Disclaimer: I have limited knowledge of music. Limited to listening to it with my ears and heart open and shutting off my mind:) So don’t expect any musical technicalities in here:). Read tfm pages if you want such details. This is not who is better or who is worse. This is about what I like and what I don’t.

I am a hardcore IR fan. And I was and still am an ARR fan too (much of the former though). I read loads of stuff posted online comparing the two legends. The only commonality between them is that both are musical genuises. Other than that fact and the fact that each of them revolutioned and changed people’s taste and have a musical expression for any thing any story teller could give them and an eternal, perenneial well of creativity. Other than these aspects they are, imho poles apart. This post isn’t about comparing these legends. I am much happier enjoying the marvels they produce wihtout sounding cocky and trying to measure their genius. I guess only people in their league can compare and tell who is better and such people never do that for they know one true art piece cannot be matched against another let alone the artists. This is just my humble post about why I like IR’s music.

* The first aspect I really admire is that IR’s music is mostly Indian and Tamil. The regional flavor isn’t a limitation. Any art form should have an identity(imho as always). One thing I don’t like about ARR is that he sticks to his Hi-fi instruments and sounds even in rural and karnatic songs (both of which are rarities anyways in his music).

*He composed western based songs too but added so much of indian flavour to it, which became his signature for songs like Ilaya Nila pozhigirathu (Listen to this on your Ipod at night, sitting on the beach, watching the sea and the moon!). He composed Carnatic raga based songs and even attempted so many succesful experiments like the aarohanam only song Kalaivaniye (breathtaking! All songs in this movie Sindhu Bairavi are absolute classics), Rural folk songs like Machana paatheengala (his first song!) or rual love song like Inji iduppazhagi (which I was listening to when I started writing the post:). I love the simple, rustic tune. So simple lines, so much of love expressed so beautifully with all the fervour of Tamil folk still intact- beautiful lyrics- esp ‘ponna vanaththinilae paeda kuyil koovayilae unnudaya vedhanaya naan arinchen’ (Can the longing for the loved one be expressed more beautifully!) – Was amazed to know that IR was inspired by a SD Burman tune for this song! He openly declared he was going to do a song with that tune it seems. Turning a bollywood song to a tamil folk!)

* Instead of simply listing the genres, I want to share my favourite songs for the various themes and emotions (Along with my ARR fav for few theme too):

  • Mother’s love – I guess this is IR’s favourite theme. I like the universal favourite Amma endrazhaikkatha (kudos to Yesudas too! ). But my favourites in this theme from IR are: Chinna Thaai aval from Thalabathy – Mani Ratnam picturises it so beautifully in B & W and the places where it comes as BG moves one to tears. Wonderful lyrics too. And there was a movie made named  Guna, one of the best that was ever made and one of the most underrated classics ever. And in that movie there is a song -’Unnai Naan Ariven‘. Though only a minor portion of it is sung by the mother character in the movie, it is too moving. Karpoora Bommai Onru from Keladi Kanmani – Susheela’s voice makes it more beautiful. And my ARR favourites in this category are: Uyirum Neeye (What a rendering by Unnikrish!) and Azhagu Nilave from Pavithra. These are rare ARR songs in the sense that he uses mostly the voices and not instruments.
  • Tragedy – There could be so many sub categories. But I have clubbed them to this. Will Nayagan have ever been a the same without IR’s voice singing the theme ‘Then pandi cheemayile‘. Kamal’s version of the song is evocative too. Some IR fans say they hear his sad songs when they’re depressed and it is so soothing. He has composed loads of them. I remember only few now. ‘Sangeetha Jaadhi mullai‘ (He uses SPB for all the toughest of his songs  and SPB delivers each time! I wish this combo would continue to produce more songs together, though it’s been years since IR used SPB) . Yenge Sellum Intha Paathai is equally poignant. Poo malai vaangi vanthal is about the fall of a famous man – tragedy beautifully expressed. Kalyana maalai is a song which is so  sad in a subtle way. Vaanam thottu ponaa from Devar magan. Thagida thajimi from Salangai oli.
  • Intoxication over the Female Form – I have given funny name for this genre :) . It’s my most favourite IR tune which is his favourite too as he has remade it in four languages including Gum Sum Gumm in Paa. It is the beautiful Sangathil Paadatha Kavidhai (it’s Mallu version Thumbi Vaa which is a happy happy song showing a family with two kids is the sweeter form of this intoxicating number). Lyrics (by Vaali?) are the best of its kind, being so sensuous without becoming vulgar. eg: ‘Aadai yen un meni azhagai aathikkam seikindrathu. Naalaikkay aananda viduthalai kaanattum kaanatha uravai’. The so called lyricists of today with their lewd vulgar double meanings should learn the art of subtlety.