Live!

Funky and fun

The beats just keep this moving. Black Man's Cry is a cool, hypnotic song.

Music was catchy and reminded me a bit of the cowboy bebop intro. I did feel like it could use more vocals that I could understand or relate to

groovy.

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

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

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

Groovy!! Needs more drumz though 😋 4.75

Great jam live album that feels like one song. Compared to the other album I have heard this one falls a bit short with the other have much more variety and song variation. Still a fun listen. 7/10

Nice, cool.

Loved it! 4

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

Ginger Baker! Unreal! Took me until the midway point to really get into it. Then carry me and the final drum solo really took it home for me. Bravo

Live-albumit eivät ole oma juttu, ja kappaleet ovat pitkiä, mutta musisointia pitää arvostaa.

Viel instrumental ohne Gesang. Wer das mag, ist hier gut aufgehoben, für mich irgendwie zu hektisch und zu wenig angenehmer Gesang.

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

Tis is an Album I needed to hear . Though it is long , I think it is excellent everywhere .

Schade! Wieder nichts. Endlos lange Titel im immer gleichen Rhythmus.

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

Fun album. Very different but glad it's on here. The instruments can be repetitive but in a good way. Above average for sure. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

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

It’s pretty good especially from a musician standpoint.

Excellent

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

Anders.

Fun funky album

Another cool 70s record. Not exactly up my alley but I do recognize that it's quite a good record.

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

Energetic groove with almost trance-inducing rhythms. Sort of surprised Fela didn't play sax on here. I didn't get much sense of Ginger's contribution to the album -- probably more contribution off record than on. 4.2

Meh

I liked this, but not enough to go out and listen to more... Also, can't help feeling there's something a bit... voyeuristic? Exploitative? Colonialist? about sticking Ginger Baker's name on the cover in as big a font as Fela Kuti's.

Not my thing.

Fela Kuti aveva spaccato nel primo album che il sito aveva consigliato, Zombie, e ha nuovamente spaccato con questo live. stratosferico. non ho altro da dire. non mi sbilancio sulle cinque stelle solo perchè ha poco "replay value" per me, non so quanto mi verrebbe voglia di riascoltarlo volontariamente, ma davvero quest'uomo è meraviglioso. bravo bravo bravo.

Particolare

Let's start, more like let's fucking go am I right

Fela Kuti!!!!! With Ginger Fucking Baker!!

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

I loved Zombie so I was excited for another Fela Kuti album. I didn't love the first song on this album so I was worried, but then it just wrapped me up all over again. It's passionate, soulful, and so skillful.

I love Fela Kuti and this album is great. However, I do think the addition of Ginger Baker in the second half bogs the rhythm down just a little and makes everything sound a tad busier.

Not bad but after 5 mins of the drum solo I was done.

Oh yea... I'm gonna rock this all night long

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

Live album with four 10+ minute tracks. It was very good, especially the drums.

Afrobeat. Rhythmic, energetic, hypnotic. Very easy to lose yourself in the repetitive beats. Strong 3.5

No album has been, or ever will be, improved by a 15 minute drum solo

Dug the fun funky Afrobeat music. I would have preferred this album be studio cuts and not be live. The chatter between tracks is nice to hear once, but I wouldn't want to return to it every time I would like to play a track. Probably amazing to experience if you were there, but the tracks are a tad too long to keep interest all the way through unfortunately. I dig me some Ginger Baker, but I don't his presence added anything to this album. Feels like Ginger lending his name to get Fela Kuti a wider audience reach more than anything. While I did enjoy the final track, the drum duel, as a drummer myself I could easily imagine others more than happy to skip this track. I definitely think that Fela Kuti deserves an album on this list, I just don't think it is this one. I think it should probably be ZOMBIE instead.

Great for fans of world music and four hour drum solos (or so it feels). But too much saxophone for me

it was good it was really really good i just cannot fucking do an songs above 7 minutes i can't. I can't listen to one set of drums for like 16 minutes. very very technically impressive but i'd never revisit.

Never heard of these guys before, but what a hidden gem. The entire live album is a joy to listen to, and this album is definitely going into my re-listen when feeling down pile. 4/5 stars for me

Very good. One of my favorite Fela albums I've listened to so far.

Afrobeat essential.

强有力！

couldn't find

two of rythyms finest

Super. Opens with a groove as funky as James Brown at his best, and never gives up. Ginger Rogers is great of course although if I’m honest I’d rather see his greatness accompanied than soloed.

I liked it! Good best don't seem old

A new worst ... Congrats!

