Is searching for your favorite music like searching for the

[An Cat Dubh]

I became a music fan back in the late 70s. I would tape the American Top 40 over at RT just to get new stuff. I would edit out Kasey Kasem's voice afterwards but it was a task and a half cause he would always speak even when the music started.

The first Odyssey branch (at Shoppesville, Greenhills) would carry imported albums that sold at P120 bucks (a fortune at that time) but even so, they mostly sold new wave and disco albums. So I had to save my allowance just to purchase New Order's "Ceremony" 12" single and Asia's debut album. Pero pahirapan pa yan. They would only hold the album for you for a few days and with my meager school allowance, it took me 6 schools days before I could get one album.

It was at Khumbela and High Adventure that gave me more choices. It was there that I got Echo and the Bunnymen's Ocean Rain and the Cocteau Twins.

Remember tuning in to Capitol Radio on XB? Man, I would stay up late just to catch their broadcasts. It was kinda difficult considering my folks made sure us kids were in bed by 9 (eh, 10 pa ang Capitol Radio). It was there that I first heard Stiff Little Fingers, R.E.M., the Smiths, the Cult etc. Remember when Jingle editor Ces Rodriguez would diss RT for its "Medium by Fade or Fade by Medium" when they failed to identify Seona Dancing's "More To Lose?" Har har har

Then they opened A-Z Records in Kamuning (later at Anonas). It was there that I saw Betrayed guitarist Buddy Trinidad hanging out and checking the punk lps. Okay siya at first para magpa-tape. But after awhile. Harang na, 10 bucks per song then lousy recording quality. And puro gasgas na yung mga CD nila.

Ever make the pilgrimage to Quiapo and Raon or Sam's in Pasay Road?  The Rastro (mostly a book shop) in Greenhills? All to look for the unheard music.

Well, things are much better now what with online ordering, the chance to buy CDs abroad or to be content with the woefully inadequate titles and stocks at Tower or M1. But it's still like Indiana Jones to hunt down a lot of good music. And that all the more makes listening to them all the more sweeter.

What are your stories, dudes?

[joogs]

I hear you dude. I became a fan of music around '89 when as a kid, I got the soundtrack of Batman! Then the 90's came and I exposed myself to radio (RT was THE station withr egards to new music then, but sadly now they've turn into one of those "corporate radios")  

Then occasionally, I would tune into NU where I learned about bands callled GNR, Metallica, Nirvana and yes Extreme (because of THAT worldwide hit single). I have to thank my cousin for getting me into the rock (or hair) bands of the 80's like Skid Row, Savatage, etc. etc. Then I got into Van Halen when they released F.U.C.K. in '92. Then I had MTV and I had money to buy CDs.

This is where my search for music began, searching all the stores (I already had Odyssey and greenhills to thank at that point) for tapes, cds videos of bands which continue to day as I constantly expand my tastes.  Thank god at least I got to go to the States and Hong Kong once in a while to get my fave cds.

As far as taste/fave music, mine keeps expanding and gets obscure every year. I envy you for being there when bands like Rush, Asia and Led Zep were still "new" as I have only their albums to discover. Having vinyls and all that stuff are definitely collections, one for the ages. My passion for Progressive music has led me to discover Genesis (I though t they were a pop band since I started w/ them in the 90s), Yes, Rush, and other prog rock music. It has also sparked my interests in virtuoso playing of guitarists/keyboards which gave me Dream Theater, Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen etc.

Over they years, one significant discovery in music I have every year is that I open my mind to a specific genre, whether be it classical, jazz, progressive, country, etc. etc. Although I have only albums of defunct bamds to search, I still love the thrill of discovering something new that continues to branch out as we speak. I could say that buying stuff over the net has become an easier venue rather than what you've done, but I could only envy you in trekking all the stores in the city, just to get the album that you want. I've done that but only limited to Odysseys in Makati back then. But I guess we don't have to thank these stores and websites, but all the artists that create the music that we constantly search for.

[Amoch]

Ang tatanda na pala natin. I highschool nung time ng WXB. Yep, mahirap ngang mag-tune in noon kase panget pa ang signal nila. The music was beautiful then.

Walang borders, you could listen to oi (Peter & the test tube babies, Angelic Upstarts, Exploited), hardcore (Social Unrest, Blackflag, Husked Du, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys) and also to bands with weird names like Half-man, Half Biscuit and ska acts like the Specials, Stiff Little Fingers and the rest of the Two Tone artists then.

I met the guy who owns A2Z records nun (Les). After Anonas lumipat yung shop nya sa Project 6. Nagpapakopya din sya ng mga PC software nun hindi lang music.

Mahirap talagang umiskor ng music then. Pumumpunta din ako sa Khumbela at High Adventure at bumibili ng mga tapes. Dun ako nakakuha nang Martial Law Babies Compilation na kasama yung mga Pinoy New Wave acts like Under Blue Skies, Silos, Violent Playground, Eizen Kruze (can't remember the spelling) at IC (si Nito Palacio ata ito eh) yung kumanta ng Ecsie (saan ba ang party? pwede bang sumali? Kahit saan pwedi...so goes the lyrics). May libre pangang belt pouch sa High Adventure for every tape purchase mo eh. Dun din ako nakakuha ng album ng Lloyd Cole (Easy Pieces), Care at Chameleons.

It was also the time ng Twisted Red Cross. Basic lang banatan dati - kahit walang talent, basta may attitude. And people then did have attitude. ang bangis pa nuon ang Urban Bandits. "Manila Girl" was a rock song 'di katulad ngayon sinasayawan na lang ni Grasya (a few years ago).

Grabe ang mga New Wave acts natin nuon. Very original hindi clones (well meron pa ring iba). If you could listen to the old Ethnic Faces - wala silang katunog nuon (pati ngayon).

It's true mahirap umiskor ng music noon unlike now meron on line stores. Pero chong, sobrang prohibitive naman ng prices. Imaginin mo umorder ako ng CD for $1, umabot ng 600 bucks dahil sa shipping? Leche!

Anyway, saan ba kayo kumukuha ng mga rare CDs ngayon na hindi mo kailangang ibenta kaluluwa mo?

[pinoymusika]

I dunno if its telling but nowadays when I want to check out new music, I look for it first on the Net - this is especially true for the newer artists. Only then do I decide if I want the album bad wnough to go out to a store and buy it. Years ago I would spend hours just browsing records stores - that's where I got my basic music education. But times have changed I guess!