The world of touchscreen mobile phones is starting to get exciting, as the biggest name in the industry has waded in with not one, but TWO mobile phones: the sleek Nokia 5800 and the completely mind-blowing Nokia N97.

Phones we’d rather forget – Nokia touchscreen mobile phones in the past

A lot of people are under the incorrect impression that the Nokia 5800 is the first touchscreen phone to wear the Nokia label. It’s not. Actually, there’s been a few touchy-feely phones to wear the Nokia brand. Beginning with the 7700, the world has seen a few Nokia mobile phones that work by touch. They all had reasonably big (for their time) screens, but the other feature they had in common, unfortunately, was that they were unbearably hideous. Only one of these devices, the 6708, displayed any promise, but it was made only for the Chinese market, and so, it never saw the light of day in these sceptred isles. The mobile phones WE got were, and I use this phrase with much feeling, total, and complete toss.

However, those unpleasant mental images have all been removed by the announcement of two new Nokia mobile phones, both of which have touchscreens, and both of which are much, much nicer…

Nokia 5800 - touching music

The first phone on the list is a totally new member of Nokia’s Xpress family of music mobile phones, the mouth-watering Nokia 5800. This one’s pretty obviously built for music and video; you can tell by the dedicated XpressMedia touch-key which opens a list of shortcuts to music, videos, the web, and so on. Oh, and the Nokia 5800 has a 3.2 inch touchscreen, to let you muck about with those different media files. Basically, the Nokia 5800 was created as a teeny handheld jukebox and movie player, and as music phones go, this is easily one of the prettiest. The Nokia 5800 also comes with a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet connection and GPS, so that it’s a wonderful all-round mobile phone, on top of being a wonderful media gadget. Oh, and it has a strap to fasten on an imitation guitar pick. That rocks.

Despite all those features, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range phone; it’s not, nor will it ever be, an absolute top-ender. That position goes to a different mobile…

Nokia N97 - the single best phone EVER made?

With the Nokia 5800 all set to bring touchscreen mobile phones to the mid-range market, that leaves a huge, yawning gap at the very top-end, and yes, there IS a touchscreen mobile phone on its way to take its place as the top-end powerhouse: the genuinely mind-blowing Nokia N97. This uses the same Symbian S60 Touch interface and crams it into the body of a proper, full-on smartphone. So it’s got an even more huge, 3.5 inch screen, a slide out QWERTY keypad, and the camera’s been upgraded to 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, as should be glaringly obvious, destined to be the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it’s genuinely as hyper-powered as the rumours had us believe, with HSDPA, GPS, digital compass, and built-in Flash, so that you get an internet experience that tops any other mobile phones! Put it like this: the Nokia N97 is awesome. It easily outdoes other mobile phones and as the Nokia 5800 angles firmly for the mid-range, I reckon that the Nokia N97 will totally DOMINATE the world in 2009!

Matt Sharp
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/a-touch-of-genius-nokia-5800-and-nokia-n97-669304.html

Ballet is an art and it is different from other dance forms. Ballet is a specific dance form and technique. Many historians list dance as the oldest of the human art forms. When looking at dance it is very structured in its movements, when dance is set to a musical score for rhythm, you are able to see how the physical movements translate into joy and happiness. The movements of ballet beautify and create gracefulness throughout your limbs and body. Enchanting and graceful with unbelievable steps, ballet is an extremely difficult dance to learn perfectly.

An important part of the ballet dancer’s equipment is the ballet shoe, while the shoes are beautiful they are essential and important in the ballet dance. The ballet shoes are designed to be pleasing to the audience and mostly they are designed to function for the dancers. Ballet shoes typically do not last very long and have a short life, but the shoes were designed to help the dancer move with implausible strength and grace while dancing. Pointe shoes, in many ways, can be considered an extension of the dancer. When purchasing ballet shoes keep in mind that leather last longer than canvas, if you do purchase the shoes in canvas you will need to replace them more often. Another decision that must be made for ballet flat shoes is the type of closure on them. When taking ballet classes the teacher or instructor might have color, type and brand requirements, so check before purchasing. When just starting out and learning ballet it is not important to purchase the most expensive shoes, purchase your ballet shoes at a discount store, if you like it you can always purchase more expensive shoes.

