Reviews (page 7 of 12)
Expansive soul rock - this is car chase music, but going through the bad side of town. Favourite tracks: Cisco Kid, Four Cornered Room, The World is a Ghetto
Amazing instrumentation, interesting, doesn't over stay it's welcome.
3.5 Urban Soul with a touch of Latin rhythms is highly enticing. Given the climate of the early Seventies, War was welcome. Over the years, its excellent singles ("The Cisco Kid") and the superior but underrated deep cut ("City, Country, City") have held up very well. However, what was once a door opening to Latin music is now bested by the output of Fania Records.
Classic soul/funk/whatever album
3.33
Not for me. 1/5
made no impact on me but it's alright
Loved this album from the Get Go! Funky bass and percussion will always win me over. A jet service straight to the 1970’s. Elements of the Caribbean mingle in the streets of Latina America and the American Ghettoes. The perfect combination for an all round sound of funky soulful reggaeish beats x
Kind of meh
Smooth, funky, summer-time soul. This would be a great record to own, as it fits the "throw it on and go about your day" vibe really well. Felt like every single track could be sampled 20 different ways for some of the best contemporary beats you could hear. Only wish I could've listened while sitting on a block in Baltimore.
Funky jams. Kind of makes me sad that "music" isn't actual instruments being played anymore. Apart from groovin' and playin', not a lot else going on here. Fine as background music.
Decent. I like the slightly psychedelic tones of "War". Pretty groovy as well. 3/5
Brilliant album. Need to listen to more War.
I always felt that War can be a bit repetitive. Their big hits "Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?" jams on one riff and they S-T-R-E-T-C-H it out WAY too long. This album, the songs are still loose and one-riffy. The longer songs, however, expand on the ideas and all of the members of the band get a chance to play. I liked the dichotomy of "City-Country-City," how it would go from harmonica (country) to saxophone (city). It was very effective as an instrumental, even if it clocked in at over 12 minutes long. As a whole, I liked the album, but felt some of the songs could have been shorter to be more effective. But I would still listen to it again. Top tracks: "The Cisco Kid," "City-Country-City," "The World Is A Ghetto"
I find it funny every time I get an album from a band that I think I know, without any of the songs I know them for. It means either the band was better or deeper than their big hits, or the critics/list sees something I and the masses don't. I think this is a bit of both. I really dug The Cisco Kid - and it has that jazz/soul pseudo-funk these guys were known for (think Spill the Wine and Lowrider). But because these guys are progressive soul, I guess that means you get these long 10+ min jam session songs like City, Country, City and the title track. And I felt like they wandered a bit - don't get me wrong, they had some strong musicianship but they could've been shorter and just as effective. Not surprising that my second favorite track was the 3min Where Was You At. Four Cornered Room was a solid bluesy soul effort, including the almost 3min instrumental intro, but again at 8.5min it goes on longer than it needs to (trim the outro). The title track really is something but tighten the outro and the interlude in the middle - lost me a bit there. I feel like it's around a 3.5 for me but probably closer to a 4 so I'll round up.
Very cool, chill album. The high point for me was the sax solo in the song The World is a Ghetto. Outstanding. Pretty much enjoyed the whole album - the only weakness would be City, Country, City was too long, but still sounded cool. Right now I'd call it a 4.5, but I'll round up to 5 since every time I listened I enjoyed it more.
5/10
War on imperialism
Funk sauce. “Cisco Kid” is a great leadoff. But War ain’t playin’. “Four-Cornered Room” and “The World is a Ghetto” are confrontational and angry tracks. Sometimes the music doesn’t match the lyrical intensity - “City, Country, City” is a way-overlong snooze. But War is cool and they say the things that matter in their cool, easy way.
Lot of nice tunes. Feels really alive and warm. Funk and Soul in the right space. (3.5/5.0)
Dad- NA Mom- 8 Mike- NA Lori- 8.5 Michael- 8 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 8.17
Æ hadde skrevet nokka om det, men det forsvant tydeligvis. Æ likte det, men ikke så mye at æ nødvendigvis kommer til å gjenlytte.
Good vibes with this one. Songs a bit to lengthy but good summertime album.
meh
Funky and jazzy, always glad when this style of music lets itself jam with some longer songs, fits it perfectly.
3.5/5
Masterpiece! It's easily comparable to "What's Going On", but in a funkier way. A hidden gem that deserves to be praised.
City country city is v great This is what the eagles would sound like if they we’re war protesting hippies instead of the cocaine kind Loved the jamming and the screeching sax
Not for me.
