Best Buy

UNFORGETTABLE LOVE SONGS
(VOL. 7 & 8)
Venus, Rs. 100 (two cassettes)
This makes for a best buy among all the Valentine releases for a number of reasons. It’s packaged well and makes for a great gift for someone you love, it’s economical on the pocket, and what’s more, you get to hear some of the best songs of recent years.

Vol. 7 lists songs like Tum dil ki dhadkan mein (Dhadkan), the touching title songs of Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye and Kaho Naa...Pyar Hai, the wacky Kem chhe (Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai), Mere khayalon ki malika (Josh) and Kismat se tum (Pukar) to name a few.

Vol. 8 has Dil ne yeh kaha hai dil se (Dhadkan), the upbeat Savariya re o savariya (Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye), the very romantic Na tum jaano na hum (Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai), Sochenge tumhe pyaar (Deewana), Tu shayar hai (Saajan) and Hai mera dil (Josh).

A.R. RAHMAN - 24 KARAT GOLD
Tips, Rs. 65
Here’s a good gift for A.R. Rahman fans and music buffs in general. What more could they ask for if not an album which compiles the composer’s 12 hit film songs. And it must have been a tough decision for the music company to select the 12 songs (nine actually, the other three are instrumental tracks) because almost all of Rahman’s compositions are good. Nevertheless, the company’s done a good job listing Chhoti si aasha from Roja, the composer’s first hit, Ishq bina and Taal se taal mila (Taal), Pyar ye jaane kaisa and Hai Rama (Rangeela), Latka (Hindustani), a medley of O bhavre, Shabba shabba and Sai ya ya (all from Daud), the music piece of Taal titled Raga dance, Muqabla (Humse Hai Muqabla) and the devotional qawwali from Fiza, Piya Haji Ali. Two instrumental tracks of the songs Kahin aag lage and Nahin saamne tu, both from Taal, and recorded by Tabun, have been touted as bonus tracks. But Rahman fans could have instead done with two more original songs of his, because you just can’t have enough of this composer. And we can guarantee that you just won’t have enough of this album too.

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AAO JOSH MEIN
HMV, Rs. 55
The ‘Breathless’ team of singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Akhtar come together again to give us a hi-energetic and upbeat title number of this album Aao Josh mein. The song inspires you to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment of it, and be all charged up to take challenges head-on, instead of complaining. Incidentally, the song is also the theme song of Ford Ikon.

This is the only new song in the album, after which you get to hear a compilation of songs, some from films (past and present), and one from a concert. But the one thing common to them all is that they are all josh-bhara, peppy songs, justifying the title of the album somewhat. And another common factor is Shankar Mahadevan singing most of the songs, individually or with another singer. So you have the same duo’s Breathless which still leaves you wonder-eyed, Asha Bhonsle’s Thakshak song Rang de, Kamaal Khan’s first hit O o jaane jaana, a medley by Shankar Mahadevan recorded live during a concert for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and the masti-bhara Bombay To Goa number Dekha na haye re socha na.

Aao josh mein is again repeated on Side B, followed by the delightful Jumbalika from Thakshak superbly sung by Alisha Chinai. The Sufi type number from Refugee, Jise tu na mila sung by Sukhwindara and Shankar, and the title song of Kaho Naa...Pyar Hai, complete the album. One can’t really gauge the thinking behind this compilation, except that the songs compiled definitely have mass appeal, and the new title song too makes for a good hearing.

TU HI MERA DIL LUTEYA
T-Series, Rs. 50
An album of soothing songs in Punjabi sung by the legendary Ghulam Ali is reason enough for a music buff to buy it. And the listener sure won’t be disappointed because all the songs are a treat to the ears. The lyrics, though in Punjabi, are easily understood by even those who don’t speak the language, and they have been tuned simply, yet quite appealingly. Add to that Ghulam Ali’s haunting voice and his impeccable rendition make a lasting impact. All the seven songs, all meloncholic at that, make for a good listening, but the ones that linger on are Jadon kadi tainu mera pyar satavega, Mere dil da (which has a good rhythm), Tere mere dil da na aaj taeen aaya and Roop tere di shokhi tak ke. Connoisseurs of music will not miss out on this one.

