Vip (Vagabonds in Power) / Authority Stealing

Fela Kuti | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 24, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wrasse Records
• ASIN: B000CCZQN2
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,669 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. V.I.P. (Pt. 1&2)

2. Authority Stealing, Pts. 1 & 2

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Fela, But Start Elsewhere, December 28, 2008

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vip (Vagabonds in Power) / Authority Stealing (Audio CD)

"VIP/Authority Stealing" is a very good CD, but with the plethora of Fela reissues now available it is better to start somewhere else. Take your pick of "Opposite People," "Shuffering and Shmiling" or "Zombie," then if you love what your hear, pick this (and others) up. This reissue does not get a fifth star in my opinion for two reasons. First, even though this reissue series prides itself in coupling two albums for one low price on one disc, it clocks in at only 44 minutes! The liner notes make it clear that there are more recordings from the live performance in Berlin that yielded VIP which have not been released. Why not include them here to beef up the length, or will they be reissued later -- 40 minutes this time for another $17! Second, to further eat into our lack of length, the first six minutes of VIP is spent on various political monologues by Fela and others, which is cool but wears on repeated listenings. Additionally, the live sound is good but not as rich as the sound on "Fela and Ginger Baker Live." "Authority Stealing" is from a studio session and is better soundwise, but the composition is not as strong as "VIP." Despite these criticisms, Fela is an amazing musical force and pretty much everything he did with Afrika 70 is worth getting. Just get a few other recordings under your belt before this one.