Here’s a great Christmas gift for funk fans: Hip-O Select throws a curve after months of solid Motown and blues releases with a remastered and expanded edition of War’s The World is a Ghetto (1972).

At the time of release, the California funk band had gone through a myriad of changes: as Nightshift, the group backed up football player/occasional singer Deacon Jones before being discovered by ex-Animals frontman Eric Burdon and producer Jerry Goldstein, who shaped them into a successful, politically-conscious but still stylistically freewheeling combo. “Spill the Wine,” their debut single, peaked at No. 3 in 1970; within a year, though, Burdon would have left the group to their own devices. Undeterred, the group released the well-received War and All-Day Music in 1971.

The World is a Ghetto, however, sent the band to another plateau, topping the Billboard charts, becoming the biggest-seller of 1973 and featuring two Top 10 singles in “The Cisco Kid” and the title track. The secret? A deft mix of fun, anthemic singles with that funky sort of conscience that elevated their R&B contemporaries Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.

On December 11, The World is a Ghetto will be remastered and expanded with four unreleased “ghetto jams” – all from the original tapes provided by co-producer Goldstein. A new essay and recording details will feature in the booklet of this release, as well. Full specs and a pre-order link are below!

The World is a Ghetto: 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition (originally released as United Artists LP UAS-5652, 1972 – reissued Hip-O Select/Avenue B0017703-02, 2012)

1. The Cisco Kid
2. Where Was You At
3. City, Country, City
4. Four Cornered Room
5. The World is a Ghetto
6. Beetles in the Bog
7. Freight Train Jam
8. 58 Blues
9. War is Coming (Blues Version)
10. The World is a Ghetto (Alternate Take)

Tracks 7-10 are previously unreleased “ghetto jams”

this is one of WAR's strongest albums.A remaster was long overdue.

I already have the Gold Avenue version from the 90s that sounds very fine for me, but I might check this reissue out only for the bonus "Ghetto" tracks.

SoulAlive said:

this is one of WAR's strongest albums.A remaster was long overdue.

I thought Rhino did a great job when they issued the original album on cd in the 90s. I can't wait to get this one with the extra trax.

One of my favorite albums