Devotional Songs

Kind of an interesting choice for an album here. Glad to see some representation of non-Western music. The album is an enjoyable listen, the music is good and you can feel the passion that went into making the album. It's hard to rate it because it is so different from most of the albums we've listened to but I think it stands as a solid 3 because while I wouldn't seek it out again I can enjoy it.

Overly repetitive, twice as long as it needs to be. Meant for a very specific type of person. When I find out what kind of person that is, I’ll let you know…

I'm glad they threw in some non western music. Ultimately, I find it hard to really enjoy music like this that sounds so different from what I'm used to but it's refreshing hearing new scales and vocal approach

Songs so high energy, they make you want to pray to whatever religious deity you have faith in. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

Surprisingly, I’m at a 5. Traditionally, religious music, at least from my experience, has been so drab & dull. Yeah, the words have meaning, and with the right voice, they might make you feel something loosely spiritual, but for the most part, whenever I was dragged to church, they just felt like an exercise in “praise” that didn’t mean all that much to me. With these songs though, in a faith I’m only very loosely familiar with in a language I don’t know & lyrics I didn’t even bother to translate, I kind of felt the communal spirit of religion exist in a really potent way. There’s just a gravitational pull around these tracks in a way I can’t really describe; the instrumental loops would feel more bland if it weren’t for an incredible vocal energy that constantly morphs & shifts around each track to give it a sense of progression that comes from thin air. Their vocalizations & harmonies evoke the scat singers of the ‘50s & ‘60s who could just do anything with their voice and it would sound kinda magical. I’m really shocked this only has a 2.58 on the site, as it feels like it should be higher than that. I’ll be the first to tell you that if I were paying more “traditional” attention, I might’ve tossed this aside as an album that ‘goes nowhere’, ‘never evolves’, or ‘is just the same song for 45 minutes’ – that might be true to a point, but it undermines the shared experience that’s meant to come through these tracks. You’re meant to ride off of their energy & just feel it, whether or not you can understand it. I don’t think this is an album meant to be looked at with a super critical eye, but just an album to explore another culture with. Obviously, the music being great helps a lot, and I could easily see myself coming back to these & just vibing out, regardless of religious context. Is it an album you need to hear before you die? In terms of critical acclaim or a “mandatory” piece of work, then I dunno, probably not. However, I’m very glad I heard it; it made for a good 45 minutes where I got kinda hypnotized, in a very positive way. I’ve never really seeked out Pakistani music before this, and yet I find myself wanting to hear more. Hence, a surprisingly strong 5.

125 albums!!

No idea why this is on the list

I got nothing.

This music transports you too a different time and place, I can almost smell the food cooking, the crowds, the busy streets and packed roads of cars wrestling for space. Music of many restaurants, cafes and family gatherings. Hypnotic, different and really enjoyable... when in the right headspace. Great vocals and range, non stop party tunes equally good for zoning out into some work task.

One of these albums here on this list you simply must rate highly. Simply because it is not one of the many USA/UK albums. If you are not familiar with Qawwali music ... this is a good point to start. And if you like it or not, doesn't really matter, since now you know what you are talking about.

DNL

this guy's vocals are kinda insane, I can definitely appreciate the skill but unfortunately I am so not into this style of music

Amazing voice.

Listened Before? N NAH. Added to Library? N

I’m not going to pretend I listened to all of this because life is short and I value it just about enough to cut this one short. Sorry not sorry

Actually not as bad as I thought, but not something I’d ever listen to again

Apparently this is the Elvis of Pakistan. The man can sing but without lyric translations it was a difficult listen.

That sure was music. 2.5 I guess

Fine. Different. Neutral.

When this album started, I thought I was going to turn it off after one song. But I ended up really enjoying and appreciating it, incredibly impressive and layered work.

Pretty cool sounding. I'm always looking for stuff like this to listen to in the bath in the winter when I'm stressed. This has a great hypnotic rhythm to it, and the music is soothing. 5/5

Not really my jam. One or two songs are OK at at time but the entire album was too much.

Shite.

Not for me

Cool timing and energy. It got a little loud/involved for me at times.

Checked on Discogs, and the album in question here is the second "disc" on Love And Devotion on Spotify... I didn't hate this, but also found it hard to love. Lots of similar-sounding grooves over seven minutes long in a language I don't understand. It would be just fine in a festival field in the sunshine with a pint in one hand, but it's not something I'm going to listen to at home.

I probably won't listen to this album too often, but I'm really glad I got to hear it. Really cool music to listen to, and there's so much talent that must've went into this. Favorites: Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka, Haq Ali Ali Haq,

Definitely not in the realm of my normal listens, but this was very nice. It's good music, what can I say. Not sure how much I'll return to this, but felt good to step into this world for a moment.

I would have appreciated knowing the actual album is THE LAST FIVE SONGS OF THE DOUBLE ALBUM. As it stands, it's festive and definitely beautiful, but man it is repetitive. I realize the express purpose of it is to be religious music, therefore chanting and mantras are to be expected. But I don't want to submit myself through this again.

Hard to rate this one. It is undeniable that Nusrat has great vocal skills that clearly communicate the religious fervor he feels. I find myself being culturally too distant or misaligned to fully enjoy more if this. I can also not be harsh on an album for being an excellent introduction to an entirely new aspect of music culture. Points for showing me something new of the world I guess.

Ok so, the Spotify link and the YouTube link bring you to two completely different albums. Also, the Wikipedia doesn’t have the album Devotional Songs so no way to know which one is correct. I went YouTube because the playlist was Devotional Songs and Spotify’s was Love & Devotion, which to make it all the more confusing, is what the cover art says on this website. So I have no idea if I listened to the right thing or not. That being said it was ok. I am not a fan of call and response or group chanted vocals so that really put a damper on things. The main singer has a good voice and the instrumentation, while repetitive, was calming and hypnotic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ another album that was hard to look for. had to either search for a user playlist on Spotify or some random playlist on YouTube to find what I was looking for the last couple tracks were good listening, but the first few were a little hard on the ears in my opinion. even so, i enjoyed the last half of the album enough to not give it too poorly of a score

No thanks. I did give it a go though...

Honestly quite listenable in a rhythmic way, but it was a bit of a marathon listening to both discs. Would be decent for work or something but can't justify a 2

Yeah this is another scenario where I can appreciate the relevance and its place on the list but the music is just not for me. Nothing about this is bad per se but I just don’t get it and won’t be returning again (1/5)

Incredible. Sick melodies, stoniest licks... 5/5 all day.

Very interesting album, this is why I joined the project, there's no way I would have listened to an album like this on any other day, but it's fascinating world music. the hypnotic rhythmic patterns and call and response vocals are quite captivating.

Worth a listen. Great sound.

Wow.

A lot going on here. Too much for my honky ears.

Pleasant enough but became wallpaper pretty quickly. Not one I'd return to.

Did me nut in. Bailed after the first track.

beautiful, vibrant, uplifting, devotional music

Slightly surprised Nathan by listening to this at dinner but actually quite soothing

lordy this gentleman has dozens and dozens of albums on Apple music that are all posthumous. More than Hendrix! The qawwali music style is fine, but it's just not my taste.

Hard to find and not for me.

De Spotify link is van een ander album van anderhalf uur. Gelukkig ben ik een oplettende participant. Via Google het origineel gevonden en die is de helft korter. Ik hik hier al een dag of 3 tegenaan. Ik kan hier helemaal niks mee. Zelfs Leo Blokhuis heeft dit niet grijsgedraaid. Ik ga vandaag niet de beleefd knikkende toerist uithangen en ik hoef mezelf niet te bewijzen door hier een voldoende voor te geven. 2 sterren, ik ben blij dat het erop zit. Waarmee ik niet wil zeggen dat er helemaal niks goeds aan is, maar ik heb er echt niks mee (vandaag).

