Nice read...
i just wondered if you have a s dileep kumar's disco disco?
:-)
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--- On Sat, 29/5/10, Triply R. <cornholiosbungho...@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Triply R. <cornholiosbungho...@yahoo.com>
Subject: [arr] Project Rahman: Completed!
To: "arr fans group" <arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Saturday, 29 May, 2010, 5:01
Imagine that you buy a new Rahman album. You get hyper-excited to put the thing
into your player and just soak it in. You want to put it on repeat for a 100
times, hear every instrument that is played, hear every note that is played and
find everything the album has to offer.
That is what I felt like doing when I bought Raavan (and Raavanan). But then I
suddenly thought, instead of listening to one album a 100 times, why don't I
listen to a 100 different Rahman albums once? And that set me off to go back to
the beginning and revisit every Rahman album! To do this, I set some criteria:
1. Only original albums in their original languages (Yodha, not Asokan. Pudhiya
Mugam, not Padmavyuham).
2. Original songs on dubbed/ re-used albums (extra song from Sapnay, extra
songs in Saathiya, Star, Alli Arjuna, Nayak etc.)
3. Unreleased songs available in other places (Hyderabad Airport theme song, O
Bosnia, We Can Make it Better, etc.)
4. Non-film albums (Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana, Pray For Me Brother, new
song in Connections etc.)
5. Miscellaneous singles (Raga's Dance by Venessa Mae, Marhaba Mustapha etc.)
6. All available soundtracks of foreign projects (Bombay Dreams, Warriors of
Heaven and Earth, The Lord of the Rings) and non-available ones, if possible
(Provoked and The Passage)
6. Only A R Rahman albums, no Dileep Kumar albums (so no Deen Isai Maalai,
Fantasy/ Andhmaalai, Set Me Free, Colours)
With these rules, I dug up all my CDs of Rahman and put them into iTunes. Next,
I dug up the backups I had made of my cassettes onto CDs, since there are quite
a few early albums I don't have on CD as I couldn't afford to buy them back
then. I put all of them onto iTunes as well. That gave me almost the complete
Rahman discography on iTunes (the one song I really was missing was Zindagi Se
Pyar Karo, since I didn't find my video cassette recording of the broadcast).
I then transferred these songs onto my iPhone and started my journey...
I must say that it was absolutely incredible. I found old lost gems (Uzhavan)
again, found that I enjoyed some albums more now than before (Vandicholai
Chinarasu, Gang Master), found that I still didn't like all the songs on some
albums (Pudhiya Mannargal, Tenali, Super Police), found the classics as great
as ever (Roja, Thiruda Thiruda, Duet, Bombay, Iruvar, Kandukondein
Kandukondein, En Swaasa Kaatrey), still loved the albums I was always partial
to (Love Birds, Mr. Romeo, Kaadal Desam, Indira), still found albums that were
flawed (Paarthale Paravasam), still wished some albums had more justice done to
them (Kaadal Virus, Blue) still found some albums over-produced (Godfather,
Anbae Aaruyire)...
It took me 7 days to finish my journey, listening at over 100 songs a day! The
last day was capped with listening to Raavan and Raavanan, followed by the
Tamil anthem. Raavan sounded so much like a natural progression in the journey.
I was so glad that I had done this... gave me a sense of achievement, even
though it was a vicarious pleasure!
I really wish Rahman had the time to take the journey as well. It would be
great if he could revisit all his music when he writes his autobiography. He
really needs to look back at those times when Shahul Hameed (RIP) brought a
nice rustic touch to his albums and when Chitra was flawless in every outing
with him... he needs to go back and see how versatile he always was and how his
albums were so special... go there and back again... he made classics then and
he is still making classics now.
It's amazing how his music changed and yet excelled. It's also amazing to
discover how my taste has changed, but how some things never change, like my
love for his music.
If there is one thing I really have to complain about, it is the lack of the
rustic, folk albums now. There was a time when I felt that the ARR-Bharathiraja
combination was the best one, with Kizhakku Cheemayile, Karuthamma,
Andhimantaarai and Taj Mahal. I felt that the combo was slightly tarnished with
Kangalal Khaidu Sei. It's a pity they didn't work together after that. But that
is just a small complaint. The rustic is back with a twist in Raavan and Rahman
is still making the most interesting music in India. Maybe another 10 albums
later, I will take the journey again. In the meantime, it's time for me to
listen to Raavan a 100 times. I am lagging behind everybody on this group right
now, so time to catch up!
