Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I liked it less as it went on. This is a generous 4
I’d like this on vinyl, sitar is such a beautiful instrument.
Algo ciertamente interesante, sobretodo porque me gustaesa cultura, pero no fue algo espectacular
Fine sitar rock album from a Shankar. Only liked the light my fire cover and the rest were just okay. There's better.
This actually slaps. Guy put some serious stank on that sitar.
Okay, that was something, but I don't think I really enjoyed that something. Jumpin' Jack Flash? No! Light My Fire? Please, No! some more. Horrid. Snow Flower and Metamorphosis were good, Sagar (The Ocean) was okay but too long and cheesy. The last 2 cuts were okay if again cheesy. I can't go higher than 2 "horrid cross-over" stars. Please no more indian-tinged rockish albums. Just bad.
Ananda Shankar is a nephew of the great Ravi Shankar. This 1970 album is a curious blend of Indian classical music with Western Rock, a features traditional Indican instruments such as the sitar and tabla, as well as guitars, drums, and a Moog synthesizer. Alongside the traditonal Indian music, therer are also covers of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Light My Fire". My favourite track on the album is the 130minute "Sagar (The Ocean)".
Best Song: Metamorphosis. This had an intoxicating, rollicking rhythm to it that I really liked. Worst Song: Sagar (The Ocean). The last thing this album needed (indeed, the last thing most albums need) was a 13 minute sprawling epic. Overall: Kind of a weird album, given how much is (significantly reimagined) covers. Still, pleasant enough to listen to, as it was totally outside my normal musical exposure.
QUÉ ES ESTA PUTÍSIMA LOCURA, me ha dejado totalmente loco. Es una locura de álbum, de principio a final. Me descuidé unos días y ahora debo escuchar 4 álbumes seguidos :((
That was nice. Not super amazing, but an enjoyable album for sure. I feel like I struggle more to talk about albums from quote-unquote "world music" than I do from your more established genres like rock and pop. It's probably a culture thing. I don't know. But I do know that I always enjoy trying to break the culture barrier and enjoy music from cultures of countries that don't primarily speak English, although India is a country that I've gotten plenty of chances to experience the music of compared to most other countries. Of all the non-English countries, India is probably the most heavily represented country on this list, which I'm not entirely against. I wish we could get some albums from other countries like Japan for once but I do quite enjoy the things that Indian music often brings to the table, like the sitar! Ananda Shankar is a pretty solid sitar player it seems. Is he as important as his uncle, Ravi Shankar? Perhaps not, but I'd say this album and the album I've heard of Ravi's are about on the same level for me personally. Though, of course, Ananda Shankar's self-titled album has some unique things that make it stand out, namely the influences that the album takes from other genres like rock music. Honestly, I like it. I think the covers of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the Doors' "Light My Fire" are pretty good, but not as good as the originals. I think my biggest issue with the album is the pacing. The first few songs go by pretty quickly, but then "Sagar (The Ocean)" just goes on and on. It sounds nice, but it feels weird to have short songs, then one really long song, and then two more short songs. Uh... I don't have much more to say. This is a nice look into a different side of Indian music. High 3/5.
This one is a winner. Really enjoyed the fusion of eastern sitar with western rock & roll.
<Tom_Delonge_WTF.gif>
Not a huge fan of sitar music, but the covers surprised me. They weren't that bad!
Cool
Yike the pop covers are really bad here. Can't say that there is much to go back to with modern ears.
He's no Ravi
I don't know about having an album filled with Sitar covers of English rock songs as the only Indian representation so far. Feels like if Apu was the only Indian on a list of top 1001 people to know about before you die. Are you an idiot if you're offended by Apu? Yes. Does that invalidate my point? No.
first time listen. this was fun! I enjoyed the "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Light My Fire" covers, and then the closing 3 tracks on the album were excellent escapades, especially the darker, swirling "Sagar (The Ocean)". 3.5 stars.
Not really sure how to rate this one. I kept thinking of a Monty Python sketch where a guy wouldn’t stop listening to Indian music, so his friends get mad and he puts on The Beatles but it’s Within You Without You, then he asks if they want The Doors, so he puts on Light My Fire from this album. 3.5
This is awesome.
I don't think this aged very well.
Favorite track: Light My Fire
Not too into this type of music but I definitely have high respect for this.
I'm glad it happened and helped usher in a new age of musical crossover, but it's very cheesy. Hippy cheese.
weird. indian intstuments covering rock songs
Reminds me of the electric jug. I was a bit excited by the first song jumping jack flash but it all seemed to get a little bland after that.I signed up for 1001 albums just so I could hear left field albums like this but this album seems to have left the field entirely.
Covers of western songs on sitar/Asian instruments seems very derivative? Why not put more original music on this list instead of covers? Because it pleases the white people? 2*
This album fuses Indian music with (Western) rock and some electrónica. This album was fine enough, though I did have to turn it off in the car, however, as it was really making me sleepy. Album 34, March 1, 2026
Scitar. Does not age well and is silly.
If you like sitars you are in for a treat
Sitar music, pleasantly surprised. Unlikely to seek out tracks to relisten but nice at the time
The track Sagar(The Ocean) ticked the boxes. The rest was largely forgettable
Horrible
I couldn’t get through it.
Pretty neat! The cover of Jumpin' Jack Flash was pretty novel, and the blending of genres here was pretty bold and interesting especially for the time. I think some of the genre blending wasn't pushed far enough for what I was expecting, but honestly this is a pretty cool little record. I can see how something like this would influence a band like KG&LW down the line.
fucker hammin on the little doot doot dooter
Wow finally something out of the western classic rock/brit pop cannon! What's this? 2 of the 8 tracks are covers of classic rock...and the other 6 are watered down raga in an attempt to incorporate western music...now I see why this is on the list.
Algumas músicas são divertidas. Não conhecia essa banda.
Cool Indian music. Old and new at the same time. Really liked this one.
deciding to go your own way instead of make an album with Jimi Hendrix is a bold move. I liked this ok, enjoyed it from the angle of a traditionally skilled sitarist wanting to explore Westernized music. the other way only worked out for the Beatles.
This isn’t uninteresting, but it’s not something I would ever feel like revisiting. It’s better than its opposite (Brit/American rock bands inspired by Indian music), that’s for sure. I can imagine a version of this I really like, and it’s one where the Stones cover comes off as mocking and mean spirited. That would be funny. That’s what he shoulda done.
First few songs you wonder why we dont hear more sitar? Interesting and unique. A few songs later, you realize why when you've had enough sitar. I appreciated thr originals more than the cover songs. Too bad it only worked out for The Beatles with the sitar.
one of the most valid critiques against the hippie movement and the psychedelic music that rose out of it targets the orientalist approach to Indian music. the way that The Beatles used the sitar on Norwegian Wood, influenced by the recordings of Ravi Shankar making waves in the west, certainly indicates westernization of the instrument and style. this is a major point of criticism among a lot of Indian academics especially. what happens, then, when Ravi's nephew takes rock influence and makes an album that blends Bengali classical music with Western rock and roll? kitsch. not uncompelling kitsch, however. the cover of Light My Fire especially has a very interesting sonic palette. i'm reminded of the Malaysian disco dangdut covers of 90s europop cheese i'll occasionally listen to. (Adeq- Siapa Pilihanmu. check it out!). cool moogs. pretty well executed too. i ain't above a good blend between highbrow and lowbrow. i definitely feel like the target audience was Westerners that didn't really think of this that way, however. a few decades later Ananda Shankar would also become a major player in the UK Asian Underground scene, which is pretty heavily represented on this list relative to its profile in America. there's something compelling about the blend of Eastern traditions with Western pop culture. I can totally understand why a lot of people in the South Asian diaspora sing a different tune than those from back east. and who am I as a White West Virginian to say what is and isn't a valid use of a sitar? i can only really judge the music, and i think it's decent enough at the end of the day. deserves to be one of the 1001? no. the fact that it is implies disregard to the rich musical traditions of South Asia at best, and tokenism at worst. granted, i think including Ravi Shankar's ragas would also be a bad move because that violates the "no classical" rule (which, granted, is violated anyways because i suppose to the Western cultural establishment only European formal music can be considered 'classical'). BUT I DIGRESS!!!
Helt supert! Light my fire var amazing
Best surprise pick on the list so far. A+
Cool fusion concept that doesn’t always hold together, but when it clicks it’s genuinely unique.
It's cool and interesting but it's too much sitar honestly for a whole album. I get it, but yeah.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ i mean, the sitar covers on the 1st and 3rd track was pretty interesting to listen to. never thought one could shred on a sitar. otherwise, i found the rest of the album to be standard at best in terms of enjoyment. it's got a trippy/psychedelic vibe throughout that i can appreciate, but it's kinda hard to top the covers. i lost interest by the last 1/3 of the album or so Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire are certainly worth hearing at least once. i suppose the rest of the album could be too if you're curious and/or a huge fan of South Asian music
Covers of songs you already know, but with a sitar! Why is the necessary listening?
I didn't like it that much honestly. The covers were very uncanny.
46# I'm so into it, i love the sound of this weird indian instrument. But if it was just that throughout the project it would get boring. The layers that this has make for a good trip and psychedelic experience.
Not gonna lie, the sitar is not *exactly* my favorite musical instrument and the tracks on this mostly-instrumental album where the sitar was predominant were the least appealing. Better yet were those that mixed that instrument with the Moog synthesizer in equal measure - the interplay between the two made for interesting listening.
sad poulobt dzma amat
I love when this gives me a surprise. I would have never listened to this on my own, and I loved it! It's not long, and more than a quarter of its runtime is a single track, but it offers beautiful sitar covers of some familiar tracks, plus what (at least to my ears) is original music. Gorgeous tones throughout, and just a lovely album.
I enjoyed that so much that I can't justify less than
Fine. Too much sitar.
Pretty interesting stuff. I could definitely listen to this over and over again.
This was fun. I like the sound of the sitar but especially liked the covers of Jumpin Jack Flash and Light My Fire. Give it a go, it didn't blow me away but I liked this quite a bit.
Interesting enough to be included on the list, I just find the sitar annoying after a while. Favourite song was Raghupati at the end.
very fun, unique sound
Bot for me
Glad we got some raga on this list! Ananda, the nephew of Ravi Shankar, blends the sitar drones of raga with psychedelic rock to great effect on here. A unique and captivating listen!
The sitar was obviously the main focus but there were some really cool instrumentals throughout this. Can’t even pretend that I’m gonna listen again but I enjoyed the experience overall. I do think it tapered off on the last few songs but still good enough overall.
A wonderful fusion of traditional instrumentation with 70s rock sensibilities. Feeling a very strong 4 on this! The Mountain by Gorillaz has recently had me appreciating the sitar in a whole new light, so this entry really couldn’t have come at a better time. Funny coincidence too: it’s Ananda Shankar’s cousin, Anoushka Shankar, who plays the sitar on that album. Standouts: Jumpin' Jack Flash • Snow Flower • Mamata (Affection) • Metamorphosis
DAMN THIS IS GOOD. I love the version of Light My Fire on here especially, but the entire thing is such an amazing, wild ride. No complaints.
An interesting introduction to fusion music, will not be revisiting, perhaps a little niche. Can understand why the cover of Jumpin’ Jack Flash gained a following as a quirky take on the original.
Enjoyable but faded to background music pretty quickly. Would throw on again and give more time to.
Today I learned they had muzak in India
1001 albums I couldve lived without hearing
I didn't like this. I think if the covers were at the end of the album, I would have been more open to them, but as it stands, this is not an album I like.
nochmals 70er-Jahre-„Nicht-Meins“, diesmal mit indischem sitar-touch. obwohl, jumpin‘ jack flash hätte es beinahe noch gerettet.
Spannende Sitar eingebettet in 70er Banalität
I couldn’t wait for this to end. Found the covers really corny. Probably was pretty radical in 1970 but it’s 2026. Loved Metamorphosis tho.
Would’ve been a 3 if it wasn’t for the blasphemy.
Someone could probably make something fire sampling this record but I don’t see any situation I’d ever go back and listen to it myself
Il not a fan of sitar. It can be tasteful sometimes but even in the Beatles tracks it annoys me. Just cuz of that not a fan.
cheap
I don’t get this one at all. It’s like listening to elevator muzak in India. 2 stars for being irritating.
Didn't have this on my bingo card
This is why I do this project. Different but awesome.
I didn't need a sitar cover of the stones but the original songs were enjoyable
this was an interesting album. very vibey with no lyrics until the last song, which was very religious, but in the "i hope all relgions can live in peace" kinda way. overall very good, but not my prefered style, 3.5/5 if i could, but bc i cant, 3/5. I liked it.
Like bro I guess… I hate the takes that the 1001 albums site has most of the time, especially their negative opinions, but they lowkey gotta point with this one. If there is anything noteworthy, or interesting, or particularly incredible about this album I struggle to find it. Boooooring. 5.4/10
If I was a hippy in 1970 on acid then I imagine I would love the 13 minute ‘Sagar’ track…. But I’m not. The stones cover was quite good, the doors one less so…. 1.5
Wow, that was something
had a theme and stuck to it
Baller Sitar musician plays others covers.
pretty psychodelic
Absolutely awful. How anyone can listen to a sitar is beyond me.
I mean…it was fine, I guess? I liked the idea of combining Western and Indian music and traditional and electronic elements, but the execution wasn’t especially interesting to me. “Sagar (The Ocean)” was rough due to the length and repetition, although it came back around for me at the end.
Refreshingly different entry for this list.
1,4/5
This is an album that makes sense for thr time. Im sure with the beatles doing the India thing around here there was more interest than ever. Not that im saying this is opertunistic. This guy is all about this sound and life. It just lined up perfectly. And throwing multiple covers of other popular songs here was enough to get people in the door. They stuck around for the actual Hindu stylings that come later. I know very little about this music but I know this is nice and enjoyable. Throwing modern recording techs at it as well helps give it an edge too. Its just a nice little batch of tracks. I dont love it hut I can't fault it for swinging for the fences on what it is
Who knew we needed covers of classics on a sitar? Interesting as an oddity but not gonna come back for more
Skip
A very fun album and full of life. Jumping Jack Flash was my favorite but all our solid. I think Shankar definitely achieves his dream of combining Western and Indian music with this album. 7.2/10
Sitar covers is an interesting use of one of the slots on this list.
not mad
I think I could have died just fine without hearing this.
Weird but cool
Track 6; circa 10:20: Please, God! No more! I'll talk! Whatever you want to know! Just. Make. It. Stop! Seriously, Robert... the best representation of Indian music you could find for your list is an album with instrumental covers of well-known Western songs performed in cliché sitar? Way to really push your comfort zone, mate. It's a sad, sad day when I have to fail an album with so much Moog, but somehow this challenge found a way to ruin even that. Astonishing.
While this was an interesting choice, it’s pretty lame too. I’m sure there is a better album out there to feature the sitar. Don’t really need covers to do the instrument justice.
Well, I enjoyed his uncles album on here and this seems like a bit more of a modern amalgamation of something similar. East meets hippy west. Let’s see… I’m mainly interested in relating to this more than just some sitar covers of popular songs (at least in the opening) but initially, that’s all I’m really getting. But then a track like Metamorphasis brings the other side. Great track that embraces the originality, sitar and rhythm (loved this one). Think I actually prefer the second half that isn’t covers and may have been a better album as a whole. I think a 4*, for the originality and variety alone and glad I’ve listened to it. Raghupati quite a change up to end.
Yet another weird album, where I tend to find that it is in this list for curiousity reasons rather than it being actually good. 2⭐️
The original songs were great. The covers were interesting, and probably included to catch western audiences. Still, love me some sitar.
Maybe this revolutionized sitar music, but it didn’t sound all that different from other sitar music I am familiar with (admittedly, not a lot). Still a fun album that I think achieved its goal, but I found the two cover songs to be the most exciting of the bunch And a million times better than that godawful sitar Gorillaz album! (Jk, I just wanted Jon to get his panties in a bunch for a second haha it’s good)
Hey now you’re an all sitar
I don't even remember listening to this so I imagine it wasn't great
Pretty cool
Indifferent
Funky covers in a global scenic scenario.
Man is shredding on sitar. Pretty good.
I applaud it for being different.
Un concepto muy original (para los 70's) y creo que esta muy bien el disco. Me gusto porque esta diseñado para eso, literalmente lo dice la portada, música microtonal para occidentales, orale para que no te quejes. Tiene muchas virtudes el disco, desde la manera virtuosa, vaya la redundancia, del sitarista Ananda Shankar hasta la forma de involucrar o de combinar la forma musical india con elementos de la música occidental como son las progresiones, los solos, los riffs y la interpretación. Canción más destacada para mi Raghupati (todo el disco me falto el elemento coral y al final llego y con un trabajo de ensamblaje muy bueno) y Light My Fire, por supuesto. Buen disco.
Anything that isn’t 70s rock automatically gets 4 stars minimum at this point.
Very interesting and the arrangements are great. The in-your-face sitar gets repetative after a couple of songs. Mamata was great.
Okay
I'll never say no to some sitar, and this shit bangs
I was hoping that this list would include music from all around the world. What a wonderful introduction to Ananda Shankar. I enjoyed listening to this. The album is definitely a vibe. It's being added to my rotation.
It was cool at first, but ended up losing its novelty. I think the 13 minute song really put a damper on it. Decent showing though.
This album's super rad. Has a few covers I prefer over the original.
This album was likely selected for this list because it was a pioneer in fusing Indian music with Western rock, but I didn't find the music itself particularly appealing. All I gathered was that it covered famous rock songs using a sitar and placed them alongside original compositions.
Meh. Not for Monday morning at work.
It's a shame the only songs I enjoyed were the instrumental cover versions. Jumpin Jack Flash and Light My Fire are great, and the first half of this album was fairly good. The second half descended into quite annoyingly repetitive sitar noises on a seemingly endless loop. Metamorphosis and Sagar taking up 50% of the album killed it for me. Always nice to have something different nonetheless!
77. nice
One of those rare, pop-up surprise gift albums. Accessible Sitar much with 70;s covers. I enjoyed!
First Listen; 3.5; Well there's a lot of sitar in this. I thought it would get boring after a while, but I actually enjoyed it. It's not like I get a whole lot of sitar in other music I listen to. Fun when mixed with the psychedelic elements. Favorite Track: Metamorphosis
It was good but it didn’t knock my socks off
I appreciate the skill of the sitar playing but I wish it wasn’t dumbed down to playing hippie cover songs
“Very long sir.” Very enjoyable too, Ananda. Sitar? Good stuff.
Very good background music. The cover songs were funny to hear but wel done
A relief to hear someone that actually knows how to play the sitar instead of a band of white hippies just plucking away at it
Pretty cool just not my vibe really
I had a really good time
This is genuinely what the Beatles thought they sounded like on magical mystery tour
Sitar and Moog! Found this album very pleasant.
Interesting, want to hear more
Interesting version but not for me.
Barely escapes a 1 but I personally don't know why this needs to exist.
It's a rock-Indian blend with lots of sitar. The top played tracks are covers of Jumpin Jack Flash and Light My Fire, which I guess is not surprising. Interesting he chose those tracks to cover. The Stones are not especially psychedelic, but The Doors definitely are. Also interesting that it was originally supposed to be a collab with Jimi Hendrix but that never happened (I wonder how that would have sounded!).
In a foul mood, because I've been sick for all of February. So, I'm rounding up because that is causing me to be pissier about everything than I should be.
Might in some ways be exactly what you expect (those cheesy, completely of their era covers) and also still listen-able - especially when breaking away from the psychedlia trend - are we going for a bossa nova groove with Mamata? I esp liked Sagar. Maybe a high 3, low 4 kind of situation but grading up because vibes.
Endnu en cd redaktøren fik med fra resortet da han var på badeferie i Goa. Jeg var klar til at give den 1, men Sagar (The Ocean) ramte lige hvor den skulle og jeg zonede ud til den i et par minutter. Fedt nummer
Elevatormusik. Måske MEGET INFLUENTIAL elevatormusik, men stadig elevatormusik.
Sagar was a banger. Sitarsploitation is my new favourite musical term.
Love it 4/5
This album is as enigmatic as much as enjoyable, delicate and beautiful. It is such a delightful record, with so much variety and textures, as well as very atmospheric, in a very good sense. The songs grow with a lot of presence and taste, and the instruments sound so wildly great. I mean, it's great in all its senses. And it's a very interesting album, for sure.
Nice vibe. Won’t be a frequent listen.
I do not enjoy the sitar, but I enjoyed it as much as could be expected.
перша пісня імба ну це і прікол а не альбом індуські звукііі ну думаю через те шо дуже довга то 3,5 але нормальна прікол
I don't like sitar enough for this
Favorite Tracks: Jumpin' Jack Flash (kinda maybe?) / Mamata / Metamorphosis Rating: 3.2 I honestly can't say I've ever sat down and listened to much sitar music, rock or otherwise. I found this mostly enjoyable; I put it on while sending some work emails and nodded along. I was able to apprecate the covers for what they are, no sacrilege there in my book. Sagar (The Ocean) really dragged on...I skipped ahead through it multiple times and never really caught a groove I liked. Production-wise I thought it was fantastic, great clarity & dynamism, interesting different drums throughout, cool stereo effects esp on a few tracks liek Metamorphosis. This sent me down the rabbit hole a bit and I also listened to Walking On from 1999 with State Of Bengal....if you liked the vibes of this but though "why can't it be trip-hop," well, you're in luck!
Nobody ever said “More sitar!”
I enjoy a gimmick, but I don’t think covering songs only using different instruments is a gimmick. Definitely if the song was reinterpreted into a different style but merely swapping instruments is not enough to land any album into a pantheon of greatest albums. I’m sure this was a groundbreaking idea in the 70s but people probably only listened to it twice. First when someone showed it to them and then when they showed it to someone else.
This was fine. Not amazing by any standards. Maybe it was more groundbreaking at it's release?
I was looking forward to a non-Anglophone album, but really this was pretty underwhelming.
Nice layback
I don't even have anything clever to say with this one. It's just sitar music.
Het lijkt wel een stuk uit de quiz van de Top 2000 à gogo. Raad welke hit er hier op de sitar gespeeld wordt. Dus ja, wat moet je met covers van de Stones en de Doors? Het is nauwelijks serieus te nemen. Wat komt hierna, de Beatles op een panfluit? Gelukkig is kant 2 gevuld met meer traditioneler klinkend spul. Kijk, ik snap dat het 1001-boek gaat over de geschiedenis van de popmuziek van het westen, vanaf pakweg 1950. En dat we die meneer Shankar in dat licht moeten zien, men pretendeert hier niet de muziekgeschiedenis van de hele wereld te presenteren (immers, waar is anders Mannenkoor Karrespoor?). En kennelijk heeft onze Ananda invloed gehad in onze streken? Nee, dat was zijn vader Ravi Shankar. Dat was degene die beste matties was met George Harrison. Dus waarom we naar z'n zoon moeten luisteren is me niet helemaal dudelijk. Puntjes voor de afwisseling, minpuntjes voor de knullige covers.
De hoes vertelt precies wat je kan verwachten. Ook wel fijn. Het album is in elk geval een aanvulling aan de lijst. Soms is het ook wel fijn, die blend tussen de sitar en 'moderne elektronica'. Eigenlijk komen vooral de covers naar voren. De andere nummers zijn vervallen vaak in wat gepingel. Wat lijkt te zeggen dat Ananda niet perse goed is in westers componeren. Maar als iemand anders de westerse basis levert, wel in de vertaling naar een oosterse uitvoering.
Als je de sitar onder de aandacht wil brengen, dan kun je heel traditioneel beginnen. Maar ik denk dat het heel verstandig was, om juist te starten met een cover van Jumpin Jack Flash. De eerste barriere is geslecht en ik sta gelijk meer open voor het geluid van de sitar, ook bij de traditionelere sound in de nummers die er na komen. Daardoor vind ik het best tof om te luisteren. Sowieso kan ik het meestal wel waarderen als er wordt gepield op gitaarinstrumenten. Een (goed gebruikte) steel guitar is doorgaans bonuspunten waard. De sitar in popmuziek associeer ik meestal met vage LSD-periodes van de Beatles en soortgelijke bands, het is blijkbaar een fase waar sommige artiesten doorheen gaan. Het gaafste blijven de covers die op dit album staan. Het geheel is aardig te pruimen, het luistert als een soort maffe psychedelische trip in een shisha lounge. Verder valt dit natuurlijk in de categorie "leuk om een keer gehoord te hebben, maar ik ga dit nooit meer uit mezelf zomaar opzetten". Met name side two is nogal een uitdaging. Ik ga het een krappe 3 geven, maar dat is voornamelijk vanwege het onderhoudende eerste gedeelte.
another unexpected surprise
It's like listening to the soundtrack for a rather run-of-the-mill RTS game from the early 2000s, when you're playing as an Indian civilization.
Who would have thought - but on a scale of one to amazing ... this is pretty amazing! 4/5 #musicsky #albumsky
Feels a bit dated, but still kind of fun. A few contemporary covers are added to otherwise original music.
This wasn’t for me
From the album art, I expected classical sitar music, NOT THIS! The covers of classic rock tunes and originals are refreshing and interesting. Just like other Indian themed albums on the list, I feel like I should have been handed a mango lassi. It's cool, but I don't think it's essential. I'm glad I heard it, but I wouldn't have been heartbroken if I hadn't. My Rating: 4/5
Hat tip to the Beatles, and particularly George Harrison, for opening a lane for a commercial Indian/Rock fusion album. Also hat tip to them for everything else, but that’s for another time… For something this foreign (figuratively, but also literally I guess) I have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. Shankar makes it easier by fusing Indian sounds with quite familiar rock tunes such as “Jumpin Jack Flash” and “Light My Fire.” On a good day I can play this in the background and find myself lost in its groove.
In an odd move, Shankar decides to cover many of the hits of the west. It’s actually not bad, but it just felt weird to have a great eastern artists giving a take on pop/rock hits. I often don’t have the understanding to evaluate world music, but here I didn’t know how to evaluate their take on the west. Pleasant, but I’d rather work through their art than listen to them dabble in the charts.
Really liked it some cool Beatles-y stuff and cool sounds
Really?
Now I know the answer to the question: ‘How much sitar is too much sitar?’
Pues...
The covers are terrible, the rest is OK if you have a beach bar and you want to play harmless music to your pathetic customers.
Not my thing, at all. And then randomly he throws in a cover too, because why not.
Interesting, a nice introduction to the sitar sound. 3.0
Standouts Snow Flower
Liked it
If you've ever felt like the organ riff in Light My Fire wasn't annoying enough - man do I have a sitar album for you.
Solid background music.
I’ve never heard a sitar slap so hard!
This is probably one of George Harrison's favorite albums of all time. I like it at points, with their covers of hit rock songs and raga rock with flourishes of psychedelia. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.
Honestly I’m a fan
It's nice to hear albums like this that tried to fuse different styles of music, and that goal works very well on "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and somewhat less successfully on "Light My Fire." Otherwise, long sitar jams aren't really my jam.
This was interesting listen. The covers are interesting, but it’s hard for me to give this a higher rating when it’s so dependent on them. Favourite track: Sagar (The Ocean)
jazzy - 3
Yeah go on sure let’s have some sitar shredding
Not my style, but still interesting to hear. The music was a bit harsh, but the rhythm was relaxing.
fun!
i love the sitar as much as the next person but i think no instrument is cool enough to warrant a very one tone album a place on this list
pretty lit
All sitar
For this one, I really tried to put myself in the mindset of an American hearing this music for the first time in 1970. People of Indian heritage and descent are very familiar to many of us now, but I assume the sounds of the sitar would still have seemed very exotic at the time. If I had been listening to Ananda Shankar at the time, I guess I might have heard some sitar in "Tomorrow Never Knows," but that would probably have been about it. I failed to put myself in this mindset. I've been listening to raga and raga-inspired music since the '90s, and it's definitely represented in my record collection, from Ravi Shankar (Ananda's uncle) to John McLaughlin. Ananda Shankar wrote a pretty sweet note about his desire to combine Western and Indian music, but when I saw covers of Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire on this record, I immediately assumed they would be very corny. They definitely sounded like something out of an Austin Powers scene transition, but they weren't as corny as I was expecting. The original compositions here were pretty great at times. The second song, "Snow Flower," resonated with me immediately. Another track, "Metamorphosis," started out a bit cheesy, but I couldn't help bobbing my head when the percussion kicked in. The final song, "Raghupati," was very pretty with its choral chants, but it still sounded like the soundtrack to a white suburbanite's "mystical" journey from the early '70s. That's probably my prejudice against white, new age orientalism talking, but I couldn't shake the impression. This is a cool album, and I really enjoyed parts of it, but it feels pretty dated now. I get a lot more out of listening to Ravi's straightforward, masterful readings of the raga forms, or McLaughlin's respectful integration of Indian musical elements, though I still cringe at the writing in Love, Devotion, Surrender. Three stars.
Pretty fun album and reminds us that western and eastern culture don’t have to be completely separate, and when we combine we can get surprisingly fun things like this album. I love the cover of light my fire by the doors, it’s an all time favorite song of mine and it’s one of those psychedelic songs without sitar so to hear sitar as the main instrument is really unique! Everything else is pretty good as well. 👍🏿
Pretty solid. The combination of sitar and Moog is really cool and probably the first album to do that(?) The breakdown at the end of Metamorphosis is godly. Might revisit and boost the score.
