OK, seriously!!!
Having seen this film, I think Craig certainly picks up for the Bond franchise where Sir Connery left off (and I am not referring to Never Say Never Again, which I personally thought was one of the crappiest Bond movies ever made). Craig shines in this movie the way Sir Connery shone in Dr. No. but more on that later.
The book is fantastic. Permit me brief indulgence... Le Chiffre, is an agent for the Russian assassination agency, SMERSH and he runs a baccarat game at a French casino to raise operational funds, in reality - recovering SMERSH's money that he lost in an attempt to establish a string of brothels. Mr. Bond, an expert card player himself, is sent to beat Chiffre, in the hope that the Russian agent's gambling debts will provoke SMERSH into killing him.
After hours of intensive play, Bond manages to beat Le Chiffre, but only with extra money provided by the American CIA (Felix Leiter, who is observing the game covertly). The novel also goes into shades of Vesper Lynn, Bond's emotionally turbulent assistant and then lover who. . . oops, I just decided to stop there... for the benefit of those who have not yet seen the movie.
The plot from the novel has been adapted quite beautifully to give it a 21st century touch. I would say the movie stays with the underlying theme of card games and double crosses faithfully for the most part. No spoilers here but the chase sequence just blew my mind and it was most certainly an unexpected one.
On that basis, plot and adaptation deserve 8/10.
Casino Royale is Ian Fleming's first novel, the one where we are introduced to James Bond, recently promoted to double-0 status.
Fans of the Bond franchise would probably miss Q and his inventive gadgetry as well as Bond's finesse admirably portrayed by Moore and Brosnan in the later movies but lest you forget, Bond essentially started his life as a secret agent with a bad haircut and a winning talent at cards. He was also the quintessential ruthless butcher just promoted to the post of country squire's chef i.e. recently given double-0 status and having to learn the meaning of class and parallely working on admission to the higher echelons of human society by and by, without losing his graveyard sense of humour in the process.
Just for portraying this early character superbly, I personally thought Craig deserved an 8 or 9 out of 10. Supporting cast - Judi Dench as M, Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, Eva Green as Vesper Lynn, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and the host of others do their roles with ease and no fuss no muss. Craig is the scene stealer and his cruel charisma ("the bitch is dead") is so reminiscent of Sir Connery's own. Cast performance deserves a 9/10.
I liked the opening soundtrack, "You Know My Name" performed by Chris Cornell of Audioslave and Soundgarden fame. The rest of the soundtrack was standard Bond fare, obtrusive where required or when introducing the Man... Soundtrack gets 7/10.
The cinematography deserves special mention, if at all for just two sequences - the chase sequence and the runoff at the airport. The movie itself was very fast paced (not unexpected) and shifting locales and I admit the cinematography kept adequate pace with it. What I did not like however was the penultimate sequences, which became more a "cops-and-robbers" style shootout and a fair bit of submersible action. I would give cinematography 7/10.
Overall: I give the movie 8 out of 10 and I think its definitely watchable.
I am looking out for the next one, Bond 22, with Daniel Craig in the lead role. That will probably conclusively decide for me whether he is the greatest Bond ever!!! But hey, that's me.
Watch the movie, its great fun.
Cheers
S
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
On a whim and a prayer, my thoughts on a great album. . .
I now turn my sights on a nineteenth century poet and author named E A Poe and a twentieth century band that first introduced him to me. The Alan Parsons Project is a simple name given to a music group that was famous for its thematic albums, with three principals – Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson and Andrew Powell.
The album that I am speaking of is of course Parsons’ first venture, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, based on Edgar Allan Poe’s famous works. This was an album originally released in 1976 and I heard it about a decade or so later. What makes this a great album in my book is the manner in which the music spanned a few genres from rock through classical overtures and the adaptation of Poe’s tales in a mind blowing manner. The stories chosen for rendition were quite varied in terms of their plot and degree of macabre but enough said; to the actual songs themselves. . .
ToMaI starts off with A Dream Within A Dream, an instrumental prefaced with text inspired in Marginalia 150, a Poe article that appeared in Graham’s Magazine in 1846. Whilst this was absent in the original ’76 release, it was added to the 1987 CD version and rendered by the inimitable Orson Welles.
“FOR MY own part, I have never had a thought which I could not set down in words with even more distinctness than that with which I conceived it. There is, however, a class of fancies of exquisite delicacy which are not thoughts, and to which as yet I have found it absolutely impossible to adapt to language. These fancies arise in the soul, alas how rarely. Only at epochs of most intense tranquility, when the bodily and mental health are in perfection; And at those weird points of time, where the confines of the waking world blend with the world of dreams; And so I captured this fancy, where all that we see, or seem, is but a dream within a dream.”
Moving on, we listen to The Raven, one of Poe’s better known poems, about a man who tries to forget an old love, Lenore by resorting to ancient and almost forgotten literature; at which point, one night he is awakened by a raven, which enters his rooms and perches on a statue of Pallas Minerva (Athena, the Greek goddess of Wisdom). To all questions that the unhappy man asks of it, including finally, if his soul will be lifted from shadow, the raven just retorts, “Nevermore”, the only word it knows. The accompanying tone to this poem is rock and to my mind, APP shape shifted from the lilting tone of Dream Within. . . to a more progressive rock sound in The Raven; and with an English chorale accompanying an electronic voice, this remains one of my favourite songs on the album.
The Tell-tale Heart follows, a poem of a man consumed with guilt as he listens to the beating of the heart of a person he killed. Arthur Brown’s vocals and extremely racy (?) music are just perfect. In many ways, I think of ToMaI as APP’s only contribution to the progressive rock world but more on that in later posts.
Next up is my totally favourite song in the entire album, The Cask of Amontillado. The soft and beckoning voices of John Miles and Terry Sylvester narrate the tale of the (un)Fortunato, who is entombed alive within the deep and extensive Montresor vaults. Together with a totally fabulous professional choir and a brass orchestra, this to me was the ultimate rendition of the classic tale of revenge. I could almost imagine the pride and majesty in Montresor’s gait when he had completed his task of cold blooded murder, all in the name of vengeance.
The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether follows Montresor and here we are introduced to the peculiar institution of the aforesaid gentlemen. A person visits a private mental asylum and finally discovers to his horror (?) that it has been taken over by the inmates, the keepers “tarred and feathered” by the reigning clown-act regularly. Set amidst strange noises and sounds, the song makes for a pleasant finish to the first part of the album before APP embark on the epic instrumental.
The Fall of the House of Usher is a monumental instrumental work divided into five parts and tells us the story of a doomed house and its owners, the Ushers. I particularly liked the piece, Pavane, which reminded me of thunder across the skies intermingling with heavy rain falling against a window pane – sort of like hearkening chaos. This remains one of my favorite instrumental works of all time.
