Customer Reviews

Slumdog Millionaire - Music From The Motion Picture

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't normally review CDs because it's so rare for an entire album to be worth buying, especially a soundtrack. Far too often you get a CD with songs that weren't even in the movie while skipping some of the best songs that were actually used.

The "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack, with its mix of mostly upbeat instrumentals and vocals, is that rare exception. If you don't want to move to this music then check your pulse.

"O...Saya" and "Jai Ho," the former shown at the beginning of the movie, the latter at the end while the credits ran along with the Bollywood homage, are perfect party songs you'll want to listen to again and again. The ominous sound of "Riots" will remind you of the murder of the brothers' mother. "Dreams on Fire" and "Latika's Theme" are both a little sad and romantic. "Millionaire" is just inspiring and will remind you of the movie's climax. And you get not just one, but two versions of "Paper Planes."

I didn't think this was possible, but the "Slumdog" soundtrack surpasses even "Bend It Like Beckham." If you liked that soundtrack, you definitely want to check this one out.

If you saw the movie then you know how integral the soundtrack was to the movie. Needless to say the soundtrack is fantastic and just listening to the music will automatically have you relive the movie!

AR Rahman - the music composer is a genius and he's done a spectacular job as usual. A couple of tracks are from other sources - namely Papers Planes and Aaj ki Raat. The rest of the tracks are original productions for the movie.

I am a big A R Rahman fan and typically lap up anything and everything composed by this man. So when I first heard about this movie (and the fact that 2 of my favorites Danny B and ARR - have collaborated on this one) - I was all but ears for this OST. Saw the promos and then the movie and then ever since its been a wait to get this album. So when it came out on ITunes a month back, I bought it in the first hour and now when it released on a CD, again, i bought it on the first day.

The whole world is raving about this album and so is it worth it ?

Oh Yes ..absolutely a big emphatic YES.

Get it for the thunderous O Saya or the Riots
or Get it for the Grammy Nominated Paper Planes by MIA
or Get it for mellifluous and soothing Latika's theme or the wonderfully penned Dreams on Fire
or Get it for Liquid Dance - a wonderful fusion of Indian classical and western rhythms
or Get it for Gangsta Blues or Millionaire
or Get it for the joy that is 'Jai Ho'
or get it because its a Golden Globe nominated score

or simply get it because you Love music ....
or just because the name of the composer ...is A R Rahman

Just go ..get it ..

-A

In my opinion Rahman's work on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, while fantastic, incredibly, does not represent his best work! His music in one of the latest Bollywood releases, a movie called "Delhi 6" easily tops his work in Slumdog. If you get a chance please do listen to this CD, particularly tracks 1, 6 and 7. You can find the CD by searching for "Delhi 6 Soundtrack" on Amazon or any one of the online music shopping sites. His many earlier works in movies like Roja, Bombay, etc are also noteworthy. But "Delhi 6" showcases the man's talents at the very top of his game. Enjoy!

I am so happy that finally one of world's best music composers gets his due in the west. With Slumdog Millionaire the legendary A.R.Rahman as always has given an utterly awesome and mindblowing album. The album is kind of an ambassador of Indian/Eastern music. Though for the western audience the sound is totally new, this is only one of nearly one hundred albums A.R.Rahman has given in his 16 years career. From overwhelming "O Saya" to vibrant "Jai Ho", every song is a gem in itself. The masterpiece work in "Mausam and Escape" and "Liquid Dance" gives a glimpse of immense talent the maestro got. The score is getting its due and has already been nominated for various awards including the prestigious Golden Globes. We keep our fingers crossed to see it getting the Oscars nomination too. Beside the Best Original Score category, Jai ho and O Saya are strong candidates for the nomination under the Best Original Song category as well. M.I.A's Paper Planes comes as a bonus.


Verdict: Go buy it for its sheer brilliance and to experience the genius A.R.Rahman is.

I can't believe it took me this long to discover A. R. Rahman's music. When I went to see Slumdog Millionaire with my family, my brother and I turned to each other multiple times throughout the picture and said, "We MUST buy this movie's soundtrack." O Saya is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It's even better if you've seen the movie. It transports you back through a dizzying chase though a Mumbai slum every time. It's an addictive blend of bhangra, dance, and a little industrial. It's wonderful!

Hopefully this album will inspire people new to A. R. Rahman's work to check out his other compositions. Truely, this music is every bit deserving of the awards it has garnered.

It was interesting to take note of India's reaction to the slew of Oscars garnered by the very deserving Slumdog Millionaire. While gratified - if a bit overwhelmed - by the Best Film award, what really had countrymen overflowing with pride were the Best Song and Best Score awards bestowed upon Bollywood legend, A. R. Rahman. Rahman's work ethic and humble demeanor - not to mention the sheer inventiveness and enjoyability of his music - make him a beloved figure throughout India.

Of all the great calls made by Danny Boyle in putting together this film, one of the most prescient and informed was his pursuit of Rahman from the start. Rahman himself was stunned that Boyle - no mere dilettante - arrived a well-informed student of the Bollywood oeuvre and actively sought out the composer's participation. It's fortuitous for the audience that these two creative geniuses joined forces here. Rahman gets the mood spot on throughout the film, culminating with a full-on Bollywood dance spectacular accompanying Best Song winner 'Jai Ho'.

