I think, why rahman(shankar) prefered old(outdated) techno sound is because the film should reach C center audience too. in my opinion
M.KALIDASAN The Rahman Lover --- On Tue, 3/8/10, AJ <purev...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: AJ <purev...@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [arr] Enthiran Music Review - A 4 Point Masterpiece Only To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, 3 August, 2010, 6:02 PM Thanks, Vithur! --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, Vithur <vith...@...> wrote: > > Excellent Review as usual Chord... Thanks for sharing.. Wonderful > > On 8/3/10, AJ <purev...@...> wrote: > > Enthiran Music Review > > > > I decided to write this review sooner than I thought due to the songs having > > a more instant impact and having listened to the whole album at least 15 > > times since it came out. Further time is not going to change my opinions. > > My comments are only on the music, not the lyrics. > > > > I wonder if we really understand and appreciate the difficulty of Rahman's > > job, no matter how musically brilliant he is. He is human after all, and > > not a robot. He has to keep in mind so many expectations and demands, esp. > > when you have a leading film-maker and superstar with his own fan > > following….Rajinikant. Post Oscars, the expectations for Rahman have only > > grown and I truly wonder how he manages to rise to the occasion each time, > > whether we ourselves like an album or not. With Shankar and Rajinikant at > > hand, boy, Rahman must try to keep a lot of people happy all at once, yet > > creating music fitting for the movie that's supposed to have sci fi, robo > > themes! If there's anyone who can do justice to these demands, it's Rahman. > > The hype around the music release of this album is one of the biggest I've > > seen in a while…..touted as one of the finest films, most expensive films, > > etc. > > > > Pudiya Manidha whisks us away to a land of robos and futuristic sci fi, and > > man, does it ever leave a mark! One of the sleekest masterpieces Rahman has > > ever come out with in my opinion, this song oozes with etherealness, groove, > > punch, mystery, intrigue, and trance. This track takes me to another world > > truly with Rahman's sweet touches….crystal, progressive synth sound effects, > > warm ambiance, loopy synths, and the ever soothing and captivating string > > arrangements. Post Khatija Rahman's soulful singing and bleating goat > > sounds, the song picks up speed with rhythms and SPB's spritely singing. > > Notice how the strings mimic the synth loop melody, only adding depth and > > character to an already richly bestowed track. Based loosely on raaga > > Bhimpalas, the song takes a soaring route during the heavenly string > > interlude. Beautiful choral additions are appreciated, adding a stark > > spirituality and sonic texture along with SPB's split octave singing, > > creating a very balanced and satisfying bass/treble aural experience on all > > frequencies. This track will likely go down as one of my favorites in ARR's > > entire repertoire for the reasons outlined above and for reasons I just > > can't put into words, but can only feel and experience. For a techno/trance > > number, it's very spiritual in feel! A complete masterpiece from start to > > finish, what a way to kick off!!!! > > > > A contrasting, more acoustic, upbeat and happier track follows as Shreya and > > Vijay Prakash please us with lilting singing and joy in Kaadhal Annukal. > > Rahman's use of rhythm acoustic guitar layered with the sweet accordion and > > mouth organ/harmonica is extremely appealing aurally with incredible > > sweetness! Beautiful interludes highlight this earthy and charming song with > > a Scottish/Irish style using piccolo and accordion in the first, and a very > > unconventional, out of the box mysterious and ambient synth section in the > > second, showcasing ARR's brilliant creativity and craft. The second > > interlude is truly outstanding as it gravitates away from the usual flowery > > mood and organic sound and serves us something more electronic and spacey, > > but never distracts the groove and momentum of the whole track! I just love > > how ARR uses the strings so tastefully and craftily throughout the song > > creating a very lush aural landscape, esp. in the end when Shreya's counter > > melodic line joins in. A really sparkling track from start to finish for me > > and this song just radiates freshness and innovativeness for an Indian film > > song. The melody itself is very sweet with many hooks, though > > unconventional for an Indian duet film song and at times hard to remember, > > but with repeated exposures, I can't get this song out of me!! The whole > > song is beautifully supported by a fresh, rhythmic groove that mostly > > unwavers alongside haunting and unique chords and chord progressions. > > > > Following the very techno and synth heavy first track, how beautifully > > contrasting we hear a very earthy and acoustic one in the second…..truly > > showcasing ARR's versatility and genius in the first 2 tracks alone!!! > > > > The third track, Irumbile Oru, is techno to the core, but sounding like an > > ordinary remix to me! Marked by some sexy grooves and female rapping along > > with ARR's metallic tinged voice, this track has not yet impressed me much > > musically. Maybe if I understood the lyrics, I would appreciate it more, > > but I did notice how the lyrics and words seem to flow quite well. I don't > > know why Rahman did not do more musically with this track, esp. using a kind > > of outdated techno sound that has been used over and over! As my friend put > > it, "this track is a lost opportunity for Rahman" in terms of sound, but I > > can see how the youngsters are enjoying it for its sheer rhythmic groove, > > lyrics, word flow, and ARR's voice. Nothing more to write here! > > > > ARR has a little fun in the next track, Chitti Dance Showcase, which begins > > as a cheesy robotic voice…………………come on Rahman! You can do better! Why > > choose a clichéd, stereotyped robotic sound that we've heard over and over? > > Once again, Rahman using a very outdated sound! I can understand Rahman's > > attempt to be obvious and literal as he needs to cater to the masses, but > > still….there is no elevation of taste using these outdated and hackneyed > > robo sounds! But, on the plus side, this track has its interesting and at > > times brilliant moments, esp. with the beautiful and sweeping string and > > choral interlude, but alas, only lasts about 10-15 seconds! We hear all > > sorts of genres here….symphony, heavy metal, Indian tarana, but with jarring > > transitions. Oh, and I also like that little whistling, jazzy insertion > > that he put in there towards the end….showing the more humorous and playful > > side to ARR! Nice touch there! > > > > We switch gears to a much more heavy sounding number, Arima Arima, with > > Hariharan and Sadhana Sargam, 2 singers we haven't heard in a long time in a > > Rahman's song! This track is full of valor and majesty, showcasing brass > > and pomp with militarized drumming and a dose or distorted rock guitar to > > add exclamation! I love Rahman's use of the symphonic strings in this song > > using them to accent rhythms and intertwining them delicately at times in > > 16th note fashion creating a beautifully crafted and intricate rhythmic and > > textured backdrop to Hariharan's and Sadhana Sargam's passionate singing. I > > love some of the operatic voices that are also used as transitional pieces. > > I also loved that little 16th note synth insertion during one of the song's > > transitions, adding energy to an already vibrant and punchy track! Did you > > notice how the trumpet interlude totally changes the mood of the song as we > > go into major scale? I love that part of the song!!!! The singing is semi > > classical at times, esp. during the antaras, which I really appreciate. The > > track both begins and ends with synth, creating an interesting contrast to > > the much more acoustic and earthy majority of the song. > > > > We go light in mood again with an African twist!!! Kilimanjaro is a real > > treat with extremely catchy lyrics and spirited singing by Chinmayi and > > Javed Ali! What a track! I love the mood of this whole song and the > > beautifully authentic African vocal tribal interludes add only icing to the > > cake! I don't know how Rahman created such an authentically earthy sound to > > the tribal choral parts! This song is just brilliant and so crafty! I love > > how the crisp tablas are used at times and the naughty singing by Chinmayi, > > who doesn't sound her usual self, but very convincing! This raaga Malkauns > > based track is punctuated by some very wholesome and crisp drumming, > > catapulting this track forward with every step! Check out the rhythmic > > variations during many parts of the song with added maracas (or another > > instrument) in double time, esp. during the second tribal part. Let's not > > forget the playful "click click" sound either, which is just perfectly > > placed! Rahman's versatility is simply mindblowing!!!! > > > > The final track begins with Yogi B's "Boom Boom Robo Da" bit which repeats > > kind of annoyingly through the rest of the song. I could have enjoyed this > > song without that part, catchy as it is!!! Brass hits and funky techno > > beats characterize this very rhythmic, colorful and varied track with > > multiple musical genres in jazz, latin, rap, heavy metal, hip hop, etc. For > > a change, it's nice to hear Yogi B, another rapper besides Blaaze, though no > > hard feelings towards Blaaze! The antaras are quite melodiously sung as the > > singing takes on a more semi classical turn in raaga Abhogi and occasionally > > Bhairavi. I very much appreciate the second interlude Latin/Spanish > > sounding section with the soothing female chorus and nice but brief acoustic > > Spanish sounding guitar. There are more acoustic elements to this song too > > as what sounds like a bright santoor plays an old fashioned melody in the > > beginning and acoustic guitar plucking briefly as the other musical flavors > > melt away for a brief bit during some later transitions. A patchwork track > > of sorts, much like its predecessor in Chitti Showcase, it's quite > > entertaining to the core with some splashes of sweet melody thrown in. > > Rahman's talent as a musically genius craftsman really shines in this track. > > > > So, another milestone in ARR's career if you ask me with heavyweights > > Pudhiya Manidha, Kadhal Anukkal, Arima, and Kilimanjaro totally carrying > > this soundtrack on all four of their shoulders. These 4 songs to me embody > > some of Rahman's finest musical work to date in terms of composition, > > innovation, sonic creativity, and mass and class appeal. This album would > > be worthy enough with only these 4 songs on the table. The other 3 tracks > > have bright moments contained within them, but seriously, the outdated and > > cheesy and cliched robo/electro sounds of the 1980s are a big turn off for > > me and I am quite disappointed by Rahman's choice here, also likely > > influenced by Pravin Mani. I really wish that similar sound templates of > > the ambient textured, progressive and futuristic sounds of Pudhiya Manidha > > would have been in more abundance in the rest of the songs, but perhaps > > Shankar had a big say in this to cater to more of the masses and Rajinikant > > fans and what fits in with the film…..I don't know. As an album overall, > > it's qualitatively very inconsistent to me and very gimmicky in parts, but > > with 4 brilliant songs in the mix, I will surely be playing this very > > entertaining CD as well as the Telugu and Hindi counterparts in heavy > > rotation for a long, long time to come! > > > > Numeric Values: > > 7/10 – Compared to other Rahman albums (mostly for the 4 amazing songs I > > talked about above) > > 9/10 – Compared to contemporary Indian film albums > > > > Copyright by iChord 2010. No part of this writeup may be reproduced without > > the sole written consent of this writer. > > > > > > > > > -- > regards, > Vithur > ------------------------------------ Are you searching for a reason, to be kind? <b> Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: ad...@arrahmanfans.com To Subscribe: arrahmanfans-subscr...@yahoogroups.com To Unsubscribe: arrahmanfans-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.comyahoo! Groups Links
