Shalimar

As a commenter states on the reviews page albums like this are what make the list so invaluable. I would have never sought this out but for this list. The highs are why I give this a three. The lows being it down from a four or above.

OK

Bollywood movie soundtrack! Ok. Starts off with some chase scene type music then Indian Cha Cha Cha... Already know I'm in for a journey here. Sitar Cha Cha Cha that makes fun of itself. There are a lot of just orchestral tracks -- some very Ennio Morricone via Sergio Leone sounding -- and a few actual songs, which are pretty decent. But at the same time, I'm not sure how to rate this as it's way out of my experience. Naag Devta has some appeal. Baby Let's Dance Together is kind of funky. Not exactly full on Bollywood, some of these songs, which I guess is why it's unique in that genre? 3/5 because I don't know how else to compare this.

It probably would be higher but i lack both context of the movie, and the language to understand, so no emotional depth for me. It does sound cool, so it's a nice solid 3 - I don't seek it out or change the station.

I wasn't sure what to expect with a Bollywood soundtrack going in and figured it wouldn't fare well without the context of the movie to help it out, but I was pleasantly surprised. That said, as with a lot of orchestral soundtracks, some visual context does help a bit, but I did enjoy this album all the same. Some great big band/jazzy passages that did most of the heavy lifting to get me through the whole soundtrack, while some of the more obvious tracks lifted from the film were harder to enjoy as a standalone piece of music (looking at you "One Two Cha Cha Cha"). All in all, an interesting experience.

Maybe not something I'd be quick to revisit but it's the sort of thing you would hope you would uncover in a list like this and not 100 different 80s British post punk deary shite 3.5*

Not my usual listen for sure, but not bad. Never been a big Bollywood soundtrack guy, though I’ve met some die hard fans.

Ok?

Genuinely quite good but realistically I'm never going to listen again

Rhythmic and melodic. Nice soothing background music (since i don't know what they're saying)

The variety of sounds was interesting, and having them sung in a language I don't understand made them relaxing background music. Pretty enjoyable.

Good music but maybe would have more impact if I saw the film

It’s a little “Shaft” meets Bollywood, which makes sense given the time period. Not as many catchy songs as some films from this genre, but overall, very well done.

I've heard other Indian music in film that I've enjoyed much more than this, which seemed incredibly hokey. I started to say it sounded like an Indian James Bond soundtrack...but really it's more like an Indian Austin Powers soundtrack. But from what I read, this composer is legendary and very influential in the genre so I guess I'll have to give it a 3.

Can't say I know enough about Bollywood music to judge this, but it was pretty entertaining.

Not a critic of the music rather it’s inclusion, in that it’s a bit tokenistic isn’t it. We get more dreary 2000’s sub- rock British bands than we do world music. Which is sort of ok if you except this is albums from western music history, but why then throw in the very occasional lp from the outside world, you can't have explored the wider scope so don't insult it with tokenism. Musically it's fine, no I don't know if it's the best of its genre, no won't likely seek it out again as its film music, some nice music but it jumps around too much and (is it, don't know) too westernised with English lyrics etc - 3 Star.

3/5

I'm something of an authority, having been a paid extra in a Bollywood movie and subsequently watching most of that movie, and this is without doubt the best Bollywood soundtrack I've ever listened to. One Two Cha Cha Cha is a legit jam.

That had some funk and spaghetti western elements. I enjoyed this just enough.

Definitely surprised by some of the tracks, especially Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai, but don't think I'd revisit it outside of those couple tracks

Cool to hear stuff that isn't necessarily from US/UK, it has its moments, but I think it falters like most soundtracks due to not having the source material with it. 6/10

ok FINE I'll watch a bollywood movie

Shalimar by Rahul Dev Burman is a mixed bag. I reckon this album might be absolute magic when paired with the movie—it’s full of lush, vibrant sounds that probably work wonders on screen. Problem is, I’ve never actually seen the movie, so I can’t really vouch for that side of things. As a stand-alone album, though, there’s just too much going on, and it never quite gels for me. There’s no denying RD Burman’s brilliance in crafting intricate arrangements and catchy melodies. Some tracks are full of energy and promise, showcasing his knack for blending traditional Indian sounds with a modern twist. The production is, in parts, really polished—there’s a richness to the mix that hints at the magic the music could conjure when paired with a compelling visual narrative. A few tunes genuinely shine and remind you why RD Burman is considered one of the legends of his time. That said, when I listen to Shalimar on its own, it can feel a bit overstuffed. There’s so much going on in the arrangements that it ends up being a bit chaotic and unfocused. I found that the musical ideas are all over the place, lacking a cohesive flow that would tie the album together. Without the context of the movie’s visuals to ground it, the album feels like a jumble of styles and moods that just don’t work together as seamlessly as they might in a proper cinematic setting. Shalimar is a case of an album that’s probably stellar in the right context—within the movie—but as a standalone record, it’s a bit of a mess. I appreciate the effort and the moments of pure genius from RD Burman, but overall, it leaves me wanting a bit more cohesion and focus. For me, it’s a 3.1/5—a decent effort that just can’t quite hold together without its visual counterpart.

if the phrase "dont stab my tits with your claws" was an album this would be it in the most enlightening way possible. I'd love the movie watching <3

7/10 I appreciate all the cool genre switch ups and blends from Jazz, Orchestral, Funk, and traditional Indian music, but I think it would be a much better listen accompanied for the film itself, a lot of this soundtrack is obviously supposed to play in the background of a lot of shots/choreography Best soundtrack next to Gnomeo & Juliet 2: Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

Kinda want to watch this movie now and see what this was all about! Great change of pace and fun to listen to!

I know very little about Indian music so I have no idea how culturally relevant, significant, or representative of Indian music it is. But this album is good and surprisingly funky at parts. I could do without the lyrics on One Two Cha Cha Cha though. Mid 3.

Bollywood? World music? That's not my world. I listened to it anyway. The album was surprisingly fun and diverse. Many styles were taken up. In the end, it was too Indian for me to listen to it again. Nevertheless, it was fun. 3/5

Surprised to hear a Bollywood Album on this list. Found myself enjoying the music a lot- very pleasant, and you can tell how well crafted it was the score the movie. Overall- 3.5/5

I enjoyed this! Always nice to get something different than dreary Brit rock.

индийское, норм

What an obscure choice. It’s fine, but I have to imagine there’s better Bollywood representation out there.

The songs were really different from each other. Some I really liked, some not so much

One or two enjoyable tracks on here

Maybe or maybe not obviously but I am not very familiar with this language or culture. I did look it up and it looks like this is the soundtrack for a Bollywood movie. From the brief Wikipedia description, I would give it a watch. I'm curious if it is a musical or what is happening here. I was certainly not turned off by this album. I found listening to it quite pleasant and I was able to focus and get a lot of tedious work done and it didn't feel so bad. The mood was good. Again, I'd give this movie a watch. Seems fascinating!

Enjoyed, but can’t tell whether this is good or not because the amount of world music is so limited on this list. Perhaps a bit less repeated albums and more artists would have been better

Very surprising. Although completely not my cup of coffee, interesting enough to keep me entertained for a full listen. Musicians all very capable, interesting phrases all over the place. The singing is a little bit too much on the operatic side of things. The production though is dreadful, way too hot in the mix. Don't know really what to make of it, don't know whether to down or up vote, I am lost here.

Surprised this was on this list

Tämähän oli hyvä soundtrack. Tai aika hyvä! Yltää kolmoseen. Onkohan elokuva hyvä? 3/5

This was really out there. I'm glad it's on the 1001 but that said, it wasn't my cup of tea. Adventurous!

Of all Bollywood music out there, this feels like the most inoffensive/white-adjacent flavor of it, not sure why this album (a soundtrack?!) in particular was picked. So much potential, but the anglocentrism continues to come through this list's choices. 3* because it got way more interesting as it went along, it was the first couple tracks that I really disliked.

Uppskattade denna mycket mer än vad jag trodde. Title music, Countess’ caper, Baby let’s dance together och Romantic theme är alla riktigt bra. Däremellan är det mer traditionellt indiskt och det är inte lika bra, men att 40% av skivan håller hög klass räcker definitivt till en trea i betyg.

6/10. I'll copy this review from my personal blog. :) First of all, figuring out how to listen to this album was a pain in the behind. When I listened to it, I didn't realize that it is actually on Spotify (minus two of its tracks). It's on YouTube, but it's on a playlist that didn't sort the tracks in the right order, so I had to select a new track to play every single time a song would end. Besides that, it wasn't really my style. I enjoyed its ethnic vibes, but it felt really cheesy, and its quality felt somewhat sketchy. I will give it props for standing out among other albums from the album list on which I am working.

The music is a bop

I try to keep an open mind with foreign language albums but can really only judge the music as I don't know what is being said. This album music sounded incredibly repetitive but given it is a soundtrack I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and assume they were going at this like a concept album and not give it a 2 star review.

Pretty good, I liked Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai and the romantic theme.

Me gustó, porque no suena como nada que haya escuchado antes: es otra cultura. Sin embargo, no es algo que podría volver a escuchar. Con conocer este álbum y haberlo escuchado una vez ya estoy. PD: pensé que bandas sonoras de películas no habían sido incluidas en esta lista. Cosa rara.

It was OK I guess. I bet that there are hundreds of better example of the genre though.

This record was extremely unique and it was not just “Indian music”. There are a wide variety of genres on display here and I liked many of the tracks. I hope to get more soundtracks like this one in the future.

This one had me doing the One Two Cha Cha Cha.

Favorite Track: Baby Let's Dance Together

meh not my cuppa but ok

Prolly better if i watched the film

Not entirely sure what this was all about, but it was fun and interesting and different. Can’t argue with that.

Fun! But not my thing

This album will catapult a lot of people out of their anglo-american musical comfort zone!

Not sure how a Bollywood soundtrack snuck on the list, but it wasn't terrible

bollywood bond with a strong helping of morricone. fun

Men

This is fun, unique enough from song to song to lure me in deeper. Curious now if the movie is worth seeking out.

interesting album of indian music of the soundtrack to a film. it wasn’t terrible, but not amazing. probably wouldn’t listen to it again, to be honest.

interesting... the lead vocals are blasting on some songs. some is really good and some is really bad, generally. Favorite songs: title music, baby lets dance together, mera pyar shalimar. overall around 6/10

Nice for a change but I suspect there are even better albums of this kind. Cheesy in parts but enjoyable 3.4

This started out zany and funky, but soon took a backslide into soppy and generic. I think 3 stars is fair.

Indian spy movie soundtrack from the 70s. Jazzy Indian spy music. Certainly sth different, appreciate the diversity. Fun. Indian bollywwod music mixed with Western spy soundtrack. Sure this is a cult album for some.

🎧Well this is certainly different. Props to Dimery for adding this soundtrack to a 1978 Indian film to the book, definitely would not have listened to this on my own. Favorite track: Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai. Least favorite track: One Two Cha Cha Cha

SUPER interesting though I couldn't find it on the streaming services. This artist seems to have produced a TON of music and it's pretty neat - definitely 'western' movie-soundtrack influenced but also exotic/miiddle-eastern/Indian.

love the funk edge

there's so much personality in this, especially in the first track. Thankful for the rare instances of true variety this list can provide, so glad its a break from classic rock or new wave. Very very fun mixup

Bollywood soundtrack, I did not expect that to come up. Initial track does not come across as very Bollywood, more something I would expect from a Steve McQueen movie. It gets more Bollywood very quickly and its quite enjoyable. Lot of jazz elements to this record, which I really enjoyed. Stand out tracks: - Title music (Shalimar) - One two Cha Cha Cha - Countess' Caper - Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai - Mera Pyar Shalimar

I was excited to see another global music entry. I enjoyed but week only cover back for a couple of these pieces.

Random Bollywood movie soundtrack aber randomly auch richtig gut. Gefällt mir.

There's no world where this becomes part of my regular listening. That said, it was great

I have generally liked the Bollywood style of music as energetic and a good change of pace. This was fine, but I probably won't be revisiting anytime soon.

Some songs were pretty fun and interesting but some of the songs dragged on a bit. As far as soundtracks go, it's pretty solid.

This was really fun! Definitely a movie soundtrack, but its fun and varied and has a lot of interesting musical themes.

