We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
I heard the title of this blog used to describe the music on “The Worrl Is A Ghetto”, the fifth album from the group War, and thought it was a pretty good description.
Ranging from jazz to funk to latin to the kind of progressive soul that had been practiced by Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye, the band fills the LP with instrumental goodness and some topical lyricism as well.
You’ll remember the pleasure of hearing ‘The Cisco Kid” as it blasted out of you radio in the winter of 1972-73. But the extended numbers on the album give everyone a chance to shine.
The title track and, especially, “City, Country, City” let the band stretch out. Charles Miller shines on sax while the rhythm section lays down a funky bottom. Howard Scott (guitar), BB Dickerson (bass), Lonnie Jordan (keyboards), Harold Brown(drums) & Papa Dee Allen (congas, bongos & percussion) are tight as it gets and Lee Oskar’s immediately recognizable harmonica soars above the rest.
Does War ever get better than this? Maybe in moments but not in an album long way.
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