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.

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.

Music Review: Aladin (Vishal-Shekhar)

A R Rahman looks out of form and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are lost somewhere. Amit Trivedi is giving music for a song or two right now and Mithoon is out of scene. Himesh is not composing for movies that don't take him as hero and even Pritam is composing lesser nowadays, that is, not counting the likes of All The Best. So who is there to rely upon? Salim-Sulaiman.. and maybe Vishal-Shekhar.

Oh yes, the 'we-don't-want-to-give-just-hits' duo is there with Aladin. And look what they have brought. No, it's not another Mohit Chauhan song. They still don't need an Atif Aslam or a Neeraj Shridhar. Not even a Sonu and KK this time. They were asked to compose for a children's flick, and they have done EXACTLY that.

Aladin is an album that contains some freshness, and people like Amitabh Bachchan, Sudesh Bhosle, and Shankar Mahadevan behind the microphones. And when they had to come up with a love song, Vishal and Shekhar took the task in their hand and together they sang the song I've listened to at least 30 times in past 24 hours.

Genie Rap/Make a Wish: Amitabh Bachchan is certainly one person who moves with time. The album opens with a song that is sung by Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Manchanda. Now that's a combination. Well, After rapping up with Abhishek for Bluffmaster, Vishal-Shekhar rap it up with the Big B and the result is certainly good. Catch it on TV if you haven't yet.

Tak Dhina Dhin: The song takes me right back to the days of Kishore Kumar when he used to sing happier-than-thou songs for Amitabh. The song is certainly a good one for a children's movie and must be liked in the movie. Shankar Mahadevan gets full marks for his singing while Shaan is OK.

O re Sawariya: If you thought there could not be a 'Rang Barse bheege chunarwali' again, you were right. But Vishal-Shekhar do their best to prove you wrong. Sudesh Bhosle, the voice of Amitabh in many songs joins Big B himself for the song and almost take you to that age. O re sawariya is a track full of Masti that you would like probably in the first listening. Check it out.

You may be: OK. First words: Listen to it. Now we can start. A friend on Twitter said it was the best song ever by Vishal-Shekhar. My say was that the song was equivalent to Tu Ashiqui hai and Khuda Jaane was also somewhere close. But doubtlessly, Vishal and Shekhar bring to you one of their best songs ever, in their own voices. Yes, this is the first song Vishal and Shekhar have sung together with nobody else there. While the entire song is beautiful, the second part of the song is sung with absolute finesse. My last words here about the song again are, 'Go, listen to it.'

Bachke O Bachke: A bit repetitive, but likeable. Another song that is something like Tak Dhina Dhin, or a mark below that. Should go well with the movie. But one thing is sure, Vishal-Shekhar are making better songs for Shankar Mahadevan than Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy right now.

Giri giri: One song that is below the mark. The song is sung by Sanjay Dutt and is not very good. In fact on audio alone, the song is barely passable. I hope the song has some interesting sequence attached to it so that it is worth watching in the movie.

The album has two remixes, the genie rap and O re Sawariya. Both the remixes are OK. In fact the original Genie Rap is quite like some remix of an old song and remixed, it doesn't sound much new. O re sawariya, though, had scope for remix which is used fine.

Overall, Aladin is an album that targets its audience, something that is not much seen nowadays. The thing becomes even more difficult when the target audience of the movie happen to be children. And Vishal-Shekhar have performed their task quite efficiently. Other than that, there is one song, you may be, that is better than any song released in the past some time. So I would rate the album as a good. A 4 on 5. Especially for being good where it needed to be.

My picks: You May Be, Genie Rap, Tak Dhina Dhin.

Music Review: Tum Mile (Pritam)

Tracks: 9
Songs: 5
Versions: 8
Instrumentals: 1
Composer: Pritam
Singers: Javed Ali, KK, Mohit Chauhan, Neeraj Shridhar, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan
Best ones: Dil Ibadat, Tu hi Haqeeqat, Tum Mile Love Reprise
Verdict: Good

Tum Mile: One song. Three versions. Probably Pritam could not decide how will the song look best and put three versions of the song in the album. The album opens with this song in Neeraj Shridhar's voice. With Neeraj the song sounds like a typcial song of his and becomes a foot-tapping number that will rule the charts for a few months and then forgot.

But then, the same song is given to Javed Ali and you get 'Love Reprise'. This time, the song almost completely changes even though you know it's the same. This version is lighter, definitely better and relatively long lasting.

And then you have Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan singing a rock version for the song. For once you may not find much in this version after listening to the first two. But separated from the other two, the rock version also scores. My pick, though, is Javed Ali's Love Reprise version.

Dil Ibadat: A lovable track sung by KK. The song also has a Rock Version that is again sung by him. The compostion is good and lyrics, though usual, at some points are superb. Overall the song is a good one, of must listen category. Go for it, select which version you like better. Normal one for me.

Is Jahan mein: Mohit Chauhan is not made for 'fast' songs. Not that he can't sing them well or something, but he's so good with slow-soft-romantic numbers (and even not so romantic ones, remember Khoon Chala) that giving him a fast one is not generally a very good use of the depth in his voice. Iss Jahan mein has something like that only. Is jahan mein is a good song but if you start listening after seeing Mohit Chauhan's name, you may be disappointed. Okay song.

Tu Hi Haqeeqat: Khwaab tu, dariya tu hi, pyaas tu, tu hi dil ki beqarari, tu sukoon, tu sukoon... With good lyrics like these and slow, beautiful music, the USP of tu hi haqeeqat is Javed Ali. Javed Ali has sung the song in such a soulful voice that makes it worth listening. Tu Humsafar, Tu humkadam, Tu humnava mera.. Listen to this one just for Javed Ali.

O Meri Jaan: Yet another song by KK. This one is a sad number, though not a typical sad song we're familiar with, but a rock kind of song that one is expected to like in a long time, and then, the song stays. A good song, but only for those who have the patience as you will probably not like the song instantly. Try it anyway.

Overall, tum mile is a good album and in times when A R Rahman's Blue has not been able to deliver much, Pritam gives some songs somewhat beyond expectation. Credit to Pritam, but more credit to KK and Javed Ali.

Kaminey: Music Review

Vishal Bharadwaj. Gulzar. And a lot of Sukhwinder Singh. The compound product looks like the best in the world, and if Kaminey is not that, you will find some things at least near that. Some things for which we love Gulzar.

The album has total eight songs of which two are remixes and one theme piece. Two songs (and a remix) have Sukhwinder Singh in their credits. All the songs are written by Gulzar, and there is a lot worth the attention, in a good way as well as bad.

The first song, Dhan te nan, which is already quite popular, is probably the best song of the album, or at least you will feel so when you listen to the album for the first time. The song is catchy, sounding something like the old espionage tunes and with quite desi lyrics. Not one for long term, but the voices of Sukhinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani will surely give you have some good time. And yes, the song makes a good ringtone too.

As the trend is going, one song is sung by Mohit Chauhan and here the song happens to be Pehli baar Mohabbat ki hai. The song has some slow, soft music and Mohit renders Gulzar's words perfectly. Vishal's tune is good and sounds better on higher volumes as Mohit goes from low to high notes.

Rekha Bharadaj is back. And this time it's with Sunidhi Chauhan, Suresh Wadkar and even Kunal Ganjawala. And together make a wonderful song called Raat ke Dhai Baje. The song is somewhat like Genda Phool, but there is not much similar except the experimental nature of the song. Don't compare the two and you will like the song. Sunidhi singing with Rekha is good to listen and you need to identify their voices with every changing line. Suresh Wadkar and party sing some deeply beautiful lyrics as he croons Ek hi lat suljhane mein saari raat guzari hai. Seriously, it's Gulzar at his romantic best again.

The next song, Fatak, is sung by Kaikash Kher and Sukhwinder Singh. When I heard them singing I realized I had never heard them sing together. This comes out of the fact that Kailash Kher sounds a bit rough while singing with Sukhwinder. The song is OK and maybe liked in some time. Though the song can be categorixed as OK, you cannot take it as a normal song as the lyrics as well as the music is quite 'hatke'.

The fifth and last song is the one that is my favorite. The Kaminey Title track, sung by the soft-husky voiced composer Vishal Bharadwaj, is a treat except that the lyrics will sound a bit strange to your ears in the beginning. But as one graduates through the song, one falls in love with the song, the singer, composer, and lyricist too. At least I did.

Go Charlie Go, the theme piece is good and will work well in the background.

Overall, the music of Kaminey is good and probably so because of some different elements in it. All the songs of the album are good, at least beyond a certain minimum level, and at various points of time, many people will be loving them. So just go for it and take your pick. Until you decide, keep on listening to Dhan Te Nan!

Love Aaj Kal: Music Review (3.5/5)

It's simple. Love Aaj Kal looks like it's going to be a hit. And so does the music of the movie. On the very first listening, you get to know that you're going to love the songs and they're gonna be all over the FM. Well, why waste time then, start with the review. Shall we?

Love Aaj Kal, composed by Pritam, is an album where Pritam has left almost no stone unturned (except Atif) and half the album goes to Neeraj Sridhar. But, the results are not as could as one might have expected. Still, the album is worth listening to.

The album has seven tracks and three of them are remixed, to give a total of ten songs. Out of seven, Neeraj Sridhar gets to sing 3 songs and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, KK and Mohit Chauhan get one song each. Sunidhi gets one solo number while sings one with Neeraj. And Jazzy B is there in one song with Neeraj.

The first song opens up with Jazzy B singing in a style that is less like himself and more like some 90's singer. Soon, when Neeraj comes in, you feel that Jazzy B takes in some freshness and the song probably wouldn't be as good if it had been Neeraj alone. In fact, I get a feeling like Neeraj is being used too much and if he keeps on singing the same type of songs, people may get bored of him soon.

The second song, Ajj Din Chadheya is some typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, with some new touches, that resemble more 'Teri ore' than his old numbers. The song, slow, and with not much experiments, is quite soothing. The lyrics of Irshad Kamil are good. No doubt, the song is one of the best in the album.

Chor Bazari is again sung by Neeraj Sridhar, and Sunidhi Chauhan. The song has the same freshness that you see in the trailer of the movie and expect from the movie. The lyrics of the song are interesting, realistic, lovable, and above all, mast. The music is good and foot-tapping, and the lyrics will probably help the song long last. Go for this one.

KK is one of the singers who must be looked out for in an album. Here too, with just one song, KK again makes his presence felt as he sings 'main wo hoon jo chahun wo paaun'. The song sounds like a stage performance and is one of the best songs of the album, beating most except one by Rahat.

The next number, the only 'female only' song, is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, and is mixed with folk music, with chorus sounding like from a 'mahila sangeet' of North India. As always, Sunidhi has sung the song well and though I don't know how Imtiyaz and Saif plan to promote the song, I hope it can go well if promoted well.

The next on the soundtrack is what you have been listening during the theatrical trailer of the movie. Twist, the song that starts with the ever-so-popular 'Nagin' tune, almost runs on the same tune half the way and the tune keeps coming back. The song is sung mainly by Neeraj Sridhar and he's the only person with the credits but it seems Saif also has done his share of singing and the female voie is uncredited too. The song is not big for separate listening but it'll be great for backgrounds. And surely for baraats.

The last song, Ye Dooriyaan sung by Mohit Chauhan, is a good number too, but at some points it seems like Pritam is trying to make another Tum se hi rather than a new song, especially in the start. The song is slow and Mohit Chauhan, like always, sings it well. And the song should gain popularity, though not as much as Tum se hi.

Overall, the album is good and some of the songs can be expected to top the charts soon. Go for it.