Not my style.
I didn't much enjoy this, but the auto-play on Spotify after this album was really good. Not sure what that means.
3,13 - Auf jeden Fall was eigenes und kreatives. Aber leider gefällt mir der Ton der Sitar nicht wirklich, was einen Großteil des Albums ausmacht. Highlights: Jumpin' Jack Flash, Metamorphosis
2.5
This is an interesting one. I am just speculating here but I would guess this was an attempt to introduce western audiences to Indian music after they got a sample of it via The Beatles. How successful it is in that aim is another question. The Rolling Stones and Doors covers I’d give a miss, but the sitar and Moog tracks I think are interesting and have a neat psychedelic/droney thing going on, almost feeling like it verges on krautrock at times. I’d like more of this. Sometimes the album veers into more traditional territory too with sitar and tabla, without the synths and rock drums, and I enjoyed that too, but not as much as the weirdo stuff. Glad I heard this.
It's... fine. This album right here is why we need to be able to give half stars
I am 615 albums into this list, and this is the second album I have had from an Asian artist after Shivkumar Sharma's Call of the Valley. Nothing from Japan, nothing from Korea, nothing from Russia, the near or middle East... This list is WILDLY biased towards US and UK music. Once again, I am on the verge of actual anger at how little this list stretches the listener's boundaries. I wrote the above before actually looking at this album and HOLY FUCK, out of 3 Indian albums on this list, the editors saw fit to make one of them an album of SITAR COVERS OF ROCK SONGS?! What kind of insane process led to this album being one of, I believe, only three Indian albums on the list? I am done with the ediotrs, I am so fucking done, I'm the fucking Dones of Navarone. It's sad that my actual review of this album is relegated to a footnote, but here it is: I had heard the cover of Jumpin' Jack Flash before and I actually love it, and I dig the rest of these songs too. I am personally glad that this album is on the list as it's my kind of thing and at least everyone can agree that it's a bit different and unusual, you know? But my personal feelings aside, is this really one of only THREE essential albums from India from the last 70 years? Also, this 1-star review: "Yet another weird album, where I tend to find that it is in this list for curiousity reasons rather than it being actually good" - Yeah, exactly, that's the point?! This isn't 1001 Best Albums Ever, a list even more impossible to curate than Before You Die, curiosity is absolutely a valid reason for being on this list. If pure quality was the only requirement, we'd have even more Beatles than we do, and I personally think we've got enough. I'm sorry, Ananda Shankar, I'm sure you're a nice guy and you didn't deserve to be caught up in my ranting. Love the album, mate, great work.
Not something I’d ever seek out on my own but glad I listened to it. Kind of what this whole project is about…
Ok, the wiki entry has be interested to hear how this one is. I know Ravi Shankar but nothing by his nephew. This is beginning to sound more like elevator or telephone hold music to my ears sadly. Quite pleased that has finally finished. Not one for me, even if it is apparently one that made the history books for some reason.
Certainly better than the album of bongo covers. (Go back and look at the list). I enjoyed it but it's background music.
Not a great fan of it
A very interesting album. The interweaving of several vastly different genres was not at all jarring, which surprised me. The versions of Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire were really good interpretations. The rest of the album was also heavily influenced by western musical themes, you could hear it coming through. That being said, I wouldn't seek it out for a second listening. I do feel it was worth listening to though. I think 3 stars feels about right.
Not for me. 1/5
What are we doing here? 1001 albums to hear before I die and I'm listening to jumping jack flash played on a sitar
didn’t enjoy the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” cover or the twist at the end, but everything else was really nice!! great production, really clean mix, and Ananda is incredibly skilled at sitar. really enjoyed most of this despite having reservations at first glance
Review - God I hate sitar Rating - 1.5/10 Need to hear? NO
hearing the doors on a sitar alone was worth the price of admission
omg this was a vibe!!!!!! i had fun listening to it but i also can't tell you the name so maybe it wasn't that impactful LMFAO
Kooky sitar based covers and other stuff from the early 70's. Gets a couple of stars for the excellent cover of 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' to start with. The cover of 'Light My Fire' is less compelling, but still cool. The epic Sagar (The Ocean) is the centrepiece of this album, which for a long time seems like endless sitar noodling, but towards the end it gets some more groove.
4 out of 5. The sitar is a lovely instrument and this was a fun album. A good reason to do this challenge/project.
6.5/10 Not something Id usually listen to but I enjoyed it and I think the list should have more stuff like this. Highlight: Snow Flower
Very interesting. I liked it.
5/10
Zoned out listening but maybe that's the point
Interesting to hear the instrument of the sitar, but it got tiring after a while. I did think I recognised some songs, but it made sense as some were covers of famous songs.
Wow, what a ride!
Different, I guess. Might have been groundbreaking at the time but doesn't do much for me now
A lotta fun but a lotta the same. Favorite track: Mamata Least Favorite: Sagar
This one grew on me a little bit after a couple of listens but I'll never be a sitar guy. I can appreciate the relevance at the time but it doesn't really hold up.
Favourite Songs: Jumpin' Jack Flash Matama (Affection) Sagar (The Ocean)
First half rips, meanders way too long in the second but I enjoyed most of it.
This is right up my street - fusing western music with music from other countries. That said, the opening track is so firmly stuck in 1970 it’s more of a parody of the time than an enjoyable track. ‘Light My Fire’, on the other hand is wonderful, as are the more traditional Indian pieces. Solid.
I don't mind it, for the most part. 13 minutes for The Ocean is too goddamned long, and makes the whole thing start to feel very repetitive. I think it's interesting, but I also think that there's one sound - you know the one - that is just so prominent in every song that it starts to get old. I'd give it 2.5 if I could. I'm going to give it 3 stars because I don't think it's *bad* per se, but I don't really ever want to listen to it again.
Pretty incredible amalgamation that shows what’s possible in integrating across different cultures and making the sitar into a rock instrument, w a couple of amazing songs of “cultural appropriation” by Shankar that open your ears
Really enjoyed this concept and execution. V-like Vibes.
