The Sounds Of India

Ein Sound aus einer anderen Zeit, aus einem anderen Land und meinem Geschmack ganz fern. SummselWummsel .. es ist ein Stern

mt bacana

I went in seeking melody, harmony, and counterpoint. When I realized they were not to be had I closed my Western mind and listened to both kinds of music instead: country and western. Maybe if I grew up around this I would feel differently. The polyrhythmic drums are nice but the sitar makes me feel anxious. When I feel anxious I'm not very open minded.

This is the kind of album I expected to see more of on this list. I feel like I genuinely learned something.

Exceptional

This is something I've never encountered before! "The Sounds Of India" is more of a musical documentary than an album, so I'm not inclined to give it a higher score. Other than that, listening to a cultural expert explaining classical Indian music was delightful, entirely improved from the sitar's stereotypical use as a vaguely "oriental" instrument shoved in the background of shows, games and movies. The complimentary performances made for a relaxing evening. I was also endeared when I read that Ravi Shankar was a friend of the Beatles, having been an instrumental influence on their later sound (and a lot of 60's pop and rock).

Joa..

spaced out to this one. always down for some good raga. appreciated the music lesson there at the beginning.

Indeed, cool music to listen to with an open and relaxed mind. Especially fun to hear “Within You Without You” in “Dádrá.”

I of course know who he is- and how talented he is and the impact he had on western music for a generation. I also don’t necessarily have the context to fully judge it. I can appreciate the musicianship even if I won’t go back to it.

I think if this dude just played rather than explaining it all beforehand, it might have been more enjoyable

Amazing historical recording by Ravi Shankar introducing Western audiences to the music of India. I love how he explains the scales and the unusual rhythms (16). Obviously influenced and taught the Beatles and gave us immensely talented offsprings…

Teetering between a 3 and 4 for me. Some really really great playing and the explanations make it unique and interesting. I want to come back later and listen closer to what he’s explaining

Another one to chalk down as an interesting cultural exercise, but not something I'd ever have any inclination to return to.

legend. where The Beatles/George Harrison got a lot of their influence from.

Dune coon ahh album

Just isn’t my vibe.

Master! Master! 5

The sitar is great when it is part of a song but.... What is this? I'd give it one star based on content, but I know it is significant to the sound the Beatles later used so I gave it a boost for that. 2/5

Nicht mein Genre! Das zehnte Nullsterne- Album in Folge!!

it’s why i do this – discovering genres

OKAY TODAY I'LL CATCH UP Update: Tomorrow it will be... Update 2: No...just no...

Pésimo

*Rhythmic Sitar playing- cool to hear but often sounded similar over the album

This is less an album I need to hear before I die and more of an instrument I need to hear before I die. This is Beatles-adjacent music, so it is going to be in the book just because it influenced George Harrison. Thank God none of the Beatles had a music teacher who put out an album or else that individual would have an album in this book as well. Ravi Shankar is a master of the instrument and it’s clear he cares to share his talent with everyone. I do enjoy his explanations before each song as it is clear Ravi wants people to understand the music he is making as well. It has been a weird week for me with this project. I have gotten three instrumental albums from 1957, 1957, and 1962, so apparently the algorithm thinks I need to listen to older albums this week.

pretentious sitar twiddling that requires a tutorial to understand for some reason. barely music.

Cool as a novelty but got old pretty fast. Won’t be revisiting, 2.25/5

I don't really have a significant frame of reference for ragas. I imagine this is kind of like the one person that white westerners would know about if you asked them to name someone who performs ragas and I can almost guarantee it was because of his association with The Beatles. Kind of like 90% of that same group would probably name Bob Marley if you asked them to name a reggae act. I actually appreciated the parts where he took time in the album to explain the differences between ragas and western music. For me personally I really love the drone strings and the tablas. If the sitar gets to shreddy or the note density gets to high it kind of just distracts me. Maybe that's not raga in that case I really don't know I just want the drone.

This is great stuff. It rewards the listener for intent listening, but it also rewards the listener for just sitting back and letting the music take over. The way the winding compositions endlessly unfold is a little unnerving, but never boring. 5.0/5.0

i was feeling a 4 for this but ended up enjoying it so much i didnt notice it ended and started playing other songs from him.

Interesting that this is very much a "music education" album, with Ravi teaching western listeners who Indian music works. I appreciate it, but at the same time I would find it easier to listen to the album if it had just the music and not the interruptions to describe it all.

I actually thought the instructional bits were sort of charming, and there is definitely talent on display. But, my knowledge of Indian music still feels too sparse to really have a strong opinion.

Didn't expect to get actual guidance on how to understand this music. Imagine non-Western music being so novel, that it's necessary?

At times really cool, qnd at times a little too much for me. I do really like the sitar but this is a lot of it. Could say that about most instruments I guess with a few exceptions. Will definitely revisit though. Didn’t have the perfect listening opportunity.

educational content? in MY 1001 albums list??

I enjoyed the little explanations

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully appreciate Indian classical music. I don’t dislike this. I can appreciate music of different cultures but I don’t think I will ever be able to differentiate one piece from another

In stark and opposite contrast to his daughter Nora Jones' work (Come Away With Me also being in this list), Ravi's ragas have an extreme delta between 'wow this is cool/awesome' and 'I can hardly stand listening to it'. Where Nora's works are super-boring but super-listenable, The Sounds Of India is an album that is incredibly intriguing and yet I find it so hard to listen to. I think a big part of it is just not having enough sitar in the Western diet - besides hearing George Harrison plucking away at the instrument, very few of us have had much exposure to these complicated schools of music from the East. Shankar does a pretty bang-up job trying to explain the style here, speaking directly to the listener about what to expect and it's commendable. But there's something about the funky time signatures and full sound that just feels super overwhelming. It's a big ask to pare down a very complex venerated school of music down in a few minutes of explanatory dialogue and I'd concede that he does his best. Obviously not all ragas fit this particular bill - I've enjoyed Shankar's Morning Raga plenty of times, which is more meditative. You get the impression here that, for better or worse, he's showing off the instrument and what you can do with it. In the last track, which is softer and quieter, it's a lot easier to follow along at least, so it's a good range. And in that regard it achieves all that it sets out to do: the sitar sound has been played and replicated by dozens of psych-rock and psych-rock tribute bands over the years and it's clear that Shankar can make it sing far better than any of them. He's a true bard, commanding complete control over his instrument, and I'm honestly frustrated that I can't squeeze as much out of this as I would have liked. I'm going to keep my thumb on the page here and come back to edit my review when I give it another couple relistens, which I think it deserves. Overall it's definitely an album that belongs here, not only for its influence on bringing India to Western music (and obviously his association with inspiring the Beatles) but because it's undeniably something you should listen to before you die. To me it just arrests my thoughts and demands my complete attention in a way that other music rarely does, and by that metric it's fascinating. Fav tracks: Sindhi-Bhairavi

Good

Good album. Very informative album.