Kohram (Amanat Ali): Instant Review

Here is the instant review of Saregamapa finalist Amanat Ali's debut album Kohram. Here you will find only keywords about a song. This is before I write the detailed review. Check out this raw review.

Kohram: ***
Can say, an Item number. Fast of course. Some drama included. Catchy.

Teriyaan: ****
Good. Punjabi. Sad. Nostalgic.

Tanhai: ***
Fast. Full of Beats. Good in the antara part. Normal Mukhda.

Raha Jaye na: ****
Love song. Well sung. Voice based. Good music. Good lyrics. Overall good.

Thumri: ****
Singing comes clear. Well sung with Aalaps and all. Ends almost in rock.

Berangi: ***1/2
Good one again. Music is good. Something like Deewana of Sonu Nigam though entirely new. Of course not a Sonu Nigam though.

Any More: **
Fast. Punjabi. Music not new.

Halka Halka: ***1/2
Slow Love song. Good lyrics. Rock instruments in filler. Seems a bit strange. voice less on the softer side, more on sufi side. Overall a good song.

Ye Mera Dil: ****
Normal. Still good. Slow, sad, love song. Well sung. Goes high on notes.

Vari Vari: ****
Fast. Beat based. Catchy.

Tum se hi: ****
Beat based. Runs at a medium pace. Good number again.

Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Zindagi: *****
Only not-new song. Best of the album. Superb. Comparable to original. Almost untouched. And touching.

Overall: Wonderful album. At least does not disappoint like Albums of Amit Sana, or Karunya, and many others. Worth a listening.

*****: Excellent
****  : Very Good
***    : Good
**      : OK
*        : Didn't show up here. ;)

Musical Notes: Billu Barber

Composer: Pritam.

Lyricist: Gulzar, Sayeed Quadri, Ashiesh Pandit, Neeraj Shridhar.

Singers: Abhijeet, Ajay Jhingran, Akruti Kakkar, Dominique, Kalpana, KK, Monali, Neeraj Shridhar, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Rana Mazumder, Soham Chakrabarthy, Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suraj, Tulsi Kumar.

Any one remaining will be taken in Pritam's next movie.

Well, jokes apart, for seven songs and their eight remixes, fifteen singers are roped in. (Yes, one remix also has separate credits) And thus, zero scope has been left to remixing DJs. Though it's a different thing that they will still remix the songs, because hits are going to be there. Sure.

The first song, Marjaani, sung by Sukhwinder and Sunidhi, is made to be a hit, or an instant hit according to me. Though I feel KK must have been Pritam's first choice for the song as a remix of the song is sung by him.

The second song, Love mera hit hit, sung by Neeraj Shridhar and Tulsi Kumar, is a good song, though not as great as Neeraj's previous hits with Pritam which used to be the best numbers in the album. Sukhwinder overshadows Neeraj and Tulsi hardly does something exceptional.

Third song, You get me rocking and reeling, is again sung by Neeraj Shridhar. This time Neeraj gets a better deal and he sings the song absolutely wonderfully. Rocking and Reeling is a comparatively slow romantic-dance-song and sounds quite good with rap. Sayeed Quadri's lyrics are good.

Rana Mazumder and KK come together for the next song, Ae Aa O, and I had hoped there will be some blast but the song, though not bad, is nothing that big. Rana Mazumder is the guy who had sung Door Na Ja in Jannat.

Now there is one song in the movie which has not been remixed. This honor is given to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Rahat sings Jaoon Kahan which is quite fast a song if compared to the songs he is singing for past some time. The song is no doubt good, as Rahat's all songs are, but the typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan feeling is somewhat missing.

Another slow song is Khudaya Khair, which is sung by Soham Chakrabarthy and supported by Akruti Kakkar and Monali. The song sounds very fresh, even though one can find a slight touch of Pehli Nazar Mein in the starting of the song. The song is sung by Abhijeet also and the Abhijeet version is equally good, or probably better.

Billu Bhayankar is a non-song among all these songs and I don't think you'll find time to listen to the bhayankar thing a lot. Let's keep this one for the movie.

In short, music of Billu Barber is quite good and has a number of hits in the making. I you buy a CD, you won't be disappointed.

Song by Song: Soniyo (Raaz, the mystery continues)

Emraan Hashmi's movies are known for their great music; generally, typically, fast music for quite some time. But this time there are a few variations probably because we do not have Pritam composing, unlike previous movies.

Maahi, the super song of the movie is of course an instant hit and I don't think I need to write anything about that. The next is Soniyo, composed by Raju Singh and sung by Sonu Nigam with Shreya and Neeraj Shridhar in one version and sung by Krishna alone in the other version.

As far as music is concerned, there is not much new or experimental to the song which, in itself, is a new thing since everyone is trying something new. It's a simple song with most part sung by Sonu Nigam and a para sung by Shreya Ghoshal. The added English lyrics sung by Neeraj Shridhar are fine, though I don't think they add much to the song.

Sonu Nigam has sung the song quite beautifully, as usual. Shreya is good as always with her few lines. Overall, the lack of newness is not felt much and after listening to the song for a few times, probably on the TV, one is very likely to love the song.

The other version of the song, called 'from the heart', is sung by Krishna, the guy who has been known for singing Main Jahan Rahoon with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan along with many other songs. Krishna also gives a special touch to the song which is found in Rahat's songs. There are no English lyrics, and even no female voices, but you get to listen Aalaps in Krishna's own voice in the background in some places, making the song a good feeling, and a completely different one from the one sung by Sonu. In fact, I even feel that in the long run, Krishna version might surpass Sonu version on the grounds of the simplicity of the former.

In any case, Soniyo is a good, simple song which suits the high reputation of Emraan Hashmi, that is, in terms of his films' music. :)

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review

Finally, the wait is over. Aditya Chopra's next movie is all set for a release and the music is out there. Though the small number of songs, a total six, that is, with an instrumental and a slow version included, might be a bit disappointing, I hope you wouldn't be disappointed when you listen to the songs.

