Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Interesting, especially his spoken explanations. Glad I heard this. Shankar is obviously a maestro in his genre. I’d heard Indian and sitar music but never really spent as much time really listening. I do think this record absolutely belongs on this list. But after a few tracks, the music got very repetitive.
india innit. Yaps a bit
I like how this is laid out like an instructional manual for playing the Sitar. Relaxing and interesting music.
How often do you get a walkthrough of the music before you actually hear it? Certainly gives you a deeper appreciation of the melody compositions, but it's still sitar music and sounds like its just made up as he goes, like experimental jazz
This feels like the token Indian guy pick. Still a fun listen though.
Just quite hard to judge it without knowing a lot about the genre! Really good and cool that there are explainers in there - it's literally to intro Western audiences to the genre and it works! Enjoyable album.
Not for me.
Nice little introduction to Indian music
Really cool educational-style album. I don't have too much to say as I'm sooooo out of my depth here, but it was fun comparing all the scales he talked about, how some sounded more suspenseful and some sounded more tranquil. I think in one of the scales he played there was a note that went back up in the descending part, and a note that went back down in the ascending part?? Crazy to hear in my white western ears. I want to highlight "Bhimpalasi", this one sounded the coolest to me. The scale introduction also made me think back to George Harrisons "Within You Without You" (that's a George song, not a Beatles song". A quick search doesnt tell me anything conclusive about it being in this scale, but it still sounded most similar of all the songs on here. Very cool concept, another happy day without classic rock. Also I ran a marathon today and this was a good mood setter for it all. 3/5 I enjoyed, woul've liked a visual accompaniment at times.
A few records back, there was another sitar focused album, which was a better album, but this was very educational. Probably won't listen to it again, but it was a good time. Mid 3
I feel like I'm in Desert Hills
ware het niet dat het soms lang duurt, maar dit is zo slecht nog niet... ik kon het ook wel zonder de uitleg...
Enjoyed the music!
This one was very unique and informative. The music was strangely hypnotic and relaxing while complex and rich at the same time. Not my fav but very interesting nonetheless. My rate: 6 out 10
Mesmerizing music. The lessons are interesting. Put this one on and obliviate.
Oddly informative to begin and a little throughout. This really showcases the sitar, and I can understand why this may have been influential to western ears given that this released in the 50's. That's...pretty much it though. Might be best consumed as just an introduction to Indian music.
6/10
The music was fine though I did not need a lesson on how they make it.
I respect the first song and explaining it; however, I didn’t like it.
It's ok.
I suppose this was interesting. But I am not sure there is a circumstance where I would listen again.
A bit too much of mansplaining ;) quite interesting though.
„Thank you if you appreciate the tuning so much, I hope you'll enjoy the playing more" Somehow I line it, but still don't get it.
I appreciate the tutorials on this album. But a little raga goes a long way for me.
Meh.
Didn't really make sitar music anymore accessible for me but particularly liked the last track Sindhi Shairavi.
Got a little tired of this
I mediated while listening to this, and now I have reached enlightenment 3/5
3.5 - fantastic playing but it does get a little old by the end of the album
It is fine. The individual songs feel a little too long for how much goes on in them for my taste. Mid 3.
1. indian - 2 2. dadra - 3 3. bihag - 2.5 4. palazi - 3 5. baravi - 2
I appreciate the variety. Not my cup of tea, as it was a bit samey and unexciting.
Gracias a George Harrison descubrimos la música india con sitar. Interesante.
Technically impressive but not my type of music I probably have to be on something to truly enjoy it
This is a really difficult album to review, or appreciate. My ears are totally untrained for this type of music. I guess the sitar-improvisations by Ravi Shankar are exceptional, but I have no reference. Also, the lack of melody and droning nature of the music, the total absence of structure (except the raga as basis) make it hard to distinguish the 'songs'. It's just there... Having said that, I liked this a lot better than I expected. The sitar playing sounds impressive, I like the tambura. It's just that I can't stand the sound of tabla. It makes me nervous as hell.
More of a lesson than an album but I enjoyed the music and the teaching.
Something different. A soothing and occasionally engaging intro to classical Indian music.
Made me dissociate and speed lol. I liked the music, but I felt like the explanation in song one was unnecessary.
I just think it's neat
At first I was put off by how aimless and meandering the music is, but then I kind of started to appreciate that and sorta enjoyed the overall vibe.
Good music, but didn't care for all the explanations. I get it for the time, but would rather just hear more of the music.
Не те щоб я дуже люблю саме індійську традицію і звук ситара, але дуже подобається як Раві Шанкар пояснює прям на альбомі якісь моменти типу розмірів, або гармоній. Це цікаво.
I thought this was fun! I love following directions
I read the top review, about the guy doin drugs and fucking a frog or something like that, and knew I needed to invite friends over to get stoned and listen. Did not disappoint. Will never listen again though.
It was cool to listen about sitar but like... this was half podcast half music... which then brings up the question of what qualifies for an album... which then also pisses me off because if we're including podcasts, the albums that are on the list should be amazing right? RIGHT? 3 because I am too simple to rate something that is as complex as both words and music
Interesting, but not for me.
V interesting
man, this guy can shred a sitar. Funny thing is, the only reason the editors put this on the list is due to his influence on western artists like the Beatles. They could give a shit about Indian music.