"don't expect to hear melody, harmony, counterpoint..." Yup, certainly didn't.

Really quite a little gem. I grew up around a lot of Ravi Shankar collab albums, this was unexpected and superior to trying to incorporate classical Indian music into some Beattlesque new agey slop imo. 4 Boolean: True

unclear to me why this is on the list. its fine -- and I guess I learned some music theory, which I assume is the only time I will from this list.

i can see how this was a total revelation for people when it was released. i was surprised to hear his voice and enjoyed him explaining ragas. it is similar to EDM for me as certain tones are hypnotic and others are so irritating. I did have to change it and come back to it a few times.

Sitar ist ein schönes Instrument beziehungsweise kann es sein in Maßen. Eine Stunde ist deutlich zu viel 2/5

Interesting album, not really listened to Indian music before

4/5. This felt like a music theory lesson.

Really interesting Indian music intro - overall relaxing 4

I enjoyed that sound.

This is very much an introduction manual for Indian music. And even at introductory level, I feel like I dont really understand what Ravi Shankar is telling me, as he plays an instrument and counts beats that (to my untrained ears) seem to bear no resemblance to what is being played. He is a very talented musician and what he is playing seems very complex to me. But that may be because it doesn't in any way follow the traditional structure of western music. Apart from it having a start, an end and it being produced by a selection of instruments. I enjoyed it and am glad that I listened to it. I can see why this very different style appears in western pop music. As it is so rich and interesting. (3.300)

Interesting but whatevs

Schon ein witziger Zufall: Zwei Platten mit losem George Harrison-Bezug hintereinander. Wir hatten ja schon mal eine indische Platte, die mir damals irgendwie deutlich mehr gegeben hat. Das lief dagegen gestern durch, ohne dass mich das in irgendeiner Form berührt hätte. Zusätzlich dieser Teaching-Aspekt dahinter... wenn man wirklich tiefer in diese Musik eintauchen möchte, dann ist das sicherlich ganz interessant. Als casual listener hat mich das dagegen eher gestört, zumal der Theorie-Anteil letztendlich auch ziemlich gering war.

Geschichtlich sicher interessant, aber als Album weiß ich jetzt nicht wirklich, ob ich da eine Theoriestunde in Albumform echt benötige.

Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich dieses Jahr noch eine Lektion in indischer Musik bekomme. Hatten wir nicht auch schon ein Album von Ravi Shankar? Mir waren die Ausbrüche zu lang. Mal ganz interessant gehört zu haben - grade auch im geschichtlichen Kontext -, aber häufiger muss es auch nicht sein.

Erst labert mich ein alter Mann zu und klimpert dabei und danach wird nur noch geklimpert. Ich kann indischer Musik ja durchaus was abgewinnen, aber das hier war zu hochdosiert

Just listened to for first time I've never really heard anything like it , I need to listen to it again, it's just not music it's a lesson in music though I'm not sure listening to a long session of this type of sound will appeal to many it's definitely an interesting sound, as a whole I would of liked some more diversity in sound but I wasn't put off by it I would like to hear more music like this

I struggle to enjoy sitar. I love the small lessons between numbers, but the actual music is not for me.

Da het de Ravi Shankar mit The Sounds of India ned zviel versproche. Das tönt sehr fest nach Sound vo Indie. Da bini leider zfest innere europäische pop gsellschaft ufgwachse dass die lieder en ohreschmauss für mich sind. Ned bös gmeinti 2 Shivas

Hed mir nöd passt. Zu e perimentel und zu vill zwüsche text. Aber mal es indische bangerslbum wäri offe defür

I like this album, partially because I dream of finding a thrift store sitar one day, but I imagine an hour of semi-instructional sitar jam is a tall ask for most listeners.

I enjoy the instructional aspect, which reminds me of those old 7-inch records they used to sell with children’s books that including narration and instructions to “turn the page.” These sitar ragas are definitely a mood.

Absolutely should have something like this on the list for you to hear once before you die. Once.

Another one. Not that it’s uninteresting because I love sitar as an instrument and Ravi Shankar is undeniably talented and such but it’s boring is all.

I didn't care for it.

Big influence on some great bands (i.e. beatles, rolling stones) but like the bands he influenced better

Could probably have stayed in India. Props for being Norah Jones' dad though.

I'm not used to albums giving you an instruction manual on how to listen to them, but this is, as far as I know, one of the first traditional Indian albums widely released in The States. In short, I understand why this album is like this, even if I think it's a very on the nose, slightly clunky way of handling things. Though, honestly, some of the information about how improvisation operates within Indian music is genuinely interesting, and the narration has a certain charm to it, so I'm not deducting a lot of points. As for the music itself, I don't feel especially qualified to review this, as with many dense, improvisatory, instrumental genres. On first listen, I just can't appreciate the nooks and crannies like I should. But I did very much enjoy this. The effect while listening to this is very much calming and meditative, and listening deeply to this exacerbates these attributes. There's tons of movement, savant instrumental talent, and brilliant improvisation here, and I could see myself *really* liking this if I came back. I also wouldn't be surprised if this was really influential to the inclusion of Indian music within '60s rock music. Ultimately, very enjoyable, read this as a strong 3.

Certainly interesting, but a bit too long.

I like it but it’s odd to have a piece of classical music on this list.

Different and kind of interesting at first but it quickly grew very tedious.

1,4/5, nice to want to teach about Indian music, but the album itself is not the kind of album I'd want to listen to

I actually found the exoplanets kinda interesting as opposed to just an hour of straight sitar music.

I’m pretty sure this must’ve been mentioned many times already but there’s a lovely moment in George Harrison‘s concert for Bangladesh where Ravi Shankar & co are warming up and the crowd gives a huge, prolonged cheer thinking the performance had started. Shankar says something along the lines of, "If you like our tuning up so much, I think you'll enjoy our set." It was a funny moment but it also suggests that the beautiful, intricate sound of the sitar is something so inherent, it doesn't even need to be played properly to sound magical - to the untrained ear at least. Either that or the audience were all idiots. Much as I enjoyed listening to this record, it did feel more like a documentary at times. It's not something I'd ordinarily reach for, but I'm glad I listened, and given the influence he's had on western pop music, it's great to see him featured here.