It might be a bit surprising for some people that the music for the film is not composed by the top three composer/duo/trio of India. (namely AR Rehman, Vishal-Shekhar / Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for me) But if you see the track record of Yashraj's past few movies, you will find that Chopras have been trusting Salim-Suleman for some of their largest projects.

And once again they prove they deserve it.

Well, the album has four songs with no remixes, a relief I guess, a small slow version (remember Chalte-chalte of Mohabbatein?), and a medley. Out of the four songs, two are typical Aditya Chopra songs, meant to be hit and preserved in your collections, one is a not-that-long-lasting hip-hop and one is too good that you will surely enjoy, a lot if you're well familiar with old Hindi songs.

Starting with the songs individually, the first song Tujh mein rab dikhta hai is a wonderful song sung by Roop Kumar Rathod that anybody will like while listening for the first time itself.

One interesting thing i found with the song that when the song starts it reminds me of Veer Zaara, with the very first note played, and then it takes a turn to a complete new song. Roop's voice also generates a sense of Veer-Zaara as you see him singing for SRK yet again.

The second song, Haule Haule is already a hit I guess. The song comes with the power of Sukhwinder Singh and is a bit faster than the first one. The song has a bit of hip-hop flavor attached to it but all of that is prepared in typical Indian instruments. This song goes high in some places and Sukhwinder Singh sounds absolutely fantastic in those places.

Also, the lyrics of the song are quite lovable and you might like some lines a lot.

Third song Dance pe Chance maar le is a Sunidhi Chauhan song which is a complete hip-hop, a typical Sunidhi number. The song doesn't sound very good in the first listening, but history proves that Sunidhi's songs rarely fail. I guess this one is not going to be an exception and somehow, people will love this one too. Also, the voice of Labh Janjua is used for the song which might help in making the song more popular.

The fourth and last original song of the movie is Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte. (I don't know why I wrote Original) This song is some wonder by Salim Suleman and in fact Sonu Nigam as well. The song goes something like this, it opens with the background music of Awara Hoon, and mentions almost all Raj Kapoor hits in one para. Then we have Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar, jiya o jiya kuch bol do, pal bhar ke liye koi humein pyar kar le in second para, Yahoo and others of Shammi in next, then Rajesh Khanna, Dard-e-dil and some more for Rishi Kapoor. The mukhda of the song goes as 'Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar ke, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte', which if you see a bit closely, are movies of Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan respectively.

But I guess that is not all about the song. You need to listen to it yourself to enjoy the magic of the composers and Sonu. Special credit to Jaideep Sahni for the wonder-wonder lyrics.

The fifth song, a female version of Tujh mein rab dikhta hai is sung by Shreya Ghoshal and she has finely rendered the few lines given to her even though there is not much in store for her here.

The album ends with a medley which is not very good and feels like an extra addition. Or maybe it's here just as per the tradition. Whatever the reason be, overall Rab ne Bana di Jodi is a good album. So better buy it and put to your collection.

Dostana (music review)

There are a few things I am feeling since I got the music of Dostana in my hand.

1. Vishal Shekhar rock. If they have someone ahead of them, it's only Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
2. Association of good people always brings great result. Be it Vishal Dadlani singing for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy or Shankar singing for Vishal-Shekhar.

In short, Dostana is a quite good album. Almost all the songs of the movie are at least so good that you can find yourself humming them in a week or two. Though, a few aren't going to take that long.

The first song Jaane Kyun, which has nothing to do with the 'Jaane Kyun' of Dil Chahta Hai or even its type, the soft romantic, is just a fine song with okay lyrics and good music. Though I feel the song should have been named as 'I'll be all right'.

The next song 'My desi girl' starts with a bang, and is also a surprise as the voice that we listen is unmistakably that of Shankar Mahadevan. It seems like Shankar returns a favor after Jhoom Barabar Jhoom where he got a song sung by Vishal. The song, as it's clear by the very first lines, is going to be a hit. The song is almost the same type as 'pretty woman'. In the mid of song, Sunidhi also joins the song, and gives a fine rendition to her lines maintaining the pace.

The next song is a complete shock-and-awe for the first time as we listen to our own, Indian crazy frog singing 'Munda saada Doli Chadh Gaya Band Baj Gaya'. The song is a punjabi song with a lot of masti attached to it. The first line 'Maa da Laadla Bigad Gaya' itself explains the mood of the song. The crazy frog keeps on coming in for his lines at times, adding more to the song. Yet another hit, not so much for Saleem's voice, but for the frog's.

The third song, Shut up and bounce is a song that will take some time to get to your tounge, but is sure to reach there in some time. There are very less chances you'll like it in the first time, but Karan Johar will make you listen. And probably in months, if not weeks, you can find yourself dance to the song in some party. That's from my experience with 'It's the time to disco' and after listening to Dostana for three-four days.

Now some serious business. Amanat Ali is finally here. Actually I once took a wild guess and thought it could be him. Because this wonderful voice was sure to reach bollywood. It belongs there. Fifth track 'Khabar Nahi' is absolutely wonderful. You may like it in first listening or love it after some listenings, but the song is sure to touch you. Vishal's rendering of 'Mere Maula Maula' in the song is wonderful too.

The last song is 'Kuch Kam' sung by Shaan. A soft romantic love song with touching lyrics and slow music. In short a typical Shaan song. :)

The lyrics of song are quite good and lovers of slow-soft touchy-feely songs will love the song instantly. Though the lyrics are a bit on the sad side, it's not very clear until you listen to it carefully.

In short, Dostana is quite good an album and if you are out of Rock On!! and want something different now, just go for it. Look for Desi Girl, Maa da Laadla, Khabar Nahi and Kuch Kam. With four good songs in the album, I hope you won't be at least disappointed.

