Music Review - March 15

Love You Hamesha

Has A.R. Rahman lost his charm? So, it seems after you hear his latest release, Love You Hamesha. But then we can't blame Rahman alone if the music sound outdated. Ad director-turned-filmmaker Kailash Surendranath should also share the blame for dragging the project for six years.

To begin with, Rahman's style of composing was different then. So, after getting used to his compositions from Taal, Zubeidaa, One 2 Ka 4 etc, you may find this album sounding different, but then the maestro has his own ways of getting you back into the groove.

Take for example the title track, Love You Hamesha. This tune reminds you of Rahman's earlier efforts, music he composed for Roja and Bombay, but thanks to the percussion, the song is enjoyable. Sonu Nigam, Shweta Shetty and G.V. Prakash (a new singer) put in a good effort to make this track appealing.

Though Anand Bakshi's lyrics are not very prominent in the title song, he does well in the following slow romantic number, Gup Chup Baatein, which is sung with a lot of emotion by the silky-voiced Hariharan and Sadhana Sargam.

South Indian singer and a Rahman favourite, Mahalaxmi Iyer is brought in to sing the lover's lament in Yaar Teri Bewafai in which Rahman reaches a crescendo with his orchestration only to suddenly descend in a mellow manner.

Sonu Nigam sounds highly inspired while singing Botal Tod De, with an equally energetic Hema Sardesai, on Side B. The song, with fun lyrics and an original composition, sees the duo sing in a combination of slow and fast rhythms. With repeated hearings you too may fall for the infectious duet. The mood changes suddenly to a folk track, Sone Ka Palang, sung spiritedly by Udit Narayan, Ila Arun and Kavita Paudwal. Though the song has influences of other Rahman tunes, the music enchants for its folk beats and chorus lines.

Kavita Krishnamurthy brings about the grand finale with her controlled singing of the semi-poetic number, Ek Ladki Thi, based on both Western and Eastern rhythms and a soothing background chant by the chorus singers – a Rahman speciality indeed.

Cassette courtesy: Vanilla Music

Songs of My Soul Asha Bhonsle – Vols 1 & 2

Unlike her older sister Lata Mangeshkar, legendary Indian singer Asha Bhonsle has always been innovative and enterprising. Her 60 plus age is no bar for a hurried live concert or an album even if that means releasing a re-mixed version of her own hits with a newcomer like Bali Brahmbhatt.

The concept is not new. Asha has done it earlier with Rahul and I and Asha Forever and it's a pity to see the great singer doing it again by releasing some more of her top hits, sung in her own voice, but re-mixed (digitally).

The re-mixed versions sound okay when it comes to her old songs but it hardly suits new compositions like Tanha Tanha, Rangeela Re and Le Gayi Le Gayi which are still fresh and hardly need to be re-mixed or reinvented.

Thankfully, her two classics from Umrao Jaan – In Aankhon Ki Masti and Dil Cheez Kya Hai – are left untouched so listeners can enjoy the originals the way they were. Unfortunately, this is not the case with songs like O.P. Nayyar's Yehi Woh Jagah Hai and R.D. Burman's O Meri Jaan Maine Kaha. Here the legend sounds jaded and uninspired, making you wonder whether all this re-mixing is worth the effort.

Cassette courtesy: Megastar