Submitted by DFers.
Discussion Thread on IR's new albums
| Old Reviews |
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Ganesh (@ 134.113.203.137) on: Fri May 5 14:16:53 EDT 2000
First Let me say this is a wonderful album from Illayaraja. A very Good effort. You will be taken to say IR's 80s style of composing.
This is evident from the very first song itself.
1)Koil Mani Kettanae -(Unni and Swarnalatha)
starts off with a usual humming but picks up the pace soon there is also interesting peice of nice keyboard and bass jamming. And cute little lead by Sax. very beatutiful.
Song is based on Madhyamavati ragam (not fully) overall I give this song 8/10 for melody and instrumentation,lyrics.. hm.. ok!! --
Rating : 8/10 Good
2)Konjum Kuyil Pattu (Raja,Harini,Anuradha)
Once again another song based on similar ragam(madhyamavati&brindhavana saranga)like above but still sounds very different. The most interesting part is the instrumentation of this song good interludes of flute and keyboard.
Offlate Every music director is now seems to be after this ragam.
Rating for this song is --7/10
3)Oor Urangum Nerathil - (Hariharan)
A melodious catchy rthym a fine one.
More like Jazzy type of music a sax lead and nice bass. A sure contender for the top ten countdown
Lyrics.. hmm who is bothered!!
Rating : 9/10
4)Same is repeated by Raja
5)Rasathi Rasathi (Arun Mozhi,Anuradha)
Now this is ususal Rajas village song
sounding in the similar way as 'Madura Marikonzdhu' type
Rating : 6/10
6)Vanchi Kodi (Hariharan,Bhavatharini)
Another top ten contender,good melody no from raja. Bhavatharini has to work on her voice control ,lot of flat notes
This song also has good use of sax.
Raja has tried using lot of sax and different style in this album
My overall rating for this album will be 8/10 and you can definitely buy the tape if not the CD. You can listen to this album here.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Hari.K.Karan (@ 202.56.193.38) on: Wed Jul 19 08:50:59 EDT 2000
Bharathy
========
* Nirpadhuvey Nadapadhuvey :-
--------------------------
Very nicely sung by Harish Ragavendhar( I guessSon of Ragavendhar a regular singer in raja's troupe). Very simple and mellifluously tuned and orchestrated. 8/10
* Mayil pola ponnu onnu:-
----------------------
Sung by Bavatharini and lyrics are by Mu. Metha. Bavtharini sings as usual in her "superb" voice. It will be verynice if chitra sung this song. 8/10
* Kelada:-
-------
Sung by Rajkumar Bharathy. Sounds like Usual raja song with same old BGM Rajkumar Barathy's voice doesnot suits much for this song. 7/10
* Ninnai Charan:-
--------------
No words to describe about this song Neenda naatkallukku piragu raaja arumaiyaana paatu thandhullar. Very nicely sung by Bombay Jayashree. Superb superb simply superb. 10/10
* Bharadha samudhayam:-
--------------------
Dr. K.J.Jesudas sungs this unnarchi pongum paadal. Interesting BGm in the middle of this song. 7/10
* Edhillum Ingu:-
--------------
Sung by Madhu Balakrishnan and lyric by Pulamaipithan. Again a 10/10 song Very nicely written by pulamaipithan and nicely sung by Madhu balakrishnan. Great song.
* Vandhey Maatharam:-
-----------------
This song is also sung by Madhu Balakrishnan this is also a unnarchi pongum song like manidha manidha song in kansivandhal man sivakkum. A different and interesting orchestration. 8/10
* Agini kunchu:-
------------
A short and sweet song KJY is in full flow. 9/10 Raja Endrum Raja dhaan. 9/10
* Nalladhar Veenai:-
-----------------
Very different. Sounds like a sad song. Sung by Raja, Mano and chorus. Mano gets a Good song after a very long time. But Raja's voice does not suits to this song. 7/10
* Ninnai charan:-
--------------
Repetation of song 4 raja version.
* French Music:- As usual Raja velluthu vangugiraar.
A must buy for all tamils who love Barathy, Ilayarajaa and Music.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Fan (@ 63.226.194.153) on: Sun Sep 24 11:57:35 EDT 2000
Few comments I heard in the theaters:
1. Illai musicna summava..super songs..
2. Hey ram song was played in the interval:
If proper time had been given to Ilairaja for heyram - Kamal would have made money at least by selling IlayaRaja’s music.
3. Shinde looks like "Sidhu" rather than Bharathi
4. Old couples in front row -- “enathan analum ilayaraja music na oru thanee azagu.
“enathan analum ilayaraja music na oru thanee azagu”
After hearing Bharati... at the first go I came to this conclusion.
