| Song: Island In The Sun Album: Weezer (Green Album) Type: Alternative Artist: Weezer Rating: 4.3 The trigger for this week’s FFP is the recent report of Pandora’s financial results. While the company remains unprofitable, the burgeoning growth is a clear indication that it’s a much loved music service. Weezer’s “Island In The Sun” happens to be one of the first recommendations I got from Pandora and I was just blown away their ability to understand my musical taste and surface an awesome song that I may never have heard. Coming to the song – it’s addictive, it’s mellow and you will bask in it’s sunny glory. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Farewell To Manju Album: Salaam Bombay Type: Bollywood Artist: L. Subramaniam Rating: 3.4 A very short but nice instrumental. The sax is good but the keyboard doesn’t sound very refined. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Ye Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhere Album: Mere Sanam Type: Bollywood Singer: Asha Bhosle Music Director: O.P. Nayyar Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri Rating: 5.0 A lovely song. Among the best O.P. Nayyar – Asha Bhosle collaborations. Asha Bhosle found her voice with O.P. Nayyar songs like this and emerged as the voice of Hindi films’ sultry seductresses. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Toote Hue Khwabon Ke Liye Album: The Gold Collection – Mehdi Hassan Type: Indie Singer: Mehdi Hassan Rating: 3.6 A soothing ghazal but there probably are better recordings than this. The sitar overwhelms and Mehdi sounds past his prime. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Beqarar Karke Hume Album: Hemant Kumar Type: Bees Saal Baad Singer: Hemant Kumar Music Director: Hemant Kumar Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni Rating: 4.2 A simple, breezy sing-along song. Prominent accordion and modern rhythm. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua Album: Shree 420 Type: Bollywood Singer: Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar Music Director: Shankar – Jaikishan Lyricist: Shailendra Rating: 5.0 One of those instances where the song and the picturization are inseparable. An epic love song, that ranges from the silly (Raj Kapoor’s Chaplinesque routine with the flute, which I don’t particulary like) to the deeply romantic (the rain, the shared umbrella and amazing Manna-Lata harmonies). Another quintessential accordion song. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Kismat Se Tum Album: Pukar Type: Bollywood Singer: Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Paudval Music Director: A.R. Rahman Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri Rating: 4.4 A song that deserved a lot more attention than it got. Sonu Nigam sings his heart out and demands that his voice be heard. I also think this was Anuradha’s last really good song. Awesome arrangement and breath-taking vocals. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Tum Paas Aa Rahe Ho Album: Veer Zaara Type: Bollywood Singer: Jagjit Singh, Lata Mangeshkar Music Director: Madan Mohan Lyricist: Javed Akhtar Rating: 4.9 Even after his death, Madan Mohan reminds us through this song why he’s known as the king of ghazals. A hauntingly, beautiful song reminiscent of Jagjit and Chitra Singh’s hey days. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Ye Lo Main Haari Piya Album: Aar Paar Type: Bollywood Singer: Geeta Dutt Music Director: O.P. Nayyar Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri Rating: 4.9 Before Asha-O.P. Nayyar, it used to be Geeta-O.P. Nayyar. Geeta Dutt rejuvenated, perhaps even saved, O.P. Nayyar’s sagging career by recommeding him to Guru Dutt for “Aar Paar” and then delivering several hits through her singing. She sang in all songs in this album except one, including four scintillating solos. In times that were dominated by Naushad’s classically-influenced compositions, O.P. Nayyar created demand for a fresh, rhythm based sound. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Poove Vai Pesumbothu Album: 12B Type: Koliwood Singer: Mahalakshmi Iyer, H. Raghavendra Music Director: Harris Jayaraj Lyricist: Vairamuthu Rating: 5.0 I just love this song. One of the early Harris Jayaraj hits. I am not sure if he started off deliberately modeling his music based on A.R Rahman’s but it sure sounds like it. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing if the result is a song like this. Awesome singing by Mahalakshmi Iyer. |