Ilaiyaraaja's Athiradi Albums Version 2009

[Sanjeevi]

I dont know why some of us adam-pidiching to listen IR's new songs (particularly tamil) with good ears. Enna Illai in the song 'Pudhu Pournam' of KannukullE :huh:

as appushiva said

Let's hope the combination of Ilayaraja and rasool pookutty awake some ears..

[app_engine]

Let's hope the combination of Ilayaraja and rasool pookutty awake some ears..

Just to make some technicalities clear - Rasool Pookutty is the designer of sound for the movie and not the songs. So, if one wants to listen to their "combination" (whatever it means), they should wait for the theatrical release of the movie or the DVD. Won't see anything in the songs. The "music engineering" team is not Rasool area.

[Sureshs65]

ezy,

Once again, go eazy :D Well, a good quality song is not up yet and hence trying to find comparisons at this point is futile. My feeling is that vinutha (baroque) would have been taken in by the chant 'ya illa... mohammad ur rasool' part, since the same chant appears in 'Alla Alla' song as well.

This song is clearly a totally different song with an almost martial feel. So no point in getting upset about what 'baroque' said. Let us discuss the song in more detail once the CD is out.

[Hulkster]

baroque!!!

How the hell does this sound "resemble" Nee Illaatha????? You must have simply come over here to irritate or if you were honestly thinking so then reveal your donkey senses as this is "karpooram" my dear friend!!!
Please take the same trouble and effort to go and find out how similar Yaar Mila from Blue is to YSR's Theepidikka and Namma Kaattula.

Y tension? No tension :exactly: She just feels that way, i dunt think she is intending its a blatant one.

[Hulkster]

Let's hope the combination of Ilayaraja and rasool pookutty awake some ears..

Just to make some technicalities clear - Rasool Pookutty is the designer of sound for the movie and not the songs. So, if one wants to listen to their "combination" (whatever it means), they should wait for the theatrical release of the movie or the DVD. Won't see anything in the songs. The "music engineering" team is not Rasool area.

Actually together. The late H Sridhar is called a sound engineer and he always works with Rahman regarding songs as well. Resul will be working both for the recording of the film and as well as for the songs(remember that songs are part of the film).

[Sureshs65]

appushiva,

Thanks for the link. Wonderful song and well picturized as well. Unfortunately, the movie is not supposed to be great. The Kannada film critic in Hindu, Shivkumar, just tore apart the film in a few words. Anyway, we must thank our stars that Raja did this film since he has given some amazing numbers in this movie.

Not sure what the fate of 'Bagyada Balegara' is. That is another film with very good music but the reviews have not been very promising.

[Sureshs65]

Hulk,

I think the role of Shri. Sridhar was as you had said. Both as sound engineer for the film as well as a sound engineer for Rahman. I am sure there are many movie where he was not the sound engineer but worked with Rahman on the songs.

In case of Rasool, he came in at a pretty late stage and is probably providing only the 'sounds'. My guess is that all songs would have been recorded by then. So app_eng version is probably the right one.

[rajasaranam]

While waiting for Pazhassiraja, please listen to the telugu version of Jaganmohini (http://www.mediafire.com/?mwzynctwnwg)
:)

[rajasaranam]

Actually together. The late H Sridhar is called a sound engineer and he always works with Rahman regarding songs as well. Resul will be working both for the recording of the film and as well as for the songs(remember that songs are part of the film).

No Possibility in the songs as they were recorded atleast 2 years ago!

[app_engine]

Yes, Sureshs65, you're right.

Pookkutty came in during the finishing stage while the songs should have been done a lot earlier (and this has been in the making for a couple of years now).

However, considering that the recording standards of IR's malayALam works have always been good should make us feel comfortable. Even for a low-budget product like Anthikad's, the recording of 'kaiyeththA kombaththu' is of very decent standards.

This should be same or better :-)

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

Sometime back RS was wondering if the Budapest Orchestra was involved in the songs since they were recorded some time back. I also have that question. From reports it seems certain that BPO was used for the background music but if they were used for the songs, we need to wait for the credits on the CD.

BPO or not, the three songs that I listened to are great. Anyone know how many songs in this movie?

[Hulkster]

Actually together. The late H Sridhar is called a sound engineer and he always works with Rahman regarding songs as well. Resul will be working both for the recording of the film and as well as for the songs(remember that songs are part of the film).

No Possibility in the songs as they were recorded atleast 2 years ago!

2 years ago :shock: Yup then resul will not combine with thalaivar then.

[MumbaiRamki]

app_eng,

Sometime back RS was wondering if the Budapest Orchestra was involved in the songs since they were recorded some time back. I also have that question. From reports it seems certain that BPO was used for the background music but if they were used for the songs, we need to wait for the credits on the CD.

BPO or not, the three songs that I listened to are great. Anyone know how many songs in this movie?
I bet there should be two more , as there was one interview by this (Some singer competition winner i guess ) that he had sung two songs in the movie ..

[Sureshs65]

Ramki,

I too think there will atleast 5 songs in the movie, though I am not sure if the competition winner was a part of the chorus or has sung a solo. Both 'Adi ushas' song and the Mapilla song have chorus in them.

[kameshratnam]

Pazhassi Raja malayalam cds are available in satyam theatre and they are available in the special discount counter at the satyam theatre in chennai.

Happy listening

[Sureshs65]

Aaah. I hope they ship the CDs to Bangalore soon. Till then, need to look for someone uploading some samples.

[Sureshs65]

Kamesh,

Have you bought the CD yet? What is your first impression?

[Hulkster]

Official Trailer of Pazhassi Raja (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEmdtcXacpc)

Courtesy of Forum Kerala : MalappuramMoosa

If link does not work this is the full link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEmdtcXacpc

Really hollywood styled trailer except that BGM is not thalaivar's. Oru Mapilla Paatu's background rhythm is used for a fairly long time in this trailer as well.

[Hulkster]

Better Quality Versions of all the three songs

Kaalapadangal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RIwD9CPAFc)

Aadiushash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klu2oTSEhOA)

Kunnathe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1BoKhh--8)

Courtesy of Forum Kerala : Kunjachan

Full Link if not received :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RIwD9CPAFc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klu2oTSEhOA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1BoKhh--8

[kameshratnam]

I have purchased the Pazhassi Raja audio cd from satyam cinemas chennai. the cd cost Rs 75..version is malayalam

1. Maathamgnana mabjavasa K J yesudas 1 min 15 sec
A sloka type song

2. Kunnathe K S CHithra 5 min 15 secs
Lyrics O N V Kurup
wow wow wow wow wow wow wow....i have no words..i have tears

3. Aadhiyusshaassandhya 5 min 32 secs
K J Yesudas M G Sreekumar and chorus
lyrics O N V kurup

4. ambum kombum 5 mins 5 secs
Dr. Ilayaraaja Manjari kutappan master and team
lyrics girish putenchery

5. Odathandil 5 mins 5 secs
Chandrasekar sangeetha
Lyrics girish

6. Aaalamdankala 4 mins 45 secs
M G Sree kumar vidu pratapan ashraf thayinari edavanna gafoor faisal krishnan unni
Lyrics: kanesh punoor

[Hulkster]

Wow, Kameshji, punniyam nooru kodi serattum. Please do upload samples, short versions if possible. Thanks alot :D

The Kaalapadangal song has amazing percussion usage. Never heard such a rhythm so pulsating for a islamic song. :shock:

[Bala (Karthik)]

Aaah. I hope they ship the CDs to Bangalore soon.
Yes!!

[ezy0265]

Odathanil is superb!!!!! beautiful song with amazing orchestration in interludes.....Yes Raja.......divine....

[ezy0265]

Aathiyusha is rocking big time and wow!!!! KJY still sounding so mighty and powerful....it sounds so grand with the superb orchestration...just simply storms your hears....and engulfs you totally.....

baroque....sorry please no hard feelings for earlier comments...I did not even know that you are a lady...I mistook you for a typical other camp fan....take back my words....

[Hulkster]

This album really exploits percussion rhythms to the maximum. The orchestration is splitting my brain apart. Thalaivarey, mandaiyey suttuthey :omg: :frightened:

[Sureshs65]

ezy,

A good gesture on your part. Vinitha is a long time poster here.

I guess we should not worry about camps and enjoy the music we like.

[baroque]

Ezy,
Relax, Don't worry!
Suresh is highlighting something, let me check back why I felt that way!
I BE CAREFUL TOO. DON'T MEAN TO UPSET YOU!
என்ஜாய் ராசா பாட்டு.
will return at the end of the day for the musicals!
Vinatha :)

[baroque]

This album really exploits percussion rhythms to the maximum.

அப்படியா :bluejump: :redjump: :bluejump:
சாயங்காலம் வந்து ENJOY..
rhythmic Raaja/erotic Raaja time with your friends-Ultimate music time! :redjump:

[rprasad]

I found the songs at this site. Quality seems to be good.

http://www.jpk.in/malayalam-movie-2009-pazhassi-raja-mv-226.html

[anegan]

Thanks for the link rprasad. I enjoyed every song. Listened to them without forwarding. Enjoyed every bit of it.
On first listening the Outstanding song is Ambum Kombum Komban Kattum.

[writeface]

Thank you Prasad. The wait is worth it. Raja has "freaked out" (in Indian sense of the phrase)!

Wf.

[Sureshs65]

Pazhassi Raja. Aaah. Who would have expected this? We all expected a Guru type track. Raja delivers the same quality but with an amazing rhythm oriented soundtrack. Every song has some complex rhythm going on in the background. It will take some time to decipher what exactly is happening. Even in the most melodic of the songs, the Chitra one and the duet, rhythm variations are many. The 'Mapilla' song has a 'Om Sivoham' type thundering ending. No wonder Hulk is dazed :D

When the stakes are high, you can always depend on Raja to deliver. And deliver he does. A knock out punch this. In true Indian style I want to do a 'sastanga namaskaram' to him. Since that symbol is not available, with deep respect I do :notworthy:

To me, the best soundtrack of this year, in any language. Every song is dew fresh.

[kiru]

Goosebump stuff.. isaignani IN AS thaaLagnani in Pazhassi Raja..Loud percussion still melodious..breaking stereotypes in recording/mixing..Probably some traditional/authentic tribal rhythms first time in films.
(Somebody let Shankar know that IR has completely woken up :-) )

[irir123]

I can assure you - sooner or later, some MIA or similar group like Black eyed peas/pearl wud use some of these percussion/ rhythms in their 'rap' album and become famous!!

thats IR's fate! Indiavila utkaarndhukittu idhu maadhiri originalaa senjikkittae iruppaar - adhai appadiyey vera yaaraavadhu use panni, kaasu sambadhippaanga - namma aalu, yenna nadakkudhunney theriyaama aanmeegam, amanakkunnu pesittiruppaaru!

btw, let me make some guesses:

1. is the "Aalamadankala Mythavanalle" song based on the same raaga Sindhu Bhairavi as "nenu vethiki vethiki choosi" song from anumanaspadam (telugu) with music by IR two years ago ??

2."Odathandil Thalam Kottum Kattil" - based on Mohanam ??

3."Aadhiushassandhya Poothathivide" - based on Keeravani ??

"Pazhassi Raja" is like a mini-TiS! listened to it with headphones and the percussive rhythms simply rock!

[writeface]

[tscii:7d39b304c1]அம்மணி சித்ரா ... “பல்லக்கில் ஏறியோ...” என்ற ஒரு இடத்துக்காகவே உங்களுக்கு national award இந்த வருஷம் நிச்சயம்! என்ன சொக்கல்! கொடுத்து வச்ச ஜென்மம்!
[/tscii:7d39b304c1]

[writeface]

[tscii:edb0c36105]”ஸ்வாதந்தரமேலே நீலாகாசம் போலே..பாடுன்னதாரோ காற்றோ காட்டருவிகளோ!”

காட்டருவி தான்! [/tscii:edb0c36105]

[MumbaiRamki]

chance a illa ..This is definetly a crown in 2009 for Raaja's music ..esp the percussion is just superb !

[Hulkster]

Pazhassi Raja. Aaah. Who would have expected this? We all expected a Guru type track. Raja delivers the same quality but with an amazing rhythm oriented soundtrack. Every song has some complex rhythm going on in the background. It will take some time to decipher what exactly is happening. Even in the most melodic of the songs, the Chitra one and the duet, rhythm variations are many. The 'Mapilla' song has a 'Om Sivoham' type thundering ending. No wonder Hulk is dazed :D

When the stakes are high, you can always depend on Raja to deliver. And deliver he does. A knock out punch this. In true Indian style I want to do a 'sastanga namaskaram' to him. Since that symbol is not available, with deep respect I do :notworthy:

To me, the best soundtrack of this year, in any language. Every song is dew fresh.

:notworthy: :notworthy: Certainly best soundtrack, i have always wanted thalaivar to do something special with percussions. Om sivoham and this album really made me dazed.

[popeye11]

Thalaiva adichi kelapitinga... :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

Yesudas in Aadhiushassandhya Poothathivide and Chitra in Kunnathe is just mesmerizing.. cant wait to see the visuals

[Plum]

Hmm..hopes raised!

Still, 2 songs won't even get picturised, one will be half done, nd the other one screwed up - maybe picturised onm sarath and thus down the drain :-)
Adhu dhaanE nyayam, dhrmam? Ir pattellaam highlight aagira maadhiri picturise aayittaa pralyamE vandhidaadhu?

[rajasaranam]

appa naanthaan late'aa :D

The singer 'Sangeetha' of Odanthandil thaalam has a prospersous career ahead. She sounds like 'Chitra' at some places.
The Percussions in 'Aadhiyushe sandhya poothathivide' will be a textbook guide to many other composers about how to weave different rhythms in multiple layers and keep the 'emotion' of the song intact.
I think none will have a pick of the album as this album itself is 'Pick of the Year'. :)

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

As of now, 3 songs have been picturized and are available in youtube :) I am sure they will be used in the movie since they seem to flow along with the story from whatever I saw. My guess is that the duet 'odanthandil' and the folk song would also be picturized. As of now, the picturization of the three songs don't give scope for any complaints. Strange but true :D

[Sureshs65]

Jesudas sounds very good in 'Adiushas sandhya' song. I don't know if this was recorded before Nandalala. For in the Nandalala song you can clearly hear Jesudas struggling a bit. In this song he sings with great vigor.

[sivasub]

Truly excellent songs.... undoubtedly. There seems to a strong influence of Thiruvasagam across the spectrum of songs.

[Hulkster]

I think the most important and equally surprising aspect of this album is that even with the spellbinding orchestration, all the songs retain the emotion required for the situation. At not time is the feel overpowered by the orchestration. Yeppadi ithu yellam? :think:

[nbp]

Download here

http://www.4shared.com/dir/20963796/45471493/PAZHASSIRAJA_-_2009.html

[krish244]

Although the Chithra song impressed me the most initially, now almost every song in this album impresses me in more than one ways. So, on the whole, a very good album. Natural instruments/strings dominates Orchestration/percussion. The effect shows up clearly (especially the drum beats in aalamadangala song). The recording also captures the effect well.

