The Sounds Of India

Instructive

Malgré son ton monocorde, j'ai trouvé l'idée d'inclure une pièce d'introduction à la musique indienne ingénieuse. Pour l'Occidentale que je suis, ce sont les classiques qui ont modelé ma perception de cette musique.

Virtuosic sitar playing. I enjoyed the explanations on a first listen through, but imagine that on subsequent listens you'd want to skip them. The last minute of Bhimpalasi where the lower tones come in is amazing. Hypnotic stuff.

Very interesting. I really appreciate this.

I appreciate the instructional tidbits in this one. They made listening to a type of music I know little about much more enjoyable. Ravi was a clear talent and an influential artist - so he gets a bump.

I loved this! So great to get a window into how the music is arranged. His voice was so soothing and the grooves were fantastic.

Unique. Spiritual.

Educational selections demonstrating the complexities of playing the sitar. Shankar is masterful.

Music school for music nerds. But hey still fun to listen to.

What a glorious artifact! Probably deserves a 5 for historical impact purposes, but the talky bits disturb the flow of the music so that's a 4 on my personal scale. Pretty sure I saw Ravi Shankar (with his daughter) playing in Birmingham - the city's Asian population attended in full formal splendor so me and my slacker mates stood out as horribly under dressed! 😆 Fave track - "Dadra", let's say, but picking individual tracks out doesn't make much sense on this one...

Listener beware, I’m pretty sure I was hypnotized by the last track, Sindhi-Bhairava. The educational pieces of this album were unexpected, the counts are fascinating. Maybe I’m a sucker for a sitar, but this album is great.

I kinda wish we got more albums like this and CLUBE DE ESQUINA more often. Not that I don't enjoy a good 60's folk album or... Random whatever from the 70's or 80's whose only legacy is being on this list, but I'd love to have more dives in foreign reigional music. I mean, it's just really interesting to get an earful of Hindustandi classical music—the really real stuff, too; not just what George Harrison was doing with The Beatles. And even if it turns out it's not your thing, I still think you're enriched by having heard this stuff. So, y'know, regardless of my feelings on it, I think it's worth your time.

This album just has an ethereal feeling to it thanks to the lovely Indian microtones present throughout.

It's very cool how accessible this album is- I love how he explains all about his kind of music before he plays it. It adds a lot more context than I would otherwise have. It's hard for me to really judge this without much of a frame of reference to put it in because this is the first time I've ever intentionally listened to Indian music rather than just hear it in the background of something so I feel I can only really judge it based on enjoyment and it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.

It’s brilliant playing and I appreciate the instructions.

This was great! It starts with a really chill, simple introduction to ragas and instruments like the sitar and tabla, like a primary school music lesson, and then Ravi just fucking shreds for the better part of an hour

This is what I'm doing this challenge for. Some unique stuff I never would've found on my own.

One's an Indophile and enjoys this music quite a bit, but it’s dead strange to include a tutorial record instead of, say, Mantrams or Ragas in Minor Scale (with Philip Glass).

Good stuff

A little bit hard to listen to as I'm not familiar with indian music, the songs all feel a bit long being an average of 10 minutes; that said I will give it a re-listen because I did enjoy it, just feel like I could enjoy it more if I put the effort in.

cOOOOOOOOL

Classic album.

This a historically interesting album because it was the impetus for western music's fascination with Hindustani Classical Music. Ravi Shankar gives spoken introductions to explain how the music works before the songs begin. This album in particular, and Ravi Shankar in general proved to be a huge influence on the late 60s musical scene and can be heard in artists such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Byrds, Velvet Underground etc. I've had this album since I was in high school and still enjoy it very much. It's important to listen to this album if you want to understand the late 60s.

It would be 100% without the spoken explanation. Loved the tunes when he was playing but the spoken word messed with the overall flow of the album. Would be 5/5 without it

Lessons included, Ravi Shankar was the person to internationalize Indian music. The different scales and microtones used make the music feel more conversational than typical western music with lyrics. I doubt I'll regularly be putting on any of these songs but am very reverent of their impact

This was great. I like Indian music anyway, but this taught me a bit about how to enjoy it more.

This was very pretty and informative! The long form songs made it more digestible actually.

Honestly even though it was a lesson I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed the tutorials. Always been a fan of the tabla, but I really tuned into how it transformed the music from formless (to my ears) to structured. Ravi is obviously a sitar icon. I appreciate him making this album to help westerners appreciate eastern sounds. 4.2

Super cool to hear classic Indian music!

I just downloaded this album a couple weeks ago and have been listening to it quite a bit so it's funny that this came up today.

Pretty cool! It’s fun to listen to a master demonstrating his craft. It reminds me of high school when Mr. Lopez brought a pro bass player into jazz band, and we were all floored by his deep understanding of his art (effortless groove, fluidly starting and stopping the music to explain things to the class). 8.5/10

Even though I can't say this album has made me a fan of Indian music, nor do I think that this is the best India has to offer, I do like that this is in the list. Please give more albums showing the wonderful diversity of music across the world instead of 100 albums of generic UK indie/pop rock bands.

I can't think of any non-western musical instrument that had as such a pronounced 15 minutes of fame as the sitar, and particularly as performed by Ravi Shankar. It's interesting Shankar himself was so disillusioned with the 1960s rock and roll scene and the hippie movement, both of which had embraced him. He had so much love and respect for music that anything getting in the way of it (drug use, Hendrix setting fire to his guitar, etc) was blaspemy. That reverence for beautiful music certainly comes through here. Indian classical music might strike some as just a brief (and possibly tedious) additional to Western music, but you can't deny what an amazing musician he was.

This was worth the time and I am glad to have had the experience and education.

Interesting to hear some of the Beatles' bits straight from the source. Learning is fun!

For a list which seems a bit over full of white guy rock, this was a very happy change of gear.

Deffinetly wish I had consumed drugs before listening but overall a very interesting record. I especially like the fact that Ravi comments and helps break down the core tenants of the style he is about to play. Very cool listen.

How cool is this, an intro to Indian music. Love that he takes a whole track to explain things too. And in 1957 this was huge. Even going so far as to explain that it is very similar to Jazz. Must be why I'm a big fan.

The King! Or is he? Ravi Shankar is, at least to the western world, the most well-known name in North Indian/Hindustani music. He influenced the Beatles, that alone was enough to put him on our map. I have one of his albums on vinyl, though I think it's a live performance one, definitely not this. This one is a cool intro to Indian music, and given the '50s release it was certainly necessary for listeners like me. I recall when we got that "Call of the Valley" album that I wrote in my review I don't think I have the palate to distinguish artists in this space, but actually I can say confidently that I liked that album more. This one had a different energy, more lively and expressive while Call of the Valley was meditative. Still, a great album, and the explanatory dialogue is pretty cool. Ravi is a legend, but I wonder if he's really the best, or if that's primacy bias from the western world who heard him first? Favorite tracks: Dadra, Maru-Bihag. Album art: Nothing too crazy, a picture of Ravi on the sitar, with some pretty cool, ornate bordering. It's definitely from the '50s, but it's solid. 4/5

A pretty amazing album. The explanatory intro track really prepares you to listen actively.

Amazing - ahead of its time.

I didn’t find the tutorial bits very helpful, but I enjoyed the music.

Having the brief tutorial at the beginning of the program was helpful, though it more or less reinforced my basic understanding of how Indian music is structured. I think the thing that helped most was the advice not to try to contextualize the music and just let it flow. And the idea that the tabla is really setting the entire thing up was useful, and whenever I get lost or not sure what to make of the sounds I'm hearing, I key on the tabla. I was in a play in college that featured a live Indian ensemble, and the tabla player had me mesmerized. I was working while listening to this, and I found it put me in a meditative space. But then there's the rating of the record. If I were to actively listen to this album, I'm not sure what I'd have to say. As a mood setter, there are occasions I can foresee when I might turn to more of Shankar's music. But rating this seems like folly. What do I know?

I enjoyed this -- beautiful music. And hearing Ravi Shankar's quick introductions to the different structures was interesting. They gave me a little more appreciation for what was happening in the songs. I think it's interesting too that he says there is improvisation but that this isn't jazz. There's a different kind of solo-ing happening within the form. This made for a good background soundtrack today while I was adjusting my fantasy football teams 😆

Really nice album. I know that Ravi has a crazy big following and some of the biggest modern musicians of all time have said that they looked up to him (even the Beatles), but I haven't done a ton of listening (despite really enjoying Indian music lately). This was a great listen. Honestly I think my favorite thing about it was that intro song that introduced how Indian music works in a really basic manner. This style of music is incredibly complex and the instruments involved are super hard to play at a proficient level, so this intro was really a simplified explanation. Having this track was such a funny little experience enhancer though and I enjoyed how straightforward it was.

I love drone music. One of my favourite albums of all time is Spacemen 3 performing "an evening of contemporary sitar music" (Dreamweapon). I also like the drone/ rock crossover sound the Velvet Underground perfected. However, I've never actually listened to Hindustan classical sitar music, so this album piqued my interest. Turns out I liked it quite a bit. It's excellent background music and the minimalist, three instruments sound sent me on a relaxing and pleasant musical journey for almost an hour. I can't give this a full 5 stars, as it doesn't quite hit perfection. I actually didn't like the explanations being given, finding they distracted a little from the music, probably due to me having pretty much zero interest in the technicalities of playing a sitar.

