As a key member of Fela Kuti’s band Africa 70, Tony Allen single-handedly created some of the most propulsive and innovative rhythms of the 20th century. Homecooking finds him on scarily good form, laying down a foundation of the crispest, spikiest drum tracks. All the familiar Afro-beat elements are present and correct, including hard-riffing horns and righteous, mantra-like vocals. There is also more than a touch of Kuti in some of the lyrics, which address such concerns as war, the folly of taking advantage of other people’s kindness, and generally staying in touch with your roots. The album has an edgy, contemporary feel, courtesy of English rapper Ty and Damon Albarn, who appears on the lead-off single, Every Season. Albarn layers Allen’s loose, spacious groove with a catchy hook-line, although the rest of the album is stronger on hip-swivelling rhythms than hummable melodies. – The Guardian
Tony Allen played drums in Fela Kuti’s bands between 1964 and 1978, contributing a vital element to Afrobeat’s evolution. And while he’s been active as a bandleader for nearly three decades, Allen’s presence has intensified during the last five years. This set was recorded in Lagos, and manages to harness the rugged grit of that difficult city, whilst simultaneously presenting Allen’s signature sound with a slick production sheen. Intense horn riffs, choppy guitar, call-and-response vocals: all of these elements are interwoven with Allen’s detailed, cyclic beats, his taut tripping lending an elastic tension to the dancefloor. – BBC
The sticker affixed to the front of Tony Allen’s new album says it all, really. “Perhaps the greatest drummer ever,” reads a quote from Brian Eno; “Without Tony Allen, there’d be no Afrobeat,” reads a quote from the late Fela Kuti. Allen has never crossed over and become a name of wide renown, and oddly his Nonesuch debut could give the drummer his widest platform to date. Yet Secret Agent is only the latest step of a creative continuum set in motion over 40 years ago, beginning with Allen’s pioneering and prolific work in Fela Kuti’s band through his years as a solo act and bandleader and even, a few years back, as a quiet but important component of Damon Albarn’s the Good, the Bad & the Queen project. Allen’s particular genius has been his ability to lie just behind the beat, pushing and pulling the song without calling too much attention to himself. Secret Agent frequently directs your attention to the song’s component parts– the backing brass, Cameroonian guitarist Claude Dibongue’s jazzy licks, Rody Cereyon’s funky bass on tracks like “Ijo” or “Ayenlo”. (Those two feature R&B-like vocals from Orobiyi Adunni, one of several guest singers; Allen himself grumbles lead on the title track and album closer “Elewon Po”. In fact, it’s so easy to get lost in these elements that Allen almost blends into the background, camouflaged, his cymbal pings, rolls, and ghost strokes like rivets holding the whole construct together.Granted, Secret Agent doesn’t represent Afrobeat at its most fiery, but it does represent Allen (nearing 70) continuing his late career high, mellow in the way he swings songs like “Busybody” or “Pariwo” (the latter surprisingly strident nonetheless despite its gentle, accordion-laden gait) but never more confident. Leave it to Fela scions Seun and Femi (among other aspirants to the Afrobeat throne) to swagger like they’ve got something to prove. But Tony Allen? Allen as always lies back and waits for you to come to him. – Pitchfork
Film of Life doesn’t quite break new ground for Allen, but it does offer a pretty solid and succinct demonstration of Afrobeat’s adaptability to changing times. There are no side-long epics in the Fela mold here, but Allen packs quite a bit into each of these four-to-seven-minute-tracks, building up from his own drums grooves with hypnotic guitar and bass patterns, a richly arranged horn section, and an assortment of other sounds that are nearly all overwhelmed by the massive rhythm that dominates everything. Allen himself handles vocals on the first two tracks, mostly talking in his deep bass register and aided by a female chorus, narrating a personal history and thanking the listener for being there. His voice is appropriately situated well down in the mix; he does his best talking with his hands, and though he shows a little uncharacteristic flash here and there, the really impressive thing about Allen is the way he can take a simple, slow beat like the one on “Tiger’s Skip” and make it sing when a lot of drummers would have trouble just staying in time at that tempo. Comparing it to the much faster beat on the storming, spacey funk instrumental “Ewa” reveals a lot about what makes his playing so special; no matter what else is going on, Allen has an ability to stay steady and fill time with exactly as much embellishment as necessary. – Pitchfork