Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Different at least, but also super random on this list
Good background music but not going to keep me actively engaged for an hour 30
Indian music. I mean, you can tell that it’s quality, but I can’t really say much about it. Album is super long, and I cannot understand what’s being said. It is good, but it’s nothing I’ll come back to or understand. Awesome album cover though. Standouts: Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae, and Haq Ali Ali Haq.
Strangely likeable. My favourite song of his is still The Long Road with Pearl Jam.
Hard to find this album. I thought I would only appreciate this collection as an observation on music from other cultures, but lots of sections were very catchy and symphonically charged. Khan sings very passionately.
As a lover of music, I can appreciate it. And the vocals are really great
Exotic and beautiful. Strange and mesmerizing. Full of new sounds, yet familiar and interesting
I don't know what he's saying, but this man can take a single phrase, and spin infinite variations out of it. Splendid! Consider me devoted. 5 prayers up to the heavens out of 5
I'm sure Nusrat is the very best at what he does. It's just not for me.
12 six minute+ songs and they aint hittin that hard.... they are quite upbeat tho which i quite enjoy its just very long 2.4/5
Very different, but I can see how it is uplifting and joyful. Kind of tribal...
I listened to just enough to know this isnt for me. It'd probably be a great live experience though
I wanted to like this but I just couldnt get into it. I like the arrangement of instruments and sounds but two songs in and it just felt like a chore.
If you like Indian music in general, you’ll dig this album. If not… brother you’re going to hate this thing
Not bad, got a bit repetitive for me and maybe not something I would necessarily go back to but respect it for what it is and thought the overall sound was pretty good
I grooved to this all day long. Wish I could understand the language.
I’ve never listed to this type of music before. Only heard it in the background of a restaurant. I have to say this was surprisingly entertaining and enjoyable. I can safely say that this is my favourite qawwali album of all time. Brilliant!
The tracks blended into one another a bit, but I loved the fullness of the sound. Not an everyday listen for me, but I dug it.
Pretty perky for prayers. The Episcopalian hymnal could take a lesson. Not my preferred listening material though.
This was new to me. I feel like I'm barely scratching the surface with both Khan's output and Qawwali, but I liked this (though I wouldn't seek it out). Let's say a 3.
Happy to get this - something fresh and different. I saw him in the 90s at Womadelaide. It is pretty uplifting music and I love the loping beat.
tajusin kyllä pointin ensimmäisen biisin jälkeen. vielä oli yli tunti albumia jäljellä sen jälkeen.. tää ois hullu opiaatti luolassa.. mutta ei olle huume hörhöjä täällä, joten mitä varten albumi... hyvin strukturoitua, biisit eivät erotu länsipaskaiseen korvaan..vähän progressiota olisi kiva, aina joku vitun bängeri intro ja sitten menee samaan huilutukseen... pakistan, strong, but why onli india listen?? because pakistanno spotify.. rich man magic spotify.. laulu on hyvåää. I applaud the attempt to break away from the western anglicized norm (though I have had French and German music tossed my way already) HHAAHHAHAHAAHAHAAHAH sanson ki mala pey
It's not bad. I would not recommend it to anyone.
Didn't understand any of the lyrics but enjoyed it still.
On saluera la dévotion de ce monsieur même si on aurait aimé qu'elle dure moins longtemps, disons une heure et quart de moins. Je souhaitais à cette occasion vous informer que je suis ouvert à toute opportunité de casting dans l'industrie cinématographique de Bollywood. N'hésitez pas à m'envoyer vos synopsis à l'adresse robertestleperedemikeladd@gmx.com
Ce novueau recueil de baragouinage m'a hautement convaincu, le baragouinage pop reste l'un des genres les plus appréciés du générateur. Et vous, préférez vous le brazilian baragouinage pop, ou son pendant indien ? Faites le nous savoir à l'adresse mail robertestleperedemikeladd@gmx.com
World music might be the least represented genre on this list. And I’m not necessarily complaining about that. It’s not a genre I ever find myself putting on because it’s what I feel like listening to in the moment. I feel the same about traditional orchestral music. I’m never really in the mood to throw on some Ludwig van Beethoven. That doesn’t mean this album is terrible though. I try to be as open to hearing new things as possible. And even if I didn’t love this. I still found things to take out of it, and it still stands as a unique experience. But truthfully I am in no place to really critique this, considering how little knowledge I have of the genre or culture this is from. Nusrat delivers some powerful vocal performances, and I can appreciate the complexity of some of the instrumentals. I can best describe this as like a combination of Pakistani jazz and classical music. Unfortunately that’s kind of where my observations end. This music is hard for me to attach myself to, and really get into, because there just isn’t much. It quickly becomes background noise that I have a hard time focusing on. I can’t think of a situation where I would recommend this to someone that I know. But it exists for a reason, because at least one person likes it. Rating: 5/10
It’s hard to rate something like this with it stemming from such a different cultural context than I’m used to, so I can’t really think about this the same as the 50th britpop album that Dimery included in the list.
3.0 Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae was a Jam. Dude can sing. Kinda interesting reading up on Qawwali music
Horrible
Very interesting & beautiful
Hade kunnat vara en stark trea om det var hälften så långt
This type of music sounds discordant and a bit droning. Listened and tried to appreciate, but didn't.
Interesting to finally get some different cultural music that is not British or American or Brazilian. Not my thing, but interesting.
Enjoyed the instrumentals not the singing.
Lovely music. Not being able to understand the lyrics is secondary. 3.5/5 Might listen again
Pas mal!
Qawwali. Una tortura. Un 1.
¿Por qué nos hacéis escuchar esto?
Can't say I hugely connected to this album. Didn't understand the lyrics... Enjoyable listen nonetheless! Vibes. 4/5
This would have been way more accessible if all the songs were half their length. You get a minute of "this is pretty interesting" followed by three to seven minutes of "enough already."
It's cool to hear something I otherwise would have never listened to, however, this will be the only time I listen to it. It's just not for me.
I hadn't listened to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for well over 25 years. Beautiful voice with music that makey mind travel
usually diversity is a good thing, but this really ..... is something special.
I see the value and impact of this
woh hata rahe hain pardah- im probably not gonna talk a lot for these songs because theyre so long so im probably just gonna lock in on mahjong or slaughter horse. its better than radiohead
ну интересный вайб но рабочий
Религиозно, мантрово, необычно. Но вряд ли я буду гонять на постоянке))
Wenn ich die Stücke höre, bedaure ich, dass ich die Texte nicht verstehe, da ich die Sprache nicht spreche.
neat Pakistani singer
rhythmic
I first heard about Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from Jeff Buckley who said that "he's my Elvis" and I always thought that was a very interesting way to put it. I never really liked Elvis and would take Nusrat any day. Wonderful music on this record. I get that it's not for everyone but I am glad to see it included here. Chances are anyone who is only vaguely familiar with qawwali music heard it from Nusrat. Unbelievable vocals on this album, though I can't understand what he's saying but you don't really have to. The man could sing. And the energy in this recording can really be felt. Even though I wouldn't listen to this all the time, I still have to give it 5/5 because it is a brilliant record that everyone should certainly hear at least once.
Ok cool, this will be something different. Confused as to the title not matching the album cover on this page, so I hoped I grabbed the right one. This guy has a massive discography. Already vibing with the first track. My unaccustomed ears would argue all these songs sound very similar. But I'm glad every time this project introduces me to something not American/British. Enjoying the sound though, 4*
Pretty inaccessible
Great getting ready music, not great driving music
The music was great but the vibes were not.
Someone’s hands must have been sore after that recording. Great sitar playing.
Fair play to the man who has 125 albums and holds a Guinness World Record for it. Let’s just say, this wasn’t for me.
Jolly
Appreciate the listen for a new perspective. Unfortunately just kinda sounds generic for me. Maybe if I spent more time with the genre I could have a more informed opinion. However, I probably won't Will I listen to again: 0%
its beyond me
Imma keep it 100 with yall I didn’t listen fully and I prob never will. All love and it was good but like I can’t listen to 1.5 hours of this.
Don't see myself listening to it on the fly but it's a nice sound
where’s the gif of that white cat bobbing it’s head with its eyes closed. me af with these jams. this is absolutely the kind of thing i’d bump into just typing the names of random countries into spotify’s search but what a *voice* this man has. grateful to have been introduced to it. (and, admittedly, grateful to be listening to an artist from Anywhere But the US or the UK) the entry about this album in the book is a little weird.
Devoted
Nice. Would never have found this without the 1001 albums list, glad I did. Liked it, haven't a clue what it was going on about though...
I'm not racist, but, this didn't do anything for me.
Great to listen to something different. Unfortunately, I totally lost interest after 10 minutes.
The vocals are astonishing, soaring and elegant and powerful and the interplay between voice and percussion adds so many layers to the sound. I feel ill judged to rate this - however, I found it moving, catchy and incredible.
This is fantastic. Albums like this are why I started listening to this list. Never heard of this artist before. I'd like to be in a restaurant sitting on pillows, eating and listening to a band playing this type of music. This album makes me want to travel.
While this was a nice LP to mix things up culturally on what has been an extremely Western-centric project, it was simply too damn long for my taste. The sitar compositions are rich and recorded wonderfully, but even the most beautiful instrumentation would struggle to carry an hour-and-a-half album. The tonal center doesn't deviate much either, meaning things blur together after a while.
Bronze age ***post
Not my type and language
Definitely a change up from the typical stuff on this list. Beautiful, if not slightly too long, songs in a wildly different style than I'm used to. I'd listen to music from him again, but not this much at once. 3.5
Cool drum beats. Never heard Pakistani music before except for maybe in movies. I know it’s not true but it sounds like Native American music with what sounds like chanting.
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would -- six very different, enjoyable tracks.
Had to find on YouTube. I liked it.
Didn’t finish. YouTube being a pain in the ass. Got through enough to allow me to rate it. It’s ok.
Had a hard time finding this album because apparently he recorded over 100 albums and is in the Guinness book of world records. Hard to comprehend recording that much music.
