Customer Reviews

Expensive Shit / He Miss Road

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Like "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier", the "Expensive Shit" album gives Fela plenty of room to detail and decry official devilry. In this case, he was detained by police in order to produce a "sample" they could then test for hemp. According to Fela, a renowned hemp smoker, the sample came back clean. In the fashion of all his mid-70s recordings, the title tune is uptempo and utilizes a choppy James Brown-ish rhythm guitar riff as an introduction and driving force (Fela's use of funk guitar patterns, by the way, generally fills the role taken traditionally by percussion in African music, setting up a basic pattern around which the rest of the composition is arranged.) His lyrics reflect not only detestation of the regime but also a kind of incensed pragmatism - detaining a musician in such a way is ludicrous, Fela basically says, even if does have THC in his blood. Where Side A of the original album is tense with its polyrhythms, Side B represents the cleansing, and is titled "Water Get No Enemy." Its sound is lilting and cool. Also on this reissue is the entire "He Miss Road" album, produced by Ginger Baker. This is also a mid-70s release, and the only difference in sound due to Baker's presence is a better separation of instruments than on most of the other Fela albums. The lyrics of the title track reflect an unwillingness to become involved with those whose actions betray their better judgement. Throughout this entire disc, the classic elements of Fela's music can be heard: developing call-and-response; a blend of funk, jazz, and Yoruban music; and an unwavering politicized drive.

These marvelous reissues of Fela's work present two of his albums on each CD, with the booklets featuring the original artwork, lyrics & translations, and an overview of his phenomenal life. The "He Miss Road" album, from 1975, contains three blistering tracks of interwoven rhythm patterns and deadly grooves. During this period, Fela and Africa 70 were an unstoppable force, releasing new music at a dizzying pace (six to eight albums a year!). The title track is a lethal dose of jazzy organ and punchy horn lines, laid over the hypnotizing interplay between the skeletal funk guitars and Tony Allen's drumming. There's also a new workout on "Monday Morning In Lagos," which Fela had once recorded back when the group was known as Nigeria 70. "Expensive Shit," also from 1975, is one of several Fela records chronicling his confrontations with the authorities. This particular incident involved a police raid on Fela's commune, which he had dubbed the 'Kalakuta Republic'(named for the prison cell, Kalakuta, that he had occupied after a previous arrest). The intent was to plant weed on him, but when the police presented Fela with the evidence, he snatched it, and much to their surprise, ate it. As he describes the event on the album's cover: "My sh*t was sent for lab test. Result -- negative." The record became a hit, boosting Fela's reputation and further embarrassing Nigeria's military government. With his music getting much-deserved attention again, a new generation can now discover how Fela became a household name in his country. If you are unfamiliar with Fela's work, this disc will surely convert you.

This single CD is actually a twofer featuring "Expensive Shit" and "He Miss Road," two classic examples of the infectious, wide, deep Afro-beat groove. Up-tempo and rollicking, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his stalwart band and choir generated a funk-laced, organic stew laced with psychedelic pacing and jazzy spacing. The musicians deliver a hypnotic river of sound, powered by drummer Tony Allen's superb energy, which propels the various guitars, keyboard, sax, and other solos.

Sometimes the beat is menacing as on the title track on "Expensive Shit." (Just read the liner notes for the lowdown on the title-it's quite a tale!) Other time, the band slips into a flowing froth as on Water Get No Enemy.

The tracks on "He Miss Road," while less political, chronicle more of the life and times of Fela, who must have had quite a sense of humor considering the abuse he endured. When you listen to the 17-minute final track, It's No Possible, all of a sudden you understand one of the main sources for derivative bands such as Traffic. Compare this track with Traffic's jams on the "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" and "Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory."

All five tracks are all long jams: typically the instrumental solos build up to Fela's vocals. Though he was the heart and brains of the outfit, he doesn't hog the limelight but lets everyone have some time to shine. And what an instrument his voice was: wailing, strutting, and vexing. These sessions are a true group effort. Both the band and choir churn along in deep grooves, the equal-is not better--of any soul or funk back from what George Clinton and James Brown were dishing out in the `70. For the record, Ginger Baker produced (but does not play) "He Miss Road." All the tracks sound vibrant and fresh even 30 years later, and the sound quality on the combined CD is excellent.

If you want to try Fela Kuti and do not know where to plunge in (his discography is amazingly long and there are some uneven sessions), I would recommend this CD as a fine place to start.

Fantastic stuff. "Expensive Sh*t"'s title track is one of those Afro-beat workouts that Talking Heads and Brian Eno and various new-wavers ripped off direction from in the late 70's and early 80's. It is loose but perfectly together, great and funky. "Water Get No Enemy" is one of the more remarkable Fela pieces I've heard. The horn unison part, with Fela singing on top, is as good as music gets.

The second album, "He Miss Road", is great too. The title track features Fela getting funky on organ over a chopping rhythm with a spacey vibe, "Monday Morning in Lagos" features that great boisterous unison horn playing that I'm coming to love in Fela's music, and the third track kicks up a storm rhythmically very well - actually, every track on the CD does that.