Not something I'll listen to regularly, but worth listening to for historical and musical history. Absolutely belongs on this list
It's certainly interesting from a curiosity perspective - I actually enjoyed listening to it as a nice calming background for my thoughts. Not something I expect to listen to very often but I do see it has its place.
fun and interesting, sounds good for nearly 70 years old
Interesante, algo nuevo pero no de mi gusto, escuchable 😁
I kept waiting for The Beatles to come in.
probably the furthest i've drifted from anything i'd usually listen to. i enjoyed this waaaay more than i thought i would. you HAVE to go in with an open mind - don't try and compare it to western music. this album helped me find a true appreciation for this style of music. i loved how the first track is the artist explaining the basics behind indian music - he makes music that is so complex and sophisticated sound so beautifully simple. i can't see myself listening to it again but i feel like i've learnt so much from listening to it even just once. as a huge fan of percussion, the drums (which i know as the tabla, the dholak and the djembe) lie so neatly beneath the sitar's melodies.
I really enjoyed this and could hear his influence in the Beatles.
I respect him ig but sitar is not my thing
I'm glad to get this instead of some dad rock. It was alright, educational but I felt pretty indifferent about it.
I know I’ve said in other reviews that certain albums are good for newcomers, but this album is literally a great starting point if you want to get into traditional and classical Indian music. Ravi Shankar actually gives you instructions on how to enjoy the music and understand it. He explains the different instruments and beat counts. I personally found the album pretty enjoyable, but it’s not really a genre I usually listen to, so right now, a lot of it sounds kind of stereotypical and the same to me.
Pretty jazzy sitar playing, but it's hard for me to get into when it's only two instruments the whole time
I don't think as an art piece it's too interesting, but I like the form of it - a presentation of the culture.
I do not have the minimum requirement to listen to sitar music and judge it. Personally, I think it is pleasant and wonderful to listen to as background. But I don't have enough knowledge to analyze it further. 3.5/5
Stinky album.
"Everything is in 4/4 if you don't count like a dumb nerd." All joking asalad, this was a unique of sound with a calming vibe. You can feel that this music originates from the meditation mecca with the trance-y sitar sliding around the notes and the minimal percussion drums filtering in from time to time. Good background music while I'm playing No Man's Sky and warping through systems in my starship, but not really something that "hooks" me to seek out a specific track to listen to again.
I have very little experience with Indian music. I did have a Best of Ravi Shankar CD back in the day, but it got very little play and I don't remember it much at all. So really, my entire experience revolves around George Harrison, and the opening music track so closely resembles Within You Without You that I have to feel like it was a direct inspiration for George. Overall, it was a very enjoyable listen, but not one to keep focus on, more of a 'you know what, this is pretty great' as you are doing something else. It might be a little too samey to really focus on, but again, I'm not any sort of expert. I enjoyed it and will listen again in time, but for overall rating, it is stuck in the midrange, a 3 from me.
Dadra was a fun one, but not enough for me to save. If I could give half ratings, this would be a solid 3.5, but unfortunately not enough to push into a 4 for me 1 - would not listen to again 2 - if some one played it, I'd probably just zone it out 3 - didn't hate it, didn't love it 4 - saved some songs from the album 5 - would buy the album or already own it
I feel like after a listen or two, if you’re not using the album to learn, the instructional segments pulls you out of the zone the instrumental segments were pulling me into. I appreciate the album but not sure how often I would listen to this album as a whole.
A great introduction to the music of India. Ravi was clearly a master of his art. Fun to listen to, and you can absolutely see how this music clearly influenced the kinds of noodling we see in later years in Rock music. Probably one or two listens is enough for me though.
Sitar Phish
I love albums like this. Def want to relisten
Had no idea this existed, really interesting.
I enjoyed this album much more than I expected. Guess I'm into Indian traditional drone music now.
I very much appreciate the uniqueness of this album while having no interest in listening to it again.
3/5. Interesting. I liked the asides where he explained the scales and rhythms of Indian music.
Wszystko spoko, ale po co instruktaż na tej płycie? W razie jakbym nagle zapragnęła zostać wirtuozem tego instumentu? Reszta albumu jest ok, chociaż momentami trochę monotonna. Wszystko zlewa się w jeden wielki kawałek. No ale Beatlesi go kochali. Plus jest ojcem Nory Jones - samo to zasługuje na gwiazdkę więcej. 5.5/10
Glad to be exposed to this in its deliberate, expositional manner. I have a western ear for music though: it's interesting but not ... comfortable.
Not sure what to do with this. Is this our 3rd Shankar family project? 4th if you include Norah Jones? If I’m going to listen to Ravi I think it’ll be this, traditional Indian music. That said, I don’t think I will be. 3 stars?
Not my first time through this and definitely not my last either. With that said, this can be a challenging 53 minutes. Each time I listen this specific record, I imagine how mind bending it mustve been to have had a copy of this in the west. The instruments are so deeply set in a different world. That makes Ravis introduction to some conceptual stuff all the more charming and genuinely interesting. I probably wrote this in a different review already. I highly recommend playing a sitar and tabla if you ever see one around. They are super fun instruments with so much feel/configuration.
I mean, I'm not a big raga guy, but I guess as far as ragas go, this is top shelf stuff. Nets out at "fine background music" (unless you're my wife, who immediately demanded I turn it off when she came into the room). But she would have done that for most music
really nice but I have to read about this music
will i listen again soon - no did i enjoy it - hell yes conclusion - 3/5
The explanations of how to play the sitar are cool, but it’s not for me. 3.5 stars.
