Best song in Agni Natchathiram

Typical Grouch. WB, bro   

And app enjoyable analysis. On Rojapoo, in the pallavi each syllable (Ro-ja-poo, raa-jaa-vai) is punctuated by piano+bass(?). Delicious.

+1 on App's analysis. Nice posts discussing various aspects of the songs. The 2nd interlude strings in Roja Poo is what made me cast the vote without thinking about any aspects. A similar string section can be heard in My Dear Marthandan's Ilavattam song's 2nd interlude which is  tad longer.

Welcome back Grouch, terrific choice of words  

Nerd, admit it, you get drunk when listening to Agni Nathachiram.

Of course, app is one of the biggest stars here (VS is the architect). Right after an injection of morphine (IR), we get shots of brandy (App)...and I even goddam stopped drinking strong beverages. You guys are enough (with first few shots of IR, of course).

groucho

Guess I'll qualify for a bartender job
(திறமைசாலி(கள்) உண்டாக்கின மது வகைகளை எடுத்து ஊற்றிக்கலக்கும் வேலை தானே )

grouch, What a crisp little post! That was a beautiful poetry, really loved it. You should write more.

App ji, Superb analysis there. Please continue.

My fingers are tempting to vote for the 'zero' vote song. Not for the sake of it, it does not really deserve to go unnoticed One of the best innovations in TFM history.

Though a number of IRFs tend to dismiss the importance of human voice in his songs as "it's just another instrument", personally, nowadays I'm placing a lot of value on the SINGER(S) of the songs.

It's possible that me too posted in the same "voice-only-as-relevant-as-drums" tone in the past. However, as years go by, talented singers slowly move away from the scene one by and and horribly mediocre singers start dominating the TFM scene, I'm forced to reevaluate such thinking.

Now, I'm more convinced than ever that singers can lift-ruin songs significantly. Though not to the extent of melody / orch, I should still give considerable weightage to this dept. Let me place 15 for this measure and rate AN songs...

ninnukkOri varNam - KSC excels in one of her iconic numbers! youthfulness, accuracy, appropirate emotions, nice bhAvam...can't imagine anyone singing this particular number better, though the grand orch does not allow her to take total upperhand...11/15

thoongAdha vizhigaL - KJY & SJ sema competition, both are masters of "AhAra" sounds (அ...அ...ஆ..ஆ singing) and at their sweet peak as well (especially KJY). That BGM is relatively subdued (not meaning the ludes) compared to others in the album gives them an upperhand as well...13/15

vA vA anbE anbE - KJY is superb again, KSC matching him as well. Relatively less opportunity to shine because of the construct, though. 10/15

rAjA rAjAthi rAjanindha rAjA - IR is phenomenal in this number, very difficult for anyone else to match. What a jubilation, self-confidence and merry! Technology or no technology (i.e. harmony effects) he would have sounded terrific here! 12/15

rOjAppoo Adi vandhadhu - Here too, tech was just an additional embellishment, SJ is terrific! I repeat, it's not easy to sing this song in even ordinary manner - but impossible to do what SJ did - with the kind of feel - joy, passion, kick, kuzhaivu, kuRumbu - everything packed! I can't ask for anything better! 15/15

oru poongAvanam - Another SJ stunner! The song should show "thimir" and she so nicely brings that in the saraNams, without unnecessary (i.e LRE-like / man-voice / mimicry) gimmicks!

நான் வானவில்லை வேண்டினால், ஓர் விலை கொடுத்து வாங்குவேன்
வெண்மேகக்கூட்டம் யாவையும் என் மெத்தையாக்கித் தூங்குவேன்

Terrific singing! Another 15/15

I know I'm not very objective in this post but I can't let my SJ-bias go away

pAdal varigaL should be another criteria. Not as important as melody / orch / singing but more than picturization, when one looks at them as songs and not videos / part of a movie etc.

What about 10 as weightage for this metric? Let me rate the songs on that scale...

ninnukkOri varNam - Except that first line, which is borrowed from a classical varNam, there are some nice lines that sweetly jell with the tune and orch.

A couple of samples:
-உன்னோடு நான் ஓயாமல் தேனாற்றிலே நீராட நினைக்கையில்
-பெண்ணல்ல வீணை நான், நீ தான் மீட்டு
-இன்றல்ல நேற்றல்ல காலம் தோறும் உன்னோடு பின்னோடும் காதல் நெஞ்சம்
-கன்னித் தோகை மேனியில் மின்னல் பாய்ச்சும் வாலிபம்

Could have avoided the negativity in the middle (தீயாகக்கொதிக்குது), we can give 5/10

thoongAdha vizhigal reNdu - Nice poetry overall, though in a typical cinematic duet setting and nothing much novel...

Minor uRuththals here and there due to cliche stuff (வாலிபம் தடுமாற ஒரு போதை தலைக்கேற / மேலும் மேலும் மோகம் கூடும் / தேகம் யாவும் கீதம் பாடும் are not great stuff in an otherwise imaginative pAttu) 6/10

vA vA anbE anbE - Total cinematic with severe kaRpanai vaRatchi IMHO (those irritating word doubling to fill the melody in another irritant)

இதயம் முழுதும் எனது வசம் is good 3/10

rAjA rAjAthi rAjan indha rAjA - eulogy stuff that Vaali is well-known for, some catchy lines but not my cup of chAyA - 1/10

rOjAppoo Adi vandhadhu - That "லவ் லவ் என்பதா சொல் சொல் மன்மதா" is a big irritant in an otherwise ok song. Considering it's a yearning song and such ones had been written in much greater detail in older litt, this is not  a lyrical classic or anything like that...However, there are some portions I like:

- நேற்று நீர் விட்டது இன்று வேர் விட்டது நெஞ்சில் அம்மாடியோ நூறு பூப்பூத்தது
- அந்திப்பகல் இரவு சிந்தை துடிக்குது அந்தப்புர நினைவில் சிந்து படிக்குது
3/10

oru poongAvanam pudhu manam - what a lovely song! As mentioned before, those thimir lines are fantastic! Well, I should place the whole song here as there is nothing that I dislike - terrific song!

