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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Live!

Fela Kuti

1971

Live!

Album Summary

Live! is an album recorded in 1971 by Fela Kuti's band Africa '70, with the addition of former Cream drummer Ginger Baker on two songs. It was released in 1971 by EMI in Africa and Europe and by Capitol/EMI in the United States and Canada. It was reissued on CD by Celluloid in 1987 and was reissued on CD in remastered form by Barclay with a bonus track from 1978. Baker travelled with Kuti into Africa in a Land Rover to learn about the continent's rhythms, as documented in Tony Palmer's film Ginger Baker in Africa (1971). The bonus track on the Barclay CD reissue features a 16-minute drum duet between Baker and Africa '70's drummer Tony Allen recorded at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival. The album is on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 greatest live albums of all time. The album is also included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.44

Votes

18544

Genres

  • Funk
  • Soul
  • World

Reviews

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Jan 27 2021
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5

I give this 28 stars--one for each of his wives.

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May 27 2021
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5

This is why I’m doing this project to hear albums like this that I would never otherwise be exposed. This is awesome from the start.

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Feb 18 2022
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5

This album has a fantastic start and then just keeps going. Very funky and jammy with great rhythms. Didn't even notice the songs are 12 min long! Just a fun, and well-rounded album.

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Oct 17 2022
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5

I’m not sure what other Fela Kuti records are on this list, so I’m gonna take this opportunity to say that Fela Kuti was a certified badass. A legitimately revolutionary musician, from a political stand point, but also musically. If you’re unfamiliar with him, take a few minutes to read about his career and the oppositional force he was to the oppressive Nigerian government in the 70’s/80’s. Live! might not be his best record (that’s Zombie, or maybe Expensive Shit, in my estimation), but it’s a tight, funky firestorm that doesn’t let up across its 4 tracks.

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Nov 29 2022
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5

Listened through 4 times. Morning, noon or night it's great. Just utterly outstanding danceable music. No, it's not like any Ginger Baker I've heard before, but yes it's as good as every Fela Kuti album I've heard.

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Jan 23 2021
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3

Day 11 of Albums You Must Hear before you die. This serving is another live album, this one by Fela Ransome-Kuti and The Africa ‘70. It features the former drummer of the British rock band Cream, Ginger Baker. I’ve never heard of Fela Ransome-Kuti, nor do I know anything about Afro Beat music or the culture it rose from. Going in blind on that front! Cream, however, is one of the best bands of the 60’s hard rock era in my opinion. Their songs I’ve known all my life. One of my favorite Rock Gods is Eric Clapton. If I don’t make my personal observation of this album as short and sweet as possible, I won’t be doing either Fela Kuti, nor Ginger Baker their due respect. I’ll tell you this, I was a day late even writing this, because I fell in love with the music so much, that I fell into a research rabbit hole. I dug so deep into the super unlikely collaboration of these two, ummm, shall I say super gifted and influential but a little bit, no joke, bat shit craz... eccentric guys, that I’d have to write and research for years and probably go nuts, too. It’s that wild. That’s all I’ll say. This was a great listen and you must hear it before you die. The percussion alone will get your foot in the door on this album. Everything else is.. good. It’s so good. ✌️

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Aug 06 2021
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5

I'm a jazz nerd and a drummer this album was unfair to the competition godlike

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Oct 03 2023
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1

be honest, do you really like fela kuti or are you just pretending to so that people think you are cool

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May 14 2021
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5

Dude this album fucks. what a cool sound. read up on the artist bio a little, Fela Kuti was a neat man. Wish he hadn't died so soon. Wiki says the genre is afrobeat, really digging it. The Black Man's Cry-man, what a song. the growl in that cry. damn. Ye Ye De Smell-The druuuumms. Whew. Egbe Mio-honestly super funky. i dig. That was real cool man. I knew nothing about afrobeat until today but i enjoyed it. for a live album it was pretty sweet.

