Remember Shakti

Remember Shakti

ASIN: B00000IGQ3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
John McLaughlin made his mark in jazz by blazing a speed-freak guitar trail through the electric thickets and torrential rhythms. Then there was Shakti, the East Indian-meets-fusion band McLaughlin founded after Mahavishnu. Revisiting Shakti on this 1997 two-CD set recorded live on a British tour, John McLaughlin sounds at once flashy and deferential, ever keenly after the most excitable guitar lines balanced against rushes of rhythm--and willing not to shine brightest. This Shakti lineup includes original member Zakir Hussain on tabla and T.H. Vinayakram on ghatam, and the core group gets additional help from Hariprasad Chaurasia on bansuri flute and Uma Metha on tanpura on more than half these two-plus hours of riveting music. For fans of McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra feverishness, there is plenty of heat in the guitar, even though it's played filmily enough so that the hand percussion and deep flute winds blow through. --Andrew Bartlett

From Jazziz
Englishman John McLaughlin exploded upon the American jazz scene in the late '60s with Tony Williams' fusion trio, Lifetime. McLaughlin was only with the band for a couple of albums, but he went on to make more fusion history with his Mahavishnu Orchestra. Then, in the mid-'70s, he made a radical turn and formed Shakti, a short-lived group that combined traditional Indian ragas with jazz, blues, and rock. McLaughlin's newest album, the two-disc set Remember Shakti, features recordings of live 1997 performances that find him playing with Shakti percussionists Zakir Hussain and T.H. Vinayakram, as well as bamboo flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia. The music is in the tradition of Shakti, and some old Shakti tunes are covered.

Tracks:

5 In The Morning, 6 In The Afternoon
Ma No Pa
Lotus Feet
Maya
Anna
Finding The Way

Amazon.com

The band Shakti, together from 1975 to 1977, was an extension of John McLaughlin's longstanding interest in Indian music, integrating his guitar with Indian instruments and exploring the myriad tonal and rhythmic complexities of the subcontinent. After re-forming in 1997 as Remember Shakti, the group went through some personnel shifts before reaching the form heard here on a 1999 European tour. Along with McLaughlin's original partner Zakir Hussain on tabla drums, the quartet includes V. Selvaganesh on percussion and U. Shrinivas on mandolin. The combination is heady, pairing two string players and two hand drummers in improvised dialogues that are often carried on at superhuman speed. Even the Indian elements are a synthesis. Hussain's tablas are the drums of choice in Northern Indian music, while Selvaganesh plays instruments of the South--a clay pot called a ghatam, the two-headed mridangam that functions like tablas, and kanjira, a small tambourine that has somehow become a virtuoso instrument. Shrinivas's electric mandolin is a Southern adaptation that in practice resembles a soprano slide guitar or a high-pitched vina. McLaughlin adds Western harmonic elements into the mix, blending chords with pitch-shifting Indian scales to create some very distinctive music.

There's tremendous diversity in the 77-minute CD, from the serene reflections of McLaughlin's "Lotus Feet" to playful exchanges to flights of transcendent and transcontinental virtuosity, like Shrinivas's solo on his own "Maya." There's a natural affinity between the improvisational languages of Indian music and jazz, and the flexibility here is such that McLaughlin can even suggest some roadhouse roots on Hussain's "Ma No Pa." --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Wish there were more stars to rate ..........2007-05-28

Wow - This is definitely worth a buy. The greatest revelation to me was U Srinivas - all others in this ensemble are very established players at least in their early or late 50's and here is this guy in his mid-thirties playing like he has been around forever. What an amazing talent! "Maya" is an amazing piece where Srinivas just lets it rip ... Srinivas, Selvaganesh and Zakir set the piece ablaze around 4:30 and 7:47.

The version of "Lotus Feet" is also very amazing since John takes a lead with his guitar. The version with Pt. Chaurasia is very soothing to say the least, but this rendition has a different feel to it for sure.

Definitely worth a buy.

Stirs up your soul!.......2006-02-11

Shakti's immortal music strikes a chord the first time you listen to them. This album is no different and puts one more stamp on the quality of music they produce. Highly recommended for people interested in fusion music.

