E-Lists

January 20, 2004: The McVie Show Season One debuted on-line. Shit, has it been a year already? My, how time flies when you’re having fun. To celebrate the anniversary, I give you… a list! Yes folks, I’ll start coming up with The McVie Top 5, a personal listing of… well, stuff. Whatever.

To start, I decided to list my Top 5 Eraserhead songs. Why the E-heads? Why not? I got that idea in the office when, upon hearing the song “Hari Ng Sablay” by Sugarfree on the radio, an officemate of mine said, “Huy, yan yung bagong kanta ni Ely Buendia!” Hello?

Anyway, here’s McVie’s Top 5 Eraserhead songs:

[5] (tie) Alapaap (from the album “Circus”) and Torpedo (from the album “Cutterpillow”)
The first song, a trippy ode to getting high, is subversive because the E-heads make it sound so much fun and appealing. No wonder the prudes were freaked out when this song came out. Meanwhile, the E-heads’ ode to ka-torpehan is a joyful romp to listen to. Never condescending, the boys maintain a playful but aggressive attitude throughout the song. Yes, it’s dated (“Puwede ba umalis ka na / tumutunog na ang beeper ko”), but that just increases its appeal. By the time one reaches the sing-along-y “choo-roo-choo-choo!” part in the end, one can’t help but be won over. Being socially inept never sounded this appealing.

[4] Hey Jay (from the album “Circus”)
Of course, obvious ba? One of the very few gay-friendly, gay-positive songs to ever come out from a local band. When I first heard it, I could not believe my ears. When I reached the part where they go, “Be happy and be gay / we still love you anyway,” I had tears in my eyes (which I quickly wiped off.) It’s the best antidote to the song Multong Bakla.

[3] Overdrive (from the album “Cutterpillow”)
The E-heads hit this one right on the head: the longing of most Pinoy male teenagers to drive. Simple in structure, the song brings listeners to heights of silly excesses—“magda-drive ako hanggang buwan”—but brings them back down to earth with the heartfelt longing of “please, please lang, turuan mo akong mag-drive!” His desire to drive is matched only by his extreme travel destinations! And the super-extended ending escalates the silliness factor of the song with a run-down of increasingly bizarre food names and word-play. Hilarious!

[2] Ang Huling El Bimbo (from the album “Cutterpillow”)
The song that introduced Paraluman to a whole new generation, it never fails to evoke a longing for simpler times (even if one never sees the music video of the song.) Instantly catchy, the song transforms from wistful remembrances to a tragic tale of lost love and innocence. So when the somber notes of “El bimbo” finally close the song, one also feels a sense of loss and ending.

[1] Para Sa Masa (from the album “Sticker Happy”)
This is a masterpiece of pop tweaking. Disguised as a pop ballad, the song starts simply with a plaintive piano. What begins as an ode to the masses turns into both an indictment and an apology. One can hear the disappointment, even anger, in Ely’s voice as he spits out the words “sa lahat ng di marunong bumasa / sa lahat ng fans ni Sharon Cuneta.” It is a double-edged elegy, one that bites the hand that feeds the band. For a pop song, that’s a tightrope act that’s hard to top.

Based on the songs above, you can already guess the number one Eraserheads album of mine. Oh heck, might as well give you the McVie Top 5 Eraserhead albums:

[5] Natin99


[4] Ultraelectromagneticpop!


[3] Sticker Happy


[2] Circus


[1] Cutterpillow


Saka na ang explanation. Nakakapagod pala mag-explain! Plus, I need to get back to work, hehehe.