The World is a Ghetto

Slow, soulful funk with hints of jazz, rock and the slightest reggae flavour. This feels luxurious. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: The Cisco Kid Date listened: 14/05/23

the soul side of the moon

This feels like what soul was meant to become.

Before today, the only songs by War that I knew were the hits (Low Rider, The Cisco Kid, and Why Can't We Be Friends?). These guys were a hit in the 60's - 70's, and actually, this album was named Album of the Year in '72, so I am excited to hear more of their catalog today! This album is a slow, funky masterpiece. Songs such as "City, Country, City", although being 13 minutes long, were excellent. Instead of being a long song with half a dozen solos mixed in, it was one huge groove, in which each member of the band could solo, and show their skills while the rest of the band kept time. There are some amazing artists in this band! The inclusion of a harmonica in "City, Country, City" surprised the hell out of me, in a good way. The opening song, The Cisco Kid is such a fantastic funky song! This band is a melding of soul, jazz, funk, Latin, blues, and rock into one hell of a laid back sound. They sound a lot like Sly and the Family Stone, but their musical themes are never negative. It is always "peace and love", which is refreshing to listen to. You would think, with a title like "The World is a Ghetto" you'd be in for a political, negative album, but this album is full of positive vibes. The long drawn out grooves have a way of pulling you into a trance, and making all your worries disappear. Overall, an excellent album today. Not something I would always be in the mood for, but it helped make yard work a hell of a lot more enjoyable today!! Favorite songs: The Cisco Kid, Where Was You At, The World Is A Ghetto, Four Cornered Room Least favorite songs: "City, Country, City" 4/5

I hadn't heard of War before, and thus I wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this totally blind. "War" sounded like a metal band, "The World is a Ghetto" sounded like a gangsta rap album. I was completely wrong on all accounts and very pleasantly surprised. This is 44 minutes of just some really funky, jazzy psychedelic soul with some Caribbean flair. It's generally melancholy and usually quite chill, but it gains energy at the right moments and is just a general pleasure to listen to. I especially liked the general feel of Beetles In The Bog and City, Country, City. Thank you Generator, this was a great album to be introduced to. Favourite: Beetles In The Bog

An album that sounds like a hot summer day in Brooklyn. Such a rich atmosphere of sounds.

I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It's not really in a style I normally listen to, but I may seek out more like this in the future. The Cisco Kid is a banger. I also liked the longer songs. 4/5

Great album, the intro songs kicks strong. Solid instrumentals then wraps up crisp without overstaying it's welcome. War is a lot more than just low rider.

It was a really great funk album. Perfect song as I walk around and observe city living - the good, the bad, the ugly

I started collecting 70s soul and funk vinyl seriously in the late 1990s. It was a low period for record collecting. Almost no new vinyl was being pressed, the collector market had basically collapsed and nobody was really interested in vinyl. People were giving me their collections; usually a lot crap, but sometimes gems. There was no indication that vinyl would ever come back. During this time, I did manage to acquire quite a reasonable number of 70s albums. High profile artists like James Brown or Parliament-Funkadelic were still in demand and held their value, as did rare deep cut albums like Baby Huey, Cymande or Betty Davis. But albums by bands that had some commercial success (so they were not too rare) but who were not necessarily critically acclaimed at present were cheap. I acquired lots of records by great bands like the Commodores, the Pointer Sisters, BT Express, the Ohio Players, Ike & Tina Turner, and War. They are often incredible albums, and prices have risen sharply in the last five years, I notice. But I bought 'em cheap. I own a bunch of War albums, and they are all great. War had that perfect balance of loose and tight that makes for incredible funk. They are always right in the pocket, but they allow space in their arrangement to stretch out a bit and see where the groove takes them. They are a bit more laid back that the JBs, but not as chaotic as P-Funk. They understand how to weave a rhythm (like Sly & the Family Stone) but with more patience to sit in the pocket for a while. Their vocal arrangements are almost as good as Sly's too. I was kind of surprised to read that this was the highest selling album of 1973 in the US, but why not? It is an easy album to like; it's groovy and you can dance to it, the message of "why can't we all get along?" isn't controversial, and it's got some great tunes. Their biggest hit singles were on other albums (Galaxy or Why Can't We Be Friends? could have just as easily been on this list in place of The World Is A Ghetto ) but I really enjoy this record. War are a band that the world needs to rediscover. Five stars

Oh yeah! Happy to see this pop up. Love War the music band. This is not one of the albums I own but I know a couple of tracks. City Country City is just beautiful - first heard David Mancuso play it at the London Loft. The World is a Ghetto is slinky, funky and political, just the way music should be. It's great stuff all round x

Me every time a new track started on this album: wow, this is the coolest song I've ever heard in my life. Ultimately, City, Country, City was when I knew I loved this album, so that'll go down as my favorite here

A great listen

This album went hard.

At the time WAR released their critically most acclaimed album, Funk was already on the rise and had just seen more and more mainstream success. And with an album as forward thinking and progressive as this, Funk and the Soul surroundings that it was still mainly touched with got pushed into a new niche that pretty much walked hand in hand with what The Temptations did before and around that time. The album starts with the Latin Funk 'The Cisco Kid' that plays with versatile percussion and rhythm sections while incoprorating a variety of different South American instruments and sounds that give the track a lush feeling. The different aspects in songwriting and flow are really interesting and the vocals just add even more enjoyment to these tracks. I really love this track and it's easily a perfect track. It's just very fun to listen to it. 'Where Was You At' plays with more Soul and even a little bit of Blues Rock while still having a lot of Funk as a main attraction. I really like the different wind instruments but except the moments where they really shine in the bridge or as a solo, I am not really interested with what the song does. I think the song is alright but if it wasn't for the already mentioned few wind instruments, I wouldn't even really enjoy it much. The song is alright and pretty much right in the middle of enjoyment. The bad/boring moments and the few good cancel each other pretty much out. The albums longest song, 'City, Country, City' closes the first side of the album with a playtime of over 13 minutes. The track is a pleasent mix of Psychedelic Soul and Jazz-Funk with a very pleasent use of harmonica as well as some Latin Funk influences here and there. And although I like the slightly laid back and dreamy sound of the start, it does take too long to change that repetitive pace that I am even annoyed after a bit and once there is more percussion added that is supposed to give a more energetic feeling, I can't but feel like the harmonica doesn't fit together with the vibe of the track. For the most part, it just feels off and while I do very much enjoy the percussion on its own, the entirety is pretty ruined by that annoying repetitive harmonica. The change of lead instrument to guitar is pleasant at first, there are some moments where the playing sounds actually bad. The result just feels average. And even though the song is supposed to be anything but average, the result, at least to me, is exactly that: average, unfocused and basic. On top comes the sheer length of the track that makes some parts so overly annoying that I cannot even think of the track as just "basic" but actually as an below average track. I really like the sound and some ideas but the execution is really not that good. The albums second half is opened by the Soul Blues 'Four Cornered Room' which brings in a lot of Psychedelic inspirations as well as more harmonica both used in a both tender and ominous way that make this feel like a mix between a Western soundtrack and a Mexico soundtrack. And I think that this track might've been better if it was actually bulding tension and had more lush surroundings but the way it was done here, it feels repetitive, boring and sometimes annoying. I really like the bass playing and it does its job good at building the slight tension that the song actually offers but no other instruments can really do anything. The vocals (or more the Spoken Word parts) can become really annoying because they "explode" like it was already time for a chorus when nothing build towards that. And while I do think that the explosiveness of such hooks can be extremely benefitial, the way it's done here just doesn't work. The song is a boring and average Soul track. Luckily, the title track 'The World Is a Ghetto' comes to save at least a bit. It is very much a Progressive Soul song with only a few Funk influences. The result works much better even at over ten minutes than the last songs. This song is great in terms of structure, flow, songwriting, performance as well as the vocal and musical delivery. This song is full of soul and does its thing in a hypnotic, passionate and optimistic way while still being tender and beautiful in terms of vocals. At the lenght that it is, the quality does suffer a little bit at some parts but it's not enough to make the track anything less than simply great. The solo's, the verses, the chorus, all of it is fun and enjoyable. The album closes with 'Beetles in the Bog' which not only brings back more Funk but it does it not all that great. I do like the anthemic vocals and the ryhthm of the track, I also think that multiple instruments don't really work togther. It sounds very messy, very bloated and just unfocused. This would've nearly passed as Free Jazz if it was more like Jazz which isn't a good sign when you want to do Soul & Funk and not Free Jazz. Especially when most Free Jazz would be more enjoyable than this. It's still not bad but the messiness of the track just turns it stale and annoying. favourites: The Cisco Kid, The World Is a Ghetto least favourites: City, Country, City, Beetles in the Bog, Four Cornered Room Rating light to decent 6 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

