Zombie

Absolutely incredible. Apparently, one of my favorite things in the world is a 15-minute Afrobeat funk jam session, because I could listen to this stuff all day. This album is just an absolute explosion of rhythm, energy, and groove. It's hypnotic, infectious, and almost impossible to listen to without moving some part of your body. If this doesn't get your foot tapping, you might want to check your pulse. Hell, I'm pretty sure this music could literally reanimate a corpse, which, given the album's title, seems appropriate. What I love most is how organic and alive the whole thing feels. It reminds me of Santana and the Grateful Dead in the best possible way. Not necessarily because the music sounds the same, but because of that loose, improvisational, almost communal quality. Everyone is locked into the same groove, but there's so much happening within it. The bass is relentless, the percussion is polyrhythmic and hypnotic, the horns come blasting in, the guitars weave around everything, and the call-and-response vocals turn the whole thing into something that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a living, breathing organism. And the repetition is the whole point. These aren't songs that need to rush toward a chorus or a big payoff. They establish a groove, let it simmer, and then spend the next 15 minutes finding a thousand different ways to make it more interesting. Little rhythmic variations, shifting instrumental textures, horns jumping in and out, layers building on top of layers. It's almost psychedelic in the way it pulls you in. You stop thinking about where the song is going and just surrender to wherever the groove takes you. There's also something wonderfully defiant about the whole thing. Knowing the political context behind Fela Kuti's music, and particularly the way "Zombie" mocks the mindless obedience of the Nigerian military, adds another dimension to an album that would already be extraordinary on purely musical grounds. It's protest music, but instead of beating you over the head with its message, it makes you dance your ass off while delivering it. That's a pretty remarkable achievement. I love music that feels like musicians genuinely having a blast playing together, and this is that feeling distilled into its purest form. It's funky, jazzy, psychedelic, relentlessly rhythmic, and absolutely bursting with life. There's something almost primal about it. You don't even have to understand the lyrics to understand what the music is doing to you. Just an astonishing album. Fifteen-minute grooves have absolutely no business being this consistently captivating, but here we are. 9.5/10. This could wake the dead.

Tosi jeba!

ei mitään negatiivista tai oikeestaan hirveenä mitään sanottavaa. sanonko nyt sitten nämä seuraavat: harmiton, hyväntuulinen. jospa kukaan ei ikinä kuvailisi mua noin.

Oon aina tykänny Fela Kutista, mut tää oli eka kerta kun kuuntelin ajatuksella kokonaisen levyn. Todella hyvää groovailumusaa! Harkitsin tälle jopa vitosta, mut jääköön korkeeksi neloseksi 🧟

Toimii ihan jees, mutta vähän jäi jotenkin etäiseksi. Kannen ja nimen perusteella oisin odottanut enemmän vaaran tuntua 🧟

Hyvät meiningit, ei muuta!

Man hört, ein wichtiger Musiker, ein wichtiges Album. Macht Spaß, ist aber letztlich nicht so ganz meine Musik. Stark erscheinen mir die politischen Aussagen!

Amazing rhythm. Repeats a lot but it never feels stuck. Great horns too.

Gave me a pep in my step today. Really digging the positive jazz and political messaging. Good stuff. 7.5/10 Top song.... Zombie

Stunning. Effortless. So easy to get loss in this album.

He’s a right fella this Kuti

Makes ya wanna daaaaance. Can see where talking heads were inspired on their later records

Cool arse music this!

Very enjoyable. Great Musicianship. Stick it on and go about your day. Have the occasional wiggle. Bet hes great to see Live 3.5

This Afrobeat album feels like being a zombie in a huge horde, mindlessly moving forward with everyone else until I slowly lose my sense of myself as a human being. The drums, bass and repeating guitar patterns lock together into a relentless groove, while the horns and chanting vocals keep pushing the whole mass onward. There is something hypnotic about the repetition, but instead of making me feel liberated, it makes me feel absorbed into the crowd, unable to stop or choose my own direction. Fela Kuti's vocals and call-and-response patterns reinforce that sense of collective movement, turning the music itself into a kind of march. The disturbing part is that the more completely I surrender to the rhythm, the less I feel like an individual. The album's central zombie metaphor therefore isn't just something being described in the lyrics—the repetitive, marching music makes me experience what it means to move without thinking. Want to be a zombie in a horde?, I don't.

Swinging, driving, righteous, and very funky

pretty good listen would definitely get better over time

Hab vorher noch nie was in Richtung Afrobeat gehört, aber das hat mich direkt abgeholt. Beeindruckende Kombination aus der sehr rhythmusgetriebenen nigerianischen Musik mit Einschüben aus Jazz und Funk. Wenn man den Hintergrund nicht kennt, könnte man gar nicht erwarten, dass die Songs so viel politische Strahlkraft entfalten. Für mich klingt es vor allem nach Musikern auf ihrem absoluten künstlerischen Zenit, die es schaffen, ihre Songs gleichzeitig treibend, aber auch verspielt wirken zu lassen. Eine krasse Platte und eine schöne Entdeckung.

Ganz schön eingängig und viel Gesang für Jazz. 2 Sterne, weil es mich letztlich doch nicht überzeugt und zu repetitiv ist - oder einfach weil es Jazz ist.

Hat mir erstaunlich gut gefallen, dazu noch der Hintergrund des Albums und des Künstlers im allgemeinen. Stark.

Loved the vibe of this album! Not something I would seek out but glad it found me.

Really cool shit

Decent world music

I enjoyed this music, though I had been unfamiliar with it. It's got groove and it's pleasant to listen to. I imagine it has some social significance too, but I didn't look close enough to understand what that might have been in the historical context. My only criticism is that it is repetitive. It's probably much more enjoyable live than on record. And that's true of many artists. "Mistake" as a live performance illustrates that. I'm glad to have been exposed to it.

Recognized the name but I guess I forgot it was jazz, so it was a pleasant surprise! Looking. Back at his other album “Live!” on here I liked this better, solely based on my rating as I don’t remember it (960 days ago). But hearing this makes me consider revisiting and possibly rerating, we will see. Easy 4/5

This album is unique on this list in the effect that it had. The title track is an excoriating attack on the Nigerian military, effectively calling them mindless zombies for blindly following orders. The government junta was so threatened by this that they sent a force of 1000 soldiers to attack Kuti. They brutally murdered his elderly mother, razed his studio and the commune where he lived, and Kuti himself was lucky to escape with his life. This experience didn’t deter him from his political activism (he stood for president and spent time in jail on trumped up charges), releasing a mind boggling number of albums (16 in 1976 and 1977 alone) and marrying 27 women at the same time. Wowzers - where did he find the time? The music here is pure Afrobeat, taking traditional rhythms and reclaiming Western jazz and funk sounds, bringing them back to their African roots. The result is infectious, danceable and politically charged in all the right ways, and it’s easy to see why a performance of Zombie in Accra sparked a riot. An easy five stars from me!

There’s fire in the title track, powerful protest music with a serious groove.

