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View Full Version : Looking Back - Muthu



jangofett
16th November 2007, 06:38 PM
Dusted up my Muthu CD and gave it a spin today. The songs are as fresh as when I first them back in 1995 for the Deepavali season. I still have the Pyramid CD with the lyrics and pictures booklet.

The striking thing about the CD cover was that there was a new mugshot of ARR used rather than the old ones. I don't think Pyramid used this photo for any other movie releases so I'm assuming it's only exclusive to Muthu CDs.

The first time ARR working together with Rajini and KS Ravikumar. I read somewhere that Rajini wanted to work with ARR much earlier - was it for Veera? But it was K Balachander's home production of Muthu that both ARR and Rajini finally worked together.

ARR had to come up with an opening track in the shadow of Deva's opening tracks for Annamalai and Batcha. Oruvan Oruvan Mudalali had a majestic orchestral intro fit for a king. SP Bala gave great vocals - the lyrics were excellent from Vairamuthu - Vannamum Onnuku Bumium Onnuku. I think Vairamuthu won the state award for the lyrics. The track had techno drums. I didn't like the interludes especially the "qawali" interlude.

ARR sampled the bass line from the 1965 Fontella Bass hit - Rescue Me for Kulu Valilay. I liked this song the most in 1995. I liked the fusion done by ARR. Is this the first time Udit Narayanan sang for Rajini? Chirta's vocal is very sweet and playful. The lyrics had also some political messages as I think 1996 was an election year in Tamil Nadu. Does the lyric have some Kerala flavour?

I hated Koku Saiva Koku - what a wasted opportunity!!! I don't understand why the director wanted to picturize a song situation like this - Sarath Babu's wife to be think he wants to marry her and everyone in the household will be dancing and signing this track including an old woman (she wasn't really old!!!). But this song has one of the best interludes by ARR!!! I would rate this interlude in the Top 10. The interlude starts at 3:16 with strings, flutes and ARR himself doing superb folk vocals and ends at 3:56. 40 seconds of pure heaven!!! I also like the male background vocals after 3:56.

I think the most popular number from the movie is Thilana Thilana. The opening vocals was of course sampled from Deep Forest's Night Bird that was released in 1994. I like the groove in this song - it's like a Punjabi beat. Mano and Sujatha give excellent vocals. The interlude from 2:04 is nice and soothing. What has happened to Mano these days?

The background score in the movie also used some themes from Rangeela if I'm not mistaken.

ARR would work with Rajini again in Padaiyaapa, Baba and Sivaji. With KS Ravikumar, he did Padaiyaapa, Thenali, Godfather.

Anyone still remember when the first they listened to Muthu back in 1995? Please do comment.

prasana84
16th November 2007, 10:54 PM
Even today the songs are so nice its almost 12 years i guess but it is so fresh my fav songs are oruvan best ever intro song in tamil films and thilana