War- The Word The Band The Sound

Its 1972 through 1974. War established themselves as a band in their own right. Their multicultural and genre bending sound is catching on. Their music are the sounds of outer Los Angeles in the summer heat. There are flutes and horns and one of the greatest harmonica players ever. They have keyboards and drums. They sing in unity.

They release “The World is a Ghetto” album. The title sounds political and angry from a band called War.

Don’t be fooled. The first single from the album is the fun “The Cisco Kid.” They take the character from an  O Henry story and modernize (for the time) him. It’s fun and catchy. The album is soulful and grooving. The title track is largely instrumental.

“City Country City is an instrumental. It features one of their big players Lee Oskar on harmonica through the song adding color and breeze. It’s long but doesn’t feel like it.

Lee Oskar is becoming the secret ingredient to make them unique. War opens their next album, “Deliver the Word” with the H2O overture. Lee Oskar leads on harmonica. He closes the album with “Blisters.”

In between we get “Gypsy Man” which has hints of Bob Marley Exodus in feel. We hear the Barry White -esque, “In Your Eyes.”

In two albums in the early 1970s we get harmonica jams, soul, sensuous, politics, and fun. And War is just beginning to get notice. The big hits are still coming!