The Sounds Of India

I enjoyed it for the most part. Because my ears are not trained for the sound of Indian music, I have to take it a little at a time. Clearly, Ravi Shankar was (is?) a talented musician, and I plan to revisit this album.

An interesting dive into Indian music with the odd time signatures, but I enjoyed myself in just letting it flow over me, groovy baby.

Best Song: Dádrá. The highest tempo track on the album. Worst Song: Bhimpalasi. Can't say exactly why... Maybe it was just too slow for me? Overall: Music that I am not well versed in, although I did appreciate the brief explanatory notes at the beginning of each track. Not unpleasant, but also can't imagine I'll be returning to this.

Un attrape-touriste.

This was cool. I thought I was going to be annoyed by the intros, but they deepened my ability to appreciate the music. Is this the kind of thing I would listen to on the reg? No. But it was chill and often exhilarating.

I dig all these instruments, sounds, and vibe. A friend of George is a friend of mine.

Not bad. But unlikely to listen to again

5 star musicality Awesome explanations of songs Very unlikely I will listen again

Hard

Not sure that the explanatory notes added much to my understanding or enjoyment; if anything, they got in the way. Enjoyable, but a bit long for what was essentially a sitar solo (with some bonus awesome tabla accompaniment).

SICKKKKK: Honestly this "album" has made me fall in love with the sitar and the sound of Indian music. It's just so unique and I love that. My only issue with this record is the fact it sounds very much like a demo instead of an album. In my mind this the 1957 equivalent of a youtube video showcasing an instrument. Not bad by any means BUT not an album.

Very good explanations and demonstrations before playing.

I know Ravi is revered and respected, an influential musician who had a profound impact on some of the most important popular artists of all time (hello, Beatles!) It was fine, not my cup of tea, but pleasant enough. I just don’t have a keen enough musical ear to appreciate the work for what it really is. Acknowledging that, I think it was fine, but it didn’t blast my tits off with awesomeness, so I will rate accordingly.

Loved the Ravi Shankar restaurant on Drummond Street in my student days. This transported me there all of a sudden!

C’est un album de sotar. Le feeling est bon et sa passe vite mais c’est un peu epuisant. 3.25

Good album, though not having an ear that's familiar with the different raags and taals, all the songs kind of end up sounding the same on a single playthrough, especially when it's just sitar, tabla and drone. But still, it was enjoyable and I'd listen to it again. 3.4/5

This was decent to good. It was nothing amazing, but I'll bet it did its job well of introducing western audiences to Indian music. 2.75/5

Cool but pretty samey. Makes for nice background noise. C

I like to listen to this guy talk about the musicality of classical Hindustani music. I think that was the most interesting part of the album, but the instrumentals are pretty cool too. 3.5/5

Interesting and different album, deserves to be on the list, would I come back to it, probably not

I've long enjoyed all of George Harrison's Beatles songs that were inspired by Shankar. So I was looking forward to finally listening to this. I like the spoken word bits. Ravi was clearly into the idea of teaching Westerners about Indian music. I can only imagine that listening to this in the late 50s would have been very eye-opening. The music itself is good and Ravi is very talented. That said, songs that are 10+ minutes need to change things up to keep me interested. This started to feel samey to me. Ultimately this is more of a curiosity for me. I doubt I'll ever listen to it again. But I respect its place in history. If nothing else, I'm glad this came out so that it could inspire George Harrison several years later. I guess at the end of the day I often enjoy the skilled fusion of styles more than the "source material".

A fun curiosity. It's a bit hard to imagine a time when the sitar was unknown to Western music.

2.9 i'm not a big fan of old classical music from any country but i do love fusions of old classical styles a new instruments/new genres so it's interesting to hear the root of a lot of 60s musicians' inspiration on this album. (also gave me war flashbacks to GCSE music.) fave songs: dadra

It's very pleasant. I can't pretend to know about Ragas and such, but it was pleasant to listen to, and I can see why the Beatles got obsessed!

I 100% know why this is here and I enjoyed the music.

Difficult really. My ear is not tuned enough to appreciate this really si I'm not going to fawn or be negative. More than 15 mins is a difficult unless its subliminal in the background. Skillful though.

It's probably my western biases, but I can't really differentiate between all the songs on this album and when I say songs, I mean 10+ minute solos. I thought it was very cool how he explains the differences between western music and the Hindustani that he was playing. I'll listen to this again, for sure.

Well, this was different. I appreciated the intros to each song, but even with that, I still wouldn't have been able to differentiate between each song. Overall, it was pleasant and I don't mind the sitar in other songs ("The Inner Light" by The Beatles comes to mind), but I can't see myself seeking this out again. Nice to listen to something than bog standard rock, though!

