Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Good fun afrobeat album by a master. Poignant with a good sense of humour - it's a really fun listen.
This was a lot of fun. I love the beats, I love the jazzy shit. This was great.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. Give it a listen, it's worth it
Thanks for inviting me to the group! This was a great first album, it has some great jazz influence. “Frustrations” was the highlight of the album. Real emotion in Femi’s voice.
Love this! Gets me moving every time.
It was fine.
I dug it.
Album was okay, but the random song that Spotify put on after it was fire
Här finns det gott om bakgrundsinfo att läsa om och lära sig, så jag skriver ned huvuddragen här för att hjälpa minnet. Femi Kutis album ses som det som introducerade afrobeat för en internationell publik. Afrobeat är en sorts blandning mellan traditionell nigeriansk och västafrikansk musik, och amerikansk jazz och funk. En av pionjärerna inom afrobeat var Fela Kuti, Femi Kutis pappa. Fela Kuti var i sin tur son till Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, politiker och aktivist som var drivande i kvinnofrågan i Nigeria. Men de kända släktleden slutar inte där. Ransome-Kuti-familjen har sedan pastorn och kompositören Josiah Jesse "J.J." Ransome-Kuti i slutet av 1800-talet tonsatte kristna hymner med traditionell musik varit nigeriansk adel när det kommer till musik, konst, politik, utbildning, medicin, etc. Lägg det på minnet om du vill! Musiken då? Skitbra! 'Frustrations' är otrolig, speciellt blåspartierna. Älskar 'Nawa' med sin energi och frenesi. Även många av de andra låtarna kommer med samma energi och rytm. Bästa låt: Frustrations
I do really like Femi Kuti. However, his music does seem to get a bit repetitive after a while.
Non stop African dance party. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this album. 4.5 stars
interesting .... never heard him before but listened to the whole album and liked it
it lack the energy of his dad's music.
I'm pretty sure I've never listened to a Afrobeat record, so let's go! Musically, this is a jam, you can tell how much every musician and performer loves this style of music! It's very soulful, funky, makes you want to dance. I can imagine, the popularity of this music in Africa, but not much outside of it, it isn't very mainstream. Although the music is quite nice, it isn't very relatable for me and I find it hard to find connections. I do appreciate the musicality of the work and the cultural impact it has on Africa. Key tracks: Wonder Wonder, Survival, Plenty Nonsense 6,5 out of 10
Afrobeats
Not my style but funky and jazzy which I do like a bit, some songs drag on with little inbetween still good overall tho
What a great surprise! A great middle point between afrobeat, world music and jazz. Loved the colors and textures Femi and his group share in this album. Although the songs are long for regular standards (7 minutes and higher - like an average Jazz song) their structures and how they build tension and release make them exciting. It seems I prefer Femi over Fela Kuti. Great recommendation.
A period of time I'm never getting back. Utter dross. A generous 1/10.
4.5 for me. It's goood. I kept re-listening to it. Survival, Petty Nonsense, & Live for today.
Tulay.
Boring pt 2
Not bad to run to
Not bad, but not for me. I like the afrobeat element, not the jazzy side so much. And the songs seem to go on forever.
Nice record full of very interesting rythms but maybe a little too long for me.
I liked it but it felt quite long.
J'ai pas trop la ref là
i miss Miracle Tones ....
Very interesting album! Nice blend of African rhythms and 90’s production. I’m really curious as to the meaning behind the lyrics, and will have to do some digging on my own.
Perfekt für Julian
Not really my type of music, I guess. Some of the sax parts are fun to listen to, though, I am pretty sure I will not pick this up again.
20th December 2022 Listened across the day as we went skiing in Alpendorff then chilled by the pool. Really enjoyed this, it is pure vibe. 3.5 if I could.
Not familiar with this artist at all so I had no idea what to expect. Turned out to be a whole lot of fun. Just a lot of talent and energy that is definitely going into my regular rota.
Wow. Incredible. I loved this album. Never heard this band. I've heard a lot of African music but this is way more listenable than most! I'm excited to find this one!!
I used to think that Femi Kuti was Kid's dad. But then I realized that there was no relation. I think I should get my ears checked. Speaking of getting my ears checked, I don't think listening to this album helped much. Lotsa cacophonous calamities on this album. It's upbeat, fun and rides the line between something that I might listen to and that I won't ever listen to again.
