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IR's new albums!

Topic started by RAJAN (@ proxy-122.iap.bryant.webtv.net) on Thu Jan 22 22:20:06 EST 1998.
All times in EDT/EST +9:30/10:30 for IST.

A new Ilayaraja album is a cause for celebration with many among us. Let everyone share in the revelry. Review, discuss or comment on new IR albums.

Check the IR reviews page

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Fri Jan 12 10:51:43 EST 2001
  
  I dont want to get into debates anymore but, Comsician, since you have nice quotations in your post it is worth a reply :).
  
  You can never say anybody has stopped learning. We all learn things all the time. Specifically, IR mentioned that he learnt so much while writing the BGM score for Hey Ram. I dont think anybody who has achieved like him will talk like that. This is because he knows he is playing in a ocean called Western Classical Music and Indian Classical music. He is not playing in any genre. He is playing with a system ...much more fundamental. I hope you understand or somebody else with better communication skills elaborates this point.
  I am not sure what you are talking about 3D aspect of world music. I do own many world music albums. And I am yet to see this 3D aspect of world music albums. I have seen this 3D only in IR's albums. The strings are far behind, sometimes the drum is on the left or on the right etc. I am talking about the spatial aspect of music ..what audiophiles call 'imaging'.
  Re: new types of music. I dont think apart from Jazz there is any other different school of music that is internationally popular. It is mainly the beats/rhythm from other cultures which gets adopted/used. This is being experimented by IR in new albums. But I think he has experimented with our own elaborate tAlam system a lot. Just that we never heard the percussion in his recordings that well. I think having a full range speaker or subwoofer will help. Because his recordings do not have the 100Hz boost which the new POP song makers promptly do. It is all natural percussion.
  
  You talked about lyrics..but one thing I wanted to point out is that you should look for the perfect blending of the vocals +with the accompanying music. Recent example is kAnna unnai thEdugirEn:Ur uragum nErathil. Watch the beats and the bass and every syllable in the lyrics. Perfect synchronization. I doubt the new groove/POP based songmakers can achieve this fine grained orchestration.
  
  Overall I think your disappointment is misplaced. Maybe lyrics is one area which can be looked into. Another area is recording and mixing. Definitely there is a lot of scope for improvement in this area.
  
  
• From: cosmician (@ 194.170.127.53) on: Fri Jan 12 11:23:40 EST 2001
  
  Thanks Kiru...for the informative reply...I should have mentioned - from my layman's point of view. Your have a more technical understanding of the finer points which I lack.
  But let's face it...I don't find anything innovative coming out of IR to suit "my" taste...the whole aspect of commercial music is mass acceptance...and that's the whole point here...if IR is not in his former stature with the present generation...what has happened ?
  
  When I said 3D aspect of world music...I am sorry I should have been more clear...please correct it to New Age music....Electronica and synthesized sounds add a whole new dimesnion (ARR has done this well) and if IR can find new ways of incorporating it in his mix...we will be in for a few pleasant surprises...
  It is here that he seems to be floundering...listen to the flat instrumentation in Konji "Konji Alaigal Oda.."....beautiful melody and everything but in trying to keep up to modern tastes he has not been able to turn out anything more interesting in the drum rhythms other than the ones he already knows...the same goes for the songs TV and MP in FRIENDS...melodious songs but nothing innovative in the instrumnentation...
  Frankly speaking, I could hear and understand the lyrics only after the ARR - VM combination. There were definitely a few good lyrical songs by IR but most of it had..."Maane, thene, ponmane"...so I don't think my disappointment is misplaced....
  Maybe ARR-VM have been responsibe for anglicization of the tamil music genre...English has taken a strong root...our whole discussion here is in the same tongue...not that I like it...but that is the trend....and I will learn to become a trend setter in this trend...I hope IR does that too...
  
  
• From: cosmician (@ 194.170.127.53) on: Fri Jan 12 11:33:04 EST 2001
  
  I'd also like to mention...
  "When old patterns break, new worlds emerge."
  
  So IR IMO is still floundering in old patterns...maybe it is too late now...but I am waiting to hear an entirely different IR...
  
  
• From: cosmician (@ 194.170.127.53) on: Fri Jan 12 11:34:21 EST 2001
  
  Kiru...I dont mean to debate with you...it is my desperation that makes me rant and rave like this..please forgive me..
  
