Fela, still due for more of a surge in popularity than he ever really got, has one more chance posthumously with this album.
A number of songs from across the entirety of Fela's long career are represented, from the old Koola Lobitos days up through the Egypt '80 period and a short cooperation with Roy Ayers.
All of it, though, is remixed by Chief Xcel.
The remixing is somewhat minimal -- no flights of fantasy, breakbeats, and the like that comprise the usual course of events in a proper remix album.
For the most part, it just seems like the recordings have been cleaned up a little.
In actuality, Xcel has doctored the songs pretty thoroughly, but kept them well within the groove that Fela set up.
As such, most of the time it's difficult to tell where Fela ends and Xcel begins, and that certainly works to Xcel's credit.
Not just any fan of African music, but any fan of music should listen to some Fela.
The remasters on MCA are available and fresh as always, as are a couple of new compilations (Music Is the Weapon of the Future is an excellent one), but The Underground Spiritual Game is also worth a hearing or two for its mix of classic and new.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake AmFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 02:35 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 2 | Look and LaughFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 04:18 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | Mr. Grammarticalogylisationalism Is the BossFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 08:02 | 18 MB | 49 MB |
| 4 | Monkey BananaFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 02:19 | 5 MB | 13 MB |
| 5 | AriyaFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 05:27 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 6 | Unnecessary BeggingFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 08:35 | 19 MB | 51 MB |
| 7 | Swegbe and PakoFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 03:37 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 8 | Mr. Follow FollowFela Kuti | Fela Kuti | Play | 05:52 | 13 MB | 38 MB |
| 9 | Fela Vs Queen | Fela Kuti | Play | 06:20 | 14 MB | 38 MB |
| 10 | Roy Ayers and Fela vs Michael Jackson | Fela Kuti | Play | 05:28 | 12 MB | 32 MB |
| 11 | Fela vs Kano | Fela Kuti | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 12 | Fela vs Earth Wind and Fire | Fela Kuti | Play | 05:09 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 63 mins | 144 MB | |||||
| 63 mins | 388 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa 70 | Performer |
| 2 | Adrian Boot | Photography |
| 3 | Chris Capuozzo | Cover Collage, Drawing, Treatments |
| 4 | Chief Xcel | DJ, Guest Artist, Mixing |
| 5 | John Cuniberti | Mastering |
| 6 | Paul Heck | Executive Producer |
| 7 | Mabinuori Idowu | Liner Notes |
| 8 | Jeff Jackson | Art Direction |
| 9 | Fela Kuti | Composer, Primary Artist |
| 10 | Fela Kuti & Egypt 80 | Performer |
| 11 | Fela Kuti & Koola Lobitos | Performer |
| 12 | Lydia Popovich | Production Coordination |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |