Reviews (page 5 of 7)
For some reason I was familiar with this cover of Jumpin' Jack Flash and really liked roughly the first half of this album. It started dragging a bit at the end. Not too shabby, though!
I like most of it, but the 13+ minutes Sagar is booooring. Favorite song: snow flower.
Did not hate this half as much as I thought I might!
Really enjoyed the first half of covers but the second half of original material was a bit grating. Nice change though thanks ananda
An interested spin on Indian music, probably an easier introduction for a western listener, being interlaced with some late 60s rock elements. Great exposure, but hard to put on on a whim.
Amusant d'initier les gens avec des reprises de chansons connues. Me semble quand même un peu lourd et répétitif, parfois dissonant.
difficult to appreciate
Have had a very 1960s day catching up on my list - The Mamas and The Papas, The Monks, and now this. All totally different but great in their own way. I like the original tunes; not so keen on the cover versions, but can see how this might have helped Ananda Shankar get an audience back in the day. It's going on my Working playlist.
Disappointment. The doors/stones covers are very bland, Side B picks up with some interesting tracks with fleshed out concepts
I like thought! Scitar by Shankar.
It's not groundbreaking, but it's not as bad as people are saying. There's only one Rolling Stones cover and a Doors cover and they're both more interesting than a lot of the covers of those songs. The whole idea is to mix modern electronic instruments with the traditional sitar. The sitar definitely overpowers the rest in most songs.
I can imagine having this as a slightly ironically cool album in the 90s to put on the background of a gathering, but come on, it's ridiculous. Not BAD, per se, but just... very very silly.
Favour tracks: jumpin jack flash; light my fire
Nice vibes of a cross between traditional sitar and psychedelic rock. Kind of washed over but it was nice. The synthesizer parts were a pleasant surprise. Really illustrates that the combo can work and I’m surprised I haven’t heard it more often.
If you like 60 minutes of sitar, this is for you.
All over the place. I enjoyed the Stones cover, some of the songs were a lot of fun, but some, particularly the 13-minute long Sagar, dragged quite a bit. The best of this album is really great, but as a whole I wasn't a huge fan. At least give the Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire covers a change, and maybe Snow Flower as well.
It was decent reading music.
I enjoyed this album. It's a cool bit of "fusion" - but as cool as Jumpin Jack Flash and Light My Fire were, it's really just someone else's song played with different instruments. The original pieces were actually a little more interesting.
Raga Rock, Rock with an Indian influence. Covers Jumping Jack Flash and Light My Fire very well. The rest of the album is sweet and easy to listen to and enjoy - with or without a doobie. 3/5
Mellow Indian sitar jams. Loved the Stones cover, and the Doors song was ok too. A westernized take on the Indian sound.
This is an interesting mix of sitar and electronics. I definitely preferred the arrangements that were more 'traditional' and maintained emphasis on the sitar. That said, and on the whole, this was a good listen.
3.4
Never heard this before. When I started listening I was very excited, and I really wanted it to be one of those rare gems. But it wasn't as good as I had hoped, it became a bit too monotonous for me I think with the songs being hard to distinguish from each other. I think it worked well as a mood setter though, and it was nice to have on in the background as a variety from the usual stuff I listen to. It was definitely not bad, but didn't capture me as I had hoped either. Plus points for being different though!
This album was much more enjoyable than I initially thought. I love the mixing of Western and Indian music styles. The sitar sounds amazing backed by bass, drums, and background vocals. Favorite songs: Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Light My Fire, Mamata (Affection), and Metamorphosis.
Interesting idea but not great. something that would catch my attention at a restaurant or cafe
very 70s lol. but pros for sitar. forgettable, 3 stars imo re how it connected with me.
Reckon George Harrison loved this. Personally quite liked a few of the covers early on. The lengthier, more classical Indian stuff was alright too. However, having had a (brief) Ravi Shankar phase as a teen (dont watch) those numbers didn't really compete with the old master in terms of richness and ultimate zen-ness. Raghupati was great though, a brilliantly executed fusion. My new favourite record by an Indian. If the album had stayed on that path this could have got a really high score. 3.5
AJ: it’s a gas!!! Weed helps. Very cool album. Cool to read he hung out with Hendrix. 13 minute The Ocean, yo. Wicked cool. Weed helps. Cat: this is great! Heavy rock elements with sitar and minor modes, complex rhythms. Love the additional instruments too (especially clarinet)!
I liked this and the fusion of sitar with the cutting age synth technology of the era was surprisingly effective. The music though seemed under-ambitious, most evidenced by the two pedestrian covers of over-exposed rock hits.
Not sure how a album of covers is a top 1001 smh
Interesting for sure but not something I would want to listen to on a regular basis...
Weird sitar covers of old pop 2.5
- unexpected. Have it on in the background and then suddenly will realize I know the song
Metamorphosis is a five- star banger that just keeps building. This was quite enjoyable.
It turned out to be a pretty impressive melding of western rock with sitar and traditional Indian music. I was disappointed in the two cover songs since they felt like Ananda sold out to add more sales to the record, but most of the others are pretty cool and groovy. 6/10
Did not like the covers of Jumpin' Jack Flash or Light My Fire, the other more traditional Indian songs were great though.
Nice palate cleanser.
Pretty neat but instrumentals can only do so much for me. Light my Fire and Raghupati were fun. I’ll keep this album in mind if I do any psychedelics.
This was a pretty fun listen. I liked the covers and enjoyed the traditional stuff too. I don’t have much to compare it to but I had a good time listening to it
When I saw this I wasn’t going to listen at first. Then I saw Jumpin Jack Flash was the opening track so I was curious. I actually thought it was pretty good. A couple of interesting covers and the rest was ok too.
We’ve all heard 60s rock incorporating elements of Indian music, but I’ve never heard the reverse until now. This was interesting, but at its best on the songs that were not rock covers. I’m glad I heard this, but would not listen again.
Niet verkeerd, maar het gitaar achtige instrument wordt na een paar nummers heel irritant en lijkt op een jammerende kat
I liked the covers, but the middle was not my favorite style.
Catchy fun!
Interesting stuff, but I don't care for the Indian music.
This is what I wish were more on the list. I never had heard of this artist (but I know his uncle) and this was a really interesting take on some rock songs mixed with Indian music. I won't say it was super successful but it's worth the price of admission and something that I enjoyed listening to.
An Eastern flavored “Light My Fire” and “Jumpin Jack Flash”. The other tracks are a bit more loose and don’t grab my attention.
some sitar covers of known rock song. Not a bad way to start my day but nothing I'm going to seek out.
Some good jamming moments but I’ll most likely never come back to this record.
I have to admit I listened to this one a few tracks at a time as opposed to all in one sitting. I think that may have made it drag a little bit less than expected. However much I adore instrumental covers, I was a little underwhelmed by them this time. Overall, the non-covers were more refreshing but the sitar I can only take so much of, personally.
This is fine.
Enjoyed it. Thought some of the songs and covers were pretty interesting to listen to, and thought it ended with a nice banger.
Too much sitar. This album is relentless sitar.
An interesting listen that kept my attention. The covers of Light My Fire and especially Jumpin Jack Flash were very cool but the hilight is the 13 minute composition Sagar (The Ocean) which has some wich ebbs and flows beautifully. 3 stars
I honestly don’t know how, but this worked to some extent. Not the The Rolling Stones and the Doors covers; those were absolutely horrific. But I was quite impressed with “Snow Flower”, “Sagar (The Ocean)” and “Dance Indra”. I don’t know exactly why, it just worked. That being said, I hope we’re not getting another sitar album the next month.
Trippy sitar tunes
ok
This is very much of its time - from the choice of covers to the mix of Indian music with early synths.
-The covers of "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Light My Fire" are cool -The gets jamming pretty good on "Metamorphosis" -Got pretty slow and sparse in lots of sections. I much preferred "The Sounds Of India" by Ravi Shankar
Can definitely understand why this has strong appeal to the production savvy members of our club. It just sounds so crisp. And I like it as background music! But I'm not about to sit down and listen to 40 minutes straight of the sitar front and center.
