ALBUMS: ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ (1975);’The World is a Ghetto’ (1972)
MVC Rating: Friends: 4.0/$$$$; Ghetto: 4.0/$$$$
Not to be confused by the song ‘War’ by Edwin Starr, the band, ‘War,’ was a funk-Latin-jazz-rock-soul group that was as adept with the long jam pieces as it was the pithy singles.
The song off the same-named album ‘Why Can’t We be Friends,’ was a megahit, a sly little ditty about race relations at a volatile time.
Speaking of Sly, one would not be laughed out of the room for saying War was like Sly and the Family Stone without Sly — large music ensemble, use of brass and reed instruments, funky, etc.
The difference was the Family Stone had a charismatic leader and War didn’t — at least at this point in the game. Early in their existence, War had Eric Burdon, former Animals lead singer, with whom they produced the hit ‘Spill the Wine’ under the name Eric Burdon and War.
War, without Burdon saw their share of hit continue: they not only produced the Friends song but also ‘Cisco Kid’, ‘Low Rider,’ and ‘The World is a Ghetto.’
I remember buying both of these used in Athens, Ga., in high school.