Beginning students for any type of activity always look ahead and imagine the day when they will be able to wear pointe shoes. Ballet shoes are not a normal looking dance shoes they have an odd shape and with a flat section in the front of the shoe but they are designed in this fashion to help the dancer stand on their toes. There are several elements involved in the anatomy of a pointe shoe, all of which contribute to its fit and performance. When first starting out in ballet and you will need to purchase ballet shoes, you will not need pointe shoes until you reach a more advanced level..

Tights come in a variety of colors, with the most popular being pink and black. Ballet dancers usually wear either tights or leotards for comfortable body maneuver. The tights that Ballet dancers wear are tight-fitting which allows the fluid movement when the dancers are performing. Specialized ballet tights are often found in plain colors.

From the beginning of time dances such as ballet have been intertwined with music. Without music ballet is nothing more than the empty motions of a ritual. Such schools offer both beginners classes as well as classes for training professionals with live music accompanying instructions and training.

If your children are just starting ballet you might look to see if your town offers classes. Most of the time the town ballet classes that are offered are much more inexpensive than private lessons, and are a good way of determining if your child will like this type of dance.

David Marc Fishman
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/beautiful-ballet-dancing-91594.html

You have been buying your groceries from one store for years and now you have to opportunity to reap the same type of savings by getting all of your homes telecommunications services from one source. Only Comcast offers true bundled services, because they actually provide all of the services that they offer. This isn’t so with other service providers who gather together in group marketing schemes to mimic what Comcast offers.

They only sell their services together and then after the sale is completed you still get your services from several different sources and there is no real savings. With Comcast you receive one bill each month that covers all of the services that you receive from Comcast and for total simplicity there is only one fee on the bill, so that’s three services, one bill, one check.

Comcast’s brand new digital phone service is state of the art and all the latest technological advancements were incorporated into its network infrastructure. Because of its streamlined efficiency, Comcast has real savings to pass on to their customers. It’s an economical flat fee phone billing system that completely does away with phone bill surprises, because you’re entire nationwide long distance calling is free of charge.

Every Comcast customer receives this and it’s unlimited including Canada and Alaska, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. All of your convenience features are free as well and there are twelve of them in total, including voice mail, caller ID, and call forwarding just to name a few of them.

With a cable service provider such as Comcast there s no need for fickle and unreliable electronics receiving equipment to be mounted on your home,

because your signal comes through via a solid cable connection. Also a cable never wears out and last a lifetime, so you are never stuck having to take anything to the electronics repair shop with Comcast. Also, only a cable service provider can bring you one demand pay per view and Comcast now has two on demand packages to offer you.

One is their standard on demand pay per view while the other package is called Premiums ON Demand and they both deliver your movies as soon as you order them. Comcast has a wide variety of high definition channels to offer their viewers also and they have plans to add even more high definition channels in the near future.

Comcast new broadband high speed cable internet service is truly state of the art technology and it can make using the internet so much more enjoyable for you. It’s six times faster than DSL and a full one hundred times faster than standard dial up service. With this kind of speed everything that you currently have to wait for with standard dial up, happens instantly with a click of your mouse.

Even data intensive downloads such as music and videos happen in just moments and you don’t even have to wait to log on with Comcast high speed cable service, because you are always logged on, twenty-four hours a day. One toll free customer service number covers all of your services from Comcast and a service representative is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week if you ever have any questions.

David Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/cable-and-satellite-tv-articles/comcast-provides-three-bundled-telecom-services-242099.html

Generally referred to as ‘licensing and merchandising”, this area of the entertainment industry provides lucrative additional revenue to a project over a long period.  It is well known that most music concert tours make more money from merchandising than from ticket sales as the price of the ticket usually covers the cost of the venue and publicity required to attract a large audience.  Applied to a television program or feature film, this area can show a tremendous overall profit even where a theatrical release or television premier has not done that well.  There are many segments to the pre-teen 4 - 12 year old young consumer market that reportedly influence over U.S.$75 billion in buying power.

