Eric Burdon & War "Eric Burdon Declares War" 1970

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." (Crawdaddy)
You are probably familiar with 'Spill the Wine', the great single and best song from this album; but there are other interesting nuggets here. This is a tough album to review. I really like it; but it's probably not for everyone. Recorded / released in 1970, this album reflects some of the musical trends that were prevalent at the time: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Latin, Psychedelic... There are others, Santana to name one, that married these influences to greater success; but this album deserves a listen if only for the quality of the musicianship. Eric Burdon is an excellent vocalist; but it's really WAR that carries the weight here. Eric Burdon was still in a Trippy Psychedelic phase during this time - probably a little out of sync with the direction of WAR - so you get an interesting hybrid. This album might have the greatest appeal to fans of the early 70's music, where there we so many musical styles being explored / merged. In the context of the period, this is an interesting and mostly enjoyable album. (Record Runner)
trax:
01 The Vision of Rassan 02 Tobacco Road 03 Spill the Wine 04 Blues for Memphis Slim 05 You're No Stranger