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Jul 11 2022
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4

Fela the type of fella to only release bangers

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Mar 14 2023
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1

Not far off elevator music. I guess it’d be ok in the background.

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Nov 06 2023
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1

Not my style of music, too much going on and tracks went on forever.

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Jun 08 2024
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5

It’s funny because just yesterday I reviewed an album I said there’s no way in hell I’m listening to a long ass instrumental. Just one day later I have proven myself wrong because I just listened to a 15 minute drum solo and was completely enthralled with it. So maybe this music shit really is subjective!

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Feb 13 2022
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5

The definition of what a live album should sound like. An absolute surprising burst of euphoria. This album is why I signed up for this project some 267 days ago. Sure, I've enjoyed revisiting the classic albums I was already familiar with. But the biggest reason lies in the potential discovery of gems I'd never even heard of previously. Like this one.

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Feb 08 2021
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5

Best thing i have ever have heard. Transcendental

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Nov 28 2023
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1

Horrible. I hated every second of this. It was a real battle to not skip through any of it.

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Dec 07 2024
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5

I started this project on my own and got this as my 3rd album. Fela Kuta was completely new to me. My mind was blown, especially with Ye Ye De Smell, which for a while I listened to on the daily. When I created a group, I knew I'd be receiving albums I'd already rated, nbd. So now this is album 333 for me and this album and Pulp's Different Class are the two biggest wins for me with this project, making listening to way too much PJ Harvey, Bjork, and Fiona "fuck you" Apple (and yet only ONE Patti Smith album! WTF!) worth it.

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Jan 24 2023
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4

Afrobeat to the max. According to Wikipedia, Fela Kuti married 27 women in one ceremony… absolute lad. Overall, this shit SLAPS. Although I thought I was watching Whiplash for the last song

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Dec 07 2024
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3

I ♥️ Fela, to where I would gladly listen to him suffer extreme intestinal distress so long as Tony Allen was backing him up on it. However, I don't know his discography well and yet would be surprised if a non Boomer, non British (ie, has no reason to give a shit about Ginger Baker) critic would cite this as a top pick of Fela's recordings. It sounds good enough but feels like a loose jam session more than an intentional musical statement we need to pay close attention to. It is also true that within five minutes it became my all time favorite thing Ginger Baker ever did. Hilariously, I looked at the credits and Ginger hadn't even yet appeared on the album when I rendered that judgement! 😅

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Oct 21 2023
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3

Nr. 13/1001 Let's Start 4/5 Black Man's Cry 4/5 Ye Ye De Smell 2/5 Egbe Mi O 2/5 Drum Solo 2/5 Average: 2,8 The first two songs are super groovy, funky and soulfoul

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Sep 10 2024
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5

My initial thought was "An hour for 5 songs?" Then the first beat hit and I'm locked in. This is like big band and jazz had a baby that was touched by the hand of the funk gods. Even at 13+ minutes the song "Ye Ye De Smell" was dope as hell. I found myself getting mesmerized by the extensive drum solo--and I can get bored of drum solos very quickly. Now that being said, if you don't like jazz or instrumental, solo-heavy music this is going to be an awful experience for you.

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Aug 06 2024
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5

I loved every moment of it. It was electric and irresistible! The grooves are hypnotic and the dynamic range of the band is wide! Ginger Bakers drum solo on Ye Ye De Smell is mind-melting and Black Man’s Chris deeply moving both in body and sport. Gorgeous and important music!

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Aug 06 2024
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5

Love Fela. Tony Allen is a contender for greatest drummer across time and genre. This all follows the Fela formula - extended groove, improved electric piano and brass, lyrics ranging from jokes to sociopolitical stuff, but you gotta wait for them. Its a hell of a formula, and the layers his African James Brown backing provide more than justifies the repetition. Not sure how valuable ol Gingers contribution was - but kudos for coming to learn off Tony Allen, and for promoting these guys!

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Aug 03 2024
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5

What a ferocious drum showcase this album is! Kuti brings in his funky jam session with Cream drummer Ginger Baker and he just rips through these 4 songs, including a near 15 solo towards the end. It's a really great listen between musicians that are willing to let each other shine. Ye Ye De Smell was my favorite.

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Jan 12 2024
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5

Loved this album. Ye Ye De Smell reminds me of five peace band. Very jazzy and lively. The layering of the instruments is fantastic. The drum solo track is an all-timer as well.

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Aug 11 2023
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5

Absolutely killer. Never listened to this before. I wish someone would've shown me this 30 years ago. I'll be investing some time in Fela's catalog.

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Mar 01 2023
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5

The Production is amazing and clear for a live album and the audience participation part on the shout chorus sounds like a chamber choir in a recording studio. The sound is amazing. I am a fan of Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker so I always knew I would enjoy listening to it but had never taken the time until know. All of the songs are complete jams that could be endlessly enjoyable and what make well played afro-pop so enjoyable to listen to when the greats are involved and this album has it all in that regard. From front to back it is an amazing listen that feels like your own personal concert at times that I would agree is a must listen for anybody with a healthy appreciation for Afro-pop, Jazz, World, or music in general.

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Nov 12 2022
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5

Прослушано! Очень круто, прекрасный джазовый альбом.

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Oct 31 2022
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5

30 Oct/22: I know next to nothing about Afrobeats as a genre and wow, this album is quite the introduction! Absolutely loved it, this is live music at its best. Standouts after listening to the whole thing once: Black Man’s Cry and the Baker/Allen drum solo. Something that surprised me right from the start is how much the trumpets remind me of the Salsa and Latin sounds of my youth; but of course they’re similar! Cuban salsa especially has a ton of influence from African sounds, so that was a component I held onto while listening to the record and it really enhanced the experience.

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Oct 04 2022
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5

I knew of Fela Kuti from how he influenced later projects by the Talking Heads, but being able to sit down and listen to his stuff from a clean lens is really enjoyable. I love the funk inspired sounds, but I never usually find people capitalize on them well. Fela definitely does.

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Feb 09 2021
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5

Really enjoyed listening while I was working. Reminded me of ‘Whiplash’!

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Mar 09 2021
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5

Given Ginger Baker was involved, this must have been widely available in 1971. I can't understand someone  hearing it and not searching for more musicians from Nigeria. I ended up finding  Miriam Makeba  before finding Fela. In both cases it was mixed feelings. So glad to have made the discovery but unhappy I hadn't found them a decade or two sooner. What a fabulous LP.

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Jul 16 2021
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5

Pues muy bien, variado, rítmico, ecléctico, hipnótico. Sin skips y eso que son canciones re largas y monotonas en ratotes. Fav: el solo de percusiones del final. Mood: johny la gente está muy loca

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Jan 01 2025
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4

that was fire, special mention to the drum solo

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Nov 26 2024
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4

Let’s Start with this, Fela is the man. Second, Ye Ye De Smell.

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Jun 08 2024
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4

If a 16 minute drumming track is not the most fitting way to end this project, then I don't know what is.

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Apr 30 2024
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4

Well, if there is anything I have learned in this exercise, it is not to judge anything in the first 60 seconds and that “Jazz” is a much broader category than I realized. This was a groovy listen making me wish I was in a hammock on the beach in Costa Rica or the Jungles of Belize. Huge props to the horns but most importantly the Drums on this one. Very interesting background stories on these artists too. Starting out I didn’t think I would be tagging anything for my 1001 playlist, but Ye Ye de Smell made the cut. 3.5/5 rounding up for the drums.

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Feb 23 2023
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4

Fela Kuti always brings such energy to his performances, it's interesting to hear a live recording from so early on in his international career.Even before some of his biggest albums, he was always Fela, one of the main players in defining the Afrobeat genre.

