Chords & Notes

Gaja Gamini - Bhupen Hazarika (HMV, Rs. 55)

IT IS a film by M. F. Husain, with his 'pet obsession', the one and only Madhuri Dixit. The music is by the inimitable Bhupen Hazarika. Obviously, the expectations are high.

The stamp of Bhupen Hazarika - folk tunes - is evident in parts. But, this time he goes in for heavy orchestrations and choral voices, which lends an almost operatic feel throughout. The classical element is a little more prominent, though.

One of the highlights is the voice of Kavita Krishnamurthy. She is able to swing between classical and folk with absolute ease, proof of which are "Meri Payal bole" and "Hamara Hansa Gaya Videsh", which has strong elements of Bengali poli geet.

Another high point is the rendition of "Deepak Raag" by Shankar Mahadevan, who excels in his classical mode.

The album opens with the title track, with Assamese folk nuances set to a predictable beat, in Hazarika's characteristic nasal voice. It somehow lacks in melody, and sounds similar to the singer's earlier works. To break away a little from the regular format, Hazarika throws in shlokas of Kavi Kalidas (recited by Suman Devgan). "Do Sadiyon Ke Sangam" (Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy with lyrics by Javed Akhtar), sounds like any other Hindi film number.

"Gaja Gamini" is surely a cut above the run-of-the-mill soundtracks. But it stops at that. Definitely worth listening to once, but there after, it is your choice.

- Good

Hooked On Classic 2000 - The Royal Philarmonic Orchestra (HMV, Rs. 95)

This is the latest addition to the Hooked On Classics series performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The concept of this series is simple but brilliant - create medleys of the famous themes and melodies from the greatest Western classical compositions and set them to a contemporary beat. This is in fact a great introduction to the world of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Handel and many others.

Some of the medleys are composer based while others are thematic. For instance, "Mozart Magic" and "Back to Bach" are composer- based while "Melodies D'amour" and "Love's Dream" are thematic. "Songs of Joy", an instrumental version of famous operatic and choral piece, is truly an elevating experience. A must buy.

- Very good

1 - The Beatles (EMI, Rs. 150)

The Beatles are back. This time with a compilation of their 27 number one hits. For Beatles fans, this is a great album for your car stereos. And for those of you who have never heard the band, a great way to begin discovering the magic of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Ringo.

One of the greatest tracks missing is "Strawberry Fields forever". The reason: it never reached the top slot thanks to Chennai-born Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me" which held the top position at that point!

- classic!

SAVITHA PADMANABHAN

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Section  : Entertainment
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