The song Original Suffer Head — an angry homage to working-class Nigerians — presented in its full-length, 25 minutes, 24 seconds glory, restoring four minutes of ‘lost’ material, including a superb keyboard solo by Fela, which appeared on the original pressing, but has been omitted from subsequent reissues. The version used here starts and finishes with this characteristically visceral, futuristic keyboard work.
This was the first album Fela released under the name Egypt 80 (after disbanding Afrika 70 in 1979).

‘The penultimate album of newly recorded studio material released by Fela before his death in 1997.
‘Like its immediate predecessor, Beasts Of No Nation (also 1989), and its follow up, Underground System (1992), the album finds Fela continuing to campaign for human rights and social change despite the relentless beatings, jailings and general harassment he had received from successive military regimes since the start of the 1970s.’

Scorcher!
The double LP is an anniversary edition, with extras, and new artwork.

From 1972, Roforofo Fight is a classic — together with Shakara one of Afrika Bambaataa’s favourites from back in the day — and appears here with rare singles.

Shakara is killer, with Fela and Africa 70 right at the top of their game. London Scene has Egbe Mi O, where afrobeat is joined spine-tinglingly by the Abbey Road house choir.

‘Them leave sorrow, tears and blood, Them regular trademark… My people self dey fear too much, We fear for the thing we no see… We fear to fight for freedom.’
Magnificent defiance from 1977.