This was interesting and I'm glad I've heard it, not necessarily my thing but I appreciated it. Found one of them a bit disturbing and irritating - Dance Indra I think. Actually really enjoyed the 13 min one and how it built- really interesting layers and timbres
Eh
I enjoyed most of this album and would be happy to put it on in the background. By the end, it did feel like it was dragging on a bit too long
While the cover song interpretations were neat to listen to, I'm more interested in the original music. I love being exposed to musically sounds from other cultures and this album was interesting. I'd definitely listen to it again and seek out the rest of his discography.
Bit worried when I saw the cover versions but I ended up enjoying this
Juste pour le light my fire
Probably revolutionary for its time. Worth a listen.
Solid
Pas mal mais 1 point de malus car non occidental
3.5 Right off the bat I was surprised. This is simultaneously nothing like and exactly like what I was expecting. This is what the 60s must’ve sounded like. Really interesting, fun pace for most of it. I can see myself listening again for something different but also safe sounding.
3 I appreciate this list recognizing music outside of Western/English-speaking countries, because not only do I feel like it's typically neglected when it comes to top album discussions and rankings, but I admittedly have also done a really poor job of exploring myself. Granted, this album is a take on Western music (it literally says so on the album cover), but I feel like it's a good stepping stone into venturing out further. Aaand I quite enjoyed it. My guy shreds the sitar in ways I didn't know one could, and I really thought he bridged the gap between two cultures effectively. Both of the covers were really, really good, to the point where I may even say Light My Fire... sounds better on a sitar than on a keyboard? It didn't blow my mind, but it definitely encouraged me to listen to more world music - so an effective record through and through. Favorite songs: Light My Fire, Raghupati, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Metamorphosis
3.5 for me, loved the Rolling Stones and the doors cover, the Sintar mixed with western music was cool
Never listened to something like this before, but I can say I enjoyed it. Not sure if I would ever come back to it though.
While not the biggest sitar fan, this album surprised me as being accessible due to such songs as 'Jumping Jack Flash' and "Light My Fire'. Not for all tastes, but much better than I had anticipated.
Wow, was definitely not expecting that. It was an interesting concept and it's weird that the sitar is so culturally ingrained in my head as a "sixties" sound. Was a bit of a slough to get through though. Good album but not my thing.
This one surprised me, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The sitar and moog work really well together, and the fusion of eastern and western rock music was great. Melodic and familiar at times and almost trance like at others.
Good
This was an interesting album for sure. However, its execution varied throughout. The first few songs were enjoyable; the covers were not nearly as bad as some reviewers were making them out to be. The album did drag towards the middle to the end though and for a short 40 minute album to feel like a drag is not a good sign. This album still gets three stars because it is doing something interesting and fusing two very different styles of music. Though western/Indian music had been incorporated before, it was always from a western artist. Here we see the flip side, an Indian artist incorporating western music into Indian music.
Interesting concept
Well.. It's different that's for sure. I admit I sort of like it and I wasn't even high.
Another “enough is enough” record. Interesting though a few songs and a kind of novelty cover, but couldn’t hold my attention further.
A very intersecting album but exactly what I was looking for in this type/style of album.
An interesting take on popular music using a musical style most were not familiar with? Sure. A must-listen? No. There are more sitar styled albums that should bump this from the list, heck there are more options from people named Shankar. 3/5.
går litt i surr for eg prøve å henta meg inn igjen her, men trur detta va ganske ok?
It was just acceptably there. Made little impact on me.
Yea a really interesting listen
Nice easy listen. The sitar sounds awesome.
Interesting Indian music, not my favorite but I appreciate the sounds.
Enjoyable escape, blend of Western and Eastern music is it called fusion.
Alright, but just sounds a little bland and stereotypical to me
Like others, I'm not too big on those covers, but Raghupati is fantastic, so is Sagar.
De covers zijn wel leuk, maar een sitar-nummer van 13 minuten lang is me er toch wat te veel aan.
Interesante pero cansa
An interesting listen, but the covers make it sound like one of those pan pipes albums you buy outside Pennys
Quite cool actually!
Very interesting and enjoyable.
