I Hate Love Stories: Music Review

Vishal-Shekhar's I Hate Love Stories had been a long expected album, at least for me. And I guess they have done it. Bin tere, I hate Love stories, and Sadka kiya, I'm loving it.

The album starts with Jab Mila tu, which is quite like Dostana's Jaane Kyun. That way, the song cannot be called very fresh but sounds fine, and will be stuck to our tongues the way Jaane kyun did. I think.

The second song of the album is one of the best, or probably the best, Bin Tere (how many songs are called Bin tere, any idea?). Well, the song, sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan and Sunidhi Chauhan is a wonderful piece of music and definitely worth a listen. Go for it.

The third song of the album is a peppy title song, bas pyaar ka naam na lena, I hate love stories, sung by Vishal Dadlani. Very, very tongue sticking,though I don't think it's one for longer times.

Bahara is the next song of the album. The song came as a surprise to me as I had not expected Sona Mahapatra in a Vishal-Shekhar album. I wonder if she has ever worked with the duo. Well, Sona is not the only singer in the song, in fact she is more in the background while the song is actually sung by Shreya Ghoshal. A medium-fast-paced song with a touch of folk. Definitely a good one again.

They had one king of rock with them. But they brought in another one. Yes, Vishal Shekhar call in Suraj Jagan for their next number Sadka Kiya. Frankly, Sadka is probably the song I have loved the most till date and the more I am listening to it, the more I am falling into the song. A song that keeps itself light, has beats something like Falak tak (Tashan), with Suraj going high in places, in a way that you would love. The best part, on top of the wonderful music and singing, there are those great lyrics, sadka kiya yoon ishq ka, ke sar jhuka jahan, deedar hua. M lovin'it.

If this was not enough, here is more in remixes, no, reprises and mixes and remixes. The first to come up is Shekhar with a reprise of Bin Tere. Now there's only a guitar (I hope I didn't miss anything) and Shekhar's voice. A real reprise, with hardly any background music. One of the toughest and the best things Shekhar has done. Kudos boy.

Now, a chill mix, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan singing what Shreya and Sona sang earlier. Definitely good work by Rahat and worth listening to song, but I think I have fallen for the original version already.

At the end there is a remix version of Bin Tere, which doesn't sound bad.

Overall, I Hate Luv Storys seems to be a soundtrack which is better than plain good. A few songs may remind you of things here and there, but overall, almost every song of the album is good, which is a big deal. Well done Vishal-Shekhar.

Original Post at Happysing.

Kurbaan Hua (Vishal Dadlani/Salim Sulaiman)

Today I saw a review by my twit-buddy dunkdaft saying Kurbaan Hua sounds just like Nazara hai of Tasveer 8x10 and is the only 'glitch' in the album. Well, my first reaction was of shock. But then I tried to compare the songs and found that the words Nazara hai and Kurbaan hua had quite some similarity even though the words Kurbaan hua lasted longer unlike Nazara hai. So I started searching why Kurbaan hua sounded better than Nazara hai. Here are the reasons I found.

First, Kurbaan hua is not Nazara hai. Even though we have same composers and singers, the composition is more mature and low-pitched notes have a better balance here. Second thing, that was completely missing in Nazara hai is lyrics. Kurbaan hua boasts of some meaningful lyrics while lyrics of Nazara hai hardly have one.

And finally, the best part of Kurbaan hua is its end. From the point Vishal starts rendering marne ka sabab slowly, the song reaches a peak very few songs are able to find. That is the part of the song I wait for every time listen to it. Those are the lines on which.. Kurbaan hua..

Lyrics:

Kurbaan hua teri dushmani mein yun kurbaan hua
Teri aashiqui mein yun
Bekhudi mein, bekali mein, bekasi mein hua
Tujhko har dua di Har daga di Aur fanaa hua
Kurbaan hua .. Kurbaan hua
Adaa pe, wafaa pe, jafaa pe
Kurbaan hua .. Kurbaan hua

Rubaru tu magar Tanah hai ye jahan hoo vo
Chal uthe meri khufar se
Saanson ka ye sama hoo vo
Kya hua pal mein jaane kho gaya kyun
Tu mila aur judai maa hua yun
Bekhudi mein, bekali mein, bekafi mein hua
Tujhko har dua di Har daga di Aur fanaa hua
Kurbaan hua .. Kurbaan hua
Adaa pe, wafaa pe, jafaa pe
Kurbaan hua .. Kurbaan hua

Marne ka sabab maangta raha dar badar
Mitne ko to dil pal mein raazi huaaaa...
..Poori hui har aarzoo har dastan meri
Ke tum shuru hue jahan main khatam hua
Kurbaan hua .. Kurbaan hua
Adaa pe, wafaa pe, jafaa pe
Kurbaan hua .. Kurbaan hua

Kurbaan Music Review (Salim Sulaiman)

It was something I was waiting for a long time now. And now that it has reached me, I think it should reach you too. So here we go, with my review of Kurbaan's music, that happens to be the third release of Salim Sulaiman in this year.

