Customer Reviews

Zombie

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...giving Fela's "Zombie" only three stars is very misleading. "Zombie" is without a doubt Fela's most important political song, and probably the best synthesis of his composing strengths -- pulsating march-like grooves, funky backbeat rhythms, and great, catchy horn riffs. "Mr.Follow Follow" is not far behind, though it has more of a P. Funk vibe. Unlike the other Fela discs from this massive reissue project, "Zombie" does not couple two original LPs on one CD (what other Fela album could possibly stand up to this!), and instead offers two previously unreleased performances. This is essential music for anyone who considers themselves a fan of jazz, funk, African or international music.

When you ask someone who Fela Kuti is, a lot of people may tell you how he was a Nigerian musician who studied music in England and returned to Africa to explore and create his own style. Others might talk about how he believed A.I.D.S to be a fabricated illness that didn't really exist, and how ironic it was that he died from it. Some may talk about how he turned his house and a small area of land into his own Republic inside the nation of Nigeria.
Still, others may tell you about his music. People will tell you that he created that elastic Afro-beat style you may have heard other musicians using as an umbrella for their styles of music.
But the problem today is that we love to categorize and box things off into a corner, and while he did invent Afro-beat and he should get credit, it needs to be mentioned that there is also an intangible quality about Fela Kuti's music.

Zombie has to be one of my favorite albums of Fela so far. This album, like all of his other albums, require a lot of patience and stamina and acquired taste, but for those of you who find meaning in Jlo, Ludacris, or pretty much most things that people are told to like, then you can still appreciate Fela's music, but it will take time.
Pop music is instant gratification music, and that's why I've always hated it. Fela's music is more like real life, and that's why it conjures up more powerful images and feelings then "I'm still Jenny from the bloke."

This album is charged with political satire. The rhythms build up steam, as does the horn section, the singers, and Fela Kuti, and the songs explode into melodic progressions which are lengthy and get reapeted in a hypnotizing way. As a result, the songs can sound wistful, angry, un-well, or anything else that a human feels like. All of the songs have an urgent and agressive feel, and they can completely hypnotize you, while at the same time (and with Fela's lyrics) can heighten your awarness.

I'de write more, but I would simply advice you to get this album. In my oppinion, the best songs are the first and last--"Zombie" and "Mistake".
If you are already a Fela Kuti fan, then why haven't you bought this album yet? And if you're not, this is one of the best. Plus, the inlay has a lot of information on him. It's a good idea to read all of it before you listen to any of the songs, because then you'll have a greater understanding and a deeper appreciation for them.
Very Powerful album.

"Zombie" has to be one of the all-time Fela tracks, up-tempo and funky and full of chattering guitar. "Mr. Follow Follow" is a great track too, it builds up momentum in a slow snakey way and is full of rhythm. For those who want to hear Fela as a "composer", the jazzy "Observation is No Crime" provides a jazzy, angular structure with proof of ability. Great music through and through.

My seven year old son who is heavily into monsters etc. is absolutely obsessed with this record. He tells me it's because the big Fela is singing about zombies. What really hooked him in though, is the phat grooves laid down by Afrika '70 on this superb platter. The relentless funk delivered here is very much five-star Afrobeat. Others may point to the big mans purple patch in the early '70s as the place to start.Yet the commitment to the material from Fela and co. lifts it up there with the likes of Confusion and Shakara. If you like having your booty moved whilst raising your consciousness then snap up this lil' treasure. It's an excellent place to board the Afrobeat boat.

The title, "Zombie" is perfect medicine for any militaristic or military-ruled country. Perhaps it is the most potent military satire ever put to music. It is tempting to narrow it down to Fela's continuous feud with the Nigerian military governments in the mid to late 70s, but it is a universal antidote to the militaristic virus. The other antiauthoritarian piece here is Mr Follow Follow.

