Jaanam Samjha Karo (Tips).

Producer : Bubby Kent.

Director : Andaleb Sultanpuri.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri.

*ing : Salman Khan, Urmila Mantondkar.

Value for money : Good.

Catchy isn't the word!! Anu Malik's latest album many sound a tad annoying initially but once you're hooked you won't let go...! Side A begins with the catchy title song and has excellent music. The lyrics may appear to be non-sensical at times but Anu Malik's (!!!) and Hema Sardesai's zany singing more than covers up for it. For thos of you who keep track of filmi titles this film was initially titled 'Love Hua' - and that's what the next song is called. Good music but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired - 'Love is happening....!' sheesh I beg to differ Mr. Sultanpuri!!! 'I was made for loving you' sees Kamaal Khan back in the limelight and though nowhere in the mould of 'O O Jaane Jaane' this is still a track to watch out for with Ila Arun lending ample support. 'Sabki Baaratein Aayee' is in two versions - one by Jaspinder Nirula and the other by Alka Yagnik - and both are good with good lyrics thankfully. 'Kisi Ne Humse Kiya Hai Vaada' has Anand-Milind composing the track and it is a fairly hummable number by Alka Yagnik. 'Chandni Aaya Hai Tera Deewana' is a great solo by Udit Narayan and is almost instantly appealing. 'Main Ladki Akeli' takes some time to get used to but with Hema Sardesai lending her foxy voice you won't be too disappointed to see Anu's name featured along with hers. All in all a great album to a movie that shows promise...

International Khiladi (Time).

Producer : Keshu.

Director : Umesh Mehra.

Music : Aadesh Shrivastav.

Lyrics: Dev Kohli.

*ing : Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna.

Value for money : Okay.

'International Khiladi' is Akki's 6th 'khiladi' flick and one sincerely hopes it brings him out of the tunnels of flopdom. The music by Aadesh Shrivastav is okay but could have been better. Side A starts off with 'Chookar tere man ko' and no it's not a re-hash of the song in Amitabh's film 'Yaarana' but rather a hummable love track from the now familiar duo of Alka Yagnik & Kumar Sanu. It's a good song but fails to capture the 'zing' required to make it a chartbuster. Skip Nigam's & Narula's 'Lutiya Gaya' which is a practically unbearable track by otherwise very good singers. The next track is my personal favourite - 'Saiyan Saiyan' has Abhijeet and Alka Yagnik doing the honours. The song has an 80's feel to it and is quite catchy. With the title song Sonu Nigam redeems himself by coming up with track that's fast paced and racy - it does however take a few listenings to get used to though. Over to the flip side - 'Yaar maine ek sapna' has Sanu and Yagnik yet again but even their singing can't raise this track from the depths of mediocrity. 'Halka Halka' is somewhat better though. 'Kudi Kanwari is another stupid attempt at creating a song that will appeal to the masses. All in all an okay soundtrack - lets hope the film is much better for the lead pair's sake...

Daag - The Fire (T - Series).

Producer : Raj Kanwar.

Director : Raj Kanwar.

Music : Rajesh Roshan.

Lyrics: Sameer.

*ing : Sanjay Dutt, Chandrachur Singh, Mahima Chaudhary.

Value for money : Okay.

With the title of an old Yash Chopra classic one hopes this film is just as good and turn out to be a blockbuster for the sake of the lead stars at least. Side A starts of with a rather appealing Sanu - Paudwal love song 'Dil Deewana'. It's good but even Sanu sounds as though he's getting a bit bored of the same ol' repetitve love songs The song is repeated as an Anuradha Paudwal solo on the flip side.. 'Pardesiya', the next track is great and is more of a song that 'suits' Paudwal's voice. Udit Narayan is near perfect as well. 'Pyaar Hamein Pyaar' is undoubtedly the best song in the album with a Punjabi feel to it. It's instantly appealing and is the song likely to be on the charts - Udit Narayan - Alka Yagnik make a dependable combo yet again 'Dil Dhak Dhak' has Jaspindar Narula providing her foxy vocals to an otherwise average track. 'Chehra Tera' is yet another Sanu - Paudwal love track and it's ok but a bit repetive and boring. The final song 'Piya Lagi Lagan' is a never ending track supposedly filmed in the climax of the film - one hopes we like it more after watching the film itsef. An okay effort on Rajesh Roshan's part but dull and repetive at times...