Listening to this certainly felt like an education. The intricacies of the music - the rhythms and timings are amazing. I assume the album was trying to get Indian (Hindustani?) music over to western ears. I have no idea how successful it was in doing it, but certainly an engaging listen.

Man, pop music used to be different. Like it’s very cool that Shankar explained to Western listeners what to listen for, and this way before the Beatles started using sitars.

A unique listen if nothing else. Gotta be the first album I've heard with spoken instructions included on it.

The sitar is such a cool instrument. Really fond of the sounds of India and this album is great in transmitting knowledge and culture through sounds. Great piece of culture this is!

Cool licks but not my style

3/10

Täh

Pling pling plong fuck yeah dude sitar music sick

Idk I know it’s important and he’s very famous and I do think Indian music should definitely be represented on this list but ultimately just kinda found this boring. Not my tempo.

RATING: 7.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Sindhi-Bhairavi LOWLIGHT: Bhimpalási

I respect the effort but it’s just not something I’d listen to.

Need more time to listen on this one, I do have some Ravi Shankar somewhere from the 1980s, after we visited India

The random and aimless pentatonic noodling doesn't get any better if it is played on such a godawful instrument as the sitar.

This was actually way better than I had envisioned

It's generally a truism that the more famous a person is the more overrated they are. Shankar is a notable exception.

This was different. The lessons were a surprise and a little unsettling at first but made some good points about listening. The music aspect was ok overall.

I don’t find Indian music too easy to listen to, except as background in an Indian restaurant, but it’s quite soothing if you let it wash over you. It’s easy to see how this influenced a lot of guitar players in the ’60’s and 70’s. 3.5

Not for me

I haven’t gotten much international music from the list yet, so this was a pretty cool listen. Songs are very long and sort of meandering, but the playing is pretty incredible and I found myself getting lost in them, in a good way. Great music for background listening.

No doubt he's a legend, and a master musician. The style just isn't really my taste. Glad to have listened to it, and have nothing bad to say about it, but I likely won't be going back to it any time soon.

The Original Microtonal Master!

Не, ну вы серьёзно? Кто, кроме индийцев, считает это классной музыкой? Но, по крайне мере, я теперь знаю, откуда Al'Tarba взял сэмплы для своего альбома

5/10. Lo escuché pocas veces al momento de hacer esta review pero creo que no puedo esperar más para darle una reseña. Un disco que lógicamente es extraño para los oídos latinos como el mio, pero que pude lograr comprender. Me sorprendió gratamente, pues esperaba que no me gustara para nada, pero creo que como dice el primer tema, debe ser una buena introducción al mundo de la música india.

2nd Sitar album of the week. Strangely informational music.

I appreciated the intro song with an explanation. Its not jazz that's for sure. The technical prowess of these musicians is apparent.

I think from a pure talent standpoint it's remarkable, and for us gringos provided a great glimpse into skill and music we're not familiar, unfortunately there might be a cultural riff and it doesn't quite resonate. At times you might feel it's becoming redundant so you have to go looking for the flairs. You can definitely pick up on some of the influences he imparted on the Beatles which is fun. I really just look at this as skippity bop jazz that's hard to connect with

Very interesting. Listened during lunch when I left ge to sell the utility trailer. Interesting explanations with long improvised Indian sounds. Really shows where the Beatles learned it

I was looking forward to listening to this one because of Ravi’s connection to George Harrison. I found any parts with him talking quite interesting, but I couldn’t keep my attention during the actual music. When I try to focus, the playing is intricate and intriguing, but it moves to the background so quickly as I drift off.

I love Indian music but I have never listened to it very actively, and I'm glad I got a chance to. As a music theory nerd I loved the introduction that gave a breakdown of common techniques, scales, and use of instruments in Indian classical music. The continued introduction to the songs throughout discussing which building block of Indian music will be demonstrated in that piece is a great way to build an interest that goes beyond just this album. I will definitely be listening to more of Shankar's music along with other Indian classical music. It is also great to finally sit down and listen to his music after really only knowing him through his influence on George Harrison and The Beatles. Highlights: Dádrá, Bhimpalasi

I mean yeah fuck it man. So like, it's cool. But it's also just straight up Indian music. I really like the flat sounding driving percussion that's in every song; it sounds hard to play and this morning I was brushing my teeth and just got lost in focus during Dadra. I like Bhimpalasi. And Sindhi-Bhairavi (12:40!!!!). I like what I've learned and the music is cool, but the actual experience of listening to it is... a little boring! Really cool piece of education, music, and history. Not the most fun listen. Will update with favorites but you can probably just look up there and figure it out.

This was actually very instructional and mind opening. I really appreciated the explanations he gives about melodies and time structures used in Indian music. Apart from that, the record is basically four improvised pieces (as the introduction is just explanations) using only a tabla, a tambura and a sitar; with very hypnotic and relaxing vibes. I specially liked "Dádrá" and "Sindhi-Bhairavi", as they have some moments where they show their technical and impressive skills of the instruments which help break the atmosphere, since it can get a bit mind-numbing. Overall, very interesting and entertaining to listen to, Not loving it, but still good.

Definitely got tedious but I did appreciate the explanations

sucks

Enjoyable. I liked the music lesson at the beginning.

An insightful listen

Was this my type of music? Hell nah. Was it bad? Equally, no. For that, it gets a 3

I enjoyed the unique sounds, soulful melodies and incredible speed of this fantastic introduction to they Indian styled album provided..

This one of the two Hindustani Classical Music records on the book. It is the simpler and more straightforward of the two, which makes sense as it is presented as an introduction to the genre to western audiences. It's fine and all but I do wonder how much this is just the Indian music equivalent of a record of just major and minor scales.

Ik noem het iedere dag luisteren van een onbekend album hier wel eens gekscherend 'huiswerk maken', maar in dit geval is het niet gekscherend. Dit is huiswerk maken. Inclusief leraar die het je vooraf een beetje probeert uit te leggen. Eigenlijk wel geinig, want normaal klaag ik hier over niet te volgen ingewikkelde maatsoorten als het een keer geen 4/4 is, terwijl deze man bijvoorbeeld bij track 3 vooraf vertelt dat het een kwestie is van tot 10 tellen. Het voelt daardoor een beetje gemeen om te zeggen, want de leraar heeft duidelijk een passie voor z'n vak en hij probeert de deur echt wel open te zetten voor me, maar ik heb er maar weinig zin in. Ik wil hier gewoon leuke liedjes luisteren en dit is me iets teveel een demonstratie. Een soort 40 minuten durende sitarsolo. Al is het ook wel licht bezwerend. Goed dat dit is vastgelegd voor het nageslacht of voor allen die er interesse in hebben. Voor mij nu is het een hele lichte twee.

