Zombie

Very interesting. Really enjoyed it. It's not my favourite kind of music, but this was good (and a discovery, as I had heard of Fela Kuti but had never listened to his music).

I just got Femi Kuti's debut literally 4 days ago, where I observed that I hadn't listened to Fela yet. What a hilarious turn of events. For how aggressive and passionate this is, this is also incredibly danceable and inspires a kind of human joy. Reading about the context surrounding this record (both before and after it was made, especially in Fela's personal life) definitely sharpens the topical edge a little more, but even without it, I think this is pretty enjoyable.

Time is short, I'll just say that this album is gripping, in a good way. Big band jazz funk - Afrobeat seems a decent label (though v broad). It's (at least) Good, 7/10.

Very good! a little wild

Afrobeat.

At first I was like “ aw hell nah a 12 minute song “ but at the end I was like “ dang these 12 minute songs are lowk cool “

Historical and still relevant.

Definitely will be in my rotation. Gotta love long tracks that get better as the song progresses. I’ll be looking up more from Fela Kuti. Fun album overall.

An album with great rhythm AND military criticism? HELL YES!

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

This was nice. Love a good jazz record.

Great

Joyous dancing in a field music

Infectious mix of jazz and beats. And great fun given the hard hitting nature of the lyrics. A foot tapping 4*

Enjoyed this one. Powerful stuff and great rhythms and playing.

People have been telling me I should listen to Fela Kuti. Those people were right.

Bounce cálido, repetitivo, invitando a soltar, relajar. Chakra garganta juego. Mucha presencia de trompeta y saxofon

Never knew how much I needed African Jazz until today. Incredibly fun and energetic listen, ideal for a friday morning.

A musician with real shit to say. I expect that I’m gonna be hearing a ton of album by musicians who are just postering being politically dissident or, even worse, actually thinking they’re making a difference by just writing songs without any real action outside of music to back it up. Kuti is the real deal, targeted by the authoritarian regime in Nigeria because of his lyrics and his action. The fact that he also largely created a new genre at same time is even more impressive. Gotta listen to more afrobeat now.

I love Fela. He's the master of the Afrobeats.

In terms of political music, no one does a funkier job than Fela Kuti. This album shows how one can be so outspoken against the government while having an audience dancing and clapping along. Aside from the albums overall message, the horn work and arrangement of every track kept me engaged, especially "Mr. Follow Follow"

A satisfying and interesting Jazz album with Fela’s lyrics behind an upbeat jazz track. Very enjoyable, interesting hooks, an interesting mix of African music and jazz

Groovy as hell.

This is actually great. It's jazzy, and bouncy, while still sounding true to the African roots. Also, check out the Wikipedia page, this album was the catalyst for some wild, tragic shit.

If I don't have this on CD I do have it on MP3 - nice to listen to the full album again for the flow/vibe

I'm not very knowledgeable about the genre, but I know I dug this.

Wonderful. The full grooves of funk and afrobeat, stretched out to epic lengths, with glorious jazz instrumentation and enough unusual choices to distinguish from standard western approaches. I'll be revisiting this vibe. 4, only missing on 5 because it didnt stick with me long after listening.

Just a great album by a great artist, and something I hadn't heard before.

I really am surprised by just how much I enjoyed this. An afrobeat album where the vocals/lyrics largely take a backseat, however they weren't particularly needed as the songs were able to lock into some mesmerising grooves, and the warm, jazzy instrumentation was able to paint vivid pictures for itself. When there are vocals throughout "Zombie", they feel purposeful and carry weight, particularly when you factor in the socio-political context informing the album. I was having a brief read on Wikipedia, which yielded some rather interesting yet tragic accompanying information, intensifying the cause for this to be an album to hear before you die due to the historical fallout that it caused.

Well that was pretty wonderful. I've never listened to a Fela Kuti album before - more fool me, hugely enjoyable. I made the mistake of listening to this in the gym - I'm knackered now.

I came to this having no idea who he is, which probably says more about me than anything else but a thoroughly enoyable bit of what is probably called World Afrobeat or something. Upbeat, uplifting and glad I spent time with it.

nice

Dans la sonorité me fait penser à Shakey Jake de Joe McPhee

I can't wait to read some silly review trying to say this album isn't good. The tracks are long but the music is there and there's a lot of emotion and talent in here. 4.5/5

Some wonderful rhythms on this one.

Amazing!

