My favorite is the american first album. "Heaven is in your mind". That was the first Traffic album I ever heard and I really dig the between song sound byte interludes. So cool. And it has superior track sequencing than the UK Mr Fantasy album
You summed up what I love about Traffic. You can't define them but it makes them a go-to band when you are not sure what else to play. Constantly surprising.
Another one that I just can't seem to come up with a list for. This band means a lot to me and Steve has always been one of my favorite vocalists. Any Traffic list is great to me. Thanks for your list, Pete!
fantastic I love traffic always have since high school. Winwood just beyond amazing. I love sometimes watching that live concert that still on UA-cam traffic live Santa Monica 1972 they were so baked
Forgot all about Traffic. Do remember "Hole in my shoe" with affection. Will have to delve into the archives. Congratulations Pete on your ever expanding Channel.
You're spoiling us today! Traffic is a band that really shouldn't be my cup of tea, but are. I like hard rock and metal (and prog of course) and so I get annoyed when bands are labeled as rock but don't really rock at all (Crosby Stills and Nash, The Eagles, etc). But with Traffic I knew exactly what I was getting into. I bought Low Spark of High Heeled Boys the same day I got Tons of Sobs and Muddy Waters Live at Newport 1960. I love listening to Low Spark when I do my exams, and I really dig John Barleycorn as well. Traffic is one of those hands where they really don't have a bad album. P.S. *NEVER* stop with the Pete-isms!
One of the last vinyls I ever purchased was Mr. Fantasy. The first two CD's I ever purchased were the self titled album and Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory. What a band!!!
John Barleycorn has been on my stereo since about 74....I think it's worthy of being a top 10 in the history of rock music even though it's not strictly a rock record....it's got a little bit of everything which makes it great.
love "When the eagle flies' for me maby one of the best Traffic albums, I listend most to, every song is so good,and the best song for me they did is "Dream Gerrard" amazing song with some great mellotron and sax and bass playing,and steve's voice is best on this..., thanks Pete!
Steve Winwood, one of the great voices of rock and a superb musician. Loved seeing him with Clapton and trading guitar solos on the blind faith material. 40, 000 headmen, pearly queen, Shanghai noodle factory, list goes on
Thanks Pete excellent as usual Traffic is like an old friend you haven’t seen for awhile and when you get reunited you say what took so long let’s stay in touch and you do..
“ Low Spark “ is easily their best for me as well. The title track is just as original as it is classy. And the other tracks are all very worthy. A special album in its own way.
They won't let it be...they think it should be done with reality... I think Dream Gerrard is a underrated track from Traffic. I would put When the Eagle Flies higher on the list.
Yes I totally agree "when the eagle flies" is the only traffic album I ever purchased. Songs like "graveyard people" and "dream gerrard" are just so excellent. I must download a few more albums to my yt music account
though i love the song 'dear mr. fantasy', i would have to say for myself...barleycorn and low spark tied for first with shoot out following close behind.....another great video pete....
I think traffic should come up in more conversation.they are unique ,talented musicians and writers one of a kind.and speaking of unique and one of a kind I think procol harem fits somewhat in that category.listening to a full album in one sitting by these two bands well it's just a different kind of journey.thanks Pete for reminding us of a great band and a great time to listen to real music.
Once again, no complaints on this list. First and last are perfect calls and you are correct about being able to scramble the rest. One of my favorite all time bands.
Agree with your list. 1-3 could change with me depending on time of the day, day of the week, or what I just ate. Such a fruitfull and creative time for music. I saw them on their Far From Home tour. The tour was better than the album, but I found myself missing Dave Mason.
The song "Feelin' Alright" was also covered by Three Dog Night, Rare Earth (lead singer Pete Rivera said "Excuse me while I play my ax"), Joe Cocker, Grand Funk Railroad, The 5th Dimension & The Jackson 5ive. Also Dave Mason who wrote it also did that solo in 1972.
One of the rare cases where my favourite album of a band is a live one Traffic On the Road from the 1973 Tour and representing their peak period. I find the first albums interesting still but somehow they are children of the late 60s and a bit nostalgic. Their later albums however are timeless. I should not even mention Far From Home or Last Exit but will do for completeness. My number 1 + 2 are almost interchangeable. 1. Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory 2. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys 3. John Barleycorn Must Die 4. When the Eagle Flies (This one almost sounds like Steely Dan, it grows with each listening) 5. Traffic 6. Mr Fantasy 7. Far From Home (a very unnecessary reunion) 8. Last Exit (only one studio side, the other side live from Fillmore West, studio side sounds like leftovers and the live is their worst live release, take On the Road or even Welcome to the Canteen)
Traffic cannot be put in a box-These guys could do everything.I do prefer the Mason period-The 2nd Album is one of the all-time great's.From start to finish / some heavy tunes on here "Cryin' to be heard/Who knows what Tomorrow may Bring are fuckin' unreal & of course "Feelin Alright" speaks for itself.Wish Mason would have stayed in for a few more shots,& Low Spark is another seminal album/could feel Winwood stretching out into other dimension's....