The so-called “Brat Market” dictates the product you should buy, the package it is in and how you should dispose of the empty container. These influences deal with brand image, ethics and environmental issues, all things that kids have learned from TV or school and are imprinted at an early impressionable age.  In this respect, children have come a long way from the childhood days of their parents. These influences spill over into many areas of buying power, particularly entertainment. Cartoon licensing for example, represented a U.S.$30 billion segment of the “brat” market. A percentage of merchandise can be sold via the Internet as well as through conventional distribution channels. If a product captures youngsters’ imagination and buying influence, it can mean hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues and royalties for the creator, manufacturers and producers of the product.

“Ninja Turtles” for example has realized over U.S.$6 billion in the sale of licensed products and  “Ninja” films were grossing $30,000,000 a week in box office revenues when first introduced.  The success of the Pokemon television series generated a series of films, the first of which grossed over $100,000,000 in box office and video sales. Trading cards based on this property have generated huge profits for the company and sales of Pokemon products were expected exceed $10.0B by the close of the year 2000. One toy company’s sales of “Ninja” products represented U.S.$150,000,000 in 1990 alone.  G.I Joe products have sold over U.S.$3.0 billion since the doll was introduced.  GI Joe figures have now achieved over 400 million unit sales.

Products sales for both these properties jumped dramatically when the characters were exposed to the market through an animated television series. The four day Hong Kong Toy and Game Fair, which is held in the third week of January, each year, posts over $120.0 million (US) in orders and participants expect a steady growth in the years tom come. A wide array of new licenses perked up the toy industry in the nineties. This new line of licenses came from new television productions, children’s films, comic books, video games and other ancillary products. These properties lend themselves easily to the electronic media subsequently fueling consumer demand for video and computer game versions of these productions. Royalty payments for electronics surpassed those from toys in the late 1990’s.  Will the video and games market continue to show outstanding growth? Sales In Action LLC is a sales and marketing business development firm comprised of entertainment industry veterans with over 15 years experience, says “yes”. According to SiA founder and president, Howard Horowitz, “given the predicted and past growth of the North American interactive entertainment market – probably somewhere around 18 Billion USD in 2004 for will grow to attract foreign publishers, developers, and distributors and will add 40% or more to their gross revenue by getting in this market.”

Toy manufacturers are now tending to obtain licensing agreements for TV and film based toys well prior to the release of a production in anticipation of box office and small screen successes. The computer animated film “SHREK” for example had licensing contracts with 35 companies, including Hasbro, for action figures and vehicles well prior to the production being completed. The same opportunity exists with most children’s productions, the latest on the market being Greanwold at www.greanwold.com

Michael Trigg
http://www.articlesbase.com/international-marketing-articles/toys-games-product-licensing-750575.html

The desktop computer has become just another appliance you use every day. Replacement sales–not first-time purchases–now drive the computer market. Fully loaded desktops selling for less than $800 are common, even among established brands.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

There are dozens of companies vying to put a new desktop in your home. Dell, eMachines, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard (which merged with Compaq in 2002), IBM, and Sony all make machines that use Microsoft’s dominant Windows operating system. eMachines, recently merged with Gateway, specializes in budget-priced Windows models. Apple is the sole maker of Macintosh models. Small mail-order and store brands cater to budget-minded buyers.

Price range: $400 to $3,000.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

The processor houses the “brains” of a computer. Its clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), determines how fast the chip can process information. In general, the higher the clock speed, the faster the computer. But not always, since different chip families attain different efficiencies. Manufacturers of Windows machines generally use 1.6- to 3.8-GHz processors with one of the following names: Intel’s Pentium or Celeron, or AMD’s Athlon or Sempron. Celeron and Sempron are lower-priced processors that equal higher-priced chips in many respects. Intel now assigns “processor numbers” to its chips, de-emphasizing clock speed. Apple’s Macintosh machines use 1.25- to 2.5-GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 processors, which are manufactured by IBM. Apple has announced that they will begin a transition to Intel processors in 2006.The system architecture of some families of chips allows them to be as fast as or faster than others with higher clock speeds, so speed comparison by the numbers can be misleading.

