Fela Kuti>Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70\| cover = ExpensiveFelaKuti.jpg\| alt =\| released = 1975\| recorded = 1975\| venue =\| studio = Arc Studio\| genre =
length	24:13

| producer = Fela Kuti| prev_title = Excuse O| prev_year = 1975| next_title = He Miss Road| next_year = 1975}}Expensive Shit is the twelfth full-length album by pioneering Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti and his Africa '70 band, released in 1975. It was reissued in 2000 by MCA Records, packaged with Kuti's He Miss Road (1975) on the same CD.

Background

Throughout the early seventies, Fela Kuti lived in the Kalakuta Republic in Nigeria, a compound that also housed his family, his bandmates, and a recording studio. Due to Kuti's vocal anti-militaristic views, the police saw him and his compound as a political and social threat, often arresting Kuti and raiding the compound.WEB,weblink Expensive Shit, a treatise on Fela's brand of humor, Media, Numeriq, 16 October 2019, Pan African Music, 25 March 2020,

Music and lyrics

The title of the album and first track refers to an incident in 1974. The Nigerian police planted a joint on Kuti. Before he was arrested, he ate the joint, but the police brought him into custody and waited for him to produce the (titular) excrement. According to legend, he managed to use another inmate's feces and was eventually released.WEB,weblink Fela Kuti Expensive Shit/He Miss Road, Paul Cooper, March 21, 2000, Pitchfork Media, Pitchfork, The second track is inspired by a Yoruban proverb about the power of nature and the universe.

Critical reception

{{Music ratings| rev1 = AllMusic

4.5

class=album|id=r365733/review}}

Pitchfork (magazine)>Pitchfork (2000 CD)| rev4Score=8.5/10| rev2 = Robert Christgau (2000 CD)

dud}}CHRISTGAU>FIRST=ROBERT

DATE=N.D.

TITLE=CG: FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI

ACCESSDATE=AUGUST 13, 2020, |rev3 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

TITLE=THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR MUSIC

PUBLISHER=MUZE

PAGE=41, | rev5 = Tom Hull â€“ on the Web (2000 CD)

AUTHOR-LINK=TOM HULL (CRITIC)

URL=HTTP://TOMHULL.COM/OCSTON/NM/GET_GL.PHP?N=FELA+ANIKULAPO+KUTI

WEBSITE=TOM HULL â€“ ON THE WEB, August 6, 2020, }}In its review of MCA Records' 2000 Expensive Shit/He Miss Road CD, Pitchfork wrote "it's all too easy to get caught up in Kuti's discography. Start with Expensive Shit and don't miss the road onward." Nick Reynolds from BBC Music called it a "classic Afrobeat reissue" and said the title song is "sarcastic, hilarious and righteously angry [while] 'Water No Get Enemy' is even better with a great latin tinged sax/chorus riff."WEB,weblink Fela Kuti Expensive Shit/He Miss Road Review, bbc.co.uk, 2020-12-05, 2002, Nick, Reynolds, It was ranked number 78 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s" list.WEB,weblink Pitchfork staff, Staff Lists: Top 100 Albums of the 1970s, Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork, 23 June 2004, 14 January 2013, In 2020, in their list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Rolling Stone ranked Expensive Shit number 402.WEB,weblink Rolling Stone, September 29, 2020, The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, 22 September 2020,

Track listing

{{track listing| all_writing = Fela Kuti| headline = Side A| title1 = Expensive Shit| length1 = 13:13}}{{track listing| headline = Side B| title1 = Water No Get Enemy| length1 = 11:00| total_length = 24:13}}

Personnel

Adapted from LP liner notes.

Fela Kuti â€“ tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, piano, vocals, arrangement, composer, producer

Africa 70

Tony Allen â€“ lead drums
Henry Kofi â€“ lead congas
Nicholas Addo â€“ additional congas
Issac Olaleye â€“ maracas
James Abayomi â€“ sticks
Christopher Uwaifor â€“ tenor saxophone
Lekan Animashaun â€“ baritone saxophone
Tunde Williams â€“ trumpet, solo
Ukem Stephen â€“ 2nd trumpet
Oghene Kologbo â€“ tenor guitar
Leke Benson â€“ rhythm guitar
Franco Aboddy â€“ bass guitar

Production

Remi Olowookere â€“ artwork, graphics
Peter Obe Photo Agency â€“ photography
Demola Odebiyi â€“ engineer
Roland Francis â€“ executive producer

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Expensive Shit