3.5* 83*
first listen great stuff but the instructional side takes away from the flow
Lowkey mesmerizing, this guy shreds, never gonna listen again but gotta tip my cap
I really enjoy the Intro to Indian Music at the beginning to help those of us who are unfamiliar with this music! It was nice music, but not my style.
The actual music is fine but i dont really want the explanatory detail. Not sure i will ever revisit this album but kind of enjoyed the experience of listening to it at least once
Undoubtedly novel to western tastes at the time. Now this music is infused in the culture across the UK. Exemplary playing but overall not earth shattering.
Enjoyable, not a style of music I've listened to before. Will probably revisit at some point. 3/5
I don't usually listen to Indian music, but this was interesting. Also the explanations were interesting and quite impressive what one can do with such an instrument
I didn’t expect to learn Indian music theory today but here we are. This was actually pretty calming to listen to while working.
I appreciate the tutorial. I enjoyed it, but despite his efforts, it still sounded all the same to my western ear. Maybe if I listened to it a few more times, but I don’t think I’m going to.
It was pretty and interesting. I also enjoyed the explanation at the beginning.
The sound of the sitar is very enchanting. I lit some incense and totally grooved out. I wish more bands would explain their scales and time signatures before every song. It's cool that we are getting some world music in this project. Maybe the next album will be some Tibetan Ritual Music, Balinese Gamelan, or some Aboriginal Aussies doing didgeridoo diddies. C'mon Album Generator, hit me with that world music challenge! Don't even make me get out my Ramayana Monkey Chant album. Props, Ravi really shreds it.
One of the many things I love about this project is getting exposed to world music I’d never know about otherwise. One spin through was enough of this particular album for me, but the sounds were cool and it was fun that he was explaining the music as he went along.
Honestly quite good— I was doubtful when I heard the first track (about letting go off your preconceptions from western music, which I assumed were subconscious since I didn’t know the terms), but this was definitely cool. A real get lost in the sauce record
Believe it or not, I own this one on CD (thanks Andy). When Ravi talks, this has some major Wes Anderson energy. It’s interesting to learn about the structure of Indian music, I wouldn’t have really thought about the time signatures being different, but it makes sense. It made me consider music to be more like language in the sense that it evolved differently in different cultures. As far as the music is concerned, my guy was definitely jamming. It was very impressive, but probably not something that I will return to with any frequency. I am glad I heard it though.
I mean, judging by the way people rate Indian and other Eastern music on this project, it seems rather appropriate that this album would open with a track that basically equates to an Indian music tutorial. Honestly, this album is mostly a highlight of sitar, and I liked that. But then again, I like sitar, and man is Ravi Shankar good on that instrument! A lot of people have rated this album fairly low, but I see lots of praise for the Western musicians who were inspired by Ravi Shankar and use his methods and style. He might as well be a rockstar, shredding on that sitar (and he definitely IS shredding on it). That's the type of influence we are talking about.
I tried but couldn't get into this.
Lød rigtig godt! Det var meget sjovt med de der introduktioner til indisk musik (selvom jeg ikke rigtig forstår det mere end jeg gjorde før), men synes da egentlig godt bogen ku ha valgt en af de mere anerkendte Ravi Shankar plader som ikke er produceret specifikt til et ikke-indisk publikum. Forholdet til ikke-vestlig musik er sgu lidt sketchy.
I can appreciate how talented Ravi Shankar is, the historical significance of this album, and I even enjoy this music style, but ultimately this is just background music to me. I don't even disagree with its inclusion in the 1001, I just can't rate it higher than a 3 - something that was fine but I wouldn't seek it out again.
Good but I’m not sure I’m in the right state of mind for Indian music there’s so much listening I have to do before I look for something completely new. Interesting though I liked it
Reminds me that placing a numerical value on music is all relative - how an album or song compares to the area of music it is talking to. Thus, it is silly placing a value on this, for which I have no reference point. Really enjoyed listening to new music though, and appreciated the explanation of the music throughout. I'll give an arbitrary 3*, glad to have listened and happy it was on this list.
It's a breath of fresh air to get something on this list that didn't come from the US or Britain. This was a nice introduction to Indian music by Ravi Shankar, who is clearly a virtuoso with the sitar. I'm not used to this kind of music so it was a little hard to really get into it but I still enjoyed it.
I liked how he introduced the format and structure of Indian music, I definitely respect it a lot but not sure if I'd go back to it much as an album
Fun, an educational bit, and then music I never would have listened to otherwise.
go back to school with Ravi
Didn't love the music but did appreciate the educational aspect
I love the exotic sound of a sitar, but I kind of zoned out while listening to this.
Look not to the West But rest and open your mind To sitar world’s best
Can get lost in this in a good way.
Interesting and a worthy addition to the list.
I know I’ve said in other reviews that certain albums are good for newcomers, but this album is literally a great starting point if you want to get into traditional and classical Indian music. Ravi Shankar actually gives you instructions on how to enjoy the music and understand it. He explains the different instruments and beat counts. I personally found the album pretty enjoyable, but it’s not really a genre I usually listen to, so right now, a lot of it sounds kind of stereotypical and the same to me.
cool and interesting but I doubt I’ll be revisiting this any time soon
Not my cup of tea. But will give it 3/5 for name recognition.
There are much better Shankar albums out there, but I guess this one’s important because it illustrates the interest of the West to the music of the East. The tutorials makes it feel like we’re listening to something basic
India's Van Halen
He's the Eddie Van Halen of sitar and he's very polite too.
