MuZiq, me , Life

Spurt...spurt ....

2009-07-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ages ...ages ...life has just not been the same for a long time now. Dunno when it will get back on track.....

Music keeps me going ....

Need to get back to writing ....

-A

Oscar winner ARR

2009-02-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

A long journey ....its is been to get to that ...a wonderful sight this.

For years now - 17 to be precise - from the time of Roja, Gentleman, Thiruda Thiruda, many a crazy Rahmaniac has been following a musical messiah who goes by the name A R Rahman. The journey, an incredible one at that hasn't been easy - not for the man ...and neither for fans like me.

From

-Being scoffed at for being as crazy about anybody - the way I have been about ARR's music

-Being scolded by Dad for spending money on his albums

-Having to fight/reason out with people who never understand not just this man's music but also failed to understand the greater cause he represents

-From countless and mostly pointless arguments on messageboards, blogs etc

Its been a long journey - a wonderful journey though where we fans have enjoyed every little bit of magic created by this wonderful music composer and an even greater human being.

I stopped arguing, trying to make peoplem understand ARR's magic some years ago - as I look at it - its pointless and in any case, its their loss.

Today - there cannot be a person as happy as a true Rahmaniac like me. An Oscar (or 2 ) really does not increase or decrease our admiration for ARR. It doesn't change anything for us (except that we are the happiest folks on earth :-)). It sure would mean a lot to ARR - all the struggles, all the criticisms, sarcasms and hurdles he has had to overcome to reach the pinnacles of this music world - this is a true reward for all of that.

So heres saluting, probably the greatest ever musician in this world - at least in my world and probably in every Rahmaniac's world.

Hats off to you SIR. Hats of to you ARR.

-A

Need I say more .....

2009-01-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

Really ....need I say anything more .....

-A

Dev D ....Amit Trivedi

2009-01-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had the experience of having heard a piece of music or probably an album and been "blown away" - wondering what hit you. With me an ARR album typically does that each time.

But today I am not going to speak about ARR or his music - this blog, almost 90% of the posts speak about that:-)

Today I am going to speak about Dev D and a certain composer called Amit Trivedi.

Dev D - has blown me away - and I admit if there was a Indian composer after ARR that I have come to appreciate this much - its the behind Dev D - a young 29 year old composer called Amit Trivedi. Mind you - he is just 2 albums old - and which brings me to Aamir - which was his previous album - an equally powerful and startling album that. This guy Amit is here to stay ( I just pray to the music gods - that he does - just pray that he doesn' get caught up in the routine world of usually crappy Bollywood music).

Coming back to this album now - this is not a album filled with soulful - heart-wrenching numbers. This is what I call an album where each and every track is fun - full of fun akin probably to the move theme. I doubt if these songs will even figure as full numbers in the movie - I think they will be destined to play in the background.

Will write a quick 1-line review of each track

It goes without saying on each of these that lyrics are absolutely offbeat, might appear zany ..but hear them closely and u will understand the genious behind it.

1. Emosanal Atyachar (Brass Band version) - Whacky, fun ... sounds like a north indian marriage band

2. Emosanal Atyachar (Rock version) - Rock-styled version of the previous albeit shorter, zanny and equally fun

3. Aankh Micholi - Electronic, fast paced, fun.

4. Dev Chanda - Theme music 1 - ..heavy bass to open with ...pa pa ra ra ...ooooo ...wonderful flute to end with

5. Dev Chanda - Theme music 2 - .. softer ..and wonderful whistles with wonderul streaks of violin in the background ..wonderful

6. Dhol Yaara Dol - I dont know how to review this one. Hear it ..its wonderful..the arrangements, shilpa rao's vocals

7. Dil Main Jaagi - Pure Blues ...and Jazz - simply amazing .....

8. Duniya - Yeh Duniya badi gol hain ....aur yeh gaana bada mast hain. The song of the moment for me. Amazing arrangement. Blew my mind away

9. Ek Hulchul Si - Wonderful Guitaring, percussion ....and cool vocals ....

10. Hiknaal - Oh ..we were missing a Punjabi number. Here comes one interlaced with some rocking guitaring ...absolutely great

11. Mahi Mennu - Another Punju number - but unclassifiable as a typical Punju number though. Classy yet again especially the beginning

12. Mahin Mennu Sad - alternate sad version

13. Nayan Tarse - Holy Cows ....from the start to end, this number takes you in a journey ...vocals ...music, the trumpet ....the vocals top everything else

14. Paayalia - Carnatic strumming at the beginning which turns into a weirdly wonderful number with some good vocals

15. Pardesi - This has to be one of the best ones in this album - absolutely ravishing tune, arrangement and great lyrics

16. Ranjhana - A sad situational number I presume with stunning vocals and a soothing pace and feel.

17. Saali Kushi - Jazzy number ....by a sad drunk lover I presume.

18. Yahi Meri Zindagi - I can't review this one. This one is sheer artistry ..the music, the rhythm, the arrangements and ofcourse the singing aspect

This is one hell of a Celebration ...this album ..a Celebration of music that I have been missing from any composer except ARR. This album makes me want to believe that there is hope for Indian composers. It doesn't start and end with ARR - this guy Amit Trivedi is a complete musician .whether its the music, the rhythm, his own singing or the voices he has used.

I pray that this guy doesn't get lost in the crowd - lost in the dirty world of mundane Indian film music.

Here's to Dev D (I also recommend his previous work Aamir - that is another gem of an album which unfortunately I missed last year only to discover it now through Dev D)

Take my word for it ...hear these 2 albums ....Dev D and Aamir

-A

The world of music

2008-12-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

The world of music and music itself has no boundaries, no limits. Each passing day, I discover new music that is just so wonderful and that every time I think that there can be nothing new - bam !!! theres more of new music and I am back on the road to discovery.

Whether it was in the days of my tryst with Indian classical (south indian carnatic mostly with the likes of L Vaidynathan or MS or Mandolin Srinivas or for that matter Shakti (fusion indian classical) and beyond) or the world of Gazals (jagjit singh, ghulam ali ...and beyond) or classic hindi music of the wonder years ...50's, 60's and 70's (SD, RD, Salil Chaudhary et al ) or ARR or Rock (from my hard metal days of Maiden to Experimental Rock such as TV on the Radio) or just World music (just too many of them to write about) ......all of it has just been such an amazing, pleasant and a eye-opening journey that I could (and probably will someday) write a book about it.

Anyway, being nostalgic and describing my journey was not the intent of this post .....The intent was to introduce everyone to some of the wonderful new music I have been listening to the past few weeks

First up

Amadou & Mariam -

Amadou and Mariam are a musical duo from Mali, composed of the couple Mariam Doumbia and Amadou Bagayoko. The pair, known as "the blind couple from Mali" met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, and found they shared an interest in music.

Listen to this for a little dose of their wonderful music

Anathallo

Anathallo is a Indie Rock ensemble originally from Michigan and now based in Chicago, Illinois. The band started practicing in the fall of 2000 and played their first show soon afterward. Their name is derived from a Greek word meaning "to renew, refresh or bloom again.

Try the song 'A Great Wind more Ash' from either of the sites below to hear their magic ....

http://www.purevolume.com/anathallo

http://www.myspace.com/anathallo

Frightened Rabbit

What a name an what an amazing group ....Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, Scotland.

Get a dose of their magic ...here

And Last but not the least

TV on The Radio

TV on the Radio (often abbreviated to TVotR) is an American experimental rock band formed in 2001 in New York City. The band's music spans genres as diverse as post-punk, free jazz, a cappella, doo-wop, soul, shoegaze and electro.

This band has been named the best for the year 2008 by Rolling Stones ...what more can you ask.

And this is what they sound like .....

More new music to follow ....till then enjoy these groups. I request everyone to buy original CD's if you like all songs by

an artist. If not, please buy individual songs from ITunes or Rhapsody

-A

ARR - This is where he always belonged ......

2008-12-15T23:29:00.000-08:00

A R Rahman amongst some other greats in Western/Hollywood music.

A.R. Rahman (Fox Searchlight's "Slumdog Millionaire"), Howard Shore (Miramax's "Doubt"), Danny Elfman (Focus Features' "Milk"), Alexandre Desplat (Paramount's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Jan Kaczmarek (Overture's "The Visitor")

This year, the western world seems to have finally woken up to this man's magic in the form of the magical score for Slumdog Millionaire. Though, Hollywood and the world outside India has seen glimpses of his works in the past - its this year that ARR finally gets his due.

To be honest, I don't believe that the Western world needed to recognize this man's genious and act as a stamp of approval to convince us Rahmaniacs - he is at a much higher altar already for the millions here - its just that I feel good, I feel proud and I feel really really happy for his success.

Cheers to ARR on his acheivements this year, for all the wonderful music he has given over the years and for being the humble and down-to-earth person that he is.

-A

Slumdog Millionaire - 'I' review

2008-11-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

And well though its not really a review ....just some thoughts.

Ok ...coming back to the point......Saw the movie today finally .....

So 'I' = 'me'

Is it worth the hype? Well more of 'yes' and some 'no' -

Yes for the sheer brilliance in which raw India has been captured.

Yes for the vibrant colors and wonderful camera work.

Yes for the amazing cast selection and the brilliant potrayals of their roles by each character.

Yes for the storyline (mind u ..if u think this is an exact adaptation of QnA, you might be in for a surprise)

Yes for Danny Boyle - if it hadn't been for ARR, the name Danny Boyle would still have made me go watch this movie

And of course the biggest Yes for ARR - A thumping, pulsating score worth every bit in gold (my opinion) - Jai Ho is wonderful and so are the bits and pieces of bgm's and other songs thrown in between.

A mild No - for editing (feel the editing could have been a better, made the movie a little more crispier)

A mild No - because ..probably its something that captivates the rest of the world (the fascination ..that is India) more than it might do us Indians (brickbats please)

Is it a recommended watch - Yes ..defnitely though I would have loved to hear more ARR stuff in there.

After all...ain't that what we Rahmaniacs wish for.

-A

Musical quest

2008-11-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

The self styled, so called 'musical quest' ....It continues.

New discoveries ....

Annuals -
Amazing Alt Rock band .....check this out if you want to know why this band gets my approval :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlNcWqd91kY

The Ting Things
Pop-Rock at its exploratory best.....another group that gets my approval. Mind you, there are just people in this act
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJnsqGgxxM

Fleet Foxes
Seattle based environmentally conscious pop rock. CrossbyStillsNash styled ..I would say. Glorious indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gke4USY8EE&feature=related

The old timers ....
Snow Patrol is out with a new album ...called A Hundred Million Suns ..decent but not their best
Travis is out with a new album - Ode to J Smith ....nice album ...they sound quite different in it..worth checking out

More later ...

-A

Yuvraaj is a classic

2008-10-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Act 1:
a BART ride to SFO (workplace) ...Yuvraaj songs on iPod.

Song 1 skip,
Song 2 ....2 mins, skip,
Song 3 -45 secs skip,
Song 4 Kinda Ok ,
Song 5 ...kinda Ok ,
Song 6 ...good but could have been better.
Song 7 - Ok,
Song 8 - Good,
Song 9 ...remix ...yuck ...

General thought. Songs are just ok. What's happened to ARR this time around.
End of BART ride - nah ...this album aint that good.

Act 2:
Login into ARR Yahoo group - post your first thoughts and dimiss the album complaining about Lyrics, music being too techno. Weak album, Shanno Shanno - terrible song....blah ..blah ..blah

Act 3:
Lets give it another try....
After all its an ARR album.
Ok - it sounds better - hmm songs are not that bad.
End of Day - have already heard the album close to 5 times and can't stop listening to it

Day 2 to the present day
Same Act repeated in a loop ....
Yuvraaj is on repeat mode with some occasional breaks (for charging iPod, hearing a new rock act discovery callled the Annuals) but nah ...back to Yuvraaj.
---------------------------------------

That in a nutshell is what has happened with this album. There is little doubt that ARR's music is slow poison but that it was this poisonous is something that I didnt realise.