And finally, “To One in Paradise” – a version of this poem is included in The Assignation (1844), one of Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The version used by APP was published as a separate work by Poe, and reads: "And all my days are trances; And all my nightly dreams Are where thy dark eye glances; And where thy footstep gleams In what ethereal dances; By what eternal streams! The song itself is almost acoustic and with lovely melody, it still remains a great tune to listen to in all seasons. "
I must add that I started to read the works of Poe after I listened to this album and having immersed myself in the beauty of his literature and works, I reheard this album several times over the years that followed.
Summary: Just because this album experimented with a stunning literary theme and pulled it off gracefully and for introducing me to a great author who continues to delight me even today, I say go and purchase it.
This is another must have in any progressive rock or music aficionado’s collection.
Lyrical content: 8/10
Arrangement: 9.5/10
Monday, October 23, 2006
DON't!!!
Ok... Let me disclaim my bias first... Relative to the Big B, I don't really care for King K and no, we are not talking Kong here.
The adaptation of the plot was handled in a mediocre fashion. I would have thought that with the surfeit of writing talent available in Bollywood, Farhan Akhtar would have made the plot more interesting. The only piece that really blew me from my seat was the anti climax. Also, given the overhang from the Arey deevano, mujhe pehchano Don of 1978, his incarnation almost three decades later sorely needed to overshadow the original - and I am not referring to the cameras capturing his walk through the sundrenched streets, at weird angles to boot - this certainly requires some tight writing, not pieces that inspire you and leave you wanting for more when suddenly you find its THE END and the subtitles have started coming up onscreen. I quite liked the fast paced 21st century undercurrent and the international backdrop against which the new Don was set. It stops there and at a couple of other places. Plot adaptation was strictly average and gets 5/10.
Ok, next - when I think up a mental picture of Don - forget Amitabh Bacchan essaying this role for a moment - when I hold up a mental picture, I think to myself, this has got to be a chap who is very suave and polished, a armani clad snake oil sales man who is at the same time a cold blooded and ruthless killer, someone who's EQ is probably in the 10s or 20s - someone who is the quintessential James Bond-esque doppelganger. If I were to then hold up SRK against this mental morph, I hardly expected to see some Boyz Out Of The Hood character alternating with a pansy-look-alike, the one's you catch in Esquire or G magazine modelling shirts in pinks and mauves like they are the current Saturday evening fashion statement - and one word of advice, please do not wear strikingly color coordinated ties under your shirt - it confuses people - is he still in the closet, out of the closet, in the closet [?]. And the character of Vijay the Bumpkin... Hated the portrayal. Ineffectual sums it up. Chewing paan does not automatically give you that uncultured and rustic look. Enough said. As for the others, I loved Priyanka Chopra - ultra sexy and extremely form filling costumes as well - like Zeenat Aman from 1978, her role was limited but what little I got to see onscreen I liked, a lot - Boman Irani's character was well essayed and [author's note: deleted as it contains spoilers, watch the movie and find out more] - Arjun Ramphal as Jasjeet was a waste of screen time, we might as well have cast . Cast performance gets 4/10 [2 points to Ms. Chopra ;-) ]
The soundtrack was something I truly enjoyed. A completely different spin and mix to two classics and two - three totally new tunes. Wow!!! I just loved the mix of fast paced percussion, the lovely vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan and the haunting mixes of Medieval Punditz. Very very stylish, very very happening and very very in tune with the screen play. I would have given this a 9 or a 10 however, my misgiving was the unnecessary lyric/monologue in Khaike Paan Banaraswala, which also served to underscore our sedentary Indian brethren in Kuala Lumpur and the degree of success with which they have managed to convert the local Malay bhoomiputras into performing a jhalak at one of our overseas desi dos. Soundtrack gets 8/10.
Cinematography was good. Fast paced and well shot, it was something that a lover of the big screen will truly appreciate. I quite liked the manner in which the plot kept shifting geographic theaters and gears within. No more said, the stunts were well choreographed, a chase was shot well, almost reminiscent of the chase in Goa in Matt Damon's The Bourne Supremacy. I would give the cinematography 7/10.
Overall: The film gets a 4-5/10.
If you have seen the original Don, go watch it for the anticlimax and cinematography. If you have not seen the original Don, watch it for the cinematography and soundtrack. If the former does not interest you, buy the CD at Rs. 160 from Crossword or Landmark. That's your single movie ticket anyways!!!
Cheers
S
The adaptation of the plot was handled in a mediocre fashion. I would have thought that with the surfeit of writing talent available in Bollywood, Farhan Akhtar would have made the plot more interesting. The only piece that really blew me from my seat was the anti climax. Also, given the overhang from the Arey deevano, mujhe pehchano Don of 1978, his incarnation almost three decades later sorely needed to overshadow the original - and I am not referring to the cameras capturing his walk through the sundrenched streets, at weird angles to boot - this certainly requires some tight writing, not pieces that inspire you and leave you wanting for more when suddenly you find its THE END and the subtitles have started coming up onscreen. I quite liked the fast paced 21st century undercurrent and the international backdrop against which the new Don was set. It stops there and at a couple of other places. Plot adaptation was strictly average and gets 5/10.
Ok, next - when I think up a mental picture of Don - forget Amitabh Bacchan essaying this role for a moment - when I hold up a mental picture, I think to myself, this has got to be a chap who is very suave and polished, a armani clad snake oil sales man who is at the same time a cold blooded and ruthless killer, someone who's EQ is probably in the 10s or 20s - someone who is the quintessential James Bond-esque doppelganger. If I were to then hold up SRK against this mental morph, I hardly expected to see some Boyz Out Of The Hood character alternating with a pansy-look-alike, the one's you catch in Esquire or G magazine modelling shirts in pinks and mauves like they are the current Saturday evening fashion statement - and one word of advice, please do not wear strikingly color coordinated ties under your shirt - it confuses people - is he still in the closet, out of the closet, in the closet [?]. And the character of Vijay the Bumpkin... Hated the portrayal. Ineffectual sums it up. Chewing paan does not automatically give you that uncultured and rustic look. Enough said. As for the others, I loved Priyanka Chopra - ultra sexy and extremely form filling costumes as well - like Zeenat Aman from 1978, her role was limited but what little I got to see onscreen I liked, a lot - Boman Irani's character was well essayed and [author's note: deleted as it contains spoilers, watch the movie and find out more] - Arjun Ramphal as Jasjeet was a waste of screen time, we might as well have cast . Cast performance gets 4/10 [2 points to Ms. Chopra ;-) ]
The soundtrack was something I truly enjoyed. A completely different spin and mix to two classics and two - three totally new tunes. Wow!!! I just loved the mix of fast paced percussion, the lovely vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan and the haunting mixes of Medieval Punditz. Very very stylish, very very happening and very very in tune with the screen play. I would have given this a 9 or a 10 however, my misgiving was the unnecessary lyric/monologue in Khaike Paan Banaraswala, which also served to underscore our sedentary Indian brethren in Kuala Lumpur and the degree of success with which they have managed to convert the local Malay bhoomiputras into performing a jhalak at one of our overseas desi dos. Soundtrack gets 8/10.
