Live!

Love Fela Kuti.

Didn't know what to expect and surprisingly enjoyed this one! The drums are definitely the start of the show here, super energetic and complex which kept me engaged the whole way through. Even though this is something I'd probably only go back to if I'm looking for this very specific sound (and since these are all 10min tracks which is a lot to commit to) I still really liked it and thought it was a cool new sound to get exposed to. 4/5

Jazz + Funk + Afrika

Ese sonido africano es ncreible. Se entiende muchisimo los sonidos latinos al escuchar esta música.

let's go to the funky town, love the sax vibe

Pretty epic, man. Cannot help but groove. I almost think I prefer this to Zombie, but maybe I need to relisten. Either way, this guy only puts out bangers. "Black Man's Cry" is insanely stellar, and this Kuti/Baker collab is the one we never knew we needed. What a fucking drum solo to cap off the album. Yes, it meanders, but for the most part I do not care.

This was almost a 5 star for me because it was so groovy, but honestly the tracks were a little long for my taste. 4.5/5.

This album was awesome. Idek what to say, it was just a great jazzy piece of art

Ginger Baker and Fela Kuti. What else could you ask for? Favorite track: Ye Ye De Smell

I love live music. I particularly love live music when you can tell that the musician loves what they do. This was a great album. I wish I could have been there to enjoy it in person. Everything had movement and life--not all live albums do, but this one held up. (Hope this isn't a spoiler, but the drums at the end were RADDDDD.)

This was a great funky, jazzy album. I particularly enjoyed the drums, and even though the songs were 12 minutes long, they flew by. Definitely something I could put on again and again. Listening to Fela Kuti and Ali Farka Touré recently have really gotten me into Afrobeats, or whatever this genre is called.

I’m a fan of Ginger Baker, but I've never come across this album or anything else by Fela Kuti. This was great though, groovy beats, tight musicianship, and an infectious energy throughout.

If there was a sound that encapsulated the 1970s it was this. Hypnotic, irresistible & incredibly powerfully alive. All plus a >16 minute drum track - wtf!

I had never heard this before, but it was great! I am giving it 4/5, but I almost went 5/5 based on the drum solo track alone.

songs were very long and i bet they’d be awesome actually live. fela kuti is a crazy guy

Amazing!! Lively and dynamic. I want this on vinyl.

A great vibe

My brother-in-law really loves Fela Kuti so I’ve heard bits and pieces over the years but never really dug into anything. This is great though. Jazzy and funky and some really killer drumming. Afrobeat isn’t something I’m overly familiar with but it’s definitely something I’m keen on looking into. I’ve already been listening to a bit of Jazz Fusion lately and I feel like this is a good complement to that.

Love a good 15 minute drum solo.

Pretty enjoyable, but idk about that fifteen minute drum solo.

Good fun. Great sounds.

smooth as hell. kept me swaying my head side to side throughout the entire duration. great flow, great horns, great drumming. overall a good time to be had. 9/10 FAVOURITE SONGS: LET'S START, YE YE DE SMELL

I thought this was quite entertaining and unlike many of the world music entries, it was something I'd listen to again for sure.

All things I like

Hard to argue with the groovy afrobeat. Hopefully this isn’t the only Fela Kuti album in the list

Worst album ever. I can’t believe this horse shit is considered music.

hoooly shit ending your set with a fourteen minute drum solo is brave. good shit though, very fun

Incredibly energetic start to finish, this is just a tremendously fun listen. Funky grooves you can’t help but tap your foot to and killer solos. And despite maybe being somewhat repetitive in places, it manages to stay continuously interesting. I guess the only thing holding it back from being a 5 is that, whilst a very fun listening experience, it doesn’t really leave you with anything or stay with you. I don’t even know if that makes sense but that’s how I felt.

8/10 This is an interesting record in that it’s an early one from an intensely prolific artist. Releasing over 50 albums in 22 years, this is only his fourth record and was put together with his friend Ginger Baker in an attempt to help bring afrobeat to a western audience. Despite the prominence of his name on the cover, Ginger only actually appears on the second side of the record, so this is really a Fela joint with a guest drummer playing alongside Africa ’70 drummer Tony Allen. As with most of Fela’s work, we get to enjoy a small number of long tracks on this album, with fluctuating, pulsating backing grooves pulling variable nuance and flow out of what would initially appear to be relatively simple, though full and layered, compositions. It would be easy to dismiss this as repetitive, but by sinking into the groove, you can feel the rhythms breathe, push and pull in a brilliantly organic way. While I feel like Fela would further refine this style later in his career, this is still an excellent record and illustrates how much can be done with layering and arrangement to extract a huge amount of value out of some individually simple, but structurally complex arrangements of musical and rhythmic layers. Fela’s vocal sections are intermittent, but when he gets on the mic, you can feel the charisma and control he has of both his band and his audience. The rest of the band are just excellent, with so much feel and deftness to the playing and some excellent soloing that captures the soul of the groove and adds punch and dynamism to the sound. I do feel like there is the odd moment on the second half where the dual drummers clash a tiny bit, and the final track doesn’t quite have the drive of the first three, but this is still an exciting and engaging record and well worth spending your time with. Let's Start - Great grooves, and Fela has got the band firing. The solos are great and it all smashes along at an enticing clip. He does a really good job of pushing and pulling the ferocity of the playing but always maintaining a shuffling, body-moving groove. There’s more individual flair to this than some of his later work, but you can see the signs of the hypnotic, rolling repetition that he would build into from the rhythm section. His vocal parts are sparing, but he’s got such charismatic delivery that it’s no surprise the man could incite revolution. The horns are a particular delight, but this is made by the ebb and flow of the layering. Once every player is in, the rhythmic blend has so much going on, but it all serves the vibe and pull of the groove. Great stuff. Black Man's Cry - Similarly to the first track, there are some great funk/jazz solos here to keep things fresh and varied, with the drop outs and build ups giving a really organic feel to the underlying groove. It’s an exercise in keeping a vibe moving and shuffling while barely shifting the architecture of the musical structure. I feel like there are the odd moments here when things get a touch overplayed, but they gather up pretty quickly and I bobbed along happily throughout. Those layered percussive rhythms, augmented by the rhythmic delivery of the tonal instruments that aren’t involved in soloing just pulse and move in such a beautifully funky way. Ye Ye De Smell - Ginger Baker gets introduced, having no part up to this point. I feel like the drums are largely still great, although there is the odd moment here and there when the dual drum kits clash a tiny bit. It’s frantic, feisty and furious, but oh so funky. So many of the tonal parts are fairly simple, but the way they play against and over one another creates more complexity and interest than the individual parts would indicate. Some of the soloing, particularly when punctuated by the horn stabs, is so, so good and really convey the intensity of the piece. There’s so much going on in this track that it builds to these brilliant cacophonous crescendos, but there are also moments of restraint where things take a breather. It perhaps gets a tiny too drum soloy near the end, but at least there’s a musical thread that keeps it grounded. Great stuff. Egbe Mi O - When it breaks into a more steady groove, this is really good. There are moments during the first couple of minutes when things feel a touch stilted and the dual drum kits don’t completely gel, but the clashing brashness of it is still enjoyable. In fact, there are a few bits where this feels just a tiny bit sloppy compared to previous tracks and some of the slower sections don’t have quite as much going on, but as it builds with Fela’s vocal from the half way point, that vibe takes over and things start to really connect. It’s cool when he gets everyone singing because it creates quite a big choral sound that the band feed of to build intensity towards the end. It’s the weakest track on the album, but it’s still pretty good.

first introduction to the genre. excellent album. not sure if i would go back to listen to it again, but I had fun listening to it.

Jeg synes sgu at det er ret fed. Drum-off er overraskende nice.

*84 Det svinger forrygende godt

Nothing less than four for Fela

kind of the goat Would I listen again: get me this vinyl Deserves to be on this list: yes 4.3

I enjoyed the energy in this! I feel like the language he was speaking added to the experience for me. The drums were great!

A fantastically fun record, it's hard not to enjoy Fela Kuti, his music is so lively and dance-able. Cracking stuff.

It's kind of joyous & uplifting. Musicality shines through

Brilliant. All about the drums.

I loved this, couldn’t sit still the entire time

Had a lot of fun with this!!!

Grabbed me early. Faded a bit at the end but will be playing it again

This album feels like the messiah cause the list has been giving me bad albums for the last few weeks and this is a bit funky and groovy with great afrobeat stuff in it !!!

This album is exactly what I needed at this time, some Afrobeat funk jazzy album. It's such a lively album that works really well with the live element to it. Had a few years of not great stuff, so this is a nice relief.

This is fairly typical of all the Fela Kuti albums I have. Long super funky jamming workouts focused heavily on rhythm. The addition of Ginger Baker on Side 2 doesn’t change the vibe, just adds a bit of extra heft. Personally, when the material is this strong, I can really dig repetition but I guess some might get bored. It should really all be about dancing of course; would love to have been present at the recording.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) Good, and funky too, but I could have easily done without the 16 minute drum solo track. Other than that, no complaints and nothing bad to say.

sehr cool. auch wenn die songs sehr sehr lang sind

Go on fela lad

Super energetic. I think I will appreciate this even more in future relistens.

This is sick! I genuinely think the only reason I am not giving this 5/5 is that I am a jazz neonate and I don't fully understand how to appreciate it. 4.5/5

fun!

What is this? It's a pleasure, Mr. Fela. It would be presumptuous of me to offer any criticism of this musical figure. I'll just say that very few geniuses can claim to have created a musical genre. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Fela Kuti, the father of Afrobeat

I don't know what more you could ask for. There's power, passion, lively beats, incredible energy, and an epic drum solo -- an all around great time.

# Album Name: Live # Artist: Fela Kuti # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Really good vibes with ginger baker on this one. Worth a listen. Very funk. Great beats. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Fela is SO cool.

Awesome Afrobeat funk, and the addition of the massive Ginger Baker drum solo at the end is the icing on the cake. Great album.

I liked this album, I found out about kuti like a week ago and it did not disappoint

big surprise, i liked it

8 / 10 - Afrobeat/Afrofunk (Mischung aus Jazz/Funk & Afrikanischen Rhythmen) - Musik die einen bewegen lässt & die glücklich macht (sehr tanzbar) - Awesome Vibes von vorne bis hinten - Manchmal ein klein bisschen repetitiv

Great vibes

This was dooe

Another interesting album by Fela Kuti! I had his other album on this countdown (Zombie) like two weeks ago and both of them were excellent listens. This one had a bit more of a hard edge to me, though, which I actually quite enjoyed. The only drawback was the 16 minute drum solo at the end. I love a good drum solo (E.g., Phil Collins with two other drummers at the start of his First Final Farewell Tour), but I found this one to be inferior. The rest of the record was very good though.

This was a pretty fun listen!