Has a great sound, gets repetitive after a while for me though

Nice relaxing morning sounds

I though this was an interesting album, especially with the individual speaking notes in between tracks.

I've never heard of Ravi Shankar before, but listening to this album was a very unique experience. I don't know much about eastern music, but the sitar and other instruments were incredibly pleasant to listen to, and I appreciate that Ravi gave some explanations of each song and its structure. Not only is Ravi a skilled musician, but it's awesome that he was able to leave his fingerprint on popular western music via George Harrison. I think that the next time that I need to relax, I'll try another one of Ravi's albums.

I can see how drugs would make this considerably better. Nice to listen to different instruments & rhythms but doesn't inspire passion / heartbreak either.

Education is important

Would have preferred a non-instruction album, also do like the music but more together with other instruments or singing. The man is a legend of course, 3 stars

лекция приемлимая, я поспал алкоальбом: дед в переулке и ты пьяный танцешь хари кришну

Спасибо, этой главы в курсе муз.литературы не хватало, пробел восполнен. Забавный экспириенс, когда тебе музыку уже по полочкам сам автор разложил. Можно так все делать будут? Лан, не надо, иначе скучно будет

нормас лекция

Ravi Shankar and sitar music as a whole are like moderately tasty dessert. At first, it's really enjoyable and fun, but as time goes on, it starts to lose its appeal.

I don't know what occasion would prompt me to play this album again, but I did enjoy it.

It’s a challenge for Western ears to get around some of the time signatures here. But it was an interesting listen. Enjoyed the little intro bits before each track

Albums purpose of educating western audiences on Indian music is still just as relevant as it was back in 1957 and serves to preserve that slice of culture. A different listening experience, but an appreciated one at that.

So George Harrison either stole or at least co-opted from this for Within You or Without You on Sgt. Pepper. But apparently he gets a pass, as the thinking goes that the Quiet Beatle was responsible for introducing the sitar to the world. And truth be told, George was always quick to credit Ravi. I'm more pissed at Wes Anderson for trying to do with The Darjeeling Limited that this album did much better some 50 years previous.

Is this school? Why is this man trying to teach me?

Relaxing to have on in the background but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it

A little lumbering at times but enjoyable

Despite the odd start, found myself vibing.

Interesting stuff - loved the little tutorial at the start.

Very interesting insight into music I haven't heard much of. Not something I could listen to regularly but the music is very enchanting

I mean. He is super awesome on the sitar. And this is super pleasing. But this doesn't make me feel anything. And I am not currently high. Which is a statement that probably is more than a little disingenuous.

It’s cool he tried to teach me about the sounds of India but I’m afraid I didn’t retain much. Shankar is quite good at what he does, that I know. 3 stars

Une initiation à la musique indienne par le maître lui même. J'ai pas tout compris, mais ça fait un fond musical plutôt correct, doublé d'une belle importance historique avec tout ce que cet album a eu comme impact sur les années 60, sa musique et l consommation de drogue en général.

A great introduction to traditional sitar music. The explanatory, pedagogic intro was a welcome surprise and made me realize how much I would love to hear musicians talk more about their craft within a song itself, an interactive Song Exploder-like experience.

Culture

Compelling from a music appreciation standpoint but it's not something I would listen to often.

Dragged on a little but it was an interesting showcase of Indian classical music, which no one can deny was very influential in the decade later.

Very educational. I had no idea that indian classical music does not use western "harmony"

Not my usual cup of tea, but the album was really soothing. I probably wouldn't seek it out for another listen, but I enjoyed it.

While I love Indian music, this album outstays its welcome by a bit. It essentially boils down to a 45 minute sitar solo, with a few educational bits in between. Honestly, the educational bits are probably the most interesting part, as Shankar explains the basics to Western listeners unfamiliar with Indian music. As a lesson in Indian music, I'd give this 4.5 stars. As an album? Maybe 3.5...and I'm going to round down.

1957! I mean for being this old, it somehow sounds great and fairly modern. Idk if that's because Indian music hasn't changed since 1957 or what but not bad

A fine introductory album into the world of Hindustani classical music. That being said, this feels more like an album for musicians rather than a wider audience. Shankar provides a brief lesson at the start of each track, along with the opening track on side A to give insight into how this genre should be approached. This stands to make The Sounds Of India an invaluable educational album, but an underwhelming showcase of Hindustani music. It's worth noting the impact of Shankar's efforts to bring Hindustani music to the west. We would see it take root in psychedelic music in later years, validating Shankar's efforts on this album. Understanding the ragas and how they can be implemented into songs has helped expand the knowledge base for songwriters, and we've been better off because of it.

