Gunday Music Review

Gunday Music Review
Music Direction : Sohail Sen

Less time, quick review

Jashn-e-Ishqa is adequately entertaining with the mood of celebration while Tune Maari Entriyaan is pleasantly spot on! Heard before, slightly, and I didn't quite understand the 'Yennadi Muniyamma' reference in between. Copied or inspired? The Bangla version intrigues, though not much different. Moving on, Arijit Singh pulls a neat effort in the sober and soulful Jiya but it is the brilliant orchestration which does the trick in Asalaam-e-Ishqum. Bappi Lahiri and Neha Bhasin plays along wonderfully! Saiyaan run out of luck as soon as it begins but the album gains through the superbly re-imagined Amir Khusro poem, Mann Kunto Maula. The Faridis stuns in the well composed, well arranged sufi-rock affair! The Classical version with the qawwali flair is as good! The techno title song is kind of functional and Rhythm Of Jashn-e-Ishqa doesn't really offer anything new.

Verdict : Gunday has good music! ;)

Must Hears! : Tune Maari Entry, Kunto Maula

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Jai Ho Music Review

Jai Ho Music Review
Music Direction : Sajid-Wajid, Amal Malik, Devi Sree Prasad


What I expected? : Nothing much.

Baaki Sab First class Hai by Wajid, Naacho Re by Ujjaiyini, Photocopy by Himesh Reshammiya and Palak Muchchal and The Title track are skip worthy.

Tere Naina Maar hi Daalenge has noticeably beautiful vocals from Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal and Shahab Sabri even though the composition itself is rather too similar to Dabbang's Chori Kiya Re Jiya.

Tumko Aana Hi Tha works mainly due to the surprisingly frothy and light composition from Amal Mallik! The singers do well, while the keys led arrangements are kept aptly down. #Repeat

The same track is EDM-ised in Love You Till The End-House Mix. While it has an inherent feel good factor, the heavily Avicii inspired beats doesn't offer any novelty.

Verdict : Not for Tumko Aana Hi Tha, Jai Ho Music gives the academy award winning Rahman song 'Jai Ho' a bad name! Sajid-Wajid bhaiyyas, how can you make consistently bad music like this? I bow before you! _/\_  _/\_

Must Hears! : Tum Ko Aana Hi Tha


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Dedh Ishqiya Music Review

Dedh Ishqiya Music Review

Music Direction : Vishal Bhardwaj

Lyrics : Gulzar

Listen to the album Here

What I expected? : For me, Vishal Bhardwaj has shown amazing consistency in his soundtracks. And because the total grand affair Ishqiya music was, winning the National awards for both Best Music Direction and Best Female Singer that year, expectations, from the sequel, are naturally high!

Dil Ka Mizaaj Ishqiya is scintillating, tailor made Rahat Fateh Ali Khan material! The soothing tune and the soft rock arrangements which amalgamates with accordion sound initially and Sax along midway adds to the beauty! #Repeat

Zabaan Jale Hai is drop-dead brilliant! Equally mesmerizing is the serene composition, beautifully written lyrics, terrific strings and the wonderfully nuanced singing from Fateh Ali Khan's part! #MustHear #Repeat

Hamari Atariya's very very Rahman-ish intro captivates subtly well and rightly so, Rekha Bhardwaj aces the mujra track! #Repeat

Kya Hoga has everything going strong. The qawwali sound is executed exceptionally well and the vocalists, Jazim Sharma, Master Saleem, Shahid Mallya and Jamal Akbar are competitive enough, or rather, compliments each other perfectly. The instrumentation, replete with Tabla, Harmonium and other traditional instruments elevates an enchanting midway turn! #Repeat

Jagaave Saari Raina, for a Kathak track, is as beautiful as it can get especially for the tempting sitar interludes and Ms. Bharadwaj's singing. Now the song is predominantly Hindustani in appeal, but somewhere along the lines, must be the swaram portions, there is a definite Carnatic feel which is BTW cleverly incorporated. #Repeat
Horn OK Please has Sukhwinder Singh and Honey Singh rocking together the techno-folk piece! #Repeat

Verdict : Needless to say, faith in Mr. Bhardwaj's musical capabilities are, once again, cemented and anchored down strong! Dedh Ishqiya is a bravo effort, one of Vishal's best and for me in par with both Godmother and Ishqiya. I strained my ears to find one little flaw, alas, but in vain! I don't care whether the soundtrack works in the movie or not but for sure the music audience are in for a treat this time. Vishal Bhardwaj gives the 2014 Bollywood music scene a classy and heady start! Excellent!

Must Hears! : The whole album!

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Bollywood Music Analysis 2013

For the Bollywood music scene, 2013 proved to be pretty good. For once, the industry was entirely devoid of plagiarism accusations and there was one one or another great song playing around at any arbitrary time chosen. Music Directors, the A and B listers both churned out good music, while few let down expectations.

Nevertheless, there was still a handful of quality tracks which did well in terms of popularity too.

