Eric Burdon and War-Eric Burdon Declares War (1970)

Eric Burdon was the greatest singer of the 1960s, thanks to an incredible voice that, even when reciting songs, produced cadence, rhythm, and movement. His legend and his nonconformity are a story apart within history itself, so much so that his career is considered almost an example of progression and evolution in the golden age of rock and pop music. Eric Burdon and The Animals were a major part of the evolution of blues and rhythm and blues in the early years of the beat movement. By the end of the sixties, Eric Burdon already had seven years of professional experience, great success, and numerous projects under his belt, including masterpieces with his band The Animals such as the incredible, now-classic rock singles "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", as well as a series of significant albums. In 1966-67, Eric Burdon and The Animals traveled to the American West Coast and recorded their spectacular album "Wind of Change". In 1970, Burdon announced a new formation, creating a band composed of Black musicians called War. He explained that this change stemmed from his feeling of being Black, because he thought, reasoned, and sang like a Black person. War consisted of half a dozen musicians steeped in blues, soul, and funk. Eric Burdon & War got off to a great start with their track "Spill the Wine", and the album "Eric Burdon Declares War" was a superb blend of blues, psychedelia, funk, and African American music. In addition to the aforementioned "Spill the Wine", the album features standout tracks such as "Tobacco Road" and "Mother Earth", two long, hypnotic, lysergic, and cathartic suites, making this record an instant classic and one of the greatest albums in music history. At the end of that same year, another extraordinary album was released, this time in double LP format entitled "The Black-man's Burdon", another explosion of black music with a mix of funk, soul, rock and R&B with psychedelic touches and where the Stones' version "Paint it Black", the exciting "Bare Back Ride" or the legendary "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues stood out.