Found this interesting, but I don't think it's something I would listen to very often.

Surprisingly tuneful.

I liked how the songs all build upon themselves. Fun listen.

I really like Ravi Shankar, and Indian classical music in general, but I guess I do not listen to albums for a “Great Courses” lecture.

Mmmm

Kinda cool

Really interesting to have an album starting with instructions for how to listen to it and an explanation of the instruments used. For all Shankar says his music is not jazz, it shares certain qualities - one of which is that I don't fully understand it! I enjoyed this album, although like most instrumental pieces I found myself getting a little distracted - so maybe better as background music.

Started off interesting but was wishing for a swift end about halfway through.

This sort of offbeat shit is why I signed up here. I couldn't say I'd listen to it regularly, and I don't think the explanations were really necessary, but it was kinda interesting all the same. 3/5.

This starts with a literal music appreciation lesson which, although quite technical, was helpful even for a non-muso like me. Listening with an open and relaxed mind, as per Ravi Shankar's suggestion, this was quite atmospheric and interesting. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Dádrá Date listened: 29/11/22

This was a weird one. When the music was playing it was great, but when they were just talking, not so much.

This was fun as an explainer and everything. It sounded like something Wes Anderson would stick in a movie

I enjoy this but the sitar gives me anxiety eventually

pretty nice

Interesting album something I will listen to again and hopefully draw further enjoyment as it does take some effort and, as Shankar suggests in the introductory message, an open mindedness to non western song structures. 3.5

78/100: This album feels like a bit of a cop out from the editorial staff. If you think Indian music is something people have to listen to before they die (which it is, it's fantastic music), then put a real album from that part of the world on here. Instead, we get "Indian Music For Beatles Fans/White People." Ravi Shankar doubtlessly has plenty of music in his discography not made with the intent of being a cursory overview of all Indian music. Why not pick one of those? Instead of getting a "The Sounds of Jazz" album, we get "In A Silent Way." Instead of "The Sounds of Rap," we get "good kid m.A.A.d. city." There's no "The Sounds of Rock," we get 100's of classic rock albums—arguably too many. So why when it comes to Indian music do we treat it as a topic to be explicitly taught as though in a classroom setting as opposed to experienced? Mind you, this was a blast to listen to, I just think it's bullshit the way it was handled by the curators.

All classic albums from unique or underrepresented genres should be presented this way! Such a treat to get a musical history lesson from Ravi Shankar, even though some of what he said was pretty technical and didn't resonate with me. What I do know now is that the sitar is a beast of an instrument, and Shankar is a god. It's amazing how dynamic and vibrant the notes sound, now I know why the sitar has as many strings and pegs as it does. Ultimately, I don't see myself listening to this record on a regular basis but I am encouraged to look deeper into the entire genre now!

The explanations that Ravi gives us are informative and enhance understanding of Indian and sitar music but I imagine it would be pretty annoying after a while if you listened to this album on a regular basis. Sitar is certainly good for setting that Indian mood and Shankar is a master of his instrument no doubt.

Holy shit it's George Harrison

Here's a blind spot for me. I understand why this record was important for so many western musicians, as it was a glimpse into the traditions of a whole subcontinent. But even with Ravi Shankar's pedagogical cues interspersed throughout the album, my ear is still untrained for this type of 'scholarly' music. Maybe I'm being too left-brained today to just let myself go and take those sounds as more than a continuous drone. The last track kind of accomplishes that sometimes, but it's still very fleeting... Hard to be anything but a left-brained listener anyway when you're being asked to grade a record you've never listened to through this app. Hence the reason why that grade will be perfectly neutral for now. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 809 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 104 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 48 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 42

This one was both challenging and fascinating. Took me two listens to *kinda* find the beat.

Very soothing and masterfully played! It was very cool to listen to some non-Western music and I loved how he explained some the basics of sitar music as well

This was very different. I actually thought it was pretty interesting how things were explained. Enjoyable listen from an educational standpoint.

Alright, eh

Informative but not to be in a regular rotation

Sweet sounds

Sounds foreign to my Western ear due to the use of microtones (quartertones), or Shrutis (in India) Instruments: Tambura, tabla, sitar Raga - like a scale or mode in Western music This was way harder for me to keep a beat/rhythm to, and there is more improvisation in this album vs Western music

Neat! Think I will enjoy an album without explanations more, they kind of took me out of it, even though they were helpful.