  
• From: PRASAD (@ 206.102.161.11) on: Fri Jan 12 15:56:01 EST 2001
  
  Dear cosmician,
  
  If IR started using synthesizer, our own IR fans started calling it as ARRish. This is not right. Probably his reason for downplaying in this area is this.
  
  IR is the first person who introduced computerized musing in TFM(Punnagai Mannan). Incidentally IR was the composer and ARR was the keyboard player for the film.
  
  ARR uses too much of synth. Fine! That doesn't mean that if IR uses synth. he becomes ARRish. This thinking should go among IR Fans.
  
  MD's who started composing yesterday could use synth. effectively and I am sure IR can do this without much effort. But he may be fearing that his fans may be disappointed.
  
  
  
• From: VVN (@ 64.208.81.180) on: Fri Jan 12 16:40:42 EST 2001
  
  computerized musing in TFM(Punnagai Mannan). ---
  
  the famous rumor...
  arr has supposed to have done it, Ir did not give proper credits, hence arr walked out.
  
  
• From: PRASAD (@ 206.102.161.11) on: Fri Jan 12 18:06:28 EST 2001
  
  Dear VVN,
  
  I also like ARR music. This news came on Kumudam before an year. From your reply, I could understand you got me wrong.
  
  There is nothing wrong in ARR playing for IR composition or any other's composition for that matter. All MD's(including IR) did the same to other MD's who was then popular.(After all nobody could become MD overnight). Basically that is a growing process.
  
  I am not biased with anybody here. Afterall good music from anybody should be appreciated. What all I said there is about IR fans or other music fans.
  
  One thing is sure. IR's ego will not allow him to take credit of other's composition.
  
  Had it hurt your feeling as Ardent arr fan(I guess so), I am sorry about it. I didn't mean it.
  
  
• From: Velai_Vetti_nothing (@ 64.208.81.180) on: Fri Jan 12 18:36:22 EST 2001
  
  Prasad, NOM,
  I am not a big arr fan.
  When I read your postings, I remembered the fight between ir and arr that came in kumudham few years ago, I thought it is better to post this, before some arr fan takes IR for a ride on this issue.
  
  
  
  
• From: cosmician (@ 194.170.127.53) on: Fri Jan 12 23:46:18 EST 2001
  
  Thanks Prasad...point noted and taken :-)
  
  
• From: CHARI (@ 203.197.137.37) on: Sun Jan 14 10:13:50 EST 2001
  
  It is high time that our man IR retires and takes a backseat by producing films with Director Shankar team and letting Karthikraja or Yuvanshankar raja to score the music. As rightly put by his own blood relative, he has lost his midas touch and takes all his fans for a dry silly ride which is not worth it. The same old voices without a variety, SPB- or replace with Napolean, Arunmozhi etc. KJJesuda- or replace with Nirpathuve Ragavendhar etc. He has lost the charm of original composing. This is a true to heart statement. There is no point on talking about out-dated ideas or hitting the dead snake to show activity. He is good as a producer and can produce and direct films of his standards for his good music. HE WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER BREAK UNTIL HE BRINGS IN A CHANGE IN THE VOICE FRATERNITY. THIS MAY SOUND SOUR, BUT THIS IS THE TRUTH. WILL ANY SINCERE FAN BELL THE MUSIC CAT (will he listen or talk high unknown philosophy, it is his headache) AND GET AN ANSWER?
  
  
• From: fliflo (@ 130.203.164.93) on: Sun Jan 14 11:16:50 EST 2001
  
  Chari:
  
  Is that the reason for a large number of "friends" cassette sales. Every magazine reports this.
  
  "Pullai Thinnaalum Puli Pulithaan" "Raja Rajathaan"
  
  
• From: yaaro (@ 213.122.239.242) on: Sun Jan 14 14:15:25 EST 2001
  
  fliflo-add this proverb also-yaanai paduthalum kudhirai mattamdhan
  
  
• From: yaaro (@ 213.122.239.242) on: Sun Jan 14 14:15:33 EST 2001
  
  fliflo-add this proverb also-yaanai paduthalum kudhirai mattamdhan
  
  
• From: PRASAD (@ 206.102.161.11) on: Sun Jan 14 15:18:35 EST 2001
  
  Dear Chari,
  
  I agree with most of your points. But if you consider his music Hey Ram, he has definitely given some variety! The orchestration of Ram Ram! or the other love song(I did not know what it is in Tamil) and a classical piece Har koyi samjey!, they were all good.
  