Enjoyed a lot

I’ve heard the name Fela Kuti for a long time, but not sure I’ve ever heard a song from him. I do know he's African and a horn player, but beyond that, nothing. I've listened to some African psychedelic rock and roll and some funk, and it was incredible. So hopefully, this album will be a good time. Track 1, Zombie, just comes right out of the gate with horns, horns, horns. Kuit was one of the creators of what is called Afrobeat, which takes West African music and meshes it with funk and jazz. And Kuti does it well. Zombie is a funky, upbeat jam. It’s not giving me zombie vibes at all, unless we’re talking about the ones from 28 Days Later. Oh! Here are some lyrics. “Go and kill! (Joro, jaro, joro) Go and die! (Joro, jaro, joro) Go and quench! (Joro, jaro, joro) Put am for reverse! (Joro, jaro, joro)” The lyrics talk about how zombies don’t do anything unless they're commanded. They don’t think unless you tell them to think. Kuit was a political activist and was an outspoken critic of Nigeria’s ruling military force. He was hardcore as the government tried to kill him, and did kill his mother. He was also put in jail for a time. What a badass. Zombie is a powerful song. You put a political message to a groove, and you can win over a ton of people. Look at the 1960s, Rage Against the Machine, Springsteen, how much great music has risen out of protest? Thankfully, we’ve still got some people who aren’t afraid to speak on injustice in the world. Zombie was 12 minutes of a funky wildfire. Track 2, Mr. Follow Follow, is more of the same. Great funky horns and a groove with powerful lyrics. It’s about people blindly obeying authority figures or societal trends without question or thinking about what they’re really doing. Hmmmm, sounds like most of history, or at the very least today. TikTok? Social media? Influencers? People just blindly follow these idiots. Kuti says blind obedience leads to the people just accepting the way things are rather than actually doing something about it. Damn, I need to get Bob Marley and Kuti together…Oh, they’re both dead? And have been for like 30-40 years? Nevermind. I assume Kuti has been sampled heavily in hip-hop. His music is ripe for theft. Oh snap! Track 3, Observation Is No Crime, is so damn funky. It’s got me storyboarding another grimy, 70s cop movie in my head. Every one of these songs starts out with like five minutes of music to just put you solidly in the groove. This has been such an easy listen this morning. I can hear a lot of reggae in this music. But, there should be African grooves and beats in both this music, which is actually from Africa, and reggae, which was brought from Africa with the slave trade. I don’t think people really realize how much popular music has a solid base in music from Africa. There would be no blues, no jazz, no rock and roll without African music. Hell, I’d even go so far as to say that without African music, there might not be any bluegrass music, which to a native Kentukian like myself, is our heritage…well, that any bourbon and college basketball. Kentuckian Bluegrass would just be old-time country music without the blues, which Arnold Shultz, a black bluesman, introduced to Bill Monroe when Bill was just a youngster. Track 4, Mistake, is the last track on the album and the longest track on the album. It’s also live from the Berlin Jazz Festival. Like the other three songs on this short, but very enjoyable album, it begins with about five minutes of straight horns. While I dug the song, by the end, I felt it was dragging just a bit. They could’ve shaved about three or four minutes off, and it would have still been great, even more so, I think. And just like that, it’s over. What an enjoyable album. This was one of the easiest albums I’ve listened to in a while. I found myself just listening and working without thinking about writing any observations down. I also loved the message of Kuti’s songs. Again, I’ve always been someone who bristles at authority, whether right or wrong. I’m not a militant or a get out in the street type, but I always try to be smart about what the "man" tells me to do or how to think. This is a must-listen for me. I highly recommend it. It’s definitely going in my rotation. I loved Bob Marley’s Natty Dread, but I believe I liked Zombie more. Do with that what thou wilt.

Listened to this while playing Harmonies solo. I won! This was fantastic. Totally enjoyed this, and hearing the history of the album is pretty incredible. I know he was a huge influence on their sound, and not the other way around, but I was reminded of so much of Daptone Records, and it was hitting in all the right ways.

Its not my type of music but I would listen to it more often

This is really good. Terrible to read about the aftermath

Loved this. Amazing sax and great grooves

So shockingly for the 2nd time in this project I have had slight familiarity with the album at hand, not through hearing it before but by it's effect/influence on something else I know. In this instance "Zombie" is heavily sampled by another, more modern, Nigerian artist named Falz on his song "Follow Follow" and my elation on realizing that was great That said I think Zombie and Mr. Follow Follow are incredible both musically and in their lyrical context. Unfortunately the other 2 tracks don't garner the same enjoyment from me

Africabeats zum Küche aufräumen höchst empfehlenswert. Ein Album so gut, dass anscheinend das nigerianische Militär Kommunen zerschlagen musste, der Interpret abschließend 27 Frauen heiratete, um danach ein Rotationssystem mit immer zwölf Frauen etablierte... Oder so ähnlich

This was just fantastic. Impossible to not dance to, politically striking. Zombies indeed.

Awesome complex rhythms with lots of callbacks and repetition that somehow stays fresh. The English lyrics are spare but very powerful, and the political message made me like this album even more. Loved the hook in "Mr. Follow Follow" and the lyrics in "Zombie," and the recording of "Mistake" live at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival sounds great.

This is why I signed up for this project. Awesome music from someone I had never heard about. Great vibes all throughout the album.

Paul Simon heard this and fell in love. And honestly so did I. Its less like jazz and more like vibey world pop. Good time

Bongo bongo funky jazztastik!

I don't like jazz but I liked this. Guess I like jazz now.

Super jazzy and interesting

I vibe with this - political, energetic, unique.

Afrobeat from the top drawer. Political too. Immersive and at times hypnotic music by a complicated genius. The drumming!

yeeaahh this kicks ass

Nice groove

liked this more than i thought i would, tis pretty fun favorite song: zombie

O segundo disco de Fela Kuti que pego na lista, e novamente me pego impressionado mais uma vez com a sonoridade viva e colorida dessas faixas. Seu primeiro lado é mais agitado, com um gingado inconfundível digno de um príncipe nigeriano. O álbum já te agarra pelos ombros no ínicio, e mantém o ritmo irrefreável por alguns minutos até que os vocais marcantes de Kuti se iniciam, denotando uma crítica ao comportamento inumano do exército nigeriano, com seus soldados seguindo ordens cegamente como zumbis. É uma crítica mordaz a um problema sistêmico presente até os dias de hoje, e acompanhada de um backing tão maravilhosamente intrincado e rico, acaba sendo uma faixa memorável e histórica. No segundo lado o disco desacelera um pouco e nos apresenta com um groove quase que funebre. O baixo se casa com uma guitarra rítmica de ótimo gosto e ambos juntos mantêm um ritmo marcante no qual um delicioso sax derrete por cima. Uma canção muita cinematográfica, e os vocais de Fela Kuti novamente fazem críticas ao poderio militar. É um exemplo suprassumo de uma canção de protesto, brilhantemente executado. É necessário mencionar também as duras e sangrentas consequências que Kuti teve que lidar depois do lançamento e sucesso deste disco. A história por trás é realmente triste e tocante, e acaba empoderando ainda mais este LP. Pela primeira (e possivelmente única) vez nessa lista, eu senti que este disco é curto demais. Apenas as duas faixas representando os dois lados, resultando em cerca de 26 minutos. Gostaria de ter um pouco mais pra afundar meus dentes, igual tive no álbum anterior dele, o Live. Por conta disso vou ter que deduzir em uma fração a nota. Uma pena! É pouco, mas o que está aqui é fantástico. Impecável. Outro disco que eu preciso urgentemente achar e adicionar à minha coleção. Uma escuta rica, densa, repleta de história e poder. 4.5

favourite track - Zombie Super good!!

