I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean but if you think Mandrill is some underground-only shit... they were long ago coopted by the Pop Poetry/Starbucks/Kufi-lite crowd. Ozomatli couldn't go a day without mentioning how influential Mandrill was on them. They were a Berkeley quasiethnic hippy favorite from the late 90s on.
Now don't get me wrong, I like Mandrill a lot and I know they were big in their time. This is not about hits, per se - I just really see Mandrill as being fairly one-dimensional despite incorporating so many different genres into their music. War really has timeless songs, stuff that has a place at weddings, funk jams, laid back Sunday afternoons, karaoke nights, they've got deep spiritual vibes, I can bump it in my ride, I can bump it in my mom's ride, I can play it on the beach, I can play it in the rain... Mandrill is in a certain sense a one-trick pony, the latin-funk-world-rock thing. There are no deep Mandrill ballads (although I like "I Refuse To Smile"), I mean their shit jams but they were nowhere near as prolific as War when it comes to nailing a bunch of different vibes. IMO, of course
No ballads? One Trick Pony?
Have u listened to Mandrilland or The Beast Of The East?
Morroccan Nights - Deep spiritual vibe House Of Wood - Slow joint
Mandrill has a cool late 70's 'modern soul' toon called 'Too Late' - it's off the 'New Worlds' album on Arista, which is like a dollarbinner - check it out, it has a nice feel to it.
Mandrill has a hot late 70's 'Discofunkbanger' called 'Can You Get It' - it's off the 'We Are One' album on Arista, which is like a dollarbinner - check it out, it has a nice groove to it.
BUT MANDRILL IS FOR THE BBOYS!!!!! That said, this thread made me search out War Live and the atmosphere on side 1 - Son Oh Son intro and Cisco Kid intro is unfuckwitable. "Yall stick around, we're going to do everything tonight"
However, it's the only War LP I've felt the need to hang on to.
Mandrill has a hot late 70's 'Discofunkbanger' called 'Livin It UP - it's off the 'Beat Of The East' album on ????, which is like a dollarbinner - check it out, it has a nice groove to it.
Mandrill has a hot late 70's 'Discofunkbanger' called 'Livin It UP - it's off the 'Beat Of The East' album on ????, which is like a dollarbinner - check it out, it has a nice groove to it.
I'mma tip my cap to Mandrill because War does too much harmonica work on their tracks.
This is a mitigating factor - WAR gets cornball at times
Actually, I think Lee Oskar's harmonica is part of why War is so unique. I think his playing is pretty soulful and he and Charles Miller compliment each other well. I also think he deserves credit (along with Stevie and others) for showing the mainstream other uses for the harmonica besides the blues and country music most people associate it with. War wouldn't be War without that harmonica.
So, back against the wall I choose War. I really like Mandrill (the second part of "Don't Mess With People" still kills me), but War got tunes and diversity. Their songwriting is just better. All their albums '70-'78 are solid IMO, my favorites being the ones in the middle: "The World Is A Ghetto", "Deliver The Word" and "Why Can't We Be Friends".
Now don't get me wrong, I like Mandrill a lot and I know they were big in their time. This is not about hits, per se - I just really see Mandrill as being fairly one-dimensional despite incorporating so many different genres into their music. War really has timeless songs, stuff that has a place at weddings, funk jams, laid back Sunday afternoons, karaoke nights, they've got deep spiritual vibes, I can bump it in my ride, I can bump it in my mom's ride, I can play it on the beach, I can play it in the rain... Mandrill is in a certain sense a one-trick pony, the latin-funk-world-rock thing. There are no deep Mandrill ballads (although I like "I Refuse To Smile"), I mean their shit jams but they were nowhere near as prolific as War when it comes to nailing a bunch of different vibes. IMO, of course
No ballads? One Trick Pony?
Have u listened to Mandrilland or The Beast Of The East?
Morroccan Nights - Deep spiritual vibe House Of Wood - Slow joint
I've owned all those albums, several times over. Of course I know those tunes. I LOVE "House Of Wood".
But these tunes are not even on the same level as something like "Slipping Into Darkness". It's not even a contest.
How many Mandrill covers are out there? How many people cover War songs?
I love Mandrill. They're great. I'm not even hatting. But they're not on War's level.
Yo, let it just be said that yall who are playing War like they're some sellout, radio group are really playing yourselves. No offense but damn man. That's some lil dude action.