All name-brand computers sold today have at least 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, or random access memory, the memory the computer uses while in operation. Video RAM, also measured in megabytes, is secondary RAM essential for smooth video imaging and game play.

The hard drive is your computer’s long-term data storage system. Given the disk-space requirements of today’s multimedia games, digital photos, and video files, bigger is better. You’ll find hard drives ranging in size from 40 to 300 gigabytes (GB).

A CD-ROM drive has been standard on most desktops for many years. Commonly supplied now is a CD-RW (CD-rewriteable) drive, also known as a “burner” that lets you create backup files or make music compilations on a compact disc. A DVD-ROM drive brings full-length movies or action-packed multimedia games with full-motion video to the desktop. It complements the CD-RW drive on midline and higher-end systems, allowing you to copy CDs directly between the two drives. A DVD writer will also play CDs and CD-ROMs. Combo drives combine CD-writing and DVD-playing in a single drive, saving space. The newest in this family, rapidly becoming a common choice, is the DVD-writer, which lets you transfer home-video footage to a DVD disk, or store as much data as six CDs. There are three competing, incompatible DVD formats–DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM–as well as drives that can create dual-layer DVDs that store twice as much. Some drives can write in more than one format, but all can create a disk that will play on standalone DVD players.

Fast disappearing is the diskette drive, where 3.5-inch diskettes are inserted. Apple Macintoshes and a growing number of PCs don’t have a diskette drive built in, because it only allows you to read or store relatively small amounts of data. Many people use a CD-RW as a large “diskette” drive to transport files. Many PCs now come with a digital camera memory-card reader that can also serve for file transfer. You can also get external drives or use a USB memory module that holds much more than a diskette.

The computer’s cathode ray tube (CRT) or flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor contains the screen and displays the images sent from the graphics board–internal circuitry that processes the images. Monitors come in sizes (measured diagonally) ranging from 15 to 21 inches and larger. Seventeen-inch monitors are the most common. Apple’s eMac and iMac come with built-in monitors. Its Mac Mini comes without a monitor. LCD displays are now the most popular, taking less space and using less power than CRTs. Better LCD displays can use a Digital Video Interface (DVI) connection, found on many newer PCs.

The critical components of a desktop computer are usually housed in a case called a tower. A minitower is the typical configuration. More expensive machines have a midtower, which has extra room for upgrades. A microtower is a space-saving alternative that is usually less expensive. All-in-one computers, such as the Apple iMac, have no tower; everything but the keyboard and mouse is built into a small case that supports the monitor. Apple’s Power Mac line of computers has a tower. Apple’s newest model, the Mac Mini, has a space-saving design that puts everything but the monitor, keyboard, and mouse in a case about the size of a hardcover book. An “entertainment PC”–one with a TV tuner built in–comes in a case that is more like an audio or video component, made to fit in with other home-entertainment devices.

A mouse, a small device that fits in your hand and has a “tail” of wire that connects to the computer, moves the cursor (the pointer on the screen) via a rolling ball or a light sensor on its underside. Alternatives include a trackball, which is rolled with the fingers or palm in the direction you want the cursor to go; a pad, which lets you move the cursor by sliding a finger; a tablet, which uses a penlike stylus for input; and a joystick, used to play computer games.

Most computers come with a standard keyboard, although you can also buy one separately. Many keyboards have CD (or DVD) controls to pause playback, change tracks, and so on. Many also have keys to facilitate getting online, starting a search, launching programs, or retrieving e-mail. There are also wireless keyboards that let you move about as you type.

Multimedia computers for home use feature a high-fidelity sound system that amplifies music from CDs or downloaded music files, synthesized music, game sounds, and DVD-movie soundtracks. Speaker systems with a subwoofer have deeper, more powerful bass. Surround-sound systems can turn a PC into a home theater. Some computers come with a microphone for recording, or one can be added.