Interesting concept.
60s, with some added 60s and then a sprinkle of 60s on top.
I really loved this sitar masterpiece. East meets west fusion at its finest. 4.5/5
I love discovering new artists and exploring new genres. This album is both for me, and what a lovely discovery it is. It was a great vibe to start my morning with. I see in other reviews that some disliked the Rolling Stones and the Doors covers. However, I am potentially the only person on this website who isn't familiar with the original version of either of those songs. So it's suffice to say that the covers didn't bother me. 5/5.
Interesting music with several interesting songs that are reasonable to listen to once.
Fusión de musica Hindi y clásicos del rock a cargo del sobrino de Ravi Shankar. El sitar cobra importancia, así como la producción pero el ritmo y el sonido es rockero... raga rock que se diría hoy en día, aunque muy popular entonces (no había World music ni se la esperaba pero los Yardbirds habían grabado Heart Full of Soul y los Beatles Norwegian wood, unos años antes de este disco), a mi no me terminaría de encajar en este listado si fuera solo por las dos versiones. Ahora bien, se disfruta mucho y representa un género de vida efímera, sobre todo porque requiere de muchos conocimientos para ello y pocos músicos podrían ejecutarla como aquí (escuchen Metamorphosis, uno de los mejores temas). Curioso que de los Stones coja Jumpin´Jack Flash (una delicia cómo toca el sitar sustituyendo a Richards) y no Paint it black que sí tenía aire Hindi, o que no meta Eight Miles High que es una delicia, o ninguno de los Beatles... pero bueno en su momento no quiso grabar un disco conjunto con Jimi Hendrix, así que algo no le encajaría. Light my fire metiendo Moog es Raga space rock... uff sideral Aquí tenemos, además de dos pepinazos en forma de versiones, notas extendidas ya sea con una tanpura o distorsionando la guitarra, el juego de hacer dialogar a los instrumentos, las vocalizaciones, la incorporación de ideas orientales en la lírica así como el uso de melodías basadas en las escalas indias y todo ello con músicos 60´s que no son poca cosa: guitarras de Dick Rosmini y Drake Levin de la banda Paul Revere & The Raiders; Jerry Scheff y Mark Tulin, de The Electric Prunes, en los bajos; Joe Pollard y Michael Botts, de Bread, en las baterías; Paul Lewison en el sintetizador Moog y Pranish Khan en la tabla... Además de las mecionadas otras como Snow Flower, una balada donde se combinan la sitar y el bajo, u otra de las mejores (sobre todo en su parte final) Sagar (The Ocean) con aires tan orientales que parece un western (Arabian Country?). Dance Indra sigue esa estela oriental, un tema con un fondo bien sintetizado, suena extraña. Raghupati es un tradicional indio, el único tema realmente cantado en todo el disco, más guitarra acústica, un mantra recitado sin cesar y un “solo” de guitarra y sitar al mismo tiempo Disco popular en su día e influyente en Dengue Fever , Khruangbin o Dj´s británicos de origen indio como Talvin Singh y Nitin Sawhney. Murió de repente cuando el éxito volvía a sonreirle, después del ostracismo por la aberración de haber fusionado la sagrada música india con ese lascivo sonido del rock... solo por eso ya merece un 5/5.
Sitar cover of Light My Fire and Jumpin' Jack Flash... Didn't really need to hear this.
Music for an elevator in Bangladesh in 1970.
This album was an interesting one since it’s out of my wheelhouse musically, but the opening track was so good. The cover of Jumpin Jack Flash engaged me from the start and it felt like it could be used in a movie score somehow. I can’t explain it. The rest of the album didn’t grab me as much. Biggest Hit - Jumpin Jack Flash Biggest Miss (if I had to choose - Sagar Biggest Surprise - Snow Flower
I seem to enjoy all of these unique foreign albums and this was no exception. 3.5/5
Yeah I don’t know is this Ravi Shankar’s crazy niece or what? It was OK at times. I think it’s usually a bad sign when an Album’s few claims to fame is that it was listed in this book.
I think the only way to enjoy this is if you are tripping when you listen. I was not.
Album 11 Top 3 favorites off the album: Dance Indra, Light My Fire, Metamorphosis Fusion for the win! I'm a fan of the sitar, so this was a treat. The mixture of original music and covers made the album an interesting listen. Not necessarily an album I'm always in the mood to listen to, but it was not unpleasant. I'm on the more neutral end of positive, if that makes sense. I like the pieces individually, and the album is good, but the pieces that make up the whole are better than the whole. That sounds like nonsense. I'm slacking today. I have little else to say. Sitar fusion, yum. Good listen. I wish I could go back to my world music class and write another paper about musical fusion. Manifesting acceptance into the master's program I applied for + funding so I can snatch an ethnomusicology degree.
I like the funky psychedelic sound to this but that’s about it.
Metamorphosis was a hell of a ride! Great song! Groovy, foot tapping, and head nodding the whole way, this song made me reconsider this album. I was thinking it was more a novelty that had a couple of nifty covers, but nothing substantive to go back to. Sagar got off to a slow and almost painful start. Incredibly, I endured about NINE MINUTES(!) of it, but it settled into what I think is the coolest groove on the album so far
Interesting noises but not my thing
Fun!
Na ja. Die Zeiten sind vorüber…
Overall: 5/10 While this wasn't amazing, I really love the sitar as an instrument and I found so much of this album to be incredibly relaxing. The covers are pretty weird, and they sadly add nothing to the originals. It's cool that Ananda tried to bring more indian music to the west, as it's pretty underrated over here. Fav Song: Metamorphosis
A whole album of sitar solos just isn't for me.
Vibes
Covers were fun, enjoyed the variety of the 8 tracks. 2.5 rounded up.
Thought I’d hate this, but it started out well, even beyond the Stones and Doors tracks, then it went downhill. The 13 minute track was excruciating. 2.5 rounded down.
Really liked the long song, the rest was just okay
an interesting fusion album. i'm a fan of plucked string instruments and a fan of the moog synthesizer, so i was immediately intrigued. if anything i think it could've leaned harder on the moog, but also harder on the sitar for what it is. many of these tracks sound like tracks written in a typical western guitar style, yet played with the sitar instead. the second half of "the ocean" is a highlight for me as once it starts going it starts GOING which kinda gave me a feeling of like, damn you could've been given me that the whole time!? so it's a mixed bag. not quite consistent enough for me to say that i enjoyed all of it, but it's cool for what it is.
I understand this list probably can't encapsulate all albums "worth listening to" but there's something that stings really wrong about the fact that any non-European and non-North American music must, for the most part, be some kind of cultural fusion with European or American music. But that's not the fault of the individual musicians on the list I suppose as the list itself. I didn't quite know how much I needed to listen to a Sitar version of Light my fire until now. Some of this really goes off crazy and sounds great, the album definitely builds and builds. I certainly enjoyed sitting through it more then the past few days albums but I think the real best pieces on here are those that are original. Metamorphosis sounds incredible to me, there's a section about 2 minutes in that just goes so hard. The first half of the 13 minute long Sagar didn't really capture me, but I really enjoyed the second half. Dance indra is probably my favorite song on here but honestly, there's a lot to like.
Sitar!
I like the sound of the sitar but come from the generation that think of the closing credits to It Ain’t Half Hot Mum every time I hear it! The covers are a bit lame but it’s still pretty enjoyable.
What a load of shite, not even good elevator music
I’m just not a fan of cover albums being on this list. Is it cool? Sure! Is it something you must hear before you die? Hell no! Bring original shit to this list
Can't dig this stuff
I have enjoyed sitar. So why does this suck so bad to me?
Funky. It's interesting, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
ok
Interesting blend of Indian and western music. Mostly instrumental sitar which kind of droned on a bit, but was never really annoying. 3.5/5
Sitar hero!
Un calvaire à écouter
Álbum maravilhoso! A mistura de Rock, Pop, Eletrônica com sintetizadores e um estilo de música tradicional indiana é incrível! GK Kunten.
2 1/2 Stars: It's all perfectly fine. Yes, the covers sound just and silly as everybody here says. I'm sure there's a way to capture the Stones with a shredding sitar, but this ain't it. The rest of this album is pretty forgettable. I just wish it had the energy of that final track.
Such a cool fusion album, you never really see it go the other way. A lot of times you hear that western musicians have taken inspiration from some other culture, but rarely do you hear other cultures borrow from western music, on this list anyway. I am slightly disappointed in either the album, or potentially myself, or maybe both, that my favorite tracks on this album were all covers of western music. I think I would have liked it if they had one original western influenced rock song that wasn't a cover.
I’ve listened to other sitar music and enjoyed it. This album on the other hand was… well a bit odd. The songs that were more straight forward and traditional were pretty good. The ones that tried fusing Indian music with rock were clumsy. I’m all for experimenting and trying new things, but you have to accept that not all experiments will work
Not bad. A bit long in some tracks, but I enjoy the sitar sound.
Good album
I don't dislike this, and it's not *bad*, but there are so many great non-western albums that should have made this list over this, an album that deliberately waters down the greatness, intention, and spirit of Indian music just to appeal to western audiences. 3/5
I like the sitar, but it started to get old towards the end. Appreciated the random Doors cover though
Revisit this
This is not good.
Odd. The pop music covers feel trite and unnecessary, kind of kitsch. Once past that, the longer more droning pieces were actually quite interesting. Not feeling any desire to go back to this album, but would like to explore more of his work.
Good, clean fun. Put a smile on my face.
meh sitar sounds is very good good fusion but thats all
Yep
Mainly a sitar cover album, which is nice. “Ocean” was really cool and my biggest takeaway.
Couldn't really get behind this one, amazing what George did with this instrument.
Unusual music... but fascinating instrumental!
I liked the non covers better! Not an album I would gravitate to but a fun listen - between 3 and 4
7/10
You can practically smell the incense coming off the production here. It’s got this swirling, hypnotic quality that feels made for a very specific, chemically altered state of mind. Since I’m listening sober, I can appreciate the cool textures, but I can't quite dissolve into them. Shame. It becomes a bit of a wash into background music territory. It’s like staring at a lava lamp for forty minutes. Cool to look at, but nothing really happens. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Jumpin' Jack Flash - Light My Fire - Mamata (Affection)
The covers made me appreciate the originals more. The sitar on the covers was very simple but it made me realize how complex the playing was on the original songs. Sagar was the stand out track.
I liked the covers of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Light My Fire" as the addition of the sitar, drums and Indian rhythms put a different spin on the sound while the melody was still recognizable. I loved the song, "Snow Flower" a lot. Worst song: "Metamorphosis". I liked the start of "Sagar (The Ocean)" but it got tiresome after a while, and then the key change made the song more dramatic and pleasing to my ear. I liked the addition of the voices in "Raghupati Raghava".
Yeah there was definitely sitar and some music was definitely played here. I would give it a 1 but the sitar playing was decent enough that it wasn't unlistenable.
Easy listening album, sitar tone is lovely. Great cover of Light my Fire (Jose Feliciano’s is still my favorite). Did not finish - like what I heard but wasn’t engaged enough to make it to the end
This actually rocks, an actual interesting album
Cool
Didn't do much for me. Was interesting sonically here and there, but nothing that really jumped out for me.
Surprisingly enjjoyable. The name.Shankar is permanently tied.to.the sitar after Ravi. I had not heard Ananda before. Not the sort of thing I normally listen to. The covers at the start were a bit of fun but after them it shifted gear. I like that it included sitar, and didn't just feature it.
This isn't my kind of music. But it's a nice change of pace with a very dominant instrument.
While this was interesting to start, it made it very difficult to concentrate while at work. Regardless, I appreciate the uniqueness of it.
pretty good album way way different from what i usually listen to
Interesting concept, rock music played with a Sitar. It's definitely a fun album, but I'm not sure that it's much more than a novelty. I don't think there's enough here to put it back on my to be played list.
I like the rock + sitar fusion. It was unique and my ears were pleased.