My Heart
The Hounds of Winter
Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police )
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (The Police )
Roxanne (The Police)
Encore 1:

Desert Rose
King of Pain (The Police)
Every Breath You Take (The Police)

Encore 2:
Next To You (The Police)

Encore 3:
Fragile