  So what I feel is, for him to experiment with different music, he should be used by good directors. Unfortunately IR(thinking that he is all), has picked up a tussle with all good directors(ManiRatnam, Balachandar, Bharathi Raaja etc.) If you consider the music given by him for these directors, it was good until his last movie with them. He even picked up a tussle with RajiniKanth.
  
  There is a chance for him only if he get hold of new production companies and did not show his ego to them. I still have a feeling, as his fundamentals in music is really(Even conventional karnatic exponents appreciate him)good, he can give a good music when he gets a good director who can give some challenging new type of scenarios in his movie.
  
  
• From: fliflo (@ 146.186.113.41) on: Sun Jan 14 17:26:22 EST 2001
  
  "There is a chance for him only if he get hold of new production companies"
  
  What is he doing now.
  
  
• From: naan yaar (@ 161.142.100.85) on: Sun Jan 14 20:00:27 EST 2001
  
  SUPERRMAAAA...SUPERRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
  
  F
  R
  I
  E
  N
  D
  S
  
  ADHEEENGAPPAAAAA!!!!!!
  
  
• From: Neels (@ 203.199.87.3) on: Mon Jan 15 00:05:38 EST 2001
  
  Guys,
  They showed Bharati on Vijay TV yesterday (Pongal Special) and I enjoyed it. Despite some not-so-good art direction (they showed a modern day train, when a train in the 20s was completely different) and some real awkward handling of scenes (especially the confused, inconsistent dialects mouthed by some key people), I think it was a good effort. And I truly believe that the Background score of the film elevated it to a new level.
  Those who have seen the film will still remember some real beautiful scores in some of the well-made scenes such as:
  1. When he comes to share a new song he has composed with a small girl, the elders do not allow Bharati to enter her room and would not allowed to come out either, siting the reason that she has just got engaged. He ridicules their reasoning and gives a talk about love.. 'Aadhalinaal Kaadhal Seyveer'. The BGM in this place was superb.
  
  2. Chellamma and her brother Appadurai go in search of Bharati with a lantern in the wee hours of the morning and find him at the river side, sleeping. They break the news of his darling daughter Thangamma's marriage that's scheduled for that very morning and give him a new dhotie and angavastram to wear and ask him to perform the Kanyadaanam, he breaks down.. there's an excellent score by IR, that makes the scene complete, and brings out the emotional outburst and the character's helplessness very well. Unforgettable.
  
  The story and the director's handling of the movie has obviously inspired him to give such a magnificent score.
  
  I also caught a program on DD a couple of days ago, where director Bharati Raja demonstrated the contribution of IR's BGM score. He showed a scene from 'Mudhal Mariyaadai' without the BGM score first:
  
  -- Ranjani and Deepan go to the river bed. She starts running till he plays a melody on the flute and he follows a while later.. she gets robbed and killed in the water and this guy comes to the scene, shocked, throws the flute away, and then news spreads and people start rushing to the venue... there's a montage sequence here, showing one shot in slow-motion (of her body taken out of the river) and a normal motion of the people running. The visual impact was minimal.
  
  Then Bharati Raja showed the same scene with IR's BGM. IR had just used one instrument: THE FLUTE. The director taked about the harmonious effect of one flute joining many (when the news spreads and many feet rushing to the scene).
  
  He also gave another example from "Kadalora KavithaigaL": He had shot a long edited sequence of Satyaraj standing on one leg atop a huge rock on the Muttom beach with a book in hand and Rakha and the entire colony coming in to watch the scene in awe and love blooms between the two.
  
  IR just watched the sequence on screen and composed a song that synched perfectly with every single editing cut: the song is 'Pallikkoodam POgamale, Padangala Padikkamale, Dass Dass Chinnappa Dass Dass; Pass Pass Nee Ippo Pass Pass"
  
  Bharati Raja said that most people still don't know the fact that the song was composed later and not the other way round. But it looked like a perfectly choreographed piece. He talked about the kind of understanding that they had and the vibes they shared.
  
  I wish they teamed together to make another 'Mudhal Mariyathai' soon.
  
  I agree that IR needs to work with some good storytellers and it would be even better if they can be good marketeers as well.
  
  
• From: funky (@ 205.188.198.36) on: Mon Jan 15 01:42:49 EST 2001
  
  IR has come out with bang!!!. When Vijay kills
  surya & devaani in FRIENDS BGM composed of keyboard, Thapela & Miruthnaga is so impressive
  people tend to run away from theatre.
  
  

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