Oct 21, 2017

RhoDeo 1742 Grooves

Hello, yesterdays slip ups have all been righted


Today's artists are an American funk band from Long Beach, California, known for the hit songs "Spill the Wine", "The World Is a Ghetto", "The Cisco Kid", "Why Can't We Be Friends?", "Low Rider", and "Summer". War is a musical crossover band which fuses elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae. Their album The World Is a Ghetto was the best-selling album of 1973. The band also transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. The band was also subject to many line-up changes over the course of its formation, leaving member Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan as the only original member in the current line-up.  ........ N'joy

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Eric Burdon was a founding member and vocalist of the Animals, a band originally formed in Newcastle in the early 1960s. The Animals were one of the leading bands of the "British Invasion", and the band had quite a following around the world. Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, and Gerry and The Pacemakers, they introduced British music and fashion to an entire generation in an explosion of great tunes and outspoken attitude on, and off the stage. Burdon sang on such Animal classics as "The House of the Rising Sun", "Good Times", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Bring It On Home to Me", and "We Gotta Get Out of this Place". The Animals combined the traditional blues with rock to create a unique sound. By 1966 the original members had left, except for Barry Jenkins, and the band was reformed as Eric Burdon and the Animals later going through several line-up changes, the New Animals .This lasted until 1969.

War formed out of the ashes of an earlier R&B covers group, The Creators. In 1968, the band was reconfigured and dubbed Nightshift; Peter Rosen was the new bassist, and percussionist Thomas Sylvester "Papa Dee" Allen, who'd previously played with Dizzy Gillespie, came onboard, along with two more horn players. In 1969 they were discovered by producer Jerry Goldstein, he suggested the band as possible collaborators to former Animals lead singer Eric Burdon, who along with Danish-born harmonica player Lee Oskar had been searching L.A. clubs for a new act.

After witnessing Nightshift in concert, Burdon took charge of the group. He gave them a provocative new name, War, and replaced the two extra horn players with Oskar. To develop material, War began playing marathon concert jams over which Burdon would free-associate lyrics. In August 1969, Burdon and War entered the studio for the first time, and after some more touring, they recorded their first album, 1970's Eric Burdon Declares War. The spaced-out daydream of "Spill the Wine" was a smash hit, climbing to number three and establishing the group in the public eye. A second album, The Black Man's Burdon, was released before the year's end, and over the course of two records it documented the group's increasingly long improvisations.

Burdon's contract allowed War to be signed separately, and they soon inked a deal with United Artists, intending to record on their own as well as maintaining their partnership with Burdon. Burdon -- citing exhaustion -- suddenly quit during the middle of the group's European tour in 1971, spelling the beginning of the end; he rejoined War for a final U.S. tour and then left for good.

In 1971 Burdon began a solo career. Around this time, he also recorded the album Guilty! He has led a number of groups named Eric Burdon Band or some variation thereof, with constantly changing personnel. Burdon rejoined briefly with the other original Animals in 1976 and 1983, but neither union lasted. His popularity has remained stronger in continental Europe than in the UK or U.S. Today he continues to record and tour either on his own, or in front of yet another version of "Eric Burdon and the Animals" as Black & White Blues

War had already issued their self-titled, Burdon-less debut at the beginning of 1971, but it flopped. Before the year was out, they recorded another effort, All Day Music, which spawned their first Top 40 hits in "All Day Music" and "Slippin' Into Darkness". The follow-up album, 1972's The World Is a Ghetto; boosted by a sense of multicultural harmony, topped the charts and sold over three million copies, making it the best-selling album of 1973. Deliver the Word was another million-selling hit, though it had less of the urban grit that War prided themselves on. War consolidated their success with the double concert LP War Live, recorded over four nights in Chicago during 1974.

Released in 1975, Why Can't We Be Friends returned to the sound of The World Is a Ghetto with considerable success. The bright, anthemic title track hit the Top Ten, as did "Low Rider," an irresistible slice of Latin funk that became the group's first (and only) R&B chart-topper, and still stands as their best-known tune. 1976 brought the release of a greatest-hits package featuring the new song "Summer," which actually turned out to be War's final Top Ten pop hit. A double-LP compilation of jams and instrumentals appeared on the Blue Note jazz label in 1977, under the title Platinum Jazz; it quickly became one of the best-selling albums in Blue Note history.

In 1977, the band switched labels, moving to MCA for Galaxy; though it sold respectably, and the title track was a hit on the R&B charts, disco was beginning to threaten the gritty, socially aware funk War specialized in, and it proved to be the last time War would hit the Top 40. After completing the Youngblood soundtrack album in 1978, the original War lineup began to disintegrate.

Things started to go downhill for the group in the late 70s when bassist B.B. Dickerson left and another member, Charles Miller, was murdered. Various line-up changes followed but the original magic was lost and the group were not as successful, eventually becoming just a touring act. Papa Dee Allen collapsed and died on-stage of a brain aneurysm in 1988, leaving Jordan, Hammon, Oskar, and Scott as the core membership. Interest in War's classic material remained steady, as they have been heavily sampled by hip-hop artists creating a new generation that discovered the music of War. The band continues to tour, although with only one of the original members.

On 21 April 2008, Eric Burdon and War reunited for the first time in 37 years to perform a one-time-only concert at the London Royal Albert Hall. The reunion was actually only between Eric Burdon and Lonnie Jordan, as the other original surviving members had not been asked to be a part of the reunion. The concert coincided with Avenue / Rhino Records' Eric Burdon and War reissues which included Eric Burdon Declares "War" and The Black-Man's Burdon, plus compilations The Best of Eric Burdon and War and Anthology. In 2008, Lonnie Jordan's edition of War released a live album / DVD of songs originally from 1969 to 1975: Greatest Hits Live. War were unsuccessfully nominated for 2009 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[10] There were rumours that Burdon would join them again in summer 2009, but it did not happen. In 2011, War played "Low Rider" and many other hits at the Rack n' Roll in Stamford, Connecticut with Remember September and Westchester School of Rock.

In 2014 the "new" War released a new studio album Evolutionary, coupled with  a remasterd edition of their smash hitsampler from 1976. Also in 2014, War was a nominee for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Eric Burdon was a founding member and vocalist of the Animals, a band originally formed in Newcastle in the early 1960s. The Animals were one of the leading bands of the "British Invasion", and the band had quite a following around the world. Along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, and Gerry and The Pacemakers, they introduced British music and fashion to an entire generation in an explosion of great tunes and outspoken attitude on, and off the stage. Burdon sang on such Animal classics as "The House of the Rising Sun", "Good Times", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Bring It On Home to Me", and "We Gotta Get Out of this Place". The Animals combined the traditional blues with rock to create a unique sound. By 1966 the original members had left, except for Barry Jenkins, and the band was reformed as Eric Burdon and the Animals later going through several line-up changes, the New Animals .This lasted until 1969.

When the New Animals disbanded, Burdon joined forces with funky California jam band War. The resulting album, Eric Burdon Declares "War" yielded the classics "Spill the Wine" and "Tobacco Road". However, the debut effort by Eric Burdon and War was an erratic effort that hinted at more potential than it actually delivered. Three of the five tunes are meandering blues-jazz-psychedelic jams, two of which, "Tobacco Road" and "Blues for Memphis Slim," chug along for nearly 15 minutes. These showcase the then-unknown War's funky fusion, and Burdon's still-impressive vocals, but suffer from a lack of focus and substance. "Spill the Wine," on the other hand, is inarguably the greatest moment of the Burdon-fronted lineup. Not only was this goofy funk, shaggy-dog story one of the most truly inspired off-the-wall hit singles of all time, it was War's first smash -- and Eric Burdon's last.



Eric Burdon Declares "War"    (flac  248mb)

01 The Vision Of Rassan (7:37)
------ Dedication
------ Roll On Kirk
02 Tobacco Road (13:04)
------ Tobacco Road
------ I Have A Dream
-------Tobacco Road
03 Spill The Wine (4:51)
04 Blues for Memphis Slim (13:15)
------ Birth
------ Mother Earth
------ Mr. Charlie
------ Danish Pastry
------ Mother Earth

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Eric Burdon's second and final album with War, Black-Man's Burdon was a double set that could have benefited from a bit of judicious editing. Composed mostly of sprawling psychedelic funk jams, it finds War mapping out much of the jazz/Latin/soul grooves that would shortly bring them success on their own. Highlights include the soulful vamps "Pretty Colors" and "They Can't Take Away Our Music"; the 13-minute "Paint It Black" medley reflects the height of their eccentricity, and there isn't one, but two covers of "Nights in White Satin."