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Aug 29 2021
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4

Good funk afrobeat, but ignore the additional long drum solo tracks from track 5 (original album is 4 tracks)

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Dec 04 2024
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3

Previously rated: Zombie (3/5) ********************* The drumming is great on this. I just wish I liked the style of music more. Tracks 2 and 4 are just so repetitive with the same bass riff repeated over and over. Besides that, not bad. Best track: Ye Ye De Smell

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Feb 19 2024
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3

Anticipated a 5, giving it a 3. The Drum solo track is my fave. Im probably to stupid to like it more.

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Aug 23 2022
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3

Always cool to listen to music outside of my wheelhouse, and this fits that. I was focused on the bass and thinking how I'd tire of playing the identical riff over and over and over and over in this band, and that didn't aid in my enjoying the music. It also speaks to why this is not music I am drawn to. It's impressive, the band is really good, but the redundancy of the material wears on me. It's not my bag, baby.

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Sep 17 2021
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3

Way better than the last Fela Kuti album (Zombie). I'm still kinda against live albums being included in this book, but this has a pretty undeniable energy. It came out of the gate pretty strong - upbeat, jazzy as all getup, pretty tasty etc. Got a bit long in the tooth by the end, cause they're all extended jams and unless you REALLY dig this sorta stuff it'll just get old, but it did grab me for the first half. The last 15min drum solo was a bit much, but it was also a bonus track so can't chip it for that. And it's weird that they really tried to push Ginger Baker's name here, especially given he was only on 2 songs and one is a bonus track... maybe the name-drop added value at the time? Overall a good surprise considering how much I groaned and rolled my eyes through the last Fela Kuti album here haha. 3/5.

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Sep 13 2021
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3

Kind of all sounds the same, good restaurant music though

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Jun 25 2021
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3

Instantly hooked by those fat horns. The horns on Black Man's Cry might be some of my favourite bits of instrumental ever. Despite all that epicness I did get a tad bored at times and the music wasn't doing enough to keep me interested all the time, but for the most part it was fab. But it is Fela Kuti who in my eyes is a musical genius and one of the most influential artists on today's musical landscape so it is no surprise that this is great.

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Jun 07 2021
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3

Definitely a lot of funk. I don't think I need to listen to it again. I didn't hate it. Also why so many live albums? (No pun intended)

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Aug 05 2024
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2

A few minutes in to 'Let's Start' I noticed that the drum (or is it the bass?) follows the same rhythm along the lines of "du du du du, dun dunnn" and it just never changes, and it's the same for 'Black Man's Cry' which I just couldn't ignore the repetitiveness of after 18 min of the same even if there's some nice guitar bits or trumpets on top of it sometimes I just could not focus on anything else Standouts Ye Ye De Smell "Du du du du, dun dunnn"/5 (2/5)

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Jun 13 2023
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1

Very different music, never heard this style. Jazz with incoherent shouting. Great rythm but I didn’t like the vocal noises

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May 25 2025
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5

Wonderful. Another awesome and vibrant album from the combination of African and Western musical styles. Great for getting into the zone and bopping along, losing track of time. Must-listen #146

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May 24 2025
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5

Ok, das holt mich total ab irgendwie 😄

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May 16 2025
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5

What a fantastic album. If you don't like this, are you even alive?

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May 16 2025
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5

I've been putting this one off for a while and I was missing out. This album is so excellent and groovy. I may not listen to an individual song from this again, but I would certainly through this on. I'm really impressed at how engaging this is and I don't understand any of the (sparse) lyrics on this thing. Light 5/5, totally needed to hear this

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May 15 2025
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5

Fela Live! is absolutely explosive. Fela as a vocalist is so powerful and commanding. This is sort of my first proper exploration of afrobeat and the intensity and persistence of these grooves blew me away. Track after track, their phrases are simply as infectious as they are ferocious. The playing is incredibly tight and rhythmic as one would expect, but due to the way the drums specifically were recorded, it makes you feel like you're in the room with them. The drums are the star of the show in my eyes because of their meditative rhythmic properties. One does not have to know much about Nigerian music history to appreciate this album, for the energy is immediate and potent as soon as Let's Start kicks off. The instrumentation is just fantastic on every song, with bass and horn passages that mutate and grow or deform as the tracks go on, often time giving way to other instrumental passages and opening a track up to a different but equally intense groove. Fantastic album.

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May 13 2025
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5

What an album! The energy and playfulness is off the charts, and the entire band is on point.

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May 13 2025
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5

Hell yes! Second time getting a Fela Kuti album and second time I'm giving him 5 stars. Never heard of him before this but he's been nothing short of amazing so far. The drumming here in particual was great. 9/10

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May 12 2025
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5

This man *explodes* into his music. I have serious band energy envy. Okay Fela is amazing but can anyone else hear how this clearly inspired "Chacarron" by El Chombo? Black Man's Cry is incredible. I am listening to this song while reading a news article about Trump relocating "persecuted" white South Africans to the US as "refugees" after denying refugee status to black and brown people. The persecution these White South Africans face is quite literally them having 20x the household wealth as the average Black South African family as well as 4x lower unemployment rate. Read that and re-listen to Kuti's cries. Ye Ye De Smell is a bop front to back. no notes. Egbe Mi O also stellar. Ginger v Allen is GOATED. Kuti is amongst the greatest musicians of all time. Finally - I like how the nice man talks to the audience between songs

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May 11 2025
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5

This needs to be on some sort of short album list to throw on just whenever. It’s so easy to listen to!

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May 06 2025
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5

Listening to this groovy album was the perfect way to start my week. This album has an infectious groove, you can't not move your body when listening to the first two tracks (or really, the whole album). Black Man's Cry was one of my favorites. Hearing the vocals combined with the perfectly timed instruments lights me up! The production on this album is so incredibly crisp. Each song flows beautifully, to the point where I didn't even notice how long some of the songs were. I could listen to this album nonstop, because it is one of those albums where you hear something new on each listen.

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May 06 2025
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5

Let's Start What We Have Come Into The Room To Do 1001 Albums Generator 23 (05/05/2025) I was hoping I would get some Mexican music for Cinco De Mayo, but I guess Nigeria is the next closest thing. Mexico is an observer state in the African Union after all. Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician who pioneered and popularized the genre Afrobeat in the 1970's. Recorded near the beginning of his 70's peak in the famous Abbey Road Studios, Live! was the sixth album released by Fela Kuti and his band Africa '70. In spite of the name, this is not a live album in the traditional sense, having been recorded "live in studio" as opposed to "live in concert". However, it certainly has the energy of a live album, with banter between songs and song introductions by the ever-entertaining Fela. Additionally, Ginger Baker, the drummer for Cream, was featured on this recording after appearing on Kuti's previous album, Black Men Dey Suffer. Baker had spent time exploring Africa alongside Kuti to familiarize himself with the music and rhythms of the continent. Before this album, I had only heard one album from Fela Kuti: 1975's Expensive Shit. The way that Fela mixes western jazz and funk elements with African rhythms and instrumentation on long jams on that album really intrigued me, so I was excited to hear more from him here. What better place to start than the man himself, Fela Kuti? As a Yoruba man from Nigeria growing up in the mid 1900's, Fela experienced a lot of chaos throughout his life. When Nigeria became independent of British rule in the 1950's, tensions between the different ethnic groups in the country (including the Yoruba) were extremely high. Then in the 1960's, Nigeria saw the secession of the Biafra state and the ensuing starvation of over a million of its people by the Nigerian government. This Civil War ended in 1970, one year before Fela recorded this album. Interestingly, this chaos is translated into music not as anger, but as rebellious joy. What made Fela such a unique character in the history of music (among other things) was that while he allowed his circumstances to fuel his music through the lyrics, album covers, and messaging (oftentimes his songs would feature lyrics describing the plight of his people), he did not allow these circumstances to negatively impact the energy of his art. He instead opted to take the disarray around him and focus it into unbridled vitality. And that vitality is infectious. One needs only listen to the nearly screamed vocals of Black Man's Cry or the Hey Jude-esque la la la's at the end of Egbe Mi O to hear this. The man could command a room like no other. In addition to his duties as frontman, Fela found himself behind the organ quite a lot, with my favorite solo of his on this album being on the aforementioned Black Man's Cry. Another key element of Fela's music, and one of the definitional aspects of Afrobeat in general, is the call-and-response between the vocals and the instruments. On this album, this idea can be seen most on the B side, with Ye Ye De Smell featuring Fela's wordless vocals sparring with the Africa '70's horn section. Let's talk about this Africa '70. Africa '70 was Fela Kuti's trusty band, with whom Fela released a huge portion of his extensive output throughout his career. The most notable members are Igo Chiko on the tenor sax and the incredible drummer Tony Allen, of whom Fela Kuti once said "without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat". Additionally on side 2, we get a second drummer, the equally talented Ginger Baker, who, after travelling throughout Africa alongside Fela, fits right in with the rest of Africa '70. The double drumming, along with the percussionists and conga players, make this an extremely rhythmic album. My body was moving the whole time. This really is a nearly perfect album. It is exquisitely played and the mixing is really cool, especially on headphones. Fela's songwriting, while simple in theory, is masterful in execution. While I would lean towards encouraging Expensive Shit as a better introduction to Fela, Live! may very well be just as great. 4.5, rounded up to 5. Favs: Black Man's Cry Ye Ye De Smell Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) Least Fav: Let's Start