I can summarize this CD in a single word. The word is - awesome.

If you know Fela's work then you most likely have your own favorites. Fair enough. you can't really go wrong. For me, this reissue brings together two of the finest Fela releases. Kudos to MCA for taking the time and resource to create top notch and true reissues. Expensive S**T is my favorite and, by any account, a standout album. His mocking title aside(a jab at Nigerian police who were tricked into testing the stool samples of various inmates in an attempt to find Fela's dope laden sample), Fela is no mood for jokes. You only need to hear the opening salvos from 'water no get enemy' to see why Fela is a master musician.

A shamen of musical styles, Fela took Jazz horns into new stratospheres making them at home in his distinctive multi-movement tracks. As though in an argument with himself his sax would blair angrily against a steady rythym section... then reconsider and join the trance like funk chords alongside cheers from the band...only to rebel moments later and uleash another defiant solo meandering above the beats until, earthbound, he drops down into the groove. No one else can pump out 17 or 23 minute tracks. No one else should try. If you're a first time Fela listener, I envy you and encourage you to buy this album and play it over and over again. You won't get bored, and you may just find yourself ready to drop everything and join the forces of the Kalkuta Republic.

contains one of the all time greatest fela tunes, water no get enemy, but all the other songs are awesome as well. but let's face it, there really aren't any truly bad fela songs. this is music that really grooves, performed by a true musical pioneer.

The Nigerian musician Fela Kuti combined artistic and political engagement. He advanced a bold new genre called afrobeat, where funk instrumentation was laid over the traditional rhythms of his country, creating a supremely engaging sound. Everything takes its time to develop--few Kuti songs are under the ten-minute mark--but the listener falls into a state of engaged chillout from the start. Through this music, he gave scathing but always playful criticism of the corrupt powers that ruled Nigeria. This collection of recordings from around 1975 is a good example of Fela's soundworld and is sure to entertain.

The title track of this disc, which Amazon's automatic review filtering probably won't let me name outright, is somewhat autobiographical. Nigerian police, seeking to put down this independent-minded rascal, tried to plant marijuana on Kuti during a gathering at his home. Wise to there plan, he quickly swallowed the joint, but the police then threw him in jail to produce the evidence from his feces. He escaped charges with some wily plotting, and then produced this song mocking the police for wasting resources on hassling him instead of furthering justice in Nigeria. Opening brass rounds give way to interplay between Fela's narration about the episode and responses from his group of female singers.

"It's Not Possible" and "He Miss Road" are, I think, some of the more unusual examples of Fela's output. The standard features of Afrobeat are here, but the production and long saxophone lines give these an almost Pink Floydian epic dimension before Fela starts with some hilarious lyrics about undependeable friends and about a few people who just don't get it respectively. "Water Get No Enemy" is one of Fela's most widely loved songs, possibly because its length of only 10 minutes brings it to wider audiences. "Monday Morning in Lagos" is almost as short, but seems a somewhat marginal effrort. Fela takes a break from his usual incisive commentary to offer a fun evocation of his home city.

One of the unquestioned masters of African musical propulsion, Kuti delivered time and again when it came to his pioneered brand of taut, percussive-heavy, horn-based funk stretched out across the laid back palate of Nigerian-styled guitar to cultivate the afro-beat sub genre all for himself. In these long, thrusting compositions, the focus always stays sharp even if the mood becomes a little playful or repetitive. This makes for that rare combination that can hold as much value for the pessimistic listener as an optimistic one.

this is one of my many "matt houser recommends" albums in my collection. come to think of it, i really don't know which fela kuti albums he told me to buy, but this is the one (i have four in total) that i really caught on to. if you don't know anything about fela, well, do some research. he's a really intriguing guy. there's some really great stories included with the re-issues (not to mention, most of the re-issues are combinations of TWO fela records). anyway, the music is real freaked out jazz/funk/reggae, with african lyrics usually political in nature. his shows were supposedly these amazing visual productions with choreographed dancers and such, and from what i hear, his son femi is following in daddy's footsteps with equally stunning performances (but maybe not quite an amazing song writer)...

...folks are sometimes scared of jazz, i know this...
and combine that with the words "afrobeat" and i guess folks jus dont know what the heck to expect... i think people expect a 'national geographic' special to jump out they speakers or somethin... i dont know; i cant explain it...

yes, fela was a true activist... but i'm not gonna muse about his political experiences right now... i'm jus here for the music! i want yall to focus on that for the moment, because fela anem done did a powerful thing with this album... initially, i was turned onto the afrobeat sound when i discovered the music of his son, femi... and now i am truly converted to the sound... this rendition of the jazz sound is relaxing, uplifting and fulfilling all at the same time.

cannonball adderly would have fit in rather well playin in this band... as would have anyone, from charles mingus and duke ellington to najee and kirk whalum...

any serious (or beginning!) jazz fan needs some afrobeat in their collection; this aint too bad a place to start!