Long jazz is always so kick ass

Big fan of the jamming and riffing. Had heard Fela’s Riff before and this must be the Fela they borrowed the riff from! Favorite song: Zombie

Peak cafe music (complimentary). Groovy jams that you can lose yourself in. Favorite song: Zombie.

First two songs are so good. Really good jazz album. This was a really good album to listen to, my only problem with jazz is that most of it sounds the same and I can't tell the difference between two good artists. Still a lot of fun to listen to and would listen again.

Didn't know what I was expecting when first listened to Thai, but wow I don't think I've heard a jazz album I've enjoyed more

Cool and fun, I actually preferred his soprano sax playing over the tenor and I thought whoever played trombone on this was fantastic

Groovy

Great musician, great person.

Strong 3,5

Another album to thank the gods of the Generator for. Jazz + world + protest = My Jam.

need to re listen but fun and long songs

Already knew Zombie but good!

I had never heard of this artist before. I really enjoyed this album. This is what this project is all about.

This was a welcome surprise!

I did not anticipate a Nigerian protest album to come across my feed. Nor did I expect to like said album so much. The groove and musicianship is outstanding. I'm only sad there were only 2 songs

Not really my thing, but verrrry vibey.

7/10

Very nice jazzy long songs to keep the mind stimulated through the day. It gives off a a great afrobeat vibe that puts you in a mental state of vacationing to a place you’ve never been before. It put me in a good mood. 3.8

The king of single day marriage is back. Just incredibly strong and unique jazz/funk groove that’s also protest music, there’s a lot that would have to go wrong for this to be bad. One of those things is how long every track is, I can almost forgive it but a four track album hitting 53 minutes is a lot, especially when most of them are vamp on the same idea for 6 minutes, drop lyrics for 6 minutes, then vamp on the a for another 6 minutes. Observation is no crime is a sick (good) message especially with everything going on with ICE right now. Mistake is equally as strong thematically and also just as pertinent. Dare I say they’re all strong lyrically.

Very good. Really nice feel all the way through, easy to listen to and doesn’t take a lot of thought, can just switch off and be in it. Love the second track. Great for background music.

Super fun, but minus one point because no song needs to be 12+ minutes long, let along every song on the album

How fun was this!! Cool that it was also so political. I thought it was funny how the singing would start like 9 mins in.

easy to listen to

God I love jazz

Very cool guy, very solid jazz, quite repetitive but not the worst

Not really my thing but can appreciate it's done well

Fun music despite serious subject matter.

Really enjoyed this from start to finish, and it is apparently one of the first afrobeat albums ever. Badarse

Good stuff

There are times the world just gives you what you need. On a snowy winter morning after a rough week, this is what I needed and was given.

Again, one that I know. Fela Kuti is an african legend, father of afrobeats. In Zombie, he denounces the Nigerian military and the sound resonates in all africa. I love the call back in the song, the african american influence and the long instrumental beginning.

cool

Deducted a star for 27 wives at the same time.

3.5

Dancey jazz. Nice mix up from the last two

8/10 Favourite: Zombie Least Favourite: Everything Scatter

Топчик.

Definitely not something I would listen to, but I liked it.

This is why we do this

An absolute riot from the James Brown of Afrobeat. Do not sit down while listening to this. Brilliant.

Great trumpet, great music, bit samey. Would listen to this on a busy saturday

I probably would have never discovered this album on my own, and after reading about the history behind it I have even more of an appreciation for it it. So groovy and immediately made me want to dance, knowing the deep political meaning behind it fuels it even more.

Zombie is an amazing record. Music is just so well done. You really get drawn in. Then come the lyrics. You really focus on the words because the groove is so good. This music caused a raid on his compound and a riot at a concert. Such power.

A searing Afrobeat from Fela Kuti; strong thematically while maintaining its addictability.

This time we're gonna get funky Everybody clap your hands Clap, clap, clap, clap your hands Clap, clap, clap, clap your hands Alright we're gonna do the basic steps Slide to the left Slide to the right Take it back now y'all One hop this time Right foot lets stomp Left foot lets stomp Cha cha real smooth Now turn it out To the left Take it back now y'all One hop this time Right foot lets stomp Left foot lets stomp Cha cha now y'all Now it's time to get funky To the right To the left now y'all One hop this time, One hop this time Right foot two stomps Left foot two stomps Slide to the left Slide to the right Criss Cross, Criss Cross Cha cha real smooth Let's go to work To the left Take it back now y'all Two hops this time, Two hops this time Right foot two stomps Left foot two stomps Hands on your knees, Hands on your knees How low can you go Can you go down low All the way to the floor How low can you go Can you bring it to the top Like you never never stopped Get funky with it Ooooooooh yeah (Come on) Cha cha now y'all Turn it out To the left Take it back now y'all Five hops this time Right foot lets stomp Left foot lets stomp Right foot again Left foot again Right foot lets stomp Left foot lets stomp FREEEZE Everybody clap your hands (Come on now y'all) (Check it out y'all) How low can you go? Can you go down low? All the way to the floor How low can you go? Can you bring it to the top? Like you never gonna stop? Can you bring it to the top, One hop! Right foot now Left now y'all Cha cha real smooth Turn it out To the left Take it back now y'all One hop this time One hop this time See upcoming pop shows Get tickets for your favorite artists You might also like In My Room Insane Clown Posse SexyBack Justin Timberlake Electric Boogie Marcia Griffiths Rever (Reverse) Slide to the left Slide to the right Reverse, reverse Reverse, reverse Cha cha now y'all, Cha cha again Cha cha now y'all, cha cha again Turn it out To the left Take it back now y'all Two hops two hops Two hops two hops Right foot lets stomp Left foot lets stomp Charlie Brown Turn it out now Slide to the right Slide to the left Take it back now y'all Cha cha now y'all Oooh yeah mmm, yeah do that stuff oooh yeah I'm out y'all Peace!

