This morning I listened to some digitally re-mastered Hindi film music from the yesteryears (think black and white films). Very soothing music that left me feeling really good.
One of the things that struck me about the music was the fact that the tunes were *very* simple, to the point of being ordinary sometimes. Yet, listening to that music was such a pleasure. IMO, what lifted the music to those heights were two things: the voices (think young Lata, Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey) and the lyrics (think Jyoti Kalash Chalke, Raat aur din diya jale, etc.)
Could it be that the music directors intentionally kept tunes simple and uncluttered, knowing that the voices and the lyrics were going to lift music to great heights, and complicated tunes would actually detract from the overall experience?
Compare the music of today. I listen to contemporary Hindi film music while driving to work. While there are some songs I momentarily enjoy, there is *nothing* I would want to listen to two years from now. The lyrics are pedestrian, and the voices are lost in the clutter and busyness of the tunes almost sounds like noise sometimes!
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