Zombie

Sad about his mother fr

Zombie is a great, great tune. All-time classic. The rest of the record is very good but not as compelling. Recommend looking for video of a live performance of this era - tunes like Zombie make more sense when you can see what's going on.

This album gave me a huge burst of energy and picked up my mood despite its critical, political content. I love his rhythms and orchestrations and general vibe here though I like his live album with Ginger Baker more.

Pretty solid album. The songs are quite long so it’s pretty much only good for full album listening. I like the jazzy instrumentals but the vocals weren’t my favorite. The backstory of the album is incredible.

Nice Jazz album.

Solid.

Phenomenal album

Very nice vibe, sound, performance. Really enjoyed working to it.

4.5

Album 401 of 1001 Fela Kuti - Zombie Rating : 4 / 5 Great album. Jazz, Funk, Soul. Has a bit of everything. ------------------- "Zombie is a studio album by Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti. It was released in Nigeria by Coconut Records in 1976, and in the United Kingdom by Creole Records in 1977.The album criticized the Nigerian government; and it is thought to have resulted in the murder of Kuti's mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and the destruction of his commune by the military."

Funky beat. Got me dancing. Wouldve been 5 stars but dragged just a little bit in places so I'm rating 4.

Songs are groovy, instrumentation is good and musicians are all talented and then message is cool, but the songs are waaayyy too long. 13 minutes a song is crazy and there’s no developmental reason for it, the songs just kind of loop with solos. It makes sense in a live setting and the live song has that energy but it doesn’t translate well to recordings in my opinion. It doesn’t feel like it’s expressing any sort of pain or anger with the message, more like trying to convey the message in a fun, digestible way. It’s like here’s some groovy afrobeat and also the Nigerian government sucks. Also crazy that they allegedly killed his mom over it.

Passionate, furious, powerful. Anytime music can upset an authoritarian regime, you know it's good. Sadly still relevant lyrics, plenty of zombies running things and inflicting terror everywhere. The musicianship is excellent as well

The title track is 13 minutes long. Sounds great, with the early instrumentals reminding me a little bit of something that would be in the background in a heist movie. Overall the album sounds great and very impactful lyrics. 4

Some excellent Jazz beats.

super catchy afrobeat jazz fusion that is trumpet heavy and has elements of vocal lines that repeat and build. Strong african tribal influences and social commentary in song titles and in the lines. Feels very influential to a band like SAULT.

Pretty dope, I feel like I've heard some afrobeat in the past and felt meh on it. But this is the real stuff! A protest album with dire consequences.

Trumpets

This is a trip, the story behind it and the aftermath of it is wild, critique of military juntas and politically motivated deaths aside, this album is a straight up party groove. It's a strange juxtapose to be reading the wikipedia entries on the album and, indeed, Fela Kuti's life while chair boogieing to the beats they laid down.

African jazz

dope

New appreciation for his music.

This is Fela Kuti’s magnum opus: an absolutely scathing political piece which criticizes not just the Nigerian military junta but also the individuals who become soldiers and commit atrocities on behalf of their superiors. Where most anti-war protest songs you hear by American artists criticize the leaders without going so far as to criticize the individual soldiers, Kuti goes all in on pissing off the soldiers who mindlessly follow orders (aka “Zombie” or “Mr. Follow-Follow”). The story behind this album is also crazy: Kuti had a large compound (which he called a Republic) within Lagos which housed his family and musical entourage, and contained homes, recording studios, and a health clinic. After the release of this album, the Nigerian military raided his compound, destroyed almost everything, and brutally injured many of the people there, including Kuti’s mother who died from these wounds. The Nigerian military government then declared these acts as committed by an “unknown soldier”, really just playing into exactly what Kuti was criticizing. Anyway, it feels weird to dance to music that’s so angry, but the music is also just so funky that it’s hard not to at least bop your head.

Awesome uptempo afrobeat

Politically charged, yet makes me wanna party.

The Nigerian government threw his mum out of a video because this vibed so hard. Simpsons: No

Started off loving the vibes but got bored by the end of the album. Luckily for Fela Kuti, Rozza pointed out that the original album release was just the first two tracks, not the two live tracks. Therefore I'll rate it off these. He's also a mad geezer who deserves some stars for that.

Fantastic album with a great groove. Love everything I've heard from Fela Kuti so far. I also dig an album with only 4 tracks but each are over 10 mins. This is my favorite from Kuti so far.

Oooh. This one took me by surprise. I feel like I was introduced to something I didn't know existed, but feel right at home with like it's always been in my listening rotation.

What a record! I loved this. Its progressive and aggressive, but also so smooth and flowy. The jams / reggae / rock roots are so rad. Super fun to listen to. I'm by no means an expert on AfroBeats, but this one has been one of my favs so far. It has the power of Bob Marley, but totally different style of music. Its really fluid and engaging.

