Couple's Retreat was AMAZING..and was one of Rahman's best albums...not saying Raavana/Raavan is bad..but to say its better is just riduculous!...also its apples and oranges as couple's retreat is a SCORE (more or less) while Raavana/Raavan is a SOUNDTRACK....Yuvraaj is better as well..."Tu Hi Mere Dost" "Tu Muskura" "Mastam Mastam" "Manmohini" are all first rate songs....also...she said Blue wasnt fresh?!?!...Chiggy Wiggy was American pop mixed w/ Bhangra...Yaar Mila Tha was 90s Bollywood mixed with hip hop, Rehnuma was like a James Bond theme song.."Blue theme" was its own thing....Rahman hasnt delivered an outright dud of an album in years (Baba in 2002)....no matter what some critics say....
--- In [email protected], Vinayakam Murugan <mvinaya...@...> wrote: > > :) > > Warm Regards > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Vinayak > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/rightplacerighttime/ > > > On Sat, May 8, 2010 at 12:09 PM, Gopal Srinivasan <catchg...@...>wrote: > > > > > > > Back where he belongs > > -A <http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> > > *+A<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> > > * > > Font > > *Pooja Pillai <http://www.screenindia.com/columnist/poojapillai/>*Posted: > > May 07, 2010 at 1725 hrs IST > > Print > > <http://www.screenindia.com/story.php?id=614962&pg=-1>Email<http://www.screenindia.com/static/story-email/> > > Newsletter > > <http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/>Post > > Comments<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#postcomm> > > RSS <http://www.expressindia.com/fesyndication/screen.xml> > > [image: Karthik]** > > We're glad Beera is the > > song<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> with > > which the music album of Raavan opens. No other song on the > > album<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> > > declares > > more joyously that the master, A R Rahman, is back where he belongsin the > > company of Mani > > Ratnam<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> and > > Gulzar, where he's once again churned out a thumpingly good album. Of > > course, after the disasters that were Blue, Yuvvraaj and Couple's Retreat, > > anything that sounds remotely fresh will be welcome. But in this case, we > > would say that the relief is well-deserved. > > > > There's no doubt that the songs follow certain trademark Rahman-isms. From > > the lively percussion in Beera, to the angry rock riffs of Behene de to the > > saccharine sweet female voice on Khili re, there's much that old Rahman > > hands will find familiar. Thok de killi, performed by Sukhwinder Singh, > > especially, triggers nostalgia for songs like Dhakka laga from Yuva and > > Paathshala from Rang > > DeBasanti<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#>, > > with a similarly energetic chorus line and upbeat > > melody<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> > > . > > Beera, performed by Vijay Prakash, is by far the best track on the album, a > > paean to the Raavan-like character portrayed by Abhishek > > Bachchan<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#>. > > Karthik does a splendid job singing Behne de, which has a haunting quality > > that Rahman has not tapped since Roja's Yeh haseen wadiyaan. Just like the > > latter had echoes of the mountains and valleys of the Himalayas, Behne de > > mimics the turbulent flow of a river that can't be controlledonly > > appropriate given that the song compares love to a river that engulfs all > > that venture into it (Behene de ghanghor ghataa/behene de paani ki tarah). > > > > Love seems to be a bit of a villain in Raavan. Ranjha Ranjha, by > > Rekha<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#> > > Bharadwaj > > and Javed Ali, also expounds on the helplessness a lover feels (Ranjha > > Ranjha na kar Heere/Jag badnami hoye/patti patti jhad jaawe/ Par khushboo > > chup na hoye), while Kata Kataby Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi and Kunal > > Ganjawalaopens with a raucous shehnai. It compares a new bridegroom to a > > lamb being led to slaughter. Khili re is a rather conventional love songit > > has a strong classical base, but Reena Bhardwaj's breathy vocals and clichéd > > lyrical motifs of blooming flowers turn it into a bore. > > > > The album (priced at Rs 160) will sound comfortingly familiar to fans who > > were dismayed by Rahman's outputs last year. On the flipside, though, Rahman > > does not break new ground. We like that he's not let a single voice > > dominate, even his favourite Sukhwinder; this is perfectly in keeping with > > the folk vibes of the > > music<http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/#>. > > But we wish he would've got at least one soaring, pitch-defying number for > > us to marvel. > > > > > > http://www.screenindia.com/news/back-where-he-belongs/614962/ > > > > >