As an avid 60s psych music fan, I love the sound of a sitar and Indian instrumentation but if truth be told (and no disrespect to the master himself), this works better as background music. I had to dig out my 'Electric Psychedelic Sitar Headswirlers' boxset afterwards. Now that is an amazing listen!

I kept getting interrupted and when I went back to listening, I had no idea which track I was up to as they all sounded the same to my untrained ear. I like Ravi's explanations (although they clearly didn't go in) and I was enjoying the music.

The opening track is interesting; makes me wish Metallica would do similar for Metal music. This album is definitely worth a listen, at least once. Educational and inspirational. That said, I did zone out as it faded to pleasant background music.

india brothers musical superpower since 1957... vitsi vitsi...kauan ennen on intia great i dian musiikki johtanut maailmaa.. länsimaisseen tajuun ei nämä rytmit mene. imp to understand..mutta onneksi selittää miten toimii...parantaa albymia ... dadra

4. Teaching us what was being played was awesome to hear. The music was also very beautiful

4/5. A love the introduction of this album, and before each song, as if guiding me through a new experience and letting me know that everything will be okay. This is at the end of the day a jam album and I'm all for it. Shankar is having a great time flexing on his instrument and the backing instrumentation is well done. There is a beautiful sense of control yet letting go, and just a wonderful album in general. Although not all the time, I'd put this on as background music or even as meditation easily.

"The Sounds of India" is an album by Indian sitarist, composer and North Indian classical music expert Ravi Shankar. The intent of the album was to explain Hindustani classical music to Western audiences. It was influenced by Ali Akbar Khan's "The Sounds of India" and recorded and produced by George Avakian at Columbia's New York Studio. The band is composed of Shankar-sitar, Chatur Lal-tabla and N.C. Mullick-tambura. The album begins with "An Introduction to Indian Music" which is Shankar explaining Indian classical music in four minutes: the instruments, instrument sounds, definition of ragas and the differences from Western music. The first actual song is "Dádrá." A sitar opens with the tambura in the background. The tabla comes in and we have all three instruments. This is soothing. Speed changes throughout. It's pretty much a 10-minute sitar jam. "Máru-bihág" has a much faster rhythm from the tabla. At the beginning of each of these songs, Shankar explains the ascending and descending scales he will be using. "Bhimpalási" has fast and slow parts. There are lengths of time without the tabla. Shankar really starts to stretch his sitar (at least it sound like it). This is my favorite song. I really found this fascinating. It's educational, relaxing and soothing. I admit that it will take me some time to really notice and appreciate the intricacies of this music. I would say that this is probably a good place to start with Ravi Shankar and Indian classical music in general.

J'ai trouvé cela très intéressant comme album. C'est sûr c'est un style différent de ce que je suis habitué donc il y a une petite adaptation. Mais j'aimais vraiment l'aspect atmosphérique que le style et l'instrument amenait. Il y a aussi un son qui a clairement été une influence pour l'arrivée du jazz et du rock avec tendances plus progressives. Définitivement à réécouter. 8/10

Gonna set this one aside for the right time to give it a proper listen

Interesting format and potentially educational (not sure I can get my Western brain round understanding the lesson). Could listen to the music all day because of its pleasant fluid forms.

I thought that everybody had heard of Ravi Shankar, but when I mentioned this album to my stinky other half, she said she’d never heard of him. That’s wild to me. I’m not sure I’ve ever listened to his music before, but everybody has at least come across his name before, right? Right?! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Sindhi-Bhairavi This was really quite a nice album. It’s certainly the only album I’ve come across where the first track is a tutorial on how to effectively listen to it. It sounds silly, but it was actually quite charming and served as an introduction for the western listener who may be less familiar with Indian music. The music was pleasant, and there was some pretty wild shredding on the sitar which I could certainly appreciate. Overall, this may not be an album that I’ll return to frequently, but I did genuinely enjoy it a fair bit.

I love the approach, the introduction before each song, explaining the concept and all is really awesome, also a great piece of work to help put other music in context (like the beatles or king gizz for example, cool to know where they get some of their inspiration from)

India’s most celebrated sitar player (a teacher and lifelong friend to George Harrison) gives the listener a brief overview of Indian music before playing several ragas. Absolutely astonishing work.

I feel about Indian music very similarly to how I feel about Indian food. I don't have it often, but when I do I really like it. It's complex and different from any other food/music I've tried. It's nuanced and full of flavor, and yet each flavor/instrument can be tasted/heard on its own. I really enjoyed this a lot. If you liked this, check out the video of Ravi Shankar at the Monterey Pop Festival from 1967, it will blow you away. 4 stars.