This puts the FUN in Funky… Get it?!?

First two tracks really rocked me, but I lost some steam by the end of the album. Nevertheless I was tapping along to the entirety

Very, very cool. Political activist African jazz-rock? I'm in. The songs are a bit on the repetitive side by my money, but it's still a powerful and surprisingly fun listen. Fave track: - Zombie

Fela Kuti with another master class on how a good rhythm and arrangement of instruments can catapult your music to another level!

Nicht schlecht, aber ...

Fun, groovy, enjoyable. I'd listen again.

Funky

Politisk afrobeat-album som kritiserte det nigerianske militæret, og som angivelig førte til at moren til Kuti ble drept. Wow. Zombie er en fantastisk sang.

4 seems appropriate. 5 for his courage.

Simple yet effective writing. All four songs follow similar structure. Rhythmic drums, jazzy horn, lyrics begin mid song. Overall enjoyable. A little too long for my liking. the entire album was fifty-three minutes long and it was just four songs. I give it a 4.

A classic! I used to play a prank where I'd pay to play zombie back to back for hours at time at a bar on the jukebox.

Funky stuff, found the first song very enjoyable and the closing live track to be fantastic and mesmerizing. Cool to listen to something that fuses so many American styles of music into African music rather than the other way around. Feel like this would fit in nicely with Jazz and funk albums that are great in the background but still get you moving when you focus in and listen.

I love the stylistic range. I am in a chill bar when I listen to this.

While I usually take offense to super long songs, the organization of this album was great imo. Short in the number of tracks, but with plenty of time to explore some pretty cool stuff. I could tell that this was gonna be a wild ride when I read that Kuti married 27 women simultaneously, and I was not disappointed. Maybe each one of them got to play a drum on these songs.

I only know Fela through hip hop samples (Kendrick sampled a cover of one of his songs on TPAB’s album closer “Mortal Man”) so this was a delight. Glad to add him to my jazz rotation.

Solid

a true shock on this list! loved it

Background vibes for me but that's not an insult

The stories around Fela Kuti are mythic and it seems this album in particular has such a place in Nigerian history. I do like his music, it seems to use African beats in such a jazz influenced, accessible way. Have to admit I havent listened to him again despite enjoying the live album much and i think I did slightly prefer that one. Need to give his albums a proper go, think I could be in the right mood for more of this.

I'd completely forgotten we'd had an album by this guy before. This completely took me by surprise though. Thought it was really good. It's almost ska or dub in parts which I really liked. Bit long, but very good. 4

In a nutshell: fight the power. Now this is my jam. I love an album with songs that make you think twice. The tracks have an engaging beat then when the lyrics kick in, they take you by surprise. It's meant to be a protest album yet it doesn't force the fact. The music speaks for itself. Overall: 8/10

Very enticing Afrobeat with interesting rhythm and time changes that kept me intrigued about what would come next. Varied instrumentation and interesting vocals displayed his musical depth. I love how lyrics in a different language, or with a strong accent, can be heard as more of a vocal instrument than simply a story told . Definitely worth listening to again.

Zombie: 8/10 i really like this track, it reminds me of meep city on roblox in a way, i feel like dancing while listening to this, the vocals are really good on this as well as the backing, overall this is the best one so far. Mr. Follow Follow: 7/10, this is very calming, id listen to this song while studying, and it reminds me of my childhood. Observation is No Crime: 8/10, again, this would be a really good studying song or like a song to play in the background of a convo about random shit, or even while playing uno. Mistake: 6/10, i dont like how theres a live recording in this album, especially as a closing track. the song is good but i dont like that its live :/

Upbeat weekday morning, put this on while I was doing stuff around my room before work and it was nothing but good vibes. fav is observation is no crime. Actual rating 4.5

Not my thing but I appreciate a good political message in a song.

Cool

Not bad! Good for long runs

I was unsurprised to hear a vibrant, aggressive set from Kuti complete with a fanfare piss-take aimed at the jackboots running his country at the time. I *was* pleasantly surprised to realize how much of the 8-bit chipcore palette was made in an attempt to recreate the sound of the title track. In any event, I'd hate to have this guy disappointed in me.

A fun jazz record, I love it when the list shows me things like this. It’s also insane to read the background on this record.

I like it.

Great blend album

This just grooves, the sound in its self is pure funk, but with such a message. Can’t question the authenticity of the artist on this one. Definitely a keeper 4 Star

Superb afro beats !

Split on this. Loved the first half of it but then it seems to lose its way and rhythm and I lost interest. Still. Enjoyed it more than guy previous two albums and I gave them a 3 each.

Surprisingly fun a lot of really cool Jazz instrumental sections with compositions that ban a pretty long time per song but I didn't find myself getting bored by it I really enjoyed it overall.

Favorite tracks: Zombie This album was a blast, particularly Zombie - I love me a good political commentary track

Volvemos después de días de feriados y asuetos a hoy viernes con éste artista del carajo que fue Fela Kuti. El disco, bah, su música, es como un mantra. Un trance sonoro que no suelta al oyente hasta que termina el LP. Muchas gracias y hasta el lunes

Better than yesterday’s album but still not sure on the whole jazz thing

Brilliant. I'd heard some Fela, but never this, which is clearly a very important album in all sorts of ways.

You could say 'it's in my head' now

I didn't have high expectations coming in to this one but was pleasantly surprised. Honestly, this is the sort of thing I was hoping for with this generator. This is something I wouldn't have listened to on my own but I think it's definitely a recommend.

