Traffic - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
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Free Music Notes for Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Free Music Review: From hole in my shoe to high heeled boys....
Hit: 4 Stars
From the period when rock music was a really exciting musical form comes Traffic's most accomplished work.Although I feel all their discs have something special about them ,this one is where it all came together perfectly.The band had been reduced to a three piece by the departure of founder member Dave Mason( who wrote their early hit "hole in my shoe") and then split up when Winwood joined Eric Clapton in Blind Faith before reforming during sessions for a Steve Winwood solo album to be called "Mad Shadows"( Mott the Hoople borrowed the title for their next album),which of course became the Traffic album "John Barleycorn".From there bassist Ric Grech( also in Blind Faith)and percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah( Ginger Baker's Airforce)and Jim Gordon on drums were enroled and the band set to with gusto.
Steve Winwood( keyboards ,guitar ,vocals)Chris Wood(flute,sax,keyboards) and Jim Capaldi(vocals,percussion)were all at their peak during this period( as Capaldi's fist solo outing "oh how we danced" illustrates).
The heart of the disc is the title track,surely one of Winwoods best ever tunes(and that's saying something)the Jazzy smoky bass and piano riff driven by and alternatly driving the percussion while Winwood relays his tale of woe of life in the music biz."Hidden Treasure","Rainmaker" and "Light up or leave me alone" are all first rate tunes ( some would say classics)and only Ric Grech's weak "Rock n roll stew" lets the side down.
It was along way from "Hole in my shoe" but once again the rigours of the road would prove too much and after only two more studio albums Traffic would collapse once more.
Free Music Review: The best Traffic cd
Hit: 5 Stars
Its not easy to write a review of a cd as great as this. After my initial impression (see review below) I have been listening to this cd virtually every day and every day I still find incredible beauty to it. The title track is simply the best studio-recorded rock song of all time. It is very rare to find artistry such as this on any other recording. The best songs (Hidden Treasure, Low Spark and Rainmaker) are more like journeys than songs - absolutely transcendental. This is definitely the best Traffic cd. All the others are more patchy, though still worth buying. But for the apex of this great, sublime band's career, buy this cd!
Free Music Review: Traffic's Commercial High & Artistic Low
Hit: 3 Stars
Traffic had one of the most original (and interesting) sounds in British rock, and not only because of their eclectic musical influences, which embraced psychedelia, folk, jazz, soul, R&B, and even classical. Their unique sound was also the result of their unusual instrumentation. While the group went through a number of personnel changes, its constant core members were Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Chris Wood (sax, flute, and organ), and Jim Capaldi (drums & percussion). With no regular bass player, Winwood often filled in with the bass pedals on his organ. And, while there is no lack of guitars on most Traffic recordings, the guitar is not emphasized or particularly important to the group's sound. Dave Mason came and went in their early years and, on other recordings, Steve Winwood would switch to guitar, with Chris Wood taking over organ duties. In short, Traffic was anything but your typical guitar-bass-drums rock outfit. And, with "white Ray Charles" prodigy Winwood at the helm, and with their willingness to experiment with virtually any sound or musical style, they cut some of the most distinctive and important records in British rock.After regrouping in 1970 on "John Barleycorn Must Die," Winwood & Co. began experimenting more heavily with jazz-rock. On "John Barleycorn" (especially the instrumental "Glad"), it added a welcome ingredient to their eclectic brew. However, with "Low Spark," they jumped in with both feet, and Traffic's sound would never be the same. The title track stretches to an unnecessary 11+ minutes, and the overall sound is limp and uninteresting. Although better than most recordings in the genre, this is the type of aimless noodling that most people think of when they hear the term "jazz-rock." In fact, the "rock" element is increasingly submerged by this point, resulting in mere keyboard-based acid-jazz or fusion. And, unfortunately, the one track that does not succumb to these problems is musically uninspired and lyrically stupid ("Light Up or Leave Me Alone").
Furthermore, with "Low Spark," Steve Winwood took up the annoying habit of singing in a straight English voice, rather than using his unique "white Ray Charles" vocal gifts. The result robs his vocals of their unique soulful power - in fact, his singing here almost sounds like a weak falsetto by contrast. Together with his jazz-fusion experimentation, this vocal change only added to the musically limp sound of later Traffic.
"Low Spark" is probably the Traffic album that most people are familiar with. That's a crying shame.
Free Music Review: Wow!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I just discovered this cd (I know, where have I been?) and am completly blown away by it. This is one of the best cds of all time.I brought copies for all my friends (since when do you discover a cd so great that you Know all your punk friends, your techno friends, your alt.rock friends, will all love it?). The songs are so beautiful, the musicianship incredible, the arrangements really, well, interesting! and smart. Really trancendental music (in the best sense of the word).
Free Music Review: Original track order restored!
Hit: 5 Stars
Those who own earlier CD issues of this title should note that this disc presents the album's tracks in their original running order, as found on the original vinyl. This differs from previous CD issues (starting with the first in the mid-80s) which were mistakenly produced from the master created for tape releases (cassette or 8-track). Due to the limitations of tape media, tracks were rearranged to fit, and no one associated with CD production noticed until this remastering.Please see my full review below.