This would be a 2.5 because I never really got into afrobeats and the songs are pretty long and repetitive. But this is a big political album agaisnt the nigerian government that resulted in the military persecuting them and killing his mother so im giving 4 as a political message and concept album

Groovy for my macaroni 😎

This is another example of finding a gem on this list. I have never heard of this album before or even heard of Fela Kuti before. This is a great listen. Jazzy and political, I listened to the version with bonus tracks. I will be listening to this again and checking out his catalog.

Very rhythmic. Thoroughly enjoyed it. The whole thing seems like a complete.

Boppin'.

Et af de meget få albums, der bør være på listen uanset kvaliteten - heldigvis er den stadig fed! Håber ikke, det bliver det eneste album med Fela Kuti, vi får med

Ekstremt groovy og catchy, god jazz energi!

Can’t say I’ve ever listened to Afrobeat before, but pleasantly surprised. Easy to listen to and like the lulling pace of the songs. Very pleasant.

Protest music comes in many forms-I guess there’s something in the song ‘Zombie’ that pissed off the Nigerian government, obviously lyrically-but I’m not sure I personally could be upset if more than half the song is an instrumental jam BEFORE the vocals even appear. I’d be like, “Damn, alright, this is fire instrumentally, so you’ve earned the right to cook me.”

Pleasantly surprised by this record. I had heard of the artist before but hadn't listened to anything from them.

Badass...such a moving and eclectic way to stick it to oppressive government powers. I wish it was longer and want to listen to "Gentleman" next.

I really enjoyed this, way more than I thought I would. (Even though my daughter said it sounded like a middle school band tuning up) Anyway, you should read this dude's Wikipedia entry, it's wild.

Had me bopping in my chair. I'd always heard of Fela Kuti but I don't think I'd listened before.

Great Afrobeat jams. All of the tracks are great!

It has pretty long intros but a really groovy beat. Everything is mixed really well. I love the call and response in the song. It has a very reggae feel to it but also a tiny bit of a jazz feel with the saxophone and how the instruments work off each other. A good album to just have playing in the background

Gives me some Chicago/Da’Jen eats vibes. Makes me feel like I’m on a vacation. I like the instrumental. Definitely admire the off beats in the percussion. I like the sax and trumpet vibe. Observation No Crime is my favorite.

Listened to this album while on a bike ride and the vibes were good

All of Fela's stuff is great. Just high energy, and fun! Zombie is a distinctive song, but the rest blurs together... though not in a particularly bad way.

Wow this is a super cool surprise! Exciting and mellow at the same time. Lots of horns and shakers and stuff to compliment the regular 'guitar' combo sound. Tons of improvisation. It's got that Caribbean/reggae feel, but also very rock/drum and bass. Never heard of this before today but really enjoyed it.

Gut zum mitwippen.

Wow, this album has some serious funky grooves and great horns. Well worth a dedicated listen.

Never has frightening apocalyptic doom sounded like the greatest street party ever thrown. The rhythm and the groove is so driving, so infectious and irresistible, it’s easy to see why Fela Kuti called the instant-classic opening track “Zombie,” even if he meant something else about power other than the musical kind. There’s a lot going on and the percussion and drums alone would be an Afrobeat master class. It all works together—every part sounds necessary, like blood, lungs, heart, and bones working together to make sure the listener will never become a titular zombie. It’s easy to hear why Fela’s music sounds like one-stop shopping for the casual Afrobeat curious.

This is groovy. I love the rhythms

Funky music with a deep political message. This is not the kind of music I usually enjoy listening to but that was great! Really enjoyed the songs and I have so much respect for that guy!

I liked it. The unisono parts of brass and horns hat a certain power to it and all in all it was really groovy. Nice protest songs and quite impossible to ignore.

Love the energy. Low 4.

Fantastically enjoyable music.

Sharp, muscular, jazzy funk music. Didn’t totally understand the messaging but definitely felt the music. A really solid and quick album (without the CD tracks). Best song: Zombie

Really enjoyed this. It felt like the bridge between blues and late-70s funk. Trombone Shorty must have listened to this as a kid!

Definitely a “Vibe” & “mood” listen. I really enjoy it and I added this album to a playlist for having friends over for drinks and to chill!

Classic

Die Bläserensemble gefallen und der jazzige Mix mit den Afroelementen ist eine echte Entdeckung.

