Reviews (page 3 of 11)
Just a good funky album here. Cisco kid is so smooth
This….this is what war is good for
I'm afraid I cannot listen to this album because it makes me do things with my body that are unseemly for a white man of a certain age. This is for your own good.
Not my usual jam but I liked the funky jam vibe - have played it a few times and enjoyed grooving along despite a bit too much sax. Probably a 3 but the sunshine is nudging it up to a 4.
i liked it. very cool and psychodelic
really interesting album
A bit of me. Great grooves.
I enjoyed this opportunity to hear War beyond their singles and feel that this album does great justice to the band's artistic talent. Songs like Lowrider are catchy hits whose justifications for reaching popularity are obvious, but this album feels more like a true work of art from a collection of coordinated musicians, rather than some hit and miss attempts at commercial success. I think this speaks to the virtue of War's achievement in producing this genuinely high ranking album. However, the album is slow and takes patience to appreciate the many instruments coming and going throughout, and I feel that my patience was exceeded by the song Four Cornered Room, which is a very slow song following an already slow, 13-minute track in City, Country, City. While I enjoyed the long instrumental sequences featured on several of the songs, I feel they needed more counterbalance to their tempos.
24.06.2026
beautiful. i had never heard of war before so when i saw the name i assumed it would be metal. couldn't have been more wrong.
This was actually quite a groove to start out my work week. I haven't ever given War the listen, outside of Low Rider. This record was nice to get a little bit of many things. It had the disco feel, the funk, the groove of the 70s, some really good instrumentation, and was overall a smooth listen. Maybe this isn't their most popular work, but I wouldn't write it off either. It's got soul, funk, blues, jazz, and R&B in it. Just what the doctor ordered on a rainy Monday back to work.
Ytterligare än spännande ny bekantskap från den här tidsperioden. Det gjordes helt enkelt skitmycket bra musik runt 1970. Här gillar jag det jazziga anslaget utan att det någonsin slutar vara pop. Melankolin passar också en svensk lyssnare. En fyra.
Enjoyed it a lot
cool!
just the Right amount of 60s race politics (and occasional misogyny) to get phOnkyyyyyyy. good juneteenth pick. 3.5-5.
Dope
Groovy, mix of genres. More instrumental than lyric driven. Found out Janet’s “You” was a sample of one of the songs here.
Lovely, visual, varied.
Groovy as beans
9/10 ME ENCANTAAAAA.
lässig
8/10 Really enjoyable album. Kinda funky, groovy, soul vibe. Though the name of the album/tracks are evocative (indicating, perhaps, a perspective on politics of the early 70s), the lyrics don't do much more than just repeat the song titles ad nauseum and call it a day. Typical for albums of this specific genre of this specific time, but disappointing nonetheless. Regardless, I really like the album.
A really pleasant soul album that just kind of played on in the background and I enjoyed it a lot. Its not everyday music to me but when the mood hits I will definitely search this band up again.
3.5
Enjoyable. Isn’t as heavy as the album title suggests!
Hard not to groove to this. It has a pumping beat throughout the whole album which I feel would make it perfect for driving on a summer day with the windows down. Or next to a pool with a beer. I will try both asap. City, Country, City seems out of place but was a good song nevertheless.
I’ve seen this cover in the record store and told myself this was one to check out and I guess today is that day. This was a really great album. Very funky and soulful and jazzy. I like that in the longer songs space is left for each instrument to have their moment while the jam continues. Favorite songs were The Cisco Kid and The World Is A Ghetto.
Deep groove funk. Not mad about it.
Classic soul and funk beats.
I wasn't mad for this on first listen but returning led to better results.
Lovely blend of soul, jazz, and funk. Smooth as butter, but also had some liveliness to it that kept the whole album very dynamic.
Its diverse and incredible at times, but I think it's a bit too disconnected to be a 5 for me. On their own most songs are grand, together I feel the resonance lessens a bit
4 Love the first half but I feel the last 3 songs aren't on the same level
Gostei mais do álbum do que imaginei. Jazz e outros elementos com uma vibe urbana muito interessante. QoA Adonis New.
Loved it. This is the first time I’ve listened to this band, and I regret not finding them sooner.
I only knew War from the singles released when I was in high school. I never fully appreciated their musicianship
Great funk album!
Ontdekking!! Heerlijke soul-funk!
High 3
Really nice album but I like All Day Music more. This seems quite dark to me.
I could listen to The Cisco Kid all day. Rest of it isn’t grabbing me quite as much but still a solid four
This was fun and enjoyable for me. 4/5
A multi-layered album. Progressive soul — I haven't heard anything like it before. I'll remember it, I'll come back to this album later. For now, a 4
I was pleasantly surprised. The album flows beautifully and you start to hum the melodies almost immediately. I will be coming back to that record.
Enjoyed this one. Likely come back to it in the future.
experiência mt agradável e diferente. gostei mt. destaque na primeira faixa.
Funk has been a weird genre for me to navigate. It either feels too mellow or just a little too heavy-handed for me to really gel with it. War's approach here is sort of a middle-ground feel, loose and jammy and improvisational but with a solid groove, and when this album decides to go a little spacey (the sax solo in the title track, for example), it ends up being transportive and beautiful.
This feels experimental, a bit folksy I like the sound feel and the texture of noise. The church organs feel odd and clashing but I like it. This album feels like travelling through a city and really listening to everything.
This is a fun psychedelic album mixed with funky horns and great grooves. I really only knew War for the hits. Cisco Kid, Lowrider, Spill the wine, but this whole album really delivered. Pleasant surprise. I mean I thought I would like it, but was surprised for how great it was.
