ANANDHAN SUBBIAH - INSPIRE AND INNOVATE

Himesh Reshamiyya has performed the music score for a tamil movie for the first time. He is lucky that he is doing the score for a Kamal Hassan movie with a budget in excess of 35 crores.This is a typical Himesh album with high pitch vocals ,heavy bass and Keyboard generated sounds.

Ulaga Nayagan (Vinith)

A song patronizing the hero is sung by a new bee Vinith. Honestly I don’t know what to make of this song. It was neither good or bad but it did not leave a bad taste. The energy level for this kind of song is certainly missing.

Kalai Mattum (Hariharan)

Hariharan sings this song with his usual relish. The instrumentation suggests that this could be a song from the medieval period. The emphasis is more on the lyrics than the song itself even though I could not decipher the lyrics no matter how hard I tried . From whatever I understood this song could be opposing blind faith in God. The Arabic mix with the violin is interesting. This is possibly the best song of the album.

Oh Sanam (Kamal Hassan and Mahalakshmi Iyer)

This is a peppy song sung by Kamal himself. This is the only song I could hum after listening to the full album. Mahalakshmi supports him with her vocals and does a good job at it . The rhythm is decent and this is a typical Himesh song with the high pitch and heavy bass.

Mukunda Mukunda (Sadhana Sargam , Kamal Hassan)

This is a devotional song. It is very pleasing to the ear and definitely not bad but again it is not mind blowing either.I would have rated this song as best in the album but I was searching for the  next button in my remote towards the end when I was forced to hear a hideous voice. I can understand if this is a situational song but why on earth should I listen to such a horrible voice all of a sudden when I am listening to the awesome Sadhana Saragam ?

Kaa (Shalini Singh)

This song sounds like a disco song from the 80’s. It is fast paced and Shalini has done a decent job. I am assuming that this is a song for Mallika Sherawat. This song has a very nice pace and rhythm to it . I could not understand the lyrics for the most part but the song is at least peppy.

Oh Sanam (Himesh and Mahalakshmi Iyer)

This is a remix version of the song with the same title sung by Kamal Hassan. I will leave it with the fact that this is a remix and Himesh can pronounce tamil words better than Udit Narayan.

I am lost as to why Kamal did not go with the very talented music directors in the south. Rehman and Harris must have been busy but I think even the new music directors G.V Prakash or Joshua Sridhar would have done a better job than Himesh. I was not thrilled even with one of the songs even though I would not call any of them bad . Even in ‘Hey Ram’ there was one song which was mesmerizing even though the rest of the album was a damp squib. The expectation from a kamal Hassan movie  is very high and the budget of this movie requires a terrific music score but the compositions of  Himesh are way short of the high expectation. Maybe he recorded the songs when he was busy creating music for 10 movies in a day.

One of the issues could be that the the music was created two years ago but the bigger issue is it sounds like it is 10 years old.

I am just going to wait for the movie now.

Vidyasagar and Vijay have created many hits together and Kuruvi is no exception. It is a typical masala album which will please the fans of Vijay.Almost all the songs are fast paced and rhythmic .

Happy New Year ( Sunidhi Chauhan, Yogi, Dr Burn)

This is a Rap cum Kuthu song .It is a perfect start to the album and makes the intentions of the music director very obvious. Sunidhi Chauhan is the perfect choice and her heavy voice fits the song to a bill. Vidyasagar has experimented with his instrumentation and has come out a winner. The Kuthu beats have been used very differently and the rap mix in the middle is very catchy. Penned by Na Muthukumar, it has a pacy music with a lot of rhythm.

Dandana Dara (Sangeeth Haldipur)

A typical Kuthu song from Vidyasagar. The music director manages to sustain the momentum from start to finish. There is a nice rhythm to the song which makes it fun to listen to. Vijay is sure to set the stage on fire with this song.The only caveat is , this song reminds me of a song from Chandramukhi.

