Customer Reviews

Diga Rhythm Band

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you like drumming and/or Mickey Hart, this is a great record to own.

As far as the sound quality goes, the people at Shout did a magnificent job. In this day and age, hot loud mastering is the norm (google/wikipedia "loudness war" for more info), this disc is an exception. They took every care to make sure this disc sounds as good as possibly could given the source material (1976 analogue reels), and it shows. My highest compliments to Shout for doing things the right way and giving me a disc that I love playing.

Music 5 stars
Mastering 5+ stars

Bravo!

EDIT: turns out that Shout! didn't master the discs, rather it was rykodisc and shout! just used the tapes. So the kudos go to rykodisc for the original mastering, and to shout! for not messing with a good thing.

In each of Mickey Hart's albums, the artist submerges himself within a concept and reinvents himself through the project dujour. Hart's rhythmic journey as recorded in the studio has created some duds and crafted some gems. Fortunately, the Diga Rhythm Band produced one of his jewels. In this project, Hart's focus was on the sounds of India. That written, vibes and marimbas are the primary musical instruments on "Diga" -neither of which are Indian and no attempt is made to have them play Indian melodies. The absence of sitars on such a project almost seems odd. Unless the listener is expecting classical Indian sounds, this isn't necessarily a drawback. With respect to authenticity, Mickey Hart always produces his albums in a way that makes ethnic music more accessible to Western ears. In other words, this isn't Indian music, it's really World Music. When it came to the sounds of India, Hart's focus was on rhythm; the tablas are the main vehicle. 'Razooli' sounds like it could be an outtake from the Grateful Dead's "Blues for Allah." 'Sweet Sixteen' is so sugary, it's difficult not to describe it as 'World Pop.' Jerry Garcia plays 'Happiness Is Drumming' as if it were a prototype version of 'Fire on the Mountain.' In terms of rhythm, 'Magnificent Sevens' is the most accomplished composition. The song showcases the group's improvisation within the Diga Rhythm Band's most challenging arrangement. As a drum album, the percussion is stellar thanks in part to Zakir Hussain's nimble hands. Easy to listen to, "Diga" delivers Indian infused World Music.