The twitching traditional rhythms, garage-y organ, and Space Age guitar sound are instantly appealing, and the relative novelty for Western listeners is quickly transcended by the tunefulness and astounding musicianship of the playing. The first song I ever heard by Khorshid was his ripping outer space surf rendition of Farid Al Atrache's classic "Hebbina Hebbina", which is included here with new remastering- it's a perfect encapsulation of what made his sound so interesting and has long sent exotica buffs searching for his albums. The recordings here, drawn from soundtracks and albums- including a few Khorshid records that were marketed in the West under the exotica/bellydance banner- show a restless desire to experiment with musical technologies just finding their way to Beirut at the time.
It's a long overdue treatment for an enormously creative and vital talent. Khorshid fused the techniques of traditional Arabic oud players with Western sounds and exposing the eastern Mediterranean roots of American surf guitar music in the process. Sublime Frequencies has pulled out all the stops, issuing a gorgeous double vinyl set with a short biography in the gatefold and almost 90 minutes of music. The music he made in Lebanon from 1973 to 1977 is the source for Guitar El Chark, the first official compilation of his work under his own name to be released in the West. When he moved to Lebanon in 1973, Beirut was as yet untouched by the wars that would unravel its reputation as one of the world's most cosmopolitan, vibrant cities, and Khorshid was already a true giant. Khorshid's guitar became a part of pop landscape in the Arab world, which was centered on Egypt and Lebanon.
Khorshid eventually found himself playing guitar for Oum Kalthoum, perhaps the most beloved singer the Arab world has ever had- playing in her orchestra was the height of prestige, and to say she's still loved is a bit like saying people still think the Beatles are pretty okay.
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