Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo (Rivermaya)

Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo
Artist: Rivermaya
Record Label: Viva Records
Released: 2006

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Move aside as we honor one of our country's most talented bands--Rivermaya, now known all-throughout Asia for their hit song, "You'll Be Safe Here," initially performed for a huge, diverse crowd during the MTV Asia Awards 2006 held in Bangkok, Thailand. Ever since, Rivermaya has already stepped further to promote their music outside the Philippines, bringing pride and proof to our world-class musical diversity.

Before anything, only a few rock aficionados and some music lovers are aware that Rivermaya's "Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo" is one of the many remake albums released in 2006, along with the extremely successful Kami nAPO Muna and Hotsilog, among others.

Initially, I was also unaware that this album was full of old rock hits until I did my little research. To my amazement, "Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo" is actually a tribute to the bands of the indie scene during the 80's, ruled by punk and 'new wave' rock. In fact, if you listen further to every track (except "Isang Bandila," of course, which was recently penned then later used for ABS-CBN's news program entitled "Bandila") you will get that vintage and oldies feel, from the arrangement of the songs to Rico Blanco's singing style.

But before the whole 80's tribute, the album starts off with "Isang Bandila," a powerful song that conveys a serious message dedicated to our nation and people. It is quite strange though that ABS-CBN decided to use a song belonging to this genre as a theme song for their news program. Let's just hope that this does not decrease the song's appeal to the masses, as I think songs unfortunately chosen to represent TV programs lose their luster, while being overly played and replayed during a TV show's airtime.

Moving on to the start of the tribute, "Golden Boy," originally sung by Ethnic Faces, has a light tune that is easy on the ears. I also found it entertaining when Rico Blanco plays with the way he says "local boy," almost making this performance sound like a 'rehearsal' with that final-cut feel.

"Things are Getting Complicated" sounds extremely classic, as I was easily convinced this song came from ages ago (well not really, probably just the 8o's), primarily due to the familiar musical arrangement and Blanco's singing style, reminiscent of songs I heard during the old days.

Originally by Violent Playground, "Tupperware Party" reminds me of songs I would hear over the radio before, typical rock with a touch of that funny surf boy voice (don't forget the 'echo-sounding' effects). Obviously, you would rarely hear these types of songs from our rock bands today.

Albums are always more interesting when you slip in a feature artist or two, and thankfully, Rivermaya takes note of this, as we hear the sultry voice of Kitchie Nadal in "Ilog." Not only does this give a marketing boost for the album, but it also allows Rivermaya's fans to taste the music of other artists. Impressively, Rico and Kitchie bring us a beautiful slow duet, with gorgeous vocal blending, too.

When you hear the intro of "My Sanctuary," it almost seems like something you hear off of old television shows. However, the song transitions into a more contemporary feel once Rico starts singing. While listening to this song, I get an unusually eerie feeling, probably because of the synth background effects.

"Things Within" and "Healing" are equally great tracks that bring the memories of the old rock days.

"Romantic Kill" is an enjoyable song with quite some wordplay. Like most other songs in this album, the way this song was sung makes it sound classic. The backup vocals, the beat, and the guitars also help bring that oldies taste.

Another song from Violent Playground is "Never the Bright Lights," a song with an easy tune and melody. Though the lyrics are a little trite, this cut is just as enjoyable as the other ones in the album.

A particular favorite of mine would be "Padayon," a Joey Ayala classic. Not only does the song possess a beautiful and inspiring story of the challenging life in the provinces, but Rivermaya also does an excellent job creatively remaking this song.

Rivermaya's Rico Blanco rocks the house with the help of Raimund Marasigan (formely from Eraserheads, then the equally successful Sandwich) in the Wuds original entitled "Inosente Lang ang Nagtataka." The intense music and the strong, gritty vocals combine to give us a rock song on full power.

"Sumigaw, Umawit Ka" reminds us of Rivermaya's extremely successful inspirational song entitled, "Liwanag sa Dilim." This song not only has a beautiful tune, but the message is equally heartwarming. I hope this song would also have the opportunity to be launched as a single.

Artists such as Rivermaya won't become successful without the help of the forefathers of Pinoy Rock, and paying tribute to the bands of yesterday just proves to us how the members of Rivermaya are music lovers and fans as much as they are great performers themselves. Preserving the musical quality of the songs in this album, which is quite unusual for remake albums today, opens to our generation the doors of the Pinoy music scene during the old times. Let's just hope there are as many open-minded music lovers who would give these songs a chance to be recognized and loved once again in our day.