THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS

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(sixth of a serie of ten)

By this time Traffic is at their Mk3 (or is it Mk4) line-up, with Mason showing Wakeman the way on how to drive fans crazy. For my part, I will consider this album to be the second (chronologically speaking) of their prog phase (their first phase was psych) and this album is definitely one of their creative peaks ( Hell if I give 5* , then this must be one) and will be followed by an even better but much-denigrated Shootout At Fantasy Factory that will use the same cut-out cover but with a better idea .

Hardly ever has there been such a beautyfull Love and Peace-Hippy start to an album with spine-tingling vocals (Thick As a Brick approaches that, but it is not on a positive note) such as Hidden Treasure. Most of side 1 is taken up by the 12 min+ stunning title-track , slow in developping (some critics have suggested because low on idea but the athmosphere is the idea) and climaxing only to restart by the same piano notes - delightful.

Side 2 starts off with a rocker , but soon peaks after after Freedom to end on another high-note with the slow but ambiance-full Rainmaker. Too bad for the short throw away rocker (and inspiration-low) Light Up or Leave Me Alone but representating the rebel side of hippydom.

Most progheads reading the reviews on this site will also note that I am very reserved about allowing 5* (less than 5% of my ratings) , but here this is well worth it. A must.

The title of the first track describes this album perfectly. The music is a fusion of rock, jazz, funk and folk; it was considered progressive rock in the early 1970s, although perhaps is not what people today would label as Progressive Rock. Don't let labels put you off this album, though.

The pace of the music is generally slow (nicely so), and by the time the jazzy noodling at the end of 'Rainmaker' has come to an end you should be so mellow you'll be horizontal. The 12-minute title track - a masterpiece - is built around a simple piano riff, with Wood's jazzy sax, Grech's bass and Reebop Kwaku Baah's bongos meandering around it. There's nothing particularly complex about the track, but it's marvellous all the same. But then the rest of the tracks are also good; there's no filler on this album. For those of you who like flute, 'Rainmaker' is very pleasant, as is the flute on 'Hidden Treasure' and 'Many A Mile To Freedom'. Winwood's guitar and keyboard work is also pleasing.

Capaldi's somewhat acerbic lyrics on the title track and on 'Light Up Or Leave Me Alone' are memorable. Mind you, so is the album title, a phrase dreamed up by the actor Michael J. Pollard when he and Capaldi were in Morocco waiting to make a movie that never happened.

This is an album I've enjoyed since the early 1970s and can recommend highly. I even like the psychedelic, understated LP cover with the cut-off corners and trompe l'oeil artwork. A classic such as this deserves 5 stars.

If you expect symphonic, Genesis-style prog, this record is not for you. However, if you think 'progressive' means not only Mellotron and classical leanings, but also an exciting blend of influences coming from folk, jazz, classic rock'n'roll and even blues and soul, you could do worse than give "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" a listen - and possibly more than one. Although not on the same level as the band's 1970 masterpiece, "John Barleycorn Must Die", this is certainly a more than worthwile addition to any prog record collection.

There are only five tracks on this album, two of which ("Light Up or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock 'n' Roll Stew") are more classic rock than prog - besides not being sung by the inimitable Steve Winwood, without any doubt one of the best vocalists in the history of rock. His voice may be more suited to blues- and soul-tinged tracks than to straightforward prog, but listen to his performance on the title-track (the highlight of the album, a marvellous 12 minutes of vocal and instrumental delight) in order to fully realise his worth. Smoky, wistful, even sensual, Winwood's voice can give shivers down one's spine, enhancing even those which would be ordinary tunes if sung by someone else.

There is a lot of percussion on this record, provided by Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon and the African percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah,the latter adding a pinch of exotic spice to the whole.This is a mellow, rather laid-back album, but one which is deceptively easy on the ear, as it needs repeated listens to be really appreciated in full. I would recommend it to everyone who's not afraid of expanding his or her musical boundaries.