Interesting

Listened Before? N Indian sitar music! This was pretty dang cool even without lyrics. It was calming an unobtrusive. I may listen to this one again. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: Dadra

I liked this more than I would've guessed, as can so often happen with music that's new to me from genres or locations or eras to which I haven't had much exposure. Some intriguing melodies, great harmonies, etc. And, forgive me, at times it reminded me of some of the music I heard during one of the greatest television series of all time, 'Battlestar Galactica (Reimagined/2004 Series)'. And for me, that's a wicked cool association.

Wasn't really listening to the expository stuff, but I enjoyed bobbing along to the music while I was marking. 3.5/5, but I'll round down because it's not something I'd choose to listen to unless I was in a very specific mood.

Kinda cool to hear about a different musical style, though I'm so musically disinclined that I admit I didn't understand most of the theory part. The actual songs were fun and great background music for working.

Rating: 6/10

It is now clear that music education is necessary to appreciate the eccentricities and purpose of this music. In a way, it has the complexity of jazz where to a trained musician or particularly particular ear, the fluctuating beat, timing changes, etc. have their intentional place in which their brilliant execution can be appreciated. Does this make for good music though? Objectively speaking, yes, Ravi Shankar's tutelage on the purpose of each instrument lends a sort of cheat sheet to the Western ear as for what to listen for. There is an enjoyment in what is now a new experience. However, the sustainability of that rudimentary understanding is low over prolonged listening. Eventually, the music goes back to being culturally out of reach for the Western audience. There is much to appreciate here, and this review would never seek to discourage at least one play-through with a little bit of intentional listening. Three stars feels a bit generous, and it is, but two-stars would be disingenuous.

The minute this album came I let out an audible groan - all I was thinking was scents of bad incense - elephant print yoga pants and tie dye everything. But … it actually turned out to be a insightful journey into a non-western music form - by which you understand both it and western music principles in contrast - beyond the music Ravi explains what you’re listening to and what is instruments are being played. Not going to dig out my bong again but it was an interesting journey

The goal of the raga is to create a trancey state, to broadcast a mood of ecstasy. Maybe I need to be high for this. Good introduction (5/10) FT: Dádrá

áhugavert

Áhugaverð plata.

Cool album. I liked his explanations of harmonies throughout the album.

Love Ravi's influence on George Harrison.

I liked this more than I expected. It was cool that it was instructional and intended as an intro to this genre of world music.

I liked the explanations of some of the time signatures

Ambiente da Índia.

Okay, this was pretty cool. I came in planning to be pretty bored, but Mr. Shankar set me straight. This is really gorgeous music, showcasing Ravi Shankar's talents beautifully. I will say a little Ravi Shankar goes a long way. I probably won't revisit on my own, but this really was a great introduction to Indian music. Fave Songs: Bhimpalasi, Dadra

Interessant, die Erklärungen helfen auch. Ich weiß, dass das hauptsächlich an mir liegt, aber es gefällt mir halt beim Zuhören nicht wirklich.

3/5

Erikoinen opetuslevy. Nykyään intialaiset tekee opetusvideoita youtubeen, aiemmin ilmeisesti LP-levyille! :D Alun opetus oli mielenkiintoista ja kovasti odotin opetusta jatkossakin, mutta loppulevyllä olikin enemmän vain sitä soitantaa. Ihan kivaltahan ne Intian soundit kuulostivat, ei siinä mitään. Harvemmin on tällaista maailmanmusiikkia tullut kuunneltua, virkistävää!

Me vuelve loco la música hindú como elemento que muestra la vasta cultura que hay en el mundo. Me vuelve más loco aún que sea música de hace más de 500 años. Igualmente, definitivamente no puedo escuchar 1 hora de música hindú porque es demasiado extraña para mis oídos, pero está bueno para ambientar.

Despite his aim of introdycing us to indian musical theory, i ignored that bit. Pretty good and enjoyable

Very accessible introduction to raga. You can clearly hear the inspiration it had on The Beatles following Revolver and the genre psychedelic rock as a whole. Simple with the starring role sitar and complimentary tabla and tambura that align in a similar function with our Western equivalent drums and bass. It does its job. It can get people interested in raga to start learning. First track can get people excited. 2nd and 3rd tracks sound the same and are repetitive but still wonderful compositions, and not bad to listen to know for as long as they are. 4th track is a nice change of pace with noteworthy techniques to learn from. Lost interest in the middle but grabbed my attention near the end. Final 5th track builds up slowly then delivers a third of the way in, then gradually becomes more intense as the song progresses. I like it, but if not for the varying speed and intensity, I would not be able to distinguish these tracks. Largely is repetitive and something I'd only play to learn from or have in the background.

Great, but not one I'd wanna listen to over and over. Though it deserves a closer listen than I gave it...to be honest.

Not bad, if not repetitive

Interesting, can’t really see myself going back to it though

This album was cool, but it’s just not something I see myself coming back to frequently

-He really get shredding at the end of Dádrá. Actually he be shredding at the end of all of them, basically. -Even though the talking about the structure of the songs is cool, it is also an L because it eliminates it from being able to be on my study playlist

Are you George Harrison in disguise?

Great

Much better than his western covers in a bangra stylie! This is decent background music.

Fantastic introduction to Indian music!

This was good.

Ravi's music is excellent and absolutely wonderful. The instructional tracks are interesting, and I think they do add to the album and my understanding of citar music. I was really hoping for more music, though. This seems short for an album.

Not my usual cup of tea but nice to listen as background music while working

As a music theory nerd, the introduction was fascinating. Overall enjoyable, and good background music for getting work done.

I understand the melody and musically it is quite intricate just the style to me has to fit a setting and I am rarely in that setting but I could envision myself bumping this in Disney at a Himalayan themed bar

Interesting look at a different music theory. Sounds of India has a fascinating relationship with rhythm that can be jarring for those accustomed to the western or African standards. Good stuff nonetheless!

Interesting and informative.

While it feels more educational than for entertainment purposes, that doesn't diminish the fact that it is interesting and fun to listen to.

I liked the tutorial aspect

No desire to listen again, but I respect the skill and artistry. Appreciate the educational intro too.

Kein Album zum mal eben nebenbei hören, wird etwas nervig auf Dauer. Allerdings geniale Einführung in indische Musik und Einstieg in die Popularisierung der Sitar

Educational, interesting, hypnotic. Probably wouldn't listen to much, but understand it's importance.

this first track is really hard to listen to because he keeps speaking during the opener. the rest was ok.

You can see where Norah Jones gets it from

Rama shalanka Lanka Ravi Shankar

This album is interesting- I like how the artist is teaching you how to listen to the music. Maybe it's here because it was the first to reach a broader audience?

cool record

Fand ich durchaus sehr interessant. Ist nicht so wirklich meine Musik, aber es war zu hören, dass der Typ Ahnung von der Musik hat und sie gut spielt. War auf alle Fälle mal ein ganz spannender Einblick in die indische Musik.

Just not into it enough to listen to multiple 10-15 minute tracks. DNF

Legend

Interesting!

I would love listening to Ravi Shankar on a trip...I guess that‘s how his music got popular in the west in the first place. I enjoy listening to his music while working.

amazing but 3m of this are enough

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

Definitely got tedious but I did appreciate the explanations

My ears are not accustomed to such sounds.

An interesting introduction to ragas and the sitar.

Educational, but not something I want to revisit.

This is good but ultimately not my thing

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

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

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

Cool from like a teaching standpoint but not good

Really cool, I am so glad this exists

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

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

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

Interesting but not entertaining

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brilliant in Bombay…a struggle in Bassett.

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

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

kind of irritating

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intersante concepto pero no muy mi estilo

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

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

2 por respect

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

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

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

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

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

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

You don't have to like everything

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Een klein lesje Indiase Sitarmuziek. Helemaal terecht dit genre/instrument zich in deze lijst bevindt, gezien de bijzondere bijdrage aan de popmuziek eind jaren 60. Vind het zelf niet altijd even 'makkelijk' om naar de Sitar te luisteren, maar de manier waarop Ravi Shankar deze bespeelt vind ik wel mooi. Het is heel kalm en daarom niet zo intens. Heb het een klein uurtje aangehad tijdens het werken, en dat ging aardig. Toen was ik het wel een beetje beu moet ik zeggen. Maar dit is wel precies waarom ik aan deze zotte challenge mee doe, eventjes die grenzen oprekken. 6/10

The Good: Yes The Bad: Uhmmm… no garlic nan bread… The Ugly: The pain in my ear from too much sitar… I know, there’s an H somewhere in sitar… sue me. Ravi Shankar is the goat of his style of music, I will not deny that. Also undeniable is that he influenced one too many western artist in the ‘60s who were all going through identity crisissessss Crisi… whatever. Thanks for the lesson on classical Indian music. Thanks for introducing the sitar to the world. Thanks for nothing. World music is all lovely and such, however, there is a limit to my patience… also, why aren’t there any Japanese “opera” kind of albums on here? 2*

instructional - prefer george harrison stuff

Indian

Not in the top 10,000 albums

Not really my thing but the discussion of theory was interesting.

Educational but not inspirational

Others cite him as a key influence, but not me

Not my thing

Amazing virtuosity. But it does feel like a school music lesson. It's going to take me more than 24 hours to adjust to a wholly new (to me) form of music, despite the instructions. 2*

This is just a lot of sitar at once

Am I an expert on Indian music now? 2.5 stars.

neat but not my thing

This is #day589 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's been a hell of a week, and I'm not sure a classical Indian music record (the second one in the last two weeks, if memory serves me) is how I feel like wrapping it up. But what can you do against a random generator? Of course, the man's influence on the 60s Western rock, particularly the Beatles, is undeniable. I'd also completely forgotten he's Norah Jones' father. Otherwise, not something I'd ever reach out for on my own. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day590.

#888. He's really good at it, I'm just not interested 2/5: I can smell this album

Jako mi je bio kul početak albuma kao edukacija, baš originalno i zanimljivo. Ostatak albuma mi je baš bilo teško slušati u komadu jer je specifična glazba i uši mi se umore, nema mi dovoljno dinamike. 2/5, 3/10

Although Ravi Shankar was a world-renowned musician, I never heard his music until now. There were no Indian music stations on the radio back then. I enjoyed that he taught us Indian music fundamentals on this album - sort of Music 101. Too bad Indian music is not for me. He’s obviously a great player.

Day 19 — Ravi Shankar — The Sounds of India (1957) Listened: Mar 16–17, 2026 Genre: Indian Classical / Hindustani Classical / World Music Vibe: Meditative and educational — a guided journey through Indian classical music, building from individual sitar and tabla lessons into energetic, spiritual raga performances Highlights: • Máry-Bihág • Bhimpalasi Impression: Enjoyed learning how the sitar and percussion work individually and together. The narrated structure made it genuinely interesting as both a listening and educational experience. Rating: 2.1/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Maybe

40 min sitar solo was not what I expected to return to. Hard to appreciate out of its introductory context.

So this is impressive and obviously requires great talent. There’s a fun conversation happening between the three instruments that’s made more impressive by the explanation at the beginning. Unfortunately it doesn’t really sound good to me and that’s ultimately what I’m judging here.

Definitvely not my thing. Its an album that sounds more like a youtube learning to play video. Its educational for sure about hindi music and their composing methods but not my favorite thing either listening to class like if it was music nor the hindi music

I really can't give it a fair rating because I'm simply not used to this kind of music. What I definitely don't like is the character of an audio-lesson.

I gave some real appreciation for the formatting of the album, but I don’t think it necessarily works in this context. The first track is an Introduction to Indian Music, but it didn’t feel quite like it. To me, the album as a whole was mainly Indian sounds. I think either having a more proper introduction or diving deeper into sounds that would be unfamiliar to a Western audience would be a better route to go on. Instead, this album is stuck in a liminal space where there’s not much to follow while also not painting a full picture of different sounds. There are some explanations and introductions, which I think is a positive for the album, but I think following up on them further would do so much. Technically skilled no doubt about it, but for an introduction I think there’s a lot of emptiness. Faves: n/a

Sitar is just not for me

Not sure a tutorial needs to be on the list

I started out thinking this was pretty ok. Not my cup of tea, but kind of cool to hear another cultures music. But then he just kept counting. Not singing, just counting over the music. Then each song is like 20 minutes long or something and it just got so repetitive. Then I had to turn it off for a bit and when I turned it back on it was just so grating that I was mad I had to finish it and just said, “nope” out loud and turned it off.

I appreciate Shankar explaining Indian music to Western audiences, but those intros also make this feel like musical homework.

Ok 2/5

Ei paljoa intialainen pimputus kiinnosta

i have a lot of respect for an album that includes listening instructions, however listening to this while i was trying to cram write a uni essay did make me feel like i was about 3 seconds away from a panic attack

While I appreciate the lesson on the sounds of Indian music and appreciate the different elements that it brings, I did not want to start my day off listening to this.

I can certainly appreciate his talent, but not in the mood. 2

Really enjoyed the vibes here. The Sitar playing is incredible. However, I felt like I needed a bit more structure and melody. Even though the introduction told me there wouldn’t be. Dádrà was amazing and fast paced throughout. The other songs didn’t quite reach the same level

I have virtually no interest in Indian music, and this was very uninteresting. extended Talking segments and just generally not really anything that I really enjoyed

Well. That was very interesting. I love how Shankar prefaced this by explaining traditional Indian music compared to western music, it really did help me appreciate not only the technique involved in creating this type of music, but also what this music means in a cultural sense. I can't say that this is something I'll go to back consistently, but I definitely do appreciate the unique culture this is situated in.

