Friday, December 16, 2005


I tend to listen to music as loud as possible, especially ARR's because I can then listen to the little treats he throws in. I was forced to listen to his music on my headphones because of the fact that I was listening to 'Hai Rama' at the highest volume that my laptop will allow, at 2 am on a weekday. I figured that neither my roomies nor my neighbors would really appreciate it as much as I always do when it comes to ARR. Not only did I get the little treats he threw in there, I also was gobsmacked at how different and how much more there is to the same song when listened to on the headphones. The first song I listened to (after Hai Rama!) was Anthimanthaarai's instrumental. I always thought that ARR excelled at instrumentals/themes, but you have to listen to this piece on your headphones to realise how beautifully he mixes his music. I could hear the flute on one headpiece and the violins on the other. When I pulled away and covered one headpiece I could hear only the flute being played, and when I pulled away the other all I could hear was the violin. Oh well, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Listening to Narumugaye is always a treat, but listening to it on the headphones, is another experience. The chalangai sound moves from one side to the other giving you this circular feeling. Out of reach in one ear and into another. Is it just my imagination or can everybody else also hear the breathing in the beginning of the song? I've listened to Snehidane, I don't know how many times, but on the headphones, I got not only certain nuances I had missed before but also the same ARR-chalangai effect. Anbe Aaruyire had this secondary singing effect in the chorus. I tried hard to get whether the second voice was also ARR's but am still unsure. Even his No Problem has some of those switching sides deals. I've listened to RDB several times at work on the headphones, and noticed some of these effects in Khalbali, and why not? I think its the one song I've listened to over and over again, and still find something new, something minute. The Zarra Zarra... part moves from one side to the other, I think this however is something that's present in all ARR songs. Maramkothiye has more than a little bit of the switchin' sides deal. I have this feeling that I'm going to be listening to all of his songs again to see whether he does this to all his songs or just a few. I know that the mrindangam sound has been split in Minsara Poove. Even in Anbe Ithu... piano notes can be heard only in one earpiece. These are only to name a few. I'm very excited, this is like listening to ARR all over again, the experience listening to his music as it it were a new piece. Only it's a old well-loved piece.

On a more negative note, I actually got to watch the videos of Ah Aah..Anbe Aaruyire. I did not get to see the movie so I don't know the context of the songs. Was the title song supposed to be a joke? If it wasn't then I want to kill SJ Suryah for killing the song. The biggest letdown was Mayilirage. OH MY GOD?! We need to take lessons from SJ Suryah on how to kill a song totally by way of picturisation. One of the most beautiful songs of the movie and all I could see is this kinda pretty unknown actress' bloated stomach dancing on screen. Oh wait, I also saw some very unimaginative 'dancing'. Can it even be called that? It's almost sacrilegous!!! There's gotta be a law against such work! Why does ARR still make music for this guy?

5 comments:

Aravind said...

Hey Sush,
Thanx for pointing out those minute details in the songs... I heard only Narumugaiye and Minsara Poove (after reading ur post)... The sound mix of Chalangai sound in Narumugaiye was too good....I'm totally spell bound :D IT was like rediscovering the songs all over again.... I will listen to the other songs u've mentioned :)

BTW, I was so irritated with the picturisation and the so-called dance in Mayilirage Song. Especially the awkward movements that SJS makes during the Sax/Naadhasvaram piece (not at the starting but towards the end)... Aandavaaa...Save ARR's music from clowns like these.. :(
And, the title song was not a joke :P.. That is SJS's intro song... (kodumai da saami)
Actuallly, I liked SJ Surya's picturisation in NEW.. Donno what happened to him in Ah Aah...

True Blue Rahmaniac said...

Hey Aravind,
Don't just stick to the songs that I've mentioned, every single song of ARR's should be listened to fairly loudly on the headphones to get the total effect. I'm sure there are several other Rahmaniacs out there who have no clue abt most of these effects. It seriously is like rediscovering every song of his. Mostly the more recent songs I think will have this whole effect, but then I may be wrong at that. He might've been doing this throughout and I only found out now. I think he should hand out a set of instructions on how to listen to his songs :) What say?

I actually detest SJS' face and therefore didn't catch New. Maybe I should. I really would like to kill him for what he did to Anbe Aaruyire. It's just amazing that ARR has signed up so many movies with him.

Aravind said...

Hey Sush,
Heard WATER? I mean the official release.. not the one that was leaked... I thought the leaked one was wonderful.... But the official one is lottttt better with so many additional layers in each song!!!!! Heavenly!!!!

BTW, add me on ur Yahoo: aravind_iimb

Praveen said...

hi sush,
Gr8 writeup....u hav got an amzing ear...i mostly listen to his song on my speakers, rather than on headsets. so, I have actually missed some of his minute arrangements...thnku 4 pointing those out...now am gonna give overtime work for my headsets...

also, about Aa Aah, I completely agree with u. I felt like killing him when I saw that picturisation...Not only these 2 songs u mentioned, he spoiled every song in that movie...In NEW, some songs wer picturised well...but this one is unforgivable

Praveen said...

hey sush...i tagged u...chkout my blog to know more about the 8 point tagging...
also chkout my RDB review