PCs come with a modem to allow a dial-up Internet connection. Parallel and serial ports are the traditional connections for printers and scanners. Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, seen on all new computers, are designed to replace parallel and serial ports. FireWire or IEEE 1394 ports are used to capture video from digital camcorders and other electronic equipment. An Ethernet port or wireless network card lets you link several computers in the household to share files, a printer, or a broadband Internet connection. An S-video output jack lets you run a video cable from the computer to a television, which lets you use the computer’s DVD drive to view a movie on a TV instead of on the computer monitor.

HOW TO CHOOSE

First, decide whether to upgrade your current computer. Upgrading, rather than replacing it, may make sense if your additional needs are modest–a second hard drive, say, because you’re running out of room for digital photos. Adding memory or a CD burner is usually more cost-effective than buying a whole new machine. If your PC has become unreliable, your want list is more demanding, or if there’s software you must run that your system is not up to, a new PC is the logical answer.

Consider a laptop. A desktop computer typically costs hundreds less and is easier to upgrade, expand, and repair. It usually offers better ergonomics, such as a more comfortable keyboard, bigger display, and enhanced audio. But a laptop merits consideration if portability and compactness are priorities.

Pick the right type of desktop. Most manufacturers offer several lines at different price points. Budget computers are the least expensive, yet they are suitable for routine work. Workhorse computers cost a few hundred dollars more, but are faster, more versatile, and upgradable. All-in-one models have most of the components in a single case. And entertainment or media PCs include TV tuners and software that give them the functions of a DVR. They usually provide a remote control for easy operation.

Choose by brand. Our surveys have consistently shown notable differences in reliability and technical support among computer brands. And some brands are generally more expensive than others. Those factors could help you decide which of two similarly equipped computers is the better buy.

Choose between preconfigured and custom built. You can buy a PC off the shelf in a store or via the Web, configured with features and options the manufacturer pitches to average consumers. Or consider purchasing a desktop that you configure to order, either online or in a store. When you configure a computer to order online, onscreen menus typically show you all the options and let you see how a change in one option affects the overall price.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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Brooke Yan
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/consumer-reports-desktop-computers-95490.html

The world of touchscreen mobile phones is starting to get exciting, as the biggest brand in the game has waded in with not one, but TWO mobile phones: the svelte Nokia 5800 and the terrifyingly mind-blowing Nokia N97.

Black sheep - touchscreen mobile phones we’d all rather forget

A lot of people are under the incorrect assumption that the Nokia 5800 is the first touchscreen mobile phone Nokia have ever made. It isn’t. The opposite’s true, because there have been several touch-based phones released under the Nokia badge. Beginning at the 7700, the world has seen a couple of Nokia mobile phones that work by touch. They had a relatively big (for the time) touchscreen in common, but the other feature they had in common, unfortunately, was that they were unbearably awful. Just one of those handsets, the 6708, displayed a modicum potential, but it was made exclusively to be sold in China, and thus, it never saw the light of day in the UK. So, we were relegated to handsets that were utter, utter rubbish.

However, these bad memories have now been exorcised by the debut of two new Nokia mobile phones, both of which have touchscreens, and both of which are much, much sexier…

Nokia 5800 - touch it, hear it, feel it

The first phone on the list is a whole new entrant into Nokia’s Xpress family of music mobile phones, the mouth-watering Nokia 5800. This one’s pretty obviously made for music and video; you can tell by the dedicated XpressMedia button that opens a list of links to music, videos, the web, and more. Then, of course, the Nokia 5800 has a 3.2 inch touchscreen, to let you play with those different media content. Basically, the Nokia 5800 was designed to be a teeny portable entertainment centre, and as music phones go, this is just about the prettiest. The Nokia 5800 also has, built-in, a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA data access and GPS, making it a wonderful all-rounder, on top of being a superb media player. Oh, and it’s got a strap to clip on an imitation guitar pick. That’s pretty cool, that.

