Call of the Valley

Pleasant enough, but not that interesting. I'd give it about 2.5 stars out of 5, but I can't, so I think I'll probably give it 2.

Nice enough to have on in the background while I was working, but not exactly memorable!

A very sweet album. I’m a sucker for concept albums and this was pleasant to listen to.

Shivkumar Sharma - Call of the Valley Instrumental album that follows a day in the life of an Indian Shepard from Kashmir. It's soothing and melodic. I enjoyed it, but it's not something I'd come back to. 3/5

3+

Listened to the YouTube version. It is such a perfect album that I think about relistening to it all the time.

Not really my thing

Noooppe

En tiedä kuuntelinko vieläkään oikeata levyä, mutta molemmat tosi rentouttavaa. Intialaista klassista ilmeisesti. Hyvää instrumentaalista taustamusiikkia. Ei niin stereotyyppistä mitä olettaisi. Oli hyvää. Paras spotifyssä ainakin Nomads in the Valley

Not really my thing, but not bad

Very unique, chill in the background, almost 4 stars

Did not spark any emotions, got me very bored

interesting, somewhat traditional (I think) sounding Indian album. Very different in instrumentation, rhythm, and flow from Western music. I enjoyed listening, but think this one would take me repeated, deep listens to really fully grasp. Had some amazing moments and cool and trippy sounds, but didn’t fully hook me the whole time. Will probably revisit, but not a top standout for me immediately.

This is good, not exactly thing, but still very beautiful. The Spotify version is the wrong one, search it on YouTube.

¿Pero qué estamos? ¿En la consulta de un dentista? ¿En espera al teléfono?

1. ode to zun god - 0 2. nomadz - 1 3. zhepherd girl - 1 4. the prophet - 0 5. ztarz - 0 6. glacier - 1

Meditation music. Very calming

I'm not well-versed enough to truly appreciate this music but I love it to death.

good

Typical Indian classical music. I have always liked it as a background music. In a restaurant, when working, when reading, ... But never really dived any deeper into it. For me this album is exactly perfect for this kind of background music. And it gets better at every listening.

Amazing world music album. I can see why George Harrison dug this, and I can definitely see how it influenced him.

I really enjoyed this. It was surprisingly contemporary.

This is what ive always wanted in an album it’s so calming, soft instruments, all instrumental. this might be the most beautiful album I’ve ever heard and what a collection of sounds for an album that’s only 20 minutes long Favorite: Whispering Winds Least favorite: none Horrifyingly under-rated album 4.1/5

Relaxing

To be honest, ordinarily I'm not a fan of Indian music, mainly because I can't stand the sound of the sitar. This however, was interesting, it was calming and more classical Indian/Hindu music, and I listened to the whole album, and the musical composition and quality of playing the instruments was quite good. It wouldn't be an album I would reach for again, but it would be easy listening if it was already playing in the background.

I was hoping to like this more. 2.5 stars.

This was a wonderfully calming experience. I enjoyed it twice during my work day & felt soothed. For those who couldn't find it streaming, someone has almost always uploaded the album on YouTube.

This was a wonderful listen. So calming and peaceful. It was a great way to ease into the work day. I'm going to remember this one and go back to it when I feel I need it.

Música tradicional hindú. Ni fu ni fa.

¿Pero qué estamos? ¿En la consulta de un dentista? ¿En espera al teléfono?

A very meditative album. Something to listen to and maybe try to go do some meditation, actually. My biggest problem is that each of the songs just... end. It's as if the musicians didn't know how to finish the songs. In rock, a lot of times it's easy to just fade the song out. But here, it seems more like the songs were supposed to be so many minutes long, and at the "x" minute mark, stop playing. It's very abrupt and jarring. I'm not suggesting the songs should transition into each other, but a crossfade or two would have been a good idea for some of these, I think. Still, this was a really good calming album, and something I will definitely revisit.

Beautiful. Just calming and lovely. The coolest part is when the santoor and the slide guitar come together. Both are played with such dexterity but also in perfect harmony. The flutes also bring such a positive vibe. Nomads in the Valley is the epitome of all this, if you need a specific example. This is the album you didn't know you needed, especially if you were having a bad day.

It was surprisingly good, peaceful instrumental music that I could relax to. I give this 4 stars

Really interesting, beautiful stuff. I need to be in the right mood for it, but when I am, it’s great. 3.5/5

Not sure what to say about this music, or what one can offer in the way of context or critical insight or comparison relative to structures, the quality of playing or artfulness of composition), but one digs it, both music itself and the feels (a little more contemplative and a little spiritually elevated). And if you dig (seems the right verb here, no?), then check out “Dogri Folk Tune” which one's listened to 100s of times in one's travels around the cosmically chaotic sub-continent. One can also recommend “The Valley Recalls,” a sequel apparently.

Ethereal soundscapes and atmosphere. This was a great way to start my morning. So relaxing and calm. I might come back to this just for how relaxing it is. Very good.

Glad I read the reviews upon starting, because I was not liking what I was hearing. Original version (on YT) is quite beautiful, soothing and detailed. I really liked it. (Although I found by mid of the mid track that it was at 2X speed and had to restart lol)

The combination of drones, complex but lowkey & low tempo percussion, looping recursive melodies, and general spaciousness makes this a very relaxing meditative album. It remains very understated and doesn't work it's way up to an intense peak the way other Indian Classical Music I'v heard does.

Oulala c’est cool 10 minutes mais à la fin j’avais hâte que la sitar ferme sa gueule

I listened to the remake on Spotify (since that's where the link took me) and the original on YouTube Music. The YouTube one is so much better! I love music like this in the background while I'm at work. 3/5 for the Spotify remake 5/5 for the original.

Kinda hard to find. It was fine.

Pretty and a great vibe!