A detailed review to follow ......all I can say for now is that I have to go back and drown further into this magician's world.

ARR - you rock and yet again I feel blessed to be born in the same era as you and to be able to appreciate the world that you have introduced me and countless others to.

Thank you sire.

-A

Defeated ...tormented ...dejected

2008-10-13T23:20:00.001-07:00

After a horrendous and bloody battle with the icici direct website for the past 1 hr and 15 minutes ...even with advanced weaponary such as comcast high speed network, wireless connectivity, direct ethernet connection, vpn access (through wsgc network), I have failed. I submit ....I submit to the power ...to the will ...to the might of the ICICI network.

it was a one-sided affair in which I was thrown out inexplicably - innumerous times - I was given the 'page not found' many times and I was left teary-eyed ....most of the times.

the war is over ..icici has won yet again.

I will now retire into the loneliness ...to the dark of the night and sleep ...a tormented soul shall now sleep.

-A

If this is anything to go by ...

2008-09-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.muktaarts.com/newsite/yuvvraaj/

then we are in for a real treat ...

ARR rockss ...as always

-A

'IMAXed' is the Knight

2008-08-10T22:04:00.001-07:00

Twice in 3 weeks ...this movie took me back to the movie-hall in the quickest ever time The last was proabably DCH ..another world ..another time (DCH - Dil Chahta Hain)

Dark Knight ..the movie and Heath Ledger's and Bale's performances have entrenched so deep into my mind that this one is gonna take a long time to wear off (not that I want it to)

This time around at the IMAX ..even as I knew each minute ..each twist ...it still was probably as exciting as the first time around. I think this time around - I was watching the finer points of each person's brilliance in this movie.

I dont think I have enough words to describe the cinematic experience that it is ...this movie.

-A

Why so serious ....

2008-07-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

This has to rank as one of the most stunning OST's that I have ever heard ....wow !!!

A 9 minute monster ...consider yourself warned ...

-A

What is Intelligence

2008-07-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

or should I say Un-Intelligence in the case of India's security agencies ...the IB and the RAW ????

Two blasts in 2 days ....and the second one despite a e-mail threat ..its plain ridiculous what the state of affairs are. Who is to blame for this miss - apart from the maniacs who committed this dastardly act - it has to be the politicians, the cops and the so called 'Intelligence agencies'. In a few days ..they will claim to get some leads, catch or frame some innocent folks (presumably some muslims) - that will start a cycle ...a vicious cycle of more angry minorities.

Life is cheap these days ....too cheap. This incident like any other previous acts of terror would soon be forgotten and by soon ..I will say 2 days. India will be back to the Dhoni's, the Kareena's the Shahrukh's, the Salmans, bribery scandals for votes ....soon and 50 lives will be forgotten just like this ...poooof !!!

I dont know who to blame ....who is the enemy ....where to start and now where to end ...
Life will go on ...anyway ..

Some articles for a further read
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/State_intelligence_network_in_tatters/articleshow/3286440.cms

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1826950,00.html

-A

Dark Knight ...flies high

2008-07-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

Higher than the rest ....probably one of the most stunning movies I have ever seen.

Whether its the cast, the action, the sets or the chilling soundtrack ....the movie is an example of complete mastery. Heath ledger is as brilliant as I had read about and more. Bale is at his best (as always ..from the days of 'Empire of the Sun') and Chris Nolan at the helm roars yet again telling you that Memento was not a fluke ....and that he is one of the most brilliant directors around in Hollywood.

There is a very good chance that I am gonna watch this one again at IMAX.

-A

Now Reading ....n thinking n excited

2008-07-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Reading
Pillars of the Earth - by Ken Folett
Actually re-reading it after 12 years ...I last read it in 1995 in a 6 day blitz (constrained by a BCL due date).

This book is so remarkably different than anything Follett has ever written (distant from his world of spy novels and thrillers) that I find it exciting to read even the second time around. The main reason I am reading it though is because I want to read its sequel ....

p.s. 'BCL' btw stands for British Council Library ...I loved those trips to the BCL at CP and I miss almost everything about Delhi now :-(

luved a book called 'Water for Elephant' - quite well written ...it

Thinking
Yet again ....where this world is headed to - rising prices a.k.a inflation, rising turmoil in almost every part of the world ....wondering how much the world has changed in just over a year ...

Excited
About the movie 'Dark Knight' releasing tonight/tomorrow- the first Batman became an instant classic in my list ...so its only obvious that I have been waiting since then for this sequel .....

Music
The National, ARR, Elbow and Radiohead occasionally

-A

A list

2008-07-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Think I should list it down before I forget..

India

Deep Purple
Scorpions
Bryan Adams
Roger Waters

Incubus
Our Lady Peace
Bob Dylan
Willie Nelson
Eels
Random Bands@ Croc Cafe, Seattle
The Who
Blue October
Elbow
KFOG Kaboom
Collective Souls
Matt Nathanson
REM@ Greek Theater
The National
Modest Mouse
REM
Sivamani
A R Rahman
Indian Ocean

Yep ..if you guessed that its the list of Concerts I have attended, then thats right.

-A

Sakkarakatti n JTYJN n Ada

2008-07-12T01:37:00.000-07:00

You wil typically review something to write about the pros and cons or to describe your love/hate for something/someone.

There are several reasons why I have almost stopped reviewing ARR albums.
Primarily its due to the fact that this man is so at the top of his game that for miles n miles and miles ...there is no one in sight ...no one in comparison to this man and the magic he creates each time he composes...
or
I could have also stopped reviewing due to the fact that I am just crazy about this man's music :-). So my extolment wont end if I start reviewing his albums.

Be it Ada or JTYJN and now Sakkarakatti (Tamil)- there are really no words for me to pen down since probably each song is a journey ...a lesson in its own right.

I am yet to grab my CD of the new Tamil release - so for now ..i have to limit myself to hearing the songs online .....but wow ....as usual ARR rocks

Probably I can get myself to write a review once I have the CD.

-A

Beat this .....

2008-06-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Jordan Rudess (Dreamtheater)

-A

Yes yes ..there has been a fuel price hike in India

2008-06-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

And how would u know that? well for starters ...take a look at this ....

Bravo folks....Bravo !!!!

and well we have bandhs (strikes) too ...look at this

http://hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4a49c294-db94-45ed-af36-c66cac6a0d8b&&Headline=West+Bengal+bandh+affects+normal+life

I am at a loss for words now ...

-A

A Dream comes true ....

2008-06-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

just came back from a R.E.M concert at Berkeley....an awfully long wait but finally got to see them ...

in fact this past month has been great ...Collective Souls, Elbow ...and now REM
and 2 ARR albums ...

what more could I have wished for ...

-A

Sivamani concert ....Bay Area ...Jul 5th

2008-05-31T23:29:00.001-07:00

Sivamani concert ...July 5th ..Marriott San Ramon ..

-A

A cool composition

2008-05-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

A good one ...the second part is really cool ..

-A

A sad BART Commuter

2008-05-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

To the SF BART representatives ....

I have tried all means of trying to communicate my grievances about the problems on the Fremont-Hayward line since the past few weeks. But I dont think I have yet received any satisfactory explanation to how a sub-station problem like the one that occured on May 11th - can take 2 months to repair in today's age and specially when the BART ridership is at an all time high.

To-date since May 11th
-- I have seen at least 3 people faint on the train thanks to the sweltering heat and the crowds
-- I have noticed people lose temper thanks to the packed crowds (and tensions thanks to that)
-- As a daily commuter from Fremont from SF - I have travelled around 10-15 times standing all the way (the other times I hav avoided by travelling back all the way upto 16th Street from Embarcadero to get a seat)
-- Have got up at least 3 times to give someone my seat (mostly ladies or old people)-- Erratic timings of trains (trains from Fremont to SFO leave at any arbit times - its impossible to plan anything)

All this given that Fremont and Union City have probably the largest community of BART riders. These days people beyond Union City dont stand a chance of getting a seat (sometimes not even people from Union City).

It almost feels like no one cares as to what happens to commuters on the Fremont line. As it is we had trains only once every 15 mins ...now even thats an old story ..a luxury ... I have tried speaking to BART employees at stations and also called the BART Customer Service line but everyone seems so apathetic to our plight.

I sincerely hope that something is done to address the concerns of thousand of riders like me.

-A

Holding India ransom ....is easy

2008-05-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Its one group one day ...its some other group the other day .....the latest being the Gujjar community. Strikes, protests, bandhs .....are the order of the day and its just so easy....to stir up something

http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/29/stories/2008052955561200.htm

I just dont get the idea of reservations and quotas. Do these people purposely want to demean themselves by getting themselves classified as 'SC'/'ST' just to get way with an easy life thanks to quotas et al. ?

I abhor the Indian govt and its vote-band politics for having even started paying attention to such matters. All the Mandal commisions and gujjars and whatever the $%^k these folks want ......Come on guys !!!! Are other people idiots ....are folks from poor families who dont belong to the 'ELITE' SC/ST tribes fools to slog for their daily bread and a decent life????? Why the heck should there be difference?? Life is tough ....and accept that rather than resorting to such dirty and pathetic tactics of bandhs and rail-roko craziness ..just to get away from HARD WORK !!!!!

-A

A double whammy !!!!

2008-05-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

I bow before thee...oh Lord of music ....ARR (A R Rahman)

The first Monday of this week ..May 19th - music buffs or in this case Rahmaniacs like me have been treated to a double whammy of sorts ....(to rahmaniacs - its called blessings in disguise) - two ARR albums released ....this day

ADA and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na - Each of them brilliant and each of them show in their own way why this man is unarguably the best ever that ever was ...that ever is and that ever will be.

Detailed reviews and comments to follow .....for now am just immersed in the magic that this man has created in these 2 albums ...

-A

Some numbers .....a thought

2008-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

China quake - 32,477 people with 220,109 injured (official figures)
Myanmar - death toll in Myanmar range from 68,833 and 127,990 (official figures)
The several hundred proxy and civil wars being fought on almost every corner of the earth this very instant ...lets add another several thousand ....shall we ?

Within a span of a week or two ....200,000 people wiped out from the surface of the earth ....and more dissappearing ...by the minute ....

I guess these numbers (and such incidents) have ceased to shock us anymore

On a different note ....guess Life is too cheap these days ....(Oil and other expenses are not)
Battles for Oil ....for power .....and well nature and its quirks are playing their part too ..

Whats this world coming to ????

-A

The coming weeks are really muziqqqal.....

2008-05-03T22:06:00.001-07:00

They are going to be a blast ..musically ....

Starting off with a 'Elbow' concert on the 8th to the KFOG Kaboom (Collective Souls) on May 10th and then onto next week when two of A R Rahman's soundtracks are releasing (as per latest reports ..13th and the 15th). I can't even remember the last time when two ARR albums came out this close to each other .....

Wow !!!!!!

-A

Blue and the story of the two 'Elbows'

2008-04-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Blue October now has officially received their stamp of approval from my stable - whether or not they want it is another question ....

I recently retreived yet another album of theirs - goes by the name of 'History for Sale'. Listening to this - what can quite easily be said is that these folks easily make it to my Top 10 of all times. The list which is headed by a certain Mr. ARR (Dil Se playin on my Ipod currently) is a formidable one ....in which probably the top 5 would be just Mr. ARR :-) (a hopelessly biased me) - Floydd, Collective Souls, Led Zep would figure there too. Being in this list is a tough ask ....but these guys probably have managed to enter this list.

Why?

Because ...they rock ...the lead vocals are amazing ..their bass usage rocks ...their use of violin is amazing ....they experiment ..and because ..their lyrics are also equally amazing.
And because I have 3 of their albums and I would give them almost 7 to 8 out of 10 on all of them.

