Zombie

Not my thing musically, but not bad.

Interesting story and politically charged lyrics. Not my favourite, though I had a good time with it

Nice, soulful, Afro-beat jazz.

good vibes

Yeah it seems like just one good song

I listened to this while cleaning and it made time go by faster. Loved the music I just don’t think this was made for me and that’s okay.

Not bad, I'd consider looking this up again.

Listened to Home Is Where The Music Is by Hugh Masekela just before this. 40~ years difference, but some very similar music styles and instrumentation! Instrumental Jazz, with musically African influences. I liked it!

Ended up being very good “driving around Hawaii” music 3.5 Stars

Good

Found this interesting but very long

Zombie no go go ... unless you tell am to go! Zombie no go stop ... unless you tell am to stop!

3 Good music but boring and old for my taste.

Fancy shit, maing

Nothing memorable in there for me.

I would rarely choose to listen to instrumental music but actually quite enjoyed this. Enjoyed the vibe and felt like I should be on holiday with a cocktail rather than driving to Erdington

This is fun! I enjoyed it

I like jazz music when I hear it live, but this is the first time I’ve ever listened to a full album. I enjoyed it - think it does a good job of capturing what jazz feels like live.

Always a joy to hear and tap along to, but for some reason I never go back to this on purpose. Too many wives I think.

Like it. We saw Femi Kuti, his son, play at The Festival Hall a few years back.

Energetic, great beats, not my vibe, but I get it.

Groovy and powerful.

A short, but extremely fun switch of genre. Normally, I'm not a big fan of long songs. I was thoroughly shocked by how much I enjoy the music from the first song. Zombie had such an upbeat, but casual sound to it that I just totally got lost in the vibe of it. Once the vocals came on around 6 minutes in too, it was a great change of sound and really elevated the song. Then the next song was way laid back too which I loved even more. Although the next two songs didn't live up to the other two, I loved what I heard at the start of this thing. These songs had a Cowboy Bebop like sound to it that really hooked me since it had a jazzy sound with a blend of other genres like afrobeat. Due to this, the music was simply fresh sounding and fun. Its not my go to music, but I definitely wouldn't mind jumping back to this again especially if I had a long car ride.

Good zombie.

Kinda fun

It's very dynamic jazz.

i don’t like jazz but if I had to listen to it, this would do. groovy infusions

Definitely not an artist I had listened to before, or even heard of unless I had been doing this list. So I'm glad for that. I liked the music, but it just doesn't do much for me. Another "Nothing bad, nothing great" album.

Yeah pretty good stuff. I liked Water No Make Enemy and now learning about the reason he made this album is pretty cool and adds some context. Afrobeat is cool.

Good atmosphere. Can't say that is my cup of tea, but it's good and authentic. Can recommend.

liked mistake the most, it was the least repetitive would be fun to dance to live, but really repetitive music

It’s jazz not my thing but still nice beats

Cool Jazz.

Loved the energetic beats and the groovin' melodies. Favourite Track(s): Zombie Least Favourite Track(s): Mistake

Liked it overall, upbeat, good vibes. Standout song: Zombie

Jeg nød at tingene fik lov til at folde sig ud, og bare være fede så længe hvert nummer kunne. Besøgstiden for albummet er perfekt for mig, dog var resten af bilen rasende over hvor monotont det var.😅

Afro-Beat kan et eller andet. F.eks. er det ret godt mens man slår græs

fun and overall good

Nice Jazzy African music

it's really good jazz but not background moody jazz. it's jazz you focus on listening to.

Second album by Fela Kuti, and yeah: I’m officially a fan. 7/10

jazzy

Sympa sans être ce que je préfère

Jazz... but funky. Which makes it a better jazz. I wish I enjoyed jazz more, but generally when I hear it all I hear any more is Andy Samburg in Brooklyn 99: skiddley be bop, jazz! This at least I can put on and find bits I enjoy. The first track in particular is fun, and as people have pointed out, I bet this really shines live. 2.5 rounded up.

A fine album. I enjoyed it a decent amount although I have gotten more enjoyment out of other records from Fela Kuti such Afrodisiac.

