Kula Shaker's debut album, released on
Columbia Records in 1996. About half of this album is
straight forward rock 'n roll. The other half is heavily
Indian influenced rock. This provides an interesting contrast between styles. A disciple of His Holiness Srila B.V. Naryana Gosvami Maharaja,
Crispian Mills's lyrics lean toward playful
maledictions on
religion,
love,
peace, and
Hinduism, and many tracks contain verses and melodies familiar to the
Hindu believer. Backward guitar loops add further to the 60's influence.
The best songs: the kick ass rockers "Hey Dude", "Knight On The Town", and "Grateful When You're Dead (before it segues into "Jerry Was There"), "303". The best Indian rock songs are "Govinda" (itself the popular chant "govinda jaya jaya") and "Tattva". Kula Shaker sounds like Pink Floyd on a few occasions: "Magic Theatre". But my favorite song is the pop/rock "Start All Over".
All the songs on this album are good. You might get bored with some of the Indian instrumental tracks "Sleeping Jiva", "Temple Of Everlasting Light", but overall the album and its tracks are exceptional.