Neethane Enthan Pon Vasantham.

Let's discuss this new album.

Test. Just testing. Ada...testing.nggiren!!!

Something I wrote:

http://grouchydays.blogspot.com/2012/09/when-ilayaraja-dusts-his-44.html

Decades after Clint Eastwood has done the last Dirty Harry movie, a reporter asked him what Harry would be doing now. Eastwood replied that he’d probably enjoying his retirement and probably fly-fishing. No more .44 Magnum, but a fishing rod. Sweet, though I feel the old man is chuckling to himself thinking of penile reference.

Then he did Gran Torino, where you’d swear that that is old Dirty Harry and he picked up a gun again (granted it was not the Smith & Wesson) and gave us a hell of a treat. And went with a bang, saying that that might be his last acting role.

The truth is, he was never away. He was involved in more interesting projects, having had long left making mainstream thrillers, leaving them to the younger generation.

When Ilayaraja unleashed his masterpiece album, Neethane Enthan Pon Vasantham (NEPV) film songs, I was reminded of Eastwood. While he was away doing interesting projects, I turned away and was involved in my own exploration of music (listening, not playing), only indulging in his 70s/80s.

The truth is, Ilayaraja never went away. I say this because the media and the Netizens are roaring that he’s back.

Apart from personal projects, he was also involved in other film industries, namely Malayalam, Telugu and getting better recognition that he should have long time ago in Hindi. True loyal fans were following. Once hardcore fan like me had basically lost interest in entire Tamizh film songs and was pursuing other musical stuff and occasionally we’d go “oh, was it?” when reviews of one of his latest outing comes out.

“We” here referring to those who abandoned him back in 90s, like this idiot writer. And the new album made my conscience hurt as hell.

A very rich, layered, complexly composed album boasting great sound and awesome use of guitars, this album is to be cherished for years and should be sent to space in case for possible Alien invasion, so that they will go back in peace listening to it.

Not that it is as great of his past works, but this is this is what would have happened to all the old songs if he had access to the resources and equipments (not that I want them to remastered, well, ….hmmm). For this, we need to thank Gautham Menon for taking the initiative of no expense spared and making Ilayaraja wear a goddam suit, finally.

The best part of the album is the use of guitars. If not mistaken, this would probably be the most use of guitar in an Ilayaraja album. And it has goddam heavy metal sound/guitar too! Hot damn. Who would have thought that the usually monotonous warbler Yuvan would be awesome!

As a great fan of Ilayaraja, I have a feeling that Gautham want Ilayaraja to not only to reach out to the younger generation, but also reconnect to old lost fans like this knucklehead owner of this blog site. Boy did he succeed or what.

Just like Eastwood picked up that gun and proved who’s the real badass in Gran Torino, Ilayaraja picked up his own .44 and showed who’s the real maestro.

Oh, metal fans, listen to Penkal Endral. If someone were to question me asking if Ilayaraja can do Teutonic thrash metal, I ‘d say, “you betcha!”.

Grouchy, thanks for taking the initiative to start this!
(I don't need to nitpick right away, but can you please change the pink background to something more sober? )

Great work, groucho!

Appreciate your initiative and I'll try to be as active as possible :-)

Dear app,
We are missing you so much. Great to hear from you. Thanks a lot!

nanRi, V_Sji :-)

After being in a "boy color" blue forum for years, it feels different to be in a "pink" forum

I'll probably start my rAsA-rAsAththi (PS) thread here in a week or so and start writing :-)

NEPV / YVM:

They keep telling it'll hit the screens "later this year" but there're not many days left in 2012...

<123telugu.com/mnews/samantha-wraps-up-talkie-part-of-yvm.html>
(It seems new members are not allowed to post external links for 7 days)

Excellent album. Upgraded to all time classic this week, in my books.

Wish there was more of the title song. It ends just when it reaches its peak. Sunidhi is outstanding - one of the only two reality show contestants ever to shine brightly brin Indian film music industry.

Ellarum inga dhaan irukkela? Magizhchi mmm, post-gala pannikitte irunga

Samantha ammaNi wrote:
On Ilaiyaraaja's music... "Amazing to say the least every song is heart warming and the visuals of GVM complement them to give us all a treat."

As per Jeeva's blog:
jiiva.livejournal.com/69303.html

Kaatrai konjam while coming to work - What a delicious song. No wonder this is GPM's favorite out of all. Unbelievably imaginative. Wonder how did he even conceive this. So rich and wonderful. And he is not the kind who spends days on a single song trying various instruments rhythm patterns etc. to see what fits best and what's catchy - which is what other MDs invariably do.

