WAR
War - The Harmonious Blend of Music and Culture (A Pol Special) [1970-2014] (30 x CDs)
Pol Inate is a regular contributor to the My Compilations series and has offered up a terrific box of 30 CDs all by the band WAR in all its guises.
War - The Harmonious Blend of Music and Culture (A Pol Special) [1970-2014]
Hailing from the vibrant city of Long Beach, California, War is not just a band, but a musical revolution that has left an indelible mark on the world of music. Their inception in 1969 marked the birth of a sound that was a harmonious blend of funk, rock, soul, and Latin styles, a sound that defied categorization and transcended the boundaries of traditional musical genres.
The seeds of War were sown in a high school R&B group named The Creators, formed in 1962 by Harold Brown and Harold E. Scott. The band evolved over time, with Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan being the only constant, a testament to the band’s resilience and adaptability.
The brainchild of record producer Jerry Goldstein and Eric Burdon, the former frontman of the British band The Animals, War initially performed under the moniker Eric Burdon and War, before simplifying it to the powerful and evocative name, War.
War’s music is a rich tapestry of diverse styles. Their innovative fusion of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, psychedelia, and reggae set them apart from their peers, and their ability to appeal to a broad audience is a testament to their universal appeal.
War’s multi-ethnic line-up was a mirror to their eclectic music. They broke down racial and cultural barriers, embodying a spirit of unity and harmony that was reflected in their music. Their lyrics often echoed the social consciousness of the times, providing a voice to the realities and struggles of their era.
War’s discography boasts several hit songs, including the unforgettable “Spill the Wine”, “The World Is a Ghetto”, “The Cisco Kid”, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”, “Low Rider”, and “Summer”. Their album “The World Is a Ghetto” topped the Billboard charts in 1973, a testament to their widespread popularity and success.
Despite the passage of time and numerous challenges, War’s music continues to resonate and inspire. Their pioneering fusion of styles has left a lasting legacy in the music industry and continues to influence musicians today.
In essence, War is more than a band; they are a symphony of unity and diversity. Their music bridges divides, uniting people through a shared love of rhythm and melody. As we reflect on their legacy, we are reminded of the power of music to inspire, challenge, and unite. War’s music is a true embodiment of their name, not as a symbol of conflict, but as a rallying cry for unity, diversity, and harmony amidst adversity.
In this presentation, files are organized by sections and are presented in 8 parts as follows:
01 WarBurdon
The first are the two main albums recorded with Eric Burdon and a later 1976 album of unreleased tracks from 69-70.
02 Classic War
This is basically the first five studio albums from 1971's War, and then All Day Music, The World Is A Ghetto, Deliver The Word and Why Can't We Be Friends. This group of albums has most of the big hits that you still hear today. Don't overlook the non-hits however as some great songs are hidden in between. Also be aware that the album versions typically were of different length than the single versions. Some people prefer to hear the original album versions and some the multiple edited versions that many times made it to the Anthologies and Best Of' sets. Listen to both and decide for yourself.
03 War Music Band
The third Section starts off with the 1976 album Platinum Funk, also released as Platinum Jazz. The differences are plenty. They had just released a Greatest Hits album and a new single on it, Summer, was doing well. They wanted to release a new album on a new related label (Blue Note) with more Jazzy music on it, but had a few issues. The old label changed their mind so all the already released material was reedited to shorter versions. The new stuff was mostly focused on Instrumental music. That album and Galaxy as well as the eventual leaving of their bassist and vocalist BB Dickerson led them to almost change their name to The Music Band. Instead they had a few albums named that instead. MCA expanded the series after they left it, with an album of leftovers and a best of.
04 Post War
In the 80's they lost some members, got some new ones. I included albums from after The Music Band. One did better than others here. Outlaw had a couple of "hits" , but the other two albums from 1985 weren't terrible. They took a break from recording but released one new album in 1994 and one in 2014. Actually, the latter is half new and half Greatest Hits.
05 War Live
They officially released three live albums during this time. One in 1973. One in 1980 during the Music Band era and the last one in 2008. All have their high spots and are worth checking out.
