War

This set, recorded live at Chicago's High Chaparral, adds no new wrinkles to War's
grindingly familiar string of hits. Excitement on the four sides surfaces only when the
audience recognizes the opening strains of such favorites as "Slipping Into Darkness" and
"The Cisco Kid" (a passable collection of riffs in its studio version but done live at a slower
pace that highlights its redundancy). But since War has neither a compelling lea... More >

I thought they might conceivably cut it live, but even in the studio they stretch their tunes like Sherman tanks at a taffy pull. Only "Ballero," which is not a bolero, and "Lonely Feelin'," which is not a slow one, are worth their weight in plastic. (Grade: C+)