Chords & Notes

BBC SESSIONs - The Who (Universal, Rs. 125)

One of the legends of the 60s and the 70s, The Who were probably the most energetic and explosive bands. Known best for their violent stage shows (they used to break their instruments at the end of the shows), their music could be described as a mix of American R & B and The Beatles-inspired harmonies. Theirs was a kind of music that defined that age.

This album is a selection of live recording made for the BBC Radio when the four-member band was reaching its zenith in the mid-60s. The songs include cover versions of American R & B classics such as "Dancing In The Street" (Maratha and the Vandellas) and "Just You And Me Darling" (James Brown).

Among their own numbers, the stand out tracks are "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", "Pictures of Lily", "The Seeker" and "My Generation". (Incidentally, the line "Hope I Die Before I Get Old" from this number was one of the first rock and roll entries into the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations).

The Who demonstrates how teen angst and social anxieties of that age can be packaged effectively in three-minute songs, with music that is, in their own words, "maximum R & B". A must for rock and roll connoisseurs. - Excellent.

Refugee - Anu Malik (HMV, Rs. 55)

The film industry is waiting with bated breath for the release of this J. P. Dutta film for one reason. Abishek Bachchan. Will he be able to live up to the expectations? Only time will tell.

But the music score does come up to certain standards. One of the better scores by Malik, the songs are melodious and rhythmic. Malik has tried to base the numbers on Rajasthani folk tunes, which work quite well. But after a couple of songs, the repetition sets in.

The highpoint of the album is Sonu Nigam, who has at last found the kind of songs that complement his voice. Of the tracks, the one that has already hit the charts is "Panchchi Nadiyan Pawan ke" by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik with a lilting tune and powerful lyrics by Javed Akhtar. The use of the flute in this number is noteworthy. "Asia Lagta Hai" (Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik) almost sounds like the continuation of "Panchhi...". "Jaise Tu Na Mila" by Sukhwindra Singh and Shankar Mahadevan has echoes of "Satarangi Re" (Dil Se).

When the songs are composed by Anu Malik, the feeling of deja vu is bound to be there. And it applies to "Refugee" too. Only here, the songs are more melodious. - Fair

Jungle - Sandeep Chowta (Universal, Rs. 50)

The Ramgopal Varma-Sandeep Chowta-Urmila Matondkar combination is once again set to hit the screens with "Jungle". Reports say the film is loosely based on the life of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

Chowta's score for this unusual theme is not so unusual, but definitely holds attention. The best bets are the two atmospheric instrumental tracks - part of the background score. This proves that Chowta is one of the few Bollywood composers, who pays quite a bit of attention to background music.

Of the songs, the one that walks away with the honours is "Pehli Baar" by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan, a peppy hip hop number that has already hit the small screen. "Do pyaa", again by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan, is softer and has a romantic edge. All the songs have a strong rhythmic base and the percussion instruments (the artiste is Selva Ganesh) set the pace. The rumbustious "Patli Kamar" (Sukhwindra Singh, Sandeep Chowta, Sapna Awasthi and Jolly Mukherjee) fills the 'jhatka' slot.

Of course, once in a while, the songs do remind you of some other numbers, but one the whole, one of the better Hindi film sound tracks in recent times. - good.

SAVITHA PADMANABHAN

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