Kishore Kumar...

Listening to Kishore Kumar solos for a change... and I thought I would pick my top 25. This is in no particular order (only in the order in which they are playing on shuffle on my iPod!). I'm not even going to try reviewing them - they are too good!

01. Phoolon Ke Rang Se (it's like poetry flowing through the song)

02. Chala Jata Hoon (the high notes that Akil hits so well!)

03. Chookar Mere Man Ko (the amazing romance in the air it brings)

04. Jeevan Se Bhari Teri Aankhein (listen to him sing "majboor kare jeene ke liye..." it's beautiful...)

05. Nakhrewali (it's unstructured and his voice sounds amazing in it)

06. O Mere Dil Ke Chain (it's got that je ne sais quoi)

07. Dil Aaj Shayar Hai (just listen to it, you'll know why)

08. Kehna Hai (again the romance he brings into it)

09. Yeh Shaam Mastani (more romance...)

10. Roop Tera Mastana (of course! :P)

11. Rimjhim Gire Sawan (because Amma loves it :P)

12. Dil Kya Kare (any girl would fall in love with this song)

13. Meri Bholi Bindu (ha ha! what a song!)

14. Ruk Jana Nahin (philosophical and meaningful)

15. Yeh Jeevan Hai (I always love his sad songs more!)

16. Humen Tumse Pyar Kitna (ooohhhhhh.......)

17. Ghunghroo Ki Tarah (again because it's sad I guess...)

18. Khilte Hain Gul Yahan (one more... I really need to get over the sad phase!)

19. Dilbar Mere Kab Tak Mujhe (again it's got the je ne sais quoi)

20. Jaago Sonewalo (powerful in many ways)

21. O Maajhi Re (the background music!)

22. Tum Bin Jaaoon Kahan (all-time favourite)

23. O Saathi Re (pure magic)

24. Thandi Hawa (dark moonlit night, play this and you'll know what I mean)

25. Dheere Se Jaana (for being the most fun lullaby!)

Hardest ever blog I've written - just for picking only 25!

Luck By Chance

Another great album from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. They are definitely the second most bankable music directors (after ARR of course :P). Luck By Chance is directed by Zoya Akhtar and has lyrics by Javed Akhtar and is a great album for listening to over and over (ask me or Akil!)

So here goes...

Yeh Zindagi Bhi: Loy Mendonsa and Shekhar Ravjiani

Wonderful meaningful lyrics. The music is lovely - the kind of song that appeals to your ears immediately. The chorus "Chhoone hain taare ise..." is the part I loved most. The overall package of the song is quite brilliant.

Pyaar Ki Dastaan: Mahalakshmi Iyer and Amit Paul

I wonder if this is the Indian Idol Amit Paul. If so, he has come a long way - he was always really good, but this is REALLY well sung. The part where Mahalakshmi starts off is very nice. The interludes are very good. It's the kind of song that makes you smile and sort of go "awww". My only complaint is that I feel like we've heard a lot of songs like this in the recent past.

O Rahi Re: Shankar Mahadevan

Akil's nomination for the best song in the album. Marvellous singing by Shankar Mahadevan. I can never get tired of saying that. He's simply AWESOME. When he sings "Bol tera hai kaun sa rasta" at different parts of the song, it's simply superlative. Background music is also lovely. Interludes are simple guitar tunes which appeal immediately. The lyrics are fabulous. What a song.

Sapnon Se Bhare Naina: Shankar Mahadevan

My nomination for best song. What a guy Shankar Mahadevan is. Listen to this song. It'll give you goosebumps. It's got a fast-ish background beat. Listen to the part after the first stanza. It proves why Shankar Mahadevan is who he is. He sings so effortlessly. And listen to the end of the song. And the lyrics. They are out of this world. So simply put but touch you in some part of your heart. I can't say anything more about this song - you just have to listen to it for yourself.

