Live!

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

This is an album to put once the sun sets and let the rhythm take you on a ride. The first song and the album's most famous export, Let's Start, is groovy and effortless. The music beckons your spirit to sing along. Black Man's Cry is a jam session that simmers as Fela's voice soars. Ye Ye De Smell is the album's hidden highlight as a musical manifestation of a train marching at full speed. Egbe Mi O carries the swagger and confidence of a midnight stroll. The ending benefits of a live audience that somehow makes the album feel present, even decades after its recording. The finale is a decadent drum solo, or rather, a duel between two masters of their craft. If you haven't been dancing like possessed throughout the runtime of this album, you're not listening.

Some pretty nice live jam style stuff, good groove to it all. 4 stars

An old joke: “what does Ginger Baker and coffee have in common? They both suck without Cream” Me as a kid thought it was hilarious and objective truth, but guess what? I’m mature now. That’s right bitch I like jazz. Fela Kuti is awesome and Ginger is awesome on this album, and I even love the extended drum soloing. I’d still like cream with my coffee though, thanks

Great African jazz, fun listen!

Great listen! Chill af!

A cracking recommendation, alongside a legend in Ginger Baker so there were always gonna be drums (but maybe too many). Seems like an interesting fella…great listen

-this was amazing i had a great time listening to this -the instruments all move together perfectly and smoothly -the bass has an incredible tone -fast at times but then slows down to a very nice pace - the 16 min drum soli was also incredible, i was engaged for the entire time

This is what the list is for. Incredible find

Uppfriskande med lite afrobeat. Har lyssnat på Fela massor med gånger utan att veta om det eller utan att veta vad med Fela som spelas. Ett household name på Nefs dansgolv under 90talet och hur många gånger har inte Mats Nileskär spelat Fela i p3 soul? Föga oväntat föredrar jag de funkigare elementen framför de jazziga. Så utomordentligt svängigt att det nästan blir löjligt. Går det ens att vara still till det här? Man vill bara svettas i ett tokigt rus. Trumsolo är dock aldrig okej, inte ens om det är Tony Allen som lirar. Vi kan lika gärna konstatera det här och nu att Tony Allen är rent objektivt musikhistoriens bästa trummis, rent objektivt alltså, det är ingen åsikt ens. Avslutningspartiet på "Black man's cry" är magnifikt, när Fela kvider och allting liksom studsar runt omkring. Men egentligen skiter jag i vilken låt som spelas, vad den heter, hur lång den är osv. Det är inte poängen här, det är funkens primala kraft och osviklighet. Det blir en stark trea, utan trumsolo hade det varit en fyra i de högre regionerna. Men ett album på fem spår där tjugo procent är trumsolo måste också få sina konsekvenser.

8/10 - amazing African Jazz, I can see how this genre influenced salsa so much, not only is the music good but the vocals are filled with passion

Ginger Baker is incredible. 15 min drum solo? why not

This is not something I'm really into. But today I was and thought it was great

Brilliant energy and a whole new genre for me. Had not heard of Fela Kuti before, and this is the kind of thing I wanted to hear more of, doing this project. 8/10

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I was going to, really caught my attention from the start and had me bopping. That said, nobody needs a sixteen-minute drum solo.

jazz is one of my favourite music genres so i without of a doubt would love this album. The only thing i dont like is the intros but thats because it was recorded live. but that being the only thing that throws me off is why it is rated so high for me

Sick

Yep that's definitely why I wanted to check out this list. I always wanted to listen to African music scene but didn't find time or whatever. I still want to listen to Kenyan rock scene and etc. Album starts pretty good I like it's groovy beginning. I think starting track feels pretty weak to second one which is more livelier to me. So I feel there's a lot of improvisation on that album and I like it. I think it's a decent and fun album to listen and I like it. 4/5

Malo koji album bi me mogao natjerati da odslušam i bonus pjesmu od 16+ minuta, ali ovo je tako brzo proletilo, kao da je hipnoza u formi muzike. Ginger je jedini bijelac koji je ikad mogao biti dostojan ovakvog albuma.

A jazz blast from the past to get you off your ass.

It sounded more like bob Marley. It was 6.5

Funky, jazzy, great live recording. Sounds like my kinda party.

Amazing energy throughout and very funky.

Never heard of them! (Except GB.) But so glad I've now heard them.

