The Sounds Of India

Great

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

One of life's great mysteries has been solved! I couldn't for the life of me understand why a sitar has at least twice as many tuning pegs as it has strings. Now I know! There are strings that run under the strings that are picked and each of these other strings is attached to a particular fret and needs a separate tuning peg. I learned this by clicking on the word sitar on the wiki page for this album. I didn't get it from Ravi's instructional comments before each song. All I can say for Ravi's comments is "sounds good to me". I suppose George Harrison would have understood what Ravi meant but I doubt anyone other than a music scholar could make heads or tails of it. George Harrison is responsible for the western world hearing a sitar for the first time, but Ravi's playing speaks for itself. His sitar playing is exotic and magical. It's no wonder all the hippy rock stars travelled to India to find this music. The influence on 60s music deserves +1. I'm equally interested in the drums, called tabla, played on this album. My disdain for drum solos by no means extends to the tabla. If you never have, dig up some solo tabla music. It's extraordinary. Tabla are also tuned but they have no strings. Another one of life's great mysteries but this one remains unsolved.

I enjoyed the instructional parts of the tracks and I appreciate that Ravi influenced a bunch of influential hippies who, in turn, influenced artists through the decades, all the way up to Cornershop and Thievery Corporation. That said, these (shorter-than-average) ragas are a bit long for me. The improvisation needs a bit more of a framework, like Keith Jarrett's, for example.

As an intro to Indian Sitar music this is great, I mean who is more qualified than Ravi Shankar? But is it really his best work and is it a seminal album in this genre? I'm not an expert on Indian music but I suspect there are more iconic albums in this genre that could have been on this list.

I've always loved the sounds of sitar and tabla. It sounded so "alien" to me as a kid. Later, when I finally heard this album in its entirety, I loved how it explained why it seemed so "alien". I wish there were other explanation albums in other musical genres.

Fantastic introduction to Indian music!

Música étnica india 100%. Muy igual todo el disco. Tiene algo de interés por la novedad, pero no destaca. No es mi género y no lo aprecio en toda su magnitud. Solo instrumentos.

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

Im not even going to listen to this.

Nope

No idea why it's in the list. Not my thing but clearly an introductory album and not his best work

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.

I like music I like sitar I like learning

Ravi alternates giving helpful lessons and absolutely SHREDDING a sitar to within an inch of its life for 45 minutes. First album on this whole list that I feel like is way too short by half.

Not a fan of this album

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

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

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

Not much of an instrumental man but first few were really good

I really enjoyed this, particularly with the voiceovers Ravi does to provide context to the songs to those unfamiliar with Indian classical music. I listened to some Western classical music on the radio the other day and I was struck by how much work the host was doing to set the stage for the music that was being played - the context really helps me understand and get into the music. Also I've heard sitar before (including live performances) but these were particularly good.

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.

Really good intro to the whole genre. Ravi is a beast

If I had to pick my favorite Indian sitar virtuoso,I would always choose the only Indian sitar player I know, Mr. Shankar.

Groovy and far out

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.

5 x 10 minute / song album, recording in 1958. This guy has so much music released, incredible. Known to be a virtuoso from north of India. Very interesting pick, the first song is an introduction to the theory of Indian music.

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.

Well, I do know a lot more about Indian music now than I ever did before. That said, I have no desire to ever actively listen to it again. It's not the worst and it's absolutely fine for bollywood, for scenes or movies from international productions taking place in India and for Indian restaurants. But I'm unlikely to ever actively choose to listen to traditional Indian music ever again.

Interesting, different, enjoyable

This album comes with a instructions and I still don't get it.

I very much enjoyed this. At first I was a little taken aback by his, well I guess I’ll call it instructions. But only at the very beginning. I actually really liked it. I was cooking artichokes while I listened and I was able to shut off my kind and just concentrate on the act of cooking. I really liked that. Everything felt very natural and organic. Will listen again. For tomorrow Jason, it’s a 4. It could go a little over or under depending on the mood, but 4 it is

Enjoyed it for a little while, then I got bored.

Terrible. Though it had others dancing at the 6A bus stop in their sandals.

Not my cup of tea but can't argue with the skill of the musicians.

Been thrown into this list to tick a genre box. Absolute wank.

Alright but won't listen again

Awful - not for me

Raverage

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

I respect it, but it's hard to want to sit and listen to it recreationally

Not my cup of tea...don’t like it...and it’s an introductory/instructional album filled with four ‘tracks’. What am I missing here? 1 Star!

