Like many rock and roll greats, Eric Burdon lived his days in the sun as a lead vocalist, and his place in the Animals and War spun some of rock's ultimate classics. Many argue Burdon was the leading force in the Animals, leaving the rest of the band in the shadow of his mind-blowing vocals. The 1970s saw Burdon with a case of the "funk bug" as part of the polyester-clad War, and when he left War, he followed his decade or so of rock-god status with a series of bluesy rock albums that showcased his epic voice and revealed his need to experiment and move on as a solo artist.