After disbanding inwards 1969, during which fourth dimension Winwood joined Blind Faith, Traffic reunited inwards 1970 to unloosen the critically acclaimed album John Barleycorn Must Die. The band's line-up varied from this signal until they disbanded ane time again inwards 1975. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 partial reunion, amongst Winwood together with Capaldi, took house inwards 1994.
Traffic is the 2nd studio album yesteryear the English linguistic communication stone band Traffic, released inwards 1968 on Island Records inwards the Great Britain every bit ILP 981T (mono)/ILPS 9081T (stereo), together with United Artists inwards the United States, every bit UAS 6676 (stereo). It peaked at number ix inwards the UK albums chart together with at number 17 on the Billboard 200. It was the final album recorded yesteryear the grouping earlier their initial breakup.
In Jan 1968, after to a greater extent than or less initial success inwards Great Britain amongst their debut album Mr. Fantasy, Dave Mason had departed from the group. He produced the debut album yesteryear the grouping Family, containing inwards its ranks hereafter Traffic bass actor Ric Grech, piece Traffic went on the road. In May, the band had invited Mason dorsum to laid out recording the novel album.
Mason ended upwards writing together with singing one-half of the songs on the album (including his biggest striking "Feelin' Alright?"), but making scant contribution to the songs written yesteryear Jim Capaldi together with Steve Winwood. His flair for pop tune had ever been at odds amongst the others' jazz ambitions, evidenced yesteryear the dichotomy seen for the songs on this album, together with yesteryear Oct he was ane time again out of the band. He would provide ane to a greater extent than fourth dimension for a tour together with album inwards 1971 to run out the band's contract.
Traffic was reissued for compact disc inwards the United Kingdom on xi Jan 2000, amongst 5 bonus tracks, 2 from the soundtrack to the United Artists cinema Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush together with iii from Last Exit. In the US, the remastered reissue of 27 Feb 2001 included mono unmarried mixes of "You Can All Join In," "Feelin' Alright?," together with "Withering Tree." The original album was produced yesteryear Jimmy Miller. The remasters were assisted inwards their production yesteryear Jim Capaldi.
After dispensing amongst his services inwards Dec 1967, the remaining members of Traffic reinstated Dave Mason inwards the grouping inwards the jump of 1968 every bit they struggled to write plenty cloth for their impending 2nd album. The lawsuit was a disc evenly divided betwixt Mason's catchy folk-rock compositions together with Steve Winwood's compelling stone jams. Mason's cloth was the almost appealing both initially together with eventually: the lead-off track, a jaunty endeavour called "You Can All Join In," became a European hit, together with "Feelin' Alright?" turned out to last the solely existent measure to emerge from the album after it started earning screen versions from Joe Cocker together with others inwards the 1970s. Winwood's efforts, amongst their haunting keyboard-based melodies augmented yesteryear Chris Wood's reed move together with Jim Capaldi's exotic rhythms, move ameliorate every bit musical efforts than lyrical ones. Primary lyricist Capaldi's words tend to last impressionistic reveries or vague psychological reflections; the almost satisfying is the shaggy-dog even out "Forty Thousand Headmen," which doesn't actually brand whatsoever feel every bit anything other than a dream. But the lyrics to Winwood/Capaldi compositions accept a dorsum topographic point to the playing together with Winwood's soulful voice. As Mason's simpler, to a greater extent than straight performances alternate amongst the to a greater extent than complex Winwood tunes, the album is well-balanced. It's also bad that the musicians were non able to hold that residual inwards person; for the 2nd fourth dimension inwards 2 albums, Mason flora himself dismissed from the grouping only every bit an LP to which he'd made a major contribution striking the stores. Only a few months after that, the band itself split up, but non earlier scoring their 2nd consecutive Top Ten ranking inwards the U.K.; the album also reached the Top xx inwards the U.S., breaking the temporarily defunct grouping stateside.