I have very little context for this music and so I'm evaluating it entirely on the strength of NFAK's voice. So it's a testament to his musical powers I loved listening to this album. If he can move me, with little knowledge of what this music is about or for, so strongly, it must say something about his artistry. NFAK's voice is captivating. "Haq Ali Ali Haq" and "Mast Nazron Se Allah Bachae" are absolute bangers.

399/1089 - One of my main biases as a Western listener is my love for polyphony. Polyphony (and counterpoint) is fairly unique to the West and got really advanced in the Classical music era and has a fair bit of influence on modern music as well. While polyphony is a lot rarer to come by in World and Eastern music, heterophony is easier to come by and isn't common in Western music at all. There's a bit of that in this album with multiple people singing the same melody but adding their own individual inflections at their own times and it's always an intriguing sound to hear and something I think Western musicians should explore more. Overall a pleasant listen though I wish there were more varied sections of the songs given the length of all of them.

Moet je heel erg voor in de stemming zijn wel goeie pokkoes

Just listened to the first one, and immediately understood I wouldn't be able to go all the way.

#43/1001 🇵🇰 Well this is a coincence. We went to the cinema last night to see the Jeff Buckley documentary (five stars by the way) and one of the scenes that moved me most was when Jeff met NFAK. Neither could understand each others language, then Jeff sang one NFAKs songs to him and the 2 just bonded. I've listened to quite a bit of Kahn's music before, largely due to following a rabbit hole after a collaboration with Eddie Vedder which just blew me away. Some of it, i find not to my taste - he recorded over 100 albums by all accounts. This one i love however - by all accounts its 2 albums (Love AND Devotion) on the spotify streaming link. He has the most incredible voice and i love this record musically too. I'm certainly going to come back to it again. Best tracks: Love: Halka Halka Saroor Devotion: Haq Ali Ali Haq, Mast Nazroon Se Allah Bachae.

Very catchy and upbeat. I enjoy hearing music from different cultures and languages.

It's actually really cool, there's a lot of Western influence in the chord changes and the Spanish sounding guitar parts and his very bluesy voal phrasing, but it's all underpinned by the hypnotic and almost droning percussion and instrumentation. I'm not sure it would be a daily listen for me, but the songs are pretty catchy and it definitely created a mood

Love that this came up on the first day of Ramadan! Beautiful songs

about 20/25 yrs ago I started listening to him, but probably haven't since - this was glorious

The energy in this album generates is euphoric. You really have to give yourself over to it. Immersion is key.

Shoukran habibi, nice jalabba

I don't have a problem with this music, but I wouldn't choose to sit down and listen to it. The only one that approached being something that stood out and I liked was "Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam"

egzotyki ciag dalszy, kiedy to szalenstwo listowe sie skonczy, tym razem podroz muzyczna az do palistanu, juz sam tytul zdradza kontent devotional songs to dokladnie to co mowi tytul spiewanie typu medytacyjnego modlitwnego, ktore kojarzy mi sie jedynie z indyjskimi brzmieniami, a nawet nie wiem jaka religie czy filozofie praktykuje pan nusrat, ale imie ali moze zdradzac islamskie korzenie, wiec tym bardziej dziwnie, ze brzmi to tak indyjsko, wikipedia zdradza, ze gatunkowo nazywa sie to qawwali, co mozna tlumaczyc na sufi music, co znowu przeklada sie na dewotionalna muzyke, wiec taka tautologia tytulowo tlumaczeniowa, a co do samej muzyki to dziwny odsluch, plyta z 92, ale z takim kontentem jej wiek calkowicie nie ma znaczenia, bo jest to muzykowanie tak oderwane od normalnego, ze ciezko cos takiego oceniac, bo nie rozumiem mantrowania i jedyne co moge powiedziec, to ze przez 45 minut podzielonych na 6 nie czulem az tak tragicznie na uszach zebym musial zmieniac traka czy skonczyc odsluch, wiec jako muzyka ktora sobie gra w tle sie sprawdza, ale nic wiecej z tego nie moglem wyciagnac, no jednak troche ciepelka czuc z takiej egzotyki, mam nadzieje, ze to nie rozwijajacy sie orientalizm, a raczej bizarnosc i niezbyt cos niezbyt czesto slyszanego dla moich uszu, nie moglem rowniez znalezc tej plyty na spotifaju, wiec znowu stary sprawdzowny soulseek musial pomoc, to oszczedza trudu dodawania na plejke, ale z plyty zapamietam glownie openingowy trak mocno przepelniony allahowaniem

This isn't my thing at all, however it is very easy to get caught up in the repetitive rhythms which become hypnotic and lull your brain into a strange kind of daze. I can see why this kind of thing is used in a devotional capacity, it's very meditative. I'm glad I've heard this though would never seek it out again.

not for me

interesting

This list sometimes has some really interesting recommendations. Today, I'm discovering the sound of Qawwali music, a style of Islamic music. This album is quite simple to describe. It is a collection of six very similar songs in which the main attraction is the particular style of singing, since the rhythms are static and the instruments are placed in the background, with they only purpose is to introduce the song and serve as accompaniment to the voice while creating a bit of ambience. The album sounds very hypnotic and spiritual, primarily due to the overly repeated "choruses" (if they could be call such a thing) and echoic sound. Another aspect that contributes is the religions themes of devotion, hence the name of the album. My complain about the songs are how lengthy they feel. They last from six and a half minutes to eight minutes, which is not really that long, but the main problem is the over use of repetition that gets a bit tiring towards the end of each track. Overall, I thought it was a great an unique experience. This was certainly a type of sound I've never dedicated my time to before.

This was such a slog for me. It would have been fine as an instrumental, but the vocalization drove me up a wall. I was counting the minutes until it finished. The last song of the album was my favorite, but that’s not saying much.

I’m genuinely uncomfortable grading this album. I don’t have the cultural or religious context to understand why this is considered important other than the artist is considered the King of Qavvali. It was definitely different than anything I am typically exposed to and enjoyed it, but I doubt I would ever seek this out again.

I’ve always liked Indian/Pakistani music. This is fine - But I never listen to music like this “just because” though

Liked the sitar and drums. Liked his voice. No clue what he was saying. Probably more than I wanted, but it was pleasant.

The best kind of world music

69/100. Not my usual cup of tea, but I ended up enjoying it more than I expected. The instrumentation is strong and the vocals sit right on top with incredible presence and emotion. I didn’t understand much of the language, but you can absolutely feel the essence of the music.

Listening to this made me go into an entire deep dive on this man and the Qawwali genre in general, so thanks for giving me something to spend my evening on. The way this genre has been around since the 12th century and how songs come to be is incredibly interesting. There's certain structures and traditionals that come back in every Qawwali song and the way that they are built up differs a lot from Western music. Due to this more free form structure, they can last for a really long time as well. Qawwali songs really have a hypnotic vibe to them, on purpose. Actively listening to the percussions, usually done by one man, in combination with Nusrat's bellowing voice and the multitude of background singers makes for a wonderful listen. Sometimes this list throws some unexpected curveballs that really reward you for deep diving into them.

Have no idea what the lyrics are, but didnt matter! Really enjoyed the album. To hear the type of instruments played that you would not hear in Western music was amazing! Really enjoyable album, and would listen to it again, no bother!