Love all their albums. For me John Barleycorn is No. 1 with Low Spark at 2 and Shoot Out No 3..I agree about Far From Home rather weal compared to the other albums..Great job, Pete..
Glad you posted this - I had been about to ask, "Where's Traffic?" I would put "When the Eagle Flies" in the top 3 due to Rosco Gee's bass and "Dream Gerrard".
Low Spark is my favorite studio album . Great rhythm section on this record . Ric Crech on bass , Jim Gordon on his famous drums . The best drummer in rock , bar none . Its a terrible shame that he went a little crazy later on . ( look it up if you don't know ) . I like the live album " Welcome to the Canteen " as well . More or less the same line up but with Dave Mason on guitar .
There are two versions of the first Traffic album, one in mono (the English version) the other stereo (US). Mostly the same, but some different songs and two different versions of Giving to You. JBMD is my favourite album by far, they seemed way more adventurous as a three piece than those later albums with all the different sidemen to "enhance" the sound. There are NO bad Traffic albums.
Glad to see a video about Traffic. My top 3 favorites would be John Barleycorn, Traffic and Low Spark. I always liked John Barleycorn the best because it seemed to have more energy.
In late '70-early '71, living in the Philippines, we had a brutal typhoon. All the power was out except for police, hospitals, fire stations, etc., and an FM station I listened to. They played these tunes I'd never heard before; "Glad/Freedom Rider", "Alright Now", "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" and "Green Eyed Lady" within a couple of hours. That changed everything! But that Traffic two-fer really resonated!!
Hi Pete, you may not know this but Desert Island Discs is a British radio programme that's been running since 1942 - with different hosts obviously. The guests have to pick 8 singles to take with them to a Desert Island. Singles! The guests are from pretty much every walk of life & the music pick is just a McGuffin to build an interview around but they can be quite fascinating. There's a website with loads of episodes available for download going back decades. Notoriously one guest picked eight of their own tracks. In the early days it had a very Classical music bias, but more recently it has become a bit more mixed.
That was a really hard toss up between the top two, but you got it right Pete. At the beginning I said John Barleycorn at the top and then I was like, oh ya forgot about the low spark of high heeled boys and said yep that’s number one
Great list! I really enjoy the latest Steve Winwood live album from 2017. I would say about half of the songs are Traffic classics (many of them from the 94 reunion). Some great arrengements, and a good sounding live album.
I love that he *did* a live album like that. But I've been disappointed with the way he's been presenting his music in the 2000s. I wish he'd get out from behind that Hammond and play some piano and synth again. His instrumentation is just too samey from song to song.
Right now, Walking In The Wind is riding high because the title track has grabbed my attention lately. JBMD, Low Spark, Last Exit because I think Chris's flute on Feelin' Good is so phenomenal and it's good to hear Steve singing some blues again on Blind Man. Shoot Out also; the title cut, Roll Right Stones, Tragic Magic and Uninspired. I've not listed these in any particular order, they're my favs at this time, and favorites are always subject to change and rotate around mostly because of mood or what my ears, brain and soul want to hear. (I forgot to include the eponymous album, on the strength of 40,000 Headmen alone.)
It’s a tie for me. “Traffic” self-titled second album, and “Shootout at the Fantasy Factory”. I should mention, Burton Cummings of the Guess Who, once replied to me in his blog, that he was inspired to learn the flute because of Traffic’s second album.
My 1 to 8 order: tough decision- John Barleycorn Must Die, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Last Exit, Traffic, Mr. Fantasy, Shootout at the Fantasy Factory, When the Eagle Flies, Far From Home. 'Holy Ground' on Far From Home is an excellent song in it's own right. And Roll Right Stones is in my top 3 Traffic songs.
Desert Island Discs one of the longest running radio shows ... :-). Love Traffic ... in so much of the early stuff one can hear bands to come over the next coupla years - very influentiual even though they themselves were influenced by the later 'beatles', as you say ..
I have all the Traffic albums (save Far From Home). However, there is a song with the lyric "Well, I'm in Jazz" that I love and cant find. I really like their jazzy sounding songs, including those with jazzy chords.