My ears are not accustomed to such sounds.

Imagine it's 1957. George Avakian, known for his work with Miles Davis, produces this and no questions are asked. 10 years later, George Harrison produces his masterpiece "Within You Without You" with the sitar as a prominent instrument. This must have really blown minds in the west. Today, with social media, everything is easily discoverable, and things remain less surprising. While this album is fine as a historical reference, it's a bit tame compared to what Shankar would do later. The pitfall of this list: "first" doesn't always mean "best". Hopefully has gotten more people to explore Shankar and traditional music from India in general. There's so much to explore, it's crazy.

I found the individual tracks a bit too long without enough variation to keep it engaging. Wasnt bad.

Love the concept, like the chill sound of a sitar, but this could have been a bit more exciting. Good overall!

An interesting introduction to ragas and the sitar.

Closer to 3.5/5. I love that the rhythm and melody are explained for each track. It’s definitely an album I need to digest in small doses. The influences on George Harrison and Jimmy Page/Robert Plant are almost immediate. A great album for the western world to embrace Indian music.

Educational, but not something I want to revisit.

Not me picturing myself walking the streets of New Delhi in a courderoy blazer with steamer trunk in tow perfectly framed like I'm in a Wes Anderson movie.

Uh oh.

I appreciate how this is an educational intro. I like the music, but I don’t really see myself listening to this again.

This is good but ultimately not my thing

That was interesting. I don’t think this list necessarily has to include the 1,000 best albums in the history of global music. Just trying to come up with evaluation criteria for that would be a doomed endeavor. The list is clearly dominated by popular Western/American music. And that’s a good thing. In that sense, I find the “World” genre just as out of place here as, for example, modern works by Schoenberg or Stockhausen would be. Against this backdrop, this album also has little business being on the list. Nevertheless, I found it interesting to listen to this album as part of broadening my musical horizons. Although these Oriental-Indian harmonies aren’t to my taste, I admire the performer’s virtuosity. 3/5

I did some skipping. Fun to listen to for one song, exhausting after two.

Interesting

Fairly neutral for me but I liked the general concept of being instructed in Indian music.

All of his album did for me is make me want to listen to The Mountain by Gorillaz which is a much better Indian style album and features Ravi Shankar’s daughter in many songs.

I don't get it but I like it

This turned out to be as much a class as an album. The songs feel like something atemporal (like ageless) and elemental (like a natural force). This is easily one of my favorite instrumental albums now.

On a personal enjoyment level, this gets 2 stars - not offensive but also not something I'm into. But, as a musical expansion experience, it's totally worthwhile. I like that this is presented as an educational piece by Ravi, and I personally found this interesting. Got me looking into the differences between things like Indian Raga's, Jamaican Riddims, 12 bar blues, etc. And that's cool and something I'm going to listen out for next time I'm at the local spice shop where this sort of stuff plays.

Interesting

Really amazing playing from Ravi, I love the sound of the Sitar and drums! The twangs and resonance of the sound makes the Sitar a stand out instrument, so no wonder it is so well known across the world in the modern day (even if people don’t know what it’s called or looks like). Not a fan of the talking parts but I understand why they’re there. I could handle just a pure classical album from anywhere honestly.

I appreciated the music lesson before each song even though I didn’t really get it, LOL. This was interesting to listen to even though it’s not really my jam. (3)

Some freeform sitar with interludes of explanation of traditional Indian music. Pretty nice but I probably wouldn’t revisit

That was interesting and nice to listen to - probably not something that I would often listen to but interesting to hear non-Western music scales and sounds.

To the Western listener, it will evoke a certain sense of mysticism. But to an Indian listener, would it evoke the same feelings of a new Taylor Swift album? Impossible to say.

Thought I'd enjoy this more than I did. I'm no stranger to long compositions, but this kind of dragged a bit.

This was interesting and worth listening to but I did not really enjoy it especially.

From the Beatles to Bollywood, here is the genius of Ravi Shankar and his sitar.

Two would probably be more fair but god this was shite

Not for me

veri veri intereSante onestly, para nada familiarisado con esto iwal es crazy la mirada anglosajoncentrista que tiene esto que elija un disco de sonidos hindues presentado en ingles explicandolo nolose tal vez me falta pelota conocimiento per no me ceba eso. lo escucharia en el auto

Perfectly fine, instructional, but there were really only a couple moments that grabbed me.

love the educational bit

Enjoyed this as a bit of a history lesson (2.5)

Aye alright

imaging hearing this as a Westerner in 1957 a person should limit how much they want to recreate the experience of being a child, but this is a good one. guy adapts the elementary school music appreciation class method of patient explanation followed by completely wowing the audience. that's a good experience. this rocks. especially loved the moments of quickly moving to the low register. lot of similarities with what rules about the best alternative rock guitar playing, letting sympathetic drones substitute for harmony, rapid bent pull off bits that sound less like a sequence of notes than a separate wild thing pulled from thin air. makes total sense that this is a big deal for the development of Western popular music. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

It’s hard for me to listen to this without thinking about psychedelic music that I hate, and that’s not anyone’s fault but like, George Harrison, but it’s still a real barrier for me. So I didn’t think I’d like this much. But my god! Ravi Shankar opening the album by going Teacher Mode and doing a quick run through of What To Listen For was fascinating and helpful, and I’m not going to go back to this probably but it was a real experience to listen to it immediately after the lesson track. Good shit.

Cool from like a teaching standpoint but not good

Anyone who plays or composes music (classically trained, or self taught) you're going to run aground at somepoint and get bored of the Western music scale. And therefore you dive feet first into Eastern scales and modes and almost without a doubt you run into Ravi. This certfied lndian legend that inspiredand taught George Harrison and became the first Indian artist (to my knowledge) to become popular in the states. Very cool. As per the theme of the album, nice touch to educate the listener. Its hard to understand what he's trying to say and maybe after 1000 listens I'd get it. But was definitely important to distribute indian raga accross the globe. As for the contents of the album, the songs are really long but ripe with melody and rythmn. But the absent form (or more so my inablity to understand the form) leads me to believe that all or most of these songs are improvised. Also the lack of other instruments took me out of it. The sitar is really cool but I love what the Beatles did with it. The trad stuff is exciting for this experiment and experience but long term I wouldn't regularly listen to this (yet).

