Traffic

5/10 This feels like a bit of a mixed bag of an album. Background reading suggests that there was a bit of a divide between Dave Mason (who wrote half of the songs) and the rest of the band, and it feels very much like that, in that it’s a bit of a jumble of styles from track to track, rather than a smooth blend that one would hope for. There are some really nice bits and pieces across the album, and a few of the tracks are very good, but it struggled to maintain momentum for me and there was a bit of a lack of anything vastly memorable. Having listened through a couple of times, I can’t particularly recall any standout melodies, for example, as I often do with other albums that I listen to. I also found that, in places, the mix became quite cluttered and it felt a bit like some of the instruments were fighting for space with each other, rather than working sympathetically with one another. They are obviously talented musicians, and when they left themselves space to breathe and everything connected well, you could really see the potential, but unfortunately, there wasn’t really enough there to grab me and, alongside the uneven flow of the record I found it a bit of an disjointed experience over all. You Can All Join In - This is a chirpy little number. It’s nice enough, but it’s a bit lightweight. Sounds like they’re having great fun, but there’s just not enough to grab onto for me. And there’s not much in the way of variation either. Can’t fault the mix or the playing though. It’s tight and well produced. Pearly Green - There’s a bit more grit to this one. There’s a touch of the Hendrix of it, without the level of virtuosity. The playing is still great, of course. But it never develops too much and the vocal sections are a bit too limited by on the lead guitar and vocal playing the same notes, which swamps the rest of the music too much for my taste. There’s a bit more interest to the instrumental sections though. Don’t Be Sad - This is a decent song. It feels a bit cluttered in places, which isn’t helped by the mix, where a lot of the mid range in particular feels crowded. But when it brings everything together it’s very satisfying. There are some really nice little movements in the music that tie all of the parts together nicely, and it’s probably the best overall track so far. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring - There’s a great groove to this one, and I feel like we’re getting into the swing of things now. The organ in particular is great in this track. This is a really solid composition and all of the instruments get their own space, so the mix feels really clean. Great track. Feelin’ Alright? - I’ve heard this before. It’s got another nice groove and some of the percussion is great. It feels a little busy in places, but this does open back out in cleaner sections, which works as a juxtaposition. There’s a bit more of a jazzy blues edge to this, which is nice. It’s got a good toe-tapping quality to it too. Vagabond Virgin - This is closest to the quirky tone of the intro song. Some of the timing on the vocal is loose in a way that just rubs me the wrong way. Some of the instrumental bits are quite nice, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me, which feels fairly disorganised and just doesn’t quite connect. (Roamin' Thro' The Gloamin' With) 40.000 Headman - Bit of a change in pace now. There’s something of The Eagles about sections of it. It’s decent, and even some of the slower bits have a nice psychedelic edge to them too, with that little twist of folksiness. But it never really landed on anything with much of a hook that grabbed hold of me, which was a bit of a shame. Cryin’ To Be Heard - This is a bit of a meandering one through the verses, but it does come back together a bit during the choruses, although they’re a bit brash and don’t last that long. Again, I’m not finding too much to grab on to here. There are bits that I like, but it does feel a bit disorganised in general. No Time To Live - I feel like Phil Collins may have been a fan of this. There are echoes of this in some of his stuff that would follow. It’s more of an organised piece than some of the others, and it really allows space for everything to move and weave around. It feels like there’s something a bit more to get my teeth into on this track and a really good balance between light and shade too. It’s a patient composition, without getting boring, which is a decent achievement. Means To An End - A complete change in tone now. It’s a good song, despite the fact that it doesn’t really run on that well from the last one. Sounds like they’re having great fun and there’s a solid pace to it with a decent groove. There’s more here that grabs me and I found myself bobbing my head more than I did with much of the rest of the album, and it felt like it had much better hooks to it, especially in the lead vocal. Nice change of tempo at the end too. A good finisher.

Mindede mig lidt om en slut 60er Rolling Stones plade, men de bedste sange var ikke lige så gode og de værste sange var klart bedre. Ret fed!

Pretty good folk!

This was a shrug album. Not bad but rather forgettable. Medicated Goo was the one standout track for me. Also definitely not a fan of naming your SECOND album after your band? I get the self-titled debut in a pinch, but this just screams a lack of creativity

It was an ok ‘60s rock album but not anything to write home about. The standouts were "Feelin' Alright?" And "Medicated Goo" but the last one wasn’t even on the original release so I think I’m being generous with 3 stars on this one!

Huge respect for these guys, but his one just didn't move me. Not by any means bad, just alright.

I think the only full Traffic album I have listened to is John Barleycorn Must Die, due to it being one of the early works of Progressive Rock. So I am intrigued by the early works of the late 60s. Dave Mason and Steve Winwood, are names that have been well known throughout my entire musical life. I am also a fan of rock bands that utilize multiple singers and songwriters. Favorites, Pearly Queen, Feeling Alright, is definitely one of those tracks that makes any Classic Rock greatest hits. Side two of the album becomes a little more experimental with the longer pieces. Note: I listened to the Original 10-track album.

a couple of really good sons but nothing amazing

I liked "feeling alright". This was fine.

Aha. Late Sixties, British Band headed by a guitar genius. Rhythm and Blues and Rock n Roll inspired. Good tunes, excellent musicianship. There's a lot of it about to be honest, Today it's Traffic by Traffic, but (alas) not featuring a track called Traffic. It's good, it ticks all the boxes, but .... there's nothing that really marked it it as special. Solid 3.5 on the Biggie scale.

Not a bad album. Typical of this genera in that era.

Middle of the road late-1960s classic rock, with a bit of prog rock and notes of folk. This was alright, but not necessarily worth revisiting again any time soon.

I listen to this entire album yesterday and I don't remember a thing about it. That must mean it was just nothing

Pretty meh. Some classic sounds of the era. “Feelin Alright” is a standout but not a lot to get excited about here.

It’s not bad—there are some nice catchy tunes but also some boring blues rockers. It’s a pleasant enough listen overall, but it’s probably on this list mainly because Steve Winwood was a key member of the band, and for the song ‘Feelin’ Alright?”—written by guitarist (and vocalist) Dave Mason but made more famous by Joe Cocker’s popular cover.

really solid and fun rock music! a little basic and it hasn’t aged well relative to its contemporaries

jorå

It's fine. Not great

Traffic has some solid songs. I font seek them out, but I also don't get rubbed the wrong way by those songs that don't hold my interest.

A bit more folksy than their signature sound but good nonetheless.

* Steve Winwoods band before Steve Winwood was being brought higher love * I saw this and for a first album I’m kind of glad we’re getting the late 60s done with one out at a time not a huge 60s rock guy * Guitar in this era is so self-indulgent most of the time * Also, a lot of electric piano not my favorite * Pearly queen is repetitive and it goes on for an eternity. I had more fun listening to “Are you waiting for the street car” that song rules even though it it’s incredibly repetitive by nature because it’s can * Feelin’ all right - I definitely hear some inspiration for ramble on actually just in general in Winwood’s stylings I I hear a lot of Led Zeppelin * Hell yeah, the wood block on Vagabond Virgin almost disguises the fucked up lyrics * Fighting impatience halfway through * 40,000 headman good narration likely very high * So much flute in the 60s! * Led Zeppelin + horse tranquilizers * Reminded I can’t stand harpsichord something about that Tinny twang * Pair that with the E piano and wow! I’m in sonic hell! * I get why this was a hit in its time, but it meanders so much (“no time to live”) * “means to an end” it’s currently playing in an 18 wheeler making good time on I 80 eastbound I guarantee it * Damn, I really was hoping that here we go round the Mulberry bush was just the nursery rhyme. the volume and mixing fucked on this track * GOOOO!!! Favorite song.

It was quite good and live band jammy and pleasant. I would listen again.

I've never listened to a full Traffic album before and was pleased when hearing this album for the first time. Traffic always came off as a rock supergroup but I'm getting a lot of prog and jam type music here. 3.5/5

Cool 60s rock album that reminds me of some of the tunes on Led Zeppelin I and III regarding its use of electric guitars.

It feels, like many rock albums in the 60s, cursed by the fact that the Beatles were as huge as they were. A lot of songs on here would stand out, if it wasn't for the fact that I feel the Beatles are just better at everything they do. It makes it harder to appreciate the album for what it is. To me it seemed like a reasonable album, some good songs but nothing outstanding

Started out very promisingly though I was starting to get a bit bored by the end. Nice clean production sound. I'll need to check these guys out again sometime.

One of those so so albums which may have been a moment or fill a timeline but given Winwood’s career before and after doesn’t feel particularly remarkable.

Rock music with wind instruments? Sign me up 😂 Favorite track: feeling alright? Other picks: who knows what tomorrow may bring, 40000 headman, means to an end

I’d actually put this at a 3.5 if I could

This was pretty clearly a group that was losing its direction by this time. Some decent track, but no real coherence to the music or approach here.