Wooooooo I haven't thought about that song in a long ass time. Such a great song.
I gotta ride with War overall. There a few Mandrill cuts that are classic to me ("I Refuse to Smile", "Symphonic Revolution", etc.), but I don't think they can compete with the volume and diversity of music War put out.
lol... I jam "Lowrider" all day... windows down, roof open. Real heavy. I am not jamming no Mandrill in the ride. Maybe "Fencewalk" or "Mango Meat". haha.
lol... I jam "Lowrider" all day... windows down, roof open. Real heavy. I am not jamming no Mandrill in the ride. Maybe "Fencewalk" or "Mango Meat". haha.
Maybe it really is a west coast thing?
I see this argument becoming more about who's "realer" or some bullshit. This isn't about "known vs. less known" or "commercial vs. underground" or whatever. Like someone said before it's not like Mandrill were unknown. They had charted hits - why do you think Composite Truth is so easy to find? Anyway, bottom line is, War just made timeless music that reached a wide variety of people and I'm still finding new songs from them I slept on.
I'm not going to front, I'm just having fun and pushing Mr. Paychecks buttons. I'll ride for some War tracks, even going so far as to seeing them perform this year. I just like a few mandrill tracks better for my own reasons. I could probably extend this convo to my hate for all things cymande related.
I could probably extend this convo to my hate for all things cymande related.
- spidey
This Means War b/w BAN[/b]
I stand by my earlier comments. I don't hate harmonica, I just think it's not the most aurally pleasing instrument going. War is good, Mandrill is better, Cymande kicks both of them in the ass.
Comments
No ballads?
One Trick Pony?
Have u listened to Mandrilland or The Beast Of The East?
Morroccan Nights - Deep spiritual vibe
House Of Wood - Slow joint
---
However, it's the only War LP I've felt the need to hang on to.
Dude, Baest, mid, UA. Get thee to thy crates.
Echoes In My Mind
Actually, I think Lee Oskar's harmonica is part of why War is so unique. I think his playing is pretty soulful and he and Charles Miller compliment each other well. I also think he deserves credit (along with Stevie and others) for showing the mainstream other uses for the harmonica besides the blues and country music most people associate it with. War wouldn't be War without that harmonica.
So, back against the wall I choose War. I really like Mandrill (the second part of "Don't Mess With People" still kills me), but War got tunes and diversity. Their songwriting is just better. All their albums '70-'78 are solid IMO, my favorites being the ones in the middle: "The World Is A Ghetto", "Deliver The Word" and "Why Can't We Be Friends".
Why Cant We Be Friends
MANDRILL!
- spidey
I've owned all those albums, several times over. Of course I know those tunes. I LOVE "House Of Wood".
But these tunes are not even on the same level as something like "Slipping Into Darkness". It's not even a contest.
How many Mandrill covers are out there? How many people cover War songs?
I love Mandrill. They're great. I'm not even hatting. But they're not on War's level.
Wars got like 3 playable tracks?
- spidey
I don't know hus, I rock a lot of War. You got like 5-10 CLASSICS not to mention album cuts and such.
Lowrider, corny.
Cisco kid, corny.
Why can't we be friends, lame.
Spill the wine, boring.
- spidey
- spidey
Wooooooo I haven't thought about that song in a long ass time. Such a great song.
I gotta ride with War overall. There a few Mandrill cuts that are classic to me ("I Refuse to Smile", "Symphonic Revolution", etc.), but I don't think they can compete with the volume and diversity of music War put out.
lol... I jam "Lowrider" all day... windows down, roof open. Real heavy. I am not jamming no Mandrill in the ride. Maybe "Fencewalk" or "Mango Meat". haha.
Maybe it really is a west coast thing?
I see this argument becoming more about who's "realer" or some bullshit. This isn't about "known vs. less known" or "commercial vs. underground" or whatever. Like someone said before it's not like Mandrill were unknown. They had charted hits - why do you think Composite Truth is so easy to find?
Anyway, bottom line is, War just made timeless music that reached a wide variety of people and I'm still finding new songs from them I slept on.
- spidey
sorry dude, unlistenables.
- spidey
A
R
This Means War
b/w
BAN[/b]
I stand by my earlier comments. I don't hate harmonica, I just think it's not the most aurally pleasing instrument
I mean, now we're talking about rare groove shit versus timeless classics. No contest