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Jun 09, 2025 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

“That’s garage music! That ain’t no reggae! Garage music!” declares a member of WAR during some lively banter as the band works their way through an embryonic version of the song “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” The funk/soul/jazz/Latin music of WAR lit up the summer of 1975 with two of the year’s most memorable singles, and their album Why Can’t We Be Friends? landed in Billboard’s Top 10. The 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition celebrates WAR’s seventh album with deluxe 3-CD and digital editions that include a generous and illuminating selection of bonus tracks, jam sessions, and unedited mixes.

Both Billboard Top 10 singles, the incredibly infectious “Low Rider” and the catchy group cheer of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” live on as endlessly appealing songs with no shelf life whatsoever, as much fun in the present moment as they were in the hottest days of ’75. This anniversary collection also offers a perfect opportunity to revisit the full album, from the yearning “Don’t Let No One Get You Down” to the catchy groove propelling “Heartbeat” and the range displayed in the songs under “Leroy’s Latin Lament (Medley).” And a particular treat comes in the bonus tracks: over 22 minutes of “The Making of ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’” As quoted above, the raucous, hilarious development of the hit song is tracked here, and it’s as much fun as the finished product. With assurance from one band member to another: “Hey man, don’t worry about the ending! It FADES out.” (www.war.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10