Talking Timbuktu

I can understand that the repetition of the same drum or bass line throughout each song is a very explicit choice from the style of music this is - but it made me feel impatient and frustrated more than anything, waiting for a chord change that was never going to come. Really wish I liked this, the talent on display is strong.

We’ve already had a Mali blues album, Music in Exile by Songhoy Blues. I found that a lot better than this one. This just kinda put me to sleep. It was fine, but I wouldn’t listen normally.

I am uncultured. I need to hear some Songhai Music which is not blues tinged, because most bluesy music knocks at least a star off due to my broken brain. My God I struggled with this record. I can hear that the performances are good. I'm into the vocals. I'm not into the hypnotic, winding melodies. If I was in a trance like state, meditating or at a serene cafe reading a book then maybe I'd be able to understand it better

While I appreciate that this list has introduced me to something new, I’ve never heard of this guy before, but it was not for me. I found this to be dull and overly long.

Liked this one a bit better than the last one by him, but still meh.

Oh, well, this didn't do much for me. a bit repetetive in its musical motifs, even if they were cute.

Talking Timbuktu didn’t do much for me overall — kind of boring, to be honest. That said, it did make for a pretty relaxing soundtrack on a long road trip. It’s chill background music, but not something I’d actively choose to listen to again.

Boring, simplistic & repetitive

I'll be honest it was in one ear and right out the other. I don't remember anything from it and I listened to it less than 24 hours ago 4/10

It was ok, I wouldn’t be in a rush to listen to it again though

Appreciate the musicality but quite inaccessible for me.

Ihan kuin olisin kuullut kaikki biisit ennenkin, mutta oli sentään viuluyllätys välissä. Periaatteessa pidän, mutta olisin kaivannut lisää vaihtuvuutta, siitä miinustähti (olen ehkä ankarampi kuin tarvitsisi).

Ali ja Ry toivovat, että jamit riittävät. Tiettyyn pisteeseen ehkä riittävätkin, mutta toista kuuntelukertaa on vaikea kuvitella muussa kuin akateemisessa mielessä. Matala 2.

this song is ok because it has some cool sounds. I would recommend this song. This song is okay because the start is good. I would recommend this song. This song is okay because the start is low, but it gets better in the beginning. I would recommend this song.

I dont like this music because it reminds me of saint Patrick's day. I like the music in the back but I don't like the singers voice. I don't like the way that each song has a different vibe. I wouldn't reccomnend this album.

I'm not a huge fan of this album because its honestly kinda boring

The song is okay I like the beat but I would like to understand what they are saying . The second song is good but the same thing I would like to understand the words. the third one is good to I like the beat . I recommend this album because of the beat

I don't really like this because there is no lyrics and I don't like how the instruments sound. I would not recommend this album to someone else because I don't think a lot of people like music with no lyrics. I would probably give this album a solid 2 stars out of 5.

I don't like this album because its not my style of music I also don't like it because I feel like it would make me fall asleep I reccomend if you like calming music but I don't reccomend If you don't like calming music

the first song is okay I don't like the way the words sound they might be in a different language though, I also don't really like the sounds of the instruments. the next song is the same not much difference more talking but still in a different language I like the guitar though. the last song is way different it starts off really weird and stays like that.

A seemingly fun album at first. Then it drags on the phrases which if you don’t speak the language turns into insanity as he just keeps repeating himself in songs that last about 8 times longer than they should. Great guitarmenship but really brought down by repetitiveness and length of songs. 4/10

Too experimental to get into World music.

Inte min bag! Tvåa

Which technically good, I just couldn’t connect with this one. Some good moments, but overall I wouldn’t go back.

This jam session was not as interesting as I believe they thought it was. Probably great for whoever was there or maybe if I was stoned. Oh well, too long, not for me. 2/5

Yeah whatever it's fine but not great.

Kinda boring 2.4

I don't know how to rate world music. I don't have enough experience to know if something is 'good' or 'mid' or 'bad'. All I can ask is do I like it? Does it vibe? This vibes. But it also gets repetitive. And I'm not really sure what Cooder adds to the mix.

Well performed by all musicians involved but not a very exciting listen.

Another hard one for me to rate. Some very cool songs (“Ai Du” sounds like badass Delta Blues) but also some very repetitive tracks that probably are more Malian-influenced. To my ear there’s not a lot happening in many of the songs, but I also don’t understand the style or the words. I liked listening to this record though, even if I would have a hard time focusing on it as a listening experience.

