Randomness.....

Monday, May 30, 2011

Ready, Ragini MMS, A Strange Love Story, Queens! Destiny of Dance - Music Review

Ready (2011)
Music: Pritam, Devi Shri Prasad

1. Dhinka Chika ------------------------------------------------ 9/10
2. Dhinka Chika (Remix) ----------------------------------- 8/10
Do I have to say more about this song? Brilliant corniness. Simply put, we officially have this year's best song for the upcoming Ganpati season. Although, the video adds more fun to the song, the track itself will make you dance wherever you are, if you possess the necessary inclination. Dhinka Chika Dhinka Chika Dhinka Chika Dhinka Chika Re e e e Re e e e! The Remix, is not really a remix, but an almost identical song with separate lyrics. Although, there is this lingering thought, that there could have been a better choice of playback singer than Mika Singh. Interesting fact: This is the lone song of Devi Shri Prasad in this album.

3. Meri Ada Bhi -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5/10
Definitely not a good, leave alone great, but could make an addition to wedding songs album.

Final verdict: Overall, gets a 5/10. Dhinka Chika pretty much carries the burden of the entire album. The interesting part is, the other three original numbers are pretty flat despite being sung by prolific singers like KK, Neeraj Shridhar and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The music directors went full force with this album, but came up with only Dhinka Chika. Certainly Ready for it.

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Ragini MMS (2011)

Music: S.D. Burman, Shamir Tandon, Faizan Hussain, Agnel Boman, Bappi Lahiri

It is kind of curious to read S.D. Burman among the names of music directors, although, adding a classic like Raat Akeli Hai from Jewel Thief to the album explains it. Take it out and we have an album that is as small as an MMS. There are more music directors than there are tracks in this album. Bappi's corny magic fails in You're My Chicken Fry.

Brownie points:

Ragini - The title track is a decent grunge rock track. Bollywood is definitely doing a right thing there. An interesting mix of cell phone sounds.
Itne Kareeb Aao is a nice sounding jazz/retro track. Not too bad.

A Strange Love Story (2011)
Music: Santok Singh, Dharmesh, Ripul
What a strange album! Half the album is boring instrumentals and the rest are equally boring sad romantic numbers.

Queens! Destiny of Dance (2011)
Music: Anurag Ware
Sincere attempt. But when it evokes a yawn, it doesn't speak, err.... yawn ....of the album.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Kucch Luv Jaisaa, Luv Ka The End, Stanley Ka Dabba - Music Review

It has been a good few weeks of good music..........

Kucch Luv Jaisaa (2011)
Music: Pritam

......like this album. We had Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who have had their heydays, and the red hot pair of Vishal-Shekhar of today. But who else than Pritam would continue to entertain us so unassumingly. Part of the reason he does not get credit is the plagiarism factor that has tarnished his image. Nevertheless, there have been numerous albums, one after the other, where Pritam has created beautiful music, from romantic tracks to some of the most hip and distinct music. Pritam presents, Kucch Luv Jaisaa...........

1. Khwab (Raghav's Confession) --------------------- 8/10
2. Khwab (Rock) -------------------------------------------- 8/10
The best track of the album. An utterly romantic and dreamy track, but in a non-corny way. Nikhil D'Souza does justice to it by adding the softness and passion to song just when it is necessary. Wait! This almost makes him Sonu Nigam. Excellent opening, great lyrics and mood. Guitar dabblers will love it. Raghav's Confession is much better of the two owing to the nature of song. The Rock version just feels like rock instruments and a romantic track juxtaposed. They never really blend.

3. Thoda Sa Pyaar (Madhu's Search For Love) ---------------------------------------------------------- 8/10
Another excellent romantic track from this fully romantic album portraying a story of budding love. Naresh Iyer is a good singer, but definitely KK was missed here for the zeal he brings in. Minus points to Pritam for this choice. Otherwise, a great track.

4. Thoda Sa Pyaar (Raghav's Search For Love) --------------------------------------------------------- 7/10
Same song, different singer. KK would have been better. But still a good track. Overall, Madhu's Search For Love is better, but the electric guitar piece in Raghav's Search for Love is nicer.