Mostly agreement here. My minutes of pleasure for each: 1. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (33) 2. John Barleycorn Must Die (30) 3. Traffic (24) 4. Dear Mr. Fantasy (24) 5. When The Eagle Flies (18) 6. Shootout At The Fantasy Factory (13) 7. Last Exit (12)
I mostly agree with your ranking. But... wait, I'm older than you. I don't remember what changes I would make. I probably don't know the albums as well as you do, either. So I'll take it back. This is a perfect episode! I'm going to go listen to some Traffic right now.
Strangely,I actually became a Traffic fan when my oldest brother first purchased Three Dog Night "Live at the L.A. Forum. They actually did some pretty passionate versions of "Heaven Is In Your Mind" and "Feeling Alright". My brother soon picked up the first album and Mr. Fantasy. That was it for both of us. We fell in love with everything by them. (The Eagle Flies not quite as much)
Love Traffic and generally agree with your take. A guy that I see very much influenced by Traffic and Spencer Davis Group in his early years would be Paul Weller. His Wildwood Album in particular. A ranking of his solo works would be an interesting episode.
After selling a fair amount of Traffic at the record store I worked at I finally gave them a listen recently, and really liked what I heard. So now I'm getting caught up 30-35 years later. Don't rush me! 😂
(1) When the Eagle Flies (First - and only - use of synths on a Traffic record.) (2) Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (I’ve always loved “Roll Right Stones.”) (3) Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (4) Last Exit (Early classics on Side 1, amazing live covers with can’t miss organ on Side 2.) (5) Far From Home (Arguably more of a Winwood solo album, but great nonetheless.) (6) Traffic (The group’s early collaborations with Dave Mason actually work here.) (7) John Barleycorn Must Die (Classic but somewhat overplayed.) (8) Mr. Fantasy (The group’s early psychedelia sounds a little dated today.)
@@Nick-qf7vt Right. Oddly enough, Shoot Out was the 1st Traffic album I ever bought. This was the in late 80s. I was never that impressed with When the Eagle Flies, but it's grown on me a lot over the last few years.
Your top 3 are spot on. I thought that Eagle Flies was the album where they recaptured some of the magic and should #4. Mr. Fantasy 5 Last Exit and Shoot out are interchangeable in rank.
Agree with all you say here Pete. It's hard to rank or separate the Traffic albums as they all feel like mere snapshots of the band at the time. Taken as a whole it's a fantastic and varied body of work but no one album really stands out. John Barleycorn is usually held up as the strongest but it's mostly Winwood's project. I even liked the very early trippy pop but would probably go for the second self-titled Traffic as my favourite, just for 40,000 Headmen and No Time to Live. A unique and wonderful band.
Trivia: On the "Heaven Is In Your Mind" release there are sampled musical passages between every one of the first 12 original cuts on the album. They are quite subtle, but easily discernible with headphones. I always felt this element added to the trippy feel of the entire album.
Dream Gerard may be the best song Traffic ever did, but for me the best album is Shootout At The Fantasy Factory. And I totally agree about how hard the band is to categorize - jazz rock, blues, straight rock, psychedelic, prog, folk, never really committing to a particular niche which gives them a very unique vibe.
Far From Home is almost not a Traffic album because Chris Wood had already passed by that time. I always thought Chris Wood was Traffic's secret weapon, more than just adding flute, sax and keyboards. But adding a special "thing" or insight into the band. His flute playing on Rainmaker is utterly stunning and sax on Low Spark helps make that song special and he brought John Barleycorn into the band. I always felt he didn't get the credit due to him and was underrated. Of course he was playing next to the mighty Steve Winwood and Dave Mason. There is the awesome but rare Chris Wood boxset Evening Blue that spans his Traffic work and many sessions and collaborations. Great find if you ever have a chance. Have a great day.
My list: 1) Traffic (1968) 2) Low Spark 3) John Barlycorn 4)Mr. Fantasy/Heaven Is in Your Mind 5) Shoot Out 5) Last Exit 6) When Eagle Flys 7)Far From Home
Three Dog Night covered "Heaven Is In Your Mind" (from their debut 1969 album). Blood, Sweat & Tears (with David Clayton Thomas) covered "Smiling Phases" (from their 1969 self - titled) & "40,000 Headmen" (from 1970 "3") which starts & ends as a music box!!!
Okay. Here we go: 1) The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys 2) John Barleycorn Must Die 3) Shootout at The Fantasy Factory 4) When The Eagle Flies 5)Traffic 6)Mr. Fantasy 7) Last Exit 8) Far From Home To me, the first few Traffic albums are fine, but, with the exception of a couple of songs, they just don't sound like Traffic to me--or, at least, what I personally think of when I think of Traffic. Oh, and their three album run (John B/Low Spark/Shootout) compares to the first three albums from the Band. Two undisputed classics, followed by a third album that drops just a wee bit in quality, but somehow ends up being judged a bit harshly at times.