Some of the best live music ever recorded........2005-04-21

"The Believer", a live album culled from shows from Remember Shakti's 1999 tour, is a stunning document of brilliant music. The second incarnation of Remember Shakti, with guitarist John McLaughlin and tabla master Zakir Hussain joined by electric mandolin player U. Shrinivas and percussionist V. Selvaganesh (son of original Shakti member T.H. Vinyakram), has a far different feel to its predecessor. With the second string player, there's a greater interaction between the two-- Shrinivas is an amazing player, matching wits and riffs with McLaughlin and more than holding his own, an impressive feat in the face of such a powerful guitarist. Between and around the two of them is a bed of percussive sounds that drives, holds, and smooths the music as necessary-- the four musicians, who performed sitting on the stage, have formed an intense bond by this point, one needs to look no further than the opening number where the four instruments intertwine sympathetically around each other, with one string dropping out whilst the other solos over support from the percussionists. Again, to Srinivas' credit, were it not for the pitch of his instrument and few subtleties in style, you'd not be able to distinguish his playing from McLaughlin's somewhat more matured style-- but listen to him boil about ten minutes into "5 in the Morning, 6 in the Afternoon", totally breathtaking.

For more explosiveness and powerful playing,check out Srinivas' "Maya", with blazing fast harmonies from the two string players as they're pushed by the drummers and McLaughlin's burning "Anna", which, while much more patient, features no less incredible playing.

While the pyrotechnics abound throughout the album, the band has not forgotten subtlety and voicing, the record settles a bit in the middle with the wavering "Ma No Pa" (with McLaughlin comping to great effect under Shrinivas' subtle and swirling solo and then eventually pushing forth his own solo, this one bubbles over slowly over its 18 minutes, an exercise in tension) and a reprise of "Lotus Feet" (a feature for McLaughlin's exercise of taste, subtlety, mood and power, with the theme delicately stated on mandolin, freeing McLaughlin further to explore the hautning moods he's developed), or consider the set closer-- "Finding the Way", a percussion feature where the backdrop becomes the foreground.

All in all, "The Believer" is a fantastic record, although I will say this-- the album lacks something the live shows have, and I've enjoyed it less since witnessing this performed. Nonetheless, its a fantastic document of a killer band.

Believe your ears, 'cause these guys are amazing musicians!.......2004-11-14

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.

Amazing energy.......2004-10-13

Listening to this album is always amazing. The energy and incredible mix of guitar and traditional indian instruments works perfectly. I got a chance to see Remember Shakti perform live on their 2004 tour and it only reaffirmed my belief that McLaughlin and co. are among some of the most amazing musicians around.

Remember Shakti: Saturday Night in Bombay

Average customer rating:

A different sound from an augmented band.
"Creative intelligence, beauty and power."
Grammy nominee !!
Some more "goals beyond"
Saturday Night in Bombay - Remember Shakti

Remember Shakti: Saturday Night in Bombay
John McLaughlin & Remember Shakti
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Remember Shakti: The Believer
A Handful of Beauty
Natural Elements
Shakti with John McLaughlin
Remember Shakti

ASIN: B00005JJ95
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

Luki
Shringar
Giriraj Sudha
Bell'Alla

Amazon.com

Guitarist McLaughlin and tabla drummer Zakir Hussain first joined together as Shakti in 1975 to fuse together the rhythmic and improvisational energies of jazz and the classical music of northern India. Regrouping in the late '90s, the two have since raised the level of the synthesis significantly in a quartet with the extraordinary young mandolin player U. Shrinivas and percussionist V. Selvaganesh. These recordings come from December 2000, when Remember Shakti was playing concerts in Bombay at the end of a world tour. It's clearly the occasion for celebration, with the group expanding to include several guests, but it's distinguished by the same quality that has graced their live performances and the previous CD, The Believer: a hypnotic luminosity that enfolds flights of extraordinary virtuosity and sustained dialogue into a tranquil whole. That mood is further enhanced here by the setting, the layered polyrhythms of multiple drummers, and the singing of Shankar Mahadevan. The wedding of East and West is most apparent in McLaughlin's sprightly "Luki," with the guitarist's harmonies specifically invoking jazz. "Shringar," nearly 27 minutes long, is played by a quartet, with its composer Shiv Kumar Sharma on santur, a Persian zither. Beginning in a sustained meditative stillness, it eventually builds to one of McLaughlin's most brilliant solos. As they have in the past, McLaughlin and Hussain again give new meaning and possibilities to the idea of "world music." --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

