The offsprings of the 90’s surely do consider their maiden years as nothing but nostalgic memories, replete with reminiscences about video games, audio and video cassettes, and the blissful boon of the arrival of cable television, that compounds to their desire to venture into the realms of their childhood and live it all over again. Yes, the annals of the children of the mentioned generation shall be full of entries of the likes of becoming acquainted with a personalized computer for the very first time – followed by innumerable ‘first time’ experiences, that kids of the present generation could not relate to, for the present accounts for a saturated age and we feel pity for it.
Those of us who had developed a taste in music must have had devoted the decade yonder in order to brew our finesse in taste when it comes to quenching our musical thirst. Hence, whether it was Lennon and the Beatles, or Chester and Linkin Park, we devoured music from all ages, from all artists, choosing what songs of which particular genre appealed the most to us. Patrons of ‘rock’, shall, therefore, be familiar with Oasis’ signature creation ‘Wonderwall’, that was released in the year 1995. Written by Noel Gallagher and brought to life with the aide of vocals by the band’s lead singer and Noel’s brother Liam Gallagher, Wonderwall – the song, was abound with not one but many qualities that made it top the charts. It was a beautiful song, well sung, backed up by some fine music- but had it not been for the honest lyrics, the song would have had fallen flat, and though not many music lovers realize this, yet the respect that Noel deserves for his creation, is still hauntingly due, lost somewhere in the mammoth history of the musical world. Since its release as a single that lead the album ‘(What’s the story?), Morning Glory’, the song has been a certified hit and has been pleasing the ears of the populous, thereby venturing into the golden phase of its longevity, and today, it is an approved classic.
Upon its debut in 1995, nobody would had prognosticated that for decades later, ‘Wonderwall’ shall stay afresh in the hearts of the people, one way or the other. In the 2000’s, ‘Wonderwall’ in its original self , was the choice of probably each and every ‘rock’ fanatic and as if this was not enough, the decade in mention was marked by an unauthorized yet skilled mash-up of ‘Wonderwall’ and Green Day’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, in the conclusion of which, Eminem sings for the moment! In 2009, Oasis disbanded and yet if one thought that in the 2010’s the popularity of ‘Wonderwall’ had begun to fade, then he/she could not have had been more wrong, for enters the Orson Welles of our age, young film director Xavier Dolan, whose directorial venture ‘Mommy’ comprised of a ‘key sequence’, the background music of which was flared to an immortal form of life, all thanks to the beautiful ‘Wonderwall’. ‘Wonderwall’, the song, is still young at heart and though many try to cover the song, many accomplish nothing but rather tumble and fall. But imagine, if a polished artist, who has grasp upon his love for music as if one has command on his/her breathing, decides to cover the song, then is there any stopping? I suppose not. Succulent with a thorough expertise in music and backed up by an experience of more than two decades, Vishal Dadlani is the name, that can aptly define the modern/new generation music that presently flourishes in the Indian subcontinent. Though many correctly relate Dadlani to Indian Film Music, but it is perhaps the right moment to acknowledge that the musician’s wings are not subject to restraint, and the singer/musician is equally vocal in the genre of ‘Indie’ music. Vishal Dadlani fairly realizes that Indie music is the need of the hour, and its involvement in the Indian music scenario is very much a necessity. When traditional Bollywood songs become infectiously repetitive, Indie music tends to come to the rescue of music lovers, and is greeted with open arms for it is nouveau, fresh, experimental and full of flavors, that have not yet been experienced. Innumerable artists march to support the Indie movement, but Vishal Dadlani leads. He leads wherever he steps and his cover of Oasis’ Wonderwall, does nothing but adds more fact to the statement. Yes, Dadlani has gone effectively solo and ‘rocks the raw’ in one of the latest addition to the list of his accomplishments, that should NOT go unnoticed, for it is an interminable reminder of what the artists in our country are truly capable of. Realized under the conceptualization devised by ‘Nexa Music Lounge’, Dadlani described the experience of covering Wonderwall as, ‘Bringing international music to the audience, with an Indian take on it’; Dadlani quoted his version of the song as well as its video as being ‘super-premium’ and he is absolutely right on all counts. Vishal Dadlani’s version of Wonderwall, is backed by fresh innovative rock and the singer’s voice casts a magic spell on the entire creation for as far as Dadlani’s vocal skills are considered, after experiencing Haider’s Aao Na, one can fairly admit that the singer has got the flair to ignite a rock song. Dadlani’s voice is nothing short of being a tremor that can’t go unnoticed in the genre of rock.
Though on You Tube, the song has garnered mixed reviews, but it is an inevitable fact that the masses are hard to satisfy now a days and comments of the likes of ‘Please don’t ruin a classic’ are so devoid of sense, that not empathy but sympathy arises for the commentor, in one’s heart. Dadlani has not ‘ruined’ a classic but has rather paid an homage to the classic – a classic that must have had been his favorite too. He, as an artist, does want you to acknowledge his creation, but in no manner what so ever, does his creation boasts of being better than the original, but rather stands true to its nature of being an apt adaptation, executed in a manner of being a humble tribute to the legendary inspirations that might have influenced him. To add to the charm, the video of the cover has been presented in Black and White, just like the video of original ‘Wonderwall’, and has been directed and edited beautifully, hence a lot shall go amiss if Shiraz Bhattacharya and his affluent team is deprived of the credit, that they so righteously deserve.
Vishal Dadlani’s cover of ‘Wonderwall’ is a beauty, waiting at the disposal of the audience, meant to be realized, craving to be appreciated. It is the direction, in which the art of Indian music can steer into if duly noted. It is a humble song, simplistic in its approach, it is a landmark when it comes to cover songs, it is a necessary addition to the Indie music movement, it is an ode to legends by those who are legends in making. Way to go Mr. Dalani, we will be expecting more of you, in the time that’s yet to come!