Ravi: Ankhen (1968)

While I'm not usually a fan of Ravi, here is one of his I'm prepared to give a few spins. 'Ankhen' is a spy film I think... the score isn't exactly overflowing with the sound and feel of international espionage (whatever that is), but it does include two great Lata Mangeshkar songs; the sweet and tuneful 'Milti Hai Zindagi Men' and the atmospheric 'Gairon Pe Karam'. I keep coming back to both.

'Loot Ja' and 'Tujhko Rakhe Ram' are OK too; lively and upbeat, but ultimately a bit lackluster in terms of arrangements. Not enough glamour perhaps, not enough danger. Not enough distinction.

Track listing:
1. Mohd. Rafi: Us Mulk Ki Sarhad Ko
2. Lata Mangeshkar: Milti Hai Zindagi Men
3. Asha Bhosle, Kamal Barot & Usha Mangeshkar: Loot Ja
4. Lata Mangeshkar: Gairon Pe Karam
5. Asha Bhosle & Manna Dey: Tujhko Rakhe Ram
6. Lata Mangeshkar: Meri Sunle Araj

Kalyanji Anandji: Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati (1968)

Pre-funk Kalyanji Anandji. And it's a keeper. There's not much for the sample-hungry beatheads on this one, simply a collection of great songs, for listening, mostly. Admittedly it's the (ubiquitous) jazzy cabaret number ('Hello Hello') that initially drew me to 'Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati' [review]; however Lata & Rafi's 'Jeevan Path Par' is an equal contender for best track. A lovely, melodious duet, rolling along to a country-tinged rhythm; wonderful.

Check out 'Chandni Raat Men' and 'Pyar To Ek Din Hona Tha' as well; both very good. Check out the whole album.

Track listing:
1. Lata Mangeshkar & Mohd. Rafi: Jeevan Path Par
2. Mohd. Rafi: Chandni Raat Men
3. Asha Bhosle & Chorus: Raja Tohe Nainose
4. Mohd. Rafi: Aaya Baithe Khaye Piye
5. Asha Bhosle: Hello Hello
6. Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle: Pyar To Ek Din Hona Tha
7. Mohd. Rafi: Kuchh Kahen To Khafa

Laxmikant Pyarelal: Man Mandir (1971)

I've mentioned earlier that Laxmikant Pyarelal scores from the early 70s (well, any era really) could go either way. A lot of them leave me cold, but here's one I like a lot. 'Man Mandir' has a full pot of good songs on offer, to pick and choose. Favourites? The lovely 'Ae Meri Ankhon Ke Pahle Sapne' (either version) and the the quirky 'Kahiye Ji Kya Loge'. But don't sleep on the rest; it's a soundtrack every bit as charming and colourful as its cover - all of it.

Track listing:
1. Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh: Ae Meri Ankhon Ke Pahle Sapne (Sad)
2. Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar: Jadoogar Tere Naina
3. Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle: Aja Aja
4. Suman Kalyanpur: Munna Jayega Bazar
5. Asha Bhosle: Kahiye Ji Kya Loge
6. Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh: Ae Meri Ankhon Ke Pahle Sapne (Happy)

Rahul Dev Burman: Jhoota Kahin Ka (1979)

They just keep on coming... Another fine (if not essential) late 70s Burman effort. Three catchy easy-pop tracks ('Dil Men Jo Mere', 'Dekho Mera Jaadoo', 'Jeevan Ke Har Mod') and a cool instrumental (dramatic at first, then light and breezy) make 'Jhoota Kahin Ka' a very listenable soundtrack. And who other than RD begins an album with a Woody Woodpecker impression?