Laawaris (Venus).

Producer : Lawrence - Mahohar.

Director : Shrikant Sharma.

Music : Rajesh Roshan.

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar.

*ing : Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Manisha Koirala.

Value for money : Good.

Music directors these days seem to think that the more songs there are in an labum the more it will sell. In the process they often neglect the quality of their songs. 'Laawaris' thankfully has only 5 songs and they're all quite good - which makes it woth buying in the first place - as it saves the hassle of forwarding those unbearable songs. If only music directors learnt that....! Anyway the album starts of with a soft yet catchy number 'Aa Kahin Door Chale' sung to perfection by Alka & Udit. Javed Akhtar's lyrics are an added advantage as always. 'Sine Mein Sulagta Hai' is a sultry number to get rid of those evening blues. Roop Kumar Rathod's vocals make a pleasant change to this type of a song. Obviously after the hugely successful 'Barbie Girl' number can Bollywood be far behind? 'Maine Jo Kahan' is a lift off this runaway single and is really quite catchy - probably because of Abhijeet's and Kavita's great singing. In fact I found myself listening to this song again and again!!! 'Mere Doston' is a pleasant solo by Udit describing the hero's lack of sleep 'cos he's in love (aren't they all???). 'Kuch Hamare Paas Hain' is just about the only mediocre song in the album - but the other 4 more than make up for it. A good soundtrack to a film that looks quite good and give that much needed hit to it's lead stars...

Kachche Dhaage (Tips).

Producer : Tips.

Director : Milan Luthria.

Music : Nushrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

*ing : Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Manisha Koirala, Namrata Shirodkar.

Value for money : Very Good.

With all the repetitive Anu Malik albums that have been coming into the market Tips' 'Kachche Dhaage' comes like a breath of fresh - it's highlight off course being that it's 'ustad' Nushrat Fateh Ali Khan's final album. And it's a great effort let me add. In an age where technical noise making instruments rule the music scene, 'Kachche Dhaage' dares to be different by providing a score that's rustic and traditional as well as being catchy. All the songs have some Punjabi lyrics which go with the 'feel' of the movie. Side A starts of with 'Khali Dil' which marks Hans Raj Hans' debut - and he does a good job of this number that's fast becoming popular. Alka Yagnik is good (as usual). 'Pyaar Nahi Karna' is another great song that takes time getting used but is highly addicitive once you're hooked - courtesy Sanu & Yagnik. The next song 'Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya' is mediocre but fairly likeable and grows on you. 'Oopar Khuda' is sung in two versions, one by Lata and the other by Sukhvindar (fresh from the success of 'Chaiya Chaiya) which is undoubtedly the best track in the album - excellent background music. Over to the flip side to 'Band Lifafa Dil Mera' which is also a great track - Lata sounds as young as ever. 'Ek Jawaani Teri' is another Sanu-Yagnik duet and is just about passable. The album ends with a qawali by Nushrat Fateh Ali Khan himself but is unfortunately not my kind of thing. Still his music for this great looking film more than covers up for it...

Aarzoo (EMI).

Producer : Vikas Mohan.

Director : Lawrence D'Souza.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

*ing : Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Saif Ali Khan.

Value for money : Okay.

A long delayed project - five years in the making to be precise. Anu Malik is in charge of things yet again and does a fairly decent job of things. Side A begins with the best track in the whole album - 'Ab Tere Bin'. A duet sung to gusto by Sanu - Yagnik and a track that will be on the charts for quite some time. 'Saajan Saajan Teri Dulhan' is another excellent track describing a bride's feelings just before marriage. Alka Yagnik is good though Kavita might have been a better choice for this kind of a song. Back to mediocrity with the Sanu-Yagnik duet 'Mil Jaate Hain'. The lyrics are good but you can't help feeling that you've been there before. 'Main Aa Rahan Hoon' descibes a hero's (Saif's) feelings before he's about to die (of cancer from what I've read)- an okay track with good lyrics. 'Rabba Rabba I Love You' is such a stupid song but it's annoyingly catchy - I found myslef singing it even though I hated it initially. Must be Sonu's enthusiastic vocals I think. 'Jai Mata Di' is a 'bhakti' song which Sonu does an excellent job of - even though the song is more or less situational. 'Dosti Karte Nahin' has Sanu, Udit, Alka (!!!) together. They provide good vocals (as usual) but the song more or less gives the story away (which sounds as predictable as hell). 'Tu Soni Kudi' is also a good track though Anu should give aothers a chance when he's singing - what's this obsession ofr singing for films in which he composes music for??? In general this is a decent album - the songs of which will probably grow on you once you've seen the film...