I wish the list had included an album that didn’t have to be cobbled together on YT, but that’s nobody’s fault. Overall, I didn’t hate it. I won’t listen to it again, I’m sure, but I will forever know what it sounds like if it’s referenced. I guess that’s a win.
This is an album where more context on the songs, or the genre as a whole, would help appreciate why it’s on the list. Good beat and intriguing melodies, that was a plus. But the album felt repetitive, and wasn’t a big fan of the singer’s voice, so not sure where to land on it. But glad to see some multicultural additions rather than another LCD Soundsystem snoozer. Was it the middle eastern Aqualung? Maybe that would’ve helped . . .
Not for me.
Definitely different from what I'm used to and definitely not something I'd always be in the mood for. Still, the passion and talent at work here are pretty clear. Great driving rhythms and sometimes mesmerizing vocals. Worth hearing.
Engaging, like the different rhythm structures, kind of repetitive
This album of devotional songs has an effect that might stray from intention, as this heathen heard a psychedelic record in a space of its own; the closest I’ve heard to it is the Boredoms majestic Vision Creation Newsun. Cathedrals can awe non-believers as well as the devour.
This was quite a challenge; not really my thing but has interesting flourishes dotted through the long runtime. Crassly, reminded me of a night out on Brick Lane. Veers into 1* territory at times, but I'll chalk that up to my general ignorance of the style. He can certainly sing for long periods uninterrupted! As another astute reviewer here points out, "better than Radiohead"
What I find interesting about music from non-western cultures, is that its ritual function is so much more apparent than others. Sure, you have straight pop music from these cultures. But you also have this, where the music serves a function. It is useful. Given certain views on culture and artistic craft in the west, I think it makes it obvious that we have lost something that connects us. This music isn't just for putting on in the background at a dinner party. It is clearly a musical tradition that serves to connect people in praise. Might not be something I listen to more than once, but I am extremely intrigued and very keen on checking out more albums like this.
Not for me.
Bullshit
I feel like this had an impact on Wes Anderson, and that bothers me more than it should. Maybe it just reminds me of that movie he made called The Darjeeling Limited, which was him at his most pretentious. But if Wes Anderson never made a pretentious movie with Talia Shire's kid and the Wilson brother with a fucked up nose, I'd probably enjoy this more.
Don't need to understand the words to enjoy the music.
I like to think I'm really open to different sounds from around the world but that was mostly fuckin annoying, jesus
I don't understand the lyrics, and musically, it just ain't my bag. Perfectly okay, but a bit bland.
Did this guy record an album every week of his life? There is so much of his stuff out there and he died at age 48! Anyway, the music was not bad to listen to, just not a genre I'd put on casually. There is so much worse music on this list.
How can anyone give this anything other than 1 star? It's complete shite.
Not for me
First time I've seen the bonus tracks come *before* the actual album. I can find no information as to what this album's worth of tracks before the album actually are*. Stuck it all on anyway. The first one reminded me vaguely of Sting, ironically. Found it lovely though. About 4 long tracks in, wondering if I made a poor decision and I'll be tired of this by the time the actual album rolls around. Not so, things pick up again quite a lot, and a real good mix of sounds. Childishly I couldn't help but note he appeared to be singing about former Spurs and England midfielder Dele Alli at one point. *Thanks to another reviewer I discovered this is actually two albums as a reissue, the first being Love Song. This makes perfect sense.
Not really my genre
Genre: Bollywood (?) Instruments: 3/5 Modern Translation: 3/5 Dance Potential: 1/5 Listening Location: while writing a contract Heard it before: no Favourite Song: NA Made me feel: good album to work to since I can’t understand anything. Impressive range and was upbeat. Probably wouldn’t listen again.
Sounds are interesting and enjoyable. Major drawback is not being able to understand what he is singing about. It seems highly repetitive.
If I knew what they were saying in English, then it would be better. They also only use the title as the only words in the song. It gets to a point where it’s just the same thing.
Well that was at least novel to hear. Dude had a really cool voice and this was certainly unique although honestly I'm not sure I really needed an hour and a half of it. Did get a wee bit repetitive after about the first disc. Again what is the deal with this site and giving double albums nobody likes them. Overall all a rather enjoyable and interesting experience although I haven't the foggiest idea what was actually being sung. I actually rather liked that to be honest cause it meant I didn't have to pay a lick of attention to the lyrics which is normally something I try to focus on.
instrumentals are nice-interesting to hear a very different type of music. However....after hearing a couple of the songs, they seem to blend together (same formula, building of music/lyrics, and long). his voice comes off as shouting at times, but there is also a language barrier.
Not my thing, but it may be if you’re into religious music from other cultures.
Not meaning any disrespect, but all I can hear is the backing music to people ordering many many pints of Cobra and some jalfrezi with naan breads
¿Por qué nos hacéis escuchar esto?
There's something about other culture's spiritual songs that makes you appreciate the immense talent that their faith brings out. Whether from the American Plains, the Asian and African continents - you don't know the language they're singing in, but you don't need to. You just jump in and enjoy the ride. 4.5/5.
I suppose that is another part of history of music but It's not for me, I didn't like it.
Not really my thing but im sure its someone's.
Uhh dude certainly has energy.
