Of course, there comes the inevitable time when a soundtrack like that of Slumdog Millionaire clashes with the Western establishment, and this review approaches it from that perspective. It is a shame that a score and collection of songs like this has to be compared to the structural mechanisms and expectations of a Western audience, because there exists really no common foundation on which to weight Rahman's work for this film against its American and European competition for major awards. It has become popular for the Academy in particular to award foreign competition because of the expediency in meeting politically correct standards of operation in Hollywood. That's how two extremely substandard scores by Gustavo Santaolalla won the Oscar over Americans tormented by years of losses (Thomas Newman, James Newton Howard, and even, to a lesser extent, John Williams). On one hand, it's pleasing to see Rahman receive a nomination for Slumdog Millionaire, because it affirms acceptance in a career that has yielded the sale of 100 million albums worldwide (placing him in the top 25 of all artists in the history of the planet), but on the other hand, it's a shame to see this score nominated simply because the film is the flashiest fad of the moment. And that's what has really happened here. Rahman's work for Slumdog Millionaire is competent in its fusion of standard Bollywood tones with kinetic hip-hop pizzazz, but it is music in which veteran film music collectors of the West will find little enjoyment even if they appreciate its role in the film. The soundtrack was advertised as concentrating on the propulsive modern grit of the story, with Rahman adding "We wanted it edgy, upfront. Danny [Boyle, the director] wanted it loud." And it is indeed that. It only takes a few tracks before you're treated to the rhythmic sounds of realistic gunshots. Synthetic from start to finish, the hip-hop loops extend into the realm of traditional Indian ethnicity at times while tearing the sonic spectrum apart with grating electronic repetition; when together, as in "Mausam & Escape," the score material is exhilarating, exhausting, and smothering all at once. By the insertion of a Gothic style of chanting and whimsically exotic solo female vocals late in that cue, it's easy to be overwhelmed by both the magnificent scope and frightening genre-defying incoherency of each cue. Much of the score material functions like fragmented songs, with "Ringa Ringa" and "Liquid Dance" both featuring prominent vocals over heavily mutilated orchestral tones, crazy edits, and nearly intolerable sound effects.

The dizzying pace of the soundtrack's movement from one track to another is no doubt appropriate for the frenzied chasing seen in the film, but on album, unless you're looking for a souvenir from Slumdog Millionaire or one of the book-ending songs, don't expect any semblance of a traditionally flowing listening experience. The only theme that Western ears will be able to latch onto will be "Lakita's Theme," a truly lovely, if not somewhat simplistic progression that becomes the basis for the song "Dreams on Fire." Likewise, "Millionaire" allows its driving rhythms and abrasive, treble-dominated electronic motif to develop over a minute (which seems like an eternity on this soundtrack). On the whole, the score material, if you can really term it as such, lacks any conventional sense of cohesion to give it a distinct and memorable personality outside of its extremely diverse instrumentation. A basic sense of propulsion, however obnoxious it might be for some listeners, prevails. Highlighting the album, and the reason Rahman is receiving so much attention for Slumdog Millionaire, are the pair of opening and closing songs. The collaboration between Rahman and Mathangi Arulpragasam (M.I.A.) for "O... Saya" is far less intriguing than the conclusive "Jai Ho," which is clearly the single reason for celebration involving Rahman's achievement. Shifting through practically every genre of music in a single five-minute piece, the intelligently layered, multi-lingual, and harmonically dynamic "Jai Ho" literally encourages audiences to sing at the upbeat end of the film. "The energy of the film takes you through a roller coaster," Rahman states when reflecting upon this song, "and that's one of the main inspirations for the whole music." Of the three songs nominated for an Oscar in 2008, "Jai Ho" is easily the best (sorry, Tom Newman), and for Western listeners seeking only the most palatable portions of Slumdog Millionaire, a combination of the two final tracks on the product, including the far softer "Dreams on Fire," is your best bet. While Rahman should take home Oscar gold for the finale's song, his actual underscore is unaccomplished compared to its competition. This is another circumstance in which the songs are so overwhelmingly effective in the picture that the recognition due to Rahman for that achievement undeservedly carried over into the score category. With any luck, Rahman's other works, which includes some impressive symphonic material, will be more easily marketed in the West following Slumdog Millionaire, a positive side effect regardless of overinflated, bandwagon-induced opinions about this score.   @Amazon.com: CD or Download