Bachna ae Haseeno: music review

Bollywood didn't see much good happening during the first half of this year. But the second half seems to be bringing a lot many promising things right from the first Saturday of July. After Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Kismat Konnection and Singh is Kinng, it's Siddharth Anand's Bachna Ae Haseeno starring Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba from which bollywood is expecting a lot.



Interestingly, there is a lot of variety in the music of these movies too. Where Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na primarily had romantic music with an AR Rehman touch, Kismat Konnection has mostly dance numbers in hip-hop style. Singh is Kinng has a lot of Punjabi flavor attached to it, and now Vishal Shekhar has brought Bachna ae Haseeno that has a number of flavors in it.

The album has 7 songs, one of them being Bachna ae Hasino from Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin, the Rishi Kapoor flick. Except that there are 5 songs and one remix.

The album starts with a romantic number Khuda Jaane that has started showing on TV channels already. The song starts off on slow notes with KK and Shilpa Rao both taking turns until KK picks up a beautiful higher note with Khuda Jaane ke.. The song is a bit too slow but KK keeps the momentum and the song gives a good feel. The lyrics are good too but Shilpa Rao's voice doesn't fit very well with Deepika Padukone.

The second song 'lucky boy' starts with voice of Raja Hasan giving a desi feeling to the song. But then with Sunidhi Chauhan coming in, the entire feel of the song changes into a slow dance number with beats that suit high volume. The song goes on pretty regularly with Raja Hassan coming in at times and with not many surprises.

'Ahista Ahista', the third song starts with a music that make you expect a good song, somewhat of the sort that Pritam is making in plenty. After almost a minute, Shreya starts singing a not-so-typical-of-her song which, although it doesn't go very high, is not of the type of songs we generally hear her sing. Lucky Ali certainly gives the song his flavor and his alaaps of o..o.. in the duet may remind you of Khuda Hafiz from Yuva.

The fourth song 'Jogi mahi' gives you a surprise with its first line itself when you listen to Shekhar singing the beautiful lines 'Suno ik thi Kaanch ki Gudiya, Suno ik thi pyaar ki pudiya' and then really sings a significant portion of a song probably for the first time. Later Sukhwinder Singh sings along but Shekhar doesn't leave the song unlike his earlier songs and his presence is felt through the song. Voice of Himani Kapoor, who is found towards the end of the song, is good too. Shekhar and Sukhwinder singing together give the song a good end.

If Shekhar Ravjiani singing was a surprise, get ready for a bigger one this time. Shankar Mahadevan, who is a full time composer now, sings to the tunes of Vishal and Shekhar for the next song 'small town girl', and the song is a small pretty woman and also has lyrics in Hindi, English and some Punjabi too. The song has the potential to make people dance to it but will take some time. Hope Ranbir gives a good show of dance in the video, which can make the song a chartbuster.

The originals end here and the sixth and seventh songs of the album are a remix and a mix respectively. Number six is a remix of Khuda Jaane which goes pretty fast compared to the original version. Vishal Shekhar have performed a few good experiments on the song too and the results are good too.

The final song of the album is 'Bachna ae Haseeno' of Hum Kisise Kam Nahin in a version mixed by Vishal Shekhar, resulting in a song that bears the credits 'Kishore Kumar, Sumit Kumar, and Vishal Dadlani', something like Deepika Padukone dancing with Sunil Dutt in Om Shanti Om. This is important to say here that the song has been mixed well and the beauty of old voice remains as in original song. Sumit Kumar has filled in for his father's voice well in places.

To summarize, Bachna ae Haseeno has a good soundtrack which will be getting pace slowly, as opposed to those of Pritam that are getting instant success. Keep listening to the songs on TV and other media and by the release you'll be humming them. That's Vishal-Shekhar for you.

(Download Bachna ae Haseeno mp3 songs)
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Singh is Kinng: Music Review

In one word, Singh is Kinng rocks. But there is a lot more that needs to be said about the rocking music, so read on.

Singh is Kinng is surely one of the most awaited movies of the year and the same can be said about the soundtrack of the movie. It's the fourth movie of the year for Pritam after Race, Jannat and Kismat Konnection, all of them chartbusters. And no doubt now Singh is Kinng is going to add to the list of these hits.

Though, there is one song that does not belong to Pritam. And Singh is Kinng starts with that one song only - The Snoop Dogg Version of Singh is Kinng. This one is a Rhythm-Dhol-Bass track composed by Calvin Broadus with Surjeet Singh, Manjeet Ral and Kuljeet Ral. The song is supported by Akshay Kumar himself along with Snoop Dogg and RDB.

The song, already heard by many during the IIFA 2008 presentation, is a good number and is interestingly as Punjabi as English. The song is a good listening, especially in the last minute of the five minute length where there is much more Punjabi. Akshay Kumar's part in the song is interesting too.

The second song 'Jee Karda' sung by Labh Janjua and supported by Labh Janjua is a comparatively slower song which is mainly based on the beats in the background. The renditions of Suzi Q add to the so called X-factor of the song. Still, the song is a well composed punjabi song that is going to run well with the other songs of the movie.

The remix version of 'Jee Karda' doesn't have much new to it when compared to the original number and seems to be remixed for the sake of it as there is not much difference visible between the two tracks, not counting a few added effects at points.

And then comes the 'Bas ek King' sung by Neeraj Shridhar, Mika, Ashish Pandit and Hardkaur, which you must have seen on TV by now. The song is a made-for-high-volume song and is going to be a hit in its original and many remix versions which are sure to come out very soon. Though the song doesn't have very much left after the promos as you don't see Akshay Kumar while listening to the song on your music, it is clear that the song will be getting another boost after the release of the music as the full video will be lovable.

The song 'Bas Ek King' has been remixed into a Dhol style version too, named Tiger style remix, as obviously because Dhol is the main instrument in Punjabi music. The remix is made well and of course, a good dhol remix of a good punjabi song can work wonders.

Period.