Schwächstes Fela Kuti Album bisher. Ginger Baker hat nichts beigetragen

Bis vor ein paar Wochen kannte ich Fela Kuti nicht. Heute kann ich nicht mehr ohne ihn leben - zumindest will ich es nicht. Sich in den Tunnel zu begeben mit Kopfhörern auf voller Lautstärke, um sich anschließend zu fragen 'wow, wieder eine Stunde rum!' schaffen nicht viele - Fela Kuti gehört dazu. Nun schon mit dem zweiten Album Wäre ich mir damals bei meiner übereilten Bewertung von Zombie der Tragweite bewusst gewesen, hätte es damals ausschließlich eine 5-Sternebewertung sein können. Das habe ich leider versäumt: Heute gibts vier weil Ransome-Kuti nicht die gleiche Einprägsamkeit hat.

Never heard this artist before. Driving through the city was the perfect moment to listen. Very nice vibe.

In a previous job, I used to share an office space with a girl who was originally from Lagos in Nigeria. I’m always dying to learn about other cultures, so I’d pester her to find out what I could about the place, from someone who lived there. She taught me some basic phrases in the Yoruba language (that I completely butchered), and I learned that Nigerians love to eat dishes based on the yucca plant as much as South Americans do. On Saturday mornings in the office, things would get a bit quiet, so I’d play some music on some tiny speakers I had stashed away in my desk. One day, she asked me if I knew Fela Kuti. I was aware of him, but had never listened to any of his stuff. I put on some of his music, based on her recommendation. For the next few weeks, it was pretty much all I was allowed to play in the office. It was a good introduction to Fela Kuti. But I have to admit, that I haven’t listened to much more since. I wasn’t even aware that he had made an album with Ginger Baker. Most of what I knew about him was second-hand, through the influence he’s had on other artists. Talking Heads wouldn’t be the same without Fela Kuti. Their experiments in complex patterns and repetition are a direct evocation of Kuti’s music. I really enjoyed this album. Kuti’s vocals really inject some serious energy into the jam sessions, and I loved the way that the musicians repeat his vocal melodies, particularly towards the end of “Black Man's Cry”. For how long these tracks are, you don’t feel it. The melodies become hypnotic after a while, and lock you in. It’s a brilliant blend of jazz, funk, West African music and rhythm. Serious rhythm. Ginger Baker’s drumming is great on the tracks he played, as is Tony Allen’s, but it’s on the bonus track that they both really shine. Two drummers playing together, not battling. Over 16 full minutes of nothing but drums, and it’s my favourite track. It was cool being introduced to Fela Kuti by someone who grew up with his music as part of their culture. It definitely deserves to be properly listened to though, not just playing in the background of an office, on some tiny speakers.

This was a fun one to revisit.

This was unexpected ..really enjoyed this! It will get on to the list. Even the 16 min drum solo…cool stuff.

Really really very good

epic drum solo

Nice

it's so fun! get up and dance with your funk on. gimme more

Nice

Finding something like this is why this project is so cool. I was semi-aware of the name Fela Kuti, but had no knowledge of his music at all. This was pretty awesome. Even the 16 minute drum solo bonus track was pretty cool, and that is something that I would have assumed I would hate/never listen to. Fun listen.

I dig this afrobeat - jazz album. It was a bit on the long side for my current mood, but was a fun, interesting listen that I’m glad to discover. 4/5

Hell yeah!

I immediately warm to music that isn't white and crusty on this list. This is that vibe., plus ginger baker. Respect.

very good i like

I enjoyed it, truly a lively album.

FunkEH

If I started dancing right after turning on the album, then I guess that was the intention. A very good album. 7/10

Was an enjoyable listen!

Feels like a Mardi Gras parade in the best way. 4/5

The collaborative album between Ginger Baker and Fela Kuti Recorded in Lagos, Nigeria in 1971 when Ginger left in the UK after the disastrous US tour with ‘Blind Faith’ and to cope with his harrowing heroine addiction. The album dubbed ‘Live!’ Showcase both the talents of the African musicians inside the ‘70’, as well as Baker’s talent as a drummer and his Afrobeat influence that he brought into the mainstream from the mid to late 60s through Cream’s brief tenure. The album, although long only consists of 5 songs, representing the loose, jam-orientated performances of the Africa 70 and the quality Ginger brought from his time at the forefront of the British blues explosion of the 60s and although it represents a troubled time in Ginger’s life, having left his family and been near-fatally addicted to drugs also shows the musical significance of the time, with Baker also recording on Paul McCartney and Wings’ seminal album ‘Band on The Run’ in Lagos at the time, as well as showing a legend finding his footing after a troubled few years. The collaboration remains as legend, with Fela and Ginger falling out soon after this recording with this album representing a glimpse of a fleeting moment where genius met innovation, Baker and Kuti.

This album is a reminder of how small my music world is - I really enjoyed it! Everything worked really well together and the drumming especially was amazing

pretty damn good. i think i was not quite in the head space to enjoy this as much as i might've in a different context, though it does feel a bit directionless, but it's definitely really good. i've not heard much afrobeat so this was a welcome change of pace and i'll have to keep an eye out for more. the drumming in this from ginger baker was especially lovely. he fucking WENT and did not stop. great energy on this album. prior to me listening, ana had me give fela kuti's wikipedia page a read, and what can i say other than he's certainly a complicated figure!!!

Bang on energy.

Funky also cool 8)

First time listen A great live album with some fun banter interspersed and an overall fun, funky vibe. I've only listened to Zombie by Fela previously but his energy transfers well to this live performance. Loved the incorporation of the audience singing on the last track. Favorite Tracks: Egbe Mi O, Ye Ye De Smell 4/5

This is so fun!! Love the vibes

Funky fun

I love this. The tight playing of James Brown’s backing band stretched out and allowed to go on as long as it wants. It feels alive. It is a stone cold jam without ever feeling pointless or noodly. A great album and well worth hearing.

