The album features three compositions by McLaughlin and two by Chaurasia. Of the McLaughlin pieces, "The Wish" previously appeared on the 1995 McLaughlin album The Promise. "Lotus Feet" was included on the 1976 Mahavishnu Orchestra album Inner Worlds, with a truncated version appearing on the 1976 live album Shakti. "Zakir" was previously heard on the 1987 Hussein album Making Music as well as on the McLaughlin album "Concerto For Guitar & Orchestra 'The Mediterranean' - Duos For Guitar & Piano" (1988).
In a review for AllMusic, Heather Phares commented that, in comparison with the original version of Shakti, "Remember Shakti has a more meditative, fluid feel... but McLaughlin's subtle, hypnotic guitar work bridges Shakti's past and present... An emotionally rich, musically accomplished album, Remember Shakti reunites a unique group of players."[2] The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded the album 3 stars and wrote: "there is plenty of virtuosic playing and a joyous abandon which fans of the original group will value."[5] Writing for All About Jazz, Walter Kolosky stated: "Remember Shakti is reflective, serious East-meets-West music. It is not without some hilarity however—Vikku's laughter can be quite contagious. It is also not without some truly virtuoso moments and plenty of drama."[1]
