Editorial Reviews

Long before the current craze for devotional chanting began, Robert Gass embraced the power of community singing. His original five-minute version of the classic Sanskrit mantra that gives this album its title was recorded in 1980 and was later looped and rereleased as a continuous 90-minute track. Much to Gass's surprise, the album took off, starting his career as a "chantmaster." At first, Gass didn't just record his group of sing-along chanters -- he auditioned singers for the project. The high vocal quality, which he has upheld on all his albums, was undoubtedly responsible for catapulting Om Namaha Shivaya to classic status. This anniversary reissue -- at three-quarters of an hour -- sounds clean and sparkling. According to Don Campbell, an expert in the therapeutic use of sound, this chant "is an appeal to God as the destroyer of all illusion and ignorance that stands in the way of perfect union." Gass did not arrange the melody with an Indian ethnic feel -- the melody and harmonies sound richly western, using guitar accompaniment rather than sitar and tabla -- but this approach does not diminish the mantra's power. Its vibrations still encompass the scope of all creation. Even if you don't realize the full impact of the Sanskrit mantra (detailed in liner notes by Gass, Campbell, Deepak Chopra, and Ram Dass), the music is luscious, gracious, and peaceful. It's not something to listen to, it's something to chant with and to be with. Thousands have chosen this sublime music to accompany births and massages, to give comfort in illness, and to help with the transition to the next life. A bonus track, "Om," features the choir with overtone chanting by Gass, Jonathan Goldman, and Nawang Khechog. This has a harder edge and is especially effective when experienced on headphones. Carol Wright, Barnes & Noble

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