Mustt Mustt

This album is a sure thing. On one hand it has been used for advertising, soundtracks and has the popular appeal of Massive Attack, but on the other, it is truly soulful and moving. If you thought Ella Fitzgerald could scat wait until you stick this in your stereo. Nusrat has an incredible range and ability. Let him share it with you!

By March 1999, it was my eight CD purchase from NFAK's music. Tracks nos 4, 7 & 9 from this album were on the whole average tracks. The track that surprised me the most - was "Jesse's theme" on hearing it again in 2004 on my radio show, I loved it. The tracks 1, 2,3,5,6,8,10 & 11 are the main highlights within this Album.

The Musst Musst (Lost in His Work) Album was an a experiment by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (NFAK) & Michael Brook which was recorded in 1989-90 and was a departure from more traditional Qawwali to a more western sound. It was also the historical and ground-breaking period of the previous decade when fusion was not just between black and white music, but between rock and pop and adults and kids - reigned supreme.

Peter Gabriel pioneer of 'globally attuned pop intellectualism' and his music also contained elements of everything from synth-pop to African Tribal rhythm and later to include religious/devotional sounds through to NFAK. The 1985 Womad Festival made him (Nusrat) a global star. Within five years, the ground-breaking track Musst Musst (Massive Attack remix) title track & Album was released and aimed at the western music market. To the purists it has been diluted down.

In western music, there is a narrow range of styles: Jungle becomes Jungle, Drum'n'bass, Tech-Step, Darkcore, Intelligent d'n'b; Rock becomes Metal, Thrash, and so on. In today's mass marketing of music CDs - tends to reduce the quality and raises the average price of a CD. However, such independent outlets like the Forum in Sheffield had to sell new albums at lower prices in order to compete in the market.

If sales from outlets like the Forum, and from the Islamic, Asian,African/Carribbean, and Tamil outlets were included mainstream charts system what would be the future scenario if the number one for six weeks was from a legendary Asian devotional music singer and what will this do to the nation's musical taste, overnight? Remember the nation's food tastes over twenty five years ago! It is essential to buy the sequel to Musst Musst: 'Night-song'.

If your new to the delights of Nusrat, and have yet to make a purchase of one of his studio albums, most people (will quite rightly) point you in the direction of this studio album. As to whether it's the best thing he's put his name to, isn't entirely clear, but what is beyond doubt, is that this is the perfect starting point for anyone deciding to enter into his music. Its has the accessibility for newcomers, (along with the "Massive Attack" remix of Mustt Mustt, tagged onto the end of the album), as well as the possibility that some of his best known songs are here (increasing the possibility of you knowing a track or two), and enough distingushed performances all round, to...if not become his best album, certainly ranks alongside his best work. And for anyone else that has a Nusrat album or two and DOESN'T have this in their collection already, well.....your next purchase is right here!!!! Tere Bina (Without You) in itself is worth 4 stars !!!