Good album but I won’t be rushing to revisit it.
This is a really hard album to judge. It's literally just sitar.
Would love an album like this for more genres of music. It’s a great idea to get one of the pioneers of a genre to give context and attempt to provide a further understanding to a western audience. As an album of songs it’s not one I’m likely to put on all the time, but I appreciate what it’s doing.
Pretty cool
This is pretty hard to rate, since it's probably the only record on here showcasing a kind of music that can/must be classified as truly "traditional" or even "classical". I listened to this on the train from Berlin to Krakowa and found myself getting lost in, almost hypnotized by the sounds I was listening to while watching the Polish landscape drifting by outside the train window. As such, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable and even somewhat enlightening experience, as I'd never really immersed myself in Indian Classical Music before. At the same time, this is not something I'll probably ever listen to again. I feel kind of bad giving this a relatively poor rating, since it's without a doubt among the most (if not actually THE) most expertly and skillfully performed music represented on this list.
interesting but odd
Super cool and impressive and legendary but did not finish. Not my thing but I respect the hell out of it
definitely feel like I learned a tiny little bit about indian music/music theory, but not enough to properly wrap my head around it. Cool concept for an album.
Don't get me wrong, it is definitely great, and a good way to get introduced to Indian music and its styles. However it's just that compared to other Indian music i've listened to so far, this was by far the most repetitive one.
The musicianship is excellent, it's meditative and hypnotic at times, just not something that I'll listen to fully again, in the right time and place this music is brilliant
A good introduction to a style of music a lot of people following this list wouldn’t be familiar with
This mf shreddin’
Educational with Ravi going over and explaining the common tempos and progressions of popular Indian music at the time. Informative and enjoyable
It was a fascinating listen, and I definitely did not hate it. But being so far removed from western music, it’s not an album I’m going to be going back to again and again. The explanations Ravi gives before each track was great and I did learn a lot, but it made the album feel like one of the children records that teach music
I actually liked this album wayyyyy more than I thought when I originally say what the album of the day was. I loved that he introduced what he was going to do, the keys, the time signatures, it made me appreciate the music more. It was awesome, but in terms of replay-ability, probably not. I'm also amazed that this came out in 1957
Sette pris på tutorials før sangane. Mitt nye favoritt spoken word-album?
the sitar is a beautiful instrument, and this is just a lovely experience exploring the experimentation using this instrument.
This album is truly special. Through introducing the sitar to a Western audience, it delivers a captivating experience. The unique blend of elements in each song is beautifully composed, making for a fascinating listen. Not sure I'd go back to listen again, but very grateful I could.
Leuk met die uitleg, maar ook wel een beetje huiswerk om te luisteren. Toch best vermakelijk.
Joa, da kenn ich mich nicht so mit aus. Klingt nicht schlecht aber keine Ahnung. 😅
3.7 didn’t hate
Old folksy music, seemingly the kind some old person would play at the corner of a tavern with other old people happily cheering around. Stand-out: Dádrá
meh
I enjoyed the learning aspect of this album immensely, but honestly, it's just not hugely my kind of music, but if I ever want to listen to this style again I will choose this
Good album
super fun insteresting
This was an interesting listen. Clearly skillful and fun to have him explaining what he was doing at the start and between the songs. Good to listen to and worth being on the list. Not sure if I'd go back.
One of the good things about the internet is that an artist can talk about their art to their audience and not put it on the album that they might want to listen to on repeat. It's cool that this exists and the music itself can at times hypnotize. It would be really cool with some more dynamic sound. This will probably get me to seek some more of his or other Sitar music.
Divisive The music is both for me, an introduction to the sitar, and not. I never would have found this on my own. 3/5
Not my thing, but loved the explanations. This had me counting all the time
pqp sitar é mto foda. a vontade eh gritar QUEBRA ESSA PORRA RAVI pq o mlk é bom. não é minha pira, mas foi bem divertido. escutei organizando coisas aqui na empresa, passou rapidinho e me deixou menos cansado (?) eh bacana tbm as explicação dele. música indiana parece complexa.
I didn't like how the music was explained to me, but I did like the music itself.
Interesting listen. May put it on in the background sometime when the mood strikes.
The descriptive intros made it more enjoyable to listen to because it made me focus on the complex song structures. I'm dense, so I never would have noticed otherwise. Decent listen
nice and different
This was pretty cool, not sure I'd listen to the whole thing again but I did enjoy.
I liked the instructional parts, that was really cool. The rest was enjoyable too
Dude can shred.
I thought it important but a bit dated.
And here we have the newest winner of the "Most Literal Album Name" award! This is definitely what I expected an album called The Sounds of India to be. The only way this could be more literal is if the album was just recordings of life in India. What we have here is effectively an introduction to the stylings of instrumental Indian music, brought to us by acclaimed sitarist and George Harrison collaborator Ravi Shankar. Let me tell you, this is a man that knows his stuff. The bits of him talking about what he's doing with the music are nice, albeit a bit unnecessary for someone like me. The music is pretty good. It's very interesting to hear the differences in what non-western music focus on compared to the western music that I'm more familiar with. It's nice. The compositions are quite good. The Sounds of India is a pretty good introduction to what classical Indian music can be. It doesn't really do much aside from that, but it succeeds at its goal, so can you really call this album a failure? I wouldn't. I like this album. It may be a bit long and repetitive, but I'm happy I listened to it, even if I'm probably never going to listen to it again. High 3/5.