Fantastisches Drum-Album

I guess I'm a fan of Fela Kuti. This is the first time I've listened to his music and it's great. The mix of jazz, funk, african rhythms is incredible. I wanted to and did dance through this whole thing. Also, Ginger Baker proves time and time again that he was one of the greatest drummers of all time. However, the pieces do go for a little too long and it was unnecessary for the drum solo at the end to be 16 minutes long. All in all, a great and interesting listen. I will listen to Fela Kuti again. 4/5

Quite enjoyable if you like the sound. I think I do. Hard to describe offhand.

Banger! De to numre med ginger baker er så gode

Det lød pissegodt, virkelig groovy. Det er et meget 1001 Albums move lige at udvælge den liveplade hvor Fela Kuti spiller sammen med Ginger Baker -- vi vil gerne have noget Etnisk™ Musik, men helst den slags der specifikt er rettet mod et vestligt publikum

To my uneducated ear it has a 70s vibe, easy to listen to. Lively jazz-beat. ‘Tribal’ vibe

The first four songs are awesome, the funky groove is just amazing. I also love the length of these songs, because i think that vibe really needs the time to fully build up. In the end you want just more of it. The drum solo on the other hand, felt a bit unnecessary for me. 4,5/5

4.5

This was pretty cool. Really dug the drumming. I think I like Afrobeat and will explore it more down the road.

This is a pretty fantastic album. I don't know how I feel about Ginger Baker here, cause I feel like he both adds and detracts with such a different style, but it mostly works, as long as you're into that big drum duet song. I think there's better Fela, but I still love it.

Never heard of Fela Kuti before and didn't expect this album to sound as it did. It is extremely fun and the performances are full of life and energy. The rhythms are so infectious that they had me moving all along the record. My only complain is that I wish the more relaxed moments were a little bit shorter, as they can feel a little repetitive when waiting for the more explosive and electric parts. Overall, I loved this album. So simple but yet so effective.

Snelle inhaal review #15: De meeste albums van Fela Kuti zijn volgens mij live albums te noemen, dus in dat opzichte een wat vreemde titel. En ja, het laatst album is een puur drum nummer, maar wel eentje met de twee van de beste drummers die ooit hebben geleefd, show some respect. Zeer vermakelijk uurtje!

I like it, a lot..Never heard it before, but will be listening again, a lot!!

Fun album! Really loved the energy. Actually saving this one. Ginger Baker rocks

Loved most of this and would listen to it again. So many brilliant solos. A great discovery and reason for doing the 1001 albums. Keeping the 5-star rating for the absolute top though

Musicalmente hablando es un 11/10 No me atrapa totalmente pero es bueno, me hace sentir en un espacio muy seguro ambientable y movible

Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: 🕺🏿🎉🕺 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🔥〰️💣〰️💥 Rating: 🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿(🕺🏿)/5

1. Black Man's Cry 2. Ye Ye De Smell 3. Egbe Mi O

8/10

It's funky, jazzy and full of interesting rhythms. As a live concert this would have been amazing and a definite 5, but for me listening at home it felt like they were jamming for a little too long on all of the tracks and each one had some dead spots.

I think this might be the second Fela album I’ve come across on this list, and rightfully so. This release has such a tight, strong groove, with or without Ginger Baker, it’s everything I love about him, his band, and his music.

Man what a great sound Sure it gets quite repetitive over an album but when it is at its peak it’s fantastic Particularly enjoyed Let’s Start and Egbe Mi O

⭐︎3.8 ファンキーな楽曲多め。 フェラクティはアフロビートの創始者らしい。

Fun jazz album with a lot of personality, a bit too niche for me sometimes but overall enjoyable

Just great relaxed listening PLUS Ginger Baker's genius drumming.