The top songs will be enumerated in the next post. For now, I'll discuss my views on the performance of composers and singers this year as well as the best albums.

Top 5 Bollywood Albums 2013

1. Raanjhanaa (A R Rahman)

2. Lootera / Shuddh Desi Romance (Amit Trivedi / Sachin-Jigar)

3. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)

4. David / Kai Po Che (Multiple Composers / Amit Trivedi)

5. Ram Leela (Sanjay Leela Bhansali)

Top Composers

1. Sachin-Jigar

They've been around for more than 4 years now, and 2013 was the year they got due credit for the fantastic skill they've shown in composing.(They finally got a Wikipedia page too :D )This has been their biggest year yet with 5 full film scores(ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story, Go Goa Gone, Ramaiya Vastavaiya, Shuddh Desi Romance)and guest compositions in 3 movies(Himmatwala, I Me Aur Mein, Issaq) as well. And apart from the templated Jayanta Bhai Ki Love Story, all the others were an absolute delight, with the stand out work in Shuddh Desi Romance coming right at top! No matter what, one or more Sachin-Jigar song was on hit charts all the time, round the year and with no compromise in quality and with no lack of experimentation. Their music continued to be in their signature style, bright electronic with great focus on melody, and for that they righteously deserves  the position of the Composers of the Year!

2. A R Rahman

How does he do it?!! This is the question me as well as the millions of  fans around the nation ask seeing Rahman consistently churning out quality music. Even with the humongous amount of expectations set on him, Rahman somehow manages to surpass them, raising the bar higher with every attempt. His Coke Studio @ MTV appearance catapulted the shows rating and elevated the shows quality to unexpected heights that most other artists failed to match up, even while giving their best. Rahman did 3 albums in 2013, two(Kadal, Maaryan) in Tamil and Raanjhanaa in Bollywood. Needless to say, all three were bloody good with Raanjhanaa being the pick of the lot! For me Raanjhanaa is the most repeat-worthy album of the year with each and every song so blissfully endearing. 9 tracks, and with a streak of experimentation throughout the album, Raanjhanaa proved to be a five course meal to music lovers!

3. Amit Trivedi

Mr. Trivedi opened 2013 with the exceptional Kai Po Che, delivering 3 solid songs, doing what he does best. Though what followed, Bombay Talkies and Ganchakkar, were average, he swooped in with he excellent Lootera, giving us bite into the 60's! Lootera, for me, is undoubtedly one of the best albums  of the year.

4. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

SEL remained in their usual goodness this year, with 3 albums(Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, D-Day, Vishwaroop) reeking with good songs. While Bhaag Milkha Bhaag rose to become immensely popular, D-Day too had a fair share of tracks heavily appealing to the music audience. Vishwaroop, intially done in Tamil, was satisfying enough. 

5. Pritam/Sanjay Leela Bhansali

While commercialization of quality music isn't exactly a new thing, Pritam is among the few who actually managed to give commercial music quality. While he wasn't in the stellar form he had shown in 2012, Pritam ruled the popular charts with his hotshot catchy songs. With 9 film scores this year, Pritam's presence was there every time though quality was compromised in many albums. Nevertheless, most critics will agree that Priam's music had a majority role in making Yeh Jawani hai Deewani a box office blockbuster, with a large number of people flocking the cinema halls only for the terrifically massy music! 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali had one release this year, the blindingly colorful Ram-Leela, which he directed as well as composed music. While he has evolved a lot from the Guzaarish days, his craft with his old style were noticeable. Ram-Leela was not a great album in overall, but it sure had some great songs!

Dhoom 3 Music Review

Dhoom 3 Music Review
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : It is Pritam's music composing debut in an Aamir Khan movie. And with all he hype, glitz and glamour associated with the movie, nothing short of an excellent score!

Malang, as expected, intrigues at the first hear itself! The high point definitely being the track's topnotch, high quality production and the impressive wordplay. After the killer 'Zinda', Siddharth Mahadevan (with the subtle support from Shilpa Rao)can easily add a chart buster to his kitty! #Repeat

Kamli partly engages for Sunidhi's upbeat and meticulous voice modulation. Credit goes to the adept interludes too but the lyrical repetition somehow plays spoilsport along the way.

Tu Hi Junoon flaunts a brisk Russian-rock arrangement setup but sadly the middling base tune fails to excite. Mohit Chauhan puts in, at best, an OK effort, not that it helps.

The Title track is neither here nor there, somewhere in between Dhoom1 and Dhoom 2 title tracks. The mishmash gets a dub step treatment in between but for most parts it sounded like Sunidhi's 'Dhoom Machale' itself.

The disappointment is heightened by a lame Arabic Version of the song, sung by Lebanese singer Naya, which apart from the lyrics, has not a bit of Arabic feel in it.

Bande Hai Hum Uske is sweet and outright haunting at the same time! Loved the tune and the toned down rendition by little Shivam Mahadevan equally.

