Greatest Album Covers

Fela Kuti - Expensive Shit



Expensive Shit was released in 1974 and caught Fela at the height of his battle with the Nigerian government. The title alludes to when the Nigerian police planted a big joint in Fela's compound in order to bust him for it. Being a quick thinker Fela ate the joint and the police took him into custody. The plan was to wait untill he had to shit and then to test it for the drug. However being a man of the people Fela was able to obtain another inmates excrement and was eventually set free. The cover of this album is the girls from Fela's harem.

3 Great Beats

Brian Eno once said that there were three great beats in the seventies. There was Clive Stubblefield's (of James Browns band) funky beat. Then there was Klaus Dinger of Neu!'s robotic rythem that went on to be a huge inspiration to electronic music. Finally there was Tony Allen (of Fela's band) and the Afro beat which combined funky and tribal rhythms.