I knew Ginger Baker had been involved in some afrobeat stuff but I couldn't have named this. It's great though Smooth and produced really well. Everything is clear but there's a great sense of atmosphere Unsurprisingly fond of the Hammond organ, my old prog sensibilities coming to the surface listening to this. Ginger Baker's drumming is obviously very cool too, his appreciation for African music was obvious in how he knew how to fit in with this style Black Man's Cry is pretty lowkey and builds tension for over ten minutes, and whilst the payoff at the end is only a minute or so, the saxophones and trumpets are worked in so well that its really satisfying Highlights: Ye Ye, Da Smell, Black Man's Cry

This is the album that exposed the great Fela Kuti to western audiences, with Ginger Baker doing playing the role Paul Simon later played with Ladysmith Black Mombazo, or Peter Gabriel with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Sure, there is something that could be said about the racial politics of all this, but only a westerner could have succeeded at this at the time. But how could anyone resist music this funky? Insane drumming here by both Baker and Tony Allen, and Kuti bring the utmost charisma with his talk-singing vocal style, like the best MC at a party we were all lucky to even get invited to. So, everybody say Thank You, Ginger! Key tracks: Ye Ye De Smell

First impression pre listen: I really enjoyed his son's album that I got generated for me a few weeks back. With that somewhat fresh in mind I'm excited to listen to this. Interesting to see Ginger Baker feature on this as well. Always happy to hear some afrobeat. Got decently high expectations for this. Individual track notes: Let's Start A great time. Amazing rhythm and energy. Lovely keyboard solo. When it comes to soul, spirit and energy this performance beats most. Good. 4/5 Black Man's Cry Love the horns here. Makes it feel big and layered. Infectious bassline, works well as a bakground piece while focusing your ears on the sax. Rhythmic and fun. Loving the animated and large vocals, despite not understanding a word of what he's saying. The screams are really gritty and raw. It's kinda carthartic when the horns come back in the end. Good. 4/5 Ye Ye De Smell The drums are great. Love the way he sings along to the keyboard. Great sax part. The structure of this song is really great, feels like a bunch of waves of coming in at different frequencies. Does kind of lose some steam near the end, even if the drumming is amazing. Good. 4/5 Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) Funny opening monologue. Great vocals. Dynamic and full of life. I like the rhythmic guitar, adds a lighter element to the sound of the track. Involving the audience was a great idea, genuinely sounds great and elevates the song. Great energy and spirit. Fantastic. 5/5 Final Review: This is a firestorm of rhythmic, groovy jams with infectious energy and tight performances. It lifted my mood and spirits and kept me locked in for the entire duration. The drumming on this thing is wild. Love the horns, love the keyboards, love the powerful vocals and love how everything is arranged so neatly together. If you're looking for a jazzy moodlifter with impeccable soul and power look no further than this. Will definitely return to this, if not just to further appreciate its details and intricacies. An absolute blast. 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4/5.

A really great document of Fela Kuti's live shows - capturing the raw energy and tight grooves that goes into his best songs.

I like the vibe of this album! Great energy

Great rhythms, mediocre lyrics. Fun energy.

Gostei muito. Podia ter 3h de música, eu ouviria sem parar!

Just lots of noise, but fun

African jazz, soul. Very listenable.

Not sure I've ever listened to this one before. Fela has SO MANY stellar albums it's hard to keep track. Anyway, good shit.

4 out of 5. Fantastic album here.

Enjoyed this!!

Fela Kuti just hits the right spot for me every time. His music is an absolute vibe that I absolutely dig.

Absolutely awesome sound, Ginger Baker is an animal as we all know, and Fela's influence/power cannot be highlighted enough. 4 not 5 because the drum solo is indulgent

Surely one of the best live albums of all time. The sound isn’t quite ideal, but there’s an immediacy….

1. Let's Start (Live) - 9 The sound right at the start is an amazing blast of that almost disco/70s-style guitar mixed drums a great bass line and other instruments that immediately grips your by the shirt at your chest and throws you into what you get the feeling for what might be a brilliant musical journey. There's an excellent sax that's just an awesome sound with the drums and bass only a minute to two into the song before eventually giving way for other instruments to have their moment in the sun. The original album is only 4 tracks as well, so you get the feel that these jam session vibes is what the entire album encompasses but unlike other bands, where jam sessions can sometimes be too long (i.e. Outlaws, Dave Matthews Band) you never like the music loses itself. Best track on the album. 2. Black Man's Cry (Live) - 8 Another great jam session, especially after about 3 & 1/2 - 4 minutes in. The baseline remains very consistent through out and is paired very well with each instrument. Much like the previous track, there are many solos sprinkled throughout including the vocals themselves about two minutes from the end that leads into a crescendo of sound. Overall, a solid jam along song. 3. Ye Ye De Smell (Live) - 7 Not as good a track as the previous two. The skills of Ginger Baker do absolutely shine on this track but there are times where it goes on for too long and actually becomes too repetitive. Song loses itself a little bit in the drum solo towards the end of the track. Outside of those last 3 minutes, the track itself sounds really good. You're ready to move onto the next track before the track itself is. 4. Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) - 8 Solid ending. Love the signing at the end of the track. Musically good and it trudges along enough to not feel too long until you get this wonderful build into the end. Overall a decent track. Average Rating: 8.0 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 4.0

75/100

This is outside of my usual wheelhouse but I genuinely enjoyed it and am saving this to my 1001 Albums playlist. I'm very undereducated in afrobeat music so I feel like this was a good starting point.