The rest two are instrumentals, Dhoom Tap and Dhoom Overtune where the former is presumably for Aamir Khan's reported Tap Dance scene and the latter most probably will serve in the background where again the signature Dhoom tune is repeated the zillionth time.

Verdict : For what it's worth, Dhoom 3 music score is somewhat a letdown. While Malang scores by its own merits the other tracks just doesn't have have that kind of a stellar punch a movie like this needs. And the repetition of the Dhoom tune throughout the album, wherever possible, is kind of weary. There is nothing much new and the score seems like to be made in a hurry, something we can assume from the lack of musical detailing in many of the tracks. Surprisingly, the man of innovations, Pritam, has run out of fuel here and that too for a prestigious project and I wonder why! Average.

Must Hears! : Malang

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Mickey Virus Music Review

Mickey Virus Music
Music Direction : Hanif Sheikh

What I expected? : Nothing

Tose Naina by Arijit Singh is pleasant, sufi-ish, but I have a feeling that Mohit Chauhan would have done a better job than Arijit.
Aakhan hi Aankhon makes the cut, the good tune as well as the singing by Mohit Chauhan and Palak Muchhal helps! #Repeat
Pyaar China Ki Maal Hai, Sajna Ve Sajna and the Title song are simply 'skip'pable!

Verdict : What intrigues is the fact that Hanif Sheikh manages to sound every singer incredibly nasal! Arijit Singh hasn't sung so nasal in his entire career, and the the guy who sang Pyaar China can beat even Himesh Reshammiya! Same goes with Sajna and the Title song. As the saving grace, Palak Muchhal doesn't go with the trend. Not for two hearable songs, Mickey Virus would have gone down to the poor zone. It maintains a Below Average identity somehow.

Must Hears! : Aankhon Hi Aankhon


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Ram Leela Music Review

Ram Leela Music

Music Direction : Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Lyrics : Siddharth - Garima

What I expected? : Going by the trailer and the music direction track record Bhansali has, an emotional ensemble.

Raam Chahe Leela doesn't soar, its appealing in parts but that is it. Indian Idol find Bhoomi Trivedi does an impressive job though!

Lahu muh lag Gaya sounds pleasantly seductive, the traditional arrangements help while Shahil Hada shines his way through!

Ang Laga De works the same way, although the mellowed down arrangements and Aditi Paul's graceful vocals make it a bit more luscious affair! #Repeat

Poore Chaand has Shahil Hada again, but can't help getting a monotonous sound, the tune isn't exciting either.

Nagada Sang Dhol has Shreya Ghoshal in pure form, especially the vocal variations she brings into the framework fits in the garba dance mood perfectly! #Repeat

Laal Ishq flaunts a bhajan-like outlook for most parts, thanks to that hypnotic tune and temple sounds, while it is more of a romantic affair going by the lyrics. Arijit Singh gets the job done pretty well here, he aces it actually! #Repeat

Ishqyaun Dhishqyaun is weak in itself, lyrics and composition wise, while Aditya Narayan, the good singer he is, strangely sounds like his dad but somehow lacks the charisma and is oddly bleak.

Mor Bani Thanghat Kare is folk-ish in core, like the usual songs Osman Mir sings, nothing to brag about but.

Dhoop can be easily mistaken for an Ismail Darbar song, the sweet yet moody melody is marvelously crafted! With Shreya Ghoshal flowing in beautifully, it makes one hell of a hear! #MustHear

Tattad Tattad, again by Aditya Narayan has a loud south Indian dance template, boringly noisy. Skip.

Verdict : Maybe this is the kind of music the movie needs, but Ram Leela soundtrack leaves one somewhat dissatisfied. Bhansali does great when it comes to the arrangements, but he must really work on his tunes, I'd say. Good effort, could have been a lot better.

Must Hears! : Dhoop, Laal Ishq, Ang Laga De, Nagada Sang

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Krrish 3 Music Review

Krrish 3 Music
Music Direction : Rajesh Roshan
Lyrics : Sameer

What I expected? : Some really good and hummable tunes, like the usual Rajesh Roshan.

Krrish Title song may work in the movie background, but lacks any kind of repeat and addictive quality. Sigh, it doesn't sound much like a title song, constant electronic loops merged with Mamta Sharma's secretive vocals, and a tad too long.
Raghupati Raghav is thoroughly annoying. The 'Raghupati Raghav' part, which itself is an abuse of the original, barely gets along with the rest of the song where again the lyrics are as bland as possible and the techno arrangements strictly average.
Dil Tu Hi Bata's saving grace is Alisha Chinay's sweet vocal bit, the lyrics doesn't seem to go out of your head while Zubeen Garg is plain lifeless. Then again, the pallavi sounds strangely similar to 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', or is it just me?
You are my love is cheesy blah, Mohit Chauhan's and even Alisha Chinay's presence doesn't help.
God Allah Aur Bhagvan has Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal in front but you'll be disappointed if you expect something with quality. The pseudo-motivational lyrics is, frankly, childish and the song itself seems quite out of date.

