ALWAYSBACK

6908 - WAR - Evolutionary, Disc One (2014)

WAR
''EVOLUTIONARY, DISC ONE''
MAY 19 2014
111:47

DISC ONE
1 /That L.A. Sunshine feat: U.S.C. Trojan Marching Band / L.A. Fats
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Salvador Rodriguez / Francisco "Pancho" Tomaselli/5:31
2 /Mamacita feat: Tower Of Power Horns / Joe Walsh War
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Howard Scott/4:29
3 /It's Our Right/Funky Tonk
Sylvester Allen / Chris Bolden / Harold Brown / Morris Dickerson / Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar / Howard Scott / David Urquidi/9:20
4 /Just Like Us
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan/6:31
5 /Inspiration
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan/4:15
6 /Scream Stream
Sylvester Allen / Harold Brown / Morris Dickerson / Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/5:24
7 /This Funky Music
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan/3:23
8 /Outer Space
Drew Correa / Jerry Goldstein / GrindxGlory / Lonnie Jordan / Tara J. King / Jerome Thornton / Malik Yusef/4:16
9 /War/War After War (A Soldier's Story) feat: U.S.C. Trojan Marching Band / Malik Yusef
Jerry Goldstein / GrindxGlory / Lonnie Jordan / Barrett Strong / Norman Whitfield / Malik Yusef/5:16
10 /Bounce
Sal "Lazyboi" Asad / Jerry Goldstein / GrindxGlory / Guillermo " Roland Banks" Ramirez IV / Lonnie Jordan / John King / Kumasi / Malik Yusef/4:21
11 /Everything
Rockford Area Arts Council / Jerry Goldstein / GrindxGlory / Guillermo " Roland Banks" Ramirez IV / Jimmy Johnson / Lonnie Jordan / Frank Lucas / Damon Ranger / Malik Yusef/3:31
12 /It's My Life
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Salvador Rodriguez / Francisco "Pancho" Tomaselli/7:57
13 /That L.A. Sunshine feat: Cheech & Chong
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Salvador Rodriguez / Francisco "Pancho" Tomaselli/5:29

DISC TWO
1 /All Day Music
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller /
Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/3:59
2 /Slippin' Into Darkness
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar /
Howard Scott/3:47
3 /The World Is a Ghetto
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar /
Howard Scott/4:08
4 /The Cisco Kid
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar /
Howard Scott/3:47
5 /Gypsy Man
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar /
Howard Scott/5:23
6 /Me and Baby Brother
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar /
Howard Scott/3:30
7 /Southern Part of Texas
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller /
Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/3:53
8 /Why Can't We Be Friends?
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller /
Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/3:48
9 /Low Rider
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller /
Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/3:10
10 /Summer
Papa Dee Allen / Harold Brown / B.B. Dickerson /
Jerry Goldstein / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller /
Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/6:39

Stanley Behrens /Harmonica
Rena Briggs /Vocals (Background)
Cheech & Chong /Dialogue, Featured Artist
Jerry Goldstein /Arranger, Composer, Producer, Vocals (Background)
Fernando Harkless /Saxophone
Lonnie Jordan /Arranger, Drums, Guitar, Hammond B3, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Bass, Timbales, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Mitch Kashmar /Harmonica
Tara J. King /Vocals (Background)
Kumasi /Rap
L.A. Fats /Featured Artist, Rap
Carolyn Perry McCollaun /Choir/Chorus, Vocals (Background)
Darlene Perry /Vocals (Background)
Lorraine Perry /Choir/Chorus
Sharon Perry /Choir/Chorus
Guillermo " Roland Banks" Ramirez IV /Drums
Marcos Reyes /Congas, Percussion
Salvador Rodriguez /Drums, Vocals (Background)
Scott Sapcariu /Drum Programming, Vocals (Background)
Slo Mo /Rap
Tower of Power /Horn
Tower Of Power Horns
U.S.C. Trojan Marching Band /Featured Artist, Orchestra
David Urquidi /Sax (Baritone), Saxophone, Vocals (Background)
USC Marching Band /Orchestra
Joe Walsh /Featured Artist, Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)
Malik Yusef /Arranger, Featured Artist, Rap, Vocals (Background)
Stuart Ziff /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals (Background)

