The musical output of Fela is staggering in quantity and quality. Ask twenty fans to pick a favorite tune and you will probably get twenty different answers. Fight to Finish will always be my choice. I can't really explain it, it knocked me out the first time I heard it and it still does. It is one of his shorter works, clocking in at a mere 7:23. Most of his recordings are at least fifteen minutes long, so this is like a short story compared to one of his novels.
From the 1971 album Fela's London Scene, Fight to Finish is a jam that features many of Fela's trademark afrobeat ingredients: horns, drums and other percussion, keyboards, guitars, solos, and a leg-shaking groove. And, of course, Fela's stunning warrior vocals; even though I don't understand what he's singing about (I think it's in Yoruba?), I usually assume he's going forth to kick ass and/or inspiring others to join him in kicking ass.
It starts off with a 'four!' from Fela. Over the first 0:45 the horns alternate with bass and guitar as percussion shakes and rattles and Fela shouts in your face. At 0:50 or there is a rhythmic shift with the horns sounding even more blaringly intense. A truck stalled up ahead. Hey, buddy, you're blocking the road! Move it or lose it!
This all basically repeats itself as they stop to deal with the truck. Then a sax solo starts up at 2:43. The guitar, bass, and drums bop along behind it, settling into a sweet little groove. I think Fela instructs the guys in his band, Africa '70, to push the truck out of the way while he stays and grumbles about being hindered in his travels. At 3:53, we get a taste of some distorted keyboards. Fela continues to rap all the while, and the group continue down the straight and narrow road. A brief keyboard break at 5:55, but Fela can no longer contain himself and he unleashes a torrent of words at 6:23, finally throwing the whole bloody mess over the cliff at 6:32. Get the hell out of my way! I'm Fela!! A final flourish of drums from Tony Allen and they zoom off into the Nigerian sunset.
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