3.2! Fun jazzy tunes

Super politically charged, but made me want to dance. If you make a military protest song and they send the military to bear you and your mother up...you probably hit a strong message with your lyrics. Great work on this. Jazz is normally not the music I just want to vibe to, but this was great. These songs are catchy. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Other than "Zombie" not much else stood out to me, but it was still fun overall! Actual rating...3.5 Liked Song: "Zombie"

Very interesting 3.25

A Nigerian musician, this album criticised the Nigerian Government and is thought to have led to the murder of his mother and the destruction of his commune by the military. Funk / Soul / Jazz / Afrobeat. The opening track (there are only two) Zombie, was a metaphor for the Nigerian military. Greatly influential album for the genre. Amazing musicianship.

3.5

It's mostly interesting as a document of a distant political struggle, though its criticisms are universal enough to be understood by pretty much anyone. The title track is the essence of the album, and it's great - funky and direct, with the timbre of Kuti's voice is such that it comes across exceptionally rich and crisp on record. The rest of the record's 4 tracks never really expand on that though, so if youve heard Zombie youve heard the lot. An appreciative 3* from me.

Bit harsh but overall interesting

Mostly fun and interesting

Super repetitive, but some cool instrumentals

Entertaining, more than I was expecting.

Christ, looked at the backstory to this. Don't know if I can separate story from the art here, found it really interesting in that context but don't know if I'd have had as good a time without it?

2.5 for me, some great music on here but doesn’t half drag on…

Sad story behind this album, but the beats are great and the heart is big

I liked this one a tad bit better then the other album Live!

Long jazzy

Day 1 listen & not really my thing, trumpet too blarey However in listening at a different time of day it was better 2nd time round. Unlikely to return, but still good for it's genre.

Fun, but might have overdone fela at uni

Ok saxophone album.

as far as our afrobeat albums have gone, i thought this was a weaker one. not to say i didn't enjoy it. i was definitely jamming to it, but it didn't particularly blow me away. still had a great time with it overall.

Interesting afrobeat sounds, timeless.

It took 34 albums, but we now have our first repeated artist: Fela Kuti. Zombie is a groovy Afrobeats listen, but the sound didn't jump out of the speakers in the same way that Fela’s "Live!" album with Ginger Baker did. It's more mellow and refined, but it doesn’t match the infectious energy of his earlier work

Didn’t enjoy this as much as the last Fela Kuti album. I have to thank him for opening up my world to more AfroBeat, and while the lyrics were poignant for the time, the music was too repetitive for me

Enjoyed this, though didn’t love it. Would listen again but it’s not going to end up in rotation

Would listen again but wouldn’t ever rush to put it on. However, understanding the political significance to it definitely made it more interesting to listen to. Knowing his personal life story made it slightly less of a choice? This man had 27 wives and when that was too many, he narrowed it down to 12 lol.

6/10

decent jazz album

Weird and unusual, but not in a bad way

This was fun with some great beats.

a really interesting fusion between afro-beat and jazz, i enjoyed the ideas and tracks overall, took me a bit of time to listen due to the long tracks but the quality is very good

I would fancy this more as instrumental

Нормально

mixing really good horns are crazy nice restrained drumming

6.5/10 Best Track: “Mr. Follow Follow” Zombie is a protest in disguise as a groove. Fela Kuti builds up layers of hypnotic percussion atop a message of scathing political critique. It’s infectious, but the record feels stuck in place for all its dynamism. Each song expands for minutes on end, frequently looping around the same musical gestures without much expansion. “Mr. Follow Follow” provides some color to the mix, with more crisp phrasing and a groove that can catch its breath. The message gets delivered with force, but the experience needs to be engaged with some patience. If you’re looking for locked-in afrobeat with a side of revolution, it delivers. If not, it wears thin fast.

It was interesting to see this album after I'd already rated his son's album not that long ago. I loved that one, so I expected to love this one too. I do like this one, and I did enjoy it, but I think his son, Femi Kuti, has a style I vibe with a little more.

Interesting, not really my thing

Very fun listen

Gestern Cat Stevens und heute diesen Typen mit nem sehr bewegten Leben. Setzt sich für die Freiheit in Nigeria ein, aber wird später AIDS-Leugner. Die Kunst vom Künstler getrennt muss ich sagen war das Album ganz ok, aber wir hatten schon bessere Alben vom afrikanischen Kontinent

Die Story dahinter verdient 5 Sterne, die Musik allerdings nicht unbedingt der Oberhammer. Von daher schweren Herzens nur 3 Sterne

Love the combo of musical styles.