Shukran Allah: You hear the chorus, you love the music. You hear Sonu, you love the song. A wonderful love song by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal with a beautiful chorus and Salim Merchant for backing vocals. Listen to this and you'll be found trying to sing the words Shukran Allah Walahamidulillah soon.

Dua: In dua, Salim-Sulaiman bring the Fatak combination, Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher along with Marianne DCruz Aiman for background vocals. Dua hai dua hai is again a good song with music lying somewhere between a spiritual song and a dance number. In fact the same can be said about the song's lyrics too.

Ali Maula: In the third song, Ali Maula, that happens to be the only song in the album with a remix, Salim Merchant has done almost a Maula mere le le meri jaan again. Though, this time he doesn't have a Krishna with him and he has sung the song alone. The lyrics of the song are a bit more Urdu-ish than Maula mere. But the song goes deep and will turn out to be one with longer shelf life. Good again.

Rasiya: Background music is important. Not just in movies but in songs too. Yes, the specialists of background music have almost added background music to a semi-classical song sung by Shruti Pathak. The song will be liked in its own time and not everyone is going to like this part-classical thing. But I'd have to say, Salim-Sulaiman are great.

Kurbaan Hua: Even if it's not rock, it's rocking. Vishal Dadlani sings this rock-like-Bollywood-song for Salim-Sulaiman this time and I can tell you, not after listening to the song but after seeing the trailer itself that the song is going to be a hit.

Ali Maula Remix: I generally don't write about remixes nowadays but since Kurbaan has just one remix and fashion had some good remixes, I was tempted to write this one. Well, the remix starts bad, but as it nears the mid of the seek bar, it goes a bit better, and then starts going bad again and experiments done don't save the remix. In short, the remix by Abhijit Vaghani was not much was required, not at least with the song. They could have better done it with Shukran Allah but they probably wouldn't have not tried to take that risk with the superb song.

Overall, with just five songs, Kurbaan is a wonderful album which has not just good songs but quite a variety available. Where Shukran Allah is a love song as good as Jatin-Lalit used to make, Ali Maula gives the album a serious tone and Rasiya gives the album a light classical touch. And finally it all completes with a rocking song by Vishal. Ten on Ten. Can say that.

Music Review: Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani (Pritam)

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (APKGK) is dangerous. You get afraid you first get to see there are 14 songs in the album. Then it comes back that half of them must be remixes. And I won't write about them.

OK. This review starts from the second song, Tu Jaane Na, the one sung by Atif Aslam. Hmmm. Here is something new from Atif. Atif this time doesn't sing in Atifish style but the song is more like a song of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Interesting thing is that you love the song you hear it the first time and you know it will last long at the same time. In short, it's superb, go for it.

The next song Oh By God starts with Aamir Khan's preview given before Bam Bam Bole. OK. It's not by Aamir and it's not the same. But it's just like that. And then, there is the song by Sunidhi and Mika, who, for once, doesn't take over the whole song and gets to sing a proper duet. Dance mode, not too fast, good one this too.

Next is the song everybody was waiting for. Tera hone laga hoon is what it promised to be. A typical Atif with Alisha Chinoy sounds good. No big words. It is what you knew it would be. Listen to it. The only thing I'm wondering about is the singer of background vocals.

Prem ki Naiyya by Neeraj Shridhar for once stumped me when I heard Neeraj Shridhar singing something other than he's supposed to sing. But then he came back to his style. Once again, Neeraj Shridhar needs more freshness. The song is fine again. Will do.

Javed Ali and Jojo. That's a combination that is enough to create something in my mind. The song, Aa Jao Meri Tamanna, opens beautifully but goes a step down when Javed's voice goes below other things. But then, the guy comes bak and then fades again. Jojo gives beautiful effects in the three words 'Aise mujhmein samao'. A 'wow' love song. Go for this one. Recommended.