Nirpaduve:
A simple but wonderful Kalyani based number. The song is well shot. Raja uses Veena and other natural instruments very well, makes you hum the tune. As of today this song rank among top 3 in the all the ratings (been on a vacation to Chennai, all the channels show “shinde” at regular intervals singing this song)
Sung by Harish, good voice has a bright future.
Maiil pola ponu onu Sung by Bhavadharani.,
Has an interesting chord progression. The song moves to a major chord in the pallavi., there is harmonium kind of sound following the saranam. All these remind me of "inji idupazaga", the Sandam is very close to inji idupazaga, and some what has the similar feel too. (Why no attack on B.dharani?:)
I expected more percussion variations, frankly the same 4/4 is somewhat boring. I started to search for the remote control to skip to next track after the first 2 mins of the song.
Kelada:
Good mohana kalayani number, Rajkumar bharathi renders with a very good feel (Kollu thatha's song...natural instinct to sing it well:)
. Very good voice choice, it sounds really grand in the big screen.
The first bgm has a good violin score,we have been missing it for a long time, then follwed guitar and veena scores, very sweetly done. The mallets, bells and keyboards sounds over the song are well placed. For some reason the second bgm is very short.
Few things I noted:
Over all the saranam moves pretty smoothly but the ends the usual way.
The pallavi sandam once again very close to "van pole vannam ingu vandai gopalane"
The Saranam sandam is very close to "my dear kutichatan song" - Chella kuzadaigale
The song should be watched with the video to get the full effect of the score.
Ninaye saran ; Rendered wonderfully by Bombay Jaishree, the tune gets its fuel from her voice. I have a confusion in the raga, some say it is Panthuvarali, I feel it is poorvi kalyani. Please correct me if I am wrong. First thing I noted was the bass and chords, it is simply awesome. It moves so smoothly with the melody. The first bgm has a great Varity, it starts with a flute and sitar+sarod score that blends very well, then followed by some excellent counter points using keyboards and flute. The First saranam is very well structured, hope every one would have noted the second charanam being slightly different from the first one, this is the variety we get from composing for prewritten lyrics. Raja should do more scores for prewritten lyrics.
Please note the usage of Gamalen kinds of sound through out the song, very interesting to play for keyboard players.
Raja has given it a perfect shape to this song, I wish Bhrathi had been alive to hear this number.
Bharatha samudaiyam: some what ok song, should have used Rajkumar bharathi., KJY struggles., Nothing new in the beat, but has some good strings has counter points on the saranam, Inspite of the “voice doubling” the grandness is lost in soft rendering of KJY. I think he is getting old.
Ethilum : written by Pulami pithan,
Fresh and Bright Valaji/Malya marutham based score, different beat, Well rendered by Madhu, I wish he had also sung the earlier song.
Raja plays around with his ever-popular arpeggios, he places them interestingly over the song. The choice of same keyboard patch through out song could have been avoided. Very Very good number.
Vandematharam:
First thing I noted was the strings score over the pallavi, - one more reason to call him a great composer,
The bgm is well done, The brass counter points over the saranam is to noted, he blends with some local brass sounds, good imgaination. (Raja sir musicna sumava:) Madhu sings it very well, very tough lyrics., (Bharathi song sir:). Finally, Please see it with the video - this song is really grand
Agini:
My favorite song written by Bharathi,
KJY does it well, but still I have a long face for not using Spb.
The beat is well placed for thatharigita thatharigita.
Nallathor: Mano after a long time, does his job well. The chords are well thought out especially when singing solladi sivashati, When Raja joins in - it really gives me a goose bump’s, what a great tune and very emotional string sections through out then. The vocal chorus is so haunting. When "sarangi” joins the score it adds more feel and emotion to the song. The song ends with a timpani beats IMHO: kuraiYE illatha oru padal. (I don’t know why this man is accepting “kanda dabba” movies)
Ninai (Raja): After composing such a lovely score, every composer will love to sing this and record it. Raja does it well.
Overall, a great album by Ilayaraja, as of date this is ranked 4th in sales. (News Ubaiyam ; few SunTv programs)
IMHO:
Leaving the popularity criteria behind, and if start to consider music as the main criteria (happa atlast:)
This album ranks FIRST
Finally,
I wish the recording had been good, few songs not properly balanced.
(mordern musicin bathipu!, we long for better recording:)
Many books have reviewed this movie as one of the best in recent years, of course Thuglak has pointed out many mistakes in the movie (it seems lots of cinematic reels:)
But even Thuglak did not find fault with the music.
Whatever, as far as Raja and his music goes, no one (including me:) can find any fault.