Blue October - welcome to the list

The two Elbows

a) Elbow - a Brit, Manchestor, UK based band is another band I am hooked onto lately. Again, great experimental sounds, awesome bass usage and ofcourse great lyrics. Hearing their new album 'Seldom Seen Kid' and hv been hooked onto it for the past 2 weeks or so.
In fact, I am going to their concert into 2 weeks time (8th May, SFO) .yippieeee

b) My Elbow - has been in a terrible state of affairs lately - thanks much to the Tennis game on 'Wii'. Bought a Wii some weeks back and ever since then I have been non-stop at Tennis. No wonder ...I am having a torrid time with my elbow ...(is this whats called a 'Tennis Elbow' ???)

-A

Rocking along ....Blue October

2008-03-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

When I am not lost in the world of ARR, it has to be rock that keeps me going. Good rock ...good music ..though is hard to come by these days ....occasional flashes of brilliance here and there but most fade away ....

Anyway ...I hope Blue October (the reason for this post) is not something that falls into the above category ...

I first heard these guys on the VH1 countdown - their song "Into the Ocean" was what caught my attention. Some googling and some myspace page lead me couple of other songs by these guys ...and I was hooked on. Poppish Rock or Alternative if I can classify them as ...these folks as I understand are from Houston, Texas (which again is weird since they sounds European to the core). "Foiled" is their latest album (released 2007) and for which these guys were touring - and that's when I got a chance to attend their show at the Filmore,SF. A fantastic decision I must say - to go an watch these guys ...coz. it was just an amazing concert.

More recently though - I went bac in time to find some of their old albums and stepped on 'Consent To treatment' - i think an album from way back in 2000. Yet again ...dont think I did anything wrong ...these folks are incredible in that album too.

There's a couple of more albums of theirs that I guess I need to locate. Probably after that I can authoritatively say whether these guys are just a flash in the pan or not. I hope not ...cause I do really like their music. Its refreshing ...its new ...its good ...and its Rock.

Read more about Blue-October here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_October

-A

India blues

2008-03-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

I don't hate India

I don't hate Indian people

But I definitely hate whats happening to India - the result of the so called 'Economic boom' ...where along with increase in money that people have ..with the increase in affluence....there has been a proportional and corresponding decrease in realisation of social responsibilities ....abysmal changes in people's attitudes and deplorable state of civic and living conditions (well everyone has swanky cars and plush homes ...but what about the roads and public properties and roads)

More on this later but for now a pic from a recent India trip

More gory pics can be viewed thru the following link :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10100334@N03/sets/72157604156711994

-A

Jodha Akbar - the magic of A R Rahman

2008-02-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Jodha Akbar
Have been waiting to write this ever since I got my hands on this CD on Jan 19th but an India trip and a hectic work-week on return have delayed this ...

The wait has been so long. The music was rumored for a Oct 07 release...then Nov..then Dec..finally it hit the stands on Jan 19. Has it been worth the wait ?

O yeah !!!! Rahman scores and how !!!!
In one word ...Magical ...in two words ....Magically Brilliant.

There have been so many beautiful reviews floating around on the net that mine would probably only look too bland in comparison (should I write it???).

From the unmatched grandiose of Azeem-o-shaan to the wonderful devotional song Man-mohana..to the romantic stunner 'In Lamhon Ke Daaman' to the equally beautiful 'Jash-e-Bahara' ...finally the man himself crooning a devotional qawalli in 'Khwaja Mere Khwaja' - this album is an absolute stunner.

The first thing that stands out in this album is the crispness of sound that I have somehow been missing. The next is the beautiful use of instruments and less manufactured music (gizmuziqq as I call it). Finally the wonderful choice of voices. Brilliant !!!!

I am not going to write a review here but I wanted to mention some observations about couple of songs in this album

a) Khwaja Mere Khwaja - And you thought that a qawalli format song needs many voices. Did ya ? Well not when Rahman makes one. Each and every strain, each and every sound (human) belongs to Rahman in this song. Notice how he introduces a slight delay between two streams of the same song to make it sound like a chorus .....Genius ....Ingenious!!!!!! And I didnt even talk about the beauty of the lyrics or the music or Rahman's singing itself. I could write on and on.

b) In Lamhom Ke Daaman Mein - Trust Rahman to use Sonu Nigam's voice as elegantly as he does. Romantic numbers or Patriotic numbers in Sonu's voice and tuned by Rahman ...have a life of their own. This brilliant and unusual composition proves it yet again. This song is structurally so complex and different that again - only Rahman could have done it. Again ....I force myself to end this description here.

c) Azeem-o-Shaan - This one rocks purely for its intensity ...the Drums, the vocals ....whoa !!!'U r transported to a stage where you can almost feel the grand settings that will accompany this song on screen.

The wait for a Rahman album and the feeling once its out is just incomparable. There is simply no comparison ...nothing that even remotely comes close.

Each composition by this man...each bit is a world by itself ...its a tribute to God as Rahman puts it ...
There are a lot of things that I am thankful to in this world - probably right on top must be this man's music and the fact that I am able to appreciate and understand this. Not everyone recognizes or realises the magic and I only pray that one day ..they do.

Other stuff
Managed to get hold of 5.1 channel CD's of Boys and SOK. I wish each and every album were available in that format.

Coming soon - indian travails ......and pics from my india trip....

Happy Birthday to A R Rahman

2008-01-05T18:19:00.001-08:00

6th Jan

One more year ...one more birthday and the magic continues ...the man ...the music ...A R Rahman.

My heartfelt wishes and prayers for the man whose name and his music spells bless.
If there is God on Earth .....then I believe that he is one of the various forms.

Wishing him all the riches and blessings that exist.

And again ..thank you for the music ....and for what you have done for millions of people through music

-A

The World of Music ....

2007-12-20T15:14:00.000-08:00

I write after eons ...and it feels nice. There is so much to write about but I think I can only get myself to write about music - cause thats what truly drives me.

Its amazing how lost I am in the world of music - and more so in the music of one man ...A R Rahman - that I tend to ignore (and no qualms about it) almost anyone else. Nothing ..really nothing compares to the music of this man and nothing probably ever will. Quite simply - nothing can. If there is God or if you can experience God....then for me ..thats this man's music. For now I just wait for Jodha Akbar (the next offering ...)

Neway - a colleague of mine gave me a CD to listen to.

Turns out the artist is his brother and is quite a star in Nepal - Tsujil Karmacharya - the name. The album - his first solo release called "BHUMO". He is a music arranger, singer, guitarist (add modeling as one more feather to his cap).

I then heard the CD. Like I said - in my world of music - simply its Rahman and then others (they all fall in the category of others). Well in the category of others ...Tsujil has gained a high rank - a really high rank.
I think I am a hard person to impress and very tough critic when it comes to music. But this guy has done that quite easily. He has impressed me so much that I want to recommend him to Rahman.

I dont understand a word of Nepali (thats what the songs are in) - not even a single word - but the songs rock. The music ...the vocals, the guitaring, the layering - absolutely everything rocks. Each and every song is different - from pure rock to soft soothing numbers - this man does a fabulous job of everything. You can view the title song of this album here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqmQd6VKoz4

Will have a write up of all the songs soon. For now though ....the song in the link above should tell you what I am raving about.

-A

Of A R Rahman's ATM and other music

2007-10-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been so amazing for my musical senses and thats the reason for this post ...
An A R Rahman album, 3 rock albums .....all in a matter of 10 days ....what more could I ask for

First of all the Rahman album .... - Azhaigaya Tamil Magan

Extoll Begin
(
Slow poison ..they say ..is what Rahman's music is .....This one though caught me in a spin right from the word go. Poison alright ....but a dangerous and quick one this. An out on out commercial album. The songs from this album are kind of a statement from the magician ......and it goes like this
" Lessons on how the music of a commericial mass-masala movie should be" ...
An alternative title could be
" A beginners guide to masala movie music"

Without much further ado - a few words on each of the songs
a) Ellaappuhyagum
Probably the entry song for Vijay. The majestic way the song starts and builds....the guitaring...the way Rahman croons this number .....its amazing. This guy is full of energy. His brilliance also lies in the way he identifies the voice that will suit a particular song. That reflects here and I probably cant imagine anyone else singing this song.

b) Ponmagal Vandaal
I have hated remixes previously except for Rahman's "Thottal Poo Malarum" from "New". Probably I am biased or its just his magic ....but Rahman's remix here again puts me in awe. The rap bit in between and the rhythm by itself .....wow !!!!!!. Aslam's voice roxxxx.....

c) Nee Marilyn Monroe
Time and again, I have a tendency to start wondering how life would have been without Rahman's music ....of what it must have been had not there been anything to look forward to in my musical part of the life. It would have been bland ....for sure. This album and this song in particular just reaffirms that belief. The rhythmic guitar and some foot tapping beats throughout the duration of the song make it a great one. Not the forget the singers themselves - new singers from Rahman's camp I guess ....and yet again amazing voices.

d) Valayapathi
The brown-eyed boy from Rahman's camp .....Naresh Iyer ..is the soul of this song ..apart from the maestro's music itself. Classical beats, instruments, lyrics ....layered with lotsa Western interludes and some guitaring. How does this man think of such weird combinations of instruments and vocals !!!!! Oh man .....

e) Kaelaamal Kaiyile
This is a simple melodious number. Two more new singers and a great song. This one probably is the slowest in its poison effect.

f) Madhuraikku Pogadhadi
Now what sounds like a simple and mundane dappangu style Vijay song at start turns into an absolutely amazing foot-tapping number. Notice the drums/mridangam ....they dont follow the normal pattern - the arrangment and the way they are played are so complex that on the surface u won't notice. Notice..how they stop..and how they start and the patteren keeps on changing. There is a guitar strumming somewhere ...then there is a sitar I guess and the vocals after the first interlude - they completely change the tune of the song and then how beautifully he brings back it back to the original tune.

The album is a master-stroke. A statement like I said ...of how a out n out commerical film music should be. Read comparisons and review of this album on the net. Yes ..this is not an Alaipayuthe or a Dil-Se but this what it is. Suits the mood, suits the image of the hero - and thats what Rahman is doin these days. At the end of the day, what sells is what he has to make.

I bow again to you .....Rahman. There was man ....then he discovered sounds ....then music ...and then came Rahman :-) Beyond that ....I dont see anything else

)
Extoll end :-)

Other Music
Radiohead, Collective Souls, Eddie Vedder
Now thats quite a collection of names ..right and believe it or not in the past 10 days, I have heard an album from each one of them ....

Radiohead - In Rainbows - A brilliant assortment of traditional Radioheadistic music plus some nice experimentation in sounds and style, this album makes for a really good buy.

Collective Souls - Afterwords - I fell in love with their music thanks to their album called "Dosage" and proabably that was the first English rock album that I bought. 7 years on ..the magic of that album remains un-paralleled to date. This new album is as Collective soulistic as you could get. They do sound a lot like themselves in this album but its more towards "Dosage" than any of their other albums. By the way, I own all their albums ..starting their self-titled debut.

Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild - This is a soundtrack from the movie "Into the Wild" (by Sean Penn). Though no song is more than 3 mins (except for one of them), each one of them is truly brilliant thanks mainly to the compelling and 'by now you know it and you love it' vocals from Eddie (lead from Pearl Jam) and also thanks to the bass on each of them (kinda Pearl Jamistic).

So that my friends ..is what my past 10-15 days have looked like. Musically rich, pleasant to the ears ....and anyone who has seen me lately would have noticed a spring in the stride. Alllll ..thanks to music :-)

-A

Book Review - Imperial Life in the Emerald City

2007-09-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus .....

Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Very rarely have I read a book where reality and fact has been presented in such an amazing way that it becomes a page turner. Where the misgivings or should I say mis-doings of a country (just one more in the case of this one) have been so very clearly and beautifully documented and presented. This folks is nowhere though close to the full picture but yet makes the point - very clearly makes the grand point

The book is about Post-war Iraq (the recent war ....) - the fall of Saddam ...the before and after state of affairs, the establishment of a Democratic Iraq, the Americans who made millions of dollars - some in real but most in false contracts,about educational institutions, about iraqi military people who became insurgents, about industries which were so devastated that probably they will never recover and about so many other things that are wrong ....just fundamentally wrong that it makes your head reel.
Not that CNN and other some other journos /reporters have not reported about this earlier but this book makes for such an interesting read through a series of interviews,people and incidents that you almost live through a lot of it.

Makes you wonder whether the Iraq in the Saddam era - wasn't it better off. Wasn't it better when a majority of people could roam around freely, wasn't it better when there was enough generation of electricity to ensure that there were not frequent power outages, wasn't it better when students could go to their universities and wasn't it better when Iraq was a self sufficient country with at least the magic substance called "Oil' to play around with.

I dont know whether I am right or whether Rajiv is right - but all I know is that after Vietnam and Afghanistan (and probably Cuba ....and many other nations), this is yet another place where this country ..this so called 'Big Police of the world ....has gone wrong.

Iraq as a democracy and the war that the US claims to have won out there is a joke ... and this book probably brings it out better than anything I have read or seen previously

-A

15 ....it is

2007-08-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

I dont quite remember when Roja was released. When it released,I didn't know who starred in it. I didn't quite know who Mani Ratnam was. When it released, I didn't understand a word of Tamil and I think I saw Tamil movies just because they had some good stunts in them and because occasionally ..thanks to my sister, I knew that Illayaraja came out with some good tunes.

So when Roja released and in Delhi - all we got was a Video cassette - thats what we played on our brand new VCP. The audio obviously was not great but the only thing I noticed in that movie was the music (my folks understand Tamil but back then ..me as a 12 year old was blissfully unaware of that language). Then again - it was just naturally assumed to be Illayaraja. Next day before returning the Cassette, I rewinded the cassette and heard the songs again (I did not care to check who the music director was). Wow ...I liked them.

That was my first rendevous with the magical world of Rahman. A few days later, I guess it was through my sis's friend that I heard the music director's name - 'A R Rahman'.

15 years from then .....Who would have thought that

a) I would live and breath his music and his spirit.
b) Or that, I would have a Blog dedicated primarily to write about him and his music
c) Or that in my music player - I would have a Genre called 'Rahmanic'
d) Or that I will have each and every song that he ever composed.
e) Or that, I would never get bored of his music
f) Or that yet despite all of the above being true, I still haven't said enough about why I respect and adore this man and his music.

Well ....15 years and countless songs later, the essence of the man's music has not changed. His personality, his grace and his humility have not changed. What has changed is the number of people he has entranced and captivated and inspired.

Salutations to the music ....and the magic .....and his humility and all that he stands for. Salutations to A R Rahman and congratulations on completing 15 years in the movie world.

He has spent much more time though making music ...... So probably the congratulations should be for me for having completed 15 years (the association with his music :-))

-A

School of Rock .....

2007-08-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

The 2nd post in a day ....am I smoking or what .....

But ..just had to .....really ...just had to write about this movie .....'School of Rock'
I might have seen this movie 4-5 times but its playing again now and here I am - hooked on again ...watching the movie ...and writing this blog .....

The movie is about a guy who is a die-hard rock freak and who wants to keep it alive. The hope comes in the form of a class in a school where he is supposedly teaching mathematics (under an assumed teacher profile). From a maths class and nerdy kids to a Rock group who eventually almost win a rock contest - this movie is about that transformation ....and the passion in Rock .....and the fervour to keep it alive.

Jack Black ....is an actor who personifies incredible energy and passion. There is something about him and Rock music. It seems he indeed in real life too is a die-hard rocker - Has sung a couple of covers and even has an album out. An amazing energy is what he brings out on the screen no matter what he enacts.

One interesting trivia about this movie - The Immigrant Song (Led Zep) was for the first time allowed in a movie Soundtrack - it seems the kids and Black pleaded and requested at lenght for the rights for this song ...

I highly recommend this movie to not just Rock maniacs - but to absolutely anybody who loves music ...or who just wants to have a Fun time :-)

-A

A third of us live on Rs 20 a day ....

2007-08-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=10_08_2007_001_004&typ=1&pub=47

Though I am not going to speak too much about this - I guess this was always known or at least I believed that the Indian growth that we hear about ...was superficial. A few rich people ...who get richer by the day. Agreed that the quality of life has improved for a lot of people. Agreed that now we get all "Imporrrrrted' stuff back at home itself and and agreed that we have Starbucks, Walmart ...right at our threshold - but the comman man ...his life ...is still a struggle.

-A

Ways n Means ....

2007-07-05T11:22:00.001-07:00

I have realised one truth about myself (rather ...my musical self).

I think I am exploring new music/artists only to end up finding flaws in them and get an excuse to get back to the world of A R Rahman

My collection of music might have swelled closed to around 85 GB or so ...but the most precious are the 3-4 GB worth of music thats stored away as copies and copies of copies - which by now you might have guessed ..is the music of the magician 'Rahman'.

His track for Taj Mahal - is yet another shining example of his brilliance. Stated to have been composed in a huff (apparently, Rahman was approached at the last hour), it goes to show how even a small effort from him is miles ahead of anyone else in the current music sphere.

Anyway .....onto some New music

Electric Ganesha
Heard 'Electric Ganesha' (prasanna) a few days back - its a pretty decent one especially the track 'Dark Sundae in Triplicane'

Young Modern
by Solverchair - must say ..they are back with a bang. a pretty good album ..though its not ur typical grungish Silverchair ...this time around. I would classify this album as Alternative ..modern rock ...
The track 'Straight Line' rocks.

Who we are
by Lifehouse .....okish album ...nuthing ground-breaking as their first self-titled album. These guys now sound the same with each passing album

Life in Cartoon Motion
by Mika ....coooooooooooool album ....Popish pop/rock :-) ....

Bono - Collected Solo works ( 6-CD).
ny Bono obviously ......now this one is a one to cherish ......it rocks ...specially the title song from the movie OST 'In the Name of the Father'

-A

The Ticket .....

2007-05-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

The ticket to the magical world .......of Rahman

-A

Innocence

2007-05-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

What else in this world could represent better - the innocence and beauty of life ... judge for yourself ......

p.s. - this by the way is my two-month old niece.

-A

The demise of Rock' ...Creed' revisited....Rahman and some Pics

2007-04-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Good new music is hard to find ....

And a Good new classy Rock album is an even rarer commodity these days ....An occasional Coldplay (yes yes ..I know that they are not exactly rock) or a LP/RHCP/U2 or newbies like Blacklab etc. display a faint glimmer oh radiance and hope but nah !!!

Its with this thought that when I was scrolling through my iPod list that I stopped to listen to Creed - one of the last few good grunge Rock acts that came through in the 90's - lead by vocalist Scott Stapp , an awesome guitarist Mark Tremonti, Bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Philips. Mind you - they released just 3 albums and a lot of covers but all their albums (from 'My Own Prison' to 'Human Clay' to 'Weathered' ) are sparkling examples of what you can classify as Pure Grunge rock .....everything from their vocals to the bass to the drums echoed the sentiments of any true rock buff ....

Well ...and then it happened as has with many a good groups in the past...the group officially split up in the summer of 2004 and another good ensemble was lost .....ah !!!! to the frustration of many a fans ....

You can read more about this group here: <Creed>

Rock is dying ...and to be honest ...I am better off hearing stuff from the good old days ..the 60's and the 70's and then Floydd ....the stuff that you hear today is so over the board and nonsensical that my head spins when I think about it :-

A R Rahman and Sivaji

And thank god for A R Rahman ....if it hadn't been for his freshness and the depth and variety that he exhibits ..I might have been in a comatose state by now (musically speaking .....)

btw ..heard Sivaji ....and its yet another perfect example of the Rahman effect ...you hear it once and u r bound to dismiss it ...u hear it again ..ah ...u hear some things that u like ...u hear it again ..it starts and u hear it again .....Wow !!!! The verdict changes dramatically and you find yourself drawn into hearing each and every song again and again .....

So much as been written about this man and his music on the net and on print media that anything I write here would seem just a repetion. I guess though that whatever and howmuch so ever is written or said, it still aint enough to capture the true escence of the man and his music ...

In Sivaji - The Boss ....Rahman is the boss of the music and he stamps his authority all over the album ....the man has such an amazing command over his orchestration, percussion and the rhythm - that it gels so perfectly in each n every song.

Pics

-A

A new cam ...

2007-03-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Now I have 3 of them ...

a N65 ...Nikon (SLR)
a DSC-V1 ...Sony (point n shoot)
a EOS D350 ..Canon (DSLR)

the DSLR, the latest one to be added is probably the one that I have always been waiting for ...this post shall henceforth have a lot of pics ......other than the usual musical blabber

I just love the world in BnW ...everyone ..everything seems so equal ...and everything is in harmony ....so expect a lot of equality and harmony .... :-).

p.s. - Obviously, I am no expert here...I shoot for the joy of it and so don't expect any magic or brilliance here ...

Musically, life has been quiet ....so nothing to add .....heard the new Korn album(MTV Unplugged) ...a good mellowed down one ...considering their usual loud self ....

-A

The Seeker .....the Suggestor ...the Recommender

2007-02-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

I seek music ..I suggest music, rather I recommend it ...and I love music ....
So my search led me to 3 new groups ...which I now recommend ...

Rocco DeLuca and the Burden - I Trust you to Kill me
Rocco DeLuca and the Burden are a four-piece American alternative and non-conformist rock and roll band from California who formed in late 2005 (Source: Wiki)

My take - Alternative, Country Rock, an experimental band .....with great vocals,lyrics and wonderful orchestration ...

Blacklab - Heard on the Shield season 6 Promo
Got hooked onto their songs thanks to the new Shield season 6 promo that airs on the box these days - it goes by the name of 'This Night' .

Alternative, modern Grunge rock - these folks sound like a lot of other bands you might heard in the past ...but still are different in the sense that they don't go too loud or too nonsensical in their lyrics. The bass is predominant in their music and so is the metal .....gud one this and a grouo to watch out for ...

Blue October - Foiled
Heard them on the VH1 countdown over the weekend ..they were in the top 10 ...a track called ..'Into the Ocean' ...heard couple of other songs ..and ended up buying tickets for their concert at the Filmore on Apr 1st. Then also went and got their most recent album ...'Foiled' ...

Alternative ..yet again, Modern Rock...almost a Brit Rock feel to these folks ....
The thing about this group is that they sound too uncoventional ....almost Popish at times ...but yet they Rock ....use the violin a lot and percussion too .....

On a Sidenote
For a brief period of time, I had almost lost faith in new music and I had begun to think that Hip-hop and punk have taken over ......
With a rare Coldplay album once in 3 years or a RHCP once in 2 years - A R Rahman and the old classic stuff like Zepplin or CCR or Doors being the only respite for my ears ....but over the past few weeks, I have started believing that there is hope ....there is hope for Rock and there is hope for me .....

-A
p.s. - Rahman still towers way abve everyone else though :-)

Pray for me brother ....by A R Rahman

2007-02-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

An Indian singing an English song typically sends a eerie feeling a.k.a a chill down my spine :-) and what I typically end up doing is changing the channel or hitting the forward button. Though occasionally an Indus Creed or a Parikrama did catch my attention, I have never quite come to accept it ....then there was the Great Indian Rock (an annual event in Delhi) that caught my attention but there again except for a band or two everything seemed so unnatural ....and unacceptable .... :-)

But then Rahman also is unnatural ...but ....he is acceptable ...and not just that ...he absolutely rocks and he absoutely kicks a## !!!!!
Bought 'Pray for me Brother' recently- and thats the reason for this post .... This is a single in English by Rahman - heard it ..absorbed it ...and got blown away by it ...the verdict is clear

Rahman ...whatever he does ...stands out and he simply stands tall ...and there is no doubt that it.....

