Recorded - April-May 6, 1970
Released - June 10, 1970
#1 for weeks of August 29 & September 5 and 12, 1970.
It's amazing how in a mere four years, popular opinion can change so radically. In 1966, the patriotic and mildly militaristic "Ballad Of The Green Berets" topped the charts. Now, in the summer of 1970, Edwin Star's uncompromisingly anti-war song, "War", was what the public wanted to hear.
Although Edwin Star had been releasing material as early as the late 1950's, it wasn't until early 1969 that he started achieving sizable hits. The first of these was "25 Miles", which reached a respectable #6 on the pop charts. In 1970, The Temptations had released their Psychedelic Shack album. One of the album's tracks was the Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong-composed "War".
The Temp's version of the song is far more underscored than the version we are all familiar with. In fact, this was done on purpose as both the group and Norman Whitfield were worried about a possible negative reaction. Edwin Starr, on the other hand, decided to go full throttle with his own version. As a result, the record is mean, funky, and packs quite a punch.
Musically, "War" is a massive production. The song opens with ominous marching drums, which immediately set the mood of the lyrics. There is also a beefy brass section, Moog synthesizer, and call and response backing vocals. Overall, it's quite an entertaining melody, and it is instantly recognizable to many.
Edwin must have been Motown's sleeping giant as his vocal performance in "War" is red hot. It rivals some of his contemporaries and it blows the Temptations' version of the song out of the water. For such topical lyrics, you'd need someone who can deliver real emotion to the performance and Edwin certainly delivers. Despite him not being the song's composer, or even the first to record it, Edwin made "War" his own.
"War" was released at quite an appropriate time. The Kent State Shootings took place a mere two days prior to the vocal overdubbing session for the song. Also, with the Vietnam War as prominent as ever, this song managed to click with much of America. Edwin would never again top the charts, and most people only remember him by this song. Which is a shame, as his voice was a force to be reckoned with.
Final Verdict - "War" remains one of the most iconic songs of the era. Its message, though still controversial to some, still deserves to be heard loud and clear. Besides the song's message, it contains a fantastic vocal performance by Edwin and a gripping and entertaining music track. I'd certainly recommend giving it a listen.
Coming Up Next - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and the only good "War" is of the "Low Rider" and "Why Can't Be Friends" variety -
No comments:
Post a Comment