selected ragas
An artist's recording from a particular time generally reflects what he/she was focusing on in that period. Selected Ragas is a compilation of the best live and studio recordings Edward made when he was most focused on pure Indian classical music, and the sitar. Although he can never claim to compete with the great Indian sitar masters in terms of technique and stylistic purity, still there is an unmimickable attractiveness in his playing ironically coming from the fact of his 'non-Indian' ethnic origin. It is a bit like how English (or other language) can be especially beautiful when spoken by an intelligent non-native speaker, who has devoted him/herself to its mastery.
The same can equally be said of the 4 non-Indian tablist heard here. This recording represents a very special period in music history when Western musicians for the first time ever have been afforded the opportunity of experiencing indepth study and immersion in Indian music, and the consequent high level of playing ability is evident on this recording.