Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Brilliant.
Was groovy. Nice to chill to. But I couldn't tell you how a single song went except for the elephant sounds.
A revolutionary message set to jazz, funk and afrobeat - what's not to like?
Jazzy African vibes. Pretty good.
Excellent
Här finns backstory så det räcker och blir över. Har tidigare haft ett album av en av Fela Kutis söner, Femi Kuti, och då lärde jag mig en del om Femi, hans far Fela, och Felas mor Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Detta album skrevs som en kritik mot Nigerianska regeringen och dess armé, hur soldaterna beter sig som zombies som endast följer order. Efter albumet släppts gick armén in i byn där de bodde, misshandlade Fela och kastade Funmilayo ned för ett fönster mot sin död. Mörkt, men ack vad kraftfullt kontexten gör albumet. Musiken då? Skitbra! Albumet består bara av två låtar på knappt 13 minuter vardera, och båda inleds med ca. 6 minuters instrumentellt intro innan Fela tar ton. Tänker såklart inte beskriva afrobeat som att det "svänger", men ni fattar. Spännande för egen del är också att jag för några veckor sedan såg Seun Kuti, Fela Kutis yngste son, uppträda med bandet Egypt 80, Felas gamla band som Seun nu leder. Att ha allt detta i bakhuvudet gjorde den upplevelsen klart starkare! Bästa låt: Båda jämna, men Mr. Follow Follow snäppet vassare.
Fun Jazz/Funk album. Excellent saxophones and trumpets. Actually all the horns are great. I enjoy how for every song the lyrics start halfway through. Every song has a 6 minute intro.
This was a lot of fun.
Get up and just dance without lyrics
So good. Soooooo good. Sitting in my chair supposed to be working. Just bopping and rocking. Reading the lyrics just provides extra impact. Four stars.
Cool jazzy vibes. Never really listened to Afrobeat before.
Loved it - Fela Kuti is one cool cat. No idea if he is the father of Afrobeat, but given how much I love other modern artists in that genre, I doff my cap to him if so. Fully expect another generic 70s white dude album tomorrow though :)
bad
Erinnert mich an die Hintergrundmusik von Tropico 5, wird aber mit der Zeit zu monoton
Not really my genre, but it was super interesting with a strong fuck the establishment vibe, which I dig. 3.7 stars
Good, but likely won’t listen to it again
This made me want to eat people’s brains
Interesting, but I'm usually partial to wordless jazz.
Enjoyed the background vocals in particular, but didn't find the rich grooves I had hoped for when recalling the live record with Ginger Baker.
Loved it. Great mix of jazz and African traditional music. Fela was an interesting guy for sure and would probably be a big star today with music being much more globally available. He had a way of never going too far in any one direction but not being boring either. More people should listen to his work.
I love this kind of jazz. A nice album with superb musicians.
A surprisingly fun listen given the context. If you weren't paying attention to the lyrics you'd think it was just a lot of warm, brassy afro-beat jazz.
Each song being ten minutes and over initially felt daunting but overall the album kept you entertained and was definitely worth listening to. With only four songs none were really highlighted above the rest, all songs had similar vibes but still unique in the fact that the album didn’t feel ‘one note’. At points I was reminded of Damon Albarn in his ‘solo more experimental music’, though this connection doesn’t reflect the whole album or even whole songs. The Nigerian jazz genre is definitely something now I’ll start to look into and explore, this album being a good gateway into that world of music.
Fedt fedt fed
Fela delivers two 12-minute funky afrobeat anti-militaristic juggernauts which prompted 1000 soldiers to be sent out to crush him, tragically killing his mother. Obvious five.
Amazing from start to finish!! Will defo be delving into the back catalogue
Jazzy, conscious and cool. It's interesting to hear an album that you can tell was written from a place of anger, but still sounds so catchy.
Good upbeat jazzy album. I like that this is a protest album too. Enjoyable listen.
from the first moments with that guitar rhythm and the percussion coming in bit by bit i could tell this was special. whole album was extremely groovy with some cool tongue-in-cheek vocal chants. great album.
I like the jazz undertones, the songs are very long
Groovy As Fuck
Hard funk with some hard truth.
I love Fela. Unique music with roots in american genres I love (funk and soul). High energy, charasmatic and interesting. All that said, I don't think this is his best work, but its still good. I would say 3/5 but bumping a point because of the political implications of this album. "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." One of my favorite albums ever is "Live!" performed with Ginger Baker.
3 stars for the album, 1 for being a literal revolutionary (read his bio). I like Fela’s unique but accessible sound (mostly zombie) but am really excited to read Sean’s review. He is the biggest kuti guy I know
Judging based on the music itself, I was mildly entertained and then bored for each song. Ive heard zombie a million times, but the rest of the tracks were also decent. Broadly speaking, fela kutis story is wild and earns my respect.
i’m not sure who this music is for, but it isn’t me. It’s unobjectionable but doesn’t do anything for me. This one felt like one I need more background info on to understand if there’s some cultural significance or novel musical approach here that I’m unaware of. Otherwise just kinda meandering and repetitive without doing anything beautiful or impressive or catchy.
