What's the World coming to!

Hi,
   This is something that I wrote in my diary just over a year ago.. Life has changed a lot in the last year, but I read this and found that my opinion on this particular subject remains unchanged. So here it is. From ink to the keyboard.

Growing up there are no shades of gray. Black and white, right or wrong, truth or a lie. Out of the 7 sins, there are a few that children have, and those which stay throughout their life. Jealousy, selfishness and covetousness are ingrained in the human psyche. Kindness is a virtue which has to be taught and developed, I didn't have a great deal of it because I wasn't shown a great deal of it.

What we are taught is what we learn and we are taught the wrong things in life. Look out for yourself, above all else. Save your soul at the expense of another, both eyes for an eye, and break the jaw for a tooth. I find it surprising that people always want a free ride for as long as possible but take offense when the free ride is at their expense. The fundamental problem that goes unseen is that if you participate and win the rat race you'll still be a rat. It wasn't called a lion's race, lion's don't race to save their lives, they just turn around and whoop ass!

Choice is a privilege of the rich. I stay in a place surrounded by those less fortunate than I. A world riddled with poverty, relative ignorance and reality. Everybody's world has reality in it, but the reason why I state it so vehemently is because their life has very little potential for dreams.

I see people around me trying to figure out what they want to do, positively unhinged at the thought of what it is they like to do. But these people near my house, they don't suffer from any such hallucinations. Their anxieties are more real than just a figment of meandering imagination.

Now there are a few reasons behind this, and it's time to analyze that. The importance of education is highlighted here, because it gives you nightmares. In today's world, there are so many choices which can be made, so many career options, all of which can be realistically pursued and turned into life sustaining activities. Now, a person who isn't educated, simply doesn't know all of these options and therefore doesn't carry the insane burden as far as just choices go.

Picture an average well-to-do family, when they have a child, would shower every imaginable toy within their grasp on their child. The result is that the child grows up getting a lot of things that give it pleasure without any real reason other than the affection of a parent. One major feature of humans is then triggered: greed/ The child wants more, if it sees a toy or object it doesn't have, it covets that object and why?? Simply because it doesn't have it. Now, if the parent obliges, then the cycle continues, but most parents have limit, not to their affection but to the depth of their pockets, and that's when the greed turns intosomething in the range of moodiness and tantrums. Now, that doesn't mean that kids who don't get any toys don't cry or throw tantrums, I mean they're kids, it's in their CV to be thus.

But I have seen these kids, parent have no money, barely keeping a roof over their head, yet they are constantly playing and smiling. No tantrums, no acting like a sourpuss, and they have toys too.. What amazing toy is this that always keeps a kid smiling?? A mere pebble, that's it.. nothing major. One pebble gets them going for hours, or maybe a heap of sand, and the joy on their faces is something to behold.

Coming back to the very top, choice is a privilege of the rich, and here's why. If you're poor, then you can't spend your time thinking about what you could do to fulfill yourself and your potential as a person. You simply want to survive, to make enough money to ensure that there will be a meal the next day. No choices there, do the first job that comes your way, then the second and if you're lucky the third as well.

Lack of a proper education often means that they jobs they get are one of the daily wage variety, so the more the merrier. They have problems, they use the confines of their homes only to sleep in at night. The entire day is spent outside. Even the children, the reason why they stay outside is simply because their house is not as comfortable as what is outside. Even during the summer afternoons when the temperature is reaching up to 46' C. That itself is testament to their poverty. Their entire house is painted using the leftover paint from when my room was being painted.

But the bustle and chatter that categorizes their day is akin to the happiest families you'll know. I think because in their eyes, this is the best they can do, and that is something very commendable. How many of us can look at our lives and know that we are living upto our full potential? Very few, in fact that is the constant complaint of the youth of today. The fact that they shall not work hard enough in that direction, but shall blame it on all and sundry is something that never ceases to amaze me. If I can't do something then it is strictly my fault, maybe just on one level, maybe on multiple levels.

That's all I had written, so that's all that there is here, not going to try and complete this train of thought.

Take care
Surjo

Album Review: Indus Creed- Evolve!

Hi all,
    Been a while since I've written something here, been busy writing words to songs. Nevertheless, jumping right into it, I just ordered and heard the latest Indus Creed album 'Evolve' and thoroughly enjoyed it, and am still enjoying it. So here's my two cents worth about the album.

    For those who claim to love rock music in India and do not know of Indus Creed, take that rock you have been living under, and then smash it on your head. They are the originals, the innovators, the grand-daddys of all that is rock and pure in India.Starting out as 'Rock Machine' morphing into 'Indus Creed', and re-inventing themselves for numerous years (Alms For Shanti during [V] Jammin' anyone?), till the inevitable re-union and here they are. Jurassic Rock indeed.