A little about the song itself...Rahmans voice as always is magical and he blends it in so well with the flow of the song that you for a moment might not notice where the music begins and where his voice starts .....and it almost merges with the music ...such is the beauty of this man ...his voice..the music ..and the way he has mixed everything ...the rap by Blaze ..and the stanza towards the end .....ah ......thats Divine .....

Then ..there is the video of this song .....shot in b&w and in the vertical format (for cellphones they say) which is equally good....

I believe that the song is available in UK Itunes and is shortly going to be available in US too (will buy it again so that I can put it onto my iPod ..) ...

-A

Heard and Hearing ....

2007-01-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

Blue Umbrella - Vishaal (2006)
A great album - 3 songs and the remaining are all teeny-weeny instrumentals. For those who might not know, Vishaal is a great Director too ....if Maqbool and Omkara are enough to form an opinion. Blue Umbrella, his latest offering is a children's movie and as he does for his other movies, he gives a great score here too.

Fatboy Slim - Greatest Hits (2006)
Great collection of their hits from the yester years .... luv the song ...'Brimfull of Asha' - song dedicated to Bollywood and more accurately Asha Bhosle)

Clash - The Singles
Nothing new. Hadn't heard them in a while ....so got this album recently and hearing them all over again.

Also hearing a lot of Salil Chaudhary .....

-A

Eureka Eureka.....

2007-01-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

In the past 2 weeks or so, I have more or less arrived at some starting conclusions about - when actually I started getting interested in music or should I put it - that I first started to notice music.

No, its not A R Rahman with whom my earliest memories are associated to (though he certainly is the one who influenced me and turned me into an absolute music lover), nor RD Burman or SD Burman. As I think back and reflect on my past, I remember that I had heard, noticed and liked the songs from an old Dilip Kumar movie - 'Madhumati'. I also liked the songs from a Malayalam movie 'Chemeen' , the Hindi movies 'Anand', 'Chotti Si Baat', 'Rajnigandha', 'Half Ticket' ....and some other Malayalam movie songs.

The music was different, the arrangements were great and they had those unpredictable moments here and there in them. That's what probably caught my ears. Most of all, they were original and had a fun feel to them whether it was a slow number or a pacy one.

For anybody who has closely followed the music of this great music composer, I am sure he/she must have guess that I am speaking about none other than 'Salil Chaudhary'. Here was a music director, who like Rahman was much ahead of his times and was different. He dared to be different - he played with a varied number of sounds, instruments, unconventional beginning and ending of songs and choruses and a whole other aspects of music. I haven't heard much of his work to speak more about him like I can about Rahman. But all I can say is that Salil da (as I think he was known to a lot of people) was a great music composer - surely one of the greatest India has had.

So here's to Salil Chaudhary and his music ...A Salute and a Cheers.

You can read more about him and his music at http://www.salilda.com/

-A

Happy Birthday to the one and only ....

2007-01-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

Birthday wishes to the man who to me

Defines music
Defines humility
Defines divinity
Defines life
Defines magic
Defines joy
Defines every good virtue that probably exists

and defines probably a lot more than I can put in words here

Happy Birthday to A R Rahman on his 41st birthday on Jan 6th .....

-A

Divine .....is thy music ...

2006-12-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

Some recent words from A R Rahman

"Music is my means of connecting with the divine. What cannot be put into words, can be expressed through music. When one listens to music, one closes one's eyes because music is an expression and celebration of the divine

There are countless names of God, which we cannot utter simultaneously, but through a soulful composition, we can experience the whole power of God's presence amidst us "

Only an absolute gem of a person can have such thoughts ...
and thats what A R Rahman is ...a gem, a divine being himself ....

And your music is what helps a lesser mortal like me connect to the divine ....
I thank u ....

p.s. - the complete article can be found here
Link to TOI Article

x-mas weekend ...

2006-12-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

23rd Dec
4:00 a.m.
start on a looooooooong drive .....
Rahman all the way ...it is .....
2:00 p.m.
Arrive at san diego (10 hrs later) ...check-in to the hotel room ......sleep ....
6:30 p.m.
Search for a starbucks ...have coffee ....
search for a hang-out place ....lots of places to do that ...pick one .....get drunk ....
dinner ...desi ....coool place ....
float around in downtown ....

24th Dec
9:00 a.m.
breakfast@starbucks
10:30 a.m.
seaworld ....for the next 5 hrs
5:00 p.m.
san diego beaches .....wowwwwww
7:30 p.m.
hangout@TGIF + meet up pals
12:00
zzzzzzzzzzzz

25th Dec
Merry Christmas
9:00 a.m.
forced to wakeup
packing .........
11:00 a.m.
Checkout ...followed by dinner
12:30 p.m
beach@lajolla - wowwwwww
1:30 p.m
the journey back ....
again ...Rahman all the way ...

hmmmm ......wish I never had to return bac .....

-A

Cheers to A R Rahman ...

2006-12-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Now heres a a double bill ....
Rahman won awards for both the Best music as well as the Best background music for his score in Rang De Basanti ...at the GIFA Awards couple of days back.

And as if its the icing on the cake, 3 of his compostions(see below) have also found their way into the 56 songs short-listed for an Oscar in the original song category.

“Chan Chan” from “Water”
“Khalbali” from “Rang de Basanti”
“Luka Chuppi” from “Rang de Basanti”

Though the actual 5 or 6 nominations won't be announced until Jan 23 and not sure whether Rahman's songs will find their way into that too, can't help but feel thrilled about this ....

read more abt this at...
http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.12.08.html

-A

Can't think of a Title ......

2006-12-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder, whether or not Rahman's music has created a protective blanket for my ears or set standards so high, that any other music just sounds so bland, so unimportant and so repulsive at times. I used to consider myself a good music critic - now though when everything starts and ends with Rahman, I guess am no longer one. Obviously, I am not sad about that :-) for what he has created in the past 14 years - each and every bit, each and every song, each and every tune - is enough to make me happy for a lifetime.

I remember a episode from the monthly news diary - Newstrack (probably 12-13 years back) where some music directors had called Rahman a 1-film wonder, a speck so immaterial who would disappear into the darkness in no time. Boy !!!! I knew at that time that they were wrong and how. So so wrong were they .....

Salaam-e-Ishq
Heard ...Salaam-e-Ishq today- the latest offering from Shankar EL. Know what !!! in a world without Rahman's music - this album would have been fine, just fine. But not in a world where just about 2 weeks back 'Guru' had been released, not in a world where me and my girl were playing just Rahman all through the morning and not in a world where my car just plays Rahman (through my ipod).

Shankar EL are getting too repetitive. They are a good group - better than the Himesh's and the Pritam's of the world. In fact, they would rank behind ARR and Vishaal Bharadwaj in my list.
But this album just about sounds where they left off in KANK or any of their previous albums.

My recco - not worth a buy but ok for a ' hear'.

Oldboy
Saw this great South Korean movie ....Oldboy. Not for the weak-hearted and definitely a tough story to digest (note that this movie was copied in bollywood too as 'Zinda' which was ok but the story was attuned to suit the Indian conservation indian audience).

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Reading this book - a Pulitzer prize winning attempt, I think. Its a really gud read about two boys (cousins to each other) who want to make it big in this world and are inspired by Houdini and comic strips. A full review once I finish reading it.

-A

Weekend

2006-11-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

Two days, saw Casino Royale (the new bond is pretty decent), drove around, hogged like anything, slept like a log, surfed the net, watched some tennis, forgot everything about the place called gym.. didn't go for jogging, didn't play anything ....i look bac and this is what i see :-( ..aaaaaaarghhhh !!!!!

the one gud thing that i did though, heard guru over and over and over .....all the while
the verdict is clear ...rahman rocks ...yet again :-)

-A

Guru ...

2006-11-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

The promos were great, the song bits were great and now the album, its as good as it can get.

Just 4 hrs since I laid my hands on this album and I guess I have been hearing it in a loop ever since ....

'Tere Bina' takes you to a world where you have rarely been - specially Rahman's voice ....and the vocal interludes and the lyrics. The orchestration so simple and yet so wonderful - each instrument has its own stellar role to play. Just reinforces my belief, that I am blessed to born in the age of probably the greatest ever musician.

'Aye Hairathe' - Its a long time since I heard Hariharan's voice blending so much into a song and making it heavenly. Yet again, just simple orchestration but the rythm, lyrics and again the genious of Rahman sparkles in this song.

'Barso Re' - Probably the fastest number in the album and its a joy. Rahman brings back the flute in this album - and there cudn't be a happier person to hear it than me :-). A typical Rahmanic fast peppy number this with great rythm beats - yet again the vocal interludes are amazing.

'Jaage Hain' - Want some inspration - want a song to lift ur spirits when you are down ? Want some wonderful orchestration ? Want a great song ? This is the one for u .....Rahman's voice yet again ...breaks into the song at around 3:00 mins into the song ....(before which is just music)

'Mayya' - An arabi or a turkish mix song ....this song is currently rising up by charts (will update this space later). Its a wonderful number nevertheless.

'Ek Lo Ek Muft' - Bappi Lahiri has sung this situational song pretty well. Rahman's music is experimental but is awesome. The instruments used in this song again puzzle me. I am hearing sounds which I can't even associate to any instrument I have heard before.

'Jaage Hain' - This song also is in the process of rising up on my charts (will update this space later).

Somehow I feel that the previous associations of Rahman and Mani Ratnam have been probably in a different league (better ?), but its still early days to comment (hardly 4 hrs since I laid my hands on this album). And I may very well eat my words soon. Its growing like the beanstalk in Mr. jack's story , the music ...the thrill ...

Rahman ...yet another album ...yet another winner ....and at the end of the day, the winner is yet again Music and music crazy fans like me.

The wait now for the movie ....

-A

Baba O'Riley

2006-11-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland ......

and thats couple of lines from the song Baba O'Riley .....one of the songs that contributed to the growth of my musical appetite and ultimately turning me into an absolute rock fannnnnn.

The band - "The Who" and I saw them live this past Wednesday. The Who rocked the HP Pavillion at San Jose. Die hard rock folks won't need an introduction to this band who has been to an extent responsible for shaping the face of a genre of music. The list of their hits is just innumerable and they played just about all of their key hits at the concert.

i thank my luck that I was able to witness this event .......unfortunately though, no pics from the event since cameras and recorders were not allowed.

-A

A genre called 'Rahmanic'

2006-10-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Theres Classic, theres Psychedelic, theres Alternative, theres Carnatic, theres Hindustani and countless more .....

And then theres Rahmanic ....I guess its more than fair enough to say that its a Genre in itself ...how many times have you ended up saying that this sounds like Rahman or that its that Rahman flavor .....countless number of time I guess ....

So heres to 'Rahmanic' ...definitely a Genre now and definitely the best sound for my ears.
I write this on the day I feel that I now am in the possesion of almost each and every track that the man has ever composed (thanks to a friend, who himself is a great A R Rahman fan)

-A

A flying India visit, music and more ...

2006-10-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yet again, its been more than a month since my last post .....
A Chicago visit, an India visit and now back to SFO - thats what happened in the past one month.

The India visit was a really ...really.... short one - 15 days of which more than 2 days were spent flying to n fro from India. As for the days in India itself, the split goes like this
Bangalore - 4 days,
Delhi - 2 days,
Kerala - 1 day
Chennai - the remainder of my days with my folks

So I was flying and going around in taxis even in my flying visit to India - whew !!!! Now I need a vacation after a vacation ..I feel ...

I certainly need to write a lot about India which I will for sure in the coming days. The so called economic growth and industrialization and all that crap ....but not in this post. (having read the last line, u must surely know what the tone of my writing would be ...)

Music
The Music scene has been really dull recently. Blame it partly on Rahman who has so few releases and blame it partly on the other music artistes who are as bland as ever.

While in India, I did manage to hear some new classical stuff which I did end up buying. Nothing great but music for the music starved ears. Picked up a couple of Malayalam and Hindi stuff too - again nothing great to write about at length here .... (except the old Hindi movie album 'Dhoop' - which probably has some of the best Ghazals and compositions I hv ever heard)

Movies
Got the DVD of RDB (Rang De Basanti) for dirt cheap ...there was a special offer while I was in India .....really a steal at Rs. 199.
Got the DVD of Alaipayuthe too - thats for my gal - its her favorite movie ....

Saw two new Hindi movies which deserve a mention here ...

Khosla ka Ghosla
An amazing movie with no real stars except Boman Irani and Anupam Kher - have to rate this as one of the best comic movies I have seen in the recent past. A must see.

Dor
A poignant and touching tale of 2 women (its inspired from a Mallu movie - which I heard was inspired by a book - Inspirations galore ....) . The star of the movie was undoubtedly Iqbal a.k.a Shreyas Talpade - boy !!!!! this guy is a startling revelation - an amazing mimic and an original actor nevertheless (which the movie 'Iqbal' brought out brilliantly).

Day to Day Life
gas prices are back to normal, SFO weather has been amazing this week, its Diwali today/tomorrow, its Friday today, got my car washed yesterday, reading a Jefferey Archer after a loooooong time (cat o nine tales) , listenin to music all the time, watching Chunking Express and working .....

-A

Its really been a while ...

2006-09-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, it exactly been a month now. Lying low is me but life goes on ....Memphis ..Chicago..and now back to SFO, thats what I have been doing the past month ...

And as for the world ....People figthing each other, blasts here and there, hatred, traffic ....the same old stories ..nothing in this world ever changes ....

I seem to have the lost the knack of writing .....for words are failing me right now ....want to write about a lot of stuff but nuthing ...blank ..absolutely blank am I !!!!!

So back to Music and Books ...music first ...

Music:
a) Stellar Road - Heard this rock band at the Navy Pier at Chiacgo. No new band has ever managed to impress me this much the first time I hear them. A rock solid 2 hour hearing is what I gave them and was floored for sure ...they put up such an awesome show of guitaring and vocals that we stood there stunned. Got a CD of theirs ('Better than Yesterday') - great buy it..plays in my car day and night (and Rahman of course :-))

b) Bob Dylan (Modern Times) - The lyrics are gud ..the music is really gud ...Bob Dylan is great but dude ....I can't seem to understand what u r saying ....might be my judgement ....but neverthless, the vocals are not clear .....

c) Audioslave (Revelations) - Definitely a gud buy ....considering that their last album was a dud and was definitely worth nuthin at all .....

d) Don (Hindi) - Simply ignore maadi ....except for one song (Aaj ki Raat ...by Alisha Chinoy)

Its amazing how even though there are a gazillion musicians across the world and a zillion styles and form of music of which I might probably be hearing around a billion different ones (probably boasting about my music mania) but finally what soothes me and what makes me happy about discovering the joy of music is Rahman ....A R Rahman ....there was, there is and there never will be anyone like him ....this as I wait for the music of 'Provoked' and 'Guru' - the next Rahman albums looming large on 'my musical horizon')

Books:
a) Glass Palace - by Amitav Ghosh - a good fictional fast paced novel set in the pre-independence era about an indian boy in burma and his subsequent travails and his life and lives of people connected to him in some way or the other ...

b) Two Lives - by Vikram Seth- good one...a biographical account of his Uncle and Aunt.

c) Tipping Point - by Malcolm Gladwell - an ok book about social epidemics and behavior

Over and Out ...

-A

New York Nagram ...and SOK

2006-08-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

How many times can you hear a song over and over again till you are not tired if it ?
5 times, 10 times, 20 times, 30 times, never ....

The song 'New York Nagram' from the album Sillunu Oru Kaadhal probably for me falls into the last category. Everything about the song ....its music, its lyrics, the vocals by Rahman is absolutely perfect. The humming at the start, the strumming of the guitar, the beats and then the vocals, Rahmans voice breaks through and the magic starts .....I probably have no words to describe this song ..hear it to experience it .....blessed am I ....really really blessed am I :-)

The album itself ....is an awesome one :
1) Title track - Jillunu Oru Kaadhal by Tanvi - with its amazing Jazz and Blues feel is one of the best I have ever heard.

2) Kummi Adi - An amazing dance number with beats the probably will force u to get up an dance. Again, the choice of vocals in this song are amazing - how does Rahman know who will sound good for a song ...how does the man know when to stop a particular singer and get the next one started ....a perfect demonstration of playing with voices, in this song ...this one was the one which initially got me hooked onto this album ...

3) Munbae Vaa - What can you say about a romantic song, that has Shreya Ghosal and Naresh Iyer in them and music by Rahman ....it has to be fabulous and sure it is .....again ....beautiful interludes with vocalists doing the 'Rangoli Bit' ....stunning ..piece .....

The remaining songs ...they are situational ones, wonderful orchestrations in each of them ..

The wait now for the movie .....

Today - 15th August is India's independence day .....wishes to everyone

-A

Lows, Highs and another Memphis Trip

2006-08-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Some lows, some highs and a Memphis trip .....that sums up my time over the past few days ...

Lows being some lapses in plans laid out for this month ....some more months of pain to endure now thanks to some great people.

The High being the "over with the waiting period" for the release of a Rahman album ...yes JOK or SOK as now its called (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal)

Memphis yet again
Am in Memphis as I write this post ....a official trip ....its scorching hot here as is the rest of the country ....

Went to Beale street this time ....they say its the street which breathes Jazz n Blues and it sure did ... Heard the Memhis Jazz Orchestra for an hour or so ....awesome experience ..I must say ....
There were so many artistes playing out on that street on that Sunday evening that, for a person like me and my colleague, both of us so much into music, it was more than we could handle. There was this little boy (probably 12-13 years old) who was playing the trumpet on the street ..and probably he was the biggest crowd-puller. Such an amazing control he had on the instrument that none of us could stop raving about it ...even my colleague who himself is a part-time professional Trombone player ....
Guess we will head out to beale street again on Thursday night ...

The trip ends on Friday .....

SOK or JOK by AR Rahman
or shall I say ...food for the music starved ...
7 songs ....3 of them which have already captivated me downright....the rest of them still making their way up my musical veins :-)

I won't comment like some others on the net saying that this is going to be a hit or not. Though what I say is that some will like it and some won't. Though, for any die-hard rahmaniac like me, this is yet another awesome album ....

As for Rahman the singer, I should say, that with each passing song he croons, he surpasses himself all over again ....

today is a day to drown ....drown in a Rahman magic called 'Jillunu Oru Kaadhal'.
today might also be a day to drown in a pool (the temp. here is a scorching 105).
today is also a day of sadness as have been the past few days...

life goes on ....

more on JOK/SOK later ...

-A

I need a happy book .....

2006-07-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am really bad at picking books or maybe I am bad at taking recommendations on what to read or maybe I just like reading sad books - the 3 books I have read in the past couple of months have all been so depressing -

A House for Mr. Biswas,
Fine Balance,
Anil's Ghost.

Depressed people, war, people who are victims of bad circumstances or corruption - thats all there was ...the harsh truth of life and as we all know - Truth Hurts.

Add to that the war in the middle-east ( and the stunning coverage by CNN particularly Anderson Cooper) and the other calamities (natural - tsunami or man made -war, iraq ..and violence) and you have a really depressed person i.e. me

I need a happy book now ....
Whats a Happy book though ? According to me - a happy book is something that will make me happy by way of humour or by way of telling a plain simple story which is relaxed and casual.
And so I hunt for a happy book :-) . Lets see what I find ...

MUSICALLY ....
I am pretty much still bored ...though I heard two albums which I had been trying to get my hands on (or ears on??) for a long time now -

Dire Straits - Live at the BBC and
Metallica Gold - acoustic

Both get a thumbs up from me :-)

Rahman and his music(new music) have completely dissappeared from the surface of this earth, it seems and so the wait continues.

-A

The Way I see It...Starbucks

2006-07-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

"The way I see it" series on the Starbucks coffee cups is good- ...for instance this one ...

"Change the world, but be careful how you change with it"

I like Starbucks and what they have done to the coffeee industry and drinkers (addicts???). Oh yes, their drinks are priced pretty high ...and yes there is criticism all around for them ....but still ..I like them.

One of the reasons probably why I like them - is that they promote Music - music of all kinds and forms not just by famous folks and labels but even small timers and kutti labels ...

-A (a self proclaimed sbux addict)

Bad day for mumbai ....and music

2006-07-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

The date 11th July - 6 or 7 blasts in mumbai... more than 100 dead...

Just fail to understand this - just a day or so after I wrote that I believe in the existence of a power called God - I am forced to ask myself whether I was and I am right. I don't know...really don't know...

Death and such dastardly acts are becoming so common-place now ...over the past 2 days ... airplane crashes in siberia and pakistan, bombings in iraq and now mumbai ...

Music

A sad day for music too ...Syd Barrett of Floydd died today (aged 60). He died a natural death though (diabetes being the cause). Though I think Syd hadn't recorded with Floydd beyond the early 70's, he was one of the founding members and a lead vocalist and guitarist for the band at one time. Didn't know this but the wonder number 'Shine on you crazy diamond' is supposed to be a tribute to Barrett. Anyway, a diamond he was and will be a legend in his own right ...forever

-A

Family & friends

2006-07-09T01:37:00.000-07:00

Suddenly ...dunno why I feel like thanking my parents, my sister, my friends, my gal and God (yes ..I do believe in the existence of this power) - for everything and for being there for me.

Don't know how many of us who have a family and who have friends realise their importance and their role in making you, who you are and for bringing smiles to your face when you are sad and unhappy or just like that.

Aaaaah ..finally a post with no mention of music .....he he :-) I did mention when I started this blog that this will have something to do with my family ...he he ..finally I have one post :-).

Jokes apart ......Some people might argue for the sake of arguing against this post...but nevertheless ....I feel I needed to thank them.....so there it is ..

-A

Summer Time ....

2006-07-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Summer is here ...
The sun is out more often ...
I can see the Bay Bridge from my window daily :-)

My first summer in California, this - and I just pray and pray that the sun shines for a long long time, this summer. Not that seattle summers were any bad - for the past 3 years, I guess we had the summer season extending almost till Oct.

MuSiQq
Carnatic overdose
Was and being treated to an overdose of Carnatic and Carnatic fusion since the past few days. The long weekend was spent with some relatives on the east coast who really gave me and my gal some real 'shots' of Carnatic music. Time well spent and the ears well fed with that music.
Since I have been back, though, I have got my hands at some carnatic fusion stuff including Kadri Gopalnath and other artrists.
Goooool .......(Good + Cool)

Keane - Under the Iron Sea
They sound like Travis...
Wait.... they sound at times like Coldplay....
But wait again ....they sound like Starsailor too ....
Well, what the heck - all Brit groups sound like each other ..thats the conclusion I have finally arrived at....

This album is good though ...a nice one if you liked Keane's first album and if u like soft Brit Rock(or will they call it Pop ???)

Omkara - hindi OST by Vishaal
Omkara's music works ....
It works due to multiple reasons
a) The movie has a nice theme - Othello ..I guess and so the songs have to fit the mood
b) The movie is by Vishal himself and he normally gives good music for his movies
c) Vishal is a good music director
d) I just suffered a big dissapointment which goes by the name of KANK (refer to my earlier post)
e) Rahman still hasn't had a new release :-)

The last two reasons are personal ones and have nuthing absolutely to do with 'Omkara' itself :-)

Rahman - Signature tune for Worldspace
A 1 minute brilliance. Sheer magic. Hear it urself at the Worldspace India site to believe it ....
Rahman rocks ..yet again .....