Fun grooves and solos of a little repetitive. Fun break from the US/UK shuffle of the list. Closer to a 3.5 for me, rounding up for variety.
Not my thing. It was like being on hold for an hour.
New to me and just beautiful. Four songs, and I favorited three of them. Easily the highest batting average of any album.
Nice sax melodies. Percussion is interesting and complementary. Overall very chill and vibey.
Infectious grooves. Wasn't not expecting to like this, but I was wrong. African jazz is just somehow more pure sounding.
Increíble
This was a really cool discovery. The album blends Afrobeat, jazz, funk, and soul, driven by complex polyrhythms and repetitive structures that give it a hypnotic feel, pulling you right into the groove. Even though it has a strong rhythm, the vibe is chill and laid-back. Lyrically, the album serves as a powerful political statement, challenging the Nigerian government. Sadly, it led to a violent backlash, where the military raided Fela’s compound, severely injuring his mother and arresting many of his followers.
An outstanding introduction to Afrobeat that has timeless melodies.
This is a great album! I've never heard of it and I'm loving it.
This drummy trumpety rhythm album resulted in the death of his mother and the destruction of his home? What?!
Trumpet jazzy funk. Track 1 (Zombie), oosh, starts off really strong intro. Loving the jazzy funk, with African tribal chorus. Funkalicious and energetic. Where has this been all my life?! Track 2 not as strong. Slower, more subtle... nice relaxed vibe. Same with track 3. Probably good background stuff for cool coffee house vibes. Track 4 is a live track.
I tried! I just don’t have the ears for it.
I rarely ever read the wikipedia pages which I do realize I should see more ofc but I do it mostly to try to not he bias with my opinion however reading this one showed me how truly influential this album is and that was very important to see. Although this genre of music is something I really just don’t like all that much, the album being so influential really helps how I feel about it because now I know why it’s on the list.
Please read the wiki entry on this album - even if just the first section. Sometimes the right album hits on the right day - this is one. Righteously political and fantastic music yet without a lot of vocals (a plus; no knock on Fela); gave it 2 spins today while working and on the 2nd I got to kick back and just enjoy it all. I think I really like African jazz and this is a keeper. 8/10 4 stars.
Classic afro jazz album. I was expecting more, but not bad. Felt a bit repetitive.
I like me some Afrobeat and I like this. Sorry to read about the consequences that resulted from the government not accepting the criticism.
Vibrant, great horns, groovy
Jazzy
Catchy afrobeats
4.5
Ok
Not the kind of thing I usually listen to, but I really liked this.
Very good, but I don't feel like I need to listen again to get anything more out of it
Fela. 5
Love the horns, funk, and fun!
I normally find jazz boring, but this held my attention so it must be pretty good.
This was cool. I now understand when people say the talking heads were inspired by Fela Kuti.
Jazzy with lots of horns, loved!
Bar one dud so far, albums between #31-40 have been absolutely stellar. I didn't know what to expect when this one popped up, but one thing I certainly wasn't expecting was a killer jazz/funk LP leading us into the simple, yet effective messaging each song contains. Every track is around 12-14 minutes and they all follow the same formula: about 7-8 minutes of fantastic loose jazz instrumentation that is both funky and smooth as hell, crescendoing with reggae flavoured vocals and a return to the instrumentation to finish things out. A quick read of the fallout this album caused is also very interesting, tragic, and really paints a picture of just how much of a controversial figure Fela Kuti was. It has given me that rabbit hole itch to dive deeper into this man's life; and his music to accompany it of course. Much like 'Black Monk Time', which I got on this list about two weeks ago, this is one of those albums I would never have listened to or found out about unless it popped up here. So I'll repeat what I said in that review: discovering records like this is one of the big reasons I started this whole thing. It just completely opens your mind up, and turns your music tastes inside out in the best way possible. 'Zombie' is a phenomenal album that carries some heavy weight with it, and it should be listened to by anyone who likes to jump into protest anthems; because even in that realm it is a somewhat unique and powerful entry.
Good jazzy vibes, I enjoyed this one.
2,5
This African-influenced jazz album isn’t anything super special sonically, but its historical makes it far more interesting, on top of it already being a brief, enjoyable listen to begin with
For me… meh. Lots of horns and repetitive beats. I bet this would be great live, as it was more of a stream of consciousness.
Quite repetitive, and music was a bit chaotic. But not horrible.
I love this - so much energy. Zombie is one of his best tracks
Favorite Track: Zombie
Man...I'm sorry I missed this album last year! Glad I realized I skipped it. And even more glad that I listened to it. This album was LIT. Phenomenal beat, funky as hell, energetic and politically charged. Awesome album.
Fascinating story behind the album and interesting sound.
Albumi #35, 01.09.2024 Viihdyttävää nigerialaista afrobeatia itseasiassa vuodelta 1976 (levy julkaistiin Euroopassa vuotta myöhemmin, kuin Nigeriassa). Levy on kantaaottava silloista Nigerian sotilashallitusta kohtaan ja nimi Zombie viittaa kovaotteisesti hallitusta palvelleisiin sotilaisiin. Levyn julkaisun jälkimainingeissa Kalakutan tasavallaksi kutsuttu Fela Kutin kotileiri jyrättiin matalaksi valtavassa sotilaiden ratsiassa. Loistavia biisejä nämä, mainioita muusikoita ja hyvää meininkiä vakavasta aiheesta huolimatta. Ostan varmuudella cd:n hyllyyni, mikäli tulee vastaan.
Awesome and jazzy. Listened to it the night I proposed to my future wife.
I am wavering between a 3 and a 2, but enjoyed this less than most of the 3s so far. I like the 70s sound but found that the long tracks became a bit repetitive.
I can appreciate the musicianship and the artistry, but this is not my favorite genre.
I remember watching a documentary on Fela Kuti a few years back and was fascinated by his life, struggles and activism. While the music he and Afrika 70 made was incredible without this knowledge, it definitely didn’t hurt to have some backstory. For me Fela’s music makes for inspired background listening but I find myself stopping what I’m doing and admiring whatever groove the band gets stuck on, it’s hypnotizing. Glad to revisit this one.
I was super busy at work, so this one just played in the background. I was able to be highly productive with it, so that was cool. After the album was over, it just continued to play his prior albums. This was the better one of the ones I heard. I couldn't tell you which song I liked better, as it just flowed together with decently long songs. I love the album artwork. I'll give this a 3.5.
I first heard of Fela Kuti from a friend who just bought the "Live!" album with Ginger Baker. We listened to it and--like every other song I've heard from Fela since--were instantly immersed in a funky, jazzy, and extended hypnotic groove. I eventually made a Fela Kuti station on Pandora, added Budos Band (thanks for the recommendation, Joel!) and few thumbs up to some tracks, and let the it do its thing; it's one of my favorite stations. Zombie follows suit in engaging rhythms and jazzy improvisation, which doesn't seem limited to solo instruments. I imagine like a great Southern Baptist choir, the backup singers have their phrases pre-loaded and ready to go whenever Fela gives the signal, either visually or with his own vocal cue. On the surface, the music holds it own as a skilled and groovy jam, but when you consider what he's saying and the push back he's giving to the authority of the land, this rebel music carries real weight and gravitas. Though I've heard much of his music, I haven't heard a full album aside from the aforementioned live album. Paying full price for an album with 4 extended jam songs is a tough pill to swallow, but as an online radio or elongated playlist, his music shines for hours. I haven't heard a song from Fela that I did not like.
I'm not a connoisseur by any means, but anytime an African jazz or afrobeat song has filtered its way to me, there's like a 90% chance I really enjoy it. And I enjoyed this album. I'm always going on about how I wish more pop music had horns, and again this album made me have that thought. The songs were quite long, but I was vibing to the instrumentals. The singing, well, I didn't understand much of what was said, so I can't really comment on the lyrical comment. I would have been happy with just all instrumental. Also, after this album ended, Spotify began playing similar music from other artists, and I have to say that I liked some of them even better. So is Fela the best in this genre? Was he the first? Or was he the most important because of his political activism? Either way, glad to have listened to this today and been reminded about this cool genre.
So I feel like I have listened to a lot of music that was influenced by Fela, but have not really given Fela himself an actual listen. I had no idea how politically active he was and kudos to him for standing up to intrusive govt. A cousin of mine is half Nigerian and half Trinidadian and he lived for some time in Lagos. He said that if you can survive in Lagos you can survive anywhere in the world. I hear that corruption and the political problems are still a big deal there. I guess this is the type of backdrop that these songs were recorded to. Good songs but they are long and a bit meandering for a guy working through tasks all day. Another smoking rhythm section and the horns sound great and raw. I see also how this music influenced calypso and probably other types of Carribean music. I plan on checking more of his stuff out as I am a big fan of Afrobeat and African jazz.
Imagine creating such an anti-government/military album that you get yourself severely beaten and your mother killed as a result, all while pioneering the Afrobeat genre into popularity. Reading the background of this album and immediate aftermath was eye-opening to say the least. Fela Kuti was one of a kind, standing in the face of corruption from the Nigerian government and military complex, sharing his views via a music genre in which he largely created. Just goes to show you how powerful music can be as a weapon, commanding everyone's attention whether they want to hear the message or not.
Nice change from the other albums. I like the afro-and-jazz-combination. But it´s hard to rate! The original two track LP is only an EP and therefore I would give it only two stars. The 4 tracks CD reissue is ok. 2,5
My listening tastes are hardly eclectic, and I dislike jazz and mostly hate horns, but some of this is kinda fun.
Energetic african jazz. I wanted more, it was too short. Stand-out: Zombie
fun in the first minute but too long songs a bit boring after time
Amazing!
***An ok album
Solid afrobeat (of the better kind)
All about the energy. The rhythms pull you in, and the beats are so infectious you can’t help but move. The horns are loud and proud, giving it a funky vibe that reminds me of something James Brown might have done, but with a sharper edge. It’s bold, it’s powerful, and it’s got a rebellious streak that makes it stand out.
Not my jam
An incredible album with some of the best, most addictive instrumentals and lyrics that are so strong considering they are standing up to the Nigerian government. Definitely an album everyone needs to hear.
Really enjoyed this despite it not being what I’m really into and the songs being pretty long.
Odd album art but good tunes.
4.5/5, original version. Zombie - 4.5/5 Follow Follow - 4.5/5
Happy Halloween 🧟♂️
Liked it. Great sax in first tune
Sounds pretty funky
Ascoltare Fela Kuti é sempre un'esperienza religiosa, sciamanica. Questo disco é inoltre carico di istanze sociali e politiche. Profondo, intenso, pieno di trasporto, da vivere più che da ascoltare.
i dont know if it is very becoming to listen to political protest music and give it an x/5 star rating based on how cool and novel it sounds but here we are i suppose
very good
Interesting, was aware of Fela Kuti because I knew Prince was a massive fan but hadn’t ever given an album the time of day, enjoyed it
Awesome
Of the four Fela records I've heard, this one is pretty easily my favorite. I can occasionally struggle with the Afrobeat repetition as well if I'm not in the mood for it, but both of these songs feature more than enough moving melodic parts to "offset" it. The passion in his voice is quite striking as well; I can see this one growing on me if my appreciation for the genre grows a bit. 4/5
This is a cool vibe throughout.
This just isn’t my kind of music but I appreciate that it had me bopping along at times. This album I couldn’t ever picture a scenario of willingly selecting it and listening through headphones. I feel I would enjoy it much more in person as a backdrop. Don’t have the knowledge in this genre to score it fairly
This album is amazing. The opening track “Zombie” grabs me right away. This whole album is great. I need more by this guy.
Pretty lively and fun. Nothing beats a good horn section
Great album. One i have.
Pochi di questi generi sono tra i miei preferiti ma questo album è riuscito a essere appassionante e ad avere un grande messaggio. Chapeau
What I wouldn't give to see Fela Kuti live-- Ok scratch that. Just read more about what happened at some of his live events. Unreal. Makes me grateful to even be able to hear this music. Giving it a rating feels absurd. Wouldn't know it by looking at the surface but after reading more, easily the heaviest album so far.
I never thought I'd say this, but I liked the live album better!
This was a decent jazz album. I had it on while working and really enjoyed it.
Really fun sound. Really sad to hear what happened after this album was released.
This is the kind of album I'd love to make if I had a modicum of talent
Uno de los mejores discos que he escuchado en esta lista. Tanto como una postura política en contra del régimen totalitario nigeriano de Olusegun Obasanjo, como una postura sonora que brilla como el principal foco de la masificación del afrobeat en la música popular, este trabajo se siente como una pieza sumamente influyente para todo el panorama musical alternativo de la época. Sumamente recomendable y disfrutable; realmente un indispensable.
This is the best Afrobeats I’ve seen so far. I thought it was really good and would’ve been even better live. Personally I struggle to listen to songs that long - must be the short attention span. People don’t make long albums anymore for that reason and I think it’s kinda sad.
Fine, long songs got kinda repetitive but don't have strong feelings either way on this one.
I respect Fela Kuti’s guts and he makes me want to like this album more than I do. Because it’s not really my kind of music at all, and both songs could be half as long without losing any impact. However, as opposed to many artists in the genre, the melodies are hummable, none of that «playing random notes Herbie Hancock John Coltrane» garbage. An extra star for the sentiment and impact
Man oh man. What an album. The title track is incredible. The military did not take kindly to its message and killed Kuti's mother in a village raid. I love the super long intros, they sort of lull you and you almost forget about Kuti's words until he jumps at you out of nowhere
So fun and so full of life. This album is a treasure!
3.8 - Yeah I enjoyed a lot of this but I think I wanted more and less of the same. Tracks were too long and could have been more concise.
Really good, would only like it to be a little more diverse across the runtime. 4.2/5
Very nice!
Title track is on that has so permeated the musical ether that I knew this song without ever having really listened. Fela's energy on live recordings is unmatched, but even the studio recordings are all timers.
Not a lot of variety but I like what is there 3.5/5
saving this to my library immediately
It's a good album, and I learned something about Kuti in the process. I never knew his political leanings and fight for non-military rule in Nigeria. Music-wise, some really great afro-beat. 4/5!
I feel neutral about this
try not to shake yo ass
It's albums like this one that I was hoping to find through this site A very enjoyable album and an even more interesting wiki to go with it! A good find! 4 ⭐️
4 songs 53 minutes. actually goated. this is what i was looking for when starting this project
This is my 2nd Fela album on this list. I had never heard him before and so far, he's my favorite new discovery from the generator. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I had it on repeat most of the day.
Zombie is a studio album by Fela Kuti, originally released in 1976. I just recently got another Fela album from this list, the one with Ginger Baker. That album was all live tracks, so I was interested in how they would fair in a studio setting. I think this record in particular represents their live act well. There are 4 tracks on here: clocking in at over 10 mins each. The band is exquisite. They commonly go into these funky and soulful jams not unlike The MGs. Fela’s lyrics are more on the political side here. They mostly deal with the military and how they are built to “shut up and take commands”. It wasn’t surprising to hear that Fela’s commune was raided by military before this album was recorded. The live track at the end was a surprise. Can’t go wrong with Fela live. The band is tight and energetic. I’d love to travel back in time to visit a gig.
Pretty good
CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIC
Super groovy world music. It's hard for me to describe but I like it. Great beats and vocals although I don't understand the lyrics. Easy to listen to, it's not too overstimulating.
This is going to become a regular for summer bbqs in the garden. Fantastic.
Trumpet sounds! TRUMPET SOUNDS!
Love when he shouts 'ordeeeerrr!'
Yeah this is excellent. Truly great listen.
Afrobeat. I liked this better than Live! There's so much energy and passion, infectious. Should listen to more of them. 4/5
Jazz is still weird. Talent, groove. Not my jam
The title track is really good, but the other three don't hit quite the same level. Interesting, but not really my jam in general. A bit too long-winded for me.
Honestly was gonna give it a 3 cause it didn’t hit too hard for me, but I feel the insane lyricism and influence give it that deserved 4.
В отличии от всяких комерсов типа Rage Against The Machine или Anti-Flag, вот этот старина внатуре ганстер. Шороху навел музыкой своей конкретно
I’m just not an instrumental guy. On that note. This album sounds like the Superfly soundtrack if it had a sequel. Funky jazz? Is that what a person would call it? This album is short. Just enough for me to listen all the way through , which must be a record for how long I’ve listened to music with no words. Decent Choice cut: Mr. Follow Follow
-yes!! yes!! finally a jazz / jazz-adjacent album! The guitar is splendid -Apparently the guy who made this had his mom killed because of the social commentary?? The Nigerian Hail To The Thief -Favorite is Zombie
A little too jazzy for me but still respectable!
4.0
This shit’s cool as hell
Man I loved this. I'm realising it makes a big difference what I'm doing while I listen to an album. I listened to this while I was doing something creative and energetic, and it was a perfect match.
Very cool
Just a fun, groovy album. Pretty sure I enjoyed previous album(s) by Fela Kuti also! 4.5
Every instrument pulsates with so much life
Finally, a jazz (or ‘afro beat American jazz’ or something) album that I actually enjoyed! I think the backing rhythms and intensity really drive the songs and add the excitement (and temper the jazzy trumpets), compared to some of the slower ploddy ‘jazz classics’ we get on this list in which the backing bands are key but not the major player in the mix. After my hearty approval of Songhoy Blues, it appears west coast African tunes are the unexpected way to go for me!
Wow, I should have listened to this years ago. 1970s in west Africa was a crazy time and zombie sums it up. Amazing track and I might put it on most mornings. Didn't realise political repercussions of the record. More afrobeats for me please.
Perhaps his best work. It’s politically charged, yet upbeat and incredibly groovy.
This album left me wanting more. I loved the rhythms, the brass/sax and the rhythms - since there were often more than one at a time.
This album rocks; the context behind it all is suoer crazy too
Was background music really. Didn't hate it but won't listen again in a hurry
Unique and interesting but I find the songs way too long
Day 33 - July 4th, 2024 What better way to celebrate the 4th with an album so anti establishment! 5/5.
Nice album!
Very good! Not what I was expecting but pleasantly surprised by the whole thing.
✊🏿 🖕🏿🐖 🧨🕺🏿🎉
I enjoyed it
Not really my lane Seemed OK - but I didn't tap my foot or stop to listen at any point
Title track is great.
Funky! I guess it was ok. It was fun to listen to though. I guess it’s cool.
Funk masterpiece
Really liked! Loved having nice long tracks that have enough length to develop as you listen. Also can't ignore the backstory of the artist and album
4 songs and 53 minutes long - dang Enjoyed this one a lot! Wish I could give it 3.5 stars. But don’t really see myself putting it on again in the future.
Incredibly interesting reading about Fela Kuti’s story. Really loved the album and I’m glad to have discovered it here!
Stellar! Unreal instrumentation that you just get lost in before the sublime vocals come in on each track!
All-timer grooves. Could listen to this forever.
So... this should come as no shock - but I am a bit mentally ill. and one of the ways in which that manifests is that I am obsessive with musician discographies... that being said I have listened to 43 Fela Kuti albums in the past two years and Zombie is by my measure one of the three best albums he ever recorded (Expensive Shit & Gentleman being the other two). What makes Fela's 70s so damn good is his band, Africa '70 and specifically Tony Allen, his percussionist who is really the driving force behind the success of this era, which is by my count the most successful and consistent era of any musician in recorded history. Afrobeat is a genre with a lot of variation but what I really appreciate about Fela's music is how consistent it is. You can listen to any of the Fela & Africa 70 albums that came out in the 70s and have a rough idea of the music you are about to hear. He created a sound that is absolutely timeless, unparalleled in its consistency and good as hell every damn time.
Now **this** is some damn good shit. I'm not sure what I expected out of it besides political commentary and criticisms I wouldn't 100% understand (and maybe I still should, though it's maybe a little too late for that), but this funk/jazz Afrobeat thing it's got going on it just amazing. I hardly even mind the fact it's made up of two tracks each nearly 13-minute; they're just that enjoyable to listen to. I don't even have a proper closer for this little paragraph excpept to repeat myself: this is **damn** good shit.