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May 05 2025
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5

Very fun and groovy album. I had a very fun time listening, I think I would have liked it a little more if the songs were trimmed and they added more songs though. Low 5.

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May 03 2025
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5

This is one of the few non-US/non-UK albums here on this list, which are really one of the albums you should hear "before you die". It doesn't really matter if you like it or not. If you are interested in music and interested in which musicians have had a big influence and changed music styles through the time, this is one of the albums you need to listen to. It is such a shame that this list of 1001 albums does not have more of important albums like this one but so many mediocre (US/UK) pop albums, which will be forgotten in a few years!

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May 03 2025
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5

Damn! What a strong opening, great vibes so far. It's Jazz, it's world music, it's danceable.

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Apr 30 2025
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5

Unbelievable. This album was so funky and infectious. I am so glad that i heard it and can't wait to add it to my collection.

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Apr 30 2025
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5

I was hesitant at first because I usually don’t like live albums, and this album is only 5 songs and over an hour long. I ended up loving it. Super funky!

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Apr 30 2025
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5

An enjoyable listen start to finish. I didn’t listen to the 16 minute bonus track of the Ginger Baker/Tony Allen drum solo, seemed like a bit much. Maybe I’d enjoy it if I were high? Nope being high didn’t help with listening to the drum solo. That’s a big ask of someone to set aside 16 minutes for a drum solo. Yeah better off skipping, I still like the album and already gave it another listen. This is the type of album I was hoping to start out with. Artists I was familiar with but not familiar with the album. I know there will be some rough days ahead. #1

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Apr 29 2025
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5

Ginger Baker!! Yea. Done. Gimme all of it.

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Apr 29 2025
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5

Flowing, funky, hypnotic. Fela Kuti is the afro beat king. Having Ginger Baker on drums is 5 star icing on an already award winning, 5 star cake. Play this one loud. You'll feel like you're sitting in the room with them

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Apr 26 2025
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5

Vyborny, Fela Kuti je moje, predtim jsme to neslysel rad si poslechl.

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Apr 23 2025
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5

Immediate love! I had heard Fela Kuti before, but not really listened ( which, like??). Fantastic.

