Raaja - comparing 4 decades of musical output

par,

As I had said in an earlier post, the Raja of late 70s is someone who has put his throne in every heart that heard music in those times and refuses to be dislodged from that position. I am sure there are many more posters who will resonate with what you said and will unanimously approve of all the songs that you listed. An excellent list.

Going by your list, there will some who will argue that while the poetry became better in 80s when Vairamuthu came along, the pre-Vairamuthu days were the best ones from a musical perspective. I am personally someone who loves Raja of all times, 70s to 2000s.

Continuing on the topic of Raja of 4 decades, I have been hearing the Malayalam output of Raja for the past few days. Here are some observations about what Raja had done here and how I perceive the music has changed.

1980s: This is the music which instantly hits you. The very first strumming of a guitar, the piano run or a humming is enough to make your heart leap with joy. Just think of 'E nilimathan' or 'kuliradunnu maanathu', 'kalkandam chundil' and if this cannot bring you joy, nothing else will. You are doomed :) In this era, the guitar is clear, the lead guitar has major role to play as does the flute. The bass, ofcourse, is ever present and brilliant. The singing very open throated and the energy levels in the songs is very high. Even Jesudas, who is more known for his melody, sings with a lot of fervour in songs like 'maane madhura karimbe'. Almost every movie done during this period had a couple of all time great songs. The list is enormous and not only Malayalis but guys like us who love Raja's music, savour this period as much as we savour the 70s Tamil period.

1990s: The shift to synth happened during this time though there were exceptions like 'Kalapani' and 'Guru'. Unlike the 80s, where the songs hit you immediately, the songs in this period take a bit of a time to grow on you. Not something you generally associate with Raja but that has been my experience. There were exceptions like 'Guru', 'Kalapani' and 'Oru Yathra Mozhi'. The other movies like 'Kallukondoru Pennu', 'Majeera Dhwani', 'Kaliyoonjal', 'Man of the Match', 'Anuraga Kottaram', 'Ponmudi Puzhayorathu' require some time for the music to impress you. It took me some time to realize the worth of 'Ammayennu Vaaku', 'Virahamay Viplamay', 'Kenu Mayangiyo', 'Kalyana Pallakil', 'Arudhe Arudhe Poo Mari', 'Chirichende Manasindhe' etc. In that way, the post 1992 output was different from the 1980s output. But once the songs entered you, there is no going back. These made way into your playlist and will not be dislodged. The orchestration was more synth, both the rhythm and the other 'instruments', the singing was more stylized compared to the 80s, ('stylized' in the modern sense of the word), the lead guitar not appearing as much as in the 80s and the overall feel changed from a rock type of orchestration to a jazz type of orchestration, with the sax (real or synth) playing a major role.

2000s: Somehow I feel Raja is slowly getting back to his 80s mode as far as Malayalam film music is concerned. The very explicit and immediately catchy melodies are back. 'Koda Manjin', 'Endhu Paranjalum', 'Vasantha Nila', 'Mandhara Poo Mooli', 'Aathinkaraiyorathe', 'Kaiyetha', 'Swapnangal Kannezhudiya', 'Kunnathe' etc. The bass guitar is back and so is the flute in many of these melodies. No wonder we have been loving Raja's Malayalam output in the 2000s.

there is a thing about the 'synth period' and the so called disappearance of bass lines.
yesterday I was listening to Karugamani from Azhagar malai - the song starts of with a neat bass guitar strumming 'thumm thumm thummm' and then when the rest of the instruments and synth digital stuff (which was nice to hear BTW), the bass guitar simply disappeared. My guess is that - the bass levels of the other instruments are so high, that they eat up the bass line from guitar or that the synth bass lines have replaced the guitar totally.
I think, if a raaja song is missing a bass guitar, there is something that takes its place or it has been composed purely like a concerto with some cellos and other lines substituting for bass guitar and the focus is not on the rhythm (jadhi or thalam) at all - but the harmony of it all.

Ennenna kolam mannil
thaaLa layam ondru dhaan
enakku adhu thevayillai
Naadha vasam naan

Is it a phase in the evolution of Raaja the music composer who is trying to be free of all rules, the ones set by tradition and the ones he set upon himself - the ones that identify his signature for us, his fans (devotees to some).

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Originally Posted by jaiganes

the so called disappearance of bass lines.

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IMO, azhagar malai signalled the return of bass lines in TFM :-)

It did completely disappear in early 2K's for many songs.

To completely not have it in a stunner like 'pAttuchcholli pAdachcholli' was disappointing to me :-(

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Originally Posted by app_engine

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jaiganes

the so called disappearance of bass lines.

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IMO, azhagar malai signalled the return of bass lines in TFM :-)

It did completely disappear in early 2K's for many songs.

To completely not have it in a stunner like 'pAttuchcholli pAdachcholli' was disappointing to me :-(

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I am not saying there were no bass lines - I am saying they were there and in the lead phase, they are heard, but subsequently the synth eats it all up. contrast the song to Aranmanaikili's 'Raasave unai vida maaten' the bass guitar never leaves the main melody and is heard consistently at the same level as vocals. In KAruga mani, the bass guitar is not in the same comparable level.

இசை இளையராஜா : Astonishing
இசை சக்கரவர்த்தி இளையராஜா: Impressive
இசை ஞானி இளையராஜா: Mostly okay, sometimes good.
மாஸ்டரோ இளையராஜா: Fast forward, better skip.

I know many of you going to say I miss a lot by skipping and fast forwarding, but I do not feel so. I am happy with astonishing and impressive material.

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Originally Posted by genesis

இசை இளையராஜா : Astonishing
இசை சக்கரவர்த்தி இளையராஜா: Impressive
இசை ஞானி இளையராஜா: Mostly okay, sometimes good.
மாஸ்டரோ இளையராஜா: Fast forward, better skip.

I know many of you going to say I miss a lot by skipping and fast forwarding, but I do not feel so. I am happy with astonishing and impressive material.

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ரூம் போட்டு யோசிக்கிற மாதிரி இருக்கு? :wink:

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Originally Posted by genesis

இசை இளையராஜா : Astonishing
இசை சக்கரவர்த்தி இளையராஜா: Impressive
இசை ஞானி இளையராஜா: Mostly okay, sometimes good.
மாஸ்டரோ இளையராஜா: Fast forward, better skip.

I know many of you going to say I miss a lot by skipping and fast forwarding, but I do not feel so. I am happy with astonishing and impressive material.

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:clap: Next?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by genesis

இசை இளையராஜா : Astonishing
இசை சக்கரவர்த்தி இளையராஜா: Impressive
இசை ஞானி இளையராஜா: Mostly okay, sometimes good.
மாஸ்டரோ இளையராஜா: Fast forward, better skip.

I know many of you going to say I miss a lot by skipping and fast forwarding, but I do not feel so. I am happy with astonishing and impressive material.

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reminds me of fm Radio losers who keep playing the same 100 hardcore IR hits of the 80s day in and day out. I invariably switch the radio off because i am irritated that they show no signs of growing up ! There are so many gems after the 80s, in the 90s and 2000 wherein there are tremendous experimentations and equally simple stunning melodies (e.g. ilavenil idhu vaigasi maadham song from kadhal rojavae featuring george)...innum ethanai naalaikki 'ilaiyanila'vaiyai puzhiyuvaangannu theriyala....there are 1000s of underrated gems - that channel people (like iniya iruvau Arun in suriyan FM who keeps playing the same 20 songs again and again) can unearth the broadcast it to the world. Music'la 8 grades irukku, but first grade'la yae iruppaennu adam pidikka koodaadhu...Even raagamalika is using only typical IR hits, while they could think more of post 90's stuff. As a relief, i watched a program (in mega tv i think, called kalanjali), where saami kitta solli vachu was sung ...the same movie also had a stunner "alaiyodum nathiyoram" sung by s.janaki - that is as good as any 80s hit in terms of melodic quality.

IR's Music - Science madhiri.. Maths madhiri..

Science aiyum Maths aiyum purinjavanga matumae

andha padathai padika mudiyum. virumba muidyum.

Yar ellam evvalavu padichangalo - evvalavu purinjukarangalo,
avvalavu rasikaranga.

adhai solranga......