Live!
Fela Kuti
1971
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.
WikipediaThis 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.
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. ✌️
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.
Good funk afrobeat, but ignore the additional long drum solo tracks from track 5 (original album is 4 tracks)
Fantastic drumming and percussion, with some horns thrown in for texture. This is the best non-Kanye album on the list so far.
This album feels like a big jam session and I love it. I love the use of horns and percussion and Ginger Baker on the drums is a great time. Now if only I could understand what he's singing about... Favorite Track(s): "Black Man's Cry" and "Ye Ye De Smell"
Pura energía y talento. Cada pista es un trance distinto. Fela Kuti siempre ha sonado bien y así sonará por los siglos de los siglos, amén (ese solo final de percusiones, uff). 10/10
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
I LOVE this music, it's so catchy and refreshingly different than what I normally listen to, makes me want to dance
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.
Amazing! Love the Afro vibes in everything, specially the vocals. The whole band sounds in the same vibe! I quite enjoy the Funky/Jazzy/Fusion elements and this is a live gig which makes the album much better for the real feel of the genre and the musicians involved. Everything sounds like it should for me. 5 Stars.
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.
Totally bitchin from start to finish. Another rare instance where I wanted this album to be twice as long. Working Freeform radio in college, Fela was a name I had heard a bunch, but I don't think I ever sat down and listened to an album before.
Gimme this all day. Added to the Drinking and game playing rotation. Good candidate for vinyl purchase
Well God damn, this was just a bunch of supremely talented musicians going the fuck off for the better part of an hour. The drum solo bonus track is a bit much (as I'm finding bonus tracks to be so far), but the rest just washed over me almost instantaneously. Kuti is an awesome frontman and Paul Simon should've taken some vacation tips from Ginger Baker. Key Tracks: Black Man's Cry, Ye Ye De Smell
A full hour of very good listening. Started how it meant to continue. Initially I was gonna go 4 but I think it's a soft 5
Really impressive album. A good dose of funk, rock, Afrobeat, and soul. The live feel is incredible. Most tracks are too long for quick, casual listening, but otherwise this is a great project.
Não, isto não é só um álbum. "Live!" trata-se um evento histórico de proporções quase inconcebíveis de tão grandes. Sendo um dos primeiros álbuns realizados em parceria por um artista do Ocidente e um do Oriente, o que ocorre aqui é algo muito próximo de uma retratação histórica. O colonizador, representado por Baker, rende-se à beleza da manifestação cultural do colonizado, representado pelo mestre Fela Kuti e decide unir-se ao mesmo sem tentar mudar arte dele de forma alguma, pelo contrário, e sim tentar adequar a sua arte a ela, num balanço perfeito e único. Deu pra ter uma noção do calibre disso tudo ? As faixas não poderiam ser mais surpreendentes, hipnotizantes e emocionantes. Kuti escreve e canta murmúrios em sua língua nativa com uma maravilhosa voz, impondo emoção e tocando o coração não só da platéia (que canta junto na última música do álbum, num dos momentos que mais me emocionaram de tudo que já escutei) mas também do ouvinte, toca seu saxofone e o teclado com uma imponência e uma malemolência (sim, usei essa palavra) que se estende a todo o Africa'70, o que torna os arranjos épicos e dinâmicos. Ginger, por sua vez, encarna o Afrobeat na bateria, inerentemente, com um pouco de seu toque rockeiro, todavia, como mencionei, sempre prejudicar, agregando à experiência e servindo como um excelente Fusion - e as piadinhas que o Kuti faz sobre ele em alguns trechos são de fazer qualquer cidadão de um país que não seja desenvolvido ficar satisfeito e rir junto do público do show e dos instrumentais, incluindo o baterista. Por fim, eis aqui mais um LP que vai pro meu seleto panteão pessoal de "discos perfeitos". Essencial e inesquecível, fez até mesmo, junto do perfeito "Zombie", de autoria também do Fela, o Afrobeat tornar-se, de uma vez, um dos meus gêneros musicais favoritos, pois tem tudo que amo no Jazz e o que não tem lá contudo me agradaria se tivesse. Obrigatório !
I’ve heard the name but have never listened to Fela Kuti before today. Great performance! Getting deeper into Afro Beat now.
This was far and away one of the best live recordings I've ever heard! The instruments were all so vibrant it felt like I was actually at the show. And the drum solo at the end was amazing. This is probably my favorite record off this list so far that I hadn't already heard or been aware of already. Pure excellence!
Stunning AfroBeat album. A truly incredible band joined by a masterful Ginger Baker. Fela Kuti is an iconic figure who inspired a generation and stood for resistance to power through MUSIC. What a force. This sound could start a Revolution and we get to listen. We’ve been blessed.