 Eric Burdon and War - The Black-Man's Burdon    (flac 524mb)

01 Paint it Black suite (01-07) (13:24)
---- Black On Black In Black (2:04)
---- Paint It Black (2:04)
---- Laurel & Hardy (1:21)
---- Paint It Black II (1:10)
---- P.C. 3 (1:33)
---- Black Bird (2:13)
---- Paint It Black III (2:57)
02 Spirit (8:34)
03 Beautiful New Born Child (5:07)
Nights in White Satin suite (10-14) (17:29)
04 Nights In White Satin I (4:28)
05 The Bird & The Squirrel (2:45)
06 Nuts, Seeds & Life (4:01)
07 Out Of Nowhere (3:21)
08 Nights In White Satin II (2:52)
09 Sun / Moon (10:07)
10 Pretty Colors (6:47)
11 Gun (5:50)
12 Jimbo (4:52)
13 Bare Back Ride (7:09)
14 Home Cookin' (4:13)
15 They Can't Take Away Our Music (6:51)

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War's first album without Eric Burdon was a strange, imposing, and beautiful hybrid -- a bridge between their then-current work with Burdon and their roots, going back to the early '60s and their origins as the Creators and the Nightshift. Although it was never a hit -- topping out at number 190 on the charts -- or yielded any substantial AM radio hits, the album is musically imposing in its sheer breadth, and its boldness, melding the new and the best of the old update, incorporating songs, arrangements, and ideas that dated well back into the prior decade, and the group's origins as the Creators and the Nightshift. From the quietly soaring 1971-vintage opener "Sun Oh Son," the music drifts back into the heavily Memphis soul-influenced "Lonely Feelin'," updated slightly but basically a rousing '60s blues-cum-gospel number that somehow ended up a failed single off the album. From there the album goes totally into left field with the gospel-style "Back Home," featuring lyrics provided by no less a figure than the Animals' Hilton Valentine. "War Drums" is a killer showcase for Charles Miller's tenor sax, Dee Allen's percussion, and Lonnie Jordan's organ, and "Vibeka" is a haunting, slow, bluesy workout, inspired by romance, tragedy, and realization, showcasing composer Lee Oskar's blues harp and Howard Scott's guitar. "Fidel's Fantasy" gets into wholly experimental territory with its length, and the topical political message seems an oddity today, but there's no questioning its musical boldness.



War - War     (flac 239mb)

01 Sun Oh Son 5:57
02 Lonely Feelin' 4:32
03 Back Home 6:43
04 War Drums 3:52
05 Vibeka 8:03
06 Fidel's Fantasy 11:03

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As controlled as their self-titled debut was loose, War's sophomore effort, All Day Music, appearing a little over six months later in November 1971, was packed with subtly understated grooves. A hit with the fans, the LP peaked in the Top Ten, ultimately spending a massive 39 weeks on the charts. Side one is a gorgeous slab of mellow grooves and jazzed funk highlighted by both the title track and "Get Down," while "That's What Love Can Do" is an outstanding, textured, sleepy love affair revolving around the band's superior vocal harmonies and a tenor sax solo. The light, spare rhythm is like a warm treacle binding. With just three songs picking up the second half, War steps up the pace across the Latin-influenced jam "Nappy Head," the funky, bass-laden "Slipping Into the Darkness," and the all-out electric blues jam that rips through the prototype "Baby Brother." The latter was recorded live on June 30, 1971, at California's Hollywood Bowl and would, in revised and seriously edited form, be reborn as the monster "Me and Baby Brother" on War's Deliver the Word opus. Not nearly as fiery (with the exception of "Baby Brother," of course) as either their live performances or later albums, All Day Music is still one of this band's best-ever efforts. At times mellow enough to border on horizontal, the songs are filled with such texture and such rich intent that even in the band's quietest breath there is a funky resonance that fulfills Lee Oskar's vision fully.



War - All Day Music   (flac 240mb)

01 All Day Music 4:04
02 Get Down 4:29
03 That's What Love Will Do 7:17
04 There Must Be A Reason 3:50
05 Nappy Head (Theme From "Ghetto Man") 6:05
06 Slippin' Into Darkness 7:00
07 Baby Brother 7:38

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello Rho

Is it possible to re-up these War albums?

Many thanks

Anonymous said...

Hi Rho

Sorry to be a pain but is it possible to check the 'All Day Music' re-up as the links don't appear to be working?

Thank you

Rho said...

Hello It happened again i forgot to enter the new link-it's there now N-Joy

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Rho