ISHQ HUA
Mega Music, Rs. 45
As Valentine’s Day nears you have romantic albums, especially compilation ones, flooding the market. This compilation album with a very expressive title has eight songs from the not-so-recent films, some which are mushy and some peppy. There’s Humko tumse pyar hai and Neend churayee meri, both from Ishq, the title song of Pyar To Hona Hi Tha, Banke tera jogi from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Yeh ladka hai deewana from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Aate jaate from Maine Pyar Kiya, Do dilon ki from Dil Kya Kare and Ek haseen nigah ka from Maya Memsaab.

MADE FOR EACH OTHER
Sony Music, Rs. 60
The title says it all. Yet another album for Valentine’s Day and here you have a mix of film and non-film songs to woo your lover with. Side A has the latest ballad from Raju Chacha, Tune mujhe pehchana nahin, followed by Mehki mehki (Zubeidaa), the title song of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a remixed version of Baahon mein chale aao by Instant Karma, the lilting Hum bhi samajh rahe hain from Ghaath, and the endearing Musu musu haasi from Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. Side B comprises Ae kaash ke hum (Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa), Pehla pehla pyar hai (Hum Aapke Hain Koun), Aur kya (Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani), Jab kisiki taraf (Pyar To Hona Hi Tha), Dekho dekho jaanam (Ishq) and another Instant Karma remix of O mere dil ke chain. Enjoy love in all its colours.PAL

PAL DIL KE PAAS (VOL. 1 & 2)
Venus, Rs. 70 (two cassettes)
This Valentine gift pack, with a beautiful title, has two cassettes compiling romantic songs of the past and present. Only hitch being that the songs are not the original ones, but re-recorded and re-sung by the present-day singers, of which some are known (Kumar Sanu, Abhijeet, Sudesh Bhosle, Vinod Rathod, Anupama Deshpande, Vaishali Samant), and most unknown (Khamosh, Priya Bhattacharya, Arun Ingle, Shashika Mooruth, Bhaskar, Jaishree Shivram, Sunny Nayar, Sanjay Sawant, Suhasini, Shiva). So that takes off the charm somewhat since music buffs would prefer to listen to the original songs any day. Now who would want to listen to the very romantic Pal pal dil ke paas from Blackmail in a voice other than Kishore Kumar’s, or Sun saiba sun (Ram Teri Ganga Maili) in a voice other than Lata Mangeshkar’s. One doesn’t mind so much if songs from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Tezaab, Mr. India, Criminal or Khamoshi - The Musical (all films of the recent past), being sung by new singers, but the golden oldies be better remain untouched.

Nevertheless the effort put in by the new lot needs a word of praise since they have gone about their job sincerely, with each singer trying to sound as close to the original singer.

Coming to the compilation, the songs featured in Vol. 1, besides Pal pal dil ke paas are Pehla nasha (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander), Hum tum chahate hain aise (Qurbani), Kuch na kaho (1942 - A Love Story), to mention a few, while Vol. 2 has Dekha ek khwab (Silsila), Keh do ki tum ho (Tezaab), Aaj phir tum pe pyaar (Dayavan) and Baahon ke darmiyan (Khamoshi - The Musical). For those who don’t really mind version recordings.

MERE WATAN HINDUSTAN
Tips, Rs. 35
Released to commemorate Republic Day, the album compiles patriotic songs from the films, and has an ever-lasting appeal since you don’t need to be patriotic only on a certain occasion. The choice of songs to arouse that patriotic fervour is good, as you get to hear Rind psoh maal and Dhuan dhuan (Mission Kashmir), I love my India (Pardes), Jalwa jalwa (Hindustan Ki Kasam), Zindagi maut na ban jaye (Sarfarosh), a private number The freedom run, Aaghaz karo (Aaghaz), Humko to rehna hai (China Gate), a private number Mere watan Hindustan, the heart-rending Fiza theme song Mere watan, and in the end, our national anthem Jana Gana Mana.

Reviewed By Salma Khatib
salmakhatib@hotmail.com

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