BBS - Beg, Borrow or Steal the CD --- ASAP
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Dorai (@ 216.217.47.130) on: Tue Oct 10 11:05:24 EDT 2000
Finally I got the Bharathi CD. Listened to it atleast 30 times. The overall impression that I got was that it is only an AVERAGE composition. The reasons are as below.
1. The orchestration in general for all songs resembles one of the morning "Bhakthi Paadalgal'. The orchestration sounds like a album from T.R.PAPPA type of composer.
2. I do not see the tunes that he has selected for the songs is great. Its just average, going by IR's 1980 standards. He could have done much much better with his talent and knowledge. Of late IR is obsessed with tunes which are really slow and can fit for sad songs. For Example, the following songs are of that category.
1. "Engee Sellum Inda Padhai" (Sethu)
2. "Vaarthai Thavarivitaai Kannama" (Sethu)
3. "Ninnai Charan Adainthen" (Bharathy)
3. Choice of singers like KJY for "Bharatha Samutham..." and "Agini Kunju.." and Bhavatharani for "Mayil Pola" is Pathetic. KJY does not have the same magical and majestic voice anymore (aging???)
4. The tune for "Nallathor Veenai Seithen..." is not good. Unless the situation in the movie really warranted for it. We have to see the movie to understand it. In any case, I would rate the same song from "Varumaiyin Neram Sivappu" composed by MSV much much better than the IR version.
NOTE: I am a Hardcore IR fan. The best song of the album though is the "Ninnai Charan Adainthen" sung by IR with lots of emotions fitting the song perfectly well.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Isaipriyan (@ 164.164.86.66) on: Mon Dec 11 03:37:51 EST 2000
REVIEW OF "FRIENDS" ALBUM
1) Thendralukku - By HH and Bhavatharini - The best song in this album. The way Bhavatharini has sung this song raises eyebrows. Especially wen se sings "Lalala... " before the 2nd stanza. Simply superb
2) Rukku Rukku - Sung by Vijay Yesudass and YSR. A perfect example of hos to compose an enthusiastic song withot much of noise or aarpaattam. Vijai's voice is neat. The song has also been repeated in the B-side. Probably this is the song they are putting their money on.
3) Kuyilukku koo koo - by SPB, HH and SMD - I was particularly impressed by the way IR has orchestrated this song. Reminds me of IR of the 80's. The flute, tabla and violin made me feel that I was listening to some authentic, native music after a long time.
4) Manjal poosum - Sujatha and Devan - Sujatha's mellifluous voice is a great asset to this song. Probably no one would have sung the song better. Once again IR shows why he is the God of Music.
5) Pombalainga - As someone in one of the threads pointed out, it reminded me of 'Chittan Chittan kuruvi'. The orchestration is simple. IR proves that you dont need to play 30-40 instruments to makea song attractive. Simple beats and a good tune are more than enuff.
6) Pongaatrae - A sentimental song by HH , has been rendered well. Has to be seen with the movie to be enjoyed thoroughly. Good rendering by HH.
7) Vaanam perisu dhaan - Probably the only mediocre song in the album. I was disappointed.
FINAL VERDICT - One should nothave "Bhrathi" in mind while listening to the songs of Friends, coz they are difrerent in many respects. However I strongly feel that it is yet another addition to the mastro's enormously feathered cap. Great work by IR.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by vikram (@ 202.9.181.178) on: Sat Jun 16 16:16:26 EDT 2001
IR's latest album "Kathal jathi" released in chennai today.
Listened to the songs just once
and IMO a good album by IR.
Nice use of the flute in most of the songs.
1.Manase Em manase-Unnikrishnan,Bhavatharini
A slow melody with some nice interludes.The
charanam was particularly impressive.Altogether
an above average song IMO.I liked the voice of
Bhava which I generally don't.Unnikrishnan was
as usual good.
2.kannimara koyilile-Harini
A superb melody in which the flute plays a
major role throughout the song.Harini's voice
was pleasant.Though the starting of the pallavi
reminded me of the title song of the film
Poonthotta kavalkaran,the entire course of the
song changed after that.altogether a beautiful
song.
3.Pottalakaatule - KR and YSR sing together this foot tapping number.One thing I found hard it was tough to differentiate between the voices of
the brothers.The second interlude was impressive.
I think I will start liking this number after a few more listenings.Nothing more special about this song.
4.Enna Maranthalum - IR
The master is here.A trademark IR melody in all aspects.IMO the best song of the album.This song falls in the list of yenge sellum in sethu, ninnai
charen in Bharathi and so on.A soul stirring melody.
5.Kaathe Kaathe-Karthik
Again a nice melody with an excellent use of the flute.Karthick sounds ok but I think a better singer could have been employed.A good use of folk
type instruments in the 2nd interlude.Ilayarajavu
kku ithellam pudhusu illa.A very nice melody
altoghether.One more worth mentioning aspect is that this is the repeated song in the cassette.
6.Nethukudutha-karthick
A song with a nice rhythm and a good tune though
simple.The charanam was good in particular.I liked
the voice of karthick better in this song. A fine
rhythmic melody reminding much of 80's IR.
7.Enna maranthalum-Mahathi
I liked the IR version better.I think the singer
is a newcomer.
8.Anne anne-YSR,KR,venkatprabhu.
Again the brothers join for this typical Dappan-
guthu song.Nothing much to write about this song.
9.Pathiyai vittu pirincha-Kovai kamala
A typical folkish number with a slight devotional
touch.Lot of dialogues in the interludes.I liked
this song but I'am not too sure how many would.
Lyrics were impressive.IR uses Kovai kamala after
a long time (sethu).Altogether a good song.
10.Kaathe-repeat song
IR has also penned all songs.One common feature in most songs is that lot of dialogues are there
in the beginnings and interludes which I think
will be meaningful only when the songs are seen
along with the film.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by SanjeeviKumarS @ MusicMouse (@ 61.1.212.242) on: Wed Nov 7 14:13:45 EST 2001
Today I bought azagki audio cassette
Till now, I have listen for just only one time. I have heavily impressed by azagki
There are 6 songs
1) Pattu solli pada solli - Sathana Sargam
Mark : 6/10
2) Damakku damakku dam - Bavadarini - folk type
Mark : 6.5/10
3) Un kuthama dn kuthama - IR - sad type melody
Mark : 9.999/10
4) Oru sundari vanthalam - ArunMozhi, Unni Krishnan, SathanaSargam, MalgudiSuba, Parthiban,PramidNadarajan, MaragathamSriram - chorus melody
Mark : 9.5/10
5) Oliyilae therivathu devathaiyaa? - IR, Karthik, Bavadarini - melody
Mark : 9.5/10
6) Kruvi kodanja koiyappalam - PushpavanamKuppusamy, Swarnalatha - folk song
Mark : 6/10
Quick Review
-----------
Best Song - Oliyilae therivathu thevathaiya
But the 'Un kuthama en kuthama' will be another super song which will be the all-time favourite of IR fans and melody wishers
Also the song 'Sundari Vanthalam' is a nice song with a lot of singers, first sube sung then sathana then unni.. wov great experience. But it remember to me the song 'Oru maina kunju .. dandakkudandan dandanda dandakkudandan'.
My faurite is
Oliyilae therivathu thevathaiyaa
Sure, it will be milestone in singer Karthik's carrier.
Ippadi oru pattu illaiyaraja-vidamirunthu vanthu niraiya naalachu.
All of IR fans,
please buy a cassette/CD of azagki (In the cassette cover the spelling of this file title is azagki)
enjoy the sweet melodies, melting melodies
Finally a few words
a simple and excellent songs from our mastro
The song are not expected in TFM (even in IR fans),
But it prooves again the IR's touches
I pray for super hit and commercial success for the songs and also the film by Thankar Pachan (Oli oviyar)
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by velramanan (@ 202.88.154.169) on: Tue Nov 27 02:07:20 EST 2001
1)Paathu Cholli - How many SIVARANJANIs can this man churn out? I guess this is yet another sivaranjani raga song from IR. Sadhana sargam is good here, but would like her to improve in pronunciation matters.
2)Damakku Damakku Dumm - Bhavatharini again. Reminds one of 'Poo arumbuthu' song of Kutti...Guess this is too set in MADHYAMAVATHI ragam a la that KUTTI song. Kind of grows up on you with every subsequent hearing.
3)Un Kuthama en kuthama - Agmark IR stuff. Sad & indifferent meloncholy, rendered brilliantly by IR. Look at the way he starts the charanam and traverses higher in mid-way and drops softly to sweetly melt into the pallavi...I guess it is another good KEERAVANI raga added to his already huge list of keeravani based songs...
4)Oru Sundari vandhalam - So u are tired after a long days work?..Back to bed?..turn on this song...so friendly & soothing is the song that you instantly know someone close to you is relieving all that pressure strains u accumulated all day...But this is my own perception, yours might be different..( i sincerely wish people do not disregard it is just another chorus song...i assure you it is not so)
5) Oliyile Therivadhu Devadaiya - Raja raja raja...where were you all these days? Or is it that we had temporarily lost you (as you told in an interview)..Man, what a trademark 1980s song from IR,...Lovely...good rendering by Karthik & Bhava..will top the charts once the film is out....
