Megha / மேகா

fring151 wrote:

Thirukovur Balaji Prasad wrote:

fring151 wrote:To those in India, what is the general public's awareness about and response to this album? What about FM stations?

Fans of Raja are in a frenzy as they are experiencing music of a kind that has not been provided before in TFM. It's really a bit of quarrel among fans as to which is the pick of the album. As regards FM stations, you will be bewildered about their lavish praises for a run-of-the mill composition, so do not take them seriously. It is the true lovers of music that count most. Even those in the 22-25 age group are amazed at the output in this film. I am reminded of the lines Annaandhu paarkindra maaligai katti, athan aruginil olai kudisai katti from the MGR song Nenjam Undu Nermai Undu Odu Raja. Raja is definitely more than a Maaligai; people from the olai kudisai (other music directors) can either get inspired and try to come near to standards set by Raja or just stand far apart and marvel at the man...

Oh, I am fully aware of the music taste of the average FM jockey. I was just curious if the songs were getting as much airtime as did those of NEPV, for example. This is definitely a unique album by the master and it is no surprise that his fans are thrilled.

wrt new albums, FM airtime rests solely on record label and FM channels in TN are still stuck on Raaja of 80s that too nothing beyond SPB and usual playlists, very rarely do they indulge in 90s/00s . wish we had a FM channel for every decade like  'Absolute Radio' UK.

V_S wrote:

.

Chellam Konjum PoovE -
Yuvan starts off in a very pale and flat way could have been brighter and better, as the lyrics talks about his call to his lover (செல்லம் கொஞ்சும் பூவே கொஞ்சம் வாடா). No bhaavam in those lines at all. He even sounds off-key in anu-pallavi. During these lines; உன்னை கேட்டேன் உயிரை தந்தாய் Imagine how a lover will feel when he sings these lines. Very powerful lines, but absolutely no soul in his singing.

Exactly my point. Such a brilliant composition that got dented by Yuvan's vocals. There is no bhaavam at all. I agree that we cant have SPB but even a Karthik did a nice job in NEPV, at least far far better than Yuvan. This song is saved a bit because Raaja went for vocal harmony in the last last lines ofpallavi, which covers up the off-key and bland rendition of Yuvan.

and Mugilo is a complete massacre.

Well, my theory is - in today's TFM market, people feel IR "needs" his son to "reach" masses.

It's not a case of father practicing nepotism (as in the case of Bhava).

Makes me sadder.



Two great songs atrociously dealt with by a MD who did 100 films

BTW,
mEghA - underwhelmed, despite fantastic melodies / orch.

Why? Emotion quotient is zero (for me)    Could be my own mood problem

Will re-visit the album after some time...

morning 10AM-11AM housewifegaLukkAna pAttu programs in FM cover a lot of 90s IR, wiz

This is waht @equanimus wrote on twitter about 'Megha'

'கள்வனே கள்வனே' and 'முகிலோ மேகமோ' continue to enthrall more and more. 'செல்லம் கொஞ்சும் பூவே' and 'என்ன வேண்டும்' are such joy.
And... 'ஜீவனே ஜீவனே...' is simply the greatest of them all. A masterpiece in melancholy.

Have been returning to it over and over again since yesterday. Just can't get it out of my head.

app_engine wrote:Well, my theory is - in today's TFM market, people feel IR "needs" his son to "reach" masses.

It's not a case of father practicing nepotism (as in the case of Bhava).

Makes me sadder.



Two great songs atrociously dealt with by a MD who did 100 films

BTW,
mEghA - underwhelmed, despite fantastic melodies / orch.

Why? Emotion quotient is zero (for me)    Could be my own mood problem

Will re-visit the album after some time...

Raja and no emotion. Nevaire. Please listen again.

True about Yuvan being suggested by producer / directors. And believe me, Yuvan has a decent fan following amongst TN youth. Was recently travelling from Chennai to Blore. There were half a dozen guys who probably have just completed college. One guy put songs from his mobile and turned up the volume. Around 90% of songs turned out to be Yuvan tuned songs !!

Raaga_Suresh wrote:Raja and no emotion. Nevaire. Please listen again.

Sure, I will!

The orchestration is obviously awesome (putham pudhukkAlai excluded, it pales in comparison to the original - right from the flute, followed by bass guitar - ellAm pOchchu Others are phenomenal sounding! )

I guess my mind is playing tricks - it got too much used to the days when songs under nameless banner, director, actor etc with just IR's ID used to roar the charts - now that he needs a Kamal or Yuvan to market his skills keeps me in irritated state

(Fortunately for NEPV, though the director cleverly got Yuvan to push the album to youththu, he kind of masked the impact on old people like me with that grand Chennai release function. In mEghA's case, even that is a fiasco The crowd gathering had to be shouldered by Kamal -rAsA's unofficial PRO - and it hurts me - I'm primarily a TFM / IR admirer and not that much of a TF-fan).

