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"...A collection that encompasses every ounce of guttural spiritualism and bottomless polyrhythmic hypnotics of his most astounding traditional Qawwali works."



Allmusic.com:
Three years after the qawwali star's death in 1997, Real World began releasing material "discovered" in Nusrat's hometown, Lahore, Pakistan. These four pieces were evidently recorded there just months before he died, but they sound closer to the pristine Real World Studios sessions than to the earlier Pakistani material available on reissue releases. Here and there, one detects a little more rasp than usual in that fabulous voice, but the music is fresh and the tempos are, if anything, super energized, almost as if the party sensed it didn't have much time. The lead track, "Khawaja Tum Hi Ho" ("Master It Is Only You"), strikes with ferocity and doesn't let up for over 15 minutes. This and the second selection are as intense as the music on Shahbaaz (Real World 1991), perhaps the qawwal's fieriest studio session. The third selection, with it's Zen-like title "Koi Hai Na Ho Ga" ("There Was No One, There Will Not Be Anyone") unfolds over a clopping rhythm. Nusrat's voice rips and lashes its way through a moody refrain and the soaring counter melodies of vocal soloist Mujahed Mubarak Ali Khan. The closer "Noor-E-Khuda Hai Husn-E-Sarapa Rasool" ("The Light of God Is the Embodiment of the Prophet") is cooler. Like the final track on many Nusrat releases, it unfolds in a cantering triplet rhythm, letting the listener down gently from the spiritual heights of the earlier material. If there are more recordings of this quality in the vault, the world needs to hear them.

Amazon.com:
You might think this posthumous release of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and party would either suffer in quality of music or be a patched-together compendium of leftover bits from Real World's archives, but this is not the case with Dust to Gold. These recordings from Nusrat's hometown of Lahore, Pakistan, feature the great singer performing as vibrantly as ever with tabla and clapping rhythms thriving. His voice sounds robust and flexible, as do the ensemble's joined chant. Nusrat trades call and response with ensemble member Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan on tracks "Khawaja Tum Hi Ho" ("Master It Is Only You") and "Koi Hai Na Ho Ga" ("There Was No One, There Will Not Be Anyone"), and the vocal artistry reaches the same divine, drunken brilliance that Nusrat and party concocted when the master was alive, full of life, and touring. It's unclear where exactly these performances were recorded, but the sound quality is stunning. It's perhaps one of Real World's best offerings, without the dryness of such earlier collections as The Last Prophet or Shahbaaz. Here the tabla's low end is round and fruitful, the harmonium bounces off a slight echo, and there's a live-room effect that adds a richness to all tonalities. This is one of Nusrat's final releases, so how satisfying that it's also one of his best. --Karen K. Hugg

From Rhythm Magazine:
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan may have been one of Pakistan's greatest singers, but his posthumous release Dust to Gold feels so academic that you aren't likely to enjoy it unless you're an anthropologist or a Sufi. The album consists of four lengthy qawwali tracks, so traditional that you'll think you should be taking class notes. If you're a qawwali enthusiast, however, you're likely to be thrilled by Khan's dizzying vocal style, which rivals that of the great opera stars.

Reviewer:
This collection of unreleased recordings from Pakistan represent four of the best tracks available on any of Nusrat's Real World releases. This work does not feature any of the more fusion oriented materials found on Mustt Mustt, Night Song, or Star Rise, so listeners who only enjoyed these particular releases may want to steer away from this new release.
Each track last approximately between 15 and 17 minutes, which is fairly normal for "unabridged" pieces from the Artist. Prominent here is the virtuoso percussion and harmonium work from his party, along with impressive second-vocals provided by Farrukh Ali Khan. The recordings are crystal clear, and Nusrat's powerful voice pushes each song forward, demonstrating the intensity and skill that is so breathtaking on other albums from Real World.

For a western collector of Nusrat's recordings, this album should be an important addition. For those looking to start exploring Nusrat's compendium of work, the more broad and shorter-tracked Love and Devotional Songs would be more appropriate.

Personnel: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (vocals); Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, Irshad Ali (vocals, harmonium); Rahat Ali Khan (vocals); Dildar Hussain (tabla); Asad Ali, Ilyas Hussain, Naseef Ahmed, Khaled Mehmood (background vocals).

Recorded at Sargam Studio, Lahore, Pakistan in June 1997.

Tracks:
1. Khawaja Tum Hi Ho (Master, It Is Only You) 15:44
2. Data Teira Durbar (Master In Your Court) 16:21
3. Koi Hai Na Ho Ga (There Was No One, There Will Not Be Anyone) 15:08
4. Noor-E Khuda Hai Husn-E-Sarapa Rasool (The Light Of God Is The Embodiment Of The Prophet) 17:09