To be frank, I’d had my fill of drumming by the end but this is a banger of a recording that I’ll play again.

Let's do what we came in the room to do! Fela Kuti comes in hawt with brass instruments, immersing me in a 60s-70s-style Hollywood production. I almost wanna light up a cigarette and SMOKE IT.

very nice afrobeat

You know what? Hell yeah.

4 stars for ending the album with a 17 minute drum solo

This was funky, groovy, different and very fun. Ginger Baker is an insane drummer, and the overall vibe was very interesting and refreshing. Finally something old that doesn't sound like the same recicled material. This is what I wanna hear!

Echt een leuk disco album. Soms beetje onrustig en langdradig. Maar heel leuk

No esperaba un album así. Tremendamente natural, una banda increíble, una onda espectacular de Fela Kuti, y una energía fantástica. No te aburrís ni un minuto. 8/10

Ass shaking music to a revolution. I have a rule that if I’m debating two rankings I always go with the lower one. That puts this at 4 stars but in reality it’s 4.5/5. Great beats. Great message. Ginger Baker tears it up. Amazing album

Kind of sicodelic, not the usual sound, but interesting, not easy to get the first time. Makes You want to dance

This is why I started doing this challenge. A great discovery, funky as hell and interesting throughout

Cool album j’ai découvert un truc hyper intéressant je vais sûrement devoir écouter plusieurs fois

What nice, swinging music this is.

Listened in the car. Had no idea what to expect and was really surprised by this one! Loved the energy, the grooves, the improves, everything. Found myself really grooving on that drum solo and before I knew it 15 minutes had gone by. Really enjoyed this one.

This was pretty good it kind of reminded me of James Brown at times. I was driving and didn't listen super-actively. Might be good to try listening when I'm not driving and I'm definitely interested in hearing more of his catalog

Very energetic and uplifting jam. It does lack a bit of the political edge that other Fela Kuti works have though. Still, it's a very good jam, even if not all that live. The origin of how this album came to be is very interesting and kind of opened the door to more contemporary African music in Europe. It's nice hearing Fela Kuti playing the organ and the drumming here is excellent as with all Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker works. Doesn't really grab me as much as a lot of other Fela Kuti work though.

2026.03.05

This record got me feeling electrical (?) “Live!” genuinely is the most body swinging album that I’ve heard a while. The overwhelming sense of being smothered by nasty instrumentals drenched in pure grooves and funk really is unmatched. Can we also talk about the ending to this record? In fact, don’t even get me started. When he started using the audience as a choir, I knew it was over for me. This is too much for me man, this is actually peak music. With that said, I do have a problem that keeps me from fully enjoying this project: Its lack of versatility. I don’t think versatility is a requirement for a perfect album, but it definitely shouldn’t be ignored. It’s mostly because of my dying attention span and the lack of understanding of afrobeat, but every song sounded too similar to each other. Sure, the songs are technically very different, but I can’t understand that. All I got as someone who doesn’t “get it” was four very upbeat songs that seemed like one really long song. This review might seem more negative than positive, but it’s really not; the positives were just simpler to understand than the negatives. “Live” is unbelievable, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Anyways, great album, wouldn’t recommend.

This was great. Ginger Baker is a legend and Fela and the band were so full of energy and great melodies and grooves. I listened to this twice and almost went for a third time. Four stars.

Very fun, would listen again!

Oh live is live who would've thought tbh. I heard Fema Kuti's album and this is his dad and holy shit aura must be genetic because I'm loving this holy moly. Fuck man sing it. This is electric bruh. So many artists record live albums and can't get the same energy or a better energy than their studio recordings but this is just something else oh my god he's so dynamic. Favourite: Egbe Mi O Least favourite: Ye Ye De Smell

4/8

crazy grooves in this joint

8/10 Sorpresa! Canción preferida: Black man's cry

Not my exact favourite style of music but can very much respect the musical talent and ability, specifically the drumming was awesome.

I'm not usually one for live albums or overly long instrumentals, but hot damn! The horns! The drums! Prompted me to start a 1001 Albums Bangers playlist just so I could kick it off with Ye Ye De Smell.

Incredible live album! The performances are just insane and the songs are so hip and funky. It’s honestly a joy to listen to, and you just have ti experience it. The 16 minutes drum solo is a bit too indulgent though.

Fuuuuuuuck yes, this is the stuff. Fela Kuti and his backing band Africa 70 absolutely tear up a set of his signature Afrobeat style, bringing funky fresh grooves and killer horn sections to life with Fela's vocals and Nigerian-inspired compositions. The bonus track with Ginger Baker and Tony Allen doing a dual drum solo from 1978 doesn't hurt either!

Very fun, hypnotic grooves and rhythms. Fela Kuti's style just lends itself magnificently to a live setting! Standout: Black Man's Cry

This is really good! I was sleeping on it a little on first listen but I think this is one of those albums that keeps on giving, where you have something new and interesting to enjoy on every listen.

Pure fun tied with a bow. Infectious energy and musical cohesion.

I was boppin to this

One of my favorite finds from this list is Fela Kuti and how much I like his music

really liked this. the grooves just kept going. glad this project introduced me to Fela because I enjoyed Zombie as well and would have never heard of him otherwise.

This was a lovely album, I listened yesterday morning to start the day. I feel there’s not much really to say, it hits on all levels, I was very surprised.

This was a really fresh and revitalising album full of energy , this project has really opened me up to a lot more styles around the world , Bursting with danceable rhythms the African singing coupled with the big band jazz style horns , tribal drums , and mix of funk etc to give felas signature afrobeat sound really opened my ears to some great music that I’d probably revisit The great ginger baker on the last track really pushes his drum solo dynamically giving it that stepped hi hat foot obstinato and playing round the drums , Tony Allen also I need to listen to more and dig into what he’s done , musically a winner this one

I've known Fela Kuti before from his water get no enemy track, which is super infectious. But this album is just a non stop groove it really puts you in a trance and to say it's live too - awesome real human music. Love this one.

