AUDIOI REVIEWS

MAHATMA
3BS Sight & Sound Corporation; Rs. 45
This album comes as a pleasant surprise with some outstanding compositions by composer Anil Mohile. Mohile is popular as an arranger and is a favourite with Lata Mangeshkar at her concerts. His talent and his knowledge of music comes to the fore in the six numbers in this album. The first number on Side A, Unse nazren mili sung by Kumar Sanu and Kavita Krishnamurthhy, is the best song of the album. The soft and melodious strain, and the mellow singing by Sanu and Kavita, make you want to hear the number again and again. And that’s why it is repeated again on Side B. Tere naam sung by Suresh Wadkar and Kavita has a catchy rhythm. Gul zameen sung well by Mohammed Aziz is a patriotic number based on an Afghani tune. This album is sure to be liked by those who crib that music today is not like that of the past.

HATYARA
Pen Audio; Rs. 32
How trite can a triumvirate of lyric writers get? Just tune in to the ditties of this Mithun-Suman Ranganathan starrer and you’ll have your answer. You have a Kumar Sanu husking, Lal batti ke neeche dekhoon to lal sari painhe khadi thi, haat mein bhi tha lal hi roomal, ladki baadi haseen thi and he leaves you wondering if this is Maya Govind, Nawab Arzoo and Satyaprakash’s idea of a red hot chart-topper. Well, it certainly ain’t mine! No, don’t tune off yet. You gotta hear Udit Naryan and Kavita Krishnamurthy crooning in embarrassed chorus, Chik Lampo Lalaji and you wonder who coined this one. There’s more mindboggling stuff. Bombazu baba bombazu, main ladki aur ladka tum ... that a raunchy Poornima trying to whip up some sparks followed by Shweta Shetty’s sizzling act, Aaja main sikha doon . Her lesson of love would confound even the Kama Sutra masters because she’ll telling you how her jawani can set fire to water too. Sorry Shweta, but with Lalit Sen for company you don’t kindle any fires. In fact, it all too obvious that the spark’s missing from this score which is perhaps why Sameer and Dilip Sen, the music directors, have made a desperate attempt to rekindle memories of the Gore gore gaal chartbuster. Only this Gore gore galo wali is not likely to have the mast mast girl’s magic. So where does that leave this Hatyara? At a dead loss, no doubt.

O O JAANE JAANA
T-Series; Rs. 38
No, don’t get confused. This is not the review of hot singer Kamaal Khan’s pop album being repeated, but this is a different album altogether by the same name. This album has the hit Kamaal Khan song O o jaane jaana from the film Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya and that’s the reason it has been named on that song. This album is a compilation of the recent hit songs from films and private albums. So you have Aati hai to chal from Saat Rang Ke Sapne, Poster lagwado bazaar mein from Aflatoon, Koyta koyta from the private album Pagla Kahin Ka, Jis ghadi tujhko from Prithvi and Na na na na na re from Mrityudaata to name a few. A good compilation, but it would have been better if more hit film numbers had been included instead of the not-so-hit pop numbers.

DIL HONA CHAHIDA JAWAAN (PUNJABI)
Venus; Rs. 40
The Punjab da puttar Gurdas Mann is back with a nine-song album which has all the zing and zest of the sarson ka fields. Gurdas Maan and his boisterous bhangra beat should have the teeny boppers hip-hopping. The title song in particular is feet-tapping, finger-snapping stuff. But have to admit that after a while Mann’s magic begins to wane and you start thinking of the Mehndi masti. Perhaps, Mann should have stuck to the fun and frolic instead of suddenly turning preachy or righteous at times. That would have been more in tune with the times. But one things’s for sure, Punjabi music today is for dance parties, not debate sessions. But all said and done, if you want to blast your ear-drums do it with Mann, never mind if you don’t understand a word of the lingo.

JAI MATA DI
Tips; Rs. 55
Devotional albums on Mata are the most selling which is one of the reasons they are the most produced. This album has devotional numbers sung in praise of Mata by the popular singer Narendra Chanchal, who has made a name singing Mata bhajans. This album has eight numbers composed by Surinder Kohli. Of these Saawan ki barse badaria, Bhakton ko darshan de gayi, Hello hi chhidiye, Ambaji meri Ambaji and Maiyaji tere dar pe are sure to click with the devotees. Mata bhakts can’t afford to miss this one.

LEFT OF THE MIDDLE - NATALIE IMBRUGLIA
BMG Crescendo; Rs 125
After Alanis Morisette who caught the limelight with Jagged Little Pill, here comes another female solo artiste with an attitude that is hard to beat. The name Natalie Imbruglia may not ring a bell, but it soon will, if her debut album with the interesting title, Left of the Middle is any indication. The 23-year old Australian-born singer looks as if she's on the threshold of superstardom.

Watch out for singles likeTorn, One more addiction, Big mistake and Pigeons and crumbs on Side A and Don't you think, City and the title track on Side B.

 

FILM ALBUMS / HINDI
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya Saat Rang Ke Sapne Dil To Pagal Hai Duplicate Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai Ishq Zor Bada Din Qila Salaakhen	[T-Series] [T-Series] [HMV] [HMV] [Tips] [BABA] [PLUS] [HMV] [BMG Crescendo] [T-Series]

 

POP ALBUMS / INDIAN
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Azaadi - Junoon Best Of Daler Mehndi-Daler Mehndi Dance Masti - Various Salaam- Nusrat Fateh Ali Come Be My Lover- Stereo Nation Dance Collection- Various Channel Hits - Various Yaaron Sab Dua Karo - Ram Shankar O Jaane Jaana- Kamaal Khan Channel Hits- 4- Various	[EMI] [Magnasound] [Sony] [HMV] [Plus] [PolyGram] [PolyGram] [Zee Music] [HMV] [Magnasound ]

 

MUSIC ALBUMS / ENGLISH
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Titanic - Soundtrack Let's Talk About Love - Celine Dion Aquarium -Aqua Yeild - Pearl Jam Ray Of Light - Madonna MTV Unplugged -Bryan Adams Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan [V] Rewind - Various Grammy Nominees '98 - Various Maxi Dance - Various	[Sony] [Sony] [BMG-Crescendo] [Sony] [Warner] [PolyGram] [Sony] [Sony] [BMG-Crescendo] [Plus Music]

 

UK TOP TEN
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya Saat Rang Ke Sapne Dil To Pagal Hai Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai Duplicate Ishq Zor Bada Din Aflatoon Salaakhen	[T-Series] [T-Series] [HMV] [Tips] [HMV] [Baba] [Plus] [HMV] [T-Series] [T-Series]