I hadn't really listened to much Fela, but when I heard "Let's start" it kind of blew my mind. The way it opens, the slowdown, the return to the original groove, amazing. The rest of the album doesn't hit those heights but is still awe-inspiring.
djöfull langar mig á einhverja svona insane live tónleika þetta er epic, groovy as shit tónlist
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.
This album took over my body from start to finish. INSANE grooves and musicianship + the brass are perfect. Furthermore, I think this is the best performance I've ever heard of Ginger Baker, who is amongst my best drummers. It instantly became one of my favorite live recording. I will need to buy this live on vinyl.
Hot, hot, hot afrobeat featuring one of rock's all-time great drummers. The chemistry among all these musicians is unreal, and the product bleeds cool. I would put this among the best live albums I've ever heard.
An excellent performance by Fela, and getting this early taste is very illuminating in how he reached stardom in the way he did.
Bopping from start to finish. The legend Fela with two legendary drummers on board? Can't get better than that!
Hah hah, awesome! I'm expecting a bunch of commenters losing their damn minds at the 16 minute long drum solo... I could listen to afrobeat all day, and this is a great example of the genre. Fave track - "Black Man's Cry" - funky as hell!
Fela Kuti clocking in another smooth funk masterpiece. Ginger Baker absolutely kills it on the drums.
This was great! Way outside the stuff I normally listen to, and I listened to it twice back to back. Killer.
This is what I'm doing this for. Love a bit of Afrobeat and well aware of Fela Kuti's legend (and of course Ginger Baker's) but not got around to listening to many legendary albums. The groove is alive. Oh my god, the drumming. Superb
Wow! This album is hot! Great sounding recording. The horns and drums are off the hook! The patter made it a vibrant, live experience - really enjoyed the call-and-response in “Carry Me I Want To Die.” Happy to have this LIVE! album in the rotation.
I wasn’t at all sure what to expect here, but when they started playing on the first track, I was totally into it! Totally jamming’!
This album is a reminder that I need to explore Fela Kuti so much more. I've listened to an album here or there but really need to dive deeper. This was fantastic.
Kuvittelin itten Pori Jazzeille, viltillä rinteessä, hyvässä seurassa ja Fela Kuti jamittelee päälavalla. Aurinko paistaa ja ukkelilla maailman levein hymy
Never did get around to checking out more Fela Kuti since his last awesome album showed up on this last. More of the same - really dug the opening track and enjoyed the second track but not quite as much. Then comes the addition of Ginger Baker - was not aware how good he really was. Damn. Plus the Africa '70 is still killing it. Was feeling like a 4, maybe 4.5 for me but I'm going to round up because this is a live album that doesn't sound live and tired at times.
I had enjoyed Fela Kuti's "Zombie" album when it came up on randomly on the generator. I really dug the afro-jazz vibe. And now, with Ginger Baker added in to the mix, this made it even better. The bonus track: do we need a 16 minute drum solo? No, but it's still nice to hear. Baker is infamous for this, the song "Toad" by Cream, performed live has a THIRTEEN minute drum solo. So a 16 minute drum duet is no surprise. The other songs are in the same vein as "Zombie," although a bit more scat-singing. So high marks from me!
I came across this album some time ago as I was exploring Ginger Baker's catalog. I don't get out much to be honest. I was hooked on Fela after one listen of this album and Afrobeat in general for which Fela is the originator. Watch Beware Mr Baker to see more about this album and Ginger, it's worth a watch.
Holy crap. I was blown away here. Rated one of the best live albums ever. I didn’t realize Ginger Baker had such chops. This whole album has an underlying jazz feel to it that meets so nicely with Fela Kuti’s music. No complaints.
That's cool! I enjoy this fantastic album! I'm giving the best rating. - This outstanding album gives what you expect from this marvellous era. ***** - Great rhythmic patterns and powerful grooves. ***** I can feel the magic, and my feet follow the beats from the first notes of every song. ***** I was looking for something like that. Thank you very much!
just wonderful, would have appreciated if spotify would have had all 5 songs and not just 4 but still amazing🥰
Always love Fela's monster jams. You gotta have some serious fuckin chops to keep up with Fela, and Ginger Baker definitely passes muster.
live bands are really hit or miss for me but this one was a pleasant and funky surprise on all fronts. modern day afrobeats has been deservedly taking the world by storm but it's nice to see its forebearers laying the groundwork so to speak
I’m all for the world music we’ve been getting. Ginger baker might be the best drummer of all time
There were parts of this album I liked quite a lot and other parts that I found kind of loud and annoying.