Track listing:
1. Kishore Kumar, Rishi Kapoor & Chorus: Dil Men Jo Mere
2. Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle: Barah Baje Ki Suiyon Jaise
3. Asha Bhosle: Dekho Mera Jaadoo
4. Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle & Chorus: Jeevan Ke Har Mod
5. Asha Bhosle: Jhoota Kahin Ka
6. Music

Rahul Dev Burman: Hamaare Tumhare (1978)

A RD Burman soundtrack from the late 70s that's not funky or full of beats, yet I still like it; yup, entirely possible. 'Hamaare Tumhare' is sweet, good natured and happy sounding from start to finish, and thus hard not to enjoy. Most of the songs are almost old-fashioned in tone, charmingly so, as if RD was updating a soundtrack from the 50s (probably not the case though). Listen to 'Ham Aur Tum The Sathi' and 'Kuchh Tum Karo', both lovely. And when they're less melodious, like 'Jaddo Daar Gayo', there's funny scat singing instead.

Track listing:
1. Kishore Kumar: Ham Aur Tum The Sathi - I
2. Amit Kumar: Too Meri Mehbooba
3. Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar: Kuchh Tum Karo
4. Kishore Kumar: Ham Aur Tum The Sathi - II
5. Kishore Kumar: Jaddo Daar Gayo
6. Kishore Kumar & Usha Mangeshkar: Maaf Kardo

Sachin Dev Burman: Prem Nagar (1974)

One more before the weekend; another late-period Sachin Dev Burman. And it's wonderful. 'Yeh Kaisa Sur Mandir' (for perfectly defining Bollywood's sitar & strings formula), 'Jaa Jaa Jaa' (for the bossa-tinged rhythm and dramatic breaks), 'Pyase Do Badan' (for its sexy seductiveness) and 'Bye Bye Miss' (for being fun and poppy with Shankar Jaikishan tendencies) are my favourites here - but there are moments on every track on 'Prem Nagar' that are worth listening out for. Top stuff!

Was RD involved with this one?

Track listing:
1. Kishore Kumar: Yeh Lal Rang
2. Lata Mangeshkar: Yeh Kaisa Sur Mandir
3. Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle & Chorus: Yeh Thandi Havayen
4. Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar: Kis Ka Mahal Hai
5. Kishore Kumar: Jaa Jaa Jaa
6. Asha Bhosle: Pyase Do Badan
7. Kishore Kumar & Chorus: Bye Bye Miss

Bappi Lahiri: Disco Dancer (1982)

I have a soft spot for 'Jimmy Aaja'. It's quite probable though, that this is due to me liking M.I.A. and having heard her reworking of the song prior to the original. Bappi's is cheesy as hell, but memorable and kind of fun.

Elsewhere... well, 'Disco Dancer' [review] [2] is a bit of a weird one. The music is Bappi Lahiri at his best, or worst, depending on whether or not you like his 80s disco output. I don't, for the most part. Stuff like the oft-lauded title track and 'Yaad Aa Raha Hai' tends to leave me cold. There's also his incessant stealing of other people's songs, which I don't object to in principle, as long as the end result is good and not horrible. His version of The Buggles' 'Video Killed the Radio Star'... I'm not having that, at all.

But then I look at the mind-bogglingly camp YouTube clips, and all the above songs suddenly start to make more sense. Go figure.

Track listing:
1. Vijay & Chorus: I Am A Disco Dancer
2. Parvati Khan: Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja
3. Usha Uthup, Bappi Lahiri & Chorus: Auva Auva Koi Yahan Nache
4. Kishore Kumar & Chorus: Ae Oha Aa Zara Mudke
5. Bappi Lahiri: Yaad Aa Raha Hai
6. Nandu Bhende & Chorus: Krishna Dharti Pe Aaja Too
7. Suresh Wadkar & Usha Mangeshkar: Goron Ki Na Kalon Ki (Happy)
8. Suresh Wadkar: Goron Ki Na Kalon Ki (Sad)

Kalyanji Anandji: Hum Tum Aur Woh / Kathputli (1971)

Two more Kalyanji Anandji EPs; nice ones to boot. 'Hum Tum Aur Woh' includes 'Tu Milale Aaj Nigahen' and 'Husn Agar Zid Pe Aa Jae', uptempo songs that, while not spectacular, both have a good feel to them. 'Kathputli' (my preferred of the two) is highlighted by the lovely 'Tum Jo Hansage Duniya Hansegi' and Asha's cabaret number (or so I'd imagine; I've not seen the film) 'Jeena Kaisa Pyar Bina'.