Starts out cool, middle of the album is kinda weak, and finished ok
Not really for me
Not bad, just kind of boring
Did not stop tapping my feet throughout this whole album. Incredible layering, space for a jam to breathe and solo improvisations to take the center without becoming boring or wearing out the welcome of the central riff - perhaps a testament to the rhythm section most of all.
"Slaps" - Trent McLees
Another album I wanted to like more than I did. Long jamming but little pay off. Listenable but not that inspiring
Really enjoyed this- eclectic, interesting listen
Not my thing - but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate what's going on here - and appreciate it, I do.
This is a really unique blend of rock, jazz, reggae and psychadelia that massively works for me. It's content to wander & take its time but isn't afraid to ramp up when necessary. And I'm not much for Jazz but its contribution here is essential. Great album, high 4.
The funk overstays its welcome on a lot of these tracks. The music is competent and kind of fun, but nothing really resonated with me outside of the album’s closing number, Beetles in the Bog. I can’t see myself revisiting this particular album by the War again. Though learning these guys did Low Rider and Why Can’t We Be Friends came as a bit of shock. A shame they didn’t come up on this record! ⭐️⭐️
Yes! Funky and soulful, it’s giving Funkadelic vibes. I loved it and was grooving in my chair while working. Listened through twice in a row. Highlights: City, Country, City, and Four Cornered Room.
This was actually nice to work with. I don’t think I would ever choose it by itself, but while being busy it was calming but kept me awake. cool.
Throwback! I don't think I'd heard "Cisco Kid" since I was riding in the back of my parents' station wagon. Laid-back funky soulful rock - the album cover seems to really match well. Hard to be in a bad mood listening to this album; I'll definitely add to my collection - long overdue. 7/10 4 stars.
Conscious funk, sophisticated but still gritty
Hm… trudno mi się zdecydować. Lubię taki bujający jazz, ale ta płyta nie była wyjątkowa. Miała swoje momenty, gdy wchodziły etno inspiracje, ale ogólnie chyba będzie to po prostu mocne 6/10, bo minął jeden dzień a już nic z niej nie pamiętam.
This is another new finding for me. Full of sounds I followed with pleasure.
suena muy guapo, un asalto al alma
6/10. Great instrumentals but gets a bit repetitive after a while. This might work at a specific mood. Cisco kid is a great opener though!
I like the vibe, but not really anything I'd relisten to in particular much.
I keep returning to this one. Every song is a vibe that's really resonating with me - I think I'm learning that I love soul.
Funky fresh. Great funky, jazzy, soul-tinged vibes for a late night.
This might have caught me on the wrong day, but so much of it felt annoying that I can’t say I enjoyed it. Nearly every song on the album started okay, then ran way too long and overstayed its welcome and eventually got annoying. Not a good album to listen to when extremely tired.
I was expecting something groovier and more latin influenced from the band that brought us Low Rider. Heartbroken to say that this fell flat for me.
This is a really good album but it didn't hit at as a 4 for me yet. I think if I am listening to it next week still I will bump it up. It has a lot of great highlights but it wasn't as cohesive as a 4 should be. But I do appreciate it.
I couldn't work out why some of these slow jams are long and some are short. How do they decide when to end? There are no builds, no climaxes. Listening to the single version of the title track doesn't help. It is makes no difference if it is four minutes or ten, unless you're using it to time an egg. 1.5 This is boring, no? So much rehearsal room time spent fashioning fancy grooves and, as is often the case with groove-making, no one noticed that there wasn’t much worth grooving about. The base melodies here are dull, however 6 or 7 good musicians (too often playing all at once) may dress them up and drag them out. 1.5/5
A pretty good album with no great songs to make it a classic. 3.5 stars
Lovely, funky, jazzy, bluesy, psychedelic stuff.
Finding a gem like this is why I wanted to do this challenge. I knew the radio hits but honestly had never gone deeper than that with War. I regret that now that as this was outstanding. In the instrumentals I heard some Traffic and I heard some Allman Brothers, really good stuff here. This is going in the library and I will queue up some more to listen to as well.
I liked this less than expected. It started off a bit too slow for me, and while I liked the latter songs more, it still fell a bit short.
Another example of the environment where I listened impacting my vote 😂👙⛱️
Favoriten Four cornered room The world is a ghetto Beetles in the Bog City, Country, City
Helt ait, behagelig lytt, men ikke no crazy
Soulful and very rich. Very very cool.
One of the first albums I bought. Holds up
My schedule didn't let me listen to this as much as I should have, but I appreciated the raw emotions throughout. It is on my list for a re-listen to better immerse myself
I enjoyed this album much more than I expected, I really liked the sound through multiple songs.
9.3/10
A decent album. There was a lot of repetition lyrically. It would be good to have on in the background.
A good, funky album. I don't spend a ton of time listening to funk. Most of my experience comes from Vulfpeck. But this was good, I enjoyed it.
I could not recommend this album less, it’s like listening to paint dry.
4.2
Why
funky
Was alright but more like background noise tbh. Nothing special 3 ⭐️
ummm yeah that ruled. almost every time i’ve gone into my local record store and shazamed whatever the owner is listening to it’s been war SO i expected to like this…and i did! fav tracks: cisco kid; four cornered room; the world is a ghetto
i enjoyed it! i didnt realize when it ended so i feel like i cant fully comment on how it felt as an album lol i accidentally listened to the radio for like five songs afterwards. but i did really like the first few songs in particular when i was paying better attention.
It sounds like a revolution. I like it.
the soul side of the moon
No doubt a great soul album, really, not only soul, but jazz, funky instrumentals too. A perfect groovy vibe I really dig. 9/10 -Ninonin Theone.
Soulful and fun
I can see why this album was extremely influential in his arms list. It’s sort of for me, didn’t add any to playlist personally, but I think I might come back to it sometime or another.
Not my thing, but an interesting work. Faves: The world is a ghetto, beetles in the bog. Would I revisit this: no.
I wasn’t a huge fan of this. Seemed very all over the place and I disengaged often
I enjoyed this! Cool vibes, powerful bass grooves.
Not horrendous but not for me either. Instantly forgettable
I should’ve enjoyed this - but I didn’t. At all. Completely forgettable, and far too long for a 6-track album.
Oh the conflict: it turns out I like funky soul/jazz way more than I get would have expected based on the albums that have come up. Parts of this really remind me of Gorillaz which was a surprise. But... A 13 minute 18 second long instrumental?! No. A 2 seems harsh, but a 3 absolutely too much... As no half marks, a 2 it is: 2/5
Loved this, War are cool and this was funky.
First album where I went in completely blind. It's a pool of genres, mainly groovy funky stuff. Had me nodding and restlessing my legs. Wish I could downgrade my Little Richard score, cause it's way too high
Favorite track: the cisco kid. Overall score: 5.2/10.
- funk album - their big song is ‘low rider’ - some solid rhythm (?? could say this about anything I suppose) - HUGE fan of the harmonica in city, country, city - going to be honest the jazziness did start to stress me out after a bit it was something about the background repetition (the song is also 13 minutes long)
good groove and percussion but it felt pretty repetitive at times and i like repetitive stuff usually, but one track felt like the same thing for 13 minutes with one percussion break lol i liked the title track and four cornered room the most
Full instrumentation with a funky '70s sound. The songs are structurally simple and repetitive vamps. Best consumed in small doses, not as an entire album.
I don't mind this, but i dont rate it much either. It seemed to lack any agency or motif that held attention.
This is pretty fricken sweet. Boomer psychedelic rock 📉 Boomer funk 📈📈📈
Крутой грув, качает и расслабляет одновременно
I am weak to the funk, but though this was a good album I ended up not being as huge on it as a whole than I initially hoped. That first song it really good, the rest is more mellow.
Relaxing jazz funk, not bad, but I feel like I wouldn't revisit it that much
War is a band I’ve wanted to know more about so I looked forward to The World is a Ghetto. I knew The Cisco Kid as well as the title track but I’d never checked out the whole album. And, unfortunately, The World is a Ghetto came up short. Outside of the two songs I knew, the only other one that resonated with me was Where Was You At. The over thirteen minute instrumental City, Country, City couldn’t end fast enough and there wasn’t much to Four Cornered Room to get me interested. The final song was really forgettable. I could maybe play this as background music but that’s about it. I have to go with a 2 rating here. 2/5
Didn't get a chance to listen to the entire album, but I liked the first few songs ☺️
Heard via Megan. Not a fan.
jazzy psychedelic soul I’m here for.
Rather enjoyed. The really long and funky song especially.
I'd listen again
I couldn't get into this. It felt like it had elements of things I like in it, but as a whole I found it boring. Then they had the gall to test me with 13 minutes long versions of the stuff I didn't enjoy. Gah. I do not like war.
Interesting and funky. Last couple songs get repetitive. Relative (to decade) Impact: Low Absolute Impact: Low Listenability: Medium Repeat Listenability: Low
Not bad
I enjoyed this. Nice grooves had me bopping along.
