AMANAZ Africa 2xLP/1975 Zambia/Witch/BLO/VU/TOP AFRICAN MELANCHOLIC FUZZ PSYCH!

Sold Date: November 10, 2024
Start Date: October 5, 2024
Final Price: $38.98 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 8874
Buyer Feedback: 0


AMANAZ 'Africa' Double LP (US, Now-Again Records, Catalogue #NA 5123) Brand new/unplayed copy of limited year 2022 Now-Again Records label special Double LP edition of RARE and LEGENDARY 1975 "Zamrock" album (featuring both the original "dry" and the second "reverb" mix editions) entitled Africa by Zambian band Amanaz. Of all the Continental sub-Saharan African Rock records from the 1970s that have been excavated and brought to the wider attention of the worldwide underground rock record buying audience, Amanaz's Africa stands head and shoulders above all others as the towering achievement of the 1970s African Rock scene. Originally released in 1975 in Zambia on the Zambia Music Parlour label.

(NOTE: ALL RECORDS ARE PACKED AND SHIPPED IN PROFESSIONAL, SUPERIOR QUALITY RECTANGULAR SHAPED, CORNER PROTECTING CORRUGATED CARDBOARD RECORD MAILERS WITH FILLER PADS. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!)

(NOTE: BRAND NEW/FACTORY SEALED ITEM!)

(NOTE: SPECIAL DOUBLE LP VERSION FEATURING BOTH THE ORIGINAL "DRY MIX" AND "REVERB MIX" EDITIONS.)

(NOTE: LIMITED VINYL EDITION!)

"Issued in 1975, this is the articulation of Zambia's Zamrock ethos. While other albums -- Rikki Ililonga's Zambia, Witch's Lazy Bones!! -- are competitors, it's hard to best this album as it covers each major quadrant of the Zamrock whole: it came from the mines; its musicians were anti-colonial freedom fighters, it envelops Zambian folk music traditions, and it rocks -- hard. Amanaz were serious, and they made a serious stab at an album. They titled their album Africa, according to original band member Keith Kabwe, 'because of how it was shared and how its inhabitants were butchered and enslaved, its resources stolen... all the atrocities slave drivers committed. ' Thus, their 'Kale,' a blues sung in Nyanja, that traced the continent's arc from slavery to Zambia's independence closes the album. Kabwe and rhythm guitarist John Kanyepa have a winsome softness to their vocals, which sit politely aside the feral growl of drummer Watson Baldwin Lungu, bassist Jerry Mausala and bandleader/lead guitarist Isaac Mpofu. Africa's vibe ranges from anxious ('Amanaz') to escapist ('Easy Street') to straight-up pissed-off. On the 'History of Man,' his voice whiskey-burned, his distorted guitar buzzing like swarming hornets, Mpofu indicts his species. There's a darkness to Africa not found on any other Zamrock records, and a melancholy drifts throughout, specifically on Mpofu's more restrained 'Khala My Friend,' which stands as an effective, bleak situation for the Zambian everyman, the average citizen of a struggling, new nation, who might have had relatives in conflict-torn countries on the horizon, who might have been struggling to find his next meal, who might have seen a bleaker future than his president promised. Then there's the clear Velvet Underground-influence on the nostalgic 'Sunday Morning,' which, as Kabwe recalls, was the first song written for the album, back in 1968, when Velvet Undergound and Nico was a new release -- and the underground funk of 'Making the Scene.' The album also tackles traditional Zambian music and early-'60s rock -- punctuated, of course by Kanyepa's wah-wah and Mpofu's fuzz guitars. But every time Amanaz get too deep, too violent, they come back with an accessible song and woo their listener back to the groove. 'Green Apple' is a civil song, featuring Kanyepa's sighing guitar. It is a perfectly arranged album, from the dichotomy of Mpofu's and Kanyepa's lead and rhythm guitars, to the vocal harmonies, to the rhythm section's sense of space and time, which allows Africa's funk to build. Inexplicably, Africa was given two separate mixes and two separate presses: one version is dry, with the vocals and drums mixed loud, the other slathered in reverb, with the vocals and drums disappearing into the mix, and with the guitar solos mixed much louder. We've presented them both here as they each have their appeal: it's up to the listener to pick the one he or she prefers. This is a highpoint of the Zamrock scene and we hope that this can be seen as its definitive reissue."    

