No Accomodation for Lagos/No Discrimination

Amazon.com
Fela Kuti is known as the architect of Afro-beat, but Nigerian drummer Tony Oladipo Allen was the genre's prime mover. Allen melded highlife with traditional drum patterns and African-American R&B, funk, and jazz. He played with Fela from 1964 to 1979. This double CD, originally released as two LPs in the late '70s, makes it possible for a new generation to experience the Afro-tantric, sub-Saharan grooves Allen and Africa 70 laid down on the turntable and the dance floor. Allen locks down the dub-influenced rhythms while below-the-equator bass lines, kinetic guitar licks, and funky horns turbocharge the long tracks (such as on the title cut, the uplifting "African Message," and "Road Safety"). As political as it is pulsating, this dancing document by Tony Allen shows that the music he and Fela created was the real rave music. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Tracks:

No Accomodation For Lagos
African Message
No Discrimination
Road Safety
Ariya
Road Safety

Amazon.com

Fela Kuti is known as the architect of Afro-beat, but Nigerian drummer Tony Oladipo Allen was the genre's prime mover. Allen melded highlife with traditional drum patterns and African-American R&B, funk, and jazz. He played with Fela from 1964 to 1979. This double CD, originally released as two LPs in the late '70s, makes it possible for a new generation to experience the Afro-tantric, sub-Saharan grooves Allen and Africa 70 laid down on the turntable and the dance floor. Allen locks down the dub-influenced rhythms while below-the-equator bass lines, kinetic guitar licks, and funky horns turbocharge the long tracks (such as on the title cut, the uplifting "African Message," and "Road Safety"). As political as it is pulsating, this dancing document by Tony Allen shows that the music he and Fela created was the real rave music. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Tony Allen is Great.......2004-06-19

This is a great album. The only bummer is the sax solo during No Accomodation -- if it's Fela, it's like he's freestyling on a bad day. Otherwise, this is serious music, in the sense that it's raw and spetacular. If you're flying into Lagos, this'll give you a real feel for what the atmosphere is like. Bill, be safe!

a beautiful thang yall..........2003-10-26

i am drawn more and more to the afrobeat sound...
this album is like the duke ellington leading the jb horns or earth, wind and fire's phenix horns in a sunday evening jam session... imagine parliament-funkadelic in the hands of miles davis and you kinda get somewhat of a feel for what i'm saying...

or better yet, if you like grover washington or some idris muhammad, then you'll most definitely enjoy this as well...

go ahead, give this a try yall... traditional jazz fans and smooth jazz fans can probably both find some satisfaction in this sound.

i hope you enjoy it!

Afro Beat.......2003-01-11

There is more to this record than there might at first seem. When I first listened to it I was a little overwhelmed by the length of the songs and their seemingly repetitive nature. However, all my initial reservations were thrown aside as I found myself increasingly drawn in to the music. My reluctant Western ears have opened up to the power of the funk influenced, but still African, bass lines and drum grooves and to the horns which accent these relentless groooves with an exciting energy. Tony Allen's vocals are deep and funky and compliment the strong musical rhythm. The content of the lyrics ranges from political and social commentary to the music itself and so give the listener good insight into life in Lagos at the time. This record is definately worth checking out, it has a great vibe, and should get better the more it is played.

No Accomodation for Lagos/No Discrimination

Average customer rating:

Essential Afrobeat from one of it innovators!
Transitional works

No Accomodation for Lagos/No Discrimination
Tony Allen & Africa 70
Manufacturer: Strut
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Nigeria | Africa | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004SGGV
Release Date: 2000-05-05

Tracks:

No Accommodation For Lagos
African Message
No Discrimination
Road Safety
Ariya
Love Is A Natural Thing

Album Description

UK reissue of two 70s albums from the drummer for Fela Kuti's Africa '70 band, considered a master of the Afrobeat percussion style. The full title for each album is 'No Accomodation For Lagos' & 'No Discrimination'. 2000 release. Paper sleeve.

Album Details

Two Albums on One CD.

Customer Reviews:

Essential Afrobeat from one of it innovators!.......2000-11-23

It may be too easy to look at this album as a good effort by Tony Allen to become a leader. It is his first after playing with Fela, the giant of Afrobeat. But, Tony's unique, beat-laden drumming inspired Fela and everyone else working in Afrobeat. No Accomodation has him working with the Afrika 70, one of the tightest bands in the history of the groove. This is a band that could play tight any given time of the day, and they had been doing that for years under Fela already. With Tony Allen writing the tunes and keeping it all together, you get a different side of Fela's political, firepowered funk. The music is still definitely funky, but also sparse. It may be the first album of important minimalist funk. And Tony's newest cd, "Black Voices", doesn't sound like much of a surprise when you hear No Accomodation. His is a journey into funk using the fewest elements possible, but still retaining that infectious groove that makes Afrobeat legendary. This music will make you move. "No Discrimination" has Tony playing with his new band the "Afro-messengers", named after Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. And this bands message is groove, groove and groove. Definitely more seventies sounding, but not the least bit dated. Tony sounds a little more confident not playing at all with the overbearing Fela. The four songs give continual joy with a rhythmic subtlety that has not been heard before in Afrobeat. This is not a transitional album. This is an essential record by a cofounder of Afrobeat finally being allowed to make his funky, minimalist groove heard. It will definitely make you move.

Transitional works.......2000-06-19

This artful package documents Tony Allen's transition from Fela sidebar to a self-determining artist in his own right. The NO ACCOMMODATION FOR LAGOS album features Afrika 70 and Fela on keyboards and horn; Allen's friend Candido Obajimi sings lead in a style that owes a debt to Fela but fails to match his baritone richness. The A-side is Allen's commentary on the housing scarcity in Nigeria's capital. The B-side is an awesome display of Allen's drumming skills, as he builds a narrated commentary of a solo and, as usual, provides an extensive series of fills behind the horns/bass/guitar arrangement.

The second album features an all-new band, a hip synthesizer accompaniment, and a much more relaxed mood despite the continuance of social commentary on "No Discrimination" and "Road Safety", probably the funkiest safety message ever committed to recorded song.