Phoolan's Revenge - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has delivered memorable performances before, but Phoolan's Revenge - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 sits comfortably among the very best. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Roger White's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Phoolan's Revenge - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

1994 marked the release of Bandit Queen, Vol. 51, and Phoolan's Revenge - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The song rewards full attention but also works as company in the background — a flexibility that most tracks never achieve.

Running to 2:32, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. This is music that holds up — not because it is perfect, but because it is honest, and honesty in a song is irreplaceable.