Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

IR Recommendations?

Topic started by Ravi (@ 205.188.208.104) on Fri Dec 5 20:50:17 EST 2003.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hi, I'm a young TFM follower, and I've always heard that IR is a maestro and a genius and whatnot. Before 1994, the Tamil tapes I would bring back from India were of IR's music, but when I listened to them recently, most of it wasn't impressive to me. These albums were more mass stuff like Singaravelan and Chembaruthi. After Roja, I pretty much stopped listening to IR for a long time. I heard the songs from Sethu, Bharathi, and Kathalukku Mariyathai. I didn't like the first two albums, but I liked KM. Most recently I heard Pithamagan, out of which I liked Adadaa and Elangathu Veesudhe. I liked Veera from 1994.

When his music is creative it is very good, but I often find that he used standard beats and practically no instrumentation except for percussion in many songs I collected in the early 90s. His use of strings and background scores are good.

I've heard some of his 80s albums, but have liked only a few of the songs and maybe 1 or 2 albums from this period.

What are some outstanding IR albums you guys could recommend?

---

Responses:

• From: IlayarajaFan (@ 67.38.19.243) on: Fri Dec 5 22:04:46 EST 2003
  
  I can recommend some albums, but reading ur preference of albums like Kaadhalukku Mariyadhai, I really doubt if you would be able to appreciate these!
  
  Anyways, my taste is different. And the products I like from Ilayaraja are altogether different.
  Try listening to Hey Ram,Agni Nakshthram,Avatharam,ChinnaGownder,Dalapathi,Eeramanavae Rojavae,Guru(malayalam),Idhayathai Thirudadhae,Idhayam,Keladi Kanmani,Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal,Manadhil Urudhi Vendum,Mohamul,Nadodi Thenral,Nizhalgal,Pudhu nellu Pudhu Nathu,Salangai Oli.....list will go big if I start thinking and listing..
  
  
• From: niwdah (@ 210.187.176.114) on: Sat Dec 6 06:43:28 EST 2003
  
  IR SHOULD TRY SINGING FOR ARR`S MUSIC.I`m not teasing IR nor saying that his music is less powerful if compared with ARR.But I`m expecting sth different from IR
  
  
• From: rahana (@ 66.185.84.78) on: Sat Dec 6 08:14:00 EST 2003
  
  niwdah ! yes(arr) his mom's pusssy too ehh
  
  
• From: MUSIC LOVER (@ 62.215.3.46) on: Mon Dec 8 04:58:28 EST 2003
  
  RAVI,AS YOU SAID YOU ARE A YOUNG GUY,U NEED TO BE MATURED AND HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC TO EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAESTRO COMPOSES,JUS SONGS ALONE DONT MAKE A MOVIE,MUSIC BRINGS OUT LIFE IN EVERY SCENE OF A MOVIE,BASED ON SONGS U CAN GET LESS IMPRESSIVE ABOUT THE WORKS OF THE MAESTRO,IF U CAN GET HOLD OF A MOVIE NAMED AVATHARAM PLEASE BUY IT AND SEE IT,THERE IS A RAPE SCENE,THERE IS NO FRAME WHICH SHOWS THE RAPE HAS HAPPENED ,BUT THE BACKGROUND MUSIC WILL TELL YOU IT HAPPENED,THT IS MAESTRO ILAYARAJA,SO INSTEAD OF BUYING ALBUMS BUY MOVIES AND ENJOY EVERY BIT OF THE MUSIC ,ONE WHO IS A RAAJA FAN DOESNT JUS TALK ABT HIS SONGS BUT WILL TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC WORK IN THAT FILM
  
  
• From: x (@ 209.47.143.226) on: Mon Dec 8 09:15:37 EST 2003
  
  Ravi,
  Kadalukku mariyadhai and Veera are IR's average stuff. Watch the following old movies for both BGM and songs.
  
  Johny
  Pudhiya Vaarpugal
  Sigappu Rojakkal
  Varusham 16
  Nayagan
  udhirippookkal
  Mouna Raagam
  Raaja paarvai
  
  These are just samples to show the class of our maestro. And there's lot more but this is good enough to start with.
  
  
  
• From: i_n_s (@ 68.77.8.29) on: Mon Dec 8 14:57:53 EST 2003
  
  Just two albums will be enuff to not only educate about the infinity of music itself!
  
  Annai Oru Aalayam (always recommend to the advanced music connoisseur, but has the "thrill" factor to delight the not so musically inclined also. Actually my most favorite Indian film album of all time.)
  
  Sigappu rojakkal!!!!
  Ilamai Oonjalaadigarathu (my second all time best!)
  
  if u can take that deluge of music, then u are prepared to enjoy IR and pre-ARR, otherwise u will have to continue with Rahman ;--)
  
  Also, listen to MSV's Anbe Vaa
  Sankar Ganesh' PaniMalar
  for an intense beginning!
  
  Good luck.
  
  
• From: i_n_s (@ 68.77.8.29) on: Mon Dec 8 15:09:22 EST 2003
  
  just to clarify Ravi' conclusions:
  
  practically no instrumentation except for percussion in many songs
  
  u could not have been more wrong in your listening abilities! still trying to find on the planet anyone with equal or near genius in percussion and rhythm! in Western pop, i enjoy Phil Collins and Jackson with two different styles but excellent judgements in rhythm, but percussion? no one to beat IR!!! take my word.
  
  also, Singaravelan is an awesome album like Chembaruthi. But try as much to go back to 70s and 80s albums, not late 90s, avoid that because it is for the greedy, old yet restless IR fans like me who don't mind any crap from an even more old IR ;---)
  
  try to get hold of "Garjanai" for absolute thrilling sounds. by the way, Veerumandi is excellent, get that anyway.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.16.25.50) on: Mon Dec 8 15:29:23 EST 2003
  
  Veera was definitely not an average album. Its probably Rajni's best in the 90s. Has around 10 songs including an unreleased one that I managed to listen recently and the categories covered range from orchestral melodies to rajni-style dappanguthus to Virudhams(one rendered by Arunmozhi set in Lalitha was unreleased) to aerobics-song with a carnatic flavour(what a shame that Suresh krishna left "Pattu poo poo" out of this film!) :-) Too bad Rajni didnt want to stick with IR.
  
