Traffic - Traffic
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Free Music Notes for Traffic
Free Music Review: One hell of a record
Hit: 5 Stars
This is amazing, a must-have in any self-respecting '60's rock collection. Any album with You Can All Join In, Pearly Queen, 40,000 Headsmen and Feelin' Alright? has got to be pretty good. But you also get Cryin' to Be Heard, the underrated Don't Be Sad (pathetic lyrics aside, it's actually quite good) and Who Knows What Tomorrow Brings. Vagabond Virgin has some good social-commentary lyrics, something the group rarely tackled. And while No Time to Live is a filler, that's it. The rest is excellent jazz/folk/rock, far exceeding anything imitators ever did. For a similar record, both in general feel and in quality, pick up Jethro Tull's excellent Benefit.Free Music Review: Feelin' Alright
Hit: 5 Stars
Back in the day, I had every Traffic album. I only recently picked up this one again. I'd forgotten what a classic it is. In retrospect, it's more like Dave Mason backed with Traffic, but that's a pretty good billing in my book.
The greatest feat here was the lifting of the veil of psychedelia that permeated their first release. As much as I still love Mr. Fantasy, the cohesion that Traffic produced for their sophomore effort solidified their greatness, making this album their most accessible record. It manages to balance a myriad of musical genres from psychedelia ("Vagabond Virgin") to country ("You Can All Join In") to straight-up rock and roll ("Pearly Queen") to the folky/soft-rock stylings of Mason's solo work ("No Time To Live").
What makes "Traffic" even more impressive is the incredible use of layering to produce a rich, complex tapestry of music. Generally speaking, overdubbing tends to muddle and confuse music, but it was done in such a well calculated way here that it actually enhances the overall feel of each song. It's clear there was a focus here that didn't really manifest itself ever again. That's not to say that Traffic's later work was academic or pedestrian by comparison, but the effort to establish themselves as top-notch composers is most evident on this record.
Traffic's sound changed so much over their relatively short catalog that it is difficult to point newcomers to a particular album as a good starting point. In fact, this album may be the one most unlike any others with the possible exception of John Barleycorn.
I rate this album with five stars not so much because it's my favorite Traffic album (it's not), but because of the obvious clarity of purpose they put forth. There are no weak songs here. Every one could stand alone as a picture of brilliant song writing. This is absolutely a must have for any fan of the era and/or genre.
Free Music Review: Traffic's Second Album Is Great
Hit: 5 Stars
Traffic's self-titled second album is great. It contains an equal number of compositions by Steve Winwood and Dave Mason, with an odd Jim Capaldi number thrown in at times for good measure. Whereas the first album (MR. FANTASY/HEAVEN IS IN YOUR MIND) is, at times, a bit too druggy-sounding to suit my chosen lifestyle, this album has very little, if any, of that. The songs are very pop- and blues-oriented, with a folk influence also present. The best song on the album is "Feelin' Alright?", a song which is about needing a change of pace and the perils of stagnation. Winwood's and Mason's belief that the young Australian tourist convicted in Indonesia in May of 2005 for drug-smuggling was the victim of a grave injustice makes this CD an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.Free Music Review: As good as it gets
Hit: 5 Stars
I've owned this album (originally in its British LP release) since the early 1970's, and it has never lost its freshness and worth. For this one moment in time, Winwood and Mason really worked together, and the combination of Winwood/Mason/Wood/Capaldi was one of the most eclectic and original in popular music. Mason was a consummate pop-song writer, with roots in folk and English music-hall, and "Here's a Little Song", "Feelin' Allright", "Don't Be Sad" and "Cryin' to be Heard" are all quality songs beautifully executed. "Feelin'Allright" got covered many times, but to me the original version here is the best -- it rocks, it's light and airy, and it has a sense of humor.
There are several moments in this record when Mason's and Winwood's voices overlap, and I'm reminded of just how good they sounded together. Listen to the codas of "Don't Be Sad" and "Cryin'to be Heard" in particular.
But the core of this group was Winwood/Wood/Capaldi, and it's this unit that puts together one of the most striking (musically) track of all, "No Time to Live." It starts with Wood's sax, sounding almost like an animal-cry a la Paul Winter (and many years earlier!), Capaldi comes in playing tom-toms, and Winwood's organ laces wispy lines as his unique, soulful voice begins the lyric. Lyrics were never Winwood/Capaldi's long-suit (Capaldi wrote most of them), and the self-consciously world-weary words of this song are hardly memorable, but the song itself has an undeniable power. Wood was an original, excellent reed-player, and never better than on this album or this song in particular. Capaldi shows again what a sensitive percussionist he was, with his alternating textures and beautiful stick-brushed-cymbal work on this cut (and the idea that a rock group would have a "sensitive percussionist" as its drummer in 1968 was almost an absurdity).
In reality, as virtually every reviewer has noted already, Traffic was never just a rock band. Its basic sound was keyboard-based rather than guitar-based (although both Winwood and Mason shine on guitar on this album), and Winwood/Wood/Capaldi's interests ran into far more diverse areas, all of which come to bear here in this album. Later Traffic efforts might emphasize the extended rock/fusion-jam aspect more, the line-up would shrink and expand, but Traffic would never sound better than it did in the studio in 1968 when they recorded this album.
Free Music Review: A Balm for the Wounds from Reality........
Hit: 5 Stars
Hello people. The old year is fading fast and I have just enough energy left to write one more review for this year. I was going to write one on "John Barleycorn" because I did give that one as a gift. However......... this album calls to me, beckons to me, takes on a life of its own and compells me, by its sheer beauty and power, to add a few words above and beyond what has already been written. This album is one of those late 60's gems that is great no matter what generation gets a hold of it. It conveys a great deal of knowledge in dealing with the human condition. I had a friend once that, when the world became too absurd to deal with, would play this as a form of therapy. It does work. You feel not so alone anymore and become connected because you realize that you are not the only one who feels like you do. They have written about you - me -everybody for that matter. As in the song 'Don't Be Sad' they write "There's no one can really judge you". And in a judgemental, negative world, those words can really help. And, if you've ever been deceived in love, Mason's "Feelin' Alright?" really hits the mark. The intrinsic truth of feelings expressed so achingly in 'Cryin' to be Heard' into 'No Time to Live' are a beautiful sadness rare in the pop arena.
Many of the Traffic albums are gems but for all different reasons. This one was a transition album. They were getting away from the elaborate psychedelic production of 'Mr Fantasy' and letting the instruments do the talking. And everything on this 2nd album fits like a glove. No excess. It rocks, grooves, and, when need be, comes across with ethereal atmospherics. This truly is a great mixture of sheer talent.
I have loved this album for a long, long time. It's like that old sweater in your closet, you know the one, that you just have to keep because it is so comfortable. People, do yourself a favor- the next time you feel disconnected buy this album. It is a wonderful balm for what ails you.
Sometimes I wish I could be more discerning and critical - but that is very hard to do when you have music this good. Oh well. Happy New Year to all. Hopefully, I will be back next year to review more gems for you. Best to all!