так много барабанов! но в остальном менее африканско и более джазово чем можно было бы представить

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

Like I say with all live albums, I bet this would've slapped if I was there. But I wasn't, so it could never be as cool or exciting as it would've been to a live attendee. However, this was pretty energetic and engaging as far as live albums go. I definitely liked the first half a lot better than the second half. It was impressive on a technical level, but not necessarily my first choice to listen to 15 minutes of only drums.

another live album that sounds like a rollicking good time for the people who were there, but doesn't quite translate to recorded media for me. the first song was pretty good, but after that I was just mired in long tracks and lost in them musically without knowing how to escape. the final challenge was surviving the 15-minute drum solo, which (as someone who considers himself an amateur drummer) was not terribly exciting overall. this is like a 2.5 for me. favorites: let's start

Fun album I did not know about but it would've been better witnessing this live

This is a great groove and falls into the list of "I can't believe this is live". The drumming adds a lot of great texture. I enjoyed listening to this and could see me coming back. Huge performance.

The energy is great. I played through 2 and a half times. Driving in the rain to it was really clicking. This is very close to a five for me. I find myself trying to argue against a 5 and not coming up with anything strong. When it would finish I was disappointed it was over.

Loved this. Although not sure it needed Baker's 'indulgence'. Uplifting, raucous and joyous. As music should be.

Have listened to these guys quite a few time and always enjoyed it.

3 stars. I like fela kuti but the recording on this one isn't great.

Almost hypnotic feels improvised and addition of Ginger Baker makes it sounds very special. You cannot believe this is a live recording it sounds so intentional and coordinated.

Trying to catch up, I’m only now listening to several albums that I’d put off (back when - two years ago - I first started following this project). And amid so much that makes me wonder once again if these are albums I should listen to before I die, something different, original, and fresh emerges - something that makes us feel at peace with life and with others - music that promotes unity, dance, joy, and happiness! I don’t know if my life is happy or not, but I like to think it is - and certainly, when I listen to an album like this, then yes, I know for sure that I’m having a great time. A perfect 10 - and bring on more of these, please!

Live! is an album recorded in 1971 by Fela Kuti's band Africa '70, originally released in 1971. This album features former Cream drummer Ginger Baker, but the band surely shines even on the songs without him. Fela and his band are legendary figures within the funk and afrobeat space. This record is surprisingly diverse, incorporating elements of funk, rock, jazz, and afrobeat. Fela has a commanding presence on stage and I just couldn't help but groove throughout this whole album. I didn't even realize most of these songs are quite jammy, often clocking in at over 8 minutes. The band is tight and rocking. I especially enjoyed Fela's crowd interactions. It must've been awesome to see these guys live back then, and it's no secret why guys like Ginger Baker became huge fans of them.

Really liked it. Super fun album

Loved this jazzy album, didn't listen much to such music but it might become one of my fav after this album. Absolutely loved the groovy vibe, made me want to dance.

Cool album that I'm not cool enough for.

jazz

ein album welches fulminant startet - tolle bläser und rhythmen.

Hammer! So viel Energie! Definitiv eines der besten Live Album und für mich eine echte Entdeckung.

Stellar vibes. Ginger was nuts, but so, so great and Fela is no slouch either!

This rules

Listened to this while playing A Feast For Odin. I lost...but I don't blame Fela. I wanted to love this...but I just kinda liked it. I love some funk...Sharon Jones is my all-time favorite. I enjoyed the audience sing-along at the end the most.

groovy but those songs are WAYYY too long

Wow. Even the drum solo is listenable. Fela Kuti was absolutely worthy of all the praise.

Jazz instrumental groovy. Es bueno, pero no es para mí

This album had a lot of personality and soul, but was plagued by repetitious and drawn-out song structures. To make 20+ min songs interesting there needs to be a sticky moment that resonates with the listener and motivates relistening. This album didn't have that. A good listen generally but not one I'd soon go back to. 3/5.

uugghhh

I’m not black but this album makes me wanna be lol

Good drum solos

At first I was sure that this was something from at least 40 years ago, but then Spotify said 2009, so I was very confused, but it's probably because the live recording is from that year. The album is indeed from 1971 and it's a nice little background listen. There are some moments when nothing exciting happens but it wasn't too bad overall.

I found this album to be a lot of fun. I think would check out more from this artist. However I don't think I'll return to this album by the nature of it being a live album, it was nice for one listen.

Was alright. Very groovy and drum heavy (obviously with Baker as one behind the kit) - all instrumentals and very rhythmic, in a good way. But hard to discern between tracks sometimes and it sorta blended into one another.

3 just for the 15 MINUTE drum solo. Like why is the world would that be needed. Other song were a vibe tho

Pretty good, but it didn't grab me.

Good fun listen. 70s vibey

Not one dislikable song. Groovy, fun. Just doesn’t give me that sense of awe that a great album gives me.

So enjoyable. You've gotta have love for some drum solos.

This was a fun summer album, good stuff that I otherwise would never have listened to

Big vibes, great final track!

This was the kind of jazz I can get on board with. The live element was a treat, gives extra life to the music. Fun to think of yourself in a jazz bar. Smooth fun

Great stuff, packed a punch, would have been great fun to see.

I would call it Jazz or Jazz-like, but then...not. It's a good listen.