Never knew just how many chops Ginger Baker had

Again?

Sympa percussion. dansant

A relentless polyrhythmic festival of pan-African identity anger and rebellion. Fela was the bandleader, and no fool himself, but Tony Allen is/was a genius, and I don't use the term loosely.

I wasn't sold at first by the whole "featuring Ginger Baker" thing, but the drumming on his tracks is straight fire.

Really enjoyed this, made me really happy to be doing this challenge and learning about new music. Saved a few other albums by fela Kuti to do a deep dive into his discography in the future

Great!

First time hearing. It was fun.

I came in totally blind and had no idea what I was getting into. But wow... as Fela counted to 3 on "Let's Start" and those first brassy Hammond organ notes roared to life, my spirit soared. This has the juice! Love the albums we got this week. A mix of comfort classics + introductions to musicians I had never heard of.

Never heard of them and now so glad I’m in the know. So good throughout

Great, but too much drum solo. Favorite song: ye ye de smell

It’s a pretty good album love how you can hear each instrument. Don’t like how long it is.

Solid record. Ginger Baker is the most interesting member in Cream, and he's a great drummer. Surprisingly enough, I can actually pick out his kit from Fela's huge rhythm machine of a band. This works with varying success. Midway through "Ye Ye De Smell", he's running away with the beat, Fela yells "ho!" and blasts him back in line with the blasting wails of his sax. This is a fun but odd entry in Fela's discography. Fela had Tony Allen in his band, why is Ginger here? Was this some A&R dude's idea to introduce Blind Faith fans to Afrobeat?

Loved this

HEY i loved this album what the heck!!! it was SO vivid and hectic and fun, i played it while driving and i didn’t want it to end. definitely would listen to it in another occasion. i’d say my favourite is Black Man’s Eye, though i enjoyed every single one of them. the only thing is i would have liked a bit more of lyrics but whatever. the rhythms were SO SO cool, i felt like i was in cuba dancing in a bar with a drink in my hand hahaha. kind of album you’d play when you’re in a good mood. plus, i liked the singers, they had this cool-funny vibe that i loved. yeah, one of the best albums as of late!

I enjoyed this album listen! This is not music I typically listen to but I like to broaden my music horizons when I can. I dug the African style music with heavy funk and jazz influence throughout. I would definitely listen to this again to break up my music habits and recommend this to others!

This album was a pleasant surprise. It slaps! As the kids say. 4/5 #83

Funky, the jazz mixed with African music is really interesting. The last song with all of the drumming I found a bit full on and long but the rest I enjoyed listening to.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Didn’t know I needed a 12 minute drum solo

How fun! Love this! This is the kind of live performance you would go to and still talk about years later! Fav songs: Ye Ye De Smell, the 16 minute drum solo

Wow, just wow. Fela Kudi is just fire! In the right mindset, this is an awesome listen!

Honestly pretty fire, good intro to this kinda music and I’m not mad about another instrumental heavy album. Lowk I listened to this while driving and it got me kinda stressed out bc of how upbeat it is but it’s cool

Funky, jazzy goodness. Great musicianship.

I can't fault the fun and chaos of a 16 min drum solo here!

An amazing performance by two iconic (and egomaniacal) geniuses. This is platinum-standard stuff for any jam band or funk performer. Slight downgrade because of the dialogue that’s a part of most live recordings— and the fact that you can hear the tension between the two marquee names in Fela’s comments (hushing the crowd after he intro’s Baker, giving a sing he “wrote for Ginger Baker” a derogatory title, … etc). A very solid 4.

This album is a masterpiece.

Funky and fun! I could have done without the extended drum track at the end, but I cant be shocked given that Ginger Baker gets name-billing here. Great musicianship throughout.

Always wondered what Ginger Baker did after Cream to justify that reputation and ego. Now I know. It's the world's greatest jam band and a blinding live record. Great banter from Fela between songs too. And that drum solo...

Very different and interesting

Very fun listen - this is the type of shit i hear in a hifu hipster bar with a vinyl DJ and I like it enough to shazam at the bar

I was coasting at a modest 3 until the drum solos came in. Ye Ye drum solo is incredible, the 13 minute one is a bit much. Still enough to push it up to a 4 for me, obviously Ginger Baker is amazing but it was proof of his ability to make drum parts that sing. Also the album cover pic of him is hard as fuck. Fela Kuti married 27 different women on the same day.

My second album by Fela Kuti! This one was a lot of fun to listen to- it had a lot of musical talent that shined through, and you could hear how much the crowd enjoyed the performance. Really nice background music for working, driving, vibing, etc. Overall- I enjoyed it

very interesting, great rhythms - would've been great to be there !

At first, I wasn't sure that it lived up to the raucousness of my fav Fela Kuti studio recordings but as it went on I felt more and more hypnotized and really enjoyed it a lot.

Really enjoyed it!

Very funky. Interesting to hear Ginger Baker in this context

Funky as FUCK, interesting to hear ginger baker drum in a less orthodox way, very fun would listen again

listened to first track it ok

What a pleasant and fun surprise. Great recording quality and huge sound. Awesome

It’s the polyrhythmic drums and Fela’s charisma that carries the day. The whole album just makes you wanna dance.

I thought this was pretty great. The last song, the drum solo, was a bit of a waste though (we were supposed to listen to the one with Ginger Baker, right?)

Fela is one of the greats. This was a lot of fun, although there are multiple Fela recordings that I prefer to this one. The drum solo just went on a bit too long for me (sorry Kyle). I love some drums, but I don’t think the live experience quite translates over wax. 7.5

Very cool

Fave track: egbi mi o

I’m really glad this album is included in the list, because we all know how underrepresented music from anywhere other than the US, UK, and Canada is. I grooved with the rhythms, but felt that the jazz horns and all that weren’t too interesting. Overall, though, great album. Favorite Track: Egbe Mi O (Carry Me)

Glad I listened. Tough for me to enjoy fully instrumental but I could tell this was good

Bit mental I think something that grows on you the more you listen something to go back too

Tasty jam sesh

Really cool! The last track with the really long drum solo reminds me of Whiplash. A little hard for me to discern the tracks, since they kind of flow into one big song for me, but I still enjoyed each of them equally, hah.

a good jazz album to me is when people are going crazy and buddy they're going crazy on this one

Great Africana beats, amazing drums - was a very enjoyable performance.

I enjoyed this a lot. High 3 low 4.

4 dig it

Fela Kuti never fails to impress. While this album doesn't hold the same significance as "Zombie", it feels like a very fun live performance. The most interesting thing about this album is the appearance on the second half of Cream drummer Ginger Baker. American blues first grew out of African styles that had come to US through the slave trade. Later it evolved into blues rock popularized by British acts like Cream. For Ginger Baker to be performing alongside Fela Kuti, well, it's not exactly that the music came full circle. But it probably says something about the history of colonialism. Why that history was certainly ugly, it's great to find these moments of joy and love of music that manage to shine through.

I have listened to and seen Femi Kuti live before. Never thought to listen to his dad before! It's great, like big band/jazz/funk raised a baby in Africa. Even if that sounds like it's not your jam give a listen, it is well worth an hour. I can imagine the energy these folks had live, they must of put on a show!

Awesome drumming. Adding to my collection and will listen again

La la la la la la la la la la la la

marvelous

sickes jazz album aber gab krassere imo

This is the only genre of music that I will tolerate a live album for. Could have done without the 17min drum solo track though... haha. Great jams, really liked this one.

Great listening for work.

Funky drummers! I’ve not listened to Fêla Kurt before, though I’ve heard of him. Will investigate further.

A joyful, energising album. Will revisit!

First class rhythms from these percussion personalities

This is a great album. I'd never heard of Fela Kuti and have never been interested in Cream as I've always considered Clapton as an Eddie Van Halen for people who didn't know that they weren't cool. Be that as it may I was really impressed with this and love the horns and rhythm. I wish I knew what he is singing but it doesn't distract from enjoying the wonderful music. 4.25/5.