This is a great album, the vivid instrumental and horns set a party theme melodies that contrasts with the lyrics, and Injustblove when this happens. Zombie lyrics are great, it could be used as a metaphor not only for what happened in Nigeria. . I enjoyed the 2 first songs, although the album came to me as a 4 songs.. 4/5

I'll admit I was a little scared when I saw the album was made up of only four fifteen-minute songs. I have never heard of Fela and had no idea what to expect. But overall, I was into it! I definitely think "Zombie" was the strongest of the album, and each song lost a little bit of momentum for me. At first I thought it was all instrumental, and I was apprehensive about the idea of vocals coming in because I liked the instrumentals so much, but I think the vocals worked really well and didn't take away from the music. The sax solos go HARD. Not something I ever would have picked up on my own, but I'm happy to have listened to it.

Afropop king

3.8/5 great sfrobeat rly enjoyed

Better than Coldplay

Fela Kutilta aiemmin tuttu oli lähinnä Water No Get Enemy, hyvää fuusiojazzia

African jazz

it was good

A great listen. 70s Afrobeat masterclass. Even more emotional and impressive if you know the story of the album’s meaning and what happened after its release.

Superb

Great discovery

Not for me but not made for me either. Vital and inspiring - I’m so grateful I now know of this family.

Cool, but not something I'd go back to very often.

Fela Kuti is a legend. The sounds are an eclectic mix but fun as all hell to listen to.

4 out of 5. Short and sweet with some great beats.

Finally a "world" record that I can confidently say is a banger. Favorite track: Zombie

This was such a cool discovery, and this guys biography was fascinating. I genuinely enjoyed the afrobeat type of music here and loved the change of pace!

The story of this album bumps it up a point.

A furious, hypnotic masterpiece of Afrobeat. With relentless rhythms, sharp horns, and Fela’s biting political satire, 𝘡𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦 turns funk into protest music. The title track alone — mocking Nigeria’s military as mindless “zombies” — is bold, dangerous, and unforgettable. Musically it’s rich and alive; politically it’s explosive. It’s the sound of rebellion you can dance to.

Really nice jams. The Wikipedia article was crazy. Never heard of this group before, it was pretty great.

Nothing smart to say, but definitelly felt the vibe and wished I was listening live to move some body over this.

Toe tappin' Nigerian world beat this is why I joined this group good to hear music that I wasn't aware of good stuff

i think he could to just make more songs with less mintues but its cool

I enjoyed this. Probably not as much as Jorge Ben Jor, but still enough to give it a solid four.

there’s like two tracks, and i like both of them

There are very few songs over 6-8 minutes that I really like, so I was pretty skeptical starting off on a four song album with an average track length over 13 minutes. The first two tracks are tight, funky and fiery. They carry this to a 4 for me. There’s nothing wrong with the latter two tracks, but the horns in the first song blew my mind.

Zombie 4.3 Mister Follow Follow 4 Score: 4.15

4.2/5 Really good album and really good instrumentals. Even though the songs were long it was very easy to listen to each of them

4.1/5 Tecca style review today fuck it. Pre-listen thoughts: Omg a 4 song 54 minute album, now we’re talking. No better time for Spinning this album a 2 hour midnight drive home from the Denver airport. Lets rip her! Song breakdown: 1. Zombie: low key sounds like the George Lopez theme at the beginning. Vocals at 5 min got me hyped as I thought this was purely gonna be an instrumental album. Song got more intense as it progressed. An absolute bop. Cruising through the mountains rn just blasting this shit. 2. Mr. Follow Follow: a bit of a slower start but I’m vibing with it. A whopping 7 min buildup to vocals. Thank god i was getting a little bored. Not as hype as first song but still enjoyed. 3. Observation is No Crime: Funky af. The repetitive “tell me tell me “ got kinda annoying. 4. Mistake: 14 minutes of true beauty. Final thoughts: This album definitely got me out of my music comfort zone in a good way. Without this site I never would’ve ever listened to something like this. I surprisingly enjoyed this way more than I thought I would as I didn’t think I’d end up listening to the whole thing. Not something id spin in the car on a daily basis but would make really good background music. Highly would recommend for a night drive when you want to be deep in your thoughts. It’s now 1 am and I’m wide awake. Good shit Fela Kuti.

I only got one full listen so far, but what a great album.

Zombie and Mr follow follow are two of my fav tracks. Didn't know the other two so well. Fela is heroic in his effort and work and left huge impact on so many artists and the african diaspora. rip.

Listened to this while doing some chores around the house and I was grooving along. Never heard of this but it was great!

On immediate repeat.

Really enjoyed this one. Have not ventured much into the Afro-Beat genre, I do know how much of an impact he had on a lot of other music. Highlights: "Zombie" and "Observation is no Crime"

Another good Fela album. This guy is great for funky and soulful jazz.

Not sure what I was expecting, or how to even describe it, but very much enjoyed it. Minimal lyrics, engaging beats

Never was politcal music so incredibly groovy. So glad to have explored this album. Was gonna give it five, but every song on this does the same trick in terms of structure.

The album that brought down the Kalakuta Republic💪

This is joyful music. I actually have no idea if it’s intended that way, but it’s not really headphone music to me. It’s about playing loud on big speakers if possible and dancing while you carry on with your day.

This is a genre I quite like overall. I thought the first and last tracks were strongest.

Fantastic music, and insane background. This was totally new to me and I really enjoyed it. But dang. What a life.

I really liked this one it's not usually the kind of music I listen to but this one was really good.

This hits hard.

Didn't expect to like it much, but it was a nice listen

Out of the gate, the first track was really fun. Full of energy, danceable, vibrant, jazzy. I'm not into the genre enough for this to go into regular rotation for me, but I did have fun listening to it

These are good tunes. Reminds me of seeing Cimafunk at Roo. Fela Kuti impresses again.

Cool upbeat jams with some nice horns and some pretty sick guitar parts. The Kutis sure do fire home some winners on this list

Fela Kuti actually rules. Zombie is a banger. Really enjoyed that. This Fela is pretty darn good!

Chill. Really good to music to put in the background. Great vibes with jazz and Caribbean sounds.

