ÜDÜ ẀÜDÜ

I picked up Udu Wudu because it was discounted at one of the online mp3 stores. Of the four Magma albums I own, this one is the most lack luster. Jazz fusion had evolved in the years prior to the 1976 release date, and Magma pulled in some of these sounds for this release. While it does provide a new angle on the Magma style, this funkiness sounds quite dated now, and detracts from the otherwise singular sound of the band. My overall impression was that the band had said what they had to say musically and now were playing around just for pure enjoyment. This is not a bad thing in general, especially when the musicians involved are so talented. In fact, I could see some with more whimsical tastes enjoying this album more than some of the classics (where Magma has a habit taking themselves a little too seriously.) For me, however, this one is still good music but not nearly as essential as their main works. (As a prog nerd, I have an extremely high tolerance for pretentiousness.)

Udu Wudu is, if nothing else, all about the bass. Throbbing distorted bass dominates this album, often playing circular repeating figures that feel like a herd of marching elephants. This is at turns exhilirating (even a little frightening) and tedious / boring depending on the listener's mood. I believe bassist Jannick Top contributed more songwriting on this album, and it shows in the prominence of the low riff in many of the songs. Vocals are not as prominent as some earlier releases like MDK but do appear in the typical Magma chorus style. As usual, the drumming is tasty and dextrous. The tracks each are self contained, and only one (De Futura) is epic length, but really doesn't have enough going on to merit it's length. The overall tone is pretty dark, but that's true of most of Magma's work.

For someone who has worn out their other Magma records and is looking for something a little different, Udu Wudu is still going to serve up more of the wacky prog-fusion stew that you've come to love. It's still very good, just not as strong as the band's best works. 3.5/5 rounded down because of better options available.

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