Manadhil oru paattu - Song of the moment - Vol 1

Wow, I have never heard this song before and I was familiar with the songs of Paatu Paadavaa (or so I used to think!) at the time it released.  Amazing song, it might even be better than Nil nil nil, which is one of his underrated songs.   Nil nil nil was a big hit at that time and got played on TV repeatedly for about a year or so.  And yet, some of these songs have simply disappeared from 'circulation'.   I remember Thenpandi Tamizhe was a huge hit at the time of its release.  I mean, in 1990-91, when I began to retain vivid memories of music, that song was still popular and I think it was performed in one of his televised shows.   But we don't hear about those songs anymore.

Ya it's me  idha enakku introduce senjavar Raaga_Suresh when he was covering Raaja's forgotten mid 90s classics more than a year back. ippa dhaan ozhunjudhu upload seyya.

crimson king wrote:Wow, I have never heard this song before and I was familiar with the songs of Paatu Paadavaa (or so I used to think!) at the time it released.  Amazing song, it might even be better than Nil nil nil, which is one of his underrated songs.   Nil nil nil was a big hit at that time and got played on TV repeatedly for about a year or so.  And yet, some of these songs have simply disappeared from 'circulation'.   I remember Thenpandi Tamizhe was a huge hit at the time of its release.  I mean, in 1990-91, when I began to retain vivid memories of music, that song was still popular and I think it was performed in one of his televised shows.   But we don't hear about those songs anymore.

Yes. Sureshji rightly calls the mid 90s "Raja's unheard years". Both Nil Nil Nil and Poongaatrile are recent finds for me.

fring151 wrote:Yes. Sureshji rightly calls the mid 90s "Raja's unheard years". Both Nil Nil Nil and Poongaatrile are recent finds for me.

I hope you've heard Vazhi Vidu Vazhi Vidu (I like Raaja's voice more than SPB's  quite a bit of air time in the mid 90s) and Iniya Gaanam from the same movie. Iniya Gaanam was something I discovered nearly 2 years back. In the all time hall of fame now.

Iniya Gaanam
Vazhi Vidu

Yeah...in fact, Vazhi Vaidu, Iniya Gaanam and Nil nil nil were the three songs that became very popular at that time.  Esp Iniya Gaanam and Nil Nil were played over and over.  IIRC, SPB changes his style for himself and Janakaraj in Iniya Gaanam.

There was an interesting discussion today at home on the interview with Ramesh Sippy that BR did.  I have not seen his AB-Dilip Kumar starrer Shakti but my father did at that time.  He says it's a brilliant film but the public didn't want to see Dilip swallowing screen time that AB might have got.  According to him, Dilip acted brilliantly but in the subtle,nuanced style he is known for, not the loaded, dramatic style that AB popularised in films like Deewar and that went counter to public taste.   That is probably the problem IR faced in the 90s.  Once ARR had made a big splash, there was an eagerness to embrace this new wave and jettison the 'old'.   The songs that he scored in some of these films after ARR had become popular became hits but there was a reluctance to push them because they supposedly represented an 'old' way of making music.   This happened to the Kalaignan soundtrack too.  It may not have been one of his best soundtracks but it had some great songs and IR was actually responding to the general need for more 'dance music' but it got buried under the Muqabla/Pettai Rap wave.   Interesting that...Kamal/SPB/IR pitted against Prabhudeva/Suresh Peters/ARR and the latter won the day commercially.  I have heard some people who were grown ups in the 90s say they were simply tired of the IR-SPB combo and I have obviously never experienced that because I didn't live through the 80s and...come on, SPB is the best!

https://soundcloud.com/raja4ever/hires-maihasin

Intro and interludes kill!

Drunkenmunk wrote:

fring151 wrote:Yes. Sureshji rightly calls the mid 90s "Raja's unheard years". Both Nil Nil Nil and Poongaatrile are recent finds for me.

I hope you've heard Vazhi Vidu Vazhi Vidu (I like Raaja's voice more than SPB's  quite a bit of air time in the mid 90s) and Iniya Gaanam from the same movie. Iniya Gaanam was something I discovered nearly 2 years back. In the all time hall of fame now.

Iniya Gaanam
Vazhi Vidu

Hmm..I discovered both these songs a couple of weeks back, but haven't come to like them as much as Poongaatrile or Nil nil nil. Poongaatrile in particular was love at first hearing  .

crimson king wrote: Once ARR had made a big splash, there was an eagerness to embrace this new wave and jettison the 'old'.   The songs that he scored in some of these films after ARR had become popular became hits but there was a reluctance to push them because they supposedly represented an 'old' way of making music.   This happened to the Kalaignan soundtrack too.  It may not have been one of his best soundtracks but it had some great songs and IR was actually responding to the general need for more 'dance music' but it got buried under the Muqabla/Pettai Rap wave.   Interesting that...Kamal/SPB/IR pitted against Prabhudeva/Suresh Peters/ARR and the latter won the day commercially.  I have heard some people who were grown ups in the 90s say they were simply tired of the IR-SPB combo and I have obviously never experienced that because I didn't live through the 80s and...come on, SPB is the best! 

That is what I think as well. I can understand people getting tired of a composer's works and looking for a change. Looking at it objectively, it is not hard to understand why IR was dethroned commercially by ARR. Junta had basically had 'enough' of IR-SPB and at the first given opportunity whole-heartedly embraced the new wave.

If you listen to Iniya Gaanam, it has a rap bit (more Raja-rap I would say, not hardcore rapping) and some Hindi lyrics-like gibberish to open the charanam.  It's like IR too, like HCIRFs, believed that he would be back to no.1 (probably still does!  ) and considered the ARR wave a passing cloud so wanted to indirectly mock it.  It's just my guesswork, I don't know if he had a hand in putting that agenda into the song.  Anyhow, the public wasn't really listening...not the song per se, but the message.   Still, love the time sig change in "Anumathi Ilavasam", the song is just too musical not to like for me.

EDIT:  SPB's singing adds so much to these songs.  Even if Chinnakanmanikulle is in a typical IR template, he really brings out the emotions and makes it compelling.  Thalaiva, please consider giving more than an occasional Vaangum Pannathukkum to SPB.   SPB na chanceless.

writeface wrote:https://soundcloud.com/raja4ever/hires-maihasin

Intro and interludes kill!

Great song.  One thing I think IR could have changed in his Hindi work is to use less of those complicated staccato phrases and more legato for the vocal melody.  That would just be more appropriate for the general flow of Hindi music.  He did that to some extent with Ae Zindagi....the "Tera sahara mil gaya hi zindagi" sounds so touching.

Just discovered this song yesterday. Pumped me up so much that I even left a rare comment on youtube  . 



The comments on the video are a mix of fascinating and hilarious. A lot of westerners seem totally bemused and shocked by everything  

"More musical ideas in this song on its own than any current top 10 chart around the world"


"just brilliant, so many things going on, random as fuck, amazing"

"who is this band, does anyone know? they are out-a-sight!"


"Shit, the bassline is wicked, as are the drum breaks. Oh yeah, the afro-desiac guy is pretty entertaining, too.


"OK so this is not Rfi. Then who the Flip is he? What is the film, where can i buy it, and i want to see more like it. The music, dancing and joy of the whole piece lifts me from the repeatedly moronic munotany of the crap that fills the UK airways and music video channels."


 



And my picks...
"This little gem has got to be one of the weirdest freakshow videos on Youtube. Does anyone have any idea what this is from? Is it from a movie or musical or from the twisted mind of some Indian weirdo? Any info is appreciated. This video is like a bad car accident. You don't want to look, but you find you have to. I want the DVD!


Do not, and I mean DO NOT watch this video while tripping on shrooms or acid. You will spend your entire trip watching this thing over and over. Be warned."



"Disturbing, demented and life changing. A window into some forbidden realm between 70's funk and a near life threatening fever dream! The image is burned into my retinas and mind now."


 

fring151 wrote:Just discovered this song yesterday. Pumped me up so much that I even left a rare comment on youtube  . 

Promptly upvoted your comment  Absolutely absolutely wicked bass. Read an article recently that before ARR, no one used the bass prominently in IFM  is all I can do after listening to such songs. And the momentary strum of veena at 1:03. Oh boy!

fring151,
Interesting to see that you've heard about this song only now  

This had been discussed a lot in the prior forum, a song because of which the UK label "finders keepers" got into IR 

Look at this:
http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/ilaiyaraaja-solla-solla/

Impossible to pigeonhole and characterised by his own indefinable style the man is a genre in his own right.