Not my favourite, but the vibe is nice

Fuckin' Fela, man. And Ginger Baker too? Just a great record with absolute killer vibes. Nothing too fancy or mind blowing but killer.

I was already a Fela Kuti fan so although I’m not a lover of a live album, I did enjoy this. They were playing near me not long ago and I didn’t get around to going, don’t think I’ll miss that opportunity again!

My third album from the list "1001 albums you must hear before you die" There were no expectations. I saw that it was Jazz and it immediately became clear to me.... I absolutely need to go to a jazz bar. It's necessary for my mental health, God. All I want to say is that I really need to listen to this live. I can imagine how good it can be, but my headphones are not able to convey the full depth and volume of sounds. And my opinion is that jazz is exactly what you should listen to live. And Jazz along with Afrobeat is even more so. But the atmosphere is there anyway. There are only 4 songs here (except for the drum solo by Ginger and Tony(although it's amazing)) and these breaks to communicate with the audience between each song feel so warm. I recommend listening to those who are thinking whether to start listening to Jazz or afrobeat.

8/10 - Afrobeat/Afrofunk (blend of Jazz/Funk & African Rhythms) - Music to make you move & make you happy (very danceable) - Awesome vibes front to back - Sometimes a tiny bit repetitive

Fela Kuti is a fascinating, extremely charismatic performer and figure. Well known for activism and being a pioneer of Afrobeat, Kuti's Live! Is a great document of what made him such a compelling performer. I wish I could better break down exactly what Afrobeat is, but I did like it on here. This album reminded me of jazz more than anything else honestly. Especially in the lengthy, possibly improvised compositions and palette. But regardless, Live! Is colorful, joyful, and appropriately full of life. These are the sort of songs I'd really need to spend some time with to get to their core (or it probably would've helped to be at this performance). But while I listened to this, I really enjoyed it and felt the infectious energy from the performances. I don't think I'm qualified to get super in-depth on this one, but I had a great time either way.

Great stuff!

Uhm I'm thinking yes!

Dope

Gave Fela Kuti a 2 the last time I ranked them. I think I was too harsh. This band slaps with funky goodness. Maybe I just love a live album. The drummer from Cream is on this album as well! It's fun to see peeps from other bands and where they go.

This was a fun album.

Great record and a full on live jam start to finish!!

- oletan että aikaansa edellä ollaan oltu tämän kanssa, koska tää vois tanssittaa aivan hyvin ens kesän flowssa jengiä - släppää! - drum solo raita oli ehkä vähä turha mut muuten kova platta

Dancing in da kitchen music.

La la la la la, la la la la, la la la

Fackin great vibes. In the right mood, perfect.

great energy

Badass

hell yeah

I have to give immense respect to this man for acting as a voice of protest against the military juntas running his country at the time. I also have to respect the excellent rhythms on display here. It sounds like it should be right up my alley with the funky rhythms and groove, but it didn't grab me from the get go, instead being a grower of an album. There are vocals, but they're not in English, so I can't understand what he's actually saying. It's supposed to be political, but I can't tell what his actual message is because I don't speak whichever African language the lyrics are in. Anyway, you can clearly tell that these are great musicians, but a lot of it sounds more like noodly jams than actual songs. That's not inherently a bad thing, as this grew on me the more I listened.

Det her var dødskult, fete rytmer og gode vibes

Probably one of the few in-studio live albums on this challenge. This album is what live albums should be about. Fantastic musicians with great energy throughout. The dream solo was one of the most memorable moments.

it's Fela Kuti, it's like THE Afrobeat sound. The ONLY reason this is getting 4 instead of 5 starts is that I just think albums like Zombie and Gentleman are better in his library so check them out if you like this

Terrible people can make amazing music.

Really loved hearing his perspective and crowd work ♥️

4/8

Sounds great for live recording

Excellent stuff

Learned Afrobeat = African styles + American jazz. This live-ly album has such energy.

i love horns

Super funky. Ginger Baker rocks too.

Bra vibes!

Smooth and delightful

Bingo bango bongo I don't wanna listen to anything other than 60 minutes of Afro jazz percussion.

Nice album! Liked the sounds.

interessante demais

LOVE, good energetic art making music

This is another certified African (fusion?) banger. Why do I simultaneously love and loathe what Ginger Baker and Ry Cooder did for African music? I sure wish they didn’t, but I’m kinda glad they did. All hail white saviors!

My algorithm never woulda brought me here, but I’m glad this did. Very fun.

Absolute grooves! Charismatic frontman with a tight backing band. The sound has such depth and clarity that you would forget it's a live album. Long-winded but keeps the listener's interest piqued throughout.

Фела Куті кайф, тут ще й оцей драм-батл між Тоні Аленом і Джинджером Бейкером, топова атмосфера живого концерту. Все сподобалось.

There's an old joke my dad told me when I was a kid. What do coffee and Ginger Baker have in common? They both suck without Cream. After listening to this album, I wholeheartedly disagree. Not only do I prefer my coffee black, Ginger Baker was one of the GOATs in terms of drumming and creativity. Fela Kuti never disappoints and throwing Baker into the fold really just takes this to the next level.

There's some great drumming on this record (obviously). Also, the amount of chaos Fela and Ginger probably got into when they were hanging out is probably legendary.

I felt the funk, the lyrics spoke to me, and it all culminated in a 16 minute drum off where the Cream rose to the top, or something.

Amazing art! I hear James Brown, and African jams and AMAZING DRUMS! 4/5

Early 70s groove with a touch of funk. I so dig those African beats with that jazzy jam session. It's a mood and a good one too. Definitely an album that's going on my Discogs wishlist.

3.5 - Good

Fun jazzy afro beats

This was 70s dude, definitely need to listen to this again

African rock with Ginger Baker. The documentary this is from should be a cool watch.

Much more fun than the last one.

Funky drummers!

This is great… the fantastic percussion keeping a constant level of energy that kept these long songs consistently interesting and at times, infectiously toe-tapping! I can't see it being something I come back to a lot but it's one to keep in the back pocket for when the mood suits.

This was fun, enjoyed the live element, and the energy and intimacy of that! 4 stars for the impressively long drumming solo

Hell yeah. This album was so much fun! I secretly love a live album (I feel like they are controversial? But I want to FEEL like I’m THERE). Excellent poolside listening and I was really surprised that the drum solo was my fave track.

Super fun, funky, and fast-paced..pure energy. Had to skip the drum solo for my nervous system. My standouts: All

This is a great album selection...especially for those whose blood runs cold when they hear the words "drum solo".

Beautiful history piece as well

good vibes, just a little long & repetitive

Groovy as. A a drummer, I loved the drums and rhythms on this. Do feel like the last track dragged on a bit however. Didn't feel as tight as the other tracks. Incredible nontheless.

pretty decent but the songs are12 minutes long and theres a minute of talking before the song starta and i get bored. Again probably 3.5 but ill round up

Surprisingly I enjoyed this one

the jazzy, funky, heavy instrument afrobeat sound is one i find engaging and easy to listen to i liked how long the songs were, i feel like you rly settled into the beat, the songs kinda blended in a way that felt cohesive this being a live album rly added to it for me, i liked in the last few songs when you could hear people in the crowd, i feel like the music has a lot of energy, so hearing the audience react and engage with it was cool ending the album w a 16 minute long drum solo is such a power play bonus: was curious so i did google fela kuti and he is one interesting guy, him marrying 27 women in one day is a fun fact i will not soon forget

i would not have heard of this album if not for this generator. definitely one you listen to fully

In the true spirit of jazz all of the tracks on this album are long as shit

Delightful!

I've known about Fela Kuti for some time, and have been meaning to check him out, but this is my first time listening to an album of his. This is exactly what I was expecting, and it's solid. I'll definitely check out more Fela Kuti albums.

What a fun listen! A lively jazz performance, approached with attitude and finesse. Get lost in the rhythms!

Loved it. Funky and soulful. Had a dance in the kitchen!

Really enjoyed this, live aspect again was good and the jazz/afro elements just worked really well. Really interesting mix of songs as well. First and last tracks were my favourites.

Let's Start 3.8 Black Man's Cry 4 Ye Ye De Smell 4 Egbe Mi O (Carry Me I Want to Die) 3.7 Ginger Baker and Tony Allen Drum Solo 3.6 Score: 3.82

Great groove - had heard of the artist but never heard the album.

Some really incredible music, and especially the drum parts. A unique blend of Africa and Europe.

Pretty good!

Very groovy. Both drummers are mind numbingly brilliant, just wow. 8/10

Really enjoyed this one. It was a mix between jazz, funk, and good mix of it all. Couldn’t really pick out a song. Overall great album.

Fun african music. Love the drum solo at the end

Haven't listened to this in a long time and it's much better than I remember. Would throw on again

Great

Chad drums by Ginger. I will not call him that.

Fun, funky, and energetic

Incredible live musicianship. Funky, groovy, politically dense.

Here's a collaboration between artists that I never imagined I'd see. Honestly, I can barely see any flaws in this album; it's practically perfect.

i like it. funky, groovy, and energetic. cool environment

Really enjoyed Animal by Fela Kuti so I was excited to hear this. Very cool. Very funky. Plus Ginger Baker. You cannot lose. 4/5

Wow, this was great! The rythm section sounds so goood on this! Loved it!

Great energy, could probably get some good drum breaks and sounds from here

I never thought I would like afrobeats. Great album!

Great funky vibes, really put me in a great mood for the day and made me want to listen to more of this artist. The album itself did feel a little long at times. And despite being a drummer, I didn't enjoy the final track as much as I thought I would. Super interesting listen and highly recommend. The mix of jazz, funk, brass works wonders!

Solid Afro-funk

This is a really good jazz album that is percussion-centric. Pitchfork: Rolling Stone: Best Songs

Decent 4

Good vibes

Should be dancing in a field listening to this, really enjoyed it.

Infectious beats. Impressive work from Ginger Baker to hold his own in that company, whether or not he was planted for marketing purposes.

The third live album I've had so far and probably the best. I don't really know how to describe it and I obviously don't understand any of the words, but it sounds great and marvellously vibrant. Ginger Baker (of Cream fame) plays drums which seems an odd combination to me, but it works. It's not funk or soul, it's just some sort of African shit. That's my technical explanation, anyway. Loads of trumpets and saxophone, powerful vocals and then when the Hammond organ comes out it's like an African Doors, one big jam that would have graced the final track on the final Doors album, had Jim Morrison not died in his Paris bathtub 22 days before this gig. There's only five songs in one hour here, the last one being basically a 16 minute drum solo. I knew absolutely nothing about this fucker and only googled him after listening to the album. Apparently he died of AIDS after denying it existed. He also married 27 women on the same day.

Live would be 5 stars for sure.

Could’ve easily done without the 15 minute drum solo, but otherwise, a nice groove.

