It’s rare that the CD Odyssey finds an album that’s avoided getting reviewed for a decade or more, but it still happens. This next record is one of those, but it was worth the wait.
Disc 1783 is…Day of Judgment
Artist: Ngozi Family
Year of Release: 1976
What’s up with the Cover? An old school sepia photo of the band surrounded by a bunch of groovy graphics. The boys I the picture all have their hands clasped in prayer, likely on account of it being the day of judgment and all.
How I Came To Know It: I was in my local record store one day about ten years ago and I heard something awesome coming through the speakers. When I asked what was playing, the clerk told me “Ngozi Family”. I asked if he had a copy of whatever I was hearing. He did. I bought it.
How It Stacks Up: I have only one Ngozi Family record, although I also have 1977’s “The Ghetto” which is Paul Ngozi recording under his own name, presumably with a different band makeup. I count them together. When I reviewed “The Ghetto”’ (back at Disc 1007) I gave it 5 stars and assumed it was the best. While it is perfect, I’ve got to put the equally perfect “Day of Judgment” above it at #1.
Ratings: 5 stars
Ngozi Family is meat and potatoes hard rock like you’ve heard all your life, but played with such visceral joy that you’ll swear Paul Ngozi invented it. By the time you’re through “Day of Judgment” you’ll realize he’s reinvented rock and roll in his own image. Like Johnny Cash covers a song and makes it Johnny’s forever, Paul Ngozi takes an entire musical style and makes it his.
The core of “Day of Judgment” couldn’t be more basic on the surface. Ngozi loves the sound of a fuzzed out electric guitar, and he loves it a lot. On this, Paul and I agree. You’ll get strong undertones of Black Sabbath here, with songs that are front and centre about crunchy riffs that drill right into your spine. Somewhere halfway through the song there’ll be a shift and Ngozi will open up with some crazed distortion-filled solo that will feel completely out of control and completely purposeful at the same time.
It sounds simple, but the music is infused with such a festive joy you can’t resist the charm. It also has elements of African rhythms in the drums and melodic structure that takes this very basic rock and roll concept and infuses it with all manner of ear candy. Sometimes he warns you (“now I’m gonna blow my whistle” followed by…blowing his whistle). Sometimes the craziness just erupts. It’s a party where you’re never sure what will happen next, other than knowing it is going to get better and better.
“Kumanda Kwa Bambo Wanga” starts with a riff reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and then Ngozi throws in some awesome vocals in what I assume is a more traditional Zambian style (I’m no expert). I don’t know what the song is about, but I know that the combination of the African rhythms in the vocals and the Iommi-like guitar crunch is irresistible. And yes, halfway through Ngozi launches yet another distortion filled guitar solo. He captures the joy of a kid discovering what all the pedals can do, except with the expert application and timing of a master.
It is hard to pick the best song on a record full of greats, but when I want to get someone to love Ngozi Family, I usually go straight for “Hi Babe”. This is a song about nothing more complicated than going downtown to meet your buddies and say hi to passing girls, but never have I heard the tale told with such carefree and energetic joy.
On “Bwanawe” you think the blending is done, as Ngozi sticks almost exclusively to African rhythms at first, but it isn’t long before he’s thrown in a little guitar solo action in at the back end. He merges these sounds as naturally as breathing, and the more the two sounds blur together the better they sound.
That reinvented sound would eventually be a big part of what became known as “Zamrock” a rock and roll renaissance in the heart of Zambia. Much of the excellence that was made back then never survived. Lost masters, lack of recording equipment and a host of other twists of fate and ill-fortune. We’re lucky to still have masterpieces like “Day of Judgment” that survive to show us that bringing together different musical traditions can make for some great art.
Best tracks: All tracks
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