War
★★★★
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
RHINO. CD/DL/LP
50th-anniversary expansion of the LA band’s classic seventh album.
Peace attack: War, agitating for harmony.
“THE COLOUR of your skin don’t matter to me, as long as we can live in harmony.” So sing War on Why Can’t We Be Friends?, their espousal of peace, brotherhood, and racial tolerance set to an undulating reggae groove. A previously unheard long version, a fly-on-the-wall montage showing how the title track evolved in the studio, is featured on this new 3-CD/LP Collector’s Edition of the parent album. Epitomising the funky aggregation’s passion for message-laden music, it offers an insightful glimpse of the band at work. Another unissued gem is an unedited mix of their most famous cut, the super-infectious dance groove Low Rider, later sampled and recycled by everyone from the Beastie Boys to Flo Rida. With its mix of soulful ballads, jazz-influenced harmonies, and percussion-driven Latin grooves, Why Can’t We Be Friends? is an enduring monument to War’s bid for world peace.