06 War Other Soundtrack
This is just their 1978 soundtrack for Youngblood and an old album of of session tracks that purportedly includes a few of the members plus Bobby Womack on some instrumental tracks from 1974. If you just like the hits, skip it, but if you like them jamming, definitely check these two out.
07 War Total Best
This is my choice of the best of all the Anthologies and Greatest hits. I tried to use full album cuts for most of these instead of the single versions. It even has a couple of bonus tracks, including a Christmas song by them. If you listen to nothing else, get this one. It covers everything from 1970 on.
08 War Rest Of The Best
This includes all the other versions and tracks from all the different compilations. Most had a lot of duplication. I only added it in here if it appeared on one of those compilations AND it was a different version or song from the Total Best pick in section seven. I did add four complete compilations because they were substantially different. The first is Platinum Jazz (with both the CD versions and the original versions they were not allowed to release). The second is the Best Of The Music Band, because most anthologies use the title track and that's about that. It's not the best song and this covers some cool songs generally ignored by all the other anthologies. The Third is a late 90's compilation aimed at their Latin fans. It has some cool versions in Spanish that aren't normally used on the mainstream collections.
I also included my War Family pick which has solo tracks from Eric Burdon, Lee Oskar (harmonica), Lonnie Jordan (vocals, keyboards). This will give you a nice perspective of the band from the outside. Lots of tracks here that have that War feel.
The last folder is the Rest Of The Bests. If you didn't like one or the other versions I used, this compiles all the other versions from their official compilations. Mostly shorter edited versions, but whatever you like.
I hope you enjoy discovering and rediscovering this great band.
