Traffic - Feelin' Alright: The Definitive Collection
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Free Music Notes for Feelin' Alright: The Definitive Collection
Free Music Review: Glad
Hit: 4 Stars
It is a pleasure listening to the music that meant so much to my circle of friends "back in the day".
Traffic was one of those bands that played a major supporting role in the days of Vietnam, demonstrations and turmoil.
Free Music Review: Mostly good
Hit: 4 Stars
does not contain Light up or leave me alone, which was disappointing, but most of the good stuff is on here. definitely worth a listen.Free Music Review: Great album
Hit: 5 Stars
All the best music and very fast shipment. What more could we want?Free Music Review: Great songs from 1968-71, but nothing from late 1971-74
Hit: 4 Stars
THE BAND: The main players consisted of Steve Winwood (lead vocals, piano, organ, guitar, bass guitar, percussion), Jim Capaldi (drums, percussion, vocals), and Chris Wood (flute, sax, organ, percussion, vocals). Additional members included Rick Grech (bass guitar), Jim Gordon (drums & percussion), and on-again off-again Dave Mason (guitar, mellotron, sitar, bass guitar, vocals).
THE DISC: (2000) 15 tracks clocking in at approximately 77 minutes. Included with the disc is a 14-page booklet containing song titles/credits, pictures of all album covers, what songs came from which albums, and 10 pages of pictures and history of the band and its members. Digitally remastered sound. Label - Island Records.
ALBUM REPRESENTATION: "Mr. Fantasy" (1968: 4 songs), "Traffic" (1968: 4), "Last Exit" (1969: 1), "John Barleycorn Must Die" (1970: 4), "The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys" (1971: 2). *No songs from "Welcome To The Canteen" (1971-Live), "Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory" (1973), "On The Road" (1973-Live), "Where The Eagles Fly" (1974).
COMMENTS: I got into Traffic way after the fact. However, I remember so many of these tunes from the classic rock radio stations growing up outside NYC. Especially the best songs on this disc... ""Dear Mr. Fantasy", "Glad", "Freedom Rider", "Empty Pages" and the ultra cool 11+ minute "Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys". With that being said, I'm sitting on the fence regarding "Feelin' Alright". The songs chosen here spot are on accurate - the best songs were chosen from each of the albums represented. But, Island Records skipped anything from their last 4 albums. So, as good as the songs here happen to be, it's not an adequate sampling at all. Traffic's sound was simply different. They were cool in a jazzy/fusion/spacy/pop kind of way. I don't recall too many bands like them at the time. They certainly were not like The Beatles or Rolling Stones. Not even close to Jimi Hendrix or anyone else at Woodstock. (Some) Traffic is necessary in your music collection. Over the years several compilations have hit the stores trying to adequately capture the best schmattering of songs. As for a single disc 'best of', this one is good... BUT it only covers a fraction of their catalog. For a more detailed mix, I'd go with the hard to find "Smiling Phases" (1991) with 2-discs and 26 tracks... and something from each of their studio albums. Looking for a single studio album - I'd first go with "John Barleycorn" (simply a great album, and backed up by the liner notes indicating this is/was Traffic's best selling album in the U.S. by a wide margin), followed by "Low Spark" and/or "Mr. Fantasy".
Free Music Review: Good, but why buy this when there is Smiling Phases!?!?!?
Hit: 1 Stars
For a penny less, you can get every song on "Feelin's Alright" AND ELEVEN MORE SONGS from the compilation Smiling Phases. Sure, this one disc compilation contains *great music* but what shmoe would buy it when you can get more music on 2-CDs for less money???? Perhaps another reviewer can fill me in on the "logic" of buying this over Smiling Phases because I don't see it.
EDIT - Sept 07 -
Not sure how often Amazon fiddles with prices, but today at least, "Feeling Alright" is almost 10 dollars while "Smiling Phases" is almost 17. Those prices are more in line with the number of songs on each disc. And if "Feelin Alright" truly does have a noticeably better sound due to remastering, it might even be the better deal right now.