It's a solid jazz. Not memorable but it's good. Good performances, good recording, good production. Strong 6/10

Reading the Wikipedia article about this album and Fela Kuti was a trip. It is crazy to think that this album inspired the government to raid Fela Kuti's commune and beat the shit out of him (and kill his mother). Also crazy, that he married 27 women a year after. But its easy to get distracted by these details, this is an important album from a musician that essentially create their own genre. Definitely important in musical history, it's also got some great grooves. I generally only review the original album tracks and skip any CD/reissue bonus material - it's funny in cases where the album consists of only two tracks. These are some jams though, so settle in. Some people might find the repetitive and extended grooves boring, but there is so much going on, and the rhythms draw you in its almost impossible not to move your body.

Love. Groovy. Reminded me a lot of dad!

Absolutely loved the first half of this. The second half is nice, but settles into its grooves more in a way that makes it less compelling.

It's a very tightly packed and delightful 70s Afrobeat album. The funk elements certainly stick out more I'd say with groovy bass and horn lines dominating the entire forefront of the mix. Fela's vocals on this album alongside his share of backing vocals work only to add to this album's firey pace. The title track is likely the best example of this with an almost call-and-response chorus, utilizing the imagery of zombies to describe the Nigerian military at the time. They're also just insanely catchy. This album is filled with politically charged commentary (primarily relating to Nigeria), as indicated by this album cover. The following two songs on here establish two other fantastic grooves. The layers of horns at the beginning of "Mr. Follow Follow" are pleasant and I appreciate the slower pace this track takes in particular. Even the closer "Observation No Crime" is a slower track. A small thing, but I like the grandiose closing seconds of this song. While I do think the funk and jazz elements of this album stand in the foreground, with solos and brassy horn sections taking the lead, the afro-inspired percussion is certainly noticeable when establishing these standout tribal grooves. It is a solid record overall if a bit boilerplate and repetitive at times. The fundamentals, lyrical themes, and overall mood established here are still top-tier and the performances are great.

Spectacular rhythm

It really takes its time for every single song

This album is what I've been missing from the other Jazz on this list. It's rhythmic and moving in a way that a lot of other jazz isn't. Definitely my favorite of the genre so far. Best Songs: Zombie Worst Songs: NA

extremely sick album, bio on the guy/ band is wild, 5 for the impact historically and the fact that it fucks severely, unfortunately i do not have the constitution to handle 7 min instrumental jam sesh before they then go to lyrics so personal 4.5. made me less annoyed about bands/ groups that r 10 million fucking artists

Escucha la ste disco y luego di "me gusta el jazz etíope". La gente en la oficina te mirará raro, pero habrás ganado la medalla de cultureta. Por otro lado, es un discazo que sigo escuchando habitualmente.

Really enjoyed this album

Really dope jazz record, will listen again

Schönes Funk\Jazz Album

Jazzy! I really enjoyed this new album.

cool groovy tunes

Oooooooo....immediately funky! I can vibe to this. Feels like a great driving album.

Very soulful, trump wouldnt aprove

A Nigerian man with BBC and 27 wives making an album out of spite for his local government and army… this is my type of shit

Nice music on this one

This was very catchy for protest music.

Good, but probably not kill-your-mother-burn-your-house-down good.

Very cool, and the kind of thing I started this project to find. Way more accessible and enjoyable than I expected, and the story and background is fascinating too. Not sure I'm going to come back for another listen for a while, but it's very impressive nonetheless. 06/02/24

While Johnny Rotten is claiming to be an antichrist living in a facsist regime here we have Fela Kuti actually standing up to a horrifically corrupt government and paying a huge price. The music is jazzy and funky but the attitude is punk as fuck.

4 tracks that take you on an Afro-jazz journey, beautiful percussion, immersive horn section. And finished with the live track that is the icing on the cake.

Dug this big time, lazy reviews on the catch up sorry bout it

Not my favourite Fela record I have heard but all the style and appeal is here in spades. Passionate music that can also be enjoyed in a blissful relaxation kind of way - works in every way it attempts to. Fave track: Mr. Follow Follow

This can be playing all day. Fun, rhythmic, catchy, energetic, good times. One of the best to do it in his genre. Fave track: Zombie

Great Album, nice to hear

Loved it. This kind of jazz is more palatable for me than that Miles Davis album.

I recently attended a performance by an Afro-Caribbean brass band during which the band leader explained the history of that style of music. Brass instruments had been introduced to most corners of the world as part of military bands and had come to represent oppression and colonialism (redundant, I know). So by co-opting those instruments, musical styles like this, ska, rocksteady, and reggae all came to represent freedom and independence more so than just a laid-back “island” sound. I had never really thought of it in that way before, and will never look at it the same way again. I really enjoyed this album.

-I noticed a bit of a James Brown style. He could possibly be an influence -the rhythmic drone is mad bopping

Dead good 🧟

Fun rhythm, taking their time with every song.

Didn't really listen to him before. Good dance music!!!

Hmm schwierig. Interessante Musik, gefällt mir, aber vielleicht zu aufregend zum öfter hören. Ich würde gern 5 Punkte vergeben, aber es bleibt bei 4.