Almost at their zenith in terms of creative output, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys is a stunning piece of music which arguably is one of Traffic's finest moments.Everything including the tempo on Low Sparks gels together perfectly from the opening " Hidden Treasure" and the epic twelve minute tiitle track onwards. The percussion playing from Reebop Kwaku Baah interracts well with the rest of the band spelling out a similar percussive theme in albums to follow." Many A Mile To Freedom" also has Winwood pitching his unique vocal style supported by Capaldi's thumping drum beats. The least appealing track is the closing ' Rainmaker' but overall a solid excellent studio album by one of the most underrated bands of the early 70's.

Now, this is a true masterpiece of TRAFFIC, a follow-up to the highly acclaimed "John Barleycorn Must Die". The 6-piece band, now for the first time with a full-time bassist, and additional two percussionists, sounds almost like SANTANA orchestra (which is great!) with many polyphonic arrangements and full "progressiveness" and "fusion". The title track alone is a monumental musical impression, like coming from outer space and eternity with wonderful jazzy playing, beautiful Winwood's singing and ethereal and spacey keyboard solo. It makes you wish to play it over and over again or to tape- loop it so as to stick the fade-out with the fade-in into a perpetual experience. The Album starts and ends with two wonderful acoustic folksy songs with flutes that seriously question the "uniqueness" of Ian Anderson's playing. All in between is a perfect combination of rock, blues, jazz and soul in such a fine way that perhaps only the later STEELY DAN albums could match. The surrealist "cubicle" cover sleeve is a perfect companion to this perfect record.

This is my favourite TRAFFIC album. The band recruited former BLIND FAITH bassist Rick Grech, as well as DEREK AND THE DOMINOS drummer Jim Gordon to play on this record. The music here is a blend of Rock, Folk, Jazz and R&B. I found it interesting that there are two percussionists as well as a drummer contributing to their sound on this one.

The record starts off with "Hidden Treasure" an excellent song with flute, guitar and drums. I love Steve's vocals here, especially with the flute where a sad, warm sound is created. "The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys" is an absolute masterpiece, with the African percussion, sax and piano that create a beautiful melody in this slow paced tune.

"Light Up Or Leave Me Alone" features guitar and vocals as the main focus."Rock & Roll Stew" is kind of funky, with Jim singing this time.Cool guitar melody as well. "Many A Mile To Freedom" is another favourite of mine, with lots of flute and Steve's melancholic vocals, and check out the tasteful guitar solo to end the song. The album ends with "Rainmaker" a sad tune with a nice flute intro. Sax and guitar are added to the mix on this great song.

This record is highly recommended.

Fresh off the success of "John Barleycorn Must Die," the album that began as a Steve Winwood solo project but (with the versatile help of Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood) fleshed out into being a bonafide Traffic LP, the band opted to expand their membership for the next studio recording. This would bring in new energy and ideas and eliminate the limitations they encountered by only having three people in the group. With the addition of Rick Grech on bass, Jim Gordon on drums and Reebop Kwaku Baah on congas Traffic was able to be a lot more assertive musically, thus allowing them to venture progressively into uncharted folk/jazz/rock areas that few (if any) bands were exploring in 1971.

The album starts serenely with smooth harmonizing recorders, acoustic guitars and Steve's unmistakable voice singing "Hidden Treasure," a song that invites the listener to slow down the pace, listen to your soul's urging and discover the peace within. The low- key rhythm is perfect for Wood's airy flute and the permeating atmosphere has that charismatic Traffic climate that's as comfortable as an old sofa. What's next just may be their finest achievement ever. "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" slowly fades in as if the group is traveling in a gypsy caravan and they are gradually coming within earshot on the horizon. Drawing closer they fully immerse themselves in the song's half- speed tempo and it hypnotizes your senses. It's one of the most unique grooves in the history of rock and roll. Winwood turns in a vocal for the ages and his piano work is delicate and tasteful throughout. The drums, congas and percussion never drag for a nanosecond and Grech faithfully serves as the rock solid anchor with his unwavering bass pattern, keeping the whole endeavor from losing touch with its essential heartbeat. But to me this is Chris Wood's triumph. His saxophone work, both unadorned and then augmented by a distortion effect, is spellbinding and inspired. Following Winwood's last verse he delivers what I like to think of as "the note" that will define this tune forevermore. It's not so much of an indescribable tone as it is a FORCE that makes your hair stand on end. (Chris died prematurely in 1983 but I have it on good authority that the archangel Gabriel was so impressed by "the note" that he stopped Wood just inside the pearly gates and negotiated the rights to use it on judgement day in lieu of the scheduled blast from a trumpet. True story.)

