Delhi-6 Review

Delhi-6 Music Review

This is the first album of this year 2009 from our Golden Globe Winner-Mozart of Asia A.R.Rahman and it was a completely enriching experience to listen to this album.What a way to start this year. This album can be easily listed as one of the top 10 A.R.Rahman albums till date. Following Rang De Basanti, A.R.Rahman has once again proved his class and had bettered his RDB compositions in both flair and class. Its indeed a great privilege to pen my thoughts about this album.

1) Aarti (Tumre Bhavan Mein) – Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Mazumdar:
A typical bhajan to start the album. Not much of orchestration with female harmony section and shruti box and jingles throughout, its a pure melody to relish and its also short in duration.
Rating: 8/10

2) Arziyan – Javed Ali, Kailash Kher:
"Maula Maula" is a typical Rahman quawali number with the traditional tablas and harmoniums and nowadays Rahman has become a master in such compositions soaked in Hindustani music and a little bit of Sufism thrown in. The guitars are great and subtle and they blend beautifully throughout the song. Both the singers Rahman's new find Javed Ali(of Jodha Akbar fame) and Kailash Kher do complete justice to this song.A completely soul stirring composition that can be grouped with "Khwaja Khawaja",Sona Sona" and "Varaaka Nadi Karaiyoram". The pad usage along with the harmonium around the 3.20 minute and 4.50 minute is great. The subtle string section and bassline throughout the song makes it a pleasant hearing.
Rating: 9.5/10

3) Bhor Bhaye – Shreya Ghoshal, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Raga: Gujiri Thodi
Rahman has attempted to bring the immortal Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan composition with nice overlapping with vocals of Shreya Ghosal . A classical composition brought to younger generation in Rahman's own unimitable style with tablas and harmoniums.
Rating:10/10

4) Delhi 6 – Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Vivinenne Pocha, Tanvi Shah, Claire
A pure rocking number. This song is a complete electrifying number. What can one expect when all rocking power houses like Blaaze, Benny Dayal,Vivienne Pocha, Tanvi Shah and Claire share the mike???The result is a pure electro funky number with electric guitars and acoustic guitars. The use of slap bass guitar is commendable. Even the tabla also shares its space there. Suddenly from 2.18 minute, we hear brass and timpani and reverse cymbal too. Little weird..This song could have been better.
Rating: 8.5/10

5) Dil Gira Dafatan – Ash King, Chinmayee
Ash King makes an interesting debut here. Even in the prelude, one can sense the coming of vintage A.R.Rahman of Kadhalan days. The use of oriental strings,pads,bells,music box and guitars and string section makes the song a stunning melody. Ash King and Chinmayee are flawless and they do justice to this innovative song. The violins, scottish pipe and wood bass before and during the first interlude brings in an Irish feel to the song. The string section fuses the western classical opera feel to this song.A great melody to hear.
Rating: 9.5/10

6) Genda Phool – Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Mazumdar
The first prelude is very interesting with some funky sounds and electro beats and then the songs starts like a folk tune. But what happens next is mesmerising. We suddenly hear synth bass, distortion guitars and electro beats- a complete transformation of a folk song presented in western style. Good chord progressions and neat beat section with bird chirping sounds adds beauty to this song. Its a very short interesting number.
Rating: 9.5/10

7) Hey Kaala Bandar – Karthik, Naresh Iyer, Bony Chakravarthy
This is an another Middle Eastern flavoured song with neat bass riffs and fast beats. The rap section(is it by Ember/Bony Chakravarthy??) is done to perfection and the song sways to and fro and some times gives a deja vu feel at various places. The FX effects(atomic blast and ambulance) at few places are interesting. The voice morphing and the hip hop style of this song will make this song a perfect dance number. The pipe is enchanting like a magudi sound. A perfect blend of hip hop/Middle Eastern and Bhangra in typical Rahman style. The scale changes and distortion guitars adds splendour to this song. A worthy listen.
Rating: 8/10

8) Masakali – Mohit Chauhan
Only one word to describe this song "STUNNING". This was the song that was aired in Delhi 6 trailer and evoked a sense of curiosity to hear this album. A pure Rahman number which has all the trade mark Rahmanish elements in abundance and grandeur. A stunning melody rendered effectively by Mohit Chauhan. The string section accompanied by Mohit's singing in the first prelude just signals that some thing breath taking is going to sweep us away. Ghatam,accordion by A.R.Rahman himself and bass guitars and castanets soon follow and this song definitely has the Spanish feel. A pure melodic fun number with the excellent
strings section and the accordion in the first interlude is a treat to hear.Sure it takes us back to the glorious IRUVAR days. There is also a trademark Rahmanish percussion bit in 2.20 minutes and 3.32 minutes(like Uppu Karuvadu from Mudhalvan). The tempo of the song is perfect and the percussion is pure Middle Eastern stuff.The singer crooning Mattakali and laughing makes it a pure fun number.
Rating: 10/10

9) Noor – Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan's baritone voice appears in the backgounds with soft strings at the backgound. I don't know hindi....It must be some poem...I suppose....Its quite effective and typical Rahman work.
Rating:7/10

10) Rehna Tu – A. R. Rahman, Benny Dayal, Tanvi Shah

" A GREAT TRIBUTE TO HAKEN'S CONTINUUM MIDI CONTROLLER"

Wow...This is my another pick of the album. Rahman is so soft and soothing in his vocals. Little bit of hip hop rhythm and beautiful bassline, electric guitars and nice chord progressions. Typical Rahmanish song touching the higher crescendos with reverse cymbals,the music is great when Rahman sings Rehna Tu accompanied by guitars and soft beats.This song has shades of blues and classical 70's and 80's pop style.A little bit of Carpenter's style. This song is a great tribute to the "Finger Board MIDI Controller-CONTINUUM". The song has the lengthiest postlude may be after "Duet" that it almost comes for 2 minutes.

The part played in CONTINUUM is great and it is really wonderful to know that only a very few people in the world use "CONTINUUM" in their albums. Wikipedia lists only 7 popular artists using this instrument. Our Rahman is there among the legends. I strongly believe that we will hear more from this FINGER BOARD instrument. Some big surprise is sure to strike us.......
Rating: 10/10
FINAL VERDICT:
This album is easily one of the most appealing albums by Rahman in the last 5 years and one of the best that can be grouped along with May Madham, Thiruda Thiruda, Rangeela,Swades and Rang De Basanti. A very fresh album with so many genres.A must buy for any music fan.

WARNING: Dangerously Addictive