Funky funky funky! Für e Band wo sich Chrieg nännt isch d musig durchuus happy-machend. Da hemmer e grossartigi glückssträhne a neuer und gueter musig und ich hoffe ich jinxes ned grad indem ich da schriibe das d köntri quote sehr am abneh isch. Mit the Cisco Kid isch s feuf sterne potential sehr ume gsi, zwüscheziitlich wider chli abgflacht und the world is a ghetto mit dene vielne funky und jazzige solos sind 10 minute pure gnuss! S chützlet mi ide finger wider es feufer-gwitter krache z lah aber getrau mi denn doch ned ganz, fehlt bizli de durchzogni kribel im buuch. Aber au 4 sternezerstörer meinets guet.
Nüd speziells aber abwechsligsrich und guet zum ineschnuppere. 3 hoseträger
sehr intressant! zwüscheduure en heftige zug vibes catcht aber zwüscheduure au sehr fest abdriftet 3 lieder hends mal ih playlists gschafft, realistisch wirdi 1 devo ab und zue wiedermal lose (au wenn‘s eig en riese banger isch) – hoffentli denki dra! was lüchtet es bizli meh als 3 sterne? genau, 4 sterne
Very much enjoyed.
War Really cool grooves. Love the drums and percussion. Favorite songs were tracks: 1,2,3 and 6
Loved this one, wasnt expecting to like it so much. Such a vibe and percussion and production sounds great. Also i love the george benson cover of world is a ghetto
Parts of this are really really cool but I thought songs dragged on long and shared too many similarities
Okay
Good album, starts strong, finished strong. I prefer my soul funk jazz in smaller doses. Probably would not listen to again.
Good funk, soul, jazz blend. I like some War once in a while. Of course, Low Rider and Spill the Wine are all-time greats (not on this album). I prefer War with Burdon, but this is a good one. 3⭐️
Crap
Oh man!!! Awesome album!! The title track blew me away! The mixing of the horns, percussion, and vocals were spot on.
George Lopez made this worse
funky and fine. sounds like the era it was made in. my mind took a walk through 70's Harlem while listening to this album.
A soul/funk jam band. Not the party-hippie jam band, more like a jazz jam band. The recording is tight, sounds amazing. Glad I got to hear this one.
heel goed. eerste nummer is banging, world is a ghetto ook mega, die solo is crazy. en lekker lang nummer
A solid jazz R&B album. Mostly jazz. It’s a vibe.
I've never listened to War before, and I quite enjoyed it. It's no Parliament, but it was enjoyable.
Pet fav song: Four Cornered Room I find the fact this was the best selling album of 1973 fascinating. It made me wonder why I didn't know about it. Honestly I wanted to like this album more, but I'm underwhelmed. This makes me think of a middle-aged man in his wood-paneled den drinking a Schlitz, and him thinking he's with it because he's listening to this album.
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
Just ok for me but not what I particularly like
This album is joy. Only 4 stars because of the lyric where dogs can't be this man's best friend.
War always makes me think of Cheech & Chong movies.
..
Complete
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
didn't know i needed prog funk until i heard this. cool album
Liked the title track, groovy instrumentals, 3.5/5
Could be a 5 on a different day. Or maybe it was just missing something
Groovy
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
Not really my thing, but it's decent for what it is. Mixes jazz solos/melodies, funk and reggae beats, and soul vocals to make something half decent. This album predates Seinfeld, but there are a few parts where the bassist sounds a lot like the theme.
Sultry is an understatement. Really cool sound, mostly perfection.
A very fun fusion for me, I’ve been warming up more and more to jazz funk and have always loved soul… The world is a ghetto is a near perfect jam session , type of album I can have running all day , get something new each time and bop the groovy parts , sing alone the hooks and mimick the jazz
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
Very pleasant to listen to, but not something I’m gonna come back to. 3/5
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.
Actually good
War! Huh! Yeah! What is it good for…? Lengthy blues-funk jams that gradually infiltrate the brain, apparently (and also a couple of classic singles that, alas, don’t appear on this album).
Enjoyable listen, raspy jazzy blues tones. 6.5/10.
Awesome jazz psych soul record.
I thought of the song "War" which is not by the band War at all.
Jumbo jumbo
Funky, groovy, trippy mannnn I thought this one had low rider
Can’t really remember how it was but I don’t remember anything good so it must be shit
Jazzy, pretty good
I have to say that when I looked up the track list and saw six songs, I thought it was going to be a quick and easy listen. Wow there are some long songs on this thing! It’s not something I would normally seek out but I did enjoy it. It sounds like it could have been very influential to a lot of future artists. It has a great groove to it and an interesting sound. Album stand outs for me would be Where Was You At and the title track The World is a Ghetto.