This was absolutely great fun to listen to. Played it a few times and Fela never misses. This may not have grabbed me quite as much as some his other offerings but certainly hits the spot.

Groovy and radical, a stellar combo

Great album! I've been meaning to delve into a bit more Fela. Can definitely here influence on Talking Heads here. The political context around it is interesting too.

This is a fun album. Jazzy protest. This is the kind of gems that we discover on this project.

Historically important album, particularly in West Africa. Jazz is easy to listen to, if not especially easy to understand. And Afrobeat jazz is no exception. It doesn’t sound particularly revolutionary to me, but Nigerians heard it as such. Musically, I’ve heard better jazz. It’s still pretty good. 3 stars

I liked this. Got me grooving in the morning.

All the stars for Africa mon.

This was pretty fun.

Was very happy to see this pop up! I really enjoy Fela Kuti, and "Zombie" is one of my favorite songs of his. Anyway, it is definitely still the standout for me here, but also liked "Mr. Follow Follow" and "Mistake"

Impossible to sit still while listening to this.

If I'm honest, I groove on Mr Follow Follow more than the Title track, but as protest music? Phil Ochs can't say he ever angered someone enough for them to kill his mother, burn his commune, and almost beat him to death. And as that goes, Zombie really is a catalyst too. I personally also groove more to Coffin for Head of State (written in honor of Kuti literally carrying his mother's coffin to the head of state in defiance), but that doesn't come forth without Zombie incensing the Nigerian government at the time. Fela had been making solid afrobeat up until then, but taking the piss out of a militia, rightly comparing them to zombies, clearly was a powerful blow. It's always funny how thin skinned the ‘tough guys” are. It's a shame no one has taken the casket of an illegally ICE-executed American to the white house (or Mar A Lago at that). This does feel like a case of Being First though. It isn't Fela's best that I've heard (and he released a lot of these full-side jams), but it is the one that became important, it is the one that set massive events into action, it starts a pretty productive series of important albums and tracks (as though he wasn't prolific already). And those basic ideas, mild as they might feel with 50 years and thousands of miles between them, still hold true today. Show me a military that wouldn't be aptly trolled by Zombie, one that would brush it off at that. To say nothing of the album's bonus content: “observation is no crime"? Dude could have written that for any modern police state. Musically ⭐️⭐️⭐️, but a deeply important musician worth a relisten.

i really liked this. it could be a 5? it was so cool to hear the fusion of jazz and afrobeat - i've never heard anything like it. my favorite part was the organ in "mistake" - it felt like funky phantom of the opera.

Love genre bending what can I can

Not much rips so much as this

Very very good with strong messaging. Each track was a bit long for an album, but would play very well live.

Jazz

Två låtar, 25 minuter, en EP alltså. Och alldeles lagom för den här musiken. Groovet är formidabelt och det är alltid en ynnest att få höra Tony Allen lira trummor. I mina öron i stort sett tutjazz men med tydligare ramverk och hela tiden rytmen tydligt i centrum. Vilket gör det mer angenämt för mig. Jag har hör betydligt mer svettig exstatisk Fela. Balanserar mellan tvåan och trean

Han har bra ton i saxen. Men på totalen ungefär 30 procent för mycket world jazz för min smak.

Det här ju en singel! Trodde att det var bestämt sen gammalt att två låtar gör inget album. Nåväl. Nu finns det i boken, så det är väl bara att göra jobbet. Jag gillar detta bättre än föra Fela-plattan vi hade med. Det svänger fortsatt rejält, men är också betydligt jazzigare (positivt). De två extraspåren är inte heller dumma alls. Hade kanske kunnat putta upp singeln till en fyra. Nu få Frla nöja sig med en Bamsestark trea.

Är det ens ett album? Två spår på vardera ca 12 minuter. Bra sväng.

It really is an enjoyable album for background music. I would have given it 4 stars if the album didn't sound like 53 minutes of the same song.

A fun, politically charged, and rambunctious album that uses African style beats to spice up your musical experience here. A little long and repetitive, but overall a very enjoyable listen.

Lots of entertaining brass and drums on this album, giving it an air of authentic Nigerian strife and oppression. Crazy to think that someone's mother would be killed and town destroyed over such enjoyable music. Kony 2012.

I like Fela Kuti the most out of all the world music artists on this list. 4 songs in 53 minutes is not so good though. Even with lyrics I either cannot or can barely make out, I'm really liking this. James Brown definitely influenced this guy. Observation Is No Crime is not as good as the first two songs...but it still isn't bad. It definitely declines as the album goes on, but this is another good album from Fela Kuti.

5 sterne

09/01 The story behind the album is more interesting than the music itself

It was good and way different then what I expected by the title alone. Using the metaphor for zombies is one that tracks really clearly and for someone outside of the situation to clearly understand the message. The fact that he was willing to write this and bring light the situation that was going on is noble. The beats and connections to traditional rhythms while adding new sounds was great.

I enjoyed the vibes of this and especially liked the first song. The songs were long and meandering, which I don't love, but I dug the energy here.

Another brilliant groovy album from Fela Kuti who is becoming one of my favourite discoveries from doing this list. Was interesting to read of the political context behind the album as well

5. septembar 2026. 16.05h loved it, obicno se trudim da ne citam nista o albumima koje ne znam prije nego ih cujem ali slucajno sam vidjela and it was insane...maybe i do love jazz best: zombie

Standard Kuti faire

I actually dug the live album of his that showed up earlier on this list, but this album just didn't hit the same. I mean massive respect for the politically charged aspects of this, and that's messed up if the government really did retaliate in the way they did, but as for the music itself, I just couldn't get into it. 2/5

So good! Thought the bonus tracks weren’t quite as good, but the og tracks from the original release are brilliant funky and fun

Femi Kuti was a strongly opinionated person, killed by aids, which he denied existed. His loud opposition to the Nigerian junta also had tragic consequences. Lemi Ghariokwu the Nigerian illustrator and graphic designer created the cover featuring robotic, stiff Nigerian soldiers to depict Fela's satirical critique of the military blindly obeying orders. Quite amazing backstory. Femi has been credited for popularising afrobeat. Sadly I don’t like it.

Very nice jazz, lively but still relaxed. Different from my typical music but I liked it.

Annorlunda. Gillar mr follow follow. Lite väl repitivt för mig, men i stort så är det snyggt och går absolut att lyssna på

Really great jazz with african leaning.

now something like this is why i wanted to do this in the first place!  zombie has two tracks and is about 25 minutes long and i enjoyed every minute of it.  i was not familiar with afrobeat as a genre but of course i've been hearing things influenced by it for years obviously.  i see on wikipedia that the late tony allen was the drummer and musical director of afrika 70 and i know him from the good, the bad, and the queen.  this was just great to listen to, such a solid groove and great horns.  i can't add it to my music library because it's not on apple music, but this is a solid 5/5 for me.

good vibes but 12 mins per song is too long for a gen z attention span unfortunately

(7.6) Enjoyable

Sure

Its a travel around the african flavor, i loved each second.

