Side A, which popularized tunes like Forevermore, Hold On, So Many Questions and others is now 18 years old. The group’s music has evolved somewhat. It is smoother and there is now more R&B with hints of gospel and country. They now also record most of their own materials. But if you will compare Titanium to the very first Side A album from 18 years ago, the group’s kind of relaxing upbeat pop remains basically the same.
Most remarkable of all is the fact that, the members of Side A are still the same. Naldy Gonzales, musical director and keyboards, Joey Generoso, vocals and guitar, Kelly Badon on lead guitar, Joey Benin on bass and Ernie Severino on drums. No one has left to join another group, go solo or retire from the business. The Apo Hiking Society have been together for more than 30 years but there are only three of them. Side A has five members and their being together for such a long time is already a record in local pop music history. These guys must really be kindred souls who are mature, level-headed and easy to get along with.
With 10 new songs and a bonus video with three cuts, Titanium should please every Side A fan. The group will also surely recruit a lot of new listeners among people who like their music well-produced in a soothing manner. Dream On is the first single release. Love is Another is another nice cut, which shows signs of becoming a good single. The videos of these two songs, also well-crafted are both included in the package.
Nais Ko, should be another good choice for the hit charts. The only Tagalog song in the album, this one was written by Ogie Alcasid, who is certainly the most prolific composer we have nowadays. If Ogie’s batting average as a hit maker holds up with his first Side A song, then Nais Ko will certainly be the song to watch out for. The other cuts in the album are Fragile, Break My Heart Again, Don’t Let the World Win, With You, When I C U 2nyt, Make Believe and Surrender.
Zagat is known for its surveys of restaurants, hotels, spas and other leisure places in American cities. It recently branched out into entertainment with the survey about the 1000 most popular movies of all time. This was followed by the Music Survey, the results of which were released last week. The music poll was conducted on 10,000 people who picked out the 1000 best albums of the past 80 years. Check out the Zagat website to find out how your collection stands up against the choices.