It's a groove! 4/5
Starts fantastic for the first three tracks, fantastic fusion of funk and Latin music and psychedelic rock and a bunch of other stuff, genuine treat for the ears and with some good snappiness in the energy and pace despite the track lengths. But then, the energy starts to waver in the back half and the song lengths start to feel a bit more present, and I don’t know, just loses me a bit in there. I can get down with a long blues-y tune or a long political ballad at the right time, but the songs don’t necessarily develop enough through the course of that length to keep me tuned in (whereas City, Country, City keeps that jamming turn-taking you need). Would happily come back for more War though.
The Cisco Kid 3.9 Where Was You At 3.7 City, Country, City 3.5 Four Cornered Room 3.6 The World Is a Ghetto 3.8 Beetles in the Bog 4 Score: 3.75
thoroughly enjoyed!! i think it could’ve done for one more uptempo song just to keep pacing smooth, and also ending on anything but a board fade would be nice. otherwise incredible!!
Oh hell yeah! This album rules.
It turns out that I consistently really like funk/soul/jazzy stuff, and this album is no exception.
yes i love this!! so funky and fun
After the first song this album was absolutely amazing
this is a vibey, cool, swanky little mix. i love that i can picture this scoring some 70's movie with a sexy main character leading the charge. would kill on a record player for sure!
8/10
Funk, groove and just a damn good time.
Amazing album by an amazing band! The title track has been one of my favorite songs for years! I’d always hear my dad playing it growing up, knew I’d love this album once I got it!
Love this band. So many amazing grooves.
Funky and smooth.
hab das eigentlich echt enjoyed, vor allem City, Country, City
Lots of great grooves on this record, and although it's largely full of long jams, I thought it maintained a strong sense of identity. 3.5 -> 4/5
I enjoyed this album, but I felt the quality declined as the album proceeded!
Funking awesome album. I’ve never listened to war, now I think I should
Damn good album from beginning to end. I didn't know most of the tracks on here, but it was a really enjoyable journey. This is why I started this list in the first place. I hope there are more hidden gems to come.
Really fun and groovy. Breaks a decent run of mid. RYM: N Saved a song: N
some very good songs. It’s been decades since I heard their music, good to listen to again.
expecting something more aggressively with a point of view, got a solid background to the revolution album
I am having a lot of fun listening to this one.
A very good album that features great musicianship and a killer title track. In fact, the whole second side is just a groove that is underappreciated by the majority of listeners, I'm sure. This listen through really got me reflecting on it.
Fav song: The world is a ghetto
I did not expect to like a THIRTEEN MINUTE INSTRUMENTAL nearly as much as I did! Really enjoyed this one (it's closer to a 5 than a 3); still settling my thoughts on a couple of the tracks, but really solid stuff! Never would have checked this out without this website, so thanks!
Good album. Mostly relaxing and low-key. Good background stuff.
This slaps actually
This was an easy listen and interesting and layered enough to warrant more plays in the future. Cool jams!
Okay, that’s the music I like. Not my favorite piece in the genre and it’d definitely feel better during some hot summer nights but I liked it, all of the tracks actually. City, Country, City and Four Cornered Room made me like the album, probably my favorite tracks here. This was good, will definitely listen to it again later.
Spill the Wine, Cisco Kid, 4 Cornered Room
This album is funky. Every single instrument is absolutely jamming, especially the bass. The lyrics on some songs can be pretty repetitive, but the vibe and feel that the tracks gave covers for it. The first two songs are solid, fun soul/funk meshes. Then the third track is a 13 minute jam. Probably my favorite on the album, the sax work on this alone makes the song so incredible.I love the fourth track too, definitely the most psychedelic song. This whole album is underratedly psychedelic, and it's brilliantly done if you fully engage with the sound. City, Country, City is so fucking good. It feels like such a journey too; hypnotizes you in and you're spit out in a trance into Four Cornered Room. The last two tracks are pretty good, just a little repetitive. Net very positive listening experience.
He’ll ya
This one captured my interest. I will definitely come back to it, as it sounds like the kind of album that will reveal itself over many listens.
Wow wow I had never heard of the group but godDAM that’s funky
Great album, has such a strong, distinct vibe. The World Is A Ghetto was my fav song and first listen. Four Cornered Room and The Cisco Kid were my other highlights
All I knew from War was Low Rider and this doesn’t have that same magic but still good. 3.5/5
Better than expected for me.
mi primer 4 star. de war siempre me ha gustado como suenan los coros. de este disco solo conocía the cisco kid (gracias gta v), pero la verdad esperaba que otros discos de war también estuvieran dentro de la lista de 1001. funky, groovy, all those good 70s things.
One of the most creative, diverse and unique groups to come out of the 70s funk era. Had only ever heard why can't we be friends but since hearing since this record I'm definitely excited to explore more of their discography. This album is only 6 songs long but you wouldn't necessarily know it if you didn't look at the tracklist as it spans over 40 minutes. Very enjoyable experience overall.
This was a very enjoyable funk album.
RATING: 9/10 HIGHLIGHT: The World is a Ghetto LOWLIGHT: Four Cornered Room
Okay!! Get your funk on
1. The Cisco Kid 2. Beetles In The Bog 3. City, Country, City
really good soul!! jazzy as well and high energy. really enjoyed this
I had the 45 of “Cisco Kid” in the 70’s…. I still love that song 🎸
Me encantoooo, me guarde el disco. La verdad muy bueno, lo voy a volver a escuchar varias veces mas.
Like the sounds sounds like New Orlens
The cisco kid - 4/5 Where was you at - 3/5 City country city - 4/5 Four cornered room - 4/5 The world is a ghetto - 5/5 Beetles in the bog - 3/5
The Cisco Kid City, Country, City Four Cornered Room The World is a Ghetto Beetles in the Bog
A bit of a surprise as I the only War song I know is the brilliantly funky banger, Low Rider. I guess I was expecting more of that but this very much slows things down and takes it's time. Thats no bad thing and perhaps makes me even more intrigued to explore how these two different sides of the group coalesce.
