Why do we ignore instrumental work?

If you read  discussions in SRGM section it becomes apparent that listeners are usually obsessed with singing, sur & expression followed by  lyrics. If the lyrics are great, it certainly takes the song to dizzying heights, but I've hardly noticed ever any one appreciating the instrumental components of any songs.
I have always failed to understand this allergy of masses to the instrumental components of a song.
There have been many compositions by RD Burman, AR Rehman which have very powerful instrumental interludes & preludes. In particular Pancham was a very good user of instruments, we have seen this in songs like tere bina jiya jaye na(Ghar) whre he has played chords on tabla tarang or complicated use of wind instruments in unknown films like Drohi/Samundar etc. His preludes & interludes have so much to discover in terms of instrumental expertise that any ardent instrumentalist will never get tired of listening to his songs. If some of these effects like the one I mentioned about tere bina jiya jaye na, got recognition then it is because these effects supported the vocals in a subtle way in form of tala. If this effect was introduced in an interlude then needless to say it would have got consigned to oblivion.
I read somewhere that  slightly metallic effect of 12 strings guitar in the prelude of Ha yahi pyar hai(Rocky) is because Pancham converted 12 strings into an electric guitar….!
Now going by the discussions all around I can safely assume that many such beautiful works by different composers have gone unnoticed by listeners.
And this soutela treatment to the instrumental components continues even today, I often wonder how composers like ARR must be feeling when their predominant instrumental compositions like title track of thiruda thiruda goes unnoticed.
This is a big reason why RDB's work of 80s has gone unheard by & large, these were the years when he extensively experimented with miscell. instruments & effects.
I'm afraid to admit that quite a chunk of this allergy has been propagated by Golden era lovers, I being one of them.
Somehow this concept has grown all these years that a song must be judged by its lyrics/sur/expression/flow & other things, instrumental support being the last of it. Edited by N Sinha - 16 years ago

Yes what you say is true. But it did not start from the golden era time. It was there before too. Actually judging the instrument support of a song was never taken seriously. That was and is the last thing always.

Good to see you back. Will reply to your PM later. It needs lot of typing

Sinhaji,

Good point. Actually, to an untrained ear, the lyrics are the easiest way to connect to a melody. Undoubtedly people do pay attention to the instrumental too, but the untrained mind and ear prefers words as it is easy to understand and touches the heart.

I love instrumental myself, but I love lyrics more.

If I hear a song and the lyrics appeal to me, I would remember that first and then the instrumental.

Oh Priya ji

Being a violinist  if you say so, what can I expect from others.....

tell me Priya, there have been quite a few places in SRGM challenge where I saw guitarist or tabla player doing serious mistakes, latter on every thing was marred by tracks, but I never saw any discussion about this.

 

 

pyare Bhaskar

hum kahi nahi jaoonga idhar hi rahunga, ha at times my workload doesnt allow me to come to forum but I shall, whenever time permits.

 

tumhari typing ki pratiksha me...

 

aapka subhekchu...

I know   But somehow besides instruments, I love lyrics, poems, nazms, shers and generally adore words. 

Somehow, I always get a feeling that most of the people, excepting trained musicians or a person with a really good ear for music sees or spots a mistake by an instrumentalist. 

I do remember when Sa Re Ga Ma, when it first started with Sonu Nigam as the anchor, when contests were told that aapka Sur thoda ooncha tha, many did not quite understand.

There used to be a round where the sur was changed and the singers had to adapt.  People never understood that round and went purely by what the anchor or judge commented.

It is unfortunate

 

yes AD tumhare gunaho ki list bahut lambi hai. A case is being initiated against you in the court of IF, my vakeel is musicpulse.
what about your defense.......

Sinhaji, it's not true in my case...I always pay attention to the instruments too!!!

I just love the sarod in "Man re tu kaahe na dheer dhare" which I believe is played by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan himself. Then I loved the harmonica in "hai apna dil to awaara", the sitar in "madhuban mein radhika naache re" (was it Ustad Halim Jaffer Khan?). Then there is the divine flute in "mai piya teri tu maane ya na maane" played by Pannalal Ghosh and so many more. In recent times I liked the guitar in "agar main kahoon mujhe tumse muhabbat hai" from Lakshya.