This thing freaking grooves, though I’m not sure I need an entire 15 minutes of drumming solos, I’d be happy with a cool 12.5
Loved it. I knew Ginger Baker from Cream and his documentary but never listened to Fela Kuti before.
Hurjaa tykitystä! Ihan kuin olisi yhtäkkiä hypännyt keskelle Nairobin yöelämää! Lopun pitkät rumpusoolot vähän laskee kokonaisarvosanaa.
Really unique, funky, souly. Genre called Afrobeat. Proper feel good, real good energy, could listen to it all day. Gotta be a 4 just cos it's out there and it's mint 🤙
Just a good album to jam to. They throw down some good grooves and the solos are great. Fav song Let's Start
Finde ich ganz nice, macht echt Spaß Aber die Lieder sind sehr lang und variieren sehr stark während des Liedes, manchmal würde ich gerne nur Teile des Liedes hören
I had heard the name before, but never really listened (like really listened) and I dig this shit. 70's funk/jazz meets afro beats makes for a damn good time. I'll definitely be seeking out more of this in the future.
This would have been so insanely fun to see performed live. As always, Ginger Baker on the drums does not disappoint.
I like the combination of horns and what doesn’t sound like a typical drum kit. I guess it would be considered jazz. I’m not really sure but I like it. Mostly instrumental is where it’s at.
Pretty good live performance with a jamming feel. Enjoyed most of the album. Its in the Good to Excellent range.
Fantastic little slice of afro jazz and even features a nice drum solo from Ginger Baker!
Each of the four tunes hangs around a bit too long without enough changes. It probably works better if experienced as the live jam session in a club that it is. Or as background music, but not as focused listening experience on an early morning.
Ritmische muziek. Moeite om hier stil op te blijven zitten. Er was altijd wel een hand of voet die aan het mee bewegen was
I really enjoyed this. Not annoying despite being a live album. Admittedly, the drum solo does go on too long, although I imagine I would have enjoyed it had I been there live!
Amazing album, so much energy! I would however turn it off before the last track, because the drum solo goes on forever.
Wie das grooved, und dann noch mit dem endlosen Tony-Allen-Solo hinten dran. Beim Autofahren gehört: bester Stuff!
Great listen, did some gardening to this music. I'm not the largest fan of the spoken word sections included at the start of many of the tracks, but the musical sections are a fantastic addition to any social event.
Just a really well done example of a pretty cool style of music. Lots of energy. Would have been fun to see this in person. Really enjoyed this album.
This was great. A lot of fun. But it all starts blending together after a while ya know? No standouts.
My second Fela Kuti album, with more awesome afrobeat. The funk is infectious, the grooves are killer, and Ginger Baker kills it on the drums. Baker is like half the reason that this rocks so hard, and Kuti is the other half. You really can't go wrong with the insanely great music here.
I had no expectations going into this except that I'm usually not a live album guy. What great music! Groovy, energetic, and backed by fantastic drumming by Ginger Baker.
Ginger Baker is a monster of a drummer and he really gets to flex both his fills and his pocket presence on this record. Admittedly, this record didn't have my full attention, but it's got just enough jazzy funk to draw me back in quite frequently. Favorite track: "Black Man's Cry"
Stunningly good album. I mean geez, what can you even say about Fela and Ginger Baker? Two Olympian talents here, backed by the most incredible musicians. The sound is jazzy, groovy and funky. They make it seem so effortless. Fave Songs: Black Man's Cry, Ye Ye De Smell, Let's Start
I've not listened to enough Fela Kuti or Afro Beat. I've heard 100s of bands who are influenced by him and sampled him. I first heard of him through the Beastie Boys Grand Royal magazine when they did a piece on his life and work. I loved the energy and the grooves on this album and the Ginger Baker/Tony Allen drum off is such a bonus.
Incredible album. Holy shit, this was mind-blowing. The precision The passion. The endurance. I'm going to go listen to his whole catalogue.
Really an amazing live performance and recording. Loved the crowd interactions and involvement.
Very enjoyable listen with the extravagant brass and percussion playing here. Not normally a fan of drum solos but the Ginger Baker and Tony Allen one was fantastic. Fela Kuti has a great voice, only lost interest near the end of two of the songs. This would be much better if experienced in real life, could imagine having a ball to this.
Fela rules. Interesting collab, would be curious to see the movie about Ginger Baker doing this.
This is one of those live albums where you forget it's live until there's talking between songs, and you're like "oh, right!". That's one of the indicators of a great live recording, for me. I was surprised to get another Fela Kuti album after just listening last week, but I'm not mad about it. This was a good listen. Maybe not one I'll play over and over, but it would be good to vibe to while cleaning/cooking.
