Search - Fela Kuti :: Odoo

Raw afrobeat

Blauth | West Africa | 06/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i am a great fan of most of fela's work with africa/nigeria 70, prefering their tongue-in-cheek approach and james brown inspired hooks to fela's more radical and often more political (read:boring) work with Egypt 80. that said, this bootleg release, recorded i believe sometime in the early 80's in France(? - check that, i'm not positive about this. i don't have my copy on me currently) is by far his best, topping even "water no got enemy," "gentleman," and the crowd pleasing "lady." this version of odoo, far different from the edited and tame sounding version found on the "best best," is a bit of a medley, incorporating elements from "zombie," "confusion," and "unknown soldier" if memory serves me well. the transitions are far smoother than anything i've heard him try anywhere else. overall, this is a classic release. "confusion break bone" is also featured in an amazing light here, dwarfing that found on the "best best." the song loops and twists, sometimes spinning onto the sinister. don't be fooled by the fact that only two tracks are included on this album. the cd is about 55 mins. long, giving an insightful and flavorful joyride through the hemp-induced opium dream lived by fela at the peak of his career. i only wish that my brother hadn't scratched my copy of it. a definite must for both long time fans and fela-neophytes."