Mystery Tune

A friend of mine from Guam once compiled a killer mixed CD for my listening pleasure.

As expected, most of the tracks were classic rock staples.Then, I heard this bluesy, chugging along little ditty that's unfamiliar to my ears.

I thought it was a Steve Miller track but my friend said it wasn't. For some reasons though, he can't remember not only the title of the song but the artist as well. "It's always on classic rock radio anyway." was all he could say.

The mystery tune? Listen and rock on!

The Lennon Masterpieces

Spotty as hell.

That in a nutshell was how critics described John Lennon's post-Beatles work and I couldn't help but agree.

Sure, Plastic Ono Band and Imagine were high watermarks, Lennon's yin and yang so to speak. What followed though was a series of mediocre albums that had sparks rather than sustained brilliance unbefitting of the man who once was the other half of arguably the greatest songwriting tandem of all time.

The stark soundscape of Plastic Ono Band gave it an enduring appeal. I'm more than glad the 2010 remaster retained that demo like quality because John didn't intend this to be an ear candy.

I remember the many late nights spent by this once pimply teenager listening intently albeit uncomprehendingly to this Dr. Janov's primal scream therapy inspired album.

The semi sacrilegious "God" and achingly tender "Love" stood out but I was more than shell-shocked after all those incessant screaming on "Mother," and "Well, Well, Well."

Many years later, I realized that this was a seminal work of a troubled and confused genius trying to come to terms with his past, present and future. It's visceral, raw, harrowing and even painful to listen to but once you get past that initial shock, you'd certainly be more appreciative of this album.

On Imagine, John's back with his sardonic wit, punkish anger and biting lyrics.

He allowed producer Phil Spector to apply just the right amount of production sheen to balance the inherent darkness of the songs. 

Don't be misled by the serenity of the ubiquitous title track, the vulnerability of "Jealous Guy" and the playful and at times nursery rhyme sounding "Oh Yoko" because he was spewing fire and venom on the scathing "Gimme Some Truth," and the anti-social "I Don't Want to be a Soldier Mama."

Reportedly irked by some tracks off Paul McCartney's album Ram, he didn't mince words on "How Do You Sleep," a stinging response and a ferocious assault on his former songwriting partner and bandmate.

A case can still be made that Imagine is John's best work ever. Never mind if it's sugarcoated in some ways because the personal yet universal message of peace and love still ring true even up to this day. It's timeless and not just some snapshot of a now forgotten era.

Changing of the Guards

The new man on the block.

I lost faith in the Philippine electoral system many years ago. 1992 to be exact, the first presidential election after EDSA.

The late former Senate President Jovito Salonga and his then running mate Nene Pimentel were my bets for president and veep respectively.

The duo offered an honest to goodness alternative to the political landscape back then and conducted their campaign based on issues and ideals. But still, they lost and lost badly. I was flabbergasted with the outcome and vowed never to vote again.

To this day, our party system remains a big joke. Truth is there's no real parties out there. What we have is merely a collection of fair weathered friends, old faces, soon to be "trapos" and turncoats. Heck, the candidates themselves can't even distinguish their party's platform from their program of government.

Yes, some twenty four years later, I still don't see any reason why I should reconsider my stand.

There's no need to state what's happening nowadays because I might offend the sensibilities of some relatives and friends.

After this administration, we'll have another changing of the guards then another and that's about it. Nothing more, nothing less.

An apathetic reaction one might say but that's just me.