Tracks on this Double LP are as follows:

Dry Mix

A1 Amanaz A2 I Am Very Far A3 Sunday Morning A4 Khala My Friend A5 History Of Man A6 Nsunka Lwendo B1 Africa B2 Green Apple B3 Making The Scene B4 Easy Street B5 Big Enough B6 Kale

Reverb Mix

C1 Africa C2 I Am Very Far C3 Sunday Morning C4 Khala My Friend C5 History Of Man C6 Nsunka Lwendo D1 Africa D2 Green Apple D3 Making The Scene D4 Easy Street D5 Big Enough D6 Kale

Shipping rates to the following locations at this present time (note: all shipping rates are subject to change.)

Shipping in US, PUERTO RICO (MEDIA MAIL) is $6.98.

Shipping to CANADA (AIRMAIL) is $19.98.

Shipping to MEXICO (AIRMAIL) is $23.98.

Shipping to UK, EUROPE, RUSSIA, ASIA, GREECE, ISRAEL, TURKEY, CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS, ETC. (AIRMAIL) is $23.98.

Shipping to BRAZIL (AIRMAIL) is $23.98.

Shipping totals will be consolidated for multiple orders/winning bids.

Record shipped in professional, superior rectangular shaped, corner-protecting corrugated cardboard record mailer with filler pads. Satisfaction guaranteed!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOW WE SHIP RECORDS (AND OTHER ITEMS) TO YOU:

With the exception of a few odd-sized items, ALL LPs are packaged for shipment and sent to you in PROFESSIONAL QUALITY, SUPERIOR RECTANGULAR SHAPED, CORNER-PROTECTING CORRUGATED CARDBOARD RECORD MAILERS WITH FILLER PADS. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

We are record collectors here, too, and we pledge to package your records (or any other item) in a way in which we would like to have records/other items packaged, sent to us and received by us as well.

When packaging up records that are non-factory sealed items (as is standard for many import releases) or are open "used" items for shipment, we remove the LP and inner-sleeve from the album cover and place them on the outside of the cover to protect the cover from being subjected to any potential seam-splitting during transit.

When packaging up factory sealed records for shipment, we leave the item sealed, intact, as is. HOWEVER. If a customer REQUESTS that we unseal a factory sealed record to send with the LP and inner sleeve on the outside of the cover (to protect the cover from any potential seam-splitting during transit) we will do so. Please be sure to make this request of unsealing your record for shipment if that is your packaging preference.

When packaging up non-factory sealed items (or factory sealed items that have been unsealed at the buyer's request) that have custom company or other manner of printed inner-sleeves, we remove the record from those printed inner sleeves (returning the printed inner sleeves back into the album cover) and place them inside brand new, generic white paper inner sleeves, which are then placed on the outside of the album cover to protect both the album cover AND the original printed inner sleeves from being subjected to any potential seam splitting during transit. We do this for all new AND used items that are in our stock.

All LPs, be they new or used, are sheathed inside of new, protective plastic outer sleeves (with the exceptions of space or weight limitations that may occur with packaging your items - such exceptions will take place when they allow for a lower cost of shipping charged for your total order.)

We go the extra mile to protect and preserve your items, folks!

With but a few exceptions (odd size combined orders or other package configurations and considerations...)

All 12" records are sent to you packaged in quality 15" x 1" x 13" rectangular shaped corrugated cardboard LP mailers.

All 10" records are sent to you packaged in quality 13" x 1" x 13" square shaped corrugated cardboard LP mailers.

All 7" records are sent to you packaged in quality 8" x 1" x 8" square shaped corrugated cardboard 7" record mailers.

All Compact Discs are sent to you packaged in quality 7" x 1" x 5" rectangular shaped cardboard CD mailers.

All Cassettes are sent to you packaged in quality 5 1/2" x 1" x 3" rectangular shaped cardboard Cassette mailers

(Note: Cassettes sent to international addresses will be packaged in a larger box of some appropriate size configuration to accommodate the size and application of mailing/customs labels sent to international addresses.)

All Cassettes and CDs or records that come packaged in odd-sized or odd-custom packaging are sent to you in quality corrugated cardboard boxes of various unspecified dimensions, with various sorts of interior padding (styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, cardboard filler pads, etc.) to protect and preserve your items. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have any questions about any items that we have in stock or anything else, please feel free to inquire with us at any time (we are at your service and will get back to you with answers to your questions as soon as possible.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS (be they first time customers or our many repeat customers) and WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATRONAGE!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------