Is it just me, or was this really good? In stark contrast to the effort of Ananda Shankar, The Sounds of India guided me into a flow where the instrumentation suddenly seemed very familiar. Oh, and all albums should start with an explanation of the musical theory behind the compositions - just as a service to the listener.

An excellent glimpse into the vast world of Hindustani music. Ravi Shankar is the definition of a legendary musician and proves why he became an inspiration to so many beyond the borders of his home country.

such a great introduction to Indian music for a western listener like me while it was a little repetitive at times, I genuinely appreciate this album’s existence and think it’s good to have in this book 8/10

If you follow his instructions, this is a very relaxing, and enjoyable experience.

Wel interessant met de stukjes uitleg, om de verschillende ritmes te leren kennen en appreciëren

Being an Indophile, one can listen to this all day. However, there are far better Shankar albums than this Bernstein-esque "guide."

Hmmm

a bit frenetic for daily listening, but I liked it. especially the little explanatory bits

4.25

One of those odd products of its time with the whole tutorial aspect, but nothing to fault in the music.

Great spiritual music and primer for the sitar.

A very interesting experience, one which I may come to appreciate more with a relisten. The only thing that really stops this being a 5 for me is that I don't think I could put it in and really enjoy it, I guess you need a "without lessons" disc for that.

This is extremely solid. A gentle, easy, yet comprehensive introduction to the sitar by Ravi Shankar, who knows his audience well. His stance of humility and grace comes through in the early recordings. And then you hear him play… wow! It changed my mind on the sitar, and showed me there was more than meets the eye. I just love records like that. Reminds me of the classic record that Pete Seeger did on how to play folk guitar— the one that Joni Mitchell picked up when she first started playing. This record must have changed many hearts and minds, and I’m happy it exists. And incredible playing! 4/5

Slaps a lot harder than you think it does.

i love what i know of the music of india but i’m also a complete ignoramus about it, maybe this should be 5 ⭐️ i don’t want to pander though

Ill

I would go to school if this guy was the teacher… also my edition of the book says this album was released 1968… pretty embarrassing… banger btw

Sitar e sick

sick

Educational, gracious, and just straight up awesome. I wish there were some shorter tracks to accompany this so I could revisit a piece here or there without committing a quarter of an hour to it. Best track: An Introduction to Indian Music

Indian music is something I don't have a lot of exposure to, but they are interesting in their own way.

Very fun and interesting

Interesting. Deserves to be on this list to be exposed to different sounds.

Gerge harson

This record is cool, certainly demonstrates his virtuosity, but I also really dig how he gives short lessons before each piece to the Western audience as a way to introduce the music. Aside from all of that it's just a great record.

non-western music!

This was unexpected and also pretty interesting. Definitely glad I heard it but not sure if I'll be returning to again any time soon.

absolutely beautiful music, and really amazing to listen to something so new to me. i really liked that there was that introduction in the beginning to ease you in and his explanations of Indian music. v good

Pretty talented. The explanation makes sense considering the year, diving into who this was and his influence on people like George Harrison was a fun read. It’s definitely way more intense than I’m used to for sitar but overall prettttyy goood.

8/10. Kinda fun and educational that he explains how Indian music differs from Western music as he goes.

It's interesting to me that classical music is excluded on this list except for the couple of classical Indian albums. I thought this was decent and enjoyed the explanations about what I was about to hear but I don't think this has much replay value for me, especially considering that it's close to an hour long. 7/10

An education

Great intro. Interesting compare/contrast to jazz

Interesting to hear, not to good for background music.

love Ravi - could listen to this for hours

Very pretty music.

Enjoyed.

They'll probably be in the Zen room.... The tabla is one of my favourite instruments. This was very enjoyable. Stop! Raga time!

Ravi, what a master! Loved hearing this. And his little explainers for the uninitiated were great.

Just looking at the cover, I'm glad this wasn't the first album generated for me. I'm guessing this will be a bit challenging to get through. Opening it up and looking at the track lengths yes, potentially a chore but could go either way. Here we go! Turns out the best of anything is often pretty good. I liked it.

Cool to get some music theory in here. The music is really cool, and it's neat to hear someone explaining what's going on.

ÄNTLIGEN! det här är anledningen till varför jag signade upp på den här utmaningen. så kul att höra nåt nytt och fräscht. Jaja även om han kanske är den mest västerländskt kända sitar-spelaren (som the beatles skamlöst hm inspirerades av) var det ändå något nytt.

I’ve always loved the sitar interesting to listen to it for a full album!

Treating this as a tutorial of Indian music made it fascinating.

The commentary needed to be more detailed or nonexistent.

Felt like a warm invitation into a new cultural experience of music, and clearly a virtuosic one. I wouldn't return to it often, but I'll enjoy it every time I do.

Well that was fun and different for me.