Those first albums have Dave Mason on them. He was driving Traffic into the realms of pop music. Steve Winwood had other plans for Traffic. After Dave leaves the band, I really start to love Traffic.
Nice job. They really did produce an amazing amount of great stuff. There is truly little separating the top 3: 1) John Barleycorn... 2) Shoot Out at Fantasy Factory 3) Low Spark - these are the fantastic ones for me. These rest, except the last one, all feature great songs with some uh songs mixed in. Viva Stevie Winwood (that voice in particular).
I know I'm in the minority but I love Far From Home. It does sound more like a Steve Winwood solo album but he has some solo albums I really like such as Steve Winwood and Refugees Of The Heart. Coming in the mail in a few days I'll be getting his About Time CD. I've never heard that album and I've been wanting it ever since it came out way back in 2003. Huge Steve Winwood fan.
Personally, the American “Heaven is in your mind” which was quickly changed to Mr Fantasy (for obvious reasons back in the day so it wouldn’t be banned from record shelves in more conservative areas of the USA) the better of the first release compared to the U.K. Mr Fantasy. When CD’s became the standard format the British release replaced the American version. Later the original American track order was released on CD as the original titled “Heaven Is Ain’t your Mind”. My favorite is John Barleycorn probably because of my older brother constantly playing it on 8 track in his car and I got to listen to it. Lucky me. Later p, in my early teens I finally heard Low Spark in its entirety and that became my favorite for awhile and over time I have that fondness associated with John Barleycorn that brings it out on top for me. 1. John Barleycorn 2. Low Spark 3. Heaven ... 4. Traffic 5. Shoot Out 6. Last Exit 7. When the Eagle ...
Love John Barleycorn Must Die and Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, two (folk) rock classics.
My favorite is the american first album. "Heaven is in your mind". That was the first Traffic album I ever heard and I really dig the between song sound byte interludes. So cool. And it has superior track sequencing than the UK Mr Fantasy album
You summed up what I love about Traffic. You can't define them but it makes them a go-to band when you are not sure what else to play. Constantly surprising.
Traffic is truly music for the connoisseur, for the listener who appreciates something subtle, different, and special.
Traffic So Great☺️♥️🔥...ahhhhh MUSIC!!!
I've always loved the eponymous second album the most. Also love live album "Welcome to the canteen".
‘Medicated Goo’ is probably my favourite Traffic song. It’s got such a groove and Winwood never sang better.
Another one that I just can't seem to come up with a list for. This band means a lot to me and Steve has always been one of my favorite vocalists. Any Traffic list is great to me. Thanks for your list, Pete!
fantastic I love traffic always have since high school. Winwood just beyond amazing.
I love sometimes watching that live concert that still on UA-cam traffic live Santa Monica 1972 they were so baked
And that's about the only live recording(video) that exists strangely...Winwood was looking cool then but he certainly could play a mean guitar!!
Wow fantastic band. Thanks for this Pete!!
I love Traffic. Top for me is "Mr Fantasy". My favourite song has always been "Paper Sun".
Paper Sun was only a 45 if i remember correctly
@@markbyers1651 in England, yes
Yes....Paper sun...alltime topper
Pete doesn't like their best lol.
@@lucasbeer353 Your opinion to which you are entitled. Were you alive when the song came out? And what part is ripped off of She Loves You?
Forgot all about Traffic. Do remember "Hole in my shoe" with affection. Will have to delve into the archives. Congratulations Pete on your ever expanding Channel.
You're spoiling us today!
Traffic is a band that really shouldn't be my cup of tea, but are. I like hard rock and metal (and prog of course) and so I get annoyed when bands are labeled as rock but don't really rock at all (Crosby Stills and Nash, The Eagles, etc). But with Traffic I knew exactly what I was getting into. I bought Low Spark of High Heeled Boys the same day I got Tons of Sobs and Muddy Waters Live at Newport 1960. I love listening to Low Spark when I do my exams, and I really dig John Barleycorn as well. Traffic is one of those hands where they really don't have a bad album.
P.S. *NEVER* stop with the Pete-isms!
One of the last vinyls I ever purchased was Mr. Fantasy. The first two CD's I ever purchased were the self titled album and Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory. What a band!!!
John Barleycorn has been on my stereo since about 74....I think it's worthy of being a top 10 in the history of rock music even though it's not strictly a rock record....it's got a little bit of everything which makes it great.
Jim Gordon was astounding on "Low Spark...". He and Reebop were one heartbeat!
Funny you posted this today. I just listened to John Barleycorn last night, with a good IPA. One of my favorite albums. Low Spark is great too.
