15 APRIL 2005

VICOR RE-RELEASES APO's FIRST TWO ALBUMS!

As part of its celebrations as a 40 year old music company, Vicor Music Corporation has re-released APO's first two albums in one double CD package called "40th Anniversary Collection: APO HIKING SOCIETY". One CD contains excerpts from APO's 2-day farewell concerts held on July 15 and 16 in 1973 at the Meralco Theater when they thought they would be splitting up after college. The other CD contains the songs and gimmicks of their first studio album called "Collectors Item". The two recordings are must-have items for APO archive collectors. Real blasts from the past.

From these two CDs are early evidence of Boboy, Danny annd Jim's creativity as songwriters, humorists, and their talent as singers. Upon hearing them again, Jim said, "It's a strange experience listening to our roots, where it all began. It's early APO--- very raw and very refreshing and funny. Some of the songs we recorded then I thought were not great material. But I find them beautiful now. May potencial pala. ha ha! But then, it's me talking".

On the concert album, the stand-outs are SASS Blues, My Sweet Lord, and their early originals. On Collector's Item, the originals are surprisngly good, like "Time Can Let It Wait" by Danny. The early version of APO's hit "Softly" is there too---slower but already the charmer that it is. It was one APO song that hit twice, the first time with this early version and the second time in the 80's as a rearranged piece by Louie Ocampo. "Maybe we should record all of them again and give them a new life", exclaimed Jim. But maybe not! They are gems of their own.

By the way, the 'unknown' voice you hear on the live album is that of Lito De Joya, the would-have-been 4th member of the APO who did quit after the farewell concert!