MUTTERINGS #65: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY 2011

To all fellow Australians, and especially to the new Aussie migrants sworn in today at ceremonies all around the country, Happy Australia Day. May your barbie be always filled with snags, your beer bottle or wine glass never empty and our cricket team doing wonders on the pitch!!! Ok, ok,  two out of three ain't bad, I guess, LOL.

Also on this great day is the Indian Republic Day. I would therefore like to wish all my friends from the Indian sub-continent a very Happy Republic Day.

BTW, due to work and personal commitments, I am taking some time off from blogging. I should be back in full swing some time next month. E-mails and comments are still always welcomed.

MUTTERINGS #65: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY 2011

MUTTERINGS #64: WHERE CAN I FIND ANOTHER...

OMG...after such a  long time I listened to one of my favourite Malay songs from my favourite Malay actor, singer, musician and director, the late Putih Ramlee, better known simply as P Ramlee. This is considered one of his best songs from his famous movie, Ibu Mertua Ku (My Mother-In-Law).

The storyline revolves around the tragic love affair between Kassim Selamat (P Ramlee), a poor musician, and Sabariah Mansur (Sarimah), an heiress of a wealthy woman. The movie is notable in that the opening act starts out as a light-hearted romantic comedy, but at the 30 minute mark turns into a dramatic tragedy. For the full story, go to WIKIPEDIA. This film is considered a Malaysian classic, and is remembered for the song "Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti" (Where Can I Find Another) and the famous eye-stabbing scene during the film's climax. Enjoy the video clip. Lyrics and translation provide below.



Lyrics:

Hendak ku nangis
Tiada berair mata
Hendak ku senyum
Tiada siapa nak teman
Kalaulah nasib
Sudah tersurat
Begini hebat
Apa nak buat

Di mana kan ku cari ganti
Serupa denganmu
Tak sanggup ku berpisah
Dan berhati patah
Hidup gelisah

Alangkah pedih rasa hati
Selama kau pergi
Tinggalku sendirian
Tiada berteman
Dalam kesepian

Dunia terang menjadi gelita
Cahaya indah tiada berguna
Keluhan hatiku
Menambah derita
Namun kau jua
Tak kunjung jelma

Di mana kan ku cari ganti
Mungkinkah di syurga
Untuk kawan berduka
Menangis bersama
Selama-lama

English Translation:

I want to cry
But I have no tears
I want to smile
But there is no one to accompany
If my fate
Has been determined
To be this bad
What can I do

Where can I find another
Like you
I can't bear this parting
And heartbreak
Living in agony

My heart aches so much
Since you've been gone
Leaving me all alone
With no one
In loneliness

The bright world becomes dark
Its beautiful lights become useless
The weeping of my heart
Adds to my sorrow
But you still
Never appear

Where can I find another
Perhaps in heaven
To grief with me
To cry with me
Forever and ever

Source: P. Ramlee's Songs and Lyrics

MUTTERINGS #64: WHERE CAN I FIND ANOTHER...

MUTTERINGS #63: WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because gosh-darn it, he's a maverick!

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MCCAIN: My friends that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken.

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, That chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the Liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish it's lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2010, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2010. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

MUTTERINGS #63: WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

MUSIC #89: EVERGREENS – GREAT INSTRUMENTALS 1969 (INSTRUMENTALS)

The best of Polydor’s conductors and orchestras in one album. I give this recording 4 stars.

Evergreens – Great Instrumentals 1969: Instrumentals

Side One

1. Spanish Eyes – Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra

2. A Man And A Woman – James Last and His Orchestra

3. Guantanamera – Kai Warner and His Orchestra

4. Mexico – Roberto Delgado and His Orchestra

5. Love Is Blue – The Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra

6. Mr Sandman – Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra

Side Two

1. Games That Lovers Play – James Last and His Orchestra

2. Georgy Girl – The Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra

3. Capri Serenade – Kai Warner and His Orchestra

4. Strangers In The Night – Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra

5. La Bamba – Roberto Delgado and His Orchestra

6. Lara’s Theme – James Last and His Orchestra

MUSIC #89: EVERGREENS – GREAT INSTRUMENTALS 1969 (INSTRUMENTALS)

MUSIC #88: AYA SAWAN JHOOM KE 1969 (HINDI OST)

Welcome to the first simultaneous posting of soundtrack and movie review by yours truly and my friend Bollywood Deewana for this year. And to kick off, it is Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (Winter Comes A-Waltzing) which stars the undisputed "Action King" of Hindi cinema Dharmendra, along with the beautiful Asha Parekh, Balraj Sahni, Nazima, Bindu, Aruna Irani, and Rajindernath. The music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the lyrics by Anand Bakshi. Both film and music were box office hits in same year that saw other great movies such as Aradhana, Do Raaste, Khanyadaan, Jahan Pyar Mile and Aadmi aur Insaan to name a few. It made the seventh top grossing film at the Indian Box Office in 1969 (see list below).

Top Ten Indian Box Office Hits of 1969

1. Aradhana: Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore

2. Do Raaste: Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz

3. Ek Phool Do Mali: Sanjay, Sadhana and Balraj Sahni

4. Prince: Shammi Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala

5. Inteqaam:  Sanjay and Sadhana

6. Jeene Ki Raah:  Jeetendra and Tanuja

7. Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke:  Dharmendra and Asha Parekh

8. Bandhan: Feroz Khan and Mumtaz

9. Jigri Dost: Jeetendra and Mumtaz

10. Sajan:  Manoj Kumar and Asha Parekh

The film boast some memorable songs, still well know to this day. The title track is a zippy number and in my opinion one of Rafi-Lata best fun duets and Saathiya Nahin Jaana as one of their better love duet. I must say I really do like Main Ek Haseena (hey, who doesn’t like Asha in the cabaret type songs?) especially for its movie clip. Ah, gone are the days when a bit of meat was revered and considered sexy. I wonder how many Bollywood actresses would be caught dead doing that same clip these days? I can just imagine the bad press :O



Anyway, I enjoy all the songs in this OST, my favourites being Saathiya Nahin Jaana, Majhi Chal, Bura Mat Suno, Yeh Shama To Jali and the title track. I give this 4.5 only because I am comparing it to other music from that year.

Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke 1969: The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke – Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd Rafi and Chorus

2. Yeh Shama To Jali – Mohd Rafi

3. Main Ek Haseena – Asha Bhosle

Side Two

1. Majhi Chal – Mohd Rafi and Chorus

2. Saathiya Nahin Jaana – Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar

3. Rama Duhai – Lata Mangeshkar

4. Bura Mat Suno – Mohd Rafi

MUSIC #88: AYA SAWAN JHOOM KE 1969 (HINDI OST)

MUTTERINGS #62: MR MEN AND LITTLE MISS...

Which one are you???

MUTTERINGS #62: MR MEN AND LITTLE MISS...

MUTTERINGS #61: THE DRUNK AND THE BIKER

A drunken man walks into a biker bar, sits down at the bar and orders a drink. Looking around, he sees three men sitting at a corner table. He gets up, staggers to the table, leans over, looks the biggest, meanest, biker in the face and says: "I went by your grandma's house today and I saw her in the hallway buck naked. Man, she is one fine looking woman!"

The biker looks at him and doesn't say a word. His buddies are confused, because he is one bad biker and would fight at the drop of a hat.

The drunk leans on the table again and says: "I got it on with your grandma and she is good, the best I ever had!"

The biker's buddies are starting to get really mad but the biker still says nothing.

The drunk leans on the table one more time and says, "I'll tell you something else, boy, your grandma liked it!"

At this point the biker stands up, takes the drunk by the shoulders looks him square in the eyes and says,

"Grandpa,....... Go home, you're drunk.

MUTTERINGS #61: THE DRUNK AND THE BIKER