Steve Winwood was one of the five best rock vocalists. Great to see "When the Eagle Flies" mentioned!
Crying to be heard from that great lp...their second lp or maybe their first.thsts my all time ....thank you for your podcast.
love "When the eagle flies' for me maby one of the best Traffic albums, I listend most to, every song is so good,and the best song for me they did is
"Dream Gerrard" amazing song with some great mellotron and sax and bass playing,and steve's voice is best on this..., thanks Pete!
And the lyrics..."Hippos don't wear hats....' etc!
Steve Winwood, one of the great voices of rock and a superb musician. Loved seeing him with Clapton and trading guitar solos on the blind faith material. 40, 000 headmen, pearly queen, Shanghai noodle factory, list goes on
Thanks Pete excellent as usual Traffic is like an old friend you haven’t seen for awhile and when you get reunited you say what took so long let’s stay in touch and you do..
“ Low Spark “ is easily their best for me as well. The title track is just as original as it is classy. And the other tracks are all very worthy. A special album in its own way.
They won't let it be...they think it should be done with reality... I think Dream Gerrard is a underrated track from Traffic. I would put When the Eagle Flies higher on the list.
Absolutely. It's probably their proggiest album.
Yes I totally agree "when the eagle flies" is the only traffic album I ever purchased.
Songs like "graveyard people" and "dream gerrard" are just so excellent.
I must download a few more albums to my yt music account
I mean of course a few more traffic albums.
Capaldi's drumming on that album is amazing.
I would too. Most songs are a little more "developed" than some on their earlier albums (which have some great songs too).
though i love the song 'dear mr. fantasy', i would have to say for myself...barleycorn and low spark tied for first with shoot out following close behind.....another great video pete....
My brother turned me on to Traffic in the early to mid 70’s. My favorite was John Barleycorn Must Die followed by their self titled album.
Off Topic ... Live at the Canteen is among my favorite live albums, counting everybody!
I always liked that record, too.
Glad to see Traffic get some love.
Traffic is one of my all time favorites. Great video 👍
Low Spark is in my top 5 studio albums of all time
I think traffic should come up in more conversation.they are unique ,talented musicians and writers one of a kind.and speaking of unique and one of a kind I think procol harem fits somewhat in that category.listening to a full album in one sitting by these two bands well it's just a different kind of journey.thanks Pete for reminding us of a great band and a great time to listen to real music.
My ranking would be the same as yours. I absolutely revere *The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys* and I would put *John Barleycorn* in a close 2nd.
Yay...traffic....everybody needs a "dear, Mr fantasy" in their life...and channels like yours to keep these great musicians alive!!!..
Once again, no complaints on this list. First and last are perfect calls and you are correct about being able to scramble the rest. One of my favorite all time bands.
Agree with your list. 1-3 could change with me depending on time of the day, day of the week, or what I just ate. Such a fruitfull and creative time for music. I saw them on their Far From Home tour. The tour was better than the album, but I found myself missing Dave Mason.
The song "Feelin' Alright" was also covered by Three Dog Night, Rare Earth (lead singer Pete Rivera said "Excuse me while I play my ax"), Joe Cocker, Grand Funk Railroad, The 5th Dimension & The Jackson 5ive. Also Dave Mason who wrote it also did that solo in 1972.
Thanks for posting. I only have Low Spark and John Barleycorn and had forgotten about many of the others.
I just picked up John Barleycorn and when the Eagle Fly as my first two albums. Thanks for this video it helps me figure out which album to get next.
One of the rare cases where my favourite album of a band is a live one Traffic On the Road from the 1973 Tour and representing their peak period. I find the first albums interesting still but somehow they are children of the late 60s and a bit nostalgic. Their later albums however are timeless. I should not even mention Far From Home or Last Exit but will do for completeness. My number 1 + 2 are almost interchangeable.
1. Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory
2. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
3. John Barleycorn Must Die
4. When the Eagle Flies (This one almost sounds like Steely Dan, it grows with each listening)
5. Traffic
6. Mr Fantasy
7. Far From Home (a very unnecessary reunion)
8. Last Exit (only one studio side, the other side live from Fillmore West, studio side sounds like leftovers and the live is their worst live release, take On the Road or even Welcome to the Canteen)
I love On the Road!
Traffic cannot be put in a box-These guys could do everything.I do prefer the Mason period-The 2nd Album is one of the all-time great's.From start to finish / some heavy tunes on here "Cryin' to be heard/Who knows what Tomorrow may Bring are fuckin' unreal & of course "Feelin Alright" speaks for itself.Wish Mason would have stayed in for a few more shots,& Low Spark is another seminal album/could feel Winwood stretching out into other dimension's....
As far as songs not albums, "Walking in the Wind" and "Low Spark" are my faves.
