Chandan Sa Badan
Anupam Amod
Times Music; Rs 55,
CD Rs 195

We are informed that Anupam Amod is trained in Hindustani classical music and has performed globally. He was set loose after he won the MTV Video Ga Ga contest and has done prestigious jingles and the Pepsi Anthem for Cricket World Cup 2003. With such a CV, why are they still reduced to doing remixes? This one also ?presents the undying magic of evergreen numbers?, nine of them. To make it video-friendly, the title track and the next, are dedicated to the body (Chandan sa badan from Saraswatichandra and Badan pe sitaare from Prince). That also explains a sea-splashed siren on the inlay cover. Anupam uses four female vocals for support ? Ritika Sahni, Swastika, Kalpana Patowary and Shoma, all good enough, but Ritika shows max aplomb in Chunari chunari from Biwi No.1, as does Kalpana Patowary in Yaar bina chain from Saheb. Overall, the remixes done by an assortment of six of ?em remixers, are on the quieter techno side which also suits Anupam Amod?s somewhat timid voice.

Dard Ke Raahi
Rafi and Mukesh
SaReGaMa; Rs 40

Now here?s an album that sets the real apart from the pretenders. Fourteen songs of solid sorrow, hits then, hits now. Among the Madan Mohans and Roshans, Shankar-Jaikishans, Kalyanji-Anandjis and Laxmikant-Pyarelals, they have thrown in the lesser known Sonik Omi, Sapan Jagmohan and Usha Khanna as well. And that?s nice. The only quarrel is they could have kept one side each for Mohd Rafi and Mukesh instead of mixing them up. Most of the 14 are from the 60s except two from 1970 (Main to har mod par from Chetna and Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge from Pagla Kahin Ka), another 70s? chartbuster, Teri galiyon mein (Hawas, ?74) and one from the 50s (Yeh mera diwanapan hai from Yahudi).

But can we resist recalling the Rafi ripplers like Rang aur noor ki baraat (Ghazal) and Dil jo na keh saka (Bheegee Raat) or the Mukesh marvels like Aaya hai mujhe phir yaad (Devar) and Jis dil mein basa tha pyaar tera (Saheli). Hold on, hold on, they are all there, folks!

Anil Grover

Gaan Ghare Snan
Ranajit Chaudhury
Music2000; Rs 40

Ranajit Chaudhury?s Gaan Ghare Snan is pleasant on the ears. The attitude expressed through the songs and the lyrics in patches are evocative of the golden 50s. Specially interesting are Sonar kathi and Amar ahankarer barita. Ranajit is a follower of the simple romanticism that is on a fadeout these days. He would, however, do well to take a little more care about his pronunciation, particularly the Bengali ?s? and ?sh?. Also, his voice sounds a little too high-pitched at times that makes for a jarring effect.

Prithvijit Mitra

The very best of MTV Unplugged 3
Various
Universal; Rs 135

The third volume consists of 10 previously unreleased performances by the likes of REM, Page & Plant, Sheryl Crow, etc. Particularly interesting is the post-Led Zep rendition of The battle of evermore by the masters themselves, giving rise to an immediate comparison and, boy, has the Plant voice crumbled with age.

Sting?s Message in a bottle and REM?s It?s the end of the world as we know it, the latter particularly make for delightful alt takes. But the problem with multi-artiste unplugged compilations is their sheer unpredictability in terms of tempo, which in turn is due to the varied genres that framework such a playlist. So one isn?t really able to settle down and listen to each track with the kind of interest they invoke individually. It is songs like Sure know something by Kiss and The only thing that looks good on me is you by Bryan Adams that stop you short from moving onto a more wholesome, hookier compilation that conform to a classified genre or close to it. Other meaty tracks are Would? By Alice In Chains and I alone by Live, making the trip just about worth it.

Sunny Dua