Acc p funky
Listening to this album feels like sitting in a smoke filled, underground club, and having your world transformed. This album is soulful, confident, humble, and... groovy. Amazing.
Nice, silky smooth, funky soul music for my ears today. City, Country, City is a nice instrumental. Just overall great. Though lack of hits makes me think this might not be their best. Isn't that the case with this list at times? 4
really really surprisingly good
Bueno. Diferente
Nice groove, enjoyed the songs getting longer
4/5
I really like War, and this album is fantastic. Admittedly there’s not as much replay value from this album as there is from some of their others, but it’s still great. “The Cisco Kid” and “The World Is A Ghetto” are my favorite tracks, but it’s a great album top to bottom. Wish I could rate this a 4.5, but I’m rounding down since it’s not quite up to par with my other 5 star albums of late. Still a really high 4 stars and definitely recommend!
Nice “Jam Funk”
This album is outside my wheelhouse, but I like two things about it: First, it evokes a specific time and place about as well as any album does. Secondly, it's groovy.
Something new for me. I liked the political messages and it resonated with me
Absolute PEAK
What a fine groove.
Fun and groovy and funky. Thoroughly enjoyed this classic banger of a record
This is a 70s funk album, which means it's probably a good time. It is a good time, but it's also pretty adept at conveying moods beyond optimistic happiness. The album is somewhat political, but not overly so. It has strong grooves that make the songs feel less lengthy then they are(Four Cornered Room didn't feel like an 8 minute song). This is necessary to this album, as the songs are very lengthy. "City, Country, City" especially felt like aimless noodling in spite of a held groove. It's not the only offender with regard to the noodling thing, but it's the biggest offender. It's still a fairly enjoyable album in spite of these extended songs filled with overlong solos that hurt, rather than help, the song. This is a strong early-70s funk album that needs some judicious editing to be a true masterpiece.
I didn’t know this at all. But it’s so smooth. And perfectly of its time.
I remember this album but it was never one of my go to records.
Good. Sad. But, good!
Very funky stuff, only thing I've heard from war previously is Low Rider which is ofc a banger, very catchy stuff on here
So funky. Not entirely my thing, but I enjoyed it.
A full album of Low Rider style vibes.
I liked it
7/10 War are an interesting band. Their big hits are pretty tight, hooky songs underpinned by solid, funky grooves, but outside of that, they had a tendency to be a bit more freeform and adventurous. This album showcases far more of that second type of track, with sprawling songs that shift and evolve over lengthy runtimes. The most remarkable thing about it for me was how natural and organic it all felt. The band members were completely in sync with one another at all times as different subtle changes took place throughout the music, but it always managed to sound both natural and somehow improvised, like there was a freedom for them to express themselves within the groove, but that never at any point effected the underlying vibe or flow of the track. They played really nicely with rhythm and timing, subtly switching to double-timed playing here and there in a way that was in no way obvious as it was happening. And the musicians all played a part too, with the groove very much being created by a combination of rhythms across both percussion and tonal instrumentation. They also took a bit of influence from jazz, with players taking their moments to solo and take centre stage, particularly in City, Country, City, but it rarely felt ostentatious. The whole thing kind of felt like an incredibly chilled out party where the band were playing the roles of both partygoers and entertainment. The production was fantastic too, and really enabled you to feel that vibe and listen closely to all of the different nuances that each player leant to each track. As with a lot of good production, it mostly kept out of the way, but when they wanted to get a bit weird, they were also able to use a bit of sonic experimentation to add a psychedelic edge to proceedings. I do think that music like this is the kind of thing that very much has the right listening environment, but it could work equally well as background party music as it could with a more focused listening experience if you wanted to really soak in the luscious vibe of it all. There were moments when things dragged a tiny bit, and I wasn’t vastly keen on the closing track, but overall it was a really enjoyable ride. The Cisco Kid - There’s immediately a great groove here with all of the parts lending their own little piece to the rhythm. The bass has some tasty little runs in particular, but all of the instrumental parts have a sense of freedom to the. Even though they spend a lot of the time holding the main groove, they do occasionally throw in little moments of individuality too. It very much has the feel of something that was written off the cuffs they went and refined by constantly playing the groove until they were ready to just get the engineer to press record and that’s a really cool vibe to capture. Where Was You At - They push the tempo now, but also play with half timing it in places which adds an interesting twist to the groove as the track progresses. Again, it all feels so compositionally fluid but rhythmically in sync which is a great combo. The harmonica parts are delicious and those shifts in tempo are surprising but well executed. Such a groove. City, Country, City - They do a great job of bringing in bits of different styles into the work. There’s a bit of latin flavour in here, a twist of jazz and a touch of country, but enough of a soulful base to give it it’s own sound that makes it still sound like War. It’s perhaps a touch on the self-indulgent side at over 13 minutes in length, but because they lean on the soloing and again, you can hear little moments of individual prominence from the other instruments, it manages to maintain interest well. And the key groove that goes under the solos is just hypnotically layered and groovy. It’s one to appreciate by lying back, settling in and enjoying the ride. Four Cornered Room - Oooh, it’s a nice slow burn of a groove here. It’s super laid back, but there’s something really compelling about the feel of the rhythm across the different instruments. The harmonica and gang vocals are a great vibe too. There’s some really great bits of production in here to give it a psychedelic layer over that sultry groove. It’s so slow paced that it progresses incredibly slowly, but the vibe is so excellent that it just takes you by the hand and guides you along at that pace. There are ebbs and flows to the intensity, largely from the vocals, but it all just adds dynamism without ever detracting from the über-chill tone. Excellent stuff. The World Is A Ghetto - It’s another chilled groove, although this has a little more zip to it than the last track. The passing round of the vocals is cool and every now and again they drop into these stripped back, funky moments that groove so hard, but as with much of the rest of the album, it all feels so fluid and smooth in transition. There are some lovely jazzy solos again. It’s effortlessly cool and smooth and the way it flips pace with the tiniest of tweaks to the groove is incredibly impressive. It happens so subtly that you often don’t realise it until you’re bobbing away to something that has just strolled in and taken over with little to no bravado. This is a great example of a band knowing each other acutely well and being able to shift and adapt completely in sync. Beetles In The Bog - Back to a bit more of that latin flavour. Again, the composite groove, created by layering all of those different instruments into a funky, soulful melting pot is great. This one, surprisingly for one of the shortest tracks on the album, does feel a tiny bit more aimless, as there are fewer solos and a bit less variety in the vocal parts. It almost feels like they realised they were running out of room on the record and didn’t expand and indulge in the parts that helped the other tracks to settle into a groove before dropping those parts with more nuance and inventiveness as the track progresses. It still wasn’t bad, just felt a little underdeveloped.