His voice is so powerful and the instrumental music is lively. The album is lengthy, but I found it wasn't distracting. I'm glad this album was included among the western music that makes up most of this list.
I’d be happy to listen to the odd song but a whole album is a bit much
nice
Interesting nice to listen to but won't again
Really beautiful stuff - an amazing singer and great band. I like some of his stuff with electronic beats a little better but this is really moving music.
yo i'm atheist
It's really difficult to judge this as it's pretty much out there in it's own genre. It's pretty good to listen to from an outsiders point of view and well sung, played and produced. If this is fair game for the 1001 why can't there be Mozart or Beethoven albums on here?
An entry by the King of Kings of Qawwali. Qawwali is a genre of Sufi Islamic devotional music that borrows from ICM (Indian Classical Music) with an emphasis on the dynamic range and intensity of the vocalist. Nusrat is a person who could sing for serious periods of time to awe the audience. He takes the show away. As an album experience, few people want to listen to so many 8-minute tracks over the course of 1.5 hours. It's far too long and exhausting, and almost none of the track justify their lengths. It feels a bit formulaic in terms of the song progression, straight from the minimalist intro to the buildup. And this is just boring and predictable for the weaker tracks, but it does grab your attention when some cool improvasional technique is performed, especially with what his vocals could do. The backing is lush and quite beautiful, and has incredible moments, but for the most part it is repetitive and tame in an attempt to highlight the religious themes and lyrics. Favorites: Yeh Jo Halka, San son Ki Mala Pey, Yaad-E-Nabi, Ali Maula
Dope ass album.
Def not it.. Do not like this music at all and this album settles that debate for good.
This is an album of Sufi (Muslim sect) spiritual music, so instrumentation, vocals, etc. are quite unfamiliar. The music is fun, exciting, varied - I could dance to it. 90 minutes is a bit much, though.
Listened to "love and devotion" on Spotify. I find it a little overwhelming, so much sounds in my ears and the melodies pulling me along
Interesting. Not something I will listen to too often, but a different musical form. A bit too whiny for me...
Surprisingly I found it rather good. It had interesting rythums and although I didn't understand the language the lyrics were pleasing to listen to.
Another foreign-language song where the connection is really hard to establish; it has some nice sounding stuff and an undeniably great rhythm running through it, it's atmospheric and skilled but I can't really get on board with it because of that distance between me and understanding the content.
A pleasant sounding listen, but 90 minutes really drag when you can't understand a word of it. It's pretty samey, too. 2/5.
I respect the culture and tradition that this album represents, but, for me, it has very little value. It obviously has no lyrics for me to connect to. It wasn't written to have hooks or to be "progressive" musically or challenging artistically. The album is a reflection of a culture and spiritual tradition and utility, which I don't share or connect to.
did not attempt
I also discovered Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan via the Natural Born Killers soundtrack and this is the first time I've really dug in since then. A great album each track awesome.
Great stuff! I wasn't too familiar with this specific album, but I love some of his other stuff, and have been a fan since he appeared in the "Natural Born Killers" soundtrack. Qawwali has a lovely hypnotic cinematic quality - I could happily listen to it all day. Fave track - "Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam" let's say, but it doesn't make a great deal of sense to pick individual tracks off this album...
technically interesting, but not my taste
😄🍹👍🏻
Quite like
Me gusta Nusrat desde que lo pusieron de moda con la banda sonora de Dead Man Walking. Y pasado el tiempo me sigue gustando, desconectado de ese sentimiento lo mismo es difícil disfrutarlo. Comprendo que esto tenga malas puntuaciones (no lo he mirado) y que su éxito se deba al arrastre de esos años 90, pero al menos como algo importante para una parte del mundo no puede obviarse algo de música de la India como algo a oír alguna vez en la vida.
A great texture, interesting arrangements, and it's always nice to hear music from different cultures.
I was introduced to N Khan’s music decades ago. His voice is spectacular and is nicely augmented by percussion.
Fateh Ali Khan is the undisputed king of Sufi music and he’s an incredibly passionate singer. But I think we already had one of his albums and if you don’t understand his language it tends to all sound similar after awhile.
shite!
Very powerful voice and hypnotic music i like it! caution, streaming services they had it as a double album called Love and Devotion Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party. 5
The site links to a combo album and the listed album is the second half of the combo. It really slaps!
It's all very beautiful and great energy. A fun listen, but damn it was long! 4.5
So very different. Not my cup of tea. Each song seemed to be a ramble.
ok holy shit
Impassioned vocals, cool instrumentation. But I'm such a lyrics person, it's hard to listen to a full album of this music without knowing what he's singing.
I’m gonna be real, this fucks. Way too long. But it’s gorgeous and I like the call and response format. Reminds me of early southern gospel. The main guy is a killer singer. Probably won’t make it into my every day music but I’m glad I listened to it.
Quite nice. Not something I would just casually listen to, but I did enjoy it overall.
My gateway to discovering Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was Jeff Buckley's cover of "Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae" on the Live at Sin-é album. And as soon as I listened to "Love & Devotion" all those years ago I could immediately hear the influence in Jeff's music. Nusrat's huge voice is unlike anything I've ever heard, and the arrangements on this album are mind-blowing. This isn't an album, it's a journey!