Seemed cool, i wasnt in the mood for a music lesson but in the right vibe I get it. The guy literally taught the Beatles
At last, something outside western rock. Still western-rock adjacent, and a gateway into Asian classical music. Worthwhile, but not one of my favorites.
Interesting, I suppose.
I like the idea of it and Ravi as a person. Wouldn’t listen again
This album was good overall, and certainly was exactly what I was expecting out of a Ravi Shankar album, but I felt a little uninspired anyway. I think that the intro part where he's talking about and showing examples of the structure of Indian music for a long time kinda took the wind out of my sales 3/5
Enjoyable in the right frame of mind
It's probably good, but its not my bag.
This is a great example of where I get confused with my ratings and where they may be artificially inflated re. usefulness to me. Musicianship and influence: 5. My interest in listening repeatedly: 3.
I really enjoyed this album, definitely reminded me of where the Beatles got the sound from in a few of their songs.
It sounds cool and I guess it's a good introduction to this kind of music but its so strange to my ears that I don't have the context to judge it.
Dude can definitely shred. Not really my type of music, and I don't think I needed a tutorial album for it. That being said, there was nothing wrong with this as some working background music.
I know George Harrison worked with this dude a bunch when he was going through his Indian phase. Oh yeah it seems Within You Without You is a direct influence from Dadra. I like how he's kinda teaching as the album is going on definitely a different approach to recording an album. I'm kinda a sucker for the sitar. Not something I'm going to be seeking out but I do enjoy the psychedelic sound of this album.
From the Wiki article "It is regarded today as being of historical interest for showing both Shankar's musical skills and his interest in teaching the West about classical Indian music." This is exactly what is wrong with this. I don't listen to music to be wowed by someone's skill or to be taught about some aspect of that music. I listen to music because it is an enjoyable experience and this is not enjoyable at all. I don't hate it but neither did I enjoy it so 3 stars.
This was interesting to listen to as someone who has not listened to anything like this. While I didn't follow what he was explaining it was fascinating to listen to him describe the music before playing it.
Already reviewed
3+
Appreciate the education on Indian music, but it didn't do much for me.
Muy interesante pero no lo pude terminar de escuchar. No es para mi
bueno pero no el mejor de ravi shankar
realmente lo puedo escuchar 10 veces pero no voy a poder juzgarlo porque es algo muy particular, y la unica referencia que tengo es George. Mi voto es secreto.
It was very interesting to hear about the different ways indian music is structured, but I'm not sure I feel it belongs to an album you want to put on to listen to. The music itself was nice, but I don't feel that I am knowledgeable enough in indian music to know what makes this stand out compared to other similar pieces, and therefore find it hard to see why this particular album should be on the list, and not some other sitar album. I do enjoy the sitar quite a lot though, would be very fun to try out sometime.
foundational Indian music sound. Not generally my preferred genre, but represented it well.
Here’s the crazy thing with expectations. Basing it on the current consensus I was preparing myself to have this. Instead I came away kinda liking this. I definitely appreciate it! An attempt to show the music of India isn’t “weird” to an English speaking audience. I thought there was some good stuff in this. 3.5/5
I like the album as education conceit. Still can't wrap my head around indian classical, and I even took tabla lessons in a different life.
3.5/5. George Harrison heard this once and made it his whole personality for the rest of his life, pretty cool. Partially a how to on approaching these non-western sounds.
Holy crap could Ravi shred. The end of Dádrá is wild. My thing with Indian traditional music is that I just have no attachment to the Ragas. I have no context, so it's all over my head any my head. And it takes a long ass time to get anywhere.
Eine sehr gute Einführung in die indische Musik. Hat was Meditatives. Ganz nett und sehr gut produziert.
Very different from most records on this list, but it’s still welcome all the same! The artist’s notes about the fact that this music has a different notes and structures than what one is used hearing in traditional western music is a very notable point. As they say, because of these differences, it helps to keep an open mind as an effort to enjoy music that might sound “strange” to you. I’ve certainly heard Indian music before, mostly through sound tracks and theme songs. But I’ve never sat down and listened to an entire album of it, especially in one sitting, and the experience is definitely quite “different”. I think the microtonal scales that this music typically functions under just feels like a lot for me to mentally process, at least after listening to it for long period of time. Thus, overtime, it feels mentally “busy” for me rather than enjoyable. I’d say that due to the fact I’m not used to actively listening to this type of music, it was hard for me to fully enjoy. This is not to diss the record in any way. It’s more or less just the result of my own music experience given what I’m used to hearing throughout my life. That being said, I believe it could be something I could get used to and come to appreciate over time. At the very least, it helped me create a baseline for what it means to broaden my horizons in the type of music I listen to from a cultural standpoint.
an unfamiliar sort of music that i did enjoy listening to
AITA because I kept expecting the music to break into The Beatles' Within You Without You? I appreciated Shankar's explanations and his musicianship is amazing but ultimately I don't see myself playing this record very often.
I'm guessing this must have been a very popular album at some point (it seems due mainly to the Beatles and George Harrison), but it still feels like a weird selection in this collection, especially with the opening "Introduction". It's almost a meta-musical-tourism experience, as we're getting a clearly talented Indian musician's sampling of a specific musical form in a specific musical tradition in a huge, sprawling country with an enormous diversity of musical traditions, yet ambiguously labeled "Sounds of India". I appreciate it that Ravi Shankar is making an effort to educate Western audiences to a very old and established musical style (and apparently the liner notes are extremely extensive); I'm not as sure that this album necessarily belongs in "1001 Albums" (but given that it is, it's surprising that the book editors were off on the release date by a full decade). But that said, it's a fine experience, and I'm pretty sure I haven't heard any of these tracks before.
