Get stuck in Traffic

Get stuck in Traffic

I wasn’t even born when this band had broken up for the second time in 1974. Traffic, formed in England in the late 1960’s came on to the music scene with their flavour of psychedelic rock. It’s easy to see how they filled the gap in British music when people were yearning for something less sanitized than The Beatles and The Beach Boys.

Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason formed Traffic in 1967, the same year as Pink Floyd as it happens. As often the case, the guys met at a Birmingham club where they used to jam on weekends, The Elbow Room. Steve Winwood, the most famous member of Traffic was in another band at the time, the Spencer Davis Group and it was after leaving that Traffic was born.

You can argue that the short-lived life of Traffic is perhaps why they’re not as well-known as their fellow English counterparts of the era, but the artistic burst of energy that went into their albums is not to be underestimated.

This band is a recent discovery for me, and I’ve now added 2 of their studio albums to my collection, with a live album as the 3^rd. Like all vinyl collectors, this was a crate digging discovery starting with Welcome to the Canteen, 1971 a live album recorded in London. The condition of the rekkid was poor, you can listen to it, but it’s definitely seen better days. It did not put me off one bit. From the first day I brought it home and played it, I was hooked. There is something quite special about Steve Winwood’s vocal and Jim Capaldi’s drumming.

As a Floyd fan, there were elements of their work that transported me in the same way but with more rock. This past weekend I picked up a copy of John Barleycorn Must Die (1970) along with The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971), so I’m well on my way into the rabbit hole that is Traffic.

I highly recommend anyone reading this who isn’t familiar to start with Welcome to the Canteen. All the tracks are great, but the best was saved for last with ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ a 9-minute jam that just leaves you wanting more.

Studio albums

• Fantasy (first US pressing issued with title Heaven Is In Your Mind and released as Reaping in Canada) – 1967
• Traffic – 1968
• Last Exit (side 2 live at The Fillmore Auditorium) – 1969
• John Barleycorn Must Die – 1970
• The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys – 1971
• Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory – 1973
• When the Eagle Flies – 1974
• Far from Home – 1994

Live albums

• Welcome to the Canteen − 1971 (Recorded live in London) [13]
• On The Road – 1973 (Recorded live on tour in Germany) [13]
• Last Great Traffic Jam – 2005