Hot Heads is an album by the Cameroonian band Les Têtes Brulées, released in 1990.[2][3] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
| Hot Heads | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Bikutsi | |||
| Label | Shanachie[1] | |||
| Producer | Andy Lyden, Jean-Marie Ahanda | |||
| Les Têtes Brulées chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production edit
Recorded in France, the album was produced by Andy Lyden and Jean-Marie Ahanda.[5][6] The band sang in a Cameroonian vernacular, French, and English.[7][8] Guitar player Theodore "Zanzibar" Epeme committed suicide before the album was released.[7] Epeme was known for applying foam rubber to his guitar to imitate a balafon.[9] Some songs are about musicians leaving the countryside for city life.[8]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [10] |
| Chicago Tribune | [11] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
The Gazette deemed the band "Africa's answer to the Red Hot Chili Peppers," writing that "modern bikutsi is a stripped-down sound of chicken-feet guitars, drums that won't quit and the kind of yelping, whooping and singing that says we mean business."[12] The Philadelphia Daily News wrote that Les Têtes Brulées "combine fast tribal rhythms, swirling guitars and abrasive, multi-lingual vocals."[13]
The Chicago Tribune stated: "The star of the show is guitarist Theodore 'Zanzibar' Epeme. His solos are light yet propulsive, building inexorably and seamlessly from skittering rhythm lines."[11] The Houston Chronicle noted that "electric guitars and Western drums have replaced the 'balafon' and percussion, but the vocals are rough, in the ancient folk tradition."[14]
AllMusic wrote: "Consistently inspired, Hot Heads underscores the band's resilient nature."[10] The New York Times listed it among the best albums of 1990.[15] MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide considered Hot Heads "perhaps the greatest African rock 'n' roll ever made."[6]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Za Ayi Neyi" | |
| 2. | "Naoum Wom" | |
| 3. | "Ngole Likas" | |
| 4. | "Têtes Brulées" | |
| 5. | "Man Fo Job" | |
| 6. | "Papa" | |
| 7. | "Ma Musique á Moi" | |
| 8. | "Ca Fait Mal" | |
| 9. | "Zanzi Collection" |
References edit
- ^ Harrison, Tom (30 Apr 1991). "LES TETES BRULEES: Hot Heads". Entertainment. The Province. p. 47.
- ^ "Les Tetes Brulees". Chicago Reader. September 2, 1993.
- ^ Gore, Joe (Mar 1991). "Audio — Hot Heads by Les Tetes Brulees". Guitar Player. 25 (3): 118.
- ^ Kot, Greg (29 Aug 1991). "Les Tetes Brulees...". Chicago Tribune. p. 11A.
- ^ King, Peter B. (February 3, 1991). "'Hot Heads', Les Tetes Brulees". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. J3.
- ^ a b c MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 428.
- ^ a b Eichenberger, Bill (January 24, 1991). "POLYRHYTHMS DRIVE MELODIES IN EXOTIC, DELIRIOUS JOURNEYS". Weekender. The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8.
- ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey (20 September 1991). "The Debut Sound of Tetes Brulees". The Washington Post. p. N13.
- ^ Barlow, Sean; Eyre, Banning (1995). Afropop!. Chartwell Books, Inc. p. 53.
- ^ a b "Les Têtes Brulées - Hot Heads Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b Kot, Greg (24 Jan 1991). "Les Tetes Brulees Hot Heads". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 9.
- ^ Feist, Daniel (13 Dec 1990). "LES TETES BRULEES – Hot Heads". The Gazette. Montreal. p. D14.
- ^ "POP FACES TO WATCH". Features. Philadelphia Daily News. 3 Jan 1991. p. 31.
- ^ Mitchell, Rick (January 13, 1991). "Pop Recordings". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 16.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (30 Dec 1990). "The Best Show? In the Court, Not the Concert Hall". The New York Times. p. A32.