Reviews (page 9 of 12)
I mean join Afrobeat Icon Fela Kuti with insane rock drummer ICON Ginger Baker and it has to be good, right? Answer: YES, but not for everyone. Lots of cool tunes and love the live recording, but kind of ended up as more background music than active listening due to the length and long improvisational nature of the experience. This is one of those IYKYK albums.
3 Stars (8/15)
TIL Fela married 27 women on the same day. The bassline on Egbe Mi O will be stuck in my head for a while
Have not found a bad jazz album since I started this list and this is no exception
Definitely dig the vibes
Good background music for a summer pool party
2.5/5
3/5
Great sounds, so many drums. I would assume that Fela Kuti doesn’t come across in the studio versus live performance, so this is probably the best representation of an important artist/genre. But it’s only like four songs and a drum off.
not bad but not the vibe for today 3/5
Normally I quite like dragged out funky jams, but this was a bit boring at times. And I also don’t want to listen to a 16-minute drum solo.
Live
Pretty fun, but can be more musically developed(?)
Pretty fun, nothing really stood out but really great live performances!
Not bad, but there's just no excuse for a 16 minute drum solo.
I'm surprised that I liked this as much as I did - normally I don't go for jam band type music and longform, 11+ minute musical rambling doesn't hold me, but the vibes are just there for this one
If it weren't for this project, I would have never listened to--or heard of!--Fela Kuti. It's good in the background. There's a lot going on and when it's all working, it's a lot of fun. When it's not coming together, it gets a bit repetitive.
Really cool. Whole album sounds like one long jam session in a jazz lounge.
Good stuff
I anticipated this being another generic world jazz album but it’s pretty good. Solid jams, doesn’t meander too much, and has a good sound.
A little goes a long way, but worth listening to
Jazz meets rock meets Afro-works beats. Definitely worth a listen!
Good songs, never need a drum solo
this was pretty good honestly
Good instrumentals but not my vibe really
Nice, but not my cup od tea :)
Liked that drum solo. This sounded fantastic for a live album but the content doesn’t get me going. Nice to listen to though. High 3.
Fine AfroLatin jazz but the drum solos are too long
A fun live listen.
Definitely self-indulgent, especially with Ginger Baker involved. Sounds like a loose, extended jam session, but not entirely unenjoyable.
It was fun to get some more international music in this list. I wouldn't have listened to this otherwise. Fun listen, but don't think I'll find myself revisiting much. Solid 3 for good, unique composition.
Fela Kuti is a legend and this is an excellent introduction to the American-Nigerian crossover Afrobeat that's only gotten more and more popular in the decades since this album released. Also, as great as this album is, it is 2025 and I just kinda got bored.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Good album although I honestly only remember the drum solo cut
The songs are too long, not enough is happening. 'Ye ye de smell' is quite okay. But whose idea was it to add a 'la la la'-chant to 'Egbe mi o'? That's silly. Watch out when listening this at Spotify. O totally unnecessary SIXTEEN minute long drum solo was later added to the album, in itself kind of weird because it was recorded in 1978, seven years after the album. Weird.
Yeah alright, wasn’t in the mood for some jam stuff tho
Objectively good but not really my vibe. Bit too much whooping...
I don't have the benefit of age and perspective to help me understand its impact on Afrobeat, but this album had me groovin real good. Great production values, sick performance, awesome songs. As a drummer who looks down on two-drummer performances and detests drum solos, I actually really enjoyed Ginger Baker's contributions to this album. Knowing the last track was a 15-minute drums-only performance, I wasn't really looking forward to it, but leading up to it with 45 minutes of killer Afrobeat created the right atmosphere and context.
First song felt like it'd be in a busy NY movie scene. Enjoyed some others. Got bored with the drum solo :/
It was interesting and unique but honestly the length of the songs and the lack of excitement brought the score down a lot.
Not my usual but kind of a vibe
Loved it!!!
- mostly instrumental - sounds like something that would be in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” or maybe “Baby Driver” - pretty solid
Live! is certainly a livelier album than i expected to be (no pun intended). I guess it might have been helped by the fact that not only did Fela Kuti perform it but also Cream's former drummer Ginger Baker helped out as well (of course alongside The Africa'70). It may not be as good as the other album i have heard in this project that he worked on (Cream's Disraeli Gears to those of you curious) this is still a fun album to listen to. The music had a very nice charm to it with it always sounding lively and upbeat even if it did feel like the album was dragging itself out a bit. There are better albums like this but i still enjoyed this one. Best Song: Black Man's Cry Worst Song: Let's Start
I didn't want to expose myself as a jazz listener so early... please dont let this change your opinion of me… but I liked this a good bit. Would've been a 4, but subtracted points for the boring bassist, the fact that a 15 minute drum solo is excessive, and the fact that I saw Ginger Baker live once and he was kind of a jerk.
I thought it was fun, but a much. It was fun in the back at work
Ye Ye De Smell
Did not dislike, but it gets a little repetitive over time. Not necessarily a bad thing; it was sort of entrancing at times.
Pretty good for background music. 3.5/5
It’s definitely cool, they’re definitely talented, but how much absolute filler are we willing to take here?
really fun, great vibes, you can feel its age a little bit and some parts are stronger than others but still really worth listening to
Not my bag but pretty cool still.
3.5
I liked zombie a bit better than this one, felt a bit flat.
Not for me, but obviously very good
This was enjoyable but also slightly felt like a chore the songs were so long like I felt it dragged
While I could tell I was listening to something put together by skilled musicians, it too often failed to capture my attention, though there were many great moments throughout. I liked the rough vocals throughout, especially the vocal harmonies in Egbe Mi O. Overall, not a bad listening experience, and I enjoyed listening to something a bit outside my personal taste, though the jams may have been a bit to long for me. Favorite song: Let’s Start
Another album by someone I've never heard of. Kuti's life was very eventful according to his Wikipedia page. The songs on the album are pretty good. Ginger Baker's on this album as well. I also liked the bonus track with Tony Allen. 3 stars for "Live!".
This felt more like a jam session you walk past at a festival than a life-changing masterpiece. Solid grooves, sure—but 3/5 for me. I came for fireworks, got an incense stick.
Unknown band for me. an interesting style of jazz. I enjoyed the drums solos which reminded me of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and Sex Machine. Good album.
Not for me but my Ghanaian colleague loved having Fela to listen to at work and told me all about him (Protest singer and his elderly mother effectively killed by the army when she was thrown out the window...)
2,5/5 Ihan hyvää taustamusaa työpäivään. Just ja just taipuu kolmen tähden puolelle.
Not sure if this was jazz or something more tribal, but it sounded good. Especially for being live. Kind of nice to have description for song titles
I dont know what this was but it was alright
Not really my thing
You can listen to it occasionally for a change. In general, monotonous African rhythms and screams are clearly not my thing, so 6 out of 10.
Kult men tror ikke det blir en enorm gjenganger
I liked the style of music but it was a bit too drum heavy for me (which I expected when I saw Ginger Baker and Live). Definitely the kind of album I could put on for some upbeat, energetic background music. I don’t know that I’d listen to this particular album again, but I’d check out some of the artist’s other work.
The drum solo felt a bit short Edit Apr 15 2026: 2 --> 3. I like this sorta stuff more now
Live at Berlin is better!
Not really much ginger baker on here. Decent Afro/jazz/funk
Not bad
I enjoyed it but more as background music.
I was replay blown away by the first two tracks. I’ve never heard afrobeat music before so I was blown away by the horns and the drums. My biggest problem with this album is that it’s a lot of filler. Everything after the first two songs were alittle over repetitive and forgettable. But I loved the energy of the album.
Kappaleissa on hyvä tunnelma ja soitto kuulostaisi tapahtuvan paljolti improvisoiden. Silti kappaleet tuntuvat välillä pitkävetoisilta. Eli hauska levy, mutta myös paikallaan junnaava.
Suvereniteetti kuuluu. Tulee mieleen Santanan musiikki.muutaman rallin kohdalla en vaihtais kanavaa...
