| Song: Changes Album: Hunky Dory Type: Rock Singer: David Bowie Rating: 4.5 I usually pick the first song of the FFP based on what is on top of my mind at that time. Today it happens to be Steve Jobs’ resignation. As I wrote in yesterday’s post, iPod/iTunes changed the way I listened to music so I thought I would start this FFP with the first song I bought on iTunes. By sheer coincidence, it happens to be “Changes”! Fantastic voice, some cool piano, a hint of sax – bliss. Three cheers to change! iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Dil To Bachcha Hai Album: Ishqiya Type: Bollywood Singer: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj Lyricist: Gulzar Rating: 5.0 A really understated, subtle and easy-on-the-ears song. I love this song because it’s one of the rare ones where Rahat does not do a forced, Sufi-type, high-pitched sargam. The song is a complete, award-winning package – great composition, good singing and powerful lyrics. The accordion (maybe electronically rendered) gives the song a Mediterranean (or is it Arabic?) flavor that’s quite pleasant. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Dumadum Mast Kalandar Album: Best of Runa Laila Type: Indie Artist: Runa Laila Rating: 5.0 A head-bobbing, body-swaying, foot-tapping cracker of the song. I can listen to the song anytime just for Runa Laila’s voice. And though I can’t understand all the words, I can’t help be moved by spirit of the song. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Dancing Queen Album: ABBA: Gold – Greatest Hits Type: Pop Artist: ABBA Rating: 5.0 Such a cheerful, upbeat song – never fails to cheer me up! It has a wonderful element of surprise that come in songs that do this weird thing of starting at a high pitch and then cooling things down a bit. It feels like they’re singing the second line of the song first! The song starts with “You can dance, you can dance” at a pretty high pitch when a “normal” beginning would probably have been “Friday night and the lights are low”. I’m sure there is a technical term for this but to give you an example, it’s a bit like how “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki” starts with “Kaanto Se Kheech Ke Ye Aanchal”. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Jub Hum Jawan Honge Album: Betaab Type: Bollywood Singer: Lata Mangeshkar, Shabbir Kumar Music Director: R.D. Burman Lyricist: Anand Bakshi Rating: 3.7 The tune itself is good but I get terribly put off by Shabbir Kumar’s vocals. Lata’s fake, girlish laugh isn’t cool either. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Phoolon Ke Rang Se Album: Prem Pujari Type: Bollywood Singer: Kishore Kumar Music Director: S.D. Burman Lyricist: Neeraj Rating: 5.0 Among my top 10 favorite Kishore songs. Other than sentimental reasons, this was probably the first song where I paid attention to the words and realized how important their role in a song was. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Roobaroo Album: Rang De Basanti Type: Bollywood Singer: Naresh Iyer, A.R. Rahman Music Director: A.R. Rahman Lyricist: Prasoon Joshi Rating: 5.0 A power-packed, inspiring song. Highlights – powerful lyrics, the acoustic guitar, the backup vocals and chorus. Awesome song to play really, really loud. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Agar Tum Na Hote Album: Agar Tum Na Hote Type: Bollywood Singer: Kishore Kumar Music Director: R.D. Burman Lyricist: Gulshan Bawra Rating: 4.0 Quite melodic but not my favorite Kishore song. Pancham recycled the mukhda for this song from a song he had composed a couple of years ago that did not get much attention – “Humein Raaston Ki Zarrorat Nahin”. You can also hear traces of “Saagar Kinare” in that song! iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Thaliritta Kinaakkal Album: Moodupadam Type: Mollywood Singer: S. Janaki Music Director: M.S. Baburaj Lyricist: P. Bhaskaran Rating: 5.0 A lovely, lovely, smooth-as-honey old-gold. Apart from one spot where the composer pushed S. Janaki to an impposibly high pitch – a PERFECT song. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Jaane Kyon Album: Dil Chahta Hai Type: Bollywood Singer: Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Lyricist: Javed Akhtar Rating: 4.3 Cool song to end this week’s FFP since SEL celebrated their 15 years together yesterday and Dil Chahta Hai was their first big hit. Not my favorite song from the movie (that would be “Kaisi Hai Ye Rut”) but pretty good. Love the African chants in the interludes. iTunes US iTunes UKi iTunes Canada Flipkart |