Not my go to to put on, but I like the exposure, and can recognize the talent. Nigerian jazz, at it's finest

El jazz no es mi género favorito. Aún así la primer canción (zombie) está bastante bien. Un poco larga para mi gusto.

More lively afrobeat that pokes the bear for every minute of it's 2 track, 25 minute playtime.

Went on a trip while working. Good stuff, burnt on jazz for the moment

Some nice beats.

I liked the instrumental aspect a lot. Very groovy.

Som nefertiti en sommarkväll 2012

Is all jazz just background music?

2.5

3.5

I thought the first track was really cool. Second was fine, but took a while to get going. 3.5 stars overall.

Very afrobeaty kind of afrobeat. Occasionally gets into a glint of a good groove over the course of its two tracks. Album very skimpy though at 25 minutes. You could put on a typical Beach Boys or Loving Spoonful album during the same timeframe and be guaranteed at least 8 or so great tracks as opposed to 0.0025.

Very solid music. Was well-timed with the background music I needed at the moment when I turned it on. I want to give it higher than a three but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Good background music. Don't need to listen again.

From Sputnik review: The government's reaction to Zombie was swift and violent. Troops set his compound ablaze; destroying his music studio, all of his recordings, and the makeshift club at which he regularly performed. Also during the raid, Fela's mother was thrown from a window, and later died of the resulting injuries. Fela continued to stir up controversy with his politcal music and larger than life persona until his death from AIDS in 1997, most notably marrying twenty-seven women, mostly his background singers and dancers, in a massive ceremony in 1982.

not my type. tracks were too long.

I am honestly not sure what to make of this. Thoroughly enjoy the beat, the brass, the sax, but it is not something I will find myself coming back to.

16/05/2025 It was okay, didn't set my world alight.

Fine album. Repetitive at times, but always very catchy and groovy. I think I’d really enjoy it if I heard it played live. I think my favorite song was the last one, which is a live recording. I really liked the atmosphere on that one.

Cool to listen to, really sad to hear about his wife. My girlfriend introduced me to other world jazz that this reminds me of. Glad I listened to it.

Listening to Fela Kuti can be weird sometimes as a priviledged middle-class white guy, especially if you knew what this guy went through. You can hear the pain and freedom-fighting in all of his music. This one is no exception. The soul, jazz and afro-beat all hit like Fela's music usually does. However, multiple 10+ minute tracks like the ones on this album can be tough especially when all our attention spans have shrunk. Overall I'm glad I heard this one. 3/5

Pretty cool. I’ll listen again.

Best project I've gotten in a while, beast

interesting vibe - solid 3.5

Very groovy

interestingly nice

I enjoyed this. Good trumpet / big band / fusion / jazz. And from a historical standpoint, any album that is critical of an authoritarian government and also popular is a "big deal". But to most of the world, the album was mostly unknown. (Yes, I know it was released in the UK also, but I'm pretty confident this wasn't playing on most home stereos around the world.) Musically I would give it 3.5, and while politically significant in one country (Nigeria), that's not enough to get me to round up.

After doing some research seems like a powerful jazz album for the time. 3/5

Funky jazzy beat. Never heard about this guy or his message behind his music. Not normally the kind of music that I would listen to but it was engaging and energetic.

Folk, carino buon sound.

Funky, but not my jam.

better w/o vocal

Not really my style, maybe more historically significant than I understand? Still, not bad by any means.

like most jazz i like it but i don't know why

I dunno, I like Fela Kuti, and I don't know if I just played it on the wrong speakers, but this didn't grab me in the way the other stuff did. I liked the grooves, but I found the format a little bit fatiuing. I went and listened to some Fema Kuti afterwards instead.

another chill musical album

Zombie was a very upbeat, groovy song. I especially love the keyboard towards the end and the sax at the end. Mr. Follow Follow had some catchy runs and lyrics, but a step down from Zombie for me. Love the percussion and saxophone on Observation is No Crime.

Decent. I know this was really influential in bringing a style of music to western audiences.

Short and sweet, wanted a little more but overall pretty fun.

Interesting style, funky but I didn't love the total length of the songs or the length to get to the vocals. Once the vocals dropped on both of the tracks I was enjoying it. I respect the bravery behind putting something like this out there and it seems like it had a real impact. 6/10

Groovy in the beginning, lost me towards the end. Was aight.