Thaen Thaen (Udit Narayan, Shreya Ghosal)

Shreya Ghosal is my favorite singer and she has done full justice to her talent in this song. Udit Naryan is average and just does what is expected of him. There is no doubt that he is one of the best singers in the industry but his hold of the language leaves a lot to be desired and I am still clueless as to why the music directors need him with the wealth of singers we have who can actually pronounce the words correctly. I am not trying to advocate that they have to pick regional singers; any singer from India should be able to sing anywhere in the country and I have no issue with Shreya Ghosal who is from North India but can sing the words properly. But to be really honest with all the regional divide that is going on in India it is better that we have this mix even if it sucks. Yugabharathy has handled the lyrics for this song. This soft and melodious number is the best song in the album.

Paalaanadhu Paalaanadhu (Vidyasagar, Rajalakshmi)

Heavy percussion instruments are Vidysagar’s forte and this song is no exception.The music director has also sung this song and he has not done a bad job.This song has it all for the discotheques and is sure to be a permanent resident in the clubs.Vijay has enough scope to show off his dancing abilities with such a versatile song.

Mozha Mozhanu (KK , Anuradha Sreeram)

A typical peppy song . There is nothing different or great about it . I was looking for the fast forward button halfway through the song.

Theme Music

I am not sure why the music director copied from Red Hot Chili peppers but he has enough originality in the song to claim it as his own . Heavy music is the order of the day and this song is no exception.

You can listen to some of the the songs at Vidyasagar

Harris Jayaraj has performed the music for this movie directed by the late director Jeeva. Jeeva and Harris have worked together on big hits like 12B and “Unnale Unnale”. I think Harris prefers to reserve his best for certain directors and it is obvious Jeeva was one of them.

Harris has not disappointed his fans at least not completely.Harris never seems to go outside of this comfort zone when creating music but he has the skill and the talent to create magic within his self imposed boundaries and this album is no exception.

“Anbae Anbae” is a simple melody sung by Harish Ragahavendra and Prassana. It is a classy song and can easily fit into any “slow and melodious” play list .The lyrics are very decent The typical haunting interlude which is a trademark of Harris adds flavor to the song. Pay careful attention to the flute piece !

“Dhiku Dhiku” sung by Benny and Sayanora is the fast song in the album and is very rhythmic. There is nothing much to say about this average song and will mostly prompt the user to press the next button in the remote.

“Pudhu Pudhu” is refreshing and is sung by Benny , Guna and Suchithra. It has a rap mix and is a little different from a typical Harris composition. The tune and the lyrics are catchy and is a good song for the discos.There is a nice rock interlude in the middle .

“Saghiyae” is the pick of the album and Harris at his best. The song sung by Krish and the “Harris Favorite ” Jayashree will grow on you. The song reminds me of an popular hit but is different enough to make it the best song of the album.

“Uyilalo ” has a native flavor to it and is sung by Kailash Kher and Sujatha. I am not sure why Kailash was chosen but seems to be another Udit in the making .He kills the song with his bad Tamil rendition . Kailash is a awesome singer but he has to work a lot more on the language to be more successful .The song is yet another average song in the album and reminds me of the “Andan Kakka” song from Anniyan .

“Aathiyilae” by Haricharan is a bit song but really managed to grab my attention. If you listen carefully it will remind you of the “Kanava” song from the tamil movie Ratchagan. Haricharan is awesome as usual and the lyrics are equally good. I would rate this as the second best song of the album.

The album might grow on you but I was not thrilled .

You can listen to the songs at http://anandhansubbiah.com/gallery/Songs/Harris/

Check out these songs from Masestro Illayaraja http://anandhansubbiah.com/gallery/Songs/Illayaraja/

Here are some cool pictures of Bollywood actors :
Bollywood Wallpapers

Here are some cool pictures of Kollywood actors :
Kollywood Wallpapers

http://www.anandhansubbiah.com/downloads/Ria2-web.wmv

Music Director: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Yuvan is a talented music director but you get the feeling that he has tried too hard to get the score right. This is one of the high profile movies of 2007 and there is always that much more pressure to emulate a very popular movie from the past. He has tried to add a techno flavor like the Hindi remake of Don but has ended up with really loud and jarring music. There is not even one melody which is mystifying as Yuvan is a master of soulful melodies.

