TRAFFIC

Traffic is the second full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Traffic. After leaving the band for a while Traffic sees the return of Dave Mason to the lineup. It wouldn´t last long though but long enough to record Traffic.

Traffic is quite the departure from the eclectic and adventurous Mr. Fantasy (1967) album which featured great emphasis on unusual rock instrumentation and an obvious will to experiment within the commercial pop/ rock frame. The music on Traffic is much more in the sixties blues/ rock/ soul vein and while this isn´t necessarily a bad thing I think it´s a hard pill to swallow after the excellence of the great debut. The music sometimes remind me of the bluesy/ soul songs by Procol Harum. When that is said the music is very well written and executed. I can´t deny that it´s a quality release. The production is also very professional and well sounding too. There are few excursions into folky and psychadelic territory but they are few. An example of the folky elements can be found in the song Vagabond Virgin.

I´ll be honest and say that Traffic wasn´t exactly what I expected and I´m slightly disappointed by the lack of adventurous material on the album. A 3 star rating is still deserved for a quality release. I´d recommend checking out Mr. Fantasy before this one though.

Heaven is in Your Mind is the US version of the debut full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Traffic´s. The UK version is titled Mr. Fantasy. The tracklists on the two versions differ a lot from each other. Heaven is in Your Mind include three tracks that don´t appear on Mr. Fantasy and the the rest of the tracks have a different order from the UK version too. Personally I prefer the tracklist on the UK version but Heaven is in Your Mind is enjoyable too. The mono version which is the one I have heard doesn´t have a sound that I enjoy much though and that´s my main reason for taking one star off my rating. 3 stars are deserved but I recommend getting the UK stereo version which is an excellent release.

Mr. Fantasy is the debut full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Traffic. My version is the 1999 UK remastered CD with the original UK version in stereo and the mono US version ( which is called Heaven is in Your Mind)is included as a bonus. The album was originally released in 1967.

The music on Mr. Fantasy is a mix of psychadelic rock, folk, proto-prog rock and semi-jazzy elements. The musicianship is excellent and the addition of flute, sax, citar, mellotron, harpsichord and organ to the more regular rock instrumentation of bass, drums, guitar and piano really gives the music an interesting sound. The vocals are really strong and suits the music perfectly.

The style is very varied and reminds me of Family´s debut full-length studio album Music In A Doll's House (1968) and Audience self-titled debut full-length studio album from 1969. Mr. Fantasy possesses much of the same charm as those two albums IMO. The songs are rather short ( between 2 and 5 minutes long) and mostly vers/ chorus structured. All songs are of high quality. They may not be very challenging but they are memorable and well written. The progressive approach is mostly due to the use of unusual instrumentation and the way the instruments are played. The band are obviously willing to experiment within a commercial pop/ rock frame. I find all songs on the album worth mentioning but some stand out more than the rest. The opening track Heaven is in Your Mind, Dear Mr. Fantasy and the ending mostly jamming instrumental track Giving to You are among my favorites. The latter probably gives a good picture of how Traffic sounded live as I assume they jammed a lot more in that environment than they did on this very structured album.

The US mono version which is included as a bonus, features a different tracklist which includes some single tracks instead of some of the album tracks from the UK version. Dave Mason had left the band shortly after the release of the UK version which meant that the band removed some of the songs which were penned by him from the US version. Personally I prefer the tracklist on the UK version and the psychadelic pop/ rock songs which were included to the US version are not as interesting as the tracks which were removed from the UK version. The fact that the bonus tracks are in mono doesn´t help either. I much prefer the stereo sound.

Mr. Fantasy has been a positive surprise for me and I assume this is considered a quite influential proto-prog album and rightly so. 4 stars are well deserved. I really enjoyed this album.

Traffic are more of an eclectic group than you think. Maybe amidst their eclectic blending of genres, prog (speaking in the traditional sense of the term) isn't among them. It's just the way the music is exerted makes Traffic progressive in essence. Start with a blues-rock foundation, throw in some jazz fusion and cover a folk tune for pleasure and you've got yourself JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE.

I have the CD version which inserts a track (''I Just Want You to Know'') in between ''Empty Pages'' and ''Stranger to Himself'', and puts another track (''Sitting Here Thinking of My Love'') at the end with both being rather unnecessary. Of the original tunes, the pseudo-title track is a very well adaped folk song that kind of builds to a climax without needing electric instruments. Also of interest is the piano-fusion-y instrumental opener ''Glad'' with sax lines to die for. All others are of the jazz/blues/rock variety where the appeal depends on the listener.