Groovy as hell world music. Great but not much to say on it.
It’s a 5. It’s a little weird to give a 2-track album a 5, but I think it’s definitely a 5. Those were 2 really good fucking tracks; Zombie has one of the catchiest choruses I’ve ever heard out of this genre (or others like it), and while Mr. Follow Follow wasn’t as good, it was still pretty damn good. Obviously, the politically charged undertones and the aftermath of this album’s release play a big part in its mythology and its impact, but the songs by themselves are both excellent to me. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as going “the music is really good,” and I think the music is just REALLY good. I’m fine with a 5.
Zombie is a very interesting album in many ways. First there is the fact that this album technically has only two songs (the other two are from the CD reissue) making it really short for an album. The other way its interesting is in it's lyrical themes basically criticizing the Nigerian government (which resulted in a lot of bad things happening to Kuti). The album itself, while not amazing, is a fairly fun listen for what it is. Every song had quite a lot of energy to it and generally kept introducing new elements in pretty decent ways. My only real gripe with this album is the organ, while unique in idea, sometimes tends to come out of nowhere in some of the songs which can get rather distracting. Other than that though, this was a fairly good listen. Best Song: Mr. Follow Follow Worst Song: Zombie
Make no Mistake, this album is waking Zombies.
Fantastic short blast of Afro beats with great brass.
Since this is obviously Fela Kuti’s most well-known and revered album, it makes sense that it was my gateway to his music. All I know is that you don’t necessarily have to be a zombie to be a soldier, but it seems to be the way it works out for most people. Whereas Shakespeare once wrote, “the tongues of mocking wenches are as keen as is the razor's edge invisible,” in this case, it’s the tongue (and saxophone) of a different kind of bard that cut and thus infuriated an entire army.
enjoyable but long songs could i write poetry to this? n
A most worthy album. Political and impossible to ignore, Fela Kuti brought Afrobeat to the world stage. Unfortunately, Fela Kuti was ruined for me due to being overplayed on the jukebox of a spot I used to work. Somewhere around the eighth minute of the thousandth time I'd heard "Zombie," I had heard enough. Familiarity breeds contempt, indeed.
Really cool sounds, but repetition and super long songs are not my thing.
Fela made the first booty shaking diss track and it was directed towards the military industrial complex we have no choice but to stan
Not mine style of music
Not bad at all. Not for me, but I definitely get why people like this album
Pretty cool album! Worthy of another trip or two.
Ik beoordeel deze op de 2 originele tracks. Ik tref deze artiest nu voor de 2e keer in deze lijst. Ik merk dat ik er exact hetzelfde in zit als de vorige keer. Ik word er niet wild enthousiast van, maar het linkervoetje zit onbewust af en toe toch lekker mee te tikken op de maat. Het heeft iets vrolijks, ook al gaat het album blijkbaar over politieke kommer en kwel. Ik moet wel zeggen dat de track Zombie na een minuut of 10 een klein beetje irritant wordt door wat te aanwezige, niet prettige geluiden. Maargoed, dat duurt dan een half minuutje. Af en toe een keer tussendoor is dit wel lekker. Ook deze keer krijgt ome Fela een (nipte) voldoende.
Sick
Too much abrasive brass Afro-Beat and not enough music for my taste. Maybe toss in a lyric here and there.
BEL-LIS-SI-MO. un concentrato di jazz e funk, ma soprattutto: rivendicazione sociale!!! il sito dice che questo album è praticamente un dito medio al governo nigeriano e che potrebbe essere la causa per la quale la madre di Fela Kuti è stata assassinata. non mi sono annoiata manco per un secondo, e i cojones che ci vogliono a fare un tale album di denuncia vanno premiati.
Non mi ero soffermato sui testi, grave errore
Vedi recensioni di Davide ed Erika :) (anche se mi sa che io darò 3/5)
Pochi di questi generi sono tra i miei preferiti ma questo album è riuscito a essere appassionante e ad avere un grande messaggio. Chapeau
A very fun and groovy album. This is probably my favorite album from Africa so far from this list. Some sections could be trimmed a little, but overall a very enjoyable album.
New to me, interesting, and cool. Repetitive, yes, but I was feeling it.
Most white critics missed the point of this. It was not about freedom, but oppression. It’s good actually. An album you should hear.
Jazz with an African voice that somehow feels like it is the right Meter, and makes me question jazz. I feel I need to read up to be qualified to understand what I am listening to but I like it and it's completely new to me.
I loved it. The guy was a legend in his own lifetime.
Oh, this band is so funky... I did some searching to see what other reviews were out there, and some that I came across described the consistent rhythm, the pidgen lyrics, and rough recording style as "difficult" (Sound Collective, I'm looking at you). I love this record exactly because of all those aspects; they are features, not bugs. The mixture of African polyrhythm, jazz and funk is infectious and compelling. The political content of this album is powerful (so much so that it prompted violent retribution from the Nigerian armed forces). Fela is the real deal, no compromises, and funky as hell while he is doing it. Fela recognised the power of funk (especially James Brown) and its African roots, and translated it back into an African context. The Lost Notes podcast has a really great episode on how Fela evolved his 'highlife jazz' into Afrobeat during an ill-fated tour of the USA (https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/lost-notes/fela-kuti-los-angeles-afrobeat). This record is surprising, powerful, political, and, above all, you can dance to it.