As much as I would like, I just can't find my tastes aligning with this kind of world music. 2/5

Relatively easy listening. Pretty repetitive though.

1.8

funky background music

This catches the imagination in places, Ai Du being the most notable one, but ultimately it's too long and drawn out to be a really good album. It's quite an interesting combination of blues and Malian music; I definitely prefer it when it's blues front and centre, but the Malian sounds to add something different and interesting. I think it's a 2, mostly because it's so long and bloated.

4/10

Some songs are fairly boring, while others are interesting throughout. A middle of the road album for me. The guitar tracks are certainly better than the others.

Can't really get through this but seems good Will I listen to again: 0%

Almost remarkably banal.

Not much to say about this. Pretty chill but didn't need to be this long, or on the list probably.

⭐️⭐️

I like the idea of this album but found it a little bland. It has the promise of North African music but without the energy and fun that makes people get up and dance.

Gear: Moondrop Variations Artwork: 🎸🤣🪘😑🎸🤣 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸🪘🌍🎶☀️ Rating: 🪘🪘(🪘)/5

I’m sure lots of people enjoy this and I’m very happy for them. (ntm.)

Groovy, but not as groovy as the other one.

Listened Before? N Meh. More foreign language stuff. I did really enjoy the guitar work here but I found the whole thing sleepy overall. Good news it reminded me briefly of some Grateful Dead song and I listened to the Dead the rest of the day. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Bonde

This is alright but every song kind of sounds the same to be honest. Solid background music to work to, but it doesn’t really standout.

Soft gitarrspel men annars ganska tråkigt.

Not my normal genre for enjoyment- obviously talented musicians but sorry could not get into it

nice enough album with some excellent playing but I think Ry Cooder is a bit superfluous in that he just plays his own style and doesn't really engage with the album style. Cannot really engage with me since the style is in a totally different culture and most of the tracks are songs in an unknown language so with no meaning to me. In fact I often moved on to the next track after the first verse since there was little if any change in the musical accompaniment, the story is told by the lyrics that I don't understand. Some nice music though.

Currently one of my top 3 genres, I have enjoyed a great many "World" albums through this site. Unfortunately this is not one of them. Even as background music it was uninteresting, overly long, and so grating I couldn't even appreciate the guitar. I suppose it is a fairly broad genre, but this didn't grab me at all.

I just don't get on with African (world) music. I still liked the intro to the first track, a beautifully played acoustic guitar. But when the vocals started, it became too strange for me. The 2nd piece was ok, but I wasn't particularly interested. I only listened to two other pieces and then stopped the whole thing. 2/5

They were truly talking Timbuktu in this one. Somehow really interesting and excruciatingly boring at the same time - a true enigma. Appreciate some world music once in a while, but I can't really say I enjoyed this one.

I don't know it's alright.

Each song is 2 mins too long. Anyone who gave this a 5 either speaks this language or is lying to themselves

2 star

I didn't know glasgow had a desert

Started off ok, but drags on a bit after a while.

Relaxing enough sounds but nothing if actively choose to listen to again.

I like the guitar sound, can’t stand the vocal tone. Seemed like a very long hour. Ali Farka Touré is on the list twice. Blondie once. Annie Lennox once. This list is mental.

Very pleasant

Impressive musicianship, I really enjoyed the playing on this record. The songs wore on a little long though, and there wasn't a ton that kept my attention. But solid.

Sonically I can appreciate this recording, just didn’t resonate with me as something I’d like to sit and listen to

Decent background music for me, but not much else I take away from this.

Truthfully, I need to listen to this more and in a different setting. It just didn't hit me for my mood. It started of ok. And I thought I'd get African/western fusion. Graceland came to mind. But this seems to me to be an album of African folk music and I wasn't in the mood. 2.4

Ok...semi sterile but decent for background music. 2.5/5

I've listened to a couple of west african albums before and I enjoyed them, this one was a mix bag for me. Some of the songs I loved and others I felt nothing for. Guess that means no matter the culture or language barriers, some music will jive for ya and some won't.

Just o.k. Easy listening.

This was pretty snoozy (respectfully) mostly

Not my thing.

p739, 1994. 2 stars. Pleasant enough world music/blues crossover, and some great guitar work from Ry Cooder - but ultimately it's bland background noise.

