Thursday, February 22, 2007

Akido - "Akido" {USA} [1972] (afro psych)

somewhere it says: "... When I first listened to this album, I started out on side 2 by chance. And this is why I didn’t get past much of the rest of the album. The first song on side 2, titled Gone With Yesterday, is frickin’ awesome. A definite future mix-tape centerpiece, a song blended of afro-beat, reggae, folk, and 70s soul. Has a haunting guitar in the background which sounds Indian or Egyptian that just keeps improvising and then cuts to a solo after the first vocal verse. And then keeps going until you’re totally feelin’ it. The music is strangely happy and positive although the vocals say, “Yesterday, you gave me happiness, happiness, that’s all I need, to get me happy, but Today, my happiness is gone, with yesterday, with yesterday, ohhh everything, with yesterday.” And then the next song continues this mood theme and goes off into a terrific all instrumental afro-funk jazzy jam (Hippies, you’d like this).

And the rest of side two is just kick-ass. I can’t go wrong if I’m deciding what to throw on and I choose this side. I can listen to a fantastic single and then jam the rest of the way through the record, djembes and everything. Psychedelic Afro-funk! Which is so good and I go to flip the record, but, strangely, side 1 is dissapointing. Because I expect it to be better than side 2, cuz it’s side 1 of this awesome record.

But it’s more subdued, less exciting, and the first song completely stops the pulse of the record so far (if listened to from side 2 first). It’s like an introduction to who they are, with a lame slow drum intro and then some music to kind of show us what we’re about to hear. And then the songs sound choppy and mixed up. They can’t decide if they want to make more songs like, Yesterday, or jam out like they do so well. The first two songs with vocals suck, and then they start jamming for a song, which sounds sweet. And then the next song goes to a half jam/half Yesterday, which sucks again. And the last song of side 1 is a chant, and kinda sucks too.

So I think if this album was contructed better and the actual concept was re-evaluated the album would be a classic in 70s Afro-funk. As it stands, side 2 is so good that the album is definitely still worth checking out."

Awade..

9 comments:

nahavanda said...

link:
http://tinyurl.com/2chlg4

Anonymous said...

great albums . I love this kind of sound. other bands made this music : Ofege, 1st Cymande, osibisa...

Good work thank u

Stéphane from France

fuzztunnel said...

Cool- having recently gotten into Witch (via this site), BLO, and Ofege, I look forward to hearing this one!

detroit jr said...

thanks!!!
this sounds awesome!!!
keep up the good work

Anonymous said...

Do you have any of these afro lps:

aktion - groove the funk

founders 15 - co-operation

the apostles - s/t

survival - simmer down

I.Soumaoro et l'Eclipse de l' i.j.a. - LE TIOKO-TIOKO

rock town express - s/t

one world - victory

the wings - kissing you so hard

asiko rock group - s/t

regards

isabelbc said...

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Anonymous said...

I Knew the Band Akido the guitarist was awesome and the sound was unique I loved them was a secret groupie and followed them to gigs as often as I could. They were before their time though music was in and out of fads n fazes in72. The 60s kid was just feeling his feet but this band knew what they were and they were all musicians that could play music.. any music.
Would love to get another copy either vinyl or CD to add to thr other two albums of AKIDO I have.

London

Anonymous said...

kind of Funkadelic with somethin' more african ...
really good

Unknown said...

can u plz reupload it?

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