Reviews (page 2 of 8)
WOW! who would’ve thought that bongos could be THIS good? i’m absolutely speechless after this experience. „bongo rock” is an incredible example of an album that i would never listen to if it wasn’t for this project - obviously not due to any aversion for bongos but i just wouldn’t find it. there were multiple times while listening to this record where i truly opened my mouth from the shock of how good it was. my definite favorite would have to be „last bongo in belgium” (smart play on „last tango in paris”!!). i’m so happy i found this album or rather that it found me, i am also really glad that i finally opened myself to listening to - or even more - liking music with no lyrics. i simply always focus on the lyrical layer of songs, but here i didn’t feel like i’m missing anything due to lack of it, as i did in the past.
This had me drumming on my steering wheel all day. Couldn’t stop smiling. Loved it.
Awesome and funky album.
its a very ambience focused album, very african and calming to the nervous system. very expressive and instrumental, afrofunky and afrofuturism with trails of brazil sound and coloumbiam and jamaican . love this body of work,a staple in my home
You want bongos? You've got 'em. I thought that this sounded like the soundtrack to some cheesy 70s action movie even before I read thats basically what it is. Drum beats that were used by the Beastie Boys, musical variations of The Rolling Stones (and borrowed by The Coup), and even some Iron Butterfly thrown in for good measure. Will this make my regular playlist? No. Did I enjoy the ride while it lasted? Absolutely.
Not available on Deezer, had to turn to YouTube. The music is so phenomenal that I couldn't even get that annoyed at the ads being thrown in every other track. I'm thinking about getting this one in a physical media format so I can enjoy it properly.
Trop bien !! Mille samples et HUGE Baby Driver energy
incredibly fun. happy it ended when it did, because it did start to get a little tedious.
Jaaa
Nice instrumental and laid back album. Repetitive at times, but great ambient.
Mélange d'originaux et de reprises très funk, forte place des percus (bongos...) qui en donne tout le sel
(5) I got a FEVA; and the only prescription is more bongos!
Didn't know I needed this much bongo in my life.
Songs: Bongo Lyrics: Bongo Drummer: Bongo Lead Vocalist: Bongo Guitars: Bongo "What?" - B O N G O!
Loved this
fun and awesome!
This album slaps. Not only are the saxes and guitars incredibly funky, but it manages to stay consistent the entire time and be incredibly engaging. The drums are an entirely different monster. The psychedelic mixing the bongos go under gives such a cool effect, scratching my brain. The actual kit's sound is absolutely amazing as well, and doesn't clash with the other percussion, which is impressive to pull off in such a crowded album instrument-wise. Such an enjoyable experience.
Instant classic covers album! Not a bad song in the bunch with each song song set to maximum funk!
Voted best album for listening to on headphones at high volume while browsing the aisles of Safeway on a Friday evening.
Love this album. Tons of different bongo beat instrumentals to choose from
Very instrumental and complex, I liked it 26/1/26
Okay I loved this
Sounds like the soundtrack to a car chase in a blaxploitation movie. Loved the beats. As someone who likes samples and musical connections, this was also cool to hear what inspired the beginnings of hip hop in the 70s (Apache). Besides the historical influence importance, i genuinely liked listening to it.
This really works as an album. These guys are white?
Hou ervan!!
This album rules so much.
It’s obviously a 10. Just go listen to it. That’s fucking electrifying. You can’t possibly hear that & come out of it feeling angry or disappointed unless you just hate music. That’s 33 minutes of some of the best instrumental music I’ve heard in my life. They are incredible, and it’s a super easy 10.
What a gem! This is the album this list was made for; I would've never listened to this album otherwise
Insanely good. I had heard of it, but never heard it. Crazy how much of it has been sampled. An all-timer vocal exhaustion listen. Gonna be listening to this quite a bit for the foreseeable future. Very fun listen, well-crafted songs performed incredibly well.
Love to hear this album. So much inspiration given to other songs and always love having instrumental albums to break up the listening & to read to.
Jay-Z may have released The Blueprint but this is THE BLUEPRINT for what would become hip hop. Essential listening.
A hidden gem! What a delight. Perfect in its way.
Really cool drums!
I got so damn excited when i saw the title of this, despite never hearing this before. Honestly, it met my high expectations.
Excelente. Divertido.
Love the Groove to the drums
Incredible indeed! Listened to the LP release first, then ran it back with the full track listing on spotify.
Love the horns, bongos, guitar riffs. In A Gada Da Vida track - chef's kiss. Wipeout. Apache. So good instrumentals. Listened before? N Saved tracks? N Favorite track? Lots of them ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Loved it.
As a big rap fan, this is of course getting a 5. Amazing music, so many recognizable samples, no wailing, I mean singing, just a spectacle all around. If I have to nitpick one thing, I do have to say that for me, Clive, the bongos are hitting almost too well, if anything. Had they dialed down the bongos and let some other instruments breathe a bit more, it could have been even better, but they're called Bongo Band after all.
What if bongos but too much?
magnifique
Well that was a big surprise. When this came up I thought what the hell have we got now. I loved it.
Love it, so cool and random. I can see how this was sampled heavily.