Billa Theme (Instrumental)

The theme reminds me of the Manmathan theme song but Yuvan masterfully introduces a guitar interlude which makes it unique.

My name is Billa (Naveen, Kay Kay)

This song single handedly pushed Rajini to stardom. Yuvan has taken the soul of the song and has added a techno flavor . This is the best song of the album. Naveen and Kay Kay are really no match for the great SPB but they have done their best in this racy song. Enjoy the rhythm guitar change going up and down with the temp of the song.

Naan Meedum (Deepika)

Another fast song sung by newcomer Deepika. The song is generally very good with an amazing violin interlude which adds a lot of flavor to the song.Deepika looks to be a real talent and she has sung this piece like an experienced singer. We should be able to see more of this talented singer in the future.

Sei (Neha Basin)

A song similar to Naan Meendum but for some reason it is not easy to listen to. The music is jarring. Yuvan has really made a mess of this song.

Seval Koddi (Vijay Yesudas)

A typical mass song sung surprisingly by Vijay Yesudas. I am assuming this song introduces the hero. It is very average if not mediocre.

Vethayalai Potandi (Shankar Mahadevan)

The awesome Shankar Mahadevan sings this remix of the yesteryear super hit. The music is too loud but this song is still worth listening to. Yuvan has not messed up with the original tune but has completely re-mastered the background music. This will be a great song to play in a party.

The songs will grow on you and anyway the first 4 songs are good enough to buy the Audio CD.You can listen to some of the songs at http://anandhansubbiah.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1517 .

Music Director : A.R Rehman

This is only the second time Rehman has composed music for a movie with Vijay as the leading actor. The songs won’t really thrill you but it will definitely not disappoint.

Ela Pugalum (Rehman)

The title song is sung by Rehman himself. This is a foot tapping mass number and is sure to be a hit . Nearly all the latest movies of Vijay have one song exclusively tailor made for his fans and this that song for this album. Typical of Rehman he has still managed to maintain some level of sophistication to attract a wider audience. His awesome usage of the guitar and violin are worth noting.

Kelamal (Sriram Parthasarathy , Saindhavi )

The best song of the album . Sriram is one of the best singers we have now and he lives up to the reputation. Rehman has gone for the trance genre and the musical arrangements as usual are vibrant and rhythmic . This is the only slow song in the album. Rehman seems to be inspired by the work of Bond , the awesome violin band.
Pon Magal (Aslam)

Rehman should not do remixes and this song is a classic example. Aslam has done his best and maintains a high energy level but this song is still a let down. The Rap bit will only force you to skip the song

Maduraikku Pogathadee (Benny Dayal, Archith and Darsana )

A mass folk song minus bad lyrics. The song has all the ingredients to become a decent hit.

Nee Marilyn Monroe (Benny Dayaland , Ujjaini )

A nice peppy song . This is Rehman at his jazzy best. Listen to the guitar interlude , Rehman is at his best with these kind of songs. Going by Vijay’s past record he is sure to rock the screen in this song. Shreya is an equally skilled dancer so this song could end up being the scene stealer.

Valaiyapatti (Naresh Iyer , Ujjaini and Madhumitha )

It is hard to find a Rehman album without Naresh Iyer these days. This song caught me by surprise as it is carnatic song but has all the interesting mixes and never loses the rhythm.

Verdict : Worth Buying

you can listen to the songs at http://www.anandhansubbiah.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1504

http://anandhansubbiah.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=566

My gallery has a list of Tamil / Indian songs that I like very much. There are songs from A.R Rehman , Illayaraja , Vidyasagar , Harris Jeyaraj ,Yuvan Shankar Raja and G.V Prakash

Please note that I have hosted these songs for promoting good Indian music . Buy Original CD’s to enjoy quality music.