Zombie

Fiilistelymusaa. Sopii kesäisen puuhailun taustalle.

Pretty good

Ime mi je poznano, kj več pa ne. Ok, funky! Sm pa že sumničava za dolžino albuma, ker vidim, da so samo 4 komadi & prvi je več k 12 minut. (Nevermind, original verzija - k čemur stremim, da poslušam - je dobrih 25 minut in v bistvu samo dva komada, "Zombie" in "Mr. Follow Follow". Delightful!) Faking insane background, močno priporočam branje o albumu na wiki.

låtarna var lite för långa

This was a history lesson - and an insane one. This album caused the government to storm his house and kill his mother, after which he delivered her coffin to the president and vice president, and then release an album called Coffin for Head of State? Insane. Music changes the world. I haven't listened to much afrobeat, this feels like an important introduction. Very much enjoyed it.

Excellent album, I love the upbeat rhythm and percussion.

Pretty interesting! This was my first (formal) introduction to Afrobeat as a genre, and I think Fela Kuti is a good ambassador for it. It was pleasant overall, but nothing really stuck out; at times the instruments’ meandering or the vocals chanting caught my attention, but it’s nothing I’m dying to come back to. With only four songs, I was hoping each would pack a punch—and in a way they did—but my feelings about this album were never really challenged after listening to the first few minutes of the title track. Strong two. STAND-OUT SONG: “Mr. Follow Follow” HONORABLE MENTION: “Zombie”

well where do i even begin, not only does this album have 4 tracks, they each last 10 minutes? and most of it is instumental, some songs should simply not be released and or put out and that is fine, then when there is acctually lyrics, they just repeat the same words over and over, no meaning or lesson at all, ummmmm

I realise this was an important political album but it left me cold

Kesöy

I feel like I would appreciate the music if I was more into music history and the artistic development. I think it's good but the songs are too long and the lyrics are repetitive. I wouldn't listen to any of them again.

W pierwszych minutach słuchania albumu myślałem że będzie typowo jazzowy, a jazz sam w sobie nie jest muzyką z której czerpie przyjemność. Jednak idąc dalej w pierwszym utworze okazuje się że nie jest to typowy jazz, na pewno wyróżnia się tutaj perkusja i bębny, które skojarzył bym z kontynentem afrykańskim i miałem rację. Afrobeat czyli gatunek do którego jest zaliczany ten album przypadł mi do gustu bo oprócz jazzu mozna było również usłyszeć inspiracje z funku czy soulu. Sam album jest nietypowy ma tylko 4 utwory a mimo to trwa 53 minuty, posiada długie instrumentalne wejścia, samego wokalu tutaj nie jest dużo, jednak niesie przesłanie, tego co dzialo się w kraju z którego Fela Kuti pochodzi czyli Nigerii. To zachęciło mnie do poznania tła powstania albumu, tła które okazało się bardzo mroczne, miało w sobie śmierć, represje, sam autor został dotkliwie pobity przez nigeryjska armię, stąd też pochodzi tytuł albumu i pierwszego utworu "Zombie", nawiązujący do sposobu zachowywania się armii w czasie nalotów na plemię Fela Kutiego. Dzięki temu album wywarł na mnie jako słuchaczu jeszcze większe emocje podczas słuchania.

Any Fela/Afrika 70 you can just sink into, but this one is just so chock full of horns and polyrhythms and politics (people would go "Zombie!" when they saw soldiers in the street) and the man, the persona, the hater of zombies and lover of life. I love it.

There's apparently lots of different versions of this floating around...the one I heard had just two songs, Zombie and Mr Follow Follow. But those two songs left me wanting more! The titular track, especially, has a killer groove. It's pretty decent stuff, my first introduction to afrobeat or anything adjacent to it. Imagine hearing this and wanting to raid the guy's commune and kill his mother. Insane.

Really liked the vibe of it, but after 10 plus minutes or so for each song it got a little stale

If the entire album was as good as the last 2 minutes I would have rated this higher. The songs were too long and repetitive for 90% of the runtime and it got a bit boring.

2.5 - Pretty good. I don’t really have any strong feelings about it.

Best jazz album I've ever listened to, slaps so hard

Fun

Hyvä torvi, liian pitkät biisit

Overall: 5 Consistency: 5 Originality: 5 Enjoyment: 5 Virtuosity: 5 1. Zombie - 5 2. Mr. Follow Follow - 5 3. Observation Is No Crime - 5

I really enjoyed this album, despite it only having two long tracks. The best of the two is the title track, "Zombie". "Mister Follow Follow" is also really good. Classic Afrobeat is a very underrated genre. It's a shame that it's overlooked in the West. 4 stars for "Zombie".

Cooles jazziges Album

I’m no connoisseur of Afro-beat jazz music, so I’ll just keep my mouth shut on this one. Rating reflects my personal level of enjoyment.

Wow this is powerful music. Very obviously political with immense energy and talent. An instant favourite.

13 min par morceau avec le même rythme non... Redondant Par contre vraie technique des musiciens Mais ça s'arrête là pour moi

Pretty groovy

not my jam. I’m sure it’s ok though.

Good workout background music

Wonderful

(5/7) groovin'

2.25

This is a vibe

It was ok

3.8/5

6/10

Honestly this is good stuff, not something I would probably play again but I like it

Another album I liked more than expected. Songs were very long though. That being the case, the music was still excellent.