-A

Fluid and Infiniti

2006-06-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

Two great albums from the Indian sub-continent, one from Rahman's flautist, Naveen and the other by Salman Ahmad - lead guitarist of Junoon

Fluid (Naveen)
A must hear for any Rahman fan - no offence meant but every piece in this album has a distinct rahmantic feel - well of course, he has spent nearly 10-12 years in Rahman's company. But at the same time, Naveen the brilliant flautist is remarkable in each track on this album.

1) Fluid - the track is a fast one, an apt start for this album with Naveen's flute fitting perfectly between the other orchestration. Drums and bongos make part of the orchestration on this track.

2) Bombay Theme - Well, we all know this one ...we have heard this and so has every one else in the world, I guess. But what we didn't hear is the version in this album. Naveen gives a rousing start to this song - in fact for the first 2:25 minutes of the track, you wonder, why its called Bombay Theme - not that you don't enjoy the music but then wheres what you are waiting for ?
2:26 and the ever familiar music starts ..Amazing is the word - the remaining part is also modified with vocals and other instruments and it all fits perfectly. Well, we all know this song ...I end how I started

3) Mohana - Excellent orchestration again - folks this album is not just about the Flute, believe me, its the orchestration too. Since I just have the mp3 right now (will get the CD tomorrow), I don't know who the arranger is. Diverted from the point - This track is a beautiful classical composition with the mridangam, veena and guitar all in perfect ensemble - did I forget something, oh yes - the Flute. Divine and Sublime. Probably my pick from this album.

4) Chennai Rain - Celebrating rain in Chennai ? Maybe - I don't know the context p but all i know is that this track is a nice rythmic one with fast and perfect dance beats.

5) Jiya Jale - A rendition of the classic 'Jiya Jale' song from Dil Se. Nice guitar strumming in the background. Good one.

6) First Light - A soft number - kind of has a Jazz flavour to it with a nice rythm overall.

7) Symphony - Again a soft number - by this time, you start wondering whether this guy has anything left to achieve in the art of playing the flute. I guess, not.

8) You and I - And you thought that the best of the album was done ? Wait till you hear this one. Brilliant guitaring, vocals, flute and then the lyrics, the main song itself sung by kids I guess - 2:46 when the kids start singing in their cute little voices :-). And at 3:43, the song breaks free into another zone - Amazing one this ....

9) Essence - A fitting end to the album, a soft one again with great orchestration consisiting of the tabla, sarod, mridangam and a lot of other instruments. A trifle long though.

You rock Naveen and so does your album ...

Infinite (Salman Ahmad)
Not writing a detailed review of this one since this is an old one (nearly a year now) . Salman Ahmad for those who are not aware is the lead guitarist and I guess the founder of 'Junoon', one of the most well known bands from Pakistan.

Great guitaring, great percussion and some great vocals in this one.

My picks
Natchoon Gi, Ghoom Tana (original and remix), Do Dil, Al-vida, Tu Lung Ja

Winner
Who wins out of the two albums mentioned above ?????
The winner at the end of the day is music - and all music fans like me - across the globe

-A

"World Music" Day

2006-06-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

June 21st(yesterday) happened to be "World Music" day as I discovered today ....

"World Music" is just another one of the classifications that have found their way into Music dictionaries of the world.

Wikipedia says - "world music" refers to any form of music that is not part of modern mainstream Western commercial popular music or classical music traditions, and which typically originates from outside the cultural sphere of Western Europe and the English-speaking nations.

Anyway, belated happy 'World Music' day .......please note ..its not "World Music Day" :-)

-A

About Kite Runner and more

2006-06-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
A review in one word for this book would be - Fantastic

Rarely has a book caught my full attention and interest the way, this book did. 310 pages or so and all it took was around 4 hours of which the last 200 were dealt with in 2 hours - in a flight from SFO to Seattle.
Since this review is not intended to be a spoiler, all I will write is this ...

The book is set in Afghanistan during its earlier hey days and then its rough ride thanks to the Russians/Americans. Its about two little boys who are great pals, their lives as they grow up and the events that interwine their lives. - Amir and Hassan. A simple one, this book, but one that manages to keep you interested with its pace and simplicity.

A highly recommended read ...

Music

Nuthing great that I have heard this week, got hold of a Bob Dylan-Unplugged album, pretty decent one, though obviously, I already had hear their album versions earlier.

Heard some new Hindi stuff too - the only one worth mentioning though is Strings-Bound by Faith by Zubeen Garg. Its worth a try if you want something different.

I still maintain that KANK (refer last post) is just an Ok album contrary to the great reviews and coverage its getting. Its hyped ..and surely in a big way ...thanks to the cast and the director .... Sorry... but thats my take and it will stay that way.

-A

The wait ...

2006-06-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

The wait for a Rahman album when you know one is round the corner somehere - is just unbearable...as I discover here - waiting for JoK (Jillunu Oru Kaadhal) to release.....

And so while I waited I heard KANK(Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna)

KANK is by SEL(Shankar Ehsaan Loy) . Quite an anti-climax considering that this was one of the most anticipated ost of the year (since its a KJ - Karan Johar movie). Not that I had high hopes (specifically because it was a Johar movie ..he he ). The songs are quite bland and sound somewhat like Karan Johar's earlier movie songs.
I feel that the SEL trio have not composed what their usual fun stuff is but rather have been bound by KJ. SEL are good ..an intelligent lot but they need to be given their space as is the case with Rahman.

My recommendation - hear it once or twice - some songs might grow on you but on the whole expect nothing extraordinary.

-A

Memphis...Graceland and Work

2006-06-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

In Memphis this week, on work. Though I had today to msyelf .

And so went to Graceland (Elvis Presley's home) - one of the shrines for people into Rock n Roll. Though not the biggest fan of the man widely regarded as the King of Rock n Roll, I wouldn't have missed this oppurtunity in a lifetime. The mansion is pretty big and pretty well maintained and is owned by his daughter(Lisa) as the audio tour guide tells me. Elvis bought it in 1958 for around USD 100,000 or so. The tour itself is pretty well done, with the guide (audio) detailing out his life and times and people pretty well.

My knowledge of Elvis was limited to his music and movies only but today was introduced to his philanthropic side and boy !!! - did that surprise me..... He has in his lifetime given so much to organisations and people in Memphis that its amazing how even after being who he was, he was so deeply attached to common people and their troubles. Rockers aren't really known for this :-). Anyway, this really did tons for my respect for Elvis. Truly a King ...

Theres a Car musuem too which houses the Cars and Bikes he owned. Apparently he had a real love for machines and that shows....

Also, did you know Elvis was a Black belt in Karate (in two different levels that too).....

Fun day or rather a fun 3-4 hours ....

More later ...as I brace myself up for tomorrow and work ..... :-(

-A

Of Reservations, Music and Life ...

2006-05-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

Reservation
India and Reservation go a long way back - 1991 I thought was Phase 1 but today I learnt that some states have practised it for years .

Phase 2 is now - for the past 2 months, the country has been embroiled in a deep muddle about the increase in reservations for backward classes - another example of the pure crappy vote-bank politics in the ever corrupt Indian politics. Sitting here and writing about it - what do I acheive and what do I do - nothing - but then, felt I should at least write something about it ......while students all over India participate in protests and strikes (hunger strikes too) over this. Will anything happen out of these protests ...no - the reservation bill has been passed and the courts have ordered the striking medicos and engineering students to stop the strikes and forget this ....

A sad story this ....want to write more and vent out my frustrations at whats happening but this blog might not be enough to write about the things that are wrong about this matter and other such matters in India(and the world).

Music
Since there still is no news from the Rahman camp - I continue to explore as always ....
Have heard some pretty interesting stuff over the past few days:

African Groove and Women of Africa -
Two albums which I didn't have the slightest of inkling as to how good they would be - easy listening one of them and other music to groove. Even if u don't understand a thing of what they say, its interested and quite good to hear :-)

Toto - Falling in Between
A really good album again. This group has always written songs with a social cause mainly for Africa. The pick of the album is - 'Bottom of Your soul'

Def Leppard - Yeah
A tribute album to what the group liked in their early years. So its all covers of old songs ...
So So ...

Jal
A Pakistani group, I guess - heard some songs from one of their albums. Quite impressive I must say but I must admit that many of the Pakistani groups sound the same. I read that certain Indian music directors have ripped off music from this groups songs.

Fire - A.R. Rahman
Ya Ya ..its an old one and I have heard this long time back - though got hold of a copy only some days back and so hearing it again.

Life
Its so unpredicatable - as over 5000 people and their relatives in the city of Java,Indonesia found out.
this unpredicatability(is that a word??) - it will catch up with everyone someday ...

-A

IpodVideo60gigBlack

2006-05-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

A shining new black 60 GB Ipod Video was handed over to me as a gift by my gal.
thank u lady ......

Rahman and Rock on iPod now .....

(shud have written this 2 weeks back but better late then never)

-A

Musically Bored ........

2006-05-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Feel bored today. Suddenly even music is boring.....

- Heard the new album by Goo-Goo dolls-Let Love in
gud one but am bored of that

- Heard the new self-titled album by Pearl-Jam
ok one ...but am bored of that too..

- Heard a new Mallu movie OST-Rasathantram - Illayaraja
ok one ....but am bored of that too

- Fanaa and Krishh
mentioning them since I heard them this week
as expected - both of them are boring too ....

- Heard Uyir by Joshua Sridhar-couple of songs are ok ...
but am beginning to get bored of that too

- Little bored of Rahman too :-(

So as you can see ....am really bored right now .....
and now u must be bored of this blog too ...

Pray to god that when I get up tomorrow morning ....
a new Rahman album is out for me to hear and be 'Unbored':-)

time though to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............now

-A

The magic of Alaipayuthe

2006-04-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

One might wonder, where or what is the limit of Rahman's creativity .....the answer to that probably doesn't exist .....

Hear Alaipayuthe and you will understand why .....its a journey - a magical journey each song weaving its own world of magic. When I first heard this album probably in my grad. days (guess 98 or 99), I was just stunned at what this man had created and whether it would be paralleled someday (almost at the same time though I was proved wrong - another magic was woven equally brilliant and stunning - Kandukondein Kandukondein it was - though I ain't writing about it now - another time probably :-) )

When I bought this album, it didn't have the Bike song - Endrundrum Punnagai but did I need it then ...to be awe struck by this album - no - because the album started with....

'Kaadhal Sadagudu' - which I am hearing right now - I must say, this still remains one of the best guitar based song I have heard ...both bass and the strings ....as my gal tells me (she understands the lyrics), it has amazing lyrics too.

The bike song as I refer to it and which I mentioned earlier - Endrundrum Punnagai - perfect ....everything about it ....absolutely everything is perfect :-)

'Snehidane' ...well this song has such beautiful vocal interludes ....a rahman speciality...besides the song itself that they take the song onto another dimension :-) it seems like a song within a song ....sadhna sargam ...a hindi singer in Tamil ...yes yes ..I know lot of people hate that ...but folks ....hear ths song once again ..do u think it really matters ......the music ...the melody ...I can't stop raving about it man !!!!!

'Yaro Yaarodi' .....a lovely marraige song with amazing drums beats and vocals ...a really fast number that maintains the melody and a playful youthfull atmosphere all at the same time ....hear it to believe it ....

Last but not least - 'Pachai Nirame', the song the describes love through colors ....the music and the format of the song are different ....very different from anything that I had heard ever ....the picturisation itself was amazing too ...the screen filling with the color being described and in slow motion .....O man ....and as I write this, the song is playing here ....

'Mangalyam' again - a song that was not there when I first bought this album but I certainly do have it now with me ....I wonder what was going in the mind of the man when he created such a wonderful number as this one .....a shloka to start with ...and then the main song breaking out ....a class apart ....

Two other songs in this album ....which though are not my favorites but still are a lot better than music by any other md ... :-) ...Am I biased towards Rahman ...oh yeah ..I am :-)

not a review in any sense ..but just wanted to write about this album .....and so thats it ....

-A

A Long Drive...

2006-04-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

And if you are hearing Rahman booming on your car speakers all the way, there is nothing like it - right ?

A trip to San Luis Obispo - around 250 miles south of here - thats where we went this weekend , caught up wth some friends(some more rahmaniacs) - Life couldn't have been better :-)

The Pacific coast, the vineyards, wine tasting, driving on the country side - the music of Rahman on my gal's ipod, routed to the car-fm using a igriffin roadtrip (now thats a pretty neat gadget though sometimes tuning it can be a pain) - that was this weekend.

But then, am I here to write about just the trip - hmmm, well not everyone would be interested to read that in case they accidently visit this blog ....

The answer is NO

So why am I here ? well obviously, since all my posts have something or the other to do with Rahman :-)

Oasis - a small Mediterranean and Moroccon cuisine restaurant on Higera street - thats where we were one evening for our dinner - there were some dances being performed and boom - its the magic of the man - mediterranean dance on 'Chale Chalo' from Lagaan - and we were shocked - As much as it angered us that they were passing off Rahman's music as something else, seeing people enjoy the music and clapping along - made us kinda happy and proud.

Thats what Rahman wants too right ... make people happy and try to eradicate all hatred in this world. Well that evening, he certainly did make them and us - extremely happy.
I salute you, yet again Rahman and I yet again believe that I am blessed to be around at the same time as you and that in this life, I have been able to meet you too.

The place San luis obispo itself is a nice little place - California folks should try and go down there some time - quite expensive a place in comparsion to many places I have visited around but worth it nevertheless.

-A

Inside Man....

2006-03-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

'Chaiyya Chaiyya' - we know that this song rocks, we know that it haunted us for a long-long time when it was released and we know that it still haunts us...like most of Rahman's works.

This part of the world though is slowly but surely discovering more and more about Rahman. Bombay dreams, some remixes of his songs in Brit club mixes, Bombay Thems, Lord of the Rings and now another biggie ....A Rahman song opening the title credits for a mainstream Amru movie. A Rahman song rocking an american movie hall playing a mainstream commercial movie.

As it turns ot, the whole song played even at the end of the movie ...while the credits were being displayed ...

I culdn't but help smile and feel proud about this yesterday night ......when I was watching the movie ...

Rahman rocks ...he rocks like no one else and some people just got a taste of it.

As for the movie itself, cool one, worth every penny ....

-A

Back to you ...

2006-03-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Heard a lot from my collection of rock over the past few days, a lot of Jazz and tried a bit of Blues too. Liked it, luved some of them, but in the end, felt that they missed something ...

The completeness, the magic, the melody ...the Soul .....

Am back to you Rahman ......
The way you weave your magic, I don't think anybody else can. The pure depth in your music cannot be compared to and cannot be matched ....

Have been Hearing Dil Se (the title song) in a loop .....and each time I hear something new in it ...last I heard it it was a strange tune ..that I even though plays on and on during the course of the whole song, is prominent only at the fag end of the song when the rest of music has almost ceased. I think that Rahman now is at that level where he plays with music and musical instruments and just thinks, what next should I create magic with :-).
Good for people like me though ......I live and I breathe his music ....

Saw some people posting requests to rate songs of Rahman and make it number 1 etc. A humble request to such folks - please do not diminsh the greatness of this man by such talk. His music, his magic and his greatness are best represented by his humility, his silence with words and letting his music do the talking ....Do we really need to vote and rank and try to elevate him by such petty things ...feel these are just mere writings and mere rubbush ...

I know that you folks really adore Rahman's music but I fell that if u really respect and adore this Rahman and his music - just hear his music, yes write appreciative posts and discuss that ...that ought to be it ....

Rahman is much above all this ...he is at a place where other music directors, I feel can only dream of ...IMHO, there is no comparison ...and IMHO, rankings, ratings if such a thing exists all begin at no. 2 ...at least for me ...they will always be like that ....

This is from my Dil Se ..... :-)

-A

You are beautiful ...

2006-03-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

Back to Bedlam - James Blunt

and what is this doing on my blog ...well for starters, I liked it ....and where does the Rahman connection come in ??? well ...this is something that Rahman liked too (read that somewhere) n is hearin these days :-).

So I heard the whole album and I must say, I am hooked on ...hooked on to the extent that I now own both the acoustic Live version as well as the normal album version of this album ...
Brit Rock I feel, has always been in between Rock and Pop and this one is no different. Coldplayish in style, this guy sometimes sounds a wee bit like David Gray too .....but then its different. Good use of the guitar and the piano but the voice modulation is the one that does the most to pull you into each song ....

Easily, 'You are Beautiful' and 'Wiseman' win the battle amongst the 10 songs on the CD (12 on the acoustic version which also includes a cover of the Pixies - Wheres my Mind).

Its been some time since I have heard one whole album by one artist (of course I am not including Rahman into the list:-))

Go get it ...

Dave Gilmour is out with a new one too ...I started my journey in rock thru Floydd and so nething from them is a must-hear if not a must buy for me .. - Its called 'On an Island' - not bad though not great too ...

-A

Birthday cake...

2006-03-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

a wonderful cake baked by my girl ....for my bday .....Good job ..lady ....
Not the best of birthday's healthwise though ...was in bed for the entire day with a high fever ...so the only drinks allowed were 'hot water' and 'hot rasam' ....

I completed yet another year on this planet couple of days back.....and now have been listening to Rahman for 14 years :-)

Know what - sometimes I feel that I have made so many people listen to Rahman ..rather forced them into it ...that I feel funny about it. Well ....to think of it ....I did them good though ...or else their lives would have been empty ..he he

And I quote Richard Corliss on rahman ...so true this is ..

"Rahman doesn’t even write what’s thought of as world music. He writes a world of music — so broad and deep, so instantly likable and lastingly satisfying, it is the whole world. I hope that, sometime soon, our part of the world catches up with Rahman. Until we do, an important part of our internal juke box will be bereft. "

in what he refers to as "our part of the world" - he means the US ..I guesss

Hadn't written in a while ...still in bed ..not fully the normal me. But felt like writing about the cake and ofcourse Rahman :-)

-A

2006-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

A Book Review and Music talk ...
Finished reading the 'Namesake' some days back - its by Jhumpa Lahiri.
When I had read her first book - The Intrepretor of the Maladies', I thought, it was just a 'beginners luck' or a 'one book wonder' but boy ....was I wrong ...terribly wrong.....
Oh Yeah !!!!

The Namesake is a great book capturing the life of an American born Indian Bengali boy whose parents moved to the US in the 60's. The life in which he fails to connect to his strange name, a life where he fails to connect to the Indian traditions and a life where he fails to connect to his parents. Though, this book could have been yet another boring account of Indians in the US (and probably some might still say that its boring and slow), what sets the author apart is how she has not stuck to any period or any particular incident for more than the required time - in short, I found the Namesake a real pacy one ....

Not intending this to be a spoiler and hence I stop here. Read it....I would say....

Music Talk
Hmm ...Rahman ...and more Rahman and even more Rahman. I could go on and on and on ....but I guess I will discuss something else today .....
though a 'Godfather' review from me is still pending...probably, will get that done this weekend.

'Good Will Hunting' ....first saw the movie over the weekend ..immensely liked it and noticed that the soundtrack was good ....n so got it and heard it ....
Alternative in flavor.....mostly by Elliot Smith ...who as I just Googled and found out is no more. Sad, that ....
Also hooked onto some timeless ones by Led Zep and Alan Parsons ....
woiiiiiiii .....I am glad there is so much music all around and I hv an ear for it :-)

-A

2006-02-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

Blessed .....continued

Oh yes ..I have been too lazy and a trifle busy too to post the pics but as they say - better late than never (though its not applicable here :-) ). Just posting the best of the lot ....web-space conservation :-) (rather my inability to place the pics properly on this page)

Just one funny incident from that day or rather an incident which kinda shows what happened to me when I met the 'god of music'. When I handed over my sheet of paper to Rahman, he asked me what to write - I froze and stood there stupified for around 15 seconds - regained my senses and blurted - please write anything that you wish to - got his autograph that way :-)

Godfather

Heard the songs from this one. Saw some posts saying 'Rahman is Back' - Well where did he go ...folks ....???? he was always there ...right at the top - the only problem is that he is so high that you sometimes don't see him :-).

The song sung by Rahman himself in this is album is something that I want to write about but right now, my words are failing ......and the remaining album too, is brilliant ...

more on this album later - for right now, I have just absorbing each bit of each song .....

-A

2006-02-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

Blessed !!!

Attended the 'Tribute to Rahman' at Stanford yesterday. the hall was packed with no space even on the steps leading to the stage ....packed to the core ...jam packed ...

Sat beside him for a while, shook hands with the man, got his autograph and clicked dunno how many snaps of him - mesmerized is the word.
As humble as he is known to be, As cool as he is known to be and As great he is known to be ...witnessed it all ...first hand ...

A dream come true it was....hv grown up listening to rahman ....and now that I hv met him and seen him ....I can say ...I am blessed :-)

Wud be posting pics from the show sometime today or tomorrow ...

-A

2006-02-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Shalimar the Clown

Morning today ..the 8:15 shuttle to SFO - the last few pages of Rushdie's -'Shalimar the clown' and finally page 398.

Great book this - beautifully gelling a revenge story and the lives of people and history and the present state of Kashmir. Unlike certain other books that take sides...this book beautifully captures it - from the point of view of mere humans - humans beyond caste, beyond religion and beyond the riches n the poor. People have suffered. People have been tortured. People have been killed and people are killing.

We, the human race, are a sad lot. A beautiful land which so very easily could have been amongst the best places to be in the world, is today - nothing but a wasteland. Today, I guess half of them or probably even more do not even know what they are fighting for.
When will this bloodshed end. When will people learnt to respect the value of 'life'.

A work of fiction - this was - but it did its trick. It told what it was actually supposed to tell.

-a

2006-02-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

India
I miss India ..I miss the people ...the hustle on the roads ...the greenery in kerala ...miss my folks ....miss playing in the fields ....
life was so much more fun as a kid running around, playing ...no worries ...

hmm...I guess I miss much more than just india :-)

the pic btw is my ancestoral home in a small village in kerala - that will remain forever in my memories as a place I used to visit during my summer vacations and where I hv had the time of my life ....

God
(and I mean god of music)
Rahman - it seems he is in Stanford,CA next week. Its not too far for me ...dunno if I will go ...hope I get some company for it ...

am immersed in music ...

life goes on ....

-a

2006-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

When is the last time a music was discussed for over 5 days ...each song ...each guitar streak ..beats and what could have been done better and what not.
RDB (Rang De Basanti) is forcing people to do that ....and its Rahman ....the magician at it again
Busy week for me ....the music of RDB is growing on me even more ...God ..how does this man do this ...
Some Kitaro and some Alan Parsons find their way into my ears too but am back again n again to the magician ...

Life is strange ....not sure sometimes what to do about it ... People are strange too ....

Read some bad things about India ....or rather about bad things happening in India .....the corruption ...the politics ....frustrates me ....but then it always does ....
What do I do about it ....NOTHING :-

Work to do ..so much of it ...almost time for my daily mocha break too .....

Feb 2nd ......06

-A

2006-01-31T16:45:00.000-08:00

What do I write ...where Do I start ....So much to do ...so much that I think ...
Yet ...I don't know where to begin ....

One Musician
All I know is that Music means life to me and one musician more than anyone or anything in this world has influenced me ....and millions of others.
This blog will from now on have in some form or the other have a reference to him.You would find a millions blogs on this guy and his biography with both his critics and his followers writing a lot about him. I do not know what I am going to write about him but sure, i intend to be different.
his name is A R Rahman

The Color Black
The Color Black - that interests me too. They say its Dull. I do not think so though. So, my blog would have a black background .... :-)

I begin today. The date - January 31st 2006