This looked like a recipe for disaster, but turned out to be the start of a wild and wonderful journey into Fela Kuti's back catalogue. I'm left a little surprised why this album made the list and others didn't, but I'm not bitter about it. Very enjoyable tracks that go places and never outstay their welcome. To my ears, this feels more jazz than soul, and all the better for it. Four stars.

8/10

Cool album with nice rhythm. I enjoyed it a good amount!

Funky! I liked it.

Nice!

Really solid. Nice jazz/world album. Drum solo was ridiculous.

An interesting time capsule. I enjoyed it for its originality and the individual skills of Ginger Baker and Fela Kuti. Together, what a unique fusion.

4/5

Surprisingly good!

Good

How do you make 5 songs and make an hour long album? And its soo good. The last song was too repeptitive for me but im so suprised by this album. Shook even. The rythms the pace the fact it can keep a 13 min song intresting and fresh. This is the kind of albums that makes me want to explore so many others. Finding gems like this can make a day. I want to give it a 4.75 but not sure how to rate it.

This was a fascinating listen. Great chemistry between the full band, good vibes. The percussion at the end dragged on a bit for me. Overall, this is never something I would have sought out on my own, and I'm glad I can say I've heard this one.

Damn, some fantastic drums from Ginger Baker. Fela Kuti's funkiness is also shining bright here.

Perhaps the lushest and fullest of funky jam sessions

Fun

Fela Kuti and The Africa '70: Such a lively, energetic sound on these tracks that makes it hard to sit still. Gooooood stuff. Fav tracks: Egbe Mi O (Carry Me)

Enjoy fewer tracks and longer runtime. Can get more into it and excited to see what this delivers, probably wouldn’t come across it otherwise… Great groove to get it started and set the precedent for the album 🕺🥁 yeh, really good feel to this. Love the live element and talking between tracks. SUCH good energy and skill. Would love to be there dancing to this 😮‍💨 Really great album and pretty sure I’ll listen through again straight after. How a live album should be and afrobeat down to a tea. Yes!

skroz neloše, štoviše

this is great music to have on in the background. the "hidden track" drum solo is very fun, but i'd listen to the whole thing again

Great stuff here, fabulous drumming (no surprise), excellent horn section. Fela's vocals are energetic, I like the parts where the whole band sings as well as some of the call and response. Only critique is that sometimes the songs stretch on a bit long without enough melodic development/chord changes, but overall really enjoyed the energy.

4.5

Really cool collaboration! Definitely will come back to this one in the future

*Very cool jazz with African drum beats...kind of fusion-ish at times *Even more impressive is that it's live

Really good afrobeat music. Enjoyed the vibes a lot, and would definitely listen again.

Blind review: Conor - I don't think it will be my cup of tea, but if it's got kinda of cool party/disco/harlem vibes it might be interesting. Shona - I'm excited about the divisive reviews this has garnered. I hope one track becomes this week's staple. Both enjoyed - better than we expected

Although not perfect, it gets a lot right and bonus cookie points. I do think the songs run too long, but it is a live performance, where you can expand your music with the energy of the crowd. The drums are incredible, the rythme they bring very much made me want to dance. So of course, at the second listen I was over the 16 minute songs, but as a fresh listen, what fun. To me it is better to be overblown with ideas than with nothing to say. And I really enjoy half of the album and will listen to that again, it is music that feels good.

Another banger, literally in this case, that I would have never heard otherwise. Really fun music that dominated the African music scene at the same time modern music was exploding in the US. It is so much fun to listen to an album, research it again and then give it another listen realizing that you are listening to modern music history. Kuti sounds like quite a character and the events surrounding the production of this album are just insane.

It was different from my current music. It was rhythmic, edgy, and completely unexpected it the best possible way.

It's great to listen to a really nice album that you never heard before. I can imagine how enjoyable it would be to be at this live performance.

If you just put 1001 Fela albums on here (and there probably are 1001 Fela albums out there), it wouldn't bother me one bit!

Very funky and jammy with incredible rhythms. I didn’t even realize the songs were 12 minutes long! This is exactly why I’m doing this project to find albums like this that I’d never have discovered otherwise. It’s awesome from the start. I’m a drummer so this album was unfair to the rest of the albums that I had or have to rate. Usually I’d say there’s no way I’m listening through a long instrumental album but I’ve proven myself wrong because I just listened to a 15 minute drum solo and was completely captivated. It’s got everything that I enjoy from sax solos, drum solos to Fender Rhodes solos. According to Wikipedia Fela Kuti married 27 women in one ceremony, insane. Overall this album is great it’s got that raw fusion of African rhythms and Afrobeats, funk, and jazz, a showcase of musicianship and a lot of energy. The chemistry between Fela’s band and Ginger Baker is felt very clearly. The percussion is the heartbeat of the album here, felt very organic, funky, and groovy as hell. Felt like watching Whiplash by the end just pure, sweaty fun, funky, jazzy energetic music. I can only imagine how fun this Live album would actually be to see live!

Loved it

Fantastic instrumentation and production. Loved the horns. And ginger baker of course!

Vibe and get in a trance

Really good, groving through the whole thing. Not far off 5 stars

Perfect music to move to. Whether it's dancing or cleaning.

8/10

Energetic and something new.

Very upbeat, not the kind of music I typically listen to, but I like it!

I loved this album. The open jam sessions. Drum solo closing track was great. 4/5

This live album rips. So fun and alive.

Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and Ginger Baker put on an epic show.

