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CHORDS AND NOTES

KEHTA HAI DIL YAHI BAAR BAAR, ARYANS

SCI, Rs.58

The Aryans advertise their latest composition as `The Band... A True Rock Story... ' But this album is devoid of rock. It is useful only as background music, best heard soft. Side one of the album opens and ends with `Kehta Hai Dil... My first time... Ha! Ha!' The instrumental version of the song at the end of side one is an inadequate filler. The lyrics of the album lean towards the childish. The songs are about love but devoid of passion. `Tum Ho' attempts drama but never rises above the prosaic. `Jaane Kaun Sa Rasta' provides easy listening as the melody is reminiscent of old Hindi movie songs. Side two of the album is more interesting. The tunes and lyrics are less simplistic. `Subah Ho gayi' is a good song. The instrument collection is imaginative. The lyrics are encouraging if not inspiring. `Shantoo Dada' is a nostalgic song about childhood and growing up. The melody of the song does make the listener reflect and remember the past.

TARANGA, PREM JOSHUA

Music Today, Rs.295

What would you call a lounge album interspersed with healing mantras and Sufi ebullience? "Taranga", of course. While most lounge albums are forgettable, this one stands out because of the intense yet relaxing orchestration. While Prem Joshua's introspective sitar explores musical highs, lows and platitudes with equal serenity, Sandhya Sanjana's voice is powerfully traditional. In fact, it is the strategic use of vocals that renders the album sublime. The third track, "Song for Sayang", with its lilting south Indian melody, is a wonderful treat, and the saxophone in the title track is striking. The sixth track, "Ranga", true to its name, is a colourful polyphonic celebration. But the last track, "Meherbani", is a trifle tedious, and goes on and on and on for almost 19 minutes. Nonetheless, the album creates a pleasant ambience that lasts even after one has stopped listening to it. If Rudyard Kipling were alive to listen to such global music, he would probably rephrase the words of his famous refrain: "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

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