The two hundred and thirty-third album: #233 Fela Kuti & The Afrika 70 With Ginger Baker - Live!
How should I address an afrobeat album? As a fusion of west African music, soul, rock and jazz, there is a lot to unpack in these, with some complex arrangements that take some time to really make sense of. It's an interesting style of music, removing the droning repetition of soul while maintaining its call and response in places. It has the rock energy and mood, jazz's at times looser style and drum solos that last for ages. At the same time, this is its own sound, an album with a different style of percussion and a different way in which it makes music. Does it get tedious to listen to? Yeah, sometimes, but there's a craftsmanship in here that's incredible to listen to, and at times feels more like a classical symphony arranged using modern instruments than anything else, and that's good enough for me.