87/1089 another really interesting and impactful afrobeats album, i liked all 4 tracks, all felt very well paced considering their length. The instrumentals, vocals and intentions were all really well put together 4 stars

This album is classic PBS through and through! I really enjoyed listening to it and could easily have it playing on repeat in the background

Gotta get me some African drums...

Never heard this musician. I love the energy!!

Good background music!

Very cool!

This was great. Not a bad song on it. Reading up on it and the fallout he suffered after releasing this was crazy.

Liked it a lot!

A fun jazzy little album with a surprising and fascinating history. What this album caused is terrifying and genuinely horrific, the perpetrators living up to the scathing criticism levelled at them in this album. Powerful and political yet bouncy and fun, an incredible combo!

The music , the massage the groove the fusion… the political context !

Just a small bit of editing on the length would have improved this, but overall a fun album 4*

zombie...didn't realize deja vu opening came from this. this is why i do this!!

Excellent et dansant. Très politisé de ce que je comprends, le backstory est assez rock'n'roll.

A really fun mix of jazz instrumentals and chanty vocals. The songs all have a great groove to listen to and follow along with. I can totally see this as an album I come back to.

I don't know much about the genre but I appreciate the instrumentals.

I really enjoyed the instrumentals in this album. I know very little about this style of music but listening to this album inspired me to learn more.

Really, really liked this. Not into jazz, but if I'm going to listen to jazz, this is how I want it to sound. The beats are great, the horns are bright and vivid...this is excellent. Perfect music for having to do monotonous work and wanting to listen to something.

In thanks to this list, I've discovered Afro-beat like Fela Kuti and others. It's so funkin' refreshing to listen to. 4/5

AWESOME!

Some chill morning vibes, cafe for sure/ Jazzy

Has a very boppy feel. I had a good time with this one. But it's not something I usually like.

Extremely funky and infectious. Sounds like a very fun jam session of expert musicians, but it is actually a thoroughly composed piece that moves and evolves very gradually. This album got me into Fela Kuti's music and at this point I may prefer his early record Roforofo Fight for the sheer scope alone, but this is definitely one of his best as well. There are strong political overtones here too, but they understanding the context isn't really necessary to enjoy the music. Key track: Zombie

como sempre mto bom parabéns fela

absurdíssimo eu achei melhor que o live! inclusive. bonito político e dançante, tem coisa melhor não!!!

Original LP was 2 songs that were over 12 minutes each. The reissue doubled the tracks to 4 and clocks in at a whopping 53 minutes! The godfather of afrobeat!

This album is really good. I liked it a lot. It is so much fun to listen to and also a short but really enjoyable experience. It's not something I would highlight but a really well done record, for sure.

Only somewhat familiar with his output prior to hearing this, I loved it. Great with my morning coffee. Initially I wanted the music to do more and go to different places, but that was my expectation obstructing what the music actually is. Will definitely revisit, and am curious to investigate further.

Good album. Very interesting life. I think I prefer Femi kuti over this album but they should both be 4 stars. Although I apparently rated Femi kuti 3 at the time.

Excellent. The grooves keep the songs grounded while everything around them morphs and shifts. Then 7 minutes in the vocals join in and they evolve even further. I don’t think you have to like Afrobeat at all to appreciate Fela. Just a wonderful collection of songs. And the kicker is a 15 minute live performance. The stones on this guy! FOUR STARS

This is the sort of thing that I joined this project for! Quirky albums that stimulate the mind! African beats, funky/ jazzy guitars and probably a bit too much horn! I will say it gets a bit repetitive, I've played on an African drumming song before and I remember sore hands and repetitive parts (the guitar and bass get a lot of same same). The horns often play rippoff riffs of famous songs (I swear I heard 'The Last Post' butchered in there at some point!). I'm in two minds about it. Yes, it's fun, but at the same time, a bit repetitive. I think a few drinks and good company could sway that opinion. 4 stars.

Like a mix of Santana, Hector Lavoe, and Herbie Hancock. I fw it heavy

Really like the combination of the 2-3 genres here, some great sections in here. Some interesting history behind this guy and this album as well. Enjoyed the listen through. Favorite song was Zombie.

Sweet Jazz Record

239/1089 - Can definitely see the influence this had on some of the 80s music like Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel. I like the horn playing. A bit too repetitive at times for me but I also think things change enough to feel good, more-so than Remain in Light for sure. It's also people like Fela Kuti and Dmitri Shostakovich who are inspiring to me. They chose to keep making music when under horrible authoritarian regimes that wanted them and their loved ones dead. That takes strength.

Cool!! 12 min songs (3x). Loved Talking Heads vibe (they stole it).

A great album. I'm not a fan of African music. I was therefore skeptical about this album and was very pleasantly surprised. Yes, the African roots of the music are unmistakable. But with the jazz and soul elements, it sounds great to me too. I will gladly listen to it again. 4/5

Amazing album with very funky jazz and politically charged lyrics. My favorite part of this list is listening to new artists and discovering their music. This is one of the artists, especially with the impact he has on so many people.

Loved it. I don't know how to review music like this but it rules. I've listened to fela before and always enjoyed it. This album was great. Expansive horn sections that wander around but not aimlessly, really free-form but keep coming back to repeated motifs that hook you right back in. So much groove. Great!

A little more focused than the Ginger Baker one. Liked it.

Damn, this and Sunny Ade the beginning of my love of Afro beat/World. The back story of course is profound, music as life force. The helmets on the cover Nazi-evocative, opposed to the colorful title and Fela (and the music) standing bravely in opposition. 4 songs, 55 minutes, inspires me to not follow and use my senses.

Man, the first riffs, the energy, this launched with a bang. I wasn't 100% on board with all the vocals, I was digging the instrumental work. But I started to get into the rhythm and vibe of the voices, and that last song, repetitive as it was, must have been a thrill to see live.

muy interesante el contexto en el que se realizó este álbum. me flipa el ritmo y sonido de jazz, blues y funky, hace que se te muevan los pies solos. no hay nada que me guste mas que una intro larga y con ritmo pegadizo. Canciones favs: zombie, mr. follow follow,

Lekker hoor. Beetje kort maar er is nog een langere playlist van zijn muziek.

Afrobeat is what jam bands would sound like if they had any talent. It amazes me that playing that tight can go on for as long as these songs do. Afrobeat is jazz and James Brown and traditional African music all melded together to make a genre that is more than the sum of its parts. This is an incredible album and definitely one that everyone should hear. Also, you know what the worst part of having 27 wives is? 27 MOTHER-IN-LAWS!!!! https://tenor.com/xvDw.gif

4

Good! Felt more like ambiance music but still good.

Rad, reminded me of WITCH. Need to check him out more

Loved it! 70s list throwback. Super fun and the grooves and loops are incredible. He is such a genius and his band was so good. Love the guitar playing. 4.5/5

Fun

Not my favourite Kuti, but great track! 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes. 9/1001, 9/37 (24%) Will I get?

This was fun and funky. I liked it. I read up on him and it seems he led a pretty wild life. Fight the power.

Jazzy, I liked it,.

Unstoppable grooves of good.

Zombie O Zombie!!!

Zombie is the better of the two songs but the other one was still good

Favorites: Zombie (very catchy and high-energy) Mr. Follow Follow (laid back) Mistake (live) Long tracks - feels like your listening to a live album or at an improv jazz performance. It kinda makes sense for this style and it's appreciated. "Zombie" heavily outperforms the rest of the album though.

Not something I would return to, but the energy had my foot tappin' and head noddin'. The music is respectable on its own, but as a protest album it goes extra hard.

Might be the best album yet

Stellar trumpet playing. Groovy music. Wish I understood the political message better, but overall this was a very good record to listen to for the first time. 4/5

Everything I’ve heard from Fela Kuti has been good, and Zombie is no exception. This album is full of fun energy, driven by its jazzy, funky mix and rhythms. It’s sharp and groovy, showcasing exactly why Fela’s music remains so powerful and timeless.

I will admit I had no idea what to expect. But this album was a true delight. Beautiful music coupled with rhythmic singing/chanting. Songs that are 10+ minutes long and change forms a time or two throughout. It was a fun and enjoyable listen.

Soooo fun great to drive to

My big takeaway from this project is that I really dig Afrobeat and AfroCuban jazz. Also, a lot of people don’t like jazz of any origin, which is a shame for both them and society.

Very enjoyable

Really enjoyable afrobeat - beautiful instrumentals (predominant) and vocals (occasional)

Very niche, tribal rhythms that we are not used to. Very interesting and charming to listen to.

day 2, zombie fela kuti track 1, zombie: 3.5/5 track 2, mr. follow follow: 4/5 track 3, observation no crime: 3/5 track 4, mistake - live: 3/5

When I was maybe 20, I took probably my first solo trip across country to visit my cousin in Seattle. He lived in this little cool hippie loft in a two flat overlooking gasworks Park. I remember one of the days he had to work and I slept in a bit and when I got up and went through his records, and I found this and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. T was a beautiful day and I have a distinct memory of hearing this for the first time looking out the window, looking at the Seattle skyline over the Puget Sound while having my mind a little bit blown.

Recht ungewöhnlich mit Songs > 10 Minuten

That was a great album to listen to it twice.

This album was such a vibe! I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to Fela Kuti before or an afrobeat album but this was lots of fun. This is the kind of music I would dance the night away too. I would definitely listen to this album again depending on my mood. An enjoyable listening experience!

I liked it :)

Grooves all the way down to the floor.

I enjoyed this Will I listen to again: 56%

fela kuti is held in high regard and it's not hard to see why. funky and jazzy but also with well-written lyrics - it's not like the typical jazz albums i've been exposed to so far.

It's a really great afrobeat album, the rhythms and beats are highly enjoyable - very good blend of Western African music and funk/jazz. It just draws me in from the first moment. It's a short album with only 2 tracks and 25 minutes - a lot of albums are often too long, but in this case I wish this album was a bit longer.

Important, absorbing, musical. The beat/percussion really draws in the listener. The title track is a masterpiece. I wish the album were 20 minutes longer—and I never say that.

Fela jak zawsze w formie. Niech świadectwem jego geniuszu będzie to, że zwykle nie słucham takiej muzyki, a i tak, gdy widzę, że się wylosował to wiem, że czeka mnie obcowanie z Muzyką przez duże M. Cudowna jest ta zabawa melodią i dźwiękiem, ta lekkość i swoboda. 8/10.

Tough between this and the other Fela album on this list on which I like more. He's got to be up there for one of my favorite international artists. Zombie was so so good and the other track was pretty decent too. It's so fun seeing an album with only 2 songs on it. We wouldn't have Remain in Light without this. An album he could've died for, very deserving spot on the list. Rating: 4.2

Political: ✓ Jazz-Fusion Elements: ✓ World: ✓ Album Length: ✓ Great addition to the list, and I wish they put more of this type of music on it.

Cool african jazz. 4/5

Now that's a groove. I kinda wish the songs were even longer.

I really liked this one especially zombie!

Fela still king

Thoughts before listening: Nobody else sounds like Fela, and his sound is certainly one I enjoy. Horn driven funk jams mixing African styles with a psych rock and jazz mentality. Glad to listen to this today. Review: Yeah it's great. I love how the drum beat and bass line tend to remain consistent throughout these songs, even as the vocals and horns weave in and out. That helps to keep this interesting, even with long 10+ minute tracks. In general though, these long songs can get a bit repetitive but that doesn't diminish from just how enjoyable this is. 4-stars

Great grooves. Love the Afro beat stuff more than what sounds like straight ahead jazz - more vocals, less horns would have been even better for me

Sorti en 1977, "Zombie" de Fela Kuti et son groupe Africa '70 est un acte de défiance, un cocktail Molotov musical, un pamphlet politique dont les flammes ont failli tout coûter à son créateur. C'est une œuvre essentielle de l'Afrobeat et de la musique contestataire mondiale, qui mérite amplement sa place au panthéon des enregistrements les plus importants du 20ème siècle. L'album s'ouvre sur le morceau titre, "Zombie", une épopée de plus de douze minutes qui constitue le cœur battant et la raison d'être du disque. Dès les premières secondes, le ton est donné. La batterie inimitable de Tony Allen, véritable moteur de l'Afrobeat, installe un rythme non pas seulement dansant, mais martial. C'est une marche, une cadence hypnotique et implacable qui semble pouvoir durer éternellement. La ligne de basse s'enroule autour de ce squelette rythmique, créant un groove si profond qu'il est impossible de ne pas bouger. Puis, la section de cuivres légendaire d'Africa '70 entre en scène, non pas avec des mélodies douces, mais avec des riffs acérés, des coups de poignard sonores qui ponctuent le rythme avec une précision militaire. C'est sur cette toile de fond instrumentale, riche et complexe, que Fela Kuti pose sa voix. Et le message est d'une clarté foudroyante. Dans un pidgin anglais accessible à tous, il dénonce la mentalité de l'armée nigériane, alors au pouvoir sous un régime militaire brutal. La métaphore du "zombie" est géniale dans sa simplicité et sa virulence. Un zombie n'a pas de volonté propre, pas de conscience, pas de pensée critique. Il obéit aux ordres, sans réfléchir. "Zombie no go go unless you tell am to go," scande Fela. "Zombie no go stop unless you tell am to stop." ("Le zombie ne partira pas si tu ne lui dis pas de partir / Le zombie ne s'arrêtera pas si tu ne lui dis pas de s'arrêter"). Chaque vers est une accusation, une moquerie directe de l'obéissance aveugle des soldats, qu'il dépeint comme des automates sans âme. La musique elle-même imite cette idée : le rythme est répétitif, obsédant, comme une marche forcée sans fin. Ce qui rend "Zombie" si puissant, c'est la fusion parfaite entre le fond et la forme. La musique n'accompagne pas seulement le texte ; elle est le texte. La longueur du morceau, loin d'être un défaut, est essentielle pour installer cette transe, pour faire ressentir à l'auditeur la nature abrutissante de cette obéissance aveugle. C'est une performance qui vous saisit et ne vous lâche pas. Il est impossible de parler de cet album sans évoquer son contexte et ses conséquences tragiques. "Zombie" fut un succès phénoménal au Nigeria. Le peuple a immédiatement compris le message et a adopté le terme "zombie" pour désigner les soldats. Le gouvernement militaire, humilié et furieux, a réagi avec une violence inouïe. En février 1977, près de 1000 soldats ont pris d'assaut la résidence de Fela, la République de Kalakuta, un complexe qui servait de maison, de studio et de refuge. Le lieu fut incendié, les instruments et les bandes maîtresses détruits. Fela fut sauvagement battu, et sa mère, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, une militante anti-coloniale et féministe respectée, fut défenestrée. Elle succombera à ses blessures quelques mois plus tard. Cet événement tragique transforme Zombie : d'une simple protestation, il devient un testament, un sacrifice payé par le sang. L'écoute de l'album aujourd'hui est indissociable de cette histoire. La face B de l'album, "Mister Follow Follow", prolonge la thématique de la face A. Le morceau s'attaque à la mentalité de suiveur, à la conformité intellectuelle et à l'incapacité de penser par soi-même, élargissant la critique de l'armée à une critique plus générale de la société. Musicalement, c'est encore un excellent titre d'Afrobeat, avec des arrangements complexes, un dialogue virtuose entre les instruments et un groove contagieux. On y retrouve tous les ingrédients qui font la magie d'Africa '70. Au final ce sera un 4 sur 5 pour un document historique, une leçon de courage, et une démonstration éclatante du pouvoir de la musique comme outil de résistance.

Really liked this - smooth and jazzy and interesting. Solid and interesting background music I would happily listen to again.

I liked this!

The revolution has never sounded so jubilant. This is really awesome stuff! Imagine being in attendance at one of these performances. The rhythm on Zombie is infectious. Makes me want to dance - and topple the government.

Good album. Way more funky than "Live!".

Surprisingly really sharp! Enjoyed it more than expected! Give it a listen

Good

The title track is absolutely marvelous. I first heard it on Grand Theft Auto IV on the funk radio station (IF99), way before I really got into music. And I remember liking it, and I still do so that's good after not hearing it for quite a while. Anyways it's a 6/5 star song. 'Mr. Follow Follow' has this amazingly good bassline as well as the trumpet in the first half had me completely entranced for a moment. Also the back-and-forth between the lead vocal and backing vocals is done pretty well. 4.75/5 star song in my opinion.

Makes me want to go sit in a jazz club, I love brass instruments

Jazzy! I like it!

This album is kind of a revelation for me with the list so far. I never in a million years would have picked up an album like this. It made me realize that I’ve been treating these albums as “would I sit in a chair and listen to this album to just enjoy it? Is there meaning to this album to me” when not all albums have to be like that. This album is great for just having on and going about whatever work you’re doing.

I like

When I saw on Wikipedia that this is afrobeat, I was expecting to sound like Tyla or Burna Boy, but this is jazz with an obvious Nigerian influence. This is normally not my genre, but I actually really loved it. It's great both musically and lyrically. A solid 4/5, could go higher with repeated listens.

To my ears this is a perfect blend of jazz and funk. Highly recommend Fela.

Yes

Funky

There is some music that is just hard to hate (not that I actively try anyway). This is great. Very enjoyable chill music that, despite the long songs, never fills repetitive or boring.

++: Zombie +: Mister Follow Follow 8,2/10

This is an amazing album with wonderful music! You can't really listen to this passively, because the political message gets missed. And the songs go on WAY too long to hold your attention. It is interesting, and very deserving of being on the list.

love this stuff. big fan of the lijadu sisters and william onyeabor and this is more in that same late 70s nigerian vein. 4.5

Punchy long jazz