5. Thoda Sa Pyaar --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/10
Exactly the same track, but this is a primarily female version. And it still continues to sound great. Sunidhi Chauhan is definitely on the path to recovery. Love it.

6. Naina ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/10
Another Mohit Chauhan romantic soliloquy. Only this time this is not an Unplugged version, meaning, it's a song with all the background score you would expect and Mohit Chauhan is not carrying the entire weight of the song on his shoulders. A peaceful track, only a tad too sweet. However, minor shortcomings can be overlooked here.

7. Baadlon Pe Paon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10

Not particularly great. But for those looking for some decent rock Bollywood music, this song is foot tapping with some great strumming and beats.

Final verdict: 8/10. It has been a while, since every song in album, including many variations of the same song has had a mention. Great work Pritam. Thanks for keeping us entertained.

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Luv Ka The End (2011)

Music: Ram Sampath

1. F.U.N. Fun Funaa ------------------------------------ 8/10

If you are looking for some fun songs. Modern, hip and lively this is what you were looking for. Perfect for parties to set up the mood and start shaking your legs. Very bouncy and fun.

2. Freak Out ------------------------------------------------- 7/10

Another perky song, almost a cousin of the previous song. This is one of those songs where the lyrics matter with the instrumentals, like Pappu Cant Dance from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. A perfect teenage fantasy.

3. Luv Ka The End --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/10

Another peppy track and also the track. Although the songs speaks about heartbreaks, it still maintains a good tempo.

4. The Mutton Song -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10

Add this song right away to the list of item numbers. Although it is not a great song by itself, the beats, the mood and the lyrics will set a party on fire. Do not listen when not in the party mood.

5. Tonight --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10

A nice sounding, fast paced jazzy track. Has a number of elements that makes it likable, but just not enough. Not a piece of trash by any means.

6. Heppy Budday Beybee - Comes in at No.6 is this one. What the hell? Sure will evoke reactions ranging from hilarious to incredulous. Why would someone put this in an album?

Final verdict - The album gets a 7/10. Definitely entertaining. Does not contain any typical melodies. Relies heavily of western style music, but pulls of a good composition mostly. Songs 1 and 2 above, will for sure be loved by the teens and make the older ones reminisce the halcyon days of college.

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Stanley Ka Dabba (2011)

Music: Hitesh Sonik

In the bloopers of the week section, comes Stanley Ka Dabba. Again, may be the genre itself does not lend itself to mainstream entertainment, but the songs are decent enough to the point they probably support the scenes well. But, for the MP3 players, there is nothing here.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Haunted - 3D, Zokkomon, I Am, Naughty @ 40- Music Review

Haunted - 3D (2011)
Music: Chirantan Bhatt

1. Jaaniya ----------------------------------------------------- 7/10
One of the many songs of this album with a repentent mood. The good part is all such songs are good, and the husky voice of Sidharth Basrur does good justice to this one. The track starts out slow, however doesn't take forever to get into it's groove. The tempo is just about right, while the song manages a perfect balance between softness and passion. The stop-n-go breaks between verses are also spot on.

2. Mujhe De De Har Gham Tera ------------------------ 7/10
Another song by Sidharth Basrur, very much like Jaaniya, perfectly blends soft tracks and right amount of energy. Soothing to the ears, the song never gets any close to trying too hard.

3. Tera Hi Bas Hona Chaahoon ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/10
.....and yet another song that clearly reflects the musical style of Chirantan Bhatt. Never trying really too hard, the track achieves a good blend of Indian and western instruments with an instant taste of melody and climax followed by a softer score. The pensive mood is beautifully evoked in this track.

Brownie points -

Sau Baras - Not too bad of romantically pensive song, however, it is a tad too slow. Pretty melodious otherwise
Tum Ho Mera Pyar - A rare occasion where KK fails to capture our hearts, owing to the controlled style of Chirantan Bhatt's music. KK always needs to be free for his full display of talent.