Yes

Interesting, I at both times like that he explains what he's doing to my western ears and then explores on it, and also find that it takes me out of the music. I get why this is on this list, helps round it out, but is it the best representation of its style? I hardly can believe that

Los virtuosos no son lo mio

You can see where Norah Jones gets it from

Now what in the hell would I do with this? Seems okay if you’re looking for Indian music 101, because they literally explain what is going on.

Rama shalanka Lanka Ravi Shankar

I'm sure it was influential, but I'm rating based on what I enjoy

I couldn’t listen to. I felt like I was waiting for a curry

הודו

I learned many things. One of which is that I probably won't have this in my rotation of music.

First track is a very detailed explanation of how Indian music is composed and structured. The rest of the album is freeform improvisation which at times can be way much too energetic and dissonant "... introduces and explains Hindustani classical music to Western audiences"

Loved it

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?

I seriously respect what he did and his musicianship is amazing. It’s incredibly difficult to break into the West and his career is worth knowing about. But I simply can’t listen to a 50 minute sitar solo any more than I could a Joe Satriani guitar album. It may sound shallow, but I prefer to listen to the sitar used in a more Western song style. But I would see the traditional sound live 100%.

Clearly some talent but not my vibe.

Not a fan of Sitar lines

no

cool record

I'm too much of a westerner. Not my kind of music. Like, at all. Maybe it got ruined by Bollywood? Probably not.. No Thanks.

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.

It's fine. 5/10

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

I liked the slower portions, like Bhimpalasi, then the shred your face with Sitar sections... but still 50 minutes of any solo instrument is difficult to get anything besides "interesting". He demonstrates a crazy talent, but not sure when i'd ever want to put this on again.

Very Interedting.

Legend. He actually teaches you about the music before he shreds face.

Kon het helaas niet afluisteren want het is redelijk ongrijpbare muziek voor mij.

This just isn't my jam.

Can totally see the influence on various bands of the time. Really interesting, actually

1

Legend

Legend

Interesting!

Love the introduction to Indian music. Different scales leading to different sounds. The sitar is an amazing backing instrument, when its the lead it's chimey and annoying. A talented musician for sure but the sound got old fast

Liked it as my introduction to Indian music. Don't really know what subgenres there are but the sound was cool. The concept of the album was interesting and a great way to introduce a western audience to the genre. Will probably relisten if I want to listen to Indian music, 5/8. Favorite song An Introduction to Indian Music.

Ich hab dreimal Rave geschrieben... Brain... Die Introduction hat mir gefallen. War mal was anderes und hat es für mich aufgewertet. Im Folgenden habe ich versucht auf die angesprochenen Details zu achten und habe festgestellt, dass die Musik mir dabei nach einer Weile geordneter erschien. Kann natürlich auch Einbildung sein. Erforderte jedoch Konzentration. Die Art von Musik hatte mir schon vorher zugesagt, als ich sie mir nur mit Improvisation erklärt habe. Anders als das türkische Klacker-Gedudel. Es wirft aber wieder Fragen auf. Sinnliche Background Noise, die der Künstler mir geholfen hat auf einer neuen Eben wertzuschätzen. Merk ich mir und werd ich erneut hören.

While the Sitar is an interesting instrument, this album sounds more like a 50 minute solo on the Sitar which is just not that enjoyable as an album

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.

Very informative and easy on the ear. Not the kind of music I would choose to listen to but somewhat easier to listen to than other albums on this list. I would like to find time to listen in its entirety. Still, for me it will have to be a 2.5 - so 2/5 stars.

amazing but 3m of this are enough

Arvostin alun opetusjaksoa suuresti! Nyt ymmärrän paremmin intialaisen musiikin perään... NOT!

Very interesting introduction to Indian classic music!

I appreciate the skill and the introduction but it was repetitive to me after a while

This is so not my genre. I can tell that Ravi is hella talented but the constant, repetitive, droning of the sitar absolutely gives me anxiety. There are some really interesting bit in here where Ravi gives short lessons on how Indian music is built and what to listen for which is the only thing saving this from a one-star review.

Really?!

Not really my cup of tea. I like how he breaks down the various theory of what he's playing, but an hour of this is a lot.

Dynamic from front to back the way I find much Indian music is to my novice ear. The explanations were a high point; I didn't expect them after the first track, but can now go back and try to understand each piece a bit better. Whatever the theoretical temptations to relate Indian classical music to jazz, it sounds entirely unique.

An interesting exploration of a type of music and culture that I am not at all familiar with. I enjoy the pauses to explain the music theory behind what makes Indian compositions unique.

This appears to be an instructional album on how to play Indian music??? Did not finish because why would I want to listen to this? 1/5

T'was great!