Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. La Drogue
2. Ali Aoudy
3. Cherie
4. Timbindy
5. Laleiche
6. Ketine
7. Laisse les Phases
8. Baliky lalo

Disc 2:

1. Sidi Gouro
2. O Kata Gouna
3. Devele Wague
4. N'timbara
5. Zona
6. M'baudy
7. Petenere

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #147005 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-10
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
This double disc collects long sought-after, essential vintage recordings from one of West Africa's most influential artists. Fans of Malian guitar Ali Farka Toure can hear these previously vinyl-only classic tracks, out of print form ore than a decade, that first ignited in the artist dubbed "the John Lee Hooker of Africa."

Amazon.com
Malian superstar Ali Farka Toure is often described as a bluesman. Although he was certainly inspired by the recordings of John Lee Hooker, he was also saturated from birth in centuries-old parallel traditions that had evolved in his homeland. Incontestably one of the world's greatest guitarists, Toure's implacable sense of rhythm is equaled by an intuitive yet extroverted grasp of modal melody. As he is now semi-retired, the reissue of these long out-of-print recordings is a special cause for celebration. Known only by the color of their album sleeves, Red and Green were the final two of seven vinyl LPs released by the French Sonodisc label between 1975 and 1988. Both are uncompromisingly acoustic; Toure¹s wailing, moaning voice and picking are supported only by backing vocals, calabash (shaker) or ngoni (a four-string guitar.) But these simple forces offer oblique insights into the early development of an increasingly private, ever-more-elusive genius. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Roots music for the fans
A set of two albums from 1984 and 1988, previously unavailable on CD and nicely presented in a slip-case, the "Red" and "Green" albums from Mali singer/guitarist Ali Farka Toure. The "Red" is the album that BBC Radio 3's Andy Kershaw found in a bargain bin in Paris, when Ali was a nobody. This discovery convinced him to implore World Circuit's Anne Hunt to help find him and bring him to London, which they did, launching Ali's career.

This is rootsy music, rather more carefree and urgent than the relaxed and sophisticated Talking Timbuktu he made with Ry Cooder some time later. The same ingredients are there though - the improvisatory yet lyrical bluesy guitar and the determined mournful voice backed by Hammer Sankare's sympathetic vocals and sparse yet insistent calabash percussion tapping out mesmeric rhythms that give the music a forward impetus. On the "Green" album we also hear the traditional n'goni guitar and some rapid-fire vocals.

The finesse of these recordings is readily apparent - this is highly accomplished performing of "desert blues" whose apparent simplicity is deceiving. If you're familiar with World Circuit's "Radio Mali" which contains tracks from the five albums before these two, you'll have an idea of the sound and the skill this fine musician presents here. Those new to Ali's music may find these albums repetitive, but they're certainly a must for the fans.

Farewell to the Master. Let There Be Songs to Fill the Air.
Stop reading. Buy this.

But if you want more of a review... I asked for, and received this for Christmas 2005 and it jumped into being my favorite AFT album.

If you're a fan of acoustic guitars in the right hands, if you're a fan of rhythm that crawls into your soul until you realize you've been hypnotized, rocking back and forth on the floor or couch or front porch for the past hour, you should buy this. Ali was an undeniable master of touch and tone. Basically he's playing a guitar that you might be able to sell on eBay for $20 yet his tone is pure magic. It's a singular voice in the world of guitar. All the top-of-the-line vintage guitars or new necks or more frequent changing of the strings or bigger effects racks in the world aren't going to give you this if it's not inside you. What Ali had in his fingers and soul, you either have or you don't.

Here I think are many of the best examples of Ali's brilliance and emotional power. The melodic beauty of a great njarka fiddle player mixed with the hypnotic, rhythmic drive of the glorious drone-lute (the amazing ancestors of the American banjo) players... here it's all happening on one guitar at the same time. This set, much of Red specifically, is where AFT's perfect synthesis of those things occured and came out in one of my favorite music/song/guitar styles of all time.

During the Red & Green years he truly had the high voice that's often favored in various cultures throughout Africa. There are tunes during his middle-aged (and later) years that have a similar sort of mood as some of Hooker's greats from the Chess years like Groundhog Blues, Worried Life or Down at the Landing but Red & Green has none of that. Not that being compared to John Lee is in any way an insult but "the African John Lee Hooker" always struck me as a journalistic shortcut which made Ali seem derivative. That's false. Ali was all his own. He was one of the greats of the 20th Century. Red & Green may be his pinnacle. He was great when I caught him in concert but he wasn't like this. This is something very special to me.

This is a well-rounded art, not a wanking guitar-slinger. Some of his best songs happen right here. Ali Aoudy, for instance. What a magical singer. If these were separate products I'd have given Green 4 stars but since this is one set it's 5 stars all the way.

The world lost a great gift earlier in 2006. Thank You for everything, Ali Farka Toure. Words will never do you justice.

Guitar playing for the ages....
"Red" contains at least 3 of top 10 songs Ali Farka Toure recorded and released in his career. The reason why this disc has always floored me is his guitar. Many have heard "Niafunke", and "Talkin Timbuktu", which contain good guitar playing, but on "Red" he was at the hieght of powers (even if they were unknown at the time). He manages a finger picking style that could easily pass for 2 guitars, and at times even 3. He is able to play the polyrythms on guitar, almost like a translation of Elvin Jones onto guitar. It really is difficult explain what he is doing, but it is addicitive, trance inducing, and essential for guitarists to hear, and more importantly fans of Toure. "Red & Green" is quite different than his later work, there is alot tension here and it isen't at all relaxing, its slightly angry at times, and usually arabic sounding. "Green" was recorded a few years later and contains a few masterpieces, but as a whole dosen't stand up to "Red". Have patience with this recording when it starts to make sense, it's worth it. "Red" was the recording that was mysteriously discoved in a record pile in Africa by a DJ which eventially got him signed to World Circuit records, and the rest is history.