War

August 26, 2008

Opening Act: The Ifs 

Singer/keyboardist, Lonnie Jordan is best known as a founding member of WAR. 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

Even beyond WAR's catalogue releases, in the great search of the groove, countless numbers of musicians, producers, remixers and DJ's have turned to WAR's unique Afro-Cuban, Jazz-Funk character to provide structure for their own musical impulses. From Offspring's "Pretty Fly For A White Boy" (Remix of "Low Rider"), to Tupac's "Young Black Male" ("Where Was You At"), new artist on a quest for hidden gems are pilfering WAR's catalogue and producing their own unique musical expressions while retaining the pass.

For WAR, the rise of sampling culture has ushered in a rebirth of sorts as well as a sense of attribution for the bands profound influence on contemporary American music. The end result is a long list of sample credits as well as a revived interest in the music. Recent examples of sample usage include Janet Jackson's "You" (Cisco Kid"), TLC's "I'm Good At Being Bad" ("Slippin Into Darkness"), Macy Gray's "Do Something" (Heartbeat") and Macy's video for "Been Around The World" ("Galaxy").

Along with sampling, WAR has seen a dramatic increase in the number of covers being produced over the past few years by wide variety of artist from an eclectic mix of genres. From alternative bands (Smash Mouth "Why Can't We Be Friends" / Korn "Low Rider") to rap/urban artists (Redman/Method Man "Cisco Kid"). WAR timeless melodies are still being heard on multi-formatted radio stations around the country.

More than 30 years after they first appeared on a Los Angeles stage, WAR can still "deliver the word."  

Visit War online at http://www.wartheband.com/