Big Mountain — Best of...
Music zone

(BMG Crescendo)««««

Big Mountain has got to please all worlds. They rose to fame as the innocent lovers of reggae, with music that simulated those of their contemporaries and a scrapbook of young and jolly reggae ditties like Inner Circle and Aswad. Their international stardom came however, with their mega hit Baby, I Love Your Way, from the album Unity. This track was also included in the original soundtrack of Reality Bites. Spreading the message One World/One People, the band has experienced a great deal of growth in a very short time and continues to share their vision of hope for a better world. Big Mountain now hits the road again with The Best of ...Collection, compiled from their previously released four albums Unity, Free Up, Wake Up and Resistance. This compilation is the band’s most musically adventurous outgoing yet.With the added Jamaican influence in the band, we have the deeply spiritual I Would Find A Way from the album Unity. Then we have the delightfully optimistic Get Together from the album Resistance. The hit Sweet Sensual Love was performed in both English and Spanish. The all-American connection is just one of the many unique aspects to this most accomplished of reggae bands. Other tracks like Soul Teacher, Upful and Right and Touch My Light showcases the lead singer and founder Quno and the band’s revolutionary philosophy. The compilation also features Llena Mi Vida (Spanish Version), the previously unreleased track Lean On Me and the infectious All Kinds of People, co-written by Sheryl Crow, Eric Pressley and Kevin Gillbert. This is a collectors item.

Talvin Singh — OK (Polygram)«««««

Talvin Singh of Anokha Club fame makes his debut with a solo album named after probably the most universally accepted and spoken work OK. Known to put Asian underground music over the ground, Talvin is rightly titled the artiste of the next millennium. In 1995 Talvin founded the Anokha Night Club in London and ever since there’s been no looking back. Having worked with popular artistes like Bjork, Indigo Girls Siouxie and the Banshees, Future Sounds of London, Cleveland Watkiss and Courtney Pine, Talvin presents here a cocktail of his musical influences. After the recent success Talvin achieved, he has widen up his percussion abilities. Talvin gave a mindblowing performance at the Channel ‘V’ Music Awards 1998, leaving the crowd amazed and, wondering what the hell did that guy play? The album features Traveller which is co-written byTalvin himself. Butterfly and Light offer some excellent percussions. Vikram The Vampire breaks the constant peace kept throughout the album. OK is primarily a fusion of traditional Indian sounds like Tabla, Sarangi, Shehnai,Veena, Chants with modern abstract sounds with highly percussive values. The tracks invite you to a roller coaster ride. One second it is at the highest pitch and the other second you are lost in the deep bass. Conquering all the sounds here is Tabla, played by Talvin. You can feel what Talvin wants to express with just his fingers playing on the skins. The highlight however here is Sutrix with scintillating vocals.All in all the entire album leaves you awstruck.

Dakota Moon — Dakota Moon (Warner Music)««

Prepare to be mesmerized by the extraordinary new sound of the latest treasure, male singing group Dokota Moon. Group members Malloy, Joe Dean, Ty Taylor and Ray Artis bring the romance back to music with the heart throbbing rhythms and sophisticated harmonies with this self-titled debut album. Dakota Moon is one of a handful of groups whose parts are undeniably crucial to the success of the whole group. Their integral components happen to be four of the finest contemporary vocalists who ever huddle around one microphone. Another Day Goes By is an uptempo track with lead vocals by Malloy and Ty. A Promise I Make is a soulful ballad with gripping lyrics. Won’t Be Alone Tonight gives a taste of country music with bouncy beats. Some other tracks worth listening to are Sing You To Sleep with powerful lyrics, Black Moon Day, Your Smiling Face and Till We Meet Again. With a collage of musical flavour influenced by Pop, R&B, Country and Blues, Dakota Moon defies the confinements of musical paradigms as their voices bellow among a variety of melodies steered by their love for music and passion for creating a perfect album.

Maxi Dance 1 — Various Artists (Milestone)«««

Rarely do compilations gel as well as this seamless collection of dance tracks which features a mixture of the familiar Spice Girls and the lesser known Zindy to cohesive effect. The compilation is a perfect party album featuring remixed tracks like Girls On Film by the heartthrobs of early eighties Duran Duran vs Tin Tin Out, I Wanna Be The One a superb dance track by Eternal, a dance version of Bitch by Meredith Brooks, Bamboogie a hot teeny bopper performed by Bamboo and Where Are You by Imaani. The major headliners include Stop by Spice Girls, Let Me Entertain You by ex-Take Thatter Robbie Williams and the sure shot hit Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. Caution: Unleash this album in any party with utmost care, cause this is a monster of an album.

Album of the month

REM-Up (Warner Music)

Great rock is often cinematic, creating worlds that listeners can enter, sonic moments that they can live in. What is most impressive about REM is how many such moments they offer in their music. Millions have been waiting on the new REM album. A lively form of bliss is readily available from the sounds of Up. But the subliminal message throughout, seemingly, is that Michael Stipe is always in control; a distance is maintained.Well, atleast he sounds like that. It’s crucial to throw a cherry arm round the listener’s shoulder-rock on it with cleverly pointed touches on strings, organ or a subtly assembled backing vocals.Incidently this is the first album since the departure of drummer Bill Berry. Airport Man is a brainteaser, before you could figure out what the song really means, it comes to an end. Diminished showcases impressive guitars. Sad Professor dramatises a moment of personal torment. Hope offers a melody from Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne. Parakeet is a collaboration with Patti Smith. At My Most Beautiful is a classic romantic ballad with sentimental lyrics. The album also features the current hit track Daysleeper. REM hit at gut level with an album that’s bolder and more savvy than those of obvious percursors. Up also exposes REM as a multipurpose outfit, one that gives indie-rock artsites something to react against, critics something to complain about and most important, listeners out in the real world to call their own.

— Saurabh & Gaurav