Really enjoyed the live / spoken / teaching aspects of the album. Happy to have listened to this. The songs weren't totally for me in album form.

Fascinating album. It's not for me, but I'm extremely glad it's on this list. Experiencing these kinds of albums is important and educational.

Somewhat interesting, especially given the time period. I can dig some world sounds and some Indian sounds of this type and genre, but for some reason this particular spin was grating at times. Middle of the road here rounding down. 2.5/5

I can’t say that I enjoyed this, but it was interesting from a learning perspective. Hard to determine a beginning, middle or end, which may be the point. Pretty repetitive, and yet strangely hypnotic at times too.

Pretty cool that this album comes with instructions. Otherwise, this didn’t do much for me, very repetitive

Man, I don’t know. It was interesting and cool to broaden my world view. Ravi obviously got a lot of attention with the Beatles influence, etc. But I just don’t really find this super appealing. The sitar just sounds kind rattle-y. Like if you had guitar strings that weren’t sitting correctly in the bridge. And overall just sounds very dissonant with no resolve. Perhaps my ear palate is just too western to appreciate. 2

Thought this was gonna hit me right in my George Harrison...but it did not. 2.5/5

I appreciate getting something different, but this bored me.

2- Stars (4/15)

Fine but it goes on a bit and not really for me

This is an introduction to Indian Music. That's all you need to know. There is spoken word describing how it works and is constructed along with examples. If you're already well versed in Indian Music is this album ridiculous? Makes me think instantly of George Harrison.

Way better when blended with the Beatles.

The educational voiceover throws off the flow for me

Después de Scum de Napalm Death con 28 temas en 33 minutos esto está en el otro extremo. Con 4 temas y más de 50 minutos y una música en las antípodas en todos los sentidos imaginables. Conociendo otras cosas del autor, este en concreto no me ha gustado, supongo que en su momento sería interesante por cómo explica la música que está haciendo, pero poco más.

Interesting to see what this inspired but didn’t love that this was an instructional “how to” album

I'm torn with this. It's more like a an informational document than an album to be listened to. I play guitar, but listening to an entire album of just improvisation is tiring and it felt the same here. It's interesting and engaging at times, but it grows tedious over the course of the album.

Crazy this came out in the 50s

It’s fine, not really my vibe

I would have liked it better without the commentary.

Good to have it in the playlist to expand genres

The only people that MIGHT think this is essential listening in the western hemisphere are people that thought it was cool to go down the Beatles influence path. Even those people aren't listening to this on a daily basis. What are we doing here?

Kinda soothing. Sounded like I expected it to sounds. Doesn't sound dated. I don't know any Indian music though.

wish I was on some shroomies. If this wasn't attached to George Harrison, I doubt it would make this list. It's a fun listen but come on, not top 1000

I skipped over this album for a few weeks when I fell behind on this list. The artist was appeared in a crossword I did yesterday, so I figured it was time to come back to it. That story's about as enjoyable as this album was for me. Not to say it wasn't interesting. I don't know that I've ever listened to something where the artist introduced and explained aspects of the music I was about to hear like Shankar did here. It was refreshing in a unique way. But, I just didn't really like it all that much. The sitar is an exotic instrument to my American ears, and there was a lot of it here. I think I prefer when it's used as a subtle flourish in the music rather than as a major part of the mix like it was on this album. It was hard for me to really feel engaged, which was worsened by the lengths of the songs and album as a whole. I'm sure that's more my fault than the music's. I appreciate what he did here, and I think it's fair to have it on the list. I just don't really find this to be something I enjoy. I probably won't listen to it again anytime soon. Overall: 2.1/5

I was grateful for the educational aspect of this album. It would not have been nearly as interesting without it. That said, my sensibilities are probably too closely tuned to “western music” to find this engaging for very long. I can’t help but think that if it weren’t for The Beatles, I’d have no idea who this was and probably would not be listening to his album now.

Not for me

Found it long to listen to

This was odd, and not what I was expecting. Sounding like an instructional album, but once the music begins properly it is enjoyable and interesting simply because it is outside my wheelhouse. Got quite into it. Not sure how many times I’d return to it though.

