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Do we like Traffic?

madmike

madmike

I feel much better now, I really do...
First two albums quite good...I like them. Never bothered before for some reason. John Barleycorn Must Die is on order. Any others I should look out for?
 
All their albums are worth having and the only one I never gelled with is On The Road. If you like their final album, Where The Eagle Flies, then check out the first solo album by Steve Winwood, unfairly underrated in my opinion but I like it a lot.
 
I would defend “On The Road”, arguably their “In A Silent Way”. I wouldn’t bother with the mid-90s comeback album “Far From Home”, it’s much more like a contemporary Steve Winwood album than a Traffic album.

I agree with Snufkin about Steve Winwood’s eponymous solo debut though, a bafflingly underrated gem.
 
Chris said:
Dave Mason´s Alone Together is another ¨Traffic¨gem, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is another with a proggy keyboardy flavour. In fact, you can´t go wrong with any of them
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Dave Mason´s Alone Together is a masterpiece but owes much to the Delaney and Bonnie crowd. If you go down the Dave Mason wormhole, try the album he did with Mamma Cass, a real overlooked gem.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KLJDSJG/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Indeed. Whale Meat Again is a great album. The title track had a bit of of a profound effect on me as a 16 year old back in '74. Played it just the other day bizarrely (1974 Island Pink Rim)

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Winwood's 1st album is a very special piece of work.
I remember buying it when it came out - it never fails to take me back to that time in my life when I listen to it - Midland Maniac, in particular, is an absolute gem.
As far as Traffic goes I think 'Shoot Out' is the best with 'John Barleycorn' a very close second.
Had the pleasure of seeing him perform at the RAH in 1988 which was my first gig with Mrs W - what a voice (Winwood that is);)
 
webster said:
Winwood's 1st album is a very special piece of work.
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It’s a great album as is the back story to its recording which is recounted by Phill Brown in his book Are We Still Rolling?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QU3BX7K/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

I also bought Winwood's 1st album when it came out and recently couldn’t resist picking up another copy for £4, it was mint and seemed astonishingly cheap. Turns out it wasn’t: https://www.discogs.com/release/663525-Steve-Winwood-Steve-Winwood
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
I was really chuffed to wander into my local records store a few years back to find a single I'd been after for years; the 12" of Time Is Running Out, for this dubbed out version on the flip - and for the grand sum of two quid (was going for around 35 on discogs at the time)


It's actually called Penultimate Zone
 
For me, my save-one album would be "On The Road" which captures the essence of them live at that time and that version of "Low Spark..." is their masterwork. If I could save two, the other would be "Barleycorn"
 
I liked Paper Sun and Hole in my Shoe but for albums agree with others that On the Road catches them at their Zenith in fine ebullient live form, I love it to the extent it would be in the core of 50 or so LPs I'd most resist losing. Wonderful rhythm section with Rebop Kwaku Baah bringing so much depth. Would love to have seen this line up live.

I also liked Low Spark and Shoot Out, remember feeling dissapointed by When the Eagle Flies but might dig it out for a revisit.
 
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