I really liked this, it’s so damn catchy. A little under an hour long but the harmonies of the instruments work wonderfully off each other. 3.7

very atmospheric and quite enjoyable honestly. would be a good album to throw on in the background if I was still in school and studying for something.

Surprisingly!

Not for me.

There has been a fair amount of Indian music that I’ve really enjoyed. I liked Rahul Dev Burman, and Ravi Shankar was pretty chill too. I haven’t heard of Rahul Sharma before, so this is new to me today. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Ode To The Sun God This was a really tranquil, relaxing album to listen to. It got me into a zen state in the same way that IDM often does, despite sounding remarkably different. This is closer to an instrumental soundscape at times. I imagine if I was a hardcore Buddhist I’d have some pretty wild meditation sessions to this. As it stands, I liked it but it isn’t something I’m likely to return to.

Had a challenging time trying to listen to the complete album, but I got the gist of it. Beautiful music and if you enjoy Indian music this is a must hear. I'm not a big fan of sitars and Indian music in general, but I appreciate the musicianship and the influential musical styling of Sharma. It was challenging to listen to it all and I doubt I will again, but I'm happy I did.

Couldn’t get into it.

Cool sounding house album. I wish it was longer!

Very nice Indian instrumental music

Pretty enjoyable, better than the previous indian album that I was given

yeah... not for me.

bit boring for me

It was some nice easy listening. The only reason it doesn't stand out more to me is probably because the influences this album had on contemporary western artists at the time has resulted in the sound feeling less revolutionary to modern ears than it would've back then.

Good chill music. Didn't really stand out to me, but was enjoyable.

Heard the Whispering Winds.

Digital release from '95 with bonus tracks: https://youtu.be/dPBY3vBFWmA?si=53pY4fECAS43cCyw Vinyl rip: https://youtu.be/yFWfF3Zow74?si=fd65ONw0GCMHa2Q8 I'll admit, this style of music is not the easiest to get into but this album is excellent and has a particular quality. I would easily purchase a copy if I could find it. It's also important to understand and see how these instruments function and are played which might give a greater appreciation and enjoyment of this.

Even though the Spotify link doesn’t go to the original album, it was still a good listen. Fantastic ambient listening, very relaxing and meditative. Very cool

Didn't love it, didn't hate it. It was OK.

I'm not sure i was listening to the real album on Spotify. Was nice, and I must track down the original. Didn't have time to absorb it in one day.

classical cross over ahhhhh it’s good enough

I emerged from my yurt, which was located on a mountain outcrop. As I looked over the mist-covered mountain valley, my hot, naked body steamed in the cool morning air. I was just coming down from the vision quest peyote I had taken the night before. I felt a bit sheepish. Amazed, I saw myself. I said to my own self “self” I said, “you are ewe”. This album played from inside the yurt and the world made sense.

This album was a real pleasure to discover. I grew up listening to hammered dulcimer, but had never heard it used in Indian music. The journey the album takes the listener on is quite beautiful as well. It makes me think a bit of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but Sharma's journey is throughout a day rather than the changing of the seasons.

This was beautiful, relaxing instrumental Indian music. Apparently the version on Apple Music is not the correct album, I had to find it on YouTube.

I like Nat Bhairav; I kind of like Rag Piloo and Rag Pahadi; I like the rhythm/percussive elements of Ghara Dadra and kind of like the middle and later parts of Dhun-Mishra Kirwani and the end of Bageshwari

Caused an outer body experience and unlocked a new part of my soul 4.9

I'm a sucker for this. Reminds me of music from the game Civilization in terms of the worldliness but just generally very beautiful and hypnotizing kind of acoustic jams.

Very chill

sparse and soothing

Did the Spotify thing, which was OK, then the Youtube version as advised, and it was actually less impressive. Not my thing, but interesting nonetheless

HORRIBLE

Super calming might listen to it for a very specific vibe

Music: "Call of the Valley" is a landmark album in the realm of Indian classical music. Released in 1967, it beautifully blends the distinct sounds of the santoor, flute, and guitar, creating a harmonious and meditative experience. Each instrument contributes to the overall texture of the music, showcasing the virtuosity of the performers. The santoor, played by Shivkumar Sharma, takes center stage, producing ethereal and resonant tones. The instrument's unique timbre adds a layer of depth to the compositions, creating a serene atmosphere. Hariprasad Chaurasia's flute weaves seamlessly with the santoor, offering a melodic counterpoint. Brij Bhushan Kabra's guitar, though unconventional in classical Indian music, complements the other instruments, adding a contemporary touch to the traditional compositions. The compositions exhibit a delicate balance between intricate melodic patterns and rhythmic structures, showcasing the musicians' technical prowess. The interplay of improvisation and structured compositions is a testament to the mastery of the artists. Production: For its time, the production of "Call of the Valley" was commendable. The album captures the essence of live performances, maintaining the authenticity of Indian classical music. The balance between the instruments is well-maintained, allowing each to shine individually while contributing to the collective musical experience. The recording quality, though not as advanced as contemporary standards, effectively captures the nuances of the instruments. The ambient sounds, such as the resonance of the santoor strings or the breath of the flute, add a natural and organic dimension to the recordings. Themes: "Call of the Valley" takes the listener on a sonic journey through the landscapes of the Kashmir Valley. The compositions evoke a sense of the serene beauty and cultural richness of the region. Each piece is named after different stages of the day, reflecting the moods and atmospheres associated with those times. The album's thematic coherence is a notable aspect, as it not only showcases the technical prowess of the musicians but also tells a musical story. The listener can almost visualize the changing scenes of the Kashmir Valley as they progress through the tracks. Influence: The impact of "Call of the Valley" extends beyond the realm of Indian classical music. The album played a crucial role in popularizing the santoor as a solo instrument and establishing its presence in the global music scene. The fusion of traditional instruments with contemporary elements opened new avenues for experimentation in Indian classical music. The success of "Call of the Valley" influenced subsequent generations of musicians, encouraging them to explore collaborative projects and experiment with instrumentation. It paved the way for the acceptance of diverse instruments in classical music, breaking away from traditional norms. Pros: Innovative Fusion: The amalgamation of santoor, flute, and guitar was groundbreaking, setting a precedent for fusion in Indian classical music. Expressive Performances: Each artist's performance is marked by emotional depth and technical brilliance, creating a captivating listening experience. Thematic Cohesion: The album's thematic approach adds a narrative dimension, making it more than a collection of individual compositions. Cultural Representation: "Call of the Valley" serves as a cultural ambassador, offering listeners a glimpse into the beauty of the Kashmir Valley. Cons: Recording Quality: While acceptable for its time, the recording quality may be considered dated by modern standards. Limited Variation: Some listeners may find the album lacks diversity in terms of rhythm and tempo across its tracks. Instrumental Focus: The absence of vocals may limit the appeal for those accustomed to lyrical content in music. In conclusion, "Call of the Valley" is a masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of its genre. Its impact on Indian classical music and the global appreciation of traditional instruments is undeniable. While it has a few limitations, its innovative fusion, expressive performances, thematic cohesion, and cultural representation make it a timeless gem in the world of music.

