*Raavan* Hi guys!. I have been inactive in this group over the last few weeks , mainly due to my studies. It was only a couple of days ago, (I guess Wednesday), that I finally started to listen to the songs, and also reading about the album on this group, as well as other reviews etc. Needless to say, my expectations were paramount, and also after reading some articles and listener reviews, they only rose higher. So, now that I have heard the album enough and completely (there are only 6 songs after all), I think now is the time to finally put forth my views.
The African style chorus and the vintage beat structure which welcome the listener at the intro of ‘Beera’ are indeed worth a listen. The song soon transcends into a well arranged, beaty piece with ringing vocals and a catchy tune. The singers do their job effectively. In a song which tends to grow on the listener with each hearing, Rahman excels at his arrangements, but the average/poor lyrics and the restricted length prevent the song from creating a permanent place in one’s mind (at least in my mind). Ranjha Ranjha is one of my favorite songs of the album. The real winners here are the singers Javed Ali and Reena Bharadwaj. The guitar at the beginning and the scintillating, rusty vocals set up the mood for this awesome number. The lyrics are a marked improvement from the opening track. The intricately arranged beats, quite complex in style, together with the Santoor and various other instruments are definitely impressive, but I personally wished they were tuned slightly better. The interludes are pretty short, and I wish there was more melody and more substance in them. Anuradha sriram’s programmed vocals def suit the ambience of the song, but are not really a pleasure to listen to, especially after a few listenings. Rahman could have really made this into a path breaking track.The end result is definitely a song worth savoring, but in spite of the longish length , left me just a tad unsatisfied to say the least. Khili Re is currently my favorite song of the album. Rahman is in real form here, and creates a gem of a number. Once again, it takes a few listens to fully appreciate how beautiful this song is. Reena Bharadwaj’s mesmerizing vocals, though not perfect, and the apt lyrics, do full justice to the playful composition, and she quite easily manages to croon the convoluted *antara. *The interlude is astonishing, the amalgamation of instruments is pure bliss, and one can actually feel the underlying layers and sounds exuding from this piece. Rahman effectively shows off his supremacy over Indian classical instruments here, which is great pleasure to hear as always. I really hoped there would be a second stanza here, but unfortunately the song ends after just the 1 verse. The song may not cater to a wide audience due to its strong classical base, and lack of appeal value. Behne De..as most people have described is yet another masterpiece. Karthik’s rendition is so powerful that one can actually feel the power and rawness of the emotions coming through. The songs starts off brilliantly, picking up pace in the middle sections. Rahman uses his trademark signature style beats, programmed with drums and several other sounds to create a dramatic composition. However, the song failed to sustain my continued interest, largely due to the draggy second interlude and the voiceless, over dramatic climax which only consists of sound. Also, I could cite several similarities with Rahman’s Satrangi Re. The lyrics are soul stirring as is the singing, but the song as a whole did not really shake me up as much. A good song, though a tad overdone. Well my friends, the soundtrack suddenly and without warning, spiraled downwards from here on, with the last 2 songs being the weakest of the album for me . Kata Kata is a complete mess. The fusion of the north Indian instruments and Ila Aruns harsh vocals did not work for me at all. Rahman in my opinion lost his plot somewhat , trying to bring in too many elements into one song. I do realize that this is a situational song, and may fit well in the movie, but on plain hearing , this is just a chaotic and directionless piece of music. (ppl are comparing with azeem-o-shahenshah from JA…what??...are u kidding me?? Lol)….In fact, if I may be so harsh,,,by the time the song ends I was starting to get a headache…with that loud shehnai type instrument!!..god…Thok de kalli..once again a pretty average piece of work. Rahman is capable of doing so much better. The song just didn’t tsick in my head at all. Save for some decent music and loads of drums, the song really didn’t impress me at all. I suspect this is again a situational track. Raavan in my opinion is a soundtrack which failed to live up to my expectations (As if that matters…ha)..but I just feel that there is so much more which Rahman/Ratnam could have done with this album. Esp with Ranjha Ranjha and Khilli re. With 2 truly outstanding tracks and 2 really poor ones …and with no extraordinary lyrics either(except fr Ranhja n Behne De), Raavan does come across as a minor disappointment. *Rating: ****. PS: VTV in my opinion is truly vintage Rahman. Some 1 spoke abt them listening to VTV everyday…yes I do too…and that too without understanding Tamil!! Lol.