I have the impression that both films are quite obscure and hard to find, and that these EPs may be all that was released from their soundtracks. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though.

Track listing, Hum Tum Aur Woh:
1. Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle: Do Baton Ki Tamanna
2. Asha Bhosle & Vinod Khanna: Tu Milale Aaj Nigahen
3. Kishore Kumar: Priye Praneshwari
4. Asha Bhosle: Husn Agar Zid Pe Aa Jae

Track listing, Kathputli:
1. Kishore Kumar & Chorus: Tum Jo Hansage Duniya Hansegi
2. Asha Bhosle & Chorus: Jeena Kaisa Pyar Bina
3. Lata Mangeshkar & Mohd. Rafi: Ek Baat Poochhoon
4. Lata Mangeshkar & Mahendra Kapoor: Tu Ban Jaye Mehndi Ka Boota

Music From The Third Floor: Vol. 5

The fifth compilation of recent Third Floor choice cuts. Cool cabaret numbers, zany instrumentals, gorgeous psychedelic ballads, chirpy pop and a bit of funk; Bollywood style. Grab it quick though, as trolls apparently patrol these waters; previous volumes are being removed from a lot of the file hosts.

Track listing:
1. Title Music (from Dushmun)
2. Leja Leja Leja Mera Dil (from An Evening In Paris)
3. O Diwano Dil Sambhalo (from The Great Gambler)
4. Aaye Hain Door Se (from Tumsa Nahin Dekha)
5. Piya Aiso Jiya Men (from Sahib, Bibi Aur Gulam)
6. Aaj Socha To Ansoo Bhar Aaye (from Hanste Zakhm)
7. Music (from Aandhi)
8. Aag Men Jale Jawani (from Umar Quaid)
9. Mujhe Dunyawalo (from Leader)
10. Phur Udchala (from Téré Méré Sapné)
11. Dance Music (from Abdullah)
12. Baharon Ka Hai Mela (from Yaadgar)
13. Unse Milee Nazar (from Jhuk Gaya Aasman)
14. Chhup Chhup (from Rafoo Chakkar)
15. Gambler In Danger (from Gambler)
16. Professor Pyarelal - Title Song (from Professor Pyarelal)
17. Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai (Part I) (from Shor)
18. Sab Kuchh To Hai (from Josh)
19. Freak-Out Music (from Heera Panna)

Kalyanji Anandji: Professor Pyarelal (1980)

This one I originally had planned for later, but as it's been requested quite a few times, and I was listening to it anyway the other night, I felt like pushing it forward. So here's Kalyanji Anandji's 'Professor Pyarelal'.

Most of it is pretty much as expected, considering the vintage (and a composing duo just past their prime); I don't find any of the songs particularly noteworthy. They're upbeat and happy sounding, hummable, but with the possible exception of 'Dilwala Mastana' which is quite good, forgettable.

The title tune however, now that's one mad, schizophrenic ride. It begins with cheesy Euro-disco augmented by a chorus sounding like it's from an Italian children's cartoon (look up Mr. Rossi or Mr. Hiccup on YouTube if you have no idea what I'm talking about). Midway there's a jazzy interlude introduced by a fab funky drum break, followed by a cool piano based loungy bit with the title sung in a weird mock-American accent (anyone know who?). More disco ensues, before proceedings wind down courtesy of a lone violin (or possibly viola). Fantastic fun!

And then there's the matter of the cover, which has to be one of the strangest ever. Can someone tell me what, exactly, is going on in that guy's lap? I mean, this is a mainstream movie, isn't it?