Get ready for a whole new Daler Mehndi who starts shouting 'Aaj khushi ka din hai aaya..' before he starts singing for a Baaraat in his usual high-high-high style. Yes, 'Bhootni ke' is going to hit Indian marriages more than anything with its completely Made-in-India tag.

'Bhootni ke' has lyrics that resemble the soul of Punjab where love is expressed entirely in its own manner. 'Bhootni ke' is probably the best song of the movie and it seems Pritam agrees with me as we see three different versions of the song including one normal remix and another tiger style version in Mika Singh's voice.

The first remix of the song is as good as the original one, as it runs on a higher speed which will make it more compatible for dancing. The Mika version is the same song in a new packing, and it is difficult to say which one will be more popular. Still, one thing that can be said about the songs is that Daler's version has more Punjabi and authentic feel to it whereas Mika gives a more casual feel to the song and if asked, I would prefer the former.

The next number, Teri Ore by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal, changes the mood for a song and Punjabi dance numbers leave some space for a romantic song, typical of Rahat for past some time, be it O re Piya of Aaja Nachle, Bol na Halke Halke of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, or Falak Tak of Tashan. Typically again, Rahat is a singer who has never failed a song and this one is no exception. Shreya starts off the song with Rahat having an entry through his alaps after a minute and half.

A new experiment in the song is where Shreya and Rahat both sing lines together but Rahat's voice seems to be in backdrop with Shreya singing in front. A chorus that goes uncredited has also given its taste to the song, though I could not understand the language which is probably Rajasthani or some similar dialect.

And then there is a Lounge mix to this too!

Believe it or not (you will when you listen to it), Pritam has made almost an entire new song in the name of lounge mix as the flavor of the song seems to have changed. The song uses some traditional instruments too but they have been given limited access here so they don't affect the song in a bad way. And hence, this lounge version of Clinton and Eric Pillai also turns out to be a song worth listening.

But fact told, 'original is original' is what comes to my mind when I go back to the original version. A wonderful song, in an album that lies in a completely different territory than the song belongs to.

Back to Punjab, Singhs and Dance numbers. 'Talli Hua' is Neeraj Shridhar in a slightly newer territory and he has done his job well. 'Talli Hua' is a song that is Hindi-Punjabi whereas Neeraj is primarily known for English-Hindi numbers. The song is well supported by Labh Janjua as one doesn't easily understand where the two singers exchange voices.

The remix version that adds rap and Style Bhai adds to tempo of the song too and the version comes out well. Neeraj may once again have a hit to his name though it is not expected to catch up with the heights of Hare Krishna Hare Raam or even Kismat Konnection as those are the in the comfort zone of the Bombay Vikings leader.

To summarize, Singh is Kinng is yet another feather in Pritam's cap, especially as he gets into full-fledged Punjabi flavor in some places, which I expect would be required by the movie too.

As an album, Singh is Kinng is a Must Buy if you like Punjabi hip hop music. The only negative point of the music is that in some places it gets too Punjabi which may not be understood by entire Hindi audiences, especially those in southern parts of India. Else, the bottomline is that Singh is Kinng rocks.

Kismat Konnection: music review

If it was Life in a Metro in 2007, it is Kismat Konnection in 2008.

Yes, Pritam has once again come up with one of the best albums of the year. The difference is of the theme, and the similarity is that every song of the album rocks. And I think everyone is going to love this one too.


Neeraj Shridhar has rocked us with his Kismat Konnection ho jaye. Atif has entered our hearts with Bakhuda tumhi ho. And now, it's Mohit Chauhan with asking 'Is this love'.

Overall, the album has 5 songs in 11 avatars. And everyone is lovable. In every avatar.

First talk about Kismat Konnection ho jaaye. I don't think I need to review the song as it has been viewed enough already on TV. The remix of the song is good too and is going to be on the dance floors for a long long time. The song in its remix version shows the Hare Krishna Hare Rama touch more than in original.

Next comes Bakhuda tumhi ho. Bakhuda yehi hai. This is the song. Atif has sung a duet probably for the first time in a movie and the voice of Alka Yagnik comes as a little surprise towards the end of the song. The song has been well supported by Alka as she hasn't been given the high 'Atif-pitch' lines of the song.

The remix version starts well too, with Atif's Alaap and the female background voices rendering 'Tumhi Lamhaton mein' running simultaneously. The song picks height slowly and Atif again rocks.

Hardkaur and Akriti Kakkar are two names which have be in many chartbustersin recent past. The next song 'Move Your Body', sung by Shaan, Suhail, hardpour and Akriti is a dance member that comes in as a the third song of the album. Though there is not a lot that is new in the music, the song is almost sure to be a hit with the lines, 'Saade Naal Karle Party, Kudi tu Lagti hai naughty.'

The song is in three versions but only the remix is where you find some significant difference as the other too versions only differ in voices in a song where voices are suppressed under musical instruments. The remix too is fine with more of English rap lines in between the Hindi-Punjabi lyrics.

And then comes another duet from another band leader, Mohit Chauhan, 'Is this love'. The song starts with the ever-so-sweet voice of Shreya and Mohit comes in after a little music and gets into the rhythm of the beautiful love song in a superb way. Looks like the making of another hit from him after Tum se hi of Jab we met.

The remix version of the song is made well too, with Shreya coming in later this time, almost in the mid of song.

Soniye Ve Soniye is the last song of the album sung by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan. The mood of the song is clear by the lyrics of the song. The Punjabi-Hindi dance number is a try to cash the success of Nagada of Jab we Met and it seems the song will be a hit too.

Punjabi-Hindi songs are always good to remix and Soniye Ve Soniye has been no exception. The song is well remixed and the dhol touch is lessened to give a more groovy effect and the final result is good again.

In short, Kismat Konnection is something we were expecting for. It's a great album with a number of hip-hop-and-hit songs. Two songs are already hit and I expect the others to be hit as well. The only question that now exists is how will the movie be. But however it be, Kismat Konnection the album is worth a buy.