Love all their albums. For me John Barleycorn is No. 1 with Low Spark at 2 and Shoot Out No 3..I agree about Far From Home rather weal compared to the other albums..Great job, Pete..
Great job Pete! You've inspired me to go back through the whole discography.
Glad you posted this - I had been about to ask, "Where's Traffic?" I would put "When the Eagle Flies" in the top 3 due to Rosco Gee's bass and "Dream Gerrard".
Dianne Timmons Agree that Dream Gerard is unforgettable. When the Eagle Flies album really grows on you.
This reminded me it's been too long since I gave these albums a listen. Into the queue they go!
I like this show very much Pete, because of you i got into and bought cd 's from captian beyond, moxy, atomic rooster, armageddon ect.....
Low Spark is my favorite studio album . Great rhythm section on this record .
Ric Crech on bass , Jim Gordon on his famous drums . The best drummer
in rock , bar none . Its a terrible shame that he went a little crazy later on .
( look it up if you don't know ) .
I like the live album " Welcome to the Canteen " as well . More or less the same
line up but with Dave Mason on guitar .
There are two versions of the first Traffic album, one in mono (the English version) the other stereo (US). Mostly the same, but some different songs and two different versions of Giving to You. JBMD is my favourite album by far, they seemed way more adventurous as a three piece than those later albums with all the different sidemen to "enhance" the sound. There are NO bad Traffic albums.
There's a very good live cd released last year - Traffic: Live In London (1970). Shortly before the release of JBMD. So its just the three piece.
Low spark of high healed boys has my favorite drum fill in it
Glad to see a video about Traffic. My top 3 favorites would be John Barleycorn, Traffic and Low Spark. I always liked John Barleycorn the best because it seemed to have more energy.
In late '70-early '71, living in the Philippines, we had a brutal typhoon. All the power was out except for police, hospitals, fire stations, etc., and an FM station I listened to. They played these tunes I'd never heard before; "Glad/Freedom Rider", "Alright Now", "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" and "Green Eyed Lady" within a couple of hours. That changed everything! But that Traffic two-fer really resonated!!
Hi Pete, you may not know this but Desert Island Discs is a British radio programme that's been running since 1942 - with different hosts obviously. The guests have to pick 8 singles to take with them to a Desert Island. Singles! The guests are from pretty much every walk of life & the music pick is just a McGuffin to build an interview around but they can be quite fascinating. There's a website with loads of episodes available for download going back decades. Notoriously one guest picked eight of their own tracks. In the early days it had a very Classical music bias, but more recently it has become a bit more mixed.
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, is actually the only album I have heard by Traffic, and I love their jazzy, bluesy sound
Even though it's uneven, I LOVE the debut album. "No Name, No Face, No Number" - there's just something about that song that makes me swoon.
That was a really hard toss up between the top two, but you got it right Pete. At the beginning I said John Barleycorn at the top and then I was like, oh ya forgot about the low spark of high heeled boys and said yep that’s number one
Great list! I really enjoy the latest Steve Winwood live album from 2017. I would say about half of the songs are Traffic classics (many of them from the 94 reunion). Some great arrengements, and a good sounding live album.
I love that he *did* a live album like that. But I've been disappointed with the way he's been presenting his music in the 2000s. I wish he'd get out from behind that Hammond and play some piano and synth again. His instrumentation is just too samey from song to song.
Right now, Walking In The Wind is riding high because the title track has grabbed my attention lately. JBMD, Low Spark, Last Exit because I think Chris's flute on Feelin' Good is so phenomenal and it's good to hear Steve singing some blues again on Blind Man. Shoot Out also; the title cut, Roll Right Stones, Tragic Magic and Uninspired. I've not listed these in any particular order, they're my favs at this time, and favorites are always subject to change and rotate around mostly because of mood or what my ears, brain and soul want to hear.
(I forgot to include the eponymous album, on the strength of 40,000 Headmen alone.)
Heaven in Your Mind/Mr Fantasy is the best example of great psychedelic music. But Barleycorn is a masterpiece.
I went out and bought this cool Traffic set that has 5 of their albums. Its been fun digging around, i was never very familiar with them.
It’s a tie for me. “Traffic” self-titled second album, and “Shootout at the Fantasy Factory”. I should mention, Burton Cummings of the Guess Who, once replied to me in his blog, that he was inspired to learn the flute because of Traffic’s second album.
A truly great band!
It’s John Barleycorn and Low Spark for me.
Oddly enough Winwood’s solo material left me cold.
your tops are mine too.. and I would definitely include low spark in my top 20 albums of all time.
Low Spark and the self-titled album are definitely my favourites from them.
