Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Soon before his death in 1997, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan performed at one last concert in Pakistan, the Pakistan 4 U concert, which was televised internationally, also marking the first time that a Pakistani music production on film was broadcast beyond the subcontinent. The next year, this album was released -- a recording of the final concert. There are a couple of good points to the album and a couple of less-enjoyable points. Nusrat's performance and execution were, of course, outstanding, and the concert is primarily powered by his abilities, his evocation of emotion, and his sheer vocal power. The crowd noticeably agrees throughout the album, occasionally singing along with the better-known numbers ("Allah Hu" and "Mustt Mustt," mainly). On the downside, one notes the recording quality. Given that it's a live concert recording in a large concert hall, one can forgive the various reverberations and occasional feedback noise overflow, though the remastering at Abbey Road doesn't seem to have helped a large amount in controlling these factors. The other sticking point is a more debatable one. The musical troupe relies exceedingly the use of a Western-style band, with electric guitar, keyboards, sax, and a drum kit alongside the usual harmonium and tabla. The effect of this is twofold: It denies the listener the pleasure of the more traditional approach to qawwali, but at the same time provides an interesting point of fusion between an ancient genre and modern instruments. The purist may not care as much for this album as the worldbeat fanatic, but both might wish to hear it as the last testament to Nusrat's amazing talents. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide