It wasn't you, Roshan! Thanks for commenting and don't question your reading skills!
--- In [email protected], Roshan <c.pix...@...> wrote: > > I just realized that my previous comment might have implied that it was too > long.. that wasn't what I meant. It is always a pleasure to read your > reviews. > > but I am a lousy reader :) > > On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 4:14 AM, AJ <purev...@...> wrote: > > > > > > > Thanks everyone for reading my reviews and your kind comments. I write > > reviews not expecting praise or attention...it's a hobby for me and I do it > > for my own self expression and satisfaction. If anyone is patient enough to > > read my reviews and write a kind comment, that is bonus to me. > > > > My reviews tend to be long and verbose, I know that. I like to be very > > descriptive about the songs, explaining what I like and why I like it, > > pointing out a lot of details. I'm sorry if my reviews are not the most > > reader friendly! I simply don't have time to go back and edit them and make > > them more concise. Please forgive me for this. > > > > --- In [email protected] <arrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com>, > > Kalyan K <kalyankin@> wrote: > > > > > > Nice review Chord...But i love irumbile too..Hope it will grow on you in > > > coming days. > > > > > > Kalyan K. > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 6:33 PM, Roshan <c.pixels@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nice review, Chord. took some time to read the whole thing though. > > > > although i couldn't like the whole album. i do agree with the Puthiya > > > > Manidha. This one has really grown on me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 6:41 AM, AJ <purevibz@> wrote: > > > > > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> Gopal, > > > >> > > > >> Please add the following to my original post title: 1100110 > > > >> > > > >> Please resubmit. Thanks. > > > >> > > > >> --- In [email protected] > > > >> <arrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com><arrahmanfans% > > 40yahoogroups.com>, > > > >> "AJ" <purevibz@> 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. > > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > ----------------------------------- > > > > http://roshanravi.com > > > > http://ramblingsoul.com > > > > http://cssheaven.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > ----------------------------------- > http://roshanravi.com > http://ramblingsoul.com > http://cssheaven.org >