Fantastic Nigerian afrobeat from mid 70s - crazy history of the album and how it's release impacted fela's personal life

Woah!!! This is cool!!

Nice jazz with crazy history

Really enjoyed it. Zombie, especially.

Throw down your troubles and dance your way to freedom! Funky, political, and new-to-me. This is the kind of album I'm here to hear. Favourite songs: Zombie, Mr. Fellow Fellow

I liked it, it was a genre I've not really listened to in the past.

Fantastiskt!

Zombie is the best song which I already listen to. Even with only 4 songs on the album it's easy to see the pattern. Jam out some Jazz for 20 minutes then do some standard lyrics and chorus for the last 5 minutes Enjoyable but nothing new that hooked me

Even without knowing about the political element of this album, it remains just solid. Super fun and bright all the way through, definitely would play again and I might send it to some friends.

Immediately made me think of Donald Glovers Guave Island after reading the reviews and the political message around it. Fela Kuti. Would love to hear this live. Also interested on why the songs were so long? Is this the music genre? Still the length of an album just much longer in terms of songs.

Good album. Fun beats, great flow. Will re-listen.

Afrobeat is a very compelling genre to me. There’s a lot of music I love that has afrobeat influences but I haven’t listened to very much straight afrobeat. It’s basically everything I love rolled into one. I wish these songs were a bit shorter because I’d be more likely to add them to my regular rotation.

great record

An iconic African musician.

Quite cool music - I like it.

Solid!

I really liked it idk what else to say. It’s nice to put on while doing art or housework.

This is recorded much better than I’d expected. Great fusion of funk and jazz. Had never heard of it before but was surprised at how thoughtfully composed it was

4.1 - Imagine writing a song so incendiary it gets you beaten half to death and your own mother killed via defenestration.

Deliciously groovy. Fela Kuti has a well earned reputation.

Excellent! Really good soundtrack for housework. 3.6

The album criticised the Nigerian government; and it is thought to have resulted in the murder of Kuti's mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and the destruction of his commune by the military. 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. Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives

Read the story behind this guy, and this album. Wild stuff. Great music

Really interesting combination of jazz and African beats

superb

This reminds me of Tito Peunte. Very AfroCaribbean sounding with great horns. I like the instrumental sections best. My favorite song was Zombie. I think this would be really good as background music for a party.

Not a dancer but I was dancing

jazz 👌👌👌

Amazing!

Never heard of this guy before, was sold before the end of the first track. This is a really great album and is the kind of stuff I signed up for. Only complaint is all 4 songs follow a similar structure

Sehr cool! Kannte ich noch nicht. Könnte super als Hintergrundmusik bei einer Party laufen

I haven't listened to much Fula Kuti, but this was good, nice rhythms and feel. 4 tracks on the album, so quite long tracks but all good.

I was ready to get quickly fatigued by this LP, but it's a great album. A true classic.

So cool. Best one so far.

Me likie da afrikan muzic 4.5

Chad Sax

Great akbum

Great Afro-beat album that marked Fela's breakout in both West African popular music and Nigerian politics. This album also showcases drummer Tony Allen's talent. Wish the album were longer.

Unlike no others, but many like him. Feels right. This record is a good representation of that.

Ohhhh yeaaaaaaa

Very groovy, almost trancelike quality to his music

I love me some African funk. Feels like a soundtrack to an 80s cop movie including high speed chase scene - song 1, cop walking into seedy bar - song 2, and stake out - song 3. 4/5

This is great. Not sure it's really classifiable as a full album but hey, not really my place to judge.

nice

Fela kuti has never disappointed. It's always fire.

Another one where I had no idea what to expect, but ended up enjoying it lot. Really chill jazzy world music. A nice album to have in the background.

Enjoyed this album, and everything that played after on autoplay. This is what I love about 1001 albums generator.

Great instruments!

Another classic!

I enjoyed this. Fela Kuti has been on my radar for a while but this the first of his albums I've listened to. It probably wouldn't go in my regular rotation but I'd listen again.

Interesting, wanna dance

tons of fun, super jazzy

Recognized some of these songs from a local coffee shop playlist! Definitely a good vibe for getting into a productive mode.

很chill的黑人音乐

Yes fantastic Afro fusiony jazz which he invented!

Amazing rhythm, very calming groovy music. Reading through Fela's bio on Spotify was fascinating. The songs tended to be too long for my personal liking, but still very good!

I can get down to this

Suprised me. Such a groove.