Soldier (Tips).

Producer : Tips.

Director : Abbas - Mustaan.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Sameer.

*ing : Bobby Deol, Preity Zinta.

Value for money : Good.

This album is your typical Anu Malik album - not very innovative but catchy nonetheless. Side A begins with the catchy title track 'Soldier Soldier Meethi Baate' sung by the ever familiar duo of Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik - hear it once and you're definitely hooked! 'Mere Dil Jigar Se Guzree' is yet again a typical Anu Malik song which is catchy but still has the'deja vu' factor attached to it. The same comment applies to 'Mehfil Mein Baar Baar'. Incidentally both songs have been sung by Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik and no matter how hard they try their duets are starting to sound just a wee bit monotonous these days. 'Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye' breaks away from the mediocre stuff and is a fast paced racy number by Alka Yagnik - it's good but Sonu Nigam's male version is unusually far more catchier. The theme of Soldier is probably some kind of introductory or background music but Anu hasn't really put in much of an effort to make it sound different in any way. The next track 'Hum To Dil Chahen' is definitely the 'cream' of the album - Sanu sounds like his usual self but it's Hema Sardesai who scores in the song with her foxy and seductive voice. All in all it's a good album but at the end of it you feel as though you've been there before...

Wajood (EMI).

Producer : N.Chandra

Director : N.Chandra

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar.

*ing : Nana Patekar, Madhuri Dixit, Mukul Dev, Ramya.

Value for money : Good.

Nana Patekar and especially Madhuri Dixit have been absent for most of the year - well now they're back in N.Chandra's much awaited 'Wajood'. Upon reading the credits and names of Javed Akhtar and Anu Malik the first thought that came to my mind was 'Border', 'Virasat', 'Ishq' & 'Duplicate'. And even if this album is by no means is this as good as the 'duo's previous efforts it's still worth checking out for the freshness and effort that Anu Malik has put in to make it sound different. Listen to 'Ki Toot Gayi' - the opening track and you can immediately picture Madhuri and her trademark jhatkas. All said and done though this song is in the mould of 'Chole Ke Peeche' - a few listens and the track won't stop spinning around in your head. The song is sung well by the now popular Sapna Awasthi and the ever reliable Alka Yagnik. The next track 'Sanam Tum Humpe' is also very catchy and sounds just a tiny bit like 'Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam' from 'Duplicate' and is the one that is likely to be on the charts for some time. 'Main Sochata Hoon' is your typical Sanu - Yagnik romantic duet - it's good but you can't help getting tired of the same kind of love songs. 'Main Kya Karoon' is more situational than anything else - it's sung well by Yagnik but hardly chart busting stuff. The versatile Nana tries his hand at singing in 'Kaise Bataoon Main' which is not really a song but several lines of classy poetry. Excellent lyrics but you can't really make out whether Nana is trying to be a romantic or is reciting his usual angry dialogue. 'Aur Hum Tum' is yet another Sanu - Yagnik duet and it's good but a tad repetitve. All in all this is a good album and is worth buying for the first two opening tracks.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (Tips).

Producer : Vashu Bhagnani & Sheetal Jain.

Director : David Dhawan.

Music : Viju Shah.

Lyrics: Sameer.

*ing : Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Ramya.

Value for money : Very Good.