The intro "Let's Start" has a really cool riff playing call-and-response with the horns, along with enjoyable solos and Fela Kuti interjects energy with his eccentric vocals. I really like Ginger Baker's eclectic drums and the organ solo on "Black Man's Cry". The shuffling poly-rhythm on "Ye Ye De Smell" gives the track a unique energy. "Egbe Mi O" carries a more subdued vibe than the other tracks, with the same Afrobeat qualities creating a captivating listen. I'm especially fond of the crowd-vocal-led outro. This album is a great listen, and I'm grateful for it being my introduction to the legend Fela Kuti.
This is cool. Political black music that is unapologetic. I've heard of Fela Kuti but this was my first listen. I doubt I'd go back for more, but it was great to hear the artistry.
Funky. Jazzy. Seems like there’s a lot of this Kuti fella on here but this is a good one, someone should probably sample those drums.
I like Fela Kuti--the songs kind of all sound the same, but they're pretty fun, good vibes, so pretty happy to have this going in the background. And Egbe Mi O rocks. I'm writing less today because I wrote a whole bunch for yesterday's album and it didn't seem to save, so I'm mad
African jazz album, played live. I like the song intros from Fela ahead of the songs, simple introducing the title and briefly the meaning. Ginger Baker joins for the B-side, after touring Africa to learn about African drumming styles with Fela prior to this recording. Fun album, the songs are lengthy and overall it feels like a long jam session.
first listen such a vibe, love hearing the various African influences on jazz culture and i wish i was alive in the 70s
Languid compositions replete with Fela's urgency. I think I would have liked more, but am not sure if an album could handle more songs or if said songs would survive compression.
This album was full of energy. The arrangement was great and the fusion of African and western music was seamless and done in such a way that highlights the African influence in western popular music. Ginger Baker was a great addition to this as well.
Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker were both on the cusp of something when they paired up for this seismic album back in 1971. One of the many shining gems in a discography full of them, Fela and his Africa 70 showcases the euphoric yet political pull of Afrobeat with Ginger more than holding his own. If only we knew then what would come next.... Favorites: Let's Start, Black Man's Cry, Ye Ye De Smell.
Liked this one. Songs were really long but it worked well as background music while I was working. Would listen again and to more by Fela Kuti! 4/5
I am enjoying the music so far. Normally I don't like live recordings but the quality is superb. It's refreshing listening to music that I wouldn't normally be exposed to.
Genre: Afrobeat 4/5 In one of the best live albums I've listened to in quite some time, from an artist (Fela Kuti) I was unfamiliar with, featuring a drummer (Ginger Baker) who I'm rather familiar with, Fela Kuti's Live! is a recording that perfectly encapsulates the concept of Afrobeat. Born from African rhythms and jazz-funk, Afrobeat, essentially founded by Fela Kuti, is a genre rife with driving rhythms and neat, technical instrumentation. It comes together in a truly beautiful way, and all of the tracks here do something to excite you and challenge you. Ginger Baker, who shows up for the 2nd half of the album, delivers a muted, respectable, appropriate performance throughout, never becoming the highlight of the show, helping to make the feature feel genuine, and never gimmicky. My personal favorite, Ye Ye De Smell, the track which introduces our good friend Ginger, does a great job of showing us exactly who he is. Once the full band drops out, Ginger and Africa '70 drummer Tony Allen let loose, unleashing a tremendous duo drum solo that fits perfectly in the middle of the fine performance. Black Man's Cry features a cathartic vocal performance from Fela Kuti, and only goes to highlight how little some things have changed. Overall, Kuti serves as a miraculous bandleader, keeping tone and tempo consistent on his Hammond organ, and utilizing his players to the best of their abilities. Great sax solos throughout, smart and constantly altering arrangements as the songs play along, and a real passion and energy felt through the entire show. Solid, rewarding listen.
This is a great album! All new to me and some really sweet music happening here, no doubt. Caught my ear from the start and kept it going all the way through. Complex harmonies, funk-jazz-groove style, and ear-catching melodies, all with some tuly intricate beats. Really dug it.
super album live. Vraiment c'Est une découverte, ca jam pas mal et c'est très explosif. 4.5
One of the ones on this list that I would never otherwise seek out but really enjoyed. I don't get into the jazz waters much but boy are they pleasant sometimes
What this generator is all about, an album one would not normally find. A very good live jazz album that is all of five songs that runs a little over an hour. Percussion heavy album that is capped off with a sixteen minute dual drum solo. If you want to learn more about the crazy-ass Ginger Baker, check out the documentary "Beware of Mr. Baker."