Pretty good considering it's a soundtrack. Some songs would be better accompanied by visuals, others are stand alone. 3/5

I was only able to find a 10 minute Youtube clip of this. From what I heard? Great! But, I would be shocked if this was the whole soundtrack. How do I review something if I can't even be sure I've heard the whole thing?

Ok listen

Vermakelijke muziek, niet helemaal mijn ding

Sorry, are film scores now allowed? Where are the rest of them then?

Fun and I enjoyed it, I get there might be other better Indian or Bollywood albums but as something to get you into listening it is probably bang on!

Significance is unclear, but its cool

Not super into Bollywood, but I can appreciate how theatrical this soundtrack is. I have no idea what this movie is about, but it sounds like it would be an interesting one. I especially enjoyed the random mariachi moment in Countess' Caper.

Love hearing international music I would have never discovered on my own. Didn't listen super intently but the overall energy and fun beats made for a nice background sound all day.

This had me dancing at my desk more than I should have been yesterday.

Delightfully different from what I’ve gotten lately. I don’t know what this movie is about but this soundtrack makes it seem very cool. (ntm.)

Is this an outstanding example of this genre, or just a random Bollywood soundtrack that the editors chose? It’s kind of interesting, but the couple of Western sounding songs made me question its choice. Strangely, one of those, One Two Cha Cha Cha, was one of my least favorite.

as a person whose cat is named shalimar i had higher expectations for the album named shalimar it was solid. someone in the reviews called this morricone-esque and i really felt that

Hmm... sure. Why not? Let's just throw a random Bollywood soundtrack on the list. But you know what? I didn't hate this. I wouldn't even say I disliked this. It's alright! This definitely isn't my favorite album. I wouldn't even call it my favorite "world music album." However, I see the appeal of something like this. The sound is pretty good. There's some solid variety to each song that is kind of lacking in albums like this sometimes. I can definitely see how George Harrison was inspired by the music of India. I don't know what the writing says, but you can definitely still get a general feel for narrative structure in regards to this being the soundtrack to a movie. Apparently, the guy who made this soundtrack, R.D. Burman, composed the soundtracks to over 300 films from the 60s to the 90s. That is genuinely very impressive. Good for him. Overall, I don't love this album, but it's a solid piece of art that serves as a companion to a piece of art that I'm unsure of the quality of due to the fact that I've never seen this movie. The plot seems very interesting though. 3/5.

As always, difficult for a record to overcome a language barrier and install itself as a personal favorite, but a really fun listen!

Okay! Classic Bollywood vibes -- I think this is the first soundtrack that I've come across on the 1001 list.

Shalimar (Hindi : शालीमार) is a soundtrack to the Bollywood film of the same name, originally released in 1978. This was pretty cool It's really funky in spots. There's also a dash of traditional Indian instruments. Never saw the film, but I feel like this easily stands on its own as an album. I would love to see more Indian music on this list.

Weird to see a Bollywood soundtrack on this list. It was definitely a competently done soundtrack, with some parts better than others. Kind of want to watch the film now. 3.1 stars

Surprising! Can’t see myself listening on repeat but it was an enjoyable ride

Bollywood is wild, I’ll admit I enjoyed this way more than I thought

Interesting entry - an essential album that is a soundtrack to a movie I haven't (and probably won't) see. The "Title Music" track really grabbed me, it seemed like a really great start, but the rest of the album seemed to be closely tied to the movie (which again, haven't seen). Overall an interesting listening experience from an accomplished film composer, but nothing more.

I had low expectations but it wasn't too bad. I'll never listen to it again but have a 3 for not being terrible

Cool

Nice to get some more world music from this list. Curious that the selection was a soundtrack and how it compared to other mainstream music at the time, and the rationale choosing this. 3.5/5 but rating down as I don’t think I would search this album out again

If the point of a soundtrack album is to interest me in the film, it worked. I really want to know how these multiple different sounds are used, from Western horns to '60s pop to the Indian classical music-influenced Bollywood sound. It reminded me, in a way, of Adrian Quesada's Boleros Psicodélicos, as a place where multiple musical influences were meeting in new technologies. (In fact, Mera Pyar Shalimar reminded me very specifically of a couple tracks on that album.) All that said, only 3 stars because, as individual songs, some gripped me and some failed to. Worthy musical experiments but I don't see a lot of re-listening potential for me.

What an odd pick! Some cool bollywood vibes but it is all over the place. Hard to categorize. Maybe I’ll just watch the movie to fill in the holes.

This album had some really inventive and awesome music and some music. I really did not like. 3/5.

This was a right old mish mash of styles. Jolly enough and accessible.

Funny to listen, I doubt I will listen again but very pleasant. 3.2/5

Pretty fun listen, and an interesting fusion of different genres. On the one hand I'd question whether there are other Indian pop (non-soundtrack) albums that maybe could have taken this spot. On the other, I think it's good that at least some effort was made to include non-Western music. Could be way more though obviously!

The Wikipedia article on the film says the soundtrack has 6 songs. Apple Music, YouTube, etc. has 10. I went ahead and listened to the full 10. Some of this reminds me of a Quinn Martin production or Quentin Tarantino film, but Indian. I liked Title Music and Baby Let's Dance Together.

This album fucks.

To me one of the more stark examples of how difficult it is to rate or appreciate music without having any context of what other things sound like. It's fine.

I swear this was recorded with a tin can microphone in an aluminum submarine. It's fun, but the context is lost on me.

Yesterday I was thinking about how music is always better with something paired with it. Probably went hard in whatever movie this is in

This is an interesting, fun listen. Gets me out of the bubble I live in, musically. Why pick a soundtrack? I feel like it just shows the unfamiliarity with Indian music/culture.

Favorite Tracks: Mera Pyar Shalimar One Two Cha Cha Cha

Change of pace with Bollywood's finest

wow wow wi wua, title music tönt actually refht geil hahahaha one two cha cha cha chani nöd würkli ernst neh hahahahaha aber sie hend spass und müsst jz nöd über 5:30 gah? dialog macht mi mit sim HRRR HRRRR chli nervös hahahaha oahhh geil, trumpete und marschtrummle countess caper hetmer recht gfalle jaa jz plätscherets chli vor sich hii romantic theme tönt tatsächlich romantisch und cute mera pyar shalimar find auno schön, resp. v.a. de gsang, d musig isch hslt sehr im hindergrund joaaaa

Not sure I'd listen again, but I sure didn't hate it.

