Live!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. ✌️

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.

Fela the type of fella to only release bangers

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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.

Best thing i have ever have heard. Transcendental

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

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! 😅

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

"Ṣe o fẹran jazz?"

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

Drummy

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.

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.

Kind of all sounds the same, good restaurant music though

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.

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)

Very nice background music

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)

Not at all my type of music.

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

One of my favorite albums (aside from the 12 min drum duet). Can't really explain why I enjoy it as much as I do. I think part of it is the same reason I didn't enjoy Leonard Cohen as much as others. Some of the best song writers are story tellers and if one of the primary features of a song/album is the story then I might get sick of it after X# listens. With this style of music I can just listen and enjoy.

For a live, jazz album, I dont know if it gets any better. Ive listened to some Fela before, but I think this is going to be my official launch point. I gave this album nearly my full attention and didnt find myself bored until the drum solo song (and even that was in the back quarter) Egbe Mi O (carry me) was my favorite track. Also, the recording/mixing here is fucking ridiculously good.

Yeahhhh good shit. Groovy like no other. I love you fela kuti Fav Songs: Black Man's Cry, Ye Ye De Smell, Egbe Mio

Love the big band energy. A fun and unique blend of afro-beat and jazz

afrobeats, groovy jams

Fela Kuti, figura esencial de la música africana, creador del Afrobeat (fusión de Jazz-Funk-música africana) que tuvo enorme influencia en bandas de Jazz o grupos como Talking Heads entre otros muchos. Hay que escuchar al menos un disco de Kuti en la via, y este puede ser perfectamente uno de ellos (otro podría ser Zombie). Aquí Toca el Cream Ginger baker, pero el protagonismo es la ensalada de vientos, ritmos, voces, coros y sobre todo energía que desprende el combo. Siempre se ha comparado a Kuti con James Brown, y salvando las diferencias de estilo, es un acierto, así que este directo es un disco muy disfrutable. Otros discos del 71: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV, Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? David Bowie - Hunky Dory, The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers, The Who - Who's Next, Don Mclean- American Pie, John Lennon – Imagine, T. Rex - Electric Warrior, Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On, The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East, Nick Drake - Bryter Layter, Can - Tago Mago, Black Sabbath - Master of Reality, Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story, Carole King - Tapestry, Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate, Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram, Funkadelic - Maggot Brain Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head, Faces - A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse, The Doors - L.A. Woman, The Beach Boys - Surf's Up RORY GALLAGHER - Deuce, NINA SIMONE - Here comes the sun, IKE & TINA TURNER - Workin' together, BADFINGER - Straight up ,Jethro Tull - Aqualung, Janis Joplin - Pearl, David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name, Pete Dello and Friends - Into your ears, Santana - Santana III Gene Clark - Gene Clark/White Light, Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey Joni Mitchell- Blue, Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson, Elton John - Madman Across the Water, Al Green-Al Green Gets Next to You, Kevin Ayers – Whatevershebringswesing, Sixto Rodriguez - Coming From Reality...

I’ll admit upfront: I’m sceptical of live albums making “best of” lists. Too often, they either fail to capture the energy of the moment or rely so heavily on overdubs that the live element feels redundant. Combine that with my rudimentary knowledge of Afrobeat and a lifetime of drummer jokes (enough to fill an encyclopedia), and I assumed 'Fela With Ginger Baker Live!' wouldn’t be for me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. From the opening moments, it’s clear this is no ordinary live recording. The shortest track clocks in at nearly 8 minutes, and the album closes with a jaw-dropping 16-minute drum duel between Ginger Baker and the legendary Tony Allen. Yet every note, every rhythm, and every hit feels utterly compelling. This is a masterclass in live performance, capturing a raw, collaborative energy that feels both immediate and transcendent. The interplay between the musicians is the album’s heartbeat, with each track evolving organically as the performers push and pull one another into uncharted territory. Even the audience joins the action through call-and-response vocals, their energy woven seamlessly into the fabric of the music. Every member of Africa ’70 gets their moment to shine, but it’s Tony Allen who steals the show, his grooves anchoring the chaos with precision and flair. As for Ginger Baker? His name on the marquee feels like a marketing move. He appears on only two tracks, one of which is the aforementioned drum solo. While his contribution is notable, it’s Allen’s rhythmic mastery that defines the album. Ultimately, Fela With Ginger Baker Live! serves up a vibrant mix of cultural dialogue, unrelenting rhythm, and spontaneous artistry that pulls you into its groove and doesn’t let go. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? Yes Would this release make my personal list? I need to explore more of Fela Kuti’s catalogue, but this album has my attention. Will I be listening to it again? Absolutely.

