War is the third album by funk

Funk

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 group War

War (band)

War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...

, or their first following the departure of singer Eric Burdon

Eric Burdon

Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...

 and the group's name change from the original: Eric Burdon and War. It was released in April 1971 on United Artists Records

United Artists Records

United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...

, their first for the label.

The album did not gain much attention upon release, but sales and critical acclaim picked up after their subsequent hit albums throughout the 1970s, the next appearing later in 1971. One single was taken from the album: "Lonely Feelin'" backed with "Sun Oh Son", which did not chart. Of the other songs, "War Drums" includes a chant of the band's name and appears to be an attempt at a group theme song; and "Fidel's Fantasy" generated some controversy over its spoken word monologue criticizing Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

.

Cover art

The cover painting depicts many disembodied arms giving a three finger salute, a concept also used on the group's first album with Eric Burdon: Eric Burdon Declares "War". There are actually eight arms in the picture, but only seven people in the group, revealing that the artwork was commissioned when Burdon was still with them, confirmed by the cover notes which credit him for the concept. The cover art is by Norman Seeff. The back cover shows the same picture, mirror reversed. The original edition was printed on a linen textured cover slick, and has an inner gatefold photo of the band.

Track listing

All tracks composed by War

War (band)

War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...

 (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Brown, B.B. Dickerson

B.B. Dickerson

Morris "B.B." Dickerson was the bass player for the 1970s Latin–funk group War, and before that The Creators....

, Lonnie Jordan

Lonnie Jordan

Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan was a founding member of War, an American funk band in the 1970s and 1980s. Jordan had a number of roles over the years, acting as vocalist and playing guitar, piano, synthesizer, and percussion...

, Charles Miller

Charles Miller (musician)

Charles Miller was an American musician best known as the saxophonist and flutist for multicultural Californian funk band War.-Biography:...

, Lee Oskar

Lee Oskar

Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...

, Howard E. Scott

Howard E. Scott

Howard E. Scott is an American funk/rock guitarist and founding member of the successful 1970s funk band War.-Biography:...

). The album notes also mention that Hilton Valentine

Hilton Valentine

Hilton Valentine is an English musician, who was the original guitarist in the The Animals.-Biography:Valentine was influenced by the 1950s skiffle craze...

 (of The Animals

The Animals

The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...

) helped with the lyrics to "Back Home".

Personnel

• "Papa" Dee Allen – conga, bongos, percussion, vocals (monologue on "Fidel's Fantasy")
• Harold Brown – drums, percussion, vocals
• B.B. Dickerson
  B.B. Dickerson
  Morris "B.B." Dickerson was the bass player for the 1970s Latin–funk group War, and before that The Creators....
  
   – bass, vocals (lead on "Sun Oh Son")
• Lonnie Jordan
  Lonnie Jordan
  Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan was a founding member of War, an American funk band in the 1970s and 1980s. Jordan had a number of roles over the years, acting as vocalist and playing guitar, piano, synthesizer, and percussion...
  
   – organ, piano, percussion, vocals (lead on "Lonely Feelin'")
• Charles Miller
  Charles Miller (musician)
  Charles Miller was an American musician best known as the saxophonist and flutist for multicultural Californian funk band War.-Biography:...
  
   – flute, alto sax, baritone sax, tenor sax, percussion, vocals (lead on "Back Home")
• Lee Oskar
  Lee Oskar
  Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...
  
   – harmonica, vocals
• Howard Scott
  Howard E. Scott
  Howard E. Scott is an American funk/rock guitarist and founding member of the successful 1970s funk band War.-Biography:...
  
  – guitar, percussion, vocals

• Jerry Goldstein – producer
• Chris Huston – engineer