6)Kuruvi Kodainja - Only song that made me feel,"oops, this could have been avoided,"...crap lyrics make it un-hearable ...(real vulgur song in recent times)...poor (immediately after one single hearing, i earsed this song and replaced it with 'Ninnai charan adainthen' of Bharathi)....
You can listen to this album here.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Neels (@ 170.140.250.152) on: Fri Jun 21 08:48:47 EDT 2002
I reproduce here a review by Neels, (an old TFM regular) in the 'Ivan' thread.
SP
---------------------------------------
Ivan IMO is one of the better releases this year.
Sudha sings 3 numbers, all of which are pure classical, with absolutely no light music elements except that the lyrics are penned by TFM regulars. (In contrast to this, Sindhu Bhairavi had most songs with light music touches, either in orchestration or in their format). I guess most of the people including critics such as Suchitra Lata were looking forward to listening to a different Sudha, (a la Nityashree's impressive, popular debut in Jeans). However, I was definitely not disappointed with her numbers. They are great!
My only disappointment was that in the first song, "Enai Enna SeidhAi Veinkuzhaley" towards the end, when Sudha and the violin quartet (of Lalgudi Krishnan, Vijayalakshmi, Embar Kannan, V.V. Ravi) break into some interesting kalpana swaras, Parthiban recites some filmy poetry!! I wish he had added this overlay over the film's sound track rather than spoiling the fun in listening to the complete song in the album!!!
The above song, (set to Simhendra Madhyamam) throws in many surprises towards the end, moving to raga LatAngi and then to HindOLam, MOhanam, Chandrakauns, NAttai and KalyANi in quick succession.
Her 2nd song "EnakkiNai" is a brief number. I can visualize the scene thus:
Soundarya starts singing this number (she's probably presented as one with a bloated ego.. a la Thiruvilayadal's BAlayyA and Manorama in "Thai MookAmbikai". Note the lyrics: "EnakkiNai YAr ingE Isayil"). Methinks she is interrupted by the sheer presence of our smartass (anti?)hero Parthiban at the audience and makes a mistake (a la Shankarabharanam Rajalakshmi's "SAmaja varagamana"). And stops singing! Now enters the great Subbudu, who thrashes her for turning mAyA mALava gowLa into PantuvarALi (she replaces the swara Ma1 with Ma2!) And of course by the end of the next reel, she has fallen head-over-heels for this rowdy!
The third song by Sudha, "kaNnan Nee En Isai Naadha Oviyam" is a very good, crisp composition with some good lyrics. I think it is 'Shri Ranjani' ragam while MusicMagazine thinks it's 'BAgeshri'. Experts may kindly clarify.
"UlagamE nee Manidhanai MirugamAi" is a dynamic, strong number with some excellent orchestration and interludes. The singer (Sriram) though sings pretty well, lacks the depth of a seasoned artist such as SPB or Yesudas. The chorus singers do an excellent job too. I loved the number. Can't help the feeling that it would have sounded better with SPB in the lead!! Mmm.. if wishes were horses!!!
My personal pick of the album is however not a classical number, but the dark horse: "Appadi PAkkaradu vENAm, kaNNAla ThAkkaRadu vENAm" sung by MAtangi and Unni Krishnan. Wow! What an innovative composition!!!! I have listened to this song a couple of dozen times already and never seem to get tired of it!
It has so much of freshness, and is very soothing to the ears. The rhythm is catchy, yet unobtrusive (not your regular 4 by 4 beat here). It appears to be set in raga Shankarabharanam though shades of KEdAram seep through. I like this song as much as I like IR's 90s classic, 'Thendral Vandhu' (avathAram), though they are entirely different styles.
ThooLu pOdu is a fast paced number with some typical inane filmy lyrics (probably the 1st song in TFM whose main content is "Pickle"!). It also has some Telugu phrases appearing every now and then. Karthink (of Olyile Therivadu-Azhagi fame) and Sujata have done a decent job. It may probably go well in the count-down shows.
The other main song, "Mel top-la 5 star" is strictly OK. Nothing to write home about (the lyricist probably thought it was a great idea to bring in phrases like 'Mel-Top, 'Gate-VAsal' 'Queue-Varisai" etc.. Well, IMO it is an average number.
The rest of the numbers, "Bhajanai Seivom" and "PAttukku pOgAdeenga, Onga-bAttukku POgAtheenga" (Nice word-play) are bit songs, probably situational numbers in the film's soundtrack, which last no longer than 1 minute each.
Overall, I immensely enjoyed listening to this quality album. Go for it!
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Vel (@ 219.65.96.19) on: Tue Feb 4 12:49:04 EST 2003
Julee Ganapathy Songs - Review
Will be yet another top quality album from IR..Atleast it is refreshing fresh music from IR...Let me get through my ranking...