Final verdict - Overall the album gets a 6/10. It is hard to miss the likeness between the previous album, by Chirantan Bhatt, specifically Shaapit. The only drawback of his style, is the tracks don't possess individuality making it hard to remember a specific track, and the tracks get a little repetitive. In spite of this, capable enough of entertaining us.

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Zokkomon (2011)

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

A children's movie and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy-of-late directing music didn't raise much expectations. Not that the music is complete trash, but it is mostly boring. May be good enough for the genre of the movie. However, this song is worth a mention:

1. Tum Bin Yeh Dil Ghabraye ------------------------------------- 6/10

A throwback to the heydays of Shaan. A soft melody where Shaan's prowess is completely out in the open, not masked in the instrumentals. A little slow, but nice nevertheless.

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I Am (2011)
Music: Amit Trivedi, Rajiv Bhalla, Vivek Philip

A decent attempt which does not go anywhere. This makes complete sense with an Amit Trivedi album. How many times has he produced albums that sound interesting, but not memorable. Overall, the album is decent. If played in the background, it won't remind us to change/skip it. The following songs could be considered though:

1. Issi Baat Pe - KK. What more could you ask? And he is used to his full potential. An interesting mix of Indian classical instruments in this otherwise pop/soft rock track. Nice tempo to keep you hooked.

2. Saye Saye - Pretty interesting and typical Amit Trivedi. Starts out with vocals followed by great beats when the anticipation builds up. The pendulum swings from boring to 'Hmm! This is nice'. Definitely could have done away with religious overtones and opening of the song itself.

Final verdict - Sorry Amit Trivedi. Like always, try a little harder next time.

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Naughty @ 40 (2011)
Music: Monty Sharma

The music director seems to have forgotten that we are in 2011. May be the fact that Govinda is the lead actor of the film got the music director confused. Certainly stale.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Shor In The City, Chalo Dilli, Kaccha Limboo - Music Review

Shor In The City (2011)

Music: Sachin-Jigar, Harpreet

1. Saibo ----------------------------------------------------------- 8/10
2. Saibo (Remix) ----------------------------------------------- 8/10

One of the better romantic tracks off late. Add to the adjectives: short and sweet. Shreya Ghoshal can never stay out of action when it comes to love songs. A beautiful track conveying the moods of nascent love.

3. Teri Justajoo (Saaware) --------------------------------- 7/10

Roopkumar Rathod fans rejoice. Not only is he the playback singer, the song is really smooth and soothing. Due to his unique style, it almost feels like an extension of Maula Mere Maula from Anwar. But the class and prowess of the singer is on full display here. A great, slow romantic track for the relaxing evening or for troubled minds.

4. Karma Is a Bitch ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10

Interesting rock track by Suraj Jagan. He keeps his brand as a niche singer alive with a modern Bollywood-rock tracks. The beats and mood of the song could get us rocking, unless you are not a grunge fan. This definitely not as great a grunge track compared to the recent ones from Bollywood. Nevertheless, a pretty rebellious track.

5. Shor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10
Another grunge rock track from the movie, keeping up with beats. Definitely meant for grunge fans again. This is a little better than Karma Is A Bitch as Mohan, the playback singer does have a solemn tone to his voice adding the necessary darkness to the song. And the use of tambura and sitar is brilliantly blended giving a fusion effect to the track.

6. Ujale Baaz ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10
Yet another grunge rock track from the movie. If you were a grunge fan, looking for Bollywood music, this album is a gold mine. This is the lesser good of the three, but not a piece of trash. Expand your grungle collection with this. Reminds us of Bandagi from Hostel.

Final verdict: Overall, gets a 6/10. A good collection of grunge music, with two nice romantic tracks. Definitely, an entertainer.

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Chalo Dilli (2011)
Music: Gourov Dasgupta, Anand Raj Anand, Sachin Gupta, Rohit Kulkarni, Roshan Balu

The sheer number of music directors used for the album hints at inconsistent style of music and the album ending up being a hotch-potch collection. But not this one. In fact the entire album has a common Punjabi theme, which is not only consistent but entertaining.

1. Hi 5 -------------------------------------------------------------- 7/10
Yes, you read it right. This is the title of the song. And also a rating for the track. Neeraj Shridhar can hardly go wrong these days. Although the track opens mildly annoyingly, the excellent Punjabi beats will fill the mood with fun and frolic, and the lyrics and mood of the song helps get rid of any blues.

2. Chalo Dilli ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/10
Another nice unassuming song. The song suffers from a very generic tune, beats but emerges as a decent entertainer with the good ol' Punjabi beats. Good as background music for day-to-day life and certainly will not be boring.

Final verdict: A decent album, with no chartbusters. One of those albums you wont mind having play on your radio, when all you are looking for some decent music to kill the silence.

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Kaccha Limboo (2011)
Music: Amardeep Nijjer

A children's movie. So, not much hopes for adults to find some seriously good music. No matter how cute (or so is the popular opinion) child voices sound, they really do not entertain. Truly meant for the kids (again a mere assumption).

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Dum Maaro Dum, Teen Thay Bhai, Happy Husbands - Music Review

Dum Maaro Dum (2011)

Music: Pritam

Pritam! You did it again. Entertainment, melody, emotion all packed into this album, although we could have done away with 4 versions of Te Amo.

1. Te Amo (Duet) ---------------------------------------------- 9/10
2. Te Amo (Female) ------------------------------------------ 9/10
3. Te Amo (Reprise) ------------------------------------------ 9/10
4. Te Amo (Remix) -------------------------------------------- 9/10

Nice melody with good tempo, beats, softness and acoustics. This song demonstrates why Sunidhi Chauhan should attempt more melody than energetic tracks. The song has 4 versions, and kind of get repetitive in the context of the album. Owing to the nature of the song, the Duet sounds the best, followed by Female version by Sunidhi Chauhan. The Reprise version is truly for Mohit Chauhan fans, the song is a soliloquy without much instrumental fanfare. The Remix also sounds good, however is intended more for the DJs than anyone.

5. Thayn Thayn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/10

Probably the most exciting track of the album. A cool rap from Abhishek Bachchan will get you rocking in your car, in your cubicle, in your sleep. The gun-cocking sounds with the beats add a nice gangsta appeal. A sharp, trendy and rocking rap after a long time by Abhishek. He should definitely sing more raps than act.

6. Jiyein Kyun ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8/10

One of the two songs from the movie with a sad theme, but by no means will put you to sleep or make you change the track. The opening of the song is a little slow, however picks up a splendid tempo by the middle of it. Guitarists and grunge fans will love this track.

7. Jaana Hai --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/10

A pretty standard track in terms of tune and beats. However, the slightly heart-broken tone of the song is it's clincher. Although, this song would have been much better if Himesh had sung it. Any takers on this point?

Overall: A great album. Gets a 8/10 overall. Bears resemblance to a number of past Pritam albums. Pity that the classic Dum Maaro Dum track was killed in this album, making it the worst track in it. Khane ka, peene ka, mast chill marne ka aur is fillum ke gaane sunne ka.

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Teen Thay Bhai (2011)

Music: Sukhwinder Singh, Ranjit Barot

A completely goofy and folk style album has nothing of value in here. If you were to expand your list of funny songs, here's one for you:

Pigeon Kabootar (Teen Thay Bhai) - Funny, interesting lyrics with foot tapping Punjabi folk beats. And who better than Daler Mehndi to add a flair to it. But again, the perspective is funny music and not a serious melody.

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Happy Husbands (2011)

Music: Anay

A very, very generic album. Nothing too bad either. But it just misses to capture any attention. Out of this mediocrity the following track gets a mention:

Aai Aai Aai Hai - It promises to be a hip track, but ends up as a confused medley of different hipper tunes.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

The game is fixed.....