A different sound from an augmented band........2005-04-22

"Saturday Night in Bombay" was recorded during a "Shakti Festival" of sorts-- John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain's Remember Shakti project, featuring U. Srinivas and V. Selvagenesh were further augmented by a host of guest Indian musicians. The result is something quite interesting, the music gains a density of performance and an element of looseness at the same time.

Opener "Luki", with its funky rhythms, call-and-response, and infectious beats, is a good example of the sort of density element-- with no less than seven additional musicians contributing, is a thing of pure beauty, where the augmented percussion never overwhelms, never even threatens to overwhelms, but rather, everything works.

This is followed up by quite the opposite, with Shrinivas laying out and santur (a sort of tuned metallic percussion instrument that I'm afraid I'm largely unfamiliar with) player Shiv Kumar Sharma taking his place in a quartet setting, "Shringar" has a lot of open space and looseness about it that often can get lost in McLaughlin and Shrinivas' blazing runs. Space is critical in this piece, and it takes its time in developing. Space also becomes readily apparent in vocal-driven "Girraj Sudha", with its start-stop rhythms, odd pauses, and echoed patterns-- its sort of a hard to describe piece, but its definitely my favorite on the record, no doubt in part because of a fantastic vocal from Shankar Mahadevan. But what's interesting about these three cuts and the closer, "Bell'Alla", there's a sort of ambient haze beneath everything that makes even the loosest pieces seem somewhat more dense. "Bell'Alla" is actually a spectacular closer, with a building churning percussion including a kit drum that helps it build to a massive conclusion.

If there's a complaint though, its the presence of the extra guests breaking up the focus of the group-- the music is great, don't get me wrong, but that sort of psychic interplay you get used to with Remember Shakti is dimished. Still, an excellent recording, recommended.

"Creative intelligence, beauty and power.".......2002-11-10

That's what the word Shakti apparently means, and you can't help but hear it in everything they play. This is an enchanting blend of Indian style & sensibility with the dynamic improvisation of American jazz - THIS is what 'fusion' really means. The original group emerged with a phenomenal debut in 1976 (also an excellent choice by the way), split up after two more albums, and stayed dormant for 20 years until the energence of Remember Shakti in the late 1990s. We can only wonder what they might have done with all that time if they'd stayed together, but no matter: founder John McLaughlin and his trademark hyper guitar are present as always. He's also joined again by original rhythm master Zakir Hussain, who makes a simple tabla pulse, cry and sing with his masterful rhythmic touch. The basic sound is expanded with the addition of U. Shrinivas (a virtuoso on the mandolin) and V. Selvaganesh, who plays kanjira (a smaller percussion instrument). Saturday Night in Bombay marked the end of a very successful tour for the reformed group, recorded over a couple nights where several distinguished guests were able to drop in. Their names probably won't ring a bell for anyone not familiar with Indian music already (they didn't for me), but the music is what's important. The sound everyone makes together is exotic yet familiar, worldly yet intimate, and the group interaction is nothing short of phenomenal.

McLaughlin's electric (I think) guitar slides and sings through the notes like quicksilver, having left behind that acoustic twang found in Shakti's earlier work. Even the couple times he plays with some echo and slight effects (there's one point in "Giriraj Sudha" where I could swear he's quoting Rush's "Xanadu"), it never sounds contrived. Everything we hear is about joining things together: eastern and western musical traditions, the electric and the acoustic, performers and audience. That first '76 release, Shakti With John McLaughlin, is usually recommended as a prime choice since it's the one that started it all. Anyone curious to hear more probably won't be disappointed with any of them, and I wholeheartedly recommend Saturday Night in Bombay.