L’album plairait bien à mes darons je pense. D’un point de vue personnel, je suis moins fan mais je capte l’idée

1. "Mister Follow Follow" 2. "Zombie" 3. "Observation Is No Crime"

Interesting cultural context. Nice to have heard once, but not sure I’ll listen to it again.

so fucking sick jam after jam

A Paris did not listen, will listen later.

Fuck yes

Solid afrobeat album, and also a curiosity given the political context surrounding it. Strongly recommend listening to a version of this that has the bonus live track "Mistake", which is an amazing jam. 8/10.

I don’t like long songs. I don’t like jazz. I don’t like mostly instrumental songs. I don’t like this.

Not sure why this album is on the list. Not my style at all. Jazzy Caribbean Afro beats.

This album is a great example of why I am doing this - I’ve never heard of this guy, nor his band Can, yet there is so much to love about this album. The first track is completely wacky, the rest are great prog/experimental pieces with interesting soundscapes built up of flamenco guitar, synth lines, and some spidery bass lines. The vocals continue to be a bit wacky throughout but that’s only a minor distraction. Excellent album.

This is what we come for.

4 only because of its political weight, pulse birthing afrobeat which is massive. Apart from that would've been a 3

Excellent album, and brings me memories of a love story that was just starting.

This is some happy music. Funky and rather beach vibey...

My first encounter with Fela was the other entry on this list, "Live!". It kinda blew my mind and while I gave it a '4' at the time, I've since revisited it dozens of times and edited my score up to a '5'. It was revelatory and a true gem in the ocean of electronic/synth pop garbage that pollutes the list. I have high hopes for this.. ****** So, it's a little slower, it has more singing in it, and there is an obvious political message embedded in it, but damn if it still doesn't absolutely slap. The complex rhythms and call-and-response singing are just so catchy and dynamic, I found myself involuntarily bobbing my head and tapping my foot. It's a funky infection and I'm on board for it. Normally my rule of the jazz '4' is where I would draw a line, but I've since shot myself in the foot with a few of my favorite jazz albums and I'll do it again with Fela here. (5/5) Of all the artists we've encountered so far, this is the one I'm happy to have found because of this project/list. We're done with the TWO that are on it (I'm betting more probably should be, but I'll determine that later..) and Fela has run off with my musical heart. This guy is a treasure.

I absolutely adore Fela's other album on this list (with Ginger Baker), and was super excited when this one popped up. Out of the gate that title track exceeded my expectations and is probably my favorite of his yet. A whole heaping spoonful of energy and woven patterns that draws you in and just feels fun. Mr. Follow Follow changes up and slows down, and the political messaging in both tracks is made even more poignant by reading some history on the album and events surrounding it. My only complaint is that it's over way too soon, and I was thankful for the reissue bonus tracks to keep things going. Another one I will no doubt revisit, and another "blind 5/5" from this incredible band.

176. Zombie - Fela Kuti (1977) 8.17.26 Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 5 = 4.8 rounded up to a 5 Fela Kuti seems to be one of those artists where the list makers could have literally just chosen any of his albums randomly and ended up with some good shit. Almost four months ago we had Live! - which he did with Ginger Baker on drums, and it ended up being just as great as I've come to expect. I've heard this one before, and loved it, but it's been a good while, so now I'm wondering how it compares. I would have said previously it was one of, if not the best, of the ones I've heard, and I came to his stuff relatively recently ( within the last 10 years) so I'm not expecting my opinion to have changed much at all. THE TRACKS "Zombie" - Hot damn. This is the stuff. Right away we're into the groove with the awesome rhythms and Fela leading the way with his soulful as fuck sax work. The raw energy and fluidity on display here is genuinely physically invigorating, despite the pain and sadness that fueled its creation. This is music that tells you this man and his band are not going to sit down, and it's not music for sitting down either. I mean, I guess you could listen to it in your chair, while working, or whatever. You'd be poorer for it though. Throughout the nearly 13 minute run time it never ONCE feels like it has exhausted all the avenues available. Danceable protest music is a tall order in any time but, anti-war, anti-atrocity, anti-totalitarian, anti-thought control - you name your oppressive bit of political and military horror and this is music that - in the place and era it existed was literally a thing that could get your ass killed or worse. And it did. All that considered, it stands on its own as a supremely funky groove. Obviously in the tradition of James Brown, who Fela admired and credited with changing his whole musical outlook, it never feels for a second like it's trapped within Brown's own particular brand of funk, but manages to up the ante ( for sure stakes-wise) with all of the particulars. The reveille horn must have riffled some feathers. Awesome, bold stuff. "Mister Follow Follow" - This track uses the same funk groove template, but things slow down a bit and the result feels both more measured and more downbeat. The title seems like euphemism for the same thing as the first one, and no doubt caught the ears of those in power. And it's no wonder this music was so damn popular with as undeniably listenable as it is. If Fela and his band had sucked or were boring, no one would have given a damn what his message was. But you can't have protest music spreading like wildfire, right? Much less VERY GOOD protest music. I can't help but be reminded of Green Day's American Idiot which we just had not too long ago, and while it would definitely be unfair to compare things musically, as an attempt to foment political dissent, critique power structures, and advance specific ideology that one looks anemic and clumsy by comparison to this. Baby's first protest album. This is a lot jazzier, and just as literal. No bones are made about what Mr. Kuti thinks of the subjects of his song. I would say that little to none of the music on this list so far has really been consequential in any sort of way other than culturally, and possibly in some small way socially. This is music of real consequence that is ALSO rad as hell. You might find the mode to be boring, or repetitive, or you might just not be a fan of funk. But you can't deny that it's a powerful, well considered sound. And you'd look like a doofus to deny it as meaningful. I'll take a hundred Fela albums ( are there that many? There might actually be that many...) over another Chemical Bros or Happy Mondays album any day of the week. The only reason this doesn't get a perfect 5.0 is that I can take or leave most messaging as I'm primarily focused on the medium. Also there's no escaping the fact that as well woven and textured a tapestry this is, it's two tracks of groove heavy rhythms, so it would seem weird to not knock it slightly for variety. Knowing the story of what unfolded also will not makes this as casual and easy a listen either. HIGHLIGHTS - All of it MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS No surprises here. Quality funky ass beats, and grooves I'm not sure I could ever tire of. I did a bit more reading ahead of this one as I'd heard it before, but was not that familiar with the history. Some brutal stuff went down i the wake of this one, and Kuti's life in general is pretty insane. It's not necessary at all to enjoy the music, but look it up if you can, and you might at least appreciate the man a bit more. Quality wise there's not much to say other than it was top notch performing all around, and the production pretty flawlessly captured the live in studio ( I assume but cannot verify) sound of the one long single-take grooves. More so than a lot of the acts on the list - I think Kuti's studio work very much does this as a rule. The jazz and blues stuff we've heard manage that as well. I love me some studio effects bullshittery, but this is stone cold proof that you don't need that stuff for an immersive experience. The album Unknown Soldier seems directly tied to this one as it deals with the horrific aftermath of the events that happened in response to this album and I would recommend looking it up as well as it's also pretty great. The man probably could have easily had a good ten albums on this list that would far outshine a LOT of the stuff we've listened, but two will have to suffice. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nope FURTHER LISTENING - Shakara by Fela & The Africa 70 - Gentlemen by Fela & The Africa 70 - Before I Jump Like Monkey Give Me Banana by Fela & The Africa 70 - Yellow Fever by Fela & The Africa 70 - Live in Berlin at the Berliner Jazztage - 1978 by Fela & The Africa 70 - Unknown Soldier - Fela & The Africa 70