A difficult one to rate. It's interesting and well performed, that's for sure. I can't comment on the lyrics because I don't understand them, but the music itself is good. The songs do go on a bit long, though. I think if each track had been a minute or two shorter then it'd have been much more enjoyable for me, but I'm probably missing something.

I really appreciated the instrumentation and the driving rhythms, especially the superb percussion from the Tabla. However, the vocal tone didn't resonate with me, and I found the tracks tended to overstay their welcome. Had this been an instrumental album, the technical excellence would have earned it three stars, but the vocal element is so prominent that it dampened my overall enjoyment. With apologies to fans of Indian classical and Qawwali music, this is a two-star album for me. The whole album is not on Spotify. I had to find a playlist on YouTube - https://youtu.be/v7BOqCT7nHE?si=IgOScLSFsmHxextM 1 Woh Hata Rahe Hain Pardah (2/5) 2 Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae (2/5) 3 Biba Sada Dil Morr De (3/5) 4 Yaadan Vichhre Sajan Dian Aiyan (2/5) 5 Sanson Ki Mala Pey (2/5) 6 Un Ke Dar Pen Pohchne To Payen (2/5) 7 Allah Hoo Allah Hoo (2/5) 8 Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka (3/5) 9 Haq Ali Ali Haq (3/5) 10 Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam (3/5) 11 Mast Nazroon Se Allah Bachhae (2/5) 12 Ni Main Jogi De Naal (2/5) Total - 29 Average - 2.42 240/1001 133/240 albums reviewed were new to me.

Ecstatic! And totally different from anything else. The singer is so talented, and I can still hear the hand clapping.

I had no enthusiasm for this when it came up and whilst the music is an interesting diversion I doubt I would ever choose to listen to it again under normal circumstances. However, as a soundtrack to run to, it worked really well- so 3 stars and I might even put it on again.

???

Ganske fine rytmer, men meget ensformige sange. Det er nok stilen. PÅ den anden side rart med et indslag af verdensmusik.

No cóż. To przynajmniej było coś innego. Ale niestety, w pewnym momencie miałam wrażenie, że słucham w kółko tego samego. Oraz że wszystkie piosenki z tego kręgu kulturowego brzmią identycznie. Chyba mam za ciasne horyzonty, aby w pełni docenić ten album. 5/10

Nothing against Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but this was a tough listen. At least trying to listen to the “Love & Devotion” double album version on Spotify. I’m sure this is really good qawwali music, but I don’t have any kind of reference point to measure against. Admittedly, a blind spot in my world music repertoire.

I enjoyed it: what’s interesting about this project is coming across genres that I am unfamiliar with. I find myself trying to relate to more familiar genres and struggle to simply listen to the album in front of me

Surprised at how almost-Western sounding this is. Starting off, it kinda just sounded like a blues jam. Pretty quickly its like "OK yeah, traditional Islamic music" but for a bit it did have me thinking of blues, haha. But yeah. Same as most non-western traditional/folk, I just don't have the experience or vocabulary to really engage with this. It sounds good. But I don't know of a situation where I'd sit down a listen to this in my daily life.

Somewhere deep in the liner notes to a Pearl Jam album, probably No Code, is written the following short poem, I was here but now I'm gone Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan That is all I knew of this artist going in, that at one point he was one place and then wasn't, probably because he relocated. I'd say relocation is pretty close to a universal experience. I love it when 'world music' comes along and reminds me of what it means to be truly human! What isn't a universal experience is getting up on a Thursday and listening to Qawwali music while making breakfast. It is very good breakfast-making music.

Didn’t understand it

Overall not bad, enjoyed some songs: Standout songs: Haq Ali Ali Haq

C'est quand on tombe sur ce choix qu'on se rend compte (encore une fois) du peu de multiculturalisme de cette liste. En attendant Histoire de Melody Nelson qui est à ma connaissance un des seuls albums en langue française et malgré tout un choix douteux dans l'absolu.

J'ai trouvé ça ben smooth. Un peu répétitif mais très plaisant la musique orientale microtonale. Un des employés Sikh de la pharmacie a entendu jouer ça dans mon bureau et est rentré ébahi dans mon bureau en me disant: 'je pensais que j'avais accroché mon cellulaire et que c'était ma musique qui jouait'

Enfin de la musique du monde! Mais bon 1x c’est assez. Allah ooh allah ooooooooh

I've never heard these particular songs, but I've heard other ones by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Such a unique and amazing voice, love him. I understand only conversational Hindi and no Urdu, so I could only understand a few words, but I love the energy he brings. Had a lot of fun listening to this one. Best song: Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka

Inspiring music. The album provides a truly new experience. Top score.

Very pretty songs, quite a long album tho for not loads of variance. I guess God really is that great!

And so we swing back to the dregs after a few good albums. It's almost certainly, in a large part, due to my lack of familiarity with this music and artist, but this album does nothing for me. I struggle to spot the gaps between any of the tracks, there is nothing different in any of the tracks, it just sounds like 45 minutes of some guy wailing over random Indian/Pakistani music - and occasionally being in tune and in time with the rhythm. The most amazing thing was discovering that Rolling Stone ranked this guy in their '200 Greatest Singers of All Time' list. Although I didn't technically listen to the whole album I am going to give it 2 stars, as I feel I could have made it all the way through.

I don’t get the point of including this. I mean this is a list of great albums, therefore it seems reasonable to focus on album music. That’s mostly rock and pop from the sixties onwards, some jazz, rnb, blues, definitely hip hop. That’s album music because that’s music that was made for the album format. It has a certain context. There’s no classical music on this list because that’s not album music that’s concert hall music. Honestly I don’t get why they ever include dance music here because that’s not album music either. So here we have a collection of recordings of Sufi devotional music. I have zero cultural context to place this music in. For me it’s weird ambiance and chants i can’t understand, but it seems disrespectful to judge it for that. It just seems stupidly pretentious to include this here. One star because it’s not a fit and tedious listen for me, not a knock on anyone’s beliefs or worship.

This album is filled with hypnotic rhythms that I would happily listen to for twice their runtime. The songs are fairly long -- most in the 6+ minute range -- but as they stretch out and lock into the groove, time just melts away. And Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan elevates the music with spectacular vocals. When he lets loose and riffs, you just have to stop what you're doing and smile. He's a great performer. 3.5

Nice listen, can definitely feel the idea of these being devotional songs as they have that droning worship-y sort of sound to them that tends to be prevalent regardless of the religion. I enjoyed it! I do think some of the songs were pretty repetitive, even knowing that this is the style. Vocals are really quite nice.

Lovely calming music. Really like it.

It’s not my vibe but is strangely calming.

Took awhile to find as it's not on Apple Music (found it on Youtube) I know nothing of Qawwali so this is speaking in a secular way- he's got a beautiful voice and the music is joyful

Had me head bopping the whole way through traffic

There are 12 tracks, but the track lengths are all either 7:16, 7:18, 7:24, 7:57, or 8:01. Is there a significance to that? I don't know and it doesn't actually matter. The album itself is interesting, and I can see why Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is counted among the greatest voices/singers of all time. Despite it falling well outside my typical musical fare--can't say I listen to much Sufi Islamic devotional singing--I enjoyed it enough to merit a low 4/5.

