Search - Khaled :: Spirit of Rai

Let the Buyer Beware!

Margo Escargot | East Coast, US | 11/24/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This three-CD compilation set includes some awesome "Cheb Khaled" songs - and I mean AWESOME! However, a few tracks were mis-mastered; they are either too slow or too fast, and really distort Khaled's voice. In fact, some of the tracks are too painful to listen to (ouch! ouch! yikes!). An example is a live cut of "Ya-Rayi," ---just plain bad. Another one, equally nightmarish, is "Alech Tomouni." From what I understand, "Spirit of Rai" is just one more on a growing list of the "cheaply engineered" compilations Khaled has been releasing, this one having been pressed in Portugal. Let the buyer beware."

Response to comments made by Margo Rice "Rai Fan"

Sufy | Columbus, OH United States | 05/20/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Margo, the reason why some of the tracks on this newly released album are mis-mastered is because these tracks were copied directly off of Khaled's way too old tracks that were recorded in his home studeo in cassettes back in Algeria in the early 80s. They are not professional, state-of-the-art productions or recordings. But back in the days they were like top notch. Remeber, studeo productions in Arab countries in the early 80s was extremely poor. However, there has been some drastic imporvements. Why Khaled to decided to re-produce his junky old tracks? We really don't know. But may be he wanted to offer his fans an idea about how rough his early days were."