Verdict : Krrish 3 is an ensemble of 5 passive tracks, not even in the near neighborhood of the slightly huge expectations. 3 years after that very good score in Kites, Rajesh Roshan, seems to be in a strangely weary position. Below average.

Must Hears! : None

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Boss Music Review

Boss Music
Music Direction : Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt, P.A.Deepak, Yo Yo Honey Singh
Lyrics : Kumaar, Manoj Yadav & Sahil Kaushal-Lill Gollu

What I expected? : Pretty low expectations, quality wise.

Title song is pretty lackluster, slightly heard before electronic music, massy. Honey Singh tries well but in vain.
Har Kisi Ko borrows elements from the original 'Jaanebaaz' song of the same name while keeping its own identity, increased tempo for instance and some unnaturally loud orchestration. Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan pulls off an okay-ish effort, all blame on some average arrangements which lets it even down.
Nikhil D'Souza's version is not much different, save for some added strings.
Party all night goes in leagues in with the title song, with a constant synth bass and DJ elements merged with Honey Singh's drunken vocals, ends up slightly more impressive, for the time being.
Pitah Se Hai Naam Tera is ordinary, Sonu Nigam tries his best to shine up this devotional-ish track, while Meet Bros. struggle, composition wise.
Hum Na Tode, Hindi remake(by Graamy awarde winner P. A Deepak) of Vidyasagar's original 'Appadi Pode' doesn't excite much. (May be its me, because of the zillion times I've heard the original play all around me for years now.) Vishal Dadlani is in his usual bombastic self while the song is complete with the addictive kuthu elements!
Boss Theme. I'm still trying to figure out what this is.

Verdict : Boss music, like the ones which comes and goes without any particular effect. Average.


Must Hears! : None

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Phata Poster Nikhla Hero Music Review

Phata Poster Nikhla Hero Music

Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty

Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

What I expected? : Commercial, non-stop Pritam!

Tu Mere Al Bagal is routine yet addictive Mika-Pritam combo, something on the lines of 'Pungi', less interesting arrangements but. Enjoyable!

Mein Rang Shrabaton ka's sweety-catchy melodious tune is let down by Atif Aslam's average, heavily auto tuned vocals, while Chinmayi is the only saving grace.

Mein Rang Sharbaton(reprise) scores by leaps and bounds for the one reason Arijit Singh is singing it, and man, he makes it simply gorgeous! How I wish the original version were sung by him! #Repeat

Hey Mr. DJ has Benny Dayal, Shefali Alvares, and Shalmali Kholgade on fire, quite exotic techno dance track replete with spritely arrangements!

Mere Bina Tu gets to the mesmerizing level, the simple soft rock arrangements merged with the pitch perfect singing of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Harshdeep Kaur makes it a stunning listen! #Must Hear #Repeat

Dhating Naach will literally put your legs on fire! An amazingly fast tempoed desi dance track, the energy level with which Nakash Azi and Neha Kakkad sings it is quite remarkable! #Repeat
Janam Janam's heartfelt lyrics are justified by Atif Aslam's soulful, beautiful vocals which demands multiple listens and the same can be said for Sunidhi Chauhan's reprise version, where she shines from top to bottom with her soft, vehement singing act! #Repeat

Verdict : Phata Poster NH comes with strong musical elements, which are bright and refreshing throughout, slight flaws aside! Pritam switches his commercial, yet Very Good mode ON!

Must Hears! : Mein Rang(Reprise), Mere Bina Tu, Janam Janam(both versions)


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Besharam Music Review

Besharam Music

Music Direction : Lalit Pandit, Ishq Bector

Lyrics : Rajeev Barnwal, Nikhat Khan & Himanshu Kishan Mehra

What I expected? : Another commercial outing from Ranbir must have good backing music. But pretty skeptical about what to expect from Lalit Pandit.

Tu Hai is your quintessential  romantic song, very good job composition and arrangement wise, but for singers like Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam, just plain cake walk. Nice one! #Repeat

Dil Ka jo Haal Hai definitely has the late 90's-early 2000's hangover and bringing Abhijeet Bhattacharya behind the mic helps only in increasing it with his retro styled vocals while Shreya Ghoshal tries her best to sound contemporary. 

Tere Mohalle is an attempt to ape 'Munni Badnaam' with the same singer duo, Mamata Sharma and Aishwarya Nigam, and the success of the item number track will depend heavily on the picturisation.

Title song by Ishq Bector is passable techno, with mind boggling lyrics.

Love ki Ghanti seems like an extension to 'Ala Barfi', same retro template complete with some fabulous singing job+voice overs from Ranbir Kapoor, Sujeet Shetty and Amitosh Nagpal and absolutely quirky lyrics! Loved it! 