Wow I had zero expectations for what this would sound or feel like and man did this blow me away. What a funky jazz album. Such energy. Such passion. A very tight band, and the addition of Ginger Baker does elevate the entire experience. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of Fela Ransom-Kuti before, but I gotta hear more. The sound coming out of this band was just so tight and so fun to listen to that I need more. I’m curious to see if the band’s energy can translate to a studio setting or if you really just have to hear them live. We’ll see. 4 stars. Standout tracks: Let’s Start, Ye Ye De Small, Egbe Mi O (Carry Me)

Afrobeat album, (recorded live in the studio), famous for featuring Ginger Baker on two of the four tracks (tracks 3 and 4). Reissue and Spotify have a bonus track featuring a 16-minute drum duet between Ginger Baker and Africa '70's drummer Tony Allen recorded at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival. I liked it.

It was okay I think I like it better than Adele, but not worth 4 stars. 3 stars.

This is the best new discovery I’ve heard in recent weeks. What a blistering combo of musicians this is. I loved it. To have witnessed this concert in-person…

The power and fury

This album is so awesome. It only gets a 4 because I know that he has put out even better stuff (Water No Get Enemy)

I'm not a fan of purely acoustic albums- the songs in this album seemed to drag on and were highly repetitive in my opinion. I will try to finish listening, but it already feels like I've been listening for hours.

I'm sure there is a story behind how Ginger Baker ended up making this record but its alright, progressive jazz with African roots.

It’s African, it’s jazz, it’s funk, it’s drums. Lots of drums. Too much drums?

- eh - sounds like it could be a good movie soundtrack with the way some of the songs just loop

- solid but not for me - live and long

I always love to hear something outside of the 1990-2020/Western realm. Really jazzy and groovy. People keep telling me Baker on drums is insane but I don't really know what that means. I believe them though. Crazy that this is a live album. 4/5 bc I can definitely listen to it in the background and vibe again and again, but I'm not deeply excited about it.

I was prepared, on first listen, to describe this as less than good. I found it repetitive, especially in the drumming. However - after coming back to it, I realise that - for a live recording - it's actually incredible. Don't get me wrong, I will always, always prefer studio-produced to live, but this is pretty dang good, like.

Not really my thing

Clean brass and drums with an infectious beat and melody. Powerful vocals. However, after 1.5 songs the sound was established. The last 3 tracks were more filler than substance.

Some really good stuff but lots of it is repetitive and boring (16 min drum solo)

Loved the music as it was very fun and catchy. The drum solo at the end was long and felt repetitive by the end.

9/10 Love this!

Amazing

This is African horn and piano jazz with a long drum solo by Ginger Baker and Tony Allen. If you like jazz and percussion, it's pretty good. If, like me, you get bored with it, less so.

What a great funky jam! Cool polyrhythms and JB style horns.

A live album … but wait ! It’s amazing !

Delightful. Very much my jam.

Love me some Fela Kuti! Haven’t heard this one before, what a great, smoking hot set! Sizzling grooves! Killer tunes! Exclamation points!

This was great! It got noticeably better when Ginger Baker joined.

I listened to this while rearranging furniture in my apartment. It gave me superhuman lifting ability.

This would be incredible live! I think the songs being as long as they are can make the music monotonous without surprising changes throughout, which happened more in some songs than others. The drum solo (final song) was a highlight here.

Electrifying jazz with some premium elements. It can get a little jammy, where the music drags on, waiting for its chance to strike again. That is not a knock, but just a critique of the art. This is great accompaniment music, but not necessarily detestable by itself, however at a record store I would love to hear this in background.

Ok

Itsa jam, man! Good vibes and lotsa bongos.

It was good

4.0

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

Cool African pop with Ginger Baker playing an eternal drum solo.

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

I think it's a cool little jam album. It didn't really do anything too tremendously profound to me. A fun listen, I can see why it's Top 1000, but I can also see why I had never heard of it. The jams are very tight, and they cook at certain parts, but probably won't relisten.

Fantastic!

I’m well aware of Ginger Baker but had never heard of the other fel(l)a! or this album before. When I think of Ginger Baker I immediately think of Cream and long drum solo’s. Never saw Cream live but have listened to their music which includes quite a few long drum solos. The trouble with long drum solos I find is that whilst they may be technically brilliant they are something which must be seen live because the drumming is also a visual experience which is obviously lost when recorded. As I say I’ve never seen Ginger Baker but witnessed quite a few live. Carl Palmer of ELP springs to mind. An example of the visual bit is how he would take off his t-shirt in the middle of the solo whilst still drumming furiously. Or as the solo climaxed his transformation to an Octopus as he banged everything in front, side, behind and even above. Always well worth a round of applause similar to one you hear on this album during Ginger Baker’s solo but you’ve no idea what feat he has just performed. Whilst it was interesting to hear Ginger’s involvement in this album the rest of it did nothing for me at all. Thanks to Peter Gabriel I have become aware of African music and do like some but very little on this album. 2/5 3/6/24

Had me dancing around at my standing desk

Something mesmerizing about both of these men. A cult of personality and a force of nature. Both speaking on the fringe of sanity and searching for the eternal groove. Wasn't sure how this mash up would go, they can both get pretty out there. But this one was a complete Reese's peanut butter cup for my ears. Everything jibes and it's like a hot summer night.