Pointless Hate albums with very long tracks Hate albums with hardly any lyrics Hated it

pense q iba a ser una porquería. Pero no estuvo mal. Nada que me cambie escuchar o no igual. 5/10

Shnazzy.

Da funk is off the charts

Loved the sound of this album. The title track was my favorite. Long songs but they definitely made you dance after awhile.

Fun afrobeat jazz “what is it Mardi Gras in here?”

wow so short. i'm loving it so far. soooo good. "observation no crime" is my fav. realizing that it's actually not short cus each song is like 13 minutes, but better for me - its so good.

Nice and chill but not memorable

- What a story about this album... I really appreciate the political statement it's making. - At the end of the day, I just can't get into jazz... this is easier to take than most, but I still get bored quickly. I do like the African elements to it. - The two-song LP is over pretty quickly, but the songs still kind of go on too long for me. - I like the keys on this album. I'm not that into the horn, though - it's fine, but I just always find horn to be a lot. - I'll give it a 3 for the two song LP - it includes the two best tracks and is only about 25 min or something. I like the political statement, and it has a swing that I enjoy. It works as background music, and my cat seems to be into it - I think he's smiling. - 2 for the four song rerelease because the extra songs made it way too long, and I didn't enjoy the first half of Observation Is No Crime). - Came back after listening to another album of his on this list and just learned he's a total misogynist, so yeah, I won't be listening to his music.

Really enjoyed this on the first listen, but since I have spent a lot of time with it and really come to completely love it.

just too droning

Have I mentioned that I love protest albums? Brave, cheeky, vibrant, and funky as ever. This is exactly what I want out of this generator experience.

I'm vibing. I've gotten to know Fela Kuti through the 1001 albums

I'm not build for Jazz fusion or 12+minute songs, so it's not really for me If this was playing live at a music festival, I would probably hang out for a couple of songs before heading off to find the taco track But I do appreciate it's place in history in the fight against government oppression

Another album with obscenely long tracks. Let’s hope this one earns it. The title track: nothing huge to say. The beat is alright, as soon as the vocalist comes in it improves quite a bit. It does go on for too long, but there’s a lot here to like. Mr Follow Follow had a very cute sound to it! It had a fantastic horn part. Observation is no crime was another track with a lovely instrumental! Mistake being a live recording was pretty cool. Similar elements to the other tracks, but it’s nice and cohesive. Overall, a pretty decent album. Not amazing, but not bad either. Nothing really wowed me about it but I enjoyed some of the vocal bits. 3/5 ⭐️ 154/1089

Favorite Track: Mr. Follow Follow

As ever with this kind of music, if I was at the Womad Festival, the sun was shining and I had a pint in my hand... perfect! Otherwise, it's merely pleasant enough background noise.

Som da hora do álbum, mas 4 músicas de mais de 10 minutos inviabiliza adicionar na playlist. Arte pura, me imaginei num festival de improviso, tipo JAM no MAM.

Kinda catchy but I found it a bit monotonous. The story behind the album is craaaazy.

Again an album is not really go for but glad I’ve listened to it. I’ve no real critique other than it’s great to drive to

177. nice

A 3.5 stars, he's an innovator and bought Afro style jazz/beats to the world when it wasn't so popular in main stream culture. but also the album was a wee bit flat in places. 3.5

First listen

Now this is some [world?] jazz I liked - had more… structure to it, without the wild improvisation.

I don’t usually listen to instrumental stuff, but it had a great political message

Another classic - love fela kuti

For as serious and important a political song as it is, it’s worth noting that Zombie is also just a lot of fun to experience. It doesn’t feel like 12 minutes; the rhythmic bead instruments, enchanting backing vocals, and chanting of “Zombie” are so captivating. Mr. Follow Follow, on the other hand, feels VERY long. It’s extremely repetitive and easy to tune out, and I think it’s a shame that it follows my favorite 12 minute song. If you listen to the deluxe version, it’s similarly split; Observation is No Crime is shockingly low energy for a song with that title and drags, while Mistake’s organ and crowd cheers keep it engaging despite its runtime. It’s an album of two extremes.

No his best album but Bowie is Bowie

Loved this one. Not an everyday jam, but a very solid jazzy pseudo-reggae album. Scratches the Marley itch.

Great vibes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t have a lot to add on this one. I love the ambience of the album and especially like the points when the vocals accompany the tracks. I get this is intentionally more of a jammy vibe with political tones (looking at Wiki), but it didn’t jive with me as much as I’d have thought. I’ll have to revisit this when I’m not zoning out / dissociating.

Uplifting in summer. Knew rhythms for jazz

Pretty good. Nice jazzy feel

pachanga nose pero lol 13 minutos cada tema y dijo dos palabras de milagro

Not sure I would return to this but if you’re looking for a cool Afro Beat album this is it.