I enjoyed this well enough playing in the background while I worked. That's not very compelling but it's the truth. Sorry, Ravi.
Good introduction to indian music
I greatly appreciate the lesson on the music of India at the start of the album. One thing he said is “we listen with an open mind and no expectation of melody or counterpoint as is found in western music.” By listening in this way I was able to relax into it. Good stuff.
3.5☆/5 09.12.2024
3.5
It seems like someone just picked a random album because it was somebody admired by a Beatle.
Oppitunti Intialaiseen musiikkiin. Oikeasti. Selityksillä oikein. Kiva tällä listalla kuulla kaikenlaista etnistäkin musiikkia.
Second Indian album I received this week. It’s OK but I have to be in the right mood to listen to it.
i mean, this guy whips ass at the sitar. this cannot be denied.
Education is a good thing.
I don't know how to rate this, it happened and was tolerable
intro- um idk how to rate this dadra- 5 maru bihag- 5 bhimpalasi- 5 sindhi bhairavi- 5 to be honest i was just zoning out while this way playing but it sounded ok when i was half conscious so
Can't deny his influence in India and worldwide, especially when you take into account the Beatles and his daughter, Norah Jones
Ok
Pretty neat, i liked how they explained some of the rhythms and timings of what they were playing, giving you an idea of how and why it sounds the way it is. Not something id listen to often though, but good nontheless. 2.5
After the 'instructional' first track, this album was rather pleasant to listen to, though perhaps not something I'd play very frequently. Good extend the range of albums in this list.
Good. Not something I'd normally listen to. Can't say I'll come back to this, though.
Classic early 1950's Ravi Shankar album in his wandering style that influenced everything musically-- consider the Beatles. This is enjoyable, but the later albums have songs that I prefer as he continued to evolve.
The educational parts of Ravi Shankar’s “The Sounds of India” are really interesting, and the actual sounds of India are wonderfully rich as expected. As a music album though, it's a cool representation of Indian music but the lengthy sitar ragas are just a bit too much for me.
I appreciate him giving explanations for what characterizes the style of music Good music to zone out to, it was much better than expected
Me: ah, it's like jazz Ravi: don't think of this as being like jazz Me: ... I really appreciated the intro discussion. Surprisingly those few sentences enabled me to better appreciate what was ahead. The sitar has never appealed, but this was not a bad listen. A bit too frantic at times, but overall enjoyable.
lowkey crazy move to explain what’s going on in each song to the idiots listening but it was a cool touch!! im not sure i got what Shankur hoped i’d get out of it but not a bad listen, just not gonna get me hooked on indian music
This would have been a 4 if I were new to ragas but in fact I wanted to learn more from the introduction or have expert guidance listening to a full peace. Possibly Spotify helpfully crossfaded the explanations…
Bueno
interesting but not for me
A little different.
Not my favorite
Interesting but wouldn’t revisit. The Beatles apparently liked this guy better than I do
Onhan tämä hyvää tykittelyä! Tosin kokoelmamainen länkkäreille tehty pläjäys. 3/5
Kunnon opastus intialaiseen impromusaan! Ei vaan kyseinen genre ehkä täysin aukea niin 3/5
Very nice but hard to pay close attention to over the full ~50 min. I got the most out of it when I was able to concentrate on the melodic runs. My powers of concentration these days seem...
Dit is het eerste album ooit met een instructie van hoe je naar het album moet luisteren. Helaas voelt het hele album daardoor ook een beetje zo: als een intro of blauwdruk van een muziekgenre in plaats van een daadwerkelijk album. De nummers zijn lang, gemiddeld een minuut of 10, en dan technisch heel ingewikkeld. Tenminste dat denk ik, mijn Sitar kennis is helaas beperkt, zelfs na de instructies. Het is wel een prima album voor op de achtergrond en de instructies zorgen bij mij tenminste op een lach. Ik waan me in India, en ik denk dat dat het hele doel was van dit album, dus ik ga het toch gewoon lekker een prima gemiddelde geven. FAVO: Dadra, Sindhi-bhairavi
This might legitimately be the most impossible album to review. I know literally nothing about Indian music. So like how should I know if this is good. It is important. I dunno 2.5
soothing sounds of the sitar. interesting listen.
This was okay. It’s really not my type of music. It was fine for what it was.
Mad respect for the skill and craft and I learned a little too. Can’t see myself returning anytime soon, though…
This was okay, but not really my thing overall. I really liked the second track. It reminded me of bluegrass quite a bit in structure and rhythm. It is very intricate and layered though. I know nothing about playing a guitar, let alone a sitar, but this sounded like very painstakingly earned talent.
I’ve never heard an album that was also a music lesson so that was interesting. Apart from that this was indistinguishable from the other sitar music I’ve heard but sounded nice.
Interesting but not something I would choose to sit down and listen to. I wonder what caused George Harrison to become such a huge fan of this. I assume it is very difficult to play — maybe it was a challenge to his own musical talent?
Well I guess we know what George Harrison was listening to for inspiration. Its honestly strange for me to hear this kind of music with no Beatles voices entering at any point. I did honestly appreciate the explanation of the music by Shankar in the beginning as it made the music easier for me to approach. I can't say I'd really listen to this again but it was cool.