Wow! What a sound!

A fun vibe that was free flowing and would definitely get you into a good groove in the right setting. This wouldn't be in my personal rotation but could see it coming up at the right bar or club. Best: Black Man's Cry Worst: Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) 2.5 Stars

This was such a fun listen, it has so much flavor and character to it. It felt like jazz but with African influence in the vocals and some of the instruments, such a cool album to hear

Quite liked this but I have never really got live albums tbh. Live is a totally different experience and I could actually imagine having a great time watching this live. Point off for drum solos though

Not bad. Suitable for background music.

I don’t like long jams, but this was very musical.

I liked this one more than the other Fela Kuti album on here. Good background music, still not the sort of thing I'm going to seek out to listen to in the future.

Wonderful. I’d heard nothing like it before.

3-4

groovy

Not too bad, good energy, though some of the songs sounded like they inspired videogame battle music

Not really my sound. Can imagine this is some of the best and enjoyable at a party.

What a beautifully recorded live album. Sounds amazing. Great afro-beat fusion stuff, but it is really just extended improvisational workouts. No catchy pop singles or introspective thought pieces. Just groovey lively dance music. Which is great if that's what you're after.

Pretty intense drumming. I enjoyed it

Orgia Afrobeat. Muita bateria. Músicas longas, pegada bem ao vivo. Não ouviria de novo. Deve ser um clássico do estilo mas, para mim, não agradou.

Flea kuti live! What more could you want. The last Kuti album I said that the music would make more sense in a love setting but I actually liked the other album better. B teir

please hold, somebody's on your line. ass music

Fantastic sound and energy! With fierce climaxes and great flow. The only song I didn't care for was the closer, a 16 minute drum solo. It's obviously great musicianship but just goes on for far too long for my tastes. The album is otherwise a wonderful listen.

This was just ok, it started off with quite a cool vibe but not sure I would listen to it again

Great drum solis

Loved it! Great afrobeats/jazz/funk mixture.

This is very accomplished, and musically it's very good. It suffers (in my opinion) in the same way that a lot of these long-form jazz / jam type sessions do, in that the tracks end up feeling very repetitive. I wish they were much shorter and with more structure, because the music itself is good. There's some real nice jams in there.

Fela Kuti's music is something I've arrived to fairly late in life, but in general I like it. Not love, like. I like this record, too. Four lengthy tracks, which all concern themselves with hitting a groove and riding it into the ground. Highlife meets James Brown. It ain't bad. Perplexing why these cats thought Ginger Baker should be in the mix - they already had Tony Allen, one of the best to ever do it on the traps.

This made my heart feel like it was floating. Mind-bending!

Two Felas in three days! Who am I, [insert name of promiscuous woman here]? This one was a definite step up, aided of course by Ginger Baker's superb drumming. Not so superb that I want the last 12 minutes to be one long drum solo though, that was too much for me.

V vibrantly sexy

Hadn't previously heard any Live albums from Fela Kuti. Infamous Abbey Road Studio room sounding as incredible as ever. Cool Afro-adjacent grooves from Baker and Hammond sounds from Kuti. Very tight band overall. Favourite track is Black Man's Cry.

Not really sure when I’d listen to this, maybe when studying. Chill vibes and not normally my thing but I rate it.

some saxxy fun, would go down with a twirl early in the night at si 🕺 // (the original) afrobeat

Amazing sound. It was good concentrating music which is what I happened to need at the time. Ginger Bakers tracks emphasised how good a drummer Tony Allen is. The production was incredible

I liked this enough while listening but don’t think I’ll ever revisit it

This was OK. Never thought Baker was that great of a drummer, just like fellow Cream bandmate Clapton is a very overrated guitarist. Fela is quite decent though. Skipped the bonus dual drummers track.

Basically any Fela album is going to get four stars from me.

Mariana Trench level grooves from start to finish, the funk dial is pushed dangerously into the red. Fela looked at the Africa 70's 3 congo players, shekere, and Tony Allen on drums and said fuck it, more percussion! Ginger Baker going from Eric Clapton to Fela Kuti has to be music's biggest ever upgrade. The bass performance is incredible, the horns are blasting pure fire, Fela's organ parts rip, and the call and response singing generates even more energy. You could power a megacity off this album, and it's not even one of his best.

Great listen, unique and never boring

Could be a good album if less talk and more music

Great rhythms very funky.

Loving a bit of a funky album!

This album was wayyy too long and it was all just drumming. 2 stars because it did remind me of the late night drum circles in Volly Village at Hillside festival

Nope!

Despite being a live album of music far outside my musical comfort zone I really liked this. The music has lots of energy, passion and fun. Easy 4 stars.

Marvellous African funky beat!

Not surprised to see this on some 'greatest live albums of all time' lists. This album absolutely rules from the drop. Incredibly funky and groovy throughout, you can't help but move to it.

One of the better live albums I’ve listened to. Music, instrumentation, and production were all really good here. Not my usual genre, but I enjoyed this.

Traveling to Lagos was the best decision Baker ever made. All the grooves in this are devastating.

Lovely to have an excuse to listen to this. Is there anything better than Fela for a road trip?

Surprised to see Ginger Baker on this record when I looked it up. There are some nice jazz movements to be heard, but I don't hear anything stand out. There may be more to this artist, though.

Easy listen whilst working

Funky fresh but the repetition drove me insane

Hell yes. Fela Kuti is amazing and "Let's Start" is easily my favorite track of his. Though, I have a lot more listening I need to do. Wild that Ginger Baker from Cream is just on this. The groove is undeniable, the solos shred, I could listen to this forever.

I loved this album! That being said I might not listen to it again soon, it's a specific mood but if I'm in that mood I'll know what to put on. I love all the solos and it's very jammy. It made me nostalgic for high school jazz band

Was jamming, a live performance is always fun. The drum solo is too long, sue me.

Fuck yeah! This is exactly the type of album I was hoping for when I signed up for this challenge - something that slaps, but is so far out of my radar I would’ve never encountered it otherwise. Love the grooves on this album. All the instrumental sections are tight and interplay off eachother well. And even though they were sparse, I loved Kuti’s vocals when he did sing. You can feel his swagger cut through the tracks. Because of the cross influences, I think African music and jazz/funk pair well together. Almost like two long lost souls from a past life finding each other in this timeline.

Easy jam to have on in the background.

Good energy throughout. Songs are repetitive and probably something that is better experienced live.

funky ahh vibes heeeeeeeeeeeeell yeah brotheeer

Fela Kuti and band are great - Ginger Baker is great at speeding up the tempo in an annoying manner.

A great introduction to Fela Kuti and Afrobeat. It’s an upbeat genre, despite the fact that Kuti instills a lot of political messaging into it, which is obvious even from the song titles alone, but that contrast really works. It’s hard not to groove along to this, and the energy and charisma are intoxicating. The inclusion of Ginger Baker on the back half does a lot to ~dumb down~ the rhythms for a Western audience, but honestly, I prefer Tony Allen’s playing on his own. Honestly, Baker’s inclusion brings this down a notch, because it feels purposefully introductory. And frankly, those back half Westernized tracks feel a bit boring toward their end. And I’m not even talking about the drum solo, which is just nerd shit, anyway. Not that I didn’t also use this as an introduction, but now that I’m revisiting it, I can see why it’s both essential if you’re new to Afrobeat/African music, and inessential once your ears get tuned. But it’s great because Kuti is great – he has like 4 or 5 grade-A classics under his belt, excluding this album. And the fact that this is still great on top of that proves his power as a songwriter and band leader. A great listen regardless!

this was awesome. will i listen to it again probably not

Excellent

Fela Kuti brought afrobeat to the world's attention. Fela Kuti's dynamic personality as a bandleader, a multi-instrumentalist, and an ambassador for afrobeat music made him an international star. His bigger contribution may have been as a voice for Nigeria's poor and a political force in his country. Live! is a recording featuring Ginger Baker which is a great example of Fela Kuti's music: polyrhythms, blaring horns, and his near-rap/scat vocals. The combination makes very danceable music of infectious energy.

Drum solo could have been about 10 minutes shorter.

Fun funk soul sound

Pretty cool. Very energetic and joyful

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

I have no words. And apparently neither does Fela. Obvious strong musicianship and really great drumming are at play here. I’m not real sure what I was listening to, but the Afro-jazz blues funkalicious grooves on this made for a much more enjoyable experience while high on allergy meds.

Really liked this album, and the other stuff it led me to after it finished. Feels like a solid three but want to round up based on the upside surprise / good vibes.

What did I just listen to!?! It’s like james brown meets bob Marley meets a jazz jam band with some 70s funk. I enjoyed and appreciated this. Especially the brass. Dude has a crazy story. I think the dude forgot to write words though. He’s like, I’ll just make some noises and no one will notice. Ye Ye De Smell. 3.25

This album is all vibes. Helps that I was chilling by the ocean while listening. I probably don’t give it the close listened it deserves, but I’m rounding up on vibes alone. 3.5/4

I enjoyed this album, though didn’t find it as amazing as all the reviews.

Even though I couldn't understand any if the words, this was a great album. I had to listen to it twice.

Honestly pretty fun album. Pretty funky and groovy.

I really enjoyed this album. Good brass, good saxophone, great voice, great rhythms. 4/5

Even though it was a little too aggressive at times, there were still some great jazz moments. I'm a sucker for drum solos too

Chill, vibey live album. Good easy listening on commute or doing some work. ***

I had listened to Kuti’s Gentleman before so I knew I’d be in for something good. Those rhythms with the soul horns, too good!

Hört mal a den Trommelmann, wie er mit der Trommel trommeln kann. Ich mir das erste Werk komplett angehört mich anschließend mit der Skip-Taste gerettet. Neben den Schlagzeug gab es auch Trillerpfeifen. Vielleicht ein musthear für alle Hobbyschlagzeuger aber definitiv nichts für mich.

Pretty good actually, probably the first world album that I got that I liked, was really groovy and nice beats

More of a string and keys guys, not big drum solo fan, but ver fun and dancy

Good

Fantastic. What a pleasure to put on today. The band is incredible. They have such a big, robust sound. They rock hard, have an awesome funk rhythm and then unleash these killer jazz solos and extended jams. A+ all around. Great energy. The drum solo bonus track was cool too!

This is an awesome listen. After only a few minutes I said to myself "I could listen to this like once a week for the rest of my life and not get sick of it". That means a lot for me because I tend to find music and over listen to it and then move on from it pretty quickly. It's the right blend of soul, funk, repetition, meditation, improvisation, and fun. It's really enjoyable in so many areas and I'll be listening again!

I think that this sounds good but it's a little percussion heavy for my liking. Certainly enjoyable but not exactly what I'm looking for.

Oh geez. How is this on the list? I don't like jazz at the best of times, but this is the pits! The singer reminds me of a Nigerian James Brown without access to songwriters. So, the inclusion of Ginger Baker's name appears to be nothing but marketing. Honestly, the number of drummers worth writing about or specifically listening for can be counted on one hand. Let's see: Peter Criss for Beth and a pretty cool solo in 100,000 Years; The singer from The Romantics; Scott Travis in Painkiller and every Priest release after that; Mick Tucker for being exactly 25% of The Sweet. Even the really important drummer in ABBA generally goes unknown. Bottom line - this is rubbish, and won't grace my lovely digital record player (Vinyl Fetish by Argentinian developer, German Buela) again. Postscript - playing bass in these types of bands must be the most dissatisfying experience ever. This guy is playing the same pattern over and over and over and over again!

Too funky for me.

It is really difficult to oversell Ginger Baker, and when he was paired with Fela Kuti, magic happened.

Not normally a fan of live albums, but this one is pretty good. I liked it. 4 stars

The fidelity is really good for a live album; sounds like a studio recording really. I like a lot of jazz and fusion albums from this time period, and this one isn't an exception. What makes it stand out from the American, Latin, European and Japanese stuff is use of the traditional instruments, which after reading about Fela Kuti makes total sense. It's good, though like all improvisational based albums of the time, it gets a bit mastrubatory with some of the solos, particularly the final track.

I don’t know how to write about music but also what to say about this. It was nice to chill to. Would probably be good to listen to on mushrooms.

I'm sure there were probably loaded Volkswagen vans full of people following around these guys in the 70s but it's not for me. It's repetitive and lowkey enough that it could find a home during the heist montage in an Ocean's 11 movie.

Fantastic, no surprise when you’ve got Fela and Ginger.

Insane talent!! It was pretty neat to listen to Ginger Baker's take on traditional African music. Fela is so fantastic! Favourite songs: Let's Start, Black Man's Cry, Ye Ye De Smell, Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) Least favourite songs: none 5/5

Fantastic!!

Surprising at first. L'unione di sonorità afro e di altre comunemente riconducibili al jazz lo rendono interessante, ricco, originale rispetto al solito ascoltato. Very najs

Side 1 was repetitive and boring. Side 2 was pretty good.

It wasn't even that long but it felt like it took forever to get through

Fun album with an awesome drummer.

Love this. Never heard before. LOVE GINGER BAKER.

I don’t think I would have picked this as my favourite Fela album, so I hope there are more to come. It’s still a great album, and better than 90% of the other stuff I’ve had to endure on this list. For a live album the sound is excellent. Africa 70 must have been some of the tightest musicians on the planet, and at times I couldn’t distinguish Ginger Baker’s drumming from Tony Allen. Going in the right direction, but if I get another fucking Neil Young album tomorrow I might still quit.

Rad beets, not my jam

Back and forth between a 3 and 4. Going off on long instrumentals is not my thing so the last song was really a struggle for me. Overall though it was good sound, it had passion and emotion that you could feel. The musicians were talented and really riffed well with each other. For me personally at times it was just too long and I wanted to get to the next sound.

This live Fela Kuti album is impeccably recorded and sounds wonderful. The studio records I’ve heard from him sound claustrophobic and yet this sounds loose and free. It captures his spirit well. It could be a soundtrack to summer. On a similar live album note, I would also recommend Elton John’s “17-11-70”. Elton is a genius and his studio albums are incredible, but this particular live album sounds amazing, and it’s recorded as if you’re standing right in front of him at a show. It captures the true energy of Elton John’s brilliant early 70’s music better than the studio albums.