Bringing the Kuti story full circle on the 1001 is Femi Kuti, son of the legendary Fela Kuti. On the two Fela Kuti albums, I only delved into parts of his story, missing the whole picture. That whole picture saw his son Femi come to live with him at age 15, right around the time those government zombie soldiers raided his compound, right before the father married 27 women (none of whom were Femi’s mother). It is a different culture, but beyond that it had to make for some interesting dynamics as this teenager joined his father’s band (and family). Femi followed in his father’s footsteps (in music, not in polygamy), and that in turn led to this terrific album. The family tradition now carries on in the hands of Femi’s son Made Kuti. I just got done writing in another review that music in other languages often has a ceiling for me, but maybe it’s more of a style thing? Maybe I just like afrobeat more than samba? Chock it up to another musical taste mystery that the 1001 didn’t help me solve.
Upbeat. Spunky. A fun listen.
did not finish barely started. not for me
Fun and spiriting music
Lekkere afrobeat. Begrijp alleen niet waarom ze niet de og fela kuti erin gezet hebben ipv deze man
Jaaaaaa daar is ‘ie dan, m’n eerste 5 sterren!!!! Ik had alleen maar durven dromen dat er een afrobeat album tussen zou zitten en wat een banger!! Deze komt in de standaard rotatie
Fenomenaal lekker album, kan zo een paar keer op repeat en dan mag het nog wel doorgaan. Femi is de zoon van afrobeat legende Fela Kuti, en het duidelijk te horen dat die alles mee heeft gekregen. Voor de nieuwe leden in de groep echt een aanrader!
Some seriously great grooves on this. I don’t know if it will be in my regular rotation, but I’m glad I listened to it!
Well, this was better than expected; I really liked Survival, while the other songs were mostly competent as well. 3/5
Always a fun listen.
While the album was enjoyable, it felt like a lot of the same stuff was being repeated on different songs. It's a vibe, but not something I expect to listen to again.
I learned about Fela Kuti in my history to west africa class, so it was interesting to see a lot of the same themes of pan-africanism present in Femi's music. Anyways, when the afrobeat hit it HIT, but when it didn't I was ambivalent; I think a lot of the longer songs started skewing repetitive after minute 6. It was never bad, but not all the songs grooved to the same extent. That being said, I had a great time using this album as baking music, would love to explore more of this genre, but I'm not adding this to my everyday rotation or everything.
This album is great, it’s so funky and Femi gives off such good energy. Not really any bad songs on this album. Last song was a bit out of pocket even for ‘95. My rating: 8.5/10 Need to be on this list: 7/10
Not going to lie, this slaps. Fantastic, really fun, amazing
Nothing else I can say other than this album will exceed every expectation you may or may not have
I didn't even notice the songs were 9 minutes long because I was having so much fun
Musically rich and groove-ful album. A really pleasant listen, but it runs a little long. Fave Songs: Stubborn Problems, Plenty Nonsense, Frustrations, Changes, Survival, Live for Today
I'd clean the house to this.
Clearly the talent runs in the family. A fantastic album.
Not bad
Sometimes, I wonder what would have been of Femi if Fela hadn't existed. For one thing, he'd be accorded *far* more respect as an artist. The natural, and lazy, thing to do is to think about him as a derivative of his father, rather than (like a million other artistes, most not one-half of him) as influenced by him. I think he is a far more adventurous band leader than his father. I think that he was condemned to singing about social issues by his father. I think that I am doing him a disservice by evoking Abami Eda repeatedly here. This is a fine album. True, some lyrics are just this side of cringe – but, then, this was almost 30 years ago. It has matured well, and deserves your attention.
Amazing album with a lot of Soul/Funk/Jazz elements. Great use of the percussion and the album has a good energy!
not my vibe
terrific
Always here for Afrobeat. Fela Kuti A+ Femi Kuti A+
Do you like jams? Do you like bitching jams? Do you like bitching afro pop jams? Well...
Pretty good
Very energetic afrobeat music which I enjoyed for the most part, but at some point I started to lose interest. I also thought the lyrics were a little on the nose, and therefore distracting from the music.
Skimmed
Different flavored. Decent and disciplined horn section. Attempted Bob Marley.
This album seemed like a bit of a weird one for this list. I understand the Fela Kuti albums on the list because they were groundbreaking, both politically and musically. This, on the other hand, sounds like pretty normal afrobeat. The Wikipedia page was not much help, as it just explained that this album introduced afrobeat to a wider audience, but doesn't explain how/why. Overall, I don't love the production of this album. The bass guitar has that muzak tone present on lots of albums in the late 70s/early 80s. Overall it's fine, but not particularly interesting, especially when contrasted with Zombie, the Fela Kuti album I got previously on this list 3/5
Never heard of this before but I think it's brilliant
Kudos for something different. Or should I say Kuti's. Me me hahahahah .....
