Freaky Friday Playlist Jun-17-2011

Song: La Grange
Album: Greatest Hits
Type: Rock
Artist: ZZ Top
Rating: 4.8
My favorite ZZ Top song. An abolute cracker with an evil riff and some mean guitar play. Even after a zillion listens, the setup in the intro give me an awesome adrenaline rush. To be listened LOUD. Trivia - the only guy in ZZ Top who did not have a beard was called Frank Beard.

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Song: Salaam-e-Ishq
Album: Salaam-e-Ishq
Type: Bollywood
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghosal, Kunal Ganjawala, Sadhna Sargam, Shankar Mahadevan
Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyricist: Sameer
Rating: 3.6
A nice-enough, feel-good Bhangra influenced number with some pop flavor thrown in.

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Song: Kulicha Kuthaalam
Album: Duet
Type: Koliwood
Singers: S.P. Balasubramiam, Kala
Music Director: A.R. Rahman
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
Rating: 4.0
A melodic, koothu song or a koothu influenced melody. Either way you look at it - it's a good listen.

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Song: Doorie
Album: The Debut Album
Type: Indie
Artist: Atif Aslam
Rating: 4.2
Upbeat song and an ideal showcase for Atif Aslam's full-throated and a tad unusual voice.

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Song: Tere Mere Milan Ki
Album: Abhimaan
Type: Bollywood
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar
Music Director: S.D. Burman
Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Rating: 5.0
"Tere Mere Milan Ki", for me, is THE pinnacle of love duets. Everything about the song including the picturization on the Bachchan's is brilliant.

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Song: Hum Dono Do Premi
Album: Ajnabi
Type: Bollywood
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar
Music Director: R.D. Burman
Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
Rating: 4.0
An elopement song with cool train horn sound effects on a flute and train-like rhythm. It's got a folk vibe to it that I cannot quite place. The mukhda is simple and hummable and the antara a mouthful and an interesting counterpoint.

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Song: Tujhe Yaad Na Meri Aaye
Album: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Type: Bollywood
Singers: Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Manpreet Akhtar
Music Director: Jatin-Lalit
Lyricist: Sameer
Rating: 3.3
A Jatin-Lalit Punjabi folk inspired staple. I like the tune but the instrumentation is bland and utterly predictable and the chorus intrusive.

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Song: Chaandan Mein
Album: Chaandan Mein
Type: Indie
Artist: Kailasa
Rating: 4.1
A soulful and mellow song. Kailash Kher may be known for his high-pitched, vocal gymnastics but it's at the lower scales that the power of his voice really comes through. Simple but very cool, acoustic instrumentation.

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Song: If I Rise
Album: 127 Hours (Music from the Motion Picture)
Type: Pop
Singers: Dido, A.R. Rahman
Music Director: A.R. Rahman
Lyricist: Dido, Rollo
Rating: 3.2
Not a bad song but doesn't really do it for me. Slow and soft and reminiscent of the Enigma's brand of New Age music.

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Song: More Piya
Album: Ustad and The Divas
Type: Indie
Singers: Ustad Sultan Khan, Sunidhi Chauhan
Music Director: Sandesh Shandilya
Lyricist: Irshad Kamil
Rating: 3.3
A Hindustani-Sugam-Pop fusion. Nothing spectacular but a good listen nevertheless.

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