Traffic - Traffic
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Free Music Notes for Traffic
Free Music Review: Every Track a Unique Experience
Hit: 5 Stars
This album showcases Traffic at their creative peak and shows just how amazing this band could have been had they not been such a combustible mixture of talent. I wouldn't venture to say that every track on this album is a masterpiece ("Don't Be Sad" and "No Time to Live" represent the only two song I ever want to skip), but nearly every song is strong and interesting in its own way.Some of the songs ("Pearly Queen", for example) wonderfully showcase Steve Winwood's incredibly soulful voice. There is simply no male vocalist in rock and roll that can put as much emotion into his voice as Winwood can. Dave Mason, often totally incoherent in Traffic's earlier effort, Mr. Fantasy, is at his most jubilant and endearing here, providing two wonderful sing-along tracks in "You Can All Join In" and "Feelin' Alright." Meanwhile Chris Wood's flute and saxophone play are seamlessly interwoven into the grooves ("Vagabond Virgin" and "40,000 Headmen) and really add to the feel of the tracks, whereas ordinarily, the infusion of woodwind instruments into rock only distracts and detracts from the music.
Overall, the band is unbelieveably tight. I would go so far as to compare the cohesiveness of the musicians in this album to The Band in its incredible debut, Music from the Big Pink. Like Big Pink, Traffic's tracks are very distinct from one another despite feeling like they belong together. Even the paranoid and ragged "Feelin' Alright" sounds great next to the cheerful and silly "Vagabond Virgin".
When I play this ablum for a friend and ask them to pick their favorite track, they always choose something different from the last person. I strongly recommend this album to any fan of music from the 60s and 70s and anyone else interested in finding a new band to start trying to get into. This album won't dissapoint and serves as an excellent starting point for getting into Traffic's unique sound.
Free Music Review: One of the Best Albums of the '60s
Hit: 5 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.Their sophomore album, "Traffic," perfected the band's sound, and stands as one of the best albums in British rock. Psychedelic influences were still evident, but gone was the silly "Sgt. Pepper"-style trippiness of "Mr. Fantasy." Instead, Winwood and Capaldi perfected their jazzy take on psychedelic-soul, while Dave Mason turned in by far his best contributions with the group. Mason's "You Can All Join In" and "Feelin' Alright" (later popularized by Joe Cocker) are folk-rock gems, while Winwood's genius shines through on the whimsical but very funky "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring" and the swampy jungle-rock epic "40,000 Headmen." Furthermore, in contrast with the cut-n-paste nature of Traffic's other LPs with Dave Mason, here there is real collaboration, as when a Mason folk-rocker climaxes with Winwood's soulful wailing on the refrain or the bridge ("Don't Be Sad," "Cryin' To Be Heard"). The overall result is a delicious paradox: a recording that is wildly eclectic, yet artistically cohesive.
If you haven't heard "Traffic," all I can say is, you don't know what you're missing.
Free Music Review: Their Most Focused Release
Hit: 4 Stars
A very steady recording indeed by Traffic. On this release, both Steve Windwood and David Mason contribute some excellent songs. Pearly Queen, Don't Be Sad, Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Feelin' Allright, Cryin' To Be Heard, and You Can Join In are all catchy focused numbers with some captivating solos which are not overly extended. In addition, the vocals stylings are very expressive in the case of both Windwood and Mason. They both bring out every possible tone in their voices.Overall, the effort is consistent if not quite spectacular as John Barleycorn or Low Spark Of Hi Heeled Boys. Vagabound Virgin does drag after a while and the last two songs(not including the extra tracks) are not as good as the others. None the less, the prime time material on this record makes it a worthy purchase.
Free Music Review: Traffic's best
Hit: 5 Stars
John Barleycorn Must Die is a great album and I have a soft spot for Traffic's debut, but as far as I'm concerned they peaked on their self-titled second album. It strips away much of the psychedelia of Heaven Is in Your Mind, leaving a tasty mix of blues-rock, R&B, folk, little bits of classical, and even country -- all focused into short, tight songs. Between five great Dave Mason originals and five classics penned by the rest of the band, there isn't a dud present. Especially noteworthy are the dreamy "40,000 Headmen" (nice flute playing by Chris Wood), the classic rock staple "Feelin' Alright", and Dave Mason's cheery "You Can All Join In", and the meaty blues-rock of "Pearly Queen". If you like late 60s British rock, this album is absolutely essential.Free Music Review: THE BEST TRAFFIC CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, this would have to be my favorite Traffic album!!!! It is wonderful!!! I would definatly recommend this album if you are just starting to like Traffic... this album realy made me appreciate Steve Winwood and Dave Mason's song writing abilities. If you like jazz you will like this album. If you like psychedelic music you will like it. If you like the sixties you will like it! Traffic has a good way of combining regular rock & roll with other instuments like the flute or saxaphone. The best songs on this album would have to be Don't be sad (my alltime Traffic favorite), feelin alright, 40000 headmen, and no time to live. see for yourselff....