I want to return to this album
When you're the son of one of the most revolutionary musicians of the second half of the 20th Century, it's best to be aware of the massive sized shoes that would hopefully be filled but Femi Kuti's self-titled does all that and then some. Bringing, and refining, his father's penchant for lengthy jams about societal and personal issues into the 90s (atrocious album cover aside), this over an hour long collection gives the listener an understanding of who Femi is and what he could be capable of, regardless of the knowledge of who preceded him. The songs may be long but the grooves are undeniable and the pedigree beyond worthwhile.
A bit ecclectic, but Ginger Baker is great in this.
n0t 4 m3
Decent lots of instruments reminds me of jazz idk good vocals but with ok lyrics I like changes and frustration
That was fun!
Wow this kinda slapped. Never listened to Afrobeats, but this was super dope. A lot of the tracks on the front-end especially went crazy.
I dont get it. It sounds like stuff people say they like so that other people don't think that they're "culturally insensitive" or "racist" when in fact they'd rather be listening to almost anything else. His dad's music was much better.
Incredibly fun album It might not be everyones cup of tea but I really enjoy this and am really happy to get this music recommended Its great musically and the lyrics arent to bad, I can see myself listning to this in the future
Just pure sax and percussions. Really soft btw
Amazing tunes
Made my day!
One is not fully educated on Afrobeat but straight-up musically, what's not to like? Driving beats, sweet rhythms and grooves, pure energy and passion – and such large portions. If you don't like a solo, just wait a beat and more are on the way. One is glad to have heard, plans to hear more.
Fun album
Mukavaa menoa, tuskin kuuntelen uudestaan tho
74/100: This is not something I’d normally listen to, but I’m definitely appreciative that the generator forced me to. This album just gives you a pep in your step. Every song is so lively and full of energy. I will say, the lines about women wanting to do like men, men “changing themselves” to women, women marrying women, and men marrying men seemed to carry a problematic tone considering they followed the line “in these crazy, crazy times.” I don’t know, maybe Femi Kuti meant it in a good way, but this album is from 1995 so I doubt it. I guess besides the possible (probable) sexism, transphobia, and homophobia, this was a fun listen to? I don’t know, weird note to end it on man.
Modern African jazz. Good to listen to.
It’s fine. 2/5
I really liked it at first but it started to get repetitive with the beats.
I didn't dislike this, but this might be the first time I listened to an album and thought the tracks were too long. All of them. Apart from a 30-second intro to one song, the shortest track was 5:59. Most of them were over 8:30. Like I said, I didn't dislike this, but I didn't like it enough for the track length to not wear on me.
Not my thing
While listening to this I was working away, and at one point I was thinking that I must be getting near the end of the album. And then I looked over. NOPE. You, sir are on track FOUR. That's when I saw the lengths of all the tracks. No songs need to be 9 minutes long. And most of them on this album were that long. Not a bad listen, but way too long.
Groovy!
Enjoyable listen. not usually something I listen to, but there was nothing I didn't like and the musicianship was top-notch. Just saying it's not something I would listen to everyday and I would have to be in the proper mood.
Loved the constant vibe of this album. The instrumentals are great, lyrics don’t have much variation, but overall very good. Wonder wonder was a bop
Groovy, a lot of 70s jazz elements and what seems like a salsa African/Cubano influence. Very busy, but very lively.
Favorite Songs: Survival, Frustrations Unlike anything I've really listened to before. Plenty Nonsense gave me Hawaii Five-0 vibes.
Wow what an energetic album! I'm loving the variety on this list so far. I listened to this twice and really enjoyed it, will definitely check out some of his other stuff too. The lyrics address some important themes too, although I'm not sure I agree with everything he says. I thought I caught a few homophobic lyrics in the last song but maybe I misunderstood.
Quite enjoyed this. Good to just cruise along to
Some good afrobeats here. Not quite up to his iconic old man in my opinion, but I can see why this album did well internationally.
Jazzig, grooving
More brass than I was expecting for "AfroBeat". Fun in general, but felt like it dragged on a bit sometimes
Lovely sound
Wow, I was playing chess while listening to this and wow it was so enjoyable. Never expected I would listen to stuff like this and enjoy it as much.
Songs are too long, they’re nice to study to, aren’t too distracting, but they drag on when you notice it. Not my favorite however also not terrible
Very nice album, well structured, well performed and great songwriting. Only downside is that it gets a bit same-y as it goes on (though it does not drag)
Not for me
I didn't expect to enjoy this but parts of it were great, particularly in the first half of the album.