0/6 bekannt 6,5/10 Beste Songs: Allah hoo Allah hoo, Ali mula Ali mula Ali dam dam, ni main Jogi de naal Erinnert mich an die Musik die beim Griechen gespielt wird Ich hab noch nie jemanden gesehen der so viele Alben hat

It's just not for me

I can appreciate the talent, but it's not my cup of tea.

pretty cool music, well produced. I am just not the target audience. I'm sure this music means a lot to someone but that is not me

Acho que isso me fez recordar por que eu comecei a querer ouvir os 1001 álbuns: ver e ouvir coisas novas, conhecer coisas completamente fora do que eu normalmente escuto, faço e vejo, experimentar o novo e ter contato com outras culturas. Excelente álbum.

Low 3,5

Really not my style, I’m sure many enjoy this though.

Mig skortir þekkingu og samhengi til að meta þessa plötu til fullnustu, get ekki heyrt mikinn mun á henni og annarri indópakistanskri tónlist. Þetta er flott svo langt sem það nær til mín, en þó ekki svo að mig langi endilega í þriðja snúninginn.

It’s hard to rank this because I’m not familiar with the genre, but it does feel overproduced and maximalist which is a bit overwhelming

A bit long for pakistani music

Hard to rate this… I went for a 2 hour walk and listened through. Never switched it off but it did not hold my attention. Won’t be buying it.

This is good. He can definitely sing.

I would have never listened to this under any other circumstances. To be honest I didn't hate it or really have any negative feelings towards it. It just isn't something I'm ever going to listen to again, I do appreciate it from an educational standpoint though. Playlist track: Mast Nazroon Se Allah Bachae

Learned about him when he worked on Dead Man Walking soundtrack and worked with Eddie Vedder. Always enjoy his music.

Reading about this guy was interesting- the “King of Kings” of qawalli music. A shame he died at 48. I recognize his talents, and that there is beauty in his music. But you could argue there is beauty in all music. This will may to suffer the same fate as Buena Vista…

takes me back to all the family events

Interesting but repetitive

This led me to Abida Parveen who should be on this list! But this album was damn good - I found it beautiful and meditative.

lol, this one falls pretty far outside of my paradigm for what makes music good. I’m not gonna make it through the full hour and a half of what sounds like middle eastern tribal chants. I guess, as a positive, I don’t hate what sounds like a sitar, and I normally despise the sitar. But this one isn’t for me, and my horizons have not been expanded. 2/5

meh

3/10

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, angivelig en legende i den pakistanske og indiske musikkverden. Sjangeren er qawwali, en form for lovsang innen den islamske retningen sufi. Hypnotiske og stemningsfulle melodier med lovprisende vokaler. Sangene er alle rundt syv minutter lange og rimelig homogene. Jeg lyttet til dobbeltalbumet Love & Devotion, da dette var den eneste muligheten på Spotify, og jeg likte Devotion-siden (som jeg tross alt har blitt bedt om å lytte til her) hakket bedre enn sin motpart. God intensitet og til tider ganske så fengende. Var innledningsvis ganske innstilt på en toer, men tror jaggu vi skal dra til med en treer her. Kunne nesten strekt meg til en firer. Top 3: Allah Hoo Allah Hoo, Haq Ali Ali Haq, Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam

Legendary gebruik van stem als instrument, en heeft ritme in qawali tot nieuwe levels gebracht. Lyrics zijn hele mooie spirituele gedichten. Misschien beetje biased want stond 24/7 aan toen ik klein was, maar haq ali ali haq catchy as fuck

Bro begint opeens te scatten in Yaat-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka. Nu weer op Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam. Ik ga hier gewoon erg goed op

Dit was eigenlijk heel erg lachen en goede vibe. Prima hele album opgehad zonder dat het saai werd. Maar ik denk niet dat ik hier heel vaak naar terug zou gaan, erg niche

Aantal nummers waren echt een feestje. Ruime 3 sterren

I mean +1 voor de legend die deze guy apparently is maar niet voor mij

1.5 uur Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gaat er niet in op deze zondagmiddag. Stukkie geluisterd wel en man, het is te horen waarom zo veel mensen dit bewonderen. Boeiende melodietjes, goeie instrumentatie. De Spotify pagina van deze kerel is echt bizar, wat een platen en wat een diversiteit aan artwork.

I don’t want to dislike it, I think it just isn’t my taste. Which isn’t to say I don’t enjoy cross-cultural music styles… just not this one.

Interessantes Album, aber ein mal hören reicht mir.

Finde ja schon mal gut, wenn über den Tellerrand geschaut wird. Die Vocals sind stark. Echt schwierig für mich zu bewerten, weil es so ganz andere Harmonien hat. Hat mich herausgefordert wie interessiert.

Like most folk, I went into this album rather blink, and expecting some of the usual critically-lauded, but TOO alien to enjoy niche music. But, I was entranced. OK, it's very different from "western" music, after a few songs I was enjoying it. Well worth a listen.

Nope I listened to thirty seconds of the first song and skipped through other songs just no I have nothing against this kind of music I just can stand it

That was a musical journey. And one I don't think I will take again.

I’m getting older, life is short, and I don’t need to impress anyone anymore by appearing worldly, so I can say it: I don’t like this kind of music.

Look kinda hiphopie. Uhm i tried buttuh i don’t like it😣

This was a rewarding listen, even if it’s not something I’d naturally reach for. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice is undeniably powerful, and the performances carry a sense of purpose and intensity that’s easy to respect. There’s a real feeling of being transported somewhere else entirely. This album functions almost like a cultural portal, pulling me into a musical tradition far outside my usual frame of reference. That said, it’s not my thing in a personal, day-to-day listening sense. The repetition and long-form structure are clearly intentional and central to the experience, but they also keep me at a certain distance. I’m more aware of the artistry than emotionally swept up by it. I’m glad I spent time with this record. It broadened my perspective and reminded me how many different ways music can function beyond entertainment or songcraft. I won’t be adding it to my regular rotation, but I recognize the mastery and the depth of tradition behind it. A solid three stars for me: impressive, culturally rich, and worthwhile to hear, even if it doesn’t become part of my musical life going forward.

? (im actually trying to be more open to regional folk music but sadly my eurocentric mind just cant comprehend it.) 2/5

I liked bits of this! Its nice also to have a name to this sort of sound with Qawalli

Tbh I didn’t even listen to the whole thing. Couldn’t get through it but also didn’t try

I LOVE THIS SHIT

So glad this project exposed me to an album like this. I enjoyed this so much - musically rich and vibrant and the singing js beautiful. I don’t know a word he is singing but the feeling comes through so clearly - completely captured me.

When I was listening to this I imagined this music would be playing outside of an outlet mall in Asia like we have Taylor Swift outside Best Buy and Ulta store. I have no idea why, just the vibe I got from it.

I wasn't that big of a fan

Super cool! Nice to learn about this type of music and hear it.

Very cool and unique music (at least when it comes to this list lol) quite enjoyable although not sure I’m coming back to it since the songs really do sound like hymns.

Playing "Shahbaaz" rather than this, as this is not on Apple currently... but damn, this guy is prolific! Dozens, nay hundreds of recordings over the past several decades. No way I can commit to a deep dive here, but it is exciting music.

Not my type of music.

I don’t listen to this genre of music often but I really liked this album!

p701. 1992. 1 star. Token nod to World Music for the list. I think I heard this as background music in a curry house in Stoke. The food was good, the music less so. Would not listen to it again.

Pretty decent Punjab music

I think it sounded ok, but it kept on disappearing into the background while i did other things and didnt grab my attention very well. Ali Msula was the only exception

Lovely to know this exists. Can't say that I'll ever seek it out. That's my fault, not the music's.

I love qawwali music, so I was really pleased (and surprised) when this one came up. I knew a couple of tracks already from another Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan record that I've got that I think is a comp, not sure because it's been ages since I played it! Must do that more often. 4/5 because while I wouldn't play it all the time, it's really wonderful and mesmerizing music.

𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 works as a powerful introduction to Qawwali: long, unfolding performances built on call-and-response vocals, harmonium drones and steady hand-clap rhythms. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice is the center of gravity — urgent, elastic and spiritually charged — and the ensemble’s repetitions are meant to build intensity rather than variety. That structure can feel repetitive over time, but when it hits, it creates a deep, meditative pull that’s unlike almost anything in Western music. As an entry point into the tradition, the album shows why Nusrat’s presence was so transformative, even if the extended cycles demand patience.

Pretty sick

I love getting exposure to different kinds of music, and this is my first experience of Qawwali, but this collection of songs doesn't really work as an album. First, this is a very difficult album to find (even the name of the album seems to be different from what is on the list), so I had to dig around to find all the songs. Second each song is much too long for what it offers. Third, the album itself is 90 minutes, which is absurdly too long. Overall, I understand why this album is on the list, but it's disappointing. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing

the songs are way too long but i enjoyed what they had to offer for a few minutes.

Yeah, whatever.

29

Enjoyable to have on in the background

Not an album I will go back to a lot but at least something different in flavor? There is some clear vocal prowess on display at least and I had no idea how popular he is outside of circles I typically pay attention to.

India

Had to go to youtube for this one; apple music had nothing. Music was alright but 1.5 hours was a bit much

very beautiful, didn't finish but honestly might come back. also jeff buckley covering one of the songs is awesome. saved: yeh jo halka soor hae.

2.8 It's interesting but to be honest I'm not interested. First track was the only one I actively enjoyed and would come back to. Too far outside my knowledge zone I fear.

Not my jam

Not my cup of tea but some interesting elements

Sometimes interesting. I cannot enjoy, though. He worships a dead god.

Discovering music like this is one of the main reasons why love working my way through this list. I hadn't heard of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan prior to getting this as my album of the day, and while I'm not a complete stranger to music from the Indian subcontinent, I struggle naming any individual musicians outside of Lata Mangeshkar and Ravi Shankar. Needless to say this one immediately piqued my interest. Musically this album is gorgeous, plain and simple. Khan's singing is beautifully evocative and his voice unlike anything I've heard before. The songs themselves, while long, have this enthralling and mesmerising nature to them that's hard for me to put into words. The more I listen to this, the more I like it. I'm really happy to have heard this. I just find it really beautiful. 4.5/5

Qawwali music rocks. What a voice. No idea what he's saying, but that probably helps it. Great productive background music.

Nah

Not the music I would listen too, and sounds all the same to me, but surprisingly good

dig it.

Cool

yes, cool

Maybe I’ll become Sufi

Pues no sé si debo votar, porque no tengo ni idea de si me gusta o no. No tengo la menor formación musical para opinar sobre estos estilos. Supongo que será de puta madre, pero yo he sido incapaz de distinguir una canción de otra. La portada es muy bonita, eso sí.

I don't want to sound insensitive, but I really didn't care for this one. It wasn't bad, but each song was 7+ minutes of the same vamp with little variation. If I was walking down the street and heard it, or if it was playing in a restaurant I would have really enjoyed it, bit just sitting in my bed and listening to it became more of a chore. The individual parts are good, but as an album it is a little much. This is right on the edge of a 3 and a 2 for me. High 2.

Not bad but not my cup of tea. Good instrumentation, though.

Devotion

I'm certain there's a cultural piece that I'm missing limiting my potential enjoyment of this album, but it really is not that musically interesting at all. Feels like the same melody and vocalizations for the entire runtime

Indian sounding music. Pretty good.

I do not care for this style of music and the fact he has way too many albums actively annoys me.

if you enjoy Qawwali it's fine. I'm not in devotional things.

Even though to many, this is Qawwality music, and Nusrat comes in strong with gusto and energy with every moment, I doubt a time will ever come where I, personally, as a westerner concerned that this list and similar such lists exclude much non-western music, will ever get a jonesin’ to put this on. In fact, making it all the way through the hour and a half was a testament, I believe, to the love and devotion I’m showing to this 1001 project. My only hope is that now I’m not on some FBI watchlist for choosing a Pakistani artist for today’s musical deluge instead of someone like, say, Taylor Swift.

Some of the tracks are not available on Spotify but it still goes on a bit

Nice.

This is why I signed up for this - great album I didn’t know about

An album of Qawwali, (which is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in South Asia), by one of its masters. Very relaxing.

There is something raw and basic about Devotional Songs that is irresistible. The passion is palpable and the rhythm is intoxicating. This is the sort of stuff I'd like to have more of on this list.

This was the first album I’ve had generated for me that I wasn’t actively excited to listen to. It’s not something I would ever have considered listening to without it being semi-forced on me and I will almost certainly not revisit it. However, it is plainly obvious that Khan is a tremendously skilled singer. It is just a style of singing and a genre of music that I, perhaps through cultural predisposition, do not find terribly interesting or rewarding. Worth having heard it but as I say not something that will garner repeat listens from me.

7 / 10

Glad that an album from this part of the world was included on this list, but I didn't jive with it. 4/10

World music is always a mixed bag. I almost guarantee I’ve already stated that during one or multiple of these reviews so far. The ratings are generally always very low, and I can generally always understand why. It’s music from a different culture that often speaks an entirely different language. Unfairly, a lot of people are immediately going to not vibe with that. I’ve had multiple of these albums at this point, including some notably of Spanish, African, French, Hindi and Indian origins. Not all of them are bangers, but to be honest, this one was pretty good. High energy, energetic vocals that aren’t overbearing, and a good usage of some very prominent traditional South Asian instruments. While thematically similar, the songs on this album all have a unique feel to them, and even if I can’t understand them, I can kind of pick up what it is they’re trying to say and appreciate it for what it is. My favorite of the bunch this time was “Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam”. Never in a million lifetimes would I have bothered seeking this album out, but thanks to the site, I was able to enjoy this today, and it surprised me with how good it was. A pretty solid 3.6/5 stars. No skips here, just a fairly consistently good blend of catchy World music. Right on.

If I could give this negative stars I would

Listening to Devotional Songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, I’m happy to see that the 1001 list doesn’t stay inside a fully western bubble. A few reviews ago I had Miles Davis’ electrifying music from the 70s, and I can’t help making a comparison. Qawwali and Miles’ 1970s period sit at opposite poles of the same musical instinct: pushing a single idea toward transcendence. Miles has the electric and the chaotic, while Khan has the spiritual and the hypnotic ascent. Each reaches the sky in their own distinctive way. Miles reaches for cosmic chaos, while Khan moves through devotional, skyward flow. Both rely on trance and improvisation, but Miles builds his trance through groove and electricity, while Khan builds it through unity, voice, and devotion. Miles works with a broader and more complex musical architecture; Khan reaches depth through minimalism and complex vocal tonality. That contrast in perspective is what I’ve been noticing throughout this 1001 challenge. Both Davis and Khan take me on explorative journeys of enjoyment, but at the end of the day, it’s the Miles Davis vehicle I enjoy slightly more. Davis had a five from me. Khan will have a four.

