Traffic - The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys

[Paulrus]

I'll replace Paper Sun by Giving To You

Ask and ye shall receive.



(Note, with Mason.)

As for their second album 40 000 Headmen and Feeling Allright are the tops...

Ask and ye shall receive again (this time without Mason.)

[trurl]

I know it's not really in the same vein as the later albums, but I'm surprised to see no love for the first album. One of the best psych/pop albums around, and definitely my go-to with Traffic.

I'm not sure I've ever heard it...

[Paulrus]

I'm not sure I've ever heard it...

I love early Traffic, but the first one is an eclectic mix of pop, rock, soul, R&B, and psych. It's sort of a mix between Spencer Davis, Procol Harum, and Syd-era Pink Floyd.

Also, if you plan on buying it be warned: the first album had different mixes, different song listings, and even different cover art between the UK and US versions so do some homework before purchasing. I think both the UK and US versions are still in circulation but with different bonus tracks (and possibly one in mono and the other in stereo.)

Here's the US version (also known as Heaven Is In Your Mind):

[Dave (in MA)]

What is that percussion instrument that is heard a few seconds before the vocal starts? I recall that it was pretty commonplace back in the early '70s when electric pianos ruled the world. Was it a cabasa? I think it's also on Deodato's Also Sprach Zarathustra hit. I was reminded of it when I heard it while listening to Nucleus' The Pretty Redhead last night.

The Vibra-Slap.

[Vic2012]

Vibraslap

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibraslap

It's a modern version of a jawbone. It's a cool sound that isn't heard much at all anymore except in Afro-Cuban jazz.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I love early Traffic, but the first one is an eclectic mix of pop, rock, soul, R&B, and psych. It's sort of a mix between Spencer Davis, Procol Harum, and Syd-era Pink Floyd.

Early Traffic are stupendously collected in the Best of Traffic classic compilation from 1970; it contains more or less ALL of the outstanding tracks (bar one or two) from the first three albums as well as the singles (including "Smiling Phases").

[jupiter0rjapan]

Traffic getting shit for not being good enough to pull off the extended jams? Traffic "On The Road" boring? Shit, I must be hearing different albums than the lot of you. Nothing wrong with jazz slowburn imo, which is something Traffic did better than most. As much as I like The Allman Brothers, their style of jamming was very "hit them over the head with it". Traffic played with the melody and danced around it until the build could be arrived at naturally. Also, there was no descent into jam bandness later on, they always were jam heavy. "Welcome to the Canteen" is a good example of what they were about right from the start. Like most bands of the era, the albums contained short examples to sell what was really going on live. Even the Grateful Dead kept it brief on record most of the time.

[trurl]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah, to me Traffic was a very legit jam band in the sense they took more of a jazz approach of, "we're going to explore this musical idea and see where it goes", not, "we're going to noodle in a pentatonic scale for half an hour".

[Trane]

I'm still not used to seeing Traffic labelled Jam Band.... but I'm not saying it's wrong... just will have to get used to....

Did anyone mention Traffic in the dedicated Jam Band thread??

Coz I would've remembered it if someone had...

[Galactic Bulldozer]

Silver Trees - FcUking amazing... Ordered from Greg

Good, it was aimed at you.

[trurl]

They're not a jam band, they just jam.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Hm.

The penultimate British jam band was Man - and they were damn good at it. Traffic were cool enough when going out on improvisational limbs, but I far prefer the studio versions of "Glad" or "Low Spark" to the extended ones on the double live album. And I think a track like "Roll Right Stones" is pretty much a stagnant idea with that tedious chorus to begin with.

[Facelift]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah, to me Traffic was a very legit jam band in the sense they took more of a jazz approach of, "we're going to explore this musical idea and see where it goes",

Whatever else he might be, Steve Winwood is no jazz improviser. Hence, IMO, the leaden, uninteresting extended versions of these songs.

[trurl]

Whatever else he might be, Steve Winwood is no jazz improviser. Hence, IMO, the leaden, uninteresting extended versions of these songs.

Maybe not, but I'm referring to the style of what they were trying to do, not the ability or full vocabulary. I'm not saying he's Bill Evans. And I do find his solos interesting. More interesting than Greg Allman

[jupiter0rjapan]

Traffic is not a jam band. They are a band that jams. The Who also fall into that thing as well, though with MUCH more force.