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Apr 22 2025
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5

Ginger Baker may not smell, but that last track drum duo was stanky. I will definitely be returning to Fela Kuti and the Africa 70

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Apr 21 2025
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5

SO COOL! I understand why I needed to hear this before I died.

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Apr 20 2025
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5

Great to dance while grocery shopping, very upbeat melodies

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Apr 17 2025
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5

I love that last song on there. Banger

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Apr 16 2025
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5

Amazing! Fantastic album really love all the little ad libs from it being a live album, and the percussion is fantastic

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Apr 15 2025
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5

great live album. Filled with captivating drums and solid grooves.

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Apr 15 2025
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5

Simplesmente fantástico, ginger baker e fela kuti alinhamento cósmico, meteoritos sonoros.

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Apr 09 2025
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5

this freaking rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Apr 09 2025
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5

talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.

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Mar 29 2025
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5

Fuck yes. James brown era funk, jazz improvisation, African rhythms, impeccable drumming from Ginger Baker, Fela giving a once in a lifetime wailing performance and an unstoppable horn section. Fuck. Yes.

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Mar 28 2025
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5

вайбово, понравилось. подойдет для летней пляжной вечеринки с мясом.

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Mar 25 2025
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5

I have listened to some of his work, and it is incredible. I had no idea Ginger Baker worked with him. It must have been an interesting transition from Clapton's racism. Okay- listened all day- maybe the first album I have listened to multiple times in a while.

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Mar 25 2025
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5

Fett! Her er det ekstremt mye å like. Høres sykt kult ut på litt høyt volum. Perfekt album. Den 13 minutter lange trommesoloen på slutten har nok ikke så høy replay Value men siden det er siste spor kan den lett hoppes over.

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Mar 22 2025
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5

95% Best: All Tracks Must-Hear? Dude. Hell Yes.

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Mar 13 2025
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5

16 minute long drum solo HELL yeah

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Mar 10 2025
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5

I knew I was gonna love this from the first note

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Mar 04 2025
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5

Not available on iTunes. Amazing album.

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Feb 18 2025
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5

n my perspective, Live! by Fela Kuti is an electrifying experience that perfectly captures the raw, unbridled energy of an Afrobeat pioneer in full flow. The album delivers a relentless, groove-driven performance that manages to be both politically charged and musically mesmerizing—a live snapshot of Fela at his absolute best. What really blows me away about this record is the groove. The rhythm section is utterly hypnotic, with tight percussion and basslines that keep you locked in from start to finish. The horn arrangements are brilliant, bursting through the mix with an intensity that injects each track with an unmistakable vibrancy. Fela’s vocals is raw, unfiltered, and full of passion demanding your attention as he belts out his message with an unwavering intensity that’s hard to ignore. The production on this live album is lush for a raw recording. It’s impressive how well the mix captures the atmosphere of the performance, balancing the intricate instrumental layers while still letting Fela’s commanding vocals shine through. Every instrument has its space, yet together they create a cohesive, exhilarating soundscape that feels both spontaneous and meticulously crafted. That being said, it's not all flawless. Some of the extended tracks can feel a bit overlong, especially if you're not in the mood for a marathon of Afrobeat grooves. There are moments when the repetitiveness might leave you thinking, "Alright, mate, enough already," even though I appreciate the hypnotic quality of the repetition. Also, the live setting means there's a bit of roughness in the sound, it's raw and unpolished, which adds to the charm for some, but can be a tad off-putting if you're after a cleaner mix. In the end, Live! by Fela Kuti is an absolute banger that transports you right into the midst of his legendary live shows. The vibrant energy, killer percussion, and soulful horns create a lush, immersive experience that I genuinely dig. Despite a few minor quibbles with its length and raw sound quality, it’s a must-listen for anyone who appreciates authentic, hard-hitting music. For me, it scores a solid 4.8/5 stars – a rousing, unforgettable ride into the heart of Afrobeat.

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