Funky AF. Starts strong, ends strong, lulls a little in the middle.
go off kings
Not nearly funky enough.
Varied sound, very interesting and textured. Weirder than I thought it'd be. Kinda noodly, but some deep jams.
Starts out strong but the momentum slows down after the first couple tracks. I like the concept of this album and I adore the album cover but I've heard better of this sort. Favorite track: The Cisco Kid
slow and the songs were excessively long
So I'm writing this a while after I listened to it so my thoughts aren't fresh but I really liked the groovy jazz feel of the album. I really vibed with the beat and the lyrics as well.
Jazzy. The last half was the best. Reminded me of a little bit of Marvin Gaye Trouble Man. Wasn't great for the early morning drive in. Still a good album.
Title song is a banger, rest is pretty good? Wouldn't actively seek to play it very often I feel. 4 stars.
This was fine, I enjoyed it but wouldn't say it really captivated me
nothing inspiring or interesting, blah
Absolutely class. Slips between genes without even noticing.
I don't know what to make of this. 2 stars.
Many songs chill with a nice beat
3.5
Nah.
fun, longer songs. saved a few songs to the playlists
Not my brew
4/5
Jazz but not cringe
Strong all the way around, with well-measured grooves and loose funk. The variety of songs and range of emotions are strengths. "Cisco Kid" is a delight and the vocal harmonies add depth and warmth throughout. Holds up very well, musically and message-wise, too.
Feels Like a combination of a mid-night car ride in the 80s and a bad soft porn conversation
In theory I should have really liked this album. I read up a little on War, having never really heard of them and love the concept of the band, but something didn't click for me with this one. I liked the use of so many unique instruments and sounds, but found the whole album kind of aimless. I think wrapping so many genres and styles into one album kind of hurt them in the end. A huge chunk of it was just very slow and almost purely ambient noise, which isn't always bad but in this case didn't help. Standouts were the first half of "City, County, City" - I found parts of its 13+ minute track length a little grating - "Four Cornered Room" - had a really cool western vibe but again dragged in the back half. I think this has to be my first 1 star album; it's just not my style and I wouldn't listen to any of it again. It's an album out of time for me and I didn't really enjoy my time with it.
Really fun sound.
damn. i’ve transcended. i can’t stop listening
I like dis
Good songs, a little long
I am not well versed in soul music, but this was one of the better soul albums I have listened to. It was a good blend of relaxed energy and instrumentation. I bet it sounds wicked good on vinyl. City, Country, City is outstanding. 6/10
nap
No. Not really.
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
Really not into instrumentals but this is pretty solid background music.
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!!!!
This was nice, a bit long in parts, but ultimately very groovy. Loved “Cisco Kid”. “Where Was You At” was pretty good too. “City, Country, City” was a tad too long considering all it ended up accomplishing. “Four Cornered Room” was really phun and introspective. The title track, while a bit long, is really very satisfying. Finally, “Beetle In the Bog” is a great little track to close out the album. Instrumentation, vocals, and songwriting stood out as being real solid. Structure and arrangement were great. Lyrics and production were good, but could have benefited from a little more work. A lot of the songs also have a old-timey, western feel to them that draws comparisons between the ghetto and the wild west. Pretty interesting stuff and a good first listen. 4/5
Excellent
Good but not really for me. Some of the songs dragged on
70s soul. Funk, jazzy elements. Well done, just not my thing.
MMM, liker bedre når det er vokal. Ikke helt min favorittsjanger. Men ikke dårlig heller. Får derfor average rating.
Need to listen again
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.
This was quite nice—I can't point to anything wrong with it but it ultimately didn't grab my attention.
Had never heard of this before and I was not expecting to listen to it 4 or 5 times today
made of stone and sugar spun sister on top!!! last two songs were unnecessarily long with random guitar sounds. 3.07
Gotta decent groove to it
Great jazzy soul music, not all the songs aligned to my taste
Admittedly, I was predisposed to not liking this album based on knowing their track “War”. Pleasantly surprised. Lots of fun sounds and tempos and tones. City, Country, City was a highlight. Thumbs up to this record. Was a great listen.
Chilled out funk with jazzy horns, busy percussion, gospel vocal harmonies and an deep groove to it. Though it presages a lot of very annoying and smooth jazz funk it's dynamic and soulful enough to avoid being easy listening. At the very least the contrast between the urgent social commentary of the lyrics/titles and the upbeat fun of the music is pretty striking.