Interesting take on some western covers, almost a reverse-Beatles effect. An interesting fusion of traditional Indian instruments and rock
Interesting application of rock and Indian tradition, but nothing exceptional throughout.
Positively surprised at first due to the combo of rock and Indian music but as the album progressed, the novelty wore off. Just a decent album, no more
De gick rätt så hårt!! Minus poäng för coverszzz… av ”västerländsk” musik också…🤮
I enjoyed it
Ananda Shankar brings a taste of mainstream to their world music on this effort. With many contemporary songs it is a useful reminder of how connected India and the mysticism movement was to the era and Rock music.
I find this music style really interesting World music , I would say I can listen to this daily but 3
Nice sitar. Pretty easy on the ears and once the groove starts it continues to the end. The 8 songs cruz along and before you know it the album is done. But with that there is no moments of YES!!! or NO!!!.
This was pretty interesting. Was weird to hear the two covers using Indian instruments, thought Light My Fire was awesome. I think I prefer the more traditional tracks on side 2. Overall solid album.
Why is it that any cover version of Light My Fire sounds twee and like muzak? Even the on eon this album. There's a couple of comparatively low points (Light My Fire being one of them) but overall this album is great.
This is fun. I actually listened to this last year without realizing what it was.
different style of music than I'm used to but I can rock with it
Gefällt mir gut.
weird but entertaining.
Interesting listen
3.7 - Sitar music has a way of putting me in a trance. I suppose that’s the point. I felt my mind drifting to a pleasant place. The subtle fusions with rock and Moog are gravy.
Interesting. Enjoyable listen. I like the Sitar blended with modern synth and other instruments. Some good covers of other popular songs from the day.
Interesting world music.
Pretty cool - definitely feels like a record that could only be made in the 60s (yeah, the release date says 1970 but we all know this is the sound of the 60s....). Lots of sitar, not much singing - mostly instrumental. Definitely an interesting record - even if just as a historical document. I found the first half (which seems more rock oriented) more interesting than the second half. Some cool sounds on this record for sure - glad it's on the list but not necessarily something I'll be listening too a lot... unless I start doing a lot of acid.
Fine. For me, certainly more enjoyable than Ravi Shankar's sitar music. But, still not my thing.
Magical
This must be what elevator music in India is like.
it's fine?
My co-judge and I cringed after we recognized the first song was a Stones cover and bolted to the bathroom when we heard Light my Fire, which is tough because we only have one bathroom here. After that things got better, especially on side 2. I find the western orientation in terms of melody/song structure/instrumentation makes him more listenable, though less technically proficient I'm sure, than his uncle. I'm deducting a point for the pop covers, though he certainly wouldn't have made this list without them. A strange choice by the 1001 folks.
3 stars. There has to be better eastern music to use for this list. Kind of making me seasick
The covers I'm aware of on this album ("Jumping Jack Flash" and "Light My Fire") are unnecessary. I enjoyed the rest of the tracks. Not my favorite album though.
The covers are fun, but what I really enjoyed was the second half. This isn't something I'd usually say, but if the 13 minute jam (Sagar) had been the whole album I would've given it 4 stars. I felt like I had a little trip to another world, and that was just sitting at my desk in the office...
Probably won't listen to it again but it was an enjoyable one-off. The Doors cover was the highlight.
Classic Shankar, but didn’t lend itself as well to the modern style as classical
Something of a messy mix here. The covers are quirky. The longer tracks verge on the rambling. Probably best suited to having on in the background.
Okay? A fine listening experience but not something i really seek out. 3.5.
You've got to be bold to turn down making an album with Jimi Hendrix, but when you create an album like this it's easily justifiable. Shankar didn't want to make a straight sitar-guitar focused album, he wanted to truly blend the Indian classical music he was accustomed to at home with the western psychedelic wave that was flourishing in the 60's. Fun rock hits and Moog synthesizer tones really make this a unique and interesting album that I think everybody truly needs to hear at least once in their life. It's peaked my curiosity on Indian music, and I'd say it's accomplished the goal Shankar had when creating this record. While this album isn't the origin of raga rock, I'd say it's the heart of it. Favorite Song: Metamorphosis Least Favorite: Sagar (The Ocean) only because of it's slow start and it's a pretty long song. It's still a great piece, just not one I'd revisit as much.
