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New Releases by ARR??

Topic started by Srikanth (@ passport.proxy.lucent.com) on Mon Sep 15 10:23:15 EDT 1997.
All times in EDT +9:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: aruvi (@ spc-isp-tor-uas-99-62.sprint.ca) on: Sun Jun 13 22:59:43 EDT 1999
  
  Well Sangamam may not be the best of ARR but it is certainly worth your money compared to some junk that other MD's are giving nowadays. All the songs except Shankar Mahadevan's and Nithyashree are melodious. SJ's song is really good and the album will certainly grow on you after the initial hearing. There is no law that all of ARR's music have to be like a 'duet' or a 'bombay'. I think that to an objective listener(like me) the songs are really nice. And we can always expect something different with ARR's music, standing out from other MD's music I mean, and he has certainly done that. Please listen to the SJ's, Sujatha's song patiently and you will see that they are good. Try to listen to the songs when you are free and not in a hurry. I bet most of you will like them then. But hey, if you listen to the album thinking like 'what the heck has he got' kind of a way, then you will surely not like it.
  
  
• From: Gokul (@ pool-207-205-186-94.clev.grid.net) on: Sun Jun 13 23:59:36 EDT 1999
  
  RF [Not the "rf":-)]
  
  ippadi oru review?:-))) ROFL:-)
  
  
• From: Ram (@ ott-on1-38.netcom.ca) on: Mon Jun 14 01:26:52 EDT 1999
  
  Raja Fan,
  
  I am sorry that ARR was not able to achieve his sole goal of enlightening IR fans with the release of Taal. I don't know how much money you spend on the CD or cassette, but whatever it is, it has to be too much for just one listening :)
  
  
• From: leena (@ host-216-76-165-3.mco.bellsouth.net) on: Mon Jun 14 09:29:51 EDT 1999
  
  Just listened to TAAL it is really very good compared to what other music directors are churning out.
  
  
• From: Mr.K (@ 206.139.13.152) on: Mon Jun 14 12:15:20 EDT 1999
  
  Listen here:
  
  http://www.rediff.com/chat/taal/taal.htm
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Gokul (@ pool-207-205-187-179.clev.grid.net) on: Mon Jun 14 22:58:47 EDT 1999
  
  Could someone review taal in detail? Thanks.
  
  
• From: Shashi (@ fw1xlate1.mayo.edu) on: Mon Jun 14 23:32:31 EDT 1999
  
  Hi everybody
  
  I finally got to listen to Sangamam (on the net). Thanks to tamilworld.com; Quality of recording-excellent.
  
  Review of Sangamam:
  
  Song 1: Margazhi thingal allavaa--by SJ & chorus. The chorus chant gives a good prelude(recorded very well) followed by an energetic start by SJ. The very first time I heard it, the first line of the pallavi reminded me of 'Vekathula sElae' from 'MuthumaNi maala.. '(Chinnagownder). However, rest of the melody resembles 'Mile sur mera thumhara..'
  This is not a criticism but just the fact that Bhairavi (hindustani classical)/Sindubhairavi (carnatic) sung in its purity will closely resemble 'mile sur..'. Although SJ has done full justice to the song, Unnikrishnan's intro into the second Charanam does break SJ's monotony and this increases the beauty of the song towards the end.
  Overall rating 7.0/10
  
  Song 2: Mazhai thuLi--by Hariharan, MSV & chorus.
  The humming prelude is very islamic. But this is quickly followed by the chorus which sets a wonderful tempo along with the rythm which has a little touch of 'Urumi melam' making it sound distinctly rustic (tamil folk). There are places in the pallavi--'En kaaluku salangai-itta, un kaaladiku muthal vannakam'--which reminded me of T.Rajendar's atrocious style of trying to squeeze in too many words within a constrained space (especially with a fast tempo); same is true with the lines 'nee illai illai endra pothum..undu undu endrapothum...'. One could have elegantly used one illai & one undu, which would have given enough space between words!!(Poets should have atleast learnt from the population problem in India!!)
  The charanam is simply wonderful. Again at the very end of the charanam ARR uses his favorite shift from G3, to G2 (he uses it too frequently which is bad) phrase.
  Some words about MSV--Good job. The initial humming improvisation is excellent. Rest of his charanam is powerfully yet folkishly delivered.
  Overall rating 7.5/10
  
  Song 3: By Sujatha & Srinivas. Sujatha's voice is pure nectar! The Kanjeera--has been put to excellent use by ARR. Along with the Mridangam the first few minutes of the song till the middle of the first interlude is great. Here ARR changes the mood by introducing a folkish 'Ae le le...' which totally sucks. He does this because he wishes to change to 'Dafli' (yes that giant Kajeera like percussion instrument--also called 'paramoLam' when played with sticks instead of hand). This in my opinion spoils the rather melliflous support given by the Kanjeera/Mridangam combo. Again, IMO ARR should have used the 'Dafli' rythm for only the last 2 lines of the Charanam and no more. This usually accentuates the beauty of the Kanjeera/Mridangam rythm by giving it a short break.
  Overall rating 7/10
  
  Song 4: Sowkiyamma by Nithyashree & chorus. Once again the prelude is amazingly well done; it is embellished with thillana like phrases sung beautifully by the chorus.
  Nithyashree does a good job in this song IMO. Not too much shouting (that one is used to hearing). The brigha's come to her naturally and shines through her voice. However, I should say that ARR has used the R3/G2 prayoga of Maand rather too frequently in the pallavi. This is like adding too many 'yellakaai's and pacha-karpooram to any Payasam'. One should know the right amount of usage of this prayogam(R3/G2) so as to not to give too much of a good thing!!
  I thought I heard a line which goes 'En Kaatril Swasam illai..'--Could not decipher the meaning!!
  Towards the end of the song the pallavi is supported by bowed bass and strings giving a somewhat eerie quality--does not gel with the rather light mood of mand. However, Kadri with his wonderful Sax comes to the rescue and from here on it is pure pleasure all the way to the end.
  Overall rating 7.5/10
  
  Song 5: Vaaraga nathikarai Oram by Shankar Mahadevan & chorus.
  Begins with a humming prelude, which resembles the humming prelude of 'Mazhai ThuLi', although this one is more elaborate. The first two lines 'Kannil varum katchiyelam kanMaNiyE(or kanManiyai=as in pupil of the eye) uruthum, Kannatha Un uruvam kannukuLLe inikum' which is sung without any rythm closely resembles the famous hindi song by Lata Mangeshkar 'Inhi logon ne, ....dhupata mera'. The song quickly moves to a qawali style rythm with once again excellent support by chorus. The lines 'Kannu dhak dhak dhak-un-guthu, OhOO Oh' resembles the line 'Har ek phal chaine-na-aave, sajaNa tere bina' a beautiful qawali number by the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
  The 1st interlude has shades of Maand showing--ARR must have had some maand hangover from Sowkiyama!
  I must give full marks to Shankar Mahadevan for rendering the song, especially the charanams wonderfully.
  Overall rating 7.5/10--I would have given this an 8/10 had it not been for the resemblence of the most catchy portion of the song with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab's work.
  
  Overall album rating 7.3/10. Definitely a good buy for all music lovers.
  
  Final comments; Although this album was touted to be more classical than ARR's usual style, IMO although it does have a slightly higher dose of classicism, overall, it is not a Shankarabharanam or a Moga MuLL. This does not however reduce the quality of the album per se.
  
  Once again thanks to tamilword.com for making the songs available over the net. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this cassette to a shop nearby.
  
  Comments welcome
  
  
• From: leena (@ host-209-214-34-98.mco.bellsouth.net) on: Mon Jun 14 23:44:20 EDT 1999
  
  Dear SHASHI
  You the MAN, congragulations for an excellent rewiew,You know something about music,we will be eagerly waiting for TAAL review soon,just let us know how much marks for padiappa and KD
  
  
• From: slimma (@ master.hyd.deshaw.com) on: Mon Jun 14 23:51:34 EDT 1999
  
  Dear SHASHI
  You the MAN, congragulations for an excellent rewiew,You know something about music,we will be eagerly waiting for TAAL review soon,just let us know how much marks for padiappa and KD
  
  Soon, soon,soonnnnnn...please:))
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Tue Jun 15 00:23:22 EDT 1999
  
  yEi..yEi.. vambu thaanEy :-)
  
  
• From: S.P MAHENDRAN (@ bkj-cache80.jaring.my) on: Tue Jun 15 00:27:52 EDT 1999
  
  Sangaman is a silly album.There is no songs which feel good.Really waste your money.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.146) on: Tue Jun 15 01:30:24 EDT 1999
  
  Shashi's review shows the pathetic condition of TFM today! Examla copy adichchu ezhudhinalum 70%kku mela markku kedaikkudhe! (TNla SSLC, HSC exams'layum idhu dhan nadakkuthunnu silar solranga!!:-)))
  
  
• From: Raj (@ master.hyd.deshaw.com) on: Tue Jun 15 02:56:39 EDT 1999
  
  velai: ;-)))
  
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Tue Jun 15 05:50:44 EDT 1999
  
  HOT on the heels of sangamam comes TAAL, one of the best albums from ARR in recent times. i listened hard to all the songs and except in two, i could not find strains of earlier ARR or other international songs (idhE thozhilaappOcchchappa:-))].
  
  the best song in the album is Ishq Ishq. starts off superbly and moves into a nice fresh sound pattern (oodaala ARR-in kaththal koncham sagiththukkoLLuga). for technical details (brigha, G3, A2, etc), pls wait for the experts to arrive.
  
  Taal se Taal mila sounds very familiar, but i can't seem to place it, which is the beauty of this song. it reappears in a "western" remix, only to fill space in the tape and the film, probably.
  
  
  Nahin saamne is an extremely slow number with very simple instrumental backing, which is really soothing and a big surprise, considering ARR's penchant for elaborate orchestration.
  
  Ramta jogi is one of his very best in a long time. maintains a decent pace and keeps the listener hooked.
  
  Kariye na is one of the songs that make you suddenly yearn for more of the SD Burman style music. a beautiful hilly-rhythm number, it is a guaranteed superhit.
  
  there are a couple of other songs (kahin aag lage, ni main samajh gayee) that are just Chaiyya Chaiyya meets Kuchchi Kuchchi Raakkamma songs.
  
  besides, there are two instrumental pieces (raga dance, beat of passion) which are nothing but pure agmark crap. just thagaradappa in digital recording.
  
  but still, all in all, it's a great buy. but the first time around, u may not quite like it. but persevere and ye shall be rewarded.
  
  
  
• From: pandu (@ host-209-214-32-31.mco.bellsouth.net) on: Tue Jun 15 10:51:37 EDT 1999
  
  throw EDEN out
  
  

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