It's impossible to follow something like that gracefully so "Light Up or Leave Me Alone" comes up next (at least it does on the LP version) and it's not too shabby. An easy- going, R&B-styled rocker, it features Capaldi on vocal and an interesting arrangement. Winwood has never been one of my preferred guitarists (some of his earlier work with this band is downright embarrassing) but on this tune he does a decent job overall. One of the characteristics of Traffic is their propensity to perform the essential ingredients of a song, then jam out on the ending and they do that not only on this song but several times on this album. Grech and Gordon contribute "Rock and Roll Stew," an uptempo tune they co-wrote about life on the road, and it garnered quite a bit of FM airplay at the time with its infectious, funky feel. The gospel-tinged "Many a Mile to Freedom" is next and it's a pleasant enough song but I think that if Steve would have played one of his exemplary Hammond organ solos instead of insisting on plunking out another less-than-memorable guitar ride it would have sent this tune soaring through the ceiling. At least during the ending jam we hear some welcome flute work from Chris. "Rainmaker" is the final song and it's excellent. With its somber, haunting chant of a chorus it tells a simple story of a farmer pleading for rain to nourish his crops and I'm sure everyone can find the human allegory it presents. Wood throws in some pertinent flute and Grech adds a dash of violin before they abruptly change gears and adopt a funky beat to improvise on for the rest of the track. The sax and guitar play around each other and the percussion embellishes the Bohemian mood they create as their gypsy caravan loads up and slowly moves on down the road before eventually fading into the twilight.

"The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" has become such a mainstay of classic rock stations the world over that it's easy to forget how ahead of its time the tune and this album was in the early seventies. There was absolutely nothing remotely like it on the musical landscape (not to mention the innovative art and odd geometric shape of the LP cover) and record buyers flocked to it in droves, eventually driving it up to #7 on the charts. Traffic had succeeded in creating their own niche in the biz and that allowed them to follow their muse wherever she led them. This album may not be a masterpiece but the title cut certainly is and more than enough reason to include it in your prog collection.

In contrast to many others, I think Traffic took a step backward from John Barleycorn Must Die (not a giant step though). I had never been a huge fan of their two major hits off the album (Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys and Rock & Roll Stew), but I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of other tunes that I hadn't been exposed to before. While certainly not bad by any stretch of the imagination, I just don't feel the energy and creativity that I did with their previous album.

Hidden Treasure. The title is appropriate for my experience, because I was very pleasantly surprised by this relatively simple tune featuring the flute and acoustic guitar. Nothing complicated, but catchy and a good way to open an album.

The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys. I've never gotten into this one. The loping tempo is a bit too slow (and I think even the chorus feels like it's dragging as well), and there's just not enough happening for the duration of the song with the exception of lively and entertaining keys--a good chorus with too little surrounding it for nearly 12 minutes.

Rock & Roll Stew, Light Up or Leave Me Alone. Both straightforward singles that are good but not terribly memorable: the former with a nice funky beat and the latter a rocker with a classic Traffic rhythm and some nice guitar.

Many a Mile to Freedom. This is the album highlight for me, with the happiness and creativity that I like from Traffic. It features a great melody (well sung by Winwood too), with some excellent flute and a very enjoyable jam to close out the song. I wish there was more where this came from.

Rainmaker. Another excellent song that taps the Traffic sound. Pleasant harmonies and haunting flute open the song, with a very nice funky twist to close it. I like this more every time I hear it.

Of course, I'm very glad to have this in my collection, and most proggers and classic rockers alike will feel the same. Unfortunately, for me Traffic seem perfectly satisfied to stick to relatively simple jams and standard rock numbers with little actual progression. I would suggest John Barleycorn Must Die before this album.

Free flowing Traffic

With Dave Mason having rejoined Traffic for the brief tour which resulted in the Welcome to the canteen album, the expectation was that he might stay around long enough to participate in a studio album. His preference for the live environment was however at odds with Steve Winwood's eagerness to return to the studio, and Mason returned to the US to continue his solo career.

The other three musicians who had joined the trio of Winwood, Wood, and Capaldi for the tour though, were consolidated into the line up, thus doubling the ranks. This afforded both Winwood and Capaldi more options when it came to performing live, and perhaps in the studio too.

The low spark of high healed boys was released just a year after the acclaimed John Barleycorn must die, but it represents a significant change in the style and direction of the band. Gone are any hints of the band's prog folk leanings, to be replaced by a much hard sound with strong jazz influences. Those jazz sounds had of course been audible before, but they had always been muted by either Mason's lighter pop style, or Winwood and Capaldi's folk indulgences. The general mood of the album is mellow, perhaps slightly downbeat, reflecting the core trio's passing from naively enthusiastic youngsters to more orthodox cynical members of the music industry.

Fortunately though, the inspiration is still there, it is simply harnessed in a different way. The song- writing is now dominated by the Winwood/Capaldi partnership with just one track, Rock and roll stew, being composed by new boys Rick Grech and Jim Gordon. Interestingly, this was the song which was selected as a single and thus appears on the remastered CD release of the album twice, in original and extended single format.

The album opens with the charming soft Hidden treasure, a song which serves as an appropriate link from the old to the new. It is though the following 11½ minute title track to which we immediately gravitate. Winwood's vocals and piano dominate this ambitious piece which draws together a relatively straight forward rock song, complete with memorable chorus, and a smooth jazz core of piano and wind instruments. It is one of those songs which on first hearing you perhaps wonder what all the fuss is about. Believe me though, it will take root within your conscience and demand repeated listening.

The first side of the LP is completed by Light up or leave me alone, where Jim Capaldi receives a rare solo writing credit. The song provides a contrast for the epic which precedes it being something of a smoky barroom blues rocker.

Side two also has just three tracks, although the balance between them is more even. The aforementioned Rock and roll stew has a retro feel, primarily due to the slightly echoed vocals and the Gone, Gone, Gone lyrics. The song is a funky piece of pop rock, perhaps in the style of The Band. Normal service is resumed with Many a mile to freedom, which sees Winwood back at centre stage. His vocal here is notably sober, the song sounding a little like a late night version of Low spark..

The closing track Rainmaker brings together much of what has preceded it, along with some Eastern nuances. Wood's flute work here reminds us in passing of the folk influences of the early albums.

In all, a superb album which sees Traffic continuing to explore new directions, while drawing on that which has brought them thus far. Personally, I rate Low spark.. just behind John Barleycorn in terms of the best of Traffic, but at the end of the day, both are excellent recordings.

A varied and wondrous experience.

Traffic's The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys is often praised as their best effort, and it might just be. This album is no doubt an exercise in everything that that the jazzier side of progressive rock does best. Intricate arrangements with soft deliveries mixed and heavier tunes that let the audience rock out are all represented on this output, and the band could not have done any of the above better than they did with this release.

While the focus on the album may well be directed to the 11-minute title cut, all of the other songs on the album certainly deserve their praise. Since the album is one of the most thought out in all of prog history in terms of placement of songs (or so it seems) the album flows incredibly well. Things get off to a mellow start from the first calming chords or Hidden Treasure, which also features some impressive vocal work. The middle of the album is represented by some of the heavier cuts, such as the rock ' rolling, Rock & Roll Stew, which sports some great soloing, and in its full version (a 6-minute cut is added to some remasters of the album), some very good instrumental noodling coming into the ending segment. Really, the album plays out like a well-formulated chart, peaking in the middle in terms of heaviness and easing off at the start and finish.

Some of the most memorable songs are the slower ones, especially the ones that cap off the album. Many A Mile To Freedom is a somber and reflective piece that can really capture a mood if you let it. Easygoing yet demanding, this is one of the best songs on the album. Of course, Rainmaker also deserves some due credit, the incredibly emotional coda highlighted by wonderful vocals and some very thoughtful playing makes this song worth waiting for when the end rolls around.