"Zombie" is a studio album by Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti. This is Afrobeat album which criticized the Nigerian government and it is thought to have resulted in the murderous Kuti's mother and the destruction of his commune (Kalakuta Republic). The zombie metaphor describes the methods of the Nigerian military. This album has two songs both in the 12 to 13-minute range. "Zombie " opens with a funky guitar, a jazzy beat and multiple horns. This is a good song example of Afrobeat - the fusion of jazz, funk and blues with Western African musical styles. Fela's vocals come on midway through where starts repeating "zombie" and "murder." The next song "Mister Follow Follow" has mutliple horns which takes the lead. There's more of a African beats at the start which turns more jazzy. Similar to the first song, the vocals come in midway. The music is on this album is compelling and one the best fusion styles I've heard. It's hard to completely appreciate the conditions and political nature of Fela's situation at the time but given the reaction, it put more into my listening experience. The re-issued CD has two additional songs which are also worth a listen.

Really solid jazz/afrobeat. Great grooves, and overall a lot of fun.

Great longform jazz album. There's a bit of funk in here, and overall greatly enjoyed this. 10/10 would throw on at a dinner party.

Had no idea I was a fan of Afrobeat until now. I love how long the songs are; it really lets you live in the groove. The musicians are all in the pocket, but maintain a looseness so that the music keeps its heart and authenticity. The call and response vocal style serves to bring you into the music even harder.

Well right off the bat I recognized the trumpet lines that Beyonce sampled in her Homecoming tour, so that was a great hook for me! I really liked listening to this even though it was quite short. It got me wanting to move! Listen again:yes Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: Zombie

So… i just checks the album length and it’s 53 minutes. but there’s like 4/5 songs, i didn’t do the math but that’s an insane song length each song, hats off to you mr fela. and a bit of exuberant jazzy high life on a dreary 8am morning in london isn’t bad i guess. i get why he’s legendary, and i can see the influence he has had, so i think a song has to be 12 minutes, not really, but i’ll forgive it for Mr Fela.

I didn't walk away humming any of this but the groove of most of these songs was pretty undeniable.

An album so potent that it provoked the Nigerian authorities to attack Kuti's commune, an assault that led to the fatal defenestration of Kuti's mother. Putting the white hot politics aside, this is a cracking album of itchy, hypnotic afro-funk. Essentially two tracks long (in its original format), the length of each cut enables solid grooves to be established and provides a platform for some romping improvisations. Not my usual food and drink musically; maybe this might prompt me to delve further into this sound?

Yeah i like it! really nice that there came unexpected vocals too. not doing too much and for me jazz is a hit or miss thing

An enjoyable listen. Great background music.

First exposure to Fela Kuti. Read his bio and liked him even more. Great for background music while cooking or just chilling.

Classic Afro funk sax

Jazzy but surprised that I would like it. Would listen again.

Listened to some, great rhythm

Another example of how the greatness of the music is sometimes in the story. I can't think of another album that may have led to an artist's parent's death or a national political movement. In 2 songs. Wow. Wish I'd gotten this before the other live album.

Two track original, or four track rerelease? I went for four, and it was largely worth it, although I do think the first track was the strongest. His back up singers seem a little sharp sometimes. Maybe it's on purpose, who knows.

You support the Nigerians federal government actions from the 1967-1970 civil war if you don’t highly rate this album. 7/10

Me reading about the context of this album: :o 7.5/10 Fave track (there's only two): Zombie

Fela rules. Loved this record, very groovy. There are records of his I like better, so I’m holding back that last star, but pop on any Fela Kuti album and it’s pretty much guaranteed to bang.

Not as familiar with afrobeat, but this makes me want to be. Sparky polyrhythmic grooves, evolving layering and horns like nothing else

Iconic Afrobeat. 2 tracks. 25 mins total Hard not love. 3.75

Så endte vi også i den helt anden boldgade. Der var kun 3-4 sange på albummet men det varede alligevel 50 minutter! Genren var lidt jazz-agtig. Overall rimelig fedt!

hypnotizing, political. long songs that somehow never outstayed their welcome fav of the bunch: zombie

Yeahhhhhh

Sweet music. I love an ~average~ length album that only has like a few tracks on it. Feels like a challenge to get through some of these 12 minute long tracks uninterrupted. Cool album cover too. I love the overexposed, grainy photo, and the painted-on text. Really enjoyed this one. I love the push and pull of energy and I feel like this is something I could put on and it would get me in a good mood right away. Got my hips shakin and doing things that most albums on this haven't done.

Amazing Kuti, afican beats and trumpuet, a little bit more than a four. Expensive Shit.

Can an album be too short? The original release of this was 25 min which may be slightly too short to form a proper impression. Anyhow, for the duration it was playing I enjoyed it! Groovy, upbeat and different from a lot of other stuff on this list. Still, a bit more variation would be fun as well. Extra props for the cover art which is really cool!

in another life i'm part of fela's harem getting fucked up and making sweet sweet afrobeat music in some extremely colorful pants.

