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!