Fela's most explicit condemnation of the Nigerian government is also one of his most upbeat triumphant songs. Go figure. "Zombie" is simply a can't miss moment of jazz funk, with its biting, sardonic description of law enforcement, both domestic and abroad, and its damning critique of political systems so fragile to abuse and corruption, and for the average person's willingness to be walked over by those same systems. On the other side, this is the album that ultimately proved Fela's undoing; the hostile reaction to this album by the Nigerian government led to his compound being destroyed, his mother being thrown out of a window(!) and the disbandment of the iconic Africa 70 backing band. While you would think this album and the next few that followed would retain a dour atmosphere, Fela kept going at the corrupt system guns blazing, with the music as upbeat and defiant as ever. To say nothing about this album musically, it's the perfect fusion of the African rhythms and jazz-funk, half-and-half instrumental-vocal style that made Fela the all-time great bandleader he was. The only thing that detracts is that the next 2 songs on this don't really match "Zombie" in intensity and commentary. A must-listen in Fela's very large discography alongside Expensive Shit, Gentleman, Coffin for Head of State, and my personal favourite, Roforofo Fight.

Its got a real groove and funk to it. Not fully my jam (a bit too much jazz) but have had it on many rotations and enjoyed alot. Zombie is definitely the best track with some great horn . I'm probably scoring it a 4 but will give it a bonus point for sticking it to the man.

Zombie The story behind the aftermath from this album is crazy, his commune being attacked by 100 soldiers and mother tragically being thrown out of a window, before he went on to marry a load of women. The title track on its own is worth a 5, a fantastic, nagging, insistent groove, punctuated by horn riffs and I love the organ/keys towards the back end, giving it a spooky, churchly accent. Mr Follow Follow pulls much the same trick, another great groove matching jazzy horns with soul/funk guitars and a deceptively catchy refrain. Observation is no Crime is a little jazzier, with a slower more languorous beat, and is another great track, if a notch below the first two tracks. Mistake loses me somewhat due to it’s live sound, but the organ is superb, and the band are incredibly tight, they don’t lose the groove at all over the 15 minutes. I loved letting this go round and round, and while the last track doesn’t feel quite part of the album like the other tracks it's an excellent, excellent listen. 🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟 Playlist submission: Zombie

This is an utterly captivating record from the get go. The title track has that tight Aftobeat, repeating and repeating - but the repetition feels energetic rather than lazy. Then the horns - superb ensemble motifs and superb individual pieces all weaving their way through the core of repeating guitar and solid drums. The sudden band-breaks are excellently done. To then research this album post listening and read about the circumstances of its coming to be, the fallout afterwards, the murder of Mama Kuti only added to the entire mystique. And the Wikipedia commentary is a thing of especial beauty, bluntly following the trauma of his Mother's death with: "In 1978 Kuti married 27 women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic". What better way to mark your mother's passing. From the very opening bars I knew I'd be getting this on vinyl. This Fela is such a Kuti!

horn heavy jazz, not unfamiliar. good

Loved it. Groovy, incredible energy.. couldn’t not bop my head to the album.

45 seconds and I’m sold. I can get all the way down with this. I’ve come to really enjoy this type of music. One of the cooler parts about this list for me is learning about the artists and the albums, so to find out that this guy not only pioneered African jazz but was also a Bob Marley type cultural figure in Nigeria is so dope, and adds so much depth to his music. I’ve only recently, maybe in the past year or so, been introduced and taken to Afro-beat/afro-soul/afro-jazz, so to find the guy at the bottom of it is really cool, and I’m excited to work through his discography.

Another Afrobeat album by Fela Kuti. This one was good too, but maybe it didn't hit quite as well as the previous album I listened to.

Mister Follow Follow Mistake (Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival, 1978) Zombie Observation Is No Crime

I often hear conservatives tell artists to stay in their places; and to not be political blah blah. And then you hear an album like this that literally criticized and nearly dismantled the Nigerian government; imagine, art, to be so poignant and true that the artist is beaten and his mother murdered. The title song caused riots. Art can change the world. This album is a sword.

Not a huge fan of the interminable jams, but the music is pleasant and interesting.

Well well well Another banger!

Love a good protest album. Shame that the Nigerian government retaliated against his family. Some good grooves here.

I think the best albums sharpen the people who hear them. It doesn't have to be moralistic, it can just make you stronger by making you happy, but as we live and breathe through whatever fugging Reich we're in now, we need to bang our drums and wake up the zombies. It's not just a political choice to rant and rave here, the album is fantastic. The band is so cohesive and lively, the lyrics are scathing, and the energy is palpable. I regret that I didn't know much about Fela Kuti before this, but I'll rectify that as I live and breathe.

also.. sind afrobeats. klingt für mich aber nach jazz iwie und die lieder sind alle ü12 min. außerdem heißts, es is sehr politisch, was sicher gut und wichtig is… aber idk.. würds ma trz nicjt nochmal anhören i guess..1/5

I’ve been looking forward to exploring Fela Kuti, this is right up my street and exactly what this list should all be about. The influence on Talking Heads is really apparent here and as such, it felt quite familiar for a first listen, I will no doubt be back to listen again.

Fav- zombie 2/5

mid asf

An excellent chunk of Afro-funk. 5

Flea, the god of afrobeat. This is probably his most well known collection of songs, but rightfully so. The beat and groove here is infectious, you cannot help but dance. The raspy saxophone, the meandering drums, Fela himself barking over the songs - just perfect.

I had a lot more time for this than I expected I would have, even if the songs could have done with being a bit shorter. Not bad at all.

No me parece muy interesante

What a great vibe. The first two songs were my favorite, I found them entrancing. I would happily throw this on any day and listen through it in it's entirety. Favorite tracks: Zombie Mr. Follow Follow

Some Dey Follow Follow 1001 Albums Generator 296 (5/22/2026) Like all of Fela's music that I've heard, Zombie is just an awesome jazzy funky vibe. Percussive afrobeat filled with fun guitar and great horns throughout. I'm basing my rating off the version of the album that's on Spotify, which is a totally different tracklist than the original (which was the song Zombie and two previously released Fela track), and it features 2 bonus tracks when compared to the original LP release (which was composed of just Zombie and Mr. Follow Follow). The lyrics are a scathing critique of the Nigerian military and as a result, Kuti's commune was attacked and his elderly mother was thrown out of a window and killed. Musically, it's more great afrobeat, but the full version on Spotify goes on a bit long. 4/5. Favs: Zombie Mr. Follow Follow Observation Is No Crime Least Fav: Mistake (Live)

Its just not my cup of tea.

toller Funk

Je réécouterai probablement pas ou rarement mais j'ai passé un très bon moment

2 songs, 25 mins, political, sure. More importantly, hours after completing this. my first child, my beautiful daughter was born today 🙏

This had some energy and was pretty interesting. Not really my musical style but worth the listen.

4/5

Zombie by Fela Kuti feels like the exact thing a bearded DJ puts on at 2pm so everyone nods like they “get it.” It’s all groove—endless, very cool groove—but after a while it’s like being politely stuck in the same very stylish conversation. I respect it more than I enjoy it. Great with an oat flat white; not something I’d put on at home unless I’d suddenly become much cooler overnight.

Tons of energy, really good listen. Zombie is the standout.

Too much brass for me and very repetitive.

Favorite track(s): Zombie, Mr. Follow Follow An unbelievable blend of revolutionary politics and the greatest grooves you'll ever hear. He's a legend for a reason. Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

Super fun album

This album is brief, uninspiring for me, and i was grateful it was over.

A nice little jazzy album.

4 tracks de 10min+. Pas habitué. Très instrumental, très riche. Chaque track m'a interpellé au moins une fois ce qui est une bonne chose. Je ne suis pas fan absolu de la forme mais ça se sent que c'est un grand album, chargé en émotions et politiquement, fait par de grands musiciens.

Love the horns on this! Fela's sax work is incredible, and the shots of brass have such a great texture. Bass is just a bit hypnotic and breaks the mold every once in a while, to perfect effect.

Liked

Buena música, mega largos los temas pero están buenos. Sape

GENRE: Afrobeat FAVs: Both songs (Zombie, Mister Follow Follow) FIRST LISTEN RATING: 9/10

i like jazz

Interesting listen, I liked it

Awesome. I'd have rather this be instrumental, but the vocals while not bad at all, were minimal.

Zombie - 3/5 Mr. Follow Follow - 3/5 Observation No Crime - 3/5 Mistake - 3/5

Not my thing. I get it, though

197 / 1089. Afrobeat gives me the joy that reggae should. Fela Kuti's two albums on this list have been illuminating for me. The two added tracks to the original LP are good, but not as great as the title track and "Mister Follow Follow." I'm rating the original two-track LP instead of the CD reissue. 7/10.

Respect the musician but not enjoyable for me

Its just Jazz

I found myself dancing to the African rhythms and quite impressed by the length of the songs and its structure, it's quite interesting to say the least.

Kul musik, den klart afrikanska viben är skön och gör en glad, danssugen. Jazzaspekten är mer sitta ner och njuta, så det känns lite ambivalent liksom.

5 de 5 Afrobeat con ritmos funk hipnóticos, que combina trompetas demasiado vivas y saxofones intensos, haciendo un gran complemento las congas y letras provocadoras; un álbum con fuerte crítica hacia los militares nigerianos y su obediencia ciega al régimen, provocando que este último, atacara y destruyera la comuna de Fela. Un clásico de la música de protesta y de la lucha por la justicia social.

Jazzy and funky mambo, lots of horn, solid.

Ok

Another day another jazz album Playlist add: "Zombie"

If an album leads to the army attacking your compound, beating you up and killing your mother then it truly is an album that needs to be heard It also slaps

Now this is what I wanted!

This is the kind of thing I would watch on Glastonbury highlights on TV and really enjoy, then never listen again.

Ni bien ni mal, me gusto pero no se si es algo que elijo. Me gusto la mezcla con ritmos afro, me hicieron acordar al candombe.

I feel like I’m in K-JAH radio in GTA 3. Except Jazzier. The first track is really cool. The production on this record is awesome, but I just don’t listen to this kind of music and probably wouldn’t randomly queue it up again. #Samuel #Notmystyle

This is protest music, which is awesome, and the story behind the album is amazing. The band and afro beats are so so so good, this is just a nice one to throw on. The saxophone on Mr Fellow is just amazing and works directly with the lyrics. The woman's background vocals just add this level of unity, and the people are tired and have had enough and just have to sing. I think it does get slower towards the end and feels like a slog, like in observation is a Crime, " which is the point for Afrobeats. I’m sure I will hear more, but I can hear the way they influence jazz and even modern electronic in the horns I love this.

