The Best Best of Fela Kuti [Universal]

Disc 1
1	Lady 13:48
2	Shakara 13:26
3	Gentleman Edit Version 11:02
4	Water No Get Enemy Edit Version 9:51
5	Zombie 12:25
6	Sorrow Tears & Blood 10:15
7	No Agreement, Pt. 2 7:52
Disc 2
1	Roforofo Fight 15:40
2	Shuffering and Shmiling, Pt. 2 12:25
3	Coffin for Head of State, Pt. 2 13:23
4	I T T, Pt. 2 13:41
5	Army Arrangement, Pt. 2 17:02
6	O.D.O.O. Edit Version 6:53

Barnes & Noble

This set could easily have been called "Black Precedent." Nigeria's Afro-beat inventor Fela Anikulapo Kuti may have died in 1997, but the innovative, kinetic grooves and confrontational politics on this double-CD, two and a half hour compilation are as relevant - and just as bracing -- as ever. The sprawling saxophone- and organ-led grooves of his 40-member ensembles Africa 70 and Egypt 80 segue easily into the percussive, retro-fied atmosphere of today's electronic dance music (his son Femi is eating up the Euro charts with his sexy "Beng Beng Beng," and Fela's drummer Tony Allen has found a career in the dub-inflected French dance underground). But Fela's lyrics, dismissed as "rants" back in the day, demand a new reading. Like his jazz-and-James Brown-inspired music, which actually comes across as more earthy and ancient than the Godfather's, Fela's politics define a New World Order rooted in the past. "Lady" and "Gentleman" are critiques of Africans who adopt European ways, while "Suffering and Shmiling" attacks the religious institutions that have undermined traditional African community. With ad hoc federations crumbling from the Soviet Union to the Balkans to Africa, Fela's pithy anticolonialisms ("International Thief Thief! We're tired of carrying their shit!") make BLACK PRESIDENT seem prophetic. With a slew of reissues following this mighty collection, the groundbreaking soul of Fela Kuti is ready to take the world by storm all over again. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

More than two years after his death, the first coordinated reissue campaign of Fela Kuti material began with this collection, a double-disc set including 13 of his best-known jams. Beginning with three tracks from 1972 (the second disc also has a track from that year), The Best Best of Fela Kuti ranges through his entire career, though the focus is appropriately on the '70s. Kuti's infectious combo of high-stepping soul revival and African township jazz has never been equaled. And his band was chocked with excellent musicians, starting with the keyboards and saxophone of its leader but also including propulsive drummer Tony Allen, baritone saxophonist Lekan Animashaun, trumpeter Tunde Williams, and bassist Franco Aboddy. As good as the music is, The Best Best of Fela Kuti really shines when it comes to the songwriting. It's an excellent primer on Kuti's various protest targets -- the oppressive Nigerian government and military, the increasing Westernization of Africa, unnecessary violence, hypocrisy, and pride -- and wisely includes explanatory notes for each track. The editing and compilation work are also done very well. Though many of the tracks had to be modified down to the ten-minute range, the flow is natural and very smooth. The one caveat is the detrimental effect of diminishing returns; Kuti's style was practically trademarked, and after over 150 minutes of jams, the tracks tend to blend together and obscure their individual significance. Overall though, this is an incredibly important work; it's the first truly historical item on Kuti and should finally bring the magic of Fela Kuti to Western audiences. John Bush

Vibe

...listeners can explore two and a half hours of his finest work... Harry Allen