Traffic - Last Exit
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Free Music Notes for Last Exit
Free Music Review: Unsurpassed!
Hit: 5 Stars
I am a devoted Traffic fan and my love for their incredible music seems to grow stronger as time goes on. I saw the original Traffic trio perform in 1968 and still count it as one of the greatest of my live concert experiences ever. I have devoured all of the fantastic Traffic Remasters previously and Last Exit sounds as good or better than the others. I cranked up Shanghai in my car and was completely blown away by the perfection of writing, playing, singing and sound of this masterpiece. I wish there was more "hidden treasure" Traffic in the vault for future release but the fact that there probably isnt only makes the available jewels even that more precious. Free Music Review: If you missed the exit the first time around, here it is once again
Hit: 4 Stars
As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.
The record company's decision to release "Last Exit" a collection of previously unearthed Traffic studio and live tunes turned out to be an unexpected gift for all degrees of fans.
The collector that must have every note could never be disappointed with the assortment of sounds that seem all over the globe and cohesive at the same time. Those that are somewhat into the band or looking for songs they heard on the radio will be happy with the inclusion of Shanghai Noodle Factory and Medicated Goo.
The album opens with a wonderful bit of psychedelia called "Just For You." The vocals pay homage to the fantastic British Invasion sound circa 64-67.
Shanghai Noodle Factory is one of the finest tunes that the band would leave us. Complex and catchy at the same time. There is a certain intensity in the delivery by Steve Winwood.
Something's Got A Hold Of My Toe lets the music do the talking. A clever riff and perfect improvisation makes this worthy of a repeat listen.
Withering Tree has Winwood using the vocal style that would be synonymous with Blind Faith. The words come from the heart and the instrumentation provides the perfect backdrop.
Medicated Goo complete with a bit of funk and lyrics that remain with you was a Album Rock radio song for numerous years (Well deserved).
Taking a page from Cream's playbook the record company mixed live and studio tracks for our pleasure. Recording at the Fillmore West in San Francisco you can feel part of the festivities with Feelin' Good and Blind Man. An opportunity to understand Traffic's gift to shine in and out of the recording studio.
If you missed the exit the first time around the present is as good as any to make up for lost time.
Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"
Free Music Review: It's good for you
Hit: 4 Stars
Dispite some of the negitive press it gets for being thrown together by the record company, this is actually pretty good. The opening song hasn't aged well but everything else is pretty great.Shanghai Noodle Factory, Withering Tree and Medicated Goo shows Traffic as about as good as they get. Now about the live performances, these get ragged on quite a bit, however the new remastered version they've never sounded cleaner. The quality stems for how they were recorded-basic 2 track with no being able to fix it in the mix. The performances are all top notch and of songs that are not currently available elsewhere. Sure I wish Chris Wood was louder in the mix and Stevie Winwood's organ wasn't turned up quite so loud. Feelin' Good is wonderful and full of emotion. Blind Man shows how great they were at taking a blues tune and turning it into something special. You'd never guess that they didn't write these two tunes. Free Music Review: Traffic Report
Hit: 5 Stars
Let's begin at the beginning. Steve Winwood is a total talent and a prodigy. You can rate him as a composer, bandleader, musical innovator, guitarist, organist, and especially singer and he comes out on top in every category. In rock that's almost unknown. This blather about Traffic's second album being their best because of the dynamic tension between Dave Mason and Winwood is eyewash. Mason is a folky annoyance.
When Winwood, still a teen back then, stepped up with Spencer Davis it was clear there was a new sheriff in town. The first Traffic album is amazing. When Last Exit came out, the third, nobody knew it wasn't their last. What about the complaints that Last Exit is a dog's breakfast, odds and ends tossed together? So what? On the LP, one side was live, the other was studio. Big deal, not exactly uncommon.
Now, the songs. Just For You - throwaway fluff from Dave Mason, fortunately the only one of the disk. Shanghai Noodle Factory - excellent funk, great to sing along, love those lyrics. Something's Got A Hold Of My Toe - this is the one every reviewer gets wrong. Rather than being some random snippet of tape lying around the studio it is 2:14 of driving rock guitar and back beat that really doesn't let go of your toe. Withering Tree - classic Winwood doing pretty as only he can. Medicated Goo - man, if you can't feel this one in your funky sneakers somebody gave you a soul-ectomy.
Then the big finish, Feelin' Good and Blind Man, 18-minutes of Traffic live at the Fillmore West. Sound quality is admittedly low but this shortcoming is vastly overshadowed by the performance, absolutely the best live Traffic ever. What Winwood does to Feelin' Good is simply beyond belief, he turns it inside out and puts a brand on it. As to Blind Man, that's the blues, big, bad, and beautiful. Just a fantastic CD. That's it from the Traffic-copter, now back to the studio.
Free Music Review: Thankfully, NOT Traffic's Last Exit
Hit: 4 Stars
Traffic's third album, "Last Exit," was originally intended to be the group's final album (hence the title), as Traffic leaders Dave Mason & Steve Winwood were splitting up over creative differences at the time, and because of it, both men decided to put Traffic out to pasture. Thankfully, this did not happen, as Winwood, flautist/saxophonist Chris Wood and drummer Jim Capaldi unexpectedly revived Traffic with their 1970 classic, "John Barleycorn Must Die" (but that's another review). In the meantime, "Last Exit" is a great odds-and-sods Traffic album, containing several rare singles like the lighthearted "Shanghai Noodle Factory" and the groovy "Medicated Goo," and a pair of barnburning, jamming live tracks (recorded at the Fillmore West) in the form of "Feelin' Good" and "Blind Man." "Last Exit" is an excellent album that no Traffic fan should do without.