This was incredibly fun to listen to! Really enjoyed this record, definitely outside of what I’d normally listen to but hey that’s what all this is for, right?
An enjoyable listen. The original compositions were better than the Rolling Stones and Doors covers, which had a bit of an Indian restaurant vibe. Interesting that this was the first fusion of Indian and western rock music, which makes the former more accessible, but has been repeated many times since, so doesn't seem as ground-breaking as it perhaps once was.
// Favs: Jumpin‘ Jack Flash Score Decent 3
very interesting funky noises not gonna lie.
SFIIIINKSS
Classic rock covers at the top were cool, bsides were pretty .... bsidey
George Harrison's Indian fusion songs have never been my favorite, but they're definitely cool, so it's interesting to hear the inverse of that kinda. Also, fun fact, this guy was the nephew of Ravi Shankar, who was a close friend of George's and they played together a whole lot, and Ravi Shankar is also Norah Jones' dad. So this guy is Norah Jones' cousin lol
Shankar achieves the mission statement laid out on the album cover; blending Eastern and Western music with the use of his sitar. 7.6/10
This was fine.
I liked the sound of it, but it was a little repetitive
A fun blend of psychedelic and Eastern sitar music. Very similar to the Beatles' weirder stuff. Some of the music was a little lugubrious for my taste though.
Had a lot of fun with this record, and that cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" works insanely well. Cool fusion of Sitar with rock and roll songs before playing some originals.
Ouvir musicas que eu ja conhecia mas com um toque oriental foi bizarro (mas nao ruim)
The covers are fun, but the novelty soon wears off.
Best grappig.
Some of this was good, but honestly, something you'd listen to in the background of a curry house. Muzac.
Interesting! Had worst fears that it was just going to be an album of covers to begin with, but it went into its own thing. Would (and should!) listen again out of curiosity, as its something I had never heard of before and would never have thought to try otherwise.
Enjoyed the covers and the sound was alright but it slowed down a lot in the back half. 6
Soul sitar
Disco muy particular destacando el sitar entre los demas instrumentos, combinando un sonido de la india con algo de rock... las versiones de jumpin jack flash y light my fire están bien, del resto de canciones solo salvaría Metamorphosis. Puntuacion 2,5/5.
Interesting sound but nothing transcendental
I had to listen in 2 sessions as Amy came in and said, "that music is making me homicidal"
Quelque bonnes tounes, le sitar n’est pas utilise comme une toune 100% mais plus pop. 3.5*
Rock music but with a sitar. The second half of the album you could very well get completely lost in if you were in the right headspace *wink wink*
not much to write home about, great instrumentals, novelty covers and thats kinda it.
Oh no please not Sitar music. Edit: I was very wrong god has blessed me with rolling stones songs but with Sitar. Life is good. Covers are the only good songs.
Holy shit this is such a fun album - kind of gimmicky but really really enjoyable
Very mellow, good transcription of Indian and American music from the 70s overall cool sounds 3.3
This was great.
Well… cool I suppose. The novelty wears pretty thin after a couple tracks though.
Very zen and kind of trippy i don’t mind it
This was probably a celebrated album in the 1970's. The sitar's sound was very unique to the sounds of the day. The album featured a few covers of recently popularized songs. The recording quality is good. Would I pay money to own this album? No.
2.75. This was different and I'm glad I listened, but probably wouldn't go back and listen. I do like the traditional sounding Indian instruments
Have some songs on a Spotify playlist
Classic rock style with heavy Indian influence, decent listen
5.5-6/10 FT: Raghupati
This kind of hippie stuff appeals to me right now, mix of Indian sitar stuff and guitars. Not annoying like desi pop. I'm sure this guy is a god to devotees of the Bellingen global festival haha. 3/5.
This was interesting, kind of strange. A fusion of Indian sounds with rock covers.
I really don’t know what to do with this one. Normally I try to rate these by some kind of criterion. By the criterion of psychedelic rock, I guess this is fine. I don’t know enough about Sitar traditions to rate it base on that. I guess I’ll do this one by whether or not I liked it alone…
Good and viby background music, but it gets old quick.
