Rahman's Fab Five

So, Rahman won two Oscars. The whole country rejoiced as if India was suddenly a legitimate place on the world map. Political parties fought over the rights for the winning song, different sets of people tried to outdo the other to honour him, people who claimed that he was overrated and repititive suddenly claimed he was godly. But, there were some of us Rahmaniacs quietly tut-tutting away. "This isn't vintage Rahman." "It's one of his poorer albums." "They should have given awards for his earlier stuff." Yes, we all knew that the Oscar wasn't for his best album of all time. It was for the song of the year in the movies. Yet, it is sad that he wins a major award for "Jai Ho" but not for "Hey, Goodbye Nanba!"

So, I wondered, if we were to actually give out awards to his stuff, what albums would we give it to?

Hence, this post. My Five Favourite Rahman Albums. I know, I know. One can never pick Five Favourites from a Galaxy of Genius etc etc. Yet, I've gritted my teeth and limited myself to Five. My taste in popular music has always been criticised - people have even threatened to kill me for suggesting that Kajra Re is one of Hindi cinema's greatest songs. I know some hardcore Rahmaniacs who will dismiss this list as 'populist' and not musically up there with some vague album like Uzhavan or Pavithra or Kangalal Kaidhu Sei. Other technicians will talk about some song from Kizhakku Cheemayile and rate it highly for its innovative use for the minor seventh as the dominant chord and blending the same with a gamakam-less Natabhairavi mixed with Shuddha Dhanyasi.

But, um, there's a reason why some albums do better than the others. There's also a reason why someone (and I forget who) said that intellectuals and critics are the most sorry lot, because they cannot enjoy anything without thinking about it!

After that needless and lengthy introduction, here's my list, in no particular order:

1. Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities - If I was forced to pick The One, I'd beg and plead and cry and kick up a fuss. But I'd pick Meenaxi at the end. I think it is his most layered, accomplished, intricate, powerful album. Each song is brimming with an energy that towers over most of his other work. The curvaceous Yeh Rishta (I know that this is a random adjective. But when I think of the song, I think in curves), the sexy Badan Dua Dua, the sheer energy of Chinnamma, the complexity, that bass line, and that meandering madness in Noor-un-alah, those interludes in Rang Hai, and those two lovely themes -Potter's Village and Cyclist's Rhythm - it is scarcely believable that all these adorn the same album!

2. Thiruda Thiruda - Thiruda Thiruda is a landmark in Rahman's career - it was the album that defined his style and sound for years to come. And, like most defining albums, it towers over the rest he composed in this style. I've always believed that even though he uses all kinds of influences in his music, the end product is indisputably Indian. Thiruda Thiruda, in particular, is a perfect blend of earthy Tamilian music with distincly Western influences. Take those violins Veerapandi Kottayile, for instance, that base guitar and flute in Thee Thee, or the distorted elec guitar in Kannum Kannum, the wondrous Puttham Puthu Bhumi, or that lilting a cappella Raasathi. Then, there's the famous indi-rap Thiruda Thiruda song (which could have come only from a genius - rap isn't an Indian music form at all. To Indianise it in a non-Apache Indian sense, and Tamilianise it to go with images of rural Tamilnadu is sheer brilliance!) and the glass-shattering Chandralekhaaaaa! Each song in the album is a masterpiece, a different blend, a different genre. Yet, they establish what was to be Rahman's distinctive sound for some years - a sound that had its beginnings in Gentleman and went on through the rest of the 90s until the next wave came about.

3. Dil Se - Dil Se is a highly personal choice. It is probably the album I've listened to most number of times in my life (followed by Alaipayuthey and Kandukondein Kandukondein). Chaiyya Chaiyya has its fan following all around the world - it was re-done in Bombay Dreams and used again on the soundtrack of The Inside Man. The real gems of Dil Se are the other ones. The title track is supreme - his edgy voice, the bass guitar again, the rhythm, and that weird sound in the background (listen closely on a good music system - there's this slight electronic sound running almost throughout the entire song) make it one of Rahman's best songs. The pained E Ajnabi sung with such emotional gusto by Udit Narayan and Jiya Jale (despite Lata Paati's fading voice) are excellent. But, my favourite songs in this album are Satrangi Re and Thayya Thayya. I absolutely love Kavitha Krishnamurthy's screech at the start of Satrangi Re and Sonu Nigam's expert handling of a difficult-to-hold tune. But I love this song most for its loose structure - each part of the song just blends into the next effortlessly, there are no real charanams and pallavis, or choruses, verses and bridges. The interludes just flow into one another. Thayya Thayya is quieter and more haunting than its cheery counterpart, and I like that. It was the song I woke up to on most mornings in my 11th and 12th!