Great swinging African music

#123/1001 🇳🇬 I feel a bit ashamed that i've never listened to this before. I've heard Zombie (the track) before and other odd tracks by Kuti but never fully sat down and listened. This might be only 4 tracks long but its an almighty record. It starts with Zombie which is undoutedly the key influence on Remain in Light by Talking Heads. Track 4 - Mistake is a live cut and has so much power and energy. Just infectious. Best Tracks: Zombie, Mistake. Edit: just read Wikipedia. This was originally the first 2 tracks, the other 2 appear on the reissue.

Clearly there is an important story behind this but a repetitive struggle for me musically.

Not normally into an instrumental but this one was a party!

Mitä

I can hear how this album probably inspired acts like the Talking Heads. I thought it was a pretty fun listen. I think I liked the previous Fela Kuti album I got better just because some of these tracks just go on too long without significant changes.

May well be a very good album, but just not my type of music & so I didn't enjoy it.

unpopular opinion : on en fait un peu trop avec fela 3-/5

Heard Before? Yes, many times. Notes: - the mix is crisp, with lots of space. - arrangements are ideal, with the right parts given just the right attention. - the writing is powerful and the lyrics spot-on. - picking a two track album for this list is insulting to Fela. c'mon! Verdict: Hugely significant and undeniably powerful songs. But still just two songs. Skip directly to "Best of the Black President". Listen Again? Of course, but in context with more Fela.

Jazzier than I expected.

jazzy and whatever

Great classic album 5/5

Not for me

Electric, dynamite really

Nothing special

Listening session: may 4th, while chilling at home Listened to before: no Thoughts: this is the type of music that I like to hear on this project. While it’s not something I’d listen to regularly, I really enioyed discovering something new Favourite track: Zombie

It was pleasant, but an hour split between 4 songs was not what I was looking for.

pretty coollll

Greta jams!

Pretty certain I haven’t listened to this album before, but at the same time, I feel like I have heard it or something a lot like it previously. Strident brass and a great bounce in the rhythm made this an easy and enjoyable listen

Top 5 Wikipedia articles this month

I just don't like it.

not my type of music but decent

Super jazzy 70s jazz album. All instrumental. Upbeat and riveting. Very cool usage of bass to add to all the swing and spunkiness. Short (only 4 songs) but heavily enjoyed. Would love to see this live. Favorite 2: Zombie, Mr. Follow Follow

Jazz with an African influence.

Too jazzy.

A very cool discovery! Definitely want to hear more of this genre and this artist.

Good afrofunk

Nice, love that such kind of music is presented

Banger after banger Reminds me of jazz poetics Literally lost myself in the sauce

Wonderful piece of music that has everything

I had this guy's other album, which was pretty good but not quite great. This is apparently a highly political album that contains only two tracks. The first track, "Zombie", is a very energetic and political Afrobeat jazz track. The second, "Mr. Follow Follow", is slower but no less political. The musicianship on both tracks is undeniably excellent, and they both have excellent grooves to them. The lyrics of "Zombie" primarily deal with the military and it's blind following of orders, while "Mr. Follow Follow" is a call to the ordinary citizens of Nigeria to protest their corrupt government. Both tracks have power and passion behind them, and both are great songs. Therefore, this is a great album, even if it stretches the idea and definition of "album" somewhat.

This is quite fun. Enjoyed this one.

oh, 4 tracks? oh 53 mins. oh my lord, no.

Majestic

I listened to this album as I was waiting for my coworker to get back from their lunch break so I could take mine; they were stuck behind a train. I was unfamiliar with the concept of Afrobeat as a genre prior to this album, but I immediately understood its purpose and appeal the moment this album began. The African drums provided a steady rhythm to bob my head along too while the horns went absolutely crazy on top of them, keeping every part of my brain occupied; the final isolated horn line on Zombie is particularly incredible. I had fully expected the album to be instrumental, so I was pleasantly surprised by the sudden appearance of vocals. The group chants provided a sense of community and resistance to the music, made even stronger by the blunt and provocative lyrics. This album is the sound of upheaval in the form of an artistic statement, and it serves as a testament to the power which art and music can hold when it comes to pushing for social change. Highlights: Zombie, Mr. Follow Follow

Even without considering the historical (and political) relevance of this artist and this album, one cannot ignore that this simply is amazing music. True, the songs are all a little too long but I guess one should imagine listening to them live surrounded by a dancing crowd rather than sadly at work on spotify...

damn i forgot to save my notes. it's good. i wasn't sure what genre it would be, but the jazz is good. instrumentals are well composed, and the vocals are balanced. is that the opening bit from bugle call rag at the end of zombie? per my usual practice, i only listened to material in the original release, but on this one i may actually go back and listen to the bonus tracks from the reissue.

This is cool

Infectious and interesting

i like its very enjoyable

Long form revolutionary dance party tracks that funnel funk and jazzy sounds through a West African lens. It’s a lotta fun, got a great groove, and badass.

idek whats going on here

I loved this so much I listened twice back to back and several more times since.

A nice change of pace.

dansbaar EN politiek geladen... top

It's Fela. It's a Five.

