Dream

Srinivas, Michael Brook | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 29, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Real World
• ASIN: B000000I1X
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,458 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your usual East-Indian-classical-meets-Western fusion, August 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dream (Audio CD)

Don't get me wrong - I love the Nusrat / Michael Brooks albums - own two copies of each CD because I've listened to them so much over the years that I'm afraid I'd scratch or otherwise wreck the CDs.

This is the other CD I have 2 copies of. South Indian classical music (a.k.a Carnatic music) is very different from what one usually hears as Indian classical - or Hindustani music.

The latter is closer to Jazz, with a central theme and mood to each piece, and soaring improvisations that embellish it. Carnatic music, on the other hand, is much closer to Western Classical music - bounded by more rigid notions of form, pace, rhythm and structure. It is more about discipline and appreciation of a piece that everyone knows the way is going to be played. Precisely the reason I used to hate this music while growing up - my folks would play it every day!

This album however makes two big departures. One, of course, is that U Srinivas is simply one of the most talented instrumentalists to come out of India in a long time. A prodigy at 13, his relative youth and success have opened him up to improvise a little more freely in his playing.Two, is the amazing ear and production that Michael Brooks has brought to the album. The bass guitar supports, cajoles, and drives home the raga and the mood that Srinivas sparkles off.

Again - you're not likely to see this album in the house mixes at a New York club - it is much more contemplative, calm, and brilliant in its laid-back mood.

I'd love to see Michael Brooks work his wonders with other Carnatic musicians: L Shankar (of Shakti fame), his brother, another Violin maestro, L Subramaniam (check out a great album he released with Stephane Grapelli "Conversations") and Kadri Gopalnath - the amazing alto-sax player from Bangalore.

Michael - or somebody from Realworld / WOMAD - are you reading this?

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, dark and accessible, August 18, 1999

By 

Clayton W. Hibbert (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dream (Audio CD)

Michael Brook works his magic again, this time with Indian prodigy, U. Srinivas. "Dream" is an incredible exploration of fusion and improvisation that feels (suitably) dreamy but never loses its focus. A pulsing dark undertone persists throughout the disc. Fantastic.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Darkness and dreams, January 6, 2003

By 

William Wood (Sydney, New South Wales Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dream (Audio CD)

This is a disc that has to be taken on it's own terms.If you are looking for a place to start with the work of U Srinivas I would reccomend "Rama Sreerama" ( which was produced by Michael Brook just before these sessions took place)this is where you will here some of the most beautiful traditional indian music you will ever hear.This disc also contains some of the most delicate virtuosity and passionate group playing you are ever likely to hear.
I know almost nothing about Michael Brook( Canadian ,guitarist and composer) ,but I do know that he seems to have detractors and admirers in equal numbers ( usually a good sign).
Unlike other recordings of U Srinivas this is very dark and at times almost sombre music.Brook has added some overdubs( including the infinite guitar that seems to have so annoyed at least one other reviewer) but is based on some improvising between the musicians who were around the studio for Realworld's annual fiesta.These include Nigel Kennedy on Violin and Trey Gunn( of King Crimson) on stick .
Although on the surface this is very calming music I am still unsure if I like the dark edginess to some of this disc but I feel that as an experiment it was worth doing and to a large degree it works.
I would also reccomend "Remember Shakti-The Believer" which features U srinivas with John McLaughlin for those who find pure Indian Classical music too much .