Ahh Fela, man. What a guy. Amazing that this collab happened at all. 100 fuck the Nigerian army's off 10. I usually get mad about artists being over-represented but there should be 10 Fela albums on this list. Watch the Finding Fela documentary. Listening on the wax, shame the Tony Allen drum solo isn't on there, goes hard as heck. Double tease when Fela introduces the drummers at the end.

yeah, this album is really funky and great. really fun and groovy, and there's never a dull moment. i love the improvisation on here. fela kuti strikes again!

Fun music. Enjoyed it very much. Wished I was the concert, but I definitely felt like I was there while listening to these groovy tunes.

Great album - energetic

What a way to start Monday! I loved this album.

I'm not one for live albums however this was recorded at Abbey Road and only in front of a few hundred people so is allowed to be an exception to my rulings! Imagine being there!? Frantic, vibrant, explosive, jazzy, groovy that smashes along at an incredible pace. Bass line constantly hammering along like an engine room driving an incredible assembly of such talented musicians. One of the finest pieces of drumming if not the finest by the legendary Tony Allen,? I trying to work that one out. Some of the rifts felt a little like the JB's too, only a lot more raw (but in a good way) I'm sorry, but if you were not moving along to this then you have no soul. FIVE!

Play this LOUD! Phenomenal piece of music. Tony's drums are hypnotising and it all works together so well. What a joy to have this one b2b with Nina Simone. It ALMOST looks like this list is quite diverse!

Primera vez que escucharé a este artista.

A complete surprise, just amazing musicians blasting it out

Ginger Baker played drums with one of the greatest trios ever created. His talents shine here as well. Really fun album.

Fun

Man.

I didn’t realize I was such a big fan of Fela Kuti. What an absolute legend. He jams so hard I feel like I was thrown out a window and later succumbed to my injuries. This is real skull cracking music. Listen to it.

let's not pull any punches – the most important drummer on this album is Tony Allen. his drumming embodies all the finest parts of a myriad of traditions from Nigeria, America, England and elsewhere, and it sets up the entirety of The Africa '70 up for great success on both sides of this thrilling live-in-studio session (recorded at Abbey Road!), both with and without Ginger Baker. Fela Kuti's songs and Tony Allen's drums pretty much ARE the sound of Afrobeat to me at this point. that's no disrespect to Baker, who does remarkably well here! Baker was well-known for being kind of an asshole, but he definitely doesn't play like one here, injecting just the right amount of vitality into side B without stomping on Allen's (or anyone else's) toes. part of what draws me so strongly to the few Afrobeat albums I've listened to is the presence of so many engaging layers of rhythm, especially compared to Western funk music which I find, despite its superficial similarities to Afrobeat, is much more minimal in comparison. on this album, even with two drummers, a sizeable percussion section, rhythm guitar, horns and some unflinchingly repetitive basslines, there's a precision at play in every moment here that's difficult to ignore. yes, this is basically a jam session recording where a band plays four chords for around 8 to 13 minutes apiece, which I imagine is some listeners' idea of hell. if that's you, though, I would implore you to turn your attention away from pitch content! light 9/10.

