Rockstar Music Review- Rahman’s & Mohit’s masterpiece

Rockstar has been one of the most awaited movie of the year. I was most interested to see what kind of music and magic  A R Rahman creates for this one. And I am proud to say he doesn’t disappoint. Imtiaz Ali also raised expectations because of good music in his past two movies and I think his movie delivers it again.

The USP of the album besides A R Rahman’s music is Mohit Chauhan. The way he has been used in each and every song is brilliant and the way he has delivered is also good.  It starts with Mohit Chauhan featuring Phir se ud chala. An inspring song, which sounds very fresh and will just sweep you off your feet. Written by Irshad Kamil, the song is quite good in its lyrics part too but Rahman’s music and Mohit’s voice just croons it brilliantly. A classic Mohit Chauhan song.

Next in is Katiya Karun. Harshdeep Kaur is just perfect for this number. Quite Earthy, quite rocking  with some interesting lyrics.  A fun  song with the tinga linga ling to catch some attention for sure along with the earthy flavor.  Saadda Haq is going to be the next anthem of the country. A Rock song by all means. Now this is a change from Mohit’s crooning voice is Phir Udd Chala to Mohit’s rockstar voice. Rebellious lyrics with some Attitude filled singing  with some brilliant use of guitar and vocals. This is the winner of a track and gonna be a chartbuster for sure. Sadda Haq aithe rakh is a song for many seasons and will make you listen again and again.

Just like the first song  Jo Bhi Main starts off again slowly with Mohit Chauhan and then catches a rock feel that also of a live  concert performance. The guitar is splendidly used in the interludes . And l lines like “Jo bhi main kehna chahoon, barbaad karen alfaaz mere …. Yeah yeah… yeah yeah yeah” are used brilliantly. Another winner of a track.  Kun Faya Kun, is Rahman’s tribute to god and sufi music. Sung by A R Rahman, Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan, Iwould call this one a sufi rock number. Some call it brilliant, some call it genius, I would say its a masterpiece  from another world.

This album has everthing. From a a rock number to a desi track to a sufi track to now a typical Bollywood number with Sheher Main.Sung by Karthik & Mohit , the song is about the lead star learning to sing. A different arrangement all together where Karthik does the teaching part and Mohit learns. One can see the difference in voices here beautifully. Hawa Hawa is  an experimental number with fusion of  various international music. Mohit keeps the experimentation process in his singing while Rahman keeps it is the arrangement and music and together they deliver a number worth a listen.  Now comes the other Rock track -Aur Ho. A song which starts off on a low pitch begins with Alma Ferovic’s voice turns into a high pitch rock number with Mohit going in the Rockstar mode again. Look for the old Rahman touch to it.  Kavita Subramanium sings  Tum Ko. A light Indian-Western fusion number with some haunting melody. Rahman experiment continues with  Naadan Parindey. Another rock number Rahman style. Full of Guitar, drums, high burst and high pitch vocals Mohit style.

Wait it’s not over yet. We need a Romantic number too. Here comes Mohit Chauhan & Suzanne D’mello’s with Tum Ho . It starts off crooning the theme melody of Rockstar. The song is based on the same lines of Tum Ko but in different style all together.  The Album has three instrumental tracks- Tango for Taj, the Dichotomy of Fame, The Meeting Place. Listen to these three and it will tell you about the Genius of A R Rahman.  Tango for Taj is a three minute instrumental typical Tango track which will make you put your dancing shoes on. Dichtomy of Fame is based on Shehnai and guitars & The Meeting Place, is rendition of a single sentence by Ranbir, based on Rumi’s poem.

The music of Rockstar is like a journey. Every songs takes the journey ahead. Every song is an experiment and I shall say an experiment very well done.  A R Rahman sets a benchmark.Sets a standard for others.  Besides Rahman, this is Mohit Chauhan’s album and he kills in this. Mohit shows what he is capable of. Each song has a variation and Mohit Chauhan adapts to each variation marvelously. Rockstar has everything. From Rock to Indian traditional to romantic to Bollywood to international music with Punjabi, Sufi and Indian flavours. A R Rahman will leave you spell bound with this. The album is not the usual Rahman but still tSufiypical Rahman.  You need to own this album for sure.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5

Remembering Pancham Da

Gulzar called him as good a craftsman as a musician. Today on 27th June 1939, the boss was born- Rahul Dev Burman. The man who gave us many unforgettable songs like Chura Liya,  Dum Maaro Dum and many more. Boss is credited with revolutionizing the filmi music in Hindi films, with his style and techniques continue to be followed by the composers of today. On the day of his birthday today I thought of gathering a few facts about the legendary Pancham Da and some of his best songs.  RD Burman got western Music to the country.His peppy tunes, his versatility has been unmatched. He not only used instruments to get his music but used different objects like spoons, glasses to create melody from them.

Facts

• Did you know that R.D. Burman won the Filmfare award only 3 times for Sanam Teri Kasam, Masoom & 1942-A Love Story while being nominated for around 16 times for the award
• Out of his 331 released movies 292 were in Hindi, 31 in Bangla, 3 in Telugu, 2 each in Tamil & Oriya and 1 in Marathi. Pancham Da also composed for 5 TV serials in Hindi and Marathi. He also scored a large number of non-film songs in Bangla &  he did a song for a small documentary film called ‘Maa Ki Pukar’ too, in 1975.
• He was called Pancham  because, as a child, whenever he cried, it sounded in the fifth note (Pa) of the Indian musical scale. Artist since birth
• RD Burman also pioneered the use of electronic organ in Indian Films with the song ‘O Mere Sona Re’ [Teesri Manzil]
• As most of us know in ‘Chura Liya’ song he actually used the sound of a spoon hitting a glass. He did the same n ‘Abdullah’  where he used the sound of a bamboo whistle with a balloon tied to it for a song
• The talent of RD Boss was seen in his earlier days by his father when he used RD Burman’s composition for the song Sir Jo Tera Chakraye
• R.D. Burman also acted in Movies. He acted in Mehmood’s ‘Bhoot Bangla’ & also in ‘Pyaar Ka Mausam’
• In the song ‘O Manjhi Re’ from the movie ‘Khushboo’, Boss used bottles with water filled at different levels and created a hollow sound by blowing into them and this sound effect was used with the orchestra

My Top Fav Songs of RD Burman

• Tujhse Naaraz Nahi Zindagi Hairaan Hoon main- Masoom- Nothing can be better than this. The lyrics, the music. everything is just near perfect

• Mehbooba Mehbooba- Sholay

• Pyaar Hame Kis Mod Pe Le Aaya- Satte Pe Satta

• Kya Hua Tera Wada- Hum Kisi se Kam Nahi

• Tere Bina Zindagi se Koi – Aandhi

• Meri Soni Meri Tamnna- Yaadon Ki Baarat

• Dekha Na Hai Re- Bombay to Goa

• Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai- Kati Patang

• Dil Lena Khel Hai Dildaar ka- Hum Kisi se Kam Nahi

• Huzoor Is kadar bhi na Itra ke chaliye- Masoom- The deadly combination of Gulzaar and RD Burman

• Jaan-e-Jaan-

• Bahon Me chale Aao- Anamika

• Chingari Koi Bhadke- Amar Prem

There are lots of other songs too which need to be included but not all can be written. For the time being i can sing away with-

Delly Belly: Uncensored Trailer & Music Review

By now you must have downloaded Bhaag DK Bose and played it on loop an umpteen number of times. But still since Delly Belly is Aamir Khan’s production we can expect a lot of unexpected. The music in the movie is by Ram Sampath and the songs are penned down by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Munna Dhiman, Ram Sampath, Akshat verma and Chetan Shashital. The songs are already talk of the town because of their wacky lyrics and I am sure after listening to other songs you still will wonder what happened to the beautiful compositions we had in old times. Most of the songs sound like some boy who got ditched by his girlfriend in school or college has written this in anger. I don’t say its bad but still.