This is definitely a vibe and love hearing some African music on this list because I haven’t sought out much world music in my life. Sounds like he was incredibly influential and created his own path (AND music genre). Fun and spunky and hip-shaking. I dig it.

Not my thing. The language/topics don't speak to me, and the music was a little too drum-heavy to work as background music.

Enjoyable overall, though the last song (which might be amazing live) overstayed it's welcome.

We like this! I’m not sure I found the right “Live” album, but what we got was a winner. We’ll hunt for more!

I’m sure being there when it was recorded would have been a mindblowing experience, but recorded, it feels tedious, relegated to ambience at a hipster cafe that insists on playing vinyl slightly too loud.

Great, though I was doing leetcode so didn't listen too well. Second listen 100%. 3.5

I wish I could give this a 4.5, without a doubt it's an exceptional album with no misses so a 4 is insufficient, but subjectively I don't think I'll be putting this on too often so a 5 feels like a step too far. That being said, the energy is undeniable, and the talent impossible to miss. This is the kind of album you put on and I find it hard to imagine someone telling you to turn it off, it brings good vibes and upbeat percussion you have to love.

Feels a bit unpolished compared to the other Fela Kuti I’ve listened to from this list so far (Zombie). Ginger Baker didn’t really bring anything important to the table.

Strong, funky beat and groove that provides great listening for lovers of Jazz and introduces them to the world of Afrobeats. Each musician holds their own and brings a new element to the mix. And, of course, you can never go wrong with the legendary Ginger Baker.

Discovered something new. Nice!

Fela Kuti and the Africa ‘70 are the real deal and this album is not to be trifled with. “Live!” is just that - a sensational live album which showcases the passion, energy, and rhythm that constitutes Afrobeat. The drum off between Tony Allen and Ginger Baker is absolutely phenomenal.

Ritmos africanos. Está bien. Un 4.

Afrobeat. Agradable.

Quite enjoyed this

Good vibes and killer drum solo

Ok.

This is like a big-band jazz thing with an African twist. The singer is Nigerian and there's a bunch of context about his life that I'm sure I'm missing, and then Ginger Baker is a British drummer from the band Cream. I guess Kuti is known as the king of afrobeat, which is a mix of West African music with American funk and jazz. It's ok, but not really my thing. I got pretty bored pretty quickly. It's also a "live" album, but it's really an "in-studio live" album which barely counts to me. Just not a bunch that's memorable on here to me. Favorite song: Let's Start 4/5/24

Ginger Baker is a name I’ve never heard of before, but I’ve heard his music loads. He was the drummer for Cream and Blind Faith, then traveled Nigeria with Fela Kuti learning more about African music. I suppose Baker is probably partially responsible for Fela Kuti gaining prominence outside of Nigeria. Baker performs on the final 2 songs on the album (and the bonus track recorded 7 years later which is included on later releases of the album), and he performs almost as excellently as The Africa ‘70’s longtime drummer Tony Allen. I say “almost as excellently” because Baker’s absence isn’t really felt on the first 2 tracks. The drums are the core of Afrobeat and Fela Kuti’s specific blend of international funk and regional Nigerian music. And no drummer is more important to this regional music than Tony Allen. One thing I’m amazed by is how early in Kuti’s career this was recorded. This was recorded in 1971 and released only a month after it was recorded, which is crazy by today’s standards, especially considering how good the recording sounds given the minimal post-production and engineering the music received. Everything else I’ve ever heard by Kuti was recorded later in the 70s or 80s, so this marks the first thing by him I’ve heard. It’s a great album, really shows off how talented Kuti, Allen, and the rest of the band are well before their other albums.

Pretty good album. Ithas great african, soul and funk vibes. Gonna be honest never heard of Fela Kuti before but i really enjoyed this album. The last songs which is a drum duet, i understand this was a bonus track. Its good but really, onyl for enthusiasts.

Zombie is superior, but this is still rad

Love the style and the energy. Amazing rhythms, as you’d expect with Ginger Baker on it. This and Zombie have made me a fan. Best song: Black Man’s Cry

Muy bueno, excelente instrumental y voces, algo que no escucho frecuentemente y me ha gustado

I think there's good jazz and African fusion music. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling this one. It was a little too raucous and loud for my vibe yesterday.

I like the energy in this one.

This was cool, some fun jams on here. I could’ve done without the 16 minute drum solo at the end, especially consider there already was a drum solo in the middle of it.

Maybe i wasnt in the right mood for it. But it did not grip me as I would have thought reading the reviews. Might have to revisit

Endless jams. Second didn’t-listen-to-the-whole-songs album in a row.

Un James Brown sofisticado, con raíz y densidad. Energía caliente a raudales.