Every so often you listen to an album that is a pure pleasure. Brilliant fusion of African rhythm, fund with rock overtones An absolute classic and I feel better for having heard it. Shut up and take my 5

Awesome

fela kuti - famous Nigerian musician fusing west african musical styles with funk & jazz. ginger baker - drummer for cream (mostly unfamiliar). apparently credited as "the first superstar rock drummer" and "pioneering jazz fusion/world music" (source: the drummer: 100 years of rhythmic power and invention). "live in-studio" (recording of a live performance with the goal of a highly polished sound with careful mic placement). rhythm section is certainly tight with fun buoyant energy, maybe just a tad slower than I'd really like, but the musicianship is obviously on point here. includes track introductions, presumably from kuti. solid drum solo. pretty sure i heard a keyboard in the final track, though no keyboardist is credited. verdict: a delightful jam

This is an album that I have more specific takes on than most. I love Fela Kuti, one of the true GOATs if there ever was one. Ginger Baker was truly a maniac on the drums. The one thing I notice immediately is how stark the difference in drumming is when it transitions from tracks 1 and 2 to tracks 3 and 4 with Ginger Baker on drums. It's not afro-beat drumming, and I'm not sure I appreciate the collaboration all the way through as much as I would just the straight afro-beat. This is one of the rare albums where I also listened to the bonus non-album tracks that are included on streaming. The 16 minute "Ginger Baker & Tony Allen Drum Solo" taken from a live performance that has nothing to do with Fela Kuti or this album, a strange inclusion for sure. That track is wild, and reminds me so much of Glenn Kotche's 2003 composition "Monkey Chant." I'd be curious to know what if any inspiration Kotche took from this performance. A cursory search of the internet doesn't turn up much.

That was an awesome album that I had never heard of before. Not even heard of the artist before. Listen to it while I was writing to work on my bike and again riding home from work on my bike. I had people that adjusted the pace of their riding so that they could stay close to me bop their head and compliment me on my music both there and back.

It's just a phenomonal listen.

How I got to my 40s without hearing Fela Kuti I’ll never understand. The energy and rhythms just make it impossible to not groove along.

!!!

This is insane. The quality of the recording? I often forgot this was live!

What an absolute banger of an album. Two legendary drummers and one legendary band leader. What else do you want?

Fantastic record really captures the energy of a Fela Kuti show! Ginger Baker is an asshole but he sure can rip a drum solo! I absolutely love this record

I'm curious! This was great, actually.

Infectious afro rhythms, really enjoyed it 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

i was gonna write a review complaining about the 16 minute drum solo song but that's a bonus track so it doesn't count and the album is still 5 stars.

The sound of the littest party you could ever be invited to

i will pay you $100 dollars on Paypal if you can find me one bad Fela Kuti song. i'm not kidding. not a weak one, not a "oh it's alright" one, one that is actually bad in a way that is clearly identifiable. Fela and Afrika 70 are the most consistent artists to ever live and the fact that Ginger Baker could slot in with them so perfectly on side b is a miracle. seriously, how do you go from drumming on this to ending up on Band on the Run? you must feel as if you got a peek at the Grail before being struck blind. the Grail, in this case, is Tony Allen.

Great album, Fela should get way more love on this list. So much great music, even if this isn't my favorite of his. Still a 9/10

If this just gave us Fela every day I'd be a very happy man

Funky soul gorgeous horns

I had never heard of Fela Kuti before and I was surprised to really enjoy the album. Which I suppose is the point of all this. It brought the funk.

One of the greatest, most energetic live albums of all time

Jammy

Funky and fun

Didn't know what to expect... So fucking groovy Was a fan :)

This is POWERFUL right out of the gate. It doesn't stop, either.

This fucking ROCKS like nothing else can. Fela is the MAN, and basically invented Afrobeat. The Africa '70 is phenomenal, untouchable in their talent. Find a version with the bonus track that is just a Ginger and Tony Allen doing a 16 minute drum solo. God damn I could listen to this all day!

Absolute bangers from start to finish. Hallucinatory, danceable, dangerous in the best of ways.

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!

Excellent

I went into this with the wrong mindset, this first track is great. This is great funk music. This is how world music should sound. Other than the lyrics not being in English as an impediment, this should be way more well known to funk fans. I love the organ, the drums. Jazz albums are hit or miss for me and this one is a hit.

What a great soundtrack to my morning this was. An hour of funky grooves and just great energy and vibes. I saw someone call this elevator music on their review, so I'll just guess they think ketchup is too spicy. Bland palates are sad

This is my new favorite album. I need to find this on vinyl. Friday night vibes, very groovy!