Will pour in more thoughts soon.

thanks,

Krishnan

[krish244]

BTW, its after a long time that almost all the songs impressed me that I could not pick one or two songs as the most favourite (on first hearing).

thanks,

Krishnan

[raagas]

Listened once.

A wonderful album.

IR is in full form in 2009. Absolutely.

[app_engine]

Strange but true :D

என்னங்க இப்படி சொல்லீட்டிங்க :-( Please don't underestimate really capable people like Hariharan. He is actually much higher than any of the top names in other fields (TF / HF etc). You cannot blanket him with the likes of average directors of TF.

All you need to do is revisit some of the videos of panchAgni, nakhashadhangaL, oru vadakkan veeragAtha etc.

Good ears to music & great sense of visuals = HH / MTV combo (I haven't listened to PR or watched the song videos yet but won't be surprised like this as it won't be anything unexpected:-) )

[Shankar]

Plum,

As of now, 3 songs have been picturized and are available in youtube :) I am sure they will be used in the movie since they seem to flow along with the story from whatever I saw. My guess is that the duet 'odanthandil' and the folk song would also be picturized. As of now, the picturization of the three songs don't give scope for any complaints. Strange but true :D

Suresh,
I don't find anything strange here....MTV/Hariharan have always delivered in their visuals, songs, and I'm sure if the movie is half as good as 'oru vadakkan veeragadhA' we have a mega hit right away.

[krish244]

Will the movie really be releasing in five languages? I mean simultaneously!

Shahrukh khan has done the prologue for this movie in hindi:

http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/09/sep/30-shahrukh-khan-to-introduce-mammootty-090910.asp

Curious to know how the songs have turned out in other languages, especially hindi.

thanks,

Krishnan

[Hulkster]

The scoop from forumkerala is that the malayalam version of the movie will release first while the other language versions will release 1 or 2 weeks later. But currently Pazhassi Raja has been postponed by 1 week.

The current new dates being talked about are Oct 9 or Oct 16. Orey Conpeesan thaan. :confused2:

Songs for the other versions should be released soon.

[ezy0265]

I am totally enjoying this album even though I don't understand Malayalam at all......but there is something else that is bringing a smile in my face throughout...its the visualisation of the scene from "Thiruvilayaadal" where after Sivaji (TMS) sings Paattum Naane and Balaiya packs and takes off, that keeps coming to my mind. I can just imagine many people in Balaiyaa's shoes now!!! :swinghead: :clap:

[Sureshs65]

app_eng and Shankar,

I was just kidding Plum :D I had seen picturization of three songs and all of them have been great. If you see I have written that the songs flow with the movie (ofcourse I have not see the movie :) but you can see how well they have integrated the songs into the movie, even without seeing the movie. )

I have personally not watched any movie of Hariharan but I do know that he is held in high esteem and I know about MTV, having read a few of his stories in translation.

I have no doubt that the songs have been picturized well. Going by the overall production values I have seen till now, I have high hopes for the movie.

[Shankar]

Goosebump stuff.. isaignani IN AS thaaLagnani in Pazhassi Raja..Loud percussion still melodious..breaking stereotypes in recording/mixing..Probably some traditional/authentic tribal rhythms first time in films.
(Somebody let Shankar know that IR has completely woken up :-) )

Of course ! This is a knockout album for sure...The rhythm changes, and minimal usage of synth, and the care taken for sound quality, all makes it a complete package. He's just freaked out in the percussion deptt...I'm quite excited about the BGS.

Now, Will ppl agree that the Velu.P's softporn, valmiki, kaNNukkuLLe, maNNukkuLLe are not Raja's serious works, and he was sleepwalking thro the compositions? :)

After TiS the first 'complete' album from Raja, IMHO is this.

NK had 2 good songs...but the album as a whole wasn't satisfying..

[irir123]

Shankar, all those albums that you mentioned were done AFTER Pazhassi raaja (which was most likely done a year or more ago)- its the script or the particular director/team that demanded PR's effort - having said that, Valmiki was good as well - and kannukkulle has at least two very good tracks

[irir123]

Will the movie really be releasing in five languages? I mean simultaneously!

Shahrukh khan has done the prologue for this movie in hindi:

http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/09/sep/30-shahrukh-khan-to-introduce-mammootty-090910.asp

Curious to know how the songs have turned out in other languages, especially hindi.

thanks,

Krishnan

more than the songs, what will decide the output is the choice of singers - if IR chooses the same Rathod et al, that he used for shiva-2006 etc, the Hindi version will be forgotten!

also, aggressive marketing is the key - even PR needs to be marketed in tamil and telugu

[Bala (Karthik)]

He's just freaked out in the percussion deptt...
The percussions are *booming*. Someone had mentioned Om sivoham. Quite right. Going all the way, thunderously and not just the "tish-tish" thing of the recent past. The fact that its a period film helped!

[Hulkster]

Of course ! This is a knockout album for sure...The rhythm changes, and minimal usage of synth, and the care taken for sound quality, all makes it a complete package. He's just freaked out in the percussion deptt...I'm quite excited about the BGS.

Now, Will ppl agree that the Velu.P's softporn, valmiki, kaNNukkuLLe, maNNukkuLLe are not Raja's serious works, and he was sleepwalking thro the compositions? :)

After TiS the first 'complete' album from Raja, IMHO is this.

NK had 2 good songs...but the album as a whole wasn't satisfying..

It's quite well known that you have changed your stance of thalaivar after listening to the works of ARR. ARR's compositions have been raising the mark for every album but that does not affect thalaivar.

Its quite sad that you expect something "new" for every album from thalaivar when he is actually composing something new but you cannot comprehend it. Nothing wrong in disliking a album but saying stuff like he sleepwalked, not at his best is like mocking thalaivar and us people who enjoy his albums as well.

I wunt be surprised for the next album of thalaivar, if he uses synth, the whole lot will come saying his "experimentation" is gone until the next "PR" album comes.

[Shankar]

Of course ! This is a knockout album for sure...The rhythm changes, and minimal usage of synth, and the care taken for sound quality, all makes it a complete package. He's just freaked out in the percussion deptt...I'm quite excited about the BGS.

Now, Will ppl agree that the Velu.P's softporn, valmiki, kaNNukkuLLe, maNNukkuLLe are not Raja's serious works, and he was sleepwalking thro the compositions? :)

After TiS the first 'complete' album from Raja, IMHO is this.

NK had 2 good songs...but the album as a whole wasn't satisfying..

It's quite well known that you have changed your stance of thalaivar after listening to the works of ARR. ARR's compositions have been raising the mark for every album but that does not affect thalaivar.

Its quite sad that you expect something "new" for every album from thalaivar when he is actually composing something new but you cannot comprehend it. Nothing wrong in disliking a album but saying stuff like he sleepwalked, not at his best is like mocking thalaivar and us people who enjoy his albums as well.

I wunt be surprised for the next album of thalaivar, if he uses synth, the whole lot will come saying his "experimentation" is gone until the next "PR" album comes.

People who've been in the DF from 1997 know my inclinations and my affinity towards Raja's music. Just because I'm a raja fan, I have to digest everything that he churns out...
What's "quite well known" ?? Beats me.

The very fact that i'm jumping up & down about pazhassi, and not bothering to comment on other mediocre works, should tell you I'm not a blind follower, and I *can't* be one.

BTW, I've been listening to arr from '92. Pls check my posts (if they are still avbl, and if you care) about my take on Raja's music in late 90s, and comment about my shifting camps after listening to arr.

A beautiful number like "kaNNil pArvai" had a very un-imaginative interludes, and Raja has forgotten the rhythm changes that he used to do in a very unexpected way in almost all his songs during his hey-days. This holds true for most of his compositions in recent years.
What has he done to improve the sound quality of his songs?
Why should he use $50 synth pad for every song, and not show any variation in the song structure? At the end of the first pallavi, you would know which way the song is going to progress.

If he could do it for a Pazhassi, he could as well do it for that kaadhal arangam!!

if a non-entity movie like eera vizhi kAviyangaL (have you heard of that movie??) could get such ahead-of-time tunes/arrangement, any movie can, and Raja should give such scores to the movies he's signing for.

If he just wants to make some money out of it, then he should stop talking about oorugai, thayir-vadai etc.

[rajasaranam]

Quote



The Raja of madai-thirandhu's freshness is dead and buried, IMHO.

Unquote



Of course ! This is a knockout album for sure...The rhythm changes, and minimal usage of synth, and the care taken for sound quality, all makes it a complete package. He's just freaked out in the percussion deptt...I'm quite excited about the BGS.



Now, Will ppl agree that the Velu.P's softporn, valmiki, kaNNukkuLLe, maNNukkuLLe are not Raja's serious works, and he was sleepwalking thro the compositions? :)

Nope. He was and is like this right from Annakili. Every work is serious for him and its only the Director/Script which inspires him to do a 'Aadhisandhyausha poothathivide' or a 'Kattukulle Nadakirathey'. According to your parameters, we can list out 100's of movies from the 80's for which he should not have scored, yet had some evergreen nos. If not for these movies people would have long forgotten about Raaja and moved on. The fire is on and still there only because of kannukkulley's and mannukkulley's.
There is no need of a Advisory Board for Raaja. He is THE BEST here and for all we know he sleepwalks through every composition of his. 'Neenga kaetkira athannai padalgalumey 5 nimidangalukkul compose seyyapattavai thaan' - Ilaiyaraaja.

[Hulkster]

The very fact that i'm jumping up & down about pazhassi, and not bothering to comment on other mediocre works, should tell you I'm not a blind follower, and I *can't* be one.

A beautiful number like "kaNNil pArvai" had a very un-imaginative interludes, and Raja has forgotten the rhythm changes that he used to do in a very unexpected way in almost all his songs during his hey-days. This holds true for most of his compositions in recent years.
What has he done to improve the sound quality of his songs?
Why should he use $50 synth pad for every song, and not show any variation in the song structure? At the end of the first pallavi, you would know which way the song is going to progress.

If he could do it for a Pazhassi, he could as well do it for that kaadhal arangam!!

if a non-entity movie like eera vizhi kAviyangaL (have you heard of that movie??) could get such ahead-of-time tunes/arrangement, any movie can, and Raja should give such scores to the movies he's signing for.

If he just wants to make some money out of it, then he should stop talking about oorugai, thayir-vadai etc.

Your not a blind follower, rather your a ignorant one. Most of your comments show you have been indirectly affected by the way the trend of sound has changed over the years. You "expect" thalaivar to do something along those lines and give a composition "stunning" the listener every time.

Thalaivar has probably been below-par for atleast two or three albums per 300 albums in his musical career, and even those have a song with experimental prowess that will send us into a daze. However it is only us who take him for granted and deduce that he is "gone" just by giving a single listen to that album. And you guys call yourselves smart followers.

And then you talk about EVK to show your history as a raaja fan. That does not prove you to be a fan, that only shows you reserve your credits only for certain albums while the rest are probably sent to a recycle bin in your brain.

I doubt you ever gave a proper listen to Kadhal Arangam. There is a song(Kattukulle Nadukkurathey) which mixes natural sounds that you hear in a jungle as a everchanging rhythm and the best part is that HIS stamp is all over the song. There are actually many such songs he has composed recently but ignored by "fans" like you because you believe his style existed a decade ago.

This has been a problem with such fans. First they get influenced by the sound that is of today, get fustrated that thalaivar is not using live orchestra and stuff and lastly put off other fans by making insulting remarks about his recent albums. :twisted:

[ezy0265]

Shankar,

You are such a fake and full of crab!!!

You have even gone to the extend of checking the invoice price of his synth pad as $50 or are you talking about the one ARR is using?.....mmmmmm intha maari etthanaperudaa????

[krish244]

more than the songs, what will decide the output is the choice of singers - if IR chooses the same Rathod et al, that he used for shiva-2006 etc, the Hindi version will be forgotten!

also, aggressive marketing is the key - even PR needs to be marketed in tamil and telugu

Yes, I too feel the same. In any case, this movie/music being based on historical subject (especially to the south), don't know how much the movie/songs will get exposure.

thanks,

Krishnan

[Sureshs65]

vaika tagararu ninan paadilla!! venam, niruthunga illa ayzhududuven :lol: appidi illena innoru essay ezhudiduven!! :lol:

[Sureshs65]

Getting back to the subject of Pazhassiraja, I have my own doubts about how the movie would do in other languages. I guess it is important for the producers that it does well in all languages since lot of money is involved.

What I personally find is that in his true style Raja gives an authentic 'Malayalam' feel to the soundtrack. So how it will map to other languages need to be seen. Honestly I did not like 'Kalapani' track either in Tamil or in Hindi as much I did the Malayalam one. I guess it will be the same with Pazhassiraja. Adding to what irir123 said about the singers, it is also important that Raja chooses a good lyricist. That can make or break the 'la illahi' type of song, where powerful lyrics are needed to match the amazing rhythm. Lets wait and see how things pan out.

[crvenky]

Karthik's 100 words:

http://itwofs.com/milliblog/2009/09/30/music-review-pazhassi-raja-malayalam-ilayaraja/

[sivasub]

Abhishek Bachchan on Paa - release date is 4th dec. Source NDTV - get ready to be deluged again

[Sureshs65]

Before we continue with our 'vaika tagararu' please read this article by violin vicky:

http://raagadevan.blogspot.com/2009/09/counterpoint-for-dummies.html

To all those, including Shankar, who think Raja has been composing in his sleep, all I ask is to listen to what he has been doing carefully and I am sure we will discover something akin to what Vicky writes about in his blog. I am very convinced that similar such musical phrases exist in his recent offerings in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil (including the 'kannukulle-mamukkule' track which started this 'tagararu' :)

I can unhesitating say that I fully agree with the conclusion Vicky reaches in his article. That there is no genius today, whom thinks using his brain and not the computer, who is better than this man when it comes to film music.

[Hulkster]

I think thats what thalaivar is trying with synth nowadays. To see if synth can really replicate the effect of writing a score for live instruments in his own style and still retain the feel of the song.

You can notice that nilavu varum from jaganmohini is a precursor. In fact some of his kannukkulle tracks are very close to that sort of orchestration. There is probably alot coming our way :bluejump:

[Shankar]

Shankar,

You are such a fake and full of crab!!!

You have even gone to the extend of checking the invoice price of his synth pad as $50 or are you talking about the one ARR is using?.....mmmmmm intha maari etthanaperudaa????

>>>
you are such a fake and full of crab!!!
<<<

Thanks for being original, and full of scorpions :)

[AravindMano]

Going by the comments here, I think Pazhassi Raja should be called as Percussion Raja :)

[Plum]

All, please, a request to focus on the thread.

Shankar, idhula rehash paNNa pudhusa oNNum illa. Let's not prolong this.

Hulk/others, you have made your point. Let's move on.

(nee enna periya moderator-A-nu kEkka kUdadhu - I dont mind watching from the sidelines - but we are not covering new ground here. So, bore adikkudhu. vEra sandai pudhusA edhAvadhu kandupidkkalAm :-) )

[Hulkster]

Ada neenga onnu, appo namma IR vs ARR vs MSV triple threat matchil sandai pottom, eppo nammodeiya vattarathiley sandai. Yentha dubukku intha forum meley kannu veichaaro theriyuley, namma nilamei eppadi poguthu. :curse:

Another problem is the point i and others iterate is always the same because we encounter the same situation(a "raja" fan carelessly blemishing thalaivar's output).

PA on 4th Dec which means audio release should be coming in mid november. Pazhassi Raaja on 9th October and atleast three are in the cans not knowing what has happened(Mayilu, Ayyan and Mathiya Chennai).

[Sanjeevi]

Listened few times and I travelled with the songs to a new planet :D



Now, Will ppl agree that the Velu.P's softporn, valmiki, kaNNukkuLLe, maNNukkuLLe are not Raja's serious works, and he was sleepwalking thro the compositions? Smile

Slightly agree with this not for IR's sleep but the quality of this album is many steps ahead of IRs recent years works. Even PR is two or three steps above NK and NL.



the tracks are telling return of Thiruvasagam Raaja :)

What I said is 100 % true :D.

[Bala (Karthik)]

This album has begun to ROCK :musicsmile:

P,S: "alamadankala Mythavanalle" - i think perhaps synth drum pads are also used (You get the "Raam Raam" (Hey Ram) sound)

[Bala (Karthik)]

Ia "Kunnathae Konnakyum" Sudha Dhanyasi?

[ezy0265]

Bala,

Is the synth drum pads the $50 a piece type? Maybe Shankar can give you a copy of the purchase invoice.....

[Sureshs65]

Bala: 'Kunnathae' is based on Abheri (aka Karnataka Devagandhari)

ezy: As Plum said, let's forget it and move on to newer fights :)

[SVN]

Bala, you are right. It is indeed Shuddha Danyasi, and reminds you of Kshatrian's 'Maalayil Yaaro' and 'Eeramana Rojave's 'Kala Kalakkum Maniyosai'...

[app_engine]

http://www.mynews.in/News/Petition_filed_in_Kerala_HC_for_50_pc_hike_in_tick et_of_Pazhassi_Raja__N26950.html

[csramasami]

Thalaivar annikke paadi (pinni) irukkaar.

Film : Ilamai Idho Idho (1983)
Song : Kizhakke Pora Sooriyanai

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/albums/ALBIRR00187.html

Disclaimer : TFMPage il Nadakkira thagaraarukkum indha paattukkum sambandham irukkunnu naan solla varalai :D

Just Enjoy!

[Bala (Karthik)]

Suresh/SVN,
Kozhappureengale! :)


"Adhi UshaSandhya", "Alamandakala" and "Ambum Kombum" are my picks from the album. I'll listen to the more typically mallu flavored melodies later when i get over this adrenaline mood :)

"Adhi UshaSandhya" - 00:27 to 00:32 is goosebump territory :notworthy:

[Sanjeevi]

@ csramasami
:confused2:
padinathu MV

BTW thanks csramasami, I just listened 'Alli Vacha Mallaigai' song. Ippo ithey pattai appadiye vitta pattaiyai kilappumnu thonuthu. what a tune :D

[writeface]

The second interlude in "Odathandil Thalam Kottum Kattil"...
WTF!! Raja struts like a teenager..:-)

Wf.

[Sureshs65]

Bala,

edho nammal mudindadhu.

I can understand why the feel of Suddha Dhanyasi comes in but the veena playing in the second interlude to me seems more like Aheri. That is what I feel. Let me see if we can get someone else to confuse us further :)

[csramasami]

@ csramasami
:confused2:
padinathu MV

:D

Yes Sanjeevi no doubt that is MV, but the message is as if IR wanted to convey to others, and hence I wrote like that. :lol:

By the way, the very first song (aathoram koovudhu) also such a classic stuff, diluted for a normal "kindal' song. :2thumbsup:

[Hulkster]

Today i was quite vetti, more than the usual amounts so i used Goldwave to dissect Pazhassi Raja's Kunnathe song.

Thalaivar's percussion rhythms dunt only feature in the already mentioned four songs but also in this melody. In fact there are two different patterns, one for the charanam and another for the whole song. The stunning version is the pattern employed for most of the song, there is a very languid,harp-like flow to that pattern that really enhances the melody.

I remember violin vicky and CSR sir talking about how chords enhance a song especially when thalaivar is in the fray, i guess his employment of percussion rhythms also bear testimony. They are not chords but like the bassline thalaivar uses they have a very unique pattern that does not dilute the melody but also bears no resemblance to the melody.

Another point after using Goldwave is i realise that the way thalaivar orchestrates his songs is so "joint" that separating the vocals apart from the orchestration is a very big problem for the engineers. And even if you separate them you can see that some parts of the song are distorted along with the vocals.

[ezy0265]

When I listened to Yogi recently I felt.....
ada kutti 16 adi paayuthennu....aanaa ippa Pazhassi Rajava kettavudan ada inga thaayi muppatthurendaiyum (32 aiyum) thaandi innum paanjukonduthaan irrukkunu puriyuthu.....

Isai thaaye...nee vazhga!!!! :notworthy: :clap: :notworthy: :clap:

[Sureshs65]

Hulk,

I had posted a comment in violin vicky's blog (his latest counterpoint post) saying that what Raja has done with regards to rhythm in Pazhassiraja is almost like a counterpoint in rhythm with so many rhythmic threads running. I wish someone like Arun Prakash, the mridangist who used to post here, can dissect the rhythm and tell us what is going on!!

[kiru]

Few observations and things I enjoyed..
aadhiusha sandhya ..is the magnum opus ..which is both an orchestration and percussion spectacular..(equivalent to aruna girana in Guru)..I liked the part when the male chorus transitions to the female chorus..If somebody was lukewarm to song from the beginning..when they hear the ending part..I am sure they would get that goosebumps..

the islamic song..I feel when the movie is being watched in theatres in muslim neighborhoods people might go into raptures (saami vandhu aadappOraanga) ..especially the part where raaja stops everything for ilahi laha ..illallah and starts the whole orchestra again..

IR has used percussion and male chorus a lot to give the war/battle tone to the compositions I guess. He uses a combination of natural and synth rhythm (those big sounding drums are synth). As Bala mentions the islamic song has a synth kit playing along. This is probably a concession to the trend or the new raaja who is willing to compromise on the period feel.

Re: cheap synth sounds. No I am pretty sure IR is using the same synths as other MDs. You can hear exactly the same sounds in Rahman songs or other MD songs or in TV commercials. Maybe we just notice them in IR's songs because his style of tune continues to be the same and in contrast with older songs these things stick out. Or maybe other MDs mix in more layers you dont notice this.

[writeface]

Kiru,

Your impression about the Aadhiusha is quite in sync with mine. I immensely enjoy the charanam in that song. The chorus (both the male and female) is my favorite. When I listened to the female chorus for the first time I instantly thought of Aruna Girana for some reason. Glad I am not alone.

My 4 year started to sing-along with the illahi laha:-)

I am enjoying the odd interludes in odamthandil..

[kiru]

wf,
we are birds of a feather :-) so am not surprised.
I think both songs are similar tunes..sort of exclamatory ..to create that grand feel..but one gets a WCM treatment and another pure percussion/popular style.
Looks like IR has taken out an exclusive license on these kind of 'grand' songs in indian film music. (Somebody provide me examples from other MDs if they have done something like this).
IF the Bombay directors/producers get to hear PR I am sure IR will get some nice jobs in the future. One or two movies like this in a year, he will be deified as the 'grand' Music Director (I am sure Rahman will still continue to rake in the 'moolah' with his popular songs).
(Another suggestion - two albums whose exposure to will enhance the appreciation of PR, IMHO are - Silk Road by YoYoMa and Planet Drums from Mickey Hart).

[Hulkster]

Hulk,

I had posted a comment in violin vicky's blog (his latest counterpoint post) saying that what Raja has done with regards to rhythm in Pazhassiraja is almost like a counterpoint in rhythm with so many rhythmic threads running. I wish someone like Arun Prakash, the mridangist who used to post here, can dissect the rhythm and tell us what is going on!!

:exactly:, there are so many other songs regarding this but we still have not seen the light of them yet. Will probably take a lifetime once we get to the bottom of this. :lol2:

[Sureshs65]

I guess it will take some more time before I can write a full review. Currently just enjoying the songs and not trying to dissect anything.

Going along with what kiru has been saying, I believe this is a 90s equivalent album of Raja. Not the 80s. For the reason is Raja did some of his grand work in the 90s. Big budget, big star cast and big expectations. 80s had Dalapathi but 90s had a lot of them. 'Devar Magan', 'Kaalapani' 'Guru' and 2000s had 'Virumandi'. (Not to mention Tiruvasagam.) No one has succeeded to meet expectations in such big movie like Raja has. Pazhassiraja surely has a grand feel written all over it and I am sure he has scored the orchestration keeping the theater is mind. As kiru had correctly pointed out, the grandness of the music will be enhanced in the theaters and will add to the overall effect of the movie.

When the movie came out I did not give it much thought but now, after hearing Pazhassiraja' I think how it would have been had Raja scored for 'Dasavatharam'. Given his understanding with Kamal, I am sure we would have been treated to some amazing music. Wish Kamal makes one more grand movie and Raja scores for it.

[Hulkster]

Regarding Kamal, i am afraid that those around him want to take the movie to a higher level and the only way forward is with ARR who carries a more globalized reputation.

Even though thalaivar is the right choice, it is quite clear that people prefer ARR over thalaivar. Not to worry as i dunt think even he worries about such things. There is this interview posted in Orkut about KR who mentions that his father never cared about business and only bothered about his own work.

Link : http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs?cmm=34613&tid=5384857020371158105

[tvsankar]

kiru,

Thanks for your review for Aadhi ushath.

Evvalavu vishayam solli irukeenga...
Great post.....

[app_engine]

80s had Dalapathi

Small nitpick - dhaLapathi was a 1991 model :-)

[venkkiram]

read from Orkut IR group..

---------------------------------------

ஒரு காது வழி செய்தி :

பா படத்தில் ''சங்கத்தில் பாடாத கவிதை'' மற்றும் ''புத்தம் புது காலை பொன்னிற'' பாடல்கள் புது பாடல்களாக வரும் என்று நம்பக தகுந்த வட்டாரத்தின் வழியாக என்காதுக்கு வந்துள்ளது. மற்ற 3 பாடல்கள் எல்லாம் புதிய பாடல்கள்.

--------------------------

Wish this news to be true.

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

Thanks for the clarification about Dalapathi. It makes me more right :)

Hmm. This man goes to greater heights every decade. We may fight about the worth of Valmiki or Kannukulle but who can ever debate the worth of 'Virumandi' or 'Pazhassi Raja' and not to mention 'Tiruvsagam'. These three in 2000 make for a decade in which as far as 'grand' music is concerned, he has had no peers.

[Sureshs65]

venki,

Was there not some Hindi movie in which 'Sangathil' was used earlier? Maybe RS would know but I remember reading sometime back.

In case it is true, then it worth waiting for and see what Raja does with this song. I am sure the orchestration will be very different and that will be something worth waiting for.

[AravindMano]

Pazhassi 'Raja' :notworthy:

My pick is 'Aalamadankala'. The 'Laahiyaaaha illalalla' in pallavi is absoulte goosebump material. Great usage of vocals.

'Kunnaththe' already has put Chithra in the next year's National Award race. Excellent melody.

'Aadhiyusha' is stunning and i like the charaNam more than the pallavi. KJY rocks. Is that really M G Sreekumar, sounds little different.

And while singing 'Odaththandil', i stumble upon few lines in 'Sariyo sariyo naan kaadhalithadhu' from a Vijayakanth-Shobhana starrer. (Paattukkoru thalaivan?). Lovely song. The prelude humming is gum!

[AravindMano]

read from Orkut IR group..

---------------------------------------

ஒரு காது வழி செய்தி :

பா படத்தில் ''சங்கத்தில் பாடாத கவிதை'' மற்றும் ''புத்தம் புது காலை பொன்னிற'' பாடல்கள் புது பாடல்களாக வரும் என்று நம்பக தகுந்த வட்டாரத்தின் வழியாக என்காதுக்கு வந்துள்ளது. மற்ற 3 பாடல்கள் எல்லாம் புதிய பாடல்கள்.

--------------------------

Wish this news to be true.

Great. 'Puththam pudhu kaalai' is an underrated and wasted gem. I think it will get a stylish make over.

[app_engine]

'Sariyo sariyo naan kaadhalithadhu'

is a replica of IR's maLayALam hit 'puzhaiyOraththil' (movie - atharvam)

[irir123]

is there any review of PR album from any of the regular websites such as rediff ?

[kameshratnam]

:( :( :( :( Old tunes in PA..so sad

[Hulkster]

:( :( :( :( Old tunes in PA..so sad

Not all only two, the rest are new. I dunt blame Balki, he wants the north to experience what the south experienced at that time. But it will be interesting what sort of orchestration thalaivar is going to deploy for the two songs considering that putham puthu kaalai has probably the best usage of flute.

[natha1729]

A sure way to lose a freedome struggle without a fight.

[rajasaranam]

Was there not some Hindi movie in which 'Sangathil' was used earlier? Maybe RS would know but I remember reading sometime back.


It already featured in 'Aur Ek Prem Kahani'. as 'Monday Ko' (http://www.easilygo.com/mp3-album.php?id=24672&album=aur-ek-prem-kahani)

[krish244]

My picks from Pazhassi raja are Kunnattae, Aalamadankala, Aadhiushasnadhya and Odathandil.

As said earlier, Kunnathe impressed me right from that prelude, the tune, nice rhythms, music and to top it all top class singing by Chitra. The way she controls her voice and breadth is amazing. Very evident in the charanams.

The drum rhythms in Aalamadankala song is very effective and nicely complements the tune. The song as a whole impresses with the "Ya ilahi" part standing out. Nice singing in sync (chorus). One observation though. The drum part that comes just before the first time "Ya ilahi" is sung is a bit feeble. The same is more prominent when "Ya ilahi" is repeated after 1st charanam, although this time part of rhythm (guitar and synth drum...i guess) during "Ya ilahi" is missing. I don't know why it could be intentional. The drum beats again goes feeble and rhythm is back when "Ya ilahi" is repeated after 2nd charanam.

The charanams, grand ludes impressed me more in Aadhi Usha song. Nice singing by KJY, MGS and others. Those olden war horns kind of sounds and strings sections in the 2nd interlude took me by total surprise. There is a nice set of drums played during strings, but the effect is not highly visible, I feel.

Ambum kombum is a nice song with tribal flavour all over. The second interlude shows IR's presence in full flow.

Although Odathannil does not have the class of Kunnathe, its a good melody nicely sung and with some simple but effective ludes. 2nd lude is nicely done with the guitar just peeking out a little.

