Let's
directly
get
to
the
point.
Mid-way
through
Rock
On!!,
you
end
up
rubbing
your
eyes
(and
also
your
ears)
in
disbelief.
And
by
the
time
one
is
through
the
9
song
ordeal
of
Rock
On!!,
you
start
wondering
whether
it
indeed
had
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
at
their
spirited
best
when
they
were
composing
for
this
film
which
marks
the
debut
of
Farhan
Akhtar
as
an
actor.
Rock
On
also
marks
the
debut
of
Farhan
Akhtar
as
a
singer
who
is
heard
in
as
many
as
5
tracks.
First
to
come
is
'Socha
Hai'
which
is
about
questioning
the
basic
facts
about
life
and
nature
around
mankind.
As
required
by
the
setting
of
the
film,
'Socha
Hai'
gives
a
rock
beginning
to
the
album.
However,
it
is
a
strong
sense
of
deja
vu
that
one
gets
to
hear
since
there
have
been
innumerous
examples
of
tunes
and
arrangements
like
these
that
one
has
heard
in
Pakistani
rock
albums
in
the
last
few
years.
Farhan
does
a
fine
job
behind
the
mike
as
one
looks
forward
to
what
else
does
he
have
in
store
in
songs
to
come.
Yet
again,
it's
the
sound
of
electronic
guitar
which
opens
'Pichle
Saat
Dinon
Mein'.
Though
the
rhythm
of
'Na
Na
Na
Na
Na'
does
aid
in
giving
a
rhythm
to
the
track,
it's
unconventional
lyrics
(though
going
by
the
mood
of
the
rock
genre
and
the
concert
setting)
are
the
kind
that
would
only
work
for
a
very
restricted
set
of
audience.
Farhan
is
heard
solo
yet
again
in
this
track
that
is
repeated
towards
the
end
of
the
album
as
a
LIVE
performance.
Seemingly
a
track
that
should
make
for
a
climax
setting,
it
has
its
chances
if
only
the
visuals
are
well
directed
to
create
a
euphoric
atmosphere.
It's
the
sound
of
the
background
music
which
ran
behind
Hrithik
Roshan
in
Lakshya
that
forms
the
basic
rhythm
of
the
title
song
'Rock
On!!'.
The
number
tries
to
amalgamate
the
'Dil
Chahta
Hai'
feel
with
the
rock
mood
of
the
film
but
sadly
the
end
result
doesn't
really
make
you
jump
with
joy.
Though
'Rock
On!!'
has
been
the
chosen
one
for
the
initial
round
of
the
film's
promotion,
it
surprisingly
doesn't
come
with
the
kind
of
zing
that
one
expected
from
the
flagship
number
of
the
album.
Surprisingly,
respite
comes
in
a
number
which
goes
soft
instead
of
blazing
hard
on
the
ears,
something
which
was
the
case
in
the
songs
preceding
this
one.
Dominique
Carejo
has
been
around
for
last
few
years
and
the
lady
has
delivered
whenever
given
an
opportunity,
whether
for
English
or
a
Hindi
song.
'Ye
Tumhari
Meri
Baatein'
is
an
out
and
out
Hindi
number
and
it's
soft
rock
feel
with
minimal
arrangements
in
the
background
make
you
long
for
a
candle
light
dinner
with
the
song
being
performed
live
in
the
background.
Of
course,
this
number
too
has
a
restricted
market
for
itself
due
to
an
urban
feel
and
setting
but
one
doesn't
mind
giving
it
a
few
more
hearings.
Now
this
one
is
really
one
of
the
biggest
disappointments
of
Rock
On!!.
A
number
with
lyrics
like
'Yahan
Pe
Saanp
Baste
Hai,
Sabko
Saanp
Daste
Hai'
can't
really
be
taken
seriously
for
making
inroads
into
popular
segments.
Well,
believe
it
or
not
but
there
is
a
song
like
this
that
has
been
titled
'Zehreeley'
and
it
is
such
an
assault
on
your
ears
that
you
want
to
move
on
to
the
next
number
(or
rather
even
end
of
the
album)
without
spending
any
more
seconds
into
it.
A
full
on
rock
track,
it
surprisingly
sees
full-throated
rendition
by
Suraj
Jagan
who
was
quite
a
find
when
heard
last
in
the
title
song
of
Johnny
Gaddaar.
Farhan
Akhtar
returns
to
the
scene
with
'Tum
Ho
Toh'
which
perhaps
has
been
placed
at
just
the
right
juncture
in
the
album.
After
a
noisy
'Zehreeley',
'Tum
Ho
Toh'
is
a
soft
outing,
though
still
sticking
to
the
film's
setting.
Yes,
the
number
is
easy
going
with
Farhan
doing
well
again
but
still
it
warrants
a
restricted
audience
for
itself.
What
follows
next
is
an
inspirational
number
that
takes
its
reference
point
from
'Sindbad
The
Sailor'
who
fought
all
odds
to
reach
his
destination.
Farhan
Akhtar
comes
behind
the
mike
with
Raman
Mahadevan
and
together
they
jam
up
the
show
to
create
something
unconventional
yet
again.
Well,
one
would
rather
wait
to
see
how
visuals
take
this
number
forward
which
can't
be
expected
to
come
on
the
lips
of
one
and
all!
Finally
comes
'Phir
Dekhiye'
which
has
another
good
singer,
Caralisa
Monteiro,
going
solo
with
her
rendition.
With
just
a
guitar
in
the
background,
this
number
about
being
positive
in
life
has
Caralisa
holding
the
center
stage
throughout
the
3
minute
outing.
Thankfully,
this
one
acts
as
a
respite
for
ears,
just
like
Dominique's
'Ye
Tumhari
Meri
Baatein'
which
was
heard
a
while
back.
But
are
the
two
numbers
good
enough
reasons
to
go
for
Rock
On!!?
Not
really!
The
soundtrack
here
just
doesn't
work
and
that's
quite
a
shocker
since
SEL
and
Javed
Akhtar
have
collaborated
so
very
well
for
all
the
earlier
productions
(Dil
Chahta
Hai,
Lakshya,
Don)
of
Farhan
Akhtar
and
Ritesh
Sidhwani.
Surprisingly,
the
team
misses
the
bus
here.
Yes,
it
is
indeed
quite
an
attempt
to
create
an
album
which
is
designed
to
be
truly
'rock
on'
-
pun
intended
-
but
then
the
final
outcome
is
the
kind
which,
let
aside
attracting
your
attention,
only
ends
up
pushing
you
further
away.
Sad!
Story first published: Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 15:43 [IST]