Hoo boy. *listens to album* *enjoys jazzy Afrobeat music* *Reads Wikipedia article on album.* That was heavy. That was a lot. The music was good. This is our second Fela Kuti album on this 1001 album project. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit. It had an adventurousness to its very long stretches that made me curious about what was to come next. This one had less punch on the surface, but the under current was anything but. “Zombie” had bite to it, with long sharp teeth. Listening to and reading the history of this album makes me want to go back to last week and reevaluate”American Idiot.” “Oh you Bay Area boys thought you were writing protest music. That’s cute. How many soldiers showed up at your door because of that album? Go ahead, count, I’ll wait.” And I say that as someone who loved listening to Green Day. Overall good music. Musically, i enjoyed “Live! With Ginger Baker” slightly more than this album, but damn its pretty close. 4/5.

Reaaally like it Je l'ai écouté en marchant dans Paris et vraiment l'impression d'avoir une bo de ma vie Zombie est vraiment super

It was not bad but the songs are too long for my liking.

Great set of tracks from Fela, filled with politics, hope, dance, and music.

Interesting, but songs are way too long.

Catchy, but this isn't for me at all. Don't know that I've ever listed to Afrobeat before. I respect that this criticizes the Nigerian government (and may have gotten Kuti's mother murdered and his commune destroyed) but I won't likely come back to this. Each track being over 12 minutes long is real difficult for my punk rock heart to accept lol.

My attention span has been ruined by the internet, I guess! I felt sure I had heard Mr. Follow Follow multiple times but it was just much longer than I was expecting. I appreciated the variation within the song—riffing on the established musical material for an extended time was very cool and I found myself bopping along to the beat and the vocals.

Not for me.

more fela please. 5/5.

This is the favorite album of every cool person who works at a record store. I get it, but it’s not really for me.

I can see why David Byrne is such a big fan. 4.5/5

Its ok, but too jazzy for me

Good fun

Great quality of music but not to my taste, best played as background instrumental music.

Fela Kuti is both incredibly talented and has great integrity of character, a rare combination in this world… I bring this up because it isn’t uncommon to bring morality into reviews on this project. Lots of people shoot down great work from artists like Michael Jackson, John Lennon, etc. who were very talented but of rather poor character. I won’t get into my thoughts on the negative aspect of the art and artist relationship, but I think works in Kuti’s favor here. He’s a passionate man who combined his passions into a single, conjoined work, and you can really feel all that passion in his albums.

This was a really pleasant listen! Cool find!

Overall: 8/10 This is a great jazz fusion album with political substance and it's so interesting to listen to. I'm glad I looked up the context before diving into it, I feel that it gave me a greater appreciation for the music itself. Fav Song: Zombie

Виглядає круто. Вперше таке бачу. З перших хвилин - музика не відповідає обкладинці. Звучить дуже весело, мені подобається. Я б сказав, що це джаз, а це афробіт. За цей альбом нігерійська влада вбила маму виконавця.

bueno

Hea gruuv, täiega festivali vaib. Kujutan ette, kuidas ma joon Pühaste Sun Cityt ja lihtsalt terve tunni vaibin selle muusika saatel. Elav afrobeat/jazz muusika, mis lihtsalt paneb õõtsuma. 3.6/5

Ok

I didn’t pick up on the political meanings, but the African music/jazz combo was comfortable to listen to. Worth a listen.

Really good

I liked it. It's not exactly my style, but it was interesting.

I like the multi-instrumental side of it

3.0

Good album. Super danceable, way upbeat just a fun listen. Jazzy Afrobeat is always a great listen. Its an album for when you want some energy.

"Musically, there's nothing I don't like, per se... but if you were to cut off ~4 minutes at the start and end of every track (leaving the call-and-response vocal bits) I'd probably rate it a lot higher. It's the kind of music which, if a live band was performing it, I'd have an absolutely great time dancing to for 5-10 minutes... before gradually losing enthusiasm over the next hour until I was swaying out of habit only; a little dead behind the eyes and secretly, desperately wondering when it was going to end." 2,5 sterren

Sometimes one track just outshines everything else so much that even excellent music can be rendered pedestrian-sounding. Zombie is a 5-star all time track. I got a very solid 4-star feeling from the rest.

Three stars feels harsh, but I don’t think I know it well enough for four. But who knows? Over dinner and drinks, and a bit more conversation, maybe we could get right up there to five.

🥞

Historically important AND a vibe? What an intense display of talent! How insecure does a government have to be to burn down your land and fuck up your family, to the point of the eventual death of your mother? I'm very sorry it happened, but at the same time, haven't us rebels dreamed of sticking it to the man in the highest sense, cost whatever it costs? Maybe this is a careful what you wish for kind of moment. And the message? Danceable as fuck. Put this on at night with a rum fashioned in one hand, a cigar in the other, and catch my hips swinging, my shoulders crawling, my head bopping. I see myself smiling at onlookers who could only hope to be in a better mood than I am. It also pisses off oppressing regimes, like icing on a cake. I suppose when we strip it down to just how the music sounds, I know I've heard pieces by Fela that stick to me much harder than the music in this album. This can't be my favorite Fela Kuti album, but it's definitely up there. 4.3/5

I hadn't heard of Fela Kuti before today (or if I have, I've forgotten him), and this caribbean/african jazz style is definitely not my typical genre, but I loved this. It was so groovy and just very smooth and sounded like it was recorded last year, even though it's about 50 years old. I loved it, but only really had the patience to listen to it once all the way through. Four stars.

Energetic Funk. Sadly a little more tame towards the end 8/10

i like some of the songs on this ep, but its mostly music i wouldnt sit down and listen to, mainly bcus the songs are really long

4/5. Fela Kuti’s life story and music is a rabbit hole that I would reccomend any music lover goes down, so much bizarre and fascinating stuff there. This album sees him use his signature afrobeat sound to satirize the Nigerian military, something that the military did not respond kindly to as they burned his “compound” to the ground and severely beat both him and his mother. Aside from the story of the album, it also just sounds great. The opener and title track is a danceable banger, and same goes for “Mr follow follow.” I especially love the vocal chants on the former where a lot of the satire comes in with lines like “go on kill” and “go on die.” One of many essential listens in Fela Kuti’s discography and an essential jazz/afrobeat album in general.