Baawre: Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa & Rajasthani Ensemble

Love at first hear! From beginning to end this is just a FABULOUS song. Singing, lyrics, music - all absolutely superb. S-E-L described it as "Rajasthani on acid" and it's the perfect way to describe it! The beginning of the second stanza makes you smile and believe in romance, just for the way (once again!) Shankar sings it. Got to listen to this. Play it on repeat on your playlist. You still won't get bored.

Baawre (Remix): Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa & Rajasthani Ensemble

The remix is funky, it completely takes you by surprise at parts. I still think the original song is better, but the remix is really good too. The beats are very well done.

Yeh Aaj Kya Ho Gaya: Sunidhi Chauhan

The guitar strumming throughout the song is lovely. The lyrics are marvellously imaginative, though simple again. Sunidhi Chauhan has done a fantastic job. I kept humming this song for three days on and off - and I totally want to sing this sometime on stage!

Luck By Chance should be on repeat on your iPod. As one review said, it restores your faith in good music.

Delhi 6

I cannot think of a more apt way to start this blog than with a soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman. The lyrics are by Prasoon Joshi. The movie is Delhi 6, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Here's my take:

Rehna Tu: A. R. Rahman, Benny Dayal and Tanvi Shah

Great song! Lovely beginning, nice lyrics. A very calming song. The instrumentation is wonderful. A beautiful mix of old-world feel with modernistic background music. The interlude is beautiful after the first stanza. But the highest point of the song for me is the end of the song where they take off in a complete Carnatic way! It's abso-freaking-lutely brilliant!

Noor: Amitabh Bachchan

Just a couple of lines - very well written. Nicely rendered. Nothing else to really comment on it.

Dil Gira Dafatan: Ash King and Chinmayee

The beginning is purely English. I don't know any other way to describe it. Another very calming song. Ash King has sung it very well. It's a pretty unstructured song - you keep expecting one thing to happen and something else happens! Again the interludes are pure magic and totally unexpected. Just listen to this one quietly to get the whole feel of the song.

Delhi 6: Benny Dayal, Blaaze, Claire, Tanvi Shah, Vivinenne Pocha

Appeals to the ears immediately. I love the guitar thing going in the background. There is a complete techno feel to the song also, which I really like. The chorus in the background is also really well done.

Hey Kaala Bandar: Bonnie Chakraborty, Karthik, Naresh Iyer

The instrumentation again - really good. The lyrics are really weird the first time you listen to them. (I mean, come on, it's called Kaala Bandar!) But I read this blog on how there's a deeper meaning to the song - about finding the inner 'bandar' in you. Listen to it again keeping that in mind. Again I found it really unexpected in terms of what happens in the song.

Arziyan: Javed Ali and Kailash Kher

If you like "Khwaja Mere Khwaja" from Jodhaa Akbar, you'd probably like this. A typical Qawwali song. Lyrics are also really good. Both singers take it to a different level altogether.

Aarti: Kishori Gowariker, Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Mazumdar

A small bhajan type song. A quiet song which doesn't really stick around in your mind, but I loved the tambura playing in the background - it's the most beautiful sound in the world.

Masakalli - Mohit Chauhan

AWESOME song. You keep humming it after listening to it. Highly imaginative lyrics (it's about a dove I believe!). The stanzas are lovely and listen to the background beats - great work! And Mohit Chauhan sounds fab. The interludes are superb too. I am running out of superlatives for this song!

Genda Phool: Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Mazumdar

It sounds like a sangeet song. I fell in love with the beat that starts around 47 seconds into the song. The main singer is very good - Rekha Bharadwaj. That beat brings it to a different level and makes it into a funky fusion piece. And listen to the part that starts around 2 minutes 10 seconds into the song. Again I think that makes the song tick.

Bhor Bhaye: Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan & Shreya Ghoshal

One of those songs I want to sing at some point. I am no one to comment on Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan so I won't even try. But a word for Shreya Ghoshal. She's so marvellous in this song, I can't write it here. She's the best singer of this generation for sure. Her voice sounds so pure in this. I am amazed anew at her versatility and this song just proves why she's in so much demand.

All in all - this is an album which captures the essence of various kinds of music. One of those albums you will love and keep playing on and on.