Fela Kuti is another artist that I was introduced to by Grand Theft Auto, on the GTAIV soundtrack. This is a brilliant live album, high energy afrobeat with a touch of muscular 70s funk. Fela promises 4 songs at the start of the set, but listen out for a 16 minute bonus track featuring a drum battle between Tony Allen and guest star Ginger Baker from Cream.

This is good. So good! I love jazz, and this takes it to a new dimension. The rythm section is insane, and it really puts you in a sort of trance. It's hard to refrain to get up and dance listening to this record. Amazing

Good vibes, amazing drums. I like it.

A favorite. A great one to introduce the uninitiated to Fela.

#1) Searing funk, hypnotic driving rhythms and a walloping energy that steers onward, to shrink back to the essence of the groove, and re-emerge in punchy blasts of brass. Fantastic live album, I danced to it while I was making a dinner of cabbage and spinach-ricotta tortellini. Today I give it 4.

Really great energy. Loved this album. Although I probably won't ever listen to the big drum solo at the end again. Once was enough.

It had good energy and I really enjoyed it. Let’s start is an absolute banger, great track that I could see myself returning to. The banter for a live set was brutal. Also, the last track being titled a drum solo kinda annoyed me. It wasn’t a solo, there’s more than on drummer, you named them both in the song title… Good listen overall 3 stars

Energetic as hell.

Pretty groovy jazzy world kind of music. I have never heard it before but I liked it.

This album was amazing until the last track, 16 minute drum solos are not my thing… but the rest of it definitely was. There’s a lot a great beats and a passion from the singer, everything until the last track was fire, then it was a dumpster fire.

Love the high energy. The talking is kept to a minimum and so it is not distracting in the way that many live albums are. I would definitely listen to this one again.

Fela's albums already felt like you were listening to a live band just jamming out for 15+ minutes on some sick grooves. This just ups the energy by even more, the band sound fantastic. 60 minutes of music doesn't get much easier to listen to than this.

Funky groovy tunes. Surprised how much I enjoyed it

Favorite Tracks: Ye Ye De Smell Egbe Mi O

Outstanding musicianship. A great album for working in the kitchen, chopping veggies, roasting something, and just doing some leisurely paced tinkering. That’s how I listened to it, and it fit beautifully with that scene.

Good drumming. Need to brush up on my African languages.

yabba dabba dabba dab day

Loved it!

Interesting and drumming by Ginger Baker was cool

Uno de los mejores discos en vivo que he escuchado. Poderoso, constante y sumamente bailable, la colaboración entre los legendarios (y problemáticos) Fela Kuti y Ginger Baker, resulta en poco más de 1 hora de excelente Afrobeat. Algo que quisiera destacar es la última pista del trabajo, la cual consiste en un solo de batería de 16 minutos, lo cual en sí es una hazaña sumamente sorprendente y una apuesta arriesgada para cerrar un disco. Sumamente recomendable.

Funky, jazzy, high-energy afrobeat by the undisputed king of the genre. Throwing Ginger Baker in there creates a symbiosis that makes this album as great as anything else on the list. Pure soul from every single band member working as a team. Fun as hell and now my new favorite album. Love love love.

I can live without drum solos

I appreciate the musicianship here but it's more jazz fusion and I just don't really click with it. Some very long tracks of (albeit impressive) just drumming. And drumming. I appreciate that Tony Allen is a legend but can we give him a band to stick an actual melody over that?

Good! Live! Album!

I'm glad this album came up so soon after Talking Heads' "Remain in Light" so the album was still kind of fresh in my head. Because it just confirms what I said in my review at the time—just listen to real afrobeat instead of listening to their sad facsimile of it. Fela Kuti is legendary, but while I've listened to him in the past and seen some of his performances, I'm woefully unfamiliar with most of his catalog. This show was incredible and might be the first live album I've heard from this list where I actually understand why it's on here. The music combines traditional African percussion and polyrhythms with Western funk and jazz, and it's a party from start to finish. The sound is vibrant and the mixing is great, and you really get the energy from the live performance. That said, if I didn't know there was another Fele Kuti album on this list I'd actually be kind of pissed that this was here. He's such an influential musician, and he doesn't need some white guy from England (the drummer from Cream) to help translate his music for Western audiences. The king of afrobeat should be listened to simply because he makes great music, no matter where you come from. 5/5

This was a thoroughly enjoyable listen! It was so full of passion, energy, and heart. Excellent beats and rhythms and terrific use of instrumentation throughout. At times a little repetitive, but that did not take away from it's sense of fun and excitement. I can now see that Kuti and company are clear influences of Talking Heads. Favorite tracks: Black Man's Cry, Ye Ye De Smell, Egbe Mi O.

Not bad, but not my style.

Great & fun energy, vocals and rhythm!

Yes! Very good!

Want to like better

This is more like it. I'll admit that long jams are usually more of a commitment than I'm eager to make, but Fela just doesn't seem to get tiresome.