But I am a little sad that the album has not caught on with the youth as much as I expected it to be. The movie becoming a hit is doubtful too which means the songs will be short lived among the general fublic. I don't think they deserve anything better. Their loss.

என்னய்யா நடக்குது இங்க?

ஜீவா சொல்றாரு "என்னோடு வா வா" பாட்டுக்கு இப்போ தான் ஷூட்டிங் நடக்குதாமாம்...

Look at this link:
jiivafanpage.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/indiaglitz-winners-nep-shooting-spot/

Winner of the contest announced earlier by IndiaGlitz got a chance to be at the shooting spot of Neethaane En Ponvasantham recently.

The contest was conducted a week ago and lucky winners spent an entire day with the Neethaane En Ponvasantham team. They were excited to meet the team including the likes of Jiiva, Nani, Samantha and Director Gautham Menon. The winners even had an opportunity to have a brief chat with the stars and also had a chance to take photos with them. The shooting was being done for the song ‘Yennodu Va Va’ which has been popular among listeners. Check out the gallery of NEP contest winners.

And the blog has pictures as well

This throws an interesting possibility - of Gautam getting under pressure to re-shoot, after the tremendous response to the music. (IIRC, they showed some portions of the video of the 'ennOdu vA vA' song in the audio release concert...which was quite ordinary, Jeeva telling Santhanam about the song he heard in the corresponding Telungu film and some typical niRpu-nadappu kind of shots).

Nerd wrote: The movie becoming a hit is doubtful too

:-)

I think Gautam fears the same and is possibly reworking. There were earlier rumors that it will be a Deepavali release (but then another set of rumors that "shot down" NEPV for Deepavali by thuppAkki).

Well, two some-what-biggies have already got released (thANdavam, mARRAn). Three more remain -thuppAkki, viswaroopam, kOchchadaiyAn- with which Gautam won't want to compete. Of these, thuppAkki is advertised to be for Deepavali. The other two are not very clear of coming out in 2012.

Obviously Gautam may have more insider info on Viswaroopam / kOchachadaiyAn (or 3D Sivaji) and has to be planning to release his movie accordingly and not fight with biggies...

I think it is just another album for youththu. I agree with Nerd - youththu didnt take to it as much as it was hyped.
pOna vAram team outingla pOnOm. Teamla enakku aVlavA pidkkadha oru team lead(reporting to me) was asked to choose the songs to be played. That poNNu is relatively not youtthu. appO, enakku pudicha innoru team member(proper today's youththu thala fan) butted in and said "ivangaLA? ivangaLai vuttA andha NEPV songs pOttuduvAnga. #orEthe bore".

Ofcourse, officela "who is the ilyaraj"-nu maindain paNdradhAla (basically iyAm northindian in office) oNNum pEsa mudiyala.
But andha oru nodila, sila pala hierarchical changes mindla Odiruchu.

andha team lead pOnnukku : "enakku theriyAma unakkuLLa ipdi oNNu irundhirukku pArEn. #increment_at_Endofyear"
andha nalla theramasaali payyanukku: "mavanE, unakku oru nAL Appu irukkudi!"

Meanwhile, in kuttichuvaru, veRRI IlayaanidhE!

idhai padiyunga modhalla

"Nerd, adhE!
The cd pack I bought also came with a bonus cd with the VA songs.
I listened to both a lot in the last few weeks.
aiyyam thiribaRa sollalaam: NEPV

padikkiRa padam pOdhaadhu dA
thiruvula iRangi padi dA "

- by erstwhile vaaranam aayiram poster bearer and Harris Jayaraj fan club chairman P_R

plum wrote: officela "who is the ilyaraj"-nu maindain paNdradhAla

:rotfl:

Yeah, I was 100% sure NEPV will live up to P_R's expectations. In fact anybody who concentrates a little while listening to music.

plum, your office story.

இன்னும் எத்தனை தடவை ஷூட்டிங் முடிப்பாங்கன்னு தெரில...

Look at this news:
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/telugu/news-interviews/Gautham-Menons-YVM-wrapped-up/articleshow/16963017.cms

Gautham Menon's YVM wrapped up

Gautham Menon's romantic entertainer Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu (YVM) has completed its entire shooting. The film is also nearing post production works and the director is planning to release the movie simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil either on November 30 or in the first week of December. Although these dates have been locked by the makers, an official announcement is awaited on the film's release.

The music of the film, composed by maestro Ilayaraja, received great response and couple of numbers have also topped the chartbusters. Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu (Neethaane En Ponvasantham in Tamil) has Nani and Samantha playing the lead role while Jiiva will be seen in the Tamil version. M. S. Prabhu is the Cinematographer and Editing is handled by Anthony. The teasers have already generated good buzz and film buffs are eagerly waiting to see the lead pair's romantic journey on screen.