Actually, since then they've released a few other collections of such hip songs of rAsA from pre-90's

BTW, as a person from the gen that was in college when "ellAm inba mayam" got released - I need to say again that it was such a kadi movie

IR made a lot of youththu like me suffer those days (by being the sole reason to get many of us to theater, to watch such kuppais).

app_engine wrote:fring151,
Interesting to see that you've heard about this song only now  

This had been discussed a lot in the prior forum, a song because of which the UK label "finders keepers" got into IR 

Look at this:
http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/ilaiyaraaja-solla-solla/

Impossible to pigeonhole and characterised by his own indefinable style the man is a genre in his own right.

Actually, since then they've released a few other collections of such hip songs of rAsA from pre-90's

"Yes yes. I have 5 of those albums. Fire Star (Audio quality absolutely outstanding), Solla Solla in 2 volumes, Ilectro and Play that beat Mr. Raaja. PM your email id. I can ask a friend to forward the songs if you don't have them  "

Drunkenmunk wrote:

fring151 wrote:Just discovered this song yesterday. Pumped me up so much that I even left a rare comment on youtube  . 

Promptly upvoted your comment  Absolutely absolutely wicked bass. Read an article recently that before ARR, no one used the bass prominently in IFM  is all I can do after listening to such songs. And the momentary strum of veena at 1:03. Oh boy!

Keith Peters (ARR's bassist) said that in a Hindu interview right? And then he was the same person who was a part of the 'Genius of Ilayaraja' concert organized by Anil Srinivasan and Navin Iyer. I really don't know what too think of these people. As professional musicians, they all probably have interests to safeguard and promote. Anyway these claims are so wild that only the most blinded ARR fanatics who haven't heard anything pre-Roja are going to fall for them.

app_engine wrote:fring151,
Interesting to see that you've heard about this song only now  

This had been discussed a lot in the prior forum, a song because of which the UK label "finders keepers" got into IR 

Look at this:
http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/ilaiyaraaja-solla-solla/

Impossible to pigeonhole and characterised by his own indefinable style the man is a genre in his own right.

Actually, since then they've released a few other collections of such hip songs of rAsA from pre-90's

Thanks for the link app saar. It can justifiably be claimed that IR's 79-83 output alone is enough to satiate a fan for a lifetime.  . Any wonder why many are reluctant to explore 90s and 00s works?

fring151 wrote:Thanks for the link app saar. It can justifiably be claimed that IR's 79-83 output alone is enough to satiate a fan for a lifetime.  . Any wonder why many are reluctant to explore 90s and 00s works?

Fring - if his previous work is too overwhelming, then they should say it is overwhelming and I cant even get into nineties and ytwoks. 
I did. There was a time during Ponnar shankar  etc when, for years, I didnt even check out them. I didnt go about claiming IR has gone crap. I admitted that I wasn't able to keep pace with his output.
These people dont have the honesty to admit their inadequacies

Drunkenmunk wrote:

app_engine wrote:fring151,
Interesting to see that you've heard about this song only now  

This had been discussed a lot in the prior forum, a song because of which the UK label "finders keepers" got into IR 

Look at this:
http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/ilaiyaraaja-solla-solla/

Impossible to pigeonhole and characterised by his own indefinable style the man is a genre in his own right.

Actually, since then they've released a few other collections of such hip songs of rAsA from pre-90's

"Yes yes. I have 5 of those albums. Fire Star (Audio quality absolutely outstanding), Solla Solla in 2 volumes, Ilectro and Play that beat Mr. Raaja. PM your email id. I can ask a friend to forward the songs if you don't have them  "

oop thought it was Fring saying this  now realizing it was app. Kasht. Fring, if you'd like it, PM email id ya. Can ask friend to email songs through google drive.

plum wrote:

fring151 wrote:Thanks for the link app saar. It can justifiably be claimed that IR's 79-83 output alone is enough to satiate a fan for a lifetime.  . Any wonder why many are reluctant to explore 90s and 00s works?

