The reason I bought this book was simply because I dont read fiction. Considering I work in music studying a great person like R.D.Burman was surely a great opportunity at hand. Also since I have been associated with Shammi Kapoor he and me had already discussed this book when he had read it. I had not jumped into buying it because though I respect Panchamda and the way he changed Indian (Film) Music, I am not a hardcore fan. And maybe that became a problem when I was going through the book.
This book is very well researched. The authors have taken every effort to go through archives and meeting people that R.D.Burman was associated with. The details with which they have explained his life is something that only true fans can do. The details about the subject are so overwhelming that sometimes you feel like putting the book down to let everything absorb properly. There are also parts where the narration looses its grip and it can get boring, especially where the musical details of the unknown songs (especially the ones which authors claim were neglected but are masterpieces) can really get boring.
This book will be more enjoyable and going ahead beneficial for people having little knowledge in music. Fortunately for artists like me and unfortunately for people who want some maseldar scoops about anyone in bollywood, this book doesn't involve any masala from Panchamda's life. Infact the authors and the people whom they talked to seem to have deliberately avoided all that. Considering the authors are not neutral writers but fans, it is obvious that they will try to write anything negative associated with Panchamda (Despite of the claim in the book that they have tried to highlight his mistakes and reasons for Panchamda's fault). True they have highlighted what suited, not everything.
Though the technical(musical) details of the songs might be boring for normal readers, the stories behind these songs and the efforts behind them will be quite entertaining.
Also at many points again due to non-neutrality of the authors, many fans of other Indian music artists might find some statements and claims offending. The book seems to be only one way perspective of explaining things.
The sources of information should be mentioned in the book. I have read a lot about the Indian Films era from 1940 - 2000 but I had never heard that Rajiv Gandhi was to be casted in Bombay to Goa. Might be true as well, but there is no way to confirm this fact. It simply seems impossible to believe this.
The author's repetitive arguments/explanations over the subject of plagiarism is irritating for anyone who is not (only) a Indian Film Music buff. I have studied without choice the issue of plagiarism in Indian music only because I always found a bass pattern, guitar riff, rhythm patterns or sometimes some main tunes in Indian music. But this was not only associated with Panchamda. Ignorant people have followed the fact initiated by critics and media that only Panchamda did it the most. Everyone did. Saying this I will continue to say, Plagiarism - Music that is copied/stolen/improvised/meter-changed or whatever explanation you use is simply THEFT. And no great or lesser composer should be spared of criticism or punishment of this offence. If they were saying they were inspired, they should have been nice enough to list the original compositions and composers in credits as well as play the royalty license to the originals, which is not the case. So defending Panchamda so many times in this book for this act has made the book very very irritating. Maybe people who didn't know this fact will come to know about it and highlight it more in future generations to come.
But despite of whatever said above, I will say that - "The book is a best buy and must buy for all Indian Film Music enthusiasts and an unavoidable possession to have for Pancham fans"
Summing it all up : R.D.Burman is R.D.Burman! He is ones of the legends when it comes to Indian Music. This book could have been a lot better if one of the author was a professional writer and they would have avoided the defense of Panchamda, which is not needed. He is great, at a place where untouchable and least disturbed by whatever the offenders might say.
This book is very well researched. The authors have taken every effort to go through archives and meeting people that R.D.Burman was associated with. The details with which they have explained his life is something that only true fans can do. The details about the subject are so overwhelming that sometimes you feel like putting the book down to let everything absorb properly. There are also parts where the narration looses its grip and it can get boring, especially where the musical details of the unknown songs (especially the ones which authors claim were neglected but are masterpieces) can really get boring.
This book will be more enjoyable and going ahead beneficial for people having little knowledge in music. Fortunately for artists like me and unfortunately for people who want some maseldar scoops about anyone in bollywood, this book doesn't involve any masala from Panchamda's life. Infact the authors and the people whom they talked to seem to have deliberately avoided all that. Considering the authors are not neutral writers but fans, it is obvious that they will try to write anything negative associated with Panchamda (Despite of the claim in the book that they have tried to highlight his mistakes and reasons for Panchamda's fault). True they have highlighted what suited, not everything.
Though the technical(musical) details of the songs might be boring for normal readers, the stories behind these songs and the efforts behind them will be quite entertaining.
Also at many points again due to non-neutrality of the authors, many fans of other Indian music artists might find some statements and claims offending. The book seems to be only one way perspective of explaining things.
The sources of information should be mentioned in the book. I have read a lot about the Indian Films era from 1940 - 2000 but I had never heard that Rajiv Gandhi was to be casted in Bombay to Goa. Might be true as well, but there is no way to confirm this fact. It simply seems impossible to believe this.
The author's repetitive arguments/explanations over the subject of plagiarism is irritating for anyone who is not (only) a Indian Film Music buff. I have studied without choice the issue of plagiarism in Indian music only because I always found a bass pattern, guitar riff, rhythm patterns or sometimes some main tunes in Indian music. But this was not only associated with Panchamda. Ignorant people have followed the fact initiated by critics and media that only Panchamda did it the most. Everyone did. Saying this I will continue to say, Plagiarism - Music that is copied/stolen/improvised/meter-changed or whatever explanation you use is simply THEFT. And no great or lesser composer should be spared of criticism or punishment of this offence. If they were saying they were inspired, they should have been nice enough to list the original compositions and composers in credits as well as play the royalty license to the originals, which is not the case. So defending Panchamda so many times in this book for this act has made the book very very irritating. Maybe people who didn't know this fact will come to know about it and highlight it more in future generations to come.
But despite of whatever said above, I will say that - "The book is a best buy and must buy for all Indian Film Music enthusiasts and an unavoidable possession to have for Pancham fans"
Summing it all up : R.D.Burman is R.D.Burman! He is ones of the legends when it comes to Indian Music. This book could have been a lot better if one of the author was a professional writer and they would have avoided the defense of Panchamda, which is not needed. He is great, at a place where untouchable and least disturbed by whatever the offenders might say.