The other big presence here is Sri Lankan rapper, M.I.A. She does the main lyrics to 'O...Saya' (also nominated for 'Best Song') and serves up two compelling versions of The Clash's 'Paper Planes'. She and Rahman form a great partnership.

There are no holes in the soundtrack. I like the bass- and piano-driven remix version of 'Paper Planes' (Track 5) better than the more mainstream Track 4. 'Ringa Ringa' is fantastic - a great tune and catchy hooks. The same can be said of 'Gangsta Blues' (feat. 'BlaaZe'). That Rahman is the author and composer of such a wide range of styles really says something for this man's extraordinary talents

I'd never heard of A.R. Rahman until seeing SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and immediately recognizing the music as fantastic, original, and one of the most important elements that elevated the movie into the 'classic' category. I purchased the CD when it was released, and after listening to it a many times through, I still think the music is fantastic, if a little less compelling when stripped of the dynamic visuals of the film. The electronic beats are interwoven perfectly with the indigenous instrumentation to create a soundscape that is both exotic (at least to western ears) and familiar at the same time. The energy level and pacing to the songs is great; this is music you can (and my wife has) danced to. It's so full of life and power that listening to it can't help but put you in a good mood.

I learned in an interview with A.R. Rachman that he is one of the top selling composers in the world! How fitting then that the movie that is succeeding in popularizing Bollywood in America has also succeeded in popularizing this talented composer. He deserves the recognition of winning a Grammy, and he deserves to be selling millions of records. While I'm not familiar with his other music (although I plan to buy a few other soundtracks after enjoying this one so much), I feel he demonstrated such a level of creativity in SLUMDOG that I'm frankly amazed that more people in the US hadn't hear of him before, including myself.

This is 'THE' soundtrack to own from 2008. Nothing else comes close. I liked the Wall-e soundtrack as well, but its a distant second to this one (sorry Peter Gabriel). This is an easy purchase for anyone who loved the movie. Great stuff.

5/5 Stars.

I bought this CD without listening to any of the songs but "O...Saya" and "Jai HO", which may be normal for some of you, but, whenever I go out to buy something, the majority of the time I have a pretty darn good opinion of what it is. I had heard and read consumer and critical acclaim for both the movie and its soundtrack, so I got this and popped it in the CD player.

Well, I can't get enough of it. It's a great CD that features a unique and unexpected compilation of all sorts of styles. I'm normally not a big hip-hop or pop type person, but this CD made my day. All of the songs (except for "Gangsta Blues", which I don't particularly care for) are catchy and fun to listen to, and the instrumental tracks are interesting and splendid to hear.

The best songs are:

O...Saya (which was nominated for an Oscar)
Jai Ho! (which won an Oscar)
Dreams on Fire (which should have been nominated for an Oscar)
Paper Planes: DFA Remix (catchy)
Aaj Ki Raat (an unexpected pleasure)
Millionaire (I promise it will be stuck in your head for hours)

Though not all of the songs are on my list, all of the songs are great. Go out and buy this CD, and you won't be disappointed.

I love film music, but in recent years I have become more selective about the scores that I purchase, because if I bought every score I remember enjoying in the body of a film, I would go broke real fast. Plus, a lot of times something that is great in the film will not stand up to repeated listening on its own.

With SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, though, I knew I had to buy the CD as soon as the movie was over. When I got home from the film, I was annoyed to discover that Amazon (usually my go-to place for items of this nature) was estimating it would take a longer-than-usual time to ship the item (2 to 3 weeks if I recall correctly at the time that I originally checked.) This was encouraging, as it probably meant Amazon has had a lot more orders for it than they expected, but still, I wanted it sooner. Therefore, I was extremely happy that my theater was selling copies of the CD in the lobby and picked up a copy the next day when I returned there to view another film. The music stayed firmly in my head for the 30 hours or so between my first viewing of the film and the time when I was able to toss the disc in my CD player, and it did not lose any of its luster in that period.

The score is extremely bold and wholly unique, and it truly takes the film to another level. Sometimes, even though a score is quite good, there is nothing which suggests to me that another composer could not have done an equally good job. (The last couple of HARRY POTTER scores not by John Williams are an example of this; they are both enjoyable listens that work for the film, but had Williams decided to score those movies too instead of dropping out of the franchise, his score would have been equally good.) In the case of SLUMDOG, however, that is not the case.

There is no doubt in my mind that the score would have been much less interesting and supportive of the film if it had been done by anyone other than A.R. Rahman. The music here lends an electrifying kenetic energy to the film which, along with its quick-cut pace, keeps the story moving along incredibly well. Because it sounds so different from the type of score we are used to from Hollywood blockbusters, there is also a sort of otherworldly appeal to this music, which immerses you even more completely in Danny Boyle's wonderfully realized vision of India.

The album also plays wonderfully without the film, reminding you of the movie but also taking on a life of its own in your mind. I have had it for a week and it has not yet left its residence in my CD player. I don't imagine it will for a long time to come.

This is essential stuff and easily the most unique score of the year. If you've seen the film, you know how significant it is; if you haven't, go see the film and you'll fall in love with every aspect of it, including the music. And then you'll want to buy this disc. You won't regret it.