Probaby one of the most awaited films of the year which sees comedy king David Dhawan, the ex superstar Amitabh and the versatile Govinda coming together for the first time. The music is by Viju Shah and though he doesn't have much scope to usehis electrical techno music he still does a very good job of this soundtrack. 'Bade Miyan To Bade Miyan' is a catchy song sung by the Bachchan clone Sudesh Bhosle and Udit Narayan and I can just imagine what kind of antics the Big B and Govinda are up to with this mischevious song. 'Makhna' is already blazing the charts with it's excellent picturisation and Madhuri Dixit roped in for extra clout. It's in a way similar to a Punjabi song and is indeed a very catchy song sung to perfection (almost) by Udit Narayan, Amit Kumar and Alka Yagnik. 'Deta Jai Jo Re' is yet another appealing song (in two parts) with different lyrics sung well by Udit Narayan, Amit Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal and Kavita Krishnamurthy. 'Assi Chutki Nabbe Taal' is okay but I'm pretty sick of Sudesh Bhosle and his cloning - it's sounding too 'put on' and repetitve. 'Kisi Disco Main Jaye' is another one of those unexplicably catchy songs sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik even though it has pretty non sensical lyrics to go with it. All in all this is a good effort from Viju Shah and like most David Dhawan albums this is one word - fun.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Sony).

Producer : Yash Johar.

Director : Karan Johar.

Music : Jatin - Lalit.

Lyrics: Sameer.

*ing : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee.

Value for money : Very Good.

Shah Rukh Khan has been down on his luck this year with two disasters 'Duplicate' and 'Dil Se..' and has placed most of his hopes on this Karan Johar film which sees him pair up with Kajol for the first time since 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. Well the film has music by Jatin - Lalit who also seem to be trying to recreate the DDLJ magic. Side A begins with the instantly catchy title song superbly rendered by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik followed by yet another excellent track 'Koi Mil Gaya' by the same duo but accompanied by Kavita Krishnamurthy. Is any Jatin - Lalit album complete without a wedding song...? The next song 'Saajanji Ghar Aaye' is a good composition but it tries to hard to be like 'Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna' and fails. There's a sad version of the title song next but you'll probably find yourself skipping that one. 'Yeh Ladka Hai Deewana' is a mediocre song sung by Udit and Alka and might appeal to some people. 'Tujhe Yaad Na Meri' is a so called sad song and is sung really well by Udit, Alka & newcomer Manpreet Kaur - it grows on you after a while. 'Raghupatti Raghav' is a totally idiotic song - a traditional bhajan which starts of really well but the stupid chorus which tries to hard to sound foreign spoil the whole track - definitely skip this one. With 'Ladki Badi Anjaani' Jatin - Lalit return to quality stuff - an excellent song by Sanu - Yagnik and is likely to go down well with the masses. In General this is first division stuff but nowhere in the league of it's so called 'predecessor' 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'....

Pardesi Babu (T - Series).

Producer : Kulbhushan Gupta.

Director : Manoj Aggarwal.

Music : Anand Raaj Anand.

Lyrics: Anand Raaj Anand.

*ing : Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty.

Value for money : Good.

Quite a different album from Anand Raaj Anand who seems to be on a high after a fairly successful album 'Major Saab'. For a change all six songs are good with Anand Raaj Anand doing a decent job with the lyrics as well. Side A begins with a standard Govinda kinda' number 'It happens only in India' which is likely to be a chart topper. And Anand Raaj Anand does a decent job with the singing as well!!!The song is similar to 'East or West' from 'Judwaa' but sounds much better because Anand Raaj Anand is a much better crooner than Anu Malik. 'Hai Nazuk Nazuk' has Anand Raaj Anand doing the honours yet again this time though with Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan/ The end result is quite good even though the lyrics are just a tad mediocre. 'Kya Hai Pyaar' sounds like 'bichde hue premi' song and is sung well by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy. Over to the flip side and we have 'Pada Jeena Tere Bin' which is an excellent number and decent lyrics - Udit and Kavita really bring out the feel of the song. 'Jave Sajna' has a whole tirade of singers - Udit Narayan, Priti Uttam SIngh, Altaf Raja, Ram Kishan, Jeetendra, Poonam Bhatia and Bhavdeep Jaipurwale and even though the track is good one wonders why Anand Raaj Anand needed do meaning singers to do the honours. 'Kuch Khona Hai' is a solo by Udit with okay lyrics and average music. 'Pardesi Babu' sounds like it may have come from Anand's heart (read the slogan for the flick) - the album has songs that take a while to get used to - but a great effort on the whole.

Bade Dilwala (Time).

Producer : Shakeel Noorani.

Director : Shakeel Noorani.

Music : Aadesh Shrivastav.