Meu primeiro contato com o sitar foi através dos discos dos Beatles. Uma música que gosto muito e que faz um uso brilhante do instrumento é Within You Without You, do Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, uma das minhas favoritas do álbum. George Harrison foi um gênio em todos os sentidos, e também nesse aspecto: trouxe um instrumento praticamente desconhecido no Ocidente e conseguiu popularizá-lo de uma forma que se encaixava perfeitamente nas canções dos Beatles. Principalmente quando a proposta era algo mais psicodélico ou espiritual, o sitar criava uma atmosfera única, e é justamente isso que mais me marca. Esse disco do Ananda é inteiramente construído em torno do sitar, e, no geral, gostei da experiência. Ainda assim, o fato de todas as faixas girarem em torno do mesmo instrumento acaba me cansando um pouco. Senti falta de alguma variação ou transição que quebrasse essa continuidade, é sitar do começo ao fim. Achei interessante ouvir Light My Fire, do The Doors, nessa roupagem indianesca, mas, para mim, isso por si só não sustenta o álbum inteiro. Foi uma experiência bem válida para conhecer, mas definitivamente não é um disco que eu salvaria na minha playlist.
surprisingly good, and a new listen for me altogether. it becomes background noise though, with little character.
Now That’s What I Call Sitar! Vol. 1 This album actually sounds pretty good and the original compositions are impressive at times, but the cringe factor of the covers are too much to overcome.
Light My Fire is pretty sick. Otherwise it’s kind of like background music.
The mish-mash I never knew I never needed
I can appreciate that this is on the list, and I can appreciate that I would not have listened to it otherwise, and I can appreciate getting to hear sitar covers of 60s rock and roll. I didn't particularly like it, but...yeah? I dunno.
it’s fun but not too special idk
This didn't hit the spot for me.
The covers are unbearable, last track is good
Fails to marry East and West. The covers are almost unbearable.
Ananda Shankar presents an east meets west sitar rock blend that excites me for a short time but ultimately wears thin, unfortunately i feel the original compositions on the album are weak and the covers are enjoyable but only go so far.
The original songs are fine but the covers are super cheesy. Overall decent but not great album, really not sure why it is on this list. A resounding "meh" from me.
I enjoyed the first half with the covers more. I was bored by the end but some harmless fun. Rating: 2.4
Metamorphosis and Raghupati are great but can't save this album from feeling quite unoriginal despite being a full sitar album
Personal quirk, maybe, but I just don't like the sound of the sitar. I also can't stand Light My Fire. Makes this one a bit of a challenge.
Ok
This is definitely an interesting and unique album. There are definitely some super intriguing moments of instrumentation that were great to listen to but were also an equal number of songs I thought were slightly boring or repetitive in nature and they were drawn out longer than I would’ve liked. I think the instrumentation is fine and there’s nothing bad about it by any means but I would never see myself coming back and listening to any of these songs personally on my own time. So while I did like some songs, this wasn’t my type of music and isn’t for me.
That's just too oriental for my taste. Maybe I'm just not open-minded enough for it. I just don't like the music. I think the idea of fusing Western music with an Indian interpretation is a bad one. I probably won't listen to it again, even though I actually listened to most of the album out of curiosity. 2/5
Unless you’re painting it black, nobody needs this much sitar.
Listening session: may 16th, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: I can appreciate to hear world music on here, but this album’s not for me. The sitar’s nice for a few songs but not for 40 minutes Favourite track: Mamata (Affection)
Using the Sitar makes my brain classify the music in a certain place and genre that this didn't fit in to when mixed with the other instruments used in some of the song along with the familiar covers. I enjoyed the instrumental songs much more than the last one. It was a fun listen through and Light My Fire is an excellent cover that I will use in future music quizzes. Nothing I would listen to often myself though.
nah
An album with a goal, clearly stated on the album cover: ""...to combine Western and Indian music into a new form... that is melodious and touching"". The problem is, it fails at this in a few different ways... It's mostly either awkward covers of western songs, or just Indian music with a synthesizer meandering around the mix. It just doesn't work... Except once. Track 4, Mamata, truly is a melodious and touching song that blends the two styles into a new form. It's beautiful. If the album were full of songs that hit the mark like this, it would rate very highly for me. Fav track: Mamata, obviously.