Funky

It's a really worthwhile listen, others may get more out of it, but I certainly appreciate the historical insight it has given me, and it's influence on some albums that I love. Happy to give a 3.

It’s great groovy stuff.

Really different from anything i typically listen to for extended periods of time. I really enjoy the groove and general energy, but i worry the repetitiveness of the “endless groove” might be a little boring for me. Trying to appreciate more by paying attention to details and thinking about the historical context of the album. Prime example of how art can be and is political, and why we should never be lulled into forgetting the importance of freedom of artistic expression. All said I’ve been meaning to get more into so-called world music so I’m really glad that was my first album on this site

Interesting

Funky, little weird. But good background noise.

Good stuff, made especially more potent due to the history behind it. In a way, making music can be revolutionary.

Interesting beats with a hypnotic sound over them, the songs could have done with a bit of a trim though. Essential listening for the story of the artist.

Pas ma came, mais il y a un petit côté hypnotique pas dégueu.

Funky African Jazz, apparently inspired Talking Heads. Nothing to hate here, if a bit long. Bernie Hancock esque, I’m a fan. 3.7/5

This was pretty good. I’ll probably never listen to it again. But good nonetheless.

Lots of great grooves but lacking some hooks to really bring me in.

jazzy

A great story and a cool sound. It felt more like a singular song than an album experience given its short length and similarities among the two tracks.

The problem I have with Fela Kuti's music (and this genre of African music in general) is the repetitive aspect. I realize there's a meditative quality and intention to sitting a groove for a long time, but even if the band is great and has kickass horns, I don't want the same groove for 12 minutes. I acknowledge this is a "me problem," though.

The Good: we know the singer is a he, cause he’s a fellah The Bad: we did not need to know he’s a cuty too, besides, that’s only for mothers to know… The Ugly: realizing that this cute fellah will be devoured by zombies in no time… African style jazz. For me neither here, nor there. Yet, I can understand that Fela did not have it easy and that he used his music as a way to place attention to a horrid situation. But we are here for the music, not the politics… and though I found the music palatable, I was kind of glad when the 4th song was done… Run of the mill rating for me… 3*

I think even outside of the artist's and music's context this was a fun listen

3.5 - cool and jazzy

yeah this was great, why was every song 17 minutes!

Як я колись писав, із жанром afrobeat ,я знайомий доволі поверхнево. Але після огляду чудової сумісної роботи Yannis Phillippakis із легендою цього жанру - Тоні Алленом, цікавість до цієї джазової африканської музики у мене, безумовно, зросла. І цей класичний альбом став чудовою нагодою, познайомитись із жанром поближче. Тим паче, що автор цього альбому - Fela Kuti, фактично і є його засновником, а у гурті Afrika 70 він грав разом із вищезгаданим Тоні. Афробіт - це, по суті, суміш афро-американського джаз-фанку із «традиційною»африканською музикою, зокрема - нігерійською. А ще, це була доволі «ідеологічна» музика, що звертала увагу на політичні проблеми Африки. І Zombie - є дуже яскравим його прикладом. В ньому, Fela Kuti критикує тих, хто сліпо підкорюється наказам, та не здатен думати своєю головою. Натомість, «відповідь» на критику від нігерійського військового уряду не змусила себе чекати. Він скерував армію для нищівного нападу, який призвів до поранення, та згодом, і смерті матері Fela, а також до повного знищення його комплексу, відомого як Республіка Калакута, та його клубу Shrine. Що стосується музики, то це доволі колоритний джаз із фанковим грувом, що передає дух спекотної Африки. Він мелодійний, танцювальний і, не дивлячись на доволі серйозні та зовсім «невеселі» теми які тут підіймаються, сповнений сонячного та веселого настрою. Зрештою, в цьому, швидше за все, і є його особливість. Коли бажання радіти, насолоджуватися музикою в собі та, не дивлячись ні на що, ділитися радістю із усіма навколо - і було головною ідеєю музикантів. Проте сказати, що альбом мені сподобався дуже і дуже сильно, я на жаль не можу. Проте тільки завдяки контексту, він сприймається як щось значно більше ніж просто музика. Це частинка іншої, далекої від нас, культури, поринути в яку цікаво, хоча б, для загальної ерудиції.

Enjoyable for a while, but the fourth (live) song was difficult.