My 1 to 8 order: tough decision- John Barleycorn Must Die, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Last Exit, Traffic, Mr. Fantasy, Shootout at the Fantasy Factory, When the Eagle Flies, Far From Home.
'Holy Ground' on Far From Home is an excellent song in it's own right. And Roll Right Stones is in my top 3 Traffic songs.
Got to see them on the Far From Home tour when I was 23. Great band!
Desert Island Discs one of the longest running radio shows ... :-). Love Traffic ... in so much of the early stuff one can hear bands to come over the next coupla years - very influentiual even though they themselves were influenced by the later 'beatles', as you say ..
I have all the Traffic albums (save Far From Home). However, there is a song with the lyric "Well, I'm in Jazz" that I love and cant find. I really like their jazzy sounding songs, including those with jazzy chords.
That's a first for me...2 shows in a row where I line up with Pete! The other was Free.
Always loved Traffic. Haven't heard your least favorite. Got to see Stevie on tour with that Allman Brothers years ago. What a night!
What a great 45 “Here we go round the mulbery bush/Coloured rain” is.
Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is definetely STONER ROCK....perfect album to light up and enjoy.
Mostly agreement here. My minutes of pleasure for each:
1. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (33)
2. John Barleycorn Must Die (30)
3. Traffic (24)
4. Dear Mr. Fantasy (24)
5. When The Eagle Flies (18)
6. Shootout At The Fantasy Factory (13)
7. Last Exit (12)
I mostly agree with your ranking. But... wait, I'm older than you. I don't remember what changes I would make. I probably don't know the albums as well as you do, either. So I'll take it back. This is a perfect episode! I'm going to go listen to some Traffic right now.
Strangely,I actually became a Traffic fan when my oldest brother first purchased Three Dog Night "Live at the L.A. Forum. They actually did some pretty passionate versions of "Heaven Is In Your Mind" and "Feeling Alright". My brother soon picked up the first album and Mr. Fantasy. That was it for both of us. We fell in love with everything by them. (The Eagle Flies not quite as much)
Love Traffic and generally agree with your take. A guy that I see very much influenced by Traffic and Spencer Davis Group in his early years would be Paul Weller. His Wildwood Album in particular. A ranking of his solo works would be an interesting episode.
Sophisticated! YES!
After selling a fair amount of Traffic at the record store I worked at I finally gave them a listen recently, and really liked what I heard. So now I'm getting caught up 30-35 years later. Don't rush me! 😂
Hey Pete I agree with you on the first two albums. Next for me would be 3. When the eagle flies 4. Traffic 5. Dear Mr Fantasy
(1) When the Eagle Flies (First - and only - use of synths on a Traffic record.)
(2) Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (I’ve always loved “Roll Right Stones.”)
(3) Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys
(4) Last Exit (Early classics on Side 1, amazing live covers with can’t miss organ on Side 2.)
(5) Far From Home (Arguably more of a Winwood solo album, but great nonetheless.)
(6) Traffic (The group’s early collaborations with Dave Mason actually work here.)
(7) John Barleycorn Must Die (Classic but somewhat overplayed.)
(8) Mr. Fantasy (The group’s early psychedelia sounds a little dated today.)
Cool to see their last two albums as your top two; very underrated albums!
@@Nick-qf7vt Right. Oddly enough, Shoot Out was the 1st Traffic album I ever bought. This was the in late 80s. I was never that impressed with When the Eagle Flies, but it's grown on me a lot over the last few years.
Your top 3 are spot on. I thought that Eagle Flies was the album where they recaptured some of the magic and should #4. Mr. Fantasy 5 Last Exit and Shoot out are interchangeable in rank.
Agree with all you say here Pete. It's hard to rank or separate the Traffic albums as they all feel like mere snapshots of the band at the time. Taken as a whole it's a fantastic and varied body of work but no one album really stands out. John Barleycorn is usually held up as the strongest but it's mostly Winwood's project. I even liked the very early trippy pop but would probably go for the second self-titled Traffic as my favourite, just for 40,000 Headmen and No Time to Live. A unique and wonderful band.
I agree with your 2 tops... awesome, unique band!!
Trivia: On the "Heaven Is In Your Mind" release there are sampled musical passages between every one of the first 12 original cuts on the album. They are quite subtle, but easily discernible with headphones. I always felt this element added to the trippy feel of the entire album.
My list:
1 Low Spark
2 John Barleycorn
3 Shoot Out
4 Traffic
5 Last Exit
6 Mr. Fantasy
7 Eagle Flies
8 Far From Home
Dream Gerard may be the best song Traffic ever did, but for me the best album is Shootout At The Fantasy Factory. And I totally agree about how hard the band is to categorize - jazz rock, blues, straight rock, psychedelic, prog, folk, never really committing to a particular niche which gives them a very unique vibe.
