Woke Up Sid

A rather nice song often strolls into your tune-obssessed head when your standing on the train or sitting on the pot wondering how the day went. Sometimes, more than a couple of songs edge their way into your memory.

Wake up Sid is one such soundtrack, with it's easy, slow, melodic and often hum along songs. The movie has got its publicity just through it's title song, but as I sat in that cinema hall, with the person who forced me to watch it, I enjoyed the movie. Not because I connected with it but because the music made it more special than it actually was. Granted, the movie is a refreshing change from the rest of the haze that I've been forced to see.

The title song Wake Up Sid is the hit that's got everyone's feet tapping. But this has to be the worst song on the album. The rest of the album is so un-bollywood yet 'filmy'like that it makes a reasonably listenable Wake Up Sid look like a distant cousin. Let me explain the above ''worst song'' comment.

It strikes the right chord but the rest of the album feels like a song that you would listen to when your love has turned sour and all your left is with you, a bunch of cigarettes and a bag. Drama aside, the music is simple, with melodies orchestrated to perfect effect by Shankar Mahadevan, who sings with soul that leave you close to ''breathless''. Shankar Mahadevan's vocals have been understated for way too long; a musician who sits on the ground practicing his raagas with the same ease as singing a love ballad with the same soul but exactly opposite feel needed, needs to be applauded.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy have moulded their influences into one crazy pot of music; Ehsaan the rock musician, with Loy the jazz man and Shankar the classical yet vocally sublime mix and stir their musical brains and give us much to cheer about..

What makes this soundtrack stand out is ultimately the fact that a person who knows nothing about music sings along and one who claims to understand it write about. But with the same effect. They both enjoy it and well probably lost about the emotion it evokes, but it takes them for one second to this imaginary place where all things seem dramatic and romantic.

India needs more albums like these, to take Indian music, where it belongs at the global level. Well, even if that place seems distant, atleast we have this album to dream over it..

Where are You Going?

Alcoholics Synonymous

Ever started a story with 'We were so drunk' or 'We were so wasted'. Well, recently that seems to be happening a lot to me. Every story begins with 'Ooh i was pissing on the side of the road when a couple of dogs ran after me' or is that just me? *Thinks long and hard*
Well, i've had it with this drinking and how its getting out of hand and how i hardly remember what i did the previous night. That said, last night i think i showed my roomies my ass, and i mean literally!!
Yikes!
I know what your thinking, you missed it!! For all those who are reading , don't worry, just remind me next time. Gees, all this talk of my ass has made me digress. Isn't it weird how we all digress so easily? Or again is it just me?
Anyway, back to my drinking! See the way i see it, drinking of any sorts is not good. Why confine it to alcohol? Too much milk makes you fat and hence heart problems and hence death.
too much coffee makes you well, i'm not too sure what but it's definitely not good.
Too much Water makes you urinate all over the palce and hence smell, hence dirt hence Global warming.
too much alcohol, you drink, get drunk, puke and hurt no one. No Global warming.
But Liver problems. Hence i have decided to reduce my drinking! I'm proud of myself

All this talk of drinks..hmmm..i should get a beer!..
P.S. Notice how my thoughts digress so easily........... It's Intentional!

Caesar's Palace

Dear God,
Now if you think you are in for a lecture on the basics and nuances of music, you couldn't be more wrong. Just when all is well, life is fine, you are feeling good, the omelette curries are brilliant, there comes a sudden jolt that shakes the very ground you stand on and the things you took for granted are not there anymore.
Every once in while there are misunderstandings, insults and even heated arguements amongst people in any form of work or leisure including a band. That's exactly what happened.
You have a brilliant band that you love and love making music, drinking beer, hanging out, making fun of others and the other usual stuff. Just when evey thing seems to be going well, every song that you write just gets better and better and the chemistry on stage seems magical, there comes a ceratin roadblock that brings progress to a grinding halt. Misunderstandings happensor as someone famously said "Shit Happens" but sometimes you take a decision that is maybe not in the best interest of the band but a person.
I believe music is the binding force. Most things i do revolve around music somehow or the other. But there are times when you have to stand up for a friend. You may have a band but what connects us?The music. Music has made us friends, music has made us cry, music has made us think, Music has given us friends.
I would be lying if i said i was not proud of myself for standing for a friend rather than a band. It quite hard to explain these things in words but i did lose the band for a brief period and i did even shed a few tears because of that but i was proud that i did what MUSIC would have wanted me to do. It was then i realised there are some things that are just more importand than music-Family, friends, relationships etc.

I came to the conclusion that music was pleased that i had made the decision i had made and i was fucking proud of myself. Thankfully, the band that i thought i lost still exists and it feels even sweeter.
Very few things have made me cry, Music is one of thm.
I'll probably look at this post tomorrow and wonder what i was thinking.
I guess Music is a state of mind.
Thank You shit loads for it.
P.S.=Excuse the language

Bus Theory

Work beckons every morning at fifteen minutes past seven or atleast that's when i have to wake up, read the newspaper(yes i actually do that) and have a bath etc etc etc. Then i walk to a friend's place and we travel by a bus and I manage to reach on time.
Now the thing about travelling by bus is extremely interesting, irritating and in some cases entertaining. Today, I experienced a new emotion, grief. As i was standing in that over-crowded, sweat-filled bus i saw this young boy, aged probably around thirteen or so, who i presumed was going for his daily job, which was probably labour. He suddenly tugged at a man's shirt and borrowed his Kannada newspaper and started reading aloud. He was practicing reading. He finished the paper inside out and stepped out of the bus getting ready to work, probably knowing that he would never be able to join a school or read or go to work and help out his family by doing what he enjoyed.
Made me think to myself, how lucky are we? Just when we start cribbing about our shitty lives, God pulls us back in and makes us rejoice. I might be justa trainee in an ad firm, having to go by bus everyday but the way i see it I am a trainee in an ad firm who gets to go by bus and try something new.
Every now and then small experiences like these make you think and make you thank that person upstairs for giving you that much.
As someone once said "Enjoy what you have when you have it because it may not be there tomorrow."
That is deep, maybe i should write a book. Ok, i don't think i should enjoy at the expense of others.