On the whole a very good album.

thanks,

Krishnan

[krish244]

Happy to know that there will be fresh tunes as well in "PA". Looking forward to the songs of this movie.

thanks,

Krishnan

[Hulkster]

One observation though. The drum part that comes just before the first time "Ya ilahi" is sung is a bit feeble. The same is more prominent when "Ya ilahi" is repeated after 1st charanam, although this time part of rhythm (guitar and synth drum...i guess) during "Ya ilahi" is missing. I don't know why it could be intentional. The drum beats again goes feeble and rhythm is back when "Ya ilahi" is repeated after 2nd charanam.



I have seen the video, I think he just wanted to avoid being monotonous thus instead of using guitar to carry the islamic sound he used the drums to compliment the chorus. Does anyone notice the bass-like chanting of allah towards the end when thalaivar finishes with a drum concerto? Sounded really cool and the synth sound that comes at the prelude as well. :D

The keralites are going bonkers over aadiush and ambum kombum in forumkerala. But some of them have really awkward music tastes as they said songs were very disappointing at first. I always assumed they had good tastes for music. :roll:

[baroque]

காற்றில் எந்தன் கீதம்....., பொத்தி வச்ச மல்லிகையே.......... too ஸ்ரீ.இளையராஜா recycled in aur ek prem kahani.

[natha1729]

they came, they heard, they tortured (themselves)

[ezy0265]

அட இது என்னடா ஒரு ஆடு வழி தவரி இங்க வந்துட்டுதா?

natha1729??? r u lost? let me direct you to your home if you need..... http://tfmpage.mayyam.com/hub/viewlite.php?t=11755

[natha1729]

Chiggy Wiggy witchya baybeh!

[par]

I guess it will take some more time before I can write a full review. Currently just enjoying the songs and not trying to dissect anything.

Going along with what kiru has been saying, I believe this is a 90s equivalent album of Raja. Not the 80s. For the reason is Raja did some of his grand work in the 90s. Big budget, big star cast and big expectations. 80s had Dalapathi but 90s had a lot of them. 'Devar Magan', 'Kaalapani' 'Guru' and 2000s had 'Virumandi'. (Not to mention Tiruvasagam.) No one has succeeded to meet expectations in such big movie like Raja has. Pazhassiraja surely has a grand feel written all over it and I am sure he has scored the orchestration keeping the theater is mind. As kiru had correctly pointed out, the grandness of the music will be enhanced in the theaters and will add to the overall effect of the movie.

When the movie came out I did not give it much thought but now, after hearing Pazhassiraja' I think how it would have been had Raja scored for 'Dasavatharam'. Given his understanding with Kamal, I am sure we would have been treated to some amazing music. Wish Kamal makes one more grand movie and Raja scores for it.

You must be around 35 :D

[Sureshs65]

par,

You are under par :D

[Plum]

you must be around 39, then :-)

[kiru]

Suresh thanks for making somethings more clear than what I had said. Yes, I believe these songs are going to look/sound better on big screen, especially in a theatre with good sound system (DTS or whatever). Usha, you probably want to invite us all to your home to hear these songs on your high-end audio system :-)
I have been watching this thread over the weekend, except for one person :-) everybody seemed to have liked it to some extent or other. The Millblog review though, to me, seems like an example of 'damning with faint praise'. Probably people genuinely are not able to appreciate these sort of music. That is why I am also curious like irir123 about reviews in popular medium. IR continues to make music that require "disciplined hearing" like the audience does in a symphonic hall. Most :-) of us here seem to have learnt to understand the idiom IR uses and are able to enjoy different styles of compositions from him.
Anyways, back to appreciating PR, aadhiusha seems to have a lot of 'asymmetry' going. I can't seem to get my attention wandering like "oh it is the pallavi again". The whole composition flows like one WCM movement. As for instruments in this composition (not a song :-) ) the maraccas need to get the 'best supporting role' award. And IR's old friend KJY has not let him down even at this age.

[sivasub]

http://calcuttatube.com/resul-lucky-to-be-part-of-pazhassi-raja-team/43953/

The debate starts again...was he involved in the recording of the songs or not?

[Shankar]

>>>>
And IR's old friend KJY has not let him down even at this age.
<<<<
Kiru,
My only beef with that song is KJY goes off key in some places :)

[krish244]

Some info about the release of Pazhassi Raja:

http://entertainment.oneindia.in/malayalam/top-stories/2009/pazhassi-raja-release-051009.html

What is DI? Digital imaging?

"Pazhassi Raja has been in the news for reasons good or bad and now the latest news has been about the consistent delay in the release of the movie. The movie was supposed to hit nearly 120 screens in Kerala on October 2nd. The movie is made on an astounding budget of 25 crores. The director has asked for some final changes after the DI work.

Buzz up!
The magnum opus features Mammootty [^] in the title role with Tamil actor Sarath Kumar [^] in a crucial role along with others like Suman, Kanika and Padmapriya [^]. The movie will have a grand release in 500 prints in about two weeks or so. With celebrated director Hariharan, MT Vasudevan Nair, Oscar [^] award winner Resul Pookutty, Ilayaraja, T. Muthuraj, Ramanatha Shetty, Sreekar Prasad and Ravi Divan in the helm, the movie is definitely [^] something to look out for."

thanks,

Krishnan

[jaiganes]

Some info about the release of Pazhassi Raja:

http://entertainment.oneindia.in/malayalam/top-stories/2009/pazhassi-raja-release-051009.html

What is DI? Digital imaging?

"Pazhassi Raja has been in the news for reasons good or bad and now the latest news has been about the consistent delay in the release of the movie. The movie was supposed to hit nearly 120 screens in Kerala on October 2nd. The movie is made on an astounding budget of 25 crores. The director has asked for some final changes after the DI work.

Buzz up!
The magnum opus features Mammootty [^] in the title role with Tamil actor Sarath Kumar [^] in a crucial role along with others like Suman, Kanika and Padmapriya [^]. The movie will have a grand release in 500 prints in about two weeks or so. With celebrated director Hariharan, MT Vasudevan Nair, Oscar [^] award winner Resul Pookutty, Ilayaraja, T. Muthuraj, Ramanatha Shetty, Sreekar Prasad and Ravi Divan in the helm, the movie is definitely [^] something to look out for."

thanks,

Krishnan

Digital Interleaving or something like that - it is an editing technique with latest computers. There was a news sometime back that Naan Kadavul was not done DI as there is a stupid rule in our National awards that films edited in DI are not eligible for 'Best Editing' or some categories. however experts have said that 'jerks' in scene transition that we experience are largely due to the negative cutting without DI. So We can expect better viewing experience with DI in Pazhassi Raja.

[Sureshs65]

kiru,

Very true about 'Adi uShas' song. The song goes in a meandering way. You don't expect the way the charanam ends. Especially after 'neelAkaSham pOlE'. The 'kAtrO kAttaruvigalO' is wonderful. Not a song which you can predict how it would go but once you hear it you feel that it is the only way to go!!! :) That is Raja style. While in some places you can make out that KJY is not in top form, I thought he has done a great job overall.

What I am amazed in the wide range of emotions that this song captures. A sense of destiny, a sense of longing for an earlier time and a sense of purpose as well. Not easy to get all these emotions rolled into one in one song.

The 'ambum kombum' song is amazing as well. Especially hear the beats. They are so asynchronous as if people are clapping randomly, yet they merge beautifully into the song. Really loved the orchestration on this one. The tune is also very well done.

Overall Raja has given some very fresh tunes with lovely orchestration.

[Sureshs65]

kiru,

As far as the reviews go I have personally observed three types of people in the net, when it comes to Raja's music.

One, those of the post Raja generation who like the music of the current generation of MDs. They seem to be quite indifferent to Raja's music or probably don't like Raja's current output too much.

Second category are the reviewers of some sites like Rediff, Sify etc. Their reviews seem to be based on various factors like who is the producer, director and what interest the particular site has for that movie. Some of them think they are being irreverent and make some comments like 'Raja, why do you do this?', 'We expect this from you Raja' and similar jokes to show off their genius.

The third category are those who used to love Raja's music but think that they need to sync in with the current generation by rejecting as much of Raja as possible. The remark that Karthik of Milliblog made once is symptomatic of this phenomena. He said, "It is not that your music is bad, Raja. It is just that we have moved ahead." Many in this category think it is uber cool to talk about world influences, genres, samples and many more technical terms. You will find that they believe Raja has stayed back in the 80s and whatever good he gives now should not be praised too much, lest they be thought that they are old people :) Most of the praise for Raja is tempered.

That leaves guys like us, who must be like a joke to others, fighting between ourselves about 'Kannukulle' which no one seems to be interested in :D But then, listening to all the recommendations given in various quarters, to the music of 'Yogi', to the music of 'Blue', to the music of 'London Dreams', I still don't find even one song in any of these movies matching 'engE nI sendrAlum' of 'Kannukulle'. No wonder people think that we are frogs in a well :)

[inetk]

kiru/ Suresh65: Vanjapugazhchi ani maadhiri irukku. Illadha maadhiriyum irukku. Nice choice of words :-)

[Sureshs65]

'varum aana varaadu' :lol:

[Sanjeevi]

Just curious to know :)

What is the replacement of 'Siru Ponmani Asaiyum' song in telugu version of Subramaniyapuram (http://www.raaga.com/channels/telugu/moviedetail.asp?mid=A0001474). Any telugu IR song of 80's? and if yes which song? and any other 80s songs of IR played in the movie in background? like 'Thottam konda rasave'?

[app_engine]

What is the replacement of 'Siru Ponmani Asaiyum' in telugu version of Subramaniyapuram

Another question - is there a "mike-set" culture in AP similar to TN (that hosts songs for local kalyANam/kadhu kuththu / festivals etc. playing hit songs)? If not, the whole scene would have got changed with a different setup...

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

I can assure you that the mike set culture exists, atleast in Hyderabad!!

[app_engine]

That's interesting Sureshs65, just reaffirms my notion that there are a lot of such finer cultural similarities between TN-AP (i.e. compared to TN-KL where I spent a # of years. This scene won't work in most parts of KL and will have to be changed considerably).

[irir123]

kiru,

As far as the reviews go I have personally observed three types of people in the net, when it comes to Raja's music.

One, those of the post Raja generation who like the music of the current generation of MDs. They seem to be quite indifferent to Raja's music or probably don't like Raja's current output too much.

Second category are the reviewers of some sites like Rediff, Sify etc. Their reviews seem to be based on various factors like who is the producer, director and what interest the particular site has for that movie. Some of them think they are being irreverent and make some comments like 'Raja, why do you do this?', 'We expect this from you Raja' and similar jokes to show off their genius.

The third category are those who used to love Raja's music but think that they need to sync in with the current generation by rejecting as much of Raja as possible. The remark that Karthik of Milliblog made once is symptomatic of this phenomena. He said, "It is not that your music is bad, Raja. It is just that we have moved ahead." Many in this category think it is uber cool to talk about world influences, genres, samples and many more technical terms. You will find that they believe Raja has stayed back in the 80s and whatever good he gives now should not be praised too much, lest they be thought that they are old people :) Most of the praise for Raja is tempered.

That leaves guys like us, who must be like a joke to others, fighting between ourselves about 'Kannukulle' which no one seems to be interested in :D But then, listening to all the recommendations given in various quarters, to the music of 'Yogi', to the music of 'Blue', to the music of 'London Dreams', I still don't find even one song in any of these movies matching 'engE nI sendrAlum' of 'Kannukulle'. No wonder people think that we are frogs in a well :)

AFAIK, 'Pazhassi Raaja' beats all my expectations from IR, hands down!

the music is voluptous, gorgeous, exotic - the orchestration is grand and the percussion thundering!! this kind of an album defies description - aarayakkoodaadhu, simply anubhavikkanum! this is ballistic stuff - summaa pattaiya kilappudhu!

the Raaja that I know and adore is back with a BANG (thats a BANG with a BIG 'B')!!!

for all that I care, all the reviewers can go to a clifftop and jump off into the roaring waters below with a 150 pound stone tied to their necks - thats exactly what their collective musical sensibilities deserve!

Also, I re-listened to Valmiki, and Kannukkulley - actually beginning to like 'pacha meni' from the latter (the least spoken about track from the album) - IR is slowly but surely grasping the nuances of synth usage and beginning to leave his stamp on them as well! the range of music he has covered in the albums tat have come out this year, are perhaps indicative of some bigger album in store

this man's ability to evolve his musical genius is simply incredible!
the 'kai veesi' (from NL), and the entire PR album bear testimony to that

and if we add to such output, the BGM miracles from Naan kadavul, the use of BSO for BGMs of yet-to-be-released Nandalala, Pazhassi Raaja (and HAPPI an arthouse film in the making), which am sure wud bear the stamp of his genius, this kind of creativity after 800 plus films is mind-boggling to say the least!!

for all those, listening to iPODs and MP3 sticks, who think its uber-cool to downplay the kind of native creativity that IR represents, all thats required is some producer/marketing guy to take IR's genius and prop it up skyhigh - even then i doubt if they wud genuinely appreciate his genius

[ezy0265]

Wow Sureshs65 and irir123

:clap: :clap: :clap: :wink:

Vatcheengaiya ஆப்பு!!!!!!

[Sureshs65]

irir123,

Good that you mention 'pachai maeni' song. I was thinking something similar when it was playing on my system yesterday. If only the song were to picturised in some 'hit' movie it would probably reach a lot more people. I think it has the same 'hit' potential as the song done by his son earlier, 'theepidika theepidika'. Hit or not, it is an interesting song which gives a glimpse of the Raja who is constantly experimenting.

The one thing I observed about this song is that the singer's voice tone changes a bit while she is ending the charanam. It would have been good had she maintained the same tone throughout the song.

[irir123]

except for the weird synth sounds in its prelude, the 'pacha meni' song is well-done - i particularly liked the 1st interlude beginning and the entire charanams barring the horrible lyrics

[rajkumarc]

Can anyone let me know how I could get the audio cd of Pazhassi Raja in the US?

If not, can you please point me to a website from where I can listen to the songs in good quality?

[crvenky]

Do Pachameni and Poothadhu Poovu (JM) sound similar?

[raagas]

Do Pachameni and Poothadhu Poovu (JM) sound similar?

yes..somehow i too felt it.

[thumburu]

// Digression : Suresh, can you tell me where to get JM CDs in bangalore?

[MumbaiRamki]

AAdush song from Yesudas has mixed response from my side after many listens ..

The prelude and the first interlude has familiar phrases of both Raaja and songs in such similar situations and didn't make much of a mark ..

But the whole tune , charanam , second interlude and finally the way it ends is just out of world !!!

Esp after the first charanam , the female chorus ,the silent percussions and the blast 2 nd interlude is just amazing ....->Knowing what happens in the end for Pazhassi Raja ( like any freedom fighter ) , this music is going to play in our minds , assuming the movie is good !! This is fantastic stuff

(I don't hink most MDs would capture such intricacies of trying to have a score thats consistent with the story and the characters so much )

[crvenky]

Maestro has sung a duet with Shweta under Karthik Raja in the latest Kannada movie - Zamana.

http://www.sensongs.com/Zamana.html

[Plum]

Paxhassi was in competition with dev d for oscar reco from india. A marathi film walked ahed of both.