Despite all those features, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range handset; it isn’t, nor will it ever be, a full-fat top-ender. That job falls to a separate phone…

Nokia N97 - touch it, feel it, LIVE it…

With the Nokia 5800 on track to bring touchscreen mobile phones to the mid-range market, that opens up a great big gap at the very top-endof the product range; well, there IS a touchscreen mobile phone coming soon to fill that gap: the utterly jaw-dropping Nokia N97. This uses the same Symbian S60 Touch interface and packs it inside the frame of a proper, full-on smartphone. Which means it has a massive, 3.5 inch screen, a kick out QWERTY keyboard, and the camera’s been upgraded to 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, in a very definite way, destined to be the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it’s genuinely as high-spec as the rumours said, with HSDPA, GPS, digital compass, and integrated Flash, so that you have an internet experience that tops any other mobile phones! Put simply the Nokia N97 is simple incredible. It gleefully relieves itself over other mobile phones and while the Nokia 5800 angles to take over the mid-range, I reckon that the Nokia N97 will completely DOMINATE the world next year!

Matt Sharp
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/touchscreens-the-next-generation-nokia-5800-and-nokia-n97-684581.html

Disregarding the dubious release of ‘Steel Bangle’, Panjabi MC is back with a proper new album since ‘Desi’ (2001). Aptly titled ‘Indian Timing’ the brand new 20 track album features up to 79 minutes of music on one cd! That must be a first for any Bhangra album surely?

Bhangra has changed since the 90’s; the time when Panjabi MC was at his peak. 2008 heralds a new beginning for the Coventry man, but will Indian Timing be able to live up to the previous hits albums?

A tumbi solo kicks off “Cant Stop Us” which has been sung by Jelly Manjeetpuri or Manjeet Jelhi depending on what you want to call him. He features heavily throughout this album. PMC was recently on radio and described his own style as ‘Dre with Dhol’, Cant Stop Us feels something like that. The thing that strikes me most about this is the simplicity in the production, not in a bad way though, PMC has let the vocalist and the dhol do all the work. A pretty good start to the album, the simplicity of the production can be seen as a let down by some but in my opinion it works perfectly. The dhol solo midway through the track really gears you up for the chorus.

Any one old enough to remember the A-Team will enjoy this track. Talk about bringing back memories! PMC has actually gained the official licence for this sample on “Panjabi Soldiers (A-Team)” which has once again been sung by Jelly Manjeetpuri. One thing I like most about this song (apart from the excellent sampling) is the choice of lyrics; they actually go with the theme of the song. Panjabi Soldiers or Soormeh as the song mentions does give a very ‘Panjabi A team’ feel. The percussion on this track by a whole host of artists is phenomenal and fits perfect with the raw guitar riffs overlapping the vocals by Jelly. When I first heard PMC was sampling the A-Team I thought it would be a cheesy track, but it actually works really well….Maybe a A-team themed video?

I first heard “Snake Charmer” around a year and half ago, I didn’t really like it. Albeit it was an early demo of the track, I just wasn’t feeling it. Now we’re treated to full finished version sung by Jelly again. PMC called this track ‘his baby’ and you can see why. It’s going to tear up dancefloors across the world. The bheen has been used perfectly and the addition of extra kicks, snares and beats working alongside the tumbi and dhol really in perfect cohesion. Oh and a special mention to the bassline… Do I like this track now? Hell yeah!

“Im Nin Alu (Shake It)” follows and totally changes the album direction with this Arabic themed track. Panjabi MC became fascinated with mixing east with west when he heard this songs sample on an old Rakim track all the way back in the 80’s. Having now gained official clearance he puts his own touch on it. Never really been too fond of Arabic tracks, but I have to say it is well made, maybe just not my cup of tea.

Manjeet Jelhi returns again on “Stop What Your Doing (Chan Varga)” which features the rapping of Stimuli. Remember Tigerstyle sampled Micheal Jackons Billy Jean, PMC has got the same vibe going on here, but the baseline of the traditional sample is cut short, quite smartly I think. The faint guitar flicks are an addictive addition and I’m feeling the rapping by stimuli, the vocals from Jelly come in 1 minute in and really suit the song. Another impressive and catchy song

I’m sure everyone was a little ‘what the fc&k?’ when they saw the words “I am a Disco Dancer” on a Panjabi MC album. Once again it really feels Panjabi MC has gone a long way in legitimizing Bhangra, he has been able to gain sample clearance with the original vocals from Bollywood veteran Bappi Lahiri. You know what? I really like this song, I know I’m not supposed to like cheesy Bollywood songs but Panjabi MC has added a funky 90’s dance beat over the original that works so well. I feel I’ve lost some self respect in enjoying this song, but if anyone could pull it off…