Cool!
They've got a sound - almost a chorus of singing, and some deep funk. Great songs - doesn't even have the big ones. The world is a ghetto - true for me and you; truer every day.
un album lento pero con muy buena mezcla de soul, jazz y reggae, todo mas que bien 8/10
Great jams.
Pretty nice, i liked it.
fortíssimo esse pqp estarei ouvindo mais vezes, mas eh pedrada máxima. soulzim psicodélico com uma pegada de jazz dum jeito bonito demais ce ta doido
Un clásico en toda regla
I'm not the world's largest fan of soul but I can tell ts is really good man
Not quite sure how to take this. It is better than a 3 and very close to a 4. I noted all the songs except the opening tracks on each side. I really enjoyed it though and would absolutely listen to it again. The world is a ghetto and Beetles in a bog were the standout tracks. 4 stars
I saw this described as "funk", but it felt very jazz to me. Really enjoyed this
Definitely some nice grooves here, the classic War sound with the Latin rhythms firmly in place. Some extended jams that get a little long, but still show off their musical prowess. Overall a pretty good listen.
increible 4/5 album de chill, muchos sonidos tranquilos y qlguno que otro movido pero muy solido y hasta emocional
8/10 Favorite: The World Is A Ghetto
And I always thought a “superfly” was a wasp. Some flies don’t even have wings.
Good fun.
I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this album. Especially four cornered room and beetles in a bog I was really grooving to. I think it just really hit the spot for me.
yeahhhhh!!!
This is fine, good even, but I wouldn't listen to it often.
Energetic, electric and funky! I knew wars singles but have never listened to much else. I have been presently surprised.
Had not really dug into war other than their hits. That was a mistake and I ask for forgiveness. This group is rad.
This was a pleasant surprise! A funky, laid back, and really enjoyable listen. 7/10 Quite Likeable
I found this fun, and would enjoy listening to it again. There was one song towards the end that was long and boring and almost ruined it for me, but it held out.
Not too much to say about this album, but I loved the combination of jazz and soul in the music here. I'll definitely return to this! Overall, a great listen. Favorites: The Cisco Kid, The World Is A Ghetto
Fantastic. Loved it.
Strong 4
Love late 60s into early 70s soul funky. And this ain’t changing that view. Just so alive, so in the groove. That slow slightly sombre groove, the Latin feel jazziness. Even though it's supposedly melancholy, musically Makes you glad to be alive. Wish I had heard this earlier, best thing I haven't heard in some time, probably a future 5 when I work my way through the sessions, but just cause it's new a 4 Star
3.9 Enjoyed that a lot on first listen that I wanted to give it a few more whilst. Listens 2&3 didn't quite achieve that initial sensation, but it is a pretty good album, helped by a really solid back half. Four Cornered Room and The World Is A Ghetto are great tracks. The rest are good, but not much more than that.
A stone cold jam fest. Good stuff!
c t super jusqu'à ce que je me rendre compte que les morceau dure 6 ans
あまり聞きなじみがないサウンドで面白かった。
Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Sounds like talented musicians making really good, at times experimental, music without caring whether or not it's mainstream. Short of being perfect due to the back half being a bit disjointed from the front half, however that shouldn't take away from the fact that this is a great album
So skillfully dynamic. Effortlessly stable while creating a completely new environment. There’s a fullness of sound that gives the listener a garden of beautifully dense stimuli. Faves: City, Country, City, The Cisco Kid
Highlights: Cisco Kid, The World Is A Ghetto and City,Country,City. 4.1
Good, definitely a few heaters in this one bud
I am a BIG Sly & The Family Stone guy and prior to this, the only War song I had heard was “Low Rider” so this was a pleasant listen! If you like the “Thank You for Talkin’ to Me, Africa” version of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (or that general Sly Stone era messaging) this may be the album for you. “The Cisco Kid” may be one of my favorite songs from this project yet. Some of the other songs just weren’t wordy enough for me but this is a great hot, summer, concrete jungle type album. Season: Late Summer Favorite Song: The Cisco Kid
Well I kind figured id like it by the start of the first song, but id felt that way before and been disappointed. I think the first two songs are my favorites. I like them for a lot of the same reasons I liked otis blue, but they feel a bit faster paced, a bit more exciting. Otherwise, I think the rest of the album is pretty good. Four cornered room felt a bit out of place for me, especially since the songs are so long, it felt like an extended intermission, and probably my least liked song of the album. But the second half of the album takes a bit of a more mellow approach anyway, so holistically, I think it's a nice touch. I wish The rest of the album was as good as the first though, overall I think my favorite was where was you at or cisco kid
This is a well-crafted record. It has elements of a whole lot of things, from funk to jazz to rock. The songs are catchy and the performances electric. It is a really enjoyable record.
