Customer Reviews

Best of the Classic Years

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you like the groove of Juju but are put off by the over-production of Ade's 1980s albums that brought him renown in the states, or even if you're just a fan of Juju music in general this is a good collection. Apparently culled from his recordings between 1967-74, the tracks here have a funkier sound, with some of the production sounding like a distant cousin of dub reggae or acid rock.

The first five tracks (out of 10) comprise an 18 minute medley from one album, a choice I find slightly strange considering the producers supposedly had 12 albums of material to choose from. In addition, track 6 is the complete 18 minute version of Synchro System, later rerecorded and made into something of a hit in the US. Still, the medley really burns, and seems worth including in its entirety. The other four tracks are solid as well, and in all, the CD provides more than 70 minutes of the best Juju ever recorded.

This is dance music of the transcendent variety, with swaying rhythms and the lilting, heavily-channeled guitars the Nigerian style known as juju became famous for. These are early recordings, taken mostly from the late 1960s and early 1970s, long before he landed a record contract in the West and briefly made inroads via the emerging "worldbeat" movement of the 1980s. Largely sung in Yoruba, with two tracks pushing past 17 minutes in length, and instrumental more often than not, it's easy to see how Ade was a harder sell than Bob Marley. But don't let any small cultural differences keep you away from the delightful artistry of King Sunny. The music both lifts your spirits and moves your feet.

I love this release. As others have mentioned, these are older recordings, simple and raw without too much production. The sounds are sometimes psychedelic, sometimes upbeat and sometimes relaxing and mellow. A very good range of tracks to enjoy.

Ignore the "world music" label- it's anglocentric and entirely unnecessary. The only thing that matters about music is whether or not it's good, whether or not it speaks to you, leaps out of the speakers and grabs you and holds you, tells you something and makes you feel something special and unique, the way all art should, right? If you subscribe to that notion, then this music is for you. This is raw, vital, cathartic stuff, a brutal and seductive rhythmic onslaught that sounds like nothing you've ever heard (not even the other rhythmic onslaughts that you may have encountered in your journeys). It's vital and beautiful, and the guitars drip with sex and sweat and pure melody and joy. The songs are long, hypnotic jams, often taking the form of a medley. The music is nimble, twisting and shifting on a dime, ebbing and flowing through sheer intuition. It's party music for the soul. Get it now!