Review
By Thom Jurek
Though War have been a consistent touring entity in the 21st century, they haven't released an album of new studio material since 1994's Peace Sign. During the silence, four of its original five members left to form the Lowrider Band, with only lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Lonnie Jordan remaining. (Conceptualist, arranger, co-songwriter, and co-producer Jerry Goldstein also remains part of the equation.) Musically, the studio group behind Jordan continues to meld funk, jazz, soul, Latin, and rock. Set-opener "That L.A. Sunshine" is a different tune from their iconic "L.A. Sunshine," but the title's reference is deliberate. This is a smooth, contemporary, jazzy funk number, with bright, breezy overtones; it's well-chosen as a single. The USC Trojan Marching Band lend syncopated, chunky brass to the bottom, and L.A. Fats adds a guest rap. A bonus version adds Cheech & Chong in classic dialogue style to the mix. The Tower of Power Horns and Eagles' guitarist Joe Walsh aid the band on "Mamacita," a knotty fusion of cumbian funk and reggae. There are two medleys here. The first is a lengthy, jazz-funk jam that features a previously unrecorded composition by the original band -- "It's Our Right " -- with a new tune -- Funky Tonk" -- an instrumental tag written by Jordan and Goldstein, grafted on and stretching it to over nine minutes. It's the best cut here. The latter combines a cover of Norman Whitfield's and Barrett Strong's classic Motown hit "War" to "War After War (A Soldier's Story)," with rapper Malik Yusef delivering the narrative above the timeless chorus. "Outer Space" makes liberal use of dubwise tactics, but Jordan's soulful vocal and acoustic piano are enhanced by them. "This Funky Music" borrows the organ swell of "Slipping Into Darkness" as an intro and contains a hip, synth bassline. Evolutionary is an attempt by Jordan and Goldstein to jumpstart War. [The budget-priced set comes packaged with a thoroughly remastered version of War's initial (and platinum-selling) Greatest Hits album making its first appearance on CD. Its ten tracks are worth the purchase price for anyone who doesn't yet have them.]

Biography
by Steve Huey
One of the most popular funk groups of the '70s, War were also one of the most eclectic, freely melding soul, Latin, jazz, blues, reggae, and rock influences into an effortlessly funky whole. Although War's lyrics were sometimes political in nature (in keeping with their racially integrated lineup), their music almost always had a sunny, laid-back vibe emblematic of their Southern California roots. War kept the groove loose, and they were given over to extended jamming; in fact, many of their studio songs were edited together out of longer improvisations. Even if the jams sometimes got indulgent, they demonstrated War's truly group-minded approach: no one soloist or vocalist really stood above the others (even though all were clearly talented), and their grooving interplay placed War in the top echelon of funk ensembles.

The roots of War lay in an R&B cover band called the Creators. Guitarist Howard Scott and drummer Harold Brown started the group in 1962 while attending high school in the Compton area, and three years later, the lineup also featured keyboardist Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan, bassist Morris "B.B." Dickerson, and saxophonist/flutist Charles Miller (all of them sang). The group had an appetite for different sounds right from the start, ranging from R&B to blues to the Latin music they'd absorbed while growing up in the racially mixed ghettos of Los Angeles. Despite a two-year hiatus following Scott's induction into the service, they released several singles locally on Dore Records (their first, "Burn Baby Burn," was with singer Johnny Hamilton), and backed jazz saxophonist Tjay Contrelli, formerly of the psychedelic band Love; they also went by the names the Romeos and Señor Soul during this period. 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. B.B. Dickerson later returned when Rosen died of a drug overdose. In 1969, Nightshift began backing football star Deacon Jones (a defensive end for the L.A. Rams) during his singing performances in a small club, where they were discovered by producer Jerry Goldstein. Goldstein suggested the band as possible collaborators to former Animals lead singer Eric Burdon, who along with Danish-born harmonica player Lee Oskar (born Oskar Levetin Hansen) 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 (as well as Burdon's growing tendency to ramble). It also featured War's first recorded vocal effort on "They Can't Take Away Our Music." 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. However, 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.

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 album itself was a million-selling Top 20 hit. War really hit their stride on the follow-up album, 1972's The World Is a Ghetto; boosted by a sense of multi-cultural harmony, it topped the charts and sold over three million copies, making it the best-selling album of 1973. It also produced two Top Ten smashes in "The Cisco Kid" (which earned them a fervent following in the Latino community) and the title ballad. 1973's Deliver the Word was another million-selling hit, reaching the Top Ten and producing the Top Ten single "Gypsy Man" and another hit in "Me and Baby Brother." However, it had less of the urban grit that War prided themselves on; while taking some time to craft new material and rethink their direction, 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; the same year, Oskar released his first solo album, backed by members of Santana. 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, and produced an R&B-chart smash with an edited version of "L.A. Sunshine."

Yet disco was beginning to threaten the gritty, socially aware funk War specialized in. Later in 1977, the band switched labels, moving to MCA for Galaxy; though it sold respectably, and the disco-tinged title track was a hit on the R&B charts, it fizzled on the pop side, and 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. Dickerson left during the recording of 1979's The Music Band (which featured new female vocalist Alice Tweed Smith), and not long after, Charles Miller was murdered in a robbery attempt. After The Music Band was released, the remaining members attempted to refashion their image to fit the glitz of the era, and added some new personnel: bassist Luther Rabb, percussionist Ronnie Hammond, and saxophonist Pat Rizzo (ex-Sly & the Family Stone). The Music Band 2 flopped, and the group was thrown into disarray; Smith exited, and the follow-up took an uncharacteristic three years to prepare. Released in 1982, Outlaw was a moderate success; the title track was a Top 20 R&B hit, and "Cinco de Mayo" became a Latino holiday standard. Yet it didn't restore War's commercial standing. Rizzo left later in the year; Harold Brown followed in 1983, after Life Is So Strange flopped; and Rabb was replaced with Ricky Green in 1984. In the years that followed, War was essentially a touring outfit and nothing more. Papa Dee Allen collapsed and died on-stage of a brain aneurysm in 1988, leaving Jordan, Hammond, Oskar, and Scott as the core membership (Oskar would finally leave in 1992). Interest in War's classic material remained steady, however, thanks to frequent sampling of their grooves by hip-hop artists. 1992's Rap Declares War paired the band with a variety of rappers, paving the way for the 1994 comeback attempt Peace Sign; for that record, Brown returned on drums, and Jordan (now on bass), Scott, and Hammond were joined by saxophonists Kerry Campbell and Charles Green, percussionist Sal Rodriguez, harmonica player Tetsuya "Tex" Nakamura, and Brown's son, programmer Rae Valentine (plus guests Lee Oskar and José Feliciano). The album failed to chart, however, and the group returned to the touring circuit. Brown and Scott left the lineup in 1997.

Jordan continued to tour with a new version of the band in which he was the only original performing member. In 2008, War performed a one-off reunion date with Eric Burdon at London's Royal Albert Hall as a precursor to the Rhino reissues of his albums with the band, and a pair of compilations. Later that year, Jordan's War issued the audio/video live package entitled Greatest Hits Live, covering material from the band's best-known era, 1969-1975. In 2009 the group was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but failed to secure enough votes for induction.

From 2009 on, War was a steady concert draw, either on the nostalgia group tour circuit or playing at festivals internationally. In 2014, the band issued Evolutionary on Universal, its first new album of studio material in a decade. The set was combined with the additional disc of its classic Greatest Hits album as an added incentive to consumers.