Favorite Tracks: Dádrá
Love hearing something not British, this is why a list like this is cool. Getting to hear other countries music that I never would seek out is great
Great skills here (and education) from the sitar master. 3.5 stars.
Interesting, informative and OK as background music, but I much prefer Norah Jones!
I don’t specially like the explanation of Indian musical tradition to begin the album
Surprised how good it is.
Ravi Shankar’s The Sounds of India is a basic representation of the deep culture of Indian Music. That’s low-key pretty much it. With four tracks, each represents another element of the genre, which is cool. All in all, The Sounds of India is an alright album. Best Song: Dádrá Worst Song: Sindhi-Bhairavi
"Yeah, I had a sitar-driven lesson about Indian music somewhere in my 1001 albums journey. It's pretty neat, though I zoned out in at least 50% of the time"
Oof getting behind in my reviews! Just a couple notes about this interesting album: 1. Obviously influential, maybe not just Ravi Shankar but the whole Indian Classical genre, and obviously in Britain. 2. Culturally more important than musically, maybe? 3. Difficult to pay attention to continuously, but enjoyable in the background. 4. Get your mind somewhere else for a change, this kind of music is really healthy for the brain if nothing else because it is different from what you're used to. You don't have to like it, but do yourself a favor, and as he says, listen with an open mind and you will be rewarded. 5. Virtuosic. I wish I had more time to just let it wash over me(maybe I'll listen to it again today, since I don't have to listen to Kanye West).
Liked the educational bits and that he specifically called out the pitfalls of listening with a Western ear. As with India itself, there’s a healthy serving of controlled chaos. Listened to: hiking up Acatenango. Favorite track: Sindhi-Bhairavi
The Ravi Shankar material I've heard is all consistently great. I get the reasoning for putting in the introduction stuff here, especially considering that this released in 1957, but I do think that it detracts from this album as a listening experience so I doubt I'll listen to it again due to that.
Haven't heard these sounds in years, so it was refreshing to explore them again. These sounds are mesmerizing and relaxing, and played by the master of his instrument.
Well, certainly educational. Definitely belongs on this list; definitely won’t listen again.
I was pretty indifferent to much of this album. I found it pretty repetitive and it blended into the background. But I do appreciate how it made the effort to at least explain traditional Indian music to western audiences. Even if I don’t revisit it, this was still a very valuable look into a culture that I as an American never really interacted with.
That’s a really intriguing 3. There are lulls around the middle where the sound sorta loses its luster, but all 4 of the core styles here make for good listening. I enjoyed the first and last styles (Dádrá & Sindhi-Bhairavi) the most because they just sort of had a more natural and free-flowing vibe to them; you can feel these guys feeling the music come to them. It felt to me like that was a bit more deliberate in the Máru-Bihág and Bhimpalási styles, and that’s why I didn’t enjoy them as much, but they’re all good listens. The only knock I might have on these tracks are the runtimes? I feel like it could’ve been possible to trim this down a little bit, but that’s a knock against the sort of flow I was talking about earlier and I’d be kind of a hypocrite. I don’t think I can go up to a 4 or a 5 because it is kind of just the same throughout, but it’s a very enjoyable listen regardless, and I feel good with a 3.
Nice introduction to Indian music - in the context of when it came out it may have been groundbreaking, and it no doubt had an influence on western music in the wake in things like the Rolling Stones' Paint It Black, or any number of George's Harrison's contributions to the Beatles starting from Norweigian Wood to the Lady Madonna B-side The Inner Light. It just doesn't light me up.
Spicy
Maybe the first overtly didactic album on the list. If nothing else, I've learned something. Nonetheless, my ears aren't sufficiently attuned to the art of the raga to truly appreciate the nuances nor, probably, the skill of the musicians. Shankar was doubtless an expert sitar player - I have little to compare him to as a yardstick. I was, however, quite taken by the rhythms of the tabla - there's some kind of roll played on it occasionally that makes it sound like it's collapsing in on itself. Perhaps more interesting, and worthy, than thrilling - but I'm glad I've listened.
Glad I listened to this and I can appreciate how influential it must have been to every hippie 60s band, but it gets awfully repetitive, and I will probably never listen to it again. 3.5 stars
Interesting In terms of an album to listen to, it was a bit distracting with the spoken track
Dadra
Hard to rate this one. I found it really interesting and I learnt about Indian music, the explanations gave a lot of context and I found myself getting into it more. That said, it was long and I can't say I'd ever listen again. A great inclusion on this list but not personally a style of music I'd intentionally listen to. I'm going to say 3 but it's pretty arbitrary.
I don't love this, but I see the appeal. Ravi sounds like an extremely talented musician, and wants to share his love of his country's music. In the right setting this is great, but not something I'm going to seek out to listen to. However, I did find myself letting Spotify continue to play more Ravi, so I guess I enjoyed it more than I expected.
I mean it's not really for me but I can dig it. Kept waiting to hear Beatles vocals pop in, there's a reason Ravi is cited as a heavy influence for so many rockers. Prob won't be listening again but interesting for sure.
I can appreciate it, even if I don’t enjoy it. The teaching aspect was actually really interesting. I can see George Harrison hearing this and it blowing his mind.
Ravi Shankar is like the Hendrix of sitar. He’s had a pretty big influence on rock music as well. He taught George Harrison how to play sitar and became very popular during the hippie movement. This album showcases his improvisational chops and I also enjoyed some of the explanations he gives for the different ragas.
Well titled
Different kind of music than I usually listen to, but not bad.