I almost made it through 4 songs. It sounds so repetitive and twangy.
This is so far outside my cultural sphere that it's very difficult to critically appraise. However, I had a nice time listening to it and found it far more enjoyable than CofE hymns or Christian rock. Islam 1-0 Christianity. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka Date listened: 17/12/23
Litt for mye indisk for min smak, kanskje jeg hadde likt albumet bedre om jeg forsto hva de sang
Not my COT, but I've probably enjoyed this mixed/ sampled into lounge/ chill / EDM
Comment il s'agit de chansons de culte, c'est basé sur la répétition comme vecteur de transe, avec des variations de type improvisation vocale (un peu comme les mawwal arabes). La mise en évidence de la voix rend difficile de se concentrer sur les instruments. Je réécouterais.
Geen idee
true hero of African music, addictive music, can listen to this for days.
Better than expected. 90+ minutes is a lot though.
Happy to know about this. It took me a couple listens, but I got drawn into the hypnotizing rhythms. Interesting to see videos of the band live too, there is a lot of trading off the vocals between the several performers.
I like a lot of what's going on here rhythmically, but if I'm being honest, it's not something I'd come back to on my own. I listened a few times in a row, and it didn't necessarily grow on me.
It’s fine rhythmically but that’s about all I get from it.
Was very surprised with this one. Absolute banger. Fully deserving of the 5/5
C+ Allah Hoo Allah Hoo 3 Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka 3 Haq Ali Ali Haq 3 Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam 3 Mast Nazroon Se Allah Bachchae 2 Ni Main Jogi De Naal 3 Sandeep Gingipalli said this was sh**. He was wrong. He has an inherent anti-Pakistan bias though...
I like the energy, but I can't listen to an entire album straight through. My ears are not trained for this type of singing.
Not for me
Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Mehdi Hassan - Ye Duhan Aabha Hanjura - Punjabi Folk Boliyan Mame Khan - Kesariya Balam Madhuri Sharma, NFAK - Mere Baad Kisko Sataoage (Lo-Fi) Abida Parveen - Dhundo Ge Agar Mulkon
This is a wonderful album, every song had me tuned in. I feel sorry for people who can’t appreciate this kind of thing. I’ve found that listening to something outside of your own language lets you connect on a deeper level to the music. I loved listening to this and will be back for more!
Me (glancing at the title): Love & Devotion, sweet, ready for some Depeche Mode, feeling that... Well, ladies and gentlemen, it was not Depeche Mode, not even close, not even the same continent, and that disappointment soured this listening instantly. *Sigh* So yeah, Islamic Devotional singing isn't for me even with my initial disappointment. But I applaud the attempt to break away from the western anglicized norm (though I have had French and German music tossed my way already) and throw in something that's pretty much guaranteed to give you a strong reaction one way or the other. This is my first 1 star, but it is more a solitary star for my personal ignorance.
I'm going to try to set aside the fact that this is essentially religious music, someone wailing away to a made up god who doesn't exist and, if they did exist, would be a cruel and corrupt deity not worthy of worship. Musically this was pretty much as described, some bloke moaning and wailing for around 45 minutes, with simple drums and stringed instruments backing him. It wasn't terrible, but every time he sang Allah I was reminded that this is for idiots who follow a made up man who lives in the sky and then fight other people because they aren't similarly deluded. It gets a begrudging two stars for being kind of relaxing in places.
3.5 - amazing musician, just was a bit too much for a whole album
All the songs sounded the same. Kind of stereotypical for Indian music
Really hard to rate this one. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I can't say I would seek it out. Was very interesting to listen to but since I don't really listen to this kind of music I can't compare it to anything to know how much better or worse it is. 3.5 stars
I listened to love and devotion, which I think is probably close enough. maybe Devotional songs is a five star, but yahoo music didn't have it. what's a guy to do?
This is too much to try to learn to appreciate in a short period of time. It unfortunately all sounds the same and has an irritating quality.
🐶💩
Ali Khan's voice makes you want to listen for hours, as does the music; but in the end, it does just become background noise. Excellent noise for all that.
I appreciate this but I don't enjoy it
3 - dont have too strong feelings about this one
I could listen to this all day. No clue what a meaningful rating would be, other than the singer has a strong voice.
He seems to release an album every other day, but this one was impossible to find. Not my thing
Nah.
Nice to see some world music on here. This album has some great beats and instrumentals. The vocals are madness. Like he going for it! And the backing group vocals are nice af too. Only getting four because it’s not really something I’m ever gravitated to listening to but it’s still fire
growing up on bollywood movies and music, sufi music like what's found in devotional songs is old hat to me! what is new to me, however, is nusrat fateh ali khan himself. he brought international recognition to qawwali music, sufi islamic devotional singing. despite dying quite young, his legacy lives on with how he continues to inspire young musicians today. from personal experience, this kind of music has appeared many, many times in south asian films since his death in 1997. his early death makes me wonder what kind of contributions he could've continued to provide to bollywood films! anyway, as far as this album goes, its music is serene and blissful. the vocals pack an emotional punch, even when you can't understand the lyrics. some may call this style of music repetitive, but religious singing always is--the singers want to express their love for their god(s)! outside of the singing, the instrumentation is good. using south asian instruments, the music has a consistent, rhythmic beat that acts as a trance. but since singing is the main focus of this music, it should be and is dominating over the instruments.
