Confusion/Gentleman and Stalemate/Fear Not for Man (2012)

The last installment of an impressive 10-CD, 20-album reissue project for the late Nigerian bandleader, the four '70s albums Confusion, Gentleman, Stalemate, and Fear Not for Man — on two CDs — feature some of Fela Kuti's best work (strangely, his greatest, Zombie, has not been reissued). As with most of his music, the tracks stretch on and on, combining intricate Afro-funk with outspoken call-and-response vocal passages that sometimes landed him in prison. Nobody needs all 20 albums, but you can't go wrong with these two. Both: A