Some good grooves, songs are a bit too long, probably better enjoyed in a live setting

it was good, jazzy and soulful. it was clear it came from a troubled and oppressed viewpoint. stand out track was Mr. Follow Follow

‘Twas ok

Awesome politically-charged record, but I don't see myself revisiting this one often except outside of historical interest

Вроде есть неплохие музыкальные моменты, но уж слишком долгие и однообразные композиции. 5,5 из 10.

I did really want to like this album due to the political context surrounding it but it wasn't anything exceptional musically. Musically it provides very little for me with neither of the four tracks being added to a playlist. But the sheer fact that the release of this album lead to his subsequent arrest and the death of his mother at the hands of the Nigerian police instantly makes this a cool album for me. This is a protest album which does the excellent job of demonstrating the struggles within Kuti's home country. Although I am unlikely to listen to it again the context is still incredibly intriguing. 6/10 Cool political context.

Sehr nett echt echt sympathisch Die average album quality geht hoch

Nice beat - but long songs and annoyingly repetitive.

An immediate mood booster.

No más instrumentales T.T aunque estuvo bien Me estresa que solo canten hasta como después de 7 mins en todo

Interesante Jazz africano supongo

Interesting. Very cool stuff. Holy shit, this first track is so long. 3 stars

i love jazz and i love these songs i find the artistic direction in its entirety very beautiful and i'm glad it made this list!

3/5

First song is an absolute jam, don't really care for the rest of the album

I really enjoyed the title track. The rest of it was beautiful in a technical sense but not really my vibe. It was nice to have on in the background this morning as I was waking up but I probably won’t relisten.

It’s ok - some uniqueness is not enough to make up for sameness.

Awsome

Some really great afrobeat/jazz. Apparently some scathing political themes that got his mother killed and him nearly beaten to death, but not going to be able to dig into that for this review. Ultimately though, while I recognize it's great, it's just not for me. I'm super picky when it comes to jazz (Mostly just like 50's jazz and jazzy conscious hip-hop type stuff), so it just isn't for me.

I enjoyed the album, great musicianship, but four twelve minute songs with repetitive lyrics for 3 minutes of them just isn't enough for me. Felt like a live album.

Prog soul/jazz. Interesting to listen to.

pretty good but probably wouldnt listen again, as im not the type for long jazzy instrumentals

waz not in the mood but nice thing

pretty cool

Super fun, dance album

This is #day179 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... in your head, in your head, Zombie, Zombie, right? It was interesting to discover where Afrobeat comes from, the story behind the album, and its fatal consequences. It appears to be an important record not only in world music but also in Nigerian history. This is when music becomes a weapon of resistance. On the other hand, I felt uneasy learning that the guy had a mass wedding ceremony where he married 27 women at once. It's kind of strange considering his mother was a women's rights fighter. I doubt I'll be coming back to this record anytime soon. As a one-off acquaintance, though, I don't mind it. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day180.

Gute Musik aber ein Arsch von Mann.

The groove is strong. 5/5 with the historical context, 3/5 right now.

When I saw this pop up I swore it was the second album from him on the list. Now I remember how I heard of him - he was in the rrhof ticket at the same time as Iron Maiden. Anyway I get the talent here. All good glad I listened.

Not my favorite but I feel I've grown for having listened to this album

Pretty nice!

Pleasant enough but not really my thing

This was fine…

Eh, it’s ok. The better of the afrobeat albums, but just ok.

Correcto

This is not my thing at all, yet it’s a fun listen. It’s a protest album with powerful lyrics, strong energy, and great music throughout. It’s fun. Favourite song: Only 4 to choose from but it is easily Zombie Least favourite: Everything was an easy listen with some great beats. Album artwork: Cool cover

Short Sweet Decent 3

better then i was expecting. don't think i'd revisit it.

Too much fela kuti lately. Its fine. Not sure how groundbreaking it is.

Definitiv coole Musik, sehr groovy und der Jazz-Band-Vibe mit vielen Instrumenten, den Akkordfolgen und verschiedenen Soli obendrüber gefällt mir. Allerdings finde ich die Songs sehr repetitiv, da die Akkordfolgen, über welche soliert wird, eher invariabel und harmonisch nicht wirklich interessant sind. Beim Live-Stück finde ich es sehr interessant zuzuhören, wie sie etwas Zeit brauchen, sich aufeinander einzustimmen und rhythmisch zusammenzufinden.