Cinematography was good. Fast paced and well shot, it was something that a lover of the big screen will truly appreciate. I quite liked the manner in which the plot kept shifting geographic theaters and gears within. No more said, the stunts were well choreographed, a chase was shot well, almost reminiscent of the chase in Goa in Matt Damon's The Bourne Supremacy. I would give the cinematography 7/10.
Overall: The film gets a 4-5/10.
If you have seen the original Don, go watch it for the anticlimax and cinematography. If you have not seen the original Don, watch it for the cinematography and soundtrack. If the former does not interest you, buy the CD at Rs. 160 from Crossword or Landmark. That's your single movie ticket anyways!!!
Cheers
S
Monday, August 07, 2006
Omkara: Relationships 101
Wonderful!!! My wife and i just returned from the theater after watching this movie and frankly, I was impressed. We had both seen Golmaal Unlimited last fortnight and I came away a trifle disappointed with Devgan's attempt at urbane humour... Omkara more than put paid to this.
First of all the plot - I think Vishal Bharadwaj has adapted what was essentially a Shakespearan tragedy to appeal to the Indian viewer - both discerning and the casual film goer. Let us for a moment forget sophistication in dress sense, forget the absence of an urban setting, forget the lack of fast cars and faster women, forget the lack of instant teleporting to the beaches of majorca or san tropez for woeful songs and so on. This movie more than makes up for it in several other areas - like the superlative screenplay that ensures the central theme is not lost against the backdrop of "political machinations" or the all too familiar "don-in-jail" who runs his business from behind bars", the acting by each of the central characters, each as powerful as the character they were intended to portray, the locale in which the film was shot and so on... for plot and adaptation, I would give this a 7/10.
Coming to cast performance, like I mentioned above, acting that was only just as powerful as the characters the sript was intending to portray. No fuss, no muss. Every single central character right from Omkara through Kesu through Langda Tyagi through Dolly through Indu, the performances were extremely fulfilling. Naseerudin Shah as Bhaisaab supports the cast adequately. No overdone histrionics, every dialogue delivery just oh-so right. However, to my mind, Saif Ali Khan just stole the show with a superlative bit of acting as the crippled Tyagi. I believe his gradual metamorphosis from Neil in Salaam Namaste through Cyrus in Being Cyrus to Langda Tyagi in Omkara was simply a treat to watch. He is fast scaling the ranks among my list of favorite actors, western or otherwise. I would rate cast performance 8/10 (1 point knocked off for my perennial chip on the shoulder - Bipasha Basu, she did not convey the character of a rustic courtesan convincingly. Too much upper class accented Hindi in her dialogue delivery).
The soundtrack was a new experience for me. First up, I think Vishal Bharadwaj went the Quentin Tarantino way. Tarantino personally handpicked the songs on the OST for Pulp Fiction and supposedly went though a bazillion songs, sorry probably a 1000 or so before he settled for the ones we heard. I remember watching Pulp Fiction and then a Tarantino interview where he speaks about how he had to choose each song to fit the screenplay and the underlying emotion captured there. Bharadwaj has most likely done the same and the result is quite refreshing to hear. Soundtrack gets 9 points out of 10!!!
Lastly, cinematography. Very well modulated and very well shot. Each sequence has beautifully dovetailed into the other without any semblance of a cut or something jarring that just creeps up onscreen before the earlier sequence is adequately complete. I would give this 8 out of 10 again, lopping off a point because of the fact that the dialogue and script were in rustic Hindi that I could not adequately understand.
And before I forget - the central theme of this movie is not about a foul mouthed cripple or a battle for power or a Shakespearan classic to suit Indian sense and sensibility. To me, this movie had two powerful messages. Firstly, the cornerstone of any relationship, rural or urban is trust. In the absence of trust, we would do well to remember that we are not yet ready to accept responsibilities for the lives of another. Secondly, I am again reminded in a direct manner of the adage, "Never believe anything you hear and probably only half of what you see."
Watch this movie. Its worth your time and patience.
Cheers
S
First of all the plot - I think Vishal Bharadwaj has adapted what was essentially a Shakespearan tragedy to appeal to the Indian viewer - both discerning and the casual film goer. Let us for a moment forget sophistication in dress sense, forget the absence of an urban setting, forget the lack of fast cars and faster women, forget the lack of instant teleporting to the beaches of majorca or san tropez for woeful songs and so on. This movie more than makes up for it in several other areas - like the superlative screenplay that ensures the central theme is not lost against the backdrop of "political machinations" or the all too familiar "don-in-jail" who runs his business from behind bars", the acting by each of the central characters, each as powerful as the character they were intended to portray, the locale in which the film was shot and so on... for plot and adaptation, I would give this a 7/10.
Coming to cast performance, like I mentioned above, acting that was only just as powerful as the characters the sript was intending to portray. No fuss, no muss. Every single central character right from Omkara through Kesu through Langda Tyagi through Dolly through Indu, the performances were extremely fulfilling. Naseerudin Shah as Bhaisaab supports the cast adequately. No overdone histrionics, every dialogue delivery just oh-so right. However, to my mind, Saif Ali Khan just stole the show with a superlative bit of acting as the crippled Tyagi. I believe his gradual metamorphosis from Neil in Salaam Namaste through Cyrus in Being Cyrus to Langda Tyagi in Omkara was simply a treat to watch. He is fast scaling the ranks among my list of favorite actors, western or otherwise. I would rate cast performance 8/10 (1 point knocked off for my perennial chip on the shoulder - Bipasha Basu, she did not convey the character of a rustic courtesan convincingly. Too much upper class accented Hindi in her dialogue delivery).
The soundtrack was a new experience for me. First up, I think Vishal Bharadwaj went the Quentin Tarantino way. Tarantino personally handpicked the songs on the OST for Pulp Fiction and supposedly went though a bazillion songs, sorry probably a 1000 or so before he settled for the ones we heard. I remember watching Pulp Fiction and then a Tarantino interview where he speaks about how he had to choose each song to fit the screenplay and the underlying emotion captured there. Bharadwaj has most likely done the same and the result is quite refreshing to hear. Soundtrack gets 9 points out of 10!!!
