nice songs from recent music releases

I have not had the time to write about the recent music albums, just so tied up with work. But I did find enough time to listen to the songs of Blue, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Aladin, Tum Mile and Main Aur Mrs Khanna. I tried listening to Jail and All The Best, but just couldn’t finish with them. They were so darn boring.
Anyways, my favourite song these days are Chiggy Wiggy and Yaar Mila Tha from Blue. There is something weird about the Chiggy Wiggy number, I just can’t stop listening to it. It has a great start, fantastic vocals by Kylie Minogue and a superb bhangra twist by Sonu Nigam. The rhythm is just right to set your mood, fine stuff. Rahman sounds truly international with the opening 2 mins of the song and then does a bhangra fusion. The lyrics are dumb, but I can do with that as long as I enjoy the music. Whats with this:

Khaatoon ki khidmat mei khiladi ki hai khwahish … eeks!

Yaar Mila Tha is another modern fusion of rural/folksy sounding lyrics orchaestrated to genX music, much like Gendaphool in Delhi-6. The lyrics sound a bit chauvanistic, but I am sure they have been tagged to a pre-created rhythm. And the background chorus makes this song really work, infuse energy into this rustic number while Udit Narayan and Madhusree do total justice to the song.

Two other good songs in album were Rehnuma and Fiqraana. I am unable to follow the lyrics of Fiqraana, too damn difficult. But I love listening to it. Shreya Ghoshal sounds really sweet.

Moving onto APKGK. It has a racy start with Main Tera Dhadkan Teri …. Ab Bacha Kya sung by KK. This is the most catchy of the 14 songs in the album. I don’t really like the beginning piece by Hard Kaur, that actually works against the song, but the moment KK’s vocals get into the musical notes, a new life is infused to this song. 5 of the 14 tracks are remixes, total waste.

Kaise Batayen song is so jaded, sounds like a bhajan. And then Atif Aslam gets into action, Pritam’s favourite. The song is just about tolerable. Another Pritam favourite Neeraj Sridhar croons Prem Ki Naiyya and sings about it being Ram Ke Bharose. That’s all I can recall from this album, rest are just boring stuff.

Talking about boring stuff, I expected so much from Vishal Shekhar but they let me down with the music of Aladin. The genie rap is such a gimmick, trying to cash-in on Bachchan’s voice but the lyrics are a terrible let-down … aladin…tera bheja hai khali !

O Re Sawariya is another bad song. The only saving grace of the album is the song You Are The One.

You may be
Just a lil bit deewani
Thodi thodi si crazy
but baby you’re the one

Tum jaise hai na koi yun deewani
Thodi thodi si crazy
But baby you’re the one

Vishal Dadlani has written the lyrics himself and both Vishal and Shekhar have rendered the song. They probably did not want to give away this song to anybody else. Nice song this!

Another musical duo, Sajid Wajid, have composed for Main Aur Mrs Khanna. SW feature in most of Sallu’s home production movies, so also this. But as usual, except for a couple of songs they lack consistency in quality. Don’t Say Alvida is a hummable song, melodiously sung by Sonu and Shreya. Another widely unpublicised song that is sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is Rabba Hai Rabba. This is one of the better songs from the movie, in an otherwise dull album.

Finally coming to Emraan Hashmi’s movie Tum Mile, this has some rather disappointing songs. Emraan is known more for his songs than the movie itself, but that’s not the case here. For once, the songs are lack-lustre and did not interest me at all. Except for Tu Hi Haqeeqat and Dil Ibaadat, rest of the song is mediocre. Pritam hasn’t given some uninspiring music. Expected a lot more from him after Love Aaj Kal. By the way, Kurbaan music is just out. Hope it turns out to be good.

 

Music Review : Love Aaj Kal

After the huge success of Jab We Met, Pritam and Imtiaz Ali are back again to entertain us. And not to forget the lyricist Irshad Kamil, who wrote some really good lyrics for JWM, is also a part of this bandwagon. The expectations from this movie and the album are big. Its one of the biggest releases and most awaited movies of this year. The movie is yet to come but the album is here and it delivers. Its a great mix of folk, punjabi songs, remix, soft romantic song and foot-tapping numbers; all in one album. There are 10 tracks overall, but 3 of them are remixes; so we have 7 chartbusting numbers.

Twist – Neeraj Sridhar : The album opens with this fine fusion of the 1954 classic Man Dole Mera tan Dole and Neeraj Sridhar doing what he does best, rap inane lyrics. But it makes for a nice hearing, especially because Pritam knows exactly what can set the foot tapping.

Let’s have some ranouk shaunak
Let’s have some party now
Let’s have some rolla rappa

Round de chak hey
Round de chak

Let’s have some dhol dhamaka
Let’s call the dholi now
Let’s have some matti tappa

Chalo chalo ji lak lak ga lo
Chalo chalo ji mauj mana lo
Chalo chalo ji nach lo gaa lo
Pakad kisi ki wrist

And we twist
We twist

This number is already quite popular and it sure will go on to be a big hit with the FM stations and discs. Both, the original and remix versions, are good.

Aaj Din Chadeyya – Rahat Fateh Ali Khan : A soulfully romantic song by Rahat after such a long time. The last I liked him was in Teri Ore from SiK. The lyrics are very sweet:

Phool sa hai khila aaj din
Rabba mere din yeh na dhale
Woh jo mujhe khwab mein mile
Use tu lagade abb gale
Tenu dil da vasta

The strumming of guitar is a nice introduction, making it sound like a fusion between sufi and country music. And as usual, Rahat hits those high notes with such ease.

Baksh gunahon ko
Sunke duwaon ko
Rabba pyaar hai
Tune sab ko hi de diya

Meri bhi aahon ko
Sunle duwaon ko
Mujhko woh dila maine jisko hai dil diya

Its a melodious track and will be remembered for a long time.

Aahun Aahun – Neeraj Sridhar : Another song by the rapper, this time borrowing the tune of a popular Jazzy B song. Its remixed well by Pritam, the way he keeps shifting between the genres of punjabi folk voice of Jazzy B and Neeraj Sridhar’s fast paced words is fabulous. This song is bound to be another superhit, it has a nice rhythm and will find much favor with DJ’s. This song is also accompanied by its remix.

Chor Bazari – Neeraj Sridhar & Sunidhi Chauhan : This is a weak song and seems to be a worn out effect of Pritam. Its quite a laborious work, trying to come good but that never happens. The singers have given their best but the lyrics and the pedestrian music lets them down. Its just about passable. The song also has its remix version which I was not very convinced about.

Ye Dooriyan – Mohit Chauhan : A lazy effort by Pritam, the song lacks soul. Mohit’s voice suits the song, but its undone by lacklustre tune which suffers from a hangover of Tumse Hi from JWM.

kyun koi paas hai
door hai kyun koi
jaane na koi yahan pe

aa raha paas ya
door main ja raha
jaanu na main hoon
kahan pe

ye dooriyan..

in raahon ki dooriyan
nigahon ki dooriyan
hum raahon ki dooriyan
fanaa ho sabhi dooriyan

Its a song about the pangs of separation and a hope of re-uniting again; about distance and spaces between people. The tune could have been much better with a little bit of rework, nevertheless its very hummable number. Mohit is carving a niche for himself with such romantic tracks which gives him the freedom to croon.

Mai Kya Hoon – KK : An electronic-keyboard driven number offered by Pritam, to which KK does complete justice. It has a nice tune which KK takes to a crescendo and ends in a yoddle. The fast and pacy beats is the highlight of the song. Lyrics is the weak link of quite a few songs, this one included; but not many care for it. So, enjoy this typical KK number; he does not disappoint.

Thoda Thoda Pyar – Sunidhi Chauhan : Another heavily loaded punjabi song, it has a folksy tune starting with sangeet situation and Sunidhi gives it the much needed rustic touch. This song will be quite popular in the northern belt for sure. It has some naughty lyrics as well, which are synonymous with lots of folk songs, and Sunidhi renders it with gusto.

Saif Ali Khan, being the producer of the movie, must have really worked hard alongwith Imtiaz Ali and Pritam to bring out the best. After some lacklustre music in Billu, Pritam has come into his own and brought in a freshness. Whatever people may say about him, copy or no copy, he has a good sense of music. This album is a winner, go get it.