Jump to content

The Best of the Classic Years

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Best of the Classic Years
Compilation album by
King Sunny Adé
Released2003
Recorded1969–1974
GenreJùjú, African pop
LabelShanachie[1]

The Best of the Classic Years is a compilation album by the Nigerian musician King Sunny Adé.[2] It was released by Shanachie in 2003.[3] The album showcases Adé's rawer pre-Island Records sound.[4][5]

Background

[edit]

The compilation compiles material recorded between 1969 and 1974 for the Nigerian market.[6] The 1974 hit "Synchro System" was re-recorded by Adé for his 1983 album of the same name.[6] The album was compiled by Randall Grass.[7]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Robert ChristgauA+[7]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]

(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide called the compilation's music "an engrossing dream of interlocked beats, pealing guitars, and sweet voices."[8] In his review of the album, Robert Christgau called Adé "a titan, one of the great pop musicians of the 20th century."[7] He listed The Best of the Classic Years as the best album of 2003.[9] AllMusic called it "the perfect place to start" with Adé's work.[6] In 2020, the album was ranked number 465 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[10]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Sunny Ti De Medley"
  • 1. "Sunny Ti De"
  • 2. "Bombibele Horojo"
  • 3. "Oro Towo Baseti"
  • 4. "Ko Salapata"
  • 5. "African Beats Lu Nsere"
17:53
6."Synchro System (complete original version)"18:12
7."Ibanuje Mon Iwon"13:56
8."Afai Bowon"7:04
9."Ogun Party Part 1"8:59
10."Adena Ike"5:36

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "King Sunny Ade – The Best of the Classic Years". Shanachie Entertainment.
  2. ^ Shuster, Fred (11 Feb 2003). "Playlist". Los Angeles Daily News. p. U7.
  3. ^ "Reissues". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. April 2, 2003.
  4. ^ Tarte, Bob (May 15, 2003). "Raw and Uncooked". Miami New Times.
  5. ^ Moon, Tom (August 28, 2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing. ISBN 9780761153856.
  6. ^ a b c d "Best of the Classic Years King Sunny Ade". AllMusic.
  7. ^ a b c "King Sunny Ade". Robert Christgau.
  8. ^ a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (January 2, 2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698.
  9. ^ "Robert Christgau: Pazz & Jop 2003: Dean's List". Robert Christgau.
  10. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Best_of_the_Classic_Years&oldid=1246846623"