Lastly, cinematography. Very well modulated and very well shot. Each sequence has beautifully dovetailed into the other without any semblance of a cut or something jarring that just creeps up onscreen before the earlier sequence is adequately complete. I would give this 8 out of 10 again, lopping off a point because of the fact that the dialogue and script were in rustic Hindi that I could not adequately understand.
And before I forget - the central theme of this movie is not about a foul mouthed cripple or a battle for power or a Shakespearan classic to suit Indian sense and sensibility. To me, this movie had two powerful messages. Firstly, the cornerstone of any relationship, rural or urban is trust. In the absence of trust, we would do well to remember that we are not yet ready to accept responsibilities for the lives of another. Secondly, I am again reminded in a direct manner of the adage, "Never believe anything you hear and probably only half of what you see."
Watch this movie. Its worth your time and patience.
Cheers
S
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin
My hopes of an England Germany Final were smashed to bits last Saturday with England going down to Portugal in the penalties... 2006 looked like the Year of the (Under) Dog that evening... And in a game that had a couple of ridiculous calls, specially Rooney's red card... There went my hope for a repeat of FIFA '66...
And last night was no better... Germany lost to Italy 2 Nil in the FINAL minutes of the game...
Aaaah well, Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin and here's waiting for 2010...
Cheers
S
And last night was no better... Germany lost to Italy 2 Nil in the FINAL minutes of the game...
Aaaah well, Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin and here's waiting for 2010...
Cheers
S
Friday, June 30, 2006
Phir Hera Pheri: Guy Ritchie Meets Charlie Chaplin (Well, Almost!!)
WARNING: Contains some spoilers. . .
I saw Phir Hera Pheri last evening at the Andheri Fame Adlabs in Mumbai and came away a bit disappointed...
The old adage, sequels never really live up seems so true... and lest I forget, the hullabaloo over Kavya Vishwanathan's plagiarisation (sorry, I really meant to say internalisation... but I just could not bring myself to utter that word) of Megan McCafferty's work should also extend to the unashamed purloining of comic screenplays and turning them into crap, like what was done in this movie...
Firstly the plot - What I saw last night was a complicated and puerile adaptation of the Guy Ritchie directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Why do I say half baked? Because unlike its English counterpart, this movie complicated the plot needlessly, almost to the point of tedium. Secondly, the cast, especially Paresh Rawal, had a brilliant opportunity to swing in some really subtle humour, Indian style and they let it slide... The original plot in English is about a rich don's son losing a fortune over a card game and being forced to pay up to a card shark. He plots a crafty steal-from-one-crook-to-pay-another type plan with three of his friends and involving drug growers, gun runners, an gunman for hire and his son and the rest of the movie, including the two antique guns that come and depart from his possession, turn into an unbridled laugh riot.
Sorry, for that brief segue... back to the main review... the plot in PHP borrowed heavily from Lock, Stock and... and adapted it to suit the Indian masses in its own meandering fashion... 2/10 for lousy adaptation of a plot and unoriginal screenplay.
Cast performance - I am thinking to myself, "Who should I crucify first?" Its painful to see a stellar star cast like Akshay Kumar, Suneil Shetty and Paresh Rawal and that too one propped up by an equally decent, if not good, supporting cast waste this opportunity to make us come and while our cares away while watching this movie... Johny Lever was most asinine, playing a "wannabe" big fish don (if there is ever an Indian adaptation of a Midsummer Night's Dream, he can surely play Nick Bottom the Donkey, without applying any disguise), Akshay Kumar ineffectually portraying a nouveau riche down on his luck (easy come, easy go?), Suneil Shetty trying to have us believe that he was still looking for a job instead of using his share of the "gain" from Hera Pheri (Part 1) to turn entrepreneur (one only hopes, sigh!!!), Paresh Rawal in the most garish of colors, painting the town and the country side in turquoise blue drapes or Hawaiian style florals so bright, even the sun took to wearing shades... And the less said about Bipasha Basu's performance, the better... I mean why cast this woman in a semi-lead role, when all she can do is "nautch baliye" and that too badly... Personally, I wouldn't rate this as a VH1 moment in her acting career - she demonstrated more ability in that shampoo ad... Her dialogue delivery was wooden and apart from one bar-room-blitz type number opposite Akshay Kumar, all we effectively saw of her was running around in a green pullover or a red top... I mean, if I wanted to see something vaguely sporty, I would have rented Iqbal or Chariots of Fire. 3/10 for cast performance.
Soundtrack - Bad. I am not talking about the beat or the music... Its the delivery... Why listen to music in Dolby or DTS, if all that its used for is to amplify the bass beat in the background... And I really would have preferred the last song, the one where they dress up in baby blues and pinks and try to turn into a western style ensemble to have much ahead in the viewing curve... I am not sure if this is true of all Indian movies but the ones I have watched on the big screen as well as rented on DVD have one uniform feature - DTS and Dolby 5.1 only for the audio soundtrack or for an overly done emotional or fight sequence. I would give this 3/10.
Cinematography - What I liked in the entire movie was the finale in the circus... Truly slapstick humour a la Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy and very enjoyable, I was laughing through the entire sequence... See and this is what I mean when I said earlier on that I was disappointed, why pay for a 2.5 hour flick and be entertained for just 15-20 minutes... I was bored by half time and was playing with my cell phone and messaging people... Probably rate this 5/10.
Overall: 4/10
Cheers
S
I saw Phir Hera Pheri last evening at the Andheri Fame Adlabs in Mumbai and came away a bit disappointed...
The old adage, sequels never really live up seems so true... and lest I forget, the hullabaloo over Kavya Vishwanathan's plagiarisation (sorry, I really meant to say internalisation... but I just could not bring myself to utter that word) of Megan McCafferty's work should also extend to the unashamed purloining of comic screenplays and turning them into crap, like what was done in this movie...
Firstly the plot - What I saw last night was a complicated and puerile adaptation of the Guy Ritchie directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Why do I say half baked? Because unlike its English counterpart, this movie complicated the plot needlessly, almost to the point of tedium. Secondly, the cast, especially Paresh Rawal, had a brilliant opportunity to swing in some really subtle humour, Indian style and they let it slide... The original plot in English is about a rich don's son losing a fortune over a card game and being forced to pay up to a card shark. He plots a crafty steal-from-one-crook-to-pay-another type plan with three of his friends and involving drug growers, gun runners, an gunman for hire and his son and the rest of the movie, including the two antique guns that come and depart from his possession, turn into an unbridled laugh riot.
Sorry, for that brief segue... back to the main review... the plot in PHP borrowed heavily from Lock, Stock and... and adapted it to suit the Indian masses in its own meandering fashion... 2/10 for lousy adaptation of a plot and unoriginal screenplay.
