The Master's Cuts: Formed in 1974, Released in 2010, High from Kolkata Could Be India's Best Rock Band Ever

Ten years back, I was fresh out of college, leebheeng on my own in a single room in CR Park, New Delhi. I had a big addiction to music. I would rather spend my last money on a cassette than save it for street food during the last week of the month. The logic was that the music would do more for me than a one-time purchase of food. At least the music will last.

It did. Back then, I had a friend called Vineaux, who besides being a professional copywriter, was also an avid music collector in the vein that single, middle-aged, bachelors living in the city are wont to be. He was a long term J.J. Cale fan and even runs a fan site (www.jjcale.net) and listened extensively to African and world music. A copywriter from Calcutta (Kolkata) came to stay with Vineaux once. He was a Deadhead to the tune of around 100+ bootlegs (Fans of the Grateful Dead are rated by the number of bootleg recordings they possess of the band.) and in his possession, he also had a cassette recording of ‘High.’

Almost everyone who dropped in, to listen to good music, for decent conversation or just to relax would find that if the party kicked into gear, bout an hour later, that High tape would be played and everyone would groove to The Monkey Song. What struck me, was the fact that The Monkey Song is primarily a reggae song. I have seen Indian bands like Them Colognes iron out the little flips and accents in cover versions of Roxanne (The Police), or die-had oldies like Rehab play Message In A Bottle, doing justice to the rhythm approach to guitar but still wooden in the bass and drums. Lo, here was this laid-back, groovy band that had that entire southern blues rock feel that could stroll into an anthemic reggae groove and get anyone’s feet moving!

There was an incredible difference in High’s music and that of others. Even decades of gigging gave Shiva just one cassette tape of cover songs in terms of visibility and here was this band that was half Shiva and ten times the talent of 90% of what passes as talent internationally. I wanted that album, but I was told point blank that the tape was only shared between friends and the album was not for circulation out of respect for singer, songwriter, Dilip Balakrishnan, who lost to cancer at the age of just 39. I really think we lost the best thing that ever happened to Indian rock.

I finally got the album years later when Vineaux was moving out of Delhi for Kolkata and it went into my collection carefully. Since then, I have been telling everyone I met on the Indian rock scene that High was the best Indian band ever. Period.

Finally, I am glad the album is out and I can prove what I have always known and said all these years. Apparently, I'm not the only one.

http://www.timeoutmumbai.net/music/music_details.asp?code=145&source=4

http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/30imp.htm

If you prefer Facebook, check out:

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=app_2309869772#!/group.php?gid=480460015182&ref=ts

Videos from the album launch gig at: