AMG Review of Ultimate Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Vol. 1

Sean Westergaard
All Music Guide

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's stature in the West was largely a result of his cross-cultural collaborations and slickly produced recordings on the Real World label, but he was already a huge star in Pakistan with many recordings to his credit. The Ultimate Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Vol. 1 is a collection of some of his Pakistani recordings dating from 1978-1982, before his international stardom. This is pure, undiluted qawwali: vocals, harmonium, tabla, and handclaps with the addition of a qanoun (similar to a hammered dulcimer) on a couple tracks. Of course, given his prodigious output, the ultimate-ness of this collection may be debatable, but there's no doubt that this is top-notch qawwali music performed by one of its greatest ensembles. Khan's catalog is unwieldy, to say the least, but if you're looking for pure qawwali music with no concessions to the West, this would serve as an excellent addition or introduction to one of the great singers of the 20th century.