Which is why I should revisit songs only after some time, i.e. after getting over such blues

dig
chithiraiyil nilAchchORu didn't have any such baggage and hence was a personal emotional high

pAvam, it wouldn't have reached TN makkaL
end-dig

Well, after a few more listenings, here are my nitpicks. 

I am surprised no one has brought up Anitha's pronunciation in Putham pudhu kaalai. It irks more and more with repeated hearings. I don't know what it is, but the butchering starts right from the way she sings kAlai and vElai in the first two lines. And wtf is panivAdai Waysum kaatru? Is this supposed to be another of those lame attempts at stylising tamil words? I have earlier downplayed the contributions of singers, but now all I can say is - thank god we had SPB, KJY,SJ and Chitra singing most of the compositions in the 70s to 90s.

On reading V_S and Kamalaakarsh's assessments and listening again, I am also forced to reconsider my premature praise of Yuvan's singing. Or it could be that I have subconsciously resigned to a threshold of lifelessness in his voice. It did sound good for the first couple of times, but I find myself leaning towards Raja's rendition of Mugilo and think that is the version which will survive the test of time. Yuvan indeed was quite bland in the opening lines of Chellam konjum. One can imagine how SPB would have literally konjified while singing those lines.

IR's Feelings and the expression.....  idhu kalathai poruthu reflect agum......

80s madhiri  90s ilai.. real life layum dhan...  adhe pola

90s madhirii  2000 illai........   indha time il dhan gavanika arambithen..  Manasellam.. nee thungum nerathil paatai kaetuvittu,

manasil vandha ennam. jeevanae ilamal ipadi singer paadi  irukare endru..  Hariharan version ai than solgiren. anal..

padam parthadhum... actor .. nadikaradhai parthu.. padathil.. adhu romba nanraga match anadhai parthu........

en ennathai maatri kodnen... IR's songs.. singers .. expression patri.

adhu pola than.. ipodhum.......   IR.. epodhum munnodi...........   indha style .. idhu dhan inime vara pogiradhu..

indha singers.. matra MDs ku paadum podhu.........  namaku kural , bhavam ellam pazhagi........

IR in indha varuda paatu ellam romba nanraga iruka pogiradhu............

IR's composition   - sila samayam.. pickle, mugalai podi madhiri.....
sila samayam.... Jeeravil oorum sweet madhiri..

naal anal dhan taste nanraga irukum...........  idhu dhan en feelings..........

putham pudhu kalai.............

IR songs..  Reversion.......  

chinna example...... en son.. sila samayam.. naan seidha sila item.. avanuku pidithu irundhal. idhae madhiri
senju thama  nu kaepan. nanum.. romba porupa.. adhe alavu ... ingredients pottu samaipen....... adhe  madhiri
seivadhaga.. gavanamaga.
enaku thonum... idhu nalla irukae anniki senjadhai vida. anal en paiyan.. saapitu vittu solvan... amma. anniki
senjadhu dhan nalla iruku. inniki nalla ilai. nee gavanamaga seiyalai. theriyama kaetuten........ pidikalai.........

kobamaga varum enaku....  

indha time il dhan.. nanum.. IR songs.. vera version kaekum podhu.. original madhiri ilai. nanraga ilai endu solli
kondu irundhen..............

en samayal. en paiyan comments ku apparam. IR ai onnum solla kudadhu endru ninaithu konden...... 

nanraga irukiradhu...... putham pudhu kaalai..................


paatu mudiyara sila seconds ku munnadi.. singer .. thappai unarthutanga.. putham pudhu Kaalai nu padaranga................

Nice posts Usha-ji , interesting perspective on the singing expressions (or the lack of that) from the current gen singers.

I have been listening to Megha non-stop. I don't want to compare against NEPV but Megha by itself is a highly satisfying album for me. I just hope the movie is successful and can do justice to the music.

One of the criticism's against IR by an amateur composer in tfmpage (Srikanth) was he leaves the "spectrum" empty (vis-a-vis Rahman). Yes, you can see Rahman does really fill up the main vocals with some harmony/nice sounds - some kind of drones or tinkling sounds. For IR, any sound should have a "musical" significance. Otherwise, it might sound nice, but you will not remember it or mind will just filter it out. In mugilO megaMo he fills up the spectrum with real notes of signficance. Usually, the charanam is the one which goes (atleast the first part) "thin" or "solo vocals". In this song, the charanams are also fully backed by strings, with piano overlaid over it. We have never heard such rich/dense orchestration in Indian film music before. The pallavi strings score is one of the most "multi-threaded" outside of western classical music, I have heard. This song is PERFECT.

Kiru, Well said.

Gokul

kiru wrote:One of the criticism's against IR by an amateur composer in tfmpage (Srikanth) was he leaves the "spectrum" empty (vis-a-vis Rahman). Yes, you can see Rahman does really fill up the main vocals with some harmony/nice sounds - some kind of drones or tinkling sounds. For IR, any sound should have a "musical" significance. Otherwise, it might sound nice, but you will not remember it or mind will just filter it out. In mugilO megaMo he fills up the spectrum with real notes of signficance. Usually, the charanam is the one which goes (atleast the first part)  "thin" or "solo vocals".  In this song, the charanams are also fully backed by strings, with piano overlaid over it. We have never heard such rich/dense orchestration in Indian film music before. The pallavi strings score is one of the most "multi-threaded" outside of western classical music, I have heard. This song is PERFECT.

Well, that is a very narrow viewpoint. And mugilo is hardly the first example. Why, almost all the songs of NEPV were incredibly dense harmonically. I can think of countless songs from his early period where, during the entire charanam, the bass and rhythm guitar are a constant presence- Ilamai ennum poongaatru and Uravenum pudhiya vaanil come to mind immediately. Recall the incredible harmony in the charanam of Mandram vandha thendral where the voice and trumpet follow opposing patterns (each alternately descending and ascending). And what about the vocal counterpoints in Poomaalaye? Yes, there are many songs where he deliberately leaves the first couple of lines (usually no more than that) "empty", if you want to call it that, to allow us to soak in the melody and prepare the ground for the harmonic onslaught, but It is simply impossible to make  broad brush generalizations in the case of this man.

fring151, yaaru sir neenga. Very thought provoking posts that too at this age. You seem to speak like a 50 year old and having grasped Maestro's music much more than your age. I envy you. Hats off buddy. Please continue. So proud of you, drunkenmunk, kv, skr and all you youths.

Excellent heart-felt posts from Ushaji and kiru. So nice to read your posts.

Thanks V_Sji. I hope I don't come across as more old or informed than I actually am.  I just think generalizations such as Raja was a folk composer, Raja had a stereotypical song structure or Raja only used violin-tabla etc etc are extremely silly and careless (I don't mean you Kiru  ). It is so easy to think of several counter-examples to prove that such characterizations are patently false.

Kiru's point is that every note that IR chooses is like a poet constructing a poem. It is intuitively done as if the whole thing came about in a dream. I feel that IR is almost a minimalist adding only the essential elements to his song. That is why his music feels that it could not have been any other way. It has a sense of inevitability to it. A master artist working in a crass medium unfortunately.

Gokul.

While Kiru goes on & on about Mugilo Megamo, I am completely floored by Jeevane Jeevane. IR has been asked to compose for such situations any number of times. See what he has come up with now. It bears no burden from his past work and is startlingly direct. The humming in the intro which  masterfully interweaves with the strings, the heartbreaking and spooky guitar in the first interlude, again the haunting chorus in the second interlude, and the muted guitars (almost a mirror image of the first interlude) all add  and make it a very haunting piece. The song flows through our hearts like a river leaving behind longing and loneliness.

Gokul

fring..you are absolutely right as V_S has observed. That comment by Srikanth was made 10 years ago and it has been rankling in my mind. See explanation by Gokul on the minimalism. IR does things across the whole spectrum. Listen to kaadhal jaathi and NEPV/Megha (both are cut from the same cloth). So Srikanth does have a point (after all he recorded a song with SPB) but the reason is as Gokul mentioned. I also have mentioned the sandwich analogy and about how you have to learn to listen to IR. In one video, IR explains how to write music part by part. He has been ramping up on this a lot. NEPV/Megha are the culimination of this activity/genre creating effort.
@Gokul - jeevanE jeevanE is my next pick of the album. I think rock musicans will be impressed at how he has used the wailing guitars to express "anguish" (not anger) in a culturally palatable manner. (BTW, is it me or my ears, IR slips to jeevanai instead of jeevanE once or twice ? The guitar comes in a little too "hot" in the interlude, i feel) (And somebody was intrigued about the hard-drumming in a sad song.. it has a precedence in paadi parantha kiLi. Earlier, IR was little restrained in giving instruments high volume levels.. and vocals dominated too much) .
Actually, I was very impressed by NEPV, but the repeat performance by IR has convinced me beyond doubt, he is pulling out all stops and feed us with the "virundhu" he has been promising us for some time. Bigger budgets for recording is helping him add more instruments without them getting washed out (and apparently audience is also listening in better systems than 'transistor radio' of yesteryears)

fring151 wrote:Well, after a few more listenings, here are my nitpicks. 