Lyrics: Qateel Shifai, Dev Kohli & Faiz Anwar.

*ing : Sunil Shetty, Priya Gill.

Value for money : Good.

Move over guys 'cos its actually time for Aadesh Shrivastav to prove his worth. We last heard him in the excuse of an album 'Laal Badshah' - though 'Sona Sona' was a good effort. This album actually shows sparks of potential with the opening track 'Baant Raha Tha' and is well rendered by Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan and Alka Yagnik. Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik return for another ear friendly duet 'Apne Mehboob Ki'. 'Bhadke Aag Judaai Ki' is sung straight from the heart by Jaspinder Narula and has great lyrics by Qateel Shifai. The song is repeated with gusto in the mail version by Shankar Mahadevan. The best song however is the soft Hariharan - Alka Yagnik duet 'Jawan Jawan Hai' - make sure you play it on a romantic evening!'Tu Tu Ru Tu Tu' has a bunch of kids inging and it's okay to listen to. The solo by Alka Yagnik 'Mujhe Aisa Ladka' is also one to watch out for mainly because of Alka's flawless singing. All in all the album is well worth a listen.

Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate (Nuff).

Producer : Polygram.

Director : Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Music : Anand - Milind.

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

*ing : Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla.

Value for money : Good.

At last!! A good album from Anand - Milind who were busy wasting their creative abilities on David Dhawan capers and a host of Mithun flicks. Side A begins with an excellent solo by Udit Narayan - 'Kya Rakhoon Tera Naam' which has superb lyrics by Anand Bakshi - it's similarity to 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha' from '1942' in terms of lyrics is forgiven mainly because of the quality of the song. The two love duets by Udit and Alka - 'Aankhon Mein Akeli Raaton Mein' and 'Dil Ye Dil Darne Laga' are Anand Milind's best efforts in the genre since 'Aye Mere Humsafar' from 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak'. The most striking number 'Badi Mushkil Hai' has some great comedy writing by Anand Bakshi, who has you tapping your toes and smiling. Ditto for 'Dear O Dear' which has Abhijeet spell out each word before saying it - a difficult song sung really well. The title song is sung by choreographer Shiamak Davar - the song has good lyrics but Davar sounds unsure of himself. 'Mama I Love you' is a situational song and will probably go better in the context of the movie. 'Jhooth Bole Kauva Kaate' has good music from Anand Milind in a film that shows promise - trust Anand Bakshi to resurrect the duo's slumping for tunes...

Prem Aggan (United Music).

Producer : Feroz Khan.

Director : Feroz Khan.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Sudarshan Faakir, Rahat Indori, Santosh Anand & M.G. Hashmant.

*ing : Fardeen Khan, Meghna Kothari.

Value for money : Good.

This album is a scorcher!!! Every song in this album sound extremely sexy with the words 'prem' and 'aggan' included in all eight tracks. Anu Malik's songs are hi-tech, ritzy and rhythm oriented. Side A begins with 'Har Dam Dam Bedam' - a very 'junooni' kind of song by Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan - techno is the word for this kind of song and once it finishes it will leave you gasping for more. Kavita Krishnamurthy does a 'you-make-me-feel-real' kind of duet with Udit Narayan - 'Hum Tumse Mohabbat' - an excellent number - seldom has Kavita sounded so seductive. 'Dekh Ke Tujhko' has Abhijeet and a newcomer Priscilla Corner doing the honours a good number and very catchy indeed. 'Exercise' turns out to be the only damp squib in the album - Priscilla tries to sound sensuous but fails miserably, let down also by the idiotic lyrics. 'Khate Hai Kasam' and 'Tere Pyaar Ki Aag' find the neglected Sadhna Sargam doing her own thing with panache. Incidentally she sang with as much as gusto in 'Har Kisiko Nahi Milta' in Feroz Khan's 'Jaanbaaz'. 'Side B ends with a rehash of 'Har Dam Dam Bedam' - only this time with Sadhna Sargam. Once you're through with 'Prem Aggan' you'll find your tape deck aflame!! 'Prem Aggan has shaped up into quite a rhythmic and feel good album.

Bandhan (Venus).

Producer : Narendra Bajaj.

Director : K. Murli Mohan Rao.