Blind album and artist. Shocked at the beauty of this one for sure. Not a go to and not something I would seek out on my own, but a gem of what I was hoping to explore when starting this project.

Nice background music

finally went back and listened to this one, it was nice

Pretty cool slightly jangly in places. I can see listening to this again, except for having to go to YouTube to find it. Great inclusion on the list. 3.5

Wonderfully atmospheric, pleasantly calming, and a great first foray into world music for the first time in this project. Needs repeated listens to really be appreciated. “The Prophet in the Mountain” stands out as a favorite track.

Not my bag

hermoso y apacible, cociné con esto y fue muy relajante. Aún así, y aunque los instrumentos son maravillosamente tocados, no me pareció un sonido fuera de lo habitual para lo que son este tipo de géneros.

Trapped. Not sure in what way

Way too muzak for my liking.

Very nice and chill and zen. It is a little garden-centrey though lol

Une journée dans la vie d'un berger indien. Belle utilisation de la flûte, on se croit vraiment en nature. C'est zen sur un criss de temps.

I got into a real east meets west kick about a decade ago, was surprised at just how much western influence was evident here. Using ragas but sticking almost exclusively to western scales makes it super accessible, if a little less interesting than I was hoping for. There's virtually no dissonance to the western ear; I wanted to be challenged more. Just a little too easy listening to sustain my interest, verging on patronizing smooth jazz (or marvel movie takes brief detour to south asia) territory for an ostensibly classical album. Probably really out there for 1967 so its hard to judge the impact in its proper context, but yeah was overall surprised by how light it felt.

Perfectly pleasant and excellent production for the time. I do take issue with saying that an instrumental album is “about” anything. To the artist maybe, but how would I ever know this was about a shepherd’s day? Not compelling enough to get to a 4 but a high 3.

Don’t have a point of comparison for this but I liked it a lot. Very relaxing on some songs and very cool movie journey soundtracky on others

This was great to fall asleep to on my early morning train. I bet it would also be good for meditations and yoga classes. But to just listen to in it’s own? Idk. I think I just don’t know enough music like this to fairly evaluate it.

Brought back 1960's memories

George Harrison inspire le monde

je me suis endormie

Not bad, not something I would normally listen to.

Something different, definitely sets a scene…I enjoyed it a lot

Great folk/world album. Strings in focus.

In 2017, I traveled to Ladakh in the Jammu & Kashmir region after attending friends' wedding in Delhi. I'm pretty certain it was one of the most otherworldly and beautiful places I've ever been (do a Google image search of Tso Moriri and know that it actually looked like the photos. And not only from specific angles!) I know a large part of my admiration was because it was so unfamiliar and is now because I know how few US Americans have and will be able to travel there. Anyway. This music truly fits the type of gorgeous, pristine, and kind of dangerous vibes and kind of makes me understand why so many rock bands in the 60's incorporated elements of Indian music into their own.

Mächtig Plingpling mit ein wenig Kreuzundquerflöte.

New age music.

Delighted to listen to it. Delighted to know I won't be listening again. There's no doubting the quality, and obviously you have to acknowledge its influence in the year of 1967, when every Western band suddenly looked East, but as a whole piece, it doesn't do it for me. I'm very willing to take responsibility for that on my Westernised ears though.

Not for me

I really enjoyed this. Very relaxing. It’s a great fusion of eastern music and western instruments. It’s really timeless, still sounds relevant today.

You can say this is timeless in the sense that, to my ear, this could just have easily have been produced today as 1967. But I probably wouldn't listen to it today either. It's not bad for focus music, though. I could put it in the "put my head down and grind this work out" playlist.

Stunningly gorgeous. Indian classical music has a mystique and beauty all its own.

Very pretty music, definitely a westernized version of Indian music which I think lets it sit better and not feel as grating as some can be. 6/10

cool as fuck

Denk steeds: Zou wel eens iets heel anders willen horen maar dan krijgen we dit en dan verlang ik weer naar gitaren in plaats van pleemuziek.

Wat een gezwever zeg...

Oef.... echt wel een poging gedaan. Maar na een minuut of 20 van alleen maar plingedieplong-plong was de koek toch wel op hoor. Heel rustgevend, maar daarmee ook slaapverwekkend.

It was good for a spa.

Pretty good actually. Nice Indian folk music

nice transportive tunes 3.5/5

Not exactly my scene but honestly this is what I want to see a lot more of on this list. Music that is from all corners, hugely culturally significant or influential, niche genres, overlooked classics. Some passages of this one really got its hooks in me, others left me wanting more light and shade. Fave track: Ode to the Sun God

Excellent music for a quiet time of day. I liked the first two tracks the most, but none of them were bad.