Track listing:
1. Professor Pyarelal - Title Song (Instrumental & Chorus)
2. Kishore Kumar & Manhar: Gayeja Aur Muskurayeja
3. Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle: Ye Vada
4. Asha Bhosle: Aage Aage Ek Hasina
5. Asha Bhosle: Ga Ga Ga Gayeja
6. Asha Bhosle: Dilwala Mastana
7. Kishore Kumar: Dil Ki Khushi Yun
8. Kishore Kumar: Aisa Bhi Koi

Laxmikant Pyarelal: Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974)

And while we're on the subject of mixed feelings... The arguably best track on 'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan' [review] has a great musical arrangement; dark, brooding, intensely dramatic; an ominous, booming piano and soaring strings. What spoils 'Aur Nahin Bus Aur Nahin' for me though, is the singing. Not a bad word about Mahendra Kapoor as such, but his voice here is way too predominant, too loud, all but drowning out the instrumental backing at times. Annoying, and a shame I think.

The other good song here (and the above is still a worthwhile listen) is Lata's 'Hai Hai Yeh Majboori', primarily for the infectious rhythm and nifty Hawaiian guitar lines interspersed between verses. A fun track.

Track listing:
1. Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh & Chorus: Mein Na Bhoolun Ga - Part I
2. Lata Mangeshkar: Hai Hai Yeh Majboori
3. Mahendra Kapoor & Chorus: Aur Nahin Bus Aur Nahin
4. Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh & Chorus: Mein Na Bhoolun Ga - Part III
5. Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Chanchal, Jani Babu & Chorus: Mehangai Maar Gai
6. Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh & Chorus: Mein Na Bhoolun Ga - Part II
7. Lata Mangeshkar: Panditji Mere Marne Ke Baad

Rahul Dev Burman: Samadhi (1972)

'Samadhi' I'm definitely on the fence about... half the time I listen to it I think it's ace, the other half it does nothing for me. Tracks such as Bangle Ke Peechhe, 'O Yara Yara' and 'Jan-E-Janan' are all probably good songs, very uptempo, which I like, but I keep getting the feeling they're lacking in some respect. Not funky or Western sounding enough maybe? Nah. I'm not that one-tracked, am I? Am I?? Nah, it must be something else. Plus, I always like Asha Bhosle's lovely 'Jab Tak Rahe'. I think.

Oh well, the floor is open.

Track listing:
1. Lata Mangeshkar: Bangle Ke Peechhe
2. Asha Bhosle: Jab Tak Rahe
3. Asha Bhosle: O Yara Yara
4. Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar: Main Ne Dekha Ek Sapna
5. Kishore Kumar: Jan-E-Janan
6. Manna Dey: Yeh Khel Hain Taqdeer Ke

Helen of Bollywood

Been meaning to blog about this for ages, but it's kept slipping my mind...

A while back, some of us were discussing in the comments to some post or other the lack of decent Helen collections on DVD, and how great it would be if someone could compile one. Well now (as I'm sure a lot of you have discovered already), someone has. Over at The Bollywood DVD Restoration Project, the very wonderful Mister Naidu has put together not only one, but three DVDs' worth of her, for torrenting. That's 60 amazing clips of Helen magic. Plus extras. With remastered picture and sound. Subtitles even (Bollywood DVDs often leave those out on the songs). And, he says there's more to come.

In a word: Wow!

Shankar Jaikishan: Aashiq (1962/1978)

According to the sleeve, Shankar Jaikishan's brief for this one was that "the music of this film had to be the expressive parallel of the central character's restlessness and hidden yearnings". I don't know if they succeeded or not as I've not seen the film. Unfortunately, there's nothing here that makes me want to.

It's mostly traditional/classical sounding, without much in the way of attention grabbing arrangements. Thus leaving me very little to latch on to or get excited about. I might return to 'Mehtab Tera Chehra' as it's quite pleasant, and there are some instrumental details in 'O Shama Mujhe Phoonk De' that I like, but not much else. I suspect (hope at least) that those familiar with the context or able to understand the lyrics will appreciate 'Aashiq' more.