Impressive
Me voilà face à un monument, un nom qui, même pour le gamin que j’étais, enfermé dans les brumes de Manchester et les guitares dissonantes de New York, résonnait comme un écho lointain, exotique et furieusement authentique : Fela Kuti. En 1971, j'avais à peine un an et mon univers musical se résumait probablement aux borborygmes et aux comptines, pendant que de l'autre côté de la planète, au Nigeria, un type était en train de forger une arme musicale de destruction massive : l'Afrobeat. Et cet album, 'Live!' en est l'un des premiers clichés, une photo de famille encore un peu floue mais où l'on devine déjà la puissance dévastatrice et la folle énergie du clan. Soyons clairs, aborder Fela Kuti, ce n'est pas comme mettre un disque de The Cure. On ne parle pas de la même grammaire, du même alphabet. Ici, pas de format couplet-refrain-couplet de trois minutes trente. On est dans la transe, le marathon et les morceaux sont des fleuves qui s'étirent, prennent leur temps pour installer un groove hypnotique, une pulsation qui vous prend aux tripes et ne vous lâche plus. C'est à la fois la force immense de cette musique et, je dois l'avouer, ce qui peut parfois me faire un peu décrocher. Mon cerveau d'occidental, formaté par des décennies de structures pop et de tensions post-punk, a parfois du mal à se laisser complètement dériver sur ces longues plages instrumentales. C'est une musique qui exige un abandon total, une immersion. Ce "Live!" est un document fascinant pour plusieurs raisons. D'abord, il capture Fela en pleine mutation, il est en train de solidifier la formule de son Afrobeat, ce cocktail explosif de highlife ghanéen, de funk à la James Brown, de jazz libertaire et de rythmes traditionnels yoruba. C'est brut, organique, ça suinte la sueur et la conviction. Les cuivres ne sont pas là pour faire joli, ils lacèrent l'air, dialoguent, haranguent la foule. La section rythmique est une machine infernale, un moteur polyrythmique qui pourrait tourner pendant des heures sans jamais faiblir. Et puis, il y a le contexte, la présence de Ginger Baker, le batteur dément de Cream, à la production et même derrière les fûts sur un titre. Imaginez la scène : le dieu du rock anglais, l'un des batteurs les plus iconiques de sa génération, qui vient se frotter au groove tentaculaire de Lagos. C'est plus qu'une collaboration, c'est une validation, un pont jeté entre deux continents, deux révolutions musicales. On sent que Baker n'est pas là en touriste ; il est fasciné, il participe, il enregistre ce son volcanique avec un respect palpable. Cet album, c'est aussi ça : la rencontre de deux mondes qui se reconnaissent dans une même quête d'intensité et de liberté. Mais ce qui rend Fela absolument essentiel, et qui transcende la simple analyse musicale, c'est l'émergence de sa conscience politique. Ce n'est pas encore le Fela des brûlots incendiaires qui lui vaudront la prison, les passages à tabac et la mort de sa mère. Mais les graines sont là. Il chante en pidgin, la langue du peuple, celle qui parle à tout le monde. Et ce qu'il dit, entre les lignes des jams, c'est déjà une critique acerbe du pouvoir, de la corruption, de l'héritage colonial. La musique n'est plus seulement une fête pour le corps, elle devient un véhicule pour l'esprit, une arme. L'afrobeat n'est pas une simple B.O. pour se trémousser ; c'est la bande-son d'une prise de conscience, d'une lutte. Et ça, même si le format peut parfois me paraître longuet, ça force un respect immense. Alors, pourquoi seulement un 3 sur 5, me direz-vous ? C'est la note que je donne à un disque dont je reconnais l'importance historique et l'influence colossale, mais qui ne viendra pas se nicher dans ma discothèque personnel, celui des disques qui ont façonné ma propre histoire. Les morceaux de plus de dix minutes, les jams qui s'étirent jusqu'à plus soif, c'est un exercice qui me demande un effort, une concentration que je n'ai pas toujours. Je suis un homme de tension, de ruptures, de mélodies qui s'impriment en deux minutes. Fela, lui, est un homme de cycles, de mantras, de grooves qui s'installent pour l'éternité. Ce "Live!" est une porte d'entrée parfaite, c'est un témoignage brut de la naissance d'un géant et d'un genre musical. C'est le son d'un homme qui a compris qu'il pouvait faire danser les gens tout en leur ouvrant les yeux. C'est un document historique, une pièce à conviction dans le grand procès de la musique du XXe siècle. Un album à découvrir, mais pas forcément celui que vous aimerez le plus, mais un de ceux qui vous en apprendront le plus sur le pouvoir de la musique. Et rien que pour ça, sa place dans cette liste des 1001 albums est tout sauf usurpée.