4.5/5

4/5

Just following orders

8/10

Wonderful jazz music that made me start jamming and realize I don't listen to enough jazz.

Really enjoyable album

Lekker muziek, maar wel veel van hetzelfde

Another good Fela Kuti album. Not music I seek out, but I love listening to it when his records pop up on the list. 4/5

Very smooth

Zombie no go go, unless you tell 'em to go Righteous. 4/5

This was a really cool jazz album, the experience of listening to explicitly political music from another generation and culture was enriching and fascinating.

A really good listen. 8/10

Afrobeat cool as hell

really good album

S'écoute bien, je ne pensais pas que l'afrobeat pouvais être autant jazzy. Pas grand chose à redire, très solide, très intéressant, à réécouter. 8/10

Cet album a été une belle surprise, tant par sa Groove et son saxophone hyper maîtrisé que par son message engagé

Visionary message over earth-shaking grooves? Of course I'm going to love this. Only issue is I don't love the second half as much due to its less exciting melodic and lyrical content.

zombie is a really good track, the rest is pretty good too but it's the obvious highlight

That was fun!

looking back I am a bit sad that I gave Live! by Fela only a 3 but with this I get a second chance and I will take it. I really love the live feeling of the other one but this one is better in terms of quality... I personally prefer Live! but this is also good af. 4/5

You can write protest music and still have fun and be funky

Great groove, but not my kind of genre. Overall a good listen though! Excellent merge of jazz and funk

• Honestly I was actually really pleasantly surprised by this album • I really liked the sounds, although I did find that the songs were a bit too long for my personal taste • I would listen to this album again • Favourite song: Zombie

Funky jazz beats. Long tracks with a freestyle session vibe. Chill background music - will return to this.

I joined this to find music & genres that I'd never listened to before. I've heard 2 Fela Kuti albums now, love them both and they are now in my vinyl rotation. Definitely exploring thus genre further.

Wow amazing afrobeat origin

Cracking title track. The rest is pretty damn good as well.

Super fun

Fun album

A breath of musical fresh air! The more I hear of Afrobeat the more I like the genre. Tragic to hear about the repercussions that this artist suffered for making his music... That's something to reflect on.

Good tunes AND anti-establishment? Nice.

Is this the best album on the 1001 Albums list to criticise Nigeria's military dictatorship? I'll let you sift through the reams of other Nigerian protest albums to be found here before coming back to me with an answer. What is clear is that the story behind "Zombie" would fill any songwriter's whole career: at the time this album was released, Fela Kuti was living in a commune which he'd declared an independent "Kalakuta Republic" seven years earlier. After numerous provocative swipes at his government, and sublime pioneering exercises in Afrobeat, "Zombie" became Kuti's culmination of all-out protest. Its popularity resulted in one thousand soldiers ransacking Kuti's home, burning it to the ground and murdering his mother (herself a prominent women's rights activist). As a shamefully ignorant Brit, this wasn't how I first heard of Fela Kuti: that was a few years ago, when I read about how he'd influenced Brian Eno and David Byrne in their creation of one of my all-time favourite albums, Talking Heads' "Remain in Light". This is where the grooves began, and "Zombie" delivers them in spades. It's defiant, angry, passionate and joyful, and it only lasts for twenty-five short minutes. Across this album, Kuti personifies every single soldier in the Nigerians' military regime as a "zombie", following orders, unfeeling and unable to follow their own instinct. The culmination of the magnificent title-track sees Kuti barking out multiple orders ("Fall in! Fall out! Fall down! Get ready!") as the rock-steady groove holds relentless underneath, the horns rising in a breathtaking crescendo. Political commentary aside, it's a brilliant party, with some of the most sing-along-able horn parts I've ever heard. It lasts for twelve minutes, and I'd happy have let it go on for twice as long. The second and final track, "Mister Follow Follow", is a little more languid and slightly more sombre, but still a rhythmic powerhouse. A little more material to fill the space in between, matching the energy of "Zombie", would have lifted this score all the way, but as it is, we're left with a solid album and an absolutely remarkable story of a controversial icon.

Just a good groove throughout. Favorite tracks: "Zombie", "Observation Is No Crime"

This was an absolute joy. Powerful jazz mixed with afrobeat and with a message to boot.

Not what I usually listen to, but thoroughly enjoyed it!

Such a dark, bloody background for such a level of groove.

8/10 - very jazzy, not something i would go out of my way to listen to but still good

Cool stuff. Cool artist

4/5. Crazy story behind this one that truly elevates the listening experience, however it was still pretty banging even before that. The title track alone brings this one to a 4. It’s not a 5 because the second track is a little slow at times.

Only 4 tracks and all of them are 12-14 minutes long. Uh oh. I’m suspicious. You know? I like this! It’s really jazzy and fun. I don’t have any context for understanding it, but I looped through it a few times and just really enjoyed it. Very cool record.

