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MUSIC BOX: Cross border incursion
Adnan Sami is no longer a Pakistani vocalist searching for stardom in his motherland where Badaltey Mausam, his last offering in 1997 was totally ignored. Instead, he is now the undisputed king of Indi-pop with records such as Kabhi To Nazar Milao and Always Yours Adnan to back his claim. Now, he has come up with Tera Chehra — his first original album from across the border — and the singer impresses both in his music and on vocals in the nine songs featured.
The album begins with the romantic Tera chehra, which has all the necessary ingredients for a likable song. Adnan has put the tune together nicely, and his expressive rendition on vocals makes it enjoyable. Meri yaad, a slow melodious number comes next and entertains with decent lyrics and interesting flute and violin work. Tere bina reminds one of the late RD Burman and is pleasing because of its joyful composition. Adnan tries to blend western and eastern instruments together in Nain se nainon. The experiment pays off well as this classical and rhythmic track entices one to listen to it repeatedly.
A delightful surprise for Adnan’s fans, the album features his evergreen Dekho janeman, not available on audio previously. The song is thematically Arabic, vocally impressive and musically imposing. It is the only number in the collection that has not been penned by Sameer as Adeem Hashmi, a local poet, wrote it nearly a decade ago. Roothe huay which comes next can be rated as the best song of the album where Adnan’s vocals steal the show. Rhythmically, the song is a stroke of genius where flute, violin, tabla and lyrics help Adnan shine as a composer.
Adnan tries to sound pop and fails miserably in Sanson mein because of its low-quality arrangement and lyrics. In Teri banhon main Adnan recreates Bheega hua mausam from Sargam but unsuccessfully. The inferior, childlike lyrics by Sameer make you press the forward button immediately.
The damage done by the last two songs is mended with the much-hyped Adnan Sami and Amitabh Bachchan duet Kabhi nahin. The number, with shades of Lift karadey encourages one to dance to the energetic, fun-loving composition. Both Small S (Sami) and Big B (Bachchan) render their vocals well in this chart-busting song, which is surely going to make it big. On the whole, this album is a must buy for quality music lovers and ASK fans.—Omair Alavi
Playing with madness
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Iron Maiden were arguably the most deserving successors for Black Sabbath’s heavy metal throne. Spearheading the second generation of British metal acts, Maiden took the dark formula perfected by Sabbath — chugging molten riffs and dark doom-laden lyrical imagery — and stormed the late 70s and most of the 80s with their ferocious music. With Best of the Beast, the metal connoisseur can savour bits of the entire Maiden catalogue before moving on to deeper, darker territory.The collection opens with The Number of the Beast. The quasi-Biblical spoken word monologue sets the mood for the metal bedlam to come as Chris Dickenson growls ‘666’ in his all too familiar voice. The unmistakable riff and relentless bass of Can I Play with Madness taken from the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son record made this one a must have for hand bangers of all persuasions. The mystical, cocky lyrics paired with the bare bones yet memorable video made the song survive the tests of time.
Fear of the Dark, Maiden’s monster anthem is rendered live. The twin lead guitar coupled with the spirited crowd chanting along with Dickenson give the song a real sinister feel. But all that goodwill is obliterated as Dickenson and his Maiden cohorts launch into the merciless body of the song. A thundering drum intro leads into Run to the Hills, a blistering war song that evokes images of a bloodied battlefield strewn with human wreckage. The bass rumbles and mimics the galloping ride of fury of the stallions that the lyrics allude to. Underneath the rapacious sonic assault is a stinging critique of ‘Manifest Destiny’, the policy of ethnic cleansing adhered to by America’s white settlers during that nations early years.
When it was first released, Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter was voted the worst song of the year. The tune is actually a harmless bit of fun far from the gory imagery the title might suggest. The Trooper is a classic metal standard with the perfect ingredients — a wailing lead vocal, threatening egotistical lyrics leading to talk of doom coupled with crisp leaded guitars and a pounding rhythm section. Your regular meat and potatoes metal.
Iron Maiden did more than just make incidental music for football hooligans, Satanists and misanthropes. They made progressive metal dirges for the enlightened head bangers.—QAM
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