3.4.

A really interesting sound- I enjoyed the blend of jazz and afro beat. I can see how this was an influential album on the Afrobeat genre as a whole. Overall- solid album

Vibing

I found nothing to dislike about this album, and I thought the vocals were the best parts. It's just not my kind of music.

I like the afrobeat sound but it got boring

Very fun listen, even better than the last one, it is a bit short thought with only 2 songs on the original release.

A bit short as an album, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Some really cool parts, some questionable parts.

I listened to this my first go round. It's interesting but not something I'd listen to again.

It's a jolly bounce and it's the source of Afrobeat. For that it gets a middling score. I wouldn't listen to it again.

I enjoyed this while making dinner tonight. Did it change my world and perception of music? No. But it was a fun listen.

Le iba a dar un 2, porque era un poco rollo, pero resulta que son los de Time Of The Season.

absolut, absolut

I really the jazz instrumental on this album mixed with Fela Kutis vocals, it's very groovy and it's a good album to just chill too. Only problem i have is that the songs are too long... now I dont mind longer songs but songs on this album dont really go anywhere... the instrumental stays the same through out the whole song with maybe one or two new instruments added 9 minutes in... (almost each song is around 12 - 13 minutes long), or maybe a solo somewhere sprinkled in the song but other then that I really like the album but probably won't listen to it again or add any of the songs to my playlists. 6/10

Very listenable, essentially single track album.

Cool. "Nigerian afrobeat" from 1976. Tons-of-instruments prog, that I thought of Jazz first, but it's got a more big band, 1970's beat (as in, an actual beat whereas Jazz may not have that) to it. Like a 1970's rhythm. They're 12+ minute prog songs, but the center section verse-like parts with lyrics can be sung along with. It also sounds like absolutely nothing I listen to. 3.5? Round down, because it's so out of my range of taste I doubt I'd ever want to listen to it again.

Nice if not my thing.

3.5 good solid album.

love all the different genre fusions going on, really good stuff

Interesting acrobat jazz. I liked it

Fun Caribbean jazz album

It's decent? More background music than an active listen for me. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it.

This was a relaxing listen. I had it on in the background of my workday. It didn’t have the quality standouts like the earlier album featuring Ginger Baker. This ain’t no Ye Ye de Smell.

Aside from the tragedy, death and destruction experienced as the result of this album being made, it didn’t quite live up to the earlier live Fela album on this exercise.

Did not expect a second helping of Fela Kuti in this exercise. While I really enjoyed the first one we got (the live album), this one didn’t leave me feeling the same way. Maybe just not enough to this one (side story aside…)

Popped this on while taking a jog. Zombie was actually really nice to run to. I enjoyed this but it did drag a bit. 3.25

Didn’t enjoy this as much as the first Fela Kuti album but still solid. Was shocked to read about the Nigerian government’s response to the album. Tragic. 3.5/5

energetic pop/rock filtered through african-inspired sounds. interesting listen.

Did start to get a bit blinding ... you know, like when a fireworks display goes on way toooo loooooong. And actually, all the whizzes and bangs actually just make one appreciate the quiet darkness of the sky. Accomplished in many ways. And the last track seemed like a sort of Doors/jazz sandwich. Extra star for the last track.

I love the rhythms!! I got into Afrobeat via The Good, The Bad and The Queen a few years ago and Tony Allen who plays on this. It's a great groove and Fela was clearly important musically and politically, although it seems he was an odd character too. Is it wrong to compare with Bob Marley, Burning Spear and Misty in Roots? If they came together at a festival back then it would have been amazing. Was heading for 4 stars but just dragged on too long.

A cool dive into the origins of Afrobeat. Really interesting to see how the genre has transformed over the years. Did enjoy the grooves a lot. By the looks of it, the average song length here equates to the average number of wives that Fela Kuti had at any given time 🤔

Can hear the influence on Talking Heads here, particularly in the first track. Really strong start to the album but unfortunately it gets a bit boring towards the end.

5/10 I'm glad I listened. I like it. 11-12-2024

Lite skönt sound ändå. Energi och känsla. Men i slutändan räcker det inte så långt. Rent "bakgrundsljud". Inget jag skulle lyssna aktivt på.

Bra fart och lite kul lyssning, men generellt är inte det här en genre jag är helt såld på. Tycker det blir lite för hetsigt och stressigt emellanåt, men gillar samtidigt energin så blir en svag trea.