The next song on the list is Follow me, by Hard Kaur. Typical Hard Kaur, nothing much to tell about her rap. OK. Don't think anything huge there.

Okay. Now that original songs are over, I'm back to the first song. The song starts with Hard Kaur's voice and the same rap that the last song in my list was. And then, KK and Sunidhi Chauhan join in to sing Mujhe Pyaar Nazar nahi aata, the song you first saw in the promos. In fact if you hear the songs in the same order as written here, the song will be a good surprise to you. You can try that. ;)

Fine, songs are over, but then Pritam knows there was a really good song in the album called Tu Jaane na. And here we get a reprise version of the song. The best part is that this one, sung by Soham, Rana Mazumdar and Ashish pandit, also sounds good.

No, it's not over. Pritam knows the song is good and it's working still. So, at the end of the album, there is another, huge surprise. Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh, that is entire Kailasa, sing the song again in an unplugged version. I know, the song is good, and it works, but I'm wondering when Pritam will know who is the best singer for which song and give him that instead of giving three versions of same song everytime.

Oops, forgot to summarize. Good album. Buy it if you're not a Pritam-hater. You won't regret. Atif won't let you.

Music Review: Fitoor (Mohit Chauhan)

Fitoor is not Mohit Chauhan the superhit singer who gives a hit everytime he sings. It's Mohit Chauhan the artist who wants to share the art he knows. One who sings for himself. If you like him in this way, it's good. If you do not, almost every movie has a Mohit Chauhan song, the hit one, anyway.

One thing worth noticing about the album is that Mohit has not only sung the songs but he has even composed and written all the songs of the album. Now that is a one man show for which he must be applauded. Brave guy Mohit.

Fitoor: The opening song. Opens well but gets lost somewhere in between and the song remains just OK. Mohit has tried to keep the song off the typical Mukhda-antara way and tried some changes. But the result doesn't give something exceptional. Still, feels worth listening after listening a few times.

Challeya: Challeya is a good composition and a good song overall. The song is well written and well sung. The good quality of sound mixing is also visible in the song. Go for this one.

Sajna: Sajna is an offbeat song with hints of typical Mohit Chauhan at the beginning and end of the song. You may like it after listening to the song for a few times. Good one.

Musafir: Musafir is a love song which sounds somewhat like a song of 90's with Mohit Chauhan's voice added. Likeable. Even lovable.

Uff ye Nazara: Uff ye nazara is another love song that is just ok. Nothing big in this one.

Meri Tarah: Reminds you of Silk Route's Boondein just with the music and even the instruments used. A slow, deeply poetic, somewhat nostalgic number that you might like to sit down and listen to, while free. Good one again.

Mai ni meriye: Mai ni meriye is a song that is not typical Khadi-boli hindi but has a Pahadi touch to it. The soft, slow song is based on the places of the hill areas of Uttarakhand. Must hear if you have a connection with the area. Anyways a good song, though language may prove a barrier for some.

Jeene De: Some fast, some slow, some high and some low. They can make a superb song, but in Jeene de, the mix does not sound right and probably that is the reason the song is just ok. Also, the song becomes a bit preachy at times.

Main hoon badal: The name sounds good, and so does the song. Though tere liye jaan de dunga is not a line that sounds very poetic, the song is well composed and sounds ok the way Mohit has sung it. In fact it's better than ok. Worth listening, or trying at least. Just give the song its time.

Babaji: The last song of the album, Babaji, is a different, experimented, and I'd say contemporary song. For the first time it sounds a bit strange, but later on when you're a bit used to the tone, you might like the song. Good one according to me.

One thing that becomes clear almost from the start of the album is that Fitoor is not a thing many people might look for. But it's something that will be liked by people who like to go a bit deeper. so beware if you are just thinking of buying the album keeping in mind the superhits of Mohit Chauhan. You may be disappointed, even shocked.

On the whole, the album is good though. It may be like the albums of Lucky Ali with a separate fan base. In fact the album is closest to those of Lucky Ali if anyone. But then, Mohit Chauhan is no way a Lucky Ali. My say is, if you like to experiment with your choices, go for it. It may be something good for your collection. Whatever the album be, it's not a use and throw thing. But a horse for longer races.

Kurbaan: Preview

Do not kill me for this because I'm obsessed with music composers. But that has been my way of selecting music ever since the age of cassettes. The age when I was a class 8th student and was allowed to buy just 1-2 cassettes every month. And interestingly, this has always paid. And still does, so my obsession never goes.

