Customer Reviews

Inside the Taj Mahal and Inside II

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

 

 

If I could own only one CD to last an entire life it would be this, the original disc recorded inside the Taj Mahal. I first heard 'Inside' when I was a wee lad of eight. Thirty years later the haunting flute and voice continues to provoke and inspire me; the original stimulant to my later travels around the world. Long before the age of new age, environmental awareness, Peter Gabriel and world beats there was 'Inside'. God bless you Paul Horn.

REALIZE when you order this CD,you are not only getting the incredible ethereal first recording of Inside the Taj Mahal, but also the later recording, Inside the Taj Mahal II. Don't delay and overlap your listening delight by ordering both. Although, you could give the shorter one away as a gift and be greatly appreciated for it.

This review has to do with Paul Horn's cd which has BOTH "Inside I" and "Inside II" on the same disk. I want to make that clear because they are so different.

I owned "Inside I" on vinyl back in the '70's, and recently began thinking of it again (the record wore out years ago), so I purchased this cd which contains both the earlier albums. I paid more for it than any cd in my life, and I have many hundreds. I had never heard "Inside II" until this morning.

My first thought as I was putting it in the cd player was "this is great -- 73 minutes of Paul Horn inside the Taj Mahal". I was wrong -- it is wonderful for 33 minutes, not so wonderful for 40 more.

The first Inside is one of the landmark albums in the history of "new age/space/world" music. It is a brilliant exercise and is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

But "Inside II" is such a disappointment. For those of you old enough to remember Spike Jones, that is the only comparison I can make. For reasons totally beyond my understanding, the musicians/producers felt the need to stuff "Inside II" with seemingly random sounds that can only have been selected for one reason -- to aggravate the listener. Whereas "Inside I" was soothing to the soul, for too much of "Inside II" you just want it to stop.

I am left with one thought -- WHAT were they thinking?

Yes, there are some real moments of genuine transcendant beauty on "Inside II", but those few moments do not unfortunately overcome the weaknesses of the second part of this disk.

So for anyone wanting one of the great albums of the new age/world genre, most definitely get "Inside I" -- I give that a full 5 stars. Try to avoid "Inside II" if you possibly can, but if that's the only way you can get "Inside I", then my advice is to get it, listen to it one time to see if you have the same reaction as I had, and if so, cut the disk off in future playings when "Inside II" starts at cut #12 -- you'll be glad you got the first, you'll be glad you stopped the second.

This is Paul Horn's seminal work. The album is worth it for the liner notes alone. Listening to it one is given a taste of what it must be like to be in Agra 350 years ago in this monument to eternal and undying love. This album served as a great introduction to the beauty and mystery of the Indian culture.

I was married while this album played in the background. The marriage did not last but this music is eternal. If "Inside" does not make you more relaxed and peaceful, there is something wrong with you.

When I first heard a track from this album in the late 1990's I was amazed by its beauty. I immediately bought it and some of Horn's other albums on tape. During a relocation I lost some of the tapes; needed to replace them so I bought this one in CD form. Still beautiful music!