Band-e-mataram Part II Various Bangla Bands Asha Audio; CDRs 45

This is a good collection with most of the songs being fairly original. The incorporating of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s announcement of India’s nuclear test in Buddha Heshechhen (by Cactus) is really appropriate and novel. The accompanying song is very impressive. There is a good attempt at imparting a philosophical touch and the effort pays dividends. The assorted songs capture various moods with the rebellious spirit shining through. Only a few sound a bit jumbled. The album becomes interesting because it includes the different styles of varying genres espoused by the groups. The instrumental music and drumbeats are in line with mainstream rock and are of a high quality.

Sangkraman Eeshan Asha Audio; CDRs 99

Bangla bands, talented conglomerations though they may be, fall into the trap of excessive imitation and repetition almost without fail. In this latest offering by Eeshan, the good quality of recording is unduly compromised by attempts to induct heavy and hard riffs and mimic the quintessential Pink Floyd touch. Niye cholo amaye, Bishakto chumbon and Shyamaprasad are skilful renditions. The entire album would have been more attractive with a little more variety rather than just flamboyance.

Shubhobroto Ghosh

Rocky Music:Himesh Reshammiya

Lyrics: Sameer T-Series; CD Rs 145

If the film was hardly rocking, the music is less still. Even if the title song has music director/singer/ video actor/whatnot Himesh Reshammiya making noises about Rocky rock the world. Basically, lots more of the same, and some more, and yet more of Himesh, which is ‘cool cat’ news for his fans (if any of them haven’t fled the scene yet), but cat-astrophic news for the rest. Laagi chhute na and Junoon junoon (multiplied by 100) are trademark Himesh (both of course sung by He Himself, though the latter has Amrita Kak pushing in her vocal edgewise). And then you have Sameer coming out with classic lines like My love for you is not a one-night stand (sheer John Keats poetry; Bheege honth tere, anyone?) or the Himesh-Tulsi Kumar duet Teri yaad bichha ke sota hoon which should have Kaifi Azmi spinning like a top in his grave). And all the numbers get a remix of course, here by Akbar Sami. All right, you can put down the rocks, folks, take it easy, cool it. Let’s just forgive them all.

NAKSHA Music: Pritam

Lyrics: Sameer SaReGaMa; CD Rs 145

The biggest disappointment in this musical score is Jat yamla by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. If it was meant to be Sunny Deol’s tribute to dad Dharmendra, he should be really embarrassed. What it has going for it is U&I, in three versions, all of them good.

DANCE MASTI Sony/BMG; CD+VCD Rs 175

This is a thing of joy at first sight. A two-CD pack, both having the same songs, but one is a VCD for viewing pleasure as well (with most of the videos modelled by the svelte Shyla Lopez). Both the CDs are of course remixes and they pick upon some good choices like Aa jaane jaa to Raat kali to Mere dil mein aaj kya hai to Tune rangeelay. But the more hilarious — and trendy farcical bulldung — is in the tags for the remixes. Ek pardesi is called The Stop What You’re Doing To Me Mix, Samne yeh kaun aaya is called The Sun, Sea, Sand & Sex Mix, Baahon mein chale aao is tagged The Hold U Tight Mix, Aaja piya is bracketed as The No Pain Only Gain Mix. It’s one helluva mixed feeling, but like, can you make fools of all the people all the time?

Anil Grover