Well that was a surprise. Not bad at all.

Ok, I'm feeling criminal that I've never even heard of this. Sometimes things just slip through the cracks because I can't listen to this and think this soundtrack and the movie it belongs to weren't a big deal. This album is EXCELLENT and puts me right in the mood of what MUST be a movie full of romance and adventure and fun and laughter. The music was full of stuff you just wouldn't do in "Western" music - those women giggling as part of the vocal melody was the one that really stood out - and yet it's all written with such a propulsive sense of melody and rhythm that I couldn't help but be drawn in and thoroughly enjoy it.

It's always interesting getting music from different cultures or places. I enjoyed this album, and I'm sure it has some significance but I feel like there could have been a better album to use. Overall solid though, just not one I would come back to.

Hard to review. It's sometimes cool and sometimes cheesy, sometimes inventive and sometimes derivate, sometimes fun and sometimes dull. Safe 3 🌟?

Pretty good, really appreciate the worldwide music instead of just UK/USA stuff.

3/5

Sono contento che un album così particolare ed esotico sia nella lista. Detto questo...non è proprio piacevole

questo album è importante nell'ottica di non ascoltare il millesimo album rock che non ti lascia niente, e apprezzo che sia qualcosa che normalmente non cercherei mai. faccio fatica ad apprezzarlo in quanto sono suoni a cui noi occidentali non siamo abituati, ma è stato a tratti anche molto piacevole, ed è stata nel complesso una bella esperienza.

Sono contento che un album così particolare ed esotico sia nella lista. Detto questo…non è proprio piacevole

July 29, 2024 HL: the title theme, "Romantic Theme", "Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai", "Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na They", "Baby Let's Dance" I didn't do this justice. Apple Music didn't have this (despite claims on the Internet to the contrary), and the YouTube upload turned out to be in a random order, so my primary criticism about the songs not flowing properly doesn't hold up. There was enjoyment to be had, despite the fact that I've never tried listening to a Bollywood soundtrack before today. It's kinda trippy, although some of the effects (esp. the reverb on the vocals) were distracting. For those confused about this inclusion on the list, let me make the following suggestion: wah wah sitar 3.5/5 Now I'll listen to College Girl, out of a desire for completion; it's not a real entry, but the book lists Shalimar & College Girl together, and I just do as the book guides update: "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" jumpscare

Hoy toca escuchar una rareza. De India sólo conozco un disco que hizo Jonny Greenwood con otro compositor israelí y un ensamble de músicos y músicas indias: el resto, alguna canción aparecida en alguna que otra película y seguramente en "Slumdog Millionaire". Va variando ritmos, más allá de la base india. En líneas generales, me pareció entretenido y me gustó.

Weird combination of typical Bollywood songs together with som catchy 70s pop music. Not bad.

Special!

Really don’t know what to make of that. I can’t mark it down as being bad, but I didn’t really love it. Just not to my taste.

Wtf is dit album? Even een totaal ander album dan alles wat ik hiervoor heb gehoord! Vind ik het vet? Geen idee eigenlijk? In eerste instantie niet, maar er zit een bepaalde fun in dit album die ik de afgelopen tijd een beetje mistte eerlijk gezegd. De kwaliteit lijkt vrij matig, wat waarschijnlijk komt omdat het een ouder album is. Maar daarnaast vind ik het muzikaal ook allemaal niet zo spannend. Ik vind het wel leuk dat het iets anders is, dat vind ik ook zeker interessant, maar ik word hier ook kwaad van, want waarom krijg ik zooooveeeeel standaard rock muziek als er ook zulke muziek bestaat die best wel interessant is? Dit is waarom ik ooit begonnen ben met die lijst, om uit mn comfortzone te komen qua muziek... Ik heb me eigenlijk echt veel meer vermaakt met dit album dan ik hiervoor had verwacht, en als ik dat dan vergelijk met het 200e rock/britpop album, tsja, dan is dit toch echt een stuk leuker en interessanter om te luisteren. Conclusie: Prima vermaakt, ik ga het hierna waarschijnlijk nooit meer luisteren, heel misschien nog een keer het Cha cha cha nummer, das gewoon echt een banger. FAVO: One two cha cha cha, Countess Caper, Hum bewafa Hargiz(happy)

Day190 - i wasn’t expecting a bollywood movie soundtrack but it’s kinda fun and now im gonna try and watch shalimar

Legend says no one's ever made it to the bottom of his discography on Spotify. I'm still scrolling!

Þetta var virkilega frískandi plata. Bollywood kvikmyndatónlist sem lætur mig vilja horfa á myndina bara til þess að geta notið tónlistarinnar betur. Ég komst í gott stuð við þetta og mun örugglega setja þetta aftur á við gott tækifæri. Þrátt fyrir það set ég hana í meðalmennskuflokk af því að mig grunar að ég muni gleyma henni.

It's nice to get some non-Western music! It's Bollywood, and follows that Bollywood formula effectively. It's an easy access point for people unused to Indian music, but also kind of an odd choice. Are there other movie soundtracks on this list? Overall the album was fine. I wasn't blown away, but I did really enjoy several of the songs. I'm adding the movie to my Watchlist on Letterboxd.

Very different than what I listen too normally but not bad at all.

This was great.

Not really a fan, but they had a good cha cha beat with certain songs.

Moderately interesting Indian film music.

Mids

Everyone trying to do morricone

Veel beter dan ik verwachtte

Started out pretty strong, I was intrigued by the groove of the opening track, kind of had Curtis Mayfield vibes. One Two Cha Cha was kind of kitschy, but still a solid groove. I also liked the repetitive chants of Naag Devta. Another English language groove with Baby Let’s Dance Together. A unique mix of Indian world music, some traditional ballads, and then this funky 70s brass. I don’t really know what to make of it all, but yeah it was alright.

I find a lot of soundtracks unfocused when put together as albums, and this is no different. Favourite track: Baby Let's Dance Together.

