One of my favorite albums from my youth was Once Upon A Dream by The Rascals.
It represented an artistic leap of faith by The Rascals, as they experimented with new sounds, instruments, and album concepts – breaking away from the Top 40 format that had given them commercial success in the past.
Once Upon a Dream is the fourth studio album by the rock band the Rascals, released February 19, 1968. The album rose to number 9 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 7 on the R&B chart.
History
Once Upon a Dream was the band’s first album billed as “The Rascals”…. It was also the last Rascals album to be available in both mono and stereo mixes.
The album was received differently by fans and critics. Many consider this album to be the band’s best work, while others insist that it was too different from their traditionally rhythm and blues influenced music. Lead vocals came from both Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere, as well as from Eddie’s brother and unofficial band member David Brigati (on “Finale: Once Upon a Dream”) and Gene Cornish on his own number, “I’m Gonna Love You.”
In an interview with Melody Maker in 1967, Cavaliere stated, “Our new album, and I say this in a humble way, will be Sgt. Pepperish.” The album uses frequent sound effects and spoken words between the songs.
In his review for Allmusic, music critic Thom Jurek, who highly praised the album, noted the influence of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and wrote the Rascals “put their own spin on it by adding their trademark blue-eyed soul and jazz influences to the mix of psychedelia… All details aside, though, a listen to this platter is startling. Its sophisticated orchestral and vocal arrangements are remarkable even in the 21st century… It’s an under-celebrated masterpiece of the psychedelic era and belongs next to Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper’s on the shelf because it is easily as sophisticated, and once heard in its entirety, can never be forgotten.”
Wikipedia
The full review can be found on All Music.
Just before the final cut, the listener encounters “Sattva,” the Rascals answer to “Within You, Without You.” It’s complete, with Cavaliere playing sitar, Dino Danelli on tabla, and Brigati on tamboura, but still contains the Rascals, tight New York pop-soul in the bridge; in other words, it’s truly psychedelic!
Thom Jurek / All Music
My favorite tracks are Sattva, My Hawaii, and Finale: Once Upon a Dream.
Sattva
Sattva - Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati This is love, this is love, this is love I feel In my heart, in my soul, and I know it's real It's a love, it's a love, it's a love I feel It's pure and real If you look in your heart you will surely see Of a peaceful and tranquil harmony If you want in your heart to be really free The light will shine on you You should see how it feels, yeah (see how it feels) Walking down the flowered street All the colors melting softly at my feet (you should see how it feels, yeah) Seems to me that everywhere There's a glow of life that makes the air smell sweet This is love, this is love, this is love I feel In my heart, in my soul, and I know it's real It's a love, it's a love, it's a love I feel It's pure and real There's a gift that's for all if you understand Just relax and think of a perfect man Deep within everyone is a love supreme Close your eyes and see You should see how it feels, yeah Flowing as a breath of air To cross the pasture meadows in the sky (see how it feels) Watch the sun rise up and flare Causing joy within my heart and in my eyes (you should see how it feels, yeah) Bluebirds, sign of happiness The dove of love keeps circling high above
My Hawaii
My Hawaii - Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati Oh Hawaii / My Hawaii Skies are blue The sea's a thousand hues of green In Hawaii Waves keep breaking In each rise and fall They call / For me Oh Hawaii / Island Maui I'll return to fantasy and moon All the people / On these islands Make it more adored than paradise / In bloom There are no words to describe what is felt in your heart When your heart has already seen the magic of all the islands On these islands / Called Hawaii Man awakes / To find this dream divine Oh Hawaii / My Hawaii I'll return to stay and spend my life All my days / In Hawaii Oh / Oh Hawaii / Oh
Finale: Once Upon a Dream
Finale: Once Upon A Dream - Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati Once upon a dream Time stood still In that peaceful dream Man was blessed with will That faith would reach desire And teach his mind to rest and keep inspired Once upon a dream / Now I see It must go on All fears have gone / I'm finally free Once upon a dream Love was born And so if dreams come true I know they'll only grow ever so high Once upon a dream / Ever more Happiness and peace / It must go on All fears have gone / I'm finally free
What is Sattva?
Sattva (Sanskrit: सत्त्व, meaning goodness) is one of the three guṇas or “modes of existence” (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept understood by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy. The other two qualities are rajas (passion and activity) and tamas (destruction, chaos). Sattva is the quality of goodness, purity, positivity, truth, serenity, balance, peacefulness, and virtuousness that is drawn towards Dharma and jñāna (knowledge).
Wikipedia
In Buddhism: Sattva means “a living being, creature, person or sentient being”.
In general: Sattva means purity and wisdom, and can lead to true enlightenment.
Google AI
https://www.jagatgururampalji.org/en/creation-of-nature-universe/three-gunas-sattva-rajas-tamas/
A perhaps more accessible understanding of Sattva can be found The Unbroken Self.
All desires are desires for sattva.
Sattva is the root of calmness, peace, well-being, creativity and inspiration.
Rajas compels us to chase all kinds of goals, objects and acquisitions.
But what is it we’re really after?
It’s never the actual object of our desire that we’re really seeking.
It’s the feeling of relief, satisfaction and peace we get when we attain it. This is caused when rajas (desire) gives way to sattva (contentment), and we experience a natural sense of happiness and joy.
The problem is our mind becomes conditioned to rajas. Our happiness is short-lived and soon the mind is busy seeking other things to attain. Either that or when the sattva wears off, we slip into tamas and get depressed and discouraged.
Fortunately, according to yogic and Vedanta philosophy, sattva isn’t something we need to seek or acquire.
It’s already there.
The Unbroken Self
This teacher explains the concept of Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva through a simple story of a hungry man who knocks on the door of a family of three: father, mother, and small child. [ed. note: wasn’t able to find her name.]
Semi-Sequitur: Nafs At Peace
A little stream of Internet consciousness brought us to an interesting jazz fusion group called Jaubi.
The Lahore band blends the free-form improvisation of Hindustani classical and jazz with sample-heavy production creating a musical dialogue about faith, spirituality, and the self.
Pitchfork
Nafs
Within Islamic spirituality, the concept of Nafs stands out in its complexity and depth. The term nafs encapsulates a narrative, a journey, and a battle all rolled into one.
The word Nafs, stemming from the Arabic language, is often translated as the ‘self’ or ‘soul.’ However, to confine it to a single entity is to skim the surface of a deep ocean.
Nafs is your inner self, the very nature of your human soul, and it encapsulates the entirety of the human experience – the good, the bad, and everything in between.
The word “Nafs” in Arabic is rich in meaning and connotation, deeply rooted in the language’s historical and cultural context.
Linguistically, the term originates from the Arabic root (نَفَسَ), which carries meanings associated with breath, soul, and self.
Ummah.com
AI Imagery Based on Sattva, My Hawaii, and Once Upon a Dream
Sattva
This is love, this is love, this is love I feel In my heart, in my soul, and I know it's real It's a love, it's a love, it's a love I feel It's pure and real
My Hawaii
Oh Hawaii / My Hawaii Skies are blue The sea's a thousand hues of green In Hawaii Waves keep breaking In each rise and fall They call / For me
Once Upon a Dream
Once upon a dream Time stood still In that peaceful dream Man was blessed with will