I am surprised no one has brought up Anitha's pronunciation in Putham pudhu kaalai. It irks more and more with repeated hearings. I don't know what it is, but the butchering starts right from the way she sings kAlai and vElai in the first two lines. And wtf is panivAdai Waysum kaatru? Is this supposed to be another of those lame attempts at stylising tamil words? I have earlier downplayed the contributions of singers, but now all I can say is - thank god we had SPB, KJY,SJ and Chitra singing most of the compositions in the 70s to 90s.

On reading V_S and Kamalaakarsh's assessments and listening again, I am also forced to reconsider my premature praise of Yuvan's singing. Or it could be that I have subconsciously resigned to a threshold of lifelessness in his voice. It did sound good for the first couple of times, but I find myself leaning towards Raja's rendition of Mugilo and think that is the version which will survive the test of time. Yuvan indeed was quite bland in the opening lines of Chellam konjum. One can imagine how SPB would have literally konjified while singing those lines.

Finally, got the CD, listened it in my main system. Its heavenly... I'm still listening to it..   Fring151... I was thinking the same thing with Anitha's pronunciation or "Putham Pudhu Kaalai". Its weird the way she sings that song. Did you notice a timing issue between the end of first interlude and second part of the song? I think its a mixing error. Wish they corrected it before mastering.

kiru wrote:fring..you are absolutely right as V_S has observed. That comment by Srikanth was made 10 years ago and it has been rankling in my mind. See explanation by Gokul on the minimalism. IR does things across the whole spectrum. Listen to kaadhal jaathi and NEPV/Megha (both are cut from the same cloth). So Srikanth does have a point (after all he recorded a song with SPB) but the reason is as Gokul mentioned. I also have mentioned the sandwich analogy and about how you have to learn to listen to IR. In one video, IR explains how to write music part by part. He has been ramping up on this a lot. NEPV/Megha are the culimination of this activity/genre creating effort.
@Gokul - jeevanE jeevanE is my next pick of the album. I think rock musicans will be impressed at how he has used the wailing guitars to express "anguish" (not anger) in a culturally palatable manner. (BTW, is it me or my ears, IR slips to jeevanai instead of jeevanE once or twice ? The guitar comes in a little too "hot" in the interlude, i feel) (And somebody was intrigued about the hard-drumming in a sad song.. it has a precedence in paadi parantha kiLi. Earlier, IR was little restrained in giving instruments high volume levels.. and vocals dominated too much) .
Actually, I was very impressed by NEPV, but the repeat performance by IR has convinced me beyond doubt, he is pulling out all stops and feed us with the "virundhu" he has been promising us for some time. Bigger budgets for recording is helping him add more instruments without them getting washed out (and apparently audience is also listening in better systems than 'transistor radio' of yesteryears)

Kiru.. regarding the Guitar being hot.. Wondering if they forgot to fade in or may be a timing issue? Looks like does a abrupt start?

Vinod, how are you ? ( and I envy you with those CDs and dedicated listening room :-) )  Enjoying your needle drops and high-resolution re-masters . Thanks.
Oh.. IR was just being nice to Anitha, who worked with him for all those concerts. She sings without much conviction. When you sing a song you have to "make it your own". That is why many of us like IR's singing, it is his own song and only he knows best how to sing it (even though there might be other better singers).

raja4ever wrote:..
Kiru.. regarding the Guitar being hot.. Wondering if they forgot to fade in or may be a timing issue? Looks like does a abrupt start?

Vinod.. IR does like some startling effect with timing.. but the mastering engineer should have toned it down. IR might have been too tired communicating the nuances. After all even the white guys are not used to this kind of music. They tend to keep things separate. Strings in soft rock etc are not as complex as in IRs.

kiru wrote:Vinod, how are you ? ( and I envy you with those CDs and dedicated listening room :-) )  Enjoying your needle drops and high-resolution re-masters . Thanks.
Oh.. IR was just being nice to Anitha, who worked with him for all those concerts. She sings without much conviction. When you sing a song you have to "make it your own". That is why many of us like IR's singing, it is his own song and only he knows best how to sing it (even though there might be other better singers).

Doing good my friend  Hope all is well with you. I'm glad that you liked the HiRes versions. Regarding "Putham Pudhu", it could be because of old tune that he gave up on minor issues?