This album makes me wish I would've become a drummer in the vain of Joey Waronker or Tom Skinner thanks to Tony Allen's drumming. I love how on Fela's albums the length of the songs gives you no choice but to listen to the album in full. I assume that most of the record is a live recording, what an amazing experience must have been to be present during the sessions. I'm sure that Fela's leadership in the band expanded and guided all the places the music went on during each song's journey. Can't pick a favorite out of the 4, they're all amazing. The dancey Zombie, winding Observation is No Crime, classic afrobeat of Mister Follow, and the live version of Mistake.

It's hard for me to judge an album that's only 2 songs long, I feel like I don't have like enough to talk about. I also feel like there's just not that much to say about this one, like there's not enough that you can do with the instruments available to make the songs super unique, so they kinda end up just sounding like the same song twice. But I did like the song, I thought it was a pretty fun song. I was just hoping for more somehow.

Excellent. Totally chilled out to this.

One of the great musicians who brought african culture to the world. His own guitar style and rhythms still sound great today.

Tremendous in the moment-to-moment, but fleeting: more weirdness or more outright tunes would’ve made me love it.

Bit concerned going into this that the music wouldn't match up to the crazy story behind it. No need to worry - 4 funky, tuneful jams with a hard edge that keep moving fast throughout their extended runtimes. Boss artwork, too.

Even though the songs are pretty long, I didn't mind it. I was really hoping to have something more different on this list. I had another Fela Kuti record before and I enjoyed that one a bit more, but this was equally as interesting and groovy. It's just something about african grooves.

Nigerian Jazz and Funk. It's and interesting listen and Fela Kuti was an interesting person, but it's not for me.

I already knew I loved Fela Kuti, but this album even surpassed my expectations. The mastering is so good, it really makes him and the band shine.

Gillade! Nog inte för alla :)

3/5. Sjukt att bli så deprimerad över sin morsas död att man gifter sig med 27 personer samtidigt och sedan roterar dem på ett schema.

Hot damn! That is some funky jazz. Makes ya wanna dance or just kick back and relax.

Discazooooooo nad mas qeu decir aguante el afrobeat

A really chilled, but also interesting jazz album. I love long songs, so I was very happy with all of them. The vocals were great and Mistake played live sounded like it was being played in a studio. Amazing.

again not really my usual thing, but it was super fun

This is not my style. 3 long songs with a couple repetitive lyrics

Me hizo sentir de vacaciones

Glad when this finished ,

Good beats. Worth committing murder over? Now there's the real question.

This album led to a backlash from the Nigerian army (Zombie was what Kuti thought of anyone serving in the brutal regime's military), which almost got him killed. His mother was though. Hard to imagine living under such conditions and producing such unapologetically confrontational music. For that alone he gets props. It's not really my bag but in places, it was worth the excursion and may need a few more goes but for now, a 3...

The GOAT...you already know

4.5

This is exactly why I started doing this album a day exercise. I would never have encountered this outside of this list. Awesome album, with so much groove, and more importantly, passion. Hypnotic, and yet, remains super fresh throughout the long tracks. Gonna be giving this many more listens.

I don't know much about jazz, but this album is cool!

WTAF 1

This album and artist have a hell of a story. You know you're doing something right if your own corrupt government sends the military to kill you. Speaking out against colonialism and a brutal regime is very punk. Kudos. Also, good music. Great texture, great energy. Most fun protest music I've ever heard. I, for one, love cultural exchange: here's this guy picking up jazz and funk and soul and going "you know what? Also West African traditional folk!" And boom, new genre! Very cool. I have it on "good authority" (some guy at work XD) that Fela Kuti's music is very influential across several genres. Looks like he's being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame for "musical influence", so I believe it.

4/8

Zombie: la instrumental muy buena. pero lo que no me gusta de estas canciones es que arrancan a cantar en el minuto 6, y después la letra termina siendo bastante mala. Mr. Follow Follow: literalmente la misma opinión que antes. Observation Is No Crime: misma opinion, pero esta vez arranco en el minuto 7 Mistake: same, pero este arranco en el 8:50, cada vez mas tarde. En conclusion: tipo es ritmazo, es como un jazz mezcaldo con un mambo, pero me asesina lo largas que son las camciones, lo que tardan en comenzar, y lo malas que son las letras.

Gran álbum de los mejores recomendados, hasta ahora, por su variedad, por su fuego, por sus vientos que me gustan demasiado. Con la tápame. Esperaba otra cosa algo mucho más crudo y triste, pero me encontré algo mucho más enérgico.

This shit jams

Pretty good, wish it had more of his vocals cause he great at that but otherwise one of the all time greats. glad he's finally in the rock n roll hall of fame

supa cool

:D a nice discovary, i like it, a Jazz with some Afro drums with Funk, awesome.

The king himself... Maybe some of the songs are too long but when they're this good it doesn't really matter.

Very good, thrilling and politically charged. Worth relistens though I felt it lost steam towards the end. I

The saxophone part was nice.

trumpet, instrumental

Another of those "either you're dancing or you're dead" albums. The sort of slinky hipped, sexy, slithering afro-jazz funk that Paul Simon dreamed he was making during the Graceland sessions. And then you read the story of what happened after the album was released and you think "Holy Hell!" And then you read about Kuti's life and realise that there's so much more here than a toe tapping good time. No skips, no lowlights.