Incredible record. This very much reminds me of Booker T. & the M.G.’s where so much modern music is based off of these songs. You hear so much of this in movie soundtracks or hip hop samples or even just in rock songs from the era and beyond. I was picking up some James Brown, Santana in the mix, Iron Butterfly (didn't realize this was a direct rip off at first) and most obviously The Sugarhill Gang. The bongos are incredible, super fun to get transfixed in the beats and movement of it all. The psych guitar and rolling bass take you to space and also keep you on earth while you're brain just goes to town on those bongos. This was a blasty blasty. I feel like I need to do a specialized listen with headphones and herb.
Fun and well done!
f you love hip hop and you've never listened to this madness you absolutely should. Apache is the obvious one but there are a bunch of other tracks here that have been sampled into oblivion. A the-good-drugs-from-the-early-70s-fuelled instrumental masterpiece.
A legendary album with some of the greatest drums ever made.
5/5 Non stop funky rock bongo fun!
First song I think, “oh this I a cover of jump on it. No wait, jump on it must sample it. Okay cool.” Me - going to the bathroom Kori, through the door: “this album is great” Agreed
One late night in high school I was hanging out at my friend’s house. His parents were sleeping and we didn’t want to piss them off. So we listened to the radio outside in my friend’s driveway smoking dope. Listening to late night CBC radio, the only station that came on in High Bluff with anything good to listen to at the time. The song “those are not my bongos” by the band fuck played. When I saw today’s album included bongos, I was hoping it was that random band I heard nearly 20 years ago. Alas, The Incredible Bongo Band is not fuck. But fuck those bongos from The Incredible Bongo Band are the backbone of so much iconic music. I don’t think I have ever listened to the original source of so many samples that are all over music history. I guess drums are pretty universal to music samples so it makes sense The Incredible Bongo band is so widely sampled. The first notable sample to me was Apache which obviously is a main sample for Jump on It. Turns out Sugar hill Gang sampled incredible bongo band for the same track title Apache. Then sir mix a lot sampled sugar hill gang to make jump on it 🤯. Fun fact the same track was sampled by Nas, Jay-z, and Kanye. But this album alone was sampled with various other artists including The Beastie Boys, Fat Boy Slim, Buck 65 (another CBC throwback iykyk - likely the radio host that late night evening in highschool), N.W.A, Massive Attack, The Chemical Brothers and more! I really enjoyed this album and absolutely agree you should listen to it before you die. If possible a late night listen with friends having some fun.
Super fun, drum and beat filled album - really fun!
Oh that was fuuuuun!
An hour of the bongo equivalent of the Amen break. Is this what heaven feels like?
Changed my life
OK ÇA C'EST MON JAM! J'adore les albums instrumentales funks jazzy, pis il y en a tellement peu dans cette liste que quand je tombe dessus ça fesse encore plus. Seul bémol; le mix de l'album original est un peu flat, je recommande la version 40e anniversaire qui semble agir en remaster en plus d'ajouter des tracks bonus assez chanmé, j'ai envie de dire Aussi, leur cover d'In a Gadda Da Vida >>>>>l'original
Great
Yeah. This is pretty good.
Awesome. Loved the progressions, whole thing was great!!
# Playlist Track - Apache # Notes - "Apache" takes me back. WAY Back! - The entire thing is super cool! It's a really unique sound and, against all odds of it's somewhat silly premise, it's incredibly fun and -save for a few longer solos- chill. Recommend!
Amazing
Unironically loved it. Last bongo in Belgium a highlight. Bit long for a bongo album. Filled me with joy
The most satirical rock n roll group ever. Just plain strange. The Beatles - probably John - loved them. John , you can love anything you want. That's why you were a genius!!
Exactly what I needed for my Sunday morning coffee and dog walking. I've been music first as long as I can remember and have delved deeper into instrumental music as I've gotten older. Never heard of the Incredible Bongo Band and I'm really digging this. In A Gadda Da Vida is the highlight for me. I listened to this a few times and enjoyed it so much I listened to their 2nd album too.
Блять, как же это хорошо
Thank you for reminding me of this great album
You could give a room full of monkeys with typewriters a trillion years to come up with a better name for this band and they would not succeed.
5/5. Now this is that good stuff, this is what soundtracks are made out of. I know these are just regular tracks but I love that big band, multiple instruments tracks, like instrumental Chicago or Santana songs. The fun jams and bongos go crazy, this just hits that right energy I'm looking for in music to dance to. Was this a very inventive or original album? Not really. But it was fun as hell to listen to. If anyone else is reading this, and liked this album, you should check out Brown Sabbath, similar type of covers to Black Sabbath songs. Best Song: Apache, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Bongolia
Impressively modern sound
It's a bit unreal how good this is. I saw the title, thought okay here we go, and within a couple of minutes on the first song went "wait did Bowie sample this on The Next Day". What a rabbit hole to see how much this influenced and shaped so much music. Cool sound, but the creativity all over won me over a lot more than I expected. This is probably a 4 but my heart is voting today.
I was excited to see this pop up knowing it's relation to hip hop. Recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Such a snack of an album. A great easy listen, did about 4 listens today. Just really good energy. Last Bongo in Belgium was a stand out track for me.
I've spent a lot of time looking into the roots of hip-hop and rap. I found out about this album back in the mid 1990's and was able to buy a copy several years later (an original too, I don;t think it had been been re-released/re-pressed by then). As much as Apache is the most well-known track on the album, all of the tracks are really solid. It just reeks of the 1970's.