Fela a bit more jammy than his usual style. Not the most interesting of his music but enjoyable in a different way. Listened to: at Metrotech. Favorite tracks: Let's Start
This is a great fun live album. Did I need a whole side that’s basically a drum solo? No, but the rest is just great
Pretty good. I loved the call and response parts
2/3
there are 10+ fela kuti albums better than this get ginger baker out of here
Repetitive, percussion-dense funky grooves. They find their beat and baseline and hold steady, allowing for improvisations and flourishes from keys, guitars, and horns /saxes. It can be quite fun, exuberant, and danceable at times, and quite intense at others - but it doesn’t always hold that feeling consistently for the long track lengths.
If you love drums this is a fantastic album
mietitään genretystä... jokaiselle gebrelle sopisi 3.0 a g... eli mitä täll?.... lh ei ole aovan hullunkurista aika mid menoa niin kolme..
Interesting album! I appreciate it even though it's not what I love traditionally.
Afrobeat is usually always cool, but in this case, as is the case with quite a few afrobeat albums, it ends up a bit repetitive in the long run. 3.5 stars
Not totally my thing, but it is pretty cool. 3.5.
Pretty sweet way to start my Monday. One of the better worldwide selections I’ve received.
So this was a cool live album, but it all kinda just felt the same, nothing wrong with it just didn't peak my interest also when an album restarts and I don't know it seems like not a good thing haha
I love this live jazz progressive feel!
good stuff- love the drum solos at the end.
First? 3/5 Again? 2/5
This was a fun record to listen to. I appreciate the rhythms and jazz/funk stylings throughout. Not much else to say, but it's a good listen. 3/5
Very interesting music, but the over-16 minute long drum solo brings this down from a 4 to a 2.5.
New music definitely for me Imo instrumental was kinda catchy ngl especially the drum solo towards the end But 3/5 Not really my type but I’m glad I gave it a listen
Never gonna listen to it again, but I’m glad I did. Super unique and fun just not my genre
Pretty good! I could see myself having this on in the background if I was trying to get some work done. My arms hurt after just listening to that 16 minute long drum solo!
Certainly a unique and enjoyable album, I'm glad it's on the list. However, it loses a bit of touch as the super long songs get rather monotonous after a while. Still cool to get to know Fela's work a bit. A strong 3.
Geburtsstunde des Afrobeats. Fela Kutis Band umfasste bis zu 40! Mitglieder, da ist Koordination gefragt. Tolle Soli. 5 Lieder in 1 Stunde, das ist schon extraordinär.. Ja, und darum sind die Songs auch langatmig, es kommt kein Instrument zu kurz. Wäre eher kein Konzert für mich. Meine Aufmerksamkeitsspanne ist zu kurz😂Als Person war Fela Kuti kontrovers.
Catching this live in some African jazz club in the 70s would’ve been something. I hadn’t heard of Fela Kuti before but I’ll have to dig through the catalog a bit as this is pretty awesome on the first listen. 3.5, might round up after a few listens.
3.4 - Yeah it was good, not much else to say tbh
This wasn't quite as fun as I was expecting. It becomes quite repetitive and not much stuck out from this one for me. Great vibes as always, but I prefer some of the studio work. The 16 minute drum solo track is a bit of a test. 3.3/5
I liked it, except for the repetitive two minutes at the end of each song.
muy bueno
Still can't fully get on board with 10+ minute long improvised jazz, but this was more accessible and enjoyable to me than most I've heard
In the immortal words of Ringo Starr, “you can’t play Imagine on the drums.” Really enjoyed this. Not keen to hear it again, mainly due to the endless drum solo, and the 15minute tracks.
Very funky but I prefer lyrics
6,5/10 This was good. In-studio live, high vibes and focused on African rhythms. Everything played so well, you could feel the soul in the vocals. Could have done without the 16 minute drum duel at the end. Best: Black Man’s Cry
6.8/10
Fun listen.
Great jam album but can get repetitive
It's just jazz 😐
Worth the listen. I got in to the 60s keyboards. The rest of the music is a bit repetitive for me.
This would be a great album from the 1970's, but only an okay one from the 2000's
Ok, malo naporan za slusat u kuci u komadu, da je negdi vani i da se pije bilo bi bolje.
Off the bat only 5 songs and a hour and eleven minutes long interesting. My favorite song was the opening song of the album which was let’s start. Overall I’d give this album a 3-5. All of the songs are good but length is an issue for me.
Lively, jazzy, rockin' Afro-funk. 3.5
I like this album. I had no idea that Ginger Baker had played with Fela. All the songs I felt had strong musicianship, however by the middle of the album I found myself thinking 'I wish Fela would shut the hell up sometimes and just let the music breath'. I felt like a lot of Fela's vocalizations were not adding but taking away. Still though, a cool album.