And now we get to the feature piece. The undeniable standout on this album has to be the excellent title track, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys. Soft and fast pieces blend together wonderfully, and the band's style of jazz and rock really gets to shine here as they seem to have hit a vein with it. If you've ever enjoyed jazzy music with a plethora of instruments which shifts its tempo in many places and some amazing vocals then this is the tune for you.

This album comes in contact with a lot of other genres, so eclectic is a very true placement for it. With moments of symphonic grandeur, canturburian groove, hard rock riffs and jazz rock fusion soloing this album is sure to please many, and even amaze some. A true masterpiece in ever sense of the word, Traffic's The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys receives an easy 5 stars out of 5. Extremely recommended.

I like to think of this album as a fusion album, but LOW SPARK is not fusion in terms of what we typically define to be fusion. LOW SPARK is more folksy and bluesy than jazzy, but we get jazz influence here, as well as folk, blues, rock and even a bit of prog here or there.

The title track is the focus track here. It has this overt jazzy quality that reminds me of Miles Davis in terms of how the piece evolves over time. Sure, the piece takes time to get started and the solos can get long in the mouth, but the piece has this mesmerizing appeal that simply cannot be explained. Also, Winwood puts on a heck of a vocal performance here even if Chris Wood steals the show.

The opening track is a very ''folk fusion'' kind of thing and the closer gives hints of prog rock complete with Rick Grech's soaring violin performance. For those looking for some rock, Jim Capaldi's ''Light Up or Leave Me Alone'' and the smooth ''Rock and Roll Stew'' should satisfy. The only really weak track here is the noneventful ''Many a Mile to Freedom''.

Traffic are such a unique band to the archives that it would be pitiful if they were snubbed from a prog collection. Sound-wise, it might not fit, but LOW SPARK has that progressive essence that goes side-by-side with those Genesis records.

The band has now recovered from Mason's hesitations and released this highly considered ''Traffic'' album.

It starts on a peaceful and classic folk song (''Hidden Treasure'') which should be only an appetizer for the epic from this ''Low Spark?'. The mood of this song is also on the tranquil side. This jazzy number doesn't really start actually. Calm and sweet vocals, fine instrumental middle section, and a nice finale are the spices. But I would have liked it more spicy to tell the truth (OK, my wife is Mexican...).

There are no weak songs featured on this album, but none of them are truly moving me. The psyche-rock ''Rock & Roll Stew'' is a perfect example of this feeling.

The first track with a prog feel is ''Many Mile?''. Pastoral atmosphere, nice fluting and pleasant vocals for sure. These qualities are not new and so there is hardly anything new with this album as far as I'm concerned. Unless a bluesy rock like ''Light Up?'' sounds revolutionary to some ears?but not mine.

My second fave is ''Rainmaker''. For the same reasons than ''Many Mile...''. The fluting parts (which are many) are exquisite, and the violin adds a great prog layer . It sounds an awful lot to Tull though. Or is it reverse???

But two excellent songs don't make a great album, only a good one as far as I'm concerned. This is a good release: it rocks a little, it folks a little, it blues a little. But it progs very little. Three stars.

Eclectic in the old-fashion way...

Broading from jazz, folk, rock and even blues, you got a spectacular album done by fascinating, yet subtle on the show-off side , musicians. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is a wonderful adventure to the less classic Prog stuff, so-long the Symphonic structures, and use of the synths and mellotron, also so-long the out-of-it's-time syndrome. Yeah, that's The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, it's 100% 70's sounding, yet compositionally you could say they're out-of-their-time just like you call King Crimson and Gentle Giant.

However, naming those 2 bands from the same sub-genre, as you may have already known from the first paragraph, they're nothing alike, since Traffic stays to the classic 70's roots of rock and blues, and add a wonderful, and very perceptible, blend of jazz and folk. They really don't want to explore new grounds ala ELP with synths and adapting classical compositions, nor as Yes with their grandiose 'epics'. Traffic stays firm to the roots of that time, and from there they create something totally unique and great.

All in all a very creative, yet solid to the 70's rock/blues/folk roots, album. Recommended for all music fans who still need to listen to Prog music that doesn't sound like Prog. Is that paradoxical? Well, whenever you listen to this album, you'll know what I mean.

5 stars

Traffic - The low spark of high heeled Boys (1971)

Soul music.

