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Humour: Amazing grace
From glam rock to Sufi qawwali, a whistle-stop tour of uplifting tunes
Before I can say anything, let’s just agree that Queen at Live Aid in 1985, the immortal performance immortalised a bit more by the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, is a contender for the title of contemporary music’s brightest 20 minutes. And now over to other musical magic carpets that can fly us to the other side of this long day on loop.
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, OST (1958)
The three madcap brothers in this screwball comedy can bring a smile on the face of certified grouches, convalescing patients and anti-Bollywood film snobs. This is my own go-to album for moments of stress, distress or ennui. From the comic brilliance of Main sitaaron ka taraana (to dismiss Madhubala’s seductive charms at the altar of fair wages is filmi socialism at its best) to the sensuous charm of Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si, Kishore Kumar steers this soundtrack with the skill of a genius and the whims of a madman. And then there’s the title track, which captures the film’s endearingly earthy philosophy of not chasing perfection but joy. A yodellingly cheerful soundtrack for our yawningly vacant times.
Graceland, Paul Simon (1986)
The energy of African music, with its major chords and lively rhythms, combined with the lyrical sharpness of Paul Simon, recovering from a low phase, gives this eclectic album its mojo. From the miracle and wonder of The Boy in the Bubble to the road-trip optimism of Graceland; the joy of I Know What I Know to the playfulness of You Can Call Me Al, the pint-sized songwriter of the Simon & Garfunkel duo delivered an evergreen solo masterpiece. As a companion to the album, fans might want to read his definitive biography by Robert Hilburn, published in 2018. Spoiler alert: There’s a lot of whining about Art Garfunkel. Wickedly fun.
Hysteria, Def Leppard (1987)
It’s not quite metal, it’s not just pop. But try and keep your head from banging or feet from tapping once the opening strains of Pour Some Sugar On Me begin roaring out. I might be biased, considering I grew up in the ’90s, when the music was still hot. The energy of Animal still spoke to the post-grunge generation. And Love Bites was a ballad that you didn’t beat yourself up for singing along to. It was an era that was nothing if not forgiving. The age of glam rock, when awful hair and crackling riffs co-existed in a messy, stone-washed universe. It’s time to channel it all, sitting in our temporarily depleted, sanitised world. Armageddon It!
The Best of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
It’s a bit late in this piece for this confession, but music is a mystery to me. In other words, it’s not something I can think about; it’s something I can only feel. Organic, visceral, hypnotic, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music has already withstood too many fawning adjectives for me to add to the onslaught. But there is this: It doesn’t matter if you don’t share his beliefs, are a stranger to his language or are unable to appreciate the nuances of his delivery. This towering force of music challenges, humbles, mystifies, consoles and even changes the human heart. And now’s a good time to be in communion with such greatness. (But for some perverse reason, I am currently stuck with the abominable Salman Khan song I Love You in my head, plagiarised from the iconic Allah Hu.)
Andrea Bocelli live at the Duomo (2020)
It all began with the Italians and their balconies. More recently, tenor Andrea Bocelli singing from an empty Duomo cathedral in Milan on Easter was like a hardcore workout for the soul. It made my out-of-shape feelings jump high, crash low, hold their breath and then gush out it in a gratifying flood, not witnessed since the climax of Gully Boy. (Judge not lest ye be judged.) ‘Music for Hope’ was the initiative that brought the world this magnificent online offering. After delivering four hymns, he ends with an exquisite rendition of Amazing Grace – a transcendent performance for the faithful and godless alike. Amen and encore.
From HT Brunch, April 26, 2020
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