Awakening to Background Score

[Bala (Karthik)]

Looking back now, i can kind of recollect the first time impact of Agni Natchathiram (clash theme), Mouna Ragam (signature theme and also Revathy-Mogan tension theme), Poo Vizhi Vasalile (spooky chants) and Nayagan (then paandi cheemayile and Kamal-Saranya theme). Of course, the most profound was Aboorva Sagodharargal, though it happened later.

[Plum]

Looking back now, i can kind of recollect the first time impact of Agni Natchathiram (clash theme) , Mouna Ragam (signature theme and also Revathy-Mogan tension theme), Poo Vizhi Vasalile (spooky chants) and Nayagan (then paandi cheemayile and Kamal-Saranya theme). Of course, the most profound was Aboorva Sagodharargal, though it happened later.

same blood.Ofcourse, I wasnt talking about the profound understanding part. Just the awakening.

[app_engine]

As I reflected upon this subject, I found it really interesting that though I've been enjoying IR's music right from the glorious annakkiLi, the first time I saw a movie with IR's music was after more than 5 years, in 1981 (moondRam piRai) Probably a good thing as my approach to watching movies had so much changed during this movie-watching-sabbatical with music becoming the primary focus (from the childhood watching of MGR-Shivaji movies with fight or weeping as two primary things).

Also very fortunate that I didn't have to suffer the butchering of so many of his classics (though it happens occasionally now with youtube but I'm spared of visiting a theater for such horrors)

Coming back to BGM, the next IR movie that I watched was payaNangaL mudivadhillai - the sweet reminder of iLayanilA during the climax stood in mind for days.

[app_engine]

However, the "profound" thingy with IR's BGMs happened later during college days with tik-tik-tik.

What a score! One of the best scores by IR till date! Even while watching the movie in Sona theater in Trichy, the brilliant score was the top one to hit me (so many pieces - the clock + chorus humming during titles and later when KH-Madhavi are hunted, raa-rara-rara piece while deciding to visit a call-girl, the horror while pulling the pants from her body, the funny-dog-chase, diamond hiding drum-beat sounds, Kamal doing a Madhavi-nerve-tickling love theme etc ).

One hostel mate (he was the one who made the famous statement "ராசா படத்தைக்கண்ணை மூடிக்கிட்டே பாக்கலாம்ப்பா" and used to watch all and sundry movies of IR) later had all the tik-tik-tik pieces recorded into his TDK cassette when they were published in the LP record of ninaivellAm nithyA. It also had ullAsappaRavaigal title score (fantastic one). One of those tik-tik-tik pieces is used as a "loop" background - IMO - for 'suttum vizhichchudarE' of ghajini.

And we used to listen to those BGM pieces with a lot of enthu those days (me even more than songs, which later led to my affection for Paul Mauriat's scores).

[app_engine]

Side note - one asst director of BR told my cousin (on a bus journey together) during the tik-tik-tik days, that IR (the unit used to call him "laddu" it seems because of his sweet tunes) was paid 65K for this movie in 1981.

Total injustice by any reckoning!

[raajarasigan]

Idhayam is indeed an example of thodappalattaikku pattu kunjalam

idhai naan kelvipatturikkiren,... aana enna artham ??

[app_engine]

raajarasigan,
நான் கேட்டிருக்கும் (சமானமான்) பழமொழி : "வெளக்கமாருக்குப்பட்டுக்குஞ்சலம்":

வெளக்கமாரு = துடைப்பம் = broomstick

அதுவோ குப்பையைக்கூட்டும் சாதனம், யாராவது அதுக்குப்போயி விலை உயர்ந்த பட்டுநூல் கட்டி அலங்கரிப்பாங்களா?

In other words - "undeserved"

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

Nice recounting of tik tik tik music. Unfortunately I haven't seen the movie. Yup. I know. I have missed a lot of such movies, me not being a great movie goer.

Upon further reflection, I still cannot place an eureka moment for awakening to the background score !! In our young days, as can be expected, only scary music impresses you. Not music really but the sound effects mostly. One such movie where the music played a part in our movie experience was 'Omen'.

[Sureshs65]

About 'Idhayam' I fully concur with RR about the music and with Plum on his assessment Horrible movie.

[pure bliss]

terminator 2 theme music influence in the bgm score for idhayam
Right from the movie title scene can't be classified as classic

Bgm for All other movies mentioned in the later posts are amazing indeed