    Firstly, I must say this, I ordered the CD off flipkart and it was well-delivered, so kudos to the band for arranging that. The CD cover is a lovely graphic of a human diving into blue ether and the inlay contains similar themes interspersed with snapshots of the members, besides all the normal acknowledgements and text that a CD cover has.

   Do remember this, that 'Indus Creed' is a rare band that can boast the individual strength of each member, all the members are experienced musicians, veterans in their own right, and extremely skilled. You can only imagine what happens when all this meets under a karmic headline. The result is 'Evolve'.

   The first song of the album is 'Fireflies', and it sets the tone beautifully for the rest of the album. IC might just have to write a book on 'How to write Choruses', what with the anthems popping out one after the other. The song not only gives us an idea as to the tone of the album in terms of musicality, mix and direction, it emphasizes the evolution of the band from previous albums, which was still flirting with pop-rock. This time around, they are comfortable in their skin, in their styles and move through genres effortlessly. The sound is ambient yet tight, straight-forward yet textured, melodic yet intricate. Like I said, these guys know what they are going. 'Fireflies' is the kind of song you are going to listen to in your car on loop. Don't trust me?? Try it, I dare you!!

   Next up is 'Dissolve', and 7:38 minute epic that starts off with a majestic, soaring melody that had me thinking of old Indian kings, and just when Tipu Sultan hit my head, they launch into this groove which loops in 20... 5,3,5,3,4!! Just awesome, and something which pricked my ears immediately. Being a big 'Rush' fan, movements like that always get me going, and they launch into a massive chorus, followed by a keyboard section with a lot of tremolo goodness. The chorus comes in to save my life again and just when I couldn't be feeling any better, Mr. Tinaikar launches into what can only be called pyro on guitar and now I want to dive into blue ether. A melodic bridge follows and then the song follows it's steps to the end. Sweet, definitely one of the pillars of the album along with 'Fireflies'.

  'The Money' coming after 'Dissolve' falls a bit flat with it's marching band style movement. The lack of atmospheric keyboards that were dominating the tone in the previous songs was fairly evident and definitely needed. Not sure if this is one those songs that complete the numbers, but it's almost electronic edge seems to be off-putting (to me atleast), although the keyboard solo is cool.

  'Take It Harder' boasts another massive chorus and the suitable atmospheric vibe that returns it to the general theme of the album, another pillar. Relevant lyrics talking about the violence that is omni-present around us, and the angst and astonishment that most should feel if they did take 2 minutes out of their lives to think about it. Do wait for the guitar solo, is a good one.

  'No Disgrace' starts almost sounding like something from Pink Floyd but the syncopated drum bursts quickly dispel that feel and off we launch into one of the coolest riffs of the album. Mr. Benegal talks about the rat race that needs no introduction, and the pressure that all of us feel, and assures us that it's cool if you didn't win the race. Lyrics with a lot of meaning, although set in a rock-environment. 'Did they take your dreams, Doused them all with kerosesne. From the ground you watched it burn, Maybe some day they all will learn.' The song has a very neat bridge which is followed by some more wizardry from Mr. Balporia and Mahesh. The keyboard solo sounds like it could have been in any Dream Theater song, from the choice of groove, to the choice of notes, to the style of rhythm on the guitar, to that change of key in the middle of the solo. I'm not knocking it, I actually really really enjoyed the solo. :)

  'Come Around' starts with a guitar and vocals. Uday talks about (a person) who he seems to hero-worship. Someone who could 'Fall again, off the edge of the Earth. Were you wrestling lions, or diving for pearls.' Poignant lyrics, understated and has it's own beauty. Settles into a lovely groove. If you find me using too many superlatives, well that's because the music and words are that good. As it turns out, the person he is hero-worshipping is his Dad who walked out on him and his mom while he was a child.

  'Bulletproof' next, and this is my favourite song in the album. Short, snappy and with a lot of cool thrown around, because they can!!! The pre-chorus has the best riff of the album period. This song has me doing cartwheels in my head.

  Last and not least, 'Goodbye'. Another good chorus, amazing guitar placement on the stereo spectrum, tells a story in itself.

   Things that have not been mentioned but need to be mentioned now, the superlative bass and drum work by Rushad Mistry and Jai Row Kavi respectively. Like I said, they are all giants on their respective instruments and it shows, the playing on the album is just spotless. The vocals of Uday should be the blueprint for young singers who want to learn how to sing their own style rather than being an imitation. Another thing, the mix by Tim Palmer is just pure bliss. Drum-heavy, (which works out great when your drummer kicks ass), atmospheric, lush and warm, this is one good-sounding album. Very progressive in nature, and in my humble opinion is a return of superlative songwriting to the Indian rock scene, not seen since 'Maktub'. In short, buy it, and listen to some of the best songs that have come out in a while. All the talk about mixes and so on would fall to the wayside if the songs weren't good. They are, so order now.

A big thank you to Indus Creed for this album. 17 years in the making and boy did they make it.

Cheers!
Surjo