Nice. God hygge musik. Godt humør. Live oldskool blues

Needs more lyrics

I enjoyed it. Not sure how to review it though. I'd scythes is by far the best "world" album I've heard - the music is really cool and the vocals are great as well. probably a 3.5 but zI'm feeling generous so I'll bump to a 4.

What a great album, so energetic, so funky, and so good. I heard about Fela Kuti, but never listened to his music, boy am I glad I discovered him now. I also just learned that this mix of traditional African music and rhythms, with funk and jazz is it's own genre, called Afrobeat. Didn't consider this interesting combination before, but it works together like magic, these are made for each other. There is not a single boring moment on the album, it just goes full speed all the way. There are 5 long songs, more like jam sessions, on here. Each one tells it's own story and doesn't feel overwhelming because of it's length. It just flows naturally and manages to stay coherent. The melodies and lines are phenomenal, rhythm section is nice and lively, Ginger Baker brings a new dimension on the songs where he makes an appearance. The vocals feature both an English and African lines. The African lyrics and chants convey a kind of down to earth, primal and basic human emotions. Emotions of love, freedom and happiness. What more do we need. Easy 4 stars, funky, soulful and jazzy, African rhythms.

I was considering a 5 but I’ll go with a high 4 just because Egbe Mi O didn’t live up to the standard of the other songs, it wasn’t bad by any means though I just felt it lacked as much personality and enjoyment the other songs had. Other than that this was a really great live album which honestly made the songs feel a lot shorter than they actually were. Ginger Baker and Tony Allen do an awesome job throughout on drums but especially on the last few minutes of ye ye de smell which is my second favourite on here behind let’s start. I’m not including the drum solo in the rating as well just because it’s a bonus track of a later CD reissue plus it’s from a completely different concert 7 years later (It was good though). Overall this was just a really fun and enjoyable one to listen to (8/10).

Very good

This was fun. Good jazz/funk album

Drum solo was a bit too much for me but the other tracks were really great.

First track - great, sounds familiar Second track - good as well, liked the first one more Third Track - Ninja tuna sampled lol, good track Egbe Mi O chant at the end is great Drum solo goes on forever but is great Would be a good vinyl

A great listen

Fun and funky afro jams! Good live album 7.5/10

Always energizing to hear Fela’s music. Translates incredibly well to the live format

First song, didn't know what to expect and then suddenly! Stab trumpets!! Bass!! Funk!! This was so fun to listen to, not my usual cup of tea but i'm very glad it was recommended.

custom_rating: 7

Really enjoyed this one!

I am partial to Fela. Been listening to him for decades and actually won his entire music catalog in a contest w Giant Step Records, Lord, 24 yrs ago! And used to see his son Femi every time he came to NYC - AMAZING LIVE SHOWS! Fela the pioneer, here one of his 1st - and a jam sesh no less w Ginger Baker - sometimes it gets tedious, but it's like the Dead - who cares I love it anyway

I can imagine this was more than a little mind blowing to those who came because of Ginger Baker in 1971 - never having heard Fela/afrobeat, etc. As an intro it's amazing. But I don't know if it's the best representation of Fela. It's got crazy energy. Vibes for days. Cathartic moments when all the elements collide after long instrumental breakdowns. The live in studio recording makes you feel like you're there. There is a joy you feel form the musicians who are having a great time. But what was a great intro 50 years ago today is not necessarily the best representation of a revolutionary artist. But more than worth a listen and then some.

Lively, fun, and brightens rainy days with ease. Also a very nostalgic sound for me since my parents had several Afrobeat CDs including some by Femi Kuti (Fela Kuti’s son)

Skön jazz att ha i bakgrunden, avslutar med 16 min trumsolo, underbart 🥁

Fun grooves that won't stop

Great album until you get to the 15 minute drum solo. No one wants a 15 minute drum solo. The first four songs are fantastic though.

Impressive. May become 5 stars after a few more listens

Groove upon groove. Excellent musicians.

En tiennyt mitä odottaa mutta kävely kieltämättä soljui kovin svengaavasti tämän tahdissa. Tower of power -tyylistä funktorvitykitystä välillä piipahtaen eri soittimien jazzsooloihin yhdistettynä afrikkalaiseen rytmisektioon. Toimii! Tykkäsin siitä että rytmisektio on levyllä koko ajan hieman taustalla, jolloin se sekoittui musiikkiin paljon paremmin luoden kuitenkin koko hommalle selkärankaa.