More of a trivia than music I'd listen to. I like world music, but that didn't give much to work with
Quite liked the Rolling Stones cover (because i like the original song), didn't like the 13 minute song (felt like a lot of nothing for a good amount of time), and the rest was meh. Doesn't feel essential and I was happy when it was over.
The sitar is mesmerizing. The covers are fun. 2.6/5.
The Indian music version of jumping jack flash was interesting. I was amused thinking of Mick Jagger as a sitar. I wondered: hang on this might be worth listening to.... but not so much after that.
When to listen: psychedelic vibes. Did I need to listen to this? No. Do I love weird covers? Yes.
An album with a goal, clearly stated on the album cover: "...to combine Western and Indian music into a new form... that is melodious and touching". The problem is, it fails at this in a few different ways... It's mostly either awkward covers of western songs, or just Indian music with a synthesizer meandering around the mix. It just doesn't work... Except once. Track 4, Mamata, truly is a melodious and touching song that blends the two styles into a new form. It's beautiful. If the album were full of songs that hit the mark like this, it would rate very highly for me. Fav track: Mamata, obviously.
recovers strongly from what starts off as bargain bin novelty CD tier. i wish that either there were more vocals or that the compositions were more dynamic -- the back half has it going on.
The last song was alright, though the album kind of got boring after the first few songs when the novelty wore off
Der indische Sitarspieler und Komponist Ananda Shankar – Sohn des Tänzers Uday Shankar und Neffe des Sitar-Meisters Ravi Shankar – nahm sein selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum 1970 in den Tonstudios von Hollywood auf. Produziert von Alex Hassilev und auf Reprise Records veröffentlicht, verbindet die Platte klassische nordindische Sitar-Musik mit westlichem Rock, psychedelischer Elektronik und einem frühen Moog-Synthesizer, bedient von Paul Lewinson. Shankar siedelt seinen Raga Rock damit bewusst im Niemandsland zwischen zwei Welten an: weder rein klassisch, noch bloß exotisch verbrämter Pop. Die bekanntesten Stücke sind seine Sitar-Interpretationen von „Jumpin' Jack Flash" und „Light My Fire" – Covers, die heute wie Kuriositäten wirken, 1970 aber als kühner Brückenschlag galten. Weit überzeugender ist das dreizehneinhalbminütige „Sagar (The Ocean)", das langsam und meditativ anschwillt und zeigt, was Shankar eigentlich beherrschte: atmosphärische Tiefe statt Fusion-Effekthascherei. Mit Bassist Jerry Scheff, bekannt aus Elvis Presleys Band, besitzt der Sound zudem eine unerwartete Erdigkeit. Das Album entstand ursprünglich in der Absicht, Jimi Hendrix einzubinden – ein Vorhaben, das nie realisiert wurde. Vielleicht war das zum Besten: Das Gleichgewicht zwischen Sitar und Moog trägt in seiner Zurückhaltung mehr, als jeder spektakuläre Gitarrenauftritt es hätte tun können. „Raghupati", das volksmusikalische Finale mit gemeinschaftlichem Gesang, schließt das Album mit einer Wärme ab, die man diesem Fusion-Experiment gar nicht zugetraut hätte. Ein Kultklassiker, der seiner Zeit zu weit voraus war, um eine Karriere zu begründen – und genau deshalb bis heute nachwirkt.
Want to like it, just seems gimmicky. Feels bad to say but cmon
I don’t know, feels like this was a bit of a novelty at the time for the different sounds it introduced. But there’s not much going on listening to it now.
About as authentically Indian as a Bombay Bad Boy Pot Noodle. And just like a pot noodle, I imagine I would like this more after several beers.
Algo ciertamente interesante, sobretodo porque me gustaesa cultura, pero no fue algo espectacular
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.
<Tom_Delonge_WTF.gif>
Not a huge fan of sitar music, but the covers surprised me. They weren't that bad!
