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MUSICBOX: Living on a prayer
Saleem Javed’s new offering, Kabhi koi aye ga, is a bagful of assorted symphonies with lyrics ranging from soulful to mindless.
The album picks up with Dil-i-veeran, which is a hit number being aired from various music channels these days. The track was originally sung by Mehdi Hassan, which is why it has rhythmic and lyrical finesse. The sombre composition and Saleem’s humming aids the lyrics. Other songs picked up from veteran maestros are Teray bheegay badan (Mehdi Hassan) which takes you back to Mehdi Hassan’s magical rendition of the sensual ditty, as the composition has not been tampered with and Mere harian (Mala), which irritates with its confused arrangement ranging from Spanish guitars to Arab harmonium and even Balochi strands, with Saleem crooning “la la la, re re re” in between. The other fast-paced number Akhiyaan larai ja fares a little better with its synchronized voice and so does Mahi mahi with a techno groove.
Meray liyay is an ear sore, with even a James Bond tune in the beginning. The title track Kabhi koi aye ga fails to click. Allah hoo is simply too confused, as it is a half baked attempt to mix what could have been a devotional rendition with an onslaught of beat and groove. Saleem has come a long way from his Jugni days but he still needs to focus on having good lyrics and accentuating his own style rather than picking vintage ditties from here and there.—-Afia Zahoor
Cox’s bazaar
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Diva after diva has released a “comeback” album this year. First there was Mariah with Charmbracelet, then Whitney came out with Just Whitney and Celine Dion and Faith Hill are expected to follow suit. Canadian R&B sensation Deborah Cox, on the other hand, has released an album to please herself rather than to make a point, and her efforts are all the more successful because of this. Her first album in four years, The morning after proves Cox has longevity and the ability to create music while spreading her wings.Noteworthy is the fact that Cox is one of the few certified divas to write or co-write her own songs. Cox experiments, grows and has fun on her latest CD. Departing from her trademark ballads, she hits the dance-floor in full force with the jivin’ hip-hoppin’ beat-bumpin’ Up & down (in & out) and the wild standout track Mr Lonely. Although Up & down hasn’t made much of an impact, it’s a great accomplishment and the featured remix later on in the CD simply demands that you dance.
Cox also shines in the classic soul title track, as well as the bouncy Givin it up and the uptempo R&B 2 good 2 be true. The torch ballads on the disc — Play your part, Hurt so much and Starting with you — are fine efforts, but don’t hit your heart the way her breakthrough hits Who do u love? and Nobody’s supposed to be here did. Nonetheless, Cox still has the ability to turn a slow song into a sensual, intimate conversation. This Canadian-born diva of Guyanese heritage combines forces with hit-makers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jermaine Dupri and Rodney Jerkins. The morning after, her third studio album, promises more exciting things to come from this great talent.—T. U. Dawood
Record industry blues
On stage, EMI Group dominated this week’s Grammy Awards with five big wins by its newest star, Norah Jones. Behind the scenes, however, the debt-ravaged British music giant is scrambling to stay afloat.
For the last several months, EMI executives have quietly pursued a seemingly schizophrenic survival strategy, courting Germany’s Bertelsmann Music Group with a pledge to merge, while approaching AOL Time Warner with a plan to buy the conglomerate’s huge music operation.
Sources close to the meetings said the talks in both cases were informal. No offers have been made and no evaluations have been conducted.
Plagued by surging piracy, plunging profit and rebellion among its artist ranks, the record industry is battling to sustain a way of doing business that, insiders say, is on the verge of imploding. Studies show CD burning and Internet piracy have decimated sales, shrinking international revenue by about 20 per cent over the last three years. EMI ranks last of the five music companies in the crucial US market, where sales in January were down seven per cent from the year earlier.—Dawn/The LAT/WP News Service.
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