Standouts: • Let's Start • Black Man's Cry • Egbe Mi O (Carry Me)

No Fela Kuti means no Afrobeat, and what a gift that was! Fela Kuti was maybe one of the best bandleaders of all time. A charismatic and outspoken (very) dude who made a life of speaking truth to power, while changing the face of music. This is not my favourite Fela album, with Expensive Shit forever holding that spot in my heart, but how cool is it to see Tony Allen and Ginger Baker doing their thing? A delightfully percussion heavy record, and not to be replicated again in this lifetime.

Tycker det inte är lika bra som senare. Men den sista låter gör på många sätt och vis att den här kan hållas up med dem

I loved it! Can't fully explain it. Don't need to.

Mjög góð grúv, mjög töff.

When I saw one of the tracks was a 16-minute drum solo, my heart sank. That did test my patience, but it turns out it's a bonus track and therefore, under my personal project rules, it doesn't have to taint the rest of this joyous, groove-filled album.

A voyage - into the unknown.

What an incredibly fun album, full of rhythms, solos, and vocalizations. This combination of jazz and world genres explores an inherently rich world of cultures. Just so much fun.

Great stuff

ginger went crazy

Great beats, must listen again

Nice Jazz Album

Groovy! This was something i was truly unfamiliar with so it was a nice treat to get a chance to listen. Very enjoyable and the energy is electric!

Overall, a lot of fun. Nicely funky. I admit that the bonus track duelling drum solo (duo) lost me a bit after a while - 16 mins is a long drum solo!

Listened: 24/02/2025 Album no: 27 % rating: 78% Fave Song: A Black Man’s Cry One tight as fuck live band holy crap.

Hypnotic, serves well as background music, Fela Kuti jamming with his band and augmented with Ginger Baker. Whats not to love about this? Maybe not if you want pop songs, but thats not what Kuti did. 9/10

what if they made the whole plane out of solos

Great for dinner time

3.5

8.35 ★★★★

4.5

It’s live. It’s a jive. Drums thrive and thrive again times eighty-five. Grooves are a big bounding restless beehive. Fela Kuti is the headlining feature along with Cream’s own cutey Ginge Baker but the latter is only on a couple of tracks so he kinda takes a skive. This Fela guy is great and definitely worthy of a deep dive. The whole album is a giant yes from me, Clive.

I really enjoyed this. A good mix of rock, african beat and some soul. would definitely try and remember the band and pick up an album if i came across it

Banger of an album, but the drum solo in Ye Ye De Smell did drag on a bit.

Fantastic

Surprisingly good for a live album. Never heard of it at all but the songs are long and complex and quite impressive. Favorite is Ye Ye De Smell

Wow. This is fabulous. I had heard of Fela Kuti, but never listened. Not sure if Ginger Baker is bringing much to the party.

fantastic album. the grooves do tend to overstay their welcome after a while though.

I actually really enjoyed this, and I can't even explain why. I think usually because it was a live album, and I tend to enjoy those more, especially when the artist tells some back story or engages the crowd.

Lots of good music here. Not always the fan of drum solos longer than normal songs, but I guess he's Ginger Baker and he gets to do that. (8 known/14 new)

Fantastic

das isch funky. fela kuti legende vom afrobeat. ha sin sohn mol gseh am paleo. nöd so geil. das isch am cooke doo. das macht gad no spass zum lose. lieb wie wiederholend de bass isch. und s keys solo drüber super. drums grooved au hert. was macht de ginger döt?? yeye de smell geeeeile titel. es isch sehr moderne jazz und ich lieb wies d soli lebe loht und d instrument chönd soliere. aber s isch scho repetitiv

okee han gad sehr gueti luune hahaha also ich han nöd nöd mega vill dezue z sege aber ich liebs bis jz d perkussion isch insane bin huere froh dass de ginger baker nöd smelled hahahah find d atmosphäre vom konzert megaa schön, jz wos zemme singed gits eim richtig es heimeligs gfühl. via!