Percussive bangers
Loved it
Amazing. I don't care if they were covers, you could have told me these were the originals. Super sick. Saved.
Yes, incredible.
Deze had ik niet op de lijst verwacht. Alleen om "Apache" natuurlijk al de moeite waard, maar de plaat is van begin tot eind ijzersterk. De samples vliegen je om de oren en drums klinken zo modern, nog altijd. Zelfs de lange "In a Gadda da Vida" cover pakt goed uit.
et bah c'est trop bien, voici mon premier 5
Break beats to make beats A funk album to inspire Next gen of music
I didn't know I needed this.
Kinda fuckin gas
This is a new one on me, but I loved it. I actually ended up listening to a later release of it which is an extended version with a bunch of other tracks.
muito bom, me surpreendi positivamente
I've gone 35.5 years without knowing this group existed. This album was amazing! I was worried when I saw it was bongo music and over an hour long... but not once I started listening! Unreal. Absolute 5. I could listen to that all day.
APACHE!!
Be sure you listen to the original album with 8 tracks and not the rerelease with 26. I suspect all the reviews complaining about this album being too long were listening to the rerelease. Now, if 30 min of bongos is too much for you, I can respect that, but I thought it was pretty fun
Great album. Enjoyed it
Yesterday I complained that the worst thing about Morrissey is his lyrics. Today I was blessed with an hour of funky-ass instrumentals!
Really good album.
Funky and hella fun! 4.5 stars
This is just fun. And sounds like a sampler’s paradise
Makes me wanna bongo some more!
This was a ton of fun. I could listen to 6 hours of this stuff.
Oh, so THIS is where all those samples came from. Solid. 5/5
I wasn't sure what to rate this. I won't give it a 5 as its mostly covers but... Imagine if an alien came to Earth and said "We have been studying the instrument known as bongos from afar. Bring me your best bongo album or I will vaporize you. The fate of your entire planet rests on my opinion of this album." It would be this album. It has to be the best album to have bongos in every track. It's a 4. Fuck it actually let's go 5.
The bongos absolute rock. I was afraid going into this album that it was going to be strictly bongos and no other instrument, but I was completely mistaken. That was some awesome funk/horn/bongo combo explosion for 30 straight minutes. The In a Gadda Da Vida cover was awesome. Not normally something I think I would give a 5 but this was such a unique and fun album that I absolutely want to hear again
Awesome funk!
Loved the vibes
go to whosampled, look up incredible bongo band, enjoy also - getting The Incredible Bongo Band and The Incredible String Band in the same week is pretty funny
Why, yes, I did do the hip thing in my driver’s seat. Why do you ask?
Those bongos were pretty incredible
Should be called incredible band with bongos
This album is fantastic. I had no idea this is where a lot of drum samples came from.
I enjoyed it I can’t lie
Not as groovy as I was hoping, but still pretty fun!
Didn’t know I needed this album to be so productive. I might take up bongos.
Very glad I came back to listen to this. It makes me regret giving out 5 stars all Willy nilly before because this albums 5 is watered down by the others.
Groovy beats. Very nice drums!
So much fun! Just a cool album end to end. Love the drum beats. 4.5/5
inc
Very good, did not know they made those iconic songs
Not what I wanted a Bongo band album to sound like but it’s a change from the norm, I will say that. I was expecting hippy bongo jamming but got funk bongo jamming. I was surprised to already know “Apache” with the song “Jump on it” clearly influenced by it. For the genre, this is a passing grade. This is a perfect background soundtrack for anything. Maybe not a funeral Maybe not during sex….well, I guess it could be. I must still have Bon Jovi ringing in my head. This is really a fun album. You forget that there’s no singing on it and that is usually important to me. Whatever, this is good, listen to it Choice cut: Dueling Bongos
This is an oddity. Super cool. Just shows how Post-Modernity has reshaped the world.
Great samples, percussion. Easy to listen to.
Excellent.
What the hell, this actually slaps
Loved it!
Great album - the best jingle ever (only old germans will remember)
muy wenon, que viva la percusión percutadora. 9/10
A treasure. Loved it.
Loved this!
Real interesting album. Did not realize the influence this album had on music as a whole.
Easily the best ever bongo rock album ever made. Nothing touches this masterpiece. Sampled in hundreds of songs, this album if filled with superb playing from all mystery studio musicians who played on this
The sort of groovy music that you'll hear at a retro club all nighter, mixed in with psych, freakbeat, ska and soul etc. Yeah maybe it's a bit kitsch, but I love it for just that reason. Fab stuff
Loved this absoutly crazy just for Apache alone!
This absolutely rules. Not a still booty in the house.
GREAT ALBUM! Apache is in my top 5 all-time songs. Trying to find this in LP and 8-track
I signed up for this project to expand my musical horizons and I gotta say that unfortunately giving an album with a seven minute long bongo-centric cover of In a Gadda da Vida is pretty par for the course for me.
Loved it so 70s retro
I never would have thought I'd love a bongo band so much. This is so filthy. Funky as hell.
This is one of those albums that I would never have decided to sit down and listen to in its entirety had it not been part of this project. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised. Well— I wouldn’t say *surprised*. It was exactly what I expected when I saw the name and cover. Still, it was good and I’m happy to have listened to it. I listened to the first few songs around 3pm on my way home from a fairly decent day. I got my coffee, I arrived to work early enough to grab something for breakfast. I worked at Cornivores in Dino Land and after my 15 I worked at Feeding Ground in Discovery Island. Made some people happy, saw a few princesses, and went home on time. I enjoyed the addition of vocals in Kiburi, Pt. 1. I also enjoyed the mixture of familiar songs and ones that they made.
Love this!!! Ashamed I wasn’t aware and already a fan of this, by name, before now. As a band geek, I was definitely familiar with the music, just unaware of the band or album by name. Fantastic album - perfect for working to or jamming on a road-trip!
I am not Generation Z, but this album is a mood no cap
Oh god, im the target audience for bongo rock.
Love this. Bongos and Hammond organs playing classic track!
Zacne bębenki
Fun album to listen to on my way back into the office after the holidays. I've never heard of this group but I knew Apache immediately.
Hell yeah brother
This exceeded all my expectations! Didn't know how this could work but it does!
Awesome beats, nice discovery !
An utterly joyful album. Made me smile from start to finish.
I fucking love this!
fuck yeah loved it
Wow, just soooo incredibly funky! Haters gonna hate but the percussion on this is off the charts. Fantastic album, a reason to embark on the 1001 project is to find gems like this. So many samples!!
Never knew Bongo Rock was a thing or that I needed bongo covers of songs, glad I know now. I particularly enjoyed In a Gadda Da Vida.
Did NOT expect to like this one going into it. Ended up really enjoying it. Good instrumentals, and the covers I think were solid.
HOLY SHIT
This was really good. Didn't know what to expect, but good beats were definitely not on the card. Simply great.
Surprised to find this was excellent
baita sonzao instrumental, bongo mandando lenha
wow! didn't see this one coming, flawless for what it is, maybe it's an embarrassment of riches bit but wtf, it's bongos
Loved it
Bongos
Bongo’s kept-a-bongoing
Great album, like the ultimate backing track. I really was put off by the name of the band and album thinking it would be something gimmicky but it really works.
F$cking amazing!
Epic, I like it very much.
Yeah I knew about Apache and Bongo Rock but wasn't expecting to spot a famous sample in almost every single track on the whole album! An essential history lesson that also happens to be a great album in its own right.
10/10, one of the best instrumental albums I've ever listened to. No notes other than 'everything is perfect'
I mean, funky bongos?!? What more could one possibly ask for???
Funktastic! Highly recommend!
WHAT IS THIS?! I’ve never heard of Incredible Bongo Band, but I am a big big fan of this sort of thing. The album does not disappoint. Great bongo-centric covers and tunes that were new to me, leaning heavily into the bongos, horns and organ. I loved every minute and spent the day grooving around my house to the crazy beats. A welcome addition to my musical library!
I came here to listen to bongos and kick ass.
Je moet wel heel erg van bongo's houden, wil je dit leuk vinden. Gelukkig hou ik heel erg van bongo's. Lekkere jaren 70-funk met trompetten, wah-wah-gitaren, een orgeltje, en... bongo's. Wat wil je nog meer?
Genre: Bongo Rock Review: That was brilliant. Apache is the one that screams (read: "percusses") at you from the get-go, but it's all pretty damn good. The combo of bongo and rock is so cool. Loved the covers of famous rock songs like "In A Gadda Da Vida" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" too. Rating: 9/10
As a big time hip-hop fan, did this album influence almost every album because there is so many melodies that I've heard before in other songs. In other words, this album itself is so damn groovy.
FUCK YES
Wow, so many instrumental hits here.
What just happened? An instrumental album featuring the bongos was going to start off ok, then get boring quickly. Nope! Not in the least. It's an ode to the rhythm section with some of the greatest rearrangements of popular songs. Especially the surf songs. Particularly Pipeline. This was such a wonderful surprise.
I guess it will be the first time I'll rate an instrumental album with the maximum rate, but this one was so unexpected that it deserves it. It is so jazzy and so funky that it's impossible to listen to it without enjoying at least one song.
5/5 why not. Funky! Pretty damn good. I would get down to this.
funk/jazzy BONGO SOLO?
Don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting this. I rather like it.
Really relaxing music, i enjoyed it very much..
Even if the principal instrument is a bongo and the rest of the music are percussions it isn't repetitive. This album have the videogame soundtrack vibes, the only issue is the duration, it's really long but enjoyable
They live up to the name
BONGOTASTIC
Really beautiful music to listen to at any time
What a hilariously fun album. No complaints here!
Drums goes Boom, bongo goes bam bam bam! Everything goes wild. Tchick tchack, party up badaboum!! Pouet Pouet
Oingo boingo
Lots of good stuff on this. Lots of bongo. 😅
Is het omdat Dranouter nog wat in mijn lijf zit bij het raten van dit album? Of vind ik gewoon erg goed? Goed veel koper, bongobeats en af en toe een stevig gitaartje
This one was an absolute banger. 10/10 will listen again daily. Only criticism is could have done with a few more bongo.
Classic - dueling bongos and apache. Used as the basis for many songs and samples
Really fun and funky instrumentals. Can just groove to it!
This was pure joy, gave me a great start to the day. From the sleaze of the Satisfaction cover (it's filthy) to brilliant whole song drum solos. Felt a bit like the music to a terrible British port comedy from the 70s at points, but I'll allow that.