Well, it was A R Rahman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Vishal-Shekhar for me. But now, it's Salim-Sulaiman and Vishal-Shekhar, and yes, Amit Trivedi. I still wait for Rahman albums but do not get much disappointed if I don't get big stuff there. I know Salim-Sulaiman, Amit, V-S, and even Mithoon must be making some great things somewhere. (By the way, did you know Salim Merchant too sang a song in wake Up Sid, of the ones not in the album, composed by Amit Trivedi?)

OK. So I was waiting for this movie called Kurbaan starring Saif and Kareena, since the day I saw its Wiki page. Because it was composed for by Salim Sulaiman. And suddenly, during the intermission in Wake Up Sid, I got a chance to hear to Sonu Nigam and Vishal Dadlani singing for the movie.

And seriously, I loved it.

Salim-Sulaiman and Sonu Nigam makes a deadly combination, as it made in phir milenge chalte chalte of Rab ne bana di jodi. And this time, the song they have come up with touches right from the point when background chorus starts singing Shukran Allah. And then Sonu Nigam following with

Aisi apni mohabbat aisi rooh-e-ibadat
hum pe meherbaan do jahaan...

makes me want to listen more and more.

The next one that I could get was a complete rock, which is sung by Vishal Dadlani (who else better for rock) and goes like:

Poori hui har aarzoo
har daastaan meri..
ki tum shuru hue jahaan
main khatam hua,
kurbaan hua...

Another song that sounds good. The movie has overall five songs and a remix, with Sukhwinder Singh, Salim Merchant, and Shruti Pathak (Mar jaawan, Payaliya/Dev D, Jee le/Luck) each getting one song. I'm really waiting for the album now.

Besides songs, the movie looks good too. Om Puri's voice is enough to make you watch for the next move even in the trailer. And the name of Rensil D'Silva is doesn't make things any less interesting if you know he's the guy who wrote the dialogues and screenplay of Rang De Basanti. And even though I can get some idea of the movie, I do not want to try a spoiler here. I just hope the movie turns as good as I'm expecting it to be now. Amen.

Movie Review: Wake Up Sid

Amit Trivedi.

Wake Up Sid is good. And almost everything about the movie is fine. And so, I didn't know where to start. So I would start with the point, the person who impressed me the most in the entire movie. Amit Trivedi.

Though Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have taken the credit for the music composition of the movie and Amit Trivedi's name doesn't even show up on most posters, the trio's songs finish much before the end of the movie, from where, Amit Trivedi, the composer for Iktara and background score (as per initial credits) takes on and adds some 4-5 mini songs, or even full fledged songs to the 'background score', which are of course not there in the album soundtrack.

Coming back to the movie, it starts normally, with Ranbeer Kapoor acting a cool guy in college who screws up his final year exams and fails even when his dad tries to bring him to office. Ultimately the unavoidable happens and after a clash, Sid Mehra leaves home, to stay with his friend, new-girl-in-the-city, Konkona Sen Sharma.

Wake Up Sid, as expected, is the story of a rich-dad's-spoiled-son who becomes independent and successful once out in the world, while supported by a girl he falls in love with. But still, the story goes in such a way that you rarely get bored.

Coming to acting, Ranbeer Kapoor is good. But either the director didn't try to take him out of Hritik from Lakshya's first half, or Ranbeer could not do it. Whatever happened, the result is that Ranbeer many times sounds completely like Karan of Lakshya. Konkona Sen Sharma is a natural and so is Anupam Kher. Rahul Khanna hasn't got much to do in his special appearance. I think he's doing only special appearances nowadays. Supriya Pathak aka Hansa Bhabhi of Khichdi has acted her part well as the uneducated, never-say-die-English-speaking-mother of the spoiled son.

The pace of movie is a bit slow at times, but it comes back generally by the time you start realizing it. Also, the movie looks somewhat childish in the start, but as it progresses, the movie seems to be maturing with Sid. The movie reaches its peak probably at the point Ranbeer is leaving Konkona's house, and after that the movie drags a bit to an end we all know it has to reach. In short, while the monsoon makes all things good, the movie gets a bit muddy too. Rest, I can say is good and worth watching once for sure.

At the end, the same words to be repeated. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy fare well in the title song, Kya Karoon, and Aaj Kal Zindagi, but if they limit themselves there, Amit Trivedi and likes are there to cover. And then, the market of S-E-L may go down. Wake Up S-E-L.

And you, watch the movie. Watch it once. If you like, you can always see again.