Chal Hand Uthake Nachche is sufficiently trippy and foot tapping with the explosive trio of Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan raging all over it! #Repeat

Aa Re Aa Re, another item dance number it seems, thankfully remains safe within the usual but energetic vocals of Mika Singh and Shreya Ghoshal even with the mostly-absurd lyrics! #Repeat

Remixes for all the songs except Chal Hand and Tu Hai are included along with an unplugged version for Tu Hai.

Verdict : Lalit Pandit delivers an almost safe outing with Besharam, but the current form is only a shadow of the Jatin-Lalit duo of the past. Shelf life of tracks is on doubt but definitely will serve for good promotions of the film. Good attempt!

Must Hears! : Tu Hai

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Shuddh Desi Romance Music Review

Shuddh Desi Romance Music

Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : 

What I expected? : Ever since 'Gulabi' released, the expectations were pretty high. Romance, quality and freshness.

Tere Mere Beech Mein stands justified to the 'fresh' expectations, Mohit and Sunidhi Chauhan aces the track while the tune is sufficiently romantic as well as quirky. The westernized arrangements makes things look even better! #Repeat
Gulabi can be readily recognized somewhere in between the A R Rahman-Amit Trivedi zone, an amazingly perky and lovely tune with Jigar coming up with his career best singing act along with Priya Panchal! The arrangements, especially the repetitive folksy interludes are seriously addictive! #MustHear #Repeat
Chanchal Mann scores at everything, the highly energetic background, Divya Kumar's one-man-show-stealer-show and the quirky lyrics. Can't help shaking your head! #Repeat
Title song cannot get any more crazy, the enchanting harmonim-dholak mix sandwiched between the highly spirited Benny Dayal-Shalmali Kholgade vocals and a purely desi dance tune! #Repeat
Mujhe Kiss Kar Sakte Ho is a vehemently brilliant instrumental, the slow buildup and the absolutely lovable middle portions have a strongly emotional feel! #Repeat
Love in Jaipur has Priya Panchal whispering Rajasthani, with an external coating of exotic desi arrangements! #Repeat
Tez Waala Attraction is basically Chahchal mann interludes rehashed, nothing much. Quirky BTW.
Boyfriend Banogey is again Gulabi interlude presented in a different avatar, charming!
Bhanwara Ma Bhatke has an impressive pedestrian lineup of instruments, interesting!

Verdict : Plain simply, all the songs work, to a large extent. Then again, majority are instrumentals with short running span so commercial prospects cannot be judged. The four original songs are rock-solid, will easily feature among Sachin-Jigars best works and the album on the whole is a must hear for them! The duo have successfully managed to fit the essence of Rajasthan into a modern frame! Very Good work, the four songs, gonna be on my playlist for the coming months!

Must Hears! : Gulabi, Tere mere beech

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Satyagraha Music Review

Satyagraha Music 
Music Direction : Salim-Sulaiman, Indian Ocean, Meet Bros. Anjaan, Aadesh Srivastava
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

What I expected? : Nothing

Janta Rocks by Meet Bros. is partly engaging, mainly for the sarcastic-inspiring lyrics and the nice bit of percussion going behind the scene. Sitautional and a tad too long.
Hum Bhole De's anthemic sound may work well in the movie, signature Indian Ocean folk-rock template with Rahul Ram, Amit Kilam and Himanshu Joshi in great form!
The title track has a highly impactful start, the "Raghupati Raghav..." chants doing magic along with the neat electronica. But the initial high falters with the extra lyrics, which seemingly doesn't go in sync.
Aiyo Ji has Shradha Pandit in her brilliant crystal clear avatar, flowing through the fusion stuff the track is, ending up with seemingly good results!
A remix is added.
Raske Bhare Tore Naina is the best reserved for the last, Shafqat Amanat Ali is pitch perfect in this Hindustani semi-classical material which hits the bull's eye, composition wise. Minimal arrangements giving thankfully more space to the singer to showcase his vocal details cleverly does the magic here!
The House Mix of the song rendered by Aadesh Srivastava is just about OK. Aadesh, unlike Shafqat sounds folk-ish at times.

Verdict : Satyagraha started off with zero expectations only to end up with a fairly good track list. While Raske Bhare is going to be on loop, Aiyo Ji and the other songs scores for their own situational merits. All composers contributes expectedly, while Salim Sulaiman seems on an welcome high, compared to their recent status. Looking forward to see how well the songs are incorporated into the movie. Good one, worth a try!

Must Hears! : Raske Bhare Tore Naina


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! Music Review

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! Music 
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty, Laxmikant - Pyarelal
Lyrics : Rajat Aroraa

What I Epected? : Thinking on the lines of OUATIM, some sturdy melodies.

Chungliyaan has tried, tested, cliched Sufi-Qawaali template, Javed Ali shows his usual self anyway. Composition wise, just average.
Ye Tune Kya Kiya is no different, except for the raw, rustic vocals of Javed Bashir, which helps the song rise above average, still just film-worthy.(The Sitar piece in between, comprising hook lines of Tum Jo Aaye and Pee Loon was pretty nice!)
Tu Hi Khwahish throws a pleasant surprise, well composed follow up to 'Parda', Sunidhi Chauhan croons the disco song well while sounding quite Asha Bhosle-ish!
Tayyab Ali is plain boring. I'm not in for comparing this with the original 'Amar Akbar Anthony' song but this Anupam Amod recreation is lackluster, fails to entertain.

Verdict : OUATIMD is nowhere close to OUATIM. Lacking almost everything, Pritam delivers another dud.

Must Hears! : Nothing

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Chennai Express Music Review

Chennai Express Music

Music Directors : Vishal-Shekhar

Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : What else than an out and out masala entertainment affair with Vishal Shekhar's highly capable abilities merged with SRK's stardom! 

1234 opens to dysfunction, even the rhythmic Tamil kuthu dance template works in vain, falls flat outright on its face!

Titli helps the album bounce back like a boomerang, an amazingly serene tune set to occasional Carnatic classical backgrounds and sung to immense grace by Chinmayi Sriprada with Gopi Sundar's apt support! #Must Hear #Repeat

An unwanted, badly done Dubstep version is added! Why V-S Why?!

Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na's swingy, youthful composition with the equally eclectic orchestration impresses big time! The singers, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anusha Mani sounds lively! #Repeat

Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari is interesting for the snappy lyrics, but is immensely forgetful for the tune is dull and the good elements all scattered! Worth a hear, likely to work with the video!

Ready Steady Po has a lot of things going around it at a time, its hard to discern them all together. Techno-hip hop with the usual Bollywood edge, strictly functional.

Chennai Express, the title song, is sure-fire catchy if you forget the bizarre lyrics, with the high point definitely being S P Balasubrahmanyam's impeccable vocals which takes the song to further heights along with  the addictive techno swing! Jonita Gandhi's B-Town debut is impressive! #Repeat

Chennai Express Mashup is awfully fast tempoed, nevertheless neatly done.

Verdict : I don't know, Vishal-Shekhar seems pretty handicapped in Chennai Express, the album doesn't meet the mammoth sized expectations. While the 'hits-expected' dance tracks fail miserably(barring only the title track) the saving grace comes in the form of the two melodies. The songs may climb up the charts, thanks to SRK's stardom and the immense promotions given to the film, but the music definitely lacks professionalism and quality. Just above average.

Must Hears! : Titli, Tera Rastaa

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING

(Somewhere in the middle :P)

D-Day Music Review

D-Day Music
Music Direction : Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics : Niranjan Iyengar

What I expected? : SEL-Nikhil Advani usually produces good melodies. Looking forward.

Duma Dum Mast Kalander is repeated the gazillionth time, this time through Mika's lead vocals. Nothing much impressive, though interesting choice of a singer for a song like this.
Alvida has an inherent Patiala House hangover, nevertheless simple yet super swayful composition with justified singing by Nikhil D’souza,Shruti Hassan, Sukhvinder Singh and Loy Mendonsa!
Murshid Khele Holi is Qawaali perfection(The Tabla and Harmonium throughout for instance, stands out) with a highly discernible sufi edge and singing by Munawar Masoom, Javed Ali, Shankar Mahadevan and the chorus gives perfect results! #Repeat
Ek Ghadi has Rekha Bharadwaj producing a real stunner in the form of a ghazal, wonderful classical based Hindustani composition, though its only a cake walk as far as Mrs. Bharadwaj is concerned. #Must hear
Dhuaan comes with that definite anthemic sound, the vocals works immensely(Rahul Ram, Siddharth Mahadevan, Alyssa Mendonsa and chorus) as well as the Violins, though track is strictly situational..

Verdict : What has an action thriller to do with good music, God only knows, but D-Day has definitely very good music. SEL shows their usual capabilities and D-Day turns out to be a pleasant experience. Recommended!

Must Hears! : Ek Ghadi, Murshid Khele Holi, Alvida

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music Review

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music
Music Direction : Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

What I Expected? : Expectations sky rocketed when I first heard Zinda. Expecting some very good stuff on its lines.

Gurbani gives a fantastic start, the very patriotic sounding verse is sung to indefinable highs by Daler Mehndi!
Zinda is total killer, the elevated rock arrangements along with Sidharth Mahadevan's exalted vocals create a true blue electric atmosphere! #MustHear #Repeat
Mera Yaar carries the sufi sound well, and who better than Javed Bashir to take it hands down?! Result? The vocals as well as arrangements sounds wonderful! #MustHear
Maston ka Jhund has Divya Kumar singing dance Punjabi in its purest, raw form! The orchestration plays well, but for most part its Divya Kumar's on-man-show!
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag works well as a title song, nothing like repeat quality in it, but the arete arrangements and Arif Lohar's  raw vocals help immensely. Situational, but serves the purpose. The rock version sung by Siddharth Mahadevan is better, due to the overall perkiness and faster tempo!
Slow Motion Angreza has childish, quirky but nuanced sounds, where Sukhwinder Sigh takes things in his hands and delivers expectedly. Loy and Shankar provide needed support in the chorus.