So many juicy samples for other artists to pluck from the Incredible Bongo Tree. Great to hear the originals.
BINGO BANGO BONGO BOMBOCLAT ALL TIME GREAT HOT HOT HOT HOT FIYAAA
Beyond the vey popular first song, there are some awesome tracks in here. Definitely a cool trip thru various genres
4 stars
Das hat gelutscht um tbh zu sein. 5 sterne für den apache break
Como não amar?!
Realmente é uma álbum incrível. Uma mistura de ritmos, mas com uma assinatura sonora interessante e marcante.
1973 - FUNK; Rare Groove; R&B
What an incredible bongo band
Absolute great stuff
:kneel:
Amazing.
Loved it! Very easy to tap along to so probably not the best album for work times
Really liked this one!
Very solid
10/10 Would vibe again.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this. It was not what I was expecting at all. Really funky. A cracker!
Albums like this is the reason why I'm doing this. This is some fun music. 5RS
It was way to fun to listen to
Didn’t get a chance to listen to this one, but… come on, it’s Bongo Rock. Five Stars.
i wasn't expecting *that*
When I saw the title I thought I wasn’t gonna like this. However it’s a banger, a proper toe tapper. So yeah it’s on my summer rotation now
I know this is in some ways a novelty/gimmick album, but I'm really impressed how much fun it is, not to mention having the breakout single "Apache", the all-time most sampled track *ever*. I'm not sure I've ever heard anything else from this album before, and certainly never seen "The Thing with Two Heads" (apparently the impetus behind the album and the origin of "Bongolia" and "Bongo rock"), so it's nice to get a blast of funky bongos and tunes that sounds fresh and new to me. I'm also struck by how *modern* the beats and effects sound, especially given that it's over 50 years old. I'm really torn between three and four stars, but notwithstanding the all-instrumental (and cover) aspect, and the fact that not even Michael Viner could remember who played on the album, it's got a groove and sound that few bands seem to have matched. It also make me kind of curious about watching the documentary "Sample This".
It does what it says in the tin - I'd give it the 5 stars if I couldn't believe the bongos but I could.
8/10 One day in 1972, a film producer realised that his latest B movie, The Thing With Two Heads, was short a bit of music. I know, says Michael Viner, why don’t we form a band that covers a load of popular tunes, but through the lens of bongos? Who would’ve thought that that course of events could provide the sample fodder that would form the basis of hip-hop and dance music for decades to come. This album is so influential in such a unique and unexpected way that it’s hard to see it as its own thing these days. As tracks slip by, breakbeats just pop up all over the place that you’ve heard so many times in the past that it’s a remarkable journey. Setting that aside, there’s a lot of musical quality here. There’s funky grooves, jazzy interludes and flurries of percussion that shift, evolve and entertain throughout. Yes, it does get a little drum heavy in places (who’d have thunk it?), but it’s not just bongos, there are cool guitar riffs, slinky organ parts and punchy horn hooks all over the shop too. Some bits are a bit on the cheesy side, others lean more towards soundtrack soul, but there’s just a little something special about it that lets you set that to one side and go along for the ride. Is it a perfect album? No. Is it a weird concept? Absolutely. Is it a critical and fundamental moment of musical history? Without a doubt. And it’s a load of fun too. Let There Be Drums - This is a cool, drum heavy surf-rock edged track. It doesn’t offer a vast amount of tonal content, but what it does has a cool groove and there’s good range to the drumming through the different sections. It’s not vastly varied, but it’s also only two and a half minutes long, so doesn’t need to be. Apache - This is the source of one of the most sampled drum loops of all time. Who knew that a cover of a Shadows track on which Cliff Richard played the Chinese drum would have this kind of life? It’s a solid, funky 70s cut that has, as you would expect, some absolutely fantastic, in the pocket drums and percussion. But it also has a couple of absolutely fantastic hooks from the horns and organ. There’s so much feel and vibe to this track and even in the percussion focused sections, it has enough range to the playing that it manages to stay interesting and hold the groove superbly. Great track. Bongolia - Continuing on from Apache, this is another excellent funk instrumental. It has great hooks, engaging rhythms and a quality vibe. There’s a great deal of swagger to the playing and the instrumental parts call and respond brilliantly. The beat does get a bit too cluttered at the end, though, and it then fades out kind of out of nowhere, which is a bit weird. Last Bongo In Belgium - The pace drops a bit here and we drift a touch into somewhere closer to jazz fusion. It’s cool stuff, but does stray a little onto the cheesy side of the ledger in places. There’s a great bass line, and some of the guitar is played with so much feel that you can almost see the stank face of the guitarist in your mind’s eye. While the pace of this is slower, it digs into a dirty, groovy funk rhythm that’s super engaging. The phased drums are so good and the whole jam is just a great vibe. Excellent work. Dueling Bongos - It’s quite funny to do a cover of duelling banjos with bongos. There’s some cool stuff in here and the production is really nice, with some cool use of reverb to create depth to the track. But it is also a drum only track, and everyone knows the drum solo is a chance for the rest of the band to have a wee or a line of coke. That’s not to take away from the quality of the drumming, which is excellent, but it’s not necessarily an every day listen, is it? In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - More classic 70s soundtrack funky soul now. It’s a slower paced effort that has a decent groove and some great riffs, but those riffs do get a bit repetitive due to the fact that much of the soloing over the top is quite… weird. Then we get stuck into some more great breakbeat stuff that grooves and rolls well but is somewhat limited by the fact that it’s more drumming for a couple of minutes. It’s pretty bloody good drumming though. And when we get out of the back of it, we get back into some more soundtrack funk again, which is really satisfying. Not a bad track, if a little dragged out. Raunchy '73 - This is a more proggy effort and jumps through a great range of sections and sounds through its relatively short run time. The guitar work in particular is mean and driven, but there are quality performances all over the shop. The groove is great and, yeah, it’s melodically quite cheesy, but it’s really well executed. Bongo Rock '73 - Another classic to finish. Everything about this is quality, it’s well balanced, the beats are brilliant and the horn sections are wonderful. Again, cheesy and soundtracky, like something you’d hear on a Sunday sports broadcast, but it’s still great fun and a top way to close out the record.
