Rough Guide To Bollywood Gold - Various Artists

...audio CD produced by the Rough Guide Ltd, a Company based at London, UK owned by Pearson PLC .This is a company which initially started to publish books on travel and it has added publication of books on Music and production of CDs in the recent past. The company does have worldwide distribution and this helps in procurement of either the books or CDs produced by hem at any place in the World.
The CD 'Rough Guide to Bollywood Gold' seems to ...
...Indian Film music from the Rough Guide, but to view this you have to run this CD on your PC.

Now coming to the Songs on the track, there are 15 tracks which are having different moods or emotions! This collection includes 10 tracks portraying romantic mood, 3 songs depicting philosophy of life, one track is patriotic and one is instrumental sound track!
Thus this CD is definitely a lively one for the listeners with fairly good ... more

The CD 'Rough Guide to Bollywood Gold' is an audio CD produced by the Rough Guide Ltd, a Company based at London, UK owned by Pearson PLC .This is a company which initially started to publish books on travel and it has added publication of books on Music and production of CDs in the recent past. The company does have worldwide distribution and this helps in procurement of either the books or CDs produced by hem at any place in the World.
The CD 'Rough Guide to Bollywood Gold' seems to be basically produced for those Indians and other people staying out side India. This becomes evident from the Commentary given in the CD about the performers and their career details. This CD is produced by the company under the guidance of Ritu a famous DJ in UK. She has handpicked the numbers of this sound track in enhanced format to make it complete CD of assorted songs of different moods with a superb sound quality.

The packet of the CD contains one Audio CD and a booklet which covers the details about the performers and their works in the Musical Industry.
This Audio CD also having a video interview with the DJ Ritu and also the information on Indian Film music from the Rough Guide, but to view this you have to run this CD on your PC.

Now coming to the Songs on the track, there are 15 tracks which are having different moods or emotions! This collection includes 10 tracks portraying romantic mood, 3 songs depicting philosophy of life, one track is patriotic and one is instrumental sound track!
Thus this CD is definitely a lively one for the listeners with fairly good fast tracks on it with rich music, strong lyrics and fantastic singers to make the CD a perfect value for the money paid. Those who have seen the movies from which these songs have been picked up will definitely travel back to enliven the past and to get themselves lost in Nostalgia. And for those who haven't seen these movies, this CD will tempt them to go in for these movies. Since this CD is available throughout the World, it becomes essential to add that this CD is having very good music to enjoy, even if the lyrics are not understood for the people who don't understand the Hindi Language, as the music has no language barriers!

Now if we see in Indian context the songs selected are quite fine but are far away from the so called the 'Golden Classics'! Yes they were popular during their time and these songs if not classics they were not even flops too! Thus we can say these are collection of some listenable songs sung by some great singers which are lively with good music backing them.

The numbers on the track and the details are reviewed as below:

1. Chandni O Meri Chandni:

This is a romantic number from the movie Chandni. This is basically a duet filmed on Rishi Kapoor and Sri Devi and sung by Jolly Mukerjee and Sri Devi herself. This is a track with good tempo and rhythm. Jolly Mukherjee makes this song a lively one but I could never understand till the day ,what made the producer and director of the movie to give this song to Sri Devi to sing? Couldn't they get some professional singers ? Any way the song would have been a much better one with some professional singer rendering the voice instead of Sri Devi which could have avoided some off notes occurred in the song !

2. Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana:

This song by Kishore Kumar is a Fantastic song with a fast rhythm. The song was filmed on the Bollywood Romantic Hero Rajesh Khanna in the movie Andaaz. This song was a super hit in early seventies and still remains as a melodious popular sound track! This is a solo song, sung by Kishore Kumar. This song is from the movie Andaaz. This song is about the uncertainties of the life and the lyricist asks the people to live their lives fully in the present time as know body knows what is there in store for tomorrow! A great thought presented in a lively manner!

3. Mehbooba Mehbooba:

This song is from the legendary Bollywood film Sholay. The music director R D Burman himself ventured to sing this song to make it a super duper hit of the movie. The song has a fantastic percussion section and the Arabian music makes the song very enjoyable! Though the wording of this song is bit difficult to understand when heard for the first time, the song is very pleasant to hear for the charming music!

4. In Aankhon Ki Masti Mein:

This is a romantic Ghazal presented by the legendary Ghazal Queen Asha Bhosle in the movie Umrao Jaan. Rekha justifies this beautiful Ghazal with her magnificent acting skills in the movie to make this number as an evergreen one! It can be undoubtedly said that that in this Ghazel Asha Bhosle has poured out her heart! While listening to his track no body can miss the emotions which she has portrayed in the song itself to make it as one of the romantic Ghazals which she sung till the day!

5. Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera:

This is a great piece of work by R D Burman. Here in this duet he used Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi to make this song as an unforgettable one! This song from the movie Teesri Manzil has some very fantastic pieces of work on Spanish guitar and also on Drum set. The piece of music played in this song remains till today as one of he favorite pieces to play by any guitarist or the Drummer! 'Aaja Ah Ha Aaja?' part of this song forms the life of this song making it an immortal one! This song is a fantastic combination of great music and a touchy rhythm!

