Customer Reviews

Meeting Rivers

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

 

 

Well, I am a nomadic gypsy dead head and I can tell you that this CD is fantastic piece of GOA trance dance that can make a beach bunch party until the dawn...sort of the music that Madonna searches the world over so she can cop its atmosphere...Flute, sarods, sitars, loping beats and occasional vocals by smokey throated singers...Trip your chakra clear...A great find indeed!

I bought this CD with very high expectations, hoping that this would be another great example of Indian-inflected worldbeat. Unfortunately, I was wrong. While two tracks on the album--Devi and Jaya--are well thought out and played, most of the other songs are too diluted, commercial, or slick-sounding to be substantial contributions to the subgenre.

Too bad. This could possibly have been much better, but when you have a song with lyrics like "Strange, strange world, it's incredible", or "Endless sea of hope, unlock the mysteries", you know you're very likely in for a bumpy ride. The musicianship is actually quite good in places--the sarangi master Ramesh Mishra certainly gives it his all--but here, the whole is decidedly less than the sum of its parts.

A good one to pass up.

I found every song here to really great or very bad. I love Madmen for God, Devi, Jaya, Om Mani, and Meeting Rivers. This is definately worth a spin. The tracks I listed have a great vibe and will make you happy!

Indian Fusion and World Beat are infused here but MPath has introduced a much more western "pop" sound. Basically upbeat and cheerfull which can be refreshing on cuts like Devi and Jaya. Danceable and exotic.

Western guitar plays a role in several cuts on this CD, for better and worse. The jazzy cut, Jagad Ma, uses slide guitar over tablas, chorus and violin to a unique effect; it takes it out of the aura of India but it works on it's own level. Unfortunately, Parikrama also introduces a guitar approach but one that is too westernized for this kind of theme.

It is important to note that several songs continue the pop orientation by including western lyrics and vocals over the ethnic sounds. I find marrying two distinct styles doesn't usually fit and seems out of place.

Besides the ones mentioned earlier, two strong cuts are at the end with a trance mix of Om Mani and a slow-building fusion beat called The Longing. This CD is worth getting for the individual songs rather than the whole album. The used prices (as of this writing) are hovering at a $1 which makes the decision easy.