The track "Asato Maa" starts with a single voice at almost absolute silence ( -45dB ) and swells into a chorus with a drone tanpura. In the only1joe FLAC, the dynamic range is measured at DR13. Compare this to the 2015 remaster (DR7), which has been brick-walled. You don't hear the difference; you feel the fatigue with the remaster. The FLAC breathes.
Released in 1997 on Angel Records, Chants Of India is not a typical sitar-led raga album by Ravi Shankar. Instead, it’s a collection of sacred Vedic hymns, bhajans (devotional songs), and shlokas (verses) set to traditional Indian melodies. The album was produced and arranged by George Harrison (Shankar’s close friend and former Beatle), who also played acoustic guitar and provided subtle backing vocals on select tracks. Ravi Shankar - Chants Of India 1997 only1joe FLAC
The sessions took place in London and India, blending ancient Sanskrit texts with meditative, largely acoustic instrumentation (tanpura, pakhavaj, flute, swarmandal, and Harrison’s understated guitar). The track "Asato Maa" starts with a single
Released in 1997 on Angel Records, Chants of India was the brainchild of two lifelong friends. Ravi Shankar, the master sitarist who introduced Indian classical music to the Western world, had long wanted to create an album that explored the Vedic heritage of his culture through music. George Harrison, the "quiet Beatle" who famously studied under Shankar in the 1960s, stepped in as the producer. You don't hear the difference; you feel the
This wasn't a standard pop album or a traditional classical recital. It was a "sadhana"—a spiritual practice. Harrison’s role was to ensure the recordings were sonically pristine, blending the traditional sounds of India with a production value that appealed to Western ears without diluting the sanctity of the source material.
With a good DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) and open-back headphones, the only1joe FLAC reveals itself.