Not prog in the traditional sense but very rewarding if you can get your grubby little hands on it.

Last words: It's amazing that Steve Winwood plays all guitars and keyboards on the album, doing a phenomenal job on all instruments.

Progressive rock is arguably epitomized in half of this album's output, that being the title cut, "Glad" and "Freedom Rider", an appealing combination of rock, folk, psych and jazz. If the rest had worn so well and blended aptly with the top drawer material, this project might stand more united.

While the easy trad folk of "John Barleycorn Must Die" is a no brainer to a folky like myself, and certainly the best version of the tune I've heard, it doesn't mix all that well with the rest of the material, being the only truly folk oriented moment. If there is a bridge to the remainder, it would lie in the track's flutes that are taken to a higher level on the brilliant "Freedom Rider", integrated into the group's new jazzy vision but paying homage to their psychedelic roots. The verses sound delightfully like we are catching them in mid phrase. "Glad" leans to the jazzier side of the ledger, thanks to the interplay of saxes and piano, and is another unqualified winner.

For the rest, it could be anything by the SPENCER DAVIS GROUP or early CHICAGO, raucously unrelated to the three masterpieces. This leaves me in a quandary as to the overall rating, but I finally must round up on the off chance that I am missing something that a dose of Mr Barleycorn could materialize.

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.

For me, Traffic is not the typical band in the "prog rock genre", definitely not the early incarnation with Dave Mason on board. On this album, as well as the debut, we found a band more connected to the underground or "psychedelic" movement. But one can notice a more straight approach on the second album. The instumentation is not that extravagant and the tunes are more catchy and direct.

The album's opener as well as "Feelin' Alright?" is classic Mason, songs that maybe some of the other members of the band found to straight. But the mixture between the Mason direction and the Winwood/Capaldi contributions is what makes this album such a true gem. One of Traffic's strongest efforts!

Eclectic in the old-fashion way...

Boarding 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

I have the greatest respect for Steve Winwood. A huge talented guy who blew the musical industry when he was only a teenager. To tell that I am a blind fan is another story.

Their last album "When The Eagle Flies" which was released some twenty years prior to this one was one of their weakest effort and this come back is not really brilliant. But IMHHO, there aren't many brilliant come-backs after such a long period of time (history is proven)..

Standout tracks are difficult to find if you're not in a bluesy / soulish mood. The first moment of hope is the superb instrumental intro of "Far From Home". Fully "Santana" oriented, and probably therefore that I like it so much. I should say though than as soon as the vocals step in, the feeling is not so great any longer. I wouldn't compare these with the poor Greg Walker or Alex Ligertwood but I really don't like this type of vocals.

I'm not quite sure about the reasons of this reunion. Not the money (little sales), nor the artistic achievement. Maybe an effort to satisfy the hordes of oldsters who were still willing to listen to a "Traffic" album. I can't blame the band for this.

But I can't be overwhelmed either. This album features just decent rock songs: some good folk feel with a wonderful musical introduction for "Holy Ground" that is one of the best track featured. But to swallow the funky "Some Kinda Woman" is quite difficult ?

I am afraid that this album is far from a great come back. Very few bands did achieve this, and "Traffic" didn't. A least this is how I feel. Such songs as "Every Night?" or "This Train Won't Stop" have little to share with great music. My fave track is the closing number "Mozambique". A very much early "Santana" song (again) as some fellow reviewers have already mentioned.

I really wouldn't go higher than two stars for this (long) album.

THE END OF AN ERA

There is nothing great to tell about this work, I'm afraid. Although not the last record of this band, it is the end of their golden days. Even if I have never been a huge "Traffic" fan, I have to admit that they released quite decent works of which my fave is their live set available on "Welcome To The Canteen".

I can't be thrilled by any of the songs featured here. These jazzy jams sounds ("Dream Gerrard") or blues-rock oriented music ("Walking In The Wind") are just numbers that don't work for me. At this time of my "Traffic" reviewing, I have to say that I am quite voiceless to see that they were switched from prog folk to eclectic.

My favourite song featured on this album is "Walking In The Wind": wonderful vocals, great bass play and is it necessary to tell that backing keys are great? I would have wished to get more like this one, but it won't be the case.

I guess that the band didn't want to stop their career on such a work and therefore came back twenty years later with a follow-up effort. But this is another story.

"When The Eagles Flies" is at best average IMHHO. Trying to find a gem is useless and even a great song is hard to find (out of seven). Two stars, no more.