Music Review: Komaram PULI...High Voltage!!!

Disclaimer: I do not understand a word of Telugu, so this review is only for the music of ARR!!

A lot of expectations ride on Pawan Kalyan's Komaram Puli!!! It is his first project in 2 years .... a big one that too....with about 6 crores in terms of distributor rights and about 800 prints are gonna be released....

But the biggest news is that Academy Award Winner A.R.Rahman decided to score music for a Telugu Motion Picture.....

Power Star's movies are supposed to be power packed so there is no surprise in the fact that ARR has given us an energizing peppy album...

1)Power Star

The opening track is for all fans of PK. ...'Power Star' promises to be a chartbuster, but in terms of music, I see a lot of similar synths and beats in this song that were used in 'Blue' and 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya'. But Tanvi and Vijay Prakash have sung the song in a power-packed manner!!! RATING: 7/10

2)Amma Thale

This track has been composed in the style of 'Theekuruvil' from Kangallal Kaidhi Sei!!! But sounds very fresh.......Shwetha Mohan's voice has a very good feel!!! But Naresh Iyer takes the cake........There are some excellent string pieces in this song....Great use of Pizzicato Strings and Thavil.... A good track :).....RATING: 7.8/10

3)Maaralente

The KMMC choir along with the maestro ARR give us this powerful song.....I presume this will be close to the theme of the movie and used in the BGM. The beats are interesting....African Waltz :) with great backing chords and choir vocals!!!The song has a very grand finish.....One of my favorites !! RATING:8.2/10

4)Maham Maye

My favorite song in this album. Brilliant arrangements!!! A hip hop track with usage of the classical 'Jhaalraa' as a percussion backing. Javed Ali and Suchitra sizzle with some awesome vocals!!! I love the string sections!! All the synths and programming sound spectacular!!

RATING: 9/10

5)Dochey

Shreya Goshal you beauty!!! What a voice!! She is at her very best!!! The track is decent, but not one of ARR's best.... the guitar section is a very common progression....pretty sure i have heard it somewhere.....a lot of innovative sounds have been used for this track....I like what ARR has done with Shreya's voice and the blend of Arabian beats with hip hop is an interesting experiment! But i would have preferred more chords in the song....at times it sounds quite empty......but nevertheless sheer vocal brilliance will take this track on to the top of the charts.... RATING:8.5/10

6)Namakame
The only pure melody track of this album. ARR has used three wonderful voices together for the first time....Chitra, Madhushree and Harini join in unison and give us some nectar for the ears.......Very soothing tune, with great soft background arrangements. The song slowly builds on itself....It has some excellent string sections and Keith peters has given a superb Bass accompaniment.. In terms of ARR's signature , this track is definitely the best in the album.

RATING: 9.5/10

Overall Verdict:

ARR has given us an album that is definitely more suited to the Telugu masses......Hardcore Rahmaniacs may or may not appreciate this effort. But I like this album and would definitely get a CD and play in my car with sub woofers while i drive.

Komaram Puli......A Power Package!!!

RATING:8/10

RAAVAN/raavanan...- 10 headed dude!!!

Well there is a good reason for writing the tamil version's name in small alphabets...and i shall elucidate on that aspect later. Usually I write reviews for all ARR albums within a week of their release but this album became an exception. There was a considerable delay in the release of the Tamil version and being a Tamilian myself , I wanted to hear both versions before writing a review.

Well, undoubtedly, Raavan (hindi version) outclasses Raavanan (tamil version) with respect to almost all the songs. The main culprit for this seems to be Mr.Vairamuthu.... i can't exactly say that he has written sub standard stuff, but they dont fit the meter of almost all the songs and can sound really awkward at times. Kaatu Sirukki, Kodu Poatta and Veera sound obnoxious , while Usurey Pogadhe, Kalvare and Kedakkari seem to be the saving grace of Raavanan....

But the real reason for this is the music. ARR has given music that is regionally close with respect to Laal Maati (the small northern town in India), which is probably what the script demands. Naturally hindi lyrics seem to fit the tunes more aptly!!

Anyways, my reviews usually focus more on the music.....so lets get down to business...the million dollar question..."has A.R.Rahman lived up to the expectations ?" and the answer is 'not really'....The Rahman-Mani combination has churned out Roja,Bombay,Iruvar, Dil se, Kannathil Muthammital, Aayuthey ezhathu/Yuva and Guru so far...this definitely established a HUGE standard for Raavan.... but Raavan's music seemed to be at times too experimental and hurried.

There is an age old saying about ARR songs...."let them grow onto you"....but this was one ARR album that had to be heard more than 10 times to get the hang of the music....My guess is that the music is completely situational and what the script demands. So i am pretty sure that once the movie releases on June 18th, the music will percolate to all sections of the audience.

Lets look at the songs in detail.

1.Beera/Veera:

This song is supposed to be the theme for Beera/Veera and portray the 10 sides of his character and to some extent it succeeds. Very different!!! ARR has used lot of African instruments in this song and there is some random gibberish in African courtesy Mustafa Kutoane ....The intro part of this song is very catchy, but the track length is too short and doesn't allow the song to sink in too much.....like a small interesting commercial.... Vijay Prakash didn't have much to do in singing this song......catchy...highly experimental and innovative...but damn short....

RATING: 8/10

2.Behne de/Usure pogadhey:

Easily the Best song in this album BY FAR!!! ARR retains his true touch in this track.....and Karthik sounds mind blowing .....both, the tamil and the hindi version are equally appealing....the start of this song has some great orchestration....vibraphones and strings ...very pleasing to the ear....but one can't deny the similarity in feel when you compare this song to 'Satrangi re' from Dil se.... but the tune is original and an absolute chart topper....No surprises at all!!.....My pick of this album...

RATING:10/10

3.Kata Kata/Kedakkari:

This track tries to recreate the magic of 'Rukmani Rukmani' and is based on the last night of bachelorhood for the groom.....but the song is not too great...the picturization of this track is supposedly great and due to the situational aspect of the tune, it will be a lot more appreciated along with the movie....the percussions and tempo shift are impressive....nothing much about the tune....the tamil version sounds a lot better due to better lyrics.

RATING: 7/10

4)Khilli re/Kalvare:

Nice melody...:)....Both, Reena Bharadwaj and Shreya Goshal have done complete justice to this track with respect to vocals.... I love the simplicity of this track....beautiful interlude involving tabla, Sitar and Flute......brilliant usage of synth keys in the background in the second stanza...gives a nice feel...

RATING:9/10

5)Ranjha Ranjha/Kaatu Sirriki:

First of all, beware of tamil version...even Shankar Mahadevan cannot save the track from sounding hideously awful. Ranjha Ranjha is a typical commercial sensual song and ARR has given very little of his flavor to this song.... It is becoming a major hit but musically an ordinary song...the sequencing and rhythm programming is however quite impressive... Anuradha Sriram's backing vocals gives a mystical feel, while Rekha Bharadwaj is once again winning hearts in bollywood after Genda Phool...Javed Ali's voice is more suited to melodies such as jashan bahaara and maula maula (delhi 6)......The Song is not too bad.....but not an ARR speciality for sure!!!

RATING:6.5/10

6)Thok de Killi/Kodu Poatta:

The ARR-Sukhwinder combo for this album.....the song is catchy but cannot be compared to Chaiyya Chaiyya or Ramta Jogi..Benny's rendition of this number in tamil is not as impressive and that is mainly due to ordinary lyrics.....the strings interlude is awesome but sounds a bit like the Rangeela and ATM theme!!!the first interlude is however superb with fantastic usage of the shehnai....a great song... but again not one of his best!!!

RATING:7.5/10

7) Ud jaa re(not in album):

EASILY THE BEST SONG (probably better than behne de) but ARR cheekily developed this a day before the launch and managed to release it on stage.....even to Mani Rathnam's surprise....superb composition....ARR's voice lends the additional flavor to this track and is an absolute treat for the listener. There is a good chance this track may not be on the album, but it will send the audience into a trance once it is viewed on the big screen after June 18th....cant wait for Ud jaa re....

RATING:10/10

for those who havent heard this track, here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-LD4UBWSw

My Overall Verdict:

Raavan probably needed 10 heads to work on it in order to make the music and lyrics as impressive any of the previous ARR-Mani combo's......ARR seemed to have hurried this project a bit...and the mixing and sounding in some songs is not up to the usual standard.... thats the problem when you become too famous ;) huge expectations? and high standards!!....

While people are still addicted to ARR's Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya......VTV had further raised people's hopes about Raavan'smusic...

Though Raavan has flashes of A.R.Rahman's brilliance in many areas.....it leaves us with a feeling that something's missing!!

10 headed Raavan gets a 8/10 rating overall......Worth buying the album ....have no expectations!

On a lighter note...imagine if someone gifted Raavan with an ipod...I wonder in which head will he place his earphones!!! :) until the next review....this is rahmaniac signing off!

cheers!

A world without Sachin Tendulkar!!!

In 1996, my father unintentionally started my cricket mania by subscribing to a sports channel which telecasted the 1996 Cricket World Cup....and Hey Presto!! I saw a tiny plump man with curly hair wearing pads almost half his size, hitting the ball all over the ground. I had heard a lot about God through numerous mythological stories till that instant! (after all who can miss the good old Amar Chithra Kathas!!!). But I got a glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricketer who was on the pathway of achieving 'true awesomeness' (as Barney Stintson would put it).

That day changed my interests overnight. Suddenly I started begging my mother to buy kilos of Boost ( I cant remember when i switched to coffee as a kid!! Hated cows and hence 'milk'). Whenever i saw a MRF advertisement , there was this sudden excitement. Needless to say, I felt the need for intravenous injections of Pepsi!!I felt the need to have a VISA card more than an ID card! Now i am trying to have an all ADIDAS wardrobe!!

From 1996 to 2010 (basically my entire childhood!), the journey has been fantastic courtesy Sachin Tendulkar!

Consider the fact that when he comes out to bat, more than a billion people are glued to their seats.

Consider the fact that he gets the loudest cheer in any ground all over the world, thus negating the away disadvantage for India!

Consider the fact that when he scores a century, there are evidences of seismic activity on the Richter Scale due to a whole lot of ridiculously happy Indians jumping about their places.

Consider the fact that when he is on 99, the Universe comes to a stand still!! (When Mumbai is quiet, the Universe is quiet).

Consider the fact that he probably faces more pressure than the U.S President in terms of huge expectations from billions of people!

Consider the fact the he averages slightly over 38 in a season when he is in miserable form!!

Consider the fact that when he is dismissed, more than a billion hearts stop beating for a fleeting moment!

This should sum up the greatness of the humble Legend 'Sachin Tendulkar'.

Imagine a world without Sachin Tendulkar!

• An alter ego i.e Virender Sehwag would have never been created in the first place!
• Kris Srikanth would have remained as India's most attacking batsman excluding the Pakistan games where N.S.Sidhu easily took the cake!
• We would have seen Vinod Kambli in the Boost ad!! (last thing i want to see is a man with a crazy french beard crying and drinking Boost!)
• Tony Greig would have probably been a very boring commentator.
• We would have never heard the end of Sunil Gavaskar's exploits during live match commentary thanks to Sunny himself!
• Ajit Agarkar would have become Mumbai's most celebrated cricketer!
• V.V.S Laxman would have bagged the VISA and TVS Victor Commercials leading to instantaneous shock amongst millions of TV viewers.
• Ganguly's success rate might have been totally different due to successful opening partnerships with Aakash Chopra and Shiv Sunder Das!
• Rahul Dravid would have had a tough time in striking dependable partnerships with Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif!!
• Mukesh Ambani would have bought the Kolkatta Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians would have been purchased by Shah Rukh Khan since Ajit Agarkar is the Icon Player!
• The World would have no special respect for the logo and the MRF Blimp (which is hovering around the skies hopelessly this IPL) would have been blasted to the Earth's Stratosphere.
• The Australian Cricketers will probably have no respect for the Indian Team.
• Shane Warne would have set his base in Mumbai to target Bollywood Heroines.
• Saeed Anwar would have always boasted about thumping 194 runs against India in Chennai!!Also Chales Coventry would have been the next chairman of ICC!
• Not that they need more arrogance but the Aussies would have felt proud that Ricky Ponting became the highest scorer in Test Cricket!
• Indian Cricket team might have been under public attack after two embarrassing defeats against Holland and Zimbabwe in the 2003 World Cup which caused their elimination!
• Airtel would have had Joginder Sharma as their brand ambassador!
• India would have never experienced anguish in the 13 run loss in the Chennai Test against Pakistan or the Hyderabad ODI defeat against Australia chasing 351! ( because they would have never really had the chance to sniff victory if it werent for Mr. You know who! )

I could go on and on.....but these thoughts begin to scare me!! Sachin Tendulkar will be turning 37 within 10 days. No doubt that he is in the form of a lifetime and is scoring runs in all formats of the game!! Eventually there is going to be a day when the Maestro retires from the format.

That day, a part of me will perish and and many people around the world would ambivalently salute the Genius and lament over the Loss for International Cricket!

Till then, Ladies and Gentlemen, I kindly ask you all to sit back and enjoy the Legendary Show 'SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR" , for this Spectacular movie will not be running in the theaters forever!!

LOVE you SRT!! Will worship your contribution to Cricket forever!!

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya.....a musical treat by the maestro for all !!!

Jai Ho!!! 2009 was the year for all Rahmaniacs to celebrate!! ARR made sure that India's Oscar dream was fulfilled! 2010 has begun in grand fashion as well. By the end of January, we would know whether ARR wins a Grammy or not...(fingers crossed). Couple's Retreat has made waves with 'Nana' being one of the nominations for the next Oscars. But nothing has made me rejoice more than the release of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (VTV)'s music.

There was a lot of hype for this project before anything began. ARR stepped in after Gautham Menon and Harris Jayaraj had a fall out. ARR himself humbly said in a press conference that he was nervous in breaking the HJ-Gautham Menon combination. But the Mozart of Asia has given us such a stunning album. ARR's class adds a new dimension to this Gautham Movie. The magic of ARR has created a frenzy amongst the masses and the anticipation for this movie is high. The promotional song videos are getting awesome reviews (even Simbu looks decent!! effect of good music and direction for sure !!Trisha is absolutely sizzling!!).

The audio launch was done in a befitting manner and the songs have made waves all over.The songs of this album have that old ARR magic. ARR has mixed the songs for VTV and there is a considerable improvement in the quality of output. I have been listening to them for a while and this is my review...

1.Omana Penne:

A Spectacular song! Benny has sung the song extremely well. Rahman has shown his class with voice modulation softwares such as Melodyne. Apart from a really catchy tune and a fantastic Malayalam bit sung by Kalyani Menon , the main notable part of this song is the semi processed tone of the Naadhaswaram. Absolute treat for the ears. Chart topper!

RATING: 10/10

2.Anbil Avan:

In short a happy marriage song with a great feel and great rhythm arrangements. The song starts of with a techno feel and ARR fuses thavil and mridangam with the beats altering the mood of the song in no time. Suddenly from nowhere, ARR incorporates Gospel music into the song and manages to fuse a Christian and Hindu wedding into a well packaged song. Devan has done a decent job but Chinmayi's voice is like nectar. Not ARR's best but a very good track!

RATING:7.5/10

3.Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya:

This song may not go well with the masses but every musician will love this composition. Brilliant vocals courtesy Karthik. Excellent guitars and fantastic chords with a touch of Jazz and Blues. The rhythm has a interesting pattern. This song will be superb on screen as a part of the movie. I am sure Gautham Menon would have given an apt video for this track.

RATING:10/10

4)Hosanna:

This is the other song of VTV that will be a mass hit. Vijay Prakash and Blaaze have given their best and Suzzane's humming is sheer melody to the ears. There are some fantastic flute bits in this track and the tune is very catchy. I love the way hiphop and rap has been fused along with the melodic pop in this song. Again,personally I will not say this is ARR's best but this track will be on everyone's lips for a while.

RATING:8/10

5)Kannukul kannai:

This is the only average song of the album. I think ARR has probably spent 10 minutes on this track and used his software loops to churn out a fast paced number. This song sounds more like a Harris Jayaraj output.This is probably been done to showcase the quality difference between what ARR and his counterpart have to offer to Gautham's movies :P .Naresh Iyer has given the song everyting but nothing much to write about. Still, some people like the track.

RATING:5/10

6)Mannipaaya:

In my opinion , the best track in this album. Shreya Goshal's voice is like the Elixir of Life. ARR lends his magical voice to this stunning duet. Very complex composition! There are some fantastic scale shifts. The chord, harmonies, rhythms and the Piano bits are all blissful to hear. This song has all the Rahmanish elements to it and will be one of my ARR all time favourites.

RATING:10/10

7)Aaromale:

WOW!!! ARR uses Alphons Joseph ( a talented Malayali musician) in a superb manner. Powerful Vocals, fantastic Guitars and brilliant arrangements. This song is entirely in Malayalam. I love the harmony in between. There is a continual usage of distorted violin in the background. A brave effort for an Indian music director. This song is not for the masses but for the real musicians. For the first time in Indian music industry, we get to hear a song in the Pink Floyd Genre of Progressive Rock!!!... sure to make a big impact as a part of the bgm during the movie!!! Love this piece of work!

RATING:10/10

Overall Verdict:

After Alaipayuthey and Sillinu oru Kaadhal, A.R.Rahman comes out with a scintillating romantic album. A masterstroke by the maestro with a touch of his genius. This album should be bought and cherished forever!!