I don't think it is really for me

Boh

I got veeery into Fela back in the late 90s early 2000s bc his son Femi was doing loads of touring and I used to go and see him and his band all the time when they came to NYC - often til 3,4 in the morning - they were such a force! still have a flyer on my fridge for one of his shows in Bklyn : ) I actually won Fela's discography in a contest so I know his work very well - my faves often include his fantastic collabs with Ginger Baker, not this album. But man was he a force

This one jumps into your soul. I repeated it a few times throughout my day, and it added energy...I was plugged in.

The fact that this album started a political revolution and got hia.mother murdered is wild. Good stuff though!

I really appreciate a political album that can make us dance.

I enjoyed listening to this album but I think I enjoyed reading about his life more! 27 wives? Wow. I shall certainly check so if his other stuff.

Would love to listen to this again but high as fuck. Even on a long relaxing drive. I probably would not listen to it on my daily music consumption, but it does have a specific vibe it fits well with that jazzy afrobeat sound.

This is undoubtedly an impressive album but would not listen to it again. I cant relate to the artist and the music is reflective of the politics in Africa to which i have zero knowledge of. All in all its good just not my cup of tea.

I want more

Funky goodness

feels like a huge cornerstone of the jazz fusion stuff i listen to & ive never heard of fela kuti until now !! observation no crime stands out 4 me very good when i'm listening/remember to put it on but also feels like some of the songs are hard to stick in my brain/re-listenability is a bit questionable. time will tell

I would passively listen to this any time

Fun to listen to on a long drive home. 3/5

Uallalu!!!

3.5/5. This dude married 27 wives, was extremely critical of the Nigerian military which might’ve led to his mother’s murder.

Seems pretty standard Fela stuff

This starts brilliantly, a cool beat behind it, fun sax, and some real feeling in the lyrics. I like it a lot, but it's too much of the same thing, meandering around over and over, and that stops it from getting a properly good score. 3/5.

I can, without a doubt, say it’s the greatest Nigerian, anti-government, Afrobeat album I have ever heard.

This was groovy. Nice bakground working music.

For an album that is supposed to be so political in nature it is surprisingly upbeat in tone. It’s listed as “fusion” but I found it very “jazzy”. It is not I what I would consider regular listening material but it was enjoyable

Enjoyed this. Good working music. 7/10

This is the second album I got from Fela Kuti. I got to admit, the first album (Fela with Ginger Baker Live) immediately impressed me, but with this one I was initially put off, I don't know why. But I kept listening, and I have to say that I like this album too! The music is usually not my piece of cake, but boy if you listen carefully you cannot avoid to appreciate it. Favourite song: Zombie

Jazzy African vibes. Pretty good.

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.

Erinnert mich an die Hintergrundmusik von Tropico 5, wird aber mit der Zeit zu monoton

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.

I love this kind of jazz. A nice album with superb musicians.

Classic afro jazz album. I was expecting more, but not bad. Felt a bit repetitive.

Jazzy

Catchy afrobeats

Ok

Very good, but I don't feel like I need to listen again to get anything more out of it

This was cool. I now understand when people say the talking heads were inspired by Fela Kuti.

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

Quite repetitive, and music was a bit chaotic. But not horrible.

Fascinating story behind the album and interesting sound.

Awesome and jazzy. Listened to it the night I proposed to my future wife.

I can appreciate the musicianship and the artistry, but this is not my favorite genre.

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.

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.

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.

***An ok album

Liked it. Great sax in first tune

Sounds pretty funky

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

This was a decent jazz album. I had it on while working and really enjoyed it.

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

Not a lot of variety but I like what is there 3.5/5

I feel neutral about this

Pretty good

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.

Jazz is still weird. Talent, groove. Not my jam

В отличии от всяких комерсов типа Rage Against The Machine или Anti-Flag, вот этот старина внатуре ганстер. Шороху навел музыкой своей конкретно

Very cool

I enjoyed it

Title track is great.

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.

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

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.

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.

Vedi recensioni di Davide ed Erika :) (anche se mi sa che io darò 3/5)

I loved it. The guy was a legend in his own lifetime.

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.

A great intro to Fela Kuti and his music.

2.6/5, listened 2x, some solid material with just some weird jarring segments

Really cool jazz

Não é meu estilo mas entendo o apelo