Thodi Life Thoda Magic Music Review

In one word, it's Old. And it's not gold at least. With its music, Thodi Life Thoda Magic seems to be a movie of '90s. Even with some good tracks in the movie, it seems like the movie is behind its time.

The movie, which has its name conflicts unresolved with Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic got it music launched by Amitabh Bachchan. The album has 5 tracks plus 2 remixes and a sad version, making the count go eight.


The first song, 'Thoda sa Gham Ho, Thodi Khushi Ho' starts with a music that may remind you of '60s or '70s, but once Sonu Nigam comes in with his typical soft touch, the song turns out to be a good soothing number.

The lyrics of the song are good too. And probably for the reason that the song is good, the composer Vinay Tiwari has tried to cash the song with both a remix and a sad version. The remixed version of the song starts off with some hope generating music and the final result is not very bad either. Even though the lyrics hardly match the pace of the song, the song is not bad for an age where every song reaches the dance floors with a remix version.

At almost 9 and a half minutes, the least that can be said about the sad version of the song is that it's too long. And before the song runs one fourth of its length, you realize it can only be good for background music, preferably in a saas-bahu serial. The great voice of Sonu doesn't help the song very much.

'Zindagi Zindagi Kaisi Hai Tu Paheli', the second song of the album runs for one minute and 18 seconds even with a dialog from Jackie Shroff. Though the song is not bad, it's hardly more than the length of a TV promo. Seems to be a late addition in the movie.

The third song of the album is again a slow number starting in the beautiful voice of Shreya Ghoshal. The song is very good from the point of 1990-95 era but the song will prove good in today's age is doubtful. The song has voices of Sonu Nigam and Vinay himself too.

'Tune Kahi Aur Maine Maani' of Kailash Kher is a typical sufi number and looks just like any Kailash Kher songs as long as instruments don't come into picture. But as they do, the song seems to be from Kachche Dhaage age, ten year old Sufi songs' era. In any case, Kailash Kher hasn't lost his touch to music and one can feel Kailash in the song.

The remix version of the song is comparatively an experimented with and the result is pretty good, at least comparatively.

The last original track of the album 'Maana Ye Aaj Humne' is again a song suitable for '90s. The song is sung by Shaan, Vijay and Swati. Well, the last two names are quite unknown to me too, probably not even winners of some show. Still, the singers have done a not-bad job.

Overall, Thodi Life Thoda Magic would have surely been a hit had it been released ten years ago. But for now, there are too many questions as the album looks stale. Still, some people may like it. Try it once if you still like to listen to '90s songs.

Music Review: Mission Istanbul

Mission Istanbul has a number of composers giving music for various tracks. The album starts with an average song, 'World hold on world hold on' in the voices of Kunal Ganjawalla, Gayatri Ganjawalla, and Raaj. The most striking feature of the song is the start it is given as it describes the setting of the movie to a good extent. After that there is hardly anything in the song except for the voice of Kunal who keeps the song lively.



The second number is 'Mission Mission', supposedly the title song. The song starts with a good note but it's probably the lack of experience of the composer Chirantan Bhatt due to which the song fails to make a great impact, at least in the first few hearings.

The third song is 'Jo Gumshuda' a treat from Anu Malik. No doubt when Anu gives music for a few songs in an album, it's good. Sometimes great. Here is an example of the same. Filled up with an interesting prelude and background voices according to settings of movie, it's a typical bollywood hit number in the voices of Shaan and Mahalaxmi.

As a bonus, the video of the song is good too, at least on one side of the screen. I case you haven't yet seen, go grab it at your favorite music channel.

The fourth song 'Nobody like you' is a brand Neeraj song. Neeraj Shridhar has been pretty good with his previous songs and here too he has left his mark on the song while singing with Anoushka. The song can be an instant hit once the video is there on music channels.

'Yaara Mere Dildara', the fifth song in the album, is something to look forward to. The song seems to be well set with the movie as the music has a touch of desert. The voice of Javed Ali suits the sufi song well. Sunidhi is good as always.

'Apun ke Sath' of Mika is a catchy semi-rap song and can be expected to run well as background with a fast paced movie.

The remix of 'Jo Gumshuda' is an album filler which is neither bad nor has something special to it. The remix of 'Nobody like you' is comparatively better mixed, which is likely from the past record of Neeraj Shridhar.

The last one, remix of 'World hold on', seems to be experimented a bit too much while remixed. But it all goes well with the voice of Kunal.

In short, it's average. Not bad, but not up to the expectations and hype of the movie. Still, as the music seems to have the same soul as that of the movie, the songs should catch up well with the movie, especially if the movie goes well.

So let's wait and see. Till then we can listen to the few good songs of the movie, especially Jo Gumshuda and Yaara Mere Dildara.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na: Music Review

A R Rehman's speciality lies in that he knows what he is making. While with other music composers generally songs 'work well' or 'fit' in situations, A R Rehman's music generally can tell you what the situation is.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na is one such example where the movie's mood can be guessed from the light music of the album.


The opening song of the album is 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi'. Don't go on the title of the song, as the song is a pretty soothing number and Rehman's touch is clear from this very first song. The song is a feat in the new voice of Rashid Ali, as the lyrics of the song are fine too.

Rehman and 'Saala' make a good combination. At least that seems to be the thinking of uncle producer Aamir Khan when you listen to second song 'Pappu Can't Dance'. And though I haven't got the importance of Saala in the song like it was in Roobaroo, I can't deny the goodness of song. Expect it to be an instant hit. And the dirigidi-da-da-da-da-daa sounds in the background make sure you don't forget it's Rehman. Interestingly, the song has a few lines dedicated to uncle Aamir's debut Papa Kehte hain too.

