Rivermaya (album)

Rivermaya (stylized as RiverMaya) is the self-titled debut studio album by Filipino rock band Rivermaya, released on November 1994, by Musiko Records & BMG Records (Pilipinas), Inc.

Rivermaya
Studio album by
Rivermaya
ReleasedNovember 1994[upper-alpha 1]
Recorded1994
StudioAudio Captain Inc.
Perfect Music Studio
Genre
Length42:31
LabelMusiko Records
&
BMG Records (Pilipinas), Inc.
Producer
Rivermaya chronology
Rivermaya
(1994)		 Trip
(1996)
Singles from Rivermaya
  1. "Ulan"/"Awit ng Kabataan"
    Released: 1995
  2. "214"
    Released: 1995
  3. "Bring Me Down"
    Released: 1995

The album received positive reviews from critics, who praised the songwriting of keyboardist Rico Blanco. The album sold well upon release, due to its hit singles like "214", "Ulan", and "Awit ng Kabataan". Rivermaya has been certified triple platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). With 120,000 copies sold, the record is one of the best-selling albums in the Philippines.

Background
Main article: Rivermaya § Earlier formation (1993)

Xaga formed in 1994, and were managed by Lizza Nakpil and Chito Roño. The band's original lineup consisted of Jesse Gonzales on vocals, Kenneth Ilagan on guitars, Nathan Azarcon on bass guitar, Rome Velayo on drums, and Rico Blanco on keyboards. In the process of grueling practice sessions, Gonzales and Velayo were respectively replaced by Bamboo Mañalac and Mark Escueta, both of whom were invited by Azarcon to join. Ilagan had also left the band due to personal reasons; Perfecto de Castro was added to fill in his role. Shortly thereafter, Xaga disbanded to form a new group that came to be Rivermaya.

Release and promotion

Rivermaya was released on November 1994 on cassette and CD format. A few months after the album was released, the band released the album's first single, "Ulan / Awit ng Kabataan". The two were separate songs (tracks 5 and 10 on Rivermaya), but were released together as a double A-side single. It was then followed by "214", the second single. It received heavy radio airplay and achieved massive popularity, and remains as one of the band's most memorable hits. The last single from the album was "Bring Me Down".[2]

Reception

Critical response
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

The album received generally positive reviews from critics. David Gonzales of AllMusic gave Rivermaya four stars out of five, calling it a "self-assured debut effort". He praised the tracks "Revolution" and "214", and noted that it encompasses the band's sound. He also commented on "20 Million", remarking the track is an "elaborately produced vehicle", containing piano and a wonderful string section. Gonzales enjoyed the album's melodic nature as well as Rico Blanco's songwriting, saying: "The plaudits must go to keyboardist Rico Blanco, who wrote six of the album's ten songs, and participated in the writing of the other four songs."[3]

Commercial performance

Rivermaya received gold certification status a few months after being released. Eventually, sales grew and the album was certified triple platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI), denoting sales of over 120,000 copies.[4]

Aftermath

The album's success catapulted Rivermaya into one of the Philippines' premier rock bands of the 1990s, along with the Eraserheads. The band frequently held live performances, appeared in television programs, and embarked on extensive tours around the country. Despite the popularity that established the band's status, it also bought conflict and disagreements to the members and managers.

In 1995, Perfecto de Castro left the group, citing creative differences with managers Lizza Nakpil and Chito Roño as the reason for his departure.[5] He went on to form a power trio called TriAxis. Even with de Castro's exit, Rivermaya decided to forge on, and began working on their second studio album.

Accolades
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Esquire Magazine Philippines 10 Essential OPM Albums of the 1990s [6] 2019 *

* denotes an unordered list

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rico Blanco, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Revolution"Blanco, Nathan Azarcon3:36
2."Bring Me Down" 4:32
3."Ground"Blanco, Perfecto de Castro5:06
4."20 Million" 3:54
5."Ulan"Blanco, Azarcon4:29
6."Halik sa Araw" 3:57
7."Gravity"de Castro4:10
8."214" 4:33
9."Hate" 3:24
10."Awit ng Kabataan" 4:50

Personnel

Track numbers noted in parentheses below are based on track numbering.

Notes
  1. Though the exact date is unknown, the album was reportedly launched around November 1994.[1]

References
  1. "Rivermaya". Genius. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. "Francis M and Rivermaya at Top 40".
  3. Gonzales, David. "Rivermaya – Rivermaya". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  4. Sutton, Michael. "Rivermaya Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  5. "What happened to Rivermaya and Bamboo?". nbccomedyplayground.com. December 12, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2022. Prior to Bamboo's exit, guitarist Perf also left the band due to creative differences.
  6. "10 Essential OPM Albums of the 1990s". esquiremag.ph. PAUL JOHN CAÑA. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  7. "Rivermaya Rocks "Pare Ko"". January 11, 1995. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  8. "JM De Guzman's Cover Of Rivermaya's "214" Is Another Reason To Watch Alone/Together". metro.style. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  9. "Jeremiah Tiangco sings Rivermaya's '214' for 'Lolong' | GMA Entertainment". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  10. "Special Edition Of Luke Album Out". titikpilipino.com. BMG Records Pilipinas. Archived from the original on March 2, 2006. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  11. "Ulan - Janine Teñoso [Official Music Video]". Viva Records (via YouTube). February 13, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
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