A very 70s Bollywood soundtrack! I’ll need to watch this movie to see if the plot is what I’ve imagined based on the music!

Track 6 - Aaini Wohi Rehta Hai was pretty tough to listen to. Album has fun rhythms, and always love some music from a different culture, but I think I prefer the “poppy” Bollywood music. The movie soundtrack had some slow jams, love ballads, and a few fun songs, but ultimately I don’t think I would re listen unless I wanted to sit down and actually watch this movie.

Was not expecting Cha Cha Cha Another soundtrack Cha Cha Cha Kinda liked it Cha Cha Cha Do I need to Cha Cha Cha See this movie? Cha Cha Cha Can you guess Cha Cha Cha My favorite song? Cha Cha Cha

Kova!

Enjoyable. 3

Nice soundtrack, but I’m aggrieved that this is on the list but there’s no Morricone.

kinda cool

Couldn't find this on Spotify, but it gets a three because Bollywood music makes me happy.

not bad

3.5 Yeah this was cool! The type of album this list was made for! I would have never listened to the soundtrack for this old Bollywood film, but I did, and it was kinda neat! Bollywood mixed with 70s funk and also spaghetti westerns, kind of a little bit of everything!!

It’s a lot of fun. One Two Cha Cha Cha is probably the greatest song to appear on this list.

Strange choice. Good soundtrack but not sure what makes it so special?

I need more context. I looked this guy up and he's made hundred of Bollywood-style movies; maybe he invented this genre? That's amazing but I'm not sure why this album / soundtrack? of all the hundreds he's done. The Western sampling in a few songs is cute but, again, not sure how groundbreaking or interesting any of this is.

A very new genre for me and yet evoking a perfectly tangible nostalgic vibe of me being 14 years old, which is how old I was in 1978

A fun listen, though I wouldn't ever do it again :)

The first couple of tracks are absolute corkers. Kitschy, 70's Bollywood funk bangers. After that it kind of settles down a bit. Its all very listenable, but the pace and fun levels drop off ocnsiderably. I'm very glad to have heard it.

I'm gonna be completely honest and say I was baffled as to why this is on this list. This is easily the strangest album I've gotten so far solely because of the fact that it's a soundtrack from a Bollywood film from the 70s. I have ZERO knowledge about Bollywood or general Indian music/culture, so I'm in the dark on this one. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get to the review. This is a very groovy album. It's such an interesting mashup of different genres. All of the tracks are pretty good, but I don't think they'd be something I'd go on to listen to on my own. Upon finishing this album I'm still at a loss as to why it's on this list. 5/10 Would I listen again? Only if I ever watch the movie that it's from.

3 stars for Title Music. The rest is okay. Better than expected. Still better than any Bollywood movie I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen tens.

Decent

Haven’t seen the movie, but it was cool

Surprisingly good for what I expected to be just a stereotypical pick for the 1001 Albums list to fill out a quota, and while some of that generic sound is there, especially in the middle, the instrumentation is catchy, the singing is usually quality, and I would say I enjoyed a good chunk of the songs to some extent, especially that opener, what a great tune! It just fails to leave a lasting impression compared to film soundtracks, and as an album its lacking, but taking it at face value I'll admit I was expecting worse, so this was a pleasant, albeit forgettable, surprise.

2.5

Un muy bien compilado de canciones indias para la película "Shalimar". Si bien nunca he visto el filme, el soundtrack es consistente, manteniendo el espíritu de lo que uno espera de las producciones musicales de Bollywood, con un giro psicodélico y algo rockero.

One Two Cha Cha Cha //

Une bande sonore de film indien influencée par l'Occident, ce qui a, je pense, à son tour influencé l'Orient. J'ai été moins dépaysée que je ne m'y attendais.

Definitely a lot going on in this album. If I had no context and listened to this and was asked to describe it, I would say "it sounds like a soundtrack made for a Bollywood Western movie." Doing some research on Shalimar, it looks like that's exactly what the movie is. I wouldn't necessarily say I enjoyed this soundtrack but it wasn't terrible to listen to.

Not bad, not great. Solid 3.5 material for me.

I admit I'm a little baffled to encounter this on the list, but that's what I'm in this for: widening my music knowledge and exposure. I think I liked Romantic Theme the best. Baby Let's Dance Together was fun. The plot to this movie has got to be wild.

Cha Cha Cha allllll day

Disco choas from India, I think. I tried to watch the movie but couldn't find subtitles. One of the weirder albums I've encountered so far, but I can tell they put a lot of effort. I'd rather listen to this than Frank Sinatra.

I unexpectedly enjoyed this. To be specific I liked it as a campy goof. Would I put it in at a party? Hell yeah, or at least a few of the songs. Would it annoy some of my guests? Hell yeah, and I would enjoy that, too.

Really fun will listen again

Strange selection, but enjoyable.

Bollywood is not my thing so i can't rly say how this compares to other bollywood stuff but i did really like this it was really creative. 3.5/5

Not my cup of tea but it's definitely a grower! Cha cha cha is a belter

Hey something different! Enjoyed this a lot wish this list had more stuff like this

Interesting. not perfect.

This is pretty fun, and some very cool tracks on this. It's a soundtrack for a style of film I know effectively nothing about, so I'm just going by how I hear it now. I enjoyed it. It's always good for me to hear music from other cultures, times, and genres.

Good album, but why this movie soundtrack versus so many others? Why is this our sample of Indian music? Regardless, it was good.

This was fun! It was unique and varied. Some of the sound quality was poor, kind of buzzy or distorted, but I enjoyed the 1970s Bollywood sound.

This was not what I expected to find this morning. I really like Indian music. The English lyrics were unexpected. 3/4

Kind of catchy here and there

Kind of feels like the 1001 guy was like 'damn I need some Indian music on here' and just looked up a famous film and stuck its soundtrack on the list

liked this a lot more than I expected. a many genre-bending jazz/indian/afro tracks with retro 60s/70s swagger

It was fun.

Fun album with some descent tracks.

Quite refreshing

Huhhu 1.5/5. VVitun hyvä varsinki 4. ja 5. kappale. 5/5 Ni

Why?

