Posts Tagged ‘death
Music Review: Connections
A R Rahman wrecks superbly crafted music with very average vocals
What can be said about A R Rahman that hasn’t been said before? Here’s something: His vocals don’t cut it. Honestly, it’s upsetting to have a legendary composer push himself as a vocalist when there are great singers around. A minor clarification – ‘great’ does not mean Sukhwinder Singh. Also, it’s obvious Rahman’s trying very hard to put himself out there as a vocalist, since he has ‘handpicked’ songs he has sung on.
Percussion is king on Jiya Se Jiya, a lovable tune dampened by A R Rahman”s voice right from the start. Khalballi is a wonderful example of how some music should be released without vocals. Ever wished you could choke someone by just thinking about it?
Meherbaan from Ada‘s soundtrack is a classy song. The music is perfect, and after a long time Rahman’s voice sounds bearable. Surprisingly, it sounds alright even when he goes higher on this one. Dil Se has kickass music, there’s plenty going on and it all fits right in. For those who long for the Rahman of yore, you’ll find some of him in here. Ek Mohabbat ‘Vote For Taj’ is like the other songs on the compilation… well composed. Almost every track is Rahman attempting to show his mellow side, which is terrible for this collection because there’s very little here that actually ‘connects’. By the time Pray For Me Brother comes on, you’re ready to toss the CD case at someone just to start a fight out of sheer boredom.
The fabulous Bombay Theme overshadows everything else on this compilation. Not only has Rahman done the music a huge favour by not singing, but the composition is also excellent. Bombay Theme is the only song on this collection that is full of soul. The rest is stuff that will be praised to death because it has Rahman’s name on it.
The instrumental version of Pray For Me Brother sounds better than the original, but may very well be played while you’re having free lunch at a wedding. It’s pretty pointless to have a Club Mix of Jiya Se Jiya, and it’s even more stupid to make something like that, but then everyone wants to make money, yes?
My only beef with Rahman is that his singing is dull. He’s bloody good at composing music, and manages to sing with sincerity. But sincerity does not always ensure quality.‘A Journey Through Anthems’, the CD says, but how many of these tracks can actually be called ‘anthems’? Sorry to break it to you, but except for Bombay Theme, there is nothing else on this CD that comes close to being an anthem.
What use is a compilation that doesn’t feature some of the artiste’s best work? Is it an attempt at showcasing his lesser known songs? Or is it an effective money-squeezing exercise, considering fanboys will buy it anyway?
The biggest question here is, how many musicians who sing about peace and hugs actually care? Do musicians and music labels not know everyone cannot be fooled and some people can actually tell when an artiste is cementing his popularity among the public that doesn’t know better? It’s really not that hard to recognise a poseur, y’know?
VERDICT
Maybe the best of Rahman’s work has been kept aside for future compilations. Neat way of ensuring the cash never stops flowing, but too obvious. And way too pretentious. I bet all your Michael Jackson CDs have been dusted, so just continue spinning ’em if you want to listen to songs about peace.
RATING: 2.5/5
(From my Buzz18 reviews)
SEE: Songs I Hate
Cocaine-Spawned Dream
Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were divided into lines. “Twelve lines”, my host said, “fifteen if you’re conservative, can be had from one gram of cocaine.” At 3 a.m., I was wide awake on my way from Versova to home in Andheri.
I don’t remember the last time I dreamt. That morning, I dreamt I was in Ahmedabad, and there was no food or money anywhere. Men and dogs were dying all around.
My friend, whom I’d last seen just two hours back, was in A’bad too. Back at his place in Versova, Mumbai, he’d licked a Benson & Hedges cigarette and generously sprinkled snow on a good part of it.
But here we were in Ahmedabad, and he got into a scuffle with someone and I got stabbed in the stomach. Dogs and men were still dying everywhere, and I was in the hospital with my mom. Feeble, dying people strewn across the place, and not a doctor to help. I’d been stabbed well, just once, but well. I felt pain, and that’s strange because I don’t remember experiencing physical pain whilst in a dream before. “I’m dying”, I said to my mother.
A few hours before the nightmare took over, I’d rubbed some of the white powder on my gums. And now I was about to die in my dream. The nightmare went on for too long, I realized, on being woken by a phone call from an ex-girlfriend. It was the first time I didn’t mind my sleep being disturbed. In fact, my sleep had been disturbing me.
I’d have shit my pants had I died in that dream, and I’ve sworn off cocaine. Perhaps what I saw was so vivid because I hadn’t smoked marijuana in two days, and I’d had a few beers while my friend was cutting lines.
Am I grateful the ex called that early in the morning or what? The alarm wouldn’t have gone off until another thirty minutes, and I would surely have died from that wound even though there wasn’t much blood flowing out of it.
2010 is no year to die. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to miss RGV’s Rann.
Life
Kasab Sentenced To Death
It’s almost a year since 26/11, but Mohammed Amir Ajmal Kasab is still alive. Hardly surprising in a nation whose citizens run around painting walls and protesting against statues while beaches get destroyed by the religious blind festival after festival. Forget about dying farmers elsewhere when your city is packed with poverty and stray dogs and what not. Yeah, you poseurs deserve to be terrorised.
Mehta Kya Kehta? 