AUDIO REVIEWS

DUPLICATE
HMV; Rs 45
Anu Malik’s back after the twin triumphs of Border and Virasat with a hummable score which looks sure to get him in the charts again. If some of the tunes sound a wee bit familiar, perish the thought. Or Anu will do that for you. The best number is undoubtedly the soft as a breeze, soaked in romance Kathai aankhon wali, which Javed Akhtar has confessed was written for his very own Kathai aankhon wali wife Shabana, whose gussa, you’re told through this imginatively autobiographical ode to the love of a lifetime, hides a gentle heart. Kumar Sanu repeats the misty-eyed magic of the Pardes poetry, Tasveer se tu nikal kar in this pretty-as-a-picture prem geet. The Sanu we hear in Wah ji wah, with its end of an interlude Ha Ha and Ek shararat hone ko hai brings back happy memories of his idol Kishore Kumar. These are the kind of frisky, frothy numbers which would have been just up Kishoreda’s sangeet street. So too, the Abhijeet-Kavita duet, Ladna jhagadna. Perhaps it was no coincidence that Anu chose two singers who have always been pretty open about their ‘inspiration’. In true Yash Chopra tradition, Anu has a snatch of instrumental which leads into the sometimes poignant, sometimes boisterous Tum nahin jana, reminscent of some of Aruna Irani’s ‘little girl lost club’ numbers. An inspired score which will no doubt be brought to life with Shah Rukh Khan’s now sugar, now spice and not all that nice double dhamaka. This is one cassette which will catch your eye even before you plug in your earphones. The saffron brigade could use its narangi hues to promote its cause.

DAND-NAYAK
Time; Rs. 34
Rajesh Roshan is apparently becoming adept at recycling his old music scores. For instance, take the opening number of the album, Bahut door jaane ko.... It’s a rehashed version of Ghar se nikalte hi... from Papa Kehte Hain. The song in itself is soft and melodious. Sonu Nigam and Sadhana Sargam have rendered it mellifluously but then it’s been heard before. Tera bhi... is endearingly lilting, while Aa piya... again has that deja vu sound of Jaati hoon main... from Karan Arjun. All thanks to Asha Bhosle’s husky sensuality that prevents the song from sounding abysmally mediocre. The flip side has a routine folksy number, Ek sau do..., with a touch of exuberance to it. Happy Birthday... is catchy and the verses are also meaningful, credited to Anand Bakshi. Last but not the least, Mem Saab is a trendy, peppy pop number with which Rajesh Roshan redeems his creativity. Soft and soothing, this melodious album is no auditory assault.

DANCE MASTI - INSTANT KARMA
Sony Music; Rs. 100
Dance Masti is yet another re-mix/cover version album of all-time greats. The difference being that this one, unlike the hordes of re-mix albums hitting the market, is a very well produced one with good renderings of popular songs from the 60’s and the 70’s, put together by Farhad Wadia, Loy Mendonsa and Ehsaan Noorani, who make up the Instant Karma trio. The pick of the lot are Dekha na sung by Shankar Mahadevan, Dil kya kare soulfully rendered by Shaan, the energetic Mungda by Mahalakshmi, and a lovely version of the romantic Raat ke humsafar by Shankar Mahadevan and Mahalakshmi. The other vocalist on the album is Anthra Chaudhari. This album is a sure-fire way to get people to boogie the night away on the dance floor. But it does leave one wondering as to how much of the success of the album can be attributed simply to picking the right songs, originally composed so masterfully by greats like RD Burman and Shankar-Jaikishen. Inspiration, tribute, or just a good way to cash in? Either way, it’s a good buy.

RANG BARSE BHEEGE CHUNARWALI
T-Series; Rs 30
It’s Holi time and among the first to remind you about this festival of colours are the audio companies. So, you have T-Series coming out with a re-mixed cover version of Holi songs. The album comprises popular numbers, from Amitabh Bachchan’s Rang barse to Mal de gulal mohe. It opens with a folksy number Holiyan mein udere gulal sung full-throatedly by Richa Sharma. Sudesh does the Rang barse number with gusto. Zakhmi dilon ka badla chukane by Kumar Sanu sounds good. The rest of the songs rendered by Kumar Sanu, Jaswant and Bela Salukhe are okay.

SHAMBHU TERI JAIJAIKAR
T-Series; Rs. 30
It’s best to flow along the musical current of this devotional album. Just sit back and relish the narrative style of Anup Jalota’s rendition. Saver jab ho... is an invocation to the three-eyed God, Man shiv mein... is an ode to the Lord, Sheesh pe Ganga... is the physical description of Shiva’s appearance, Mujhe moh ... is an appeal to the Almighty to rescue the devotee from the mortal sins, while Bum bum Bhole... eulogises to the mighty Lord. Of the ten bhajans of the album, this most certainly is the peppiest and catchiest of all. On Side B, Bhole ki bhakti... describes all the twelve holy shrines of Lord Shiva, the Jyotirlingas, Samudra manthan... narrates the battle between the Gods and the demons, during which Lord Shiva had gulped down poison in order to save the Gods, Ma Parvati..., Anathon ke naath... and Om namah... are different ways of invocation. This compilation of Shiva bhajans is a blessing for all his devotees.

TRANSISTOR - 311
PolyGram; Rs 95
311, the four-man band featuring Nicholas Hexum, Chad Sexton, Timothy Mahoney and SA Martinez has come up with an album that has left a lot to be desired. Out of the 21 tracks on both sides, only four — Beautiful disaster on Side A and Stealing happy hours, Colour and Borders are worth a listen. This album can wait, unless of course, you’re feeling particularly rich at the start of the month!

THE VERY BEST OF RAINBOW
PolyGram; Rs 95
The rock band, Rainbow, comprising Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover (both of Deep Purple fame) Ronnie James Dio and stringers, had its heyday in the 70s and early 80s, when it also had quite a fan-following here in India. The loyal among them are bound to quickly lap this one up, a collection of some of the band’s biggest hits. And if you’re new to their kind of sound, it’s high time you tuned in too. Hits like Man on the silver mountain (from their 1975 album Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow), Stargazer (Rainbow Rising, 1976), Long live Rock’n’Roll (from the 1978 album of the same name), All night long (Down To Earth), Can’t happen here (Difficult To Cure), Stone Cold (Straight Between The Eyes) and Can’t let you go (Bent Out Of Shape, 1983) are the highlights on the collection.

PHENOMENON - LL Cool J
PolyGram; Rs 95
Some call him the undisputed king of hip-hop. And not for nothing. Ever since he broke into the scene as a 16-year-old, and became an overnight success, he has won the Grammy twice for best rapster, and thanks to his popularity and Adonis-like features, has starred in a feature film and television series and several ad campaigns. Phenomenon, his latest album featuring contributions from rap and pop artistes like Sean Puffy Combs, Babyface, Busta Rhymes and Kirk Franklin and the Family, has some good tracks like Starsky and Hutch, Another dollar, Wanna get paid, Nobody can freak you and the title song. If you’re stoned on rap, you could trip on this. Otherwise, don’t be surprised what all the fuss over LL Cool J was.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK 

AZAADI - JUNOON
EMI-Milestone; Rs.60
Pakistani group Junoon, comprising Salman Ahmad, Ali Azmat and the American Brian O’Connell, had their first big hit just over a year ago with the song Jazba-e-junoon, and now with the album Azaadi, they have come up with an imaginative fusion of Sindhi/Punjabi folk, qawaali and Western rock. The largely Urdu and Punjabi tracks are peppy and lilting. The album has been dedicated to the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and seems to have drawn a lot of inspiration from the Pakistani maestro’s performances, without being merely imitative. The first foot-tapping track, Sayonee, is the best with its catchy refrain, sung with great gusto by lead vocalist Ali Azmat. Kisne suna is similarly upbeat. Mukh gae and Kyun parishan are slow and mellow, and a pleasure to listen to, giving some relief from the mostly energetic tracks. Heer is a soothing and imaginative instrumental piece in the classical tradition, with a liberal use of the electric guitar. The evergreen Lal meri pat (which has also been rendered by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in the past) is also included in the album. Apart from the fact that the melodies are innovative and non-repetitive, it is perhaps largely due to the strong presence of electric guitaring, that the album has succeeded in staying away from a predictable filmi feel to it, which is what makes it doubly fresh and enjoyable. Azaadi makes for a great addition to any music collection.

FILM ALBUMS / HINDI '97
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Dil To Pagal Hai Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya Saat Rang Ke Sapne Bada Din Zor Keemat Ishq Qila Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai Lal Badshah	[HMV] [T-Series] [T-Series] [HMV] [Plus] [Venus] [Baba] [BMG Crescendo] [Tips] [Pen]

 

POP ALBUMS / INDIAN '97
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Best Of Daler Mehndi-Daler Mehndi I Love You-Udit Narayan Humnasheen-Pankaj Udhas Channel Hits - Various Salaam- Nusrat Fateh Ali Nasha - Pankaj Udhas Mohabbat Kar Le - Shaimak Davar Nigodi Kaisi Jawani Hai-Richa Sharma Gabbar Mix - Various Deewane ToDeewane Hain - Shweta	[Magnasound] [Wings] [PolyGram] [PolyGram] [HMV] [PolyGram] [PolyGram] [T-Series] [PolyGram] [Magnasound]

 

MUSIC ALBUMS / ENGLISH '97
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Let's Talk About Love - Celine Dion Aquarium -Aqua Titanic - Soundtrack MTV Unplugged -Bryan Adams Maxi Dance - Various The Greatest Hits-Kenny G Spice World - Spice Girls Now 3 - Various Grammy Nominees '98 - Various [V] Rewind - Various	[Sony] [BMG-Crescendo] [Sony] [PolyGram] [Plus Music] [BMG-Crescendo] [Milestone] [PolyGram] [BMG-Crescendo] [Sony]

 

UK TOP TEN
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10	Dil To Pagal Hai Zor Aflatoon Ishq Bada Din Lal Badshah Saat Rang Ke Sapne 2001 Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai Duplicate	[HMV] [Plus Music] [T-Series] [Baba] [HMV] [Pen Audio] [T-Series] [Time] [Tips] [HMV]