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.
I don't think this aged very well.
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*
The track Sagar(The Ocean) ticked the boxes. The rest was largely forgettable
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.
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.
I didn't like it that much honestly. The covers were very uncanny.
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.
Today I learned they had muzak in India
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.
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.
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
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
Wow, that was something
Baller Sitar musician plays others covers.
Who knew we needed covers of classics on a sitar? Interesting as an oddity but not gonna come back for more
Sitar covers is an interesting use of one of the slots on this list.
I think I could have died just fine without hearing this.
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.
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⭐️
I don't even remember listening to this so I imagine it wasn't great
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!
Barely escapes a 1 but I personally don't know why this needs to exist.
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
Sagar was a banger. Sitarsploitation is my new favourite musical term.
I do not enjoy the sitar, but I enjoyed it as much as could be expected.
I don't like sitar enough for this
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.
I was looking forward to a non-Anglophone album, but really this was pretty underwhelming.
Nice layback
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.
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.
Standouts Snow Flower
Solid background music.
Not my style, but still interesting to hear. The music was a bit harsh, but the rhythm was relaxing.
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
I didn't much enjoy this, but the auto-play on Spotify after this album was really good. Not sure what that means.
Not a great fan of it
5/10
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.
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
Interesting concept.
60s, with some added 60s and then a sprinkle of 60s on top.
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.
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.
Interesting noises but not my thing
Na ja. Die Zeiten sind vorüber…
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.
Funky. It's interesting, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
Sitar hero!
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.
Yep
Couldn't really get behind this one, amazing what George did with this instrument.
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
Didn't do much for me. Was interesting sonically here and there, but nothing that really jumped out for me.
This isn't my kind of music. But it's a nice change of pace with a very dominant instrument.
Not really my thing, but interesting
One of the songs is a cover of The Rolling Stones, cooool.
The covers of the Stones and the Doors aren’t that interesting, but the original material and traditional songs are solid. It’s sitar music through and through - if you find that sound annoying or grating, this album will not be for you. Notable tracks include Mamata, Metamorphosis, Raghupati.
I'm sure it was groundbreaking at its time. Today, sitar- and Moog-based instrumental versions of 60's hits just... doesn't do it for me.
Somewhat nice album, but even for the time quite cliche. Pop had already been blended much better with Sitar music before. The covers here are fun but not really worth listening to more than once. The original tracks are a bit better, but I feel that Ravi Shankar and others produce more interesting works.
A little disorienting. While I appreciate the skill and effort, seems the old traditional instrument and modern electronic devices are best left in their own corners. Sure, they can come out and play sometimes, but not for too long or they start fighting.
If I were to try to write the ultimate mushroom trip album I'd probably start out with a sitar and a Moog synth. Who doesn't think about kaleidoscoping colors and laughing, pipe-smoking, top-hat wearing caterpillars when they hear a sitar? For whatever reason, I'm not getting that vibe with this... maybe it's the covers, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm in a drugstore or hotel lobby in india going about my day doing the most mundane shit.
Some interesting songs near the end, but the rest it’s annoying
Not that exciting of an album, but it is defintely something that would be alright as a background in a movie, for example. Overall, quite oriental-sounding, but maybe a bit meh.
I got a lil lost in hyperspace :/
It was nice, but i wouldn’t recomend it, only the last song.
this started off well but it started getting worse with every song. And this is coming from someone who loves listening to the sitar
Not really my thing. Mildly entertaining as background music.
Very dated. Didn't do anything for me. Two stars for effort.
Some tracks had me vibing. The Ocean was an interesting time. Would I listen it it again. Probably not. Jumpin Jack Flash was a wild start to this album.
It’s a lot of sitar.
That's enough sitar for me.
Couldn’t make it to the end. I lasted through the Stones, but had to fast forward the Doors track. Everything else was unpleasantly foreign to me… like gumming down food with no texture or taste. 2 stars for Sitars.
Conceptually interesting but I would say otherwise not my favourite listen
Nothing special
At first I hated it. Then I kind of got into the cheesiness for a few songs. But in the end it still greatly annoyed me.