Bhaag DK Bose has already attracting the youth. It was film writer Akshat Verma came up with the idea of using the key phrase DK Bose. Lyrics in this are actually quite innovative and different. Still a college feel to the song with heavy guitar used makes you feel like your college band came up with it. Next in line is Nakkadwale Disco Udhaarwale Khisko. This one is a parody of the old ghazal style song with even better lyrics. Keerthi Sagathia does a good job like a old fusion Ghazal singer. Saigal Blues is a tribute to the legendary K L Saigal. Singer/lyricist Chetan Shashital does a good job with the song and gives it a very Saigal Saab feeling. If would have liked to see a bit more experimentation in the music here. Ja Chudail is a song full of anger. Imagine you been dumped by your school or college girlfirend and you are upset and angry. This song has been on those lines only. Suraj Jagan shows his anger in the song but again here experiment with the music could have been  appreciated. I would suggest Ram Sampath to take notice of Die Die Die My Darling from Metallica to take a leaf out of their books for songs like this. Lyrics are as usual goes whacky but not impressive. Bedardi Raja by Sona Mohapatra is a one time listen. Shows too hard has been tried in the album to be different. Tere Siva is another average song in the album. It is Just another song in a different album. Switty tera pyaar  is fresh out of streets of Delhi. The punk version adds more punch to the original one and will call trouble for all the Switty’s around ;)  Last track is I Hate You. Mix of 80′s rock n roll. One time listen.

Overall the album is OK. I feel the team tried too much to be different but they don’t succeed in more than 3 songs. Wacky lyrics is not the only thing which will attract audience. The trailer of the movie looks quite convincing. The movie is about 3 Dilli based bachelors Tashi, Arun and Nitin – 3 flat mates who are regular blokes, living the regular life EXCEPT for one small detail – they are on the hit list of one of the world’s deadliest crime syndicates. The film will be released on July 1, 2011. Here is its Uncensored (yeah I know all have been waiting for that) Trailer-

Music Review

Rating- 3 out of 5

Here are Music Videos of Bhaag Dk Bose & Nakkadwale Disco. ENJOYYY

READY- Salman’s Back- Music Review and Trailers

So Salman is back with Ready. Starring Asin, Paresh Rawal and directed by Aneez Bazme ,this is a remake of a South movie name by same name. Supposedly the movie is romantic comedy. Music is by Pritam and being a Salman movie after Dabangg the movie and music both have its own expectations.  Lets see if it lives up to the expectations musically at least. 

Dhinka Chika is tipped to be the next Munni Badnaam. Sung by Mika Singh and Amrita Kak this song is full Tapori style song. Copied from already a hit Telegu song Ringa Ringa - the original by Devi Sri Prasad this song is well done in the Bollywood version too. Surely will make you get up and move. Next one is Meri ada bhi giving a Punjabi flavor to the Album. Sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Tulsi Kumar (WHY ON EARTH HER) the song starts with the popular ‘mera laung gwacha‘ lines. A Dance track wiht lots of Dhols but I feel something is a misfit in the song. Either its Rahat Saab or Tulsi  Kumar or something.

Another track that lifts the mood of the album is - Character Dheela - a song which is already making noises all around. A typical Salman song and surely suits him too. With Lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya ans dung by Neeraj Shridhar and Amrita Kak, this one is a sure winner out of Pritam’s hat. A cracking, peppy song full of masti. If its a Pritam’s album then iot will have a romantic song in it. So here it is- Humko Pyaar Hua by KK and Tulsi Kumar. english Lyrics in the beinging of the song putts me off though, and the song sounds like previous Pritam’s song. Didn’t find anything new. Can be heard just once that also coz of KK. 

Overall the Album has 4 songs out of which 3 are foot tapping catchy numbers. Out of which I feel 2 will be chart busters. Pritam delivers in parts here. I don’t need to say Salman fans will anyways love it. Lets wait and see now how the film fares.