This was actually a lot more fun than I was expecting. Maybe does drag on just a bit though.
Decent enough. Captures the energy of the room well. The music gets a bit repetitive at times. Also I am a drummer myself and I find drum solos interminably boring, so this loses a star for that.
Not my usual thing, but very fun, and great beats! Hope you like drumming
The last 4 minutes of this album were, if I recall correctly, just someone banging on the drums as hard as possible.
Wijs album. Niet iets dat ik zelf zou opzetten tbh. Maar een drie sterrekes wel waard. 3.0
Enjoyable rhythms, vocals and brass. Bit too much Ginger Baker, although I'm happy that he was having a good time. I thought Egbe Mi O was a great rousing finale, and didn't bother with the bonus 16-minute drum-off although I'm sure it's excellent(!)
I enjoyed it. 16 minutes of drumming, however, is not a ‘bonus’ in my book.
Cool to have a 2nd Fela Kuti album come up, and after the 5 star listening of ‘Zombie’ hopes were high for this one. However, while good, it’s definitely not quite as good. Much more drum heavy, likely due to Ginger Baker’s presence, it felt like it dragged at certain sections and got a bit repetitive. That said, it’s still damn impressive music and live no less. I can respect what’s happening here and am grateful to be exposed to something I not only never knew existed but also would’ve never listened to on my own. There’s a great energy to this music and I really enjoyed the passion that went into “Black Man’s Cry” (though this was a culprit of some repetitive drumming). Overall a good album, but likely the ranking is a bit more harsh after hearing and comparing to ‘Zombie’ first.
Something different, nice sound but gets repetitive. Happy to hear again yo won't seek out.
the 16 minute drum solo at the end kind of lost me, even if the musicianship is very good. it was probably really cool when you were in the room, just doesn't translate to a record. but i love the call-response at the penultimate song. some excellent highlights here!
Test
v long songs
As much as I love Eminem this just didn’t do it for me. Like his other stuff better.
Groovy and some cool jammin’. I dig the simplicity, feels real, like a fun time. End it after Carry Me and it’d be a 4. I couldn’t get through the 16 min drum solo…
This made me wonder what percentage of my rating system accounts for novelty. Because if I only have to listen to one Fela Kuti album, it’s a 4. But by the end of the second one, they’ve both become 3s. This is good for what it is, but that’s enough Fela Kuti for me now.
Decent and interesting 6/10
An interesting album, and definitely more accessible/entertaining than the other Fela Kuti album in this collection (the depressing "Zombie"). Although I'm not sure that the name "Live!" is entirely accurate, since it's an in-studio performance (a la Tom Waits' "Nighthawks At The Diner"), it's still a fun performance and definitely has a live vibe to it, and also gets some Ginger Baker thrown in for good measure on the last two tracks (plus the "bonus" Berlin concert track). I really like it that it feels more like a jam session than some sort of "world music" inclusion.
It was alright
enjoyable with good energy! Still would not be my usual goto album.
Is this "better" than other Afrobeat work? I have literally no idea, I can only take your word for it. No denying the fusion of genres (when done well) is as powerful now as it was back then. I enjoyed this, and now I'm going to listen some Tiniwaren.
This I like, but it best fits a long task ie. cooking, mowing. Ginger Baker being added was a nice surprise based on the one Fela Kuti album I own.
Entertaining album! A genre I need to listen to more
fine but not really for me
Funky
The first three songs are great but the last song, and drum solo, tend to lag.
music is great of course, but live albums should not be on the list
I like the afrobeat rhythms, but this did get a little repetitive at times, not to speak of the drum solo bonus track.
No expectations other than I wouldn't like this. I was wrong. Mastering could be better, there is audible clipping at times. 3/5
ganz nett aber die drums sein oft annoying
Bit long, but a solid album - great background music.
Pretty fun.
This is a fun live album but the drum solo at the end is kinda lame.
Definitely some fun parts, but overall it's not so fun to listen to this jam as it probably was to see it in person.
Would be very fun to actually have seen this live but the album version is just alright.
Favourite track: Egbe Mi O (Carry Me).
