The Vision Of Rassan/A. Dedication/B. Roll On Kirk
Tobacco Road/A. Tobacco Road/B. I Have A Dream/C. Tobacco Road
Spill The Wine
Blues For Memphis Slim/A. Birth/B. Mother Earth/C. Mr. Charlie/D. Danish Pastry/E. Mother Earth
You're No Stranger
Capturing the improvisational energy the band would soon become famous for, WAR's debut with Animals frontman Eric Burdon burst on the scene and on the charts with the erotic, Latin-tinged hit "Spill The Wine." For rock ic... more »on Burdon it was a dream come true, blending his powerful vocal style with a raw and creative blues band. Standout tracks include "Vision Of Rassan," "Blues For Memphis Slim," and the simmering soul revamp of John D. Loudermilk's blues classic "Tobacco Road."« less
Capturing the improvisational energy the band would soon become famous for, WAR's debut with Animals frontman Eric Burdon burst on the scene and on the charts with the erotic, Latin-tinged hit "Spill The Wine." For rock icon Burdon it was a dream come true, blending his powerful vocal style with a raw and creative blues band. Standout tracks include "Vision Of Rassan," "Blues For Memphis Slim," and the simmering soul revamp of John D. Loudermilk's blues classic "Tobacco Road."
"I have loved this disc ever since hearing the opening piano part on "The Vision of Rassan". What an opening! There have been very few times where the beginning of a CD commands my attention like this one does. Its interesting to hear War in their early stages and how Eric Burdon influenced their musical approach. Burdon's voice is in top form and his raspy blues tone is in full effect. His influence is apparent on songs like "Blues For Memphis Slim". Of course, "Spill The Wine" is the best known song off this one, but overall this is a great album."
Burdon's hippie logic gets in the way of War
olofpalme63 | auf der flucht! | 04/04/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"It's quite disturbing that War's sound wasn't showcased more in Eric Burdon (The Animals) & War's 1970 MGM debut. Even though Eric Burdon declares "War" yielded the smash hit Spill The Wine, you're hard pressed to remember anything you've heard on this LP other than bits and pieces of Eric Burdon's endless ramblings. And that's a shame, because what you have here backing up Burdon's ego and face time is a damn good band.
Burdon's hippie rhetoric reaches sweltering highs and catastrophic lows under the guidance of Jerry Goldstein's production. The pompous Tobacco Road would have been much better in single mode. Instead it's presented here in long form (I Have A Dream version), thus making the road seem like a long and exhaustive black top. Roll On Kirk minus the Dedication is another example. The band close out the set with the gem You're No Stranger, which just so happens to be worth the price of admission alone.
olofpalme63"
A Must-Have Album in your Collection
B. Stephenson | Las Vegas, NV | 11/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If I were trapped on a deserted island for the rest of my life, and could only have 10 albums with me....This would be one of them!"
Probably the best album ever
Marc Berlow | Lille, France | 06/23/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard the LP from a friend who brought it back from the US just when it came out. I had to tape it asap and waited for several months until it became available in Europe. What a thrill ! Coming all together, the best blues, the best songs (and meaningful for once), the best band, the best singer ! I have many albums for which time has changed my perception, from abslute fan to reasonably enthusiastic, or less. This is (together with the following double album The Black-Man's Burdon) an abolute master piece, never fails to give me intense satisfaction and pleasure.
I also had the privilege to see them on stage in Paris in the early 70s, a 4 hours concert taking place after the "regular" show at the Olympia Theater. The musicians and the audience were so hot (and high) that the band wouldn't leave the stage. The staff cut the amps, and the concert continued for one hour all acoustic. This is also the best concert I have ever seen."