Big props to the people here who pointed me in the direction of the original and NOT the re-recording. This was an absolutely resplendent LP, rich in unfamiliar melody and excellent compositions. While my interest did gradually fade over the album’s runtime, I enjoyed the listen as a whole and was glad to get a great non-US/UK listen (something the project could use a whole lot more of).

Some of this rocks surprisingly hard. But some of it is droning and boring, with a weak finish.

I have been called by the valley. I'm going home! I didn't read up much on this album, so perhaps there's some historical significance to it, but as it stands, the sound is cool, but just cool. If you're looking for something to maybe get lost in, try this one out. It won't challenge any preconceived notions you have about Eastern music, but it will soothe the soul for a while.

A beguiling portal into a world I’ll never truly know but one I very much enjoyed momentarily experiencing.

Album 265 of 1001 Shivkumar Sharma - Call of the Valley Rating : 3 / 5 Not really sure what to do with this one. I did listen all the way through, so that says something. The instrumental album follows a day in the life of an Indian shepherd from Kashmir. I'm not familiar enough with Indian music to say I could follow that story. It is peaceful. Great meditation sounds, though. Very peaceful. Tranquil.

Well after all the discovery and digging in to the information regarding the version on the streaming sites actually not being the real version, and then settling in to a well worn sounding recording pulled straight from vinyl on YouTube, this album delivers. It's beautiful and peaceful and serene. I really love Indian Music and can get in to the ragas for sure. Excellent record.

Decent but kind of repetitive. Could have been half the length with pretty much the exact same vibe

Viiiiiiiiiiiiiibes. Yeah just really good vibes.

I actually have quite a bit of meditation music in my Apple Music library. This was just okay for me.

very relaxing. Nice background noise for a stressful day.

Listened to it twice through. A great find that mixes well with my yoga practice.

I think it is telling in and of itself that I saved these classical Indian entries from last. This is better than the last I listened to (didn't make my head hurt) but I still can't fully engage. High 2, but glad to be done.

Not really anything that I would reach for again. Not bad, but this would definitely classify as background music. Fairly peaceful for working. I hear some similarities to American folk. I could envision a short film having this as the soundtrack. Something like Into the Wild.

This was the best Hindustani classical music album that I have ever listened to. I liked the part where it went from the strings into the whistle.

I have no clue if what I listened to was correct but it was ok. Probably good for what it is but what it is is not for me. Also seemed like there was a pet whistle used that hurt my ears

The real version from 1968 can be found on YouTube - the re-recording on Spotify is much more westernized and isn’t half bad. Good stuff.

There was a store in the mall when I was a kid called "Everything Natural" that might have played this on repeat for it's entire existence. Not bad, just not something I might ever be in the mood to listen to.

I couldn't find this on YouTube music, so I listened on YouTube, hope it was the right thing. It was whatever. Nothing upsetting, but also nothing particularly noticeable. The instruments sound kind of neat, and it was easy to listen to. But I also won't remember listening to it.

couldn't finish

- it’s good for what it is but it’s not my style of music

Not the biggest fan. Not the smallest one either. An important 60’s album showcasing Indian Music to the west however.

Quite lovely, it does serve as a perfect introduction to Hindustani classical music.

Not something that I will likely put on at my next disco party, but for some meditation or just for a change of pace, this is not a bad one to keep in mind.

Soothing and fine.

I’m always glad when there is some variety on this list and have been generally quite happy with the global music entries on this list. It wasn’t easy to find this actual album to listen to. I finally had to resort to YouTube and listen to a recording of a vinyl record as the linked album on Apple Music was different. I enjoyed this more than I expected and found it very soothing. I can see how this might inspire some meditation. I also love the album art. Beautiful!

Peaceful

I listened to this straight on a walk and it felt like an odd montage. Great music, blends effortlessly.

Listend all the way through a few times today. Solid album. Nice production. Wild on headphones. Rag Piloo and Dhun-Mishra Kirwani Are my favorite tracks. Would listen again.

Very cool and unique!! I love being exposed to music from around the world and from other cultures! Awesome!

Lush, gorgeous instrumentals that are just great for chilling. I have long been a fan of Hindustani classical music. I had not heard of this album before but wasn't surprised to learn of the artists who have been influenced by this work

Not my cup of tea. I feel I'm in a game in a desert stage I don't like

3.5

Well, how does one rate such an album? I think it would be great with some weed and some bongos.

At 20 minutes I thought at least it will be quick. Not quick enough for me I’m afraid. It’s not bad, it’s just not the kind of music I enjoy.

I'm a newbie with Indian classical music, but I love what I've heard so far. This album is absolutely gorgeous.

It took some hunting to find the correct recording on Apple Music. I found the one with the 3 bonus tracks so it's pretty close. Be careful of the modern re-recordings! Anyway, if you ever heard those Beatles excursions into Indian music, this is like that with all the Beatles bits removed! LOL. I'm definitely a foreigner to this stuff! Very enjoyable and I will listen again.

Did not like.

Meh

new age is always welcome but hopefully this isn't ... too much? Nah not bad!

Really pleasant and beautiful music, just kind of difficult to listen to in one sitting. Enjoyed it, but it’s an album you need to be in the mood for. 3/5 Might listen again

Not good.

Beautiful but quite boring. I’d need to be very busy or very stoned to appreciate this fully

A hauntingly beautiful snapshot of Indian pastoral and musical culture in the 1960s. The blend between Eastern and Western influences (I hear you, flutes and guitars!) is immaculate and truly a sound to behold. A variety of moods are captured throughout the album diverse, lush track listing. Really, the only thing holding this back from 5 stars is the fact that there's very little in the way of "hooks", meaning it's difficult to follow along or predict the music.

Behagelig! Kommer nok til å høre dette igjen, når jeg leser

exotic and soothing.

I could really go for a nice schwarma or a vindaloo. Definitely some papadums.