Cast performance - I am thinking to myself, "Who should I crucify first?" Its painful to see a stellar star cast like Akshay Kumar, Suneil Shetty and Paresh Rawal and that too one propped up by an equally decent, if not good, supporting cast waste this opportunity to make us come and while our cares away while watching this movie... Johny Lever was most asinine, playing a "wannabe" big fish don (if there is ever an Indian adaptation of a Midsummer Night's Dream, he can surely play Nick Bottom the Donkey, without applying any disguise), Akshay Kumar ineffectually portraying a nouveau riche down on his luck (easy come, easy go?), Suneil Shetty trying to have us believe that he was still looking for a job instead of using his share of the "gain" from Hera Pheri (Part 1) to turn entrepreneur (one only hopes, sigh!!!), Paresh Rawal in the most garish of colors, painting the town and the country side in turquoise blue drapes or Hawaiian style florals so bright, even the sun took to wearing shades... And the less said about Bipasha Basu's performance, the better... I mean why cast this woman in a semi-lead role, when all she can do is "nautch baliye" and that too badly... Personally, I wouldn't rate this as a VH1 moment in her acting career - she demonstrated more ability in that shampoo ad... Her dialogue delivery was wooden and apart from one bar-room-blitz type number opposite Akshay Kumar, all we effectively saw of her was running around in a green pullover or a red top... I mean, if I wanted to see something vaguely sporty, I would have rented Iqbal or Chariots of Fire. 3/10 for cast performance.
Soundtrack - Bad. I am not talking about the beat or the music... Its the delivery... Why listen to music in Dolby or DTS, if all that its used for is to amplify the bass beat in the background... And I really would have preferred the last song, the one where they dress up in baby blues and pinks and try to turn into a western style ensemble to have much ahead in the viewing curve... I am not sure if this is true of all Indian movies but the ones I have watched on the big screen as well as rented on DVD have one uniform feature - DTS and Dolby 5.1 only for the audio soundtrack or for an overly done emotional or fight sequence. I would give this 3/10.
Cinematography - What I liked in the entire movie was the finale in the circus... Truly slapstick humour a la Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy and very enjoyable, I was laughing through the entire sequence... See and this is what I mean when I said earlier on that I was disappointed, why pay for a 2.5 hour flick and be entertained for just 15-20 minutes... I was bored by half time and was playing with my cell phone and messaging people... Probably rate this 5/10.
Overall: 4/10
Cheers
S
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Da Vinci Code: Much Ado About Nothing (With Apologies to Avon's Bard)
Ok, I had the opportunity to watch this film overseas but passed up on that since I was assured by comments that the Indian censors and the Indian Central / State Governments were not going to yank the movie off the theaters or cut out some of the interesting bits. I went and saw this movie last fortnight and I was quite satisfied. I choose the word very carefully.
The film follows the central plot in the novel as faithfully as possible. It however presupposes that most (if not all of the audience) would have read the book as well and are therefore quite familiar with the historical/mythological background that the book contains. If you are looking to see a thriller like any other, without being too concerned about the origin of any (or all) theories behind the plot (conspiracy or otherwise), go for it. On that basis, I would give this plot 7/10...
On cast performance, nothing spectacular. Each actor went about their roles without any overly done histrionics and aligned themselves to the central plot. Audrey Tautou who plays the role of Sophie Neveu, seemed quite apt for the role, although Tom Hanks could have put some more oomph into his role... He did manage to look convincingly hazzled, albeit needlessly, in The Castway anyways. As for Alfred Molina, I liked him better as Doc Ock in Spiderman 2... Hardly the catholic type, much less a bishop... Very lukewarm performance... And both Jean Reno as Bezu Fache and Sir Ian McKellan as Leigh Teabing played their roles brilliantly, I thought they were the real show stealers, no humbug there... Cast performance rated at 5.5/10
Choir music sound track, befitting an anglo-saxon-neo-pagan-christian-catholic conspiracy hush up-themed film although they could've done a tad better, for example the scene where Silas undergoes penitence with a cilice... The music in my opinion should have been a tune that captures the torment of a human in physical pain, not something that appears to be sombre in parts and punctuated by a harsh spike in sound at times, almost sounding like an organ that burst a pipe. Funnily enough, the sound track was what cost this film its U rating in the UK... It was rated A there since the censors believed the music to be too frightening for children (and these are the very same children who play Doom 3 or Grand Theft Auto San Andreas to the sound track of a Marilyn Manson equivalent or some equally punked out Goth rocker who is urging them to "Kill 'Em Ho's. Quickly"!!! Sound track rated at 6/10
I have just one crib on cinematography... Remember the old adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words"... I think Ron Howard probably forgot this during parts of the movie... The imminent sense of urgency that the book conveyed thereby making it an impossible-to-put-down-read was completely absent in the movie... Ya well, there are a a few chases and pursuits but still did not make me grip the edges of my seat...
Overall rating for this 7/10.
Summary: Go see the movie if you haven't already. You do not have to have read the book to follow the plot and its a nice weekend thriller to get your mind off whatever.
Cheers
S
The film follows the central plot in the novel as faithfully as possible. It however presupposes that most (if not all of the audience) would have read the book as well and are therefore quite familiar with the historical/mythological background that the book contains. If you are looking to see a thriller like any other, without being too concerned about the origin of any (or all) theories behind the plot (conspiracy or otherwise), go for it. On that basis, I would give this plot 7/10...
On cast performance, nothing spectacular. Each actor went about their roles without any overly done histrionics and aligned themselves to the central plot. Audrey Tautou who plays the role of Sophie Neveu, seemed quite apt for the role, although Tom Hanks could have put some more oomph into his role... He did manage to look convincingly hazzled, albeit needlessly, in The Castway anyways. As for Alfred Molina, I liked him better as Doc Ock in Spiderman 2... Hardly the catholic type, much less a bishop... Very lukewarm performance... And both Jean Reno as Bezu Fache and Sir Ian McKellan as Leigh Teabing played their roles brilliantly, I thought they were the real show stealers, no humbug there... Cast performance rated at 5.5/10
Choir music sound track, befitting an anglo-saxon-neo-pagan-christian-catholic conspiracy hush up-themed film although they could've done a tad better, for example the scene where Silas undergoes penitence with a cilice... The music in my opinion should have been a tune that captures the torment of a human in physical pain, not something that appears to be sombre in parts and punctuated by a harsh spike in sound at times, almost sounding like an organ that burst a pipe. Funnily enough, the sound track was what cost this film its U rating in the UK... It was rated A there since the censors believed the music to be too frightening for children (and these are the very same children who play Doom 3 or Grand Theft Auto San Andreas to the sound track of a Marilyn Manson equivalent or some equally punked out Goth rocker who is urging them to "Kill 'Em Ho's. Quickly"!!! Sound track rated at 6/10
I have just one crib on cinematography... Remember the old adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words"... I think Ron Howard probably forgot this during parts of the movie... The imminent sense of urgency that the book conveyed thereby making it an impossible-to-put-down-read was completely absent in the movie... Ya well, there are a a few chases and pursuits but still did not make me grip the edges of my seat...