I love music like this. "Devotional Songs" is a perfect title for this, because it is so apparent that there is a lot of spirituality behind this music. I was not really able to discern why this album specifically was included on this project, but simply looking at it through the lens of an "Eastern music inclusion" is enough; what you get here is a very passionate and very strong example of the cultural music of the Indian and Pakistani regions. The chanting alone is ethereal. Looking at the score for this album, I feel like people have been generally unfair, and maybe this type of music just isn't enjoyed by most, but I would certainly recommend this album to people who have the capacity for enjoying Eastern spiritual music like this.
This is exactly how I think this type of music would sound like. 4/10
Ehh not for me 3/10
I went into this very cautiously but actually left feeling pretty okay about the album overall. The lyrics and instrumentals are pretty basic but as you get into the album if you start listening with keeping the genre in mind you can get more of a feel for it. While of course not understanding him I can hear the passion in his voice and actually think he's a really good singer who just isn't using his talents to the full potential on this album. 5/10
Vadhā'ī'āṁ, tusīṁ isa vāka dā anuvāda kītā hai. Iha uha sagīta hai jō sōnika aiḍavain̄cara vica madara padhara'tē caladā hai. Ādamī, jē maiṁ madha pūrabī hudā tāṁ maiṁ isa samēṁ jaimina hudā para maiṁ nahīṁ hāṁ. 2/10
I don't know how to rate this.
Good to have something non-western here for a change. I rather enjoyed this - I can see why he's such a celebrated singer. A strong 3 from me, close to 4.
I found this horribly boring. The singing was too monotonous and repetitive for a language I don't speak to be engaging, the backing instrumentation changing so little in any song that it lacks any sense of movement whatsoever. The sound did little more for me than invoke a Hollywood depiction of the middle east. I understand this is likely hugely influential in Sikh music, but as someone lacking any cultural connection, I bounced off.
Nope.
Koste meg egentlig litt med detta albumet
Best song - Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka
There's a wonderful nearly thirty-minute cut of Ni Main Jogi De Naal out there, and it's more live, too. Devotional Songs fits six pieces of downright reasonable length. The dynamics of Khan's voice are perceptible if not evident; The recordings provide a divinely sweet hint of the improvisation possible in Qawwali.
Reminds me of being in good old Detroit Can be nice at times but probably not anything I'll go back to
Interesting music! Great voice.
Uhm, ok, we gaan weer compleet iets doen waar ik nog nooit naar geluisterd heb. Wat dit precies is, geen idee. Volgens mij kerkelijke muziek ofzoiets? Heel benieuwd, wel een lang album met anderhalf uur. Ik ben bang dat dit een hele, hele lange zit gaat worden. Dit is gewoon niet echt mijn muziek. Ik kan waarderen denk ik dat dit ontzettend belangrijk is voor mensen die hier in geloven, maar ik zou dit nooit zelf luisteren en vind het lastig om hier nu van te genieten ofzo? Yeh jo Halka Saroor Hae vind ik tot nu toe het beste nummer? Ook omdat het ene soort van door blijft gaan en steeds intenser word, maar zelfs dan, de tekst en de muziek pakt me niet zo. Toch geef ik dit album 2 sterren, in plaats van 1. Het is niet voor mij en ik zal het niet snel luisteren, toch snap ik ergens wel de relevantie van het album envind ik het ook wel vet dat zoiets in de lijst word opgenomen dat zo afwijkt van de normale muziek norm.
Repetitive, meditative. Made for a pleasant work commute. Probably won't listen ever again but don't feel like I wasted the time.
Qawwali. Una tortura. Un 1.
Interesting sound but the opening of each song is usually the strongest part, when you don't know what to expect, after it, it feels like it goes for too long with the same sound, without many changes and it becomes a bit repetitive and tiresome
Interesting enough listen but it dragged on, didn’t feel essential really
I dont hate it, but I feel so far removed from the culture I got no idea what to really feel about it. When I saw that this dude has a song that goes for longer then an hour I actually got scared. Its impressive shit and obviously very important, but its lost on me
I’ve listened to Indian music regularly for years but can’t say I’ve explored any Pakistani. I really like some of the eastern song structures, scales, and rhythms. I can tell Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was very earnest and energetic about his performance but a 1.5 hr was a bit of a marathon. Not a huge fan of his vocal style and range, but did enjoy this album. Probably better if interspersed with other vocalists or styles for variety. Three stars
Couldn't do it. Yesterday was not the day for pakistani music. I can tell he is an talented vocalist though
Not bad but not for me
I couldn't find the exact album but listened to Nusrat's most popular on spotify. Alright!
His music let in a little light on the darkness of my soul!
Now that's what I'm talking about! Every song on the album is exactly the same, but who cares when that one vibe is my jam?