Track listing:
1. Mukesh: Main Aashiq Hoon Baharon Ka
2. Lata Mangeshkar: Lo Aai Milan Ki Raat
3. Mukesh & Chorus: Yeh To Kaho Kaun Ho Tum
4. Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh: Mehtab Tera Chehra
5. Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh: O Shama Mujhe Phoonk De
6. Mukesh: Tum Aaj Mere Sang Hanslo
7. Lata Mangeshkar: Jhanan Jhanjhanake Apni Payal
8. Mukesh: Tum Jo Hamare Meet Na Hote

Rahul Dev Burman: Aandhi (1976)

One killer instrumental... and that, essentially, is all there is of much worth on 'Aandhi'. All the songs here are a bit dull; not really up to standard. Or at least not up to my expectations. They're very high when it comes to RD Burman. 'Music' however, ah, now that's something. Yes, it sounds like it was made a decade earlier (RD tripping in Haight-Ashbury) but it's nevertheless awesome. Hypnotic, grooovy!

I kind of wish it was longer though. Is 77 seconds of greatness enough to hang on to an LP? Maybe.

Track listing:
1. Title Music
2. Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar: Is Mod Se Jate Hain
3. Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar: Tum Aa Gaye Ho Noor Aa Gaya
4. Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar: Tere Bina Zindagi Se
5. Mohd. Rafi, Amit Kumar, Bhupinder & Chorus: Salam Kijiye
6. Music

O.P. Nayyar: Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957/1978)

A short and sweet oldie from the King of Rhythm, O.P. Nayyar. (I had meant to post it last week but noticed at the last minute there were glitches in the initial rip. Hopefully it's OK now). There's nothing on 'Tumsa Nahin Dekha' that amazes me in a big way, but for vintage sounding songs and nice rhythms, you could do a lot worse. Best track is the bouncy 'Aaye Hain Door Se', with 'Jawanian Yeh Mast Mast' running a close second.

Track listing:
1. Mohd. Rafi: Tumse Nahin Dekha
2. Asha Bhosle & Mohd. Rafi: Aaye Hain Door Se
3. Asha Bhosle & Mohd. Rafi: Dekho Kasam Se
4. Mohd. Rafi: Jawanian Yeh Mast Mast
5. Mohd. Rafi: Chhupne Wale
6. Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle: Sar Par Topi

Kalyanji Anandji: Rafoo Chakkar (1974)

Here's a good one. 'Rafoo Chakkar' is primarily sought after for its funky instrumental, on which Kalyanji Anandji took Henri Mancini's theme from 'The Thief Who Came To Dinner' and fused it with the sound of Isaac Hayes' 'Theme from Shaft'. The result is a Bollywood classic.

I once received an email from a guy wondering about the rest of the soundtrack. He'd downloaded it via iTunes and wasn't sure he'd received the correct album - the remaining tracks sounding decidedly different. And non-funky. Which goes to show that the difference between the instrumentals that turn up on compilations (in the West) and what constitues the majority of these scores really is designed to baffle first time listeners.

Not that the songs are bad; in fact there are more good ones here than on most albums. 'Dil De Na' and 'Chhup Chhup' are 60s-tinged beat numbers; and 'Ae Zamane' and 'Kisi Pe Dil' are the same only with singing that sounds more traditional. All are great. Just not funky. Except for 'Chhup Chhup' where bits of it actually is, kind of. So either way, it's a winner.