Background trendy bar music. I am sure I have heard this sitting in Hillhead Book Club drinking a flat pint of a shit lager whilst some DJ sticks this in and buys himself time to take a shit. I listened to it end to end and then instantly forgot anything specific about it. I didn’t dislike it, I just didn’t really retain any of it…. Other than the flashback 2.3

Yawn. Fucking yawn. Why do we need to hear this guy? The only interesting thing is his back story.

Helped the Western world become enamored w World Music

4 songs in 45 minutes we love to see it. This was great I really loved it!

Like the live album with Ginger Baker, this was another Fela Kuti album that I've really enjoyed, even had a second listen, which is rare! In the studio, he maintains an infectious energy he has live and which propels these 4 songs through the near hour that they inhabit without them outstaying their welcome.

Yeah this was interesting. Fun music and great to work to. What I found really fascinating was reading about his anti-establishment views and his 27 wives.

Aaah nog een Fela Kuti!!!! Very excited!!! Het eerste nummer is… veel… niet helemaal de mood waar ik mij in verkeerde, maar dat wil niet zeggen dat het niet kneitergoed was. Wederom een echt sterk album! Helemaal in mijn straatje douze points.

Het was weer een feestje met Fela Kuti! Ik heb heerlijk op een handoekje gezeten met deze muziek op in de zon. Ik zou dit album nog 100 keer kunnen luisteren. Maar zoals een wijs broer tegen mij zei deze vakantie. Je moet ook door met je leven. Ik ga dit album nog veel vaker luisteren. Lekkere vakantieplaat. Het is een ode aan muziek uit Afrika.

Politiek geladen album maar dit gaat niet ten koste van de muziek. In tegenstelling tot veel andere protest muziek blijft dit staan als je de context weghaalt door de sterke grove op dit album. Tony Allen, de drummer en vader van de afrobeat heeft hierin een grote rol. Sidenote Damon Albarn was een vriend van Tony en hebben veel samengewerkt. Hij zong tijdens blur "Tony Allen, got me dancing". Tony Allan hoorde dit, nam contact op en zijn daarna met verschillende projecten gaan samenwerken. Op het laatste gorillaz album postume opnames van Tony met het nummer hardest thing/orange county, vaarwel aan zijn collega en vriend.

Fela Kuti, vorige keer gaf ik hem vier sterren, maar eigenlijk was dat te laag. Ik vond Zombie nog sterker. Het album klinkt strakker en daardoor raak je makkelijker in die hypnotiserende groove waar afrobeat zo goed in is. Tegelijkertijd zit het album vol politieke lading. Op de titeltrack valt Kuti het Nigeriaanse leger aan, dat volgens hem blind bevelen opvolgt zonder zelf na te denken. Het album werd een enorme hit, maar de reactie van de militaire regering was meedogenloos. Bij een inval in Kuti's commune werd hij zwaar mishandeld, zijn moeder werd uit een raam gegooid en overleed later aan haar verwondingen. Dat geeft de muziek achteraf nog meer gewicht.

Nicht mein Style und zu lang

Kinda odd but the beats weee nice

7,50/10 Muy bueno, me gusto. Divertido sin ser molesto, algunas partes medio pj pero bien

This is true revolutionary music. Fela Kuti and his family were targeted because of their politics. Fucked up but the music and the spirit lives on

reading up on fela kutis life holy shit this guy was nuts. dope ass album fuck the nigerian military (idk if they still wack idk shit about that stuff)

Ok

uvalim mu kruti

First two songs were amazing, the last two didn't catch my attention that much. As a artist and pioneer, definitely 5. For this specific album: 4.

I had zero clue what I was getting into here. I laughed when I saw it was 4 songs at about an hour long. Talk about jamming! I did enjoy this quite a bit, but I did find it to be a bit monotonous.

This is a great soundtrack to making deliveries in a box truck!

Initially I was like, am I going to give to 5 stars in a row. But then I was like, why not. This album was amazing and I loved every moment of it. It was one of the few albums we’ve listened to that she found listenable. Not to mention that this sent me down a Wikipedia hole on Fela Kuti. I’m a huge sucker for politically provocative musicians. Stick it to the man!

Music that comes ALIVE! I played this while getting my son ready this morning, and he immediately started dancing. Went online and purchased a compilation of Kuti’s work, the moment this project ended.

Its history (dude's house was burned down and his mom was murdered...the rest of his Wiki is similarly wild) belies and overshadows its music (each song is 4 min of funky jazz followed by 4 min of political vamping), but that's probably half the point. Feels wrong to "enjoy" this while cleaning the house, but alas.

saw this cover art pop up and went "what the hell is this." was possibly thinking about skipping, but saw it was only four songs so I jumped in the lore behind this album and this man is absolutely insane The album was an attack/protest on the Nigerian government and military. They attacked a commune that he had set up, burned it down, and threw his mother out of a window (rip). Then he married 27 women 😎

Oh yeah I fucks with this heavy

This just was not my jam.

Really cool, the kind of stuff I started the challenge for. I love the jazzy elements and it's so interesting to hear about how historically important this was, although sad.

Pretty cool album with exciting rhythms and instruments. I enjoyed the music more than the singing.

Some interesting African jazz here Fave track: Zombie

Sick album cover. 3/5

I don’t think I’d ever properly engaged with Fela Kuti’s music until today. Of course, I had often seen his name in the music press, and musicians such as David Byrne, Brian Eno and Paul McCartney have spoken highly of him and I very likely may have listened to one compilation. But obviously I didn't pay much attention to it. A mistake. The blend of rock, funk and jazz that he created, driven by Tony Allen’s precise drumming, is downright mesmerising. "Zombie", released in 1976, is often cited as one of the highlights in his discography, which comprises at least 45 albums. The original album features just two tracks: the title track, "Zombie", and "Mister Follow Follow". As is not uncommon with Kuti, the lyrics are highly political. Kuti repeatedly criticised those in power and specifically the military junta in Nigeria. But even without understanding the lyrics, you can sense the anger, energy and sincerity in this music. Fela Kuti was a man with a clear musical — and evidently political — vision. I must listen to much more of his work.

Never heard of the guy two weeks ago, but between his stuff and his sons music I’m a huge fan Just good ole Afro-jazz, have to love it. I love the progression for the songs on this album; starting off swinging with some good instrumental portions that let the individual musicians show off some great solos, then building up to the halfway point when the vocals finally kick in, which I think lets you get more of a chance to grow attached to what’s behind the vocals before letting loose. Usually would be a bit apprehensive about each song being 10+ mins but I think it works well in this case. Dudes a great vocalist too, forgot to mention that. First track was probably my favorite but all the tracks are really nice My main problem is the relative lack of variety, which is pretty hard to fix with a genre like this that’s pretty strictly defined. If the album was like 10 mins shorter I think I could get over it easier but either way not a huge complaint Easy 9/10 for me, but I don’t think it quite has enough to push it over the edge for a 5 for me. Still though, really respect this guys music and what he did for the genre as a whole; will definitely listen to this one again

This guy is pretty good. Wish it had some more bones

Political music, unconnected with the punk scene coming out of London at the same time, but in many ways much more real and revolutionary. The 'zombies' being the soldiers of the Nigerian military who were in power at the time. In case this is not obvious the afro-jazz jam that is the title track fades out to parade ground calls, quick march, turn right etc. These zombies don't stop 'less you tell 'em to stop, something Fela Kuti knew to be true as he had had them coming for him a number of times. Music that is meant to encourage positive change and takes risks doing so. I rate this highly. And it's not at all unpleasant on the ear either.

