Title: The Rough Guide to Bollywood: The Glitz, the Glamour, the Soundtrack
Artist: Compiled by DJ Ritu
Date: 2002
After listening to this CD, I realized that just as there is no such thing as one kind of “Hollywood music,” there is no such thing as one kind of Bollywood music. This CD is a survey of music in Bollywood over the years from the 1970s to 2000s.
Not all of the music appealed to me; I guess growing up with Western music kind of biased my ears against high pitched nasal singing, and some of the riffs just simply sounded tacky to me. However, after listening to the CDs a few times, the songs kind of grow on you.
Best tracks:
Track 7: Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin
This is the first ever male duet in Bollywood history for the movie Sholay, a “Curry Western.” It begins with some motifs that sounded almost “sci fi” movie to me, but then it moves into a decidedly western motif with a beautiful melody that evokes wide open spaces where cattle roam.
Track 8: Aap Jaise Koi
Begins a little tacky for me, but then Nazia Hassan’s voice comes in with a very beautiful melody. According to the liner notes, this is the “Indian equivalent of Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen.’” From the movie Qurbani.
Track 10: Tujhe Dekha To
Lata Mangeshkar sings an intriguing melody that’s hard to get out of your head. From the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
Track 11: Kehna Hi Kya
One of the more creative beginning I’ve heard … it’s a rhythmic, tabla-accompanied, harmony of female voices which falls into the background as Chitra’s voice soars in. The first big break for Chitra and for composer A.R. Rahman. From the movie Bombay.
Track 14: Ek Pal Ka Jeena
A good dance song that begins with a steady almost Persian-dance kind of beat, followed by pan flutes, and Lucky Ali’s voice. This song has elements of techno pop, electronica, and 70s brass. Just a fun song. From the movie Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai.
Track 15: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
Excellent dance song with a good tabla-based beat. Very catchy melody with the words, “Still my heart is Indian.” From the film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.
from here.
Now, normally, I don’t like to talk needless shit, but as Benjie Light and I were waxing and musing about various films that we felt deserved to be on this list, we also, of course, were taking a gander at others’ lists. Some of them are really, really interesting. Some… not so much.
If you click over to the trainwreck of a website that is Ain’t It Cool News these days, you can take a look here at the best of the decade lists by one of their regularly featured… I don’t know what you call them. Are they writers? I’ll be charitable and just say: bloggers. Anyway, the fella calls himself “Mr. Beaks.”
Now, there’s some quality films in this list, there really are. In The Mood For Love in the top five? I respect that. You Can Count On Me in the list at all? I can definitely get behind that. There’s two films by Michael Haneke on the list, which is surprising, but I applaud it. WALL-E’s on the list, which is a no brainer, and so are films like The Constant Gardener, which people always told me were good but I never saw. All of this sounds fine.
But the list itself? Deeply flawed. For example, there’s way too Ridley Scott happening here. Way too much. I’m surprised that Peter Berg isn’t on the guy’s list. And Brian De Palma’s Femme Fatale. Seriously. There’s weird caveats as well, like, sure Bad Santa makes it onto the list of top 100 films of the decade, but only the “January 2003 Pasadena Test Screening Cut?” What? That’s ridiculous. Oh, and the that the #100 film is Bring It On, seriously, and the #1 film – and it’s important to note that this appears to be a ranked list – is Irreversible. Which is… wow. Indeed.
Also, here is a list of films that “Mr. Beaks” says “just missed” finding a place on his best of the decade list: The Dark Knight, Juno, May, Closer, Old Joy, Bad Boys 2, Unfaithful, Lovely And Amazing, Unbreakable, Mission To Mars, Humpday, The Prestige, Paranoid Park, and I’m Not There. And The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Just consider for a moment that these titles are together in one section, and then think about how they’re good enough to make it onto the best of list. A-mazing.
Then again, this list is perfect for AICN, and their larger than life founder, Harry Knowles, who once deserved mention in early 90s when it came to how film was discussed on the internet, at least upcoming films. Benjamin Light’s been saying it for a while, and maybe he’s right: I don’t think we care about spoilers anymore. Not that AICN has had them for a while. The system merely absorbed them and spit them back out.
Harry Knowles = the anti-Roger Ebert?
Hell, maybe Bring It On is on your 100 best movies of the decade list. SPOILER: I’m pretty sure it’s not on ours.
That said, our 100 Best Films of the Decade list is (most likely) dropping tomorrow. It’s fantastic. Trust me.
Elsewhere…