Fela Kuti is an original and always superb. Zombie is no different. 5 stars.
Never heard of this artist before, very cool fusion of soul and jazz. Not my normal musical choice - not much on this list is - but I enjoyed it.
Visst är det groovigt och så men det blir lite långtråkigt efter ett tag. Orkade inte vara så uppmärksam heller så har inte så mycket mer att säga om det.
Really funky with a reggae twist
Interesting music but the songs are just far too long. I get creating an ambiance but 4 songs should not last almost an hour.
A lot better than I was expecting, based on a couple of other African artists that had previously cropped up on this list. It was a lot more 'western' than I was expecting, some really strong funk vibes coming through. I guess, if you think it about long enough, then funk music has long roots in african music anyway.
esse dai quem não escutou ta vacilando. grandes pedradas da música do mundo. Faz estadunidense chorar
A great intro to Fela Kuti and his music.
I don’t have anything clever to say, this is just great
Insanely important politically, but also a brilliant recording. A heartbreaking testament to the power of music for underrepresented voices.
2.6/5, listened 2x, some solid material with just some weird jarring segments
Ég var mjög hrifinn af þessari plötu. Ég mun pottþétt setja hana aftur á og hlusta oft og mörgum sinnum á hana. Ég myndi gefa henni fjórar og hálfa stjörnu ef ég gæti af því að mér finnst ég þurfa nokkrar hlustanir í viðbót til að komast upp í 5 en þetta var barasta mjög gott stöff.
Really cool jazz
Super-inventive jazz, great rhythms.
When I started the record immediately thought “I’m not in the mood for this kind of record” but then I was.
So rhythmically pleasing. Overall a really enjoyable album. His bio was a good read as well
Brand new genre to me in afrobeats. Very groovy and an enjoyable listen
Fela Kuti at one of his peaks
Liked this quite a bit better than the other Fela Kuti album I got, which I did still enjoy. This was one great and I found the music to be more engaging. Overall a really solid album.
Not for me.
I enjoyed this thoroughly! The rhythms put me into a trance-like state. I was doing some repetitive work; this was the perfect music to relax and do homework for the evening. I will listen to this again and pay more attention to the lyrics. I believe I heard some important lyrics during "Mistake."
I’ve always admired that Fela Kuti spoke truth to the political situation in his native Nigeria, regardless of the personal cost. By expertly combining African and American musical styles, be compelled people to listen and made a difference.
2.5/5
:/
Thankful I got to hear this album and learn some about its history. A brave and beautiful work of art.
You know how Drake and Kendrick are creating diss tracks? Now imagine if you wrote one about a whole government and they came and burned down ur house. What a bad ass
Não é meu estilo mas entendo o apelo
Would have never known about this group or this album but so enjoyed their entire vibe and this record.
NIGERIA GOT THE SAUCE days like this are my favourite being able to find more world music that i wouldn't have before is what i do this shit for man. 4.5/5
First "jazz" album I didn't enjoy although I guess this is trending more funk than jazz. Either way, not for me.
I thought I loved jazz but I think this is too experimental and too mucn for me so maybe I don't love it as much as I thought.
Really cool, I started by having it on as background music but got into the groove of it as it went on
I liked it a lot but would like it more if it were full instrumental
This was a cool album, I enjoyed the beats
Rage Against the Nigerian Machine's version of "fuck you I won't do what you tell me". Great listen, very funky blend of jazzy afrobeat sounds that I never would have been exposed to without this generator. on top of that, background story to this on the wikipedia page is a trip (Being attacked by soldiers in retribution, them murdering his mother by throwing her out a window , him taking 27 wives and rotating them, etc)
Infectious, dramatic and challenging. Another first time listen, and the first of many more
Fela brings some great energy on that trumpet. I feel like all these songs bring a great energy and are enjoyable to listen to. If I gave Miles a 5 I feel like Fela is on par.
Enjoyed the horns, culture of the album.
One of the great things about the 1001 albums list is just how much great jazz is on here that I would have never heard about otherwise.
I loved it
No es lo mío pero es interesante.
Je connaissais Fela Kuti notamment grâce à Expensive Shit. Zombie est une agréable découverte, un album dans lequel on se glisse facilement, peut-être parce qu'il sonne vraiment très actuel. Mélange de musiques jazz, soul, funk, nigérianes : il est l'incarnation de l'afrobeat. L'écoute gagne en intensité une fois qu'on connaît le message véhiculé et la répression qui en a suivi. L'énergie qui se dégage de l'album est paradoxalement joyeusement contestataire. C'est entraînant, rythmé, dansant, au final assez éloigné de l'image qu'on pourrait se faire fait d'un chant de révolte... et pourtant les paroles sont sans équivoque ! J'ai définitivement mieux saisi l'aura particulière qui enveloppe Fela Kuti grâce à 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.
I suspect this is one of the more truly political albums we'll get in this collection, and it's really weird to read about the context (as well as the lyrics) from nearly 50 years ago, in a very different place and time. If I hadn't read the Wikipedia entry for the album, I doubt I would have guessed at *any* of the lyrics or their intent, and probably would have simply enjoyed the tracks for the music alone. And I also wouldn't have ever realized that the title track not only caused riots in Ghana, but the album effectively killed Fela Kuti's mother and destroyed his home and his community. It's also sad that this album marked the end of his band Africa 70, apparently because he chose to fund his presidential campaign instead of paying them after the Berlin concert in 1978. Given that there have been nearly 45 albums by Fela Kuti between 1970 and 1990, I kind of wonder whether this was a good choice to showcase him and his music? "Zombie" (the song) is a fun listen, at least musically, but some of the others aren't particularly distinctive, and kind of drag along at times, both before and during the lyrics parts. (And I only belatedly realized that the original LP only had "Zombie" and "Mr. Follow Follow", but I still feel that way even with the LP's second track/side.) But with all the context of the album and its aftermath, it's hard to give it fewer than 3 stars, given how much he sacrificed (and sacrificed of others) for his music (and I feel a bit guilty for only 3 stars).
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.
2 albums on this list from Fela Kuti and yet only one for Otis Redding...WTF
Did not keep my interest
It was okay, a little bit different.
zombie was great the rest was ok.
Exceptional rhythms and Afro-beats. The saxophones and horns on this album are amazing. My main knock on it is that the political driven lyrics get a bit repetitive after a while in these longer songs.
its ok
Yeah, this is cool. A really awesome sound and each song feels really complete and separate, which isn't always the case for me in this genre.
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.
not bad, kinda interesting. Reminded me of something ... Groove Collective maybe?
A solid groovy jam-filled album. Quite enjoyable.
OK. Nothing to scream about. Good rhythms and sound overall.
An interesting album. The subject matter is quite intense which is at odds with the upbeat music. I think I'm put off a bit by the "jam-band" element of it. Standout Track: Zombie
This is soooooooo good! I love the structure of Fela Kuti songs. Get into a funky groove for about 7 minutes, with lots of improvised solos backed by lots of percussion, then add some meaningful call and response lyrics. Some might think it's repetitive, but I think it works! I hadn't heard Zombie before, but I've heard other Fela albums before. I'm now a fan of this one too. Liked songs added: - Mr. Follow Follow - Mistake
Listen to the entire album not sure what I was listening too, so
Ja erg fan van fela de laatste tijd, goed dat er iets uit een ander continent in staat ook wel
ja helemala leuk, top album, anders nooit geluisterd
Ken deze artiest niet Net zn hele backstory gelezen, echt ziek verhaal Lekkere afro jazz Heerlijk album, dit is de 1001 albums voor je het voor doet
Phenomenal album
I can appreciate this without actually enjoying it.
Very nice vibe, sound, performance. Really enjoyed working to it.
Endlessly repeatable. Great great afrobeat album.
Really cool mix of jazz, funk, afro and latin music.
Monster.
You can hear so many modern bands that have been influenced by this album.
Yeah, I still hate jazz.
4.5
I really couldn’t get into this one
Just listening to this without context, I thought it was just OK- a cool funky beat with some nice saxophone instrumentation, but gets overly long and repetitive. ... but after reading the Wikipedia page and understanding the real-life consequences of this album (led to the Nigerian head-of-state sending an army to attack Fela Kuti's compound and murdering his mother), it takes on some extra weight. Puts into perspective the serious risks this guy took (and the price he paid) compared to the American musicians putting out anti-war protest songs in the 60s.
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."
Jazz pero un poco mejor que lo anterior
I got excited when I saw that there were only 4 songs in the album, but it's pretty much the same length as a normal album, so that was pretty disappointing. Nice little jazz album, nothing too exciting, enjoyed having it in the background.
1001 Zombie by Fela Kuti. I just read his bio. He was fascinating man a Nigerian activist and musician who is credited with being the father of the afro beat . This album is superb the trumpet and sax playing is off the charts . I'm going to dive deep into his catalog. Definitely added to my library
I see Fela, i give 5 Kutis
Funky beat. Got me dancing. Wouldve been 5 stars but dragged just a little bit in places so I'm rating 4.
It's alright, got some nice beats and grooves here, but it didn't really grab me or anything like that. Really interesting backstory on this album tho
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
Zombie the song is repetitive. Decent stuff all around. You'd probably have to be tuned in at the time to understand how groundbreaking this album would be. I was not.
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.
Not my thing
Outstanding, funky and jazzy with a message . Not often that i feel an album is too short, but i could happily have another discs worth.
The combination of funky, syncopated rhythms, amazing musicianship and powerful political messages hits the sweet spot for me.
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.
This album is an absolute masterpiece and rightfully on this list. Hell, it's even a great example why this project is so nice! I always knew about Fela Kuti from a historical perspective, but now I actually listened to it and see the tremendous influence on other musicians through great musicianship.
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.