6. Tere Chehre Se Nazar Nahin:

This duet from the movie Kabhi Kabhi if not excellent, is a good number. Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar make this song quite listenable. There is nothing much about this song to talk about except for saying that it is a good romantic song filmed on Rishi Kapoor and This Neetu Singh!

7. Chahe Mujhe Koi Junglee Kahen:

The combination of fast and slow music in the song makes it a wonderful number to hear! The yell "Yahoo?" in this song has become a brand mark for the Actor Shammi Kapoor who enacted this song in the movie 'Junglee'. Muhammad Rafi does no mistakes in this song to make it a perfect one and because of this, this song remains a super hit amongst the people both from old and new generation alike! This song is forms a feast for the person who can't follow the Hindi Language just for the great music incorporated in it!

8. Awaara Hoon:

This is a sweet and smoothening song by the all time great Mukesh who sung this song for the Bollywood ever green Hero Raj Kapoor for his movie 'Aawaara' which forms the title song of the movie! This song has a pleasant and chasing music and it can be said for the sure that the listener will definitely fall into the love with this song at the very first instant he/she happens to listen it! This song has that charisma of the musical magic or magical music, in what ever way you want to put the words you like!

9. Theme Instrumental:

This is the theme music of the film 'Nagin' by the great music Director Hemant Kumar. This music has become a snake charmers traditional tune since the release of this movie. This tune and the Indian Cobra have become inseparable and both have become associates of each other since the birth of this music. This music is basically played on the traditional musical instrument called as 'Been' which is used by the snake charmers of India, but to get this tune for the movie, Hemant Kumar used Claviolin which is very hard to believe! This shows his great musical aptitude and professionalism towards the music. Needless to say that this is an all time favorite tune for one and all!

10. Chabi Kho Jaye:

This is a track from the Raj Kapoor's great romantic hit 'Bobby'. This song was a superhit of its time and was excellently sung by the melody queen Lata Mangeshkar and Shailendra Singh ! This song makes one to wander in fantasies ! This romantic song was beautifully filmed on the Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in lead roles for whom this film was a debuted one! The attractive music and the singing style make this song very romantic and pleasant number to hear!

11. Yeh Sham Mastani:

This is a fantastic number by Kishore Kumar, This romantic number is filmed on the old Romantic Hero of Bollywood Rajesh Khanna for the movie 'Kati Patang'! This song remains one of the most popular romantic songs of all the time! The music by the great music director R D Burman and the style of the great singer Kishore Kumar make this song a perfect blend to form a great Romantic 'Musical Melody' which is hard to forget if listened ones!

12. Mere Desh Ki Dharti:

This is one of the most popular patriotic songs of India ever had! This great song is still played today in every nook and corner of the Country on the Independence day and Republic day! This sweet and melodious song is sung by the great singer Mahindra Kapoor who is famous for his patriotic songs. This song praises the mother land India and it is the brain child of Manoj Kumar to film it in his patriotic movie 'Upkaar'! The beautiful music touching the heart and the haunting Chorus of the song makes this song to be remembered for ever! A beautiful number in this CD, and I am sure it will be liked by every one for the music and the content of the song!

13. Kehta Hai Joker:

This is a great piece of work by the great singer Mukesh who was the voice of the great actor and director Rak Kapoor. This song is a philosophical one, where through the words of the Joker the lyricist tries to narrate the pseudo ness of the World! This great number was a popular song and still remains a popular one amongst the modern youth. This song from the movie 'Mera Naam Joker' is a nice song with good music!

14. Chalte Chalte:

This is a romantic number from the movie 'Pakeezah' which is sung by the great singer Lata Mangeshkar! This song was filmed on the great actress Meena Kumari, who enacted the song so beautifully that it has become one of the ever green romantic numbers of the Bollywood. This song is having a slow pace but the lyrics are fantastic with great work of music to support!

15. Mere Sapno Ki Rani:

This is a fantastic fast moving romantic number with a beautiful work of accordion and harmonica incorporated in it! This super hit song remains one of my favorite numbers and I must have heard this song so many times that I lost the count! This musical song is beautifully filmed on Rajesh Khanna in the Jubilee movie 'Aaradhana'. This track on this CD will undoubtedly liked by one and all!

Added advantages:

The booklet which is presented free with this CD covering details about the performers and their performances in the industry, A commentary about the songs on the track and the interview with the DJ Ritu are the added advantages with this CD to avail !

Cover Of the CD:

I really wonder what made the Rough Guide to publish the photograph of Aishwarya Rai on the CD cover, when the tracks in this CD are from the classical era of 1960 to 1980! This perhaps may be a business trick played by the commercial music Company 'Rough guide' to draw the attention of the international customers towards the CD! That's all can think about as the answer!

Opinion:

'''This is a good CD with a handpicked number of popular tracks of Bollywood movies. The music is good and worth listening. With the enhanced format the sound quality is real good and at no point one gets bored with the songs. Going in for this CD will be definitely getting a good value for the money spent. For the people who have seen the movies, it will be having a great time for them to get lost themselves in the nostalgia and for those who have not seen these movies these songs will prove a great temptation and inspiration to see these movies to enjoy them on the screen! Good bargain,Go for it!!'''

[Published in Ciao.com] 

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