100% agree with you! It is the same league of 'Kelamal kayyile'.
SAJIN ________________________________ From: Rajesh Kumar <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, August 3, 2010 5:20:53 PM Subject: Re: [arr] Enthiran Music Review - A 4 Point Masterpiece Only Absolutely right, "Irumbile Oru Idhayam" is a masterpiece. Guys, who dont like it, please give some more time and enjoy!!! ________________________________ From: Pradeepan <pradeepan.arr@ gmail.com> To: arrahmanfans@ yahoogroups. com Sent: Mon, August 2, 2010 10:16:11 PM Subject: Re: [arr] Enthiran Music Review - A 4 Point Masterpiece Only but I wonder how "Irumbile Oru Idhayam" isn't catchy for some (or many).. I've gone gaga over this song.. the last time I went crazy for a Rahman sung funky song was 'Khalbali'.. got into a 7 time consecutive yesterday... . listening to it as i write.. awesome. btw, if you have an excellent sound system, this song is one to test it. On Mon, Aug 2, 2010 at 7:54 PM, AJ <purev...@yahoo. com> 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….Rajinikan t. 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. > > -- "All you need to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to you" - Gandalf the Gray.