This was a very enjoyable listen. Some nice fusion music on some of the songs with others featuring those mad bongo drum rhythms.
Somewhat familiar with this one. I think any hip-hop fan will recognize the samples this record produced at least. Bongo drumming at this level is oddly mesmerizing to listen to. Add in the reverb guitar and other brass instruments, and you've got a fun time! Might be a tad overbearing at times, but where else are you gonna hear a bongo-based cover of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida?
Ingredients: May contain bongos.
buen ritmo
This album is litterally a long bongo solo with some other instruments on top. Probably the dumbest concept in the best way. How can one not love that.
77/100. Certain creations acquire a second life through the imaginations of others. Their legacy lies not only in what they are, but in what they make possible. The title does not lie. You get exactly what is advertised, bongo rock. Incredible Bongo Band deliver a completely instrumental record that blends rock, funk, jazz, and relentless percussion into something that is both surprisingly simple and incredibly enjoyable. It is a fun concept on paper, but what makes the album work is how naturally those percussion-heavy arrangements fit within the rock and funk framework. There is also a slightly mysterious quality to the music. Even when the songs are upbeat, there is an atmosphere that makes the record feel a little adventurous and unpredictable, almost like the soundtrack to some lost 70s action film. It is also impossible to talk about this record without mentioning its influence. Tracks such as Apache and Bongo Rock became foundational breakbeats for early hip-hop DJs and producers.
Cool, funky, very 70s. I had lots of fun listening to this, which is not something I experience often with this list. Bongolia, Last Bongo in Belgium, Dueling Bongos, Bongo Rock, bongos bongos bongos. Just makes me smile to listen to, even without playing Guess The Sample.
Est ce que j'ai eu peur que ça soit 1h de bongo sans rien autour? Oui Est ce que le bongo rock? Oui Est ce que je bongo rock? Oui Est ce que c'est long ? Oui Est ce que c'est un 3 à cause de la durée? Oui Est ce que c'était un album deluxe et je ne le savais pas? Oui Est ce que c'est un 4 dans ce cas? Ooooooouuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiiiii
Parfaite transition vers Clandestino ? Playlist pick : Bongolia
a 1970s dance funk album with a lot of... well... bongos and congas in addition to the other typical funk band instruments. its most famous track "apache" has one of the most sampled breakbeats ever recorded in history. some delightfully dated, funky jazzy dancehall tracks that could probably work for dance parties, rollerblading events or bowling nights. it's pretty alright, you really can't go wrong with these instrumental funk records from back in the day, but as great as it sounds, i feel like at times it's less of a proper album by an artist or band and more of a soundtrack for some raunchy action movie that came out around that time. bouncy bongo beats all 'round.
Well now wasn’t this fun
This is a hard one to rate as its importance is immense in terms of rap samples alone. It was weird to listen and hear it from both sides; a cover album with bongos and a source for samples elsewhere. It was as if you were hearing two things at once. The listening experience itself was lots of fun. Also reminded me of hooked on classics and other late 60s and early 70s exotica. I like cocktail music and for this alone, this rates as a 4.
This is such a wonderfully weird album, there’s so much odd stuff about this that I love. Like cmon man, it’s by the Incredible Bongo Band. Also the way it’s rooted itself in hip hop is so cool, it’s just so fun I love that this exists. Favorites: Apache, Let There Be Drums, Last Bongo in Belgium
Am I a bongo guy now?
Was surprised by this one for sure. Found myself moving and grooving to these bongo beats. Really great listen on a summer day.
I was afraid this was gonna be nothing but bongos 😋. But it was pretty good. Fun. Cool covers. 4
If you love bongos, man do we have an album for you.. I definitely pre-judged based on some song titles though it turned out to be the perfect soundtrack I needed to do some chores.
Great music, very enjoyable listen
This was a band and album I'd never heard of and I was hesitant prior to listening. And once again one of those "I'm so glad I'm doing this project" records! This was so cool! Who knew bongo rock would be so much fun to listen to? And who knew that In A Gadda Da Vida could actually be a listenable (and actually fun) song? There was not a bad track on here and each one had enough stylistic differences to make it all so enjoyable.
A little rock, a little funk, and a whole lot of bongo. This is a genuinely fun album from start to finish. It’s got a great upbeat flow, never takes itself too seriously, and just feels like a group of musicians having a blast. I wasn’t surprised at all to see that it was Harry Nilsson on keyboards for this.
Very cool, has a feeling, liked it.