Explaining music theory while you play feels a bit like a comedian explaining why a joke is funny

Technically brilliant but I’m not sure when I’ll ever want to listen to an hour of Indian classical music

- koulunpenkille joutu - joo emmä tätä koko mitalta jaksanut kuunnella, mutta ihan kivaa näpyttelyä

I used to listen to more ragas, but found it pretty hard to sit through this one. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. I did enjoy the parts where he talked about the music and how it's made and particularly suggested how the western listener should approach Indian music.

Does what it says on the cover. Interesting, educational and some lovely rhythms and melodies. Also very repetitive and not really my thing but yous can see some of the influences in other genres since it was recorded in '57.

Neat intros explaining the theory behind Indian music. Great sounding sitars and tabla drums. I’m hearing a lot of Scottish or Irish musical parallels that I haven’t noticed with this kind of genre before. I enjoyed it overall as kind of an ambient listen… although I found the lead sitar activity a bit distracting. 2.7/5.0

While I do appreciate the explanations before the songs, sorry, but sitar music is not for me. I don't know why but it kinda gives me anxiety and even on the background the sound kinda bothered me. Might give it a go when I am not busy, but honestly I don't know if it will score more than 2 stars. . Also, is it a groundbreaking album just because George Harrison liked it?! I don't know...

It was fine, not a huge fan of pure acoustic.

interesting. I can respect it. But an hour of it is a bit much.

weird album which is more like a beginners guide for school kids somehow, its either 2 or 4 stars depending on how i feel today.

Very talented, but not for me.

interesting but dont see myself going back to this. rating it purely off of my taste and not the quality bc the quality was certainly impressive. and i liked hte introduction, it made it accessible

I learned that Ravi Shankar was not only George Harrison’s sitar teacher but also Norah Jones’s father, which already places him in a fascinating corner of music history. Unfortunately, his music doesn’t particularly resonate with me, but it’s clear that he’s an extraordinarily important figure in shaping how Indian classical music was introduced to the world.

60 minutes of any one instrument is a bit much.

2/5 - cool music but just not my thing

it's not for me. It's cool that George was into this but I cannot do a whole record of it.

Informative and interesting but just not something I long to hear again

all sound the same

Okay culturally. Seemed more of a lesson than an artistic piece to be enjoyed.

Listened to this one on a long car ride, very busy day and this one kind of went by. It is essentially an introduction of Indian music to Western audiences and it is enjoying to listen to Ravi play his sitar.

спасибо конечно, это прикольно, но не очень интересно музыкально для меня

I’m well aware that this will rank up there with the whitest, most Western-centric things I have or could ever say, but while this is broadly pleasant and inoffensive, I like this sound so much more when it has a Beatles song built around it. In its raw form, it’s 10-plus-minutes of drone and sitar that I must confess, I was ready to move on from when it was over.

Fine

I’m sure this is great for what it is, but no thanks.

I can’t 1 this, he means well and I’m sure is a great musician, but I just don’t like the way it sounds

No Ravi.

2.5 - Meh

Virtuosic playing and nice little lessons at the beginning of some of the tracks. Can't say I was mad about the actual music, but by the definition of "albums I should listen to before I die" it belongs on the list

I quite like Indian music, but I don't the ability to tell the difference between an accomplished musician/artist and a hack. This was ok, I made it all the way through, but it sounded no different from the music played in the Maharani restaurant on a Friday while having a lamb vindaloo.

Interesting listen, i found the instrumentals, like in the second song to be very hypnotic. Overall its not something i would listen to normally, but it was interesting to see how other cultures see music

I liked that the artist explained some of the musical components of music from India; however, I thought a lot of it sounded the same. I realize that the instruments were those which are associated with India, but I did wonder if the sound would have been more varied if different instruments would have been used.

From Metallica to…Ravi Shankar. Wow. Felt like it was background music for a crowded street scene in an adventure movie (Indiana Jones and the Golden Sitar?) Did I appreciate it? Yes. Would I listen to again? As background music...

Personally not a fan of Indian music. I can appreciate it's cultural aspect

Interesting but not really my thing.

Disappointing. I hoped I could like it at least a bit. Instead I got a headache. Note: When a man says that Western Man may not enjoy it due to it not having rhythm, he's not lying. 2 stars, mostly for the excellent sitar work, because that is literally the only thing going for the album.

This kind of music is very hit or miss. If it entrances you, it's great. If it doesn't, it's boring. It didn't entrance me.

No 2/5

It nice to listen but gets to blaaa after a while

it’s not exactly an album, not sure what to make of this

Not exactly my cup of tea, but it was cool and educational. Maybe I'll throw it on with an incense or some shit some day

Intressant med lite förklaringar.

You’ve one sitar album, you’ve heard them all.