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Suresh, to some extent I agree with BR on the synth usage. But I think his concepts on orchestration is not in tune with the thinking here in tfmpage.
When IR entered the field, he aggressively mixed WCM with ICM and created a novelty and impact. Over a period of time, the techniques have become very sophisticated and songs were very specialized and "narrowly focussed". For eg. I think the songs he did for Mohan movies in a phase were very good examples of carnatic pop/fusion - melody with chords/bass guitar. BR correctly observes Hey Ram, Guru are the real examples or orchestration. I cannot digest his example of an orchestration - azhagu ayiram from ullaasa paravaigal. I like the song to my death..but that is not my definition of orchestration. Some posters there (like ramesh) seem to want IR to do songs in a certain way. How can he do that when he has set himself up to do songs for ever and ever.. for eg. ninnai charanadainthEn..is a straight indian music (I did not hear any chords or bass in my laptop speakers). But there are almost classic raagam oozing songs with chords/bass line etc. some with string counterpoints/harmony..
I like it all, if the musical idea is good and it touches that corner of heart..(yeah..how do you define music ? stream of notes which make an emotional impact right ? no emotion no music..just noise).
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kiru,
I do know there are many people here whose ideas of Raja's synth usage resonate with BR. No doubt about that and I think we have all accepted the fact that there are quite a few songs where the usage of synth has probably robbed us of some great execution by the live orchestra. About this too I have no doubts and this is what BR is also saying.
I fully agree with what you say regarding orchestration. The sophistication has definitely increased and the orchestration has become more lush and as you say, sometimes, 'narrowly focussed'. All the elements mentioned by BR, that of instruments joining in a for brief while and lot of color added by each instrument and yet the whole remaining very unified, you can hear all this in 'kothumbi' song from 'Tiruvasagam'. But note how the whole thing has now become very much more sophisticated. The same applies to the orchestration of 'Guru'.
As I said many of us are not great fans of Raja' synth but the difference is, as you note, if the musical idea is good and touches you, you are more than willing to love that song, irrespective of the synth. The problem with lot of people is that they have rubber stamped Raja as someone who cannot use synth, someone who has 'lost his imagination' etc that they are unwilling to listen carefully to what Raja is doing. If you note BR's post, there is no mention of 'Pazhassi Raja' at all. The only mention is about 'adi thirathannil'. I can't understand what is wrong with the three lovely songs of 'Jaganmohini', all of them synth based, the melodies in 'Valmiki', songs like 'chinna polike' and 'edaya bagile'. Even in disaster movies like 'Kannukulle' and 'Madhiya Chennai' there were a few songs which were top class with lot of synth arrangements. I am not saying he has used synth in the same sort of audience pleasing way that Rahman, Harris or YSR have done but if you are willing to listen to the songs I mentioned, you will hear musical ideas far superior to others.
The problem I have with many of the people like BR or Karthik of Milliblog, is that they think it is a sort of fashion to talk about world influences, recording techniques etc and Raja does not fit into this area. Hence the music of Raja post 80s doesn't appeal to them irrespective of the musical ideas and you can see them going ga ga over a lot of inferior music and music directors . I guess they all want to maintain themselves as people who are 'contemporary' and Raja is not the fashion of today. Therein lies the problem.
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Suresh, Baradwaj is different from Karthik of milliblog. I dont think his lack of appreciation has to do with world music etc
He is a fine music critic. I dont agree with him on many things but he does have a clear perspective, and does articulate it quite well, if you follow him closely.
I am expecting him to elaborate further in future columns which will give us a better picture of where he stands
EDIT: In his comments, Baradwaj has elaborated, which is close to what I thought his view point is.
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Plum,
I will agree with you that Baradwaj is different from Karthik, in the sense that he articulates better and more elaborately. (Though sometimes too elaborately for my taste :) ) What I was comparing was the need for both of them to be 'cntemporary' so much so that an outstanding work like 'Pazhassi Raja' is grudgingly acknowledged as being OK by Karthik and Baradwaj says that 'PazhassiRaja' may be a good idea but the execution is not upto mark!!! So my conclusion is that when it comes to Raja they both wear some sort of 'modern' or 'contemporary' glasses through which his music gets filtered!! My comparison was only regarding this aspect. Otherwise, I have no issues with your statement that Baradwaj is far different from Karthik. It is just that I find him a far better critic of movies than of music.
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Oh it is the other way around for me and someone like B(K). Music reviews over movie reviews of his.
Also, if you notice, he is not very appreciative of early Rahman(not that that's a badge or something but that indicates that he is not into trend-following). So, he definitely has a clear pattern to his likes and a very clear reason for not liking 90's Raja much,w hich he consistently applies to early Rahman as well. I mean, application of standards is equitable there. Even for me, later Rahman (from around the time of Swades and KKS) appeals to me more than the earlier one.
What I mean is I think he definitely isnt a wannabe and has a very well-defined taste, which he is well self-aware of, and I think he is quite balanced in his music reviews. Yeah, the views on pazhassi raja etc differ, but that I can live with. I wouldnt reduce his status as a music critic just for that sake.
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Plum & Suresh, I can vouch that BR not a trend follower. I would even put him in the HCIRF group. Just that he has different views about IR's latter day output..and that is fine. We frequently discuss music and I know his viewpoints quite well. People have different views that doesn't have to agree with ours. Let it be...:-)
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Plum,
What confuses me is that the supposed 'complexity' of later Rahman is praised but equal or more complexity in Raja's post 90s music is at most acknowledged but not given due respect!!! I don't have a problem with respect to him liking and analyzing Rahman. My problem is that even when something as outstanding as 'Pazhassi Raja' comes up, it is quite perturbing to see a critic write that 'it doesn't work for me'. What I mean is that a good critic has to point out the musical qualities beyond the external factors like recording techniques etc. In that way, any good music critic would have asked listeners to listen to 'Pazhassi Raja' and pointing out to the music ideas hidden there. In that way, I do not consider him a good music critic, because beyond the nice way he writes there is nothing in his writing which gives me a deeper understanding of the music. The English is good but beyond that there isn't much. As I said, I personally feel many in this forum itself are as 'musical' as Baradwaj and their understanding is equally good, if not better. So personally I don't hold Baradwaj, the music critic, too high in my esteem. He is as good or bad as any of us.
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And the Pazhassi Raja conversation with BR was about the second interlude of "Odanthanil..." :-)
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Shank,
I have absolutely no issues at all with people having different views and I fully accept Baradwaj as well as other people's views with respect to Raja's output. And again, I don't have a problem of someone being a HCIRF or not. What I am trying to say is that Baradwaj's views, to me, are as good as your views or Plum's views on music. I find your writing about Raja's songs quite illuminating (especially the way you describe how Raja bridges the pallavi and charanam, I think you call it 'stanza transitions'.) as well as Plum's views on some of Raja's songs, which have a nice emotional content. Something which I don't get from Baradwaj's writing. (Maybe he never did write much in those lines.)
So what I was trying to tell Bala (K) is that we need not overtly worry about Baradwaj's view. It is one more point of view and not something very special!! I guess you will agree with that :)
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Fine Suresh.
Shank, i am also trying to defend BR here :)
The thing is his views are coming in as comments on posts. I think shank should ask him to elaborate more in a post on "yeah, i like the ideas but not the execution part". I have a fair guess of what exactly he means there.