Aardig muziekje voor de achtergrond. Sommige stukken doen me denken aan Graceland van Paul Simon. Waarschijnlijk vanwege de typisch Afrikaanse ritmes. ***
Pretty good, some different vibes. He has clearly an opinion and the lyrics are not hiding this. Sometimes too long and repetitive but overall enjoyable. Favourite song: - Wonder Wonder
Super funky base lines, lots of fun and doesn’t get too jammy or long winded
He’s certainly not his father, but it’s still a solid album that is part of the foundation that led to the current worldwide popularity of Afrobeats, especially those coming out of Nigeria. I’d do 3.75 if I could.
Znači, baš se spominjao Fela Kuti u vezi priče albuma od McCartneya i Wingsa, nije mu nešta štimalo što su došli u Nigeriju snimati album? I eto sad dobijem Femija (sina). Dobar je ovo album, al gledam baš po ocijenama, jebiga - overshadowed je od strane svoga oca i to se vidi, a stvarno je album korektan, samo je dug. 3.5 na rym, ovdje 4.
3.75
Very funky - this music is ALIVE! Good stuff, 4.5 stars
bom demais o sonzao
I honestly don’t really like songs this long. Some of them were nearly 10 minutes long, which is just too long for my taste. I was worried this was going to be a purely instrumental album at first, but luckily it was just a very long intro in wonder wonder. I guess I have a short attention span but I just don’t like songs this long unless I’m listening straight through an album, but if it’s just on my normal playlist I feel like it just breaks up other songs and doesn’t fit, even if I like the song. Songs like this with a lot of just instrumental are better for background music in my opinion that they are for attentive listening. I didn’t dislike any of the songs necessarily, I just wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to them individually. I liked the jazz sound of survival, frustration, etc. His voice is nice too. Tbch I did skip through some of them like ¾ of the way through….they’re just so long…. I’m also confused about the placement of the intro. Oh wait, now I get it it’s not an intro for the album but for the song Nawa? I’ve never seen that done before, that's interesting. Nawa reminds me of walking into class in 5th grade and taking baths. The low ratings are not because I dislike the songs. I just don’t see me ever wanting to listen to them again because not much stood out to me and they blended together.
Interesting rhythms... but not really my thing.
Hooked within first 5 seconds,.didn't let up
Surprising, nice vibes
this is great. plenty nonsense is fun!
Fucking great
This was my first taste of proper african music. I like the lyrics, but a lot of the instrumentation was unfamiliar to me. Nonetheless, I liked the general 'vibe' of the album. Politically driven as well. Don't have much more to say on the album, but Femi is cute.
I din’t Listen to the whole album but I enjoyed what I heard. 3*
It was OK.
I have a lot of time for the Kutis. There's some repetition here and some of the songs are overly long, but it always bangs and there's always an interesting story behind the music. The horn section is on fire on this record. Best track: Plenty Nonsense
Nice afrobeat by the son of the creator. Still it does get a little samey after a while since each song is so long you definitely felt a couple songs could be cute and not really lose anything. Nonetheless, the musicianship is fantastic.
funky and dancy, but repetitive
I haven't listened to this genre much, this was surprisingly enjoyable.
Very much his father's son in terms of music. This album sounds so big, the production makes it sound like you are being surrounded by horns, enveloped by the sound. Not really listening to afro eat that often I found it a bit repetitive but by the same token the beat was like a metronome, becoming hypnotic as the album progressed
Listened to on 8/30/22 4/5 Favorite song: wonder wonder I love the African influence on this album - it was so upbeat and joyful. I listened to it all afternoon and would highly recommend
Easy listening jazz
What a jazzy album, though by Apple Music's genre, I should say funky! A great mix of jazz instruments and African beats and vocals. Good album to end the week on!
A really nice international funk type project. Nothing too distinct, but it was a good listen. Favorite tracks: Survival, Stubborn Problems, Live for Today. Album art: Nothing too special here either. An Africa-shaped hole burned in burlap, with a band photo. Certainly not the least interesting we've seen, but it's a bit bland. 3/5
OK. No expert in Afrobeat.
6.5
Joya.
Cool, smooth, really nice. Good album to listen while working
This record apparently introduced Femi Kuti and afrobeat to an international audience. It's easy to see why. It's accessible and melodic with a great energy and socially conscious lyrics. A very enjoyable listen. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Wonder Wonder Date listened: 19/08/22
Interesting but too repetetive.
Good working music. To dip in and out of.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Wonder wonder, Frustrations, Nawa, No shame
Might not have been in the right mood, but this was entirely too long. I enjoyed the beats and the groove, but it wasn't enough to carry it for over an hour.
