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Circus (Eraserheads album)

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Circus
Studio album by
Eraserheads
ReleasedNovember 4, 1994
Recorded1993–1994
Studio
  • JR Recording Studios
  • Cinema Audio
Genre
Length59:45
Label
ProducerRobin Rivera
Eraserheads chronology
Ultraelectromagneticpop!
(1993) 		Circus
(1994) 		Cutterpillow
(1995)
Singles from Circus
  1. "Kailan"
    Released: 1995

Circus is the second studio album by the Philippine alternative rock band Eraserheads, released on November 4, 1994 through BMG Records (Pilipinas), Inc.

Circus received positive reviews upon its release. It eventually turned quintuple platinum with 200,000 copies sold.[1] Its hit singles include "Kailan", "Magasin", "Alapaap" and "With a Smile".

Music and lyrics

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Eraserheads returned to the studio to record songs for Circus in 1994, recruiting their former college professor and friend Robin Rivera as producer. They contributed “Wating” to Ishmael Bernal's 1994 film of the same name as its theme song, with actress Carmina Villarroel on guest vocals.[2] It was later released as a bonus track for the album's CD release.

The album's first single "Kailan" was originally written as part of the musical Manhid, directed by Auraeus Solito while the band studied at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1991.[3] A lounge version was also included in the album as a bonus track.

The album featured classic hits for the band such as "With a Smile", "Magasin", "Alapaap" and "Minsan". "Magasin" was based on a friend of Ely Buendia's who had dated actress Shirley Tesoro, who appeared in bomba films.[4] "Alapaap" became a subject of controversy for its suggestive imagery, which Senator Tito Sotto saw as promoting drug use.[5] The band responded with a letter to the senator stating that it was a misinterpretation and that the song was their "ode to freedom", not drug abuse.[6]

Circus features punk elements found in tracks such as "Bato", "Insomya", and "Alkohol". "Sembreak" refers to semestral breaks common in Philippine secondary education. "Hey Jay" is about a homosexual named Jay that "manages to humanize gay men",[7] even though Buendia later clarified in a 2012 Esquire article that "it's not strictly about that", continuing: "I also identified with those people who couldn’t express themselves freely."[4]

Penned by Raimund Marasigan, "Wishing Wells" was rerecorded from Pop-U!,[8] while "Butterscotch" is a song about religious hypocrites.[8] The album also features a three-part series of filler tracks written by Marcus Adoro: "Punk Zappa", "No Royalty Album Filler No. 9" and "Prof. Banlaoi's Transcendental Medication After Every Six Months or Punk Zappa Three", poking fun at the Philippine alternative scene.[8]

Artwork

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The album cover for Circus was created by visual artist Mark Justiniani. It is the first design to use the inverted letter E, invented by Karen Kunawicz, as a trademark for the band.[9]

Reissues

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[10]

In 2008, BMG reissued Eraserheads’s back catalogue, including Circus.[11]

In November 2019, Offshore Music and Sony Music Philippines released a 25th anniversary reissue of the album, which was digitally remastered by Buendia.[12] After the band's reunion concert in 2022, it was re-released on streaming services to include 360-degree spatial sound.[13] The album was also remastered by Bernie Grundman and released on vinyl in March 2023, limited to 3,500 copies.[14]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bato"Marcus Adoro4:04
2."Sembreak"Raimund Marasigan4:04
3."Alapaap"Ely Buendia4:23
4."Hey Jay"Buendia4:39
5."Minsan"Buendia4:15
6."Punk Zappa"Adoro0:10
7."Insomya"
  • Adoro
  • Marasigan
2:03
8."With a Smile"Buendia4:39
9."Alkohol"Marasigan2:53
10."Wishing Wells"Marasigan3:33
11."Kailan"
3:14
12."No Royalty Album Filler No. 9"Adoro1:02
13."Magasin"Buendia4:10
14."Butterscotch"Buendia4:36
15."Sa Wakas"
  • Buendia
  • Angala
2:35
16."Prof. Banlaoi's Transcendental Medication After Every Six Months Or Punk Zappa Three"Adoro1:53
Total length:52:13
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
17."Wating"Buendia4:14
18."Kailan Lounge"
  • Buendia
  • Adoro
  • Zabala
  • Marasigan
  • Angala
  • Evangelista
  • Solito
3:18
Total length:59:45

Personnel

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Adapted from the liner notes.[15]

References

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  1. ^ De Guzman, L. "Circus", The Eraserheads Database, n.d. Accessed last February 25, 2007.
  2. ^ Agbayani-Isidro, Claire. "Unknown Title (The Philippine Star, May 13, 1994)". Schizo Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Pastor, Pam. "Before the Eraserheads became rock stars, they wrote a Pinoy musical". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Romulo, Erwin. "Ely Buendia on Existence, Loneliness, and the Songs That Matter". Esquire Philippines. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Bersola, Christine. "Play it again, Sen. (Manila Standard, August, 26, 1995)". Schizo Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  6. ^ Labog, Juliet M. "Eraserheads: 'Alapaap' ode to freedom, not to drugs (Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 25, 1995)". Schizo Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Caruncho, Eric S. "From Rock to Bagong Lumad (Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 18, 1994)". Schizo Archives. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Sig. "Circus (Rock & Rhythm, December 1994)". Schizo Archives. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Agbayani, Susan Claire. "From Ultra to Circus: Ely Buendia looks back at 1994". GMA Network. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "Allmusic review".
  11. ^ "Eraserheads - Circus (CD, 2010)". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Malig, Kaela. "Remastered Eraserheads classic 'Circus' to stream starting Nov. 15". GMA News Online. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Basbas, Franchesca Judine. "5 Eraserheads albums to be re-released to include 360-degree spatial sound". Bandwagon Asia. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  14. ^ Singh, Surej. "Eraserheads are releasing their sophomore album 'Circus' on vinyl". NME. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Circus (album liner notes). Eraserheads. BMG. 1994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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