Jazz! Indian music! 60s influenced pop! Orchestral score with Ennio Morricone-level drama! This soundtrack is a whirlwind. The music is strong all around and a pleasure to listen to. The cheesy fun of “One Two Cha Cha Cha” was a blast.

This was a cool listen. Indian 1970's cop drama noir jazz rock? Hell yea. Really enjoyed this. Will listen more!

OK, this will be interesting, I've only had a slight exposure to anything Bollywood. On the other hand, I do have several movie soundtracks in my collection, and cam appreciate the form. This is actually pretty good stuff. A little out of my "zone", a little weird and certainly different. But it's fun, and a little funky, and not boring. My only real complaint is that it's not especially well produced. In particular, the vocals aren't crips and clear. Overall, 3/5 with props for being interesting. 3/5

Interesting record, I wish this project threw up a few more like this.

I feel like all of the Bollywood songs sounded the same back then because vocals are done by the same playback singers. Some interesting jazz-sounding elements in the background music that sounded like other stuff on this list.

another genre I know nothing about ❤️

Banger 4 3

Want expecting some Bollywood music.

This is really cool, except the songs that have that high-pitched voiced singer. I loved the first song and “Baby Let’s Dance Together.” Such a crazy mix of different styles. Fun to listen to.

This was something.. 5/10

This was decent. I'm no connoisseur of Bollywood soundtracks, but I was taken in by the mysterious energy and odd time signature of the title track. The band is tight and there's some great musicianship there. There more of a pop vibe to the rest, varied, but fun in places. But I only really wanted to revisit the title track. Solid 3 for me

Nice to hear to some music I wouldn't have discovered on my own in a hundred years 3

I really enjoyed!

We can’t allow soundtracks on here. Then this whole list has to be redone to account for 100+ soundtracks that need to be here.

Mother Fucker, if Hindi movie soundtracks are on the table, I am going to fucking Demand you have more than a single album representing that on the god damn list. The Indian music industry and the way it's tied up with their film industry is a whole fascinating world, that I'm very of the mind that if you're going to showcase it at all, you should be giving it way more shrift than a single 70s album. I like David Bowie fine, I will have listened to nine of his albums by the time I'm done with this thing, The Next Day was enjoyable but expendable. Get your fucking priorities straight

3 at best

I loved the first song

A bit like superfly it's hard to judge this about of the context of the film, particularly when I'm not familiar with the genre. This might have really changed the game but I don't feel I have the knowledge to say. On its own merits I didn't mind it, it was interesting and largely entertaining. Can't say id go back to it though, should probably watch the film and maybe it will click.

Cha cha cha doo doo? Five stars.

A soundtrack to a film I've never seen, but this kicky collection of music stands proud of its source material with aplomb. The synthesis of Western and Indian styles of music is by turns fun, bemusing, annoying and joyous, but never boring. If I may deploy a cliche, I went on a journey with this one. Almost unrateable, though.

So this was an interesting listen. Is this the only Indian album on the list? Because if so I’d be kinda miffed that a whole country’s tradition of fantastic Folk and Classical music was distilled into one very 70’s Bollywood soundtrack

This album is totally fun! Mostly Bollywood, but also with a little jazz and latin vibe thrown in. Just a little bit of everything. Somewhere somehow it felt familiar even though I couldn't specifically remember it. Worth a listen and just fun. Won't be going back for more.

This is not what I expected, pleasantly. I thought I would be more annoyed. The elements of Indian music are woven together beautifully.

Bit too much for me

Yllättävä, ajattelin lenkillä, että pakko olla intialaisesta elokuvasta, joka kertoo espanjalaisesta härkätaistelusta. Koska yhdessä biisissä todella espanjalaiset flamingo-vibat. Mutta lyhyen wikipediaan tutustumisen jälkeen kyseessä onkin shalimar timanttivarkaudesta kertova tarina. Ei huono, mutta en nyt välttämättä ottaisi uudelleen saman tien kuunteluun. Elokuva kiinnostelee kyllä.

3.75

Interesting with lots of fun and intriguing moments but the retro vibe gets it into historical artifact territory. In other words, it's sub-amazing. Maybe one just had to see the movie. As for the College Girl companion, it's not "faintly" ridiculous, but fully so.

-oooo a movie soundtrack! thats a first for me on this list -now i kinda feel like i need to watch this movie to understand -never seen a bollywood movie so it would be interesting -i do know one thing tho: bollywood music is sooooooo good -obviously some of these songs don’t have lyrics and i’m fine with it because it’s a movie soundtrack -overall a fun listen! think it would have more of an impact if i watched the movie, solid three stars

I couldn't find anything much on this online and even Spotify was missing a couple of songs I had to hunt around for. Some good funk vibes going on. I'm curious what this Bollywood movie would be like with this soundtrack. Really fun listen and good variance on instruments and sound while keeping a vibe. The title track and romantic theme are my favourite ones. Other ones pull it down a bit for me but I'm glad I listened.

A fun listen. The intro track was cool. The vocals seem to be coming in hot.

I’m not familiar with the movie, but I actually enjoyed this more than I expected. I felt that it had a late 60’s vibe - the kind of groovy music that you’d have on in the background at a party - which surprised me when I realized the album was actually from ‘78. I don’t think it’s one I’ll go back to, but I might check out some other things in the genre.

This one was difficult because I had no reference point, I’m not a fan of Bollywood, maybe because I have never seen one. I didn’t enjoy the album but didn’t dislike it either. It had some really cool and interesting sounds. I’m glad I was able to listen and expand my musical exposure.

1. title muzic - 1.5 2. one tuuo cha cha - 1.5 3. dialogue - 1 4. countezz caper - 1 5. naag devta - 1 6. aina uuohi - 2 7. baby letz dance together - 1 8. romantic theme - 2 9. mera pyar - 2 10. hum beuuafa - 1.5

Fun times with this goofy mix of traditional music and western pop. Is this deserving of a place on this list? Lingering doubts in my mind that this is an especially good example of the genre but let’s overlook this and ‘one two, cha cha cha’.

Enjoyed having something different

Mostly nice, original and catchy, but really puzzling how the author choose the non-english/american songs.. I'm baffled. I would also have preferred the few foreign songs to be more "foreign" and not so westernized as this

Well this was quite something! It was a really interesting listen as a sound track, would like to see the film. It was fun and varied and sprung images to mind.

