How best to describe such a tableau as this? Another Indian gem imprinted into my brain from my recent holiday.
Parts of this song are so much like the Grease 2 soundtrack in spirit it's untrue. Mix that with the kind of Hindi film beats that have become close to my heart over the last couple of months and you're talking about the kind of song which will keep me awake thinking of its greatness.
The female backing vocals are the cherry on the crumble. You can just picture the wide eyed lovely saying "An-thony GONSALVES!!"
from Amar Akbar Anthony (Universal CDF 723), available on CD
09 Aug 04 ·Issie: Just listened to the song- i think its great! 16 Aug 04 ·olli: heheh, have you seen the scene where this song is used in the film? it`s amazing! best slow motion running ever. 16 Dec 05 ·tinks: ridiculously brilliant.
The track on the cd is rude so i put the radio track name. I dont really understand why the Black eyed peas are so popular but thats just a matter of taste.
available on CD - Elephunk
16 Aug 04 ·olli: it must be weird to live in a country where commercial censorship is so accepted. what`s the point of bleeping out or changing the offensive words of a song for radio play? the only thing you achieve with that is more cultural apathy. if the album version offends people, won`t they still be offended if they actually buy the album?
the original track content might not be particularily intelligent or meaningful, but at least it had a hint of attitude, not to mention a sense of fun. the rudeness was the fresh ting about the song, with a sense of goodwill you can even read it as a comment on how uncomplicated pop or "stupid music" makes the best party music (of course it does! admit it, you all love it!). the sanitized version just flat out loses its punch in my opinion. 16 Aug 04 ·olli: dammit, i always sound like a pretentious twat when i post comments about pop music. i love pop, i really do.. 17 Aug 04 ·Issie: Dont worry no offence taken in by me! 20 Sep 04 ·Mike: I'm not entirely sure why the BEP are so very popular either, but I do find most of their recent singles preferable both lyrically and musically to much of the rest of the American urban stuff that has been so prominent in the UK charts recently. In "Shut up" they even infuse their hip-hop with baroque classical influences, which of course I rather like.
Isobel Campbell was, of course, a member of Belle & Sebastian as well as the lead singer in The Gentle Waves, a disguised solo project backed by members of Belle & Sebastian. Her first "real" solo record "Amorino" was finally released in 2003. This wonderful cover version was only released on her 2004 EP "Time Is Just The Same". And while it's already great to see a Morricone cover version these days, this one is really amazing too. It just suits Mrs. Campbells airy, fairy-like voice perfectly. Compared to the Astrud Gilberto from 1971 this version feels even lighter, calmer, more stripped down since it's not orchestrated with strings.
from Time Is Just The Same, available on CD
19 Aug 04 ·Issie: The singer has a great first name!!!
A beautiful Mancini piece from one of his best-known soundtracks that I had somehow managed to neglect completely. The Pink Panther was never at the top of my wish-list, but after picking up the CD last week for a mere 50p, I was very impressed. The score utilizes the accordian slightly more than I would have liked, but has some fantastic textured tracks, such as this one.
The track opens with a 'Blues in the night' style riff on the piano. The lead is then taken by a blistering muted trumpet sound. I've always thought of Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks work as being heavily Mancini-influenced, but that link has never been more clear to me than on this track, which has a similar moody tone to some of the best tracks on the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me soundtrack. The classic Mancini string sound is also in evidence, as well as a gentle wordless chorus. About half-way through, legendary tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson takes up the melody. The dreaded accordian gets a brief look-in before the track concludes with some more riffing on the trumpet. Fantastic stuff; Mancini really was an inspirational arranger.
from The Pink Panther, available on CD
06 Dec 04 ·Issie: I like Pink Panther so I bet I like this song!