Good but didn't hit the same as my slime shivkumar sharma. I am woefully unqualified to speak on this topic. Plz disregard arbitrary star rating

Really interesting to hear the teaching aspect and theory presenting Indian musical stylings to western audiences alongside the music itself. I like the sound of a lot of Indian music and instrumentation, so glad to have gotten this little bit of insight I would not have had otherwise.

I know nothing about indian music, but I enjoyed this and it's great music to work to.

Very relaxing, rapid scitar is impressive and interesting changes in tempo.

Chill nice music with some good basic explanations.

Found myself really enjoying this. The bit of music theory was nice too.

yo eerlijk tof dat die zo tegen u praat

Not my preferred style, but I can appreciate the talent.

Let's my mind roam free and walk down strange avenues. Standout Tracks: Dádrá, Bhimpalási, Sindhi-Bhairavi

I like music I like sitar I like learning

I'm not sure if listening to this is cultural enrichment or cultural appropriation... Nonetheless the journey to Shangri - La was very enjoyable.

- genuinely hard to rate a genre of music you don't know - nice balance of busy and background - can't tell the different impacts of the ragas but fascinating introductions.

Groovy and far out

Interesting, different, enjoyable

הודו

Legend

Very interesting introduction to Indian classic music!

T'was great!

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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).

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

The sounds of international bliss.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

어우 듣기좋아. 인도예술영화에 나올 거 같다.

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.

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 😭😭😭

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

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.

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

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

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.

an sich cool, aber für mich nichts für den alltag

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

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.

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

An interesting concept

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?

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

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

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

I really have no idea.

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

Bijzonder hoe je een bepaalde sound zo associeert met 1967, de psychedelische explosie, en de creatieve vooruitgang die er mee gepaard ging in de rockmuziek, maar ondertussen is het natuurlijk gewoon traditionele Indiase muziek van ver voor de 'Summer of Love'. Het tekent de toch wel een beetje de kortzichtigheid van de Westerse muziekluisteraar, maar vooral ook wel hoe krachtig inprenting van geluiden werkt. Hoor je iets voor het eerst in een bepaalde context, dan is die context ook direct de geboortegrond van dat geluid, ook al wist je wel van het verhaal van mannen als Donovan en George Harrison en hun avontuurtjes op het Indiase subcontinent. Oké, nu het album. Laat ik dan allereerst benoemen dat dit - ondanks dat het niet helemaal m'n dingetje is - echt wel in deze lijst hoort te staan. De muziek-culturele lading is te zwaar om het over het hoofd te zien. Het is misschien wel de bekendste Indiase muzikant voor het Westen, en de wijze zoals Indiase restaurants in Europa de ietwat fletse menukaart deed opspicen, deden zijn invloeden dat met de ietwat fletse rock & roll van de early 60s. Maar een geheel album is mij iets te spicy, net als dat ik waarschijnlijk een week om de WC pot gevouwen lig als ik in een écht Indiaas restaurant in Mumbai eet. Wel aimabel van Ravi dat hij de muziekvorm toelicht voor het maagdelijke witte oor, maar de spoedcursus ging voor mij te snel. Desalniettemin een voldoende door de culturele significantie. 6,5/10

This guy microtones

So as a self described psychedelic rock fan, it would be sacrilegious to say anything negative about Ravi Shankar. Without this man the sitar would never have made its way to American music like it has. This man is wildly influential and single handedly put Indian music on the global map. That being said, HOLY SHIT THIS ALBUM IS DRY! It’s like eating an entire box of saltine crackers with no accompanying cheeses or meats and no water to wash it down with. It’s the Sahara desert of dry albums. If you like the sitar, you will like it or parts of it at least. But god forbid you don’t like the sitar because this will be one of the most difficult experiences of your whole life. Dramatic emphasis aside, I did enjoy the informative parts, as someone who truly loves music I found that part really interesting when he’s describing the way a sitar/microtonal instrument works and he’s showing how the scales work, all that stuff is really cool for music nerd purposes. Seriously I know I have very dramatic feelings about this album but I do think it’s worth your time if you either a.) have a real love and curiosity about music and the composition/creation of it or b.) your just a sucker for almost a full hour of just straight sitar.

not my style but land mark

He's clearly talented and I appreciate the lesson about the music, but it just ain't for me.

Not much to say that I haven't said about the other Indian/Pakistani albums, along with the samba and bossa nova albums. It's good music for if I want the vibe, but I will only really want that vibe in films and whatnot to set the scene. Unfortunately I have no cultural connection to this music, so it's scene music to me.

I do not want to learn the sitar but thank you. I feel like I should take drugs while listening to this to like it more. Wille its nice to hear a new kind of music, this record is very repetitive. The only instrument used on this album are a sitar and some percussion. But Its no doubt that this guy is extremely talented.

