The Sounds Of India

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

Its cool, enjoyes this more than i thought i would. but a bit too long

"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.

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

Whilst I absolutely see this album as interesting & clearly an education in Indian music, I just can’t force myself to enjoy it. The tracks feel laboured and boring to me. I’m fully aware that listening to this requires a cultured ear, but realistically I don’t take much enjoyment from listening to it.

Just can't get into it. Like the explanations though.

OK. 2/5

4/10

I skipped the instructions, knowing I won’t remember them anyway. Halfway through “Dádrá,” I’m enjoying this so far. The pluck of the strings is nice. Ooh, now it’s speeding up, almost in the way that a guitarist will do in a rock song. It all blends together after a while but not in a bad way.

Very interesting. While I can appreciate the musicianship on this album, and it is good, I did find it a bit of a chore to listen to nearly 50 minutes of it. Having instructions was pretty cool and I am sure if I now picked up a sitar I would be an accomplished player.

It's jarring to have an album that gives instructions on how to listen to it and yet I don't have the music theory to back it up. Not a huge fan of solo sitar. More a curiosity than an appealing listen to me.

While I can appreciate the musicianship and found it interesting to experience something new, this isn't an album I find myself wanting to listen to again.

Interesting, but ultimately not for me.

I’m sure to a connoisseur this would have been fantastic. Maybe even someone interested in music theory and technique would have enjoyed. For me, it went over my head and just sounded typical of a genre that doesn’t speak to me.

La mejor pero no. Solo me gustó la primera canción.

Jeg nåede kun til introduktionen til indisk musik. Kæmpe kaninhul. - Mine vestlige øre forpurre en god oplevelse her. Det virker i bolliwood film, men som rent album, nej tak.

Jeg forstod ikke meget af forklaringerne på musikken. Og det åbnede absolut ikke en ny verden for mig.

My first time hearing the sitar was through the Beatles, so hearing George's teacher is a cool experience. You can tell he's a pro. Still, the album is not to my taste and gets long after a bit.

Didn't do much for me. He seems like a nice guy. The narrations are fun.

I feel disappointed in myself that I found this a bit boring.

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

Joa..

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

Just isn’t my vibe.

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

it’s why i do this – discovering genres

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

educational content? in MY 1001 albums list??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cool licks but not my style

3/10

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

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

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

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

I 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

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

My ears are not accustomed to such sounds.

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