Neethane En Ponvasantham | Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu | Assi Nabbe Poorey Sau

[csramasami]

pudikkala maamu has a whole bunch of musically interesting things going on for sure (some stunning guitaring throughout the song for one!). It's just that the tune, at places, sounds a bit too simple/'pedestrian' (isn't the 2nd half meant to be exactly this? And got me wondering why GVM didn't persist to extract an alternative tune instead of this 'dated' one) and the lyrics are extremely unimaginative (especially the paththadhE part - there's surely a sandham-soll mismatch there right? 'paththadhE' becomes 'pathadhE'. Hect it even sounds so much like the Hindi word 'bathaadhE'! You seldom see this problem in Raaja songs, no?).

And Vinod, I think the percussions in the kuththu part are played on the usual acoustic drums versus thaara/thappatai/thavil, possibly giving it that different sound. And like Jai said, this is one helluva audacious attempt! Oh how I wish Raaja had prolonged that mini post-lude. engyO kondu poirukkalaam!

IR is THE Man of Fusion with fusion in his Gene.

For comical song to Nasser's Avatharam, he transcends us to Italic Operatic way of WCM. For traditional way of temple singing of Thiruvasagam, he brings in the Gospel way of singing.

Like that now, to let loose the reign, go-for-free attitude college singing, he gives two sampling to GVM of "Pudikkalai Maamu" and "Veedhi Paththadhe" by Jazzy Kuththu.

(I hate this word Kuththu/dappangkuthu nostalgic haterdness comes into mind of 70's when IR was being stamped and lot of arguments I used to get into with others to clear the wrong notions).

If Jiiva & Co has to sing, take "Pudikkala Mamu", If Santhanam will get into riot take " Veedhi Paththade " something like that..! Just my guess (may be over-guessing)

But what made me cry for this song is the genius IR selecting a scale/ragam (which I could not find any answers so far) with notes of Madhyamavathy, but will never sound like that due to the way of singing of certain phrases. If "Eeramana Rojave Ennai paarthhu...", "Manaada Kodi Meenada ", "Sirugaali Sirugaali" (Telugu-Mallepoovu) etc etc and now this "Veedhi Pathaadhe". Unbeleivable !!

I noticed your observation of similarity with Hindi word "Bathaadhe". May be intentional as it was a trilingual film. We dont know.

Somebody has already cleared the air with excellent convincing write-up on "Pengal Endraal" and in the same way, "Veedhi Pathaadhe" has to rule the College Festivals everywhere in near future!

People has already started accepting the beauty of Saaindhu Saaindhu a beautiful Mohanam piece; (takes me to continue singing Latha Mangeshkar's "Jyoth Kalash..." Suresh may agree with me...).

So no songs can be rejected or kept aside in this album.

With lesser words and a lot of gaps between words, Saindhu Saindhu is very apt song for Hindi adaptation..! (For Hindi, you have to limit the musical notes to Thema or Pulima that's all with just two-syllable words. If you get into Karu-viLan-gani...business, meaning three syllable plus words, Hindi lyricists are finished...! Similarly, limiting to maximum three or four line charanams is enough..! Anything beyond.. filling up of words starts...!) Anand Milind used to do that flaattening/trimming of notes in their Hindi adaptations of IR.

One more thing I observed.. ! IR is particular of complicated words to complicated notes he writes. In "Vaa-nam Mella" song, think of fitting "Var-a-nam Mella" .... in the same time suration of Vaanam Mella....Hope you get what I am trying to tell.

There's a beauty in that twist of "Varanam" (instead of Vaanam) and that's what we are getting in the bag-piper+flute/recorder type of instrumental piece faithfully following throughout the song.

If you whistle, you will struggle for getting that twisty things to replicate, and that's the challenge IR pose for any woodwind player in that song. Though Muthukumar simplified it with "Vanam Mella" he ends with "Tharunam Tharunam..." compensating for the simplification; Somebody felt it as jaarring.. I have different view..!

[irir123]

friends, i managed to take a 'sneak' listen of NEPV just once!

RANAGALAM !!

whatever I (amongst millions) have been craving for, in terms of: 1. live acoustic instruments, 2.top-notch recording, 3. longish interludes, 4. orchestral score, 5.max mix of genres evolving into something entirely new (in fact this point has been many HCIRF's contention, since IR has straddled so many genres/styles, its time he evolved to the next stage), and 6. BASS !!

with NEPV, IR has covered almost every single aspect from the above !!

few things that popped out at the first listen:

1. the interlude of 'penngal endraal" !!! its IR's salute to a Pink Floydish sound!! and the cellos/ strings that take over from the Floydish sound, are reminiscent of the ambience/space of Sheryl Crow's "Tomorrow never dies" (by David Arnold ?) - in fact, almost every song (barring 'pudikkala') is RICH and DENSE with an ambience that one gets to listen in scores like TND !!

2. 'satru mumbu' and 'neethane ponvasantham' are KICKASS tracks! it will take months for me to decipher what is going on here!

3. 'pudikkala' - noone can even conjure up such a rockish college kuthhu song - the interludes are again KICKASS variety !!!!!! the use of the oboe alternating with the trumpet towards the end of this track as the backdrop is total freakout !! and the ending, the guitar wud have gone on to do a sequel if IR had wanted it to !! like a perfect followthrough from a fast bowler!

indha aala nenachhaa bayamaa irukku !

i now have my hands full next 2 months or so, trying to figure out how to get NEPV across to the right ppl here !!

[Anban]

Pudikkale maamu for santhanam and veethi paththaathu for jeeva

[Gregorysab]

The song that I hated the most in 1st listening - Pengal endral - is probably the most 'envelope pushing' song of the album, from Raaja's style perspective. I dismissed it for it lacked things that I was looking for. But I now see that it has things that I like, but which I didnt expect in this album. Heard it 4 times last night and it made me go "wow". I now need to amend my review a bit.

With this, my likeness quotient of this album goes to 7.5/8.

[San_K]

While I listened to songs last night, only UV's rendition in Saindhu Saindhu came through my headphones. Thought something was wrong with the YouTube link. But no, i was able to hear it through speakers. Finally able to troubleshoot that headphone joint was faulty and it was acting like bypass filter, only Yuvans made it through, maybe also the chorale.

[Gregorysab]

Ok I edited my write-up on the album a bit. An extended take on "Pengal endraal": This song is perhaps Ilaiyaraaja's tribute to Mahavishnu Orchestra and the likes. Just remove Yuvan's vocals and replace with a solo violin - it can become a classic. Compared to the romantic-ballad feel the other songs carry, this song comes across as unimpressive because of the culture shock but don't dismiss it. The guitar riffs, the fleeting raag pathdeep+keeravani-ish traces and classic rock elements tease you as you listen along. This song is probably the most envelope-pushing song in this album where Ilaiyaraaja defies himself.

Full review of the album here: http://musicmavericks.blogspot.in/20...tham-yeto.html (replug)

[groucho070]

aakarsh, glad you are liking it now. Whole album needs multiple listening. I think this album perhaps has most usage of guitar (any variant) for Raja (can prove me wrong, not been listening to his later/non-Tamizh outputs).

[K]

http://www.uyirmmai.com/uyirosai/Con....aspx?cid=5910

"கவிதை பாடு குயிலே குயிலே இனி வசந்தமே" என்று கௌதம் வலிய அழைத்து வந்திருக்கிறார். ராஜாவை மீண்டும் சாதாரணத திரை இசைக்கென. இனிவரும் முப்பது ஆண்டுகளுக்கு இந்த " நீதானே என் பொன்வசந்தம் " திரை இசை இலக்கணமாகத் திகழும்

இனி Synth Music , Loops மற்றும் வசதியாக எங்கிருந்தேனும் அது அரபி, Spanish Country Music, HipHop , Techno , Digitized அல்லது Columbian மற்றும் Jamaican Beats களை வைத்து ஒப்பேற்ற நினைப்போர் மூட்டை கட்டிக்கொண்டு வந்த வழி பார்த்துச்செல்லுதல் நலம். Orchestration என்பதே அறியாத ஒரு Generation. Instrumental Music என்றால் என்னவென்றே தெரியாத கும்பல்களுக்கு இதுதான் இசை, இப்படித்தான் இசைக்கவேண்டும் என்று அறிவுரை தரத்தக்க இசை இது.

Read the Full article from the above Link.

[venkkiram]

http://www.uyirmmai.com/uyirosai/Con....aspx?cid=5910

"கவிதை பாடு குயிலே குயிலே இனி வசந்தமே" என்று கௌதம் வலிய அழைத்து வந்திருக்கிறார். ராஜாவை மீண்டும் சாதாரணத திரை இசைக்கென. இனிவரும் முப்பது ஆண்டுகளுக்கு இந்த " நீதானே என் பொன்வசந்தம் " திரை இசை இலக்கணமாகத் திகழும்

இனி Synth Music , Loops மற்றும் வசதியாக எங்கிருந்தேனும் அது அரபி, Spanish Country Music, HipHop , Techno , Digitized அல்லது Columbian மற்றும் Jamaican Beats களை வைத்து ஒப்பேற்ற நினைப்போர் மூட்டை கட்டிக்கொண்டு வந்த வழி பார்த்துச்செல்லுதல் நலம். Orchestration என்பதே அறியாத ஒரு Generation. Instrumental Music என்றால் என்னவென்றே தெரியாத கும்பல்களுக்கு இதுதான் இசை, இப்படித்தான் இசைக்கவேண்டும் என்று அறிவுரை தரத்தக்க இசை இது.

Read the Full article from the above Link.

நல்லதொரு விமர்சனம். சுவைத் தேன். ஒவ்வொரு வரியையும் சுவைத்தேன். பாராட்டுக்கள் எழுதிய சின்னப்பயலுக்கு.

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

While I listened to songs last night, only UV's rendition in Saindhu Saindhu came through my headphones. Thought something was wrong with the YouTube link. But no, i was able to hear it through speakers. Finally able to troubleshoot that headphone joint was faulty and it was acting like bypass filter, only Yuvans made it through, maybe also the chorale.

I have a peculiar headphone, its jack is faulty but wierd! It will work properly only if you insert it with some 10% outside! If you properly insert it, you will hear ONLY the instrumental version! One can sing Karoke with it!

Since then, I parceled it and preserving as a rare asset