Overall rating for this 7/10.
Summary: Go see the movie if you haven't already. You do not have to have read the book to follow the plot and its a nice weekend thriller to get your mind off whatever.
Cheers
S
Monday, June 12, 2006
Zappa Plays Zappa a.k.a 30 Years After
“The concept of the rock-guitar solo in the eighties has pretty much been reduced to: Weedly-weedly-wee, make a face, hold your guitar like it's your weenie, point it heavenward, and look like you're really doing something. Then, you get a big ovation while the smoke bombs go off, and the motorized lights in your truss twirl around!” – The Real Frank Zappa Book.
. . . while the complete absence of which makes me feel really happy, completely entertained and actually able to listen to some virtuoso guitaring. The sheer ingenuity and improvisation that underscored each of FZ's live performances were never replicated and smacked of compositional brilliance. “Zappa’s work spanned virtually every contemporary genre including avant garde, big band, blues, contemporary classical, doo-wop, electronic music, funk, hard rock, jazz, jazz fusion, musique concrete, pop, progressive rock, proto-rap, reggae, rock, ska and world music. His music was often noted for its blend of high art, rock opera, absurdity, scatological humor and for its caustic satire.” – (courtesy: Wikipedia).
It was great fun to watch Zappa Plays Zappa at the Royal Albert Hall, week before last and for those in the fog, this is the show where Dweezil Zappa plays Frank Zappa’s music together with old time Zappa cronies, Steve Vai and Napoleon Murphy Brock. Zappa had played there some 30-odd years ago before being (literally) banned. Well, just remember, “Progress is not possible without deviation from the norm.”
Anyways, I had made plans in March to attend this concert with the tickets booked well in advance. Nandita and I arrived at the hall on time (thankfully, as I was in several investor meetings in the EC2 area and thereabouts all day). We found our way to the seats, just 50 feet away from the stage; so we got a really up-close-and-personal view of the proceedings through the evening. The show started at 7:30 PM with a screen montage from 1973’s Roxy and Elsewhere with FZ playing Montana and The Black Page.
The band then came on stage to play some incredibly improvised versions of FZ’s songs. We were floored listening to Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow and St. Alphonso’s Pancake Breakfast. As if that weren’t enough, the band branched off into an improv version of the Pink Panther Theme. Aaron Arntz, the keyboardist showed some incredible skill on the refurbished pipe organs at the Royal Albert Hall. He started off with the opening bars of Bach’s notoriously familiar Toccata and Fugue in D Minor before segueing into Peaches en Regalia – words fail me, listening to both these signature tunes just transported me into a blue dream.
Dweezil then played that familiar song from the Apostrophe album, you know the one that sounds like a space ship landing on an Andes mountain, ya… Inca Roads… Some of the songs played that evening like The Black Page and interludes in St Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast and Inca Roads were melodies that were not meant to be played on guitar. They were intended mostly for keyboards or melodic percussion and are not easy to play regardless of the instrument. This guy just worked this way through them superbly.
I was a trifle disappointed that Terry Bozzio could not perform at the London concert; having watched him play in the Baby Snakes movie as well as heard him play with Tony Levin and Steve Stevens in the Black Light Syndrome album. Well, this momentary pang of sadness was more than made up by Mr. Vai... and anyways, Broken Hearts Are for Assholes.
Steve Vai came on stage to play a guitar segue together with Dweezil from Montana before heading out to literal guitar abuse with a rendition of Zomby Woof. I mean, the audience just had their tongues out and drooling spittle all over the floor. He just took off with some deranged solos and incredibly wild fretwork. Thankfully, and I say this with great restraint, he stuck to being part of a team of great young musicians.
Other fantastic renditions included the Chunga’s Revenge” duet, with FZ conducting on video – we just listened in quiet awe at the sheer brilliance; Tell Me You Love Me (a.k.a the Beatles dedication which was rather tongue in cheek, I thought); tracks from Bongo Fury; Idiot Bastard Son; Hungry Freaks, Daddy; Pygmy Twylyte; Echidna’s Arf (Of You); Cheepnis; King Kong; Son of Orange County; Let’s Make the Water Turn Black; and Sofa (which closed the show).
The core band comprised Joe Travers on percussion, Pete Griffin on bass, Aaron Arntz on keyboards and backing vocals, Scheila Gonzales on horns, keyboards and backing vocals, Billy Hulting on melodic percussion and Jamie Kime on rhythm guitar. And saving the best for last, Napoleon Murphy Brock was just fucking awesome. He sang and danced like he was on an ecstatic high. It was simply a huge treat to see him perform – what an amazing depth of vocal prowess.
All in all an evening to remember; I am so thrilled we went. And I am waiting for the CD of this tour. Definitely a BEST BUY.
Peace
S
S
Friday, March 17, 2006
10.121
. . . and as these words continually echo within my conscious, an endless litany that almost stupefies, I ask myself, "when did we forget? how did we forget? why did we forget?" . . . the voices within slowly cadence into silence, mocking me. . .
. . . and then I take solace in the thought that if all our earthly labours only take us towards something better than our present, then that supreme being is a part of our future, not a shadow from our past.
peace
s
Monday, February 13, 2006
The List of 25 To Do In My Live Time
Simply replying to a question. . . In no particular order
Write a book on my intercontinental absurdities (Life begins after 45!)
See Rush live in concert
Watch a live recording of The Simpsons (working on this currently)
Sample at least 200 varieties of single malt (80 and counting)
Own all of Frank Zappa’s works (65% over, Bongo Fury – here I come!!)
Own life size Vader costume (sub part f . . . wear it at least thrice a year!!!)
Watch Dreamtheater in concert
Get to meet Rush in Toronto (working on this currently)
Watch Iron Maiden in concert
Learn Sanskrit to read the Vedas (Now, if I could only understand what the sages really meant!!!)
Watch Judas Priest in concert
Travel with Nandita (my wife) for a NatGeo expedition to two ancient civilization ruins – Aztecs and Persians
Learn two languages – probably *&^%$ and !*&^# (working on this)
Watch Dave Brubeck in concert
Watch Joe Satriani in concert
Own the complete Monty Python collection
Watch Uriah Heep in concert
Set up a music studio and accompanying restaurant with wife (sooner than you think!!!)