Absolut unerwartet gut

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🪵💄⁉️ Production: ↔️📢🧏 Music: ಠ_ಠ Rating: ☪ (☪) /5

Nusret once toured with Houmous & Chutney. He made the best Naan Breads we ever tried! I’m fact, Len Houmous wrote ‘Na-na-na-na-naan way mate’ about them. 3.5 5/9 Allah Hoo Allah Hoo

# In-Depth Review – “Devotional Songs” (1992) **Artist:** Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party **Label:** Real World / Caroline (original CD) **Core repertoire:** Punjabi / Urdu qawwali & Sufi hymns re-cut for Western ears --- ## 1. Lyrical Universe – what is actually being sung? | Track (transliterated) | Poetic source | Key images & Sufi code-words | |------------------------|---------------|------------------------------| | Allah Hoo | Traditional na‘t | Tawhid (oneness of God) – the single word becomes a mantra | | Haq Ali Ali Haq | Amir Khusran-inspired | “Haq” (Truth/God) and “Ali” (ideal devotee) fused into a single chant of surrender | | Ali Maula | Bulleh Shah / Punjabi folk | Karbala metaphor – the martyr’s suffering as mirror for ego-death | | Shahbaaz Qalandar | 13th-c. saint Lal Shahbaz | “Dama dam mast qalandar” – ecstatic intoxication, breaking of social ranks | | Ni Main Jogi | Khusrau doha | Lover becomes “jogi” (ascetic) for the Beloved; bridal mysticism | **Translation quality:** Real World printed only short English paraphrases; hence many Western listeners treat the voice as “pure sound,” missing the dense inter-textuality (references to Qur’anic Arabic, Persian ghazal, Punjabi kafi). **Result:** The album works on two levels—semantic for South-Asian listeners, timbral-trance for everyone else. --- ## 2. Musical Architecture – why it feels hypnotic - **Call-and-response grid:** Nusrat sets a refrain (sākin) → choir (ḥamd) answers in parallel 4ths/5ths → tabla enters on muqabil (off-beat 7/8 or 8/8 cycle). - **Climax science:** He climbs a perfect 4th every chorus, lands on a reinforced falsetto (taṭkār) at roughly 130–135 bpm—exactly the tempo window that triggers “auditory driving” in EEG studies. - **Modal choices:** Mostly Khammaj & Bhairav thāts (Mixolydian / Phrygian), modes historically tied to both Hindu bhajan and Muslim ṣūfīāna; hence cross-confessional familiarity. - **Western tweak:** Harmonium is double-tracked and lightly chorused; tabla & dholak are close-mic’d, giving a punch normally absent in sub-continental field recordings. --- ## 3. Production Aesthetics – Real World house sound **Producer:** Michael Brook (also on *Mustt Mustt*). **Studio:** Real World, Box, England, winter ’91. **Chain:** Neve 8108 desk → AKG 414 on harmonium → Schoeps CMC5 spaced pair for hand-claps → Lexicon 224 reverb printed sparingly. **Pros:** - Clean but not sterile; retains 30 dB of dynamic range—rare for 1992. - Stereo width places Nusrat dead-centre, choir L-R at 60 %, giving the “surround” feel without fake Dolby. **Cons:** - Edits are tight (4–7 min tracks vs. 20-min live versions); purists miss the slow alaap build. - Reverb tail occasionally too 80s-shiny, softening the transients of the hand-claps. --- ## 4. Themes & Spiritual Narrative Arc | Phase | Tracks | Sufi concept | |-------|--------|--------------| | Praise | Allah Hoo, Ali Maula | Tawhid & maqām al-qaṣīdah (praise station) | | Yearning | Ni Main Jogi | ʿIshq-e-majāzī → ʿishq-e-ḥaqīqī (metaphorical to real love) | | Ecstasy | Shahbaaz Qalandar | Fanāʾ (ego annihilation) | | Repetition | Haq Ali Ali Haq | Ḏikr (remembrance) – the loop as spiritual technology | The sequencing therefore mirrors a miniature semāʿ (Sufi ceremony), making the LP playable as one continuous ritual rather than a collection. --- ## 5. Influence & Afterlife - **World-music market:** First qawwali album to hit #1 on Billboard World chart (1992), paving way for *Mustt Mustt*’s club remixes and the “Asian Underground” (e.g., Nitin Sawhney, Asian Dub Foundation). - **Rock citations:** Jeff Buckley called Nusrat his “Elvis,” interpolated “Yeh Jo Halka” live; Eddie Vedder sampled *Shahbaaz Qalandar* cadence in *Dead Man* soundtrack. - **Academic uptake:** Ethnomusicologists (Qureshi, Wolf) use the record to demonstrate how “religious music” can be repackaged as “secular trance,” raising questions on cultural translation vs. commodification. --- ## 6. Pros & Cons at a Glance | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Gateway drug to qawwali—short, hi-fi, melodic | Heavily edited; misses the 45-min live build-up | | Cross-cultural modal choices invite non-Desi ears | Liner-note translations too skimpy—loss of semantic depth | | Nusrat at peak vocal power (1991 voice still agile) | 80s reverb sheen dates certain tracks | | Rhythmic clarity lets Western drummers study asymmetrical cycles | Harmonium double-tracking can feel “stacked” vs. organic acoustic set | | Spiritual themes remain intact despite market tailoring | Purists prefer un-mic’d Mehfil recordings for “authentic” buzz | --- ## 7. Verdict “Devotional Songs” is neither the rawest nor the most scholarly entry in Nusrat’s massive discography, but it is arguably the most influential transfusion of Sufi ecstasy into global pop consciousness. Think of it as a perfectly trimmed bonsai: you lose the forest’s wild density, yet gain a living sculpture that fits on any modern shelf. Spin it loud; let the refrains loop; read a side-by-side translation later—the poetry will feel even larger than the voice.

Best

world music

nok noget kulturelt men jeg synes jeg lyttede til det samme nummer i 30+ minutter

Jeg har svært ved at høre forskel på Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan plader, men jeg kan altid godt lide dem!

As always, a pretty difficult listen. There was some nice parts, but overall kind of hard to listen to with western ears

26.500.000 flytninger til én af numrene. Tænk at så mange kan tage så meget fejl. Jeg vil hellere høre indiske cover versioner af julenumre hele december, end at lytte til det her album igen.

Det ligger så langt væk fra mine musikalske referencepunkter at jeg hverken kan vurdere eller påskønne det

Beautiful guitars and of course power vocalist- just as a western trained listener hard to really know/fully enjoy sounds like Qawwali.

There were a few vocal parts that were cool and it’s interesting how the songs continuously kept tension over several minutes. It’s always a nice change of pace to remember how big the musical world is but I didn’t get much out of this. Rating: 1.4

Had a really nice vibe to it, but it gets very repetitive after a while

This was strange but after a while I found myself grooving to it

Unexpectedly enjoyable. Another reviewer likened these vocals to a guitar solo, and that might be part of why this appeals to me. Glad to have discovered this today.

I mean, ok

It was fine.

Interesting. Glad I double-checked the track-listing and found that half of what was on the Spotify version was bonus. An interesting 45mins of listening. As a friend following this list but unable/unwilling to comment said, it's the sort of music I'd hear in an Arab country and find it very interesting and engaging, especially hearing live. But hard for the Western ear to listen to it on the way to work or whatever. Hard to rate, but cool inclusion

i won’t lie it’s just a random album to me, i bet this would’ve gone hard back in the day in the designated area but it ain’t me, from what it sounds like, sounds well made, but i won’t be going back to this unfortunately

Wrong culture, not for me.

I hope to never listen to this again but I’m glad I got the opportunity to listen, if that makes sense? Not for me but I acknowledge the vocal skill.

Not really for me

Massive Attacks allra första (?) officiella insats på skiva var en remix av Nusrats "Musst musst" (Duck pond dub mix), den är löjligt bra. Det är min enda relation till Nusrat sen tidigare. Jag kan ingenting om sån här musik. Det tar en stund men sen kommer man in den. Det är hypnotiskt, ibland närmast fysiskt. Det är tydligt att Nusrat är dedikerad till sin uppgift och musiken verksr både välspelad och passionersd. Visst jag kan sakna en tung bas eller en bastrumma, det hade gjort det lättare för mig. Men det är också spännande med ett tonspråk (säger man så?) som jag inte har nån relation till men som samtidigt kan ha en markant effekt på mig. Jag kommer kanske inte lyssna på det igen, men nästa jag stöter på det kommer jag åtminstone ha nån form av förhållande till det som är övervägande positiv.

Det ligger helt utanför min kompetens att bedöma kvaliteten på det här. Det kanske är svinbra i sin genre, vad vet jag. Men eftersom musiklyssning är en subjektiv vetenskap kan jag bara gå på min känsla. Och jag tycker det här är vedervärdigt att lyssna på.

Nusrat har tydligen kopplingar till sufismen, vilket man kan förstå vid lyssning. Låtarna liksom bara pågår. Rätt sköna rytmer. Fungerar definitivt att lyssna igenom, men tror inte att det blir så mycket mer än så.

Det verkar ha getts ut ett par hundra album med Nusrat per år från början av 70-talet och fram till idag. Imponerande med tanke på att han dog 1997. Allt som killen sjungit in ges tydligen ut. 2012 gavs albumet Immortal ut. Samma år gavs Immortal vol. 135 ut. Gjorde misstaget att lyssna på disc 1 via Spotifylänken. Men efter att ha lyssnat på disc 2 upptäcker jag att det inte spelade någon roll för betyget. Pakistansk religös folkmusik. Inte min genre. Jag tror inte att jag hade uppskattat låtarna även om jag förstått punjabi.

very interesting & surprising

Hour and a half long and it is mostly the sitar. Idk, just doesn't hit me at all and it actively annoyed me after a while.

Not on Apple Music

Très cool mais très long

I have no real reference points for this. It wasn’t terrible but I would be extremely unlikely to revisit it

3 - it was good. His voice reminded me of boss nass

I’m sure sitting in my apartment is the wrong way to listen to this. And I’m sure music like this would be a lot better listening with others or in a live setting. I just didn’t really like it. Felt almost exhausting to listen to and the songs just kept going.

Ah, somthing other than crappy 70s and 80s British pop/rock. 4 stars for vocal quality and musical genre diversity.

Islam is pretty cringe overall, but this qawwal stuff is alright innit? First heard about Nusrat years ago through that warbly, yodeling fella what drowned. The Buckley kid.

A strange journey into another culture with solid results.

The only reason this album isn’t getting a single star is out of respect for how prolific this guy was. The man was a legend, no question about it. But Love and Devotion was rough to get through. I enjoy a lot of Eastern music and artists like Ravi Shankar, but this one just didn’t work for me. Every track blended together until it felt like the same song looping for over an hour straight. I get that Qawwali is built around repetition and vocal phrasing, but there’s a fine line between hypnotic and exhausting, and this album crossed it. I can appreciate the artistry and vocal skill, but as a listening experience, but this felt endless. Respect for the man, not for this record.

Some “world” music making it int the list. I hate that term for such a diverse array of music that falls outside of Western norms. I’d only heard his collab on 7 Seconds (owned the single on cassette tape!) and that’s all I knew going in. I enjoyed it more than expected. Could only listen via YouTube, so I’m missing depth in the mix. The instrumentation and vocals are insane. Not an album I’d put on high rotation, but very happy to have been exposed this once. 4 stars.

Nah

Good chunk of songs not available on Spotify smh. Decent if you're into this kind of sound.

I really love listening to eastern rhythms and this has been one of my favorite studies.

Enjoyed this. Yes, the tracks are probably all a couple of minutes longer than necessary, but I like how the momentum builds to a devotional frenzy on many of them. It’s very melodically pleasing too. So I’ll rate it highly because it’s good, because it’s a horizon-expanding new discovery for me, and because I think it’s been harshly scored by others. And because just look at that those magnificent chubby cheeks!

I hated this but it’s played in a competent manner.

nicht mein Ding

Today I learned that this exists.

I really enjoy digging deep into ‘global’ music, or whatever the most appropriate term is. There’s so much incredible music out there, it seems a shame to restrict yourself to what are essentially variations if the same thing. Not this though. Definitely not this.

Started listening to this with interest in the lush instrumentation but I quickly lost interest.

Album No. 0039 on my list. This was the first non-english, non-western album on my list. I had never heard of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or listened to Qawwali music in general (at least not, well, on purpose). I was not sure what to expect of this, but I actually liked the album and I get why the singer is considered an important and influential figure. While I have to admit that Qawwali will likely not become a thing I'll reguarly listen to, I certainly enjoyed the album nevertheless. "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo" was my favorite. Since the songs are quite repetitive (to my untrained western ear!) and quite long, I'll give two stars, even though I could have imagined giving three stars as well. 2/5 stars it is.

Honestly started out thinking I wouldn't make it through this whole album but it really started to grow on me after a while.

I didn't hate it, but I don't see myself putting this on in the car.

He sounds like Paul McCartney shout-singing at some points.

out of respect for this culture ill rate it 3 but this is just not my thing

Like Ravi Shankar previously, I can see why this is on this list. It’s an interesting listen, can clearly hear the passion in the voice and why he is so revered in this genre of music

I got a fever and the only prescription is more tabla.

First things first, if you're listening to the two disc version on streaming platforms, the album from the generator is actually disc 2. Start there and go back to disc 1 if you like. It's an entirely different album. Next, let's talk about variety in this generator. The majority of the list is obviously Anglo-American rock, with the greatest percentage being 70s rock. When we get the odd album from Pakistan, it feels like a small token for the sake of diversity. I'm all for the (so called) world music on the list, but it always raised the question, why this album and not others? A quick read of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Wikipedia page gives a hint that he had a lot of admirers in the West. Collaborations with names like Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder and (posthumously) Alanis Morissette no doubt contributed to this artist having a higher profile worldwide. But I don't want to discount how absolutely beautiful this album actually is. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was called the "King of Kings of Qawwali". Very high praise, but what is qawwali? It's a form of devotional music in Sufism. Listening to this album, I imagined (based on my admittedly very limited knowledge of Sufism) the trans-like dance of dervishes and meditative landscapes of the Indian subcontinent. The whole album is lush and calming. The vocal performances are what really stand out though. Khan's voice is powerful, complex, and positive, like he's warding off evil with his words. He was evidently known for being able to sustain these performances for hours, which is hard to appreciate in recorded form where the songs are relatively short. But you can definitely feel the emotive force of his voice throughout. "Devotional Songs" has been a very pleasant surprise for me. I'd have to be in the right mood but I can definitely see myself revisiting this one.

I had a ton of trouble finding this album but once I had and listened through it, it's interesting. Not what I expected at all from this challenge but certainly interesting

Music is fine. Can’t really say anything about the lyrics.

If nothing else, it's a one-of-a-kind album. I thought I might accidentally summon a spirit this morning. Favorite Track: "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo".

great music to do work to

I mean it’s very different from anything I’ve listened to before. But honestly, I was hoping it would’ve opened some portal to another dimension or at least to inner peace or something like that. But it was still an interesting listening experience I suppose. I must say, I was kind of relieved by the end of it. Only because it got tiring how similar the songs sounded, especially to me since I can’t understand what he’s blabbering about so all that stood out was that moaning that sounded like an untuned violin.