The third number of the album, 'Jaane Tu Mera Kya Hai' seems to be a good song that may last long, though there is a little monotonicity in the song. The song is sung well by Runa Rizvi and Rehman's music is good. The song doesn't have much length but has a male version later. Lyrics of the song are also worth listening to.

The fourth one, a very light 'Nazrein Milana' is another good number. The song has a number of partying voices from six singers that include Naresh Iyer too, giving a good listening experience. Though there is not much to look forward to in lyrics of the song, music is quite good as Rehman experiments with rock sounds in a light party song.

Only one sentence would be enough for the next song. The song, 'tu bole main bolun' is sung by A R Rehman.

Well, the song is not like Khwaja Mere Khwaja or Luka Chhupi, but there are a lot many new things in the song to listen to. I can't exactly place which school the song comes from but it has a slight clubbish feeling attached to it, which comes easy with the saxophone's sound. And though the song is not a heavyweight (like examples I gave) but it's not a very light number either. It short, listen to it to know it completely.

The sixth song of the album 'Kahin to hogi wo' is a lovely, romantic song sung well by Rashid Ali and Vasundhara Das. Especially Rashid is wonderful. The song seems to have the ingredients necessary to make a song last long and I expect it will be heard for months. In the end, the song has the chorus effect which was generally used in older songs and has been tried by composers at various times.

The seventh song on the album is a second version of 'Jaane tu Mera Kya hai', in a male voice this time, sung by Sukhwinder Singh. The mighty voice of Sukhwinder suits the almost-only-sad-song of the album well and the song goes a bit better than the female version, even though both the versions seem to have almost completely different tastes after listening to the two versions alternately.

The eigth and final song of the movie is a remix like in most other albums. And unfortunately, like most other remixes of today, the song doesn't have much stuff in it and has been experimented with a little too much it seems.

Anyways, with almost all the songs of the album in at least above average category, one remix doesn't make a difference. The album is overall a great compilation and A R Rehman deserves the credit for that. Listen to it. Hope you'll enjoy a lot.

De Taali: Music Review

De Taali is the next movie for Vishal Shekhar with above average music from the duo. The album has 8 songs out of which 6 are original and two are remixes.


'Everybody put your hands together', the starter of the new Vishal Shekhar album is a groove style song whose music style can be guessed to some extent by its lyrics and Anushka's voice brings some flavor of Golmaal. A beaty dance number which doesn't have much new to it.

The second song, De taali is again in a similar kind of mood. This song too has voices of Shaan and Sunidhi like the first but not of Anushka. Though Shaan seems a bit different in both the songs.

The third one, Aaj main boond hoon, is a pretty song, well sung by Shreya Ghoshal in her typical beautiful voice. It's a slow number with a little light music in the background. Interestingly, Shekhar jumps in to sing a few lines, which brings in more of curiosity than beauty, though Shekhar has sung his lines good.

Fourth song, Hone Lagi is probably a new type for Anushka Manchanda who has mostly sung fast track songs in the movies yet. Hone Lagi is another light romantic song sung beautifully. Shekhar has supported this song too with a few lines in the mid of the song.

Fifth songs brings in Saregamapa runner up Raja Hasan with a song suiting his voice. The song, Maari Teetri has a folk touch to it with added beats and Raja can have a popular song to his credit as the song has good potential of running on dance floors.

The sixth song, Tooti Phooti, sung by Shaan, KK and Sunidhi, is not going to be an instant hit but we can expect to be liked a lot after a few listening as the song has a good-slow-song feel to it.

Seventh song is a remix of Anusha's Hone Lagi which seems to be just remixed for the sake of it and hardly has any stuff in it. The song has fast beats in the background and the song can only be liked in loud volume.

Last song of the album, De taali remix is better mixed but doesn't have anything special.

Still, the album has a few good songs like aaj main boond hoon and even other songs are above average making the album overall an above average album and worth listening. Though, with Yash Raj's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Rehman composed Jaane tu ya jaane na out at the same time, the album may have to struggle for space.

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic: Music Review

kabhi socha hai kya..
kabhi socha hai kya, barish kyun bhaaye
kyun geet bewajah, hoton pe aaye
kyun achchi lage, talwon mein lehren
kyun bhatke kadam, ek pal na thehren...

Shankar Mahadevan is getting to sing the best lyrics somehow. And it's all coming out of Prasoon Joshi's pen for quite some time. After Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par, Kunal kohli's Saif-Rani starrer Thoda Pyaar Thoda magic seems to be yet another treat from the composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and the first song 'Pyaar ke liye' (starting lyrics above) seems to be a great start for the album.

The second song, Nihaal ho gayi has already started showing on the music channels and is getting the great response it deserved. And though the promo shows just two lines, rest of the song has a few good lines. The music has a feel of Jhoom barabar Jhoom title song.

The third song, bulbula, starts in an altogether new manner as there is a chorus sort of cursing in a friendly manner after which Sunidhi renders some lyrics in an I'm-the-best mood. At 3 minutes and 20 seconds, the song is pretty small and not bad.

At number four comes something interesting. First thing is the title, 'Lazy Lamhe' and the second is the voice of Anusha Mani, listening to which one can wonder where she was until now. The song is a slow number with a slight lounge feeling attached to it.

Track five, the last original song in the album, 'Beetey Kal Se' comes in two female voices, Shreya Goshal and Sneha Suresh. The song doesn't have much at the music front but the lyrics are quite positive and are likeable. In fact, the dialogs in the mid-song raise questions of social importance too.

Number six is a remix of 'Nihaal Ho Gayi' by DJ Aqeel. The remix is good as the song is already a good Punjabi-style dance number.

The final track is a well deserved remix of Lazy Lamhe. I mean, a remix that looks like a real remix, like those in Sanjay Gupta movies. The singer, composer and song prove good yet again in the hands of DJ Aqeel and thus the album ends with a good note and a mood to play it again.

Final Verdict: A must buy if you like typical Yash Raj's music which is generally the case with most.