Confusion / Gentleman

Fela Kuti | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1973
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00000JOEX
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,550 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #25 in Music > World Music > Africa > Nigeria

Track Listings

1. Confusion [Part 1 + 2] (25:36)

2. Gentleman (14:42)

3. Fefe Naa Efe (8:12)

4. Igbe (8:07)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cream of Fela's Bumper Crop!, July 4, 2001

By 

mikemulligan "mikemulligan" (Beantown) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confusion / Gentleman (Audio CD)

Given the enormity of the late-great Fela Kuti's output -- over 50 LPs, which even doubled-up in Universal Music's on-going reissue project, leave 25+ CDs to collect -- it's important for a new Fela collector to know where to start. While the case could be made that anywhere is fine, since Fela's catalog is uniformly strong, THIS 1973/1975 combo may be the single best entree for the uninitiated.

As much as any major artist of the rock-era, Fela's recordings work as a musical biography, telling the chapter-by-chapter story of this fascinating man's 25 year struggle to catalyze the pride of Black Nigeria as it moved beyond British colonialism. Yes, the intrinsic groove of Fela's "afrobeat" rarely fails to amaze and inspire (in short: funk of the FIRST ORDER), but the stories/messages/warnings which his lyrics contain are spellbinding, too. You can't read Rikki Stein's well-written Fela biography in any of the CD booklets without getting enthralled with the daring, !polemical, incendiary and often hilarious messages so expertly woven into the groove.

Confusion/Gentleman epitomizes the dichotomy of Fela: funk-avatar v. political rabblerouser. Confusion -- more-or-less a 20+ minute call to arms -- begins psychedelic in a Soft Machine-ish way, bores headlong into a sustained and super-swinging groove, and culminates in a fasinating and foreboding call-and-response warning that the European influence in Nigeria/Africa would end. Mesmering stuff!

Gentleman, the earlier of the two pieces, follows and lightens up the mood slightly. The groove is less menacing, but the lyrics remain provocative. The title track jeers the Anglo-fied black leaders of Nigeria's government and corporate world bluntly and mercilessly. The shorter -- i.e. 7-9 minute -- "b-sides" on Gentleman likewise plumb the funk whilst delivering some incisive barbs to the status quo.

With a dozen more Fela "two-fers" headed our way in late-July 2001, there will! soon be more Fela Kuti material to be dazzled by. Still, Confusion/Gentleman is one of the high-water marks of the Fela ouvre and it should be priority for all collectors who are seeking to compile a collection while this amazing CD reissue series is available!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funky, Fresh, Fascinating, June 21, 2003

By 

Sub-Kontinental (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Confusion / Gentleman (Audio CD)

If you like Fela, then you have to get this album. If you don't like Fela, then you still have to get this album--as a tax for not having any taste. Folks, it's off the chain. I promise you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars possibly the sickest recording of all time, May 14, 2004

By 

Gary (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confusion / Gentleman (Audio CD)

You will never hear anything like Confusion. The opening is great and when it turns into the opening groove after the militant/psychadelic intro, it will blow you out of your socks. This is so good it makes me happy just thinking about the fact that music this good exists. The bass and guitar are unstoppable and Tony Allen's drumming is on time. I have to agree with the other reviewers, this is off the chain and those who don't appreciate this know nothing about music. It's killer, get it and you won't be sorry