Bodyguard Music Review

The soundtrack of Bodyguard just released this weekend and the initial feeling after listening to the songs, it just seems a bit too average with most of the songs sounding like re-hashes of what we have heard before. The other thing to note is that there are more remixes of the songs than the original versions plus a instrumental and unplugged version thrown in. This might be one of the albums that take a few rounds of listening to before we start to like it, but would we be patient enough to give it a few listening sessions is the question. Himesh's comeback into directing music is a bit of a stale to say the least.
The Title track tries to cash in on the recent success of Dhinka Chika, with Sallu throwing in a punch-line at the start of the song like he did in Wanted. The track that might gel with the audience is "Desi Beats" with Mika Singh and Amrita Kaka bringing back the bhangra beat, which again, sounds like you have recently heard another song on the same tune. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan does another romantic duet with Shreya Ghosal on "Teri Meri" which is admittedly a nice track although it could be because of the singers.
The remixes are well nothing raving, just a lot of tempo with the same beats. The only thing is that Mika is replaced by Alam Gir Khan in the remix of "Desi Beat".
Very average album, compared to the earlier music from Salman flicks.

Akhiyan nu Rehn De

I think as we all grow up, the musical tastes mature also, and we do end up appreciating the music our parents listened to (and at that time we thought it boring) and enjoy it more now. The fact that the singers of the present times try and revive it also brings about the popularity.
This song was sung by Reshma, a Pakistani singer originally from Rajasthan, and later on sung by many different singers including the great Lata Mangeshkar who sung a version in the movie "Bobby".
The versions (yes I have two, actually they are two minute tributes to Reshma) I have here are from Atif Aslam and Quratulain Baloch.

Atif Aslam version



Quratulain Baloch version

Sunday Afternoon Random Five Songs

So its another Sunday and usually the weekends mean that I am on another musical high and on YouTube listening to one song after the other. So here are just five random songs being played on my computer today. Enjoy :D

#5. Ab Mujhe Raat Din - Sonu Nigam


#4. Khwaja mere Khwaja - A R Rahman


#3. Jal Pari - Atif Aslam (Coke Studio version)


#2. Strings - Duur


#1. Teri Deewani - Kailash Kher (Unplugged version)


Ok, so I'll chuck in a bonus track here too....lol

Mora Piya - Kavita Seth

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Top 5

There once was a man who mesmerised everyone with a voice that probably can't be matched with anyone - past, present or future; for it was the voice of, perhaps, the soul itself. That man was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a man who brought the qawwali genre to the the world stage and revived a musical art which has been practised for many a centuries now.

This is my attempt to bring my top 5 songs, of many, from the legend.

#5. Kisse Da Yaar Na Vichray


#4. Akhiyan Udeek Diyaan



#3. Ali Maula, Ali Maula, Ali Dam Dam


#2. Dam Mast Qalandar


#1. Tumhein Dillagi Bhool



Bonus Track

Intoxicted -

Random Five

So its been some time since I have added any songs here and the fact is that nothing that has come out lately has excited me enough to share it here. But as they say the show must go on and to keep it going here are five random songs which obviously I listen to every now and then. So lets get this started -

5. Junoon - Khudi Ko Kar Bulund
Junoon took Iqbal's already famous poem to another level when they made a rock song out of it. The purist cried murder yet a sixteen year old with no interest in Urdu poetry started noticing that lyrics do mean something and that poetry was not lame.



4. Shaan - Tanha Dil
I have to admit when I first heard Shaan I was not a fan, although Love-o-logy while being peppy was very.....for the lack of a better word...ordinary. But then he matured, the music matured, the songs were much better and then came this and mind you this isn't his very best either.



3. Amr Diab - Tamally Ma'ak
Ok if you don't have an idea who this is then you must be aware of the Indian version of this song "Kaho na Kaho" but it was this dude who sang the original version and has been around for quite some time now. His other song "Habibi Ya Noor El Ain" is another favourite.
(I did mention random didn't I? :) )



2. Aaroh - Ajnabi
Now this one shot to fame with the cover version of the song from Vital Sign in a music competition to unearth the underground band and I don't think anyone has even close to better this cover. Even the die hard Vital Sign fans agree on this one.



1. Shafqat Amanat Ali - Ankhian
Versatility personified are the words that come to mind when you compare this with a "Khamaj" or a "Mitwa" with the tempo so different yet the voice enchants you over the music.

Coke Studio India

So Coke Studio India launched a while ago and although I was very excited to see what it brought, my first impression is of disappointment. The first thing that comes across is the sound quality, it seems a bit harsh on the ears and a bit too loud. Next is the selection of songs, whilst Bollywood was going to be a part I was expecting to see more folk/traditional songs to be covered. The singers featured are very good as was known before this show yet the song selections have left a lot to be yearned for. The mix of contemporary with the classic which Coke Studio Pakistan brought about seems to be missing and in a way that may be one of the biggest cause of my disappointment as I wanted to see a different show from the rest of the singing reality shows being dished out. I wanted to feel the music from the parts of the country I have not yet discovered not listen to Sunidhi singing Bichua. I wanted to hear the sitar playing along with the bass guitars and not just the overpowering beats of the drums. I wanted to hear the serene voices of the artist not the screaming over the loud music depicting a contest between the singer and the music rather than complimenting each other. I expected to see the hidden talents and not just the famous ones.
I guess its still the start and hopefully the producers along with Leslie Lewis will start reading some of the feedback left on the Youtube channels and at least start with improving the sound of music. Here's hoping to improvement for a series which was supposed to be different than the rest.