There's a satisfying funk sound to much of this album, but it's also so much more than that. There are heavy notes of jazz, soul, and psychedelic rock. The two long jams are the highlights, with long instrumental passages that introduce different instruments, from harmonicas to saxophones. The drums are great throughout, providing a steady back beat that keeps the songs tight and not too jammy. "The Cisco Kid" is also great - it may be the dirtiest of the funk songs and has the most Latin flair. The other short songs are decent, but the one real drag is "Four Cornered Room," which is almost a blues song. It commits the sin of slowing things down to a crawl between the two of the most fun songs. Still, it's mostly a pacing problem, and it doesn't stop the album from being musically infectious while also containing a lot of important social commentary.
As someone who's always liked the Animals, I was worried that I'd miss Eric Burdon's presence on this one too much to give it a fair chance. As it turns out, I might like this better than the albums he was on? It's not really the best funk jam album I've ever heard, but you know, I just haven't heard enough funk jam albums lately so it was just what I needed this week.
04/03/2026. Cisco starts of STRONG, the perfect amount of forehead creasing, lip pursing, head bopping. This is right up your alley. where was you at - where was i at my whole life, this song is THE main character arc intro sequence walk through the park, through every picturesque neighbourhood, seeing the beauty of life on your bike before the story starts. city country city tells a story, it enchants you through small dimly lit streets, bustling corners, neon signs at night as a city comes alive and people come to be free to be another version of themselves. the sax gets a little zingy in the middle could be deeper, but the zing wakes you up. FOUR COURNERED ROOM 8.1/10 - sultry, this is what sinners wanted to be if it was set in the 20s/30s and feel the soul/blues vibe. the world is a ghetto 10/10 - no notes
Lovely grooves
Fun, funky soul. Great listen.
Very good album, funky psychedelic and kept me on my toes. Could definitely see this go up. 4/5
Instrumentals were nice
Un gran album de soul con tintes de jazz que se me hizo muy cómodo de escuchar.
This album is capital C cool. The spoken word, the jazz, the instrumentals, I really loved it.
Funky and soul soothing
It was musically interesting though not to my taste. I didn't mind it, but probably won't seek out more.
City, country, city is when I decided I like this album. First one on the list that I listened to twice in a day.
i loved this! a solid 4.5 for me, brought down only by a few tracks in the middle that feel slower than they need to be
Groovy and smooth. A sound often imitated but never replicated. I like this a lot more than their hits.
Ugh. You know when one of my pieces of whatever this is I’m doing starts with “Ugh,” I’m not fired up about listening to this music. War isn’t my favorite band. In fact, they’re way down the list. I liked Low Rider about the first 1,200 times I heard it, but it makes me cringe now. Same thing with Spill the Bottle and Why Can’t We Be Friends. The good news is that it seems Eric Burdon of the Animals is not with them on this album. I like the essence of Eric Burdon, but I don’t think much of him as a singer. Welp, let’s do this. Track 1 is The Cisco Kid, and it’s funky. Ooooh-wee. Just a slow funky jam. It was the highest charting single for War off this album as it peaked at number 2 in 1973. The lyrics were inspired by the old TV Western, The Cisco Kid. me Track 2, Where Was You At, is another funky jam. It really reminds of Sly & the Family Stone. War combined a lot of genres into becoming kind of their own genre. They had funk, soul, R&B, Latin beats, jazz, blues, and African beats. They were a melting pot of some of the best music at the time. These first two songs were too short. Now, Track 3, City, Country, City, is over 13 minutes long, and it starts out with a gospel-like organ and flamenco guitar. Whoa, now here’s a harmonica. This sounds like a Hoyt Axton or Tom T. Hall groove. It’s country, but still pop. Now we’re getting funkier. The song has now added a sax solo, and it just gets better. When the sax comes in, the song turns into the outro jam from the Rolling Stones’ Can’t You Hear Me Knockin.’ I love it. I imagine they recorded this all in the same room with the full band. You can hear people kind of yelling, “Yeah!” and “Whoo!” What a jam. Wow, after an extended percussion and organ jam, the song has now slipped into a bluesy Pink Floydian type slow jam closer. That was a great song. Side two begins with track 4, Four-Cornered Room, and it picks up on where City, Country, City left off with a slow blues creep. The group comes in with some spooky type Ooooooooh, Whoooooo, Oooooooo, OoooWhoooos. This is badass. This song is very psychedelic. It’s foreboding. You’re waiting for something bad to happen. The group vocals give me a bit of the Blind Boys of Alabama vibe. Track 5 is The World Is a Ghetto and we’re already getting funky. Very soulful sax solo in the middle of this song. Again, very slow-moving. If these songs were kicked up to double time, the album would be about 20 minutes long. I read that one of the top music critics at the time didn’t like the album as much as he thought he would because all the songs were slow. He labeled it “blackstrap-rock,” after blackstrap molasses, I assume. I love the slowness. I’m a huge doom and stoner metal fan, and a lot of those songs are just slow-moving bulldozers of riffs. While War is far from doom metal, on this album, the band moves slow and funky. If this album were a woman, it’d be THICC. Last track, Beetles In the Bog, it was the B-side for The Cisco Kid. It’s one of the shorter songs on the album at 4 minutes. It reminds me of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk. The horns kind of sound very similar, and the groove is spot on. Tusk came out in 1979. According to Wikipedia, this album was number one on the Billboard album charts and was Billboard’s Album of the Year, as it was the best-selling album in 1973. That’s amazing. I’ve not heard any songs off this album until today, or never heard anyone speak about this album. Which is dumb, because this album totally changes my view on War. This album was great. Much like a lot of pop music, only the least of a group’s singles become the big hit everyone knows, hence Low Rider being War's most well-known song. Though it's not the worst song ever, by any means. I’m adding this album to my new finds rotation. I don’t know how must-listen the album is, but if anything I wrote in here tickles your gizzard, then you should check this out. Plus, they have deluxe editions of the album out with more music from the recording sessions.