This was cool. Learning about this album was interesting and I really liked the songs. I’m a fan of jazz and I was into this the whole time. The use of repetition in the guitars almost felt like I was in a trance and it really pulled me in.

*Cool world jazz/funk album

Great

Great

That was great

This was great fun but trust me to listen to it the only day it's raining

Great but a bit repetitive

I'ma be honest with you Fela. You may be a Kuti patootie but everything that comes after "Zombie" isn't the best. That title track tho. Hot dayumn. I could jam to that all day, all night.

Nice rhythm and good energy - found I enjoyed much more than I expected

favs: mr follow follow observation no crime rating 2.5/5

Sounds a lot like jazz. Definitely a great album that offers a different style of music for me. I really enjoyed this album. I think it should be a classic.

nice sound if the tracks are a bit long

No me gustó

This guy's backstory is absolutely outrageous. So listen I like music about dancing in the club as much as the next person, but this is art that says something.

Historically significant, and an enjoyable listen, but nothing stands out

großartig!

Fantastic

1. zombie - 2 2. follouu - 1 3. crime - 1 4. miztake - 1

A fabulous album and a powerful piece of music.

very interesting and upbeat despite everything behind it

3.5

“Fela was using repetition in a way that was hypnotic, but also political. The message and the music were inseparable.” David Byrne put it perfectly. This is what makes “Zombie” work so well. These songs are hypnotic grooves. In fact, so much so that they catch you off-guard. You think you’re listening to an instrumental track, but then after like 10 minutes, when Fela Kuti starts to sing, you realise that was just the intro. There are only four songs on the album, each track bordering on 15 minutes in length. Often, albums with long numbers like this can take a bit of effort to get through, but that’s not the case here. It’s effortless to lock-in to these rhythms and patterns, and really, really easy to enjoy every minute of it. Obviously Tony Allen’s drumming is a key part of creating these repetitive rhythms, but the repeating guitar riffs are just as important. The guitars play more like a percussive instrument, like they are another element of the rhythm section. The rhythms work so well that the polyrhythmic makeup of these tracks is hardly noticeable. Guitars, drums, bass, sax all play to their own rhythm, but everything comes together so tightly that it creates a groove that’s completely hypnotic. Fela Kuti said “I want to move people to dance, but also to think.” With a touch of satire, these songs are a scathing takedown of the Nigerian military. The resulting attack from the army on his commune is like something from a movie. It was horrific, especially the murder of his mother, but you have to admire Kuti’s spirit in the face of this tragedy, to keep going, sending his mother’s coffin to their barracks in an act of defiance. Apparently the military were trying to suggest that Kuti had kidnapped some women and that’s why they invaded his commune. So, in 1978, Fela Kuti married 27 women simultaneously. What a sentence that is. I wonder if it was one big group wedding, or 27 individual weddings? As someone planning a (singular) wedding at the moment, either option sounds like a complete nightmare. Imagine the logistical headache of trying to coordinate a guestlist for 28 people?? Or, imagine having to organise 27 weddings in a row?? No thanks. The political message and the resulting craziness is one thing, and it is important context, but it’s the music I love the most about “Zombie”. Funk blends so well with West African music, and the rhythms really suck you in. As much as I try, I can’t not mention the huge influence Fela Kuti’s music has had on modern artists that I love. I’ve spoken about Talking Heads enough, but another that took huge influence from Kuti is James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. You can hear those repetitive grooves developing through songs that don’t follow the usual verse>chorus>verse structures. Songs like “All My Friends”, “Losing My Edge”, or “45:33”. In fact, James Murphy once described Fela as the ultimate example of “repetition that never feels repetitive”. That’s exactly what “Zombie” is: politically charged and completely hypnotic.

Me impresionó tener referencias de este álbum gracias a Beyoncé

This is great, a nice introduction to Afrobeat. Made my commute to work rather nice indeed, can't be in a bad mood listening to this stuff.

This is an album I almost certainly would have not found on my own and I loved it. There was so much energy and musicianship. Certainly a better listen than almost all of the psychedelic rock on this list. This album makes me wish it had more amazing hidden gems like this overall, to make them actually worth listening to before you die.

однозначно поднимает дух

This is literally everything you could want in an album. Words that matter, big band with complex chords, and it just makes you want to dance. You cannot sit still with this album. Highlights: The Whole Thing -- it's really only 4 songs

holy shit amazung jazz

Sophie - This is just not for me. That doesn’t mean I think it’s bad or not enjoyable to listen to. It definitely has its place, but it isn’t something I’d see myself putting on to listen to. However, if I heard it playing I don’t think I’d rush to change it or bring up how much I hate it. The songs are just too long for me, not enough vocals. I think there is little need for any song to be more than 6 minutes. All that said, I am glad I listened as it’s something I probably wouldn’t have thought to listen to without this list. 2/5

I get it, he's incredible. But 2 Fela albums in less than 2 weeks? Come on

Vibrante increíbles ritmos de pocas canciones pero larga duración.

Всего, даже хорошего, должно быть в меру. 5 за звук, 2 за длительность.

Only two songs

such a history behind this album!