Groovy and experimental, always love to see only 4 songs on an hour long album

Highlights: "Zombie" Few notes, really. Rare to have an album that influences multiple genres so quickly, from jazz to rock to pop, but it gets there by being a successful synthesis itself -- of Nigerian music, jazz, and funk. This propulsive opener has to be one of the most significant direct international influences on American music since bossa nova, Afro-Cuban jazz, or Hawaiian steel. Thinking about how afrobeat works its way through the next forty years, along with reggae, I was wondering if the rampant exoticism of the 80s says something about the post-Vietnam ennui, as though after MIC called the public's bluff, people found themselves looking outward to relive their own thwarted romantic expectations of art as protest. It's more charitable to think there was real recognition or appreciation; people intuitively felt Cesaire's claim that fascism is colonialism turned inwards.

Liked the jazz, nothing really grabbed me.

I liked it a lot, surprisingly. Very rhythmical.

First time listening to Afrobeat properly. Great listen, good instrumentals with catchy melodies.

Wonderful stuff. Fela at his inimitable best for four strong pieces.

Really good

The first song didn't convince me, but it got good real quick after that. Great jazz!

Fela is one of my discovery of last few year. Nice one !

Explosive grooves, tasteful brass, epic singer, great guitar, varied percussions... What do you want more? The best of afrobeat and funk.

Not sure I'll ever listen again but enjoyed it. 4

A great jazz album. The songs are long and progressive, but this suits the style well. An all round bop

Afrobeat for everyone. It's like jazz but funky. Just great music. The context behind it is hardcore too - people dying and property getting destroyed all because of the title track. Fela pissed of the authorities. If only more musicians did that. Best Track: Zombie

Hell yeah

That opening track is a killer

Not something I'd choose to listen out of blue, but what a great listen! Great blend of funk, soul and bunch of other influences that I can't name. Also interesting read on Wikipedia about this album and Fela Kuti in general.

Fela Kuti lived a very interesting life. This album got him into quite a lot of trouble with the Nigerian authorities and may be the reason his mother was murdered and his commune destroyed. Aside from its critique of the Nigerian government, this album features strong funk and jazz elements wrapped together with traditional Nigerian music. The result is a heady Afrobeat which is heavy on the funk rhythms.

Awesome jamful jazz record with a great live finishing song (which is 50 minutes long, but goes by in a breeze) from Berlin Jazz Festival, 1978

Jazzy

Badass. For an album with such a shocking backstory, this was a great amount of fun! This is exactly why "The Great Curve" is the best song on Talking Heads' "Remain in Light". Might have to look into African jazz.

Fela Kuti is a singer songwriter from Nigeria, who is credited with creating the Afrobeat genre of music. Afrobeat is a combination of African musical styles and American funk/jazz/blues. It also has chanted vocals. This album is very politically driven, focusing on the unrest and violence in Nigeria at the time. The album title, Zombie, was a metaphor, referring to the Nigerian military's methods. It is believed that this album triggered the attack on his commune, and the resulting murder of his elderly mother. This music is spectacular, and doesn't feel like 12 minute songs when you listen to it. There is something about it that pulls you in and keeps your interest. The Spotify link is for the re-release, which happened in 2009, and included 2 more songs, so this is the one I listened to and reviewed. Overall, fantastic music! Thoroughly enjoyed discovering "afrobeat", which is a genre I didn't even know existed. Will definately listen again. Favourite songs: Zombie, Mr. Follow Follow Least favourite song: Mistake (Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival) 4/5

What a cool album. Beautiful jazz vibes, and love hearing jazz as a form of protest--Charles Mingus would be proud. Favorite track: Mistake

I liked this.

Surprisingly good

Great album. listened to it twice and it is now on my wantlist. This sounds like a lot of things, jazz, funk, latin music, reggae, etc. I don't know the first thing on afrobeat but if this is it I want more.

wow! great record, fascinating history. love socialist records. funnily similar to the RATM record from the day before, thematically. glad to know it.

Notes - Anti Nigerian government and military protest album - Afrobeat style that kuti is largely credited with creating - Groove based music - lots of accessory percussion, drums, rhythmic guitar parts - Political and direct lyrics about the actions of the military in Nigeria - Part of his signature style is 15-20 minute songs which caused his music to not gain too much popularity outside of Africa - He’s been described as a combination of che Guevara and bob Marley lol - Really fantastic saxophone playing all over this thing Fav - Zombie - I can definitely see why this song made an impact Least fav - There’s only 2 songs on here so by default its mr follow follow 4/5 - really interesting and significant

Track Ranking: 1. Zombie - 7 2. Observation Is No Crime - 7 3. Mr. Follow Follow - 6

Funky and great!! doing best tracks for a 4 song LP is a bit silly they’re all good

Had a great beat

Funky Worldbeats. Can’t argue against it.

