Customer Reviews

In Celebration (Highlights)

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Thsi compilation of Ravi Shankar's multi-talented work by George Harrison is a very complete guide to the wonderful world of Indian music in general and Ravi Shankar in particular. The album is so perfect because it is so accessible. The classical Indian songs sound good to the western mind and, for even the most sceptical among us, the funky and wild West eats Meat should convince everybody.

This album is a wonderful companion to both the inroads Ravi made into western music ( like e.g. his co-operation with Philip Glass on Passages) or to his classical Indian work.

I, like many, was introduced to Ravi Shankar by way of the Beatles, and after purchasing a few albums, it's easy to say that this album demonstrates best the evolution of Ravi's sound over the years; sharing with you his different styles and ideas. There is traditional Indian chanting, some introspective instrumentals and ringing vocals efforts, two original songs that receive dramatic arrangements of Ravi's sitar alongside Andre Previn's London Symphony Orchestra, and a fantastically sinister tune called "West Eats Meat" that pairs up Ravi with a funky jazz bassist. According to the liner notes, the lyrics to this song consist of nothing more than Ravi shouting out nonsensical words in his native Bengali tongue, but you can't tell when his creeping sitar phrases are sidewinding up against a menacing bass riff.

You may not like everything on this album, but it's the perfect appetizer to decide in which direction you want to travel with Ravi (the previous albums that each of the tracks are pulled from is listed on the back cover). After all, if you're interested in the sitar or Indian music in general - he is the undisputed master.

This is a great and affordable CD highlighting the best of Shankar's 'In Celebration' album. It contains both instrumental and vocal songs which are very moving and uplifting to the Hindu soul! Jai Ravi Shankar!