Brian Salad

 Brian Salad

Side A

Concept Human

inches

Malalaman Ko Kaya

Only Me

Side B

Sick of the Blues

Anyone in a Daydream

Dead Long Ago

No Chorus

Side C

2=1

She is a Wave

Bulong Mo Sa Dilim

Island Under Seige

Side D

Mula Sa Langit

Tomorrow Knows

BRAIN SALAD is a collection of songs written by BASTI ARTADI & DAVID AGUIRRE, with the rhythmic assistance of LOUIE TALAN & BRIAN VELASCO.

Blues, Rock – Philippines

Basti Artadi – vocals

David Aguirre – electric, acoustic, 12 string guitars

vocals (Malalaman Ko Kaya)

Louie Talan – fretted and “fretless” bass

Brian Velasco – drums

In 2001, Philippine rock band Brain Salad released Brain Salad. The album and band are one-off projects. Brain Salad comprises performers from two Sony Music Entertainment Philippines bands -- Wolfgang and Razorback -- both of which are among the country's most popular and top-selling rock bands. The album is acoustic-based, although the electric guitar is also heard in parts, along with organ and percussion. The members of Brain Salad include the much-respected vocalist, Basti Artadi, of Wolfgang, and the drummer, bassist, and one guitarist from Razorback. Other musicians and singers also lend their talents to various songs, including other musicians from Wolfgang and Razorback. The concept sounds exciting, but ultimately falls short of its potential. The opening, "Concept Human," sounds like an inferior outtake from a Wolfgang album, most particularly 1999's Atomica. The song offers nothing new and sounds like a reprise of other Wolfgang songs. The smart saxophone fills heard here don't help matters. Things improve somewhat on "Inches," despite the fact that the melody and a large part of the arrangement remain derivative, but the imaginative slide and electric guitar and organ work offer fine moments. Still, there is the unsettling feeling that this has been heard before. The album lacks excitement, and a number of songs -- including "2-1," "Bulong Mo Sa Dilim" (You Whisper It in the Dark), and "Island Under Siege," among others -- seem long and drawn out. It appears as though Wolfgang and Razorback are rehashing ideas heard earlier on their respective albums. One of the few songs worth paying attention to is "Only Me," which is steeped in American Southern rock. While this genre has been extensively explored by Razorback on previous albums, this song sounds fresh and exciting. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for most of Brain Salad.

-review by David Gonzalez