"Shout out..." is my favourite too.
Far From Home is almost not a Traffic album because Chris Wood had already passed by that time. I always thought Chris Wood was Traffic's secret weapon, more than just adding flute, sax and keyboards. But adding a special "thing" or insight into the band. His flute playing on Rainmaker is utterly stunning and sax on Low Spark helps make that song special and he brought John Barleycorn into the band. I always felt he didn't get the credit due to him and was underrated. Of course he was playing next to the mighty Steve Winwood and Dave Mason. There is the awesome but rare Chris Wood boxset Evening Blue that spans his Traffic work and many sessions and collaborations. Great find if you ever have a chance. Have a great day.
Another great job Pete! I love Traffic and agree they are SO unique! I would have put first two records higher but all just personal preference....
My list: 1) Traffic (1968) 2) Low Spark 3) John Barlycorn 4)Mr. Fantasy/Heaven Is in Your Mind 5) Shoot Out 5) Last Exit 6) When Eagle Flys 7)Far From Home
Three Dog Night covered "Heaven Is In Your Mind" (from their debut 1969 album). Blood, Sweat & Tears (with David Clayton Thomas) covered "Smiling Phases" (from their 1969 self - titled) & "40,000 Headmen" (from 1970 "3") which starts & ends as a music box!!!
Okay. Here we go:
1) The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
2) John Barleycorn Must Die
3) Shootout at The Fantasy Factory
4) When The Eagle Flies
5)Traffic
6)Mr. Fantasy
7) Last Exit
8) Far From Home
To me, the first few Traffic albums are fine, but, with the exception of a couple of songs, they just don't sound like Traffic to me--or, at least, what I personally think of when I think of Traffic. Oh, and their three album run (John B/Low Spark/Shootout) compares to the first three albums from the Band. Two undisputed classics, followed by a third album that drops just a wee bit in quality, but somehow ends up being judged a bit harshly at times.
Those first albums have Dave Mason on them. He was driving Traffic into the realms of pop music. Steve Winwood had other plans for Traffic. After Dave leaves the band, I really start to love Traffic.
Nice job. They really did produce an amazing amount of great stuff. There is truly little separating the top 3: 1) John Barleycorn... 2) Shoot Out at Fantasy Factory 3) Low Spark - these are the fantastic ones for me. These rest, except the last one, all feature great songs with some uh songs mixed in. Viva Stevie Winwood (that voice in particular).
This pops up in my feed, and I'm like I just died and went to heaven. Have to agree on #1 - pretty close to perfect.
I know I'm in the minority but I love Far From Home. It does sound more like a Steve Winwood solo album but he has some solo albums I really like such as Steve Winwood and Refugees Of The Heart. Coming in the mail in a few days I'll be getting his About Time CD. I've never heard that album and I've been wanting it ever since it came out way back in 2003. Huge Steve Winwood fan.
Personally, the American “Heaven is in your mind” which was quickly changed to Mr Fantasy (for obvious reasons back in the day so it wouldn’t be banned from record shelves in more conservative areas of the USA) the better of the first release compared to the U.K. Mr Fantasy. When CD’s became the standard format the British release replaced the American version. Later the original American track order was released on CD as the original titled “Heaven Is Ain’t your Mind”.
My favorite is John Barleycorn probably because of my older brother constantly playing it on 8 track in his car and I got to listen to it. Lucky me. Later p, in my early teens I finally heard Low Spark in its entirety and that became my favorite for awhile and over time I have that fondness associated with John Barleycorn that brings it out on top for me.
1. John Barleycorn
2. Low Spark
3. Heaven ...
4. Traffic
5. Shoot Out
6. Last Exit
7. When the Eagle ...
Great band! Great video!! How about doing Nick Drake's three classic albums?
Don't have them, never heard them.
@@seaoftranquilityprog Nick has influenced so many artists over the years. He died in 1974.
Sea of Tranquility I think you’re serious. You have to hear Nick Drake.
For sure. Nobody played guitar like him and he is still influencing so many musicians. Paul Weller from the jam has always been a huge fan of his!😀
How could you choose between the beauty of all 3 !
The main problem I have with the Mr Fantasy album is the poor recording quality. Maybe a solid remastering would help it out
Low Spark and Shoot Out are my favorite albums.
John Barleycorn was a traditional folk song ,which Traffic made their own.
1. John Barleycorn 2. Low Spark 3. Mr. Fantasy 4. Traffic 5. Shoot Out 6. Last Exit 7. When the Eagle Flies. 8. Far from home
Good list Jim. Just switch my 3 & 4 with your 1 & 2 and we're close