Music : Anand Raaj Anand & Himesh Reshammiya.

Lyrics: Bhairav Arun, Sudhakar Sharma, Dev Kohli & Rajesh Malik.

*ing : Salman Khan, Jackie Shroff, Rambha.

Value for money : Good.

Anand Raaj Anand and Himesh Reshammiya have had quite a good year with 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya' and 'Major Saab'. In fact this is also a good effort on both their parts. Side A begins with a very good number 'Tere Naina' by Udit and Kavita. The song has great music and good singing by the duo. 'Balle Balle' is not a song that you will like immediately - it will grow on you after a few listenings mainly because of the singers - Abhijeet, Alka Yagnik and Sapna Awasthi. The title song by Kumar Sanu sounds like it's popped out of the 80's but it's still fairly hummable. The sad version is repeated on the flip side. 'Chora Fisal Gaya' is a good 'masti mazaak' song with music by Himesh Reshammiya where the boy is describing how he met the girl and fell in love with her. 'Dum Se Hai Dum' is one of my favourite songs in the album - a romantic feel good number by Sanu and Yagnik. The final song 'Main Deewani' by the annoying Shweta Shetty is just taxing to the ears - avoid at all costs. In general this album is worth the money - just skip a couple of tracks though...

Dil Se.. (Venus).

Producer : Shekhar Kapur, Ram Gopal Varma & Mani Ratnam.

Director : Mani Ratnam.

Music : A.R.Rahman.

Lyrics: Gulzar.

*ing : Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, Preity Zinta.

Value for money : Outstanding.

Even though the movie has been released and flopped miserably the audio is by far the best audio released this year - A.R Rahman's best composition till date. Side A begins with the euphoric 'Chaiyya Chaiiya' - a excellent number by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi - believe me it's as catchy as the flu. Another Punjabi version is repeated on the flip side - it's good but not as good as the original song. In 'Jiya Jale' Lata Mangeshkar sings for A.R. Rahman for the first time and their collaboration is nothing short of pleasing - Lata sounds as angelic as ever. The title song is yet another song to watch ou for - A.R. Rahman proves that he can sing as well. 'E Ajnabi' has superb lyrics by Gulzar and is superbly rendered by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy. 'Satrangi Re' has a brilliant background score and rarely does Kavita Krishnamurthy sound so seductive - her lines '...ishq par zor nahin....' had me panting for more. Whatever you do don't miss this one...!

Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (Baba).

Producer : Gordhan Tanwani.

Director : Anees Bazmi.

Music : Jatin - Lalit.

Lyrics: Sameer.

*ing : Ajay Devgan, Kajol.

Value for money : Very Good.

Though by no means in the same league as 'Yes Boss' or even 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai', Jatin Lalit provide us with a melodious score. Side A begins with a superb solo by Kumar Sanu - 'Jab Kisiki Taraf Dil'. Ajay and Kajol's dialogue only add to the upbeat mood of the whole score. 'Ajnabi Mukhko Itna' sounds very similar to 'Tujhe Dekha To' but it's worth listning to. 'Aashiq Hoon Main' spoils things by falling into the formula rut. 'Aaj Hai Sagai' is going to be a rage at weddings - a superb track sung by Alka and Abhijeet. Ending the score is 'Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha' which sounds more like a background score to the movie - Remo Fernandez & Jaspinder Narula do the honours. All in all 'Pyaar To...' is typical Jatin - Lalit stuff but worth listening to for the dialogue and three superbly rendered songs.

Major Saab (T - Series).

Producer : ABCL.

Director : Tinnu Anand.

Music : Anand Raaj Anand.

Lyrics: Sameer.

*ing : Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Sonali Bendre.

Value for money : Good.

Starting off things is the catchy Udit Narayan solo 'Akeli Na Baazar' - great background rhythm combined with Udit's vocals make for an appealing number. 'Pyaar Kiya To Nibhana' is also catchy with Udit and Anuradha providing the vocals. 'Pyaar Karna Hai' speeds up things this time with Anand Raaj Anand providing the vocals - and he's not bad at all for a first attempt. Next comes 'Himmat Na Kabhi Todenge' which is the Hindi interpretation of the army drill instructor chant!!!But it's not bad. 'Tere Pyaar Mein' is a haunting love song by flawless Kumar Sanu (well almost!!). 'Deewana Ban' has the vocals provided by the Amitabh clone - Sudesh Bhosle. Well the track is in general, a good effort with good beat and rhythm.

