Entertainment For Lively Minds
Traffic or not Traffic? That is the question
Posted by stimpy on 19 February 2010 - 5:00pm.
Just been listening to the 'Traffic' album Welcome To The Canteen. Anyone know the real story why this wasn't credited to the band? (the sleeve simply had a list of the musicians)
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Wasn't it just a
Wasn't it just a 'contractual obligation' album in order to finish off an American record deal? It's actually quite good if I recall though its been awhile since I listened. It's not the first Traffic album I would choose to play.
but just what
is traffic's finest moment boys and girls ?
John Barleycorn must die
First side. Second finest, John Barleycorn second side. Third Finest - Portsmouth Guildhall in about 1974 (as the band that turns out not to have been called Traffic).
a worthwhile cover version
of the mighty john barleycorn
I have a soft spot for
On The Road.
Seconded
'Light Up Or Leave Me Alone' never fails to hit the spot. 'Low S;ark ..' gets my vote if it's a studio album you're after though.
easily
the first two IMHO of course
Greatest Hits
sorry, they were one of those classic Island bands like Free who never made a great album but wrote many killer tunes.
Brother Blast
are you being provocative for it's own sake?
Free's Highway is a great album. Nothing more to say about it.
nah, not at all
I just remember being disappointed by Traffic and Free albums but loving their 'Best ofs'
I haven't hear Highway, is it on Spotty? I don't seem to be able to get connected at the mo
update:
now Spotify™ is working again I've got it on and so far so good, thankee
James...
Pretty much spot on....I would think that "Dear Mr Fantasy" was their best album, but "Low Spark Of High Heal Boys" is the best song they ever did. Writing this, I just realised how many of them are now dead....Grech, Wood, Capaldi, Reebop. And Jim Gordon in jail!
Agreed
although this ain't bad either
Although
I would disagree about Free...Fire And Water is a classic album... no fillers, and the weakest song is without doubt "Allright Now". Bloody good album!
aye, I think I went off half cocked
I actually haven't heard F&W in its entirety but Free Live (original and with extras) is a damn fine ellpee - I sit, supping a cold one, corrected
Traffic's finest moment
was their second album (the one with "Feelin' Alright", "Pearly Queen" "40,000 Headmen", etc.) IMO, one of the greatest albums ever made.
After that, John Barleycorn, which has some really sublime playing - Winwood's keyboards, Chris Wood's flute & sax, etc.
Is it too late for the world to realise that Traffic were one of the best bands to come out of that amazingly creative period of the late 60s?
Low Spark....
.....is their best LP with John Barleycorn a close second. I like all the Traffic LP's but personally prefer the post-Blind Faith years. And you mustn't forget the Blind Faith album itself. My own best of Traffic Ipod playlist has some of their tunes in the middle of it. Hard to ignore Cant Find My Way Home and other BF tunes as being part of the whole Traffic discography.
Traffic, great band.
Free's second album..
..is flawless, all the rest are brilliant.
Traffic's only less than great album was "When The Eagle Flies" and that's pretty good too.
I would concur that the second album is the best, followed by "Barleycorn"
They put most of their contemporaries to shame.
The track that I always find myself coming back to is
Rollright Stones from Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory.
Welcome To the Canteen
To answer the question posed at the top, it wasn't credited to Traffic as the gig was originally scheduled to be a one off benefit, gathering the musicians associated with the band together, in support of underground magazine Oz (to help with their legal bill after the "Schoolkids issue" trial) and so wasn't strictly a band gig. However you'll notice that the ketchup bottle has the Traffic logo on the label. Or it does on the sleeve rear on the vinyl version.
However they had such a good time they decided to reform and went on to make "Low Spark..". Mason and Grech for reasons unexplained didn't join in.
A few months after this gig they went out on tour and my first gig was seeing Traffic at Liverpool Stadium.
Thanks Carl...
Makes sense now. I never associated Traffic with the Oz benefits - always thought of it as more a Mick Farren/Pink Fairies/Social Deviants thing. It was a long time ago though :-)
Traffic's best
I really like Low Spark and Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory.
I think the only weak album they did was Last Exit.
On The Road
has some good moments - Good version of 'Low Spark'.
Mr Fantasy..
was one of the great psychedelic albums (together with Sgt Pepper and Piper at Gates of Dawn)on which every track was a new sound adventure.
The second album was more consistent but also a bit samey sounding, thanks to the influence of John Wesley Harding. Strong candidate for best album nevertheless.
Last Exit was a bit of a ragbag (has this idea of having one studio side live and one live side ever worked out for anybody, like, ever..?)
John Barleycorn was good, mainly solo Winwood. The authentic folk title track was, I think, one of their greatest works.
Low Spark was an expanded Traffic line-up, hamstrung by a lack of really good material. Sometimes I feel so uninspired, indeed.
Shoot Out was much better, a concentrated band at the top of their game. Strong candidate.
When the Eagle flies was okay, still Traffic quality, nothing spectacular.
Traffic were a crucial band of their time. I enjoy all their albums, with a particular soft spot for their debut.
Anyway...
Family's album Anyway... was a live / studio split and to my mind works very well. The live side was new songs, rather than a greatest hits collections and managed to capture Chappo's mania really well. The studio side showed he and the band could be a lot calmer and introspective.
A studio version of Strange Band (which appeared on the live side) was released contemporaneously.
John Barleycorn did start life as a Winwwod solo project but developed into a fully fledged band reformation after he got Capaldi and Wood into the studio as session men. I think (but my memory might be faulty here) the Guy Stevens produced tracks are what remained from the solo album. Once it became a Traffic album Blackwell slipped into the producer's chair.
Your memory's pretty good Carl..
of the six tracks, Stevens is credited with two, on which Winwood plays all instruments, with Capaldi appearing on vocals on one, drums on the other. The other four tracks are trio efforts credited to Blackwell/Winwood. Damn, going to have to go and listen to it now.
Anyway is another I'll have to listen to again..
"Barleycorn" was originally..
..going to be called "Mad Shadows," which Stevens later gave to Mott.
Santa Monica 1972 film
Can I put in a vote for the Santa Monica 1972 concert film? My daughter watched a few minutes with me last time I was watching it and she couldn't believe how little 'show' was going on on stage.
Kids of today etc etc.
Nice..
but pity they couldn't be arsed to write a few decent lyrics, eh?
that insistent piano riff
on low spark is right up there with me
sucha great title too
and the version of dear mr fantasy played by winwood at crossroads is rahter excellent- love that olice green geetar
"Hole In My Shoe"
a great lost psychedelic single
amazing chord sequence