Super groovy. A little boring but love the sound of it
Meh gave up on it sorry there was one cool song
So much funk. The drums on this album are incredible.
Very funky, do like
Great album to turn up and just relax to.😎
Cisco kid…banger. Rest bored me a bit
It was ok 3 stars for Cisco Kid
This is a weird genre, kinda reggae, islandy, jammy, latin(?) vibes. Lots of gang vocals. I'm not sure if Cisco Kid really fits into the vibe of this album, but it might be because I liked it least out of all of this. Low 4s.
Not bad. Never really listened to any War before other than the radio hits. Funky & soulful. Felt like these songs could have been in a Shaft flick or even background music from one of the first two Rockys.
Lowrider, it ain't....and that's totally fine with me. Love these extended jams, especially 'City, Country, City.' 4.5 stars.
Weird
Ok
High quality everything. It's just very, very good.
Not bad, was hoping for more groove. City, Country, City knocks it out!
Really finds its groove on each and every track.
I honestly expected something heavier and rougher from the band name and album title.
Attractive, vibe-y, groovy. After months, still not sure if it's a 4 or a 5.
Couldn't get into it, was quite bored a lot of the time or my thoughts drifted off.
Good funk, but a little slow for my pacing
amei
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.
👍
Liked this one a lot, but like many other early 70s albums it does meander a bit in the middle.
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.
Always dig these guys
I really enjoyed it! War is on my radar now!
I liked it more than I thought I would. Was pretty good stuff.
Much better than I would have expected given their popular song! (25 known/52 new)
Not listened before Favourite tracks: title track, City Country City
Cisco Kid was good but wasn't a fan of the 13 min long songs
Funk is my jam, but this one was a bit underwhelming.
Fun and funky. I quite enjoyed it.
no
3.5
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
I like the long jams, but overall a bit uneven. 3.5 stars
I think this is a cool, funky album. My favorites are "The Cisco Kid", "Where Was You At", and "Beetles in the Bog". The longer jams in the middle wear out their welcome a little bit, but still a good album. 3.5 stars.
3.5
War’s most famous song is probably Low Rider aka the music for the Marmite ad. Instead of loving or hating this I simply found this pretty fine and ok for the most part. It turns out War are good for absolutely everything because this is a nice jittering mix of funk, pop, rock, jazz, reggae and afrobeat plus with a slight political edge. Cisco Kid is a good sassy opener and Four Cornered Room provides something a bit darker and moodier. There are a couple of jams that spiral on for too long though. Overall, nothing here to match their Marmite opus but still pretty good. 3.5 stars.
Very enjoyable, not heard it before but I am obviously familiar with Low Rider. I will give their other albums a play some time soon.
Damn right.
custom_rating: 6
1972. US. Psychedelic soul, jazz, progressive soul
Muito legal de ouvir. Jazz/soul/funky. Anos 70.
i feel like i’ve lost my mind… y’all liked this???
Really enjoyed listening to it
This felt like one long song. I enjoyed that song, though.
Surprisingly great. Funky, but with a range of ideas and sounds that kept me entranced. If there was maybe one more standout tune it'd be a five - as it is, 6 tracks can drag on a little, but definitely worth revisiting.
I'm not a big fan of soul music but it was an enjoyable experience
I dig it.
Smooth album. Great jams and good vibes. 3.5/5
It was during my freshman year at high school that this album came out. Cisco Kid, a huge hit, overshadows the album, and is the only song most people remember, to their disadvantage. Four Cornered Room, my favorite, is a gentle freak out occasionally reminiscent of The End by The Doors. To my teenage ears the sound was cool, exotic and still is.
Overall a solid album funk/jazz/soul fusion. Nothing to push it over the top for me but it was enjoyable.
Straight-up street-level funk. Interesting fact: this was the best-selling album of 1973, outselling Dark Side of the Moon.
This album cannot possibly belong on this list.
Far out funks. Liked Cisco Kid and the title track, in particular.
Nice 70s reggae pop
Good, especially as background music. Funky.
One of my favourite albums. Jazz Latin psychedlia. What do you want more?