This is a cool sound but extremely monotonous.

This was awesome. Such a party

Turns out I love this kind of music

Funky and Furious I've never heard the name Fela Kuti, never heard the sound. And honestly? This was one of those recommendations that I instantly liked and appreciated. Not my typical genre at all, but the sheer energy brought to music on this album is infectious. The story behind it is insane. This album led to the army attacking Fela's compound, beating him up, and killing his mother. If an album can do that, it truly needs to be heard. Always love a native anti-capitalist artist. "Zombie" starts as a really funky jazz afrobeat piece. Then the vocals come in with that call and response style. Not something I'd listen to regularly, but I still really like it. Top tier, and I really vibe with the message. The keyboard is so fun. The sax at the end plays the motif of an army march, a nod at who zombie is referring to. 7-8/10. "Mr. Follow Follow" is supeerrr groovy. Less bombastic than Zombie but still a hypnotic groooove. The bass is awesome. There's a strong prevailing melody theme that keeps repeating. It's smooth and pretty much impossible not to move to. The way the chorus says "follow follow" is addicting. UGHHH this is so good. 8/10. "Observation Is No Crime" is a little jazzier, with a slower beat. A mix of bongo drums and horns. Not quite as catchy as the last two. 6-7/10. "Mistake" is a slower piece. Much more jazzy. The organ keyboard is awesome. . The lyrics are probably the most biting out of all. 7-8/10. Zombie is an incredible album that still holds relevance to this day. It can resonate with people from all over the world. I wish the 1001 Albums list featured more albums like this, I'd rather listen to this than generic Britpop. It's a record that feels alive, dangerous, and necessary. Not something I'd throw on every day, but I'm genuinely glad I heard it. Rating: 7/10

Amazing. I don't know how much replay value this will have for me, but it was certainly a great discovery. Loved to walk to it.

nosje

Kinda mid

The instruments were really good but the vocals were a little boring and the songs dragged out too long.

3/5. This is my first real dive into Afrobeat, and theres a lot to like about this project. Tony Allens polyrhythmic drumming is a standout, along with the whole percussion section. The trumpets do a lot to carry each song forward and provide a jolt, and Fela Kuti solos are great. That being said, I feel this whole album never really makes it past the 3rd gear. I often found myself feeling the tension building only for it to be brought down again and again, and I wouldve liked to see some more dynamic change, particularly with the guitars. They keep the same basic jangle throughout every song, and it gets tired after a while. All the tracks seem to follow the same basic structure, and it often left me feeling like each progression had no place in the song. I think this couldve been one long song and it wouldnt have really made a difference in the listening experience. Mistake was the standout track, and I think thats mostly because it was live, and Jazz almost always sounds better live. Overall, while the instrumentation itself is nothing short of amazing, the composition as a whole left a lot to be desired in my opinion, and for that reason I really failed to connect on an emotional level with this project.

very good improv, but very repetitive

Never listened to Afrobeat before, probably good I started with the dude who created it. The funk-jazz thing is awesome. Grooves are hard af. It's right up my alley, but I can see how it would get draggy. The original EP release is much stronger than the CD extras. Overall good album, not amazing due to length of the songs. Also the dude had like 28 wives which is odd lmao. Fav song: Zombie

so long

4.5/5

Groovy, catchy, funky !

Another brilliant groovy album from Fela Kuti who is becoming one of my favourite discoveries from doing this list. Was interesting to read of the political context behind the album as well

Undeniable groove right here. I slightly prefer Expensive Shit, but this is almost quite as good. 7/10

Infectious rhythm. RYM: Y (#264) Saved a song: Y

I can understand how people might enjoy this type of music. Personally not for me tho. :(

No notes

Cool. Subtle yet powerful..good stuff. 4/5.

Not a big afrobeat guy

Andra låten var väldigt bra, första var lite för jazzig och galen

very funny that wikipedia doesn’t know which number album this is for fela. i have the boxset of all of albums somewhere… i bet they know in there. big fan of fela. i don’t like this one as much as the live one with ginger baker on this list tho. it is still great however. my favorite of his is “afrodisiac”. all jams.

Fascinating album, is all I’ll say. Never heard much like it.

Funky, jazzy, protesty…what’s not to love?

Incredible. Moving. I can see why people were incited to riot by this. What a piece of music.

4.6 Love Fela and afrobeat. Keeping the album as its own entity

This was a fun album to listen to and very different. I wasnt interested in changing the one song.

i didnt dislike any of it, i think i just dont like songs that long

4 stars a great album

I loved this album. It starts with so much energy I was trying not to dance in the office. The percussion is great, the brass is great. The tracks maybe run a bit long for my personal taste, but when I was listening as background music in the office that didn’t bother me. I listened to the 4 track version which is apparently a bonus version. I think the songs that are on the original album are my favourites, but I enjoyed the bonus tracks as well. Fav song: Zombie Least fav: Observation Is No Crime

Enjoyed some of the vibes in this but it was too jazzy and repetitive in parts for me. If it was 20 min shorter it would have been much higher up. Specific rating - 3.5 Fav song - Mr Follow follow Least fav- Zombie

I feel bad not rating it five stars because if I wrote an album and then the government killed my mum because of it I'd hope everyone who listened loved it. RIP Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti, an incredibly impressive woman who I would strongly recommend reading about. Musically it's not my favourite album but it's such a great example of the power and political influence of music that I'm very glad to have listened to. Favourite song: Zombie Least: Mr. Follow Follow

Enjoyed the newness of the genre, potent backstory too… exactly what this project is for

fela forever

This was an interesting mix of genres but nothing that stuck out to me as amazing.

Vibe-y, jazzy, & kind of tribal. A fun listen!

1.5/5

Too long of songs with too little of variation within each song.

2.5

I liked the jazzy aspects but the vocals and call/response stuff not so much. Overall, OK.

Mitä vittua tämä nyt sitten on. Olen vakuuttunut että tämän miehen sanavarasto on maksimissaan 30 sanaa

Funky! Groovy! Jazzy!

Afrobeat Favorite Songs: Technically all three as all three of these songs are excellent in their own accord, but Zombie has to be my #1 favorite song of the bunch. Least Favorite Song: If I have to pick, it might be Observation Is No Crime, but again, it’s still an excellent song. This was a fantastic album that protests the government within his home country; specifically the Nigerian military. While it has a strong message and protest behind it, it’s accompanied with some funky African style of beats that doesn’t alienate the audience and draws people in. Definitely worth the time to listen to this record. 9/10

for the song lengths, i'm sure it's great live or maybe even in the background but much less so sitting down and listening with headphones. started to feel a bit claustrophobic

This is slightly long-winded, even for me, but I love the trumpet work on this album. I assign a 4 since I liked his live album more.