So awesome. A lot like his father's music, but more structured and more modern production.
African folk pop
Pretty enjoyable but found some of the songs to feel repetitive. From other albums in the genre I know that songs tend to repeat the same grooves, however then my expectation is that the groove better be really good if I'm going to hear it over and over for awhile
It is hard to evaluate Femi Kuti without referencing his father, Fela Kuti. Femi's music is more dance oriented, with less jazz elements and shorter songs. To me that takes away some of the awesomeness of afro-beat, but the "mainstreaming" seems inevitable.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Good rhythms and worldbeat sounds.
I've never listened to Femi Kuti before, but I do like his father and the apple did not fall far from the tree. There were some funky tunes here and it was nice to have on as I worked. Was I as astounded as when I heard Fela's Expensive Shit? No but this was still very good music with some nice political themes.
Each song was WAY too long and honestly I couldn't tell them apart. 1/5
love the sound - album just too long for me
3.5/5
This is dope. Really great sax playing and I like the arrangements. Electric piano all over the place dates it, but not always negatively. Femi's voice is really great, and I like all afrobeat call and response.
This just wasn't for me. I didn't find it offensive, but it was boring and repetitive. Any small part is nice enough, but it didn't do anything for me constructed into a song structure. 2/5
Not my thing. The playing is obviously talented and there are some nice grooves but the songs just dragged.
Oh wow, this is pretty new for me. But exciting! The beat is terrific, and it does a decent job of keeping the energy alive during its lengthy run. Should check out more Afrobeat. B
Brilliant beats, lively and entertaining. That polyphonic beat with the stabbing horns is infectious.
J'ai vraiment aimé l'album. Ca commence en feu et ca sonne très bien. La production est super et les chansons aussi avec de bon musiciens. Cependant, j'ai aussi trouvé que l'Album s'étire un peu. 1h15 sa dépasse le temsp pour un album de se genre et on tombe un peu dans la répétition. J'aurais donné un 4 fort ou 5 mais trop long. 4.15
INT
I've listen to a lot his father's albums who I love. This is by fat the best album by femi, not quite as good as his late father but still enjoyable.
Sometimes one simply is t in the mood to listen manically paced Afro Pop. This was one of those times. To be fair… it’s a good record and in the right frame of mind would be a good listen.
I got through it.
I didn't hate it, surprisingly. It's way too long, which I don't love, but some of the beats and some of the instrumentals are really fun. But I also have no desire to put it on again, either. This is a 2.5 album that I'm bumping down to a two simple because of the unecessary length.
Fun album
No thanks
Wow! What a fun album to listen to! Each track was awesome and so different! I’ve never listened to anything like it.
This album is a real fun listen. I love the jazz and big band elements mixed with the Afrobeat
This album was great. Such tight bass and horns and mix overall.
I really enjoyed this!!
Grooves for days
A great afrobeat, funky, jazzy af album. Great stuff!!
Great to see something that is not Eurocentric come up. This has powerful beats and important messaging. A blast.
Bags of fun. Super groovy
Je vais vous expliquer en détail ce qui s'est passé avec Femi Kuti. Avant d'exercer ma nouvelle activité du moment qui consiste dans les grandes lignes à jardiner dans un parc de la capitale autrichienne, je lançai quelques pistes de cet album de Macron Beat. N'ayant pas fini l'écoute au moment de mettre la main à la pâte, je dus la mettre en pause jusqu'au moment où je vis l'un des jardiniers m'accompagnant avec un écouteur à l'oreille. Ni une ni deux, j'enfonçai moi aussi mon femikuteur dans l'oreille droite. Au bout de quelques minutes à peine, je commençai à me sentir très ennuyé de ne pas pouvoir mettre les deux fémikuteurs en même temps. C'est à ce moment précis que le roi des jardiniers arriva au loin avec son mini-tracteur, ce dernier diffusant de la musique. « Ah, super, il a mis Femi Kuti sur le tracteur directement » pensai-je. La stupeur m'envahit à l'arrivée du tracteur. La musique émanait de la radio et diffusait des artistes profanes. J'engueulai alors le roi des jardiniers avec une violence que je n'avais jusque-là jamais soupçonnée.
Cela fait maintenant trois heures que je subis les africanaiseries de Femi Kuti, et ce n'est pas tout à fait le retour de vacances que j'espérais.
Nice. Another I'd likely never have heard without this site. Not a genre I'd obsess over but this was something different
Interesting African Jazz, probably cool to hear live, but not my thing for day-to-day
It was an OK album with some parts I enjoyed (the jazzier parts) and some parts I did not enjoy (the ones with stronger proportions of African music styles). On the whole it was a good experience with listening some not unpleasant music in a style I'm not familiar with at all. But in the end, it's not really my type of music and.