In a nutshell: a love everlasting. Quick lesson on Qawaali: The root word of Qawaali is Qawl, which means “utterance” in Arabic. Someone who recites Qawl is a Qawwāl. Qawaali are songs of love, joy and devotion in Islamic culture. They can be steady, fast, trance like or all of the above. I like it. This kinda reminds me of raga. I’m going to take the opportunity to raise a talking point about international music and western audiences. India Uncut writer Amit Verma interviewed Nusrat’s nephew, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, about his uncle’s music. Verna asked “(did) he adapt his music for Western Audiences? Was there a difference between the music he performed in Pakistan and that abroad?” “There had to be,” says Rahat. “The music he performed abroad had much more of classical content. Foreigners didn’t understand our language and our lyrics, so the music had to work harder.” (Source: https://nusratonline.com/blog/music-intro/) The music does work harder here, but the instruments (eg percussion) completely doesn’t detract from the vocals. Overall: 5/10

It is *very much* not my thing. But at least its different.

90 mins? Come on man. 90 fucking mins I'd rather listen to the audio of stoke vs west brom It was alright to be fair

I've never listened to this album (31). Even though I won't go back to it this was the most original suggestion yet, please keep bringing them!

I gotta see what else is 1) foreign language and 2) worldly niche musical style. I honestly have no idea why this is on here. I don’t know of anything else comparable yet. Is it a gag to piss off non-Muslims? Was the book British? This man can sing, but it’s like a meme album on this list. Inflating its score for posterity and to help a brother out.

Really enjoyed this music and getting a chance to learn a bit about Qawalli music in general.

As with most world music that is completely new and foreign to me, I was expecting I'd enjoy the experience of listening to the album more than I enjoy the music itself, but that absolutely wasn't the case here. The rhythms and chanting are absolutely hypnotic and I was immediately drawn in to the songs. I could only find the combined Love & Devotion album that includes the album Love Songs on the first half and Devotional Songs on the second. I figured I'd start with Devotional Songs first since it's the album on the list, but enjoyed it so much that I went back and listened to Love Songs too. Then reading through his Wiki, I saw mention of more experimental, fusion work like Mustt Mustt and knew I had to give that a shot as well. I've got to say, Mustt Mustt absolutely deserves to be on this list too. It's an incredibly cool East meets West fusion that works surprisingly well. The same hypnotic singing and rhythms, but with some jazzy guitar and bass. That said, I wouldn't replace Love & Devotion on the list with Mustt Mustt as I think the more traditional side of Love & Devotion should be acknowledged as well. Honestly, this has been a great rabbit hole to explore! I'm going on to listen to Night Song next! I'm giving this entry on the list at least 4 stars based on this rabbit hole exploration alone! Also, aside from the music, the album covers for Love & Devotion, Mustt Mustt, and Night Song are amazing!

I should rate this higher given he’s a childhood household legend but the songs are too long and droning.

Based purely on the name I thought I would have trouble even making it through. To my surprise I enjoyed listening but I don’t see going back to it.

Interesting. Very powerful voice!

This was actually a pretty interesting album to listen to and research. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is from Pakistan, and the style of music he performs here is called Qawwali, which is tied to Islamic mysticism and rooted in Indian and Pakistani traditions. This particular album is a compilation of tracks released on Real World Records, a label founded by Peter Gabriel as part of a broader push to bring world music to Western audiences. Over the years, this album has been heavily sampled by electronic and hip hop producers, which shows how influential it’s been outside its original context. Overall, it’s a fun listen that really pulls you in with its trance like repetition, but at least for me, it feels more like a one time listen kind of album rather than something I’d revisit regularly.

Made clearing out Monday emails more enjoyable. Head bobs galore. Would've enjoyed some banger collabs some modern musicians.

It’s the lyricism for me

Did I like this? Yes. Did I need 90 minutes of it? No.

Very “world music”

I want to forget.

I'm not really sure what this is, especially as someone mostly unfamiliar with Eastern music. But I thought it was pretty good and enjoyable anyway. Glad to get something so far out of my wheelhouse. Overall: 3.3/5

This was a lot, both in the literal time sense but also in the sense-battering intensity side of things too. An hour and a half of this is a lot to ask of me. I managed ten of the twelve tracks before i just couldn't take any more. I don't fell like I would have been missing anything from the final 2? But it saved me 14 minutes of challenge.

Must be good, 9.5 million monthly listeners, just ok

Hate to say it but just too monotonous. I usually go 3 stars automatically for world records but i gotta swerve with this one. Basically unlistenable

Like a Led Zep 3 era Pakistani cover band, but with less sex and more songs about fictional deities.

ok...

Orrible.

Absolute legend and favorite

Transcendiferous!!!

Exactly the same as every one of these sort of albums.

3.5

3.5

3.5

*Devotional Songs* I am not familiar with the Qawwali genre at all. I know I've heard a few things in passing throughout the years mainly in either the context of world music or my days of hanging out at Pier 1 Imports, but I've never really listened to an entire album or delved into the genre. I actually found it very energetic and freeing . Reminds me of kind of what I like about jam bands in that it feels off the cuff and that the group is playing off of each other. I'm not sure if I could really get into a specifics over what it is that really endeared me to this, but I kind of want to look into this artist and this genre a little bit more just to see where it takes me. (8.2) ★★★★

Not my favourite type of music, but his voice is really good. 3.5 stars

Thought this was a good album with some really nice melodies. Maybe my favorite "world music" album we've had so far. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has an incredible voice. 3.5 stars.

Pretty sensational voice. I can see why Jeff Buckley was such a worshipper of his. Carlsberg don’t do curry houses but if they did they’d probably have had this guy and his group play to guests every evening and sending their ears and their tastebuds into rapture. Not just songs of love and devotion but also ideal songs for lamb madras and chicken jalfrezi.

Part of me feels 'token global music entry', but the other part of me is really happy it's here. A big reason for this project for me is to discover things that are important, meaningful, and hopefully good in some context. This is one of those where I never would have come across it, and even if I had, I doubt I would have been curious enough to put it on and give it an honest listen. That said, after a listen, it's not something that I'll necessarily reach to put on, but I'm happy with what I hear along the way.

I assume this is the Pakistani Cliff? Every track starts really promisingly. But then becomes dreadfully wailey dreadfully quickly (with the exception of "Allah Who?" and "Ali Dum Dum" which have cracking singalong choruses). All the tracks are also overly long. But then this is not my culture so I have nothing to relate it to. However, I'm certain that if I gave Cliff Richard's 'Cliff at Christmas' to the Taliban to review, then it would be returned very promptly with a "Meh" and 1 star. I like to think I'm better and more gracious than the Taliban.

point9.

Fav Song: Allah Hoo Allah Hoo

Wish I could give this zero, absolutely miserable.

Even as a British person, I’m sick of listening to British albums each day so this was quite a nice switch up. However, it doesn’t mean it was AMAZING…

This was new territory for me. I enjoyed it. I found it interesting, vast and rhythmic, but the songs seemed to all blur into one. At an hour and a half in length it did overstay its welcome a little for me, and I wanted the music to change direction but it never did. Out of my comfort zone but in a positive way. A strong 3.

I am going to have to quote my wife on Devotional Songs. This quote is from memory so I am paraphrasing: "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no." There may have been more, but that is the gist of it.

absolutely delightful