Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Traffic
Label: Island Records
Release: 1968
Length: 40:24
Rating: 4/5
Traffic were among those prog rock pioneers who got pulled in two stylistic directions early in their career, which often led to the (unexpected) birth of some seriously eclectic and innovative songwriting achievements. They were pretty popular with music fans back then, since they’d proven early on that besides eclectic jams they could also come up with melodic hits, but the band lacked the real unity to climb to a higher artistic level. The legendary singer and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, the sadly late drummer/vocalist/lyricist Jim Capaldi and reed player/bassist Chris Wood were leaning toward moving Traffic away from their early psychedelic influences and making room for blues, folk and jazz rock elements, while guitarist Dave Mason swore by psychedelic pop.
Mason’s discontent peaked in January 1968, when, right after the success of the very good and, for the development of early progressive rock, hugely important Traffic debut »Mr. Fantasy« (1967), he decided to leave his more experimentally minded buddies. He didn’t last long on his own. After trying his hand as a producer on the debut of fellow prog rock pioneers Family, titled »Music in a Doll’s House (1968), where he also met future Blind Faith and Traffic bassist Rick Grech, he decided to join forces with his old pals again on their next album, with the dead-basic title »Traffic«. He had no idea this album would contain quite a few key songwriting pieces of his career, and with them some of the most beloved Traffic songs. But the band work started to feel stifling again, so in October 1968, before the album »Traffic« even came out, he left them for the second time, which in turn contributed to their (first) breakup.
Despite the poor creative and personal chemistry between the Winwood/Capaldi/Wood trio on one side and Mason on the other, this instability hardly shows on »Traffic«. The album is in many ways a typical product of its time, and certain tracks rank among the key works of their career, while the shorter in-between jams are a real treat for the ears of all fans of rock virtuosos from the ‘romantic era’. Even then, there was no doubt about who the chief and main star of this band was. Winwood, who soon after Traffic’s breakup co-founded the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith, was the main attraction of the early Traffic sound with his rustling passages on the Hammond organ, and he was already among the very elite of rock singers.
Still, the individual arrangements were spread out relatively democratically, and Mason’s eclecticism on electric and acoustic guitar takes up plenty of room on »Traffic« too. Nice proof of that is the opening burlesque »You Can All Join«, where Mason shines with his playful, blues-spiced guitar variations, while his sarcastically serene vocal keeps the playful atmosphere going nicely. Traffic made quite a few of these jokey creations over their career. »Pearly Queen«, with the party-minded chief Winwood in the lead role, is another example of this kind of satirical mischief, since besides the cheeky, bluesy guitar riff and the ‘neighing’ harmonica, Capaldi’s lyrics too border on outhouse humor, with an allusion to a woman’s ‘pearl necklace’ as the finale of a sexual act.
Mason’s knack for crafting compact pop pieces on a blues base shows on the Traffic classic »Don’t Be Sad«, a fine example of excellent vocal harmonizing between the two lead singers, especially in the melodic chorus. »Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring« is a somewhat enigmatic piece with Winwood’s rustling Hammond organ passages, combined with his superbly harmonized, passionate singing, with no shortage of soul elements either, alongside Capaldi’s scattered drum fills. The folk rock-tinged »Feelin’ Alright?«, sung and written by the ‘uncompromising’ Mason, became one of Traffic’s most beloved evergreens, getting a whole string of covers and bringing success to such different artists as Joe Cocker, Grand Funk Railroad, Three Dog Night, Rare Earth and The Jackson 5. The melodic chorus lodges itself in your ears with ease, while saxophonist Wood also shines with bold improvisations.
»Vagabond Virgin« radiates typical English black humor, which with Traffic was always the most natural thing, while a ‘Caribbean’ ambient pulse reigns over it thanks to dynamic use of percussion. Wood’s flute adds a pinch of folk too, while the humorously tinged vocal harmonies under Mason’s command keep making you laugh. »(Roamin’ Thru The Gloamin’ with) 40,000 Headmen«, another folk rock experiment, this time with Winwood on lead vocals, features an unusual lyric about an imaginary adventurer who gets wounded in the middle of robbing hidden treasure. There’s no shortage of varied improvisation on flute and percussion here.
On the somewhat more jazz-leaning »Cryin’ to Be Heard«, Mason takes the mic again, enjoying generous backing from Winwood’s vocal harmonies in the background, while Wood’s thoroughly assertive soprano sax sneaks in along the way. »No Time To Live« has a gloomier mood thanks to dramatic passages on Hammond organ and piano plus a melancholy sax, while Winwood’s theatrical and, for a change, deadly serious vocal approach is corroded by pain. On the closing »Means to an End«, Steve revives his love of the blues and, over bouncy rhythms and decisive guitar passages, delivers an extremely passionate vocal performance. The 2000 CD reissue of »Traffic« again includes a few bonus tracks, among them two pieces that appeared in the film »Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush« and are on par with the ‘regular’ material: »Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush« and »Am I What I Was Or Am I What I Am«. The remaining three bonus tracks appeared on the third Traffic album »Last Exit« (1969), which came out after their (first) breakup.
For a band that struggled to keep its founding lead guitarist loyal, it’s hard to believe the album »Traffic« came out so well as a whole, even throwing up a few unforgettable Traffic classics. But, as mentioned, this didn’t last long, and when Winwood decided in 1969 to try his luck with Blind Faith, it seemed like the end of everything, yet the Traffic stars were still pretty kind to them, and in 1970 they got back together by chance, stronger than ever before, but without Mason in the lineup. The latter, apart from a brief live reunion during the 1971 Traffic tour, didn’t want to be part of their story anymore and preferred to devote himself to a solo career.
Lineup
Steve Winwood – vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, organ, bass guitar
Dave Mason – vocals, guitar, harmonica
Jim Capaldi – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Chris Wood – flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass guitar, percussion, bells
Production
Jimmy Miller
Tracklist
1. You Can All Join In (3:40)
2. Pearly Queen (4:21)
3. Don’t Be Sad (3:25)
4. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (3:15)
5. Feelin’ Alright (4:20)
6. Vagabond Virgin (5:22)
7. Forty Thousand Headmen (3:14)
8. Cryin’ To Be Heard (5:12)
9. No Time To Live (5:20)
10. Means To An End (2:35)
