It´s been in the making for almost six years. Six long years, in which they neglected the shooting for a year or two. But now Ad director Kailash Surendranath has finally finished the shooting and Love You Hamesha is set to release in the next few months. The music obviously is a little dated and we can see the remnants of Rahman´s old style of composing in many of the songs on this cassette! The result is somewhat pleasing but not entirely, still it is pretty enjoyable. The album starts off with the peppy title song Love You Hamesha sung with energy by Sonu Nigam, Shweta Shetty and G.V. Prakash. The song is reminicent of Rahman´s early work for south films like Tu Hi Mera Dil. The music uses a percussion theme as a back base and an enjoyable use of the guitar in the background. Rahman also makes semi-interesting use of bells to heighten the track in some aspects. Singing by Sonu Nigam and Shweta Shetty is up to par, they seem to be having a good time, but it´s nothing earth shattering. G.V. Prakash does an ok job but is hardly noticeable. Lyrics are nothing big since the song plays out to a younger audience, but there is a semi folk use of lyrics in the song bridges between chorus and verse! Overall it´s peppy and catchy but we´ve heard it before. Gup Chup Baatein follows and immediately changes the pace of the album. This slow song is sung nicely by Hariharan and Sadhna Sargam. Hariharan is on familiar territory with this slow love duet, and flows through it with ease. Sadhna Sargam also fits the bill in, and easily glides through the song. Anand Bakshi´s poetry blends in with the mood. The music is interesting but again we have heard it before. The music in some parts reminds us of Bombay or even a little bit of Kabhi Na Kabhi. Backbeats are at a minimal use with an occasional Tabla and Violin base which is deeply rooted into the composition. Rahman relies on bells and sticks to propel the track giving it a mystical feel. He also blends in semi classical influences throughout the bridges of the song with flutes and sitars. The overall effect is not overwhelming but none the less mellow. This track is good for die hard Rahman love song enthusiasts, but some will find it boring. Yaar Teri Bewafai shifts to a more serious mood and Mahalaxmi Iyer does an ok job with the track. Her singing is better suited to chorus numbers where her weaknesses can be masked. Here she does an average job but isn´t really offered the challenge to rise to the occasion. Lyrics are bland and semi angry, and apologetic at the same time. The music is ok, but nothing original, like the other tracks we´ve heard it before. It tries to blend semi western influences with eastern influences and the result isn´t too great. The composition tends to be racy and then mellow in an uneven pace and it has a trademark Rahman stamp on it. Overall it´s not really worth listening to and may take a while getting used to. Side B starts off with the catchy Botal Tod De sung by the ever dependable Hema Sardesai and Sonu Nigam. When I first heard it I hated it but after constantly being bombarded by it, I slowly began to like the track. Sonu does a good job as a semi-drunk singer, and Hema seems to be having a blast accompanying him. They put a sufficient amount of effort into their singing and it pays off since the style of the song requires them to sing fast at parts. Lyrics are purely situational and filled with masti. The music is a blend of 50´s jazzy music and 40´s rock. It reminds you of certain songs from Ram Gopal Varma´s Mast. The verses are interestingly put together, and become catchier after a second or third listen. Overall this one is enjoyable and one of the more original compositions on the album. The folksy Sone Ka Palang follows and along with it we see the return (?) of Ila Arun onto the scene. Accompanying her are Udit Narayan and Kavita Paudwal. The song is instantly likeable, but borrows influences from past Rahman compositions mainly from Mr. Romeo. If you have heard Mr. Romeo you´ll see influences from Romeo Teri Kismat, Mona Lisa and Paas Aaja Balaam. Still the music is interesting and fun. There is good percussion use and the chorus is effectivley used. Lyrics too are a mix of fun and folk, and fit the situation, the picturization of this song will be interesting. Kavita Paudwal doesn´t live up to her mothers legacy but is still good in the song. She can carry a note and has impressive range, but this song doesn´t tap her talent. She is more suited to pop numbers. Ila Arun sounds great after a two year gap from the scene. Her throaty vocals are much more pleasant than the croaky Swapna Awasthi. Udit Narayan does his usual and sounds as if he is smiling throughout the whole track. Overall this one is fun to listen to and very catchy. The album ends off on a good note with Ek Ladki Thi. The sensual song blends classical influences with a western backbeat and has a very magical sound to it. Kavita Krishnamurthy does a good job, but we´ve heard better. This song is more or less suited to a singer like Swaranlatha who has a more sensual voice in Rahman numbers. Still Kavita does a good job particularly in the verses where she carries the high notes off with ease. Her singing flows well with the track. Lyrics are nice and semi-poetic describing the first love metamorphosis the heroine is clearly feeling. The chorus is welcome to this track and does a great job with their soft soothing chants, and they are used very effectively as always by Rahman. Music is an interesting blend of Tabla and Sitar with a synthesized backbeat and the effect is done well, it makes the track flow like a river. This track a a surefire winner. Overall this one is a more commercial soundtrack with nothing original by Rahman. He borrows a lot of influences from his past work and it makes us feel like we´ve heard some of the songs before. It pales in comparison to Rahman´s other work this year such as the almost perfect Zubeidaa and the fun and fast paced One Two Ka Four. Still it has it´s high points particularly Side B which livens up and bit as compared to Side A. It will be found enjoyable to most but some may not find it worth their time. Many songs are sure to be seen on TV and the pop charts. Still there is a song for everyone on the album, whether it be peppy fun tacks, Slow melodies, Scintillating numbers, or a serious mood. Love You Hamesha is a mixed bag. |
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