ஒரு பூங்காவனம் புது மனம் அதில் ரோமாஞ்சனம் தினம் தினம்
உலாவரும் கனாக்கள் கண்ணிலே ஓராயிரம் வினாக்கள் நெஞ்சிலே

நான் காலை நேரத் தாமரை என் கானம் யாவும் தேன் மழை
நான் கால் நடக்கும் தேவதை என் கோயில் இந்த மாளிகை
எந்நாளும் தென்றல் வந்து வீசிடும் என்னோடு தோழி போலப்பேசிடும்
உலாவரும் கனாக்கள் கண்ணிலே ஓராயிரம் வினாக்கள் நெஞ்சிலே

நான் வானவில்லை வேண்டினால் ஓர் விலை கொடுத்து வாங்குவேன்
வெண் மேகக்கூட்டம் யாவையும் என் மெத்தையாக்கித் தூங்குவேன்
சந்தோஷப்பூக்கள் எந்தன் சோலையில் சங்கீதம் பாடும் அந்தி மாலையில் 
உலாவரும் கனாக்கள் கண்ணிலே ஓராயிரம் வினாக்கள் நெஞ்சிலே

Very appropriate for that rich girl in the setting - her ahangAram as well as confusion (ஓராயிரம் வினாக்கள் நெஞ்சிலே) are so nicely brought out by the poet!

Vaali gets excellent marks here, 9/10

Having covered most of the "basic attributes" of a TFM song, I should conclude the mark-giving exercise with just one more post.

On "emotional connect" thingy.

Typically, I give a lion's share to this aspect when liking / not liking a song. Regardless of how I happen to connect with a particular number. (It could be simple nostalgia of some kind of personal happening that sync-ed with the song or the sheer overpowering emotions built in the song / lyrics or the movie situation combo that struck a cord or any other inexplicable reason that made one have a strong sensation with a song)...

This measure should get at least 25 (i.e. in line with melody / orch).

Unfortunately, AN songs are quite plastic variety in this aspect
(That is, to me...there may be many others who get goose bumps with these numbers).

இருந்தாலும், கடமை என்று ஒன்று உள்ளதே! செய்து விடுவோம்...

ninnukkOri - simple romatic song with more intellect than raw emotions. 10/25

thoongAdha vizhigaL reNdu - once again, slightly better than a typical cinematic duet, still nothing to stir me internally (I mean even at the time when it arrived, me was an eligible bachelor then) 11/25

vA vA anbE anbE - though cinematic lyrics, the connect was / is better than the other duet, in my case 14/25

rAjA rAjAthi rAjan indha rAjA - as a longtime rAsA admirer, the thrill is definitely there! 15/25

rOjAppoo Adi vandhadhu - yearning song, supposed to stir the desires and it does not fail 15/25

oru poongAvanam - I'm not sure what kind of feel this is supposed to stir up in a boy - admiration or irritation? Once again, more of intellect than emotions getting stirred up 10/25

There ends my scoring exercise.

Let me collect them all together in the next post & vote

Song	Video/5	Melody/25	Orch/25	Singing/15	Lyric/10	Connect/25	Total / 105
ninnukkOri varNam	1	20	18	11	5	10	65
thoongAdha vizhigaL	2	21	17	13	6	11	70
vA vA anbE anbE	1.5	17	18	10	3	14	63.5
rAjA rAjAthi	1	14	19	12	1	15	62
rOjAppoo	1	20	24	15	3	15	78
oru poongAvanam	2	21	23	15	9	10	80

So, oru poongAvanam it is!

Feel good as I have not been "cumulatively adding the marks", to be objective...a deserving song became a winner IMO

Yes. That's me, CK, app. Kamaan Grouch. Vote for Oru Poongaavanam. Kamaan tiger, kamaan.

Superb Analysis and conclusion App ji

nanRi, V_Sji

I guess if there's any similar exercise in future for rAsA albums, I won't waste time on the video separately but bundle it as part of the "emotional connect" metric.

That way, the score will be on a scale of 100 which is easily visualized as % !

melody - 25, orch - 25, emotional connect - 25, singing - 15, lyric -10 / Total 100

Nice conclusion Appji. Those who haven't voted please vote, asking one last time. Will create a new thread with another watershed album tomorrow.

app_engine wrote:nanRi, V_Sji

I guess if there's any similar exercise in future for rAsA albums, I won't waste time on the video separately but bundle it as part of the "emotional connect" metric.

That way, the score will be on a scale of 100 which is easily visualized as % !

melody - 25, orch - 25, emotional connect - 25, singing - 15, lyric -10 / Total 100

romba azhaga solli irukeenga app......

oru poongavanam........ indha paatuku idhu romba perfect.............. ennoda vote for.. oru poongavanam.......

Raja's Madhyavathi and Sudha Dhanyasi for Heroine. Something Special..........

Oru poongavanam for me too... (digression : when I saw the movie, was puzzled why Maniratnam did not give Nirosha's character even a name! Strange, when Gautam Vishwanath, Ashok Vishwanath & Anjali became so popular...I even recall Susheela & Kamala!)