"The Japanese were nice, but really afraid of us," remembers WAR's producer-manager Jerry Goldstein in the liner notes to the band's new Live in Japan 1974.  "That's how we came up with the 'Hey, why can't we be friends?' concept.  In the dressing room that night, Lonnie was playing the keyboards and we started doing the song.  No verses, just the 'why can't we be friends' part.  We wrote it there, went back to the U.S., and in January [1975], we recorded it."  The catchy plea "Why Can't We Be Friends?" became a top ten hit for WAR and one of their most-played songs.  It blended funk, soul, R&B, pop, jazz, and Latin styles (and even a dash of reggae!) - a distinctive and heady fusion that was the calling card of the ethnically diverse California band.  The previously unreleased Live in Japan 1974, out now on 2 CDs, 2 LPs (minus three songs), and digital formats from Rhino, Avenue, and Primary Wave, captures WAR's melting pot of sounds in front of an appreciative audience.

The seven-man ensemble of Charles Miller (woodwinds), Lee Oskar (harmonica), Howard Scott (lead vocals/guitar), Lonnie Jordan (lead vocals/keyboards), B.B. Dickerson (lead vocals/bass), Harold Brown (drums), and Papa Dee Allen (percussion) were riding high when they reached Japan's shores.  1972's The World Is a Ghetto was the top-selling album of 1973 per Billboard, and both its follow-up Deliver the Word and the double-album WAR Live attained Gold certifications.  When the band headed for Japan, they came armed with songs which would appear on their next LP in June 1975 - one that would be titled after that song inspired by their Eastern trek.

Live in Japan 1974 has been culled from the band's performances in Shizuoka, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe - part of a tour that also encompassed shows in North America and Europe.  The nearly two-hour-long setlist as assembled here by producers Jerry Goldstein, Lonnie Jordan (the sole remaining member of the authorized WAR lineup), and Jeremy Levine overlooks both of WAR's albums with ex- and future Animals frontman Eric Burdon (including the hit "Spill the Wine") as well as their eponymous 1971 album.  What's here, though, is a choice sampling of 1971's All Day Music and the albums that followed, with the songs presented in extended versions that showcased the band's ample chops and tight, intuitive interplay.  It makes a fine companion to WAR Live, as it only shares three songs in common with that Chicago set ("The Cisco Kid," "Slippin' Into Darkness," and "All Day Music").

The sinuous, slow-burning title track of The World Is a Ghetto might not have been a rousing opener, but nonetheless showcased the band's multifaceted sound over its alternately languid and urgent fifteen minutes. The anthem transcended any potential language barrier, emphasizing its hypnotic, spacey groove anchored by Harold Brown's drum beat and Charles Miller's wending saxophone.  The band picked up the tempo with the biting "Southern Part of Texas," one of three songs from their then-most recent album, Deliver the Word.  Lee Oskar's harmonica riff and the band's harmonies maintain an earthy, raw quality that's even more evident in the band's live performances than on their studio albums.  The rock-funk-soul-blues sound of "Me and Baby Brother" as well as "Gypsy Man," both reprised from the same LP, typify the eclectic WAR style.  The latter veers from lyricism to a honking, rhythmic funk jam led by Oskar, Allen, and Brown which clocks in at over sixteen minutes long. Oskar frequently transforms the harmonica from embellishment to lead instrument here, introducing the hard-driving "Slippin' Into Darkness" as a solo accompanied mostly by Brown's forceful drums.

An energetic run through "The Cisco Kid," ultimately WAR's highest-charting single (No. 2 Pop), proves a highlight, as do the quieter moments such as the romantic slow jam "So" and the smooth, soulful "All Day Music."  The latter, in particular, still offers the opportunity to hear the group stretching and exploring to over ten minutes in length (more than twice as long as the album version).  Opening with resplendently swooning harmonies - WAR's singers could be ramshackle or velvety, depending on the composition - the performance of "Don't Let No One Get You Down" is both relaxed and transfixing.  (Papa Dee Allen's Latin percussion and Charles Miler's saxophone earned some well-deserved mid-song applause.)  There isn't much dialogue throughout the album, but "Don't Let No One Get You Down" was introduced as coming from WAR's next album, and there are appropriate exclamations of "Arigato" to the audience.  "So," "Don't Let No One Get You Down," and "Lotus Blossom" (a straight-ahead slice of soul balladry) would all appear on Why Can't We Be Friends, pointing the way towards the band's next chapter.

The excitement that WAR brought to Japan is captured in the track "Shizuoka Chant," with the audience spontaneously clapping and singing in a bid to get the band back onstage.  Of course, it worked, and it wasn't long before Jordan, Allen, Brown, and the whole band joined in, too.  Live in Japan 1974 closes with an energetic and loose romp through The World Is a Ghetto's pointed "Where Was You At."

The well-recorded live audio is strong throughout, and the edits are seamless; Dylan Eli's mix as mastered by Bernie Grundman is clear and crisp.  The 2CD presentation is housed in a simple digipak with an eight-page booklet tucked into one of the pockets along with a disc; the interior panels of the digipak have a few color photos of the group onstage.  Cory Frye supplies a brief introduction to Jeremy Levine's interview with Lonnie Jordan and Jerry Goldstein.

More WAR has already been promised for 2025, including a CD version of the LP box set dedicated to the band's recordings with Eric Burdon; and an expanded edition of Why Can't We Be Friends? scheduled for Record Store Day (and hopefully en route to a subsequent CD edition).  Live in Japan 1974 is another worthwhile addition to the band's ongoing 50th anniversary campaign.

It's available now from Avenue Records, Rhino, and Primary Wave at the links below. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.​

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada