“Low Rider” was of course the song that first keyed me into
War, one of the more popular funk groups of the 1970s. A soundtrack staple, the
song achieved pop cultural lastingness via heavy rotation on TV shows, movies (including Dazed and Confused) and
classic rock radio, but it doesn’t really do War’s full canon justice. The
group was, after all, one of the most eclectic of its era, freely melding soul,
Latin, jazz, blues, reggae and rock influences into an effortlessly funky
whole.
Grooves, shot by Jeffrey Kruger during an April, 1980 show at the Civic
Center Theatre in
perfectly illustrates the above description. Faithful versions of big hits like
“Low Rider” and “Cisco Kid” stand alongside extended instrumental improvisations,
presenting a picture of a rangy, musically gifted band able to adapt its sound
for different environments. Animals frontman Eric Burdon was War’s first lead
singer, but he gave way to guitarist/vocalist Howard Scott, who sings here. Most
of the group’s original members, though, were still with the band in 1980,
including drummer Harold Brown, keyboardist and co-lead vocalist Lonnie Jordan,
harmonica player Lee Oskar and maestro percussionist Papa Dee Allen. They’re joined
on stage by drummer Ron Mammon, multi-instrumentalist Pat Rizzo and bassist
Luther Rabb.
of songs included herein, presenting only a snippet of “Spill the Wine,” the
group’s first real hit, and other tunes. If the medleys were better known or
smoothly integrated, this tack might work, but the transitions come across as
abrupt and less than artful. In addition to the funky “Low Rider,” other highlights
include “Gypsy Man,” “I’ll Be Around” and “Me and Baby Brother.” One of War’s
other radio hits, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” pops up in encore form, giving me
shuddering memories of Lethal Weapon IV.
case, Loose Grooves comes with an
uncompressed, two-channel, linear PCM audio track — which captures the show in
only so-so fashion — and a transfer that does little to mitigate the poor source
lighting of the original concert. Granted, one doesn’t expect tip-top audio-visual
clarity from older shows like these, but this fair-warning disclaimer makes
this title worth a look chiefly for big-time fans of the band. There are
unfortunately no supplemental extras included herein. C+ (Concert) C- (Disc)