I think this is a sold, 4-star album that I genuinely enjoyed listening to for the African sounds that are too often missing on a list like this one. But I'm going to give it a bonus star because Kuti's mom died as a result of this thing. So, five stars it is.

dachte erst endlich metal xD that's one happy zombie die Songlänge 💀

Uff. Muy entretenido album. Tremendo, la mueve el chabon. El tema zombie es increíble. 8/10

This goes insanely hard? Zombie is gorgeous work. Also, was that the last post??

I'm in the mood to scam, simply because I can.

Not for me

Tämä Kuti oli suutari. Jotain poliittista sanomaa tässä kait oli, kun jälkeenpäin vikipediaa kattelin. Minua ei politiikka kiinnosta. Eikä tämä musiikkikaan, ei vaan lähtenyt.

Mukavaa menevää jatsia. Ei motivoinut tutkimaan diskografiaa lisää, mutta kuunnellessa oli hyvä mieli

Pretty incredible. So much energy and so much complexity. Such a shock when the vocals come in like 10 minutes into the song - but they have their own rhythm that slots into the instrumental groove. I don’t know enough Fela to know if this is the best of his albums so I kinda feel like I’m just rating the style. But he invented the style and the whole genre so feels valid.

5 stars because 1) Fela is a legend 2) it's 25 minutes 3) it has the most incredible wikipedia page of any album on the generator thus far.

Not quite what I was expecting, which is a good thing. Kick ass funky jazz with African blends. Pretty good, but perhaps not something I'll go back to frequently.

Just not my style, but Zombie (the song) earned some energetic car shimmies from me.

I am giving this album the benefit of the doubt because I am way out of my element here and it had some cool moments, but this is dangerously close to jazz.

Not for me, but can also acknowledge that this album was not made for me.

really cool album. Jazz and chill but also really cool, catchy, but in a good way that isnt annoying. Some of the instruments in this album get you going like oooohhhhh and it feels like your ears are getting licked by Fela Kuti himself. Really cool album and is definitely one of the greater ones I have heard so far.

beeest shit kocham fela

Not for me.

Yes

First listen. Knew of Fela Kuti, but never spun this up before. Got a real groove, but each track is just way too long. Start off each track thinking it’s good and by the end of it I just feel relieved it’s over. I can respect this, and can see why people would love it. Definitely glad it’s on this list and that I’ve therefore listened to it. Just not for me. 3

Who knew an activism album could be so fun? Truly enjoyable music.

That was a great Jazz/Afrobeat album.

Very groovy. I’ve loved the Fêla Kuti stuff we’ve been pointed to, so I need to investigate further. Also the Wikipedia entry for this is very “interesting”reading! I’m giving this a four but it could be bumped up to a five as I get more time to listen to it, especially if you only consider the original 2 track, 25 minute album rather than the extended version. Short and… sweet?

Fantastic!

Fresh!

4.5 Short album but really lively, the story behind it is incredible too

The jazz start completely misled me to where the album was going. It was interesting enough to listen to, but I'm not coming back.

Not a fan. I thought it was fairly annoying, especially the background vocals. Other than that, I just didn't love it.

Ugh...

Not the biggest fan of 10+ minutes songs, but the music itself isn't bad at all.

fela somehow made almost nothing but great records. this is easily one of them

Pretty boring and repetitive. Each song goes on way too long, could be a good album if it was chopped in half.

Blind album and artist. Funky jazzy cool 😎 feel bad this album got his wife killed by the government, but this dude also had 27 wives... idk...

I love this shit man. See that album cover? Fela singing in the face of several gigantic soldiers? One of the best covers I’ve ever seen. Opening track an anti-authoritarian smash hit criticizing the army? Not to mention it’s an incredible song in its own right. I sadly found out I had the wrong songs, or at least a different version of this release than the original. Which is fine, I prefer this version; it’s more overtly political and a bit shorter. “Mr. Follow-Follow,” the other track on the album, is fucking superb. I’m gonna have to listen to a bunch more of Kuti’s work after this. He’s always been an artist who I kind of put off listening to, but admired. And this is the real reason why. Because it’s fucking incredible. 10/10

I enjoyed this album. It had different vibe that I don’t think I would have found on my own.

Com certeza fora da zona de conforto. Mas muito divertido e dançante de um jeito muito envolvente sei lá. Gostei

A pesar de ser predominantemente instrumental, capta tu atención. Muy buen álbum. 9/10

incredible music

I liked this more than I thought I would.

While I am readily open to listening to genres of music that I would not necessarily listen to on the regular, I feel that with the jazz/afrobeat fusion type music that Zombie by Fela Kuti is, one has to be in a particular mood to engage. That said, I gave it as much of a listen as I could and what I did listen to was pretty cool and opened my eyes to this kind of music. Not my usual style, but in no way am I opposed to putting this on when the situation calls for it.

Back in 1984 I had the pleasure of seeing Fela Kuti headline Glastonbury. My first introduction to Afrobeat music and one of my first introductions to live Jazz (although I had seen Weather Report that day. It was great. I mainly remember his many wives being out in the crowd (so much smaller in those days obviously). They were trying to buy Dope from the local dealers and laughing in their faces at the prices. Anyway. This album is great with four nice extended pieces to get you in the groove. I enjoyed it

Koliko je toga moćnog čovjek stigao odraditi u 25 minuta!

loved

meh

What an album. Amazing stuff

Ska jazz. Ten minute 'jam' tracks. There is a time and a place for this, I'm pretty sure it's a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

When we were all in Talking Heads someone brought this to the club and went: This is the original! Love it!

Musically, fabulous. African rhythms plus jazz; hypnotic. I actually realised I was waving my arms above my head at one point, without having noticed. (The other album of Kuti's that I've heard, as part of this project, suffered from too much Ginger Baker. I knew we didn't need him. This was much better.) I kept thinking how much it's influenced Talking Heads. I wasn't expecting that bio: it's appalling to hear that the success of this led to his mother's murder.

muy bueno para salir a caminar. 4/5.

Not for my listening pleasure.

Álbum com grande crítica política, mas não voltaria a ouvir porque simplesmente, musicalmente, não é a minha cena

very nice. groovy, fun. very different from what I normally listen to. a whole mood in a good way

Love this type of album, fun to discover and jam out to

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Zombie, Observation Is No Crime Even without the overt political overtones, this album hits really hard, but once you understand the lyrics are about the Nigerian government, and the implications of what happened as a result of the album being produced (both the actual events and surrounding rumors), the album rises to a new level. And, say what you will about the artist and his societal and political opinions, but Fela Kuti and the band sure can play.

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 🎤🫸🪖 Production: 🙂‍↕️🤔🆗 Music: 😤🎺🆓 Rating: 🧟🧟🧟(🧟)/5

I dig it.

interesting but not really my genre. upon researching i learnt that it is a very political album.

One of the best albums it tells a story without reading the history behind the song i understand the song fully even though it has a few words great album 10/10

AMAZING! exactly the kind of album i thought id'd be discovering when starting this project!

Listened to this driving the golden circle in iceland..I thought it was a pretty good grove but my wife asked if the same song just repeated so that's a nice judgement.

Great album. Really enjoyed the listen. Good atmosphere, good vibes.

Fela is the king, danceable, groovetastic. The title track was probably the standout to me but it almost feels silly to pick favorites when the music is long-form like this. Each piece is an exploration on deceptively simple rhythmic and melodic forms and themes, drawn out to their (mostly) logical conclusions. A lot of fun.

Probably OK live but not just listening at home.

I liked this. Different and interesting.

Funky ah album. Muy fresquito y reivindicativo, con un ritmo infeccioso que se te mete en el cuerpo.

Fun, energetic, slightly formulaic. Didn’t stop me from enjoying though! Rating: 6/10 Favorite Song: Zombie

Funky and upbeat. Love the brass but not a fan of the improv bits which felt quite long. 4/5

Liked one song. I will do more research on him and that genre of music

I was very surprised to get Fela Kuti after reviewing an album by his son Femi yesterday. Thankfully I enjoyed Fela and his pioneering Afrobeat sound more than his son's more contemporary attempts. The recording itself isn't great, but the feelings be shared are. Zombie calls out the corrupt Nigerian government of the mid-70s, hiding the message in upbeat music. While it may sound fun to dance to, this album got Fela's mother killed and his commune burned down. At the end of the day, Zombie is an important record with a strong message, but the songs are too long for my taste and the backing vocals aren't great either.

The rhythms are strong, the riffs are cool, and the lyrics were pointed enough to get the Nigerian army to destroy his living compound and throw his mother out of a window (killing her). It is repetitive, hypnotically so, and the four long tracks are almost interchangeable - LONG instrumental intro, a few verses, LONG instrumental outro. I feel the rhythm and the power, but it's not a regular listen for me.

Fela is one of the best musicians of African continent!

Interesting but a little repetitive. Feels like it would be awesome to listen to live. I would vote more 2 1/2 than 2 if I could

The funkiest music that has ever been produced or will ever be produced by humankind. If I were forced to listen to the work of only one artist for the rest of my life, Fela Kuti would be one of the contenders. His style is so immediately striking that in the written history of popular music there could be written an entire subplot about famous Western rock musicians (Ginger Baker, Paul McCartney, Brian Eno, Paul Simon, etc,) traveling to Africa, hearing Fela’s music for the first time, utterly losing their minds, and attempting to basically steal it. But Fela was inimitable, because no other popular musician, ever, as far as I know, risked so much personally and politically for his music. This was the album that almost got him killed and did get his mother killed, for Christ’s sake! If you’ve heard one Fela song, you’ve heard them all, that’s true, but the thing is, once you do, you’ll wonder if you ever want to waste time listening to anyone else. Best track: “Zombie”

corto pero tiene una o dos canciones buenas aunq no me mataron

Not my style

Oh man, a star per song and then one because the album as a whole slaps hard. So much rhythm, so much movement and so much to discover. Dance, dance like there no one watching.

Ok album, nothing noteworty, and kind of dull

Interesante. Algo que jamás hubiese escuchado de no ser por esta lista. No es algo que volvería a escuchar pero que disfrute de escuchar.

Fela Kuti is considered the founder of Afrobeat jazz. The songs are mostly long jams with guitar rhythm and horn solos and then some singing in the middle which I liked. The songs are long (more than 12 minutes). I like the album but would have preferred to hear 8 songs with shorter jams than just 4.

Zombie es una obra de arte atemporal del sonido global y una de las manifestaciones estéticas y políticas más valientes que ha envejecido bien gracias a la incorruptible verdad de su mensaje. En el plano formal, la suite es una proeza monumental; el Afrobeat se edifica como un ecosistema sónico donde vientos majestuosos, una voz imponente, ritmos en fuga y coros inspiradores se entretejen muy bien bajo una producción que sostiene una claridad hipnótica inquebrantable a lo largo de sus extensas e hipnóticas polirritmias. El valor disruptivo del álbum radica en su contenido lírico: una sátira feroz cantada en Pidgin inglés que deshumaniza al estamento militar nigeriano comparándolo con autómatas sin alma. Sabiendo el brutal asalto militar que Fela y su comunidad sufrieron como represalia, el disco adquiere una autenticidad absoluta y proyecta una fuerza y autoridad superior inalcanzable para el pop comercial. Nos encontramos ante el alto contraste del más potente llamado a la conciencia social; un documento conmovedor, crudo y real donde la efervescencia bailable de la música funciona como el vehículo perfecto para la disidencia. A pesar de su trasfondo trágico, el álbum irradia una sensación de paz y fluidez combativa y festiva, dotándolo de una versatilidad noble para múltiples usos de alta intensidad en el día a día, destacando de forma excepcional para acompañar el ejercicio o dinamizar el trabajo creativo.

Just a bit too long for me, but I appreciate the boppiness of the music truly. The first track was my favourite rather

Not my style

Три песни, по 10 минут, африканского фолка. Что?

Mais de 10 minutos a música???? A sonoridade é bacana mas não consegui ouvir tudo

Very enjoyable album. Loved the beats and occasional vocals. Extremely unique and each song is around 10-15mins. The background and history behind this album proves how meaningful and political it is. Isn't my usual cup of tea but still loved it.

Things I learned today: I can sometimes enjoy Afrobeat. The term 'World Music' is now widely considered dated and racist. This guy married 27 women in one day. I was also going to throw in a joke about "my horn section" but I decided against it.

intoxicating and robust! still trying to develop my skills in music criticism so i’m still learning to differentiate between repetitive and cohesive… but alas i don’t mind. i could listen to this all day. another win for jazz and afrobeats!

Mistake kinda hit but rest was ok

I stripped this down to the original album release, which is just two tracks. Decent enough, perhaps a little too jazzy to be really up my street, but different enough and with enough Afro vibes to get me there.

Mejor

Maybe it was a mistake, but I looked up the meaning behind the album before starting. It made me enjoy it more than I probably would have otherwise. Despite the songs all being 10-15 minutes, I felt like they were each dynamic enough within the song that it didn't bother me too much. But it did still feel a bit much. I really do appreciate the jazzy protest, and it was catchy. As protest music should be. Take a note, Bob.

Liked this album. It's not something I would have normally listened to. The history of this album is pretty incredible. Glad to have heard it.

Nice to listen to. I couldn't really get further than that.

I'd probably give this a higher rating if we hadn't had a Femi Kuti album earlier. They're the exact same music. And I can't get past that. This album feels...redundant? Even though I know it was released first. So this rating is a little unfair to dad. Still really good music.

You can keep trying but I’m not a jazz fan

Honestly listened to the first song and decided the rest could go unheard. Not that it was bad, just did not have the attention span to listen to it.

For what it is—African jazz—it’s pretty solid. It’s not really a genre I care much about, but I appreciate the talent. 6/10

A joy

Kult nok