A recent criticism on ARR's recent offering has come up that means 'ARR is not as good as before'.
Why do people say that? Could it be something like Doppler effect in which sound of a approaching or receding vehicle doesn't change but it is our ears and mind playing tricks on us that make us "hear" a changing sound, and even physics has given a good scientific explanation for that. First, I concede that ARR is changing. His previous music took time to grow whereas several of his recent offerings are quite likable after first few hearing, and some even likable in very first hearing. So, I think ARR has found the way to reduce the "growing" phase in his music. Now, he is adding enough elements that would make the music likable in the very first, or after the first few hearings. That is a good development, I think, because previously, several people were writing away ARR's music when they didn't like it in the first few hearings and they were not inclined to go through the "growing" phase. I think that with the current instantly-likable music, ARR would earn more praise and more fans. That would be very welcome. but, why are ARR's devoted fans saying that 'ARR is not as good as before'? Could it be something like Doppler effect in which sound of a approaching or receding vehicle doesn't change but it is our ears and mind playing tricks on us that make us "hear" a changing sound, and even physics has given a good scientific explanation for that. I think that is the the point here. People change. People grow. Their perspective grows wider. They get involved in more complex things. A teenager could listen to music endlessly, but when he goes to college or for higher studies, he has to maintain a strict schedule in these days of tough competion, and that would restrict how much time he can devote to listening to music. Then, he gets jobs and he has to bloddy be in the office on the dot and stay there for nine hours otherwise his boss will fry him alive. And, then he gets tired, has less time left to attend to other important things, and music's priority sinks lower and lower. Then, he gets married, and wife and then kids become first priority. And, going through all this, he gets transformed, metamorphed from a carefree fan of ARR to a person in whose life there are several things really more important than ARR's music. -- Now, if you have read seven habits of highly effective people, the book beautifully describes a very important trick the mind plays. What are your priorities in life? - ARR's music? Noway, Roti, Kapda, Makan are first priorities. But, even the famous "Roti, Kapda, Makan" priorities didn't mention that we can live without Roti for a day or two, we can live naked, we can live without makan, but we need Water first, and we need air to breathe even before that. But this oft-quoted priorities didn't mention Water and Air because they assumed that these two priorities (water and air) would always be fulfilled. If you are sitting in a room sitting about priorities, and entire air of the room is removed, what would be your first priority? Air. But, air is always there so that never becomes a priority to worry about. Unfulfilled priorities are real priorities. Fulfilled priorities don't motivate. That is what is playing also about ARR's music. And, if you enjoy something of a particular level, you would need higher level offering next time to get the same level of enjoyment. You really laugh on a joke only once. If you hear it again and again, you get irritated. After you have heard a song of ARR a 100 times of a 1000 times, it is no more enjoyable, at least doesn't give you goosepimples that it was giving in first few hearings. ARR gave great music 10-15 years ago, and you were younger, you were having less commitments and worries, so you enjoyed ARR's that music like anything, for days and week and months to end. Now, it is you who are busy, who is having several other priorities, you have enjoyed great music by ARR earlier, and now you need much much much better music to get the same level of enjoyment. And, ARR has limitation on the improvements he can bring with each album. What you expect from ARR is not what he can deliver. If his music is 5% improved with each new release, you expect him to give 30%, 50% improvement with each album, that he is not able to deliver as a human being. There are same instruments, same techniques. There is a limit on how much improvement can be brought. I think that described why even ARR's fans are saying 'ARR is not as good as before'. It's OK. It happens. It is their life and mind playing tricks on them that they are holding ARR responsible for. -- Rawat
