Throughout history, there have been classic double LPs. Blonde on Blonde, The Wall, Quadrophenia, English Settlement, Disintegration and, of course The Beautiful Hare Krsna People.

Like almost all double LPs, The Beautiful Hare Krsna People comes in a gatefold sleeve. You open it up and on each side it’s a 12″ x 24″ specter of amazing. On the front cover is a beautiful and tiny Radha-Krishna. And on the inside are some great pictures of devotees from all over the world (”Even in Moscow”).

The Beautiful Hare Krsna People was released by Hare Krsna Records and is listed as #1004. Every single one of the releases put out by Hare Krsna Records is called “Hare Krsna Festival.” That makes it really tough to figure out what’s the what. And while on the cover this is called “The Beautiful Hare Krsna People,” the record labels call it (you guessed it!) Hare Krsna Festival.

Record one is “Part I” and record two is “Part II.” Why is that, you ask? Because The Beautiful Hare Krsna People DOUBLE LP is just a repackaging of HKR #1001 and HKR #1002 (Hare Krsna Festival Part I and Part II). They hardly even bothered to change the labels.

Hansadutta wasn’t one for originality, I guess.

This is the cover of Hare Krsna Festival Part II [I don't own Hare Krsna Festival Part I.]

I believe this to be the last release by Hare Krsna Records, though I could be mistaken. HKR #1003, if you’re wondering, is a pretty common and easy to find release. There’s a weird history to that one too, so I might just dust it off for next Ekadasi, thus knocking out all of my Hare Krsna Records releases. Jaya!

Every song on this record is led by Hansadutta dasa Adhikary. Yep, every single one. And if you’re wondering, yes, he moans and wails through a lot of this. Not only that, the songs are recorded live at a temple (does not say which temple). And, like last Ekadasi’s Every Town and Village LP, one song runs into the next, so you get four long tracks (one for each side of the double LP).

Here’s a song list (with spelling and capitalization preserved for you to see)….

Record One
Side One
1) Kiba jaya jaya gorachanda
2) Hare Krsna Kirtan
3) Obeisances
4) Namaste narasinghaya
(so says the label – the album cover omits “Namaste narasinghaya” – the label is, however, correct)

Side Two
1) Incarnations of Godhead
2) Sri Gurvastakam (Prayers to Spiritual Master)
(the album cover claims that it’s: 1) Sri Gurvastakam 2)Tulasi Prayer… the label is correct)

Record Two
Side One
1) Jaya Radha Madhava
2) Hare Krsna Mantra
3) Sri Krsna Caitanya
4) Hare Krsna Mantra
5) Tulasi Prayer
(the album cover omits “Tulasi Prayer,” however, it is on the recording, again, the label is correct)

Side Two
1) Aratrika Ceremony
(the album cover claims that it’s: 1) Incarnations of Godhead 2) Namaste narasinghaye – and again, the label is correct)

It really makes me wonder why they cranked these albums out at the rate they did. Clearly the covers were printed on a different planet than the records were pressed on. It’s sloppy and careless. Every bit as sloppy and careless as spending the day at the temple with Hansadutta and a reel to reel tape recorder and making a double freakin’ LP of it!

I usually go through each song and describe it, but with this, I don’t feel it’s necessary. Most of you have heard Hansadutta lead kirtana. This is no different.

However, what it is is a great snapshot at how kirtanas were presented during the time when Srila Prabhupada was here. The recording is really well done and the music is very much like being at a temple.

This is another rare one. Good luck tracking it down if you’re a collector. Mine is nearly mint. The vinyl looks to be unplayed. The only thing marring it is that the previous owner thought it would be groovy to write his dumb little name on the sleeve. Damn you, Mike Schomburg!

Ok, ok. Enough yammering from me. Just download it here in one big rar file.

Related posts:

1. It’s Ekadasi! Let’s hear it for the LAST Hare Krsna Festival!
2. Hare Krsna Happening! The First Hare Krsna Record
3. It’s Ekadasi! Hare Krishna Records – The 7″’s
4. Classic ISKCON Tape #7 Hare Krsna Kirtans! (oh, and a power outtage)
5. Ekadasi – Eric’s Hare Krishna song of the fortnight!