They say that the best is yet to come, and this time it strikes truth with the last song.
O Rangrez. I guess I need some extra sentences to describe this song. I say that this song is a classic. And why? Mostly because everything is bloody perfect in it. The mood is set right by the strings and Harmonium in the beginning before it dives into Javed Bashir's controlled vocals accompanied by Tabla and Sarangi! Now enter Shreya Ghoshal and everything is heaven! The song sways between the sweetness of a ghazal and sharp sound of a Qawaali. The super breezy tune is executed wonderfully by everything above, and every second of the 6:24 run time of the song is crafted elegantly! #Classic #MustHear

Verdict : Bhaag Milkha Bhaag doesn't disappoint. It doesn't score by leaps and bounds either. While it has its share of situational songs, namely Maston ka Jhund and the title song, having their own merits, it has couple of tracks which are largely appealing! O Rangrez is a sturdy gem, one of the best songs by SEL ever, I'd say and as far as Zinda is concerned it has every potential to become the new youth anthem, thanks to the brilliant setting. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy gives us one of their better soundtracks, made more in sync with the movie I think. Very Good effort.

Must Hears! : O Rangrez, Zinda, Mera Yaar

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Radio Music Review

Radio Music
Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics : Subrat Sinha

Listen to the album Here

Prelude: I know it is late, by almost 4 years! But couldn't resist writing a review after hearing the album once again this morning! This time my music tastes have matured and I hope I'll be able to scrutinize the album in a more quality, critic point of view than a HR fanatic point of view in which I enjoyed it back in 2009.

Mann Ka Radio, the title song, probably the only song of the movie which was promoted well, opens the soundtrack in a fantastic note! What with the new, fresh, urbane haunting sound of Himesh along with some uber cool beats and guitar riffs justifies the highly addictive slow tune! #Must Hear #Repeat
Koi Na Koi is reminiscent of the old post AshiqBanayaAapne Himesh, the composition has enough pain and thankfully minimal but lovely orchestration keeps the profile high! Shreya Ghoshal sounds pleasant and in sync with HR! #Repeat
Jaaneman was undoubtedly one of the sweetest melodies of 2009 and the controlled, non-nasal way Himesh sings it just shows his prowess as a singer. The song gets to another high with the entry of Shreya Ghoshal! #Must Hear #Repeat
Piya Jaise Ladoo is one perfect example to cement down Himesh's Hindustani classical abilities as a composer! Starting the note off in some brilliant Shehnai, this is one song tailor made for Rekha Bharadwaj where she essentially sings it with utmost grace and grief. HR provides ample support! Simply the best of the album! #Must hear #Repeat
Shaam ho Chali hai makes me skip a heartbeat. Probably one of the BEST romantic ballads of HR(yes, you heard it right, in par with Tere Naam) and one of the most under promoted! Particularly the brilliancy is seen towards the anupallavi(2nd stanza, I don't know the Hindi phrase) where the same lyrics are repeated in two totally different tunes, by Shreya and HR respectively but still stays in sync! The arrangements are top notch as well as the singing! Too bad and too sad that hardly anyone heard it! #Must Hear #RepeatForever
Damadji is total fun! The folk-ish compositions gets the best of vocals from Kailash Kher who totally captivates the song in the start before it turns into HR's somber vocals, which is as good! #Must hear #Repeat
Teri Meri Dosti is simply amazing for the sheer contrast of pitches it displays! While Shreya goes sweet, simple and low, HR gets the pitch high, so high, as high as it can get! And the cycle follows with the comely western arrangements! Interesting is the word! #Must hear #Repeat
Rafa Dafa has again HR gaining as a composer, a surprisingly eclectic compositions sung by HR in his cool voice avatar emits a fresh positive vibe and the good lyrics helps immensely! #Repeat
Zindagi Jaise completes the album with its Punjabi R&B pop sound. Considerably weakest of the lot, the song but does entertains you to a certain extent, if you ignore the mind boggling lyrics.

Verdict : I remember promoting the album and the movie alike vigorously back in 2009. Incidentally, that was the HR fan in me working, and some of the acts at that time, I agree, was biased. Now that my music tastes have matured(as I stated at the beginning, I have started hearing more world music, more Indian folk and classical, more languages) I look at the album with more of a critic's eyes and ha!! Nothing has changed whatsoever! Radio was a brilliant album for me back then, and four years later, after hundreds of songs I have heard in between, it still remains brilliant! In fact the re-hearing has only helped to elevate my admiration of the album. This is another outstanding album for me! Overly scintillating, particularly engaging, experimental, new-gen stuff from HR!

Must Hears! : All songs, except Zindagi Jaise

Listen to the album Here

4.25/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!



Trivia : Here's what Shreya Ghoshal said about the album in an interview.

Q : Would you agree that your songs in Radio are among your best in recent times? 

Shreya : Completely - it is one of the most frequently-played CDs in my home for a good while, and not because four songs are sung by me. Himeshji is amazing. The clean sound and interesting lyrics - even if they are not uber-cool - keep you hooked. I also do not agree with those who say that Himeshji is a non-singer. Shaam ho chali hai was a challenge for me as I have never sung so low in my career - it was challenging to sing in kharaj here. The contrast he has managed between my portions in Teri meri dosti ka aasmaan and his high-pitched segments is awesome!

http://bit.ly/13vqQBE

Raanjhanaa Music Review

Raanjhanaa Music 
Music Direction : A R Rahman
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

Buy the songs legally, Here
Listen to the songs legally, Here or Here

What I Expected? : Rahman, big time!

Raanjhanaa is sound fiesta! The impeccable vocals of Jaswinder Sing & Shiraz Uppal infused into the hugely energetic yet lovely desi arrangements,(the Sitar for instance, stands out) makes up for a wonderful hear! #Must Hear #Repeat
Banarasiya is where Shreya Ghoshal and A R Rahman scores together, in the singing and composition departments respectively, it is hard to say who outshines whom for the song is one perfect example why Shreya is called the modern Indian nightingale and why Rahman is the nemero uno with all the sweet Sitar merged to the perky Indian composition(Sangeet song), making it highly intriguing! Meena Jain and Anweshaa provide ample support. #Must Hear #Repeat
Piya Milenge is basically a bag of too many good things, strong vocals(Sukhwinder Singh and KMMC Sufi Ensemble), brilliant composition, profound sufi touch, lilting classical base, the predominant urbane beat given a Qawaali edge and the deep lyrics! #Too hard to miss #Repeat
Nazar Laaye is absolutely breezy with the urbane coolness! A romantic ballad, where the soulful vocals of Rashid Ali and Neeti Mohan doesn't go wrong! #Must Hear #Repeat
Aisa Na Dekho surfaces with that lazy-lazy feel, aided heavily by A R Rahman's mastered vocals led by jazz strings and homely lyrics! #Repeat
Tum Tak is truly experimentation at its peak, a purposefully less engaging start then recreates itself in to a cat and mouse race of swaying composition and unmistakable singing, with the apt arrangements and brilliant lyrics setting the divine mood right! #Must Hear #Repeat
Aey Sakhi is has a highly sonorous sound, with the four ladies(Madhushree, Chinmayi, Vaishali and Aanchal Sethi) enjoying themselves in the cheerful yet funny composition coated with the standout sound of Ghatam! #Must Hear #Repeat
Tu Mun Shudi is desi-techno, presumably the less engaging of the lot even with Rabbi Shergill getting a nice piece of music to engage in his own favorite area of music. Good hear!
The Land of Shiva, the instrumental piece, is functional with the Mahadev chants and rudra beats.


Verdict : #MustHear! #Repeat! #Creativity at its best! #Classic Rahman, big time!

Must Hear! : The whole album!

Buy the songs legally Here 
Listen to the songs legally, Here or Here


4.25/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

(This is the 2nd Outstanding! album rating in IndiBeats the first one being 'Thattathin Marayath'. With the test of time, 4.25 can translate itself into 4.5, for that we have to wait and watch.)

Lootera Music Review

Lootera Music
Music Direction : Amit Trivedi
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattaharya


What I expected? : Class

Sawar Loon's simplistic folk tune gets enhanced by some controlled vocal's from Monali Thakur and some wonderfully dynamic orchestration from Amit Trivedi's part! Simply absorbing! #Must Hear #Repeat
Ankahee is sweet, romantic, and while Amiabh Bhattacharya gives full justification to the song by his highly expressive singing, the soft rock arrangements are just out of the world! #Must Hear #Repeat
Shikayatein is highly intriguing and more than Mohan Kanan and Amitabh Bhattacharya's good singing, it is the strikingly beautiful rock arrangements, which grows building itself as the song progresses, which catches our attention! #Must Hear #Repeat
Monta Re is usual Amit Trivedi template, a serene folk tune with dandiya background and a Bengali edge(much like Dhak Dhuk, English Vinglish) sung with essential grace by Swanand Kirkire and Amitabh Bhattacharya! Feels really good! #Repeat
Zinda has very carefully crafted progressive rock arrangements but Amit Trivedi does score lower in the singing department, which turns annoying at times. Good hear nevertheless.
Manmarziyan has to it that certain magic which happens when Shilpa Rao comes aboard, absolutely zealous fervid melody, aptly orchestrated with terrific job in singing by Shilpa Rao, Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattacharya! #Must Hear #Repeat

Verdict : Class Expected. Class Delivered. I just don't care about the commercial prospects of the album, but if the music audience of our country are craving for quality, this must be one of the best selling albums of the year! Excellent!

Must Hears! : Sawar Loon, Ankahee, Shikayatein, Manmarziyan


4/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!


Update 1 : More expert reviewers claim that Monta Re has Baul music background, not dandiya. Both Indian folk, while sounding similar, uses different instruments.