Fun beat, but overly long with very little distinction between songs.
Afrobeat perfection
I enjoyed pretty much every song while it was playing, but getting through the whole album is just such a task. The songs are so dense and energetic that it gets exhausting going through the process of building each track 9 times. Will give it a 6 for now because I do really enjoy the music, just if only it was 2/3 the length it’d be easier to get through. 6/10
Very energetic record that keeps the blood pumping throughout. I removed a star due to the long lengths of each track, which can make the album feel like it is dragging in some places. However, great instrumentation and performances keep it a stellar effort.
Interesting stuff. That's all I've got.
Bored me a bit.
This started out really strong. Those first few tracks are catchy as all hell and they get into bone real good. But then it felt like more of the same the longer it went on. By the end, I wanted that beat to just stop, to change up for a minute, but it never seemed to. It's a very infectious beat. But like more infections, after a while, you wish it would go away. Still, a very solid bit of musicking here.
It's a sound I like and could listen to a lot of - which, oddly, is why it doesn't rate very highly. The real potent stuff I tend to leave on the shelf for special occasions. This is something I could have choogling along in the background most days. The rhythms are fun, the brass arrangements are punchy and Kuti has an expressive voice with just a touch of sandpaper. All to the good. What this otherwise fun set lacks is grabbability - and nor do I feel the need to accost a man by the lapels to implore that he listen to Femi Kuti. Pleasant without being essential.
Similar to Craig, I was thoroughly enjoying this for the first half hour. 45 minutes later I was less captivated by the experience as a whole. That said, I don’t have much of a complaint beyond this one. Really like Kuti’s voice, as well as the background singers and even when the lyrics are on the nose (as in “Wonder” and the pondering of a United Africa) it still totally worked for me. Also, “Plenty Nonsense” is a darn good title for just about anything that needs a title. I’m just now paying attention to the track listing and seeing that there are two songs called “Nawa” and they come back to back on the album. The first is really only a brief appetizer for the main course, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this done before. Good tune(s).
In enjoyed listening to this album. If it wasn't on this list I probably would never run by this.
Every track started out fun and interesting but just lasted too darn long to maintain my interest.
You, sir, are no Fela Kuti.
Didn’t even remember listening to his father’s album but I gave it 3 stars and said it had some enjoyable back ground funk. I’d say the same for this.
Good vibes
Fun album to listen to while working, I like the rhythm of it.
Enjoyed this, fun and funky, not a close listen today, bit will be returning to it.
Automatically assumed this was Fela Kuti.. Not good... Another classic example of how this project introduces music that you would not normally listen to. Vibrant Afropop. 73 mins is a bit long! You have to being the mood, but it is intoxicating stuff. Multilayered rhythm, brass, guitar and vocal. 3.75
Excellent. Big up the kutis
Not as good as his Da, but still pretty good
Pretty cool.
Tight! Aika vahvasti tää on kopiota isänsä musiikillisesta perinnöstä. Jos joku tän laittais soimaan niin tietäisin kyllä että kyseessä on Kuti, mutta luultavasti veikkaisin Felaa enkä Femiä. Ei omena kauas putoa. Ehkä erona on sit vähän erottelevampi miksaus tjs seisariin verrattuna. Groovyy shittiihän tää on, mutta aika tyypillistä afrofunkulaa! 3/5
Hyvää on. Muistaakseni faijan tuotanto oli ehkä vähän originaalimpaa ja vaikuttavampaa. Mutta helppo oli tästäkin nauttia.
Ah olipa hyvä! Jatsahtava ja elinvoimainen. 4/5
This was a fun listen that makes me want to see how Femi Kuti’s music might have evolved over the years.
Like father like son. Femi adds a touch of western songcraft to his fathers Afro agit funk which probably makes this easier for newbies, but the beat and the commitment is still there. Recommended.
It’s hard for me to rate these because I know so little of Nigerian music except Fela Kuti. I loved how the music sounded live, and of course the Afrobeat with full band sounds amazing—energetic, passionate. The lyrics were really moving. Four stars, but I wish I knew more of Nigerian and African music to compare it to.
Keeping close to his father's model. Great playing. The production had a bit too much 90s sheen, but it did mean that everything stood out clearly. I always appreciate a prominent bass!
Great fun afrobeat. I love the way Wonder Wonder kicks off, other faves: Frustrations, Plenty Nonsense, Stubborn Problems.
