The Return of the Juju King | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1987 | |||
Genre | Jùjú | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
King Sunny Adé chronology | ||||
|
The Return of the Juju King is a compilation album by the Nigerian musician King Sunny Adé, released in 1987. [1] [2] It was his first album after being dropped by Island Records. [3] Adé supported the album with a North American tour that featured a 15-member version of his band, the African Beats. [4] [5]
The compilation collects tracks from several of Adé's Nigerian albums, which were released on his Atom Park label; Adé had formed a new version of his band to record them. [6] [7] [8] Most of the 17 tracks run together, producing five sections. [9] Adé emphasized the sound of a ukulele on many tracks. [10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
Chicago Sun-Times | [11] |
Robert Christgau | B+ [12] |
Los Angeles Times | [9] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10 [13] |
The Chicago Tribune wrote that the album "serves to highlight Ade's patented 'Synchro System' style, emphasizing a balance between all the 20-odd instruments in his band—the burbling, clattering, thumping riot of talking drums, shakers, rattles and other percussion, the sinuous electric and Hawaiian guitar lines and the synthesizer fills." [14] The Los Angeles Times deemed the music "characteristically hypnotic, joyful and eminently danceable." [9] Robert Christgau panned "the weakness of digital remixers for percussion." [12] Trouser Press concluded: "Shaking off his failure to win Western hearts, Adé sounds like a happy man again; the joyous juju reaffirms his status as one of the most captivating and important musical talents anywhere in the world today." [7]
AllMusic stated that "the sound is from the 'synchro system' end of the spectrum, with slightly psychedelic guitar effects here and there and loping beats bumped out by a collection of talking drums as well as the usual drum kit." [10]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Sunny Loni Ariya" | |
2. | "Sweet Banana" | |
3. | "Olomoge Ma Jo" | |
4. | "Mo Ti Kole Mi Sori Apata" | |
5. | "Ona Mi La" | |
6. | "My Dear" | |
7. | "E Gbe Kini Yi Laruge" | |
8. | "Odu Oteyi Yato" | |
9. | "Emi Nfe" | |
10. | "Ori O Bami Se Temi" | |
11. | "A Mbo O" | |
12. | "Oluwa Lo Yan Mi Wa" | |
13. | "Let Them Say" | |
14. | "Mo Ti Gb'Ohun Oluwa" | |
15. | "Gbass Kelele" | |
16. | "Ma Jo Bi Olokun" | |
17. | "E Ba Mi Dupe F'Oluwa" |
The Return of the Juju King | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1987 | |||
Genre | Jùjú | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
King Sunny Adé chronology | ||||
|
The Return of the Juju King is a compilation album by the Nigerian musician King Sunny Adé, released in 1987. [1] [2] It was his first album after being dropped by Island Records. [3] Adé supported the album with a North American tour that featured a 15-member version of his band, the African Beats. [4] [5]
The compilation collects tracks from several of Adé's Nigerian albums, which were released on his Atom Park label; Adé had formed a new version of his band to record them. [6] [7] [8] Most of the 17 tracks run together, producing five sections. [9] Adé emphasized the sound of a ukulele on many tracks. [10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
Chicago Sun-Times | [11] |
Robert Christgau | B+ [12] |
Los Angeles Times | [9] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10 [13] |
The Chicago Tribune wrote that the album "serves to highlight Ade's patented 'Synchro System' style, emphasizing a balance between all the 20-odd instruments in his band—the burbling, clattering, thumping riot of talking drums, shakers, rattles and other percussion, the sinuous electric and Hawaiian guitar lines and the synthesizer fills." [14] The Los Angeles Times deemed the music "characteristically hypnotic, joyful and eminently danceable." [9] Robert Christgau panned "the weakness of digital remixers for percussion." [12] Trouser Press concluded: "Shaking off his failure to win Western hearts, Adé sounds like a happy man again; the joyous juju reaffirms his status as one of the most captivating and important musical talents anywhere in the world today." [7]
AllMusic stated that "the sound is from the 'synchro system' end of the spectrum, with slightly psychedelic guitar effects here and there and loping beats bumped out by a collection of talking drums as well as the usual drum kit." [10]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Sunny Loni Ariya" | |
2. | "Sweet Banana" | |
3. | "Olomoge Ma Jo" | |
4. | "Mo Ti Kole Mi Sori Apata" | |
5. | "Ona Mi La" | |
6. | "My Dear" | |
7. | "E Gbe Kini Yi Laruge" | |
8. | "Odu Oteyi Yato" | |
9. | "Emi Nfe" | |
10. | "Ori O Bami Se Temi" | |
11. | "A Mbo O" | |
12. | "Oluwa Lo Yan Mi Wa" | |
13. | "Let Them Say" | |
14. | "Mo Ti Gb'Ohun Oluwa" | |
15. | "Gbass Kelele" | |
16. | "Ma Jo Bi Olokun" | |
17. | "E Ba Mi Dupe F'Oluwa" |