superb write up Pradeepan.... Very nice analysis. I liked each and every word in this. Keep writing.
for me, I just love his music right from ROJA to Sakkarakatti. No differences, Awesome ARR Always On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 12:50 AM, Pradeepan R <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > Friends, > I've just poured out my mind. > Please don't get bored with it...Would love to hear other's perspectives on > ARR . > > *Earlier Trends in ARR Music:* > > *1) sad / sombre songs: > * Early in his career, most of his sad songs were of typical soul/Blue > genre. > he used a repeating pattern . > eg: Tu Hire - Bombay > Oh Vennila - Kadhal Desam. > Roja Jaaneman - Roja. > > *2) Use of a repeating loop with "plucked-string" instrument. > *For many slow placed songs, he used a very simple repeating loop using > guitar/veena/sitar/etc., > eg: Revival - Vande Mataram. > Then Kizhaku cheemayila - Kizhaku Cheemayile > Nila Kaaigiradhu - Indra (Hari Haran version) > > *3) Lavish use of 'Vocal' support from Backing singers in Interludes: > *Many a times he has done entire interludes with just group vocals. (most > cases they words are just gibberish) > eg: Hairaba - jeans (2nd interlude) > Kannum Kannum - Thiruda Thirurda rock song (2nd interlude by Sujatha) > Take it easy Urvasi - Kadhalan (Anupama in interlude) > Kehna hi Kya/Kannalane - Bombay (female chorus for interlude) > Lucky Lucky - Ratchagan (2nd interlude) > > *4) Use of Cello/Double Bass/Other Low-pitched instruments for Loop: > *eg: Dil Se Re - Dil Se > Romeo Aatam Potaal - Mr. Romeo > Ishq Bina - Taal > Anbe Anbe - Jeans. > Hello doctor - Kadhal Desam > > *More Recent Trends in ARR Music.* > > *5) Use of Guitar/other accoustic with slightly higher pitched sounds as > loop : (Compare with point 4) > *eg: Kabhi Kabhi Aditi - JTYJN > New York Nagaram - SOK > Lukka Chupi - RDB > YeH tara - Swades (tonk ta tonk ..tonk ta tonk loop) > Akilan Akilan - Alai Payuthey > > *6) Declining use of a commercial Synthesizer loops: > *This is a well known thing. > eg: Telephone Mani pol - Indian > Of late its his own Loop. SOmtimes additional rythm programmers are hired > to do specific songs. > > *7) Extravagant usage of Symphonic elements > *We can see him preferring more & more symphonic sounding arrangements > even to ordinary present-day time movies. > eg: Increased use of strings as an accompaniment to the main singer > throughtout the song. > > *8) Declining use of the strange Flute sounds. > *Why keep doing it when every other guy is now trying to do it. > So the flute pieces from Ay Rama (Rangeela) are not used much now. > But the flute still rules in ARR's studio. > > *9) Happier Tunes moving more towards Punjabi/Bhangra style. > Beats moving from Disco style to more Reggae Style. > * classic eg: > Compare beats of Chicku Bukku (Gentleman) to latest Taxi Taxi (Sakkarakati) > > Having said this, its still impossible to Define ARR or his music. > Every film in every period has had its share of innovation & surprise. > *ARR is still a Work in Progress..... > *As I've said before, the last thing that I need is, to take a 5 year > break to Mars, and come back & find no difference in ARR's compositions. > A brilliant artist evolves with time. and ARR is that & much more. > > On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 9:48 PM, Chord <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> I hope nobody says, "he has lost it......" or something negative and >> judgemental. Please try to be objective and focus on the music itself >> instead of airing opinions comparing old ARR and new ARR. >> >> One thing I've noticed is the use of more nuanced symphonic >> arrnagements in his later soundtracks. ARR has always blended Western >> classical elements with traditional Indian music like nobody else >> could or ever will probably. However, I have noticed that of late, >> his arrnagements have been more crowded and less minimalistic as >> compared to his previous works, while being more nuanced at the same >> time. With increasing arrnagement density in his latter soundtracks >> with more nuanced symphonic undercurrents, it becomes all the more >> important to use better sound mixing and mastering techniques to allow >> the denser track layerings their own individual crispness and >> distinctiveness. A successful example would be Jodha Akbar and Jaane >> Tu. A less successful example would be Rang De Basanti and parts of >> Swades and Guru, where I did not feel the crystal crispness in sound >> production. Post 1997, with improved sound technology, I have noticed >> that he did not have to tweak the trebble levels as high as his >> previous works, which gave a warmer, more analogue sound to the >> recordings. >> >> Overall, I find his music nowadays to be perhaps less radical in its >> conceptual format with safer "in the box" creativity, but brilliantly >> creative nonetheless. Since his arrival, many others have followed >> his path and hence, because of the dominating influence of his own >> sound and style in the music industry, ARR himself is victim to his >> own revolutionary undertakings in that he does not stand out as much >> as he used to. Yet, his music still has his strong signature and >> stamp of assured quality that nobody can beat. I also feel that his >> sense of melodic composition has improved over time in terms of >> smoothness and ear friendlyness, and with more breathing room for the >> singer. Yet, this may be at the sacrifice of out of the blue musical >> concepts, which dominated his earlier scenes. In other words, he >> plays it safer these days, which is not necessarily wrong. And that's >> a relative term too. He still belts out incredible songs with >> ingenious hooks. This may just be a natural consequence of his aging >> and maturing mind and the backdrop of the current music scene. >> >> > > > -- > Cheers, > Pradeepan. > > "All you need to do is, decide what to do with the time that is given to > you !" > > > -- regards, Vithur ARR in my Heart; His Music in my Blood;