Given ir's luck, pazhassi might not even be good enough to give him a natl award chance.

[Sureshs65]

thumburu,

The only place you can find JM CDs in Bangalore is Landmark at Forum. Even if they don't have it, they can procure it from Chennai. All other shops in Jayanagar and Landmark in Jayanagar I drew a blank.

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

When 'Guru' can get beaten by 'Annamayya' for the national awards where is the chance for Pazhassiraja? :)

[NormalMan]

Plum,

When 'Guru' can get beaten by 'Annamayya' for the national awards where is the chance for Pazhassiraja? :)

Absolutely true. I feel whichever MD got the award during the years Jhonny, Kadhal Oviyam, Raja Paarvai, Guru, Devar Magan (oops I'm starting a fight here) should give their awards back. :twisted:

[irir123]

NormalMan and Sureshs65 - to hell with awards! 'Ajantha' padamey release aagala! IR has gotten an award for that :banghead: :think:

indha awards ellaam oru koothhu pattarai! do we still want to see IR being crowned with a buffoon's fake nose of an award in this circus called awards arena ??

[app_engine]

ஆதி உஷஸ் சந்த்ய பூத்ததிவிடே :-)

How technically these fellows convey that theirs is "God's own country" :-)

"முதல் காலையும் மாலையும் மலர்ந்தது இங்கு தான்" - இப்படியெல்லாம் கவிதை எழுதிக்கொடுத்தா சும்மா புகுந்து விளையாட மாட்டாரா?

தமிழ்ல பேசாம இனி மேல் பாரதி, அவரோட தாசன் மாதிரி இலக்கியங்களுக்கு மட்டும் தான் இசை அமைப்பேன்னு ராசா முடிவு பண்ணினால் நிறைய நல்ல பாடல்கள் கிடைக்கும். இல்லையேல் அது மாதிரி யாராவது எழுதணும் :-)

Started with PR songs, sound like rich and meticulously aged wine, should be sipped slowwwwly and relishshshed...

[kiru]

app..you are late to the party ..but you bring a nice bottle :-)
englightening translation..damn sanskrit is driving a wedge between the tamils and malayalees :-) பூத்தது இவ்விடே .. got it
re: your suggestion about future lyricists for IR :-) - I always wanted to mention here that IR gets inspired by the lyrics..the lyrics writer should do a great job otherwise there is no fun writing the orchestration for it..

[Plum]

Suresh, annamayya pathi pesadheenga. 10 years on, it is still a ouch memory for him. Annamacharyakku balakrishna stylela rendu heroineoda 3 some duetlaam vechu oru padam...adhukku oru award. :banghead:

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

I wrote that because I knew that hurts you still :) I used to be pissed during those times but now, I am in the 'take it easy policy' mode :)

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

The moment I saw that ONV Kurup was the lyricist I was thrilled. I don't understand too much of Malayalam, but whatever little I do is enough for me to understand ONV's class. This song is wonderful. Wish someone can translate the whole song for the benefit of others who love good poetry.

As I said in my earlier post, the whole range of emotions, that of being a 'Gods own Country', that of a sense of loss, as well as a sense of hope, everything is so well conveyed by the song.

As kiru said, you bring along a good bottle and for having joined the party, give us a few more sips of what ONV has distributed :)

[kiru]

...The prelude and the first interlude has familiar phrases of both Raaja and songs in such similar situations and didn't make much of a mark ..
...
Yes..I even felt that ambum..kombum had a strong TIS influence..in my books I would still rank Guru higher for originality/freshness but the overall output/effect of PR is fantastic..very high energy stuff. When Guru came out some of my friends (IR fans) mentioned the bass is low, my argument was it would drown out the melody ..but PR disproved this..It looks as though IR went in with a vengeance. Still, the use of acoustic drums alone in the end of this song (as in hey ram party song) shows IRs preference, I think. Maybe I am reading too much into his compositions.

[Sureshs65]

And then the Chitra song. After we forget all other songs from this movie, the Chitra song will still be echoing in our ears. Though I don't understand Malayalam I can hear how well ONV has written the lyrics for this song. They match the flow of the song very well. Chitra chechi, as usual, has done a great job. So all said and done, when three veterans like Raja, ONV and Chitra come together, what can the competition do, but remain mute spectators and watch?!!

[app_engine]

Wish someone can translate the whole song for the benefit of others who love good poetry.


Don't worry, the movie producers themselves are making Thamizh version, Hindi version etc. Good opportunity to compare :-)

[kiru]

app, suresh ..lyrics in malayalam seem to point to the shared rich cultural heritage of tamil and malayalam. It is pity today that tamil lyrics have forgotten their roots and are now in Nokia/Mafia territory (I am sure somebody here will say we need to do cool things as well, but what about quality stuff ?).
Suresh, I like your classification of IRs fan/listeners. One more category I would add (or maybe you already did :-) )is the set of people who can recognize genres or genres in the making only after it is recognized by the rest of the population. I feel IR is creating genres (atleast one or two) and being the leader, instead of just mixing and matching stuff. I feel songs like aadhi usha is a genre by itself. I would call it 'Classical crossover' but I am amusic ignoramus but knowledgeable people like you or inetk (thanks for being a sport, guy) can help if there is some validity in my argument.
(BTW, since IR is experimenting to the point of creating new genres ALL his songs are not going to be a hit, I am ok with it, as I favor originality)

[AravindMano]

I found the lyrics very interesting. Though i dont grasp them fully, some words are there in Tamil too, so that i can guess what he says.

Two lines that captured by imagination - அறிவிண்டே அக்னி உணர்ங்ன்னு & the last two lines of pallavi in Kunnaththe song.

[raagas]

I would still rank Guru higher for originality/freshness

I have been looking for good quality mp3s of this album "Guru". I couldnt get the original audio cd till now. Can anyone share this album please. whenever i have to listen, i am relying on raaga.com or some website. :(

[rajasaranam]

ஆதி உஷஸ் சந்த்ய பூத்ததிவிடே :-)

How technically these fellows convey that theirs is "God's own country" :-)

"முதல் காலையும் மாலையும் மலர்ந்தது இங்கு தான்" - இப்படியெல்லாம் கவிதை எழுதிக்கொடுத்தா சும்மா புகுந்து விளையாட மாட்டாரா?


அஹா நிங்கள் கேரளத்திலே பனி செய்தவர் அல்லே?
கீழுள்ள வரிகளின் முழு அர்த்தம் எழத கடமை பட்டவர் நீங்கள் மட்டுமே :)
அடிகோடிட்ட வார்த்தைகளுக்கு மட்டும் அர்த்தம் சொன்னால் கூட போதும்.

ஆதி உஷஸ் சந்த்ய பூத்ததிவிடே
ஆதி சர்க தாளமானதிவிடே
போத நிலா பால் கறந்து
மாமுனிமார் தப*ம் செய்து
நாதகங்கெ உருகி வந்த*திவிடே

ஆரிவிடே கூரிருளின் மடகல் தீர்த்து
ஆரிவிடே தேன்கட*ந்நள் கூடு தகர்த்து
ஆரிவிடே சுரங்கள் தான்டி சூளம் அடிச்சு
ஆனதேறா மாமலதன் மெளன உடச்சு
ஸ்வாதந்த்ரியமேலே நீலாகஸம் போலே
பாடுந்தாரோ காற்றோ காட்டருவிகளோ

ஏது கைகள் அரனிக்கோல் கடஞ்சிருந்து
சேதனையில் அறிவின்டே அக்னியுனர்ந்து
சூர தேஜ சாச்சவர்தன் ஜீவதாளம் போல்
நூறு மலர் பாஷைகலிள் ஜ்வாலையுனர்ந்து
ஸ்வாதந்த்ரியமேலே நீலாகஸம் போலே
பாடுந்தாரோ காற்றோ காட்டருவிகளோ

The first charanam questions about the current state of affairs (Apparently the subjugated state) and the next charanam goes into waking up people to fight against the British. A line to line Rough Layman's translation is as follows:

1. The First dawn and the first dusk blossomed here
2. The Early Sound and Rhythm had the beginning here
3. Milking the Moon filled with Intoxication
4. Due to the Penance of Great Sages
5. Music, like Ganges Melted and came down here

1. .........................................(First Line yet to decipher)
2. who did break the Good comb filled with Honey
3. Who does creates noise against music
4. breaking the silence of great Mountains which Elephants have not rode on
5. On Freedom Like the Blue Sky
6. Who is Singing, is it Wind or Forest Falls

1. Where are the Hands that rubbed the logs of 'Arani' Tree
2. and created the fire of Knowledge in our minds
3. Like the LifeRhythm of The Varthan(Krishna?) who killed Soora & Teja (Should be some Mythology or Iam entirely wrong in Interpretation)
4. understanding the Fire in the language of 100 Flowers
5. On Freedom Like the Blue Sky
6. Who is Singing, is it Wind or Forest Falls

Anybody Help for a better translation!

[tvsankar]

Usath kalam - Before the time of Early morning..

Melliya velichathudan arambium - mun vidikalai pozhudhu...

Idhu dhan migavum siriandha pozhudhu..

Nalla kariyangal seiya...

Idharku than "BHrama muhurtham" enru peyar..

indha pozhudhai varnithu than indha paatil
indha varigal...

aarividae koorirulin
madagal theerthu

Koorirul - adarndha irutil
madagal - vazhi
theerthu - sedhadhu....

ipadi than enaku thonudhu....

[crvenky]

RS,
I remember reading in Mahabharatam that Aranikkattai is a kind of tree trunk used to rub (aranikkol kadaidhal) and create fire (used by sages those days). So, the 2nd para first two lines could mean:

Edhu kaigal aranikkol kadanjirunnu?
Which hands rubbed aranikattai and created the fire?

Chethanayil arvinde agni unarnnu?
(that) created the fire of knowledge in ur brain?

I think Chethanai means consciousness.

This is my interpretation only.

[rajasaranam]

CRV,

Many Thanks! have changed the first 2 lines of 2nd Stanza accordingly.

[thumburu]

thanks Suresh.

[tvsankar]

kannukulae

NIce songs... I got my 80s Raaja in this film's songs........


Engae sernalum - My Great pick......

Madhyamavathi nu nenaikaren........

Beautiful Preludes.

Great Violin works.... Majestic violins...

enna oru punctuations,,,,

Lyrics inspires me a lot..

IR - namai ninaithu ezhudhiya kavidhai madhiri oru feelings.


Engae Nee senralum
angum unnai thodardhu varum
en raagam en raagam

Ennenna nadandhalum
endrum unani kandu kollum
en raagam en raagam

Thanimaiyilum sendru par
Ninaivugalil ninru par
Ulagil endha moolaiyil irupindum
pidithunnai izhuthu varum

1st interlude

Violin is the Hero to this song..

Have no words to tell about the supported Flute...

2nd ludes

Once Again Great and Majestic Violin.......

Raaja Sir - My Great Salute to YOu for the Violin Notes......

indha paatuku IR version irundhal inum sandhosha pattu irupen.....

[Sureshs65]

RS,

Thanks for the translation.

BTW, where are you? Kindly check your mail or PM.

[Sureshs65]

kiru,

Very true. We have to classify what Raja has done as a genre of its own. So well has he integrated multiple strands of thought.

[tvsankar]

Suresh thanks for making somethings more clear than what I had said. Yes, I believe these songs are going to look/sound better on big screen, especially in a theatre with good sound system (DTS or whatever). Usha, you probably want to invite us all to your home to hear these songs on your high-end audio system


kiru,

:D :o

Ennoda Good Speaker - Mazhai penja apo, Idi
yerangi veena pochu..

past 4 months, i am using ordinary headphone only.

hahhahaha...

But, it teaches to listen IR's compositions....

so am learned to hear IR Songs....

Kashta pattu kedaikum podhu - we could feel
the value kiru....

[rajasaranam]

Wow what a magnificent line "ஆனதேறா மாமலதன் மெளன உடச்சு" Iam repeating this line in my mind for the past one day and astonished at the meaning. This line penetrates deep into your conscience if meditated well, and reveals more than the actual meaning. :notworthy:

[Sureshs65]

Very true RS. Amazing lines and a sense of pathos in the tune for that line. Outstanding amalgamation of poetry and music.

As a digression I find lot of references to nature in Malayalam film lyrics. Guess it has to do with them surrounded by so much of nature. You can also find many stories of Jeyamohan intricately linked with nature. To these people protecting nature is not for 'environmental protection' but protecting a way of life.

[csramasami]

After somebody gave the link of bigadda for PAA, here in the tfmpage, I am following Big-B's page regularly for updates on PAA.

Today's message is indicating the culmination of those tirelss efforts of Balki and his unit. With Amithab informing seeing the full film and also express his philosophical views.

I have also, as usual, recorded my request for AB's views on IR and PAA's music (at comment # 176)

Just thought of updating our friends here.

http://bigb.bigadda.com/?p=3857#comment-660878

Regards

CSR

[tvsankar]

RS,
Kiru Launguage il - Harmony layers.......

This song is fully filled with Harmony in a storng dose...

[PraveenC31]

Pazhassi Raja Tamil version :

http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/album/T0002025.html

Personally I liked Malayalam version much more than this. Singers are not the same (No raja for ambum kombum :( ).
Also I feel tat lyrics-wise also malayalam version was very good.. (though I dint understand much in malayalam :) The tamil lyrics r not tat good IMO..

[PraveenC31]

I think someone who has not listened to the mallu version shud giv us their opinion abt the tamil version :)

[tvsankar]

praveen,
Thanks for the link...

My feelings - Tamil Version il,

Emotion of the Singers - kammiya iruku. Malaiyala version
pola Depth ku ilai.......

Tamil translation karanam ilai.

[PraveenC31]

The most striking difference between the tamil one and malayalam one is in ambum kombum song.. Raja's voice suited the voice to the tee.. don know why he dint sing it in tamil also.. :(

[Sureshs65]

Thanks for the link Praveen. From whatever little Malayalam I know and what RS had translated here, the songs seem to be an almost literal translation of what ONV wrote (The Chitra song and Adiushas song)

[K]

I would still rank Guru higher for originality/freshness

I have been looking for good quality mp3s of this album "Guru". I couldnt get the original audio cd till now. Can anyone share this album please. whenever i have to listen, i am relying on raaga.com or some website. :(


http://vellithiramusic.net/?p=139

[raagas]

I would still rank Guru higher for originality/freshness

I have been looking for good quality mp3s of this album "Guru". I couldnt get the original audio cd till now. Can anyone share this album please. whenever i have to listen, i am relying on raaga.com or some website. :(


http://vellithiramusic.net/?p=139

Thanks K. Its blocked in my office but will check it at home. Thanks again

[tvsankar]

[quote="csramasami"]After somebody gave the link of bigadda for PAA, here in the tfmpage, I am following Big-B's page regularly for updates on PAA.

Today's message is indicating the culmination of those tirelss efforts of Balki and his unit. With Amithab informing seeing the full film and also express his philosophical views.

I have also, as usual, recorded my request for AB's views on IR and PAA's music (at comment # 176)

Just thought of updating our friends here.

http://bigb.bigadda.com/?p=3857#comment-660878

CSR,
Regards

CSR,

Thanks for the link..

Eagerly aWaiting for Pa.

Becoz of Amitab and our Raaja...

[par]

IMO, Ilaiyaraaja should take most of the blame for making the lyrics (and lyricists) an irrelevant part of a song.

[jaiganes]

IMO, Ilaiyaraaja should take most of the blame for making the lyrics (and lyricists) an irrelevant part of a song.

Ok.
we will let him know and tender an apology to wonderful poets of Thamizh nadu.
:wink:

[par]

IMO, Ilaiyaraaja should take most of the blame for making the lyrics (and lyricists) an irrelevant part of a song.

Ok.
we will let him know and tender an apology to wonderful poets of Thamizh nadu.
:wink:
Try writing to a preconceived tune, any 'wonderful' poet will struggle. That too, after Ilaiyaraaja himself has written the pallavi.

[Bala (Karthik)]

Try writing to a preconceived tune, any 'wonderful' poet will struggle. That too, after Ilaiyaraaja himself has written the pallavi.
:lol: idhukku ennanga artham?!

[Plum]

Heard tamil version! Idhu pazhassi raja illa! pudhussi raja! natl award, oscar ellAm koduthA kooda pOdhAdhu. kodukkavum vENdAm.

[Plum]

He's just freaked out in the percussion deptt...
The percussions are *booming*. Someone had mentioned Om sivoham. Quite right. Going all the way, thunderously and not just the "tish-tish" thing of the recent past. The fact that its a period film helped!
Yes! Om Sivoham thambaalam soundnu sonnadhu naan dhaan. Idhu full meals-nga. Yeow!(Eppam!)

Also, I remember someone had commented 0:27-0:32 of aadhi ushas is goose bump - somehow the numbers remained in my mind. After listening to the song, have to take off to that hubber for his observation

[Plum]

Rajeev Anchal's GURU - move over, there is competition now for an all time greatest of IR.
(hopefully, only the songs, hope the movie doesnt compete with GURU!)

And that nitwit who recorded a narikurava song outside IR's knowledge for his movie must listen to Ambum Kombum

[Plum]

Been having a bad week at work. A nice anti-dote for the weekend. Oh I'm not going to stop gushing...

[Plum]

Guys, it is high time someone commisioned a symphony now. Strike when the iron is hot! Inspiration seems to be flowing this year - middling valmikis and Azhagar Malais, outstanding Naan kadavul and then...this. I had earlier been skeptic if anything can replace Naan Kadavul as the album of the year. With a respectful nod, now, move over, Naan Kadavul, the OLD KING is here!

[Hulkster]

Ithukku yellam koraichal ellei, thalaivar Pazhassi Raja mathiri album seinchaal move over, the king is back nu punch dialogue solluruthu, kannukkulley mathiri album vanthaal his sound is gone nu sangu oothurathu. Unga split personality disorderku yellam oru alavey elleiya? :curse:

[Plum]

Allov, naan matha album pathi commentE adikkaliyE. Enakku pudicha gush pnnaren illaina naan paattukku sevanaenu kedakkaen. Avala nenachu urala enya idikkareenga.
Endh thread ponaalum indha with-me-or-against-me thollai jaasthi aagittE pogudhu :evil:

[sivasub]

I dont know if that's my feeling, but kunnathe gives me shades of Chempoove from kaalapani. Are they similar raagas?

[Sureshs65]

Hulk,

I don't think Plum has commented on Kannukulle at all. I am not even sure if he has heard it yet :) I guess you mistook Plum for Shankar. As Plum says, if someone likes a soundtrack and they gush it doesn't automatically mean they should appreciate some other soundtrack. Anyway we are there to analyze and offer a counterpoint for tracks like Kannukulle, isnt it :D

Plum,

I think it was Bala who mentioned the time duration during the Aadiushas song. The Aadiushas and the Muslim song are absolute 'going all the way' percussion. And you _must_ listen to the Malayalam version.

I guess each song needs an analyzes of its own. I will try and write my views on each song soon.

[app_engine]

I dont know if that's my feeling, but kunnathe gives me shades of Chempoove from kaalapani. Are they similar raagas?

In general, the PR songs have some "distant relationship" to kAlApAni, Guru songs and one of the hEy rAm songs (rAmrAm). Particularly in the way they "sound", possibly thanks to BSO or the general choice of orchestration. Also, IR probably had in mind songs like chempoovE, vandhE mAdharam of kAlApAni in the corner of the mind as the theme is related to the "british" period.

It's interesting to see that there's absolutely no relationship of PR songs to any of the prior Hariharan-MTV-Bombay Ravi movies (which were stunners). I didn't hear any chaNdai sound so far (yet to hear on a good system, only on PC).

Well, they demanded well and got a good score, but the score has the unique IRness :-)

[irir123]

app_engine, casual question: how wud u compare IR's output for HH-MTV combo, as opposed to Bombay Ravi's output for the same ??

[eagle]

Pazhassi Raja malayalam cds are available in satyam theatre and they are available in the special discount counter at the satyam theatre in chennai.

Happy listening

Thanks for the info. I got the CD and listened to the album. Thoroughly enjoyed it albeit the 5th track may be thats not the fault of the track itself but oft repeated situation in the historic movies. Unable to clearly pinpoint it due to language difference any way will wait for the movie to find out.

One thing that amazes me is that the man's ability to raise the bar when the opportunity strikes. You can find traces of "kaalaa paani" "thiruvaasagam" and "guru" its perhaps the classic touch he imposes on the songs. But honestly one cant say he copied his own or somebody else's song or something like that... to me it sounded fresh with some inevitable influences. That itself is an achievement after what?... after 800 movies?....

An ardent fan's wishful thinking would be he accepts movies where there is a scope for music. but thats not going to happen as long as people like sangilimurugan or some jaalraas around him.... anyways that suits him fine cos he always says that he never plans anything specifically for big or small movies... alas it worked in the past but not now....

[kiru]

I probably differ from you guys..IR is able to make these sort of albums today ..ONLY because he scored music for 800 films earlier..Practice makes it perfect. There were many ..many films earlier whose tunes/music were never a hit and completely forgotten. It is a conscious and rigorous application of raaga and western classical knowledge continously till this level of refinement and fine-grained fusion has been attained. In the process a mastery over the swaras and stringing of them appropriately to attain exactly the effect he wants. (Kamal ..called IR swara vignnaani..meaning he is doing this mathematically, scientifically).
There were some indications of these sort (PR) of music earlier on..one such example is My Dear Kuttichaatthaan (the malayali guys appropriately include this in the Guru CD).

[kiru]

Ithukku yellam koraichal ellei, thalaivar Pazhassi Raja mathiri album seinchaal move over, the king is back nu punch dialogue solluruthu, kannukkulley mathiri album vanthaal his sound is gone nu sangu oothurathu. Unga split personality disorderku yellam oru alavey elleiya? :curse:
Hulk, some people like the tunes, some like orchestration, some are able to appreciate both. I like orchestration ..aadhi usha is my favorite and this is unique to IR ...tune wise you can go back in years and find great masters ..but I doubt you will find a Guru or PR before IR..

[Hulkster]

Allov, naan matha album pathi commentE adikkaliyE. Enakku pudicha gush pnnaren illaina naan paattukku sevanaenu kedakkaen. Avala nenachu urala enya idikkareenga.
Endh thread ponaalum indha with-me-or-against-me thollai jaasthi aagittE pogudhu :evil:

:poke:

[Hulkster]

Hulk,

I don't think Plum has commented on Kannukulle at all. I am not even sure if he has heard it yet :) I guess you mistook Plum for Shankar. As Plum says, if someone likes a soundtrack and they gush it doesn't automatically mean they should appreciate some other soundtrack. Anyway we are there to analyze and offer a counterpoint for tracks like Kannukulle, isnt it :D


Actually the kannukkulle quote was general, but summa oru vilaiyaatukku tease penni paarthen :lol2:

I actually feel with regards to synth, he does know how to use them effectively like in the mapilla paatu where the synth style is quite general, but he also likes to experiment with it.

It is quite noticeable that like how he used to mish mash raagas within a western classical, rock and roll etc orchestration, he is trying the same thing with synth. Although at first i actually have dismissed the synth just as a replacement due to the decline in orchestra players, i realise he is purposely using them to see how well they can fit in within such a orchestration.

In other words he is exploring their range, kannukkulle is quite noticeable for this effect. I am pretty sure his forthcoming albums will have alot of synth experiments. The difference is, todays composers program their synth rythms or just use the sounds as a enhancer, thalaivar is actually using them like how he experimented with chords, basslines and stuff. :D

[cry_sandiego]

Listened to Tamil Version after listening the Mal version multiple times. Either it needs time, or psycological but i seem to miss the punch in the tamil version.. - Not sure it is entirely lyrics or what the reason is..


Ambum Kombum is missing the pep ! that the Mal version had.. I will stick to the Mal version :-)

Cheers
MSK

[cry_sandiego]

By the way, Moongil Thannil song in Tamil seems to remind a bit of one not so old sung by Bavatharini ( forget the album name,,) that goes like "Manase Manase.. nee enga pohura ..." or something along those lines.. ( is the movie Kathal Jaathi ??)

Cheers
MSK

[Sureshs65]

MSK,

The song you mentioned is indeed from the unreleased movie 'Kathal Jathi', whose soundtrack, Plum had earlier said, was a Platinum standard. What an album that is!!!

[ezy0265]

I think the Tamil version was entirely mixed in another studio with just the music track from the original version to go with. That is why it is sounding so very different of a lower standard overall. It is not actually the lyrics or singers...

The actual original recording and mixing standard is way too high for them to match in another studio setup I think. I have not felt such big difference even in any ARR Hindi tamil versions like Uyire where the overall quality of tamil version was on par with the original hindi version.

[Sureshs65]

ezy,

If what you say is indeed true, then I wish Raja uses the same studio he used for the Mal version for all his albums!!

[PraveenC31]

MSK,

The song you mentioned is indeed from the unreleased movie 'Kathal Jathi', whose soundtrack, Plum had earlier said, was a Platinum standard. What an album that is!!!"



Thanks Suresh... Listened to the Kaathal jathi album first time now only.. wat an album.. :clap:

[svbp007]

This is a big and long standing issue with all IR movies. Whenever the songs were dubbed into another language...earlier it even used to be in mono...and mixing was also totally different. Now a days with digital stuff...mixing is staying the same but the singers are not supervised. This is simply because IR does not attend or get involved in the dubbing version.

This is the big difference between IR and ARR. ARR looks into how his music is marketed...so I reasonably sure that he takes care that he is involved in the dubbed version as in the end he does not want his music to come out improperly. Listen to telugu version of Boys. It just is perfectly sung as if it is original.

This difference is what is making ARR shine much more than IR these days. Again, I am not referring to the quality of music or prowess but just the attitude towards ones music from a marketing standpoint. Listending to some dubbed versions in the 80s ...it is such a travesty. Despite such lack of attention, some movies make it big in dubbed version which is a testament to the quality of the song (e.g. Agni Natchatiram and Gharshana). Gharshana was in Mono..and songs like oru poongavanam were sung with totally different effect (quite poor compared to original).

[Shankar]

app_engine, casual question: how wud u compare IR's output for HH-MTV combo, as opposed to Bombay Ravi's output for the same ??

Madhan,
Bombay Ravi's score for HH has always been brilliant...But HH has never had a war theme per-se in his movies (till PR). Even Vadakkan veera gAdha was a poignant story of an individual called chandu, set in the warring family BG. Hence there can't be a comparison to Bombay Ravi's score.

It's fair enuf to say that Raja has done the best for this script, and bombay ravi has done full justification to the canvas he was offered.

[cry_sandiego]

Thanks guys for the information reg mixing done for the dubbed version being sub-standard.. I am surprised that IR being a Orchestration guru, would not pay much attention to these details.

But then I could be wrong as so far i am listening these tracks only on my laptop and also the tamil version could have lost some quality due to MP3 settings as well ( I am not a big fan of MP3 when it comes to IR's songs and his layered music.)

Cheers
MSK

[cry_sandiego]

By the way, in the Adhiushe sandhya song, at 1.58, what instrument is that - sounds like heavy breathing.. . This piece, provides a great effect of the impending danger or some feeling like that. !!

Similarly the chimes at 3.00 love the slow merge of the female ( chorus ?) voice and the bird like flapping ..

I wonder how this man thinks of such things.. and that too all in his brain even before he hears it for the first time .

Every time i hear this song, there is something new..

Cheers
MSK

[eagle]

This is a big and long standing issue with all IR movies. Whenever the songs were dubbed into another language...earlier it even used to be in mono...and mixing was also totally different. Now a days with digital stuff...mixing is staying the same but the singers are not supervised. This is simply because IR does not attend or get involved in the dubbing version.

This is the big difference between IR and ARR. ARR looks into how his music is marketed...so I reasonably sure that he takes care that he is involved in the dubbed version as in the end he does not want his music to come out improperly. Listen to telugu version of Boys. It just is perfectly sung as if it is original.

This difference is what is making ARR shine much more than IR these days. Again, I am not referring to the quality of music or prowess but just the attitude towards ones music from a marketing standpoint. Listending to some dubbed versions in the 80s ...it is such a travesty. Despite such lack of attention, some movies make it big in dubbed version which is a testament to the quality of the song (e.g. Agni Natchatiram and Gharshana). Gharshana was in Mono..and songs like oru poongavanam were sung with totally different effect (quite poor compared to original).

The transalation matters....

I think its difficult to give a good translation to IR's songs be it Tamil to malayalam or kannada to tamil vice versa. Some of his telugu songs have really good translation in tamil like sippikkul muthu. I dont think people just like that leave translation without trying may thats the best they could.

You should hear the kannada song "kokilaa" in tamil the humming part... the worst i have heard next to kaalapaani songs...

Hindi songs dont even think :D ....

AR is lucky or very easy to translate cos fo simplicity of his earlier tunes..... I know i am opening a pandoras box nevertheless his latest songs like "masaakkali" would be very difficult to translate in tamil....

[Sureshs65]

eagle,

You touched a raw nerve by mentioning 'Kaalapani'. I just don't listen to the Tamil and the Hindi version due to the translation. I have the Hindi version tape with me and I can't bring myself to touch it at all!!!

It is true that quite a few songs which got dubbed into Telugu had decent lyrics and were major hits in Telugu. Especially the Maniratnam films.

[Sureshs65]

MSK,

Not only the 'Adhiushas' song but almost every song in this soundtrack offers something new in every listen!! It is indeed a wonder on how he conjures up all this in his mind in one shot and how he may add some instrumentation based on the lyrics.

[tvsankar]

Suresh,

Aadhi ushas - Indha paatai patri solliyae
aga vendum.

Naan epodhum Tramilor show parpadhilai.

sila samayam - nam ennathai spoil seiyum.

PR - kum naan trailor show parkavillai.

But,
Aadhiushas - indha paatai kaetadhum
manadhil vandha ennagal..

Interludes and KJY and the chorus tell me

1. oru innocent King raajiyathai izhandha
varuthathai

(sila samayam nam personal experiences ku
match agum parunga.. apo theiryum . IR's music is God nu)

2.Vaetaiyada matum payanpaduthiya kaadu - ipodhu
adaikalam thandhadhai unarndhu , andha kaatai
nanriyodu parkum unarvai...

3.As a king, avan kadamaiyai seiya vendum enra unarvugal...
(izhandha naatai marubadiyum pera vendum enra unarvu adhu)

4.Thannudan irupavargalin anbil oru nambikai vaikum feelings...
5. violence illadha but oru Majestic feelings - to catch my place gara feelings...

ipadi solli kondae poga thonithu enaku.....

idhu dhan nama Raaja.......

[Sureshs65]

I believe each song of Pazhassiraja deserves its own write rather than just a review of all songs put together. So here is my first write up of the song discussed most, 'AdiuShas sandhya poothadiviDe'

The prelude starts with the rhythm with the keyboards joining in first and later the violin. Then the horns join in before there is silence and then the rhythm again accompanied by a bell sound. Jesudas starts the first line and the drum beats become forceful as he repeats the line again. When the pallavi ends with 'nAda ganga ozhugi', you can see the additional drums that come in immediately at 'nAda ganga' to give you a feeling of the gushing waters. The horns and the keyboard take up the first interlude and a voice comes to whisper conspiratorially. Then the violins come in before the charanam.

The two charanams speak different things. The first charanam speaks about a lost world and asks as to who destroyed it. Again, observe how Raja matches his music to the words. When the words say 'kAtrO kaTaruvigalO' the tunes goes down like a waterfall or 'aruvi'. The violins in the background do the same, giving you a feeling of waters dropping down from a height. This is very consistent with Raja's aesthetics. Do something at the micro level without disturbing the unity of the song and do it without drawing attention to that one phrase.

Immediately after the first charanam ends, the female chorus takes up the song, immediately changing the color from a forceful one and giving it a delicate tone. The second interlude similarly suddenly quietens down a bit before Jesudas starts the charanam.

The second charanam has a different tone from the first one. Now the poet is talking about an uprising. Accordingly the music changes. In the first charanam, after Jesudas sings the first two lines, they are repeated by M G Sreekumar. In the second charanam the repeat is by more than one voice. The single voice suits the despondency in the first charanam while multiple voices in second charanam conveys hope. Added to this, there is a chorus which joins in the background and become pronounced at 'kAtrO kaTaruvigalO'. When the song returns back to the charanam, Raja uses a standard device of making one singer repeat the same line at a higher pitch giving a powerful impact to that line. Slowly female voice also join the pallavi and the voices and the violins move upwards and end in a crescendo, giving an inkling of the revolution that is to follow.

I have my own doubts that this song was probably composed by ONV first and Raja tuned it later. For one, the way the song is structured. Secondly the way the tune goes downwards during 'kaTaruvigalO'. It is very doubtful that the poet would have used that particular word at that point if the tune was setup first. If the poem was written earlier, it would be easy to understand that Raja could have tuned it this way. (Ofcourse, I am no expert on this. It is just a guess.)

Another important aspect that cannot be missed is the rhythm. Raja creates a lot of color by the way he changes the rhythm in this song. A powerful rhythm starts it, then the sound becomes low, the power returns back, more percussion instruments get added, the volume increases, a tap her, a tap there. Infact the rhythm flows like a mountain stream, very subdued in some places, gushing forth unable to control itself in some places. Infact a full page article can be written about the rhythm and rhythm changes in this song by someone who is competent in this area.

Will write about the other songs later. Request everyone to post their views.

[thumburu]

"KannukkuLLe" is an above average music album with only the Madhyamavathi based "enge nee sndraalum" being the saving grace. The prelude begins like a Mohanam but quickly transitions to Madhyamavathi and the transition is simply breathtaking like opening the gateway to a celestial abode. Beautiful violins mark this song as many have already praised. I will be missing if I dont mention the violin that runs parallel when she repeats the pallavi after the first charanam , which also leads us to the 2nd bgm. That female singer should be phased out as she just falls flat at higher notes during the ending portions of second charanam. Karthik is adequate. That synth beats is an annoying glitch
Oru pournamic - Mixture of Mohanam and pahaadi , has a lovely tune. Orchestration is uninspiring and so are the singers. May not command enough listeners attention due to these flaws.
AMMA NAAN PIRANDHA - Good singing. Priya is a singer to watch out for. Raja, are u there?
pachai meni - Trendy synth, funky sounds and a cool singing. The opening "munagal" is a turn off though . First interlude could have been better
paattu kekka - Has some brilliant moments like the sharp ascent - descent of a violin bit in the prelude , very hip singing by the guys like Tippu , Rahul Nambiar. Pray !!! what is Bhavatharini doing here except bringing the song down several notches ? hm.... I would have liked if it were a "guys only" number.
vaanambaadigaL - Has the same situation as that of Vidhyasagar's classic "nakshathira paravaikku" from "Paramasivan" , but fails to match upto Vidhyasagar's mainly due to boring synth stuff. But in the pallavi 3rd, 4th lines , there is a string bit playing seconds along with the main tune in the back ground which says it's our IR after all

[AravindMano]

I believe each song of Pazhassiraja deserves its own write rather than just a review of all songs put together. So here is my first write up of the song discussed most, 'AdiuShas sandhya poothadiviDe'

The prelude starts with the rhythm with the keyboards joining in first and later the violin. Then the horns join in before there is silence and then the rhythm again accompanied by a bell sound. Jesudas starts the first line and the drum beats become forceful as he repeats the line again. When the pallavi ends with 'nAda ganga ozhugi', you can see the additional drums that come in immediately at 'nAda ganga' to give you a feeling of the gushing waters. The horns and the keyboard take up the first interlude and a voice comes to whisper conspiratorially. Then the violins come in before the charanam.

The two charanams speak different things. The first charanam speaks about a lost world and asks as to who destroyed it. Again, observe how Raja matches his music to the words. When the words say 'kAtrO kaTaruvigalO' the tunes goes down like a waterfall or 'aruvi'. The violins in the background do the same, giving you a feeling of waters dropping down from a height. This is very consistent with Raja's aesthetics. Do something at the micro level without disturbing the unity of the song and do it without drawing attention to that one phrase.

Immediately after the first charanam ends, the female chorus takes up the song, immediately changing the color from a forceful one and giving it a delicate tone. The second interlude similarly suddenly quietens down a bit before Jesudas starts the charanam.

The second charanam has a different tone from the first one. Now the poet is talking about an uprising. Accordingly the music changes. In the first charanam, after Jesudas sings the first two lines, they are repeated by M G Sreekumar. In the second charanam the repeat is by more than one voice. The single voice suits the despondency in the first charanam while multiple voices in second charanam conveys hope. Added to this, there is a chorus which joins in the background and become pronounced at 'kAtrO kaTaruvigalO'. When the song returns back to the charanam, Raja uses a standard device of making one singer repeat the same line at a higher pitch giving a powerful impact to that line. Slowly female voice also join the pallavi and the voices and the violins move upwards and end in a crescendo, giving an inkling of the revolution that is to follow.

I have my own doubts that this song was probably composed by ONV first and Raja tuned it later. For one, the way the song is structured. Secondly the way the tune goes downwards during 'kaTaruvigalO'. It is very doubtful that the poet would have used that particular word at that point if the tune was setup first. If the poem was written earlier, it would be easy to understand that Raja could have tuned it this way. (Ofcourse, I am no expert on this. It is just a guess.)

Another important aspect that cannot be missed is the rhythm. Raja creates a lot of color by the way he changes the rhythm in this song. A powerful rhythm starts it, then the sound becomes low, the power returns back, more percussion instruments get added, the volume increases, a tap her, a tap there. Infact the rhythm flows like a mountain stream, very subdued in some places, gushing forth unable to control itself in some places. Infact a full page article can be written about the rhythm and rhythm changes in this song by someone who is competent in this area.

Will write about the other songs later. Request everyone to post their views.

Suresh - :clap:

[jaiganes]

[tscii:e43b90bb4c]இடை விடாமல் மிக நீண்ட நேரம்
மீண்டும் மீண்டும் கேட்ட பாடல்கள்
பழசி ராஜாவின் புதிய கீதங்கள்.

அற்புதமான் ஒரு ஸ்லோகத்துடன்
தொடங்கும் இந்த இசைத்தொகுப்பின்
ஒவ்வோர் பாடலும் இளையராஜா எனும்
தேர்ந்த பொற்கொல்லன் அழகுணர்வின் உச்சத்தில்
நின்று செய்த இசை அணிகலன்கள்.

குறிப்பாக ஆதி உஷஸ்ஸந்த்ய எனும் பாடலும்
மலைவாசிகளின் பாடலாக வியப்புகள் ஏற்படுத்தும்
அம்பும் கொம்பும் பாடல்களும் இளையராஜாவுக்கே உரிய
முத்திரைகள் பதிந்த பாடல்கள்.
ஆதி உஷஸ் பாடலில் பல்வேறு பிரமிப்பூட்டும் இசைக்கருவிகளின்
ஒண்றிணைந்த சேர்நாதம் களியூட்டினாலும், ஏசுதாஸும்,ஸ்ரீகுமாரும்
‘ஆரிவிடே’ என்று தொடங்கி ‘தீர்த்து’ என முடிக்கும் இடத்தில் பாடும் ஸ்வர வளைவுகளும்
அவர்கள் குரலில் வெளிப்படும் பாவமும் பெருத்த கம்பீரத்தையும் அழகிய நெளிவு மிக்க கமகங்களுக்கே
உரிய நளினத்தையும் ஒருங்கே எவ்வாறு வெளிப்படுத்தினர் என்று தொடர்ச்சியாக என்னைச்சிந்திக்க வைத்துக்
கொண்டிருக்கும் இசை அற்புதங்கள்.

அம்பும் கொம்பும் பாடலின்
சரணம் மிக மென்மையாக ஜி.கே. வெங்கடேஷ் இசையில்
மிகப்பிரபலமான ‘மேகங்களே இங்கு வாருங்களேன்’
என்ற பாடலை சற்றே நினைவு படுத்தும் போது ஒரு சிறிய
குதூகலம் ஏற்படுகின்றது.எத்தனை நெடிய பயணத்தின் விளைவு
இளையராஜா என்னும் மகா கலைஞனின் இன்றைய விஸ்வரூபம்
என்பதை இந்த ஒரு பாடல் எனக்குச்சொன்னது.

வந்ததும் போனதும் தெரியாமல் மனதை மயக்கும் வசீகரம்
பொருந்திய ‘குன்னத்தே’ பாடலை சித்ராவின் குரலில் கேட்டோர்
பேறு பெற்றோரே. பாரம்பரியமான அழகிய மலையாள பாடல்களின்
வாடையிலே இளையராஜாவின் படைப்பின் திறன் பயணித்து
ஒரு அழகிய மலர்வனத்தின் வாசத்தையே தன் ஸ்வரங்களால் இப்பாடலில்
படைத்திருக்கிறது என்பது வெறும் அலங்காரம் ஏதும் அற்ற உண்மையே.

மற்ற இரு பாடல்களில் இன்னும் என் மனம் ஆழப்பதிய விடாமல் இந்த மூன்று
முத்துக்களும் என்னை இன்று ஆட்சி செய்கின்றன. இந்த இனிய போதை
இப்போதைக்கு விலகாமல் இருக்க என்னையே நான் வேண்டிக்கொள்கிறேன்.

[/tscii:e43b90bb4c]

[app_engine]

app_engine, casual question: how wud u compare IR's output for HH-MTV combo, as opposed to Bombay Ravi's output for the same ??

Madhan,
Bombay Ravi's score for HH has always been brilliant...But HH has never had a war theme per-se in his movies (till PR). Even Vadakkan veera gAdha was a poignant story of an individual called chandu, set in the warring family BG. Hence there can't be a comparison to Bombay Ravi's score.

It's fair enuf to say that Raja has done the best for this script, and bombay ravi has done full justification to the canvas he was offered.

irir123,
Upon just a couple of listenings of PR, my thoughts are exactly same as Shankar's. I think IR got the opportunity to show a wider variety and jumped on it with a grander score. IR shines with more variety while Ravi excelled in a couple of genres strongly dosed with nativity.

It's very difficult to compare the scores, however. I think the only song in PR that belongs to "similar-type-from-prior-HH-MTV-movies-category" is the KSC number 'kunnaththE' :-) To me it's as good as 'Ah rAthri mAjnjnu pOyi' or 'manjnjnaL prasAdavum' - not more, not less :-) Also it compares 1:1 with IR's similar prior numbers as minnAram mAnaththu (guru) & mArikkoottinnuLLil (kAlApAni).

One distinct disadvantage for IR is the current status of KJY :-(

He, along with KSC, were the lifeline for Ravi's songs which were melody driven with decent (but not extraordinary) orchestration. sAgarangalE of panchAgni, neerAduvAn & Areyum of nagakshadhangaL, anju sharangaLum & sAmaja sanchArini of parinayam - all these had great-great performance by KJY. OTOH, for IR, KJY can be used only for 0.75/ 5 songs, a very small percentage relatively. Thus a big handicap - especially in the MFM sense (PJ as an alternative also has lost steam and MGS is a very distant 3rd, unfortunately).

Considering that particular "resource limitation", IR has definitely managed to do a great job!

Ravi has to be given due credit as well, he has delivered great with Bharatan as director also and not just with HH, in vaishAli (another MTV script). So I'm not taking anything away from him and my comment above w.r.t KJY / KSC should NOT be taken in a wrong sense.

[app_engine]

One of my friends from angamAli used to tell that only KJY & Mohanlal can pronounce malayALam in such a 'sputikamAna vitham' :-)

As many of us in this forum already know, KJY is the equivalent of "MGR-ShivAji-Rajinikanth-Kamal-IR-ARR-all-put-together" in Kerala when it comes to hero worship, especially from 70's thru 90's.

Another malayALi friend used to tell me that KJY's thAdi was the reason for so many young malayaLees to have thAdi during 80's :-) It's such a common sight to see his pic in most audio stores and other places.

Well, age takes a toll on all great talents and KJY is no exception.

[kiru]

Suresh and Jai amazing writeup. I am lapping all up as aadhi usha is my favorite. BTW, do any of you know can explain where KJY is slipping or is it overall quality of singing. KJY sings only the later part of 1st charanam, pl confirm. Also, notice the bird like sounds in the prelude of adhi usha.
Jai ..the charanams of ambum kombum sounded familar..I thought it was TIS (muthu natraamam). Maybe it is some standard raaga phrases.
(Re: tamil and malayalam differences. I have similar opinions to Usha ..the singing in malayalam is top-notch, it is almost being sung with religion fervence)
If anybody has heard the Gladiator soundtrack ..the heavy percussion has a similar effect.