4. Alaipayuthey (NOT Saathiya) - Alaipayuthey is Rahman's freshest album - its energetic without being loud, it is happy without being over-excited, it is peppy without being too upbeat - much like the film itself. Like all albums on this list, each song in the movie is special. The Bike Song (I refuse to call it anything else. Btw, I don't know how many of you remember, but when the cassette was first released, this song and the Mangalyam one weren't on it. I recorded this song by keeping a little recorder while the VCD was playing. Then, they released another cassette with this song, and the new cassette was bought again!) is hilariously good - just try listening to Blaaze's nonsense lyrics in the rap - they make no sense whatsoever, yet they have this funky quality about them (tried figuring them with the help of the song and some internetting):

Hey!! Here we go
I raved upon the ???
Singing with the hip-the-hop
Once again in effect
Feelin' the constant
Slammin' of the bass line
Never mess around with the funk
Because I'm sticking,
Kicking, always finger lickin'
I dont need Halloween
Just to be trick or trippin'
Cause I'm always on top
Ki wigdu wagdu
Jigdu jagdu

Hey...

Then, there's the energetic Yaaro Yarodi which, in addition to the lovely background music and pounding drums has some stupendous backing vocals. Kaadal sadugudu is too good, and so are Snehithane, September Matham (featuring the ageless Asha Bhonsle) and Pacchai Nirame. But then, my favourites are Evano Oruvan and Alaipayuthey (which is why I stated at the outset that I wasn't referring to Saathiya). Evano Oruvan doesn't click on the first hearing. But the more you listen, the more layers you discover, the more you love the vocals, and the more you understand how beautiful the flute is in that interlude. Alaiypayuthey (the song), on the other hand, is an exercise in restraint. The original is in the most beauteous Kaanada and has a lilting rhythm to it. In the hands of a lesser person, the 'remix' could have been overdone (I can almost hear the overbearing rhythm pads and the chords). Rahman uses just the tambura and the occasional 'ting' and beat to embellish it, leaving the magic of the composition to do the rest. Real genius is in recognising that need for restraint.

5. Azhagiya Tamizh Magan: Yes, it is an esoteric choice. I can hear clucks and tuts. I can feeling the anger through the computer screen. Better than Iruvar, Indira, Roja, Lagaan, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Kandukondein Kandukondein, Kannathil Muthamittal, Sangamam, Earth, Love Birds, Bombay, Puthiya Mugam, Kaadhalan? (Man, he's composed such an unbelievable amount of kickass music!) Yes. I insist that ATM is one of his best.

Underneath all the fun, all those ridiculous lyrics (see previous post on the same here. I mean, 'harmonuim' and 'hormones' are used in conjunction to create funniness.), its zaniness and mischief, it is supreme music. I think it is Rahman's realisation that he needs to impress no one anymore. The problem with the music of Elizabeth and even Slumdog Millionnaire to an extent was this feeling that Rahman was concious of the fact that his music would now be consumed by a different audience, and one got the sense that he was trying too many things. Here, it is his faithful Tamil audience that will lap up anything he throws at them. This feeling can lead to complacency, I guess. But it can also be freeing. And that shows in ATM. It is undoubtedly Rahman's best album in years - possibly his best since Alaipayuthey.

Maduraikku Pogathe made me want to jump up and dance - the lyrics are absolutely lovely, the music, the vocals, the tune, the pounding kootthu rhythms are splendid. Nee Marilyn Monroe is cheeky and peppy - listen to it from an Audio CD on a good system and you'll notice layering that your random comp speakers can do no justice to. I must admit that Kelaamal Kaiyile is slightly average (and is possibly the only average song on the five albums mentioned here) and sounds a bit like a random Harris Jeyraj offering. But it is made up for more than amply by the two magnum opuses - the resequencing of Ponmagal Vandaal and Valayapatti. Rahman owes a huge debt to MS Viswanathan for the tune of Ponmagal Vandaal, because it lends itself perfectly to a hep remix. But Rahman's resequencing is more than hep - it has everything one wants in a redo - a catchy bassline, a foot-tapping rhythm, some nonsense rap (Everytime I look into her eyes, I see butterflies. I'm so happy she's with me and not the other guys... And so on and so forth.), some sassiness. That part where the rapper says "Mutthukal Sirikkum..." and then the song starts is just too good. Valayapatti is on another level. No Rahman song (except maybe Come On, Come On, O and New York Nagaram on alternate Tuesdays) is more mood-elevating than this one (especially if you've seen the video, and supremely sizzling Shriya in it.). This song has some splendid magic moments - the extension on the word 'Nilambari', the loose first interlude, the words 'enna minor pola vaasiyada' and that raga-exchange (especially the Behag!). Too much!
***

Okay. Enough said. Your turn now. Your Rahman Fab Five?
***

PS: Apologies to feed subscribers - editing and re-editing and all sorts of other things happened!