African nasal mumbling, not my thing
It might be a cultural thing, but I can't enjoy this.
Really not my thing
Unique in this list, not sure if that deserves stars but it will get 2 from me
Refreshing but not great
Well I'm just as ignorant as any other white boy doing this challenge so of course my only reference point will be Ravi Shankar.
Interesting, but this sounds very dated.
I like to listen to hindustani music sometimes, because of its very unconventional sounds and ways of composing and singing compared to the north american/european music I'm used to.
Surprisingly quite an okay album, even though it is culturally so foreign style for me. Khan just makes some lively and catchy music, which apparently can be enjoyed by people from the other side of the globe. It's not a record I will come back to, but at least it's much better than many other records on this list.
Zoned out to this album, in a pleasant way. One song blended into the next. I'm sure that upon further listening I can come to appreciate the nuance of each individual song. Good for yoga and art.
paskaa
I really enjoyed the intros. It's too bad the focus was taken off the lovely guitarwork after they started singing, because that was my favourite part.
Was kinda dreading this as it's world music and knew I wouldn't massively get along. Can see the appeal though. it's obviously not something i'd normally listen to but it has more good points than bad.
This was a very good album, especially for a style of music I'd never listened to proper before
Initial Thoughts: Oh we international now. Final Thoughts: I appreciate albums like this, because it shows how different cultures will approach music. I studied music for a while and I remember an entire period where we studied music from South East Asia/India because of how unique their approach to music is. It was nice to listen to a "modern" iteration of this music instead of the classical pieces I studied in school.
it's just not for me
The instrumentation is nice but it’s difficult to find a space for it for your everyday listening experience if you’re not a cultural buff.
Really interesting and unexpected. Beautiful.
Indifferent.
Interesting enough
I generally like this stuff, but prefer the more guitar-based work of Ali Farka Toure. This is good, but a bit samey.
This got my mind and my spirit right today.
There were some BOPS on this bad boy, I had a lot of fun.
I honestly really enjoyed these, I thought they were well crafted and would heavily enjoy listening to them again.
More enjoyable than expected but not something I'd regularly listen to.
I can appreciate this. It would probably be more enjoyable, playing along with it then listening to it. Kind of like I love to play baseball but don’t really care to watch it.
Pretty monotonous but I see the value of it. I respect Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for exposing the world to this type of music and his voice is incredible. Not really sure what to make of it though I think I need to listen to this with some mushroom pizza.
I don't have a ton to say about this, but it was lovely to listen to. Nice mix of the chill and contemplative, with progressive songs that gradually build in intensity and speed. Khan & Party's joy and passion transcend the language barrier, which is really the great thing about music, isn't it? Fave Songs: Haq Ali Ali Haq, Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam, Allah Hoo Allah Hoo
Mehhhh its just not my sound
Not my thing
Ok but not my thing I don't hate it but can't see why I'd choose to listen to this
Music was interesting but I could have done without the vocals, they got old real fast and fairly annoying by the end of the album. Thank being said I still appreciate the music.
I like the percussion and music quite a bit, not so much the vocals. And Allah Hoo was way too much for me. Is it a “good” record? I guess so? Do I need to hear it again? Nah.
What is this?
I did not like this. At all. Wanted to turn it off a lot.
yeah im too white for this
Árabe. Casi todo vocal. Coros. Se hace pesado y rallante.
Couldn’t wait for it to end.
Dit was eens speciaal om te horen. Doet ook wat aan de Indische muziek denken, maar ik vond deze toch precies wat langdradig
Not for me
Ehhh…I think I’ll settle on I don’t know art, but I know what i like and this wasn’t for me.
I'm 18 sitting in chai ovna. I'm nursing some tea with twigs floating in it desperately trying to convince myself I wouldn't rather be in the union drinking diesel
Must admit, I only got about half way through. Enjoyable listening, but not something I would necessarily return to regularly. Or at least not in album form - maybe choosing to pick out individual tracks.
I enter into some kind of flow state listening to this whilst working one evening. Magical stuff. Haven’t listening to much qawwali… a time and place to enjoy it, but it’s good stuff to help centre the soul.
please for the love of allah
Not sure exactly why it is, but this just isn't my thing. Was really hoping this would surprise me in a good way after Manu Chao
Obviously unlike other albums because it’s in a language I have no idea about I had a couple of intros to songs where I thought it was for a different song, so it’s clearly close enough to “western” music at times Impressive vocals and I was low key vibing
Enjoyed this because I would never have listened to it without this website.
Cool sound! Reminds me of when I went to India. I think some songs sounded quite similar (my untrained ear) so will give it a 3!
Very interesting rhythmically and melodically, hugely enjoyed this album and will definitely revisit!
I have been converted
4.0 YouTube
Enjoyed it but I prefer the one he did with Michael Brook.
8/10. This was really cool, wasn't sure what this was gonna be like, but had a really good sound to it.
Very droning once again. 4/10
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Felt like if I went to an eastern worship concert? Islamic church music? Nice sound to it
I have never listened to this type of music before and was unsure of what to expect going in. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and sheer conviction with which the songs were sung. Not something I'd throw on to listen to for fun, but would happily listen to again in the right setting.