This is not what I expected to find in the eclectic prog genre. Even after my eighth spin of this album I haven't found but one progressive moment on the album (the last distorted guitar-chord of The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys). Furthermore the melodic Rainmaker has some great melodic song-writing.

Traffic is a band with some different influences and elements that still manages to sound as one group. There are rock influences, soul influences, there's some African percussive element and one could find some art rock due to the wind-sections. Don't expect to find very progressive compositions here! This leaves us with the question, what does this record has to offer us? Well. It's very very very relaxing! Almost always on a low pace, without strange changes within a song, nothing unexpected but always with an atmosphere as if Traffic was playing the record live in your living room. And all this just to satisfy you on your chill-out moment of the day or that nice and easy Sunday morning. That's the feeling this record gives me. The voice of Winwood is always pleasent, the wind-section gentle and the guitar are weeping. The quality of this band needs no discussion, this is top notch soul/soft rock.

Conclusion. This is the kind of music you like, but forget to buy because of all the bombastic interesting prog-releases. Still this is a great achievement of mixing styles into a soul-format. A professional record by an easy'goin' band. Three stars. But I still don't understand why this isn't listed as prog-related.

I wonder how many FM radio listeners picked up this album based on the heavy rotation of the title track and were either confused or disappointed by the rest of the record. Even so, this was another step in the right direction for a band that had risen like a phoenix just a year prior to record the stellar 'John Barleycorn Must Die' and were now all enjoying a resurgence of interest in their back catalog, not to mention the various side projects they had been involved in (Blind Faith, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Spencer Davis Group, Family among others).

The lineup expanded for this release, although the core group of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi remained though Capaldi's participation was heavily augmented by the troubled yet brilliant session drummer Jim Gordon and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah (who would remain with the band until their 1974 demise).

And that title track is surely the showcase of the album, a brilliant, sparse jazzy tome with instrumental highlights by just about everyone in the band. If I remember right there was a radio-edit version of this song that eliminated many of the instrumental breaks as well as most of the long, slow lead-in and closing; but the original is well worth listening to in its entirety to fully appreciate the exceptional showmanship and technical talent of this impressive assemblage of artists. This song appears to this day on most 'Top XXX Songs of All-Time" lists.

The follow-up "Light Up or Leave Me Alone" is a rare Capaldi composition and while it includes several extended instrumental passages including some funky blues guitar from Winwood, it doesn't come close to the majesty of 'Low Spark'.

"Rock & Roll Stew" comes off a bit better mostly thanks to a wicked bass line courtesy of former Family & Blind Faith bassist Ric Grech and Kwaku Baah's funky percussion, as well as a echoed vocal track delivered by Winwood with some serious bite. The follow-on "Many a Mile to Freedom" is closer to the folksy tempo of earlier Traffic songs but with nary a trace of the psych touches that graced their first couple of albums. Wood comes across once again with some great though somewhat strained flute passages, as he does on the closing "Rainmaker", which makes an abrupt tempo shift midway to emphasize Winwood's grooving guitar atop Wood and his saxophone and Kwaku Baah's hand percussion. This is a sound the band would explore more fully and with great success on their final album 'When the Eagle Flies' a few year's later.

This isn't quite the unexpected masterpiece 'John Barleycorn' was a year prior, and truth be told the band was a commercial success in the U.S. by this time and were probably under pressure to deliver more radio-friendly music than what most of these tracks turned out to be. But it is still one of the top studio performances of the band and so deserves a four (out of five) star rating for the combined performances of six very solid musicians. Very well recommended.

peace

Another heterogeneous grab-bag along the lines of John Barleycorn, the appeal of Traffic's The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys. Once again apparently unable to choose between folk-rock, proto-prog, psyche and straight ahead rock, and responding to this indecision by dithering around between the various genres they'd flirted with rather than coming up with a really interesting fusion with them. The stylistic gear change between the folky opener Hidden Treasure and the jazzy, mellow title track could give listeners whiplash. On top of that, given that it takes up 12 minutes of the album, the title track could really do with a bit of polishing - as it stands, it's a plodding, repetitive mess, with instrumental breaks which don't quite justify the tedium.