Bus Theory

Work beckons every morning at fifteen minutes past seven or atleast that's when i have to wake up, read the newspaper(yes i actually do that) and have a bath etc etc etc. Then i walk to a friend's place and we travel by a bus and I manage to reach on time.
Now the thing about travelling by bus is extremely interesting, irritating and in some cases entertaining. Today, I experienced a new emotion, grief. As i was standing in that over-crowded, sweat-filled bus i saw this young boy, aged probably around thirteen or so, who i presumed was going for his daily job, which was probably labour. He suddenly tugged at a man's shirt and borrowed his Kannada newspaper and started reading aloud. He was practicing reading. He finished the paper inside out and stepped out of the bus getting ready to work, probably knowing that he would never be able to join a school or read or go to work and help out his family by doing what he enjoyed.
Made me think to myself, how lucky are we? Just when we start cribbing about our shitty lives, Gos pulls us back in and makes us rejoice. I might be justa trainee in an ad firm, having to go by bus everyday but the way i see it I am a trainee in an ad firm who gets to go by bus and try something new.
Every now and then small experiences like these make you think and make you thank that person upstairs for giving you that much.
As someone once said "Enjoy what you have when you have it because it may not be there tomorrow."
That is deep, maybe i should write a book. Ok, i don't think i should enjoy at the expense of others.

Bus Theory

Work beckons every morning at fifteen minutes past seven or atleast that's when i have to wake up, read the newspaper(yes i actually do that) and have a bath etc etc etc. Then i walk to a friend's place and we travel by a bus and I manage to reach on time.
Now the thing about travelling by bus is extremely interesting, irritating and in some cases entertaining.

Auto Raja

Whoever said all auto drivers are total farts probably had a tad too much to drink(Old Port); most of them probably are, not all. Before i start, i've always wondered why none of the autos guys in our city refuse to travel to any place. When you're waiting to go home and use the bathroom autos rrefuse to go and when you don't have to travel anywhere they stop and aks you to get in. I guess somethings are better left unanswered.
Last evening as i was heading to a friend's place, which would later be a very drunken night, i expected the same shabby treatment i usually receive. I was pleasantly suprised when i was asked to sit and the auto man started chatting. Was I in the right auto?What did he want from me?. It turned out i was in the right auto and he wanted absolutely nothing from me. He started talking to me about the weather and stopped to fill gas. Since i was feeling hungry as usual i took out a packet of Gooday i had bought and offered him a biscuit.
What i saw next, made my day, he looked as though he had seen a ghost. he took a couple and the smile on his face was just like nothing i had seen. The happiness!! After a long hard days' work someone thought of me is exactly what he thought. He kept saying Thank You and dropped me off at the place.
As i got out he extended his hand out and shook my hand with a huge smile.
Pointto be noted: Bribe auto drivers with gooday biscuit, it works

The sweet smell of home

It's been a life without home for almost three and a half years and I'd like to think i've much managedreasonably well. Of course i do miss th rice that my mom 'kozkyafies' with her own hands with ghee and the constant shouting that i do get. "Unni why did you eat all the apples? I wanted some" or "Unni why didn't you eat the apples?there are so many here". Well, strange as it may seem these are the things i do miss about home. Amma isn't really someone who pampers me and yet she lets me do my own thing. Late at night, she asks me, so innocently," Unni tell me how many times a week do you get drunk?"That makes me want to give her one big kiss(not something i'm used to).
I reply"Uhh probably twice or thrice max"..She looks at me, quite relieved and says" Oh siva, Thank god" probably thinking my son is not that much of an alchohlic.
But when i do work or pretend to work, i hardly think about or rather have very little time to think about my parents except like a five minute thing everyday. The other day, after a tiresome and strenous journey me and my friend reached the house of another friend, after some exceptional direction giving and a pinch of stupidity. Nevertheless, we reached and were coaxed quite easily into having some of the best home food i have tasted apart from my amma's.
Now this friend's mother Vijayalakshmi Aunty(please don't kill me for using the name) is the coolest person you'll see on the planet. Takes her duaghter's ass and yet is very caring(like all amma's); all this i got from my first meeting.
So we're eating and she suddenly gets a call and starts speaking in the type of malayalam so familiar to me. It had been soo long since i heard a motherly figure speak in Malayalam and something peculiar happened and i was reminded of home and my amma.
Of course the food was too brilliant for me to ignore and i was taken away temporarily. But as i went back home i suddenly missed my amma. So being the sweet person that i am(not) i gave her a call and to my suprise this is what she said
"Unni there are so many chocolates at home, why aren't you here to eat it?Whenever there is something to finish, you're not here".

It's true what they say...In the end there can be only one....Amma!