Do it again yeah do it again…..you all know what’s coming right? “Kee Lagh Da” is being touted by many as the next Panjabi MC ‘anthem’, one thing is for sure the catchy hook line, the impulsive tumbi and the thumping baseline will get dance floors packed. Panjabi MC has a knack of leaving a simple dhol beat alongside the vocals, he did in ‘cant stop us’ and it works so well on this track. I’m sure once you heard this song you’ll be singing; ohhh teraa ki lagda?!

Everything is slowed down on “Indian Timing (Jeona Mour)” which sees Panjabi MC sample of Jeona Mour sung by Gulshan Komal. It also sees Panjabi MC’s first serious attempt at MC-ing in this album and anyone who has followed PMC throughout his career would know he is probably one of the best ‘Bhangra’ rappers. This is one of the most controversial songs of the year, everyone wants to know just who or what is Panjabi MC talking about? He begins in 2000 and talks about the journey to present day. It’s quite obvious he is mentioning a number of people who have betrayed him along the way; be it artists/friends (Kray Twinz?) and record labels who have tried to screw him over. “2005, the industry tries, but we still don’t die” referring to his ongoing dispute with Moviebox records during 2005. To be honest this song can be analysed in so many ways, it’s a great record and the way Panjabi MC has used the sample alongside the additional production makes this one grimey song.

Manjeet Jelhi returns on “Panjaban” and for me this is one of the weaker Bhangra tracks on the album, it just doesn’t grab my attention like the rest. Although the lyrics are witty it and does have a message for you girls out there. Decent enough track.

I’m not really sure about how to describe this next track. PMC and Surinder Shinda has always been a deadly combo, from the original Junglist Mirza, to Part 2, throwing in some Sassi. I mean to this day Mirza part 2 remains one of the few tracks that can make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. So it’s safe to say that my expectations were high for “Makhna”. It kicks off with a live Panjabi MC set at Hansraj College (New Delhi), this could possibly be one of the best intros that lead into a song. Makhna…ai hoi? Talk about getting you in the mood. The song itself drops into one of the dirtiest baselines I’ve heard on a Bhangra track with the vocals of Surinder Shinda overlapping a simple but ever so effective beat. They say you can’t really re-work a classic and beat it, I know this may sound controversial, but PMC has taken Alaap’s ‘Makhna’ and has made this Surinder Shinda version a classic in its own right. Just make sure you have worthwhile subs whilst listening to this…and turn the volume up!
Panjabi MC was one of the first to really use reggae effectively in Bhangra and his back on that tip with “Jagga” sung by the talented Sabar Koti. PMC has also sampled this with ‘Nuff Man Them” straight outta Kingston, Jamaica. This is one RAW tune. The b-line is just toxic, and as for the sample? It works perfectly. This really reminds me of the old PMC pre-legalized, with the difference being he has secured all rights for any sample used. Just sit back and enjoy this one, not much else you can do.

Following on from the chilled out theme I feel as though I’ve been taken back in time to ‘Grass Roots’, were PMC brought out a song called ‘Sweeter’. “Holiday” in my humble opinion is one of the best songs on the album. It’s just pure chill out. The tumbi solo over the tabla and simple keys. Take me on a jet-set holiday…

“Bhet Ke Roh Leh De” continues the theme of songs being a little more laid back, it seems as though the first half of the album was reserved for the full blown Bhangra tracks and the second part being those you just zone out to (in a legal way of course). This track is an interesting concept; PMC mentioned in an interview that the Punjabi vocalist (Gulshan Meer) was actually the tea man at a Punjab studio who had persuaded PMC that he could sing. The rapper (Sharpp) was someone who handed PMC a demo outside a studio in New York. I guess the beauty of this track is, we are never going to hear from any of these guys again, which is a shame because the Punjabi vocals are sick! Sometimes it’s the small details that make a song.