I can’t say that I didn’t like this. I felt like I was in an Indian restaurant having a nice lunch.

Starts off with Ode to the Sun God, I got the feeling like it was going to be a modern synth-and-pads spa album. It quickly shifts to a dulcimer lead journey through 'the valley'. Middle eastern inspired chord structures with western jazz influences. Ode to the Sun God is a grab-bag of musical experiences: electronic, acoustic, middle eastern, jazz, call-and-response...it manages to contain all of this in a single track successfully, creating a immersive journey which feels authentic...not chintzy. Within the first track, I'm hooked to continue listening. This is the type of discovery I was hoping for from this album generator.

Magnað sítarveisla

Well, I liked the version that’s on Spotify. I had a nice little meditate to it and everything. Then I discovered I’d been duped, and had to seek out the real album (which, in hindsight, does sound much more like something that would’ve been recorded in 1967). Both albums sound exactly like the album art looks: tranquil, rustic, yet somewhat exotic to Western ears. The ‘real’ album sounds a little more mysterious and a little less lush, but still largely to my taste. I’ll give it 3.5 stars, rounded up, but I won’t lie: part of my score is based on my enjoyment of the imposter album from 2012. I mean, they’re both part of the same lineage, right?

Indian hippy music? It's alright.

Intriguing ! It’s almost prog. Still very “exotic” for my taste but will listen again soon. 3 stars.

This was a little tricky to find online but this YouTube link has the remastered version with bonus tracks: https://youtu.be/dPBY3vBFWmA?si=Gxf76TwlvI5WisoO Beautiful music. I like how the solos are on top of this layer of soft, ambient sound. It creates a kind of tension in the music. But tension isn’t the right word because the effect is actually soothing and calming. Even when the drumming picks up, that layer of sound gives the music a peaceful tone.

This is really pretty. I've always loved soundscape music ever since I was a young teenager and scrolling through music channels on Optimum TV and found the ever-looping genre stations. Man I loved "Soundscapes" and would put it on to go to bed and wake up with it. It felt like it guided my adventures in my dreams and allowed me to wake up with a calmness that would start my day off right. This album brings me back to those times, but I do think this one is a little more attention-grabbing. And it's welcome. I love the intro song with the call and response parts; it's pretty unique for this type of music as it's definitely not the norm to have solo instruments be highlighted and swapped around so quickly. I was really glad that this continued throughout the album. I really enjoyed this. I already mentioned it, but the some front-burner attention grabbing flavor of soundscape music is really awesome to me. I'm a big fan and will be listening more.

Som instrumental bucólico, muito agradável de ouvir

Was an interesting listen and I can see the inspiration and how some rock artist incorporated these sounds into there works.

I found this record quite soothing and enjoyable. This was not expected but I can see listening to this again.

Not as bad as i was expecting. Still never listening to this again

I never really wanted to turn it off, so that's good. But I didn't enjoy it, and I'll never put it on again. Maybe it's super important to what was going on in the 60s, but it's not for me.

I am not a big fan of instrumentals outside of a symphony or a live jazz performance. This album has a beautiful sound and is well produced. It's a western take on traditional eastern music which is a nice touch. Otherwise though, it's nice background music for the steam room.

Nr. 17/1001 Ahir Bhairav/Nat Bhairav 1/5 Rag Piloo 1/5 Bhoop 3/5 Rag Dies 3/5 RAG Pahadi 3/5 Average: 2,2 I enjoyed the B-Side way more than the first half of the album

interesting but not my thing

Really beautiful.

Listened Before? N Oh heck. Another foreign mostly instrumental album with 9+ minute songs. Look, I'm sure its a great composition but it's not my thing. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Ode to the Sun God

Call of the Valley is an instrumental Hindustani classical album from 1968. It's a concept album following an Indian shepherd throughout his various daily activities. Interestingly, the melodic tone changes over the course of the album to denote the changing of time of day which is known as ragas within Indian classical music. This album did a wonderful job of introducing Indian music to Western audiences, and has since become the best-selling Indian music album worldwide. This album may be the best one around for classical Indian/Hindu music. Listening to this will immediately transport you to the calming countryside of India, and the music will soothe you for over an hour. I highly recommend this album for anyone interested in Indian music.

so boring

Yay, something eclectic. Not my thing but nice to get some different sounds. Would be lovely playing in the background whilst receiving a massage.

Got lost in this music. Really nice 4

Alveg drep.

I kept expecting strings to break. Very mellow. Can take or leave most of it to be brutally honest.

Respect the craft but I just cannot listen to this much in one go. The sound is not attractive to my ears.

Andre 3000 taking notes. If you need some relaxing music in your life. This is it.

I had no idea what to expect, but I enjoyed that much more than I ever thought I would. I see myself coming back to this one in the future. Mixture of relaxing and beautiful

Very enjoyable

Pidin tästä, koska huilu ei ollut ärsyttävä! Erinomaista taustamusiikkia hyvässä mielessä, kyllä välillä vaati nimittäin kuuntelemaan.

En löydä käyttöä. Äänimaailmaan sisäänrakennettu ohuus ei auta.

Finally found my sheep herding soundtrack! 🐑🐑🐑🐑

Ugh…

This is really incredible. The flute and guitar sound really great. The atmospheric and traditional Indian sound is extremely cool.

Beautiful peaceful album

Soothing instrumental album. Not something I’d listen to again, but appreciated it for a relaxing focus at work.

I think it is outrageous that Spotify has a poxy-new age imposter pretending to be the original album. On the other hand, the original - a crackly version on YouTube is pretty good.

Great album to end the week on. Some calming sounds that could put me to sleep in the best way.