Grammy nominee !!.......2002-01-17

This album is a collector's jewel !! Eventhough I would not rate the music from this album as the best of Shakti, this is definitely good. Especially, the last three. The first track (Luki), in my opinion, is not very good. Bell'Alla (track 4) is great and for those of you who love music made in carnatic arrangements, Giriraj Sudha (track3) is great !!

And nice thing is that, I heard, this album is nominated for Grammy !!

Some more "goals beyond".......2001-08-15

This record is a beautiful remainder of something that Mr. McLaughlin stated in one of his prior works "all is bliss". For these great musicians, is easy to return us to that great energy that they have been inspiring to us all and all through these years of performance. This album is "a must have" for all music lovers (not just jazz or fusion or world or Indian music). Undoubtedly, performance on this record will transport you to some of the "goals beyond" that Mr. McLaughlin patented many, many years ago, a five stars record without any doubt.

Saturday Night in Bombay - Remember Shakti.......2001-08-03

From the very opening few licks of this new album, straight away you get the feeling that this is a more buoyant lyrical music than the intense, introspective investigations that we were treated to with Remember Shakti and The Believer. It's funky, bursting with melody, and it's going to make you dance, for joy. Remember how Natural Elements felt after A Handful of Beauty? Well, here we go again.
Each incarnation of Remember Shakti produces a sound very much reflective of it's musicians. The original 1997 tour conjured aural visages of desert's dawn, all was peace, all was calm. Hariprasad Chaurasia's winged bansuri flew us beyond the clouds to dream palaces in the mind. Then The Believer burnt our wings with the concert pyrotechnics that had us, the global audience, stunned throughout the subsequent touring, made us clamour for encore after encore, and never sent us home disappointed. Now Saturday Night In Bombay celebrates Shakti's return with a very special recording indeed - this IS history, shared over 2 nights, in a very fitting place, by a very lucky audience.

This time a festival of music in Mumbai presented a new source of musical influence for tapping. Keep the time nurtured relationship, the Shakti core that has opened our ears each time they lay hands on guitar, tabla, mandolin, kanjira, ghatam, mridangam, but add to this recipe a little more spice, a broader palate, a little more fire. Bring in the permeating vocals of Shankar Mahadevan to give a sense of folk. Bring in the slide guitar of Debashish Bhattacharya for some frenetic tradeoffs. Bring in the santur of Shiv Kumar Sharma to woo our jiggle-weary limbs and unveil yet hidden depths in this heady mixture. But augment that rhythm with an extraordinary array of drums and percussion, lest the tops of our heads fly off to transcend this mortal dwelling.

There are 4 tracks on the album running a generous total of 62:01 minutes. To start JM's Luki (5:39), the guitar sets the rhythm, calling the other ten players to the banquet. The percussion glides and Shankar Mahadevan makes the reply. The full rhythmic section slots in and soon we're bubbling, rocking along, always reciting the opening phase. This is more song-like than the raga-derived pieces of previous albums. It's a catchy foot-tapping opener with a "standard" western drum kit helping to drive the beat.

The group is slimmed back down for Shiv Kumar Sharma's lengthy Shringar (26:38) which highlights the santur, played with an eerie sensitivity that wafts the tune into consciousness. Soon the guitar assists and finally swaps places to take turns in painting the textural backdrop. The lilting theme is stated strongly at over seven minutes into the piece defining the pace of this longer investigation, a measured cadence providing space enough for flurries of short but exquisite guitar solos inter-played with longer multi-layered explorations by santur. All this is underpinned by precocious rhythm, later tempted into a heavier thunder by the exciting guitar phrasing and a choice punctuating of the theme by santur. Unified they rise to the close, santur and kanjira blazing, then engulfed by understandably rapturous applause.

Again guitar and voice draw us gently into U. Shrivinas' Giriraj Sudha (10:45), before the mandolin interrupts to declare the playful melody and the song takes off with a dense percussive rhythm now strengthened with tavil. It is predominantly a vocal piece, guitar echoing voice to provide a choral feel whilst the mandolin anchors the central melody, exploring some solo territory, but never venturing too far.

Mandolin and Hindustani slide guitar set the delicate tones for Zakir Hussain's Bell'Alla (18:48), before JM's guitar enters to broaden the spectrum, a few carefully placed notes that summarise the sound that he has developed since resurrecting this divine project. The slide guitar lulls us with sitar-like cascades, the guitar tone is warm and gentle. Entering now, four minutes in, a pulsation, a hypnotic phrase on mandolin, picked up by tabla and percussion and thrown full-bodied to unanimity. The re-introduction of the drum kit solidifies the foundations for short climbing phrases from the stringed instruments, before more open sections for solo exploration, each undersigned with a dense restating of the main figure. The slide guitar playing is astonishing but JM takes the greatest risk here in the next solo spot, pushing the limits of the piece, searching for something new, the rhythm section in tow, riding a funky backbeat to that purer phrase, a clearer musical statement. The kanjira and tabla solos are not as extended as audiences have experienced previously plus they are kept separate with no echoed runs. The remaining drums and percussion now rejoin to really beat it out until the whole re-enter to drive the piece to a climax. The last note is met with wild exclamation and fades out to stage introductions and appreciation for all that has passed.

The inclusion of the great guest musicians robs us of the usual magical communication heard between the core members, but we have plenty of that documented, and the extra depth and ideas make this not so much another Shakti album but the capture of an excellent historic concert. It could only have been sensible for JM to fit into this mixture in the way that he did. Any more pronounced and he would have been conspicuous in the concerts' context. Any less and he would have disappeared. As is, he skilfully employs his sound to define a niche in the soloing space, to sit alongside the other soloists. He underplays this comping so as not to force his volume, thereby obliterating the myriad of textures provided in the rhythm.

The vocal pieces bring a whole dimension not previously experienced from Shakti recordings other than konnakol. The guitar, mandolin and Hindustani slide guitar complement to form the harmonious middle whilst the rhythm section continues to be breathtaking. The use of a western style drum set has a profound effect on the bass dynamics and perhaps clouds some of the detail, particularly from Hussain's dagga. However, tasteful underplaying along with some brilliantly interspersed snare shots does more than just amplify the other drums, moreover positively driving the beat, perhaps even inspiring JM's rocking solo heard on the final track.

Alas, no visual media is provided with Saturday Night In Bombay as was with the special edition of The Believer, however, the occasion was filmed and perhaps greater plans are afoot. The album has a subtle cover design in the vein of it's predecessor albums but with a noticeable return to the original Shakti script. Unfortunately, although informative and enthusiastic, the liner notes are poor, possibly loosing something in translation from the author's native French, and no photographs are included that are recognisable as being from the concerts. Perhaps because of the live setting, the recording quality is a little thin, accentuating some percussive taps in the high register, and the bass a little dull, don't expect the tabla sound achieved on The Believer. The sound is not an impediment and there is a slight improvement when listening with headphones (see below for a commentary on how it really sounded and the live experience).

Tracks:

Chandrakauns
The Wish
Lotus Feet

Tracks:

Mukti
Zakir

Amazon.com

John McLaughlin made his mark in jazz by blazing a speed-freak guitar trail through the electric thickets and torrential rhythms. Then there was Shakti, the East Indian-meets-fusion band McLaughlin founded after Mahavishnu. Revisiting Shakti on this 1997 two-CD set recorded live on a British tour, John McLaughlin sounds at once flashy and deferential, ever keenly after the most excitable guitar lines balanced against rushes of rhythm--and willing not to shine brightest. This Shakti lineup includes original member Zakir Hussain on tabla and T.H. Vinayakram on ghatam, and the core group gets additional help from Hariprasad Chaurasia on bansuri flute and Uma Metha on tanpura on more than half these two-plus hours of riveting music. For fans of McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra feverishness, there is plenty of heat in the guitar, even though it's played filmily enough so that the hand percussion and deep flute winds blow through. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Subtle and sublime.......2006-04-27

This is a great release and in my book one of their best. No L Shankar here, Hariprasad Chaurasiya adds a (wonderful)new dimension and it shows!

Two long pieces, Mukti and Chandrakauns but great listening. I got the impression they had a terrific time doing this album and the flow shows.

Special mention for Zakir and Lotus Feet, great tracks, hats off to HPC.

All in all a fine release

Remember Shakti.......2006-02-24

I'm in Sydney Australia, so I was very pleasantly surprised as to how quickly I was sent the product. Well done guys. Keep looking after us Aussies!

Regards

Gary Peacock

Love it!.......2005-09-09

I was reading an article in the LA times about this band and at the end of the article it said they were playing ......that very night. To the horror of my (then) wife and son, I talked them into going with me. It was the most beautiful music I have heard - every second of the show was stunning and it lasted almost three hours. This CD and "Believer" are a "must have" for McLaughlin/Shakti fans.

Delicate, subtle, and wonderful........2005-04-21

Remember Shakti is one of those rare bands that can seemingly do no wrong, even moreso than the original Shakti group. Shakti was the great Indian/Jazz fusion band, featuring master musicians John McLaughlin (guitar), Zaikir Hussain (tabla) and T.H. "Vikku" Vinyakram (ghatam). Without the presence of violinist L. Shankar, an alternate voice is provide by bansuri (a kind of flute) virtuoso Hariprasad Chaurasia. The music on this recording is subtle and low key, slow to build (one track stretches over 30 minutes, another over an hour), its subtle, quiet, unagressive, and yet totally engaging. It draws you in with its circular, almost hypnotic patterns and unnervingly brilliant performance and near psychic interaction from the band, in particular McLaughln and Hussain, who in my assssment were born to play together. Interactions are somewhat sparse, augmented by the fact that not everyone plays on every track-- in fact, only the brief and haunting "Lotus Feet" and the extended "Mukti" feature the whole band.

There's a lot to find to love here, the aformentioned "Lotus Feet" is haunting, dark, and brilliant. For those looking for jaw dropping guitar playing by McLaughlin, look no further than "The Wish", opening with several minutes of solo guitar before being augmented by the percussionists. McLaughlin is absolutely brilliant, with certainly one of his best performances. And for delicate beauty, there's McLaughlin's tribute to his friend, "Zakir", performed by the author in duet with Chaurasia. But perhaps what is most amazing is "Mukti", over an hour long, yet somehow never drifting into pointlessness or tediousness.

The later Remember Shakti band, where McLaughlin and Hussain were augmented by different musicians, is a much more lively and energetic affair, and to be honest, preferred by me (although when this was released several years ago, I couldn't imagine that would be possible), but that renders this recording no less valid-- the music here is absolutely breathtaking and delicately beautiful. Highly recommended.

All is bliss........2003-07-17

Earthy percussive rhythms. Airy flute. Softly filtered guitar. Shakti's triumphant 1997 return to live performance was cause for celebration indeed; founder John McLaughlin and tabla master Zakir Hussain remained from the original lineup, with a few new friends jumping on board to continue the Indian/jazz fusion the group had perfected so well in the 70s. The overall mood here was softer and more reflective than usual - the presence of guest Hariprasad Chaurasia on bansuri flute made the affair much lighter and more meditative, and this album mostly left out the incredible instrumental pyrotechnics that made their original debut such a blazing firecracker of an album. No doubt many were disappointed to hear such a laid-back offering from the group.. it would almost be like Led Zeppelin reforming and turning out an album of slow ballads. But the superb musicianship and tight-knit group chemistry leave no doubt that whatever the lineup, whatever the mood, they will always be Shakti.

Anyone mainly looking for the usual greased-lightning virtuosity of McLaughlin and crew will be mostly disappointed with this selection. John's guitar isn't even present during the first half hour during "Chandrakauns," and he's perfectly content to sit silent through several stretches during the other tracks. Chaurasia's beautifully graceful flute is the main star most of the time. It floats over the tabla and ghatam beats. It lends a balance to the soft guitar through their closing duet "Zakir." For several passages it's the only sound to be heard, drifting through the air all by its lonely self. The flute is only absent through "The Wish," giving John his main space to stretch out with some of that trademark hyper guitar. Though the fast-paced beats of Hussain and T.H. Vinayakram make it the busiest track to be found, it never entirely loses the dreamy quality of the whole album. Even the recurring "Lotus Feet" is minor-keyed and somber this time around, not lightened much by the grave slowness of the percussion.