6/10… afro jazz / *1977

The album made such a strong political statement in criticizing the Nigerian military that it led to thousands of soldiers attacking Fela's community building and killing his mother. Rest In Peace. And what a story. It makes the impact of the music even more powerful. Somehow it conveys so much emotion with such little words. At the same time, it's some of the most infectious and fun jazz music around. Fela Kuti IS Afrobeat, and this album IS Fela Kuti.

Not for everyone, good but too much instrumental for me

Verrassend leuk!

Coolt, dansigt, härligt och kul att lyssna på och spännande

Classic Afro-funk jazz. Absolute groove monsters.

Sure

I enjoyed Zombie, the rest was a little too much of the same.

- Ahhh, what a nice vibe - looks up wikipedia page - DAMN

horrible album

2/5 helt vanlig jazz

Banging Jazz, and the history behind this album is really interesting too

Un disco con ritmos geniales de afro jazz. Cuatro tracks de 15 minutos cada uno, pero que son todo un viaje para conocer de varios géneros musicales y todo el concepto que Fela Kuti manejaba. La historia del álbum es brutal: leo que, por las críticas hechas al gobierno de Nigeria en su disco, la madre de Fela Kuti fue asesinada y la comunidad en la que él vivía, completamente destruída. Y Kuti continuó con su música y haciéndo oír su voz. Qué capo.

Måste nog citera Sixten: Ouff.

Otrolig vibe och supercool snubbe! Jag har dock alltid tröttnat lite efter ett tag, inte som att jag aktivt vill att det ska sluta men jag är också helt ok med när det gör det. Superstark fyra!

En av världshistoriens ballaste individer. Finns inget jag uppskattar mer än folk som kan trans-vampa i 12 minuter utan att man någonsin tröttnar. Älskar formen att kötta på i 8 minuter plus innan sången kommer. Kan lyssna på det här groovet hur många gånger som helst. Solklar 5a.

Kanske mest intressant wikipedialäsning hittills. Rätt bra album också. Liiiite bjäring

har bara hört detta när en viss Sambo sätter på när vi ska laga middag och jag är trött efter en dag av Skolljud och Lo vill göra hundra saker samtidigt. och då har jag sagt typ ”kan vi inte lyssna på något lugnt som Sade istället”. men nu älskade jag! det svänger!

Den här rytmen vill bara ha din kropp!

This was unexpected, I’ve never heard of the album or the artist and I was locked in as soon as I pressed play

Lively sound to it. Reading the backstory and subsequent violence is quite the trip

Oneofmy favourite albums of all time and the first fella I heard. Hearing afrobeat for the first time was a revelation and showed me how powerful music could be. The title track led to him having his fingers broken so he couldn’t play and his mother was thrown from a second storey window and later died from her injuries. Or at least that’s what I remember reading. Fela is one the great 20th century musicians. Weirdly, he was inspired by James brown and so James also had a had in creating afrobeat.

What a blessed day, Zombie is one of my favourite afrobeat jazz pieces 🔥✨

тут какой-то политический контекст, не могу оценить мой мозг отказывается слушать такое на протяжении 12 минут прикольные партии, но можно было сделать их и короче качество звука приятное, инструментал богатый и яркий 3.0

Never would have found this album if it weren't for this list, and that's what makes this journey fun. This was great to discover. Lots to like about it. Amazing back story. Very cool jams and it was interesting how the lyrics came in very late to really each song. Totally different and fun. 4-stars.

So good

I really enjoyed this. It was a fascinating listen and an equally fascinating read about its background, influence, and impact. If no more albums of his appear on this list, I will happily investigate further independently.

Could be criticised for lacking variety and for being too long, I don’t care, I could spend an hour in a pocket that is that funky. Dynamic, has so much groove, and showcases everything that jazz influenced afrobeat can be. Great that there is being found by new audiences through bands like Ezra Collective, long may it continue.

Ok

wooow, really need to look into why he was so scrutinized by Nigerian government

Fela can pretty much do no wrong, and this is a great example of his music. I'm not sure I've listened to these songs in this order, but it's great expanding my knowledge of his works.

Fun album, easy to listen to

Madcap Nigerian jazz. Definite Mingus influences. Surprisingly good

Un álbum para escuchar chill. Parece actual. Me gustó mucho.

Further confirmation I don't enjoy Afrobeat protest music.

n o me gusto >:(

I recently listened to the podcast, Fear No Man. It’s about Fela and his life and music. So this couldn’t have came at a better time. Zombie is thee song/album in Fela’s catalog. The groove all over this album is just so good!! If you don’t want to move or dance or feel happy, you might be dead. On top of that, the message of Zombie is so poignant and still lives on today. But of “soldiers”fighting in wars and killing other human beings pretty much only because they’ve been told to…zombies…no brains of their own

super cool

Interesting African jazz soound

Really interesting. Something I would play during a jazzy dinner party, or while tanning. 6/10

interessante uso de instrumentos, mas algumas repetições vocais me tiraram um pouco do album. apesar disso, tem muita relevância histórica por ser bem político,

I miss when music was political

4 songs but really strong songs,I actually really like this.If I heard this in public I would be dancing. 3.5/5

This one can stay with thr undead

its not bad its just not for me

5/10 I think reading about this album and the resulting unrest was perhaps a more profound experience than listening to it. I'm not a fan of the genre but I appreciate this album for it's significance in the history of the Afrobeat genre. Best track: Zombie Would I revisit?: No