Rating 2.5 out of 5

Here is the Trailer of the movie and the popular Character Dheela Song for your eyes only -

The Doors Movie- A Masterpiece – Movie Review

The Doors- movie talks about rise and early fall of the great Jim Morrison. And I can now say I can’t recall a film that evokes the era of drugs, sex, rock n roll more potently than this.  Directed by Oliver Stone starring Val Kilmer as Morrison & Meg Ryan as his companion, The Doors goes ahead than the time of drugs and sex to Morrision thinking about death and life. The movie shows change in Morrison or “Mr. Moji Rising’ from a fascinated guy to a narcissist and getting involved in psychedelic drugs pulling his group mates in it too.

The movie shows Morrison from his days as a film student in UCLA to his death in Paris in 1971, at the age of 27. The movies boasts of impressive performance by Val Kilmer, who not only looks like Jim Morrison but also sounds like him. It has been written that even the surviving Doors had trouble distinguishing Kilmer’s vocals from Morrison’s originals.Johnny Depp , John Travolta, Bono were also said to be considered for Jim’s role but Val Kilmer was landed and Man..what a performance he delivers.

The film opens during the recording of Morrison’s and quickly moves to a childhood memory of his family. We see a four year old Jim with his parents as they drive by an accident.  Several Native Americans are injured, some dying. In Morrison’s account the spirit of a dying Indian leapt into him – it was his life’s pivotal moment. The film picks up with his introduction to his girlfriend Pamela Courson (Meg Ryan) and his first encounters with Ray Manzarek, and the origin of The Doors: Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore.

Morrison convinces his bandmates to travel to valley of death and experience the mind-expanding effects of drugs. In one of the films mesmerizing sequences where the band trips out in the desert, flying high on peyote. Morrison imagines he sees  his spiritual guide whom her follows him into a cave — the unknown. Morrison believed in a “long prolonged derangement of the senses to attain the unknown.‘The Doors’ refers to William Blake’s quote: “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is: infinite.”

Slowly as The Doors become hugely successful, Morrison became narcissist as he sunk deeper into an alcoholic haze he begins having several affairs, especially with a rock journalist practising witchcraft. Off-stage Morrison’s prolonged assault on his own psyche begins to take its toll – in his relationship with Pam, with his fellow Doors, and finally with fans. By the time Doors made ‘L.A. Woman’ – their last album – Morrison was smoking 5 packs of cigarettes a day. By 19721 he parts on good terms with The Doors. He flies off with his love interest to Paris where he spends the last few months of his life. One  1971 morning — Pam founds Jim in his bathtub. It is said that the death is due to heart failure.

The cinematography in “The Doors” is excellent which includes some early Computer Graphics, is bold and unique making the film one of the most distinct visual films. The music supports the story telling very well. The movie focussed on Morrison’s habit of self destruction of which not many people approved of. Stone shows Morrison’s madness in such a way that one will start thinking what is he doing. Val Kilmer is simply brilliant in the role of Morrison. He sang all of the live tracks on the film and it’s even said that even Morrison’s own band-mates had trouble distinguishing Kilmer’s voice. Kilmer spent a year dressing like Morrison, hanging out at his old haunts on Sunset Strip. The story is well supported with good supporting star cast and some very good editing which takes the movie to another level as such. This is one of the movies where you don’t recognise Meg Ryan but her character Pam more.

Overall it’s a strong attempt at one of the most difficult subjects to cover, legends and that also like Morrison. And even though it’s not entirely accurate I enjoyed the film. Oliver Stone focuses on the wrong things. Sure, Jim Morrison was an alcoholic with a disregard for authority, yes he was on self destruct mode and burnt out quickly, but he was also a very intelligent, sensitive, friendly and funny person. This is far from the picture most people have of him after seeing the movie. Barring the creative storytelling at places, this film is truly a gem. The USP here is that it is visual-audio as opposed to audio-visual showing the beauty of cinema here. I actually was depressed after this movie..but I didn’t wanted it to end.

Director: Oliver Stone

Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan

Rating – 4.5 out of 5