This album was really fun to listen to for about 3 minutes, then it all sounded the same to me.
- Interesting and energetic. - A bit too distracting when trying to do other things.
Kinda fun. 5/10
No. Thank you, but no. Not even close to anything I'd ever want to hear again. 2/5
AJ: nope. Scrolled for a half hour trying to find this album. Dude put out thousands of records apparently. One song I clicked sounded cool musically, but honestly, hard pass. He gets Madonna’s stars.
Didn’t like it, for similar reasons to vocal-less jazz music in a lot of ways but unlike with jazz music I found it absolutely impossible to focus while listening to it and definitely didn’t like it enough to warrant my full attention on the music.
Good album. I like this style of traditional Indian folk music and Khan's voice is so great and distinctive. I don't know how often I would come back to this honestly, but very much enjoyed this play through.
Fun album, and I enjoyed it. This is the sort of thing where like, I was vibing the whole time, but never would think to turn it back on later. I don't know why that is. 3.5/5
New discovery for me. Spotify links to the double album release: "Love Songs" and "Devotional Songs", and it took a couple of songs before I had figured this out. From what I heard I liked the opening song of Love Songs the most - great beat - but Devotional Songs is excellent as well, close to 5 stars for me.
I'm not used to this 'qawwali' sound; it's fascinating and compelling (e.g., Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam) although the intense vocals do get on the nerves after some time.
Upbeat, interesting Indian sound. But, I don't understand what they are saying!
Totalement inattendu, mais vachement bien. Beaucoup aimé Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam, mais globalement toutes les instrus sont vachement bien la voix est vachement maitrisée, excellente découverte.
Ah bah pour le coup ça change vraiment beaucoup. Aucun élément de comparaison pour ce type de musique, mais ça va, c'est cool, ça se laisse écouter.
Would I have listened to this on my own? No. Did I enjoy listening to Sufi devotional music? Yes. Would I listen to it again? Probably not, but never say never.
Screw in the light-bulb............ pat the dog..................... But no, this is why I love this thing - unlikely I would ever have come across this album in the course of my "normal" listening and it's a lovely lovely thing. Will it be a "go-to" in future? Unlikely. Am I pleased I heard it? 100%
🍓 good
Definitely a first listen for me, a little long for my taste but enjoyed trying something new to me.
Can't rate. When I get these albums I just picture myself in a midleastern restaurant.
Just couldn’t get into this one
There’s a word that an old and dear aunt of mine uses to describe music that’s not much more than a repetitive drone that feels like it’s drilling an extra hole in your head: Moormooya. This album is Moormooya.
Something I would never have listened to without this albums list. Grateful for the chance to hear it!
Totally new to me never even heard the Peter Gabriel produced more celebrated in the west collaboraton with Michael Brook. However despite my newbie status to this artist, I quite enjoyed this album. Found my self tapping my foot along with the music. Also found myself in awe of the vocal performance which is at times sunning. Ultimately it proved rather too long to digest in one sitting, a better choice might have been the more easily digestable Mustt Mustt still a nice discovery. 3.5 stars
Not my sort of thing, quite happy to have this sort of music used in other songs,but...... A whole album no thank you.
Pleasant enough, I used to like a bit of World Music of the early 90's, but I'm sure I've heard this before - in the many Indian Restaurants I've been to. I'm sure the bloke is a master of his craft, I'd only play it again if I had an Indian themed dinner party (never going to happen) a high 1 as it was ok.
Kaunis levy sisällön ja kannen osalta. Hienot vokaalit ja kauheet palkeet. Todella raikasta aina kuulla jotain muuta kun brittikamaa. Mutta pahus tämäkin on kokoelma! Noh... pirskatti. Musa on kyl kovaa! 4/5
Mukavan erilaista!
Kovat instrut ja siisti lauluääni. Taas kerran tykkään että listalla on jotain muutakin kuin brittirockia. 4/5
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/love-and-devotion/1653513320 For those who use Apple Music - it’s the second half of this album. I bet this was an experience to see live. Loses a bit in translation listening while doing data validation tbh.
Cool blend of south Asia music style with some western influence thrown in. The music fan in me appreciates the talent displayed in this album; his vocal abilities are very, very impressive, as is his passion. Overall, though, it didn't move me as much as it probably should have.
While I appreciate the World Music, this was far too long with very little difference.
Sounded cool but couldn’t understand any of it. Does that mean I’m not cultured enough? No, it’s the list that is wrong. Overall it’s an album I have now heard and am okay with it staying at that. 2.2/10
This was alright. It kind of all sounded the same, but it sounded decent, so I'm okay with it. Just glad it wasn't longer. My favourite song was maybe Haq ali ali haq? I had a lot of trouble keeping track of which song was which.
Interesting but quite long
1-2
A lot of this has soundscapes that I find to be inspired. Layer upon layer of wonderful tonality is placed with a tremendous voice. Even if I can’t understand the lyrics I am grabbed by the singers sentiment. A beautiful piece.
This was pretty good. It's something I could see myself putting on in the background as light listening. Not my traditional style of music but I can see how it was influential.
Perché?