I myself don't listen to this Shakti album as much as the others, probably because it's the most quiet and low-key of the bunch, but it remains no less stellar because of that. Plenty more fire and energy would come later with The Believer and Saturday Night in Bombay. For the time being they were content to let us sit back, drift and dream.. and I say there's not a thing wrong with that. All is bliss, all is bliss.

Remember Shakti (Dlx Ltd Ed) (Bonus CD & DVD)

Average customer rating:

Collection of stunning music.
Lovely,gorgeous, but they could have included more
Great unreleaed material and DVD of Shakti

Remember Shakti (Dlx Ltd Ed) (Bonus CD & DVD)
John Mclaughlin , and Shakti
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005RSB1
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Tracks:

Chandrakauns
The Wish
Lotus Feet

Tracks:

Mukti
Zakir

Tracks:

5 In The Morning, 6 In The Afternoon
Ma No Pa
Lotus Feet
Maya
Anna
Finding The Way

Tracks:

Luki
Shringar
Giriraj Sudha
Bell'Alla

Customer Reviews:

Collection of stunning music........2005-04-22

This boxed set collects the three Remember Shakti releases-- "Remember Shakti", "The Believer", and "Saturday Night in Bombay" along with a bonus disc containing an unreleased performance from the Bombay show and about an hour of video footage from that performance.

I'll discuss the packaging first-- the box is wrapped in silk cloth, with a pull cord to remove the CDs. Each CD is held in a gatefold envelope reproducing the original artwork-- both the self-titled release (a double album) and the bonus material are housed in double envelopes. Additionally, a small set of liner notes with short essays by Zakir Hussain and John McLaughlin are present (and never before included). My complaint-- the gatefold cases don't come with any sort of protection around the disc (i.e. a plastic sleeve). Once you've been burned by these things, you learn to dislike them, but this is a small complaint, I used my own sleeves with the artwork with no problem.

The music-- there's essentially two Remember Shakti formations, guitarist John McLaughlin and tabla master Zakir Hussain are the core and are joined (on "Remember Shakti") by T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram (ghatam, and Indian drum) and Hariprasad Chaurasia (bansuri flute). Vinayakram played with the original Shakti band. On the remainder of the material, electric mandolin virtuoso U. Shrinivas and percussionist V. Selvaganesh (son of Vinayakram) play, and on the Bombay recordings, the band is augmented by various other musicians.

The first formation performed music of a delicate beauty-- quiet, moody, wonderous performances that didn't burn but still provided a stunning backdrop to show the talents of its members-- on the "Remember Shakti" set, the haunting guitar feature "Lotus Feet" shows how well these musicians play together and the extended cuts have a remarkable ability to sustain interest, even when space and development are the most important qualities in the music.

The second formation burned a lot hotter-- with Shrinivas on mandolin, McLaughlin had a foil who could keep pace on a stringed instrument, look no far than "The Believer" opener ("5 in the Morning, 6 in the Afternoon") to see how hot these two could get, or for that matter Shrinivas' "Maya" and McLaughlin's "Anna" for subtlety, twisting string lines and brilliant playing. But this was a group with a number of faces, another reading of "Lotus Feet" moves the melody to the mandolin and frees McLaughlin to really dig in deep into the mood and introspection of the peice, and percussion feature "Finding the Way" shows that Selvaganesh can easily match wits with the tabla maestro who sat across from him at the shows.

The Bombay material is a bit less interesting to me, because of the presence of seemingly endless guests, the music is a lot looser, the band is less familiar. Mind you, there's still some stunning moments, opener "Luki" features eleven musicians and is an exercise in leaving room and density and certainly "Giriraj Sudha" stands against the best of the Remember Shakti material, not a little bit thanks to the great vocals of Shankar Mahadevan.

The bonus CD is spectacular, a lengthy cut from Bombay featuring an expanded lineup, like much of the Bombay show is a lot looser, but it works better with its extended form and have some great percussion playing. The DVD is a bit less interesting, the footage quality isn't superb (although its certainly passable), the performance is three songs from the "Saturday Night at Bombay" show, and it is the only DVD release of this band.