   April 2, 2011 witnessed one of the highest points of international cricket, when Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a confident six to bring India it's share of World Cup glory after 28 years. The whole world was watching - the cricketing world that is - with more than two thirds of the followers from India alone with the rest of the fan base from the rest of the countries. The stakes were high, both for the World Cup finalists, as well as all other 'entrepreneurs' who make their living off the outcome of the game; which has a been a pet peeve of many betrayed fans.

   Ever since the match fixing scandal boiled and spilled over world cricket, there has been a sizable number of cricket fans who doubt the authenticity of game results. The accusations reach a fever pitch when the games go down the wire. For a common fan, the situation just gets too confusing on whether to believe in the game-fixing rumors or to stay innocent and have a childlike entertainment out of it.

   A movie has actors, a plot with the right amount of spice and twists and turns with a finale. Similarly, the game has it's performers in the form of athletes who perform 'live' on a field in front of not only the crowd, but the millions others glued to their TV sets. The actors in a film get the help from the director, the make up crew and choreographers, whereas the cricketers have to deal with a constantly changing plot and without much on-field instructions. They also have to rely on each other's abilities to do what they are asked to do.

   Just like a movie has a finale, which we never want to hear about beforehand, the game has a final twist that we do not know. A movie experience could easily be ruined by the spoilers, however in a game of cricket (or any other sport), no matter how much it is 'fixed', it is extremely tough for a majority of fans to really know what, how and when anything is going to happen. If we were to enjoy a movie that lasts on an average of about two and a half hours- a finite amount of staged storytelling - there is not much of a problem in watching a staged game.

   A movie, a TV series, a circus, or a stand-up comedy show is successful only after hours, weeks and days of practice and retakes, as it applies. Whereas in a game, the players have only a limited chance to perform to the script and only a little time to correct their actions if anything goes askew. Thus, performing to the script is even tougher to achieve. So let us all enjoy the game we love, and not despair over something we only suspect is staged. If the game is fixed, so is the fate.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Thank You, Help, Satrangee Parachute - Music Review

Thank You (2011)
Music: Pritam

Pritam comes to us with a goofy album for a probably goofy movie. Most of the songs are frivolous and really make no effort to please our musical senses. It is mostly commotion, confusion and concocted retro music. Sonu Nigam, who has had a recent success in Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and YPD Title Track from Yamla Pagla Deewana, falls flat in My Heart Is Beating. Despite it's failings these two songs stand a chance:

1. Pyaar Mein --------------------------------------------------- 7/10
Typical Javed Ali track. Starts out with a nice operatic musical piece, and then Javed Ali takes care of the rest while Neeraj Shridhar plays a nice supporting role in the chorus creating a nice harmony.

2. Razia ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6/10
Almost feels like a remix version of its self. However, if you are looking for some fun, and are looking to update your dance mix with something new, this could be what you were looking for. Master Saleem is one of the best in business in adding a qawwali angle to a track. Slightly repetitive, but fun.

Final verdict: Get 1 above in this otherwise forgettable album. No Thank You please!
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Help (2010)
Music: Ashu, Gourov Dasgupta

1. Kyun Gum Hai Khushiyan -------------------------- 8/10
2. Kyun Gum Hai Khushiyan (Remix) -------------- 8/10
A very pleasant grunge track. Quite an antithesis. One of the best grunge songs of 2010 that went unnoticed. Only intended for the fans of this genre of music. Starts out in a tense mood, lends out a cry of despair and leads the listener in it's self-assured beats and tempo.
Now, the Remix version is a totally different story. Begins with a quick tempo, and the bass beats are plain phenomenal. If you wish to test out your new speakers high bass, play this song and you will not be disappointed one bit. I could probably rate it a 10 on good bass speakers, otherwise gets 8. Once again, high bass and good speakers can only do justice to the Remix version.

The other tracks, Help and Kehna Hai try to support the album, but fail to do so.
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Satrangee Parachute (2011)
Music: Kaushik Dutta, Shamir Tandon

Either the kids genre movie songs don't blend well with adult liking or the songs themselves are not great. It seems former is the case, because it has been a while any such movies have had songs that were anywhere close to good. In this bland album, Udd Jaa Udd Jaa is a decent track.