4.3 This is the 2nd Fela album we've covered on the list. And by far he has been the one person/group that I have instilled in my music rotation. Beware of Mister Baker is a pretty good doc if you haven't watched it before, covers a bit into gingers journey into Fela, African Music and African Women

Pa dosta kul, znamo ih slušati nekad. Mogu se zamisliti da odljepljujem na tom liveu, ovako mi se možda malo od tog druma dogodi zasićenje, ali sve u svemu, apsolutno zasluženo mjesto tu i jedan od legendi tog doba. 4/5, 7.5/10

I really enjoyed this 7/10 - was different to what I usually go for, made me want to go and dance in a sweaty room.

rocks. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

i mean. it’s obviously technically great. i can hear how good it is. and the third track is definitely my favourite. i’m just not a fan of 12+ songs and hour long albums: can’t you say what you need to in less time? but for mr fela i can let all that go and appreciate the importance of the album

This was very cool. Knew Ginger Baker from Cream, but was not expecting this album. Crazy percussion and energy. Actually let the algorithm run for a few hours in the garage to see what else it would play, I knew none of it but liked damn near all of it.

This was such a cool album. Fun to listen to. If I get back into running it will be part of a long run playlist

Groovie!

I love Fela so much...

Great live album. Great vocals.. I just don't think the 16 minute drum solo was needed though

Reading

sehr nice energy. Das drum solo war der hammer.

Ended up liking this a lot more than I expected. I’ve been getting into live jam music more lately and that’s exactly what this is. Five songs and just over an hour. It’s a lot of horns and bass and drums and keyboards in a funk direction but I can get down with it

Fela Kuti - Fela With Ginger Baker Live! Really fun album to listen! It's groovy, straight to the point music that makes you want to dance all day and night long. While it's not something I would listen to any day, I appreciate that albums like this exist for anybody to check in the future, and just reminisce how life felt different during those times, that being the 70's. Overall, this is REALLY great! 1.- Let's Start = 9/10 2.- Black Man's Cry = 8/10 3.- Ye Ye De Smell = 10/10 4.- Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) = 8/10 FINAL SCORE: 8.7/10

4/5

Good 70s jams music. Haven’t heard a drum solo in a while.

Its quality music, energizing, just not the genre im crazy about

It's good music, would be fun to see live. Will I listen to again: 15%

Really cool, fun, semi experimental live album.

This was my first time listening to this type of album, and I absolutely loved it.

I love Fela Kuti. I don't know this album as well as some of the others, so I was surprised this one is on the list (others to come I assume). I also love Ginger Baker's drums, so it was a treat to be reminded of this gem.

My second Fela Kuti album on this list. I didn't think this one was quite as strong as the first, although it's still great.

Zou ik zonder de 1001 challenge ooit naar dit album hebben geluisterd? Nee. Ben ik blij dat ik het ontdekt heb? JA! ik hou van al de instrumenten, de mensen op de achtergrond en de stem van Fela. Ik kan er mij surprisingly heel goed op concentreren. Het album is een vibe! Certified banger.

I've stopped writing reviews for live albums here, but something must be said about this particular album. For starters, Fela Kuti's music hits much harder in a live context for me - I enjoyed this even more than 'Zombie'. There's just so much energy on display - the percussion (in part done by Ginger Baker) and bass especially pop in the mix - and Fela Kuti himself sounds incredibly personable in this context. The Ginger Baker collaboration is important, with Western music meeting Western African music, but moreso as an idea I feel. But Baker's musical presence is still felt with his standard drum kit playing when he joins the stage on 'Ye Ye De Smell', adding an unconventional (in the Afrobeat world) punch to the song's rhythm section. But my favorite song was one where he wasn't even playing - that being 'Black Man's Cry'. Another great moment was that sing-along closing out 'Egbe-Mi O (Carry Me)' as the song builds to its final climax with the drums and horns - it's the definition of live energy! This was beyond enjoyable - it's what got me to understand Fela Kuti's generational talent.

Fela Kuti fue un músico visionario, y este álbum da buena cuenta de ello. Excelente jazz con influencia africana, me ha encantado. Uno de los mejores álbumes en vivo que he escuchado hasta ahora. Aunque ese dueto de percusión de 16 minutos de duración es un poco excesivo, me ha acabado doliendo la cabeza. 4.5 bajo.

4-awesome drum album

I enjoyed

kinda hurt my head but good music is still music

bom pra caralho pra ouvir jogando poquer