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Track lists
01 War Burdon
1970 Eric Burdon Declares War
01 Eric Burdon and War - The Vision Of Rassan
02 Eric Burdon and War - Tobacco Road
03 Eric Burdon and War - Spill The Wine
04 Eric Burdon and War - Blues For Memphis Slim
05 Eric Burdon and War - You're No Stranger
1970 The Black Man's Burdon
01 Eric Burdon and War - Paint It Black Medley
02 Eric Burdon and War - Spirit
03 Eric Burdon and War - Beautiful New Born Child
04 Eric Burdon and War - Nights In White Satin I
05 Eric Burdon and War - The Bird & The Squirrel
06 Eric Burdon and War - Nuts, Seeds & Life
07 Eric Burdon and War - Out Of Nowhere
08 Eric Burdon and War - Nights In White Satin II
09 Eric Burdon and War - Sun-Moon
10 Eric Burdon and War - Pretty Colours
11 Eric Burdon and War - Gun
12 Eric Burdon and War - Jimbo
13 Eric Burdon and War - Bare Back Ride
14 Eric Burdon and War - Home Cookin'
15 Eric Burdon and War - They Can't Take Away Our Music
1976 Love Is All Around
01 Eric Burdon and War - Love is All Around
02 Eric Burdon and War - Tobacco Road
03 Eric Burdon and War - Home Dream
04 Eric Burdon and War - Magic Mountain
05 Eric Burdon and War - A Day in the Life
06 Eric Burdon and War - Paint it Black Medley
02 War Classics
1971 War
01 War - Sun Oh Son
02 War - Lonely Feelin'
03 War - Back Home
04 War - War Drums
05 War - Vibeka
06 War - Fidel's Fantasy
1971 All Day Music
01 War - All Day Music
02 War - Get Down
03 War - That's What Love Will Do
04 War - There Must Be A Reason
05 War - Nappy Head (Theme From Ghetto Man) (Original Version)
06 War - Slippin' Into Darkness
07 War - Baby Brother
1972 The World Is A Ghetto
01 War - The Cisco Kid
02 War - Where Was You At
03 War - City, Country, City
04 War - Four Cornered Room
05 War - The World Is A Ghetto
06 War - Beetles In The Bog
07 War - Freight Train Jam
08 War - 58 Blues
09 War - War Is Coming
10 War - The World Is A Ghetto (Bonus Version)
1973 Deliver The Word
01 War - H2Overture
02 War - In Your Eyes
03 War - Gypsy Man
04 War - Me And Baby Brother
05 War - Deliver The Word
06 War - Southern Part Of Texas
07 War - Blisters
1975 Why Can't We Be Friends
01 War - Don't Let No One Get You Down
02 War - Lotus Blossom
03 War - Heartbeat
04 War - Leroy's Latin Lament (Medley) Lonnie Dreams, The Way We Feel, La Fiesta, Lament
05 War - Smile Happy
06 War - So
07 War - Low Rider
08 War - In Mazatlan
09 War - Why Can't We Be Friends
03 War Music Band
1976 Platinum Funk
01 War - War Is Coming! War Is Coming!
02 War - I Got You
03 War - L.A. Sunshine (CD Version)
04 War - River Niger
05 War - Slowly We Walk Together
06 War - Platinum Jazz
1977 Galaxy
01 War - Galaxy
02 War - Baby Face (She Said Do Do Do Do)
03 War - Sweet Fighting Lady
04 War - Hey Senorita
05 War - The Seven Tin Soldiers
1979 The Music Band 1
01 War - The Music Band
02 War - Corns & Callouses (Hey Dr Shoals)
03 War - I'm The One Who Understands
04 War - Good Good Feeling (Original)
05 War - Millionaire
06 War - All Around The World
1979 The Music Band 2
01 War - Don't Take It Away
02 War - I'll Be Around
03 War - I'll Take Care Of You
04 War - Night People
05 War - The World Is A Ghetto
06 War - The Music Band 2 (We Are The Music Band)
1983 The Music Band Jazz
01 War - Five Spot
02 War - Half Note
03 War - E.R.A.
04 War - Koronos-Sometimes I Wonder (Is It For Real)-A Pattern Of Time
04 War Post
1982 Outlaw
01 War - Cinco De Mayo
02 War - Outlaw
03 War - The Jungle
04 War - Just Because
05 War - Baby It's Cold Outside
06 War - I'm About Somebody
07 War - You Got The Power
08 War - Cinco De Mayo
1985 Life (Is So Strange)
01 War - Life (Is So Strange)
02 War - Happiness
03 War - W.W. III (Medley)
04 War - Shake It Down
05 War - Summer Dreams
06 War - U-2 (Medley)
1985 Where There's Smoke
01 War - Still In Love
02 War - Cutest Girl
03 War - No Need To Worry
04 War - Take It To The Bank
05 War - Bad Mutha Trucka