A promising album that never takes off: The music definitely has the right leanings when it comes to its take on R&B, but at the same time it tends to err on the boring side.

The World is a Ghetto - War Easy 5 stars I had no concept of War outside of Low Rider, but I was surprised at how catchy and funky this album was. City, Country, City might genuinely be the best song I've heard in a while. Idk if War has anymore albums on the list, but I'm definitely going through their other albums on my own

So good. 5 stars.

Never heard of these guys before. Some great songs on there, not my normal style of music but maybe my tastes are changing!

Great find from the list. haven’t heard of them before. soul/funk/groovy/jazz - 13 min songs don’t feel as long. Favorite track: city country city other picks: cisco kid, four cornered room, world is a ghetto

I always just assumed that the song “War” (What is it good for?) was by War, like how Black Sabbath has a song called Black Sabbath on their album “Black Sabbath”. Good God, y’all - I’m embarrassed by my ignorance here. The World is a Ghetto is solid and funky, and maybe a little world-weary. The musicianship exceptional and engaging…this is a record well worth revisiting.

Forgettable: probably one of if not my shortest review, so incredibly forgettable. All the songs seem to merge into the background with me not having heard anything notable or anything to make me enjoy or hate it.

Terrible.

Almost not annoying

Крутой грув, качает и расслабляет одновременно

War Really cool grooves. Love the drums and percussion. Favorite songs were tracks: 1,2,3 and 6

Oh man!!! Awesome album!! The title track blew me away! The mixing of the horns, percussion, and vocals were spot on.

heel goed. eerste nummer is banging, world is a ghetto ook mega, die solo is crazy. en lekker lang nummer

This was so very good??!! Like jazz but a little country too, what more could a girl like me want in music! The jams were groovy and just hit me like an abusive relationship

Most of my 5's are album's I really personally enjoyed, pioneered a genre, or think are just about flawless. This one would lean into one of the few 5's that I don't think is anywhere close to pioneering or flawless, but man did it catch me on a good day. A lot of people are quoting Low Rider, my first thought of War is Spill the Wine, released a lot earlier. A good mix of Soul/Funk/and multiple other genres you could cite, that teeters just enough on background music, but still keeps you paying attention. Fun album, and refreshing from some other ones I've gotten recently.

Brilliant album. Puts me in mind of Funkadelic

Really loved this. Great instrumentation and vocals (especially Four Cornered Room). Love the organ on City, Country, City. Extra star for the album cover, which is awesome. Favorites: Where Was You At, Four Cornered Room, The World Is a Ghetto Would I listen to it again: Yes

Very good, heard a few songs before but not all of them

This album brought me back to my childhood in NYC. Hearing the instruments reminded me of the good times where my world was simple and fun.

Awesome jazz psych soul record.

Jazzy, pretty good

damn. i’ve transcended. i can’t stop listening

This was such an amazing listen. Some of the COOLEST music I've ever heard in my life. I loved Four Cornered Room the most I think. I want to Own this on vinyl!!!!

Dude. This is my kind of album right here. War is another one of those bands where I’d only heard one song prior to one of these albums listens. I like “Low Rider.” It’s a funny song, but it’s definitely a well-made funny song. However, that song is not on this album, which I’m fine with because “The World is a Ghetto” is not a funny album. It is however even more well-made than “Low Rider.” This album’s outstanding. I think this album project is really starting to help me understand my own music taste. It’s albums like this that lock in my appreciation of genre-blending funk/soul/jazz albums. Between stuff like this, Herbie Hancock, Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic, and more, it’s kind of hard to deny at this point. The style here is just so cool. There’s still some fun to be had. The album’s opener, “The Cisco Kid” is the most Low Rider-esque song on the album, and it’s great. The rest of the album is a bit more moody, but is still sufficiently soulful and just as excellent. I like the long songs, with the title track being the highlight. The writing is pretty strong, with the title track being the highlight here too. The pacing is weirdly good for an album with songs over 13 minutes and under 4. This album’s one that I can really see growing on me over time. I can’t believe I never knew War (the band) was this good. The World is a Ghetto is just an awesome album that really appeals to my tastes. Light 5/5.

Had never heard of this before and I was not expecting to listen to it 4 or 5 times today

Really finds its groove on each and every track.

Based on the artist and album name I did not expect a soul funk jazz album. It surprised me a lot, and I will definitely come back to this album later. I feel like this album is the essence of an album you must hear before you die.

I love War. They are one of the groups I wish I had seen live. Their musicianship is just amazing. They play everything horns piano organs and the percussionist is crazy good.

Over all the mix of African and Latin beats with funk and soul just gets my blood pumping. My favorites are the longer jammier tracks such as "City, Country, City" and the title track. Also the hit opener is still just as funky as ever. There are no real weak spots on the album, but I felt "Four Corner Room" kinda stuck out being a bit more sullen. I still a absolutely dig the track, but I noticed it at odds with the rest of the groove this listen around. But it is by no means a weak spot. (9.8) ★★★★½

Damn right.

1972. US. Psychedelic soul, jazz, progressive soul

Really enjoyed listening to it

I dig it.

One of my favourite albums. Jazz Latin psychedlia. What do you want more?

Slaps.

What an unbelievably delicious album! And I never heard of it. Fantastic groovy soul, carried by a tight and melodic rhythm section (always a good start for me), with some elements of reggae but especially psychedelica. Some long songs but it's functional. Excellent musicianship but nobody feels the urge to show off. A top album and one of the main discoveries for me from the list.

Great. Excellent album.

Awesome

"The World Is a Ghetto" is the fifth album by American band War. Psychedelic soul, jazz and progressive soul are the Wiki-listed genres. They all fit. The bandmembers included Howard E. Scott (guitar, percussion, vocals), B.B. Dickerson (bass, percussion, vocals), Lonnie Jordan (organ, piano, timbales, percussion, vocals), Harold Brown (drums, percussion, vocals), Papa Dee Allen (bongos, congas, percussion, vocals), Charles Miller (clarinet, saxophones, percussion, vocals) and Lee Oskar (harmonica, percussion, vocals). The album hit #1 in the US and was the best selling album in 1973 in the US. There were mostly positive reviews and the album has been included in many best of lists. "The Cisco Kid" starts things with congas, a kick drum and a bass. Enter the keyboards and a clarinet. They got the deep funk going. A sax and scratchy guitar are added. B.B. Dickerson singing about the adventures of Cisco and Pancho, cowboys from the TV show "The Cisco Kid." Hey, I liked this show; I remember watching reruns of this show on Sunday morning right before "The Lone Ranger." Good Times! "Where Was You At" continues the funk. A handclap beat. A bluesy guitar and harmonica bring this to a New Orleans-style jazz-fusion. Lee Oskar hammered down on the harmonica. The self-titled "The World Is a Ghetto" slows it down. Why not in a 10-minute-long song. A wah-wah guitar, a sultry horn and more horns. A serious tone in another jazz-funk fusion. The vocals bring this into a soulful realm as they state that people from every background struggle and all the world is a ghetto. Tremendous song! The band really covers a lot of styles in this album, blues, jazz, soul, funk, Latin with percussion and even a New Orleans sound. There's multiple lead instruments and everyone is on on the vocals and percussion. There is a fair share of jamming and I can see how people might have issues with the song lengths (one at 10 and another at 13 minutes). But the highs on this album get quite high particularly in the soulful "The World Is a Ghetto" and bluesy "Four Cornered Room." A great album!

