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"The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia in 1970s Nigeria"
The world didn't exactly end for Nigeria in the late 1960s, but it sure must’ve felt like it for most people, as a failed military coup led to a series of massacres and pogroms that ultimately snowballed into a full-scale civil war. One of the many casualties left in the wake of that chaos was Highlife music, which was far too breezy and urbane to remain relevant in the face of widespread death and turmoil—the youth of Nigeria craved something rawer and harder and they found it in American funk and British rock. Within a few short years, however, those outside inspirations were ingeniously assimilated into something all their own.
I experienced a little bit of trepidation when I first listened to this compilation, as I am not a fan of '70s rock in general and psychedelic rock in particular.Also, while I am quite enthusiastic about African music from that period, I am not especially keen on African versions of Western music.Thankfully, the bulk of The World Ends is anything but slavish in its emulation of James Brown and the British Invasion.Instead, it seems that Nigeria's musicians merely borrowed the best elements from both, appropriating rock's structured hookiness and funk's propulsive grooves, then Africanizing the beats and slathering it all with a liberal doses of cool, intensity, and abandon.Also, the psychedelic element is practically non-existent here, aside from a few overdriven guitar solos and self-indulgent organ workouts.Even those are likable though, as self-indulgence is not the least bit tiresome when it is occurring over an awesomely funky vamp.These guys seemed like they were far more concerned with heating up dance floors than smashing through the boundaries of perception, a sentiment that I am wholeheartedly in sympathy with.I would much rather hear something with some guts than a Nigerian pastiche of Jefferson Airplane or Piper at the Gates of Dawn (though that actually sounds like it would be pretty entertaining, now that I think about it).
It is rare for me to enjoy any compilation from start to finish, but this one is a pleasant exception.I like nearly everything here (except "Blacky Joe" by People Rock Outfit) and absolutely love several pieces, particularly The Hygrades' "Somebody's Gotta Lose or Win."Obviously, some songs are less catchy than others, but nearly all of the artists included display a knack for tight bass lines, funky guitar jangling, and complex, off-kilter percussion—there are almost no straightforward rock beats or rhythm guitars here.Also of note, when I finally got around to reading Uchonne Ikonne's brief biographical sketches, I made the amusing discovery that my two favorite songs on the album are both by identical twin duos.The Identicals are pretty representative of what the rest of the album sounds like, but they just seem to do everything much better than everyone else: the vocals are impassioned yet melodic, the drums are wild and muscular, and the guitar and organ riffs and fills are both awesome and well-timed.The Lijadu Sisters, on the other hand, are a distinct aberration, as they are both female (appropriately) and very laid-back.Also, their "Life’s Gone Down Low" sounds far more like something that would be on a Studio One disco or funk compilation than anything I've heard from Nigeria.Regardless, the slow-motion beat and harmonized dual vocals are absolutely irresistible.
As is typical of Soundway compilations, The World Ends includes some very comprehensive liner notes and a fascinating array of album art and performance photos from the period.Unexpectedly, however, there are also a couple of hilarious observations included from veterans of the scene.Renny Pearl recounts that once rock music took hold, guitarists in Nigeria went from being quite rare to being absolutely ubiquitous and that it became very hard to fill any other position in a band.My favorite quote, however, is from Fela Kuti, who lamented that a James Brown imitator from Sierra Leone became so popular in Nigeria that he had to move to Ghana just to get people to pay attention to him ("This man was tearing Lagos to pieces … He had all Nigeria in his pocket. Made me fall right on my ass, man… After that Pino tore up the scene, there wasn't shit I could do in Lagos.").
Obviously, there has been a landslide of releases over the last few years devoted to unearthing lost Nigerian classics (including at least five on Soundway alone), but The World Ends makes it clear that Miles Claret is nowhere near running out of quality material.In fact, it appears as though the vein might actually be inexhaustible. This is among the strongest, most listenable, and most immediately gratifying African music compilations that I've heard to date (though, sadly, the aforementioned Mr. Pino is not included—presumably to prevent the rest of the world from being torn to pieces).
Samples:
- The Identicals, "Akwa Kayi Ji Bia Nuwa"
- The Lijadu Sisters, "Life’s Gone Down Low"
- The Hygrades, "Somebody's Gotta Lose or Win"
 