  For "average" albums there were many at that time from IR like Sethupathi IPS, thozhar pandian etc.
  
  
• From: K (@ 192.154.91.225) on: Mon Dec 8 15:52:57 EST 2003
  
  Sethupathi IPS is one of my favorite albums. There are three songs set to western classical which are breathtaking - the way they begin and build up to a crescendo at the finish. It may be worthwhile to revisit the album before brushing it off as an average.
  
  
• From: Ravi (@ 192.147.58.6) on: Mon Dec 8 20:33:15 EST 2003
  
  Music Lover, quite right in what you said. According to me, the best composition of Ilayaraja is not for the songs but for the background score. Truuuuly Amaaaazing!! And as u rightly said one has to have the right ear to listen and appreciate that otherwise it generally goes unnoticed by the audience.
  
  
• From: x (@ 156.153.254.42) on: Tue Dec 9 08:16:57 EST 2003
  
  Ravi unaku ellam oru thread ketkuda "What are some outstanding IR albums"
  
  Take any album and film, he has always given his best. NOT like others ok....
  
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Tue Dec 9 15:36:59 EST 2003
  
  i_n_s ..you are right about IR's sense of rhythm..fantastic. That is why I am not satisified with the rhythms in recent compositions of rAjA. singAravElan is great album..that kamal song is something even rock musicians in the west would be envious of. Recently, I listened to hEY unnai thaanE from kaadhal parisu on a LP record ..wow what drum work.
  
  But I have a sense of feeling that Ravi may not like much of IR's work. It will take some time for him to ease into IRs style after some years of serious listening with what he is instantly captivated right now.
  
  
• From: Bala. (@ 143.115.159.53) on: Tue Dec 9 16:13:00 EST 2003
  
  Virumandi... Raja at his best..
  
  
• From: i_n_s (@ 68.77.8.29) on: Thu Dec 11 00:52:32 EST 2003
  
  I haven't heard sethupathi ips, never thought the producer ever released that. the movie name sounds like one never got released!
  
  Kiru: Kaadhal Parisu is underrated. also listen to Koo Koo, the passages and instruments are brilliant, tune is smart like Unnai Thaaney. Another one is: Oru Kaithyin Diary ( i don't like the Pon Maane song much, it starts off more or less like Salilda' Maane Maane song in Malayalam but goes away into IR' formulaic ways)
  
  Also, neengal kettavai has some rhythm numbers like the above songs.
  
  But, IR doesn't fail in rhythm at all it comes so naturally to him, never has he contrived a rhythm to please the listener, except for one song where he downplayed the needed rhythm for hariharan' voice and the melody - that amazing song in Kadhalukku mariyadhai - Ennai Thallatta varuvalo, i don't why IR went sloppy on the rhythm for this one song in all his career!
  
  Another reco for Ravi: Ilamai Kkolam!
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.51.215.28) on: Thu Dec 11 01:49:27 EST 2003
  
  For those going gaga over Virumaandi, listen to "oodha kaaththu veesayila" from Graamaththu adhyaayam by SJ,JC to know what folk/rustic flavour is all about. Notice their rendition.And checkout the second interlude.
  http://www.coolgoose.com/music/song.php?id=59556
  
  
• From: sundar (@ 61.11.75.120) on: Thu Dec 11 02:35:20 EST 2003
  
  Ravi
  
  I am rather disappointed by your musical listening/appreciation ability.
  
  IR was/is the only one to bring forth the scene in the movie in front our of our eyes as we listen to the song.
  
  he is the one whose songs traverse from the pallavi to charanam & back absoultely seamlessly. If you listen to many of ARR's hits you would observe that the transistion is discrete and highly complicated.
  
  In variety he has no parallel. A western based "iLaya nila' or pure carnatic melody or folk or dappanguthu or pop like 'iLamai idho... or ennadi meenakshi he has composed thousands masterly tunes and in orchestration he stands supreme as an all time great in Indian Film music- Listen to 'Rakkam kaiya thattu'.
  
  The other day I was listening to 2 songs tuned by IR and what a difference. One was 'enna sattham inda neram' and the other was ' nenjukkuLLe innar enRu' SPB has sung these superbly and IR's BGM is awesome. His quality and level of perfection is unareachable by anybody else.
  
  Take 'ponmalaipozhthu' and poongathave thazh thiravai' from NizhalgaL. or the songs from PayangaL mudivathillai or Kadal oviyum in the 80's or Chiraichalai, thalapathi, Kizhakku vasal, KeLadi KanmaNi, kalaignan in the 90's. Even in this decade Bharathy,Pithamagan stand out.
  
  IR is undoubtedly acclaimed as King of BGM and rerecording.
  
  therefore do not make a statement like this prematurely.
  
  
• From: Raaj (@ 195.94.0.40) on: Thu Dec 11 03:23:20 EST 2003
  
  Sundar
  
  U are absolutely correct about IR.
  We are not suppose to compare him with any MD.
  Everyday new MD are entering in the field with two tunes and disappearing immediately.
  IR is the one evergreen forever.
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

---

Back to the Forum

Post comments