The album opens with 'Cisco Kid' - a swaggering yet repetitive number that will have you singing along to the chorus on the first listen. Things get a touch proggy with 'City, Country, City' begins. It is a funky 13 minute instrumental piece that feels like it could soundtrack a police chase scene in a blaxplitation flick. The progressive elements continue into the the next track, with 'Four Cornered Room' featuring trippy vocals phasing in and out and repeative instrumentation that almost feels tribal. I admire how this record can balance being experimental and being commercial so well. You've got 3 minute singles sitting alongside extended jams seamlessly. The album is a melting pot of funk, soul and Latin music. The vibes are immaculate here, with the mood always focusing on good times.
Liked: The Cisco Kid, Where Was You At, The World Is A Ghetto Added: The World Is A Ghetto
I really liked this. A bit funky, a bit prog, good fun. Almost gave it 5.
Jazzy, soulful R&B. No one does it better than War.
ok funk
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - I love this album. Cisco Kid and the title track are especially funky but the whole thing grooves like hell. Really, really good.
Interesting but not one for me even though I generally like funk and soul
Yuh
Standout Songs: The Cisco Kid Where Was You At The World Is A Ghetto Beetles In The Bog
Love it
'Cisco Kid" so fantastic Sublime does a cover
This was a pretty cool album! I knew the first song already but hadn't heard the others. My favourite was Four Cornered Room.
Very enjoyable instrumentation and song progression despite having some heavy lyrical content and focus.
Have only got to know War recently, only previously being aware of Low Rider and not really sought them out. Ohhhh how amazing to be able trace backward to so many fantastic recordings. This is my first date with The World is a Ghetto, and had a great time with it over many plays. So rich. So soulful. So funky. Stand out track are 1: Cisco Kid - for it's funky groove and the percussion on... everything. I can't help myself but move to it. 4: Four Cornered Room. Deep, deep, soulful sounds, with a lyric and slow, rolling rhythm that are a match made in heaven. 5: The World is a Ghetto (title track). I hear influences from this funky soul in some of my favourite contemporary blues/rock bands. 4.5 So good. Number tracks: 6 Fave track # 4: Four Cornered Room Others (already listed above) Date: 09/02/26
Another difficult one to rate. I want to like this one more, because I've always been a fan of War, and I like their music. The (original) album, though (which I think is what we're rating), is just 6 songs, including 3 longer ones. Maybe if I listened a second time, I'd like it more? But still, it's not like I don't like it - on the contrary. I was gonna give it a 3.5, but then I realize that's less than I gave Cars and Kraftwerk, and in some ways I like this better than both of those (LOL). *Sigh* - I give it 4 stars (and kind of wish I could change Cars, at least, to 3.5).
zoom zoom zoom I think this is a rare combination of catchiness and spacious jamming. I really like the vocals on 4 & 5, but the instrumentals are also excellent throughout. I think they managed to make a cohesive album while including plenty of variety (something I value highly). I also tend to prefer music that prioritizes the sound over the lyrics, and I think that is done here
Never heard this, a revelation, love it!
Super fun groovy album. A little long on some of the songs but really enjoyed.
I was feeling as I think this album would want when I listened, and it hit me right. Band is incredibly tight. I had a vague recollection of the chorus to Cisco Kid, but re-listening - yeah, so fuggin grooving. Just not in love with rest of the tracks. Had to look these guys up, holy shit, didn't realize all that was them. As a band 5, the album 4.
The World is Ghetto is an outstanding funk record. I loved the fusion of sounds and genres. There is a lot of complexity to this music. This was the album that launched War into fame and secured their place as one of the best funk/soul artists in history. It is hard to believe that the album beat out the Dark Side of the Moon as album of the year, mostly because of how infamous the latter has become. The fact that it was the best-selling album that year was probably a reflection of collective burn out from psychedelic prog rock when it was released. I’d never listened to this album in its entirely before, but this will certainly not be the last time that I do. This is another band worthy of deeper exploration.
feels like i'm riding down the boulevard with a long ass fag in my mouth in my drop top convertible otw to god knows where. love the psychedelic mix of funk, soul and blues. city, country, city does not need to be 13 mins. 4/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Funkigt, atmosfäriskt och med inslag av latinska rytmer. Ett trevligt album att ha på i bakgrunden och bara pågå. Flera av spåren är långa och och kan byter riktning flera gånger vilket gör att de inte känns monotona. Bäst tycker jag om City, Country, City. Det som kanske drar ner lite är att det är få spår som verkligen sticker ut men det å andra sidan är dess styrka att låtarna nästan flyter ihop och att det blir ett enda långt groove. Ger det en svag 4a.
Never heard of these before or the album and it is QUALITY! Such a good groove, nice mix of instrumental, melody and vocal. Really pleasantly surprised. Lovely little break down in the middle for the 13 minutes of ‘City, Country, City’ Will be listening to this again and close to 4.5 but maybe just 4
shocked this album came out in 1972, sounds way ahead of its time and the extended jamming parts on here are amazing. would never have thought to listen to this without it being generated but i'm really glad i did.
i love how this challenge is allowing me to listen to super cool things outside the box. love the horns here.
Great survey of ways that Funk music could go at this time .
Very nice proto Funk Jazz defining album for the genre
Enjoyed it
The Cisco Kid was not much of a friend, always seemed kinda lame eatin’ dem salted peanuts out da can. But once you get through the opening song, The World Is A Ghetto is an excellent album and a great entry to The 1001 Must Hear List. Got some funky jazz goin’ on, and even the long tracks kept my interest. War kills it with this one at (4.3*s) I always associated Eric Burden with The Animals…
love funk, but some songs were not my cup of tea
Mais um álbum de soul. Comparado com o Marvin Gaye esse tem um som mais seco e rítmico, me lembra em parte o tipo de dance-punk nova-iorquino que surgiria uns anos depois.
The only thing I had previously heard from War was “Low Rider.” This album was excellent-great mix of funk/soul/jazz/rock/R&B. Very cool and unique.
This genre is new to me, I loved it!
Listened while driving to Costco. Great bass grooves, excellent solos. Just a good old nice jazz record, can't say much more than that.
Easy and nice...
Pretty groovy! I liked City, Country, City. A nice, focused change from the odyssey we had yesterday. Light 4.
Really good funk rock with a touch of Latin jazziness thrown in.
This was a lot of fun. Never heard any of this before but this band can groove.
Loved it. Very funky.
Kul. Večinoma jih poznam zaradi albumov z Eric Burdonom, nikoli še nisem samo War zadev poslušala. Všeč mi je, k se definitivno sliši, da je to isti band, od katerega poznam zgodnejši material, ampak evolved, trying different stuff. "City, Country, City" je kr amazing - 13 minut, ki te ne zdolgočasi. V bistvu te le popelje na celo potovanje. "Four Cornered Room" mi ma mal drug vajb, k ostali komadi do zdaj. Tempo počasnejši, chill, mal temačno zveni. Na splošno, ful fajn album. Will listen again.
There were a couple songs that I’d heard before and liked, I really enjoyed listening to this one all the way through.
My highest rated album yet and Aunt Trish’s lowest 🤣🤣. Faves in album order: The Cisco Kid City, Country, City Four Cornered Room
j'ai trouvé ça pas mal groovy
J’étais pas convaincu avec les 2 premières chansons. Mais dès que city, country, city, avec son rock-funk instrumental de 13 min a commencé, j’ai été conquis. Four cornered room aussi, avec son rythme lent. Du bon stock!
Never really explored War too much, even though I liked the few songs I had heard. This hit all the right notes for me, and had an extremely groovy feel.
Dang, this was great. Bad on me for thinking they were simple one or two hit wonders. I would not complain if I was at a band and this entire album played.
Fun, solid grooves. When these guys get repetitive, I can dance to it. Not that I would.
Coincidentally, this vinyl was already sitting in my NOW SPINNING rack from listening to this the day before we got it for this project. I listened again anyway. It’s a really good album. Not quite a 5 War is also a very good band. They made some great music. This is my favorite of their theirs. Mostly because of nostalgia. My copy is from my father’s old collection.
Really solid groovy, almost experimental type funk.
a good time!! really fun! i love a (mostly) instrumental album. so fun. i loved four cornered room
War has a very solid sound on almost everything they do. Really tight and inventive and so easy to sit back and enjoy. Great album.
Great sound. The perfect kind of album to get a weekend morning started. Relax a bit, take your time, do some chores. It flows on. Beetles in the Bog made me want to dance.
Funky, soulful, jazzy, scrumptious. This is not an everyday record but it satisfies the soul with soul. It gets a 4 as an album that can widely be enjoyed in many relaxing settings.
Pretty decent album. Didn't mind it one bit.
Funky 3.8/5
This felt like a really fast listen.
Overall decent album!
I think the only War song I knew was "Low Rider" and I was pleasantly surprised by this! "City, Country, City" "The World is a Ghetto" and "Beetles in the Bog" were faves on here.
Mmm Yeah The long instrumental tracks are great. I love instrumental Funk like this and the cover art is amazing too. Definetly recommend this for background music.
I simply love it, the chill but at the same time moving vibe is amazing Fav songs - The Cisco Kid, The World Is A Ghetto 4/5
Pretty good!
very summery
Courtney: might be tied with my favorite so far Craig: liked it
Funky with some filler. 8ish
I enjoyed this and would happily listen to it again.
“Wonder when I’ll find paradise Somewhere there’s a home sweet and nice Wonder if I’ll find happiness Never give it up now I guess” A really fun listen. Funky and danceable in places but lots of room for freeform improvisation which showcases the chops of the individual players. The underpinning themes of the songs that contain lyrics are well thought out and don’t tread on the feet of the music at all. An album that wasn’t particularly on my radar that I’m very glad to have heard.
War are a band I've known a couple of hit songs from but wouldn't have thought to listen to a whole album, I'm glad I have now though. Honestly good music to clean to if you're feeling unmotivated and wanna move slow
Enjoyed this.
Para ser un disco tan exitoso y con tantos premios y elogios, nunca lo había escuchado. Estoy consciente de la existencia de War y algunos de sus éxitos, pero este disco, y la banda en general, me habían pasado por alto. Lo bueno del ejercicio de esta lista es que precisamente permite descubrir algunas joyitas, como este mismo disco. Soul, funk, jazz y, justamente como dice otro participante, hasta un poco de reggae, hacen una mezcla fantástica. Y dura menos de 45 minutos!
War! What is it good for? 43 minutes of good time.
3.8 roughly
Really nice album, wasn't expecting it to be rich and sultry.
Me dan ganas de tocar guitarra así mal y sentirme bien pro
I liked the shorter songs a lot, the instrument sounds & vocals put me in such a good mood. For the longer songs, they made me want to put them in a playlist for a dinner party or something. So fun!! I want to own this on vinyl now.
This was an unexpected gem for me. I really enjoyed this jazzy, funk soul album. A great groove. 4.5/5
Biggest selling album of 1973. Warm fuzzy grooves. Great summer vibe.
Whre Was You At
Loved revisiting this one today...
Álbum delicioso para se ouvir após fumar um baseado ou enquanto você janta com um date. Também pra voltar de bike num finalzinho de tarde quente.
Enjoyed this one from start to finish. Not too long - but had some great tracks!
CLASSIC 70S FUNK.