This reminds me of the great parades during big events in the streets
I don't know, man. Afrobeat never was my genre but here's just so much saxophone on this record. The songs are slickly produced but, somehow, rarely engaging and, by about halfway through, everything began to sound the same. And there were just so many saxophone solos. So many.
Not my cup of tea but it wasn't bad.
A great album.
Ug. 3 altjhough thought it was five. Just found it annoying after a while.
Muito bom mesmo. World Music com uma vibe muito interessante.
It's a good album and I remember it slightly from when it was popular. It paved the way for a whole swath of immensely talented musicians from the African continent to get some recognition in Western charts and sales. This album by itself is a bit slick, very 80's, even with the afrobeats.
I enjoyed this a lot! I wish I knew more about Nigerian politics so I could understand mate of the anger in there. But he's translated much of that anger into a joyous, danceable afrobeat masterpiece!
Babity fun, but went on a bit. Better than modern 'afrobeat'
A solid, fun album. Jazzy, funky, and totally chill vibes. Didn't adore it so I probably wouldn't revisit, but it was enjoyable. Fave track: Survival
Enjoyable, summery music.
04/18/22
Granted, I'm not into the Western African World Music scene, but after some exposure to Femi Kuti's father Felt and Ali Farka Touré, I had higher hopes for this album. Femi has it tough, being the child of a legend and while this album is a good listen, I don't grasp it as much as the others. Femi Kuti's self-titled album is a fun listen, spanning jazz, fusion, punk, afro-cuban, and soul. Some of the songs suffer by being way too long and repetitive. 3/5.
Afrika
this was a cool listen! it was something out of my norm and i made sure to really listen as a result. every time the horns were present, they dominated!! the horns definitely made the album great. some great themes here, too.
It was okay! This isn’t particularly my jam. Glad to be exposed to some Afrobeat music in here, though!
Riktigt bra rytm speciellt efter de två första låtarna
9/10
8/10. Maybe even worth a 9, I was quite enjoying this
Pretty groovy but all the songs were kinda long and not super engaging. 7/10
6.5/10 plus aimé que ali farka plus jazzy
Musically very good
bit repetitive. bit repetitive. bit repetitive.
This album wasn’t bad but it def started to drag on since it’s 73 minutes of traditional African music. Not great bike riding music
really good, almost as good as his dad
Afro-beat combined with some James Brown's funk music, highlife and jazz. (6/10) FT: Wonder Wonder
Hmm. Not my thing, but I don't hate it.
Very enjoyable continuation of his father's work.
A chip off the block.
fela, femi, femto?
Funky afro-beat
I was really enjoying it but then I looked and it was still missing one half of time play. Nice sounds nice rhythm but it was loooong
This one was pretty fun to listen to, although it did overstay it's welcome. Something like this could be reduced down to 30-40 minutes and be fine. 70+ minutes of this does not do much for me. I liked some parts of these songs, it just kind of all blends in after a while.
Funky and upbeat. a bit samey after a while. Cover art 2/5
For one of the best 1001 albums, the wikipedia entry is pretty scant. Starts of sounding like bad 80s jazz before becoming the sound of dirty hippy stoners in the mid-90s and keeps on this path throughout.
Look, he's not his dad.
Das hat mir ziemlich gut gefallen, ich war auch überrascht wie konsistent das über die lauflänge ist. Aber das hat einfach richtig schön sommerliche vibes und macht brutal gute Laune obwohl die Texte teilweise nen ganz anderen Ton anschlagen. Gerade in einer so volatilen Situation wie Nigeria in den 90ern ist das Album aber total symptomatisch, also bzgl der zeitlichen Distanz zum Bürgerkrieg, anhaltenden ethnischen Konflikten, aber auch Aufbruchsstimmung und Hoffnung für die Zukunft. Genau das findet sich hier alles wieder, also es wird nicht explizit ausgesprochen aber gerade in dem tollen „Frustrations“ kommt dieser Spirit total zur Geltung. Super Album!
3/5
Better than awesome. An absolute joy.
Good vibes and fun listen, but a bit repetitive and draining after a while.
really great album, very interesting and cool african jazz
Infectious, high energy stuff with great African rhythms.
This was pretty cool -- would listen again to have on in the background in the kitchen or outside or something. Approve!
Not my favourite but not terrible.
African jazz
I don't know what to really say about this. It's hard to resist the rhythm and the beats here. And if you listen to it while you're working or hanging around the house, you'll definitely be grooving around unconsciously. Nothing not to like here, but as I say about a lot of these music-centric, international, and jazz albums - the performance aspect likely outshines any recording. There's only so far an album like this can really take me.