You know what, I DID need to hear that before I die. Apache is always a good time. In A Gadda Da Vida, seriously? The bongos themselves only add so much but at the end of the day there’s some fun funky covers in here.
Pro bono pro bongo
This album ended up being a lot of fun.
What a great sound. The percussion, the brass, the synth, the guitar... Such a confident combo, a life affirming sound. It's the sort of music you'd want to have a school band tackle if they could manage it because it would be a joy to be able to play as an ensemble. Very distinctive as a 70s sound but also kind of timeless.
"I love to play my bongos in the moooorning!"
This record sounds like a Tarantino film. All sepia-toned as I'm racing down a deserted highway in my 72 Nova to exact revenge on those who wronged me. With Ray-Bans on. Gotta have those Ray-Ban aviators when the Bongos and horns start slapping.
Great instrumental covers of some great tunes. Much more Incredible than the String Band.
Delightful. Sampler's paradise. This is such a fun listen, and had me dancing around like a fool.
niceee( für Hintergrund Musik)
Was expecting this to be far more intense on the bongo front, but not really. Not as much as a novelty act as you would expect and is actually good 3.5*
I was running around town while moving and it made it feel like a little movie soundtrack to my day
This was so much frickin fun and also totally incomprehensible to me until I read more about its place in the history of studios, session musicians, and hip hop. Until then I felt like I could have been listening to anything from the world's greatest session musicians messing around smoking a joint to an alternate universe where all muzak was made by Santana. Anyway, a great example of why we are all in this project -- helped me better understand where a lot of my favorite music comes from.
This album was as incredible as promised. The whole thing was a journey through the sunshine, and I was left feeling better for having listened to it. Favorite Song: Wipeout
This band is perfectly named; they play the bongos and they are incredible! Really fun album and beautifully mixed. Always a blast hearing drums and percussion at the forefront of a record. Favorite track: In A Gadda Da Vida
While several of these are covers and it's little more than bongo fever, it's a pretty impressive collection all things considered. 3.5/5 -> 4/5
Super fun. Makes me want to befriend two short bald men and use their heads as bongos.
i was expecting something more boring or generic or basic, considering how these instrumentals seemed to me as nothing more than the prehistorical pieces of modern music. But to their merit, they are so catchy and fun and dynamic and entertaining, that they can stand by themselves. Listening to this while playing Death Stranding totally changed the mood and dynamic of the game. And i think that attest to the power of this music, not only as sampleable, but as music by itself
Fun
-Sehr gute funky beats -mal was instrumentales -gute Brass, Hammond Orgel und Bass Teile
Bongotastisch
la mejor vibra
I know these song! Never heard of the band though. Bookmarking this!
Best bongo-themed album I listened to all day.
This was cool to listen to! Lots of "Oh yeah I guess that's where that sample came from" throughout. And it was pretty easy to groove to as well.
# Album Name: Incredible Bongo Band # Artist: Bongo Rock # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: I strangely enjoyed this one. Lots of fucking bongos i guess. But very funky, good vibes. Not something id listen to all the time mind ya. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? Yes
I really liked this. Who would have guessed?
I had a lot of fun listening to this record. The origin of so many classic rap songs
This is so perfectly itself and of its time! Favourite tracks ‘Apache’ and ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’.
This was a pretty fun album.
Felt very sceptical going into this - I mean bongos?!?! surely that would make for a rubbish album. Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong, this was so good!
It's really cool to see the origins of so many famous samples, and some great covers to top it off.
The Rosetta Stone of sampling is also a kick-ass groove by itself. My joy in hearing where the Beastie Boys got that track is equaled by my ass shaking to the killer beats and breaks. If you can make “In-a-Gadda-da-Vida” sound actually good, my friend you can do anything.
4 Bongo bongo
jesus christ. so many bongos. at least it's able to live up to its name. if i were to rate it based on the length i would've gone lower, but the music is too good for that
leopointing.gif
Highlights: Let There Be Drums, Apache, Bongolia, In a Gadda Da Vida, Raunchy, Bongo Rock Going into this record I knew that it is often used as a hip-hop sample library, but didn't have any high expectations. However on first track already I found it to be pretty dope. For whatever reason the first track on streamers isn't the same as the one on the official track list. Don't know why and what to think of that... I expected a lot less of the rock, but the title sure didn't lie. I also expected that all of the tracks would be originals, but there is a good number of covers too, if not all of them (I didn't check every track). Interesting to see how musical ideas circulate around. I don't recognize what the unique instrument in Raunchy is, but it kinda sounds like a mix of a moog and organs and since I like both of them that's a nice addition. Overall an interesting listen. It was nice that it doesn't have a long runtime (if you go by the LP track list and not the one available on streamers). Can't say that I'll revisit it for sure but I certainly wouldn't mind doing so. Highlights were dope and they will remain in rotation. The current rating is a bit generous, but a 3 would be too low as well.
