War
The World Is a Ghetto

Today more than ever, the world is a ghetto in the sense of the term that describes a condition limiting the development of activities of groups of people to block their social impact.

In the early '70s, the multi-ethnic Californian group War had decided to "declare war" on racial segregation and the indecent injustices of the opulent and hypocritical American society.

No sooner said than done: in November 1972 Jerry Goldstein produced for the United Artists Records the third studio album by War. To be precise, it is the first after the band's path separated from that of the great Newcastle bluesman Eric Burdon, who, after the dazzling debut with the Animals, moved to California to follow the new musical influences and continue his amazing career. But that's another great story.

The lineup of musicians is nothing short of stellar: Howard Scott on guitar, percussion, and vocals; B. B. Dickerson on bass, percussion, and vocals; Lonnie Jordan on organ, piano, timbales, percussion, and vocals; Harold Brown on drums, percussion, and vocals; Papa Dee Allen on conga, bongo, percussion, and vocals; Charles Miller on vocals, clarinet, alto tenor, and baritone saxophone; Lee Oskar on harmonica, percussion, and vocals.

The journey begins with "The Cisco Kid" with its bassline supported by percussion, while the refrain "the Cisco Kid was a friend of mine" invokes the Mexican anti-hero Cisco Kid, who, riding his steel horse, must come to the aid of those defeated by life. And here comes the long instrumental "City, Country, City" with its blues atmosphere slowly turning towards jazz fusion, giving time (the track lasts over 13 minutes) to all the members to perform their magnificent solos. And here we are at "Four Cornered Room," where Delta blues dominates. "The World is a Ghetto" is a track over ten minutes long that drips funk, blues, and fusion. In my opinion, the most beautiful track on the album. It closes with the spirituality of "Beetles in the Bog," a sort of tribal chant rooted in Congo Square in New Orleans, where all the Afro-American music we know and love began.

The beautiful album cover was designed by Howard Miller on a concept design by Lee Oskar. We immediately become witnesses to a vivid scene of life in the ghetto, with its colors, it almost seems like you can perceive its noises and smell its odors. The patrons of Joe's are enjoying his hamburgers comfortably perched on their seats. Through the windows in front, one can glimpse the lives of others, including the guy shooting up behind a blackout curtain. On the roof of the lower building, two cats in love are about to brawl. In the right corner of the taller building, two lovers are kissing behind a garbage can. In the foreground, a Rolls-Royce is parked with a flat tire because in the ghetto the rules of the outside world, the rules of people with money, don't apply. In the ghetto, only those who grew up in the ghetto can survive. We have to ask permission to enter.

As always, enjoy listening from your DJ DottorJazz.