Any album that needs to begin with a course, is not that great.

ja... indische musik halt... musikalisch sehr beeindruckend und kreativ und anders als ich gewohnt bin aber hab leider nix verstanden was der typ mir erzählen wollte und ohne lyrics ist es mir eh immer zu langweilig

Interesting listen, it is just instrumental with that single Indian instrument, the sitar maybe? It turns into solid background music, but I don't think I'd come back to it on purpose.

nossa 5 tracks e 50 minutos jesus FAVS (top 3): dádrá, bhimpalasi, sindhi-bhairavi mençoes honrosas: - nao tem tanta musica a ponto de ter ate mençao honrosa KKKKKK mas eu nem sei como comentar esse album, sao musicas indianas e no inicio o cara dando uma brevissima explicaçao, dahora, e musica indiana é bem dahora eu amo os instrumentos, queria q tivesse um album indiano aqui com mais musica pra aproveitar mais pq esse msm q as musicas sejam grandes queria mais tracks! se queriam representaçao indiana aqui deveriam ter pegado um maior, se bem q pra 57 deve ter dado um bagulho legal ne, enfim, faz parte nota final: 3.5/5

Haunted by Ravi Shankar. Every time I think of him I am compelled to tell everyone: "Did you know he's Norah Jones's dad????" And little Anoushka Shankar (less surprising daughter of Ravi Shankar) is everywhere (BBC Proms, SNL, etc) so I think of him often. Musical nepo-babies don't bother me as much as the other kinds, though. Also, the concept of this album is funny. I wonder if there are other "The sounds of _____" albums out there. Would be a fun series. Probably a lot more valuable in the pre-Internet era though. As for the tracks themselves... not that educational, it turns out. I do usually like sitar when it's in other songs, but 10+minute instrumentals never win me over, unless they're like, full symphonies. Still better than Norah Jones.

Loved the explanations tho it makes it hard to imagine listening to it again. Otherwise fun to listen to but not my fave style we’ve had introduced. The instruments have beautiful tones though.

Much like I was instructed to, I tried to listen with an open and relaxed mind. It certainly felt educational but I don’t think I would listen to any of these again. Hard to judge because I’m also clearly not listening in the way that was intended

This is more for those who like an education while listening to music. The explanations of the music cut into enjoyment. That being the case, I liked this much more than I expected I would.

I appreciate this albums inclusion, but yeah - it’s an hour of someone playing the sitar. 3/5

Nice experience. Had a lot of fun specially in the beginning, but it did get a bit tiring.

I have never felt more like George Harrison.

Classic

I thought this album was extraordinary!!! I like how he provides explanations to Indian music theory, instruments and techniques in order to introduce the listener to the song. Overall a very interesting album.

The music was good but the music theory portion was unnecessary for the average listener.

More academic than really interesting. While I can appreciate the tutorial nature, Ravi is clearly playing it safe here and I would enjoy something a bit less targeted at western audiences.

good background music for a day at work

like his daughter’s music better 3.0

Mr. Shankar’s attempt at introducing Western listeners to classical Indian music would receive a helpful push from George Harrison about a decade later. This album is basically a 50-minute sitar solo with Mr. Shankar interjecting at various points to describe the instrument and the timing signatures he is playing. An interesting and educational listen that I’ll give an above average 3/5.

Historic, connected musical worlds etc., etc. in 2026 it sounds like an instructional manual

An interesting album, although one which feels a little odd in its inclusion on the list. The music is good, and it is always interesting to get a glimpse into the unique attributes of the Indian music system. Favorite track: "Dádrá"

I like that there's so much Indian music on this list. there's also music from Brazil, and even Africa. But what about the rest of the world? such a restricted vision this list has. Anyway, in this record Ravi Shankar takes the time to teach you about the music of India and it never feels boringly didactic and the songs are fun.

interesting

“Hey honkys chill out for a minute” is a great intro. Like he pointed out, Indian music a little hard to analyze as a Westerner with no spiritual connection or really cultural understanding of what I’m hearing. So the simple conclusion I can give is that the little lessons were nice and I like sitar music in general, it’s very soothing. (3.5/5)

pretty enjoyable. felt like a music lesson, probably intentionally like that and it was good.

too much talking but enjoyable

Tough to judge with no other Indian music to judge it against. I like the educational aspect of this, and it’s a pretty chill album, but it lacks the heft I typically look for.

This album made me feel like I was in opium den in Bombay, with a slack jaw... and not much too say, especially with the (what I believe) western equivalent of all the rapid picking and tapping on a guitar on the song "Dadra." It sounds absolutely sick. The only Indian music experience I have is from the Beatles few Indian songs, and maybe a couple other 60s songs, like "Paint it, Black" and maybe song or two from other drug-oriented groups in the 60s who had that one hit song that features a sitar, because it was the 60s that's just what they did as Paul McCartney would say. Highlight Song/s: "Dadra"

202/1001 Ravi Shankar - The Sounds of India Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst I can appreciate how his sitar playing influenced the Beatles and bought this style of music to the masses in that period, I wouldn't knowingly return to this. It is a calming record and some of the playing sounds so intricate.

This a fantastic example of instrumentals narrating a story... Is the story ever-changing? Yes, but that adds to the appeal. The mind most likely will hear something different with each listen.

Chill to listen to. Cool to see exactly what influenced George Harrison and the rest of western music adopting Indian elements.

,,, sounded more like a training session with the Great Ravi explaining how to listen. Got Indian music not bad to hear from the bet... though you have to like the vibe.

got a bit impatient listening cause it's 11 pm but enjoyed learning but defintely got a bit repetitive since a lot of the songs are roughly 10 minutes

Ravi Shankar - The Sounds of India In today’s episode, Norah Jones’ dad gives us a short lecture on Indian music, plays the opening to Within You Without You, and then tunes up for 10 minutes. 4 times. It’s not necessarily bad, but it is boring.

I can definitely appreciate Indian music and what Ravi Shankar was doing in the late 50's to introduce the music, but this sounds more like an education piece than something that I can judge on musical and artistic merit, at least not more than 3 or maybe 3.5 stars.

Interesting to learn a bit about how Indian music is put together, but the improvisational style is not really my thing

Me pareció muy curioso que el propio Ravi Shankar explica sus métodos de interpretación y el significado de los instrumentos en su cultura, antes de cada canción. Está interesante, no me voy a hacer fan ni creo escucharlo de nuevo, pero no me la pasé mal.

This was quite an educational listen which I surprisingly enjoyed, not really the music part but the theory part.

Very talented musician and I love the breakdowns of the instruments. A little long but a fun ride

It’s fine - and fits a certain type of situation, but not a situation that I find myself in all that much. It’s interesting how the first track introduces us - like never before - to Indian Music

Das war ja mal ganz nett exotisch…

I honestly didn't mind the spoken word parts here, it's certainly weird for an album to do, but just based off the title alone, I assume this was meant to be at least somewhat educational. And the part where he saw to go in with an open mind in the introduction I'd say

Favorite Track: Sindhi-Bhairavi

This was interesting, I guess I understand why the Beatles really ended up liking this guy but it was interesting to say the least

More of a lesson than n album, but an interesting one.

29/12/2025 Never judge a book by it's cover. This wasn't horrible as expected. Spotify listeners: 1.1 million

I know Ravi to be the foremost sitarist in history, famously mentoring the Beatles and acting as their tour guide during a stint in India and psycadelics. I also know him to be the estranged father of former reviewer artist, Nora Jones. I have, however, never listened to his music. This was a nice experience. Calming and meditative. I don’t know that I fully understand eastern music but I enjoy it nonetheless. This would be a nice album to have I. The record collection.

interesting album very informative about Indian music

Interesting

Interesting, and educational.

I can appreciate the importance of this album, but it's not something I'm going to re-visit.

Cool record. Interesting to listen to for the first time. That said, I don't know if it would merit a relisten, so I can't give it a high rating.

2.5 stars. Interesting tutorial of traditional Indian music by country's most renown musician with lots of spoken word description of some music theory. Fine as a listen-through, would only have on in the background as something else to enjoy in the future.

I do like this. His wee educational talks are interesting. I did open my mind. It is good to zone out to and it certainly evokes a strong sense of place. By the end I was tiring a bit though. Enjoyable in small bursts for me

An okay album, I liked Dadra the most.

This album is an interesting curiosity. The first track was just Shankur giving the audience a music lesson. I can see how "The Sounds of India" influenced George Harrison. After a few nasty albums, this one makes a nice change. A lovely conclusion to the week. 3 stars for "The Sounds of India".

me puse este album mientras estudiaba q cosa mas rara con todo respeto no se si puedo get into this me siento muy alejada culturalmente las cosas raras que pensará la gente que me ve escuchando esto desde la compu, en fin un 3 por neutralidad. Creo que estoy sola hace bastante ya en el challenge asi que ojala me salga algo de jamiroquai o de los cocteau como simbolo de lealtad (algoritmo leeme porfa)

Educationally sound but not something I need to listen to again

It was good and interesting how he explained the music theory, but not quite as enjoyable as Call of the Valley.

Interesting and instructive

Not really my vibe. But it was ok

Favorite Track: Bhimpalasi

Exactly as advertised. Like the intro explanation of the Sitar.

Excellent crash course. I should get some tabla.