I already knew War because of the legendary song "Low Rider", but I had never stopped to listen to a full album and, I have to say, this is easily one of the best Soul and Funk albums I have ever listened to. Everytime I hear about the best albums in this genre, I hear names like Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield, but I never hear anything about this great band called War. They are very underrated, and they make top quality music. Their Wikipedia article is nothing more than a mere sketch and that is almost a crime. 5 stars of course!

This was amazing, super cool, long play Santana-like vibes on some tracks. love this.

Going into this album, I knew only 4 songs by War. The opening track here was one of them. And it's a song that has often annoyed me. But giving it a closer listen today, I heard so much more than I ever had before. It was still my least favorite track on the album, but I gained a far greater appreciation for it. As for the rest of the album, it's downright phenomenal. The slow jams, the lead vocals here and there, the harmony vocals, the rhythm section, the latin-infused funk grooves. The album just kept getting better and better. Easy 5 stars.

Absolute masterpiece.

dig it

A classic.

Funky Latin influence just sounded so good. Knew Cisco Kid but the other tracks were a delightful surprise

I had a great day letting this album weave its way through everything I did. I have a friend who loves this group. Now I know what I was missing.

Jak dla mnie perełka. Fantastycznie się tego słucha. Każdy z instrumentów robi genialną robotę, chłopaki wyśmienicie się bawią, a jednocześnie robią kawał solidnej muzyki. Chyba największym osiągnięciem tego albumu jest fakt, że choć każdy instrument dostał mnóstwo miejsca na indywidualne popisy i eksplorowanie ciekawych brzmień, to całość nie brzmi jak zbiór nieskoordynowanych solówek (I'm looking at you, modern jazz). Synergia wielu świetnych instrumentalistów na tym albumie jest dla mnie tym, co przesądza o jego wielkiej wartości. Plus to zwyczajnie buja od początku do końca. To jest niewymuszone, zabawne, jak flirt z muzyką i słuchaczem. Zdecydowanie album, który będę chciał mieć w swojej kolekcji, jeśli kiedyś będę miał jakiś kawałek swojego miejsca.

Perfect album. Great sound, great message, great performances. I just love '70s funk/soul. Could listen to this all day.

Slow, soulful, beautiful funk. Don't know what else to say.

This album is so fantastic. One of the favorite records I own

Great album.

More relevant and more powerful 50+ years later. Who makes music like this nowadays?

First half of pure soul and big sounds making it a fun listen, we go to the second half being psychedelic and transcending through cosmos in a whirlwind of sound

Such a groovy and funky album!!

Cool

Cracker, absolutely brilliant

I’m getting quite an education in funk here. Never heard about this before. This isn’t at all what I expected. Such a great range of expression, amazing dynamics, songs that are both jammy and catchy. Very intense emotional content. This is really a revelation for me and I want to explore the rest of the band’s catalog. Easy five stars and this is exactly the kind of album I want to learn about from this list.

Really loved iy

Really enjoyed this, funky, psychedelic goodness.

The Cisco Kid, immediately feels like i’m in a film. Vocals are raw and creating a big space for the instruments to flourish. The groove doesn’t die. Where Was You At, is incredible. The tempo changes, the choral aspect, pure rhythm. It seems like a very good way to call someone out for not being there as they should have been. City, Country, City, is taking me to church. And it’s not a church I know but I wanna be there. There’s so many layers but nothing is out of place. I want to be in a crowd of people dancing immediately. I would love to know how moving this was live! It does not matter this is a 13 min song, the way it flows through you, you won’t notice. Not a word is uttered. It’s musicians at the top of their game. Four Cornered Room, is a beautiful demonstration that every person in this band played a part. The big group vocals just show that they are one. As i’m listening i’m assuming that it is about dealing with people that have very limited perspective. Not fully understanding them but at least trying to talk it out. The vocals are beautiful, the tones, the runs and riffs, the soul! The World Is A Ghetto, the title track, of course doesn’t disappoint. The meaning is not hidden, they are grateful humans, they have come from the ghetto and they know that the wide world is not much different. There is always good and evil wherever you look, your mission is to keep your perspective as golden as you can. “Happiness is here, have your share. If you know you are loved, be secure. Paradise is love to be sure.” The instrumentation is nothing short of perfect. Beetles In The Bog, a quick burst of energy, packed with all the elements they’ve mastered. Big vocals, tight as fuck rhythm, and soul that genuinely can’t be taught. Need it on vinyl.

This is an incredible album. I hadn't really gone beyond "The Cisco Kid" and "The World is a Ghetto" but I loved the rest of it!

I have to agree that

Wow. I had no idea anybody cared about this band outside of "Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends," but I just really loved this. Progressive soul man, there's something about it. This is a truly great album.

Psychedelic Soul Jazz from 1972, although some of the tracks, "The Cisco Kid" for example, have a Reggae feel to them. The album still sounds great.

Classic.

Jazzy, funky, soulful. This is a very good record.

These guys are way more than the Lowrider song. This is a great album showcasing 70's funk at its finest blended with jazz, reggae, and brilliant jam band opuses.

This was a great find for me today. I'm sure I've heard it before because the album cover is so familiar (cycling back, I think I'm conflating with street corner talking) but none of the tracks were. Super cool, loved the groove and even the long songs kept my interest. Will come back to this one for sure.

I don’t know what I was expecting but not this! It’s great. A bit slow and relaxed, it grooves and flows, some soul and reggae.

Nice album. Lotta soul, great instrumentals, great vocal work! 'Four Cornered Room' was my personal fave.

At any one time I may say War is in my top ten band list. Although I never place any album of theirs in a top ten list, I find this record great and deserving. Nice beat, great lyrics, excellent musicians.

WAR! What is it good for? Making banging tunes mate. Loved this one

Having listened to this several times I can quite confidently declare this an absolute banger. I love the mixture of soul, funk, jazz and rock on this album. Definitely one of the most enjoyable albums to be randomly selected so far

The only War album I know but it is great, especially The World Is a Ghetto.

Really enjoyed this nugget of funk rock

Enjoyed this!

Superb. Really superb. A magnificent discovery. I greatly enjoyed hearing this album and I will listen to it again and probably again. 5 stars.

Nothing short of glorious

Lovely fusion of jazz, funk, and soul music. As comes with jazz albums, there are 10 minute instrumental singles, however, they're filled with enough switches and Tempo changes to make them feel shorter than they are. Definitely an album to be played and listened to multiple times and get a different feel each time. I'd give it a 9/10.

Make me dance

Nice album. Great funk band. Eric Burdon probably feels a little hard done by to not make the list but you know who else is not on here at all? Lionel Richie or Commodores. 3 Pet Shop Boys albums though. List is crazy.

The World Is a Ghetto is the fifth album by War, originally released in 1972. Man this is a dark, funky, psychedelic masterpiece. The way it's mixed makes the bass extra juicy. The lyrics are powerful while remaining catchy. Don't even get me started on that cover art... Apparently this album sold a shit ton and ended up winning Billboard magazine's Album of the Year for 1973. I was previously only familiar with War's work with Eric Burdon, so it was cool to see how this band progressed without him. They were definitely experimenting with jamming a bit more... a lot of these songs clock in at 8+ minutes. The jams are super tight though and don't seem to overstay their welcome at all. Banging album.

Easy listen. Varies between 70s rock and funk in my ears. Love the songs The Cisco Kid and City, Country, City.

Wish I had more words to express why I like this album, but the songs here don't need to overburden themselves with lyrics, so I hope the stars suffice.