¨Let’s start what we have come in this room to do.¨ So opens Fela Kuti’s live album, and since the music began on ¨Let’s Start¨ all I can do is nod my head and try not to spill my coffee. There is something so immediate, so consuming about a good beat, a good rhythm. There’s a primal part of our nature that reacts to it naturally- watch any small child, before they become self-conscious, react to a song with a good beat. There aren’t many other words that describe this music besides ¨fun.¨ Even when the songs blend together a bit I still have trouble keeping still or wiping the grin off of my face. Maybe that last drum duo with Ginger Baker goes on a bit too long, but you have to admire what they’re doing and how well they do it! Best songs: ¨Let’s Start,¨ ¨Black Man’s Cry¨

That drum solo was electric

#153/1001. Yet another interesting choice: from the wonderful Fela Kuti / Afrobeat / Tony Allen ouvre a live album with a random white guy? Ok perhaps not so random, but still. Of course Fela is great live, but I don’t think they captured all of the moves and grooves, the heat and the beat. Well they tried with the one album side long drum duel…which I read is a bonus track. Fuck bonus tracks, but if I never need to pull a 16 minute drum jam, i need to look no further.

Does this end with a 16 minutes long drum solo battle? You fuckin' know it does!

When I saw this was 5 songs in an hour my first thought was no thank you but I hit play and was sold on the joy sounds and dance. A solid album start to finish.

Jazzy, Worldly

Fav: Let’s Start Least Fav: Black Man’s Cry Great album, glad to know that Ginger Baker uses the bath and doesn’t smell too ig

This was a nice surprise. I didn’t know what exactly to expect, and I wasn’t sure how this collaboration with Ginger Baker would work, but this live record is a lot of fun. There are jams that sound improvisational but never get lost or totally unfocused and have some moments of genius sprinkled throughout. The 13 min drum “solo” at the end may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it.

This is an amazing collaboration and I'm happy to know it happened and was recorded.

This is a fun one

Jammin

That was fun.

Excellent album to cook dinner to, unless you include the bonus track and singe the potatoes.

Great rhytms and lots of power

Perfect album for a Monday, sustained grooves that just blended into the work I had to get done.

Afrobeats is a cool cool genre of music. And knowing this guy was the godfather? Really great album.

This music is always so much fun. I feel like you can feel the players interacting with each other, and I'm not too sure how much of this was improvised and how much was already planned. I think the stuff he did with Ginger Baker is quite famous for being a bit hectic, but its a cool collaboration, and shows that he was willing to go outside of the Western music of the time. I feel like you could also consider this jazz fusion, but this was kind of before that word was commonly used. I really like the vocals, as they are purposely melodic rather than lyrical, which I think works as its done more as an instrument than anything. Its also very funk, but while still retaining the traditional African melodies. Favourite songs: all. Overall around 8/10

Now THAT is right up my alley ! Been waiting this stuff for a while. Fela Kuti is one of the music giants of Africa, and he fully deserves a place here as the godfather of Afrobeat. Considering his giganormous discography, however, I find it odd that this list chose to pick a live album that is neither his best nor his most iconic. It’s probably because there’s a Western musician involved... Music critics are notoriously timorous when exposed to non-Western music, and need to be reassured by familiar names. This album is still a fascinating example of how African music, after changing and evolving in America, gave birth to gospel, jazz, soul and blues, then came back to Africa thanks to artists like Fela, and was once again mixed with indigenous music to create new sounds. I’m usually not big on live albums, but this one is really good. It’s full of energy and super groovy. The various influences blend seamlessly together, backed by haunting beats. My only gripe is the relative lack of vocals – Fela doesn’t sing a lot, and when he does it’s often low-key, mostly eclipsed by the instruments. It’s a pity because the first song clearly shows how powerful he can be. As a result, I found the album to be a bit too much of an instrumental performance (especially the last track with its dizzying drumming duel). Still a great concert, a strong 4* for me.

It's a very beautiful live album full of energy and rhythms but it lacks lyrics! The drum duet of the last track is very nice and it's a great discovery of Afrobeat music

The mix is surprisingly good for a live show from 71, the warm sound is super pleasant. The jazz-funk-Afro rhythm crossover works so well, full of joy, and it feels more like a festive jam than a technical showcase. The groove is spot on but it doesn’t seem to be Kuti’s very best, yet I love it. Only downside: a few stretches with those typical live interludes that drag a bit. What else? Kuti had a fabulous life of freedom fighter and had married 27 wifes simultaneously. Playlist straight ahead!

Fela gotta be one of the coolest to ever do it. Again I wish I could have actually seen this live because I feel it would hold so much more power than on the recording but still a solid experience, even if I did drift off during the 14 minute drum solo. Couple moments made me think of The Cat Empire too.

It's no secret this is not the kind of music I would typically seek out, but I can see why this particular album is on this list. Aside from just having a more global focus on music, Fela Kuti's Live album which only features 6 songs, but most of them range from 7-16 minutes in length, and each one is sensational for its rhythmic tunes, but also the way the instrumentation itself can tell a story. Each song is given a small introduction and then we're off to discover what a Black Man's Cry sounds like. Hearing this live was a transporting experience. A masterclass on what you can do with rhythms, sounds, and instruments when you understand the feel they are supposed to provide.

4/5

Some great funk with tracks that aren’t afraid to be long listens

This hits like a damn freight train.

driving and grooving

Reminds me of the Door album. Learned of Fela Kuti's huge influence. Otherwise groovy

Would have been 5 stars if not for the 16-minute drum solo.

fela kuti nunca errou (musicalmente) gostoso demais

que capa cabulosa hein pedradaça, inclusive. afrobeat gostosim animado do jeito que nós gosta!!!!!!

Fela Kuti is probably one of the artists that I am most sad about never being able to see. These live sessions sound like so much fun