VELVET THUNDER

This may not be the most celebrated Osibisa period … but like the Fleetwood Mac ‘forgotten’ period in between the Peter Green era and the Buckingham-Nicks explosion, there is much to enjoy for the curious who go looking for it. This edition of both albums on one disc is the ideal way to do just that.

Osibisa arrived on the scene with quite a flourish in the early ’70s, partly due to their unique ‘afro-rock’ sound (despite containing some Caribbean musicians alongside the African core), which was often quite accurately described as a percussive African equivalent of Santana, but also partly aided by the distinctive Roger Dean ‘flying elephant’ cover paintings, which adorned their first two albums, released on MCA in 1971. The ‘prog rock’ crowd were naturally attracted by the artwork, and were often impressed, as the music managed to bundle a mixture of funk, rock, soul and progressive elements together into an Africanised whole which was quite unlike anything previously heard at the time. In 1973, following line-up changes, the band signed to Warner Bros for the albums Happy Children (1973) and Osibirock (1974). Leaving again after that, this time to Island Records, it is those two albums which we have here. It may not be the most celebrated Osibisa period, coming in between those early groundbreaking albums and their chart success with the Sunshine Day single in 1976, but like the Fleetwood Mac ‘forgotten’ period in between the Peter Green era and the Buckingham-Nicks explosion, there is much to enjoy for the curious who go looking for it. This edition of both albums on one disc is the ideal way to do just that.

One of the major line-up changes which occurred before the move to Warners was the departure of guitarist Wendell Richardson – and more to the point, the decision not to replace him straight away. This makes the guitar-less Happy Children record lighter on the rock and prog side and more overtly funk-influenced with the heavy horn presence and the funky bass playing of the incoming Jean-Karl Dikoto Mandengue. That isn’t to say that those influences, or the old Osibisa trademark of exciting instrumental jamming, have gone – indeed, the keyboards of Jean-Alain Roussel are very prominent in this regard. It is an album of ups and downs, however, with the high points and lesser moments about equally balanced. The best example of the ‘classic’ Osibisa approach probably lies in the lengthy title track, which stretches out wonderfully when launched by the simple and repetitive chant-like lyric. The following We Want To Know is more of the same, though not quite so effective. Take Your Trouble…Go is another cracker in a similar vein, but one of the finest tracks here is a more concise and less explosive piece, Adwoa. Simple yet brilliantly effective, it exemplifies in a mere four minutes the difference between genuine, in-the-blood African music and the earnest and worthy, but comparatively ham-fisted, efforts at ‘World Music’ from the likes of Sting and Peter Gabriel. Adwoa is a masterclass in how it should be done – though, of course, their efforts at writing and performing things like The Sound Of Silence or Moribund The Burgermeister would be equally flawed, so it’s horses for courses I guess. Fire closes the album in another positive way, being full of energy if a little too heavy on the funk. Overall, the big takeaway from the album is the spellbinding use of percussion, and one of the big connections to Santana – both use banks of hand percussion (congas etc) alongside regular drumkits to tremendous effect, and the results are irresistible. There is just something slightly too ‘safe’ about a few of these tracks to make the album a classic up there with the best Osibisa work, but it’s still well worthwhile.

The following year’s Osibirock, however. despite having the odd filler track itself, is a definite improvement, with some of its best moments standing proud with the very best of the original line-up’s work. Most of this is on the second half of the album, but with one key exception in particular. After the odd novelty feel of the opening Who’s Got The Paper – which sounds almost like a children’s nursery rhyme, albeit maddeningly catchy, though is actually about smoking certain ‘substances’ – the masterpiece Why comes up next to blow away everything which has come before it on this release. Beginning as a haunting and dramatic piece lamenting the killing of a good man, midway through the piece it shifts gear to a brilliant climactic half. The band had now recruited a new guitarist, Paul Golly, and his guitar soloing on the second half of the piece immediately brings back that sharp rock edge which was missing on Happy Children. New keyboard player Kiki Gyan contributes some Hammond organ work, which is another major plus for the track and the album as a whole – though Happy Children was rich on that score also. The title track is a less serious piece, blending African music with traditional rock and roll, which does what it says on the tin quite nicely. Kelele is an oddly out-of-place almost acapella live recording, while the old Side One closer Atinga Bells hardly counts at a little over 30 seconds, including fade in and out. Then, however, we get to the brilliant second ‘side’, which is nearly flawless. Opener African Jive is far from that ’50s evocation would have you expect, being another storming ‘Afro-rock’ tour-de-force, evoking Uriah Heep in places with the use of keyboards and the continued beefing up of the sound with the guitar. We Belong is a progressive-jazz-rock workout of the higest order, while Komfo (High Priest) utilises flute as a lead instrument in a way which is very reminiscent of early, pre-Aqualung, Jethro Tull, and Kangaroo is a percussive-driven exercise which showcases that side of the band like little else here. Finally, World Affairs is a fine, upbeat, celebratory piece to take the album out on a high. Were it not for the out-of-place opening of Who’s Got The Paper and the square-peg live Kelele, this would be a five star album, without doubt.

So, neither album is flawless, but Osibirock is certainly the closest to it, though both albums contain more than enough good stuff to make this two-on-one-disc issue a no-brainer for anyone with even a passing interest in the band, or this sort of music in general. The booklet includes a fascinating and insightful new essay penned by band member Kofi Ayivor (who also rated Osibirock as the jewel in this particular crown). and sets the seal on what is a very worthy release highlighting an unjustly overlooked period of the band. Now, is Why or African Jive the absolute best here? Dammit, I’ll have to listen again to decide…