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Rating:  -
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.
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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.
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"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.
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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.
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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.
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