Fring - if his previous work is too overwhelming, then they should say it is overwhelming and I cant even get into nineties and ytwoks. 
I did. There was a time during Ponnar shankar  etc when, for years, I didnt even check out them. I didnt go about claiming IR has gone crap. I admitted that I wasn't able to keep pace with his output.
These people dont have the honesty to admit their inadequacies

Maybe they were judging by the hit songs only - in the 80s, with so many projects in his hand, most of his big banner projects would have had at least a couple of great songs.  In the 90s, Velli Nilave was the last song in the 'classic IR' template that made a big impact in terms of repeated TV play. Afterwards, for sometime it was 'Raja lite' songs like Yennai Thalata Varuvalo/Roja Poonthotam/Thendral Varum Vazhiye and eventually became a trickle. Somehow a gem like Punnai Vanathu Kuyil just disappeared.  I remember Mannakkum Santhaname got played on TV and...ok, the tune was nice but I found the percussions rather loud.  Even later on when I revisited the album years later, my feelings about that track had not changed.  That might have been the moment that a lot of people just said, "This is it, enough is enough."  I have used the internet to find out about songs that I missed out and see if there might be something in there that I might like.  But maybe others (esp those grew up without internet) still depend on hits to know what a composer is doing.  I think one would miss out a lot if they only focused on top 10 hits but at the same time I understand that tendency.  The idea of tracking an artist's back catalogue through sources like internet is itself anathema for the majority.

In a nutshell, it boils down to whether such people were fans of IR's music per se or only fans of IR no.1 composer.  As soon as ARR upstaged him to become no.1, they decided he was making mokka songs that's why they were not becoming hits.   MSV had lost a lot of market by the time IR collaborated with him for Mella Thirandhadhu Kadhavu and yet he composed such great melodies for the film.  There is no correlation between commercial success and artistic greatness but idhellam top 10 crowd-ukku puriyadhu.

When I heard NEP album for the first time, Sattru Munbu was the song that made the biggest impression (followed by Mudhal Murai).  A year later, I like Kaatrai Konjam more than Mudhal Murai and almost if not as much as Sattru Munbu.  It might have clicked to that extent earlier with somewhat more intense singing from Karthik who as usual just coasts through the song in a pleasant way.  The charanam is simply brilliant.  So many twists and turns and yet they dawned on me after many, many listens.  It's a mark of IR's genius that he concealed these twists so well it almost sounded run of the mill the first time when it's anything but.  My only minor quibble is about the slight tiptoeing in the first interlude and that is more a way of identifying what aspects of Sattru Munbu I like more than Kaatrai Konjam.   The interludes in Sattru Munbu are more decisive in terms of flow....vintage IR with new levels of tension.  On the other hand, I absolutely love the rapid alternation of vocals and saxophone (or was it clarinet that was actually used?) in the "thalli thalli ponaalum" phrase.  I had pointed it out to another reviewer but couldn't quite get across what is so unique about it.  It is (I think) a baroque technique but IR uses it in a style that is more like R&B...with raga based vocal melody.  It may not be the first time he's done this but it's always exhilarating to hear for me.  Only Ilayaraja!

Drunkenmunk wrote:

Drunkenmunk wrote:

app_engine wrote:fring151,
Interesting to see that you've heard about this song only now  

This had been discussed a lot in the prior forum, a song because of which the UK label "finders keepers" got into IR 

Look at this:
http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/ilaiyaraaja-solla-solla/

Impossible to pigeonhole and characterised by his own indefinable style the man is a genre in his own right.

Actually, since then they've released a few other collections of such hip songs of rAsA from pre-90's

"Yes yes. I have 5 of those albums. Fire Star (Audio quality absolutely outstanding), Solla Solla in 2 volumes, Ilectro and Play that beat Mr. Raaja. PM your email id. I can ask a friend to forward the songs if you don't have them  "

oop thought it was Fring saying this  now realizing it was app. Kasht. Fring, if you'd like it, PM email id ya. Can ask friend to email songs through google drive.

Thanks DM!  . It looks like a good number of these songs are available for download on various random sites. I will come back if there are any songs I can't find...

plum wrote:

fring151 wrote:Thanks for the link app saar. It can justifiably be claimed that IR's 79-83 output alone is enough to satiate a fan for a lifetime.  . Any wonder why many are reluctant to explore 90s and 00s works?

Fring - if his previous work is too overwhelming, then they should say it is overwhelming and I cant even get into nineties and ytwoks. 
I did. There was a time during Ponnar shankar  etc when, for years, I didnt even check out them. I didnt go about claiming IR has gone crap. I admitted that I wasn't able to keep pace with his output.
These people dont have the honesty to admit their inadequacies

These people are obviously just being prejudiced or as CK says, merely judging by the hit songs. I can understand them saying they have a preference for his earlier works, but saying he has gone crap etc is just sheeple being sheeple.

CK,

I THINK in Kaatrai konjam, it is soprano sax in the 1st interlude and clarinet in the "thalli thalli ponAlum line".