Music Review: Farhan Akhtar's Rock On!
In Bollywood you've got to make a name for yourself. And if you're name kisses quality each time, your name becomes a brand. A brand people will follow like a religion. Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachan and Farhan Akhtar are one of those people. I went to see Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na just because of Aamir Khan. I'm sure a lot of people out there put their hard earned moolah into the movie for this very reason. Farhan Akhtar, the director made it big with Dil Chahta Hai. He's back with Rock On!! Now here's Farhan Akhtar the actor, the singer, the producer. Will he be a better actor than a director? That will have to wait. First let's check out the music which was released yesterday.
Track Listing:
Socha Hai - Farhan Akhtar
Pichle Saat Dinon Mein - Farhan Akhtar
Rock On!! - Farhan Akhtar
Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein - Dominique Cerejo
Zehreelay - Suraj Jaggan
Tum Toh Ho - Farhan Akhtar
Sinbad The Sailor - Farhan Akhtar, Raman Mahadevan
Pichle Saat Dinon Mein (Live Version) - Farhan Akhtar
Phir Dekhiye - Caralisa Monteiro
The music has been composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. The lyrics have been penned down by Javed Akhtar. At first look this might look like Farhan Akhtar's private rock album. He has sung five out of the nine tracks in the album. And dude! He rocks! He certainly does. The music is simply good to listen to. The album starts with Socha Hai by Farhan Akhtar. This is just some brilliant stuff as usual from Shankar Ehsaan Loy. Farhan proves he can sing. And he sings quite well. So say hello to Farhan Akhtar, the singer. The next track Pichle Saat Dinon Mein is an attempt to rock. Farhan makes it sound so good. The lyrics make it even better. Chances are you're humming the song, the very first time you hear it! The title song comes next, Rock On by Farhan Akhtar. Say hello to Farhan Akhtar, the rockstar. Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein is a solid slow soulful song. Who the heck is Dominique Cerejo? I've got to Google her! The rock part is not over yet. Zehreelay by Suraj Jaggan is a neat one. Tum Toh Ho by Farhan Akhtar is another slow song you'll wanna hear again and again. You can skip Sinbad the Sailor. The album ends with Phir Dekhiye by Caralisa Monteiro. The lyrics are simply amazing. On the whole an album as expected. Go get it! You'll love each and every song!
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https://www.bollyspice.com/music-reviews.php/rock-on-music-re view.html Bollywood Rock has Arrived. And it is FULL ON.\m/
But well, there is now a twist to it. The Last track is a Live version of the second track in the album. SO let's go for it together. Track 2 and 8: Pichle Saat Dinon Mein - Farhan Akhtar on the vocals. I know it is Ehsaan on the guitars belting out the riff. . The lyrics is as silly as it could be , but well you don't expect a very metaphorical referencing rhyme in a Rock Song-not this one. It is about what stuff the guy lost in the last seven days. And it contains things as trivial as a Laundry Bill, a lady's phone number, a king of hearts from the deck of cards, and a silver ring. Pretty meaningless and irrelevant, unless we hear the organ sound in the background, the riff, and the chorus going Na Na Na Na Na!! And hold on it does contain the Lines- Maryjane ka ek packet, Meri Denim ka ek Jacket. And who did we say wrote the lyrics. Javed Akhtar \m/. For those who still don't have any idea of what Maryjane is (no it isn't Mrs Spiderman), get some ejj..ucation. The guitar solo is Oh Yeah!! And this song leaves you grooving to its addictive sound. Special mention: Listen to Farhan go :-Kabhi Khud Pe Hasaa Main, aur Kabhi Khud pe…Ro.yyyaaa (in perfect Bon Scott fashion). Track 9: Phir Dekhiye: Its an acoustic one. Caralisa Monteiro on the vocals. This one is on the lines of the many lady artistes we get to hear -may be a bit of Alanis. Very cool sounding pianos to go with the svelte vocal lines. Very likeable and perfect for a quite evening when you want to listen something calm as you sit down to solve your Sudoku. Track 7: Sinbad the sailor: The guitar 'sounds' so similar to AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. But then, the Keyboard kicks in and we are almost back into the 80s. I cannot search the right name of the band which inspires such sounds-perhaps a whole league of Brit Bands in the 80s. But this is the weakest tracks of the album. The lyrics are predictably about Sinbad, the sailor. Nuff said. The guitar solo is likable, nothing that would qualify for a smokin solo. This is at best a clichd Rock track which fails to live up to the standard of Tracks 2 and 8. But, wait we are not done yet. The final 2 minutes is when the track picks up.Enter Raman Mahadevan and there is a fresh twist to the sing, and hear Farhan go the falsetto way - high ,high and high. And it all wraps up in typical guitar solos and the cymbals going disshhhh. Huh, after the climax, I'd rather, not Bad eh! Track 6:Tum Ho Toh: Farhan tries a ballad (ok, Shankar ,Ehsaan and Loy made him to). A bit pitchy at times in the intro, romantic lyrics, and yes, Farhan does the falsetto again.As suggested in the promo posters, Luke Kenny is on the keyboards. And this song, surely does have enough shots of him, considering the Keyboards portions in the arrangement. Prominent bass to go along. It does sound a bit like Coldplay at times, but then may be it's because I have been listening to a lot of Coldplay's latest album (Viva La Vida, check out Violet Hill from the album). Listen to Farhan do the falsetto in the second verse. Ladies n Gents, Boys n Gals-Farhan Akhtar,the singer has ARRIVED.
