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These four sides of classic 1970s afrobeat vinyl from Nigeria recover two great albums that might well have been lost to history. Though produced by Fela with perhaps the strongest band of his three-decade-plus career, these tracks let trumpeter Tunde Williams and baritone sax man Lekan Animashaun take the microphone while the maestro assumes the role of sideman. Tunde Williams' "Mr Big Mouth" slinks in with the familiar, restless sizzle of hi-hat and feathery funk of strummed electric guitar building to a tuneful blare of horns. Williams can't match Fela's bluster but he's got an edge of his own as he slams the corruption of Lagos contractors. The vocal is memorable, but it's the spot-on music and arranging that makes this grade-A afrobeat. William's B-Side, "The Beginning," is a slow and moody instrumental, contrasting lush brass section passages with an eloquent trumpet solo. Williams was truly one of the most talented soloists Fela ever worked with. He left Africa 70 in 1978, and this album fell victim to a dispute between Fela and his label, Decca. So we're lucky to have it.
Lekan "Baba Ani" Animashaun, Fela's baritone man to the end, is also a better instrumentalist than singer, but it is fascinating to hear his lithe, slightly nasal voice weaving through the punchy replies of the band's trademark female chorus. These two numbers--"Low Profile" and "Severe"--have a fractured history. First recorded in 1979 during the dark days following the Nigerian army raid on Fela's compound, they were not finished until 1986, and released only in 1995, to little fanfare. The songs were often played at Fela's Africa Shrine in Lagos, though, and much loved by the city's diehard afrobeat fans. "Severe" has a big, satisfying sound, and an exquisitely wailing baritone sax solo. In all, this release is an indispensable addition to the growing catalogue of historic afrobeat.