1) Enakku piditha paadal - What a classic !!! Rendered well by Shreya Goshal. There is another version by Vijay Yesudoss, which is good too. Its a Dharbhari kanada masterpiece...This song will live some long years...6/6
2) Minmini Paarvaigal - At last you get what u always expected from K.J.Yesudoss & IR combo...This is vintage IR stuff. The BGM in the song is mesmerising...5/6
3) Kaakka Kaakka - Hip Hop, IR wont stop...This is rum-bum-bum part II...what an off-beat rock n roll...I dunno who this singer Anitha is, but man, she takes you for a enjoyable ride with her firm grip over the rendition..5/6
4) Thanni Konjam - Sounds raunchy and yet no vulgar hisses & pantings ;-). IR scores good & high by maintaining pep while not squandering away the subtle carnatic overtones he somehow manages to conjure up..(Aamaam, idhu vakhulabharanam ragam maadhiri irukke)..Its been quite some time since you heard a midnight masala kind from IR right? Well then here you go...4/6
5) Idhayame Idhyame - The song has quite complex BGM build-ups, and as you listen to the theme music, you would know why...Hmm Mid-way..4/6
Not bad at all...Kindly buy your copy from the nearest store, and for heaven's sake dont just listen to MP3 bits & pieces...
Merry listening...[Raja sonna "Full meals'kku" neram vandhiducha enna? Appadithaan thonudhu :-) ]
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Vel (@ 219.65.96.209) on: Sun Mar 9 04:40:41 EST 2003
If you are a die hard fan of IR like me, do get ready for some dissappointments. But all is not lost though, in this latest album MANASELLAM. Let me go through the songs,
Side A
1) Chinnakuyile - Karthik proves his capability to handle songs of diverse forms...The song is abt how the hero hates things that are not natural..IR has underplayed the BGM, and if i am not wrong, the lyrics writer has silently taken a dig at modern day composers..nice one..3/6
2)Iniya Naal - Pastoral kind of harmonies (for a change, kids start the song.)...most portion of the song is in chorus, till sadhana barges in...though the song swings to three distinct moods/passages, IR chords it all in a single flow, and you would agree that it has been tightly woven as a single piece...Nothing special given IR's mastery to club different styles, but not a bad song either...3/6
3)Iniya Nadhi - Many songs of IR leave you wondering whether he was hurrying to finish off the song in a flash, or else he would miss his flight :-)...Same case here, before you knew, the song starts & ends...but i liked the carnatic overtones that the song carries..2/6
4) Nee thoongum nerathil - sounds its yet another sivaranjani based song, not sure though..How i wish SPB had sung this song..Hariharan is flat as ever, with emotions not coming through...4/6
Now i am scared to talk abt the side B of the cassette ;-)...anyway, here goes...
Side B
1 Oru jodikuyil - "Ada poya, neeyum un pudalangai song situation'um "...This is probably what IR thought while director explained the song situation...IR would need more challenging plots to make good music...Vijay yesudoss needs some individuality in his singing, as presently i find his style so much like his dad's..2/6
2 Highways'le - very mediocre song...why do you need Tippu, Karthik for this song? S.N.Surendar, Arunmozhi & co would have done the job...or you & your next door kid would do..2/6
3 Nee thoongum - Sadhana is a lot more effective with her version, than the HH version. Good rendition, and seems pronounciation has improved...4/6
4 Mid night'le - For pete's sake, dont even try playing "Midnight'la" song at your home...you will be thrown out of your house by your dad :-). [if u were married, then by ur wife]. I could never imagine that a movie maker could stoop so low to include a "panting-hissing-nothing-more" song...pathetic...1/6
Regarding manasellam, I would give just 35/100, a "just pass", " very average" album from IR...
Ayya, yaaraavadhu PONMEGALAI eppo release agudhunnu kaettu solreengala?:-)
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Vel (@ 219.65.96.165) on: Sun Apr 27 04:54:09 EDT 2003
DHANUSH
The cassette cover reads "isaignaniyin isaipuratchiyil.."
idhu enna pudhu karadi? ;-)..Puratchi'nnu solla mudiyaadhu...but vithiyasama try seidhirukkirar raja...adhu unmai..Now let me give you a song-wise review...
Side A
1) Vellipaniyil - Vijay Yesudoss & Bhava - very orginal & catchy tune. Bhavadharini sounds more authoritative than Vijay, but both could have done better justice to this breezy, soft tune. I think it is set in sudhadhanyasi. The highlight is the excellent flute pieces in the song - 4/6.