African music. Sounded fine for what it was. Just couldn’t appreciate it. Standouts: Soukora and Diaraby.

Molto fuori dalle mie corde

Sorry, not for me.

2-3

Some decent music. But it didnt catch my attention. Not really my thing. Plus it was too long.

Made me want to listen to Workbook by Bob Mould

Not really my thing, though there were a couple good jams. Overall it not being an album sung in I language I can understand, I probably won't be revisiting this one.

Not my bag

I don't have the attention span for this

Album cover looks like a sick chop sessions w the fellas. First song i really vibed to, but didn’t get much from the rest of the album besides maybe Amandrai and Keito, which had a cool sound

Reading the positive reviews about this album is really strange to me. Not because I actively dislike it, but because I didn’t really hear any of that on this album. I don’t know, desert blues for me is just in one ear and out the other. Maybe at some point this genre will grow on me.

Not interested

not for me i guess

Not great. Ry Cooder really helped!

aggiunto a caso a questa lista

Meh

Really good but got repetitive at the end

Only okay ambient music

*sigh* c'était potentiellement musicalement intéressant mais aucunement dans mon mood/vibe.

Not my style

It's a groovy sound but doesn't change from song to song.

The songs didn't mean anything to me and it's a bad sign that I thought a couple times "This is still going?" It's not badly done but it's not for me.

awesome thanks

Idc

I don't think I appreciate this style of music. Maybe I need to listen to more of it but currently don't really get it

Soitannassa ei vikaa, mutta kielimuurin takaa vaikea saada taruntapintaa ja päästä fiilikseen. Jäi laimeaksi.

Paikoin ihan ok, ei kuitenkaan säväyttänyt erityisesti

2.5 A little repetitive and not my sort of thing but loved the vibes.

not for me

I have not heard of this album before. It’s not really my taste in music; I found it very boring to listen to. Will not listen again.

I liked a blues-based song early on the album and then the album became meditative. So, I think this is the second album I've gotten by the artist, and that's enough.

Not my style unfortunately

The songs were a bit soothing in a "I didn't understand a word of the lyrics" kind of way.

It wasn’t bad but I wanted to skip through it the whole time.

2.4

This album had a bit of everything. A lot of blues. A little "Graceland" Paul Simon. A little Dave Matthews Band. A little....🤢....jazz....🤮 The problem is, none of it sounds particularly great. It's not shit, but I certainly wouldn't write home about this album. As someone who's attempted to learn guitar, I can appreciate they're talented musicians. However, just because something is difficult to play, doesn't mean it's an easy listen. Just because you can *play* "Eruption" by Van Halen, doesn't mean anybody wants to *hear* that racket (apart from the intro, of course). The only time I can remember enjoying music similar to Ali Farka Toure is during an Oliver Stone film, when it plays over a scene where the characters are tripping on drugs. It's a perfect use of this sound. Other than that, it's boring and forgettable. 👎👎

It's easy enough to listen to, but it's just kind of boring. Why are we listening to this?

enjoyed it more than the previous 2 albums, very laid back and chilled, probably great to have on in the background but as an active listen i got bored before the end of every song.

1.5/5

2/5

I feel like I'm stuck in a rut of being served albums that are "fine" for me but have a lot of love in other parts of the country. I'm trying to appreciate them but this one is another album where I'm like OK, next. Good background music for working though!

Not my jam on this moody day

Here's where this whole thing gets interesting. I think it's very important for any list of music and albums to have variety, especially something as broad as 1001 albums to hear before you die. There's plenty of music that's not in English or from a genre that doesn't have wide commercial appeal that deserves to be heard by music lovers. But how can I compare something like this to, say, Purple Rain or Physical Graffiti? How can I rate it on the same scale? There's a lot to like about this album from the start. I love stringed instruments, and guess what, there's lots of great stringed instrument parts here. The songs are upbeat for the most part, but also have an intentionally repetitive nature that doesn't fit with a lot of popular music. I found myself looking it less as it went on just because I have so much less experience for what I'm hearing. I know Ry Cooder is a rock guy and it's cool that he's on here, but it seems to veer pretty far into some areas I just don't know enough about. The songs I like are really fantastic, but there's enough long pieces that don't go anywhere that really make me question whether it's my own inexperience with this kind of music, or of these songs are very all over the place. To wrap up, I'm going to rate this album, but I'm less confident in my rating than usual. Maybe I'll come back here after I do a little bit of research, but for now this seems uneven with some very high points but also some significant lows

Enjoyable background music that I'm glad I've listened to. Not sure how there are two albums of his on the list though. Might start turning all of these reviews into complaining about how there's no Zevon on the list.

