War Live

by Bruce Eder War Live -- also sometimes known simply as Live -- was recorded just as the group was achieving a peak of popularity and virtuosity, and released 16 months later, amid a string of highly successful studio LPs. It was underappreciated at the time, and only on CD has it found its proper audience. Recorded at one late November show at the High Chaparral in Chicago, the group had been engaged earlier the same year in a national tour as the opening act for Isaac Hayes and was reportedly so good that Hayes kept cutting back the length of their opening set. The tapes from this show have held up extremely well across the decades, with rich fidelity and a close sound. The live renditions of "The Cisco Kid" and other such songs may not supplant the studio originals, but the 20-minute "Get Down" is worth hearing.