Fine
Normally I'd try to start with an introductory statement, but the life of Fela Kuti is too big, too diverse and too difficult for me to even attempt to do. What I do feel comfortable saying is that he was extremely important to the history and development of music, and this early live album demonstrates why. However, like many early albums, it's rough around the edges. The horn lines immediately grab the attention, and the bass and drums hold you in the groove for as long as they can, but the soloing is just a bit too meandering. The potential is there, which Fela didn't take long to fully grow into, but the balance off. If anything, it feels a bit too tied to the Standard Jazz Template™, the lead melody section and vocal sections rigidly separated from the noodling. Still, Fela's energy carries it, and the title of the first song is an apt summation of the record itself: 'Lets Start Doing What We Have Come Into the Room to Do'. They certainly did! Tangent: Wikipedia had gotten the instrument wrong that Fela is playing in this album. It's not a Hammond Organ, its an Electra e-piano! They sound very different! Fave: Ye Ye De Smell Least Fave: Black Man's Cry (the solo went on too long) Strong Bad Demerit Count: 0
11/8/24. Pretty fun afrobeats and jams here! Loved listening, would definitely enjoy more in a live environment in person.
This is the 3rd Afrobeat album on the list so far and I’m really enjoying them though next time I listen to this I will give th 11 minute drum solo at the end a miss!
Had a great time listening to this. The horns and the drums are a lot of fun, and there's just really good energy throughout. Would be happy returning to this in the future, even if this isn't a genre I often listen to when left to my own devices.
The long, jam-style jazz recordings are not normally my style. This is one of the best executions of it I have heard. While not on the original release, the added drum solo track is phenomenal; just mind-blowing work.
If I ever want to experience the vibes of an Asheville drum circle without the hippies, body odor, and patchouli, I know exactly where I’ll come looking.
Dave Matthews has nothing on this jam band! I'm pretty sure that's going to be the longest drum solo I will ever hear in my life.
I listened to zombie a while ago and I liked the political message behind the project. This album was more focusing on jazz/afrobeat vibes and not as lyrics. Liked the first song but the rest seemed to blend together.
Nice! Had never heard of them.
I would likely never have chosen to listen to this and that would have been a shame. Opening my ears to music I have never even been aware of or would have sought out. I enjoyed listening to this album but not sure I listened to it in the right environment though as I can imagine a late night chilled out session would suit it better. However it still hit all the right funk notes and was more enjoyable than I expected.
non mi piace il genere..
Enjoyable, though not super gripping.
Groovy
As far as overly long live albums go, this is pretty much the best it can get.
I had previously reviewed a live Fela Kuti album and did not care for it at all. It was a droning stream of consciousness that may work live, but as recorded album, did not translate well. This album, however, was a different story for me. Maybe it was the day, or maybe this album is just better. And while I get a little tired of 10+ min music tracks, this record is solid and I am not as hesitant the next time a Fela Kuti album pops up.
Pretty good, but 16 minute drum solos are just not my thing.
The songs are nice at the start but take too long and are too repetitive imo. For a live album it’s decent but not really my jam.
Funky, but I don't tend to rate instrumentals very high.
Amazing drumming from Ginger Baker. The music was generally a little too upbeat for me and had a lot of horns, but definitely an interesting live set.
I've had Fela Kuti & Africa '70 before, so at least I knew what I was getting into with this album, Ginger Baker was a change though for the second half... Its super tight afrobeats, and time just washes over you to where it has no meaning anymore, and soon enough the hour has passed and you crave more.
A solid Afrobeat album of one chord vamps. No changes or song structures to be found, just relentless groove and occasional bursts of emotional vocals. The sound is surprisingly wide and clear for a live album from the 70s. Two songs feature dual drum kits with Ginger Baker, including the monstrously heavy funk of ‘Ye Ye De Smell’. I typically prefer music with more changes and dynamics but definitely appreciate this music and would gladly have it on the in background. The main negative for me was that fully 1/4 of the album is a drum duet with no other instruments which might the most self-indulgent thing to ever exist.
Pleasant to listen to. The music is all good, just kind of drags longer than what I prefer.
Not exactly my style but it was good.
Not my fav, but decent album.
This was good I'll probably listen again. You can hear the origins of the New Orleans sound
Great rhythmic album. Sounds a lot like all the other Fela I have heard
Nice change of pace. Not going to dial this one up all the time. But it was mostly enjoyable.
Liked the "big band" sound, pretty funky and groovy - not sure what the "singer" was up to.