Sounds very Indian. Not really anything I would play again, but it kinda slaps also.

As the name suggests, this is a good starting point for anyone wanting to understand and delve into Indian music, namely that played on sitar. The first song literally starts with Shankar explaining the differences to how the music he plays differs to that of Western music theory. In it he talks about changing your mindset to fully appreciate the sounds of India. Which is fair. This is a different type of listen, but is as good a place to start as any for anyone wanting to listen to something from outside the anglosphere.

Interesting.

I'm right in the middle on this - do I want to listen to it over and over? No. Does it have it's place on this list? Absolutely. While I appreciated the instructions/commentary a couple times, it actually interrupts the album where I'd be less likely to put this on, and might rather pick something different from him where it's just the music straight through. It's still cool to have a brief lesson though.

Thoughts before listening: Sitar music by someone who was in the Beatles' general universe and influenced George Harrison. Looks like this was released in 1957 a full decade before his Beatles connection. Review: I understand why the Beatles and other 60s hippie musicians glommed onto this guy and his music. There is something entrancing about the sitar, and the way the music is constantly evolving and flowing means it aligns itself well to both psychedelic rock and an acid trip. I'm not going to add any of these songs to the playlist, but I am glad to have heard it. This is certainly interesting music. 3-stars

I’m always curious and receptive to sitar based music. Don’t know what the heck is going on but the slower examples of this music I find relaxing. The quicker stuff I like less but the pace the music is being played at displays what accomplished musicians they are. Ravi Shankar is no doubt the most famous and perhaps the master of sitar music. His attempt to explain the music at the beginning of the album is welcome but at 4 minutes long and considering how technical this music is it did not really enlightening me in my quest to understand. I suspect full mastery is more like a religion taking a lifetime of study and practice. So I think it best to continue in blissful ignorance accepting it on face value as an accompaniment to help me relax or as a background at my local Tandoori when snaffling a Chicken Bhuna. This album will serve those purposes well. 3/5 17/11/25

Could have gone either way, turns out I'm more pretentious than I thought. 3.4

I enjoyed this a high 3 star

Unique was for sure

Very vibey and I know Shankar is well loved. Nice background focus music.

very interesting, definitely not an album id find myself listening to again but it was very informative and neat.

I found the explanations helpful.

This was quite enjoyable. I imagine it must have blown a few minds back when it was released.

Interesting to listen, but not truly enjoyable to my western trained ears.

Enjoyable, glad I listened. Didn't meet 4 star criteria, so I guess it's a strong 3 - This kinda stretches the meaning of an album, but I'm okay with that. This is lovely music. Feels like the musical Bob Ross

Wes Anderson vibes, but weirdly the vibes from the fox one, not the India one. It's very cultural but it's hard to smash this on at a dinner party without getting some side eyes. I'm not really sure what George Harrison was on, but it's not really my thing. (Oh? That much? Ahh, no wonders). 3 stars because 2 stars felt racist. If you are Indian or a white guy who uses crystal deodorant and is already appropriating his dreadlocks, go for your life.

You have to be in the zone for this one. My first outing with ‘The Sounds Of India’ wasn’t enjoyable. Felt like it just went on and on and on without end. I’m listening to it again, and I am enjoying it much more. It’s very nuanced and immersive once your brain gets attuned to Indian drone music. Reckon this would be an even better experience with a joint.

A very interesting record with sounds I have been exposed to but to a far lesser degree than hip hop beats or electric guitars. It was an enjoyable enough experience and a very interesting experience at the very least. This is a good

The historical importance of this album cannot be overstated. It is also incredibly useful as an introduction to Indian musical theory and instruments. I honestly appreciated and enjoyed the spoken explanations throughout the album. It helps to understand the interplay of the percussion, drones, and soloing sitar. But the chances of me putting this album on to listen to for pleasure are near 0. 3⭐️

Not my jam at all, and I did find my attention waning over the full album, but it was interesting and I respect the technical ability.

I mean, it's Ravi Shankar. Ya can't fuck with it. That said, it does all kinda all sound like one song. But it's cool.

The Master at work

Couldn't figure out why this is so low. Then I listened to it. Clearly it was picked based on the cultural impact and not the musical quality. There's much better ravi Shankar albums. But this isn't one of them. This is on the level of a children's instructional album.

This was a fun experience! I really appreciated the introduction teaching me how to listen to the music before diving in, it definitely increased my appreciation. While I don't I see myself listening to much more music like this in the future, I was glad to get to hear this album! Best: "Sindhi-Bhairavi" Worst: "Máru-Bihág"

I really liked the informative bits, as well as how well-paced it felt.

This was really interesting! I didn't know I'd be getting Hindustani classical music lessons today. The sitar is such a cool instrument.