Read and appreciate the Upanishads (a continual work-in-progress)
Watch Floyd in concert
Watch Cirque De Soleil
Watch Phish in concert (Worcester MA, November 27, 1998 – Trey Anastasio just rocked man, just rocked)
Watch Ozzy Osbourne in concert
Visit Lucasfilm Limited and shake hands with George (probably after Starwars 7 is released)
Turn my back to the wind, pause my breath before I start off again. . . (reincarnation is simply karmic deja-vu)
aaah, well...a fair bit left to accomplish ... watch this space...
Write a book on my intercontinental absurdities (Life begins after 45!)
See Rush live in concert
Watch a live recording of The Simpsons (working on this currently)
Sample at least 200 varieties of single malt (80 and counting)
Own all of Frank Zappa’s works (65% over, Bongo Fury – here I come!!)
Own life size Vader costume (sub part f . . . wear it at least thrice a year!!!)
Watch Dreamtheater in concert
Get to meet Rush in Toronto (working on this currently)
Watch Iron Maiden in concert
Learn Sanskrit to read the Vedas (Now, if I could only understand what the sages really meant!!!)
Watch Judas Priest in concert
Travel with Nandita (my wife) for a NatGeo expedition to two ancient civilization ruins – Aztecs and Persians
Learn two languages – probably *&^%$ and !*&^# (working on this)
Watch Dave Brubeck in concert
Watch Joe Satriani in concert
Own the complete Monty Python collection
Watch Uriah Heep in concert
Set up a music studio and accompanying restaurant with wife (sooner than you think!!!)
Read and appreciate the Upanishads (a continual work-in-progress)
Watch Floyd in concert
Watch Cirque De Soleil
Watch Phish in concert (Worcester MA, November 27, 1998 – Trey Anastasio just rocked man, just rocked)
Watch Ozzy Osbourne in concert
Visit Lucasfilm Limited and shake hands with George (probably after Starwars 7 is released)
Turn my back to the wind, pause my breath before I start off again. . . (reincarnation is simply karmic deja-vu)
aaah, well...a fair bit left to accomplish ... watch this space...
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Ten Years After. . . Well, More Than Twice Over
With the humblest of apologies to Alvin, Chick, Leo and Ric for my rather flippant choice of title and undisguised plagiarism. . . While reading the DNA paper one morning, almost 3-4 weeks ago, I saw a flyer for an event called the One Tree Festival and was casually flipping the page over when something caught my vagrant eye, a word called HEEP. Receptors in my brain start beeping frenetically, alarms start ringing, signals are sent to keep the heart pumping and not miss a beat and [editor’s note: you get the picture].
HEEP, in Mumbai? N, ah, that sounds almost too good to be true. I held the page and then read carefully… the flyer was very simple, Uriah Heep to perform in Mumbai on 10 February 2006 at the One Tree Festival, to be opened by Indus Creed. I made a few calls immediately to ascertain veracity [truth is always stranger than fiction]. Deep down, I was ecstatically screaming inside my mind, “Finally, it’s been 22 years. . .”
IIT Chennai’s Open Air Theater has been the venue of several rock acts over the years but unarguably the largest act to perform there were Heep in October 1983. I am not sure people who were not there could understand the experience of a 13-year lad (moi!!!) watching the FIRST rock concert of his life… The mind-f**k was just that, “. . . Something drawing me to where I do not know; I never really thought that I would lose myself; Now I'm going faster than anybody else". . . The music was completely ethereal and alien to my ears. . . I was recently reading Terry Pratchett’s “Soul Music” and found myself nodding in agreement several times to the prose as I kept relating to the several concerts that I have attended that left an indelible mark in my mind’s eye. . .
Post that wonderful evening, I persuaded my father to take me to the nearest music store to buy some tapes of Heep… A week later, I remember endlessly playing Firefly and Fallen Angel much to the chagrin of my more civic minded family . . . and lapping every riff and arrangement. . . Chennai thankfully had no laws on noise pollution in those days. . . These guys had just awakened a hitherto latent chord deep down, one that would define my musical tastes then on. Over the years, I slowly and steadily kept accumulating and jealously guarding my music collection, worse than Smaug from The Hobbit watching over his cavernous trove, and Heep always had a special place on my music shelves… The albums from the 1972-75 lineup of Heep, among their finest – Mick Box, Lee Kerslake, Ken Hensley, Gary Thain and David Byron – still adorn my list of Heep collectibles. . . Over the years, their lineup kept changing but their signature composition and arrangement kept evolving.
So it was with a feeling of unbridled elation that I prepared for the concert all of last week. I just fished out the trusty I-pod and started reliving memories – “Gypsy”, “Wake Up”, Come Away Melinda”, The Park”, “High Priestess”, “Salisbury”, “Traveller in Time”, “Easy Livin’”, “Sweet Freedom”, “Stealin’”, “If I had the Time”, “Return To Fantasy”, “Woman of the Night”, “Come Back To Me” – it just kept going on. . .
Thanks to the good offices of a friend who works in MTV (thanks V homie for the assist, I really owe you big), I managed to rustle up three passes to the gig. . .Nandita and I were going so all I had to do was find another die-hard rocker who would be able t appreciate old school rock and metal. So I called Vijai “The Mighty Rearranger” and a plan was made. . .
The concert opened at 7:15 PM with Indus Creed playing their hit numbers from yesteryears but that just kept the entire crowd chomping at the bit. . . And then the pennies dropped!!!
Heep opened with a wall of sound, for a moment I was transfixed trying to figure out what came where… and by the time I got my bearings, Sweet Freedom came up. I had never heard Bernie Shaw ever perform before and I must admit I was quite impressed with his repertoire… A very good voice that could croon, do a mellow rendition and hit the high notes as required, epitomized by Stealin and July Morning. Shaw promised that the band would play music spanning three decades and they did. I had stopped listening to Heep post the Abominog album and some of the sounds were quite new, the trademark keyboard and lead riffs yet hauntingly familiar. I personally enjoyed Between Two Worlds from Sonic Origami, Bernie Shaw sounding a tad like Ian Gillian of DP
One aspect that stood out was that the “older” members – Bolder, Box and Kerslake were quite content and happy to do what they do best – just play music. . . The show was completely about musical experimentation, both on the lyrical and sound arrangement fronts. . . No over dramatic onstage gimmickry or individual showmanship from any of the performers . . . Heep just realized the crowd was thirsting for good music and played several of their classics. It was like listening to them without having lost a beat over the last two decades. I just enjoyed listening to (and trying to make myself heard, screaming in accompaniment. . .) Stealin’, The Wizard, Free Me, Sunrise, Sweet Lorraine, Gypsy and July Morning. Heep closed their sets with three classics from all time – Bird of Prey, Easy Livin’ and Lady in Black, the last with the audience participating.