This was pretty good fun!

I've never seen a Bollywood film, maybe I should watch some the music is fun. Usually I enjoy listening to soundtracks because I can remember the scene the music is from when listening so it's strange listening to this and not knowing what it's for. Cha Cha Cha Stars As Andy Dufresne once said, “I have no idea to this day what those two Indian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are better left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t expressed in words, and it makes your heart ache because of it.”

1978 Bollywood Film Soundtrack, har nicht so übel

*Listening note* If you don't get the link to spotify, search for the movie soundtrack for Shalimar. An interesting foray

I lack the context to really fully appreciate this I think, but as a complete novice it was fun to listen to. Maybe I'll give the movie a watch sometime!

We're doing soundtracks now? This seems to be the soundtrack to an Indian film, and it's actually pretty good. There's a spaghetti Western feel to it, makes me curious if the movie was good. I like the music, but the inclusion is puzzling. Strikes me as a phony attempt to include something from somewhere other than Europe or America. Favorite tracks: Title Music, Naag Devta, Mera Pyar Shalimar. Album art: Possibly a movie poster condensed, not bad at all but yeah, it's a soundtrack, so not much thought went into it. 3.5/5

Day 5 (I think), and the first album we’ve gotten that I don’t own in one form or another. (Yes, I own a Meat Loaf album. I have hoarding issues.) Also the first one I’ve never listened to before, even though it seems like an album I should have and like. A lot critics and bands I like are Thin Lizzy fans. Out of the five or six albums we’ve been assigned here, one would guess that Meat Load would’ve been the album I’ve never heard (though truthfully I’d never listened to entire thing before). Some might even think the Pointer Sisters, but only those who were unaware of my soft spot for disco. I’ve listened to some album cuts from Thin Lizzy, but never gotten into them enough to make it through a full album. Which leads me to the album itself. I don’t have much to say. It didn’t really do it for me. I skipped through sections of songs just to get to the guitar solos. I liked the several hits I already knew. The band sounds good. I think it’s just that the songs weren’t catchy enough for me. And I just didn’t respond to the lead vocals with much feeling. I can see the appeal but I fell asleep before I got to the end. Maybe I’ll give it another try down the road.

Apparently the soundtrack to a Bollywood cult hit film, although the first page of Google search results is for a cologne by the same name. The only tracks I think stand on their own are Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai featuring Lata Mangeshkar and Hum Bewafaa Hargiz Na Thay with Kishore Kumar.

Despite my music streaming service having dozens of Burman's soundtrack albums, I could only find a couple tracks from Shalimar. What I did hear was impressive and a refreshing interesting listen. Kind of James Bond-ish with an Indian slant, it had me wanting to hear more! Who would have thought Bollywood films had such cool soundtracks? Thanks for the suggestion!

It’s interesting that this ’78 LP didn’t make it into the original 1001 book. Maybe the fact that a lot of his music got remixed by well-known DJs in the 00s heightened his profile. This album blends more western jazz-pop (including campy lyrics) with traditional Bollywood fare. I read that RD Burman released 331 soundtracks, so I guess this must be the best one.

Wiki indicates that RD Burman has composed over 300 film scores so he's almost as prolific as the legendary Ennio Morricone who has penned over 400. Similar to Morricone he incorporates unusual instruments and mixes in a wide range of styles including jazz, Bengali folk, electronic, disco and rock into his soundtracks. They are both truly international world-music composers. This score also features a wide range of musical styles, with the most "Western" piece being the catchy One two cha cha cha. Although I don't think he's at Morricone's level, he knows how to write a hook and has the uncanny ability to capture the mood of the film in the music. It's just unfortunate that the recording quality is so piss poor. However, this is the fault of the recording studio and not the composer, so I won't ding him for that.

Different.

That was something else :)

Though the vocalizations and singing are a bit unusual (its a soundtrack, after all), it did have an ability to put a smile on my face. It felt fun. I liked the spaghetti western vibe of Countess' Caper and the orchestral theme types pieces were also easy to enjoy. Enjoyed more than I expected.

While this wasn’t entirely my thing, I still think this deserves to be on this list of albums more than some of the others since it could lead people to discover more music from non-western countries and cultures Favourite tracks: One Two Cha Cha Cha, Countess’ Caper, Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai

Pretty sure they explicitly broke their own rules by including a various artists soundtrack album. Maybe this would have been a better experience if I'd seen the movie. Best track: Countess' Caper / Shalimar

This was a difficult album to find in its entirety. Anyway, the Title Music was cool - had that caper/heist film feel, especially with its opening riff. After that, it wasn't bad but it didn't grab me like some other soundtracks. Maybe it didn't quite fit cohesively or maybe some of songs weren't as good as others. One Two Cha Cha Cha is kind of fun and can get stuck in your head, even if not all that deep (catchier than Baby Let's Dance Together). Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai had some great vocals. Romantic Theme felt like an old western tune, I kind of liked it. Countess' Caper was also slick with a jazzy cat burglar feel, until it turned polka (meh) and then old western (cool) and then killer menacing before ceremonial and celebratory (weird). Too many style changes perhaps but otherwise really cool in parts. All in all, a fine album but not one that I can't wait to tell all my friends about.

I like the inclusion of non western music, but I don’t like movie soundtracks. I’m guessing this is a full Bollywood movie that borders on being a musical which closes the gap a little. Different, not not particularly enjoyable or special. Guessing they just picked a big budget fairly popular film to check off “Bollywood soundtrack”

tchatchatcha

This is the most random entry yet.

15th August 2023 Listened a couple of days late throughout the day after D was born! Surprisingly edited this Indian movie soundtrack. Shades of Tarantino with trad Indian vibes. 3.5 if I could.

title track is decent

It starts strong with some really nice and catchy songs. I liked it much more than I was expecting. One Two Cha Cha Cha was really fun. 3

Shalimar! Shalimar! Shalimar! Surprisingly good fun.

Today we have a genre of music that is considerably different to my usual tastes. I can sat with some confidence that I’ve never sat and listened to a Bollywood soundtrack before. I do know that Music and dance is an important aspect of these films in general, so let’s listen and find out how this is! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: One Two Cha Cha Cha, Mera Pyar Shalimar Firstly, if you know the song Brimful Of Asha by Cornershop, that is a reference to Asha Bhosle who sings on this album. I listened to this on the drive from Salisbury to Bath, and this made for a pleasant journey soundtrack. Undoubtedly, a lot of the lyrics were lost on me due to the language barrier, but it sounded nice from a completely sonic experience. I’m not sure it’s tempted me to watch the film or to listen again, but I did enjoy this. Also, I love the sound of sitars. More songs need them!

spacey desi lounge jazz that's totally crippled by jank recording quality. sounds like they recorded the vocals in a coffee can

Surprisingly good.

Fun but there is better

Two of these stars are for' One, Two Cha Cha Cha' which is so wrong in all the right ways.

Was kind of fun, but I don't like the waily singing

Indian music is so weird to me, but good, I dug it

This is fun

Pretty campy and nowhere near as "Bollywood annoying" as the current Spotify Bollywood playlists lol. Fun little listen, I guess. Pretty naff but a good enough change from whatever UK crap they would've otherwise hit me with. 3/5.

Didn't care for this too much but it's not exactly bad. 5/10

Kind of a fun listen, pretty much what you’d expect from an Indian film soundtrack. 5/10

it was ok

This was not bad, but definitely a little weird at some points. To be honest, I had no issue listening to it. The album cover definitely adds to the album.

No idea why they included soundtracks in this list...

2.5

I like this album, it's a fun film soundtrack. Not sure how often I'll come back to it as a whole but maybe would favorite a couple of tracks. The title music intro track is real cool and trippy, then 'Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai' is a highlight in my opinion. This one is right between a 3 and 4, I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. Standout Tracks: Title Music (Shalimar), One Two Cha Cha Cha, Naag Devta, Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai, Baby Let's Dance Together

Interesting album, l liked the jazz vibes and sitar playing.

Surprisingly enjoyable! Although I probably would have liked it more as an instrumental album. The production quality on the vocals really is rough.

I ended up being pleasantly surprised with this. I wasn’t enjoying the first three songs but then “Countess’ Caper” and “Naag Devta” turns up to the party. I might actually go watch to movie after listening to this.

I have a Bollywood fascination but never heard this before. Really well written and arranged -now to see the movie!

Different and decent, some good parts to it

Colonna sonora che ha un vago sentore di 007 e filmetto anni '80 italiano

Like most world music, interesting to hear but not gonna finds its way into my rotation

Bananas! (cha cha cha)

Is this Edwin Diaz' bullpen entrance music?? Well this one is a curveball. As much as I expected to not care about it... it kinda drew me in right away - song 1. Just ... kinda fun. Also it sounds much older than 1978 and I think that's part of the attraction as well. Totally personal issue here but I *vastly* prefer the instrumentals than any with vocals...although I think the non-English actually improves it for me; keeps the vocals as more of an instrument which I prefer rather than taking too much precedence (e.g. I enjoy track 2 "One Two Cha Cha Cha" as opposed to the 3rd track which is more mellow and vocally distracting - not my vibe) "Countess' Caper" sounds like it would fit right in to a Pink Panther cartoon - this is highest of praise. But track 6 is really tough to get through (see also: track 3). Even so, overall I (MOSTLY) liked this way more than I thought I would. So far outside any of my standard or usual listening patterns and I don't know if I'd seek it out again but maybe that's exactly why I enjoyed it. Weird/different/fun. 7/10 3 stars.

Yes.

Bright, vibrant, romantic but decontextualised from the cinema it comes from it can come across as bland in places

Not available in my country lol

J'ai écouté cet album la boule au ventre, la faute au racisme absolument décomplexé de mon camarade d'écoute robvernière, qui m'avait promis l'enfer sur cet album, la faute à sa haine des différences culturelles. J'ai pour ma part trouvé cet album de très bonne facture.

What? 3/5

I did not enjoy listening to it piecemeal, but that is not the album's fault, I suppose. Otherwise it was okay, though nothing stood out to me.

This was a lot of fun. Not really a soundtrack person so I think that kind of hurts. But I enjoyed it

OK, I'll admit - I was ready to disregard this album just on the fact that it is a Bollywood movie soundtrack. I don't like those movies, and I don't like (in general) music from India, so I guess a simple calculation, right? And even though its not perfect or a great album, it's surprisingly good! As a European, to get music from different culture, I have to experience it in doses. And this soundtrack is perfect for that. Music from classic 70s/80s style action movies, but withca twist of Indian vocalists or their specific instrumentation, making this a very unique experience. I honestly believe that this record made me more open to music from India than anything I've heard before. Dirty Harry from Bombai? I think next step is to actually watch the movie :) Why not!

lol, sure why not. Ny first extended exposure to this kind of music. Not bad but hard to get into.

i never would have even conceived that this was an album if not for this site which i think is really cool. it’s definitely not something i would listen to and i’m not even sure what it was. was it just a normal album or was it like a bollywood movie score? i wouldn’t be surprised if it was either.

this one was definitely fun at times.

A breath of fresh air from all the American and British artists that have been crowding the list so far. Like a lot of Bollywood soundtracks of this era, this album has a fun feeling to it that I enjoyed even if the album didn't do anything too technically incredible. You'd never consider this album to be awe inspiring by any stretch of the imagination, but I liked it and it was fun to listen to. 3/5

Better than I expected it to be.

Out of this world etno kitsch, Bollywood folklore,…and Jazz. Rhythm is the nicer the less Western influences dictate the structure. Future Pilot must‘ve known what potential there was blending the best of both worlds. Really nice experience 3.3

Soundtracks are tough. There is, of course, the question of whether they can hold up without seeing the movie. This falls in the middle for me. At times it is too obviously a soundtrack and without seeing the movie I felt lost. Other passages are wonderful and evocative of Ennio Morricone. The best portions are interesting enough to make me want to seek out other works by this very prolific composer.

Not sure how to give this a fair score

It was unusual but cool

3/5. A fairly enjoyable soundtrack with fun instrumentation. The hits are the vocal tracks though.

Obviously art but I wouldn't listen to it regularly.

Surprisingly good

Entertaining for what it is