Cool, very chill
The first song reminded me of poprocks. It had some good beats. My adhd doesnt work with long jam sessions. I kept looking to see how much time was left.
Soul, Jazz, World, 1971 ->3
Enjoyed it
Actually preferred his studio album. Ginger baker is a legend, but didn’t need a 10 min drum solo as an entire song.
Jazz isn't a genre I really listen to, so I can't say too much about this album other than I liked it but not enough to listen to it again. The Vibe: Running through the jungle being chased by a lion.
Did not know anything about Fela Kuti, and I was not disappointed! This is not my genre, but I was surprised with how much I liked the sound! This is exactly why I'm trying this project. Favourite song: Black's man cry
Ye Ye it doesnt smell that bad
estoy bastante convencido de que no hacía falta poner un solo de batería de casi 17minutos al final del disco
Well that was a nice surprise. Never heard of Fela, know who Ginger Baker is. Great pairing. Enjoyed that.
Amazing sounds. For me though, even the best instrumental music never holds my attention. It can only become great background music; which this certainly is.
It was jammin but got a little repetitive for me. 5 songs over an hour
Not my cup of tea
I mean, it's fun, funky, and I can't help but move my body to the beat. Not something I am deeply satisfied by, but good for background.
Sounds like a dope heist movie so far. Great sections, overall would not make it my regular queue but I'd definitely refer back to it if I was looking for a big sound. Some of the songs feel more like a demo of awesome technical skill than a "journey" I'd expect from an album -- maybe a different listening setting would change that feeling. It's also a live album so that feels like it informs the flow.
cool album. liked the jazzy feel, definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to this
Just learnt a whole load of facts about Ginger Baker. A name I've heard of but never really knew who he was. Great album, too!
Let it play right through again after finishing and will probably let it play a few more times. The Good Stuff
7/10
I'm probably not gonna put this on all the time, but it was a nice listen. It's basically very chill jam music. But it's pleasant, has some nice rhythm, nice sound.
Cool jazz
Right on, man. Right on.
Not my kind of music, but I enjoyed it
It's good but it's not for me
Decent. 3.5
An album I'd never find on my own. Surprisingly nice. 3.5
Grooooooovy. But some live albums sound more fun if they're... live.
I like the style but I can't listen to him talking in between songs ahah
It was OK. Not my bread and butter tbh but also not obnoxious
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
Nice, cool.
Live-albumit eivät ole oma juttu, ja kappaleet ovat pitkiä, mutta musisointia pitää arvostaa.
It’s pretty good especially from a musician standpoint.
Another cool 70s record. Not exactly up my alley but I do recognize that it's quite a good record.
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.
Particolare
Fela Kuti!!!!! With Ginger Fucking Baker!!
Not bad but after 5 mins of the drum solo I was done.
Live album with four 10+ minute tracks. It was very good, especially the drums.
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.
так много барабанов! но в остальном менее африканско и более джазово чем можно было бы представить
Fun album I did not know about but it would've been better witnessing this live
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.
Cool album that I'm not cool enough for.
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
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.
I’m not black but this album makes me wanna be lol
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
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.
I would call it Jazz or Jazz-like, but then...not. It's a good listen.
It was okay I think I like it better than Adele, but not worth 4 stars. 3 stars.
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)
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.
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
It was good
Cool African pop with Ginger Baker playing an eternal drum solo.
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.
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
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.
3-4
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.
This was just ok, it started off with quite a cool vibe but not sure I would listen to it again
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.
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
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.
Loving a bit of a funky album!
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.
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
Was jamming, a live performance is always fun. The drum solo is too long, sue me.
Easy jam to have on in the background.
Fela Kuti and band are great - Ginger Baker is great at speeding up the tempo in an annoying manner.
Drum solo could have been about 10 minutes shorter.
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.
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
I enjoyed this album, though didn’t find it as amazing as all the reviews.
Chill, vibey live album. Good easy listening on commute or doing some work. ***
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
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.
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.
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.
Discovered something new. Nice!
Afrobeat. Agradable.
Quite enjoyed this
Ok.
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.
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.
Un James Brown sofisticado, con raíz y densidad. Energía caliente a raudales.
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
Pretty groovy jazzy world kind of music. I have never heard it before but I liked it.
Interesting and drumming by Ginger Baker was cool
Want to like better
Fun soulful jams. Not the sort of thing I would listen to on repeat due to the track length but nice to vibe with for a while.
Would be better not as a live album