The sound at the concert was almost flawless . . . The sound engineers and mixers working behind the scenes certainly deserve a round of applause. We could hear every single riff, lead or bass, clearly and distinctly on every track through the set list, especially numbers like Stealin' or Gypsy, with their bass riffs or July Morning with its intricately experimental keyboard work. I would be remiss if I did not mention Lee ‘The Bear’ Kerslake . . . All through the performance, he just kept stoically playing, matching riff with beat and never losing count even once . . .
My only gripe was with the tele-visual flashed onscreen. Most of the performance was captured in Warhol-esque color and kept flashing in and out a’la Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun and I really missed closely watching Bolder and Box’s finger movements during their riffs, I mean you cannot watch these guys live and not be able to see them strum a complete movement can you? That would be a crime in my book!!!
The show ended with Heep promising to come back soon . . . Ah well, to paraphrase them from Very ‘Eavy… Very ‘Umble:
“So I'm gonna keep on trying till I feel like dying and I lay down and pass away
But that won't happen till tomorrow
And by then I can borrow another day so I'm gonna keep on trying”
I would give this show a 8/10.
Peace
S
HEEP, in Mumbai? N, ah, that sounds almost too good to be true. I held the page and then read carefully… the flyer was very simple, Uriah Heep to perform in Mumbai on 10 February 2006 at the One Tree Festival, to be opened by Indus Creed. I made a few calls immediately to ascertain veracity [truth is always stranger than fiction]. Deep down, I was ecstatically screaming inside my mind, “Finally, it’s been 22 years. . .”
IIT Chennai’s Open Air Theater has been the venue of several rock acts over the years but unarguably the largest act to perform there were Heep in October 1983. I am not sure people who were not there could understand the experience of a 13-year lad (moi!!!) watching the FIRST rock concert of his life… The mind-f**k was just that, “. . . Something drawing me to where I do not know; I never really thought that I would lose myself; Now I'm going faster than anybody else". . . The music was completely ethereal and alien to my ears. . . I was recently reading Terry Pratchett’s “Soul Music” and found myself nodding in agreement several times to the prose as I kept relating to the several concerts that I have attended that left an indelible mark in my mind’s eye. . .
Post that wonderful evening, I persuaded my father to take me to the nearest music store to buy some tapes of Heep… A week later, I remember endlessly playing Firefly and Fallen Angel much to the chagrin of my more civic minded family . . . and lapping every riff and arrangement. . . Chennai thankfully had no laws on noise pollution in those days. . . These guys had just awakened a hitherto latent chord deep down, one that would define my musical tastes then on. Over the years, I slowly and steadily kept accumulating and jealously guarding my music collection, worse than Smaug from The Hobbit watching over his cavernous trove, and Heep always had a special place on my music shelves… The albums from the 1972-75 lineup of Heep, among their finest – Mick Box, Lee Kerslake, Ken Hensley, Gary Thain and David Byron – still adorn my list of Heep collectibles. . . Over the years, their lineup kept changing but their signature composition and arrangement kept evolving.
So it was with a feeling of unbridled elation that I prepared for the concert all of last week. I just fished out the trusty I-pod and started reliving memories – “Gypsy”, “Wake Up”, Come Away Melinda”, The Park”, “High Priestess”, “Salisbury”, “Traveller in Time”, “Easy Livin’”, “Sweet Freedom”, “Stealin’”, “If I had the Time”, “Return To Fantasy”, “Woman of the Night”, “Come Back To Me” – it just kept going on. . .
Thanks to the good offices of a friend who works in MTV (thanks V homie for the assist, I really owe you big), I managed to rustle up three passes to the gig. . .Nandita and I were going so all I had to do was find another die-hard rocker who would be able t appreciate old school rock and metal. So I called Vijai “The Mighty Rearranger” and a plan was made. . .
The concert opened at 7:15 PM with Indus Creed playing their hit numbers from yesteryears but that just kept the entire crowd chomping at the bit. . . And then the pennies dropped!!!
Heep opened with a wall of sound, for a moment I was transfixed trying to figure out what came where… and by the time I got my bearings, Sweet Freedom came up. I had never heard Bernie Shaw ever perform before and I must admit I was quite impressed with his repertoire… A very good voice that could croon, do a mellow rendition and hit the high notes as required, epitomized by Stealin and July Morning. Shaw promised that the band would play music spanning three decades and they did. I had stopped listening to Heep post the Abominog album and some of the sounds were quite new, the trademark keyboard and lead riffs yet hauntingly familiar. I personally enjoyed Between Two Worlds from Sonic Origami, Bernie Shaw sounding a tad like Ian Gillian of DP
One aspect that stood out was that the “older” members – Bolder, Box and Kerslake were quite content and happy to do what they do best – just play music. . . The show was completely about musical experimentation, both on the lyrical and sound arrangement fronts. . . No over dramatic onstage gimmickry or individual showmanship from any of the performers . . . Heep just realized the crowd was thirsting for good music and played several of their classics. It was like listening to them without having lost a beat over the last two decades. I just enjoyed listening to (and trying to make myself heard, screaming in accompaniment. . .) Stealin’, The Wizard, Free Me, Sunrise, Sweet Lorraine, Gypsy and July Morning. Heep closed their sets with three classics from all time – Bird of Prey, Easy Livin’ and Lady in Black, the last with the audience participating.
The sound at the concert was almost flawless . . . The sound engineers and mixers working behind the scenes certainly deserve a round of applause. We could hear every single riff, lead or bass, clearly and distinctly on every track through the set list, especially numbers like Stealin' or Gypsy, with their bass riffs or July Morning with its intricately experimental keyboard work. I would be remiss if I did not mention Lee ‘The Bear’ Kerslake . . . All through the performance, he just kept stoically playing, matching riff with beat and never losing count even once . . .
My only gripe was with the tele-visual flashed onscreen. Most of the performance was captured in Warhol-esque color and kept flashing in and out a’la Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun and I really missed closely watching Bolder and Box’s finger movements during their riffs, I mean you cannot watch these guys live and not be able to see them strum a complete movement can you? That would be a crime in my book!!!
The show ended with Heep promising to come back soon . . . Ah well, to paraphrase them from Very ‘Eavy… Very ‘Umble:
“So I'm gonna keep on trying till I feel like dying and I lay down and pass away
But that won't happen till tomorrow
And by then I can borrow another day so I'm gonna keep on trying”
I would give this show a 8/10.
Peace
S
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
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