Really cool, I am so glad this exists

Super chill stuff from the man who would go onto inspire a whole generation of musicians to incorporate Eastern stylings into their work, most notably George Harrison. Love how Ravi introduces each track with a mini-lecture on the theory behind each style, as it helped to immerse me within the whole thing. What a journey. Favourite track: Bhimpalasi Least favourite track: N/A

Interesting! I loved it

Not saying it was a perfect album, but found it very entertaining exposure

Music is fun but the documentary style lecture over it is annoying

Cool introduction to Indian music. I just don't see myself seeking this out as an album to listen to for fun.

Instrument is played well. Songs are mostly engaging, but do run a little long. 3/5 Might listen again

not a bad album, really did not care for the descriptions of the music. Just some pleasant Indian music. Not something that I would either listen to or purchase

I know George thought the world of Ravi, and I’ve never much minded when the Sitar was incorporated into Beatles tracks- but a whole album of it is a bit much for my tastes. But if for no other reason than respect for George we’re going with a three.

Yep, sounds like India to me. Not my thing, but each track does tend to grow on you as it goes by.

Very educational. Grateful I got the background. But not a regular listen for me

The sounds of international bliss.

Actually really calming and cool. What instrument i dunno Actually makes me wanna go to india and hear music live because i know it will be 10x better Reminds me of 5th grade BBB class

Jazz but Indian.

(89/100)

Interesting but not entertaining

If its good enough for George Harrison, its good enough for me!

Cultural and informative. I am transcending!

This album is cool because I now know how to play it all from the instructions. Kidding aside, it was neat and I enjoyed the explanations.

No standouts

Daunting at first, and maybe I still don't have all the subtleties and nuances of it pinned down yet, but walking around outside and listening to this was (almost) worthy of pivoting the sound of The Beatles. I'll definitely listen to this again sometime soon, probably not under the influence of anything stronger than virginial music nerd bullshit.

I started to get into it by the last song but still have much to learn. Felt more like a tutorial than an album. No disrespect to the great Ravi Shankar who is skilled at teaching & playing sitar.

Interesting, especially the narration about various aspects of Indian music. Not really for me, but good for someone who wants to appreciate Indian music more.

I understand the idea of conceiving some album that encapsulates the idea of Indian music and market it to a wider audience. However, out of the albums that I have heard from Ravi, this seems to not be his most grandiose and lush oeuvre, precisely tied to how accessible it sounds. 7/10 [KEEP]

Exactly the sort of album one should listen to and thus, should be on this list. The influence on The Beatles alone makes it worthy but apart from the obvious skill in playing the sitar, it’s also good to see greater representation on the list. I can’t imagine a time I would decide to listen to this again but I can absolutely understand a time when this would make great mood music.

I don't have an ear for this.

Musically, this was not very interesting to me. It was neat to hear the explanation behind the structure of the songs though. Favorite track: Dadra

1001 Albums Generator 305 (6/3/2026) He's shredding that thing but it's not for me. 2/5. Favs: Dadra Sindhi-Bhaifavi Least Fav: An Introduction to Indian Music

The attempt to educate me about the music I was listening to was a very different approach to everything else I’ve heard on here so far. I appreciated that and enjoyed the vibe.

Thanks Ravi. You have left me even more confused about how Indian music is structured. One thing I did take away from his instruction was although the music is improvised, it is not like Western Jazz. Thanks Ravi, I can tell. The musicianship was very good and so were the tunes and I can appreciatethis for what it is, but I wouldn't choose to listen to this outside a restaurant setting.

wonderful podcast episode /j really though, this was an unexpectedly welcome change from a straightforward album. i dont think its anything i would put on for casual listening but it's a lovely combination of relaxing instrumental and informational experience. i have new appreciation for the sitar

the chilly indian vibers

Brilliant in Bombay…a struggle in Bassett.

I see why George Harrison was obsessed with him now

No creo que sea siquiera el mejor álbum de Ravi. No dudo de la enorme influencia de este en la música británica y sus participación en los mejores festivales como Wight, Woodstock o Moneterrey, pero el disco no me aporta tanto como Call of the Valley o Ananda Shankar, inlcuso Shalimar.

This was pretty cool. I get George Harrison's obsession.

I don't know how to rate this.

I liked learning about the sound and instruments, I didn't like listening to it. I found the instruments to be shrill and just didn't bring me a lot of joy. I did imagine myself dancing at my Indian friend's wedding to this and that was exciting so it earned an extra point.

This was awesome. For most westerners I imagine their exposure to Indian classical music is limited to films set in India (or made in India), or having Indian friends. While obviously this is representative of the genre, I really enjoyed the short explanations for each raga and the modalities and time signatures within. The music itself is far from what we normally hear and is engaging and interesting. I love getting stuff like this.

I don't mind the sitar but that's an awful lot of sitar.

I’m sure he is a master of his craft. As a westerner, I simply don’t care for the sound a sitar makes.

It opens with some education, which I found interesting as he explains instruments and their common usage. I find the music compelling and enjoyable to listen to.

The music in this album is almost exactly what I expected from the cover and the name. I wasn't expecting it to be a course explaining how and why the music is played the way it is. Very educational and a fun listen through. Definitely not an album you listen to often or even ever again. Unless you are learning to play Indian music that is.

3/5

Interesting that the explanation has more plays than the actual music. I learned something, I guess.

Very interesting. Can't think of an album quite like it where the artist literally explains the music before playing it. Not really my kind of thing but glad I heard it.

An outlier in the list, I found it pretty cool to experience. The speaking parts are informative and listening to instruments I'm not used to hearing was enjoyable.

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 🪕🌿🏅 Production: 😌👂🧈 Music: 🧑‍🏫🐘💆 Rating: 🎒🎒/5

Lina is back. 5 songs, 53 mins. Let’s get into it. This introductory to Indian music? Ok, cool. Very informative. I am a western listener and I am listening with a very relaxed mind. If I was in the 50s and someone showed me this album? Woah, talk about mind blown. Ok, final thoughts. Loved it, but very repetitive. Sitar Solo, needed some vocals to balance it out.

Now I want tour guide versions of metal, hip hop and punk.

This is great essentially an Indian music for dummies album. Callie and I definitely had fun with this one at breakfast. Maybe she was remembering our friend’s wedding she attended at 5 months old.

Super interesting and I cool intro to Indian music

On first listen, I wasn't sold on this as an album. On second listen while doing some yoga in the sunroom, my thoughts completely 180'd. Honestly really loved the instructional segments telling what the listener to listen for, what a soft welcoming introduction to a style of music most of us western listeners aren't familiar with. Most of our nostalgia and familiarity are absent when listening to these different musical patterns, so no wonder most of us struggle to find something in here to latch on to. Its a bit kitschy including instructions, but I kinda loved it, and appreciated it as well. The thing that really got me into this was while I was doing yoga, I saw a little tiny spider running across the wall. His little tiny footsteps and movements perfectly aligned with the patterns and sounds of the music, it was so cartoonish and brought me great joy. I spent the entirety of one of the songs in child's pose just looking at this little guy go, 8 legs seemingly in sync with the insanely impressive & fast paced speed of the tabla. Seemingly lacked much variety, and seemed to have only one speed, but maybe thats just inherently part of this music, or maybe I'm missing something still. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I like the sitar, the microtones, and the vibe. It’s just the structure that takes a bit of getting used to for a westerner. The intro explanation was helpful to some degree. Glad I heard this instead of some album where a sitar just plays the great American songbook or something.

Dream like peace - an album to lose yourself to. Plus musicianship brilliance. Also helps that he was central to opening western minds to the amazing breadth of what is hideously called ‘world music’.

There’s a temptation with this one to either pretend it’s instantly revelatory or dismiss it as worthy homework. I’m not sure either response is quite right. At points it absolutely has the air of an Open University lecture, particularly in the spoken introductions explaining the ragas and their structures. My first instinct was almost to resist it on those grounds alone. But once the music settles in, you begin to understand that it’s operating on very different assumptions from western pop or rock. This isn’t music built around chord changes, narrative momentum or “what happens next?” excitement. It’s about inhabiting mood, scale and tone for long enough that tiny variations start to matter. The listening experience becomes less about destination and more about concentration itself. Oddly enough, parts of it didn’t feel entirely alien to me living in Scotland. The relationship between drone and melody, and the sense of emotional atmosphere emerging gradually from repetition, has distant echoes in traditional music closer to home than many rock listeners might expect. Once I stopped listening for hooks and started listening for texture, sustain and movement within repetition, the album became much easier to enter. I still can’t honestly claim I emotionally disappeared into it in the way I do with records built around strong social atmosphere or authored personality. There’s a formality to it that can keep you at arm’s length. But I increasingly respected the concentration it asks of both performer and listener, and the confidence it has in taking its time. It’s less “put this on at a party” and more “enter a musical system and stay there for a while.”

That was a cool introduction to music of India

A lecture? Interesting. Ravi Shankar sounds familiar as well, so I may have listened to some of his music before or simply heard of him. Either way, I should definitely check out his other stuff.

Not sure this is right for me. Maybe as inspirational theme music while playing an Indian inspired board game, but yeah. No.

kind of irritating

I enjoyed this sound and the lessons in between were fun, but it did feel like a 53 minute Sitar solo which would have been nice to mix up. It wasn't bad, but it just went on for too long. Not really my style Liked Songs: "Dádrá" and "Bhimpalasi"

Really interesting

While it’s not really my cup of tea, it has a certain appeal. I can see how George Harrison was drawn to this.

took me back to my college indian music class

Pleasant enough to listen to, but spoiled whenever Ravi was yapping. Not sure why this one is on the list, when something that is just music could've been.

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! I'm certainly not one to shy away from microtonal experimental noodling though. Had that jazz vibe where it always comes back to a familiar theme after some improvisation.

Bro is a master sitar player. Bro is a calming presence. Bro is an expert music theorist. Bro is a patient teacher. Bro's music is just an eensie bit boring. Bro's music is pretty repetitive. Bro would tell me that this is a "me" problem, not a "him" or a "the country of India" problem. Bro tells me this gently with a kiss on the forehead. Three stars.

this was really cool! interesting time capsule!

It's an amazing album! This has me convinced that classical Hindu music is some of the best music in the world. This guy has incredible skill, all the while he's teaching the West about his music and culture. A truly amazing album!

Really interesting, infectious rhythms, very unfamiliar to me

8 / 10

aha das isch so mit er erklärt und so? huere geil. ich find ragas und indischo klassischi musig mega spannend aber ich ha nie en zuegang dezue gfunde. er cha scho tschutt wnl baller im ernst. und rhythmisch isch scho au krass was abgoht, aso mega tabla-sitar interplay scho cool. ich finds irgendwie no cool isch es unterrichtends album uf dere liste. mer lernd öppe wie ragas funktioniered. und er cha insaaaane spiele aso crazy. ich verstoh nüt vo dere musig aber er wird suaguet sii. musikalisch hani etz nöd s bedürfnis zums no mehrmols lose aber s isch nöd unagnehm gsi zum lose, was öpis heisst, well ich indischi klassischi musig oft nöd so asprechend find. DRAEI

omg hahaha wie funnyyy chli lektion in indischer/hinduistischer musig ich hoffe dass er denn chli weniger underbricht und nur am ahfang d basics zeigt es tutmer leid aber ich find de sitar es spannends, aber eifach nöd so schöns instrument? d atmosphäre wo chan kreiert werde findi eecht cool aber ich weiss nöd, es isch nöd mega mis ding joo cool als erfahrig aber han eifach nöd soo vill chönne demit ahfange

Interesting.

01) An Introduction to Indian Music - 4,0 02) Dádrá - 5,0 03) Máru-Bihág - 5,0 04) Bhimpalási - 5,0 05) Sindhi-Bhairavi - 5,0 TOTAL: 4,80 (48/100)

The guy who kickstarted the Beatles' (and the Western world's) interest in classical Indian music. It's quite similar to jazz in that both use improvisation. The record as a whole feels more like a tutorial than a cohesive album, but I appreciate Ravi's efforts to share music from India to the world.

As I stated previously, when I covered his nephew Ananda, Ravi Shankar was a classically trained sitar player who introduced Indian instrumentation to George Harrison. The Western fascination with raga elements in rock music during the 1960s began with this cultural exchange. So that was in my mind when I sat down to listen to The Sounds of India, and... it's fine? Simply put, this album serves as an introduction to Hindustani classical music for a Western audience. In fact, Ravi outright explains the construction and performance of the music in between his interpretations of classical ragas. There's no denying that Ravi was skillful on the sitar, able to bend and stress the strings to his whims in such intriguing ascensions and descensions, alongside Chatur Lal's equally enjoyable tabla playing and N.C. Mullick's supportive tambura playing. Yet, I don't feel like I connect well with the framing of this record as merely an introduction to this style of music. If this were my first exposure to Indian music, I probably would have gotten some mileage out of it. But at this point in my journey, I've listened to a lot of Indian music from the likes of Shivkumar Sharma, R.D. Burman, Talvin Singh, and Ravi's own nephew Ananda. Getting an introduction to this music after so much exposure to it already feels a bit rudimentary to me. At the end of the day, I accept the fact that Ravi Shankar left behind a legacy of sharing his home country's musical culture with the rest of the world, and The Sounds of India serves as an example of that exchange. If this is your introduction to Indian music, then that's cool. But again, I'm well past the point of introduction.

horrendo

Would have loved to have loved this, but it was kinda just messy. I didn't like him explaining what he was doing at the start of each song. 2/5

어우 듣기좋아. 인도예술영화에 나올 거 같다.

Music was good, wasn't in for the TED Talk

A great introduction to India music - I can appreciate the narration and explanation of the music and form, although it does feel like listening to an instructional tape vs. something to casually listen to.

Clearly Shankar has a lot of talent and an incredible ear for making beautiful music. I loved the little explanations of what he was doing with his instrument/music throughout. Nothing much to say other than I was excited to hear a style of music I hardly encounter otherwise. Favorites: An Introduction to Indian Music, Dadra

Better albums that showcase Shankar's virtuosity, but this is a cool little artifact. Maybe less essential now that all the world's music is at our fingertips on demand but picking this up in 1957 definitely opened up some music-loving minds, especially some goofy lads out of Liverpool.

Did y'all not listen to the intro asking you to be open minded 😭😭😭

I appreciate it for what it is, but definitely not my kind of music. I can’t sit and listen to this kind of stuff all day, two stars.

Enjoyed the intros to each style as it was played. Overall not my go to genre but very beautiful and enjoyable

Finally this site recommends an artist that isn't an all-white dad rock band from the UK or the US.

Ik wil niet vervelend zijn, maar volgens mij is dit een lijst van popalbums. Dus waarom ineens deze Teleac-cursus Indiase klassieke muziek ertussen? Dat heeft hier toch niks te zoeken? Want waarom dan geen les Mozart voor beginners? Waarom geen Frank Groothof die Carmen van Bizet in het Nederlands brengt? Of Edwin Rutten vertelt Peter en de Wolf? En okee, misschien heeft deze plaat van Ravi Shankar Westerse popmuzikanten beïnvloed, maar pakweg de Beatles hebben zich toch ook laten inspireren door Bach, Beethoven, Mozart en al die anderen, en ik kan me niet herinneren die te zijn tegengekomen met de zouteloze commentaarstem van de cursusleider eronder. Dus met alle respect voor het virtuoze spel van meneer Shankar en de hele Indiase muziekgeschiedenis, maar ik wil een popalbum horen, geen muziekles krijgen. Daar hebben we de bovenmeester Leo Blokhuis al voor. Dat het verder een boel langdradig getokkel en getrom is, helpt ook al niet...

Nou zeg. Krijg ik les. En wel van een stereotype muziekdocent. Als je er niet van kan genieten, dan ligt dat vooral aan je eigen houding. Ben door zo'n snob al klaar met het album, voordat de echte muziek begint. Maar ach...eventjes is het allemaal wel leuk om te horen. Het duurt me alleen te lang. Het gaat me op de zenuwen werken. En als de docent nog een paar keer terug komt, vraag ik mij steeds meer af waarom dit nu een plekje in de lijst moet hebben. Youtube heeft dit inmiddels volledig overbodig gemaakt toch?

Het is allemaal leuk en aardig, maar hier moet je echt even zin en tijd voor hebben. En dat heb ik nu niet. Je weet precies wat je krijgt, het is niet verrassend. En wil dat ook niet zijn hoor. Eigenlijk wil Ravi laten horen wat Indiase muziek is, en dat is zeker te prijzen. Maar ik zet het voor vandaag af, want ik heb hier geen zin in. Ik zou het best op een ander moment op kunnen zetten, maar het is leuker voor een nummertje tussendoor of voor wat Indiase invloeden in wat modernere muziek (of desnoods the Beatles), dan dit. Dit is eigenlijk alsof je naar een sitarleraar gaat zitten luisteren en dat je het daarna na moet doen. Qua cijfer vind ik dit ook best lastig dan, want ik zet het af. En dat zou volgens een zure broeder altijd een 1 moeten zijn. Maar het heeft gewoon meer te maken, dat ik vandaag niet het geduld heb om het helemaal af te luisteren, dan met de muziek zelf. Dus ik maak er een 2 van, al dan niet terecht. Het is ergens interessant genoeg, maar het is als luisterervaring echt totaal het tegenovergestelde waar ik op dit moment zin in heb.

Some of it gave me anxiety listening to it, like the faster-paced stuff. I also do not understand how a song could have a 12 or 14 count time signature - truly impressive and unique!

It should come as no surprise that on the rare occasion non-Western music appears on this list, it's a group that only got attention because of Paul Simon's god-awful Graceland and now an album like this where Shankar has to explain Indian music to a Western audience. I think letting the music speak for itself is preferable to hand-holding the audience, although I appreciate Shankar's directness in breaking things down simply.

I've heard the name, and really glad I checked this out. Really fascinating and cool!

I love all the explanations, especially the bits about how it's not the same as jazz.

Clearly a master, but this particular recording didn’t blow my mind.

This is very interesting. It involves some 'education' to Western listeners about Eastern Hindustani music. Ravi Shankar influenced the Beatles and MANY other artists. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Dadra (only song without educational introduction)

A pretty good look into Indian music. I thought the teaching tracks were basically just filler, but the other songs were quite technical and impressive. Good more or less. 3.4/5 -> 3/5

not something I’m into at the moment, not necessarily bad though

Intersante concepto pero no muy mi estilo

Well this is different! Familiar with Ravi Shankar only through his influence on George Harrison, and his set on the Concert for Bangladesh. By itself, this gets a bit much and repetitive. But this sound is very familiar to any Beatles/Harrison fan but it also feels like it needs a rock tune and George’s voice to follow it. It’s fine as an intro or even a song or two but not sure it stands its own as a full album. 50 minutes is long. Although the introduction explaining the music is a fun thing to hear on an album and the random explanations throughout. 1 feels mean, because the sitar is such an interesting sound and this is the type of unique album this list is kind of meant for. So I’ll go 2, but I won’t ever listen to this again. There is some solid music that sounds good here in small doses. It’s just too much for a full album to keep me engaged. But perhaps I will appreciate a few Beatles songs a little more next time I listen to them.

I don’t mind an ethnic variety on a list of 1000 albums.

