IV of Spades Mundo (studio version)

I agree with one blogger that the studio version of "Mundo", the break out song of IV of Spades paled very much in comparison with their version of that song at 107.5 FM. It is such a muck up. Anyway, they still have time to repair such a monstrosity. They know it.

Here is the version I am talking about.

https://youtu.be/xKk655CDFn8

I just can't stop myself from comparing "Mundo" to the "Himig Natin" song of Juan Dela Cruz band. Like the Juan Dela Cruz band, IV of Spades made some dramatic promise that their every song was deliciously lapped up by every member of that generation. It made heroes out of three members of the band: Mike Hanopol, Pepe Smith (who remains very much active in the rock scene) and Wally Gonzalez.

Incidentally, it was in 1968 when the band was formed and it was in 1973 at the height of martial law that they released their most popular song which became still the rock anthem of Pinoy rockers.

Some say, this song "Mundo" is the "anthem song" of this millennial generation. Well, I really don't know about that.

The thing is, IV of Spades' sound seemed unique because it appeals not just to millennials but to true blue rockers of two or even three generations past. It just so happened that three cute faced youngsters are there showing us that they perfectly understood what other generations want to say.

Songs of IV of Spades seemed too perfectly arranged to be "commercially iconic" to a point of exhaustion. Backers of this band want us to accept this band as the "penultimate" when, to be perfectly honest about it, the band sound seemed too pop-rock. However, I still believe that with Blaster Silonga, Zild and Badjao there collaborating, these youngsters can still create more serious and more musically astute creations in the next few years.

Unique Salonga says he left the band to pursue "personal goals" which just meant that there are some problems in terms of management. I think he jams well with the rest of the band. For me, it is tooo soon for Unique to leave and carve his own.

This also happened with the Juan Dela Cruz band when Mike left and formed his own band, the Mike Hanopol band.

Anyway, with or without Unique, I think IV of Spades have years worth of time to figure out their own unique sound which they could really claim as their signature.