[Dave (in MA)]

Hm.

The penultimate British jam band was Man

Who was the ultimate, then?

[Dave (in MA)]

Maybe not, but I'm referring to the style of what they were trying to do, not the ability or full vocabulary. I'm not saying he's Bill Evans. And I do find his solos interesting. More interesting than Greg Allman

Greg Allman solos are fairly rare compared to the guitar players' solos, but if liking, for instance, the solo on Stormy Monday is wrong, I don't want to be right.

[Trane]

Who was the ultimate, then?

Deep Purple, maybe???

While you're at it, Zep could be also considered a jam band,....

[Guitarplyrjvb]

^^ My vote is Crimson. Most of the Great Deceiver, and good parts of Starless and Bible Black and Red are improv/jam based.

[Paulrus]

Deep Purple, maybe???

While you're at it, Zep could be also considered a jam band,....

No no no. There's a difference between "You guys blow on this chord (or chord sequence) for the next 10 minutes while I solo" and something like Traffic where bass and drums would lay down a groove for keys/guitar/sax/flute to improvise over. Sure, it was usually Winwood doing most of the soloing but in the old days he'd usually trade off with Wood. Also, motifs from the song would re-appear between the solo spots, another distinguishing difference between "jamming" and "wanking".

[JJ88]

Personally I think the heavy jamming element on Traffic's studio albums worked for this album and that's all. The next two studio releases don't really have the songs IMHO- on something like 'Love' it feels like they are just throwing it together in the studio with no real inspiration. Whereas with this album, if you took out the soloing there would still be a great song on both 'Low Spark...' and 'Rainmaker'. And, for me, the soloing on these tracks is some of the best on a rock album for pure 'feel'.

RE; early Traffic. Both 'Mr Fantasy' and 'Traffic' are both brilliant albums IMHO. You can certainly hear the tension though, between Dave Mason's whimsical offerings and Winwood's more soulful, searching songs.

[mogrooves]

Hence, IMO, the leaden, uninteresting extended versions of these songs.

+1. Not much there there, for sure.......

[bRETT]

RE; early Traffic. Both 'Mr Fantasy' and 'Traffic' are both brilliant albums IMHO. You can certainly hear the tension though, between Dave Mason's whimsical offerings and Winwood's more soulful, searching songs.

I'd say they both did some of each. For whimsical songs you had Mason's "You Can All Join In," but also Winwood's "Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring". And in terms of more soulful things, I'd say Mason's "Vagabond Virgin" and "Feelin' Alright" (which of course is about NOT feeling alright) would quakify.

[Trane]

Traffic getting shit for not being good enough to pull off the extended jams? Traffic "On The Road" boring? Shit, I must be hearing different albums than the lot of you. Nothing wrong with jazz slowburn imo, which is something Traffic did better than most. As much as I like The Allman Brothers, their style of jamming was very "hit them over the head with it". Traffic played with the melody and danced around it until the build could be arrived at naturally. Also, there was no descent into jam bandness later on, they always were jam heavy. "Welcome to the Canteen" is a good example of what they were about right from the start. Like most bands of the era, the albums contained short examples to sell what was really going on live. Even the Grateful Dead kept it brief on record most of the time.

Indeed, while some people consider OTR one of the weaker album, I find it one of the best around...

Good, it was aimed at you.

Thanks, bro!!!

No no no. There's a difference between "You guys blow on this chord (or chord sequence) for the next 10 minutes while I solo" and something like Traffic where bass and drums would lay down a groove for keys/guitar/sax/flute to improvise over. Sure, it was usually Winwood doing most of the soloing but in the old days he'd usually trade off with Wood. Also, motifs from the song would re-appear between the solo spots, another distinguishing difference between "jamming" and "wanking". ]

mmmhhh!!!... I wasn't serious when I mentionned Purple or Zep.... (actually I was fairly sarcastic)

[Vic2012]

All the heavy bands in the 60s and 70s were jam bands. Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mountain, The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Santana, Journey (before they went pu**y), Chicago (before they went Pu**y), Traffic, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, etc. were ALL jam bands. It was the times. They were all taking drugs and stretching out.