Interesting listen into the musical scales or indian music. Not sure i'll listen to this more often but it is an interesting listen.
not a fan of the instructional (spoken word) stuff, but knowing the influence on the beatles, i know it's important to its time. 2.6 listened 2x
Kept waiting for this 53 minute intro to drop into Love You Too.
Nice, his later stuff is way cooler
A very straightforward and guided introduction to different acoustic song types generating from India.
If you’re ready to learn something about eastern music theory, this album is for you. In terms of a memorable record for the actual music it’s bringing, it falls a little flat for me. It feels like an unfair criticism because the main intent of this is to literally teach the listener something. It’s a music lesson, and if you don’t know that before going into it, you could very well leave disappointed. But for 57’, making an album with an attempt to appeal to western audiences and open them up to new worlds of music was pretty bold. Points for that.
A fascinating educational exploration into Hindustani classical music from a supremely qualified teacher.
very relaxing and cool to listen to!
I liked the explain how it's different from western music
It's probably the drugs but I like this.
I liked this. Aside from the instructional bits, I found the music interesting enough to want it to go on, but not so intrusive that it distracted me from my work. I would definitely listen to more.
It was chill
Nije loše, zanimljivo i edukativno svakako!! Ali nije da bi si baš to inače upalila…
I enjoyed the education
Great background music; very relaxing and trance-inducing. Not anything that I would listen to casually, but still good.
I can’t say this was for me. Musically it is clearly a phenomenally played and nicely produced piece but this isn’t something I’ll go back to. That said looking at the album in parts it comes down to Shankar just being a get composer. Clearly he is. Even if his composition don’t make me feel anything.
Better than expected. Quite interesting.
The introductions about the musical form were helpful. I generally like indian ragas though my western ears don't fully understand it. It's good, but makes me sleepy sometimes. 3.4
Nice! Aber bitte in Dosen ;-)
Very nice and suitable introduction to the music of India.
This was a very interesting album. And it properly represents one of the reasons I’m doing this project, that is to be exposed to things I never would otherwise listen to. I appreciate how this album is an educational experience, with aspects of Indian music being explained before it is played. Although I wouldn’t say it makes me want to listen to more, I appreciate the album nonetheless
- well this certainly introduced me to Indian music - feels a lot like jazz
Impossible to rate really as a Western casual listener but the spoken word intros are great and as a soundscape its great working music.
Masterfully talented and I'm really glad I listened to this. It really belongs on a list like this and is a great introduction to traditional Indian music. But on the other hand, it's really just that. An introduction to the Raga.
Interesting album. It’s more of a study in how Indian music/scales patterns work in eastern music. There’s a basic explanation at the beginning of some songs, followed by the demonstration. Fun listen but probably wont listen again cause it’s not my style. 3/5
interesting India music, 3 stars
Interesting.
He's pretty good but I've heard classical Indian music before. It was pretty boring as a kid tbh but this was okay. - 6/10
Not the worst thing to listen to while I was at work. Could’ve done without the talking. Low 3.
Grew up listening to lots of classical indian music and hear this guys name all the time n he lived in San Diego before he died so aunties would also talk ab seeing him live. He’s a super adulterous man super funny how the aunties never feel the need to talk ab that 😒. But yeah I just don’t love sitar on his own and enjoy traditional music best when it’s accompanied by dance bc I really enjoy watching barthanatyam. Also lack of lyrics made it a bit boring. I also don’t know how I feel ab the fact that this guys main goal(I think )was to get ppl who aren’t Indian to be educated ab our music. 6.5/10
6/10 - I liked how he explained the way that the pieces worked and how the were supposed to be felt and counted. Through the pieces you can easily see his talent however it is not my cup of tea.
This guy was fuckin it up on that sitar, but I’m not gonna rate it that high just because I don’t think it’s something I’d listen to again 6/10
Interesting.
The explanation of the music and themes in the album actually upped the rating for me
Super good. This is definitely one of those "important" albums that contemporary artists reference as their intro to Eastern Music. Its super cool, and really interesting. I love the microtonal sounds and finger picking. Its wild how the music sounds so complex, when in reality, it's quite simple. Basically, a Sitar and a Drum for most songs.
The sitar is such a unique sounding instrument. Didn’t hate this didn’t love it
I’m enjoying learning about Hindustani classical music on this project, and appreciate the tinges of education offered on this album. Still necessary to teach us Westerners even some 66 years later… I enjoyed a lot of this. As a whole it was a tad more than sufficient and was a little educational.
Interesting - but I don't think I'll be listening again...
Don't mind this for a bit of cultural experience, taking me to another time and place. Worth the experience 👌🏾
This album was interesting, before the beginning of each song Ravi explains the particular raga that he is going to play, to teach the listener about the music before playing it so you know what to expect. I've never heard an album like this, where you're meant to learn about the subject. Overall it was alright to listen to, but points for trying to teach while entertaining
I think I need to be in the right atmosphere to really enjoy this, a bit hit or miss
Interesting I guess. With the long songs it does get kinda boring after a while. Neat to hear the explanations though. 2.5/5
I thought the different time signatures were really neat. I think the music was interesting, but I wish it didn't include the lecture beforehand. Maybe as separate tracks?
The whole thing sounded like a tutorial. The first track is Shankar explaining different techniques in Indian music. Then it goes on to have very melodic music but in a way that is for the listener to learn more than enjoy. Good concept for an Eastern musician in the last 50s...kinda odd to listen to.