Bonzinho

Puts you in a trance so you can be a zombie oh zombie. Song is long but actually kept me engaged. Steel drums were cool. Song is a critique of the Nigerian army, so political and dancy.

Zombie!

Tarinankerronnallista jatsia hyvällä flowlla! Loistava miksaus!

I'm not sure if you can really separate this from its crazy political context. Purely as music I'm not sure it makes it to my top tier of music I've listened to by Kuti. Though second tier is still pretty great.

Very different from any album I came across here. The tracks are very long, above 12 minutes each, but for this kind of music, I think it isn't really that big of a disadvantage. Because if you go for that sort of music, you basically there for wonderful instrumentals and solos, which are all part of this album. I think it was very well-composed and I found it enjoyable. The music puts you at ease, it's perfect to just sit down and take time for self-care with this playing in the background. I especially liked the parts were African influences were the most visible, because cultural diversity in music is something I'm really fond of. I wasn't able to establish which one is the best and worst track for me here since there are only four of them and I decided to keep it like that-I liked everything.

Classic Fela Kuti.

Such richness of soul, groove and funkiness that so much of contemporary pop music is put to shame. And yes I suppose I mean "Western" or non-African anyway. This would be a genre worth learning more about.

Esto estuvo muy bueno. Inmediatamente agregado a mi biblioteca

i mean this is sick af, idk how to criticize it tbh, ig it’s j a little long and don’t develop quite enough, and i think maybe the tone could be a little cleaner/more controlled

Unanimous 4* from my car

Pretty fun. Jazz with African styled percussion

Day 8. November 1. Love that this album showed up. Sounding really good so far. Not exactly an album for focused listening, but works nicely as accompaniment. The songs could be shorter to make them more concise and sweet, they're a bit bloated now. But consider my interest in Fela Kuti and Afrobeat piqued.

Extremely interesting, even without its historical context. There's a consistent "fire" through the album that grabs you, very passionate!

African activist jazz. Fantastic.

very good sound, enjoyed it a lot!

Maximalist in the best sense. Makes one wish equally one were a dancer and a political revolutionary. There's a sense of humor, too, the little folk song quotes at end of title cut. When it comes to FK, one's definitely up to Follow Follow.

I'm always intrigued by 4 song LPs like this one. I did like it, the style is somewhere between Raggae and Afro-Jazz

Funky!

Loistava, varmaan parasta genressään.

Hieno levy ja siistiä kuulla tästä länkkärivaltavirrasta poikkeavaa vastarintamusaa! 4/5.

More Fela! I love this album. I especially love Fela's spooky Farfisa. The whole record is a solid groove, man.

Best story behind an album I’ve heard in ages. Cool music. Reminded me of the band Magma a couple of times

I enjoyed it. Great to listen to when working

This was so impressive

Stupendous as always.

FINALLY NOT ROCK JAZZ WOW INCREDIBLE AMAZING First track alone my goodness, so much texture, so fun, great to work to

Very cool mix of Latin and African rhythms, and Jazz. Reminds me of something I would hear at the International stage at Montreal Jazz Fest. Definitely very cool, and I will revisit this album in the future.

Liked it a lot.

Good tunes, wouldn’t have listened to it typically. But was good

Not usually a fan of jazz, not bad!

A few 12 minute jazz band pieces to really bop to.

I definitely need to listen to more Fela Kuti. I just haven't taken the time to do much of a deep dive. This is a great album, only 4 tracks but each 12+ minutes in length and fun overall sounds. Good background noise - would be a great vinyl to own.

Exact reason I signed up for this, I would never have found this otherwise. Excellent vibe on this album!

j'ai beaucoup aimé écouter cet album en commençant ma journée

Catchy Album

Fela Kuti buen jazz

Enjoyed it a lot.

This album was amazing!

Jazzy(?) and fun. Upbeat and feels like a good album to play in the background while cooking with my mum

Jazzy, funky, and mostly danceable. Good party music with minimal lyrics.

Fela Kuti est tellement important dans l’histoire de la musique. Il a influencé plein de gens. Cet album est peut-être un peu tard dans sa discographie. C’est bon pareil.

J’aime beaucoup ce que fait Fela Kuti sans avoir entendu d’album complet avant celui-ci. Il a produit beaucoup d’albums et la charge historique de cet album fait en sorte que c’est le bon choix pour cet exercice d’écoute.

This is the second album that I have gotten and both have been quite enjoyable. A new artist that I like that I probably would have never heard of if not for this 1001 albums music project. Thanks for the recommendations.

Really solid political jazz album

Very very cool. Not heard this before but really enjoyed it.