Track listing:
1. Usha Mangeshkar & Kanchan: Dil De Na
2. Aziz Nazan, Kanchan & Chorus: Bhajan Bina
3. Kanchan: Ae Zamane
4. Shailendra Singh & Asha Bhosle: Kisi Pe Dil
5. Shailendra Singh & Kanchan: Tum Ko Mere Dil Ne
6. Asha Bhosle, Kanchan & Mahesh Kumar: Chhup Chhup
7. Music

Sachin Dev Burman: Barood (1975)

Remaining in Paris, on what I think is one of SD Burman's last scores. I might have bought 'Barood' in part due to the packaging; a lovely multifold cover (reminiscent of, if not quite as elaborate as the original pressing of 'Shalimar') and custom inner-sleeve. The latter features the press shot of Shoma Anand used in the current blog header btw. I don't find the music very exciting though... it's sort of nice and pretty, but a bit too bland for my liking. The one exception is 'I Love You, You Love Me', which has a cool Euro-bossa thing going; I quite like that.

Track listing:
1. Kishore Kumar: Matlab Jo Samjhe
2. Lata Mangeshkar: Ek Dushman Pe Pyar Aya Hai
3. Mukesh & Shivangi Kolhapure: Tu Shaitano Ka Sardar Hai
4. Title Music
5. Lata Mangeshkar: Samandar Samandar
6. Asha Bhosle: I Love You, You Love Me
7. Kishore Kumar: Matlab Jo Samjhe
8. Theme Music

Shankar Jaikishan: An Evening In Paris (1967/1975)

This one's marred by rubbish (horribly distorted) sound as well, damnit. Although I'm a bit on the fence in regards to 'An Evening In Paris' [review] [2]; I keep thinking I should like it a lot as it's Shankar Jaikishan in their good period, there's plenty of rock'n'roll, Paris... the problem is I'm not able to find many strong melodies to latch on to.

OK, the title track is quite good, and 'Leja Leja Leja Mera Dil' is pretty close to excellent, but that's basically it. The rest kind of feel like missed opportunities. I dunno, maybe I'm too demanding; two (or one and a half) out of nine really ain't that bad as soundtracks go. Maybe it'll still grow on me.

Annoyingly, it's the best song here that suffers from the worst sound quality, ever. So as a bonus I've added a DVD rip of 'Leja Leja' to the download; it's still not very good but at least less distorted. And in case it's just my copy of this that sounds like crap (the vinyl looks pristine enough though, so I'm guessing it's the entire pressing) and anyone has a better version, please feel free to share in the comments.

Track listing:
1. Mohd. Rafi: An Evening In Paris
2. Mohd. Rafi: Akele Akele Kahan Ja Rahe Ho
3. Mohd. Rafi: Diwane Ka Naam To Puchho
4. Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle: Raat Ke Hum Safar
5. Mohd. Rafi: Aasman Se Aaya Farishta
6. Asha Bhosle: Zuby Zuby Jalembu
7. Mohd. Rafi & Chorus: Hoga Tumse Kal Bhi Saamna
8. Sharda: Leja Leja Leja Mera Dil
9. Mohd. Rafi: Mera Dil Hai Tera

[Update: See comments for improved version of Leja Leja]

Rahul Dev Burman: Heera Panna (1973)

Two instrumentals highlight 'Heera Panna'. The first is groovy easy-funk featuring wordless vocals from Usha Iyer/Uthup (I'm guessing), the second is no holds barred pysch-jazz with a relentless conga beat, screaming moogs and a whole lotta noise; tribal, raw, and brilliant. While quite a few Bollywood instrumentals of the era sounded like freak-out music, this is the only one I'm aware of actually called that.

The songs are good too, most of them. My favourite is 'Bahot Door Chale Jana Hai', from the exotica-tinged underscoring of the dialogue part to the sweet melody. And the intro to 'Panna Ki Tammana' (not included in the video) is fabulous.

Rubbish pressing I'm afraid.

Track listing:
1. Title Music
2. Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle: Ek Paheli Hai Too
3. Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar: Panna Ki Tammana
4. Kishore Kumar: Main Tasvir Utarta Hoon
5. Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar: Bahot Door Chale Jana Hai
6. Freak-Out Music