Awesome!
cool
The whole world? Are we a corner of the universe aliens are instructed not to go to? Maybe that’s why there hasn’t been contact yet. Either way, due to the fact that I have no further comments regarding the planet earth being a ghetto and of course the rigorous time constraints imposed upon me by big music review, let us proceed. Mount your bayonets, men. The Cisco Kid? What, does he wield a six shooter packed with lard? Greasing the wheels of justice. Oh wait. That’s Crisco. Is he trying to sell me the CiscoPone with Ed Bagley Jr.? Oh that’s Cinco. Well. St least thinking about these things helped pass the time. Musically pretty cool, dampened heavily by the constant repetition of a nonsense lyric. The Cisco kid is not a friend of mine. Oh no. The swamp critters opening. Oh wait it’s actually pretty cool. The vocals are far better than before and this was pretty funky. The ol’ thumbs in the middle treatment. Fog settles over a small church in the Spanish countryside. This desert-tinged epic is atmospheric to the point of bringing to mind landscapes across the world. A cowboy out of place and time. Not a lame cosplay cowboy way either. An outlaw pulled right from the 1800’s and dropped into 1970’s NYC. That oughta do it. Enjoy the pre-tourism Times Square and try not to get/spread syphilis you little rascal. A long track, a good track. Another long one folks. The 45 minute run time is divided amongst six songs, so if you’re not already buckled up, your mangled carcass is already smeared across the road. I do talk about runtime a whole bunch hey? OnCinema was onto something about hack reviewers. How niche can I make my references? Not to call plagiarism, but this sounds so similar to Planet Caravan. Right down to the vocal melody. Pretty sweet song to imitate but it doesn’t quite have the focus of its predecessor. Not a bad track but this one is not jumping out the windshield at me. The titular track begins with a warning. A warning that this may be grinding to a halt. Oh here we go. We need a little bit of energy after some extended downtime. At least the previous downtime felt cool. This is death. The gavel comes down resonating through the court of music nerds. Surprise being exhaled through allergy laden nostrils resonates through the wooden courtroom. The crime? Heavily criticizing PJ Harvey and Britpop. The sentence? Death. No last meals in this savage realm. Simply a final song. The world is a ghetto. 9 minutes I await my demise. 9 minutes stretches into the infinity that is my final rest. Woe is the reviewer who besmirches the quirked up indie girls. Fie upon the house of Yorke I scream as the final Starsky & Hutch lick ushers me into eternal sleep. Just kidding. I’m alive. I am jolted awake by funny words like “Beetles” and “Bog.” Luckily it’s not spelled “Beatles” or it takes on the grim veneer of a search party looking for the remains of Ringo in a wetland marsh. This was another dud. War. What is it good for? A few decent tracks, I reckon. This thing had some good moments despite my review, which seemed to frequently return to the concept of mortality; whether mine or that of the venerable Ringo Starr esquire. The netherworld seemed to be lurking beneath each grammatically laboured sentence this album drew out of me. Look. Tracks two and three were fun, and the rest fell off a cliff. Somebody call a search party, or maybe a chief of armistice, as this war is all but over. 2-2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Where Was You At, City, Country, City
Really enjoyed this
War is an R&B/progressive soul band I've heard a few singles here and there such as "Low Rider" and "Spill the Wine". This will have been my first full album listen, and while I consider The World is a Ghetto to be a decent at times great album, there are elements to it that hold me back from fully praising it. It's weird because the album starts strong with "Cisco Kid" and "Where Was You At" with the bouncy rhythm, smattering of bongos and organ play, and call-and-response vocals that's the fun and inviting side similar to those singles I mentioned earlier. Even the 13-minute instrumental "City, Country, City" invokes those warm feelings as it plays around a central harmonica motif while introducing different progressions with the rest of the group involved. But then I realized there are three different super-long tracks, and each one progressively gets slower and more downbeat in tone. Even though I don't consider "Four Cornered Room" and the title track to be bad and certainly have their place in the larger narrative of racial and cultural divide, they drag the overall momentum of the album down to the point where it felt longer than it did to me. Thankfully, "Beetles in the Bog" ends on an anthemic note. I'd say The World is a Ghetto is a solid album from War that showcased what they were capable of with their sound. It's certainly ambitious with its ideas and execution, even if I felt it could have been done a little better.
Most people, like me, know War as the band that recorded "Low Rider." And most people, like me, know them probably only for that. So I was then pretty intrigued to hear something else they'd done, a full album's worth of content, to see what they were all about separate from "Low Rider." And man was it awesome. I'll never turn down some funky soul, some solid grooves, or some great horn solos. This falls into the same channel as Parliament or Funkadelic for me and I love it for the same reasons. I don't always love tracks longer than 10 minutes, but I'll almost always forgive it for funk music. I don't have a whole lot else to say. This was a banger. Four stars. Standout Tracks: The Cisco Kid, Where Was You At, City, Country, City
Was hoping for more.
