Euphoria Mehfuz. Really?!
Zindagi hai dhuan to kyaThe curly haired medico with a guitar, is back! As is typical of Euphoria, their new album - Mehfuz - has some good ones, piled under some really mediocre stuff. I am not particularly against their music, I loved Maeri and before that, when they came out with Dhoom Pichuk Dhoom, I was very impressed with their authentic Indian sounds. But, just like almost all Indian bands (Silk Route, Aryans, etc.), they gave us very few and very rare good ones. I initially thought that here are some Indians who might give Pakistani Junoon a run for their money. Now even the comparison looks ludicrous. I will never forget the night Euphoria played at Mood Indigo; when their originals couldn't hold the high-energy crowed, they resorted to playing Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams! That night they lost whatever respect I had for them. A career span of almost a decade and all they've given are less than half a dozen good songs! Duh-de, Paki kid bands can kick their butts! IIRC, they jammed with Junoon once, where Junoon sang Maeri and they sang Sayonee. It was really embarrassing to see them butcher the Junoon classic.
Too little, too late.
Bujh gayi har subah to kya
Rootha mujhse khuda to kya
Ho gaye hum juda to kya
Faasle they hazaaron darmiyan,
Waqt ke they hazaaron imtehaan
Fir bhi ban ke nishaan,
Tere honthon ke kisi kone mein,
Hansi ke tarah, main mehfuz hoon
Teri aankhon ke chipe dard mein
Aansoo ki tarah, main mehfuz hoon
Bewajah har wajah to kya
Begunahii hai gunaah to kya
Beasar hai dua to kya
Ho gaye hum juda to kya
Raaz gehre hazaron bepanah
Lafz thahare hazaaron bejubaan
Fir bhi ban ke nishaan
Tere honthe ke kisi kone mein
Hansi ki tarah, main mehfuz hoon
Tere gesu ke ude pannon mein
Yaadon ki tarah, main mehfuz hoon
Teri aankhon mein
Mehfuz hoon
Teri yaadon mein
Mehfuz hoon
Teri baaton mein
Mehfuz hoon
Tere baalon mein
Mehfuz hoon
Faasle the hazaron darmiyaan
Waqt ki thi hazaron aandhiyan
Fir bhi ban ke nishaan
Tere honthon ke kisi kone mein
Hansi ke tarah, main mehfuz hoon
Tere kaandhe ke chipe til mein
Vaadon ki tarah, main mehfuz hoon
- Lyrics for "Mehfuz" from "Mehfuz (Euphoria)"
Coming back to their latest album; I liked the title song - Mehfuz. It has the best lyrics in the album (produced above) & has slow soulful music. Palaash Sen's voice suits such slow songs better. Though he can sing well at high notes & fast songs, his voice has a hint of shrillness which doesn't really gel well there. Soneya is the song whose video is being aired these days. I liked the day-to-day conversation like lyrics & energetic music, but the song doesn't really capture your fancy. Out of playlist, out of mind types. Polly-Ghami Bewafa starts with beautiful shers, but then descends fast into mediocrity. Other than these few, there are some mediocre ones and some real crappy ones.
I could not understand what audience are they targeting. Its worth applauding that they have tried various different stuff in their album, but in that attempt the album has lost the direction. It doesn't have any signature style, not much in common between the songs. They are singing Punjabi & Dohe & English & Guitar Solos .. what kind of stupid musical cocktail is that! And of course, they aren't that versatile to pull it all off well.
All in all, the album is a disappointment, if you really had some expectations from Euphoria.
P.S.: If you want the lyrics for their other songs, you should check here & on their official website (which surprizingly has some mp3s too!).
27 comments:
At once concert they did a decent rendering of Come Together (by the Beatles). Love some of their songs, but yes, a dozen or so hits in a 10+ year career does not speak very highly. Hope Indian Ocean do better. Their music is top notch!
Yeah Sid, Indian Ocean has some nice songs. But I don't think they have the popular appeal. In fact perhaps Euphoria would have a bigger fan base. IO has been around for a while now. How old are they? Two-three albums? No chart-toppers as such, despite having some songs which appeal to me.
I have this hunch ki Bollywood music industry is like a big tree, under which nothing can grow. All the pop-singers, so to say, aspire to be playback singers, I think. Take Shaan, for example. Only Bollywood & Bhangra sells in India.
Hi Varun,
Came across your blog today. Thank you bro for at least giving Mehfuz a hearing.And writing this review. Guess we aren't good enough, but yes still trying. Haar na maanna is my mantra. Hope you'll like some of our stuff ona re hear.
Do keep in touch and sending in your criticisms.. they help us immensely.
God Bless... Stay Mehfuz...
Palash Sen
hey dud just saw ur comments.Completely agree with you..Mehfuz dissapoints.But i do have to admit that i had a lot of expectations every time they play or come out with an album..there 1st album is one of my fav..they did redifine indian pop to certain extent..but yes frankly polly is loosing it..hes trying mix to many things which dont suit them at all..shd probably stich to their music and try improvsing in it instead of gettin into this kind of crap
Hey C'mon
they were Euphoric as usual.
Although at some places they have done a lot of experimentation as thogh they are competing with Greg Chappell, but they were not disappointing.
Mehfuz is slow but very soothing except for that alaap(?) in the end.
I would rate the album 3.5 star out of 5.
And surely would like to listen to a five on five album by Polly, in near future(this one took a lot of time).
Simply SUPERB
Like every track of Euphoria it was also cool.
It is really nice.
i've been following euphoria's journey since their first album and i have to pretty much disagree with everything you say. i think, and this is after several listenings of the album because it refuses to be replaced in my cd player, that this particular album is their tightest to date. whether its polly going gung ho on 'soniya', or the demure polly on the title track, or the awesome 'roshni' penned by gulzar saab or the 'bewafa' track where a disilussioned yet lover says that if they were destined to be together for 7 lives, then he hopes that this was indeed their 7th life together. but the best track by far is 'doha'. beautifully written ... 'moorakh, dhongi, bante hain gyaani' and amazingly rendered, its the pick of the tracks. the only weak track on the album is the english one.
whats the issue if they're doing dohas and guitar solos? who put a cieling to the universal nature of music? when nusrat saab and michael brook do it, no one seems to have a problem. and euphoria have consistently done it and done it well, whether it was 'dhoom pichuck' in the first album or 'satyamev jayte' on the second one or the heartbreaking 'lori' on 'gully' ... euphoria have created hind-rock time and again and kept reinventing it.
music is to each his own, i agree. and this is just my opinion. but 'mehfuz' is a huge step forward for euphoria. the last time i met polly, he asked me to look out for the new album, and i could see the nervousness and excitement of a new baby in his eyes. after delivering three kick ass cds and undoubtedly cementing themsleves as one of the most talented rock bands of our country, if someone is still that humble about his music, hats off. one senses that 'mehfuz' is the beginning of bigger things for euphoria.
hey thanx for putting up the lyrics...been searching for it all over the net but cunt get them.....tho i havent heard the other tracks from mehfuz, i thot this title track is really really good....mayb not euphoria's best, but good undoubtedly!!
hey i was jus going thru the other comments and i came across dr.palash sen's comment...is that really him??wow! he even has time to read blogs!!
hello Dr. Sen & all its troops...
i hav been following your songs with the lyrics from your 1st album "Dhoom".Many thanx for putting up the lyrics of the title song "...mehfuz hun" on the net. Good job and hope you guys rock the world!!!
bye...
sudeep
Disappointing music and lyrics from Euphoria. The group has succumbed to the mainstream Hindi pop and has delivered a mediocre album.
IF U DON'T UNDERSTAND MUSIC BETTER NOT COMMENT.WHEN SOMETHING GOOD TURNS UP U TRY TO DETORIORATE IT MY PASSING USELESS COMMENTS.MAY BE THERE LIES SOME INTERNAL MEANING IN ALMOST ALL SONGS OF "EUPHORIA".IF U CAN'T ENCOURAGE BETTER NOT DISCOURAGE.I KNOW BANDS LIKE EUPHORIA & STRINGS WILL B'COME EXTINCT ONE DAY JUST B'COZ OF THOUGHTS LIKE THAT. SWITCH OFF UR BEDROOM LIGHTS AND PLAY THE SONG MEHFUZ.IF STILL U THINK I AM WRONG BETTER SWITCH ON TO "DHOOM MACHALE........."
the above comment is totally right and i support his views
-ur freindly neighbourhood SPIDER MAN
MEHFUZ BETTER IF NOT THE BEST
i think any one can play but just few can and among them one name is euphoria--raja harishchandra from heaven
hmm got ur blog link from google....
just felt like leaving a comment
well mehfuz is sumkind of experimental album i guess,andf thats da gud thng about this hindrock band
they always try out wid sumthng new
and it takes time to get accepted by crowd if sumthng i s a bit diffrnt frm the mass
if listen to their songs in mehfuz 1 by 1 u will realise each song carries sum different kind of msgs for the youth
and as u ve written they lost watver respect u had for them its sumthng very wrong u did
evry single has got sum diffrnt taste and its really to satisfy evry1
may be the crowd was a bit diffrnt and thats why they playd other songs,and dats wat any band generally do
even they do perform sum film songs too
it dusnt mean that their original songs couldn't hold the high-energy crowed
hope u r getting my point
well
always kip dhooming
and stay mehfuz
satyamevajayate
sorry i fogot to mention my name
wat to say
a diehard fan and a gud critic of the band
sai
You are completely entitled to your opinions but honestly, your review itself is an exercise in mediocrity.
Right said mate!
Keep up the great post like this.
Is that really Palash Sen who gave somment number 4. Whoa that's a treat.
Thanks dude for you review of the Album. I think I will still try and buy it.
hi thr all
all i hav to say is who knew ROCK b4 EUPHORIA got it into hindi music industry ? ? ? well by the way i m signing here not evn in the nxt 5 yrs any GROUP can surpass them.wat u all r forgetting is 2RW wen ur son asks u hey papa thr were backstreet boys,westlife,greenday,mltr,nickelback in english WHOZ THR IN HINDI wont u say EUPHORIA alteast they r original ATLEAST THEY RNT COPYING FROM OTHER TRACKS N STILL GETTING BEST SELLER AWARDS if u dont ustand yet I CONDEMN ANU MALIK and PRITAM chee chee (esp pritam coz hez a bengali ASHAMED OF HIM wat do u think PALASH rnt u 2 ? tumra keechu boltey paro naa u ppl hav a voice jus EXPOSE THESE IMPOSTERS who recently called themselves MUSIC DESIGNERS (not MUSIC DIRECTORS) n thrashed at media ! besharam log !).
evrywhr round the world music n lyrics is written or co-written by the singer himself coz thts wen u get attached to sumthin ! (i cant sing abt GOD BLESS AMERICA as well as JANA GANA MANA coz m more attached to jana gana mana !) thts the same thing music in India has bcum more abt SELLING not A FORM OF ART of liberation ! thts whr euphoria cums in (fine who doesnt want money !) but hey atleast thier music is sumthin tht u n i n they themselves can feel !
MEHFUZ as an album is vry gud !
not jus MEHFUZ(title track) which of course is the best but DOHA,ESP a track called KYNASS SONG,bewafa (is ok sorts)soneya bhi chalega,savera is fine.
out of 5 i vl giv it odest 3 n 1/2 y coz they definitely cud hav done better (m a tuff critic) but hey remember ITS VRY EASY TO CRITICISE !
(m a band aspirant do guitar n write stuff myself)
thank you God bless....
RANA_LOVE_2003@YAHOO.COM
hi thr all
all i hav to say is who knew ROCK b4 EUPHORIA got it into hindi music industry ? ? ? well by the way i m signing here not evn in the nxt 5 yrs any GROUP can surpass them.wat u all r forgetting is 2RW wen ur son asks u hey papa thr were backstreet boys,westlife,greenday,mltr,nickelback in english WHOZ THR IN HINDI wont u say EUPHORIA alteast they r original ATLEAST THEY RNT COPYING FROM OTHER TRACKS N STILL GETTING BEST SELLER AWARDS if u dont ustand yet I CONDEMN ANU MALIK and PRITAM chee chee (esp pritam coz hez a bengali ASHAMED OF HIM wat do u think PALASH rnt u 2 ? tumra keechu boltey paro naa u ppl hav a voice jus EXPOSE THESE IMPOSTERS who recently called themselves MUSIC DESIGNERS (not MUSIC DIRECTORS) n thrashed at media ! besharam log !).
evrywhr round the world music n lyrics is written or co-written by the singer himself coz thts wen u get attached to sumthin ! (i cant sing abt GOD BLESS AMERICA as well as JANA GANA MANA coz m more attached to jana gana mana !) thts the same thing music in India has bcum more abt SELLING not A FORM OF ART of liberation ! thts whr euphoria cums in (fine who doesnt want money !) but hey atleast thier music is sumthin tht u n i n they themselves can feel !
MEHFUZ as an album is vry gud !
not jus MEHFUZ(title track) which of course is the best but DOHA,ESP a track called KYNASS SONG,bewafa (is ok sorts)soneya bhi chalega,savera is fine.
out of 5 i vl giv it odest 3 n 1/2 y coz they definitely cud hav done better (m a tuff critic) but hey remember ITS VRY EASY TO CRITICISE ! n yeah PAKISTAN hav more bands coz .....KNW SUM FACTS coz they dont hav GUD MUSIC IN FILMS !!! thts y the rock thing developed in PAKISTAN ! same case for BANGLADESH ! get ur facts right..dont criticize wen u dont knw stuff !
(m a band aspirant do guitar n write stuff myself)
thank you God bless....
RANA_LOVE_2003@YAHOO.COM
Hey Mr Varun Whateverurnameis.
Get a life dude.
Seems ur brethren have done excellently in the music industry...
No offence meant... but tell me Mr Varun ... in ur world of indi-pop who exactly are ur favorites?...
Mika?... Daler Mehndi?... O sorry i forgot those bunch of UK-Indo Wannabes... who are they again???... Jazzy Bee, Sean Whatchacallhim, Sona Family (duh!)...
Himesh Reshammiya (Did i get his numerologically challenged name right?)
Understand ,Mr Varun, if that micrococooned psyche of urs allow u to, that the state of "indi-pop" is in greater peril than ur own dyslexity... Thus there is a need for bands like Euphoria just to keep modern "Indian" music alive... unless of course u wud rather go n fart dance to the tune of "crazy kia re" or likewise shit churning out faster than bird poop from the bollywood factories.
Granted.. Euphoria does have some mediocre songs packed in all their albums. N maybe Mehfuz wasnt their best album... but show the man some respect for trying....
But obviously u r not the kinda guy who is worthy of according respect to others....
Advice: U got issues man... go see a doc or sumthing... Its unhealthy to be so damn phlegmatic!
BTW .. thanks for da Mehfuz lyrics which is y I visited ur sordid blog in the 1st place.
Mr Palash... thnks for ur efforts.. Mehfuz is one of a kind man!... Keep up the good work.
hello evryone..
well anyone can have his opinion and i got mine also..
if someone doesnt like palash's new song mehfuz, he just have to switch to other types instead of saying it mediocre..
myself being such a big fan of his songs, am deeply offended by such comments coz for me MEHFUZ has such great melody and Superb lyrics..
Listen to that song with yr heart and soul, it'll change ur way of seeing life..
humbly
mansi..
Yeah .. ive always noticed this abt euphoria .. every album just has one-two really moving songs while the rest seem to be just there to fill the album. after so many years, we don't expect this from euphoria. However, as far as the song Mehfuz goes, love everything about it, its a masterpiece, but yeah, the only one in the album sadly.
By the way, if ur looking for an indian answer to pakistani bands, just wait for this new band called 'Eklipse' .. they will be out with their debut album in a few months time. Got a chance to hear a few of there songs and trust me, they are a bunch of amazing, touching compositions. :)
One year on and Mehfuz the album still sounds really good to me. It's definitely better than Euphoria's previous albums so I don't know where you're drawing your comparisons from.
Anyway, all bands do covers, so what's wrong with them playing Bryan Adams songs?
Hi,
I recently heared the songs :
1. Mehfuz
2. Maaeri
3. Savera
and I must say, that all these songs are gems.
I think Euphoria has come a long way, and will go a long long way forward in the future.
I would like to encourage the Euphoria team, to work harder at what they do best and produce more of such excellent songs.
I am sure I speak in unison with all the others from all over the country, when I say that we are all willing to wait a little longer to hear great songs, songs that we can listen to and loose ourselves within.
I am extremely happy that you have explored new styles in this new album, and have avoided stereotypical music.
Mehfuz is an excellent song. With a song like this you have raised the bar for yourselves and for everyone else within the country.
Palash, you have a team of lovely people. I would like you all to keep up the great work. We all love your efforts, and look forward to a lot from you in the future.
Shantanu Chakraborty
chakraborty.shantanu@gmail.com
You seem to be one of those bloggers that needs to have an opinion just to "create a noise". Guys like you are writing blogs like this in a very scientific blast someone but then appreciate some of their stuff so that people thing you are "speaking your mind".
Well what euphoria has done to Indian music is historic. You have compared them correctly with junoon. Junoon redefined rock with "sufi rock" and euphoria did that with "hind rock".
I know "hind rock" did not catch on like junoon (jal, etc) cause you need to be talented and the most of all you need to have a good heart for everything. You need to have loads of passion and most of all compassion. All of which euphoria has in abundance. It radiates in their music.
This is another classic that grows on you with every listen. Keep rocking the Indian way..Euphoria...keep rocking from the heart and god bless you guys. We need you, you have given the Indian music scene an identity which is so Indian.
And vasing thanks for the lyrics. Could have done without the bitter criticism though :-P.
But like they say opinions are like @ssholes everyone has one.
Thanks again.
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