But my favorite piece on this CD is "Mistake", which was recorded live at the Berlin Jazz Festival of 1978. I had watched this on video many years ago, but now it is issued on CD. This demonstrates the prowess of Fela's large band. This particular piece is a strange and unique creature indeed. The drumming is big and expansive with the seeming chaos of an overloaded mamiwagon, seemingly untidy, but with an inner, buoying coherence that floats the listener like a boat on gentle waves. This only becomes apparent after repeated listening. You now know why Fela's master drummer at the time Tony Allen, is still considered the best drummer in popular music.

Then, there is Fela's solo lyrical saxophone evoking echoes of highlife, jazz and Lagos life. It also has the least incendiary lyrics of all the songs in the album, socially conscious but almost pleading and gentle. Although the lyrics are in pidgin, I consider this to be one of his most Yoruba pieces in its sensibility and the dignity of its flow.

It is long and leisurely- classical fela. Fela did not do short records. He wringed the music out of any tune in a pop symphonic fashion.

If you are unfamiliar with Fela this is a great place to start. I own just about everything the man

recorded, and if I had to pick just one album, I'd start here. This is some of the most powerful

and funky music ever made, and if you had to give just one musician the title of "The Rhythm King",

Fela Kuti would be the only man standing tall next to James Brown.

Miles Davis once said that Fela's music was the music of the future, and in more ways than one I

think he was right. Afrobeat are on the rise again, with bands like Antibalas, Karl Hector & The

Malcouns, Nomo, Vampire Weekend, The Budos Band and Fela's own son Seun Kuti, doing their spin

on afrobeat. Some of these bands are very good, but Fela will always be the Undisputed King Of

Heavy Heavy Afrobeat, and even though he is loved and recognized amongst funkateers and

musicians alike, the man is still criminally underrated. A true genius.

I'm not sure how to say it, but there is something majestic about Fela's sound. Especially in the

horn sections. And it's music for all occasions. Are you meeting your friends for a drinking session

at a smokefilled nightclub? Play Fela. Late night dancing? Fela. A funeral? Fela. Weddings? Fela.

National anthem? Fela.

It's strange that a country like Italy, for instance, doesn't have a Fela song as their national anthem.

Songs about corruption, dictatorship, media-control and bad ledership should be perfectly suited for Italy.

If you want to pick up other classic albums by Fela, try these first, as they are just as good as "Zombie":

"Roforofo Fight/Fela Singles" and "Shakara/London Scene".

I am enjoying this CD -- Fela's music and lyrics. I saw the musical recently, and it fired my desire to have more of his music. Zombie is doing its part.

My seven year old son who is deeply into monsters etc. is completely obsessed with this recording. That's because the big Fela is singing about zombies. What I think really pulled him in though, is the astonishing grooves laid down on this five star platter. Boiling beats just keep it surging along, like a powerful funk tank that cannot be stopped. Even just a basic grasp of Fela's commitment to political change will tell you that this was one album where he really NEEDED to shake up his people. Don't miss the Afrobeat boat, this is a terrific place to board it.

The theme shared by the four tracks on this re-release/compilation is: refusal to ignore contemporary reality and refusal to repress one's commentary. "Zombie" may still be the best-known and best-loved Fela track, with its jagged yet hypnotic instrumental structure and insouciant humor. Here it sounds better than ever before. Its original b-side, "Mr. Follow Follow", is not nearly as iconic, but its subtler charms include a senuous soprano saxophone line that is among Fela's most distinctive melodic statements. "Observation is No Crime" is an outtake from 1977 or '78 (mislabeled in the liner notes as a live track) which represents Fela's love of jazz arrangements with a big-band approach to the horn charts. The track's lack of momentum probably contributed to its relegation to obscurity. The final track here actually is a live one, from a 1978 Berlin jazz festival which in retrospect mirrors Dylan's riotous 1965-66 appearances, with a roar of disapproval greeting Fela's every instrumental move (he plays keyboards more hamfistedly than usual in response); the Africa 70, who would soon leave the bandleader en masse for reasons of pay and exhaustion after years of government harassment, solo inspiredly and play at peak energy, capping an amazing era in music and a fine collection.