Two Albums By Eric Burdon & War

Eric Burdon has known many a musical style in his career, moving from the bluesy front man of The Animals to the acid-freak stylings of his later 60’s output, variously released as “The Animals” and “The New Animals” but certainly a far-cry from his early materials. After all this, it is only natural that Burdon turns to funk for his next genre to tackle. He wandered around L.A. and pulled together a group of studio musicians for a backing band that came to call themselves “War.” And as they say, the rest was history. While many complain of the lack of radio-friendly tracks on their output (“Spill The Wine” did go to number three) and the general looseness of the arrangements here, these two albums shine as some of the most amazing pieces of spaced-out pre-Parliament funk that is available. On the first album they released, “Eric Burdon Declares War,” we see the full spread of Burdon’s influence: an extended version of the classic blues number “Tobacco Road,” a tribute to Memphis Slim, the almost classical piano lines of “The Vision of Rassan,” and the mellow R&B closer “You’re No Stranger.” The next album, the double-LP “The Black-Man’s Burdon,” shows the band taking the extended jams and spreading them out over whole sides of a record – check out the “Pretty Colors / Gun / Jimbo” suite if you have any doubts about this. The opening track of the album, the “Paint It Black Medley,” is a strong if bizarre journey through all of what Burdon’s voice and War’s musical skills are capable of- a thirteen minute bongo-driven jam into the inner recesses of Burdon’s mind and a stylistic workout for the band, who shift easily from one groove into the next. And while Burdon’s acid-laced lyrical journeys may be a bit “out there” for some funk listeners, War is definitely on point for both of these albums and Burdon’s voice is at his prime – these two albums have got SOUL. Just listen to “Home Cookin’” and the closer “They Can’t Take Away Our Music” and you will know what I mean.

Eric Burdon Declares War:
1. The Vision of Rassan
2. Tobacco Road
3. Spill The Wine
4. Blues For Memphis Slim
5. You’re No Stranger

http://rapidshare.de/files/17719455/ebawebdw.zip

The Black-Man’s Burdon:
Disc 1:
1. Paint It Black Medley
2. Spirit
3. Beautiful New Born Child
4. Nights In White Satin I
5. The Bird & The Squirrel
6. Nuts, Seeds, & Life
7. Out Of Nowhere
8. Nights In White Satin II

http://rapidshare.de/files/17720815/erawbmb1.zip

Disc 2:
1. Sun/Moon
2. Pretty Colors
3. Gun
4. Jimbo
5. Bare Back Ride
6. Home Cookin’
7. They Can’t Take Away Our Music

http://rapidshare.de/files/17723057/erawbmb2.zip

Enjoy!