To remain relevant, one must continue to evolve.
After three successful albums Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993), Circus (1994), and Cutterpillow (1995) the Eraserheads found themselves at the crossroads of their musical journey. Proving their worth and their commercial viability, the band finally had the luxury of exploring their creative ideas more freely. Aside from newfound confidence in their technical abilities and growing influence, the four members found themselves all grown up with serious issues to contend.
These factors would ultimately influence the band's songwriting and artistry. By 1996 until their bitter fallout in 2002, the Eraserheads continuously pushed the limits, which either impressed listeners or alienated the fans who wanted the band to remain writing songs in the old vein.
PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) lists down some of the songs that stood out commercially during the second half of the Eraserheads' career in the mainstream music industry.
FRUITCAKE. In the midst of hectic music tours and other band business, the Eraserheads still found time to enter the studio and complete what would turn out to be their most ambitious project. Pushing the boundaries even more, the quartet released a concept album (and a complementary book, edited by Jessica Zafra) titled Fruitcake as their Christmas offering. The title track served as the foundation of the entire concept as told through the songs. For all intent and purposes, "Fruitcake" is an unusual Christmas ditty not yet heard in OPM. Veering away from the usual formula of Christmas tunes, the Eraserheads wrote about a certain Fruitcake heights, a little girl who ran away from home, a delicacy "that sends all mothers giggling with sheer delight" thrown in among a bunch of random thoughts pertaining to the Yuletide season.
LIGHTYEARS. The Eraserheads tried to emulate Billy Corgan's (of the Chicago based band, Smashing Pumpkins) love for embellishing his songs with string arrangements and ended up creating one of the most gorgeous songs in their entire canon. Included in the Eraserheads Christmas concept album, Fruitcake, "Lightyears" is perhaps the only track on that album that can stand up on its own. Aside from the fact that it doesn't have the word Christmas or any other Yuletide reference, the song doesn't carry that feel of continuity (which is an essential element in a concept record) as compared to the other songs. Though the song failed to gain much attention when it was issued in 1996, "Lightyears," as years gone by, achieved its rightful place among the best songs of the Eraserheads.
HARANA. Released as a singleback in 1997, "Harana" combines the Eraserheads typical acerbic wit meshed with loud guitar distortions. Despite its dirty grungy sound, the song's melody and unassuming lyrics ("Huwag nang malumbay / ang pag-ibig ko ay tunay...")was a certified radio hit. Unbeknownst to many, "Harana"—which was included in the EP Bananatype, composed of a few obscure and throwaway songs—would be an indication of the band's new direction as they continued to experiment with their overall sound.
KALIWETE. By the second half of the ‘90s, it became apparent that the Eraserheads had outgrown their musical naivete and mastery of the three (or perhaps, four)-chord progression, and were itching to write complex songs both in structure and substance. Opening with a languid guitar lick, "Kaliwete" clearly demonstrated Buendia's sophistication as a songwriter, throwing a bunch of words laced with wit, which strangely appeared coherent in theme. What Buendia exactly was telling in "Kaliwete" remains vague, with some interpreting the song as an ode to an unfaithful lover or a playful take about a guy falling unknowingly for a homosexual.
SPOLIARIUM. Raimund Marasigan failed to elaborate further when he said that the looping ending of "Spoliarium" was a "happy accident." Technically speaking, the song was a major leap for the band in terms of style and dynamics. But no doubt about it, "Spoliarium" is a dark number with Buendia's brooding delivery perfectly in synch with its lyrical—written in a stream-of-consciousness manner—sober undertone. In an old interview, Ely revealed that the album Sticker Happy was a personal record since the songs arrived during the time he was wrestling against his own demons while at the same time struggling to come to terms with the pressure of being a pop star. "Puwede bang itigil muna / ang pag-ikot ng mundo" sang Buendia in the chorus-a desperate attempt of an artist obviously grasping for control.
PARA SA MASA. In the wake of the Eraserheads' breakup, "Para Sa Masa" oddly became the band's sort of unofficial valedictory song, at least from the point of view of loyal fans. Chronologically speaking, the song came out in 1997, five years before the band's demise. Accompanied prominently by a piano, many listeners somewhat interpreted the song as a farewell ditty addressed to the public.