06 War - War's Song
07 War - Day II
08 War - Groovin'
1994 Peace Sign
01 War - Peace Sign
02 War - East L.A.
03 War - Wild Rodriguez
04 War - I'm The One Who Understands
05 War - Da Roof
06 War - The Smuggler (The Light In The Window)
07 War - U B O.K.
08 War - Let Me Tell You
09 War - Smile For Me
10 War - What If
11 War - Angel
12 War - Homeless Hero
2014 Evolutionary
01 War - That L.A. Sunshine
02 War - Mamacita
03 War - It's Our Right-Funky Tonk
04 War - Just Like Us
05 War - Inspiration
06 War - Scream Stream
07 War - This Funky Music
08 War - Outer Space
09 War - War,War After War (A Soldier's Story)
10 War - Bounce
11 War - Everything
12 War - It's My Life
13 War featuring Cheech & Chong - That L.A. Sunshine
05 War Live
1973 War Live
01 War - Introduction By E. Rodney Jones of Radio Station WVON, Chicago, IL
02 War - Sun Oh Son
03 War - The Cisco Kid
04 War - Slippin' Into Darkness
05 War - Slippin' Part 2
06 War - All Day Music
07 War - Ballero
08 War - Lonely Feelin'
09 War - Get Down
1980 Music Band Live
01 Councilman David Cunningham - Intro (Live)
02 War - Spill The Wine (Live)
03 War - All Day Music (Live)
04 War - Slippin' Into Darkness (Live)
05 War - Low Rider (Live)
06 War - Cisco Kid (Live)
07 War - All Night Long (Live)
08 War - Gypsy Man (Live)
09 War - Why (Live)
2008 Greatest Hits Live
01 War - The World Is A Ghetto-Get Down (Live)
02 War - City, Country, City (Live)
03 War - Slippin' Into Darkness (Live)
04 War - Spill The Wine (Live)
05 War - Galaxy (Live)
06 War - All Day Music (Live)
07 War - Ballero (Live)
08 War - So (Live)
09 War - Gypsy Man (Live)
10 War - The Cisco Kid (Live)
11 War - Me And Baby Brother (Live)
12 War - We Wrote This Song (Live)
13 War - Why Can't We Be Friends (Live)
14 War - Low Rider Medley (Live)
06 War Other Soundtrack
1974 Other Side Of War Warms The Heart
01 War - La Chanson (The Song)
02 War - Toujours, Toujours (Always, Always)
03 War - Loving Memories
04 War - Sweet Ca'line
05 War - Blushing Tears
06 War - Moving Along
07 War - Time is Tight
08 War - California Spring
09 War - August Love
10 War - Italian Lover
11 War - La Vie C'est La Vie(The Life That is the Life)
12 War - Precious Memories
13 War - Spanish Love Call
14 War - On Fire
15 War - Roses are Blue
16 War - Ripe Bananas
17 War - Exodus
18 War - Churchin' On
19 War - Nothing You Can Do
20 War - A Cup of Soul
21 War - Afro Cuban-Opus No.1
22 War - God is Love
23 War - Gloriosa Superba (The Poison Plant)
24 War - The Bamboche (Haitian Open Air Dance)
25 War - Cuando Calienta El Sol (Love Me with All Your Heart)
1978 Youngblood
01 War - Youngblood (Livin In The Streets)
02 War - Sing A Happy Song
03 War - Keep On Doin
04 War - The Kingsmen Sign
05 War - Walking To War
06 War - This Funky Music Makes You Feel Good
07 War - Junk Yard
08 War - Superdude
09 War - Youngblood and Sybil
10 War - Flying Machine (The Chase)
11 War - Searching For Youngblood and Rommel
12 War - Youngblood (Livin In The Streets) (Reprise)
07 War Total Best
01 War - Slippin' Into Darkness
02 War - The World Is A Ghetto
03 War - Why Can't We Be Friends
04 War - Summer
05 War - All Day Music
06 War - L.A. Sunshine (Original)
07 War - Youngblood (Livin' In The Streets)
08 War - Me And Baby Brother
09 War - Southern Part Of Texas
10 Eric Burdon & War - Spill The Wine
11 War - Gypsy Man
12 War - Outlaw
13 War - Cinco De Mayo
14 War - Low Rider
15 War - The Cisco Kid
16 War - Livin' In The Red
17 War - This Funky Music Makes You Feel Good
18 Eric Burdon & War - Tobacco Road
19 War - River Niger
20 War - Don't Let No One Get You Down
21 War - Junk Yard
22 War - Galaxy
23 War - You Got The Power
24 War - City, Country, City
25 War - Whose Cadillac Is That
26 War - Flying Machine
27 War - Ballero
28 War - Peace Sign
29 War - Deliver The Word
30 War - The Music Band
31 War - Get Down
32 War - In Mazatlan
Bonus Bests
War - (Yes It’s) Christmas
War - Low Rider (Remix)