A good jam album with a monster at the tip. Nice example of the period, and a fine recording.
Not a huge fan of the three short tracks here (they're not bad or anything, just not that interesting), but the long ones are nothing short of fantastic. If this album were just these three songs, if would be a 9. WAR combine elements of funk, soul, and jazz in a very effective way to create these incredibly fun, catchy, and atmospheric tunes. The shorter songs hold the album back a little, but they don't ruin the experience.
A reasonable listen - no major complaints except for the mega long tracks, but they didn't drag too badly so overall a decent spin
This album is a creative and progressive achievement. I already knew Cisco Kid, but I didn't know how deep these guys go. The great progressive soul of Where was you at, the psychedelic jazz of City Country City. The cosmic blues of Four cornered room. This album is a near masterpiece.
I know a couple of songs by War ("Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends"), but this will be my first time listening to an album of theirs. I've been looking forward to this album, because based on its cover, I assume it's got some pretty great social commentary. Hopefully this album can satisfy my expectations! Unfortunately, I thought The World Is A Ghetto was a bit of a dud. Musically, this album had some promise, but it never really fully took off for me. It didn’t help that this album started off with “The Cisco Kid,” a song that I actually know, but unfortunately, it’s also a song I hate. The Latin elements that are woven into the instrumentals are pretty good, but I hate the vocals and lyrics, which just so happen to be really repetitive in a way that I find incredibly grating. “Where Was You At” was okay, but I wasn’t really into the organ melody, and the lyrics were pretty repetitive here too. “City, Country, City” wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t very interesting either, and it felt like it just plodded along for its entire 13-minute run time. The second side of the album didn’t fare much better with me; the instrumentals were fine, but the first two songs were pretty long, and just like the first side of the album, these songs didn’t really go anywhere interesting for me. I don’t think this album was bad, but it just didn’t really bring much to the table. I expected this to pack a bit more of a punch, but unfortunately, it just fell flat.
Like it. It’s really short though. Title track lost me.
Nice sound by songs are a little too long and jammy for my taste.
8/10
Solid album. Not my style but I can see whats going on here. Short but sweet, some funky goodness.
Funky, never really got into them but I can dig it.
Never heard this before but really enjoyed it. The name "War" is misleading - it's a very cool, laid back album.
expected metal from the band name, old school rap from the album title, got delightfully surprised by funky soul 🙂↕️
This is undoubtedly some of the best-sounding music in this lane. Crisp, fast. and even catchy like the song 'Where Was You At' - albums like this fly by and are a joy at every step. It reminded me a lot of another album I love: Black Market by Weather Report. The song 'City, Country, City' also gave me major Hancock Headhunters vibes with that long key solo and tribal drum pattern driving it forward. This was easily my favorite song here, if only because that serene closer made me feel things. 'Four Cornered Room' sounded like a bluesified Isaac Hayes song. I say that because the little spoken-word segment near the middle reminded me of him. With that said, the title track was really the most soulful song here, with these gorgeous vocal arrangements and lyrics that speak of yearning and longing in the face of injustice. Also, that building sax solo is killer. Although I've heard of 'War' before, it's unfortunate that this album isn't discussed very often. It's truly a magnificent piece of funk-jazz music.
De la soul psychédélique. Et bah c'était fort sympathique.
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.
Definitely digging this
Not much to say. Not my cup of tea but didn’t hate it.
Interesting album some nice tones
This is a good album! I like the first track better than the rest. Solid 3/5.
I couldn’t finish it.
I assumed this would be a funk album and a funk band. It is, sort of, but not quite really. The issue is not negative though! What War really is is very eclectic and varying, and super fun! I actually really got into this and when the album ended and my youtube generator just put another War album on, I had not really noticed. Yeah, not just funk or 70's beat or soul or some offshoot of jazz, but all of it, and it doesn't feel overproduced or watered down. Nice. Yeah...
Great. Excellent album.
Awesome
too slow and too long. nothing breathtaking about this record. "City , Country, City" sounds like a bad jam that where musiciens don't listen to each other. boring. the title track "The World is a Ghetto" is the only track i saved. nice chord progression, nice chorus. that's it
It was Ok, but couldn't really make me want to listen to it again.
This project has made me realize that I apparently really like 70's soul music. Kinda a dark album, but well put together with great rhythms.
Enjoyed this! Cisco Kid, he breaks wind all the time.
Nothing spectacular, but solid.
It was okay but I’ve woken up today and don’t remember any of it.
Good listen, nothing mindblowing though