[irir123]

How is the album being received in Kerala/TN ?? so far I have not seen/read a single review of the album in any website!!

with "Guru" it was understandeable - the internet was not big in India (1997) and the film itself was relatively low-key

but shouldnt the audio of PR with its lavish production values have a better reach/visibility in the media ??

i just cant believe that every other 'kuppan/suppan' album gets rave reviews in portals, but PR is being discussed by a remote group in this hub!!

[Hulkster]

I believe each song of Pazhassiraja deserves its own write rather than just a review of all songs put together. So here is my first write up of the song discussed most, 'AdiuShas sandhya poothadiviDe'

The prelude starts with the rhythm with the keyboards joining in first and later the violin. Then the horns join in before there is silence and then the rhythm again accompanied by a bell sound. Jesudas starts the first line and the drum beats become forceful as he repeats the line again. When the pallavi ends with 'nAda ganga ozhugi', you can see the additional drums that come in immediately at 'nAda ganga' to give you a feeling of the gushing waters. The horns and the keyboard take up the first interlude and a voice comes to whisper conspiratorially. Then the violins come in before the charanam.

The two charanams speak different things. The first charanam speaks about a lost world and asks as to who destroyed it. Again, observe how Raja matches his music to the words. When the words say 'kAtrO kaTaruvigalO' the tunes goes down like a waterfall or 'aruvi'. The violins in the background do the same, giving you a feeling of waters dropping down from a height. This is very consistent with Raja's aesthetics. Do something at the micro level without disturbing the unity of the song and do it without drawing attention to that one phrase.

Immediately after the first charanam ends, the female chorus takes up the song, immediately changing the color from a forceful one and giving it a delicate tone. The second interlude similarly suddenly quietens down a bit before Jesudas starts the charanam.

The second charanam has a different tone from the first one. Now the poet is talking about an uprising. Accordingly the music changes. In the first charanam, after Jesudas sings the first two lines, they are repeated by M G Sreekumar. In the second charanam the repeat is by more than one voice. The single voice suits the despondency in the first charanam while multiple voices in second charanam conveys hope. Added to this, there is a chorus which joins in the background and become pronounced at 'kAtrO kaTaruvigalO'. When the song returns back to the charanam, Raja uses a standard device of making one singer repeat the same line at a higher pitch giving a powerful impact to that line. Slowly female voice also join the pallavi and the voices and the violins move upwards and end in a crescendo, giving an inkling of the revolution that is to follow.

I have my own doubts that this song was probably composed by ONV first and Raja tuned it later. For one, the way the song is structured. Secondly the way the tune goes downwards during 'kaTaruvigalO'. It is very doubtful that the poet would have used that particular word at that point if the tune was setup first. If the poem was written earlier, it would be easy to understand that Raja could have tuned it this way. (Ofcourse, I am no expert on this. It is just a guess.)

Another important aspect that cannot be missed is the rhythm. Raja creates a lot of color by the way he changes the rhythm in this song. A powerful rhythm starts it, then the sound becomes low, the power returns back, more percussion instruments get added, the volume increases, a tap her, a tap there. Infact the rhythm flows like a mountain stream, very subdued in some places, gushing forth unable to control itself in some places. Infact a full page article can be written about the rhythm and rhythm changes in this song by someone who is competent in this area.

Will write about the other songs later. Request everyone to post their views.

Pramadam, :notworthy:

[Sureshs65]

Jai,

Lovely writeup. Your writeup flows like the songs themselves and writing in Tamil has the advantage of effectively conveying what you want. It is good to see Raja inspire some of us to discover our writing ability:)

irir123: You are very true about lack of any website coming up with a detailed review of Pazhassiraja. I am sure lot of reviews will come up once the movie is release. (I guess it must happen this Friday)

Thanks Arvind and Hulk.

[MumbaiRamki]

is PR releaseing thsis diwali in TN also ?I didnt see any Ads ...(even the mallu version)

In kerala , my friends toldme that there is ahuge hype for this film

[K]

http://www.tamilentertainments.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?qry=uqYUdJkaALZFNB0nHJ6cOg==

Tamil Version Of the latest High Quality offering

[Plum]

Saw the trailers in suryar tholaikaatchi..
"He wants us to quit india "
In mallu accent.

Mammootty with haggard look.

Onyum seriya thonalai...:-(

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

Lets wait and see. The songs look well picturized. The overall production quality is good and Hariharan / Vasudevan Nair are known for their storytelling skills. I am hopeful.

[Plum]

suresh, hoping so. The dialogues were inane in the trailer, atleast what I understood of it. And forgot to mention - sarathkumarar :lol:

[Sureshs65]

Now onto the next track of this sound track. 'kunnathe' song.

The song starts off with a melancholic violin playing a lovely melody. A very light rhythm is provided in the background. Chitra starts the song and with it starts the rhythm. Try listening to the rhythm shutting out the tune from your mind. You will probably never be able to relate the rhythm with the song but when heard together they sound perfectly made for each other. The flute that plays at each of the line endings add tremendously to the melody of the song. The pallavi, in typical Raja style, twists and turns. Every turn bringing along with it its own melodic quotient.

Even before Chitra can finish the pallavi, the melancholic violin takes over and plays its part perfectly before more violins join and later all of them give way to the flute.

The charanam has the usual Raja trademark. What I mean is, if I were to stop the song after the pallavi and think how the charanam would start, I will never get it. But when the charanam actually starts you feel this is the most logical way to start it!! Here too the same thing happens. The rhythm of the charanam is quite different from the pallavi. Infact there are two threads of rhythm running along. One which is continuous and one which is not both of them fuse so well that for most part we hear only one rhythm. It seems so simple when this man does it!! The charanam too twists and turns. When the lyrics go 'tunayay varanum', the bass comes along as the 'tunai'. The second interlude is superb with the veena, venu and violin joining together to provide us with a feast.

In the case of this song I am convinced that the tune was first set. You can see what a great poet ONV is when you hear each phrase embedded itself into the tune seamlessly. I especially love the 'tunayAy varanumini uDalil nAgamaNiyum ariya haranE'. Forget the meaning. Just observe how well the sheer sounds of these words add to the overall melody.

And what more can you say of Chitra?!! What a voice and what a rendition. I doubt if any other current singer would have done justice to this song. Her voice sweet as honey and her diction perfect. Exactly what the doctor prescribed for this song. Three top class artists combine together to give us an heavenly melody.

Though I have written a lot, the best review of this song was done by one of regular posters, Kameshratnam. After having bought the CD and listened to this song he posted, "Wow. What a song. I have no words. Only tears." That probably sums it up much better than what I have been trying to say.

[app_engine]

BTW, do any of you know can explain where KJY is slipping or is it overall quality of singing.

Though I wrote a lot about the "missing of KJY magic" in recent songs, I'm totally unqualified in this area (i.e. identifying where he is slipping). It's mostly my feeling and in comparison with those he delivered >15 years ago (e.g. songs of 'his highness abdullA', that 'gOpikA vasantham thEdi vanamAlee', :slurp: )

Suresh, nice write-up on kunnaththE, my top pick from this album :-) KSC :notworthy:

[Sureshs65]

kiru,

As app_eng had pointed in another post, age is the factor. That now clearly tells in KJY's voice and is probably one reason he doesn't sing much nowadays.

[Plum]

Suresh, I am slowly veering towards kunnathe as the pick. Chitra is all class. This is what experience can bring to the table. I am unable to writew anything on this album - sila pala varushangal aagum

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

Include me. KSC :notworthy:

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

In an earlier post I had said that even if other songs are forgotten the Chitra song will remain. To me too, the best in the album. Brings out the 'Ekam' of the character so well. And what you say is very true. This needs the experience of Chitra to bring the sort of calm that is needed.

[Sureshs65]

Plum and app_eng,

In one singing show, when the singer sang R D Burman's "Beeti Na Bitayi Rayna", M G Radhakrishnan, sitting as the judge remarked, "The song has no intricate sangatis or brighas. But it goes somewhere deep inside and wrings our heart". A very apt description for the 'kunnathe' song as well.

Isn't it amazing what a good tune, good voice and good poetry can achieve together? Everything else takes a back seat.

[Plum]

App, kjy was majestic even as late as aaram thampuraan(hari murali ravam). Then its all downhill - I was pointing out kannamoochi enada in arr threads the other day - sema obi. Aadi ushas should hardly be demanding even for madhu b but kjy barely scrapes through. Thapam cheidhu, paal churannu - inge ellaam sema struggle.

[kiru]

The more you guys pick kunnathE as the pick of the album, the more I am worried about PR as a whole. Folks, it is very difficult to differentiate yourself in melodies in the crowded music world. For the masses, when it comes to melodies, they cannot differentiate between a kazhudhai and kuthirai :-( .
IR can only do a second innings with his orchestration skills..like in aadhi usha ..this is my fear (and I see irir123 is also worried along these lines). Guru was not a big hit with the masses ..and if PR goes this way ..it is not good for IR, not good for fans like us ..basically there is no market for orchestrated songs.. just some decent melody and a novel rhythm arrangement/texture would work ..oh well..
(I agree with you guys on KJY's aging voice, but even for the rest of the songs, nobody can sing even the first line like he does with the 'coolness' in his voice. You should be able to sing a difficult octave or sangathi withou the listener getting to know how difficult it is. Compare with madhu B's tamil version, too much tension there).

[Sureshs65]

kiru,

Unlike other films of today, especially in Tamil and Hindi, which are totally oriented towards the youth (Adhavan, Ayan, Ninanthale Inikum etc) Pazhassiraja is target towards a wide range of audience. So you will have all types liking different kinds of songs and Raja provides the required variety here. What it means when people like us like the 'kunnathe' song is that even middle aged guys may come to the theater to watch this movie :lol:

[app_engine]

The more you guys pick kunnathE as the pick of the album, the more I am worried about PR

At least for the last decade or so, none of my picks matched with that of "masses" anyways, so no worry there:-)

I don't think PR is going to go the guru way in KL, I foresee an action replay of what happened to the kAlApAni music & (may be the movie as well).

KP music was a decent hit and movie had an above average run inside KL. (Didn't make any impact in other languages, I think. Deservedly so, for I had watched portions of Thamizh version on TV and got annoyed with the dubbed voice for Mohanlal which killed whatever impact the original had).

With MTV & HH around, the movie may be really catchy. Mammootty, like Mohanlal, will provide what's needed for the role and may be more. Like Plum said, Saraththar is an issue but he should be ok to ride horses etc (I saw him ride a horse in a Bangalore road one day many years ago, may be shooting but he looked majestic) :-)

[kiru]

Suresh..IR has been in this business and as usual he hedges his bets.. But imagine how frustrating it would be for him.. to pioneer a genre and not find any takers !!!!
app...I really hope PR becomes a hit in KL. KL continues to be the land where they still love the carnatic/south india melodies and IR is well-respected there because of his forte in this area. Hope they encourage his innovations as well. Aadhi usha may not be a great tune..but Guru had both tune and orchestration. Let us hope still that PR makes it big.

[Bala (Karthik)]

Suresh :thumbsup: @ your write up on "Aadhi Usha..."

[Bala (Karthik)]

I still have "Aadhi usha", "Aalamadankala" and "Ambum Kombum" in a loop. Melodies ku innum poga mudiyala.
Its tough to decide between "aadhi usha" and "Aalamadankala" (of late i have a slight tilt toward Islam/its music).
"Ambum Kombum" - thaan dance aadalennaalum manasu kandippa dance aadum indha paatta kekkumbodhu! :)

[Bala (Karthik)]

For me, there is another adrenaline moment in "Aadhi usha..."
In the pallavi (backed by a faint electric rhythm guitar(? - headphone quality leaves a lot to be desired), from 1:10 onwards when Das Annan goes "naadha gangai urugivannadhivide" and percussions are added to augment the main rhythm.... phew!

Of course, the ludes are as illegal as drugs! What a high maan

[tvsankar]

Dear IR fans,
Naamae inum IR music ai sariya theiryujuka mudiyalai...

ithanai varushathil..

apo epadi Periya alavu hit ai expect panna mudiyum.......

Peirya alavu hit - its not the point.

HIs music is like a maths subject..

Ellarukum kathukanam

theiryujukanam

and then

purinjukanam

finally

Enjoyed with our understanding to the home work given by our Maths Master IR........

This is our Raaja..........

[tvsankar]

Suresh,
Unga writings style patri my comments..

Maths purinjadhum, kodutha home work ai

vegam,vegama derive panni, ans correct a
vandhudum.. theiryuma..

oru perfect derivation.... clean and very neat Suresh........

IR ungalai epadi ezhudha vechu irukar....

[jaiganes]

I attended a pop music concert in Raleigh NC couple of weeks back. I befriended the bass guitarist and interacted with him to know how bass sounds . Now I put the car speaker to full bass and listen to IR hits - I am fully blown away by the intricacies - particularly thangaaliyalli , 'Kanavarisu' and other old kannada gems - now it is time to play Pazhassi Raja and 'Alamara' song in full bass to feel that heavy drums thundering to the end of the song..
pozhacchu vandhaa post panren...

[jaiganes]

Suresh and Jai amazing writeup. I am lapping all up as aadhi usha is my favorite. BTW, do any of you know can explain where KJY is slipping or is it overall quality of singing. KJY sings only the later part of 1st charanam, pl confirm. Also, notice the bird like sounds in the prelude of adhi usha.
Jai ..the charanams of ambum kombum sounded familar..I thought it was TIS (muthu natraamam). Maybe it is some standard raaga phrases.
(Re: tamil and malayalam differences. I have similar opinions to Usha ..the singing in malayalam is top-notch, it is almost being sung with religion fervence)
If anybody has heard the Gladiator soundtrack ..the heavy percussion has a similar effect.

in ambum kombum charanam,
the 'thandhinam thandhinam thaalam' clearly reminded me of the pallavi of 'megangaLE' song.
The next sandham after that reminded me of a phrase(just before 'Kottaaram') in 'chinna kuyil paadum paattu' for a very brief period. I felt as if Raaja - when he composes a song - doesnt create a swara varisai to fully match a sentence of a song - rather the individual parts of the line appear to him as distinct swara combinations and he creates a linear combinations which can be repeated anywhere (like a cut and paste) into any song as long as he carefully inserts it in an appealing and appropriate context. This is possible only when the composer has understood the creative patterns that occur to him to the level of 'discrete mathematics'. He of course goes one step and obfuscates the whole process by quoting 'GOD' and oter metaphysical entities. As Ushakka (or thangachi) mentions it is pure mathematics and anyone with a discerning eye (or ear) for the linearity of the pattern has a very tasty groovy delicacy to enjoy for years..

[raagas]

eenadu telugu paper carried a news article. A New Telugu film named "Om Shanthi" will have music by Ilaiyaraaja. The movie will star Navdeep. Good to hear that he has some Telugu assignments too.

[raagas]

Suresh,

Wonderful reviews there. I am thoroughly enjoying PR a lot. Btw, I couldnt figure out the raaga in Aadhi Ushassu but i felt the Chitra song is in Suddha Dhanyasi.