Kareeb (Tips).

Producer : Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Director : Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Rahat Indori.

*ing : Bobby Deol, Shabana.

Value for money : Excellent.

Wow!!! Anu Malik just never fails to surprise me. Sometimes he gives us 'time pass' music like 'Duplicate', or crass music like 'Gharwali Baharwali' but rarely does he come up with something as classy as this. Though 'inspired' in places by R.D.Burman, 'Kareeb' really manages to sound as fresh as ever. I guess if you have perfectionist Vinod Chopra handling stuff only the best will do right? Side A begins with 'Chori Chori Jab Nazrein Mili' which in word is just brilliant. Kumar Sanu is definitely one of the best in the field and for a reason too!! My personal favourite though is 'Chura Lo Na Dil Mera' once again excellently rendered by Sanu. All of the female vocals are provided by a newcomer Sanjeevani and though not in the mould of Alka - Lata - Kavita she's still very good. 'Haan Judaai Se Darta Hai Dil' is in two versions and has great lyrics by surprise surprise Rahat Indori. 'Tum Juda Ho Kar' has Roop Kumar Rathod providing the vocals and it sounds really similar to 'Yeh Safar' from '1942 - A Love Story' but who cares 'cos it's a great tune. The only downside in this album is Abhijeet's 'Tera Gussa' - it sounds like a misfit in such melodious songs with senseless lyrics like 'tera gussa why why?'. But all in all Anu Malik is really put his heart into the music and his effort shows...

Satya (Venus).

Producer : Ram Gopal Varma.

Director : Ram Gopal Varma.

Music : Vishal.

Lyrics: Gulzar.

*ing : Chakraborthy, Urmila Matondkar.

Value for money : Very Good.

What Mr Varma???No A.R Rahman this time??? Surprising to say the least. Anyway Vishal's smooth 'haunting' music covers up for any nostalgic memories regarding Rahman. And it comes after disappointments like 'Chachi 420' and 'Sham Ghansham - what a relief! Side A begins with 'Badalon Se' - a meaningful song with Hariharan providing excellent vocals and good lyrics penned by Gulzar. 'Tu Mere Paas' keeps the mood intact with Lata lending her perfect voice in this great tune. As usual there is an instrumental courtesy Mr. Varma and its okay - if you're into that sort'a stuff that is. 'Goli Maar' is sort of senseless but probably situation based more than anything else. 'Geela Geela Pani' is Lata solo and is in fact really good as is 'Sapne Mein' by Asha Bhonsle and Suresh Wadkar. If you want some decent music then buy this - it's different...

Ghulam (Tips).

Producer : Mukesh Bhatt.

Director : Vikram Bhatt.

Music : Jatin - Lalit.

Lyrics: Indeevar - Sameer.

*ing : Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherji.

Value for money : Good.

'Ankhon Se Tune Kya' - this is a smooth romantic song and though nothing new in terms of originality it still is worth a listen. 'Aati Kya Khandala' is Aamir Khan's first attempt at singing and truthfully it better be his last!!!The song is extremely catchy though and even Aamir's less than melodious voice is bearable after a while. 'Jaadu Hai Tera Hi Jaadu' is undoubtedly the best track in the album and any similarity to 'Pehla Nasha' from 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar' is purely co-incidental - err...right Jatin - Lalit??? 'Ab Naam Mohabbat' is also good though nothing really extraordinary. 'Tujko Kya' sounds like 'Khambe Jaisi Khadi' from 'Dil' - gawd what's wrong Jatin - Lalit??? To sum it up this album is good but one can't help but be disappointed with Jatin Lalit's mediocre attempts...

Sham Ghansham (Tips).

Producer : Ashok Ghai.

Director : Ashok Ghai.

Music : Vishal.

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

*ing : Chandrachur Singh, Arbaaz Khan, Pooja Batra, Priya Gill.

Value for money : Okay.

Another disappointing album according to hype. If 'maa' and 'bichde hue bete' are your cup of tea then go for this by all means. But if, you like me live in the 90's then borrow this from a fool record two songs and then get rid of it. The two songs alone however make this audio worth the 'okay value for money' tag in the first place. 'Aandhi Hai' has an 'Egyptian' touch to it and is extremely catchy in fact likely to be a rage with the masses. The other gem that truly sparkles is 'Mitwa Re' by midas duo Yagnik and Sanu. But the music is the real gem in this case. The use of a flute (like 'Mitwa' in 'Chandni') is extremely effective and in fact this song is the best I've heard in some time. Buy the audio - believe me 'Mitwa Re' is defintely worth it...

Gharwali Baharwali (T - Series).

Producer : Tutu Sharma.

Director : David Dhawan.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Dev Kohli & Sameer.

*ing : Anil Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Rambha.

Value for money : Poor.

Lewd and double meaning lyrics rule the roost in this David Dhawan masala. 'Ek Taraf Hai Gharwali' is okay but the background 'hiccups' sound just like 'Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam' - so we're into recycling these days are we Mr Malik? In fact to be completely honest with you this is the only song I remeber along with 'Nepal Ki Thandi Hawa' which is bearable to some extent.I purchased the CD for this track at a mere £2.99 - and now I know why. If the album becomes catchy after a while - fine but in general this is trash of the worst kind - avoid it!!!

Dushman (EMI).

Producer : Pooja Bhatt.

Director : Tanuja Chandra.

Music : Uttam Singh.

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

*ing : Sanjay Dutt, Kajol.

Value for money : Very Good.

Uttam Singh is back with quite a bang!!! After the super success of 'Dil To Pagal Hai' everyone was left wondering - 'will he sustain the magic ?'. But he sure as hell lives up to expectations. Though not as good as 'DTPH' this album is definitely worth a listen. 'Pyar Ko Ho Jane Do' has a soft melodious touch to it and is sung to perfection by Lata and Sanu. 'Awaaz Do Humko' is just as good and has a 'happy' feel to it to get rid of those evening blues. 'Chitti Na Koi Sandesh' is sung in tow versions and is a must for ghazal lovers. 'Tunna Tunna' is your average 'sharabi' song while 'Chidiya chidiya' is kinda cute with a bunch of kids hollering for attention. Kumar Sanu does his solo romantic 'thing' with 'Khubsoorat'. Wow Uttam Singh is way ahead in terms of originality - good quality music that's what this is.

Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (Tips).

Producer : Tips.

Director : Deepak Sarin.

Music : Jatin - Lalit.

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

*ing : Salman Khan, Twinkle Khanna.

Value for money : Excellent.

Jatin Lalit composed music for Salman's home production 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya' which was just a lil' bit disappointing. But with this album they more than cover up for any shortcomings. 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai' is one of those rare albums where virtually all the songs are unmissable. I'm not going to waste space by writing about each song 'cos they're all really good - with Lata Mangeshkar (who incidentally sounds just a bit past her prime), Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan providing the vocals what more could any music lover ask for? Rush out and buy it...now...!

Duplicate (EMI).

Producer : Yash Johar.

Director : Mahesh Bhatt.

Music : Anu Malik.

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar.

*ing : Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Sonali Bendre.

Value for money : Very Good.

The Anu Malik - Javed Akhtar midas team unite once again for Yash Johar's 'Duplicate' After runaway successes like 'Border' and 'Virasat' expectations were high and 'Duplicate' just about manages to live upto them. Side again begins with the extremely catchy 'Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam' with superb music and great vocals courtesy Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. 'Kathai Ankhon Wali' has superb lyrics with Sanu going solo yet again. 'Ladna Jagadna' is extremely catchy as well and Javed Akhtar proves that he is capable of writing run of the mill songs as well as sheer poetry. An example of how truly versatile he is. Additionally Abhijeet is in top form with this song which has the feel of his 'Yes Boss' songs. 'Tum Nahin Jaana' is about the only sort of disappointment in this album - it's not bad but it just doesn't have that zing factor to it. The instrumental is too short to even write about. 'Wah Ji Wah' is another Sanu solo with funny lyrics - good to listen to. 'Ek Shararat Hone Ke Hai' is a Sanu - Krishnamurthy duet and it is a song that you'll find hard to get out of your mind. All in all 'Duplicate' is another feather in Malik's as well as Mr Akthar's caps respectively.

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