Remember Shakti: The Believer

John McLaughlin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 3, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B00004XQ96
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,166 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #76 in Music > World Music > India & Pakistan > General

Track Listings

1. 5 In The Morning, 6 In The Afternoon

2. Ma No Pa

3. Lotus Feet

4. Maya

5. Anna

6. Finding The Way

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a Believer!, November 20, 2000

By 

Scorpio69 (Hawaii, America's Paradise) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remember Shakti: The Believer (Audio CD)

I just saw Shakti live last night at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, CA. I am still stunned. One can only marvel at the virtuosity of McLaughlin and company. To hear and see these incredible musicians perform the wonderful music from this album was just an awesome experience. As a long time McLaughlin fan (I had the incredible good fortune of seeing the Mahavishnu Orchestra live FIVE times!) I can only say that his playing is as incendiary and intoxicating as ever. However, unlike the first Shakti incarnation, he now plays a hollow-body jazz guitar that produces a less forward sound than his scalloped-fretboard acoustic. I do miss that more sitar-like twang he was able to get from the acoustic, but the latest guitar produces its own distinctive sound that I completely enjoy. Tabla player Zakir Hussain is without peer and to have been able to watch his hands fly as he wove his mystical spell was fantastic. The incredible electric mandolin player U. Srinivas gets a very unique yet unmistakably Indian sound out of his instrument. V. Selvaganesh on ghatam, mridangam and kanjira is equally awesome in his playing -- the speed and range he achieves on the latter is simply beyond comprehension! This music makes a direct connection with the universal mind. Like jazz itself, you're either hard-wired into it from birth or forget it. If you make that organic connection, then just buy the CD and hold on. Believe it!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Believe your ears, 'cause these guys are amazing musicians!, November 13, 2004

By 

S. Naimpally "avid music and movie fan" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Remember Shakti: The Believer (Audio CD)

This is the first CD release to match and perhaps even surpass the high energy music of the original Shakti album. The two studio albums with the original lineup were interesting but lacked the same intensity as the first album in part because they were both studio efforts.

It was nice that McLaughlin decided to resurrect Shakti and U. Srinivas on mandolin is perfect for the group because he can match McLaughlin's lightning fast riffs.

The real standout on this album is not virtuoso tabla player Zakir Hussain, but rather Selvaganesan on the kanjira, the South Indian frame drum. Selvaganesan is the son of Vikku Vinyakram who was part of the original Shakti lineup.

His kanjira solo is amazing for several reasons. The kanjira is played with one hand striking and the other hand modulating the sound through tensioning and releasing the drum head. Not only is the range of sounds that he gets from modulating the sound astonishing, but the fact that he is able to reproduce with one hand what Zakir has played with two hands is mind boggling.

Whether you are a fan of McLaughlin, Zakir, world-music, Indian music or just want to hear several virtuoso musicans from around the world come to together to create high energy acoustic fusion, this is a MUST HAVE CD for anyone with a pair of ears.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars McLaughlin at his best once again, October 9, 2000

By 

"beren_erchamion" (Kiriat Ono, - Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remember Shakti: The Believer (Audio CD)

This album is another magnificent creation by genius McLaughlin- As usual you can find here all of the super-human energy that McLaughlin puts into his music and into the musicians he works with. Zakir hussein is tremendous like always, and the combination of the mandolin Shrinivas plays with the guitar just makes this album really, but REALLY worthy of buying. The version of Lotus Feet ( a creation which first appeared on the first Shakti Album ) is even better ( to my liking ) than the original piece itself. BUY NOW!!!