Considering that Traffic couldn't appear to remain intact for to a greater extent than than a few months at a time, the band's move seems fifty-fifty to a greater extent than remarkable. Recorded inwards the summertime of 1968 together with released afterward that fall, Traffic, the band's sophomore release, stands every bit the outfit's high-water score together with ane of the dandy stone albums of its time. Clearly, Dave Mason together with Steve Winwood had completely dissimilar visions for the band, both musically together with socially. In fact, Mason had already left the band at the year's beginning, solely to provide a few curt months later. Mason liked to move lone together with favored rooted folk-tinged material; Winwood saw the band every bit a communal thing together with leaned toward progressive jazz-influenced music. Of course, the synthesis of these 2 approaches is what makes Traffic such a terrific album. There's non a weak minute across these 10 songs (augmented on this reissue amongst iii mono unmarried mixes). By fusing bits of dry reason together with folk, wisps of psychedelia, together with elements of jazz together with soul, the album managed to both presage together with summarize the ambitious developments of stone music during its almost creative era.
Traffic had ane of the almost original (and interesting) sounds inwards British rock, together with non solely because of their eclectic musical influences, which embraced psychedelia, folk, jazz, soul, R&B, together with fifty-fifty classical. Their unique audio was also the lawsuit of their odd instrumentation. While the grouping went through a number of personnel changes, its constant nub members were Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Chris Wood (sax, flute, together with organ), together with Jim Capaldi (drums & percussion). With no regular bass player, Winwood oftentimes filled inwards amongst the bass pedals on his organ. And, piece in that place is no lack of guitars on almost Traffic recordings, the guitar is non emphasized or especially of import to the group's sound. Dave Mason came together with went inwards their early on years and, on other recordings, Steve Winwood would switch to guitar, amongst Chris Wood taking over organ duties. In short, Traffic was anything but your typical guitar-bass-drums stone outfit. And, amongst "white Ray Charles" prodigy Winwood at the helm, together with amongst their willingness to experiment amongst virtually whatsoever audio or musical style, they cutting to a greater extent than or less of the almost distinctive together with of import records inwards British rock.
Their sophomore album, "Traffic," perfected the band's sound, together with stands every bit ane of the best albums inwards British rock. Psychedelic influences were nevertheless evident, but gone was the giddy "Sgt. Pepper"-style trippiness of "Mr. Fantasy." Instead, Winwood together with Capaldi perfected their jazzy accept on psychedelic-soul, piece Dave Mason turned inwards yesteryear far his best contributions amongst the group. Mason's "You Can All Join In" together with "Feelin' Alright" (later popularized yesteryear Joe Cocker) are folk-rock gems, piece Winwood's genius shines through on the whimsical but really funky "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring" together with the swampy jungle-rock epic "40,000 Headmen." Furthermore, inwards contrast amongst the cut-n-paste nature of Traffic's other LPs amongst Dave Mason, hither in that place is existent collaboration, every bit when a Mason folk-rocker climaxes amongst Winwood's soulful wailing on the refrain or the span ("Don't Be Sad," "Cryin' To Be Heard"). The overall lawsuit is a delicious paradox: a recording that is wildly eclectic, yet artistically cohesive.
If you lot haven't heard "Traffic," all I tin dismiss say is, you lot don't know what you're missing.
Traffic was inducted into the Rock together with Roll Hall of Fame inwards 2004.
Track Listing:
1. You Can All Join In
2. Pearly Queen
3. Don't Be Sad
4. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring
5. Feelin' Alright
6. Vagabond Virgin
7. Forty Thousand Headmen
8. Cryin' to last Heard
9. No Time To Live
10. Means To An End
Personnel:
Dave Mason – Pb vocals, guitar, harmonica
Steve Winwood – electrical guitar, bass, backing vocals, organ, piano
Chris Wood – saxophone, flute
Jim Capaldi – drums, percussion, backing vocals
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