Holy cow. I knew there was some Hindustani music on here, I believe we'll be getting Ravi Shankar at some point. I've never heard of this one but it seems to be legendary, and the root of a lot of big artists getting interested in traditional Indian folk music and sounds. I can see why, good lord. First of all, this album is not available on Apple Music; there's a "reimagined" thing made by his son on there, it seems fine but it's not even close to the traditional Hindustani stuff. I had to listen on youtube, and then scour the internet further to see if I could download this album somewhere because it's incredible. I'm a sucker for Hindustani/raga stuff, it's just so transportive and meditative and relaxes me like nothing else. I'm not someone who has the palate to tell you "good" from "bad" in this genre, or to even distinguish artists from one another, but jeez louise this is an amazing listen, and it has to get a five star from me in the hopes we get more, and to let everyone know that this shit rocks. Favorite tracks: Every single one. There's even an extended reissue, even more of a good thing. Album art: Amazing, amazing. Perfect art for this. Warm painting of shepherds herding their sheep. I forget sometimes that this was often the music of sherpas and farmers. 5/5

Fint album lidt passivt og roligt dog

Couldn't find this on Apple Music. There is one there with the same title and artwork, but the artist and track names are different. I found what I think is the original version on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1zzVqrCEeU) and that's what I listened to. As an American, I have no connection to this type of music, so I can't really appreciate it as much as many others can. For what it is, it's fine, peaceful, exotic sounding background music. No annoying buzzing sitar of an earlier one from this list (Ananda Shankar).

This was just boring. And honestly, doing work to it was really agitating. The loud pitches made me annoyed and frustrated. It wasn’t as peaceful as I thought it might be which would be the only positive. It wasn’t terrible though nor offensive- no lyrics so how could it be, so i’ll give it that.

Wondering if the Beatles heard this before Sgt. Pepper ... ... This is the kind of music that would have scared the shit out of me had i listened as a kid (e.g. "Within You, Without You" was haunting me at 4yrs old), which I think is part of the attraction. It's definitely dramatic and almost gives a sense of foreboding or perhaps just mystery at times. (when it's not interrupted by an ad on YouTube which was the only place I could find this) This was - to me - unexpectedly serene; I didn't think I was going to like this one but it's quite relaxing. Not an "at any time" album by any measure (e.g. I'd probably crash on the freeway if this were on in the car) but sitting or lying at home, working, etc - it's really nice. Also: very glad it's instrumental. 7/10 4 stars.

2.5

Kind of a pain to find the right version, but a pleasure once I got to listen to it. The quartet of instrument work well, I’m especially a fan of the tablas and flute.

Krill out

An interesting look into the sounds of the life of an Indian shepherd. It was quite a relaxing listen and a decent background music to help focus on tasks. Best: Ode To The Sun God Worst: The Shepherd Girl

Interesting. Good Sunday morning record, which was exactly when I got it.

The Valley called and I sent it straight to voicemail. Boring, boring album.

Exceptional, might find masel using this

This is cheeseballs.

whaaaat this is so beautiful 😭

Now that was something new! This turned my mood around in the best way

It was okay as background music but not really the style I listen to.

Did not Finish - I tried listening while reading and it was fine at first, but the 100 String Santoor just over-powered my concentration and demanded I listen everytime it kicked in. Might be good to meditate to but I've never tried to even without this so who knows?

This one is hard to rate as I have zero meaningful experience or input on this genre of music. Will I put it on to jam out while on a long road trip? No. Is it pleasant as background music while finishing some work in my office? Yes. Is it better than the average music played when you're stuck on hold for a long time? Definitely. The musicians are clearly very talented, and they put out some happy and relaxing vibes.

"Classical music is not for entertainment. It is to take you on a meditative journey, ye toh mehsoos karne ki cheez hai (This has to be experienced)." Shivkumar Sharma Truth.

I'm not sure what to rate this album so I gave it three stars. In a massage, this would be 5 stars. While swimming laps or running sprints, I give it 2 stars. While trying not to grow impatient with someone, I rate this one transcended spiritual plane. Averages out to about 3 stars.

Calm album. Some really nice diddies in there. Could’ve used more sitar!

Äh men lägg av.

Sitar overdose.

When I was a kid my mum used to take to me the garden centre, and for some reason they used to sell CDs of instrumental relaxation music with weird names like “gentle panpipe”. You could press buttons to hear a sample of each one and I always wondered who bought them. Anyway this reminded me of one of those, or the music from an assassins creed game.

I really dig this. It's a shame it's not available on Spotify - as another reviewer pointed out, the version you might find on Spotify is NOT the original - apparently it's the original artist's son trying to cash in or something. Find it on youtube here, complete with vinyl popping sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFWfF3Zow74 Just beautiful. 4 stars.

On devine l'influence de l'album sur le mouvement de musique nouvel âge, qui l'a sûrement galvaudé. À écouter au moment propice pour en saisir le dépouillement.

pretty cool album. very chill, serene, and calming. not something i would ordinarily listen to but i am glad i did. this is the sort of thing i am participating in this project for, to be exposed to music i ordinarily am not. that being said, i don't necessarily think this one is going to be one i go back to often, but i can see myself listening to this in moments where i need a mental reset. as this was my real first exposure to hindustani classical music, i'm not sure how to properly rate it - I have listened to a lot of music that was inspired by this kind of music in western music, but not the real deal. so i'm not sure if this is considered an all-timer of the genre, but i think it was a great first listen to a genre i am woefully ill-exposed to.

4.0

I really tried my best with this one, but I just simply could not get myself into it. I guess it was alright background noise for work, but I couldn't envision myself using it for any more than that.

Interesting stuff! Wish the list had more of this since it's a new experience I didn't think I would listen to normally. Gets a little samey after the while but it's different and I appreciate that.

J'ai ce matin prévenu Robert que j'allais prendre un thé chez lui en fin d'après-midi. Une fois que ledit thé fut préparé et dégusté, je cassai finalement la gueule à mon hôte comme planifié intialement, la faute à une série d'albums catastrophique dont la fin ne semble pas se profiler. Remets-toi de la poudre dans le nez Robert, s'il te plaît.

Je vous joins ici la ligne de code que je tentais de boucler sous la flute insupportable de Shivkumar: List<string> payElementsToReverseSign = new List<string>() { "ABC", "XZY" }; decimal totalEarnigsAmount = 0; foreach (var nextPayments in payments.Values) { foreach (var nextPayment in nextPayments) { if(nextPayment.currencyCode == "EUR") { if (payElementsToReverseSign.Contains(nextPayment.payElementCode)) { totalEarnigsAmount += nextPayment.earningsAmount * -1; } else { totalEarnigsAmount += nextPayment.earningsAmount; } } } } return formatCurrency(totalEarnigsAmount, 2, ""); Comme vous pouvez le voir, impossible de me concentrer, le code est complétement raté.

Just ok. Not generally my style

Sounded like I thought it would

At first I couldn’t help thinking it sounds like a music from a random joga YouTube video. But this music has a peculiar structure and holds your attention. High quality!

Videopelin taustamusaksi kelpaavaa, ei oikein muuta käyttöä.

Ei ollut niin paha kuin sopi olettaa. Meni taustalla melko kivuttomasti

Too new-agey

Ohh no.. waste of time.. again

My first though was, "Oh, boy! Here comes an hour of sitar solos!". But it was actually lovely. If anything, it was TOO ambient.

Album #378 (1001 challenge): "Call of the Call of the Valley" is a Hindustani classic album by Shivkumar Sharma, Brij Bhushankabra and Hariprasad Chararaurasia. It is an instrumental album with Sharma on santoor, Brushankabra on slide guitar, Chaurasua on flute and bansari and Manikrao Popatkar on tabla and follows a day in the life of an Indian shepard. The album helped introduce Indian music to Westerners, became the best selling Indian album worldwide and is a milestone in world music. It also had fans in Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and others. The first song "Ahir Bhairav/Nat Bhairav" really showcases the music and album. It starts with the stretched strings of the slide guitar. The santoor comes in to add melody. Then a flute. Then tabla. Each instrument seems to be going their own way but the music sounds connected. The remaining songs seem to highlight an instrument. With "Rag Piloo," it's tabla, "Bhoop" and "Reg Pahadi," the flute, and "Rang Des," the slide guitar and santoor. This album was really chill for me. It was very similar to jazz in that each instrument came to the forefront at times with improvisation yet the music was connected between the instruments as a whole. It's mostly a joy to listen to a new style (to me) of music especially if it's good. And, this is very good.

This album is great, I just wish it weren’t so relaxing as I listen to these at work and this made me want to lay down in a field somewhere.

The original album/recording wasnt on itunes or spotify, but youtube had a version of the original album. So, it took some more clicks than usual to get to the album but it was worth it! Really great classical Indian album, very relaxing and beautiful. 4/5

Wonderful album to put on in the background or sleep to - nothing remarkable stood out to me though

Good gor background music

Excellent stuff

Made for a peaceful evening deck sit

I'll add to the list of people who say DON'T LISTEN TO THIS ON SPOTIFY THE ALBUM THAT COMES UP IS NOT THE RIGHT ALBUM. Listened on Youtube and it was so enjoyable that I listened to it immediately a second time after.

This sounds like something that would play in a cafe or some niche store. Could be a part of a movie soundtrack too. This is just a sort of run-of-the-mill type instrumental album. Not bad, but not anything to write home about. It's ok. Just kinda background music and that's about it. A 3/5

Pleasant offerings from the Indian scene but unremarkable overall. 2.

Fine, pleasant background music, but did nothing to inspire me. Wouldn't turn it off if it was on in the background, but would never seek it out. Beautiful, gentle sound, but nothing more. 2/5.

Un descobriment de nivell molt alt. Paisatgístic, oníric, evocador... si et deixes emportar per la música, inicies un viatge memorable. Un dels millors discos de world music que he tingut l'oportunitat d'escoltar

Una colección de sonidos clásicos de la india. Interpretación de músicos expertos en su oficio y composiciones atmosféricas y reflexivas. Una buena introducción al ethos de la música india.

It shouldn't be this challenging to find this album. And I mean that both literally and figuratively.

Very relaxing album. Not my usual cup of tea, but I certainly appreciate the composition and overall flow of the album.

Could not make it through it

Really enjoyed this

Pretty but can’t see myself returning to it

Great Indian instrumentals

Very influential to so much other music and I really loved the instrumentation. Beautifully done! Very pleased that this album was on this list because I would have never stumbled upon it otherwise.

Beautiful

Yeah, I mean - this is fine. Very chill background if you're in a certain mood. Sort of like if there was a direct-to-video sequel to Titanic, this would be the soundtrack. And it would be a movie like what used to be on late-night Cinemax, where the entire plot suggests that there will be LOTS of nudity at some point but then what you get is surrounded by terrible lighting and gauzy curtains blowing in an unmotivated way. Some candles. Then it's over. And this soundtrack doesn't actually match the movie at all, but it's what they could use so, there it is.

Good call on the Skinemax vibes, Craig. I was thinking more that if I had a candle shop, or like a tea and spice shop, or basically any type of store in downtown Asheville… this album would be on heavy rotation for the house speakers. Which is not to say I didn’t like it. I found it very pleasant and thought it sounded great and super clean. “Stars Twinkling Within” was a standout and just a uggh, isn’t it? We’re all made of twinkling shiny stars, you guys!

As an instrumental album I thought this was really good , had a really nice feel to the album

Super

tabla sound cool any time any place however you really have to be in the mood for an album of sitar, either that or fucking baked.

God bless you. I feel rather numb around my bum hole after opening my ears to this sexy beast. Strumming one out in the garden whilst humming along. A dirty little slut of a record that made me gush in seconds.

I'm not arsed, Shivkumar. Sorry mate

A respectable, albeit monotonous and at times indistinguishable from one track to the other, collection of ragas that, apparently, had the thumbs up treatment from the 60s biggest rock stars. Which is news to me because, unlike Ravi Shankar, this has fallen completely by the wayside and forgotten about completely. The strange album cover probably didn't help matters with perception either, regardless of interest. Still, this is pretty decent with bright spots towards the end. Favorites: Ode to the Sun God, The Shepherd Girl, The Prophet in the Mountain, Stars Twinkling Within.

Five minutes into listening to this and I had to go book a massage. The back massage was excellent and the price was right. Gotta love the $60 per hour Chinatown rate. On the negative side, I had a had time getting her to zero in where I needed it most. I really don't think Google Translate got the translation of "second vertebrae" right since when I showed her the Chinese translation she motioned for me to turn over and asked for a $50 tip. Funny how good her English was when it came to numbers. Who knew? I'll have to get a Chinese friend to help with the translation and get my neck taken care of next time. I was able to get her to play Call of the Valley over the parlour's speakers during the massage. Fortunately, Google Translate nailed that one.

We’re being exposed to these Indian artists from the 60s, primarily for the influence they had on George Harrison/The Beatles, but in truth I can only think of a couple of Beatles songs where Indian music had an influence and they moved on quickly to other ideas, and that influence didn’t reappear later in the solo work of any of the Fab 4. This is harmless enough and maybe the start of ambient music, but…

Because you can't always Rock out. Pastoral, contemplative and tranquil are the adjectives that come to mind here. Timeless music that belies its 1967 release date and will sound just as fresh in 2067. Really wonderful compositions that seamlessly flow into each other and form a really cohesive whole. This is another one of these recordings that have split the votes here with a lot of 1s but also a lot of 5s. I pity the folks that can't (or won't) give it a chance because this is really beautiful music.

Kind of cool actually

Lovely but a little classic rock

Beautiful and interesting for sure. I just wish I could've enjoyed it in a better setting. Had to listen on YouTube with ads, which is an awful experience. If I find this one vinyl, I'll definitely grab it to give it the fair chance it deserves.

Found a better recording on YouTube. The Spotify version is not it. Nice to do work to.

This is apparently some hugely important album in introducing western audiences to traditional Indian music but given that there’s stuff like RRR now this is definitely quaint. It’s not bad but it’s not something that caught my interest like some of the African music has. Overall was just bored through the whole thing.

Couldn't find the whole album. Just the one song. I'm going to rate it as if the song represents the album.

It's hard to be harsh on something so innocuous... though i really wouldn't be able to tell you if it was 40 minutes of changing music or the same 1 minute on a loop. I know that's on me, but it doesn't do anything for me and not something i enjoy, even as background music.

Putting on this record, while laying on the couch after a massive Mother’s Day breakfast, I was able to shut off my mind for a good 40 minutes. No thoughts about work or worries about things I have to take care of this week. Just this record and nothing else. I shut out the world for a little bit, and at the end, my stress and anxiety levels had receded. I found it to be immensely calming and a great escape.

Mucho ritmo, pero me gusto

I thought this was a really cool album. It's not as intense as some classical Indian music that I've listened to, it's a very relaxing album. The music is great all the way through. Really beautiful introduction to Indian music for anyone who is unfamiliar 4/5

Boring

I had a hard time listening to this in one sitting. I've heard this type of music before and appreciate the talent that goes into it, but just couldn't quite get into it.

Would never have thought to listen to this. Really relaxing and great musicianship.

What a racket!

Not on Spotify, so I went to YouTube and listened to the original Indian-issue LP in mono ( I don’t believe it was released in Stereo at the time). Wow this was really good. I was only really familiar with Indian Classical through Ravi Shankar and various psych-rock tracks that feature similar instrumentation. This record is very spiritual and takes the listener away on a psychedelic experience. Super cool. The playing is amazing as well.

No me gusta averiguar de antemano sobre el álbum, sino escucharlo sin saber en qué me estoy metiendo, y me sorprendió este porque parece playlist de meditación, de lo que no soy fan porque no me ayuda a encontrar tranquilidad y me aburre demasiado, la instrumentación y composición está bien, pero no mucho mas

Fine for background but not something I would seek out

Am sure it's a great example of Sitar music, but can't sit here and listen to an album's worth. 2 to be generous

Whilst I dont particularly enjoy instrumentals this was very soothing and relaxing to listen to

Me parece ideal para trabajar (ONB) En ello estoy, y si, suscribo. Aunque un poco más de cañita...(LNB) Pues yo no le pillo el punto,y eso que hoy he tenido yoga y últimamente me ha dado por el incienso…pero ni por esas(PSP)

This was ok. The spotify link actually takes you to a remake or something from 2012, and I liked that more. This was still decent though. 3/5

Really pretty but also kind of samey to my white ears. I can understand the appeal and it’s great background music, but maybe not totally my thing. C

Interesting sound. Enjoy the Indian classical vibe. 3/5

it was nice but it felt like there was an excess of things happening at times

what⁉️

Op Youtube geluisterd omdat de Spotify versie nep is. Dit hoeft voor mij echt niet. Als je dit heel hoog geeft ben je interessant aan het doen of je bent als kind in een toverketel met Ganges-water gevallen. Ik heb het wel helemaal geluisterd, want dat is hoe het hoort als je hier aan mee doet. 2 sterren.

Oddly really enjoyed this, was not expecting to but this was a great listen! Surprisingly full and fun

Relaxing Indian instrumentals. No more no less

I can't dislike this. Great instrumentals. Very unique.

Sublime experience somewhat ruined by having to listen to it on YouTube (FOUR ads in the first track alone). I say sublime, because it somehow fit perfectly with taking a train through a frozen prairie, leaving the bustle of city life behind me if only for a day. March 28, 2023

pagan imo

🤷🏼‍♂️