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Is TFM in a vicious cycle of degeneration?

Topic started by rajaG (@ 208.24.179.211) on Tue Sep 26 15:43:14 EDT 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I have checked the archives and for some reason a topic with a similar heading is gone!
So here's is some food for thought.

1. Actors like Ajith, Vijay, etc commanding MDs to copy from "English CDs" and set them to Indian lyrics.
2. MDs like Deva, Sirpi copying left, right and center, in situations excluding item 1 above.
3. Bad pronunciation of singers.
4. MDs like SAR repeating the same tune over and over and over......you get the point (and many times in the same film)
5. ARR not putting any effort in re-recording at all- merely playing the songs in the movie with slower/faster versions.
6. ARR, Srikanth (Deva's son), etc blatantly indulging in lip-synch activities. Other lesser known artists, engaged in karaoke singing. While this does not directly affect TFM it speaks for the lack of confidence in the talents of the artists.
7. Many occurences of really stupid lyrics - though most of them may be blamed on the director/producers adamant insistence or same boring situations.
8. Absence of thespians who could inspire Kannadasan, TMS, SPB, PS etc to give their best.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Sun Feb 23 21:34:48 EST 2003
  
  One of the reasons I have stopped posting here much is because I have become too opinionated :) There is no point in discussing after that right ? ..Your banter aside, s0 what do you think about the present situation ?
  
  
• From: Sharma (@ 61.6.38.132) on: Sun Feb 23 22:00:11 EST 2003
  
  >>>IR's period is the best in terms of music and worst in terms of lyrics.
  
  Mythila, thanks for agreeing with me in one instance.
  Now I shall prove to you why IR's period was not the best even when it comes to music.
  
  Let us take the pre-IR period. MSV was ruling, but there was healthy competition with heavy-weights like KV Mahadevan. There were also extremely talented MDs like V. Kumar, Kunnakudi, MB Srinivasan, etc etc.
  
  If you see post-IR, although ARR is ruling, there are plenty of good talents such as Vidhyasagar, Bharadwaj, etc etc.
  
  Which brings us to the IR-period, when the music industry of TFM was monopolised by IR. Sure there were other MDs too but most were IR-clones or too non-influential and were swept away by the IR-current. How IR came about to monopolise is another discussion - and let us not get into that unpleasant part - but the fact is with monopoly, you lose out on competition and with no competition, you take what is offered.
  
  Which is why I maintain that IR's period was nothing fantastic for TFM as compared with the earlier period.
  
  About the present, we can only wait and see.
  
  
• From: :-) (@ 12.84.255.44) on: Sun Feb 23 22:59:09 EST 2003
  
  yar intha paithim!
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.28.203) on: Mon Feb 24 01:38:47 EST 2003
  
  Sharma -
  We don't talk about "monopoly" or how is pervades the Indian film scene/music scene in these parts.
  We have an incredulous amount of investment in notions of "idealism" and "fair play". We are oblivious to the concept of "industry" or "politics"
  Don't expect any direct any subscriptions to your version of the "truth" (although it may have a great amount of "truth" in it than other versions of the same.) :-))
  
  
• From: e.hari (@ 199.67.138.75) on: Mon Feb 24 12:02:46 EST 2003
  
  Mythila,
  What??. 'Endan Vaanil kaadal' is a copy of hindi song?. Do you know the original song?. I am still skeptical about this?. I like this song so much, I am willing to put this on my all time great song list. SPB was divine in this song.
  
  I think, TFM is in safe hands. The competition and amount of talent available were never at this
  level before.
  Lyrics wise, Late 80's and early 90's were the darkest period in TFM. But quality of lyrics were consistent and improved better in the later part of 90's.
  But I think, the New MDS except ARR and To some extent vidyasagar/deva so far failed to form a unique style of their own. If you hear any songs, you will never know who scored music, until you go and check the Pstats for the song.
  Another issue I have, only few new songs are instantly hummable. This is where new hindi songs scores over. Though they are repetitive and musically lifeless, one can not ignore, how they are instantly appealing and pleasant to hum.
  
  But the influx of various styles has made TFM songs much more appealing and interesting to listen in the long run. Talking about singers, did TFM at any point of time, carried so many talented singers at the same time?. This variety of talented and unique voices enhances even otherwise dull songs to next level.
  
  
  
  e.hari
  
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Mon Feb 24 13:03:22 EST 2003
  
  Sharma..could you open a separate thread for your theory. If you insist, what you are saying is relevant to this thread, please give us some examples of some songs (like Udhaya did) and tell us specifically how they are better than the songs of the IR period.
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 66.81.132.27) on: Mon Feb 24 16:50:22 EST 2003
  
  The following is a list of recent songs that appealed to me.
  
  Anbae Sivam (Vidhyasagar)
  -mounamae paarvayaai (instant classic duet)
  -poo vaasam veesum (mellow melody)
  
  Angela (Udhaya)
  -neeyaa illai nilavaa (fresh lyrics, original melody by new MD Udhaya)
  -vaseegara (excellent guitar work; female voice could be better but then we’ve survived Jenci and worse, so…)
  
  Bala (YSR)
  -poo poovaai punnagaikkum ival (male solo about a child)
  -enai theendi theendi theeyai moottugiraai (romantic duet)
  
  Dhool (Vidhyasagar)
  -aasai aasai ippozhudhu (spirited duet)
  -indhaadi kappakilangae (a rousing folk song with male chorus)
  
  Kaadhal Samrajyam (YSR)
  -iru kangal sollum kaadhal seidhi (fast duet)
  -thozhi thozha (a slow song about the woes of love)
  -At least one other song (poovai sootti) would’ve made it if the lyricist had an ounce of shame, if the producer and director had an inkling of originality, oh well, a good composition wasted.
  
  Kaadhal Sugamaanathu (Siva)
  -sollathaan ninaikkiraen (vintage bittersweet love solo by SPB)
  - At least one other song (vachirukkaa) would’ve made it if the lyricist had. . .I know you’ve heard this already.
  
  Kaadhal Virus (ARR)
  -oh kaadhalae unakkor kaditham (solid song despite Mano)
  -sonnaalum kaetpathillai (excellent duet)
  -endhan vaanin kaadhal (fabulous SPB song)
  -vaan nila tharum (groundbreaking jazz piece)
  
  Mounam Paesiyadhae (YSR)
  -kannil gaandhamae vaendaam (solid duet)
  
  Hey Nee Romba Azhagaa Irukkae (many MDs, Ramesh Vinayagam chief among them)
  -thottu thottu thottu chellum (enchanting duet; my vote for song of the year as well as newcomer MD of the year, Ramesh Vinayagam)
  -ini naanum naan illai (I can do without the nonsensical chorus intro, but the main song is fetching)
  -yaamini yaamini (nothing great, but a fun youthful song)
  
  Popcorn (YSR)
  -poikkaal guthirayilae (rustic therukkoothu style duet)
  -yaen isaikku ingu kizhakku maerkku ena (this is the male equivalent of “paadariyaen padippariyaen” with better lyrics)
  -poo vaitha poovil thee (YSR’s youthful exuberance is all over this one, a one-of-a-kind melody employing western classical, and local and western pop to a style that can only be called YSResque)
  
  Punnagai Poovae (YSR)
  -vaanam thoovum poomazhaiyae (another contender in the long list of rain-oriented love songs)
  -siragaagi poanaadhae (excellent lyrics driving a fast tempo song that’s over before you know it)
  -en kaadhal (a vibrant rap song that could have been interesting with better lyrics from something called Thamizh for instance)
  
  Raja (???)
  -karisal kaattu poovae (flavorful group folk song in the “sevvandhipoo mudicha” vein)
  -oru pournami nilavu (an upbeat duet)
  
  Run (Vidhyasagar)
  -panikaatrae (soothing melody)
  -ada vaadaa machaan vayasukku vandhutta (if you remember being young, you can appreciate this song)
  -poi sollakkoodhu (a near miss for people like me who care for passable if not inventive lyrics)
  
  Samurai (Harris Jeyaraj)
  -aagaaya chooriyanai (excellent duet, very original in composition and lyrics)
  -moongil kaadugalae (the production quality grabs you instantly and it helps that the composition, singing and lyrics warrant it)
  
  An aside: The common knock on HJ is that he’s an ARR clone. I say, if you’re going to imitate, imitate the best. HJ has shown me steady growth in melodic compositions and inventive tunes. His choice of singers is getting better. I’m a fan of many tunes from Majnu and 12B as well. I watch for HJ’s releases with curiosity.
  
  Sree (T.S. Muralidharan)
  -kala kala kalavena (the song is too short, but so is Thirukkural; SPB flies this one high)
  -kannae mozhi vaendaam (isn’t it nice to have energy back in love songs? I think so)
  -vasantha saena vasantha saena (catchy duet)
  Vaseegara (S.A.R)
  -paerazhagi…aahaa enbaargal (already wrote about this lovely song)
  
  Vettri (Harris Jeyaraj)
  -kanavil kandaenae (HJ continues scaling new heights)
  -paadavaa thaenenaa (a lovely ballad from SPB; I know I’ve been highlighting SPB, everyone that he sings these days is a find; he must be getting rightfully choosy)
  -nambavaendum nenjae (a little too peppy, but the scale change in the end is interesting and overall the song is better than most stuff out there)
  
  *HJ who’s capable of so much should’ve shied away from blatantly copying MJ’s Billie Jean in “Paattukku Paattu”; a true shame since that’s what he’ll be remembered for in this soundtrack over the good things he has done.
  
  Villain (Vidyasagar)
  -orae manam (solid duet mixing pop and heavy metal music)
  -aadiyila kaathadicha (I guess these days SPB is being used for asariri songs like Sirghaazhi used to be, I won’t complain if it has this effect)
  
  Youth (Mani Sharma)
  -all thoatta boopathi (rousing dappaanguthu song, yes we need these from time to time)
  -sakkarai nilavae (good melody with interesting lyrics managing a tribute to P. Suseela)
  -sandhoasham sandhoasham (a righteous song but if they have to get righteous on me they better get SPB like they do here)
  
  
• From: Thiru (@ 168.166.80.205) on: Mon Feb 24 17:20:37 EST 2003
  
  Udhaya, you have missed out a few good ones (edho minnal from 1000 poi solli) and included a few pretty ordinary ones too..(like vaada machan from Run.. oh kaadhale from Kadhal virus etc).. Again its your own list and you have the right to choose them.. do you think these songs really stand against those songs in the 80s? These songs are good and I dont deny that but do they stick with you forever like the 70's and 80s..?
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 66.81.143.206) on: Mon Feb 24 18:06:22 EST 2003
  
  Thiru,
  I will check out 1000 poi solli, thanks for the tip. I would listen to "Oh kaadhalae" in 10 years before I listen to any song from Vidiyum Varai Kaathiru or Poottaatha Poottukkal and several other mediocre albums from 82.
  
  "Ada vaadaa machaan" is a rite of passage song. There aren't too many songs in this genre.
  
  I date and itemise my collection by the release date or season. That's all a specific time period does for me. A good song is a good song regardless of the artists involved in making it. In my approach to music, there will always be good, mediocre, and bad songs. Having not pledged allegiance to any one artist, time, or style, I reckon there will always be a steady diet of good songs in the future, while my collection grows in range, style and number through the years.
  
  

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