2) Poovukku vasam - Sujatha - Not even close to the classic "niram pirithu parthen" from "time". But then this is no less a composition. How i wish IR avoided the synthetic percussions here, a la the "time" song...the charanams are better than they sound at first..(madhyamavathi, is it not?)..Overall, another original, catchy tune..Sujatha is the best choice for the tune, and she does not dissappoint much, does she? - 5/6
3) Nillu Nillu - Malgudi Sudha, SPB Charan, YSR, Murugan - The song is another "lethargic-sounding-yet-impressive" composition from IR..offhand i can remember "raja rajadhaan" song (very casually set in raga sivaranjani in the film "oru orula oru raajakumari"), which will fall in this genre..mild'a hindolam flavor irukku, i am not sure, as the song is too light to reveal any raga pattern - perfect for a drowsy drunkard's jig at weekend dance floors - 3/6
Side B
4) En Idhayam - SPB, Febi, Kalpana - [not baby kalpana as mentioned by a DFer here :-)] - IR music'la table kaettu romba naalaachu...SPB paadi romba naalaachu..."SPB + IR + Tabla" - Yet another Natabhairavi song i guess...odd mix of synth percussions & tabla, but thankfully, the latter overpowers. SPB is back with his konashtai's..OK, not bad at all - 4/6
5) Pattu viral - Vasundra Daas - Now wait a minute, sure if it is vasundra indeed...well, don't we all know IR is unpredictable? The surprise package in this song is that it is set in raga "ragavardhini" [IR used the same scale in "unai kaanum bodhu hey" in fim "en mana vaanil"]..Just imagine, a completly westernised orchestration for a carnatic melakarta ragam...Not many people would even think of attempting this..
In the charanams, IR leads Vasundhra to her outer limits, and for a second, leaves her strained & gasping :-)...for the IR's experiment & Vasundra rendition - 5/6
6) Mazhaithuliye - Unni Krishnan, Anuradha Sriram - Another carnatic experiment - IR has used raga 'vakulabharanam' quite innovatively in this song. To explain more, by avoiding emphasis on "Dha - Dhaivatham" of vakulabharanam, and with some "Revathi" like phrases, IR almost makes you think it is a "chakravagam" number - 5/6.
A good blend of "mind" & "heart" has gone into this album..IMHO, neither is the TFM world nor the rasigar kootam, going to notice any such experiments..but effort is an effort, and i can only say that it will not go unrecognized.. [Afterall, you read this review patiently till here, did you not? ;-)]
One for your collection, if you like a mixture of soothing melody, mild western, subdued carnatic & some for slow paced dance - all rolled in one unassuming album..a clean & neat IR album..DHANUSH
PIN KURIPPU - Cassette cover'la back side'la raja photo (immersed in deep thought), simply dhool.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Vel (@ 219.65.117.32) on: Sun Oct 5 00:37:30 EDT 2003
Pithamagan is here…here is a song wise review
1)Piraiye – madhubalakrishanan, lyrics by valee
Yes it sounds dangerously close to “putham pudhu poo” from thalapathi…but “Piraiye” is Panthuvarali* while putham pudhu poo is hamsanandhi, is it not? It is like saying apples & oranges are both round in shape (the sensory feel), but these are different fruits altogether (the material composition)…Now over to the song…
Madhubalakrishnan impresses once again, after his excellent opening with IR in “Ethilum Ingu” of Bharathy..IR has shifted the natural pitch of the song few notches up, so anyone trying to play the song would misplace the scale Panthuvarli, until the Sadjam (Sa) is located rightly. The overall tune is haunting, with massive support from Madhu, but lyrics by Valee could have been far better..The interludes (strings & flute) are mesmerising, but song lost some steam in the charanams…My rating - 3/6
2)Ilangaathu – Sriram Parthasarathy & Shreya goshal, lyrics Pazhanibharathi
The starting word is what the song is..that is, “ilangaathu”, a soft breeze…to tell u the truth, my first impression was that Karthikraja must have fpitched in with BGM arrangements & orchestration..5 hearings down the lane, I knew it has to be IR (especially, listen to the first interlude, the way it is closed with a brief yet stimulating strings piece….the “lethargic-sounding-yet-effective” combination of percussions, strings, flute combinations in the second interlude) …the tune simply grows with each subsequent listening..