This album needed an editor badly. Shorten every song. It did not need to be this long. Tighten it up. I couldn't understand the lyrics. Surprised this artist got two albums on this list. I will round up but it is a close call.

Nice enough, doubt I'll listen to it again though.

Fairly route one afro bluesy stuff. Not a thrill a minute.

To be honest, I'm not sure this African/Blues fusion really works

So it's been over 2 years since I listened to this - but I can finally edit my reviews and knew there was one that I rated and it immediately saved it with no written critique. So here goes. . . This could have been so much better, but then Ry Cooder got involved. African Music for White Folks.

Kinda boring. Couple bright spots though. Kinda gets the same review of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Före långrandigt tyvärr

Not bad and pretty good instrumentation and background music. Can't see myself coming back to this one tough. 2.3/5

Vermoeiend om hier iets van te moeten vinden... ehm, gewoon ok maar niet bijzonder dan maar?

Leuke afwisseling, maar deed me weinig

Na een paar nummers wist ik het wel.

Sorry to say that this could not quite meet the 3star world music standard rating. To repetitive and too much of that particular version of vocalization

2.5

Kinda cool, but not for me.

Meh

I couldn't seem to get into this at all. Maybe the problem was that I was geared up for some stompin' Ry Cooder and got something much more subdued.

Second album I’m getting here from Ali Farka Touré. One might even think other African musicians are hard to find. Anyway, Ry Cooder or not, this album is too repetitive.

idk fine. nothing stand out

Don't really remember much about this.

I don't really care for the droning style of this album. 4/10

Tiene música tribal y también otros ritmos. La mayoría es instrumental. Safa para estudiar.

More random generic world music

middle of the bill at WOMAD.

I'd pay £25 to see Macauley Culkin have sex with Jonah Lomu

Talking Timbuktu is the 1994 collaboration album between Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré and American guitarist/producer Ry Cooder. This Malian folk crossed with hip hop album was certified gold in Europe in 2009 and won a Grammy in 1994 for Best World Music album. I enjoyed the cultural music on this album and was vibing to the beats. It's a great album to hear some world music.

Not my jam, again. I get it, we need music from around the world and not just the same sounds but I just wasn’t in to this one. Good for what it is, though. I guess.

This, for me, was just not able to get in to. It was interesting honestly- not necessarily awful but just something I would never find myself listening to. I neither loved nor hated it but seeing as I would never listen to it again, slightly below average.

Roots blues, very very repetitive. Not enough variety to really enjoy, but well played nonetheless. Two and half stars.

Too jazzy for me

Uhh... No thanks.

No lo escuché directamente no me gusta el cantante, no es mi género ni tampoco a nivel cultural me gusta. Talvez sea oportunidad para expandir gustos!

gostei da vibe

Någon borde ge Ry Cooder yrkesförbud. Hur mycket musik har inte den karln förstört?

Sorry Ali. Not into your music

mmm album de mali africanito, not my tipe 1/5

really cool instrumentals and melodies but dear lord it was SO repetitive. this would be better live but sitting at work listening to this, i was just growing frustrated. the best song was soukora. 3/10

linda cultura mas não curti

Not my kind of music

Do not like african music

Farkin' hell. Where the 'New World' crashes into the 'Third World'. Please do not do this any more, one world is enough.

Every song is so repetitive! This is supposed to be a guitar-led album, but the guitar tone is so thin and wimpy and the playing is uninspired. Not a single fun moment.

I would have preferred this without the singing. Decent enough music but the voice is annoying and not enjoyable to listen to at all. 1.5/5

Oof. This is some repetitive west African music. It’s very tiring to listen to all of this because it doesn’t really go anywhere. I don’t know of care to learn the context here but I don’t find this worthwhile except from an anthropological standpoint. One star.

Not sure about this one…

not for me.

