Stratavarious 1972 Album

Ginger Baker

Fairly appropriate name for an album that at times, feels like it came out of a foreign world, and at others, seems like random BS that any untrained amateur could have come up with alone in a studio. But then again, Ginger Baker was never the predictable type. This solo record from the early 70’s is just as restless as Ginger's career. Most of it showcases his then newfound alliance with Afro-pop musicians like Fela Kuti and Guy Warren, and it ranges from mesmerizing ("Ariwo") to self-indulgent ("Coda"). In between, there's "Blood Brothers" - one of Baker's famed drum battles - this one with Warren. Cream's psychedelic power trio jams are a long way removed from this, what amounts to a personal quest - taken on Baker's own hedonistic terms.