Customer Reviews

Morning Raga / Evening Raga

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Twang.. twang.. twaaaaaaaannnnnnng. The sitar is one of those instruments that can't be confused for any other, so if you don't like it, run for the hills. Stay around long enough to give one of these albums a chance, though, and you might find it growing on you in ways you don't expect. Whether you just want some quiet pleasing background noise or if you want to hear a simple rhythmic pattern being changed at every turn, you'll be well satisfied here in either case. Fascinated with modern math-rock, where people do fun things with shifting time signatures? This disc will be food for thought for quite a while.

The setup is simple: sitar, tamboura and tabla (hand drums). The first thirteen minutes of "Raga Nala Bhairav" float through the air in a haze of unaccompanied echoing strings, building layer on layer as the older ones fade. It's passages like this that probably demonstrate Shankar's graceful touch the most, although nothing is lost once the percussion joins in for the rest of the album. From that point on it's a collective effort, everyone playing around a rhythm that just can't be pinned down for long. You may think this setup doesn't lend itself to much heaviness, but "Raga Mishra Piloo" builds and builds to a fiery jam at the end that burns no less brightly for not being conventionally 'heavy.'

I don't know where to rate it in the vast Shankar catalogue, but on its own merits this album is hard to find fault with. It makes a pretty good introduction to classical Indian music for newbies (see also: The Sounds of India) and an immensely satisfying listen for those who already love it. The remastering makes this disc sound like it could have been recorded this morning. Five stars because it's a strong release from start to finish, exotic and calming and undeniably beautiful.

This is my favorite Ravi album (I have the albums In San Francisco, In London, and In New York). The Evening Raga is the greatest raga I've ever heard. 24 minutes of blinding intensity. I saw Ravi a few years back in Chicago and he was fantastic. He played with more energy and precision than rock stars 1/4 of his age (he was 80 at the time!). Sitar music requires a degree of seriousness on the part of the listener, and too often it's dismissed as something left over from the hippie 1960's. Everytime you see a 1960's flashback on a sitcom (The Simpsons is especially guilty of this), the background music is almost exclusively sitar music. Sitar music existed long before the 1960's, and it can be loved and appreciated without any drug influence. Long live Ravi! Let him live another 80 years...

I love all the Indian sitarists but Ravi Shankar is still the best and I have all his albums, I especially like "sound of sitar" and "three ragas". Others sitarists I love are Ali Akbar Khan, Nikhil Banerjee, Jan Garbarek, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Irshad Kahn, Rash Bilashkhani Todi, Ustad Vilayat Khan. I must admit I don't like the frenetic--I prefer slower and more contemplative like "Magic of Twilight" by Irshad Kahn or "Magic of the Indian Sitar" by Rash Todi, or "Garden of Dreams" and "Journey" by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Slow, melodious evokes thought but when things get loud and cacaphonous it's a little hard to take for the "MEDITATION" section. It's all a matter of personal preference and shouldn't start an international scandal just because more introverted folk prefer the slow and subtle.

This was the first Ravi Shankar CD/Album/Anything I ever purchased. I had heard good things about Shankar and fell in love with the sound of the sitar on the Beatles album Revolver. So I raced down to the nearest Newberry Comics, which happened to be in Braintree, and bought this CD. I was originally looking for Shankar's Sounds of India CD but it was out of stock and all the rest were live albums which can, to use the parlance of our times, ... big time in the sound quality area. So I saw this one, read the back and bought it. I put it on and it was amazing. The CD's two ragas were amazingly beautiful and provided the perfect music to play when wishing to stimulate creativity and open up a few chakras. I would recommend this as an introduction to Ravi Shankar, and Indian music in general. Also the liner notes contain the terms used in describing the composition of a raga.

I recently got this CD as a gift and this must be the thrid version of Mishra Piloo I have in my collection. I am positive, this must be Ravi Shankar's favourite raga. To enjoy Ravi Shankar's music all one has to do is close your eyes and listen ( not as a background music, we have other kinds of music for that purpose), the music takes us on a beautiful journey which takes us to a place we've never been before. With Mishra Piloo, Raviji adds few more colorful rides in that journey and one can clearly see that he is also enjoying it.
If you don't believe me, get hold of his latest DVD ( In Portrait made by BBC). Disc two has a superb concert and here he plays a version called "Rangeela (colorful) Piloo". It is a treat to watch this 83 plus year old man perform this Raga.

Bhairav the morning raga for Shiva is one of my favourites. Althought I usually prefer to listen to a vocal recital but since Panditji makes the Sitar sing it goes very well with my taste.
Happy listening !

Of all the Ravi recordings I have, this is certainly one of my favourites, if not the favourite. The music here is mellower than a lot of sitar pieces. I know that the frantic sound of much sitar/tabla music can turn some people off, but there is less speed and more atmosphere in the two pieces featured here. When the music does get faster, it is eased into very well.

If you are a fan, you will not be disappointed. If you are considering buying your first Ravi Shankar CD, or sitar/traditional Indian music CD, I believe this is a great item to start with.

Best stuff I own of this artist. He has many many products, but I am just starting to listen to him and so this was a guess purchase, but I love it.

I love Ravi Shankar and this CD offers one of his best performances where his playing is filled with passion and gratitude for life.

I remember listening to his music in the 70's - so I thought I would
get this - forgot about the fact that it helped to be high to get
into it. I dont go there anymore so this will sit in a box - forgotten.

...and anyone who would attempt to use this kind of music for yoga or meditation is, IMNSHO, a pure fool. This music is to be enjoyed for its own sake. It is not chaotic or noisy--on the contrary, raga is beautifully ordered and melodious music, and MUST BE HEARD!!! And like Raviji himself, I will not accept those who insist upon using this music as a backdrop for their drug experiences, either. Personally, I feel that if you require chemical stimulation to enjoy the music, then you've a tin ear and no right to own any of Shankar's albums.

No, this is simply beautiful, timeless music which is best enjoyed when one is quite sober and of a mind to listen and hear. It must be at the forefront of your consciousness and allowed to transport your spirit by its very nature.