Snervt

There’s something interesting in here but I can’t hear it b/c Ry Cooder can’t shut the fuck up. I’m not a fan of modal noodling to begin with. Each of these songs plays like 30 seconds worth of a musical idea stretched to an intolerable length. But what makes this a truly negative listening experience is Ry Cooder constantly injecting his droll musical ideas (in that shitty strat-through-a-jazz-chorus-amp voice) so that I’m not even sure what the Malian musicians might sound like unmolested and unadulterated.

2/10

Nö! Gedudel!

Rubbish

Nope

Was just so slow and repetitive. Not for me 3.5/10

Just couldn't do it. Too repetitive. I tried to give it an honest listen, but sadly I had to skip it. 1/5

Not for me.

Repetitive chanting nonsense

just didn't work for me.

No sir

Not for me. 1/5

1,4/5

buenos músicos y buena ejecución instrumental pero se me hizo difícil escuchar la hora entera de disco. probablemente no lo vuelva a escuchar

I am going to have to read why this made it.

Negative

I rate bonde a 1 star because its not for me and it really dosnt sound good but the bongos sound good. I rate ai du a 1 because ts not for me and it really dosnt sound good but the geutire sounds good. I rate sega a 1 star because its not for me and it really dosnt sound good but the bongos sound good.

Song: bonde this song is weird I don't know what it is saying but I think other people like it just not me Song: ai du this song at the start sounds good and normal but again I still don't know what there sing this song would have been good if It was in English Song: Sega this song is kind of weird

the first one i did not really like becuase its just not my type of style of music the second one i dont really like ethier i dont like the backround music the third one i dont like rthier because it has no lyrics

the first song started off okay but like there's no lyrics and I enjoy songs with lyrics oh wait nvm there is lyrics but I don't understand it but the voice of the guy I think is lowkey bad. the next song sounds uhm ight but I like the the background music the voice goes well with how slow the song is and everything sounds in tune

I've come to discover that I really hate this kind of music. It's so repetitive, dull, and for whatever reason every album is thirty minutes longer than it should be. I'm assuming there is a culture barrier keeping me away from appreciating this, as it is solid instrumentally, and nothing is obviously "bad," but there are very few things I'd rather not do than listen to this or Ali Farka Touré's other 1001 Album again.

Just not for me.

Tendrá un montón de armonías chulas pero yo sigo sin entender esta musica

Nope! Nope, not for me. That squeaky voice, the guitar style of Ali Farkas Toure, none of it is my thing.

Nope

Yeah, nah.

Nah bruh

1. bonde - 1.5 2. zoukura - 1.5 3. gommi - 1 4. zega - 1.5 5. amandrai - 2 6. lazidan - 1.5 7. keito - 1 8. banga - 1 9. du - 1.5 10. diaraby - 1

Nicht meine Richtung

Bring on the good albums!!

Bit of a dry dirgy album - wouldn’t re visit

Me ha aburrido la verdad :(

Songs are too long, I could have lived with that if it was a instrumental album as it would have been good background music however the siging spoils it for me

Couldn’t get this one on my streaming service.

Glad to get this shit out of the way Sooooooooo boring

When this album came up my first reactions was this is going to be terrible! Then after playing the first track I knew I was right and in for a rough ride with this one! Not a fan at all

World Music - absolut nicht mein Ding 1/5

Honestly, i did not care for this album. I've turned it off after 4-5 songs. It was just boring. Not my thing.

Good. Should not be on the list. Especially if there's no Mdou Moctar or Tinariwen

Nije moj đir

not for me

Hearing this album makes me happy I’m so close to being done with this list. Another album of “significance” that maybe 1000 people heard before doing this list. My life was unaffected by hearing this album. 2.3/10

I respect it, but it's not my taste.

Despite understanding not a single word, he kinda sounds happy :)

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Terribly boring listen. Yet again 1001 includes music that I have zero context or perspective to even begin to appreciate with any sort of seriousness. One hour of what I've perceived as the same sound over and over again because I don't understand the language.

Not my style of music

I’m trying to figure out if including this album was a prank. Why is this good?

I don’t see myself ever listening to one of these songs for fun

In all honesty, how is this on the list?

Not in English

Ritmos étnicos y con cierto ritmo, pero no encuentro ningún elemento que haga que destaque especialmente. Estoy seguro de que discos de este tipo hay a puñados

Really not that interesting, couldn't hold my attention for the duration of a song.

Uninteresting throughout. Couldn't wait to finish the album. Track I came closest to liking was Ai Du.

absolute snoozefest, nothing to enjoy in this album