Live in Amsterdam (CD - 1985)

Personnel includes: Fela Kuti (vocals, soprano saxophone, electric piano, organ); Laspalmer Ojeah (guitar); Femi Kuti (alto saxophone); Oyinade Adeniran (tenor saxiphone); Tajudeen Amimashaun, Achampong (baritone saxophone); Moses Sobo Wale, Akameah (trumpet); Dele Soshimi (keyboards); Lamtey (drums); Benjamin (congas).

Producer: Fela Kuti

Reissue producer: Jean-Pierre Haie

Recorded live in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on November 28, 1983. Includes liner notes by Jacqueline Grandchamp-Thiam, Rikki Stein and Mabinuori Kayode Idowu.

Digitally remastered by Pompon (Translab Paris, Paris, France).

Personnel: Fela Kuti (vocals, soprano saxophone, piano, organ); Laspalmer Ojeah (guitar); Nana Femi Anikulapo Kuti (alto saxophone); Oyinade Adeniran (tenor saxophone); Tajudeen Animashaun, Achampong (baritone saxophone); Moses Sobo Wale, Akameah (trumpet); Dele Soshimi (piano); Benjamin (congas); Fosiber (maracas); Alake Anikulapo Kuti, Kewe Anikulapo Kuti, Ihase Anikulapo Kuti, Fehintola Anikulapo Kuti (background vocals); Lamtey.

Licensed from Capitol and reissued on CD by Universal's Wrasse imprint, Live In Amsterdam still ranks among Fela Kuti's worst records. Even with remastered sound it's dodgy, flat, and echo-y. The audience sounds have been dubbed in and one has to wonder what Dennis "Blackbeard" Bovell was thinking when he mixed this. Three long tracks are spread over one CD, though the same listing was spread over two LPs in the past, and even the performance is lackluster, though it has moments of brilliance--particularly in the saxophone solos and chanted choruses. The question here becomes, however, if Wrasse could cross-license this inferior set from Capitol, why on earth haven't they come up with a CD version of one of his best LPs for that label, Black President? There is an anthology with that name, but the album is sadly absent from the voluminous catalogue Fela enjoys on compact disc. It makes one scratch her head. Live In Amsterdam is to be avoided by all but the most hardcore collectors. ~ Thom Jurek

Surely there are many great live recordings of Fela Anikulapo Kuti; this, however, is not one of them. In fact it's so desultory and badly produced (by reggae hot shot Dennis Bovell no less) that only completists should even bother with it. Three tracks are dragged out over four LP sides, the audience reaction sound dubbed in, and the music sounds as if it benefited from quite a bit of post-production tweaking. OK at best, forgettable at worst. ~ John Dougan minimize