கவுண்டமணி in நான் பாடும் பாடல் climax:
"எப்படா கடா வெட்டுவீங்க?"

Some weeks back a couple of 'senior' dudes sang pudikkala maamu on fooper finger. That's your 'musical quality and youth connect' certification, fellers!

Sri Pillai:

#Neethaane En Ponvasantham (NEP) is now slated 4 December 14 release worldwide. Super romantic and musical climate in Chennai at that time.

I started a post along the lines of App's post comparing NEPV to liquor - only, I was trying to have cricketing analogies, such as Mudhal MuRai as a jaffa, or chin music, but unable to progress further. indha idea nool pidhci uArAvadhu ezhudharadhAna ezhudhunga...

plum wrote: App's post comparing NEPV to liquor

If I search in google as "app_engine neethane en ponvasantham liquor", both hub threads come up and this post is the second top result

comparing the NEPV songs to spirits!

mudhal muRai pArththa - military rum, adhai uLLa ERRina kuthirai mAthiri oru pOkku!
BTW, while a big fan of this number, not a big fan of rum in general - the very names of some Indian brands - hercules / xxx etc are comedies...the sudden up and then sudden down are not that much enjoyable ; that way, not a nice comparison but the song had done a "sudden" thookkal on the first hear, so rummu uvamai!

saRRu munbu -ada ada, idhu suththamAna single mAlttu sArE! Every time I enjoy this stuff with my b-i-l, we talk about the Telugu co-worker who trashed Johny Walker as a "low-class-chArAyam" because it's blended and recommended glenfiddich to me (loved from the very first time) This song is such an exotic number, well-aged, unadulterated, super-taste stuff! BTW, on-the-rocks preferred! In any case, responsible listening is recommended as one can get really physically unhealthy due to addiction :-)

vAnam mellakkeezhiRangi - suththamAna Bordeaux (Red) wine...what a lovely song - appdiyE uRinji, nAkkukkukkeezhE konja nEram vaiththu, mella mella suvaikkum alAthiyAna anubavam when one listens to this terrific number :-)

ennOdu vA vA enRu solla mAttEn - michelob beer (or that green bottle Royal Challenge in India), sweet, goes in smoothly and effortlessly, especially lovable on a hot / dry day, with ultra chillness...need to take a few bottles before getting intoxicated (means listen a few times to get a high aka "pOdhum" feel)!

kARRaikkonjam niRkachchonnEn - vodkA - any, doesn't matter - absolut or smirnoff same taesttu / effectu, I cannot differentiate even with Indian aristocrAttu...the comparison is because of my "less-sophisticated-ICM-taste", but the song works nevertheless, giving the kick...as the wind-instrument serves as the terrific 40% alcohol content :lol2:

sAyndhu sAyndhu - this is definite 'mArgaritA' (tequila blend, brilliantly done in some restaurants). Taste-kku taestu, kickukku kickukku, roughnessukku roughness, sweetnessukku sweetness! What a delicious, rare kind of mix! While this is pure rAsA-genre, unlike his previous experiments of TN folk-meets-WCM, TN folk-meets-western pop, ICM-meets-WCM etc genres, this is something definitely novel! That's why the unusual tequila reference :-)

peNkaL enRal - No question, this is blended scotch (all those famous brands that we used to hunt and get during 90's for the "foreign visitors" - Johny Walker / Teachers / Chivas Regal etc) - strong taste compared to single mAlt but not rough going-in like non-scotch whisky! I'll have to admit Yuvan being the right choice for this duet with guitar

pudikkala mAmu - There used to be a "Peterscot" brand malt whisky in India during 80's (may be still there, I don't know for sure). The packaging was world-class, like the fantastic orchestration, especially prelude of the song! However, internally, it's rough, thoNdai erippu, aLavu koodinAl kumattal etc...so, limited listen (something like "skip-after-prelude" ) for me, at this point of time :-)

idhaiyellAm padichchuttu nAn periya kudi-makannu mudivu paNNa vENdam :-) Though a varushaththukku wonly 4-5 timer (i.e. now), always game for trying new stuff :-)

The latest release date adichchu-vidufied by ToI is Dec 14th :

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/previews/Neethane-Enn-Ponvasantham/articleshow/16977653.cms

The modern priest for love in celluloid Director Gautham Vasudev Menon who had already in conjure with the maestro Ilayaraja had been floating the air with the true anthems of love with his film Neethaane Enn Ponvasantham now popularly referred as NEP has completed the shooting and the project is all set to hit the screens on December 14th.