This is more like the kind of thing I went in expecting when I set out to listen to the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." I'd heard of Shankar, of course, and even listened to some of his music over the years. I was not, however, even aware of this album's existence. In some ways it seems a little quaint to hear explanations of how I'm supposed to be listening to the music I am hearing, but for this dyed-in-the-wool Westerner, it turns out to be somewhat essential. Or not, since the music itself is pretty sublime.

Ravi is obviously incredibly talented. He's a master craftsman with the Sitar and understanding of form and function of Indian music. I even appreciate the music lessons interspersed through the album. Something I learned while listening to this album is that you can't come into it expecting common Western song forms. The tracks are long with minimal refrain, each track progressing linearly from beginning to end. Much of it shares style with each adjacent track, which isn't necessarily bad, just lack of repetition. Having only previously experienced Indian music tangentially, it seems to be a hallmark of the style, so I can't fault it. As far as Indian music goes (that I've heard), it's top tier. Expertly played and has its own beauty, even unconventional to my ears. It is ultimately, however, background music. Something to get lost in, but does not require full attention by the listener. I could try to find common themes/patterns throughout the song, it's just amorphous.

It's quite interesting this, as a sort of historical and cultural artefact, and I do like the way that Ravi talks about how you're supposed to experience it in track one. Is it an album that I enjoyed listening to on a music level? Obviously not, it's a strange mix of boring, annoying and painful. I'm glad that he's made it, to be fair, because of the influence it had on Western music throughout the sixties, and I'm not doubting his genius. Just looking at a sitar gives me a complexity headache. So it's probably the most appreciative two stars I'll ever give.

an sich cool, aber für mich nichts für den alltag

This is a must listen for sure. Such an interesting, unreal experience. Soothing voice, sitar magic. Thank you Ravi Shankar.

It’s disheartening to see how many negative reviews this album has. One of my biggest criticisms of this project is that the list is extremely Western-centric. I really appreciate hearing music from non-Western countries, and Ravi Shankar is one of the best. The sitar is such a beautiful instrument, and I loved every raga. I especially love that he gives introductions to each raga and educates listeners about Indian musical structure. I listened to this album while making pie this morning, and it was delightful.

No. 170 More of an historic curiosity than a listenable album.

2 por respect

reconozco q es bueno, no es mi estilo, no es lo que me gusta en musica y no me atrae

honestly pretty tough, won't be tossing this one on during a road trip though.

Didn't vibe with it too hard but damn that man could play

I'm not going to pretend like I was a fan of this album but I'm always appreciate that these sort of albums are on the list. 3/10

coool..

Somewhat predictably I have to hit this one with the 'Not For Me' stamp, but I thought the intro/explanation bits were sort of cool.

Listened to most of this, but it was interesting. Not my jam.

This was a cool look into Indian music. I've heard a lot of Ravi Shankar's collaborations with Western musicians, like the Beatles or Philip Glass. But I never really knew how to listen to his personal stuff. It was interesting to hear him explain how a Western audience should listen to it.

I thought it was really cool that the musician made this album specifically to share his love of Indian music with the western world. He often spoke on the album to explain different beats and chords and how they're used, and then demonstrated them in a song. While I enjoyed the mission and the music, it also didn't really capture me fully, potentially for the very reasons the musician was trying to educate about. Glad I listened to this, but don't see myself listening again.

Замечательный пример этнической музыки. Час ситарных переливов с небольшими эпиграфами о принципах устройства индийской музыки. Это было интересное и познавательное путешествие, хотя я не много понял.

Who doesn't love having music explained to the? This guy

Would not have sought out, but found oddly relaxing/therapeutic - will revisit

An interesting concept

I can only imagine that in 1957 this was something that really pushed the boat out. It's easy to imagine with only a few record stores in your town and only a handful of radio stations to listen to, if you came across this for the first time it would just be so fundamentally different to anything else, like a world in itself. I did not listen to this album in 1957 however, I listened to it in 2026. Indian culture is not novel, it is far more present, and with music often permeating through the cultural membranes more than most aspects, I've heard the sounds of India for much of my life. This may have been the first, but it is by no means the best. I completely understand how this album and style may have held people, laymen and musicians both, in its thrall upon its first arrival, but to me this was a lengthy piece of work with far too much improvisation to be enjoyable and, with due respect Ravi, we are not in music class. Good music speaks for itself. Again I totally get why Sitar 101 was vital at the time of release, but I'd much prefer the music to simply speak for itself, which I can't say it did. A momentous piece of music history, but that doesn't have to mean it holds up. Ironically probably hits the brief of "worth a listen before you die" better than most stuff on here, but that doesn't have to be for all the right reasons in retrospect.

cool basic instrumental

Bit of a curio rather than an album? Also, feels unfair to compare Hindustani classical with pop music especially given there's no western classical on the list?

good and relaxing

Woah Dude.

The style and sound itself would not be so bad in a microdose, but after 10 minutes, it all sounded the same and just seemed to keep going forever. I also don’t understand the point of the commentary. Why pick this seemingly instructional album for this list versus another more straightforward example of Indian music.

You don't have to like everything

One of the coolest albums I've listened to. Really enjoyed listening to the explanations of Hindustani music and the masterful demonstrations following them. It was a bit long and the sitar sort of "drones" at times but still a very unique and cool album

Can appreciate the skill, but not my jam.

5.0/10 Didn’t mind it too much- good background music for a massage or something when you don’t need to listen too carefully

Sorry not for me, I tried Ravi!

The first track was a great introduction to Indian music. The sounds were pretty pleasant

Interesting. I like how he explained the music at the start.

Lots of people have sampled this. That’s about all it’s good for. I guess it’s okay background music at a low volume.

An extremely cool cultural lesson, but not an album I’ll be returning to. I will say I am better for having had listened to this.

Interesting and educational but I'm not even nearly educated enough to enjoy this.

cítara é um belo instrumento e o álbum é mais como um importante registro histórico/educacional. vale a pena conhecer, mas nada muito além.

p138. 1957. 2 stars. Brilliantly played, but not my thing. Brings back too many memories of drunken nights and late night curry houses. Sorry.

Music and a lesson

I appreciate that he was trying to teach me about the music.

I love the sound of the sitar and have often enjoyed ravi Shankar, good album

Some of the theory explanations were a tad interesting, but listening to this whole album stone cold sober did not inspire joy.

I really have no idea.

Great musician. Not the best album for introducing his music.

This was interesting. I enjoyed listening to it. I liked the way he was teaching us about it. Like a class. Reminded me of the 1945 documentary Instruments of the Orchestra they used in Moonrise Kingdom. 3 stars

Not for me but I’m sure people who are more accustomed to Indian music will enjoy this.