For some more grammar of the song now..The song opens with lilting flute piece..this is another Natabhairavi* I think, a elegant composition..I am reminded of the timeless classic, “oh butterfly” from Meera (the urban colour of Natabhairavi)..this is probably the rural colour of the raga, for the same love situation…Try comparing the two tunes, and u would see the different dimensions of the scale, exploited well by IR…the song closes with the flute piece..The sore point is the lifeless strained rendition by the lead singers (especially Shreya, whom I had great expectations…Sriram parthasarathy sounds very much strained in the ending portions of the charanams..The duo let the great tune down)..Could have opted for Jeyachandran (or Balram) & Uma Ramanan (or atleast Swarnalatha) – My score (for the original tune & carefully etched interludes) - 4/6
3)Aruna Runam – Old songs medley (intermittent dialogues by dubbing artist savitha)
What a dumb idea to include this in the album? Some old songs are strung together..and only value addition that is done is that “used-to-sound-sweet-but-now-turning-monotonous” voice of Savitha…(Why does she always sound as if she is under severe cold attack?)
4)Kodi yethivaippom – bhavatharini, p.k.thevar, sanmugasundari, raghavendhar & chorus, lyrics – na.muthukumar
Aaha, though a brief song, the natural tharai, thapattai, urmi evoke the typical rural flavour…There are so many new singers listed in the cassette cover…but I was surprised to see Bhavatharini, atlast shedding her childish sounding roots, and impressed with some gamakkams J, albeit only briefly…
The song starts with Thodi* scale, that heavy scale in the carnatic league..BREAK & CUT…shifts gear to a lilting soft piece by Bhavadharini (Harikhambhodi?)…BREAK & CUT…off to the typical IR chorus gana type (remember “annan sedhuvukku sedhuvukku” from sedhu) in scale Shankarabharanam…BREAK & CUT back to “Kodi Ethi vaippom” where the song started….in THODI…mini journey into the sruthibedham family of Thodi perhaps ….
With seemingly disjointed pieces strung together, no one other than IR, manages to conjure up a single coherent unit…Too bad it ends too shortly ….For the natural percussions/orchestration & simplicity of the tune - 3/6
5)Ilangaathu – solo by Sriram Parthasarathy - Atleast sounds better than the duet version, I wouldn’t know why
6)Piraiye – repeat
7)Adadaa – K.J.Yesudoss, lyrics – Mu Metha
Tharai, Thapattai, Urmi melam…The orhchestration is riveting, scary & the song sounds militant & turbulent in its emotions…no one else can sing such a complex tune so effectively like Dr.KJY…a blinder of a tune (in raga Revathi* ? If I am not wrong, then IR is using the scale after a long long time …the last one was the kadhal oviyam song..) Mu Metha has done his job like a seasoned veteran..the depth in the lyrics hit you hard…“Dhaganam Nadakkum Idhathil Endhan Jananam Endru Arindhu Kollada..” (Vikram’s role is that of vettiyan, u see)…I am not going to write anything more about this song…Pls listen for urself…If IR is going to give me one such song every album, I wont care a damn how the rest of the numbers sound…..My score - 6/6
Summary
Song 7 is enough justification for u to buy this album (cassette or CD)…1 & 2 are bonus. And if song 4 & 7 are any indications, I am very much eager to grab the kamal-IR album (ERSTWHILE Sandiyar), just for its potential folk dimensions/orhcestrations.
A Neat Album, IMHO.
[* Note – All references to ragas are my own personal judgments, based on my (limited) exposure to that field. I would be glad to correct these, if found incorrect, by experts] You can listen to this album here.
Ilayaraja
Reviewed by Manjunath.d (@ 203.200.42.208) on: Mon Oct 13 07:39:53 EDT 2003
superb songs,
i even wept once when i was hearing to the song un kuthama en kuthama.
heart touching song.
i am an hardcore fan of ilayaraja.
songs will the massive hit.
i don't why there song don't get selected for the national awards.
i am born and brought up in karnataka, i am basically a tamilian,
i don't know to read and write in tamil.
but varigal of vairamuthu and music of ilayaraja made learn tamil.
hats off.
Post comments
Sections:
Home -
TFM Magazine -
Forum -
Wiki -
POW -
oPod -
Lyrics -
Pictures -
Music Notes -
Forums: Current Topics - Ilayaraja Albums - A.R. Rahman Albums - TFM Oldies - Fun & Games
Ilaiyaraja: Releases - News - Share Music - AR Rahman: Releases - News - AOTW - Tweets -
Discussions: MSV - YSR - GVP - Song Requests - Song stats - Raga of songs - Copying - Tweets
Database: Main - Singers - Music Director's - Lyricists Fun: PP - EKB - Relay - Satires - Quiz
Forums: Current Topics - Ilayaraja Albums - A.R. Rahman Albums - TFM Oldies - Fun & Games
Ilaiyaraja: Releases - News - Share Music - AR Rahman: Releases - News - AOTW - Tweets -
Discussions: MSV - YSR - GVP - Song Requests - Song stats - Raga of songs - Copying - Tweets
Database: Main - Singers - Music Director's - Lyricists Fun: PP - EKB - Relay - Satires - Quiz