Album of the Day
WAR
Eric Burdon fronted War’s first two albums and though his shadow is still faintly visible (he came up with the cover concept and his Animals bandmate Hilton Valentine contributed to a song), this self-titled set shows a group ready to claim the spotlight as their own. Highlighted by single sides “Lonely Feelin'” and “Sun Oh Son,” the collection is a melting pot of L.A. street music circa 1971, filtering R&B and Latin influences through progressive song structures. With plenty of room to stretch out on these half-dozen tracks, each member of the septet displays some serious instrumental chops without taking over the show. Keyboardist Lonnie Jordan is the one constant in this group’s long history, and we’ll cue up WAR now to wish him a happy birthday.
