Customer Reviews

Handful of Beauty

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

So you've heard Remember Shakti, and now you want to hear more. Every time I listen to the new material I think the band should be called Remember Shtickti, because that's what it's about these days. Their shtick? Slow, meditative beginnings...the introuduction of rhythm...fiery solos...finally, call and response climaxes. Be that as it may, the guys that do this these days - McLaughlin and his South Asian comrades - are all top-notch virtuosos, so even that sort of predictable music is wildly entertaining (unless you really know and dig Hindustani music, which makes Remember Shakti sound like Indo-Enya or Indo-Yanni). However, when you hear "Handful of Beauty" you will be hearing a work of true genius. Every cut is amazing. There is an epic, forlorn quality to this music that's very much missing from their modern stuff. John McLaughlin's playing (my opinion, obviously) reached its absolute peak in this time period. The guitar he cradles on the cover was like an extension of his brain. He's obviously well-versed in Indian aesthetics and technique, as he never descends into "exotic-sounding" playing, i.e. dipping into chromatic and harmonic minor scales, a la Roger McGuinn, Yngwie Malmsteen, or even Jimmy Page. Some of his most virtuoistic, soulful and sincere playing is to be found on this recording. While perhaps not on par with that of the greatest Indian musicians in an Indian context, it is still exceptional. Then again, he's not *trying* to be an Indian musician, but rather, apply his knowledge of Indian music and filtering it through his years of jazz, rock and fusion experience. No duh, right? Anyway, this is a true gem of an album. It surpasses their debut and subsequent album as well. As wicked as songs like "Joy" and "What Need Have I for This? What Need Have I for That? I Am Standing at the Feet of My Lord...All is Bliss...All is Bliss" are, the muddy production and thin-sounding instruments of the first album seriously detract from the album's overall quality. The third album ("Natural Elements") is good, but the songs are shorter and some are a little hokey too. They never quite reach the heights they seek, though one song on "Natural..." does feature one of McLaughlin's coolest-ever funky strumming riffs, one that cleverly uses both his normal six strings and the eleven drone strings. "Handful of Beauty" reaches into the stratosphere and stays put for the duration. The quiet longing and classic McLaughlin harmonies in the last piece, a violin/guitar duet, are an amazing finale. Did I mention violinist L Shankar? He's monstrous on this album. So are Zakir Hussain and Vikku Vinyakaram, but they're not the focal points for this album, though it would be incomplete without them. BUY THIS!!!!!!

I've heard all of shakti's albums including thier "remember" cds and "handful of beauty" is by far the best. Even though you have to pay import prices, it is worth it. The album has a great combination of solos (tablas being my favorite) and all the songs differ enough from each other. The pacing is as furious as thier others, but with more musical style. You can't really ask any more from these musical masters. If you are not familiar with shakti, but enjoy indain traditional music, don't worry. Even though these are original compositions it keep the spirit of its founders

Firey acoustic guitar playing with amazingly tuned-in indian musicians. Torrid energy and beautiful melodies. A transcendant album... Shakti's best.

Shakti's second album, and first studio album, in my opinion is the best album John ever recorded. John's guitar skills are masterful as he intertwines his leads with Zakir's tabla and Vikku's ghatam. Shakar's violon on La Danse Du Bonheur is awesome. Check out Lady L for one of John's best solos. Kriti is also awesome. Buy this album if you are a guitarist, jazz fan, indian fusion fan, or actually just buy this album because it is genius. It is unfortunate that Shakti only released three cd's but I am thankful for the music that they gave us.

The speed and exactitude of the players in this performances is simply breathtaking! The compositions and improvisations are simply of the highest order in any idiom of music. Even after all these years of searching and buying so many records from so many different artists in the jazz, rock, prog, avant garde, R.I.O., Pop, fusion and classical musical worlds, i have yet to find a group that matches the beauty and expressiveness of early Shakti. HIGHLY recommended!

A Handful of Beauty is a phenomenal audio landscape. The jazz musicians are excellent, but I would not write this off as a fusion album. I don't like the majority of "jazz fusion" music, I generally find it thin at best, and cheesy more often than not. This album is anything but. Neither is it a "world music" album. This is a group of extremely talented musicians, trained in different areas and cultures, coming together to create a disciplined, focused, beautiful work of art. I would recommend it to anyone that has ears.

I saw this group live when I was 16, on accident, while obligating my job as a theatre usher in a Berkeley Ca. theatre. I stayed the entire concert and walked out afterwards, blown away forever... To this day, there has been few concert experiences which have touched the power that this occasion displayed. I'll never forget. This album captures this- better than the first Shakti Live and Natural Elements or any Remember Shakti CD. It is somewhere inbetween the two original Shakti albums; live spontanaeity and planned recording, but there is a shot of infinite soul and unmatched inspiration in the solos, emotion and feeling which is not as present in the other 2. Shakti Live is intensely raw but less refined in musical craft and recording. Natural Elements is so crafted and beautiful but almost too controlled... with not enough free time to take it to the level they were all capable of.

This recording captures a phenomenally innovative group at the height of their improvisational power- bar none.

I've seen Shakti live in Marseille just before bying the record , and what a surprise , the music was exactly the same i've heard on stage !!!! a great moment of pure delight .
Just buy it and listen .....

I must agree with another reviewer that this is likely Shakti's best work. Epic and forlorn are definitely appropriate words. There is a quality to this album that differentiates it from the rest of their work, that I can't quite put my finger on. You hear it in the opening violin riffs of Two Sisters, the stunning build-up and release of India, and the dissonance of Isis. Nothing about this album feels forced. It just works. The extent to which someone dislikes this album directly correlates to the degree they are missing a soul. Put on your headphones, or sit in a quiet room with the speakers up, and take a trip. This one will never get old, and if it is remembered at all 50 years from now, it will be as a timeless classic. Lot of hyperbole in this review, I know, but it is warranted I assure you, reader. Honestly, I have listened to much work from these musicians, and I assure you none of what they have done individually really approaches what they managed to accomplish here.

The interaction between the guitar and the tablas is just awesome, and so is the violin soloing... just...WOW!!!
In this album is ducted all XX century jazz music.
Every song has' a great melody, that goes far from any melody that a simple human being can write, and it has an harmony that seems to want to go beyond any barrier of human ears.