Merci Omar
Strong start! Bongo awayyyy! Then it gets more rock with some great guitars. Later you get a killer bongo battle... what's not to loveeee
Very low expectations for this album to be quite honest. I just can’t imagine a bongo album is going to blow me away. Apache is classic, but a stadium classic not a great song classic. We cat be adding this album to the list just for Apache. It’s fun for sure, just not what I’m looking for. Let there be drums is fine. I have a feeling that’s will be my thoughts for a lot of the songs. The music is good but not good enough on its own to warrant being in this list. Good guitar on bongolia, drums are basically the same as Apache. Last bongo is a good song. I wish there were lyrics but that guitar is really good. Really good sax too. And it just keeps going. A ballad with no words. 3 songs in and I’ve done a 180. Dueling bongos is an apt name. Really talented stuff. Ok song. In a gadda da vida is fire. Sick guitar/bass. Great horns again. You forget abt the bongos but they’re tapping along too. Another song that just keeps going and stays good through out. Raunchy 73 is pretty good. I really like that keyboard solo in the middle. Another really catchy beat. I have to go back to what I said earlier, I wish there were lyrics on some of these. Bongo rock is a really good pop tune with no singer. Could’ve been great. Trumpet on sing sing sing is so good. Cool bass line. This one does kind of sound like a movie score. I mean these beats are just good there’s not much more to say. The fact that these were made in the 70s is crazy. Satisfaction is banger. I like the version with lyrics better though. Wipeout is almost an extension of satisfaction. Really good guitar solo followed by bongo solo. Another good song. Okey dokey is fun, honestly a bit of a different sound at the beginning. Funky guitar and then it turns into the full on production that we see throughout. Great way to end the album. Completely blown away. Worth the listen. 4 stars.
learn your roots! listen to this album!!
One of my favorite instrumental albums ever? I couldn't believe how much fun I had listening to this. Hope to return to it often.
Fascinating gimmick album. Something that started as a throw away side project became one of the cornerstones of hip-hop and sample music. Incredible story of things having their own life way past their theoretical expire date. That being said for drum lovers such as myself, this is a great album in and of itself. Drums and percussion taking the centre stage is something I have to love and admire. It might not be extremely listenable or enjoyable if you're not into just beats and instrumental flow. So I understand it's not for every palate. But I fully understand how it got a cult following.
3.5 Stars Positively SHOCKED at how much I enjoyed this. When I saw this pop up and hit play, I was convinced it would be a 1, maybe 2 star album that I wasn't into. Am I going to come back to it much? Probably not, but seriously, what a pleasant surprise. That being said, though, it's way too long. Cut 2-3 tracks off this thing and call it a day.
I was pleasantly surprised that this was not *just* bongos, despite that bongo-forward band name, album title, and song list. Really dug the vibe on this one!
Fun and energetic with some solid funk and a lot of bongo. Mostly really enjoyable. And a Grandmaster Flash hook-up as well.
My first though was "bongo rock?", but this is great!
What a delight!
Fun
7 - GOOD
I enjoyed this a lot, and I imagine it would be even more fun if I knew enough hip hop to spot all the bits that have been sampled. I did spot something I knew from Bentley Rhythm Ace.
Very enjoyable instrumental music
Way more fun than I expected! It's got great energy and it's absolutely hypnotising (which the haters would call "being repetetive"). A great piece of music history and a definite recommendation.
I didn't have bongo funk on the album bingo card today, but thought it was great. Apparently lots of weird and interesting stuff came out the year I was born, which might explain a thing or two.
apache was so familiar but i had a hard time placing the sample i knew was in some hip hop song or two in my head. turns out it has been sampled over 300 times (!) according to whosampled.com.
it sure is lowk fire af. more songs need bongos
01) Let There Be Drums - 8,0 02) Apache - 8,5 03) Bongolia - 7,5 04) Last Bongo in Belgium - 7,5 05) Dueling Bongos - 6,0 06) In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - 8,5 07) Raunchy '73 - 7,5 08) Bongo Rock '73 - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,63 (76/100) Current ranking: 321/825
Once thought a concept that quickly ran out of ideas, this proved me wrong by song 2 and just evolved into an awesome album. Very good work mr bongo
Different and surprisingly fun
Man, this was good stuff. I'd never heard of them before but I will be mixing this into a Pandora station for future listening. I am not sure if with a few more listeners this could be a 5 or not. So maybe when I repeat
Zapravo nije loše koliko sam mislio da će biti, dosta pesama je ustvari odrađeno uz ceo bend. Čak i ove pesme gde samo lupa u bongose nisu loše. Realno u celom albumu nema loše pesme jer bukvalno nemaju šta da zajebu. Ocena za album je 4/5
This is really good music. The bongos truly do rock. However, this is mostly covers. Good covers, sure, but it lacks a little originality.
Vibes - didnt know this contained the Jump On It sample
I didn't k la what to expect other than bongos and I am so happy all I got was bongos.
Fun if you like bongos, which I do.
Much better than expected. The title didn’t lie, there were some bongos
For anyone interested in the history of hip-hop, and therefore the history of popular music from 1973 onward, this is essential listening, if only for their cover of Jerry Lordan's 'Apache,' containing the most important breakbeat this side of James Brown's 'Funky Drummer.' The rest of the original eight-track set is an underrated yet underwhelming collection of instrumentals, underrated b/c they ought to be heard, possessing some real-deal energy, especially on 'Last Bongo in Belgium,' but underwhelming b/c you're almost waiting for the rapping to start. What's weird is the sense you get that this record was made to be sampled, that the point of the project was to supply the future of music w/ a plethora of percussive possibilities & breakdowns.
Groovy
Was a bit sceptical going in to this one. It’s an odd concept. But it’s fun and funky and had me shaking my booty. A nice surprise!