Track 4:Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein-Dominique Cerejo- Who's this lady? I have one word for her-Satine'. Would love to hear her sing any damn Jazz song and I can just sit hours listening to her. May be a bit of Norah Jones would also make me go crazy. Love the bass lines on this track. A romantic ballad. But I can't get over her vocals. Pitch perfect!! I wouldn't be surprised if this is shot on location in a Jazz bar. This is actually how it should look. We have to wait for how this is gonna be picturised. My second favorite of the album. Dominique-step out and SING. Track 3: Title Track-Rock On: Enjoyable Guitar Riff- Standard Rock Lyrics speaking of freakin' out, speaking your heart out, screaming your lungs out blah blah!
Okay, probably it is me because we just have heard so much about this stuff in the ones that started it all. I would have liked the lyrics to have been a bit more innovative. Track 1: Socho To: Is it me, or is it still the same guitar -yeah, the AC/DC of You Shook Me All Night Long. Although we get to hear flashes of a bit of Joe Sat, and a bit of Colplay as well. Man, I am insane now.
Try singing these lines and I am sure you'll fall in love with this song. Much like a Nursery rhyme with a bass track, a drum beat, a rhythm guitar to go with and a guitar solo. I would say, not a very good opener to a Killer album, but yeah, kinda good. So there you have it. My verdict: GO BUY IT. It is Rock as you would expect, and Bollywood music as you would never. Few things are still unexplored- may be darker themes for a rock song, a punk sound and perhaps, even an instrumental track. But then, you know how demanding I can be. Heroes of the soundtrack- Farhan Akhtar, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Dominique, and definitely Suraj Jaggan. I'll go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for this one |
It is a known fact that Farhan Akhtar is making his debut as an actor with Rock On!!. What may not be known, is the fact that he is also debuting as a singer with this movie.
Farhan gets back on the rock wagon with Sinbad the Sailor. Akhtar Sr. pens this track well as the story of Sinbad is intertwined with messages of following your dreams and never quitting despite the obstacles. It's no surprise that Farhan knocks this one out of the park as well. 'Sinbad the Sailor' is only two thirds of the track because in the final portion, Raman Mahadevan joins Farhan for a rocked up version of 'Tum Ho Toh'. Both singers complement each other well and add char chands (four stars) to the original version.
So we have it. The first Indian Rock Bollywood soundtrack. Ugh! I so hate to call it that. It is a Bollywood movie soundtrack-Yes! And it IS ROCK. How Indian? I can see no Indianization in it (except for the Hindi lyrics) and it is an all out-full throttle Rock soundtrack with no holds barred. No cliche' sitar addition or an Indian classical solo on a distorted electric guitar in the arrangement of which Indian Rock soundtracks in Bollywood are known to be. Nothing wrong about them as well. But Rock On's soundtrack is what it is-ROCK ON. It is somehow an Indian tribute to the many Legends of Rock that we have grown up listening to -AC/DC, Megadeth,The Who et al. And I know it for sure that Farhan Akhtar saw way too many concert DVDs before sitting down to sing for the soundtrack. The attitude, the grunge and the punch in the vocals comes through easily, and yes, get ready to be hit by the Vocals. And well, it might not be a totaly new sound for us Rock fans, who pretty much listen to it all the time, it is a big welcome change for Bollywood Music. And quite frankly, it seems funny (in a good way) to hear Hindi lyrics on a Rock Song. As always, I am gonna go the reverse way -Last track first.
Track 5: Zehreelay: 1…2…3..4..Oh Yeah. Silly lyrics again..LOL. Talks about venomous snakes. Forget the lyrics. I bet you can't stop headbanging to this one. The double bass on the drums keep on thumping. This one's really Metal. Oh yeah. Bollywood featuring Metal. Awesome! can't wait to see this one on the movie. And that is what excites me more than anything. I would like to watch and hear this tracks on the loud, ear piercing speakers of a multiplex cinema. The vocals of Suraj Jaggan are very typically thrash (where has he been so far?). Very harsh, the drums as brutally wild as it can be, and the guitars are fast. The rhythm riff is very Megadeth, and the solo is blazing fast. Beware Bollywood -The Metal has finally landed. This one has got to be my favorite of the Album. You have to buy this album for this ONE. The wrapping up part just grabs you by the..ahem…and just throws you away. God, there are zillions of people sounding like this in English,German or infamously from Norway, but Zehreelay makes Hindi added to the list. Now listen Shankar,Ehsaan and Lloy, no matter what Yashraj Uncle says, DO NOT GO BACK to doing Karwa Chauth and God Bharai songs. Puhleeeezzz.
