Traffic: Terrific or Twaddle?

Clapton jammed with Traffic in 1970, I think May 1970, and stated that if they had asked him to join the band after the show he would have but they never asked him.

 

I only got to see them in 1994 opening for the Grateful Dead.

 

It's a UK-US divide. The first albums did very well in UK and Europe and the albums after John Barleycorn did not. The opposite is true for the US.

 

I like some stuff by Traffic (mostly from the first two albums - the only ones I have) but after a while, Winwood's voice really gets on my nerves.

 

I used to see that and Last Exit all the time in used record stores (ca. 80s-90s).

 

true but not so much in the states. I know the grateful dead liked them.

 

Mason is.
Winwood is not.

So unless Winwood has pi$$ed away all his Higher Love/Roll With It/Beer Commercial savings, it ain't gonna happen.

I don't even think Winwood considers Mason as a real member of Traffic in a way, with all his comings and goings (in and out of the band three times) and since they were almost two different bands/factions when Mason was there. Winwood/Capaldi/Wood would collaborate from the ground up on songwriting/arrangements, while Mason wrote alone and then told the others what/how he wanted them to play on his songs.

 

They had two Top Ten hits over here, per Wiki (one of which went on to become a Grateful Dead concert staple).

 

That's one that Steve has recommended. I don't think it's in print any longer, but shouldn't be too hard to find. Great comp.

 

The last time I saw Traffic, we left after 20 minutes into their set during the "Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory" tour @ Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I've been to funerals that were more exciting than Traffic's set that night.

**worth noting Free was the opening act...and completely blew Traffic away !

 

And even if that ship hadn't yet sailed , it's name was Titanic.

 

The vinyl version of Best Of Traffic I have has a different cover, black cover with 4 pics of them, otherwise it’s the same songs.

 

again, true, although I was thinking more as a live act. I don't know if spencer davis group toured here back then. i'm sure winwood would have turned a few heads if they had.

 

( the sound of wind blowing.....a tumbleweed rolls by...more wind...more tumbleweeds )

 

That ' s not nice.
It may be true but it's not nice.

 

Sigh . . . if only John Lennon had learned early on to restrict the expression of his insecurities and hurts to his songwriting, his public utterances would not have been so troublesome to his "legacy."

 

Don't everyone speak at once.

 

I've had the Smiling Phases collection since the 90's and I'm only now starting to get their individual titles, so I certainly hope I'll find it all more terrific than twaddle. So far so good. Low Spark, John Barleycorn and Welcome To The Canteen have all hit my musical sweet spot, and I'm also enjoying the Spencer Davis Group comp I picked up a couple of weeks ago. Winwood is a talented guy.

 

There's this short film ( possibly available on YouTube ) called ' Snodgress which reimagines Lennon's life if he had quit The Beatles just as they were becoming popular. It shows him as a guy in his 40s who's bitter , cynical , sarcastic and adrift in life. He can't hold a job and everyone thinks he's an ass hole. Worth watching.

 

When the Eagle Flies is great.

“Dream Gerrard” is a jazzy, psychedelic treat while the other tracks preview the poppy, funky rhythm n blues direction that Winwood would head in for his solo career.

 

( even more wind...more tumbleweeds...in the very far distance an eagle flies by )

 

I like Traffic a lot. John Barleycorn, Low Spark, their self-titled album... all wonderful records.

And by the way, I really dig Jim Capaldi's drum sound (Empty Pages = fantastic!).

Great band!

 

Those are great shots. Really like the one of Wood.

 

Saw them live twice. Both times they were beyond phenomenal.

 

Ya gotta roll with it , Purple Jim....