Overall, this set is a superb value, and well worth the investment for the fans. I so deeply loved this music that even owning all three albums before the set came out, I purchased this anyway. Essential music from masters of their craft.

Lovely,gorgeous, but they could have included more.......2004-03-20

John Mclaughlin was involved in what is now called "world music" long before most. His dazzling guitar work with jazz deity Miles Davis sent him to forefront of guitar greats. Throught his various bands[and in the spirit of many jazz legends, McLaughlin changes bands. alot.},the India tinge of his music has surfaced time and again, first with his forya into Sri Chimnoy and the various incarnations of Mahavishnu Orchestra, then with shakti, the Father if you will of Remember Shakti. The artists playing on these discs are as follows:John McLaughlin Primary Artist, Guitar Shivkumar Sharma Santur Hariprasad Chaurasia Bansuri Debashish Bhattacharya Slide Guitar Zakir Hussain Tabla T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram Ghatam Shankar Mahadevan Vocals Taufiq Qureshi Percussion, Def, DaffV. Selvaganesh Kanjira, Mridamgam, GhatamAziz DholakUma Metha Tanpura Bhavani Shankar Dholak This box set contains the previously released material available from , Remember Shakti, Saturday night in Bombay and The believer. The un-relesed is NIYATI at 40:02 it is from the Saturday night in Bombay concert, and is superb. The Bonus DVD,However, has terrific sound and not so terrific visual,and the accompanying booklet is flimsy for a boxed set of this price. Etheral at times, fierce and provocative at others, John McLaughlin is content to let others,especially Zakir Hussain, take over.This is not new age fuzzy music, but serious music made by serious musicians enjoying themselves. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Each of the albums are worthwhile, there is not a filler in the bunch, and the bonus track and DVD[which is the only available non-bootleg DVd around} and the beautiful silk box make it even more attractive. A++++++

Great unreleaed material and DVD of Shakti.......2002-04-10

This CD box set contains the first three Remember Shakti CDs that were recorded for Verve. The first three CDs are "Remember Shakti," "The Believer," and "Saturday Night in Bombay" (all live material.) The bonus material includes one CD containing one extended track called "Niyati" (40 min.) from the Saturday Night in Bombay concert. The set also includes a DVD video containing three tracks from the Saturday Night in Bombay concert. Six discs in all in a satin box with the Shakti name embroidered on the front.

The track listing is:

"Remember Shakti"

Disc: 1
1. Chandrakauns
2. The Wish
3. Lotus Feel

Disc: 2
1. Mukti
2. Zakir

"The Believer"

1. 5 in the Morning, 6 in the Afternoon
2. Ma No Pa
3. Lotus Feet
4. Naya
5. Anna
6. Finding the Way

"Saturday Night in Bombay"

1. Luki
2. Shringar
3. Giriraj Sudha
4. Bell'Alla

Bonus CD "Niyati" from the Saturday Night in Bombay concert (40 min.)

1. Niyati

Bonus DVD "Saturday Night in Bombay" (56 min.)

1. Giriraj Sudha
2. Shringar
3. Bell'Alla

Having seen Shakti during the "The Believer" tour in Oakland, CA getting a DVD of a performance especially this historical performance is great. Unfortunately the production quality is not the best. There are several cameras used, one is black and white. Sometimes the video quality is fuzzy and out of focus. The angles are usually pretty good and aimed at the soloist so you can see his playing and best of all, his expressions to the others. But, of course, beggars can't be choosers when this is the only DVD available to date of Shakti.

The extra track on CD5 is amazing. I only wish that the rest of the concert was also included. (I'm sure that there was more to it than what is presented on these two CDs totaling only 102 minutes, not quite full concert length.)

The set contains a small foldout booklet that contains great photographs and essays by McLaughlin and Hussain about the importance of Shakti to them and to the music world in general. These were not included with the original packages.

Overall this is a great compendium of the group's ventures from '96-2000. It is a great set to have in your collection.

Remember: Saturday Night in Bombay
Average customer rating:
Remember: Saturday Night in Bombay
Shakti
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005L90M
Release Date: 2001-06-21

Tracks:

Luki
Shringar
Giriraj Sudha
Bell'alla

Album Details

Produced by John Mclaughlin.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music