Not my favorite afropop
I took a deep breath and I can smell the earthly scent of this beautiful continent. Afrobeat is a nice upbeat genre that conjures images of festivals. This album nailed that festive energy. Most of the songs are a bit overlong and I'm not a big fan of those vocals. But still, I enjoyed the overall vibes of this one. Definitely deserves spot in that thousand and one sized list.
Sorry Femi Kuti, I just hate the saxophone.
Bon mais je n’y retournerais pas.
Great album. What I always imagined afro jazz could be at its best.
I didn't know this artist. It's cool, good saxophonist.
The songs here are not made for those with short attention spans. Afrobeat goes on and on and on. There are flashes of excellent parts but then it just seems to fall apart and move into blandness again. It wouldn't be so bad if the tunes were good but it all just blends into one jumble of noise. It feels like something hipsters would put on at a dinner party. I just hope I'm not at it. Best Tracks: Wonder Wonder; Nawa; Plenty Nonsense
álbum difícil de escutar, não fluído. preciso ouvir novamente pra pegar.
Not really my style but quite good.
Meh
There's good songs here and Femi is a talented musician but the production hasn't aged well at all. Could definitely use a remaster
Enjoyed it, something different in this context of 1001. Didn't love it.
So hard to listen to this without constantly comparing it to his father's music. I really wish he had gone in a completely different direction so that you could listen to his music more objectively. I can understand why he would want to build on what his father had built though, especially as at this point his father had pretty much stopped recording music altogether. He does a good job trying to maintain his father's legacy I suppose, but to me this just sounds like an edited down Fela with a dash more Juju/Highlife thrown in here and there. Being recorded so crisply doesn't help it to my ear either. It has its moments but mostly it just makes me want to go listen to Fela instead.
I overall enjoyed it a good amount, but unfortunately it was a bit long for me without a ton of genre variation, if it was a little shorter I'd give it a 4 and live I'm sure 4.5+.
I don’t love jazz
Never get enough of the rhythm! Love it!
Not something I'll go back to, but good music with a great beat
I really enjoyed this entire album. It was really great musically and fun to listen to
Unexpectedly really fun listen. Great jazz grooves, some of which were reminiscent of some 70s soul/funk but with the African chanting thrown into it. Found some of the songs to be a bit too long with lots of repetition but a fun album nonetheless.
Very interesting. I liked it, cool african style drumming along with fun jazz.
Fantastic - a lot of energy. I enjoyed this as much, and perhaps even more than Fela Kuti - though they do sound very similar. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree
Not for me. The songs are just way too long and repetitive to be enjoyable. Nice that it's on the list though, it's important to have some world music, just not my kind of music.
No expectations and found it very enjoyable. Always enjoyed having a horn section. Ended up listening to a lot of his other stuff. I’m glad I’m listening to these
I was not familiar with this artist before. The album was a little long and the songs were long 6-9 minutes long. The songs turned into a jam session. I am not sure I would seek this album out again.
Amazing album and body of work
At first it just made me want to listen to Fela. But after a bit I really got into it.
Jazzy funky Afro beat music. Perfectly ok, but I wouldn’t listen to it. Stand out tracks are No Shame and Live For Today
Eso es lo chevere de esta página. Sino ¿como conocer a un representante del Afrobeat? Interesante producción!
Fun
Afrobeat realness - inject it into my veins
Nice enjoyable music.
3.75
Kinda fun World Jazz thing? (African) Listen if you want to feel sophisticated.
Interesting.
Not to my liking
3/5 decent album, but...
“The album introduced Femi Kuti and afrobeat to an international audience.”
not terrible
Decent, I liked it.
Musically it’s good. I liked having it on in the background while I worked. It didn’t make an impact though. It’s just not for me.
3.6 - Femi continues Fela's legacy. In fact, to me the two sound identical: staccato rhythm guitar, strong dance percussion, big brass, political lyrics.
tipo fela kuti?
A little too long, but it has been a wonderful surprise
Engaging
Not a fan of this style music. Couldn’t get into it.
I've had some Afro-Cuban Jazz on this list so far, this is my first pure African Jazz. I really enjoyed it, this artist is very talented. It had great energy and it definitely makes you want to dance.
Beautiful.
The oldest son of Feli Kuti, Femi Kuti is just as talented! There are just some days when this is the perfect thing to listen to - today, for me, was one of those days. So glad to welcome this album into my life. I absolutely loved this album and I can't wait to get to know it better.
Cool! Kicky and catchy. That is all.
blergh
really african, not so bad tho