War at their best after the collaboration with EB
I will listen to this one again for sure
This is ride music. Unwind music. Sit back and enjoy music.
very soulful, super laidback tunes. not my usual sort of thing but I’ll give credit where it’s due and this was good
Jammy, jazzy, genre bending!
instrumentals
I only saw War from low rider, otherwise I don’t know anything 🤷♀️ Cisco kid - ok rlly groovy intro love, the bass lick and guitar is rlly cool also very groovy, feel like im waiting in line to get in the club that u go to all the time definitely Where was you at - more upbeat, the call and response is a nice touch 😛, also very groovy City, country, city - ok organs, ok guitar solo, rlly like that this one is more mellow, 13 MINUTES ???!!! I just checked what, kind of reminds me of the King Crimson album with all the switches and changes in one song 😛 nice background music Four cornered room - also another long one dang, slower and calmer, I think this one drags on just a smidge but it’s still nice to listen to 😛 The world is a ghetto - omg this one is rlly long too, still very groovy Beetles in the bog - ooo I like this one, groovy but more upbeat if that makes sense, I like the layered vocals a lot to sound fuller, is that a saxophone?? 👀 OVERALL: i love the grooviness and swagger throughout the whole album, I thought it had a rlly strong start, but as I realised how long each song was, it dragged on a little bit 😬 but the beats and rhythm were so good that it didn’t make that much of a difference 🤷♀️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
It took me a while to find my footing with this album - the world in which it was Billboard's Album of the Year in 1973 seems, if anything, even more foreign to me than the days when showtune soundtracks would win that award. The key lies in understanding that this is the trap music of its era, in both senses of the term - frequently hazy druggy, and inert, but also fundamentally about the sense of being *trapped* in your circumstances, with escape available only in your mind. That's why the lyrical compositions - imagining oneself as a cowboy (based on a TV rerun, naturally) and confronting the reality of literal and interpersonal jail on "Four Cornered Room" - hit the way they do. And it's why the title is inverted in relation to the actual movements on "City, Country, City" - when these guys are in one place they are always dreaming of the other. I don't know if I love this album but I find it fascinating to think about.
Rough around the edges, funky, soulful, full of grooves that stick in your head. This holds up against and maybe even tops any album by P-Funk or most 70s soul/funk albums.
Patiko, labai kažkokia nerimastinga buvau, gan nuramino ir atpalaidavo.
Well this was kinda unexpected with sprawling tracks but the instrumentation is great overall and though it's easy to forget you're listening and it can slip in the background, there are things worthy of returning to.
This slaps. Title track was probably the strongest, but i will be revisiting. 4 Stars.
vocals go crazy 🥇where was you at 🥈the world is a ghetto 🥉city country coty
Kind of weird they picked only one War album and it doesn't have any of their hits on it. Overall a fine album though, this is right in between a 3 and 4 for me, but I will round up. Low 4.
Really chill soul R&B type music.
I really liked the music, mixing funk and soul, jazz and a touch of reggae. I would like to listen more by War, I didn't know them, and they have pleasantly surprised me. 3,75/5.
War’s 1972 masterpiece blends funk, jazz, and Latin rhythms into a soulful exploration of social reality. From the infectious "The Cisco Kid" to the sprawling, psychedelic title track, the musicianship remains peerless. While some instrumental passages meander, its grooves and poignant message remain timeless. A definitive 1970s classic.
nice shift from all the same-y stuff i've had so far. reallllllly enjoyed this one
Me gustó, me puso a bailar
Original funk and soul - I had never heard this one before. The centrepiece 10 minute long The World is a Ghetto is worth 4 stars on it's own.
I don't have a ton of patience for jam bands but the number of times I had the reaction "it would be cool to sample this" redeems this for me.
Great sound. Upbeat, hard to dislike
I enjoyed this album!
I have been aware of the band, and know the hit songs very well. Why Can't We Be Friends was one of my favorite songs when It came out. However, aside from that album which I've probably heard at some point, I've never listened to any others. I was quite excited to play this today and get more from them. And it was a very enjoyable listening experience too. The Cisco Kid is the only song I knew on the record, so it was a good place to start, and I liked Where Was You At too. But things really started cooking with City, Country, City. This was a very fun mix of funk, soul, and jazz with a variety of instruments taking over at various times that kept my head bopping the whole time. The only song on the album I didn't absolutely connect with was Four Cornered Room. It wasn't bad at all, but it was the weakest for me. But I loved The World is a Ghetto so that was quickly forgotten. Overall this was another really great reminder of why I started doing this project.
long songs, but love
I'm glad I have discovered this band, new to me kind of! Obviously heard the top 2 Spotify songs, but this album is excellent
Bom álbum, músicas full anti tik-tok, tem umas muito longas.
This was a surprise, all songs are pretty good but the one that hooked me was City, Country, City, The first minutes of it specifically.
Loved listening to this. Great music all around.
Ei ihan parasta aktiivista kuunneltavaa, mutta oivaa musiikkia hommien taustalle vaikka. Harmillisesti ihan liian pitkiä kappaleita, mutta menevää menoa muuten.
Funky, lots of instrumental which could be appreciated better played as a vinyl. Fav songs - The World is a Ghetto & The Cisco Kid I’d add this album to my collection
It felt like an iconic, powerful, and influential album. 7/10.
Album review 022 The World Is A Ghetto by War (1972) Rating 4/5 Only 6-tracks long but those tracks all pull together so well to paint a dark and almost mournful-sounding picture. Slow, funky and soulful, The World Is A Ghetto still sounds good more than 50 years after its release.
Love Cisco kid
A pleasant surprise.
Hatte nicht mal den Namen vorher gehört. Tolle Neuentdeckung für mich. Mir gefallen die Vocals und das "Jammige" mancher Songs. Werde mich damit weiter beschäftigen.
Funky stanky forward free
it’s groovy i dig it
My love for funk, jazz, soul and everything surrounding it came through on this album. Really enjoyed it. 4/5
Not my favorite album, but it's solid!
Also Experimental. Very fun to listen to.
This is my kind of shit. Hell yeah.
Really enjoyed this album, great bass lines and the title track slaps
I love when a band can have such an iconic sound through vibes alone, and not always need vocals.