Apr 2006 - Not having read the book that came out prior to this one, I really didn't have any preconceived notions. I was very interested in what the audio portion of this work had to offer, and was hoping for something better than what I had seen Coleman Barks put out.

Well, there's definitely incentive to seek out the first book in the series as I could not have been more enthralled. While the text draws from Barks, with some additional interpretations by Green, the images and audio are original. The book itself is beautiful (which makes Amazon's poor handling of my copy that much worse*). The combination of images and text is exquisite. Many of the images require multiple viewings, and can have a variety of meanings.

Then there's the recording. I had expected something a bit wish washy. Either poorly produced synth doodling, or some sort of chanting gone astray. Boy was I surprised. The songs offered here are Sufi-inspired Bluegrass and Americana with absolutely no fooling around when it comes to production and development of the songs. Like the images the songs require multiple experiencing. My favorite of the seven tracks is The Reed Song, a simple but powerful combination of influences and languages.

As I reached the end of the book, I felt this was something I would want to give to a friend as a gift. Not for any special occasion. Just as a gift. That's what it is, and it is a great introduction to Rumi for those unfamiliar with the power, subtlety and sensitivity of his work.

My only criticism of this book is that there are places that the text gets oh-so-close to being preachy. I was easily able to look beyond this, but unfortunately there are those who may miss the opportunity for a great experience if they run into one of those passages. However, the sentiment of the book is that even those people who may not "get it" are part of the One Song.


PS: Amazon has been getting sloppy lately. I think their rush to deliver on time sometimes gets the best of them, and they just aren't careful. The CD in this book was also very scratched up, but I think that is a publisher issue.