That interpretation may have been accurate in some way. Acknowledging the huge role of the "masa" in their success, the song shaped out to be an open letter of the band to their mass audiences. After the mammoth success of Cutterpillow in 1995, the band's courage to push musical boundaries as heard in the Christmas concept album Fruitcake was met with mixed reactions. Gone were the carefree "Toyang" days that were replaced with experimentation and sophisticated songwriting. For the group, it was perhaps a way for them to challenge the listeners to grow with them. Unfortunately, most of the fans felt alienated with the sudden shift of direction thus misplacing the quartet's true intention. And this was perhaps what Ely had in mind when he wrote and sang the line, "Pinilit kong iahon ka / ngunit ayaw mo namang sumama." Well, the public and the fans did get it, but only later on when the Eraserheads ceased to exist as one creative unit.
JULIE TEARJERKY. If not only because of its infectious melody, "Julie Tearjerky" might have been a throwaway song in the company of some of the band's b-sides like "Policewoman" and "Bananatype." But the group once again utilized their uncanny pop sensibilities enough to propel "Julie Tearjerky" to the top of the radio charts both here and in Indonesia.
MASELANG BAHAGHARI. Although both psychedelic sounding, "Maselang Bahaghari" is nowhere near "Alapaap." Not that the song is weak or failed to be at par with the band's early hit. In fact, "Maselang Bahaghari," regardless of its meaning and connotation, once again demonstrated the Eraserheads ability to use emotion as the main selling point, instead of the song's actual meaning. Although slow and quite dragging in tone, "Maselang Bahaghari" is a positive song with the lyrics, "Paglipas ng ulan / ay mapapangiti ang araw..."
HUWAG KANG MATAKOT. The electronic influence that permeates the entirety of Natin99 made "Huwag Kang Matakot" seemingly out of place in the company of bleeps, loops and cakewalk-generated effects. While Raimund Marasigan buries his head deep in learning and infusing modern studio techniques into the Eraserheads overall sound, Ely, on the other hand, appears more determined to maintain the so-called strip-down style come recording time. Not that "Huwag Kang Matakot" was free of any embellishment (Raimund programmed loop sequence to fatten the sound) but whatever were the effects, these were used minimally for the basic melody to stand out. "Huwag Kang Matakot" proves anew that a song doesn't have to be complicated for it to be good. It also proves that voice harmonies (popularized in the ‘60s) would never be outdated.
POP MACHINE. Ely Buendia's sarcastic take on his band's success as a certified hit making machine comes in the form of this bouncy ear candy. Vividly painting the prevailing system in the local music industry and every musician's dream of writing a big hit, the Eraserheads presented a band dying to hit the big time ("Kailan ba ako makikilala / kailan ba ako magkaka-pera") and some who were simply riding on the coattails ("Gaya puto maya") of the flourishing band scene. Turning the tables around, you know Buendia was coming from personal experience when he passionately yelps the line: "Jackpot! Ang bigat! Dobol plat!"—sounding as if he's rejoicing while at the same time cursing the pressure brought by expectations placed on the Eraserheads for them to sustain their commercial viability.
68 DR. SIXTO ANTONIO AVE. The monotonous drum beat and the sustaining dark piano key reminds some people of John Lennon's cutting single, "Mother." Others, however, compare "68 Dr. Sixto Antonio Ave." to The Beatles "A Day In The Life"—the brilliant last track found in the Fab Four's monumental 1966 album, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band—with its use of street imagery told tragically from an observer's point of view. Ely used to live in Dr. Sixto in Pasig when he was a kid and the song's first story, about a stabbing incident one rainy evening, was said to be inspired by a true story witnessed by Buendia himself. Now, whether that really happened or is simply a myth, the moving social undertone lends the entire track enough credibility.
MASKARA. Perhaps an early trace of Ely's budding fascination with guitar-driven sounds, as well as the band's culminating influence, gathered strength throughout the years. When "Maskara" was released in 2001, many were taken aback with the track's heavily distorted sound. If not for Buendia's distinct voice and its unmistakable catchy melody, the second track lifted from the band's last studio album, Carbon Stereoxide, might even be mistaken as a single from some heavy metal band. Yet again, the melody sustained the song as well as the band's reputation to evolve without losing their pop sheen.