“Boliyan” is next and can be seen as the follow up to the now infamous Kori. It’s not really a patch on Kori or for that not an effective Boliyan. The lyrics for me aren’t original enough, and we’ve heard them before. The beat and general flow of the song is a little off. Maybe it’s just me but this song is surprisingly one of the weaker efforts.

PMC dusts off his mic for “So Can We” which features a sample of the Kuldip Manak classic ‘GT Road’. I guess this song won’t appeal to most Punjabi purists, some people might consider this to be slaughtering a classic. I can see were they’re coming from, but the beat laid down by PMC is gritty and for me the song works well.

Panjabi MC deals with another legendary vocalist this time with the late Amar Singh Chamkilla who was gunned down in the late 80’s. “Kaadha Soorma” features a very old (as you would expect) vocal over a grimy guitar. Not really hitting the right notes for me though.

“Chips” is next and is an all out rap single featuring Panjabi MC and soul vocalist V12. I know what your thinking..oh no rap song! But this song has really grown on me, to the point I’m skipping the whole album just for this single. The beat is smooth; you just have to vibe to this. The rapping and lyrics by PMC is very interesting, he talks about his experience from the beginning to when he found fame through Mundian tu Bach ke. ‘who do you think chased those skinheads from foleshill’, sees PMC refer to the forgotten race riots that occurred in his hometown of Coventry in the 80’s. It’s hard to explain what is so good to about this song, but It makes a change hearing some honest rapping coming from a asian rapper, rather than the bullshit wannabe act we’re all subjected to.

“Pyar” is next and is track number eighteen. It’s another Bollywood track but doesn’t really get me going like disco dancer (cant believe I’ve said that). A decent number, but it’s not the first time PMC has done Bollywood, with his ‘chori chori’ featuring Labh Janjua becoming popular a few years back.

“Night Time” is the penultimate track and somewhat follows on from Holiday, with female vocalist Emelza on the vocals again. It’s a decent track but Holiday any day for me.

The final song is “Aaja Sohniya (Part One)” which has been sung by Kamaljeet Kaur, who also sung the boliyan prior. First thing that hits me is the keys, it’s a throwback to Mirza Part 2, not a identikit copy though. It also is a very good way to finish this album off…following on from much of the second part of this album, its just a song you sit back to. The flute by dev raj jassal really adds a special touch, in a way it also reminds me of Ghalla Gurian. Top tune.

A mammoth 20 tracks, I guess those who doubted Panjabi MC (you know who you are) should really be taking back their words. This is one hell of an ‘album’. I’m sure some songs were cut down in order to fit into the 80minute limit, it just shows how much material Panjabi MC had lined up for this album.

Much of the album is a throwback to the pre-legalized era; were Punjabi MC enjoyed so much success with Grass Roots, 100% proof and souled out. A lot of the production can be classed as simple, but none of the songs seem out of the place, everything fits like a big jigsaw puzzle.

The numerous hit singles; Can’t Stop Us, Panjabi Soldiers, Snake Charmer, Ke Laghda, Makhna, Chan Varga, Jagga. And those are only the full blown Punjabi tracks. I have a number of personal favourites such as Chips, Holiday that go to show that if anyone is able to push together east and west it’s Panjabi MC.

The album cover states that the album was ‘produced on tour’ and you can tell. It’s made to wreak havoc on the dancefloors, not only in the UK but across the world. Panjabi MC is a global brand, but it’s quite heartening that in a way he did not sell short Bhangra by bringing out a commercialized album to fit with the mainstream, he brought out an album and made music that he has been doing for years, and that’s why this album is so good. Even the rapping by Panjabi MC is great, Indian Timing (Jeona Mour), So Can We & Chips all feature strong lyrical content.

Indian Timing is a great great great album and for those who are still wondering whether to buy it, or maybe you have already downloaded it. Go out and support Panjabi MC, because it will be along time before you get to see another Bhangra album filled with 20 tracks that each tell their own unique story.

I don’t think I’ve used the word filler once in this review, I really haven’t felt the need to.

Album summed up in three words: PMC Is Back!

Panjabi MC – Indian Timing gets a 8.5/10

Sukh@SimplyBhangra.com

SimplyBhangra.com
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