08 War Rest Of The Best
1976 Platinum Jazz
01 War - H2 Overture
02 War - City, Country, City
03 War - Smile Happy
04 War - Deliver The Word
05 War - Nappy Head
06 War - Four Cornered Room
07 War - H2Overture (Original Version)
08 War - City, Country, City (Original Version)
09 War - Smile Happy (Original Version)
10 War - Deliver The Word (Original Version)
11 War - Nappy Head (Theme From Ghetto Man) (Original Version)
12 War - Four Cornered Room (Original Version)
1982 Best Of The Music Band
01 War - Corns & Callouses (Hey Dr Shoals)
02 War - I'm The One Who Understands
03 War - Baby Face (She Said Do Do Do Do)
04 War - Hey Senorita
05 War - I'll Take Care Of You
06 War - Galaxy
07 War - The World Is A Ghetto
08 War - Good Good Feeling
09 War - Don't Take It Away
1997 Coleccion Latina
01 War - Low Rider (Espanol)
02 War - East L.A.
03 War - All Day Music
04 War - Me And Baby Brother
05 War - Smile Happy
06 War - The Cisco Kid
07 War - Gypsy Man
08 War - Hey Senorita
09 War - Angel
10 War - Ballero
11 War - Don't Let No One Get You Down
12 War - Cinco De Mayo
13 War - Salsa
14 War - Low Rider (Mijangos Progressive Mix)
War Family Pick
01 Lee Oskar - BLT
02 Lonnie Jordan - Never Can Say Goodbye
03 Eric Burdon and War - Tobacco Road
04 Eric Burdon and the Animals - San Franciscan Nights
05 Lonnie Jordan - Get Down
06 Lee Oskar - Before The Rain
07 Lee Oskar - Feeling Happy
08 Animals - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
09 Lee Oskar - Sunshine Keri
10 Lonnie Jordan - Grey Rainy Days
11 Lee Oskar - My Road
12 Lonnie Jordan - Fine Foxy Lady
13 Animals - House of the Rising Sun
14 Eric Burdon and War - Spill The Wine
15 Eric Burdon - When I Was Young
16 Lonnie Jordan - Junkie To My Music
Best Of The Rest
01 War - Tobacco Road (Soundprops Remix)
02 War - Low Rider (Ganja Kru Remix)
03 War - Life (Is So Strange)
04 War - River Niger
05 War - The World Is A Ghetto (La Pozze Latina Remix)
06 Eric Burdon & War - Tobacco Road
07 War - Heartbeat
08 War - Where Was You At
09 War - Slippin' Into Darkness
10 War - Why Can't We Be Friends (Hithunter Remix)
11 War - I'm The One Who Understands
12 War - Smile Happy
13 War featuring Hispanic M.C.'s - Don't Let No One Get You Down ('92 Version)
14 War - L.A. Sunshine
15 War - Summer
16 War - East L.A.
17 War & Jose Feliciano - East L.A.
18 War - Four Cornered Room
19 War - Southern Part Of Texas
20 War - Galaxy 2000
21 War - Nappy Head
22 War - Galaxy
23 War - Galaxy
24 War - Lonely Feelin'
25 War - Galaxy 2000 (Plump Djs Remix)
26 War - You Got The Power (Peter Reis Remix)
27 War - Outlaw (Orinoko Remix)
28 War - Slippin' Into Darkness (Armand Van Helden Remix)
29 War - They Can't Take Away Our Music
30 War - Cinco De Mayo
31 War - Baby It's Cold Outside
32 War - The Cisco Kid
33 War - The Music Band
34 War - So
35 War - Sun Oh Son
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What a fantastic collection! I remember hearing "Why Can't We Be Friends" as a child in the 70's and being a fan ever since. The Classic War is my favorite era, of course, but lately I've been digging the Music Band period a bit. It's cool to have the entire anthology here to revisit all these albums, and then some. Thanks Pol Inate and Butterboy.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I remember listening to early War and being blown away. And like you it took a little while before I started to get into the Music Band period, but I am glad I did!
DeleteThanks very much for this pol & BB - I highly doubt that second album title would fly today!
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad, but I think you're right
DeleteThanks a lot Pol!
ReplyDeleteEpic!
My pleasure! They are epic!
DeleteI think Eric's voice is one of the best in rock. Thanks Paul for this magnificent effort. Thanks BB for supplying it.
ReplyDeleteFrom the voice to the instrumentation they are so good. Big thanks to BB for this whole site. Inspirational to me. And makes me want to do better
DeleteIt's a little sad that the picture is Jerry Goldstein's band and not War. (I may be a bit fussy about this, I saw War the night they were told they weren't allowed to use the name anymore).
ReplyDeleteSorry, I made that "logo" and just grabbed a photo that fit. Didn't even think to check.
DeleteHappy that you guys like this, because I sure do!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I don't know how K does it. Took forever to compile this and I thought I had all of it ready to go. Big thanks to K and BB!
DeleteLoved that band from its first iteration with Eric Burden, through its classic line-up as "War." Lost track of them since. All Day Music and City, Country, City are still on my regular playlists. Many thanks, guys - this is the proverbial motherlode.
ReplyDeleteThank you BB, Pol Inate and K. Your hard work has filled in some gaps in my War collection, which I shall enjoy listening to. Ideal Summer listening music.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this, and about everything else you post. You are one fine human.
ReplyDelete