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

Shortcut Romeo Music Review

Shortcut Romeo Music 

Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya

Lyrics : Sameer, Shabbir Ahmed, Sanjay Masoom

What I expected? : Fresh commercial entertainment.

Pe Pe Pe has Himesh Reshammiya nasal all the way, templated romantic techno, functional but forgetful in the long run. Remix is added.

Khali Salam Dua, much like HR's own 'Jab Se' from Bol Bachchan, has Mohit Chauhan as its high point placed in an intense melodic tune with minimal but constant arrangements in the background. Works for the rawness in Mohit's voice, good one! #Repeat

Ishq Gangster has a scintillating rhythmic verve to it, Vineet Singh and Himesh Reshmmiya contributing equally to the techno-pop perky track. Good hear!

Remix sounds definitely good with all the infused raps!

Shortcut Romeo, the title track presumably, goes mysteriously techno-jazzy with Ash King sounding the usual fresh. Situational, but one of the better hears of the album!

Shortcut Romeo(Reprise) has an anthemic-patriotic Indian touch to it, mostly due to the way Aman Triikha sings it, but I'm not sure whether the lyrics go perfectly in sync with the setup. 

Jaave Saari Duniya has Mika credited as the singer but I could definitely hear HR all through it, situational celebration song again, might work with the video.

Mashup is essentially well mixed.

Verdict : Shortcut Romeo. Music just for the movie, nothing more nothing less. With good promotions, might last until the movie hits the screens, all set to fade after that. Average

Must Hears! : Khali Salam Dua

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

Special 26 Music Review

Special 26 Music
Music Direction : M. M. Kreem, Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil, Shabbir Ahmed

What I expected? :  M.M Kreem, of course some good melodies.

Tujh Sang Laage by KK and MM Kreem is beautiful, the serene Sufi-esque tune blended elegantly into qawaali-sh mode with feel good Hindustani arrangements, good lyrics and great singing! Good hear!
Gore Mukhde Pe by guest composer Himesh Reshammiya and sung by Aman Triikha, Shabab Sabri and Shreya Ghoshal is at most a very good song, what with a template Punjabi dance tune, lyrics and constant beats, it still manages to give a good romantic hear.!
Kaun Mera rightfully appears in three versions, love ballad, soft rock and unplugged sung by Chaithra Ambadipudi, Papon, and Sunidhi Chauhan respectively, each as mesmerizing as the other, Papon's version being my favorite! The short, effortless composition back lifted by simple arrangements and sonorous singing volunteers for three great hears.!
Mujh Mein Tu, essentially a powerful composition sung to perfection by Keerthi Sagathia and MM Kreem in two versions respectively gives another couple of great hears, ode to the brilliant melancholic tune, alluring jazz-rock-fusion arrangements(in Sagathia's version) and great lyrics.! Must hear(s) no. 2!
Dharpakad is situational, lyrics are quirky and definitely demands a repeat for the singing of Bappi Lahiri!

Verdict : M M Kreem steals the show with his sublime compositions which impress big time as standalones. Himesh is apparently a bit down in comparison, even then the album is definitely a deal worth every penny which is not to be missed.!

Must Hears! : Kaun Mera, Mujh Mein Tu(All Versions)

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

Son Of Sardar Music Review

Son of Sardar Music

Music : Himesh Reshammiya, Sajid-Wajid
Lyrics : Sameer, Shabbir Ahmmed, Irshad Kamil, Manoj Yadav

What I expected : Being the soundtrack of a completely commercial entertainer, some very catchy and massy tracks.

Son of Sardar by Aman Triikha and Himesh Reshammiya, the title track, starts off with an interesting dialogue piece by Ajay Devgan but moves on to become quite a catchy Punjabi setup which changes to nostalgic-slow at parts. Good singing by Aman and a good hear!
Remix is fast paced and catchy.
Rani tu mein Raja by Yo Yo Honey Singh, Mika Singh and Bhavya Pandit is an amazingly catchy dance track, beginning with Honey's superb Punjabi hip-hop and then translating to a total romantic Mika affair and Bhavya supporting beautifully.! Good hear!
Remix is not good.
Tu Kamaal di Kudi by Vinit singh and Mamta Sharma is a good Punjabi dance track, heavily arranged, and sung rightly making the track worth the hear.
Bichdann by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is powerfully intense, sad and melancholic, boasting of meaningful lyrics and accurate, first class Hindustani arrangements with straight-from-the-heart singing by RFAK producing a gem of a song! Great hear! This is gonna linger for a long time.! 
Bichdann Reprise by RFAK itself has completely different arrangements, modern, sweet, romantic and a good hear!
Po Po sung by Vikas Bhalla, Aman Trikha and Himesh Reshammiya is basically another Punjabi dance track, nevertheless catchy and aptly arranged with foot tapping desi beats and full on energy singing. Good hear!
Yeh Jo Halki Halki Khumariya by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, composed by Sajid-Wajid is a painfully boring and wonderfully bad composition with below average arrangements(WTF with that rock fusion arrangements?!) with the saving grace being RFAK only.
Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein (Funk Version & House track trance) composed by Sandeep Chowta is just a dialogue piece by Mr Devgan with some Punjabi background setup.

Verdict : SOS soundtrack justifies expectations. Minus the Sjid-Wajid track, the album is a good and safe one which is predominantly Punjabi in flavor. Himesh Reshammiya has produced some good and catchy tracks having the potential of climbing charts in coming months.! Try it!

AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING! 

Oh My God Music Review

Oh My God Music 

Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya, Meet Bros. Anjjan, Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : Shabbir Ahmed, Sameer, Subrat Sinha, Swanand Kirkire

What I expected? : Judjing from the theme of the movie, musical expectations were a bit low. But names like Himesh, Meet Bros and Sachin Jigar, people usually with good track record featuring on the album, one looks forward to the album keenly.

Go Go Govinda by Shreya Ghoshal and Mika Singh gives a 'chakhaas' start to the album, the track being a typical 'govinda' tapori number boasting of foot-tapping heavy beats, catchy interludes and masala lyrics, which would have gone astray if not for Shreya who gives an out-on-out rendition with the same charisma she had shown in Chikini Chameli, with Mika as puching as ever! Good hear!
Go Go Govinda(Reprise) featuring Shreya Ghoshal and Aman Triikha is essentially the same thing except for Mika's voice which has been replaced by Aman's, which is nevertheless good!
Tu Hi Tu by Mohd. Irfan seems like a soulful romantic song starting with flute, violin, guitar, cool beats and lyrics like 'tu hi tu dil mein hey mere", but turns out to be a song praising Lord Krishna with modern arrangements, which is light on ears, having a catchy tune and simple rendition which makes up a good hear!
Tu Hi Tu(Reprise) sung by Suraj Jagan has only the lead singer changed and everything else remains the same.
Tu Hi Tu Unplugged has a fresh sounding Ash King singing along with basic guitar strings and flute, a good hear indeed.!
Tu Hi Tu Remix has faster resounding electric arrangements and nothing new.
Oh My God Soundtrack  by Zubeen Garg is just a rehash of Tu Hi Tu Chorus with devotional arrangements in the background.
Don't Worry(Hey Ram) by Benny Dayal, Himesh Reshammiya and Arya Acharya is simply addictive from the word go!, beginning with super cool guitar riffs, riding on Benny Dayal's urbane cool full-on-energy vocals(wonder where HR is? Maybe in the chorus) and Arya's surprise rap as an added bliss, altogether making up a superb hip-hop number and a good hear! 
One just hopes that the arrangements in the interludes could have been better, lively.
Don't Worry Remix rectifies this problem which has elevated and booming over the top arrangements which totally changes the face of the song thus producing a complete disco buster! Grt hear!
Mere Nishaan by Kailash Kher with Meet Bros. as composers is an intense sentimental track, inclined to Hindustani classical music, the highlight being Kailash's sad, haunting vocals and good lyrics from Kumaar with apt and needy arrangements giving a great hear!
Hari Bol sung by Kirthi Sagathia and composed by Sachin-Jigar is a typical desi devotional dance track with Indian arrangements on the background, good lyrics by Swanand Kirkire and suited singing but somehow lacking the intended punch, not Sachin-Jigar's best effort, nevertheless making up a good hear at the end!
Krishna Theme(Flute) by Paresh Nath, composed by Meet Bros. is poetic piece of beautiful flute executed elegantly giving a fresh feeling and definitely a good hear!

Verdict : Oh My God sound track doesn't make you say OMG! with awe, but is a fairly good and safe album indeed. Album has some good variety of songs offering a different musical experience which won't leave you disappointed at the end! Try it!

AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!