Can’t Sleep? Try a Little Night Song

Night Song is the second collaboration between Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the late master of Pakistani qawwali (devotional) music, and Canadian guitarist Michael Brook.  Before his death in August 1997 from kidney and liver failure, Khan was hailed as an inspiration by numerous Western musicians, including American singer Jeff Buckley, who called him “my Elvis.”

Released in 1996 on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label, Night Song won’t appeal to Pakistani purists, but it is full of meditative, contemplative tracks that are tailored to the Western ear.  The album opens with “My Heart, My Life,” a song with a subtle upbeatness that is echoed in the later tracks “Intoxicated” and “My Comfort Remains.”  Track three, “Lament,” is pleasantly downbeat—the rhythmic electronic base track and trance-like vocals will take your blood pressure down several points. 

Track seven is the title track and is the only place where the CD meanders from extreme relaxation into potentially depressing territory.  The last track, “Crest,” saves the day, however, pairing Khan’s intricate vocals with Brook’s skilled guitar hooks.  The total effect is an emotion-laden introduction to the world of Pakistani qawwali and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Buy Night Song at Amazon.com