 In a rare example, the two oldest labels in Hindi film music, Saregama and Universal, join forces for a 2-volume collection of Kishore Kumar hits. The 24 songs here are reason enough to buy the album, with hits like “Yeh jeevan hai” (Piya Ka Ghar), “Badi sooni sooni hai” (Mili), “Chingari koi bhadke” (Amar Prem), “Manzilein apni jagah hai” (Sharaabi), “O saathi re” (Muqaddar Ka Sikander) and “Kitne atal the” (Ek Baar Mooskura Do) and span from the mid-‘60s to the ‘80s.
The plus point is that the album includes rare tracks like “Jeevan mein humsafar”(Taxi Taxie), “Kya khabar” (Saaheb), “Aisa na mujhe tum dekho”(Darling Darling) and “Jab tak maine samjha”(Bheegi Palkein).
And yet the collection could have been eons better. One jarring note struck is that despite the title of this compilation there is only one comic song (“Pal bhar ke liye”/Johny Mera Naam) when so many could have been included, like the fun songs of Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, Khatta Meetha, Himmatwala and Jawani Diwani.
The second problem is the standard one of all such compilations from these two labels – an unwarranted excess of R.D.Burman under the so-called excuse of being trendy and market-friendly. This was Kishore’s peak phase and he was brilliant under all the big names and so many of the others! The current generation is all the poorer because they are not being exposed to all these talents, which include several composers who matched or surpassed the great Pancham in calibre and output! Why not let GenerationX choose from the buffet instead of serving them only one recipe repeatedly?
The third shortcoming is that Kishore’s vast repertoire did not need just one duet (Guide) to make an intrusion when another solo could have come in so easily!
And yet the album is worth a buy, but the side-effect, of missing out on the great works of this singer under every other senior and junior composer is a serious failing that genuine and unbiased music lovers should take up as an issue!
| 
- 
