by Kelly McCartney
It's hard to say whether hindsight is an effective tool or not when it comes to music. To look with a critical eye back over the span of an artist's career may not be exactly fair, but it seems quite useful to a listener trying to make a selection of, say, a greatest-hits collection versus individual releases. The work of Krishna Das is a great example. If you examine his albums closely, you will begin to notice a few trends in the track listings. More than once has he done &Hanuman Chaleesa,& &Devi Puja,& and &Hara Hara Mahadeva,& though the former makes nary an appearance on this particular record. However, Sting does. He chirps his way through &Mountain Hare Krishna& with that ever-entrancing Sting voice of his. Of course, the song &Mountain Hare Krishna& was reincarnated on Das' Live on Earth release in 1999. What to do? If you're a hardcore kirtan lover, then you'll want this on your shelf. If you're only looking for a Das sampler, you'd do better to pick up his Live on Earth. That way you throw a wider net capturing his work, and as a bonus you get to avoid the very odd, slightly disconcerting, calypso-style &The Ring Song.&