Music: Junoon – 15 years Discography

Artists: Junoon

· Vol: 1: (1990)**1/2
Quitting the Vital Signs to pursuit a career in his own raunchier and more “socially conscious” band, guitarist Salman Ahmed (with ex-Jupiters man, Ali Azmat and Nusrat Hussain), set up the pace for the beginnings of Pakistan’s rock scene. “Vol: 1”, though a commercial dud on release, has ironically seen itself grow into a Pakistani rock classic almost fifteen years and dozens of Junoon sound-alikes later.
It’s chaotic, fragile, totally lacking in direction and worse, holding what remains to be perhaps Junoon’s worse pop-rock song ever (“Lady Magic”). But underrated gems like “Jogia,” and “Neend” do enough to speak volumes about the band’s early promise and resolve to make hearty, passionate music.
Top Songs: Jogia, Neend.

· Talaash: (1993)***1/2
After the commercial failure of their debut album, Junoon hung dangerously on the brink of an unceremonious break-up when Nusrat Hussain quit the unit and Salman experimented with former Barbarians and future Awaz/Karvan guitarist Asad Ahmed (on bass!) and Barbarians keyboardist, Nadeem Jaffery. However, it was only when Brain O’ Connell was invited to replace Asad and Nadeem that the line-up felt stable and confident enough for a new album. And what a comeback it was! Because “Talaash” remains to be one of the finest examples of a local rock album, also setting the rules and standards for those wanting to make guitar-oriented music with Urdu/Punjabi lyrics. This is also the album Junoon stamped their authority as an angry-young-band, mocking the amoral and creeping corporate make-up of their local pop contemporaries, and openly attacking the social reasons behind the deteriorating body of Pakistani politics and society.
Top Songs: Talaash, Woh, Heeray.

· Inqilaab: (1996)****
By the time Junoon entered the studios to record “Inqilaab,” they had formed a solid cult following around them and a ferocious reputation of being a headstrong and outspoken act with a serious agenda to use rock as a tool to address various political and social issues (ala The Clash and U2). Now further strengthen by the inclusion of veteran drummer, Malcolm (who replaced the erratic Fawad Abaasi), Junoon released “Inqilaab” to great commercial and critical acclaim. Though yet another manifesto for the band’s rapidly evolving shout for a social and mental revolution, “Inqilaab” is a great exercise in sonic diversity. It explodes with jumpy bhangra-rockers (“Mahi”), swings and whirls with passionate Sufi-Rock chestnuts (“Saain”), lays back with introverted Floydian daydreaming (“Roh Ki Hai Pyaas”), and mixes flashy takes on distinct influences like Rush, Zeppelin, Van Halen and U2 on complex compositions like “Neeli Ankhain” and the angry “Main Kon Hoon.” Of course, then there are the mishaps like the lifeless “Yaroon Ye Hi Dosti Hai” and the cash-in patriotic ditty, “Jazba-e-Junoon.” The later eventually (and ironically) becoming Junoon’s ticket to mainstream recognition and cynical Cola company interest.
Top Songs: Mahi, Saain, Neeli Aankhain, Roh Ki Pyaas, Main Kon Hoon.

· Azadi: (1997)***
Always wanting to be bigger than the Vital Signs, Salman finally achieved this with the massive commercial success of this album. The most interesting thing about “Azadi” is not exactly its music. Because though passionately delivered and dotted with meaty Sufi-Rock chestnuts like “Yaar Bina” and “Sayonee,” much of the album is at best patchy and nowhere as consistent as “Inqilaab.” However, it was during the release of this album that Junoon broke into the massive Indian pop market, but more importantly, clash head-on with the right-wing government of former PML(N) Prime Minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif. The reason was Salman’s close personal and political association with cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan and Junoon’s newfound move from peddling the “Talaash” & “Inqilaab” era spiritual/social revolution to propagating Imran’s Hamid Gul fueled agenda of political accountability. Nothing wrong with this, but the only problem was Gul’s own past as Gen. Zia’s fanatical hard-line ISI hawk and Imran’s obvious naiveté regarding the politics of the country. So from the left field of protest rock, Junoon was now shifting towards a chaotic, intrigue-filled right. Not a pretty sight.
Top Songs: Sayoni, Yaar Bina.

· Parvaaz: (1999)****
Nothing special was expected from Junoon once the band’s Indian honeymoon was over and the band came out all bruised from its ill-fated and ill-advised romance with the Imran-Gul nexus (which too came tumbling down). But lo and behold! The drubbing actually seemed to do have done a lot of good to the band’s commitment as a musical entity. The result was an album that stood tall as one of the finest by the threesome. Packed with solid Sufi-Rock thrills “Parvaaz” was also to become Junoon’s last big hurrah as far as its Sufi-Rock musings were concerned. “Parvaaz” finally saw Junoon hit a peak.
Top Songs: Bulaya, Ghoom.

· Ishq: (2000)**
Here is when it finally dawned exactly how exhausted Junoon’s association with what became to be known as Sufi-Rock had become. The formula had started to wear dangerously thin, leaving the band sounding complacent and creatively bankrupt.
Top Songs: Saaqinama.

· Dur-e-Junoon: (2001)**1/2
Now proudly and openly hanging around their necks the Coca-Cola tag (something they had resisted till now), Junoon still managed to pull another first by boldly releasing the scene’s first ever live album. But this and a new song, the roaring, “Garaj Barass,” were the only redeeming factors here. The sound quality sucked and it seemed the band somehow forgot to use their best concerts to showcase this set. And the less said about the atrociously pretentious and unconvincing “No More” the better!
Top Songs: Garaj Barass.

· Deewar: (2003)**
“Ishq” was the beginning of a long-winding end to an adventurous career (even though Junoon is till hanging on). And the way the band all of a sudden became former revolutionaries to amoral cola peddlers said a lot about the group’s creative confidence. “Deewar” was a final nail. A glaring example of a once loved act letting itself fade away as balding, babbling, Cola selling idiots! Once you get past the first three songs, Junoon’s creative bankruptcy and amoral greed for the big Cola buck becomes just a bit too apparent for comfort.
Top Songs: Garaj Barass, Tara Jala, Pupu Yaar.