I had no idea that Steve Winwood was in any band other than his solo stuff. And by solo stuff, I mean, just Valerie and Higher Love. Band and selection of songs is not anything groundbreaking, but nothing horrible either. Like some unknown 60s-70s rock that your uncle listens to while he drinks beers in his basement.

Boiler plate late 60s blues rock. It’s fine, but nothing mind blowing.

Inoffensive blues rock blended with some fun Folky (maybe even proto-prog?) flourishes. Is Vagabond Virgin about shagging a teenager? 1960s were a time. This was pretty good but dragged a bit

I listened to the original release (10 tracks). This is one of those albums that exceeded my expectations. Traffic is one of those bands that I always rated as average, but this album was a bit better than average. Seven out of ten on a different scale, three out of five on this one.

I imagine these guys on the cover are reacting to me saying "I hate old albums". "Oh you do, do you? Ha ha! How about this!" Touché, band I never heard of. This was actually more fun than I expected; the Dave Mason tracks reminded me of my beloved Disney's Children's Favorites* tape with Larry Groce. The Steve Winwood tracks reminded me of the old albums I hate. So it goes. But it's a good instantiation of the genre. Fun instrumentation. *Shockingly I had this thought even before the songs 'Roamin' Thru' the Gloamin' with 40,000 Headmen' (which naturally evokes Dr. Seuss's "Yeoman of the Bowmen") and 'Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush' (self-explanatory)

Decent one.

Thought that this was ok for the most part. I had only heard Traffic’s hits in the past. I liked the album, but didn’t love it. Three stars.

Easy listening

I went into this completely blind. I didn’t know the band or have any idea what kind of genre to expect (but somehow from the name I had this premonition that it’d be a UK band, go figure). The negatives are pretty simple, alittle dated (no shit it’s from ‘68) and it’s got a lot of filler. And the second one is the most the bigger problem. Out of the fifteen tracks on the album, I’d say I could remember 6 of them but only saved 4 of them. So make of that what you will. But this album is impressive. It has a massive hit song that went on to be timeless and a commercial hit ( literally it's in a TON of commercials). It has a bunch of other tracks I saved cause they are just classic blues rock, and they have this nostalgia to them even though I’ve never heard them before. And I think that’s a symptom of growing up when blues rock was still everywhere. This album is seriously a classic blues rock. I only wish I liked the bulk of the album but I do think a lot of it is filler.

I don't really know what to say about this album. I only listened to it once, and I left as almost nothing happened. Production-wise, it sound really good and pleasent. Music-wise, they sing and play nice. And that's it. There's nothing more. No emotion, nothing really interesting but at least good enough to not being boring or painful. Just some ordinary folk rock.

Some good tunes.

Alright

That was pretty cool, a few songs I recognised.

Feeling alright - Steve Winwood

Interesting album - some wonky lyrics but a good listen

5.5/10 Highlights: No Time to Live You Can All Join In

1/1001 albums here we go

Bonbon

Kinda enjoyable but generally pretty middle of the road bluesy rock.

2.9 It's ok. A lot of 60s rock/pop/psychadelica on this list tbh, I've lost track of where this ranks amongst them. If it was 20 mins shorter and shed the fat it might creep up into mid-3's, but there just wasn't enough going for it to make it really good.

***A good album

I liked this way more than I expected, will probably revisit a few of the songs too. I liked the variety of instruments they used and how cohesive the album felt considering how different each song was. My favourite was “Crying to be Heard”.

I think I've only heard one of these songs before. Very middle of the road. Didn't dislike it. Wasn't blown away by anything. 3/5.

Was a good listen. Some of the songs had great jam sessions

Play that funky music, white boys.

Not bad actuallym, expected much worse. Liked Cryin' to be Heard

Maybe two three ok songs, the rest is quite boring. I can listen to this but it will probably not something I remember when I end this list. Three stars.

It's ok, quite like the guitar but too many tracks succumb to noodling. Doesn't quite escape the late sixties hippie ghetto.

Oh this was pretty good

i guess its fine ? i didnt really know steve winwood was in bands

this was awesome

Feeling alright is great Most of this is fine, but you gotta be in the mood for it

Didn't hate it, didn't love it.

Pleasant listen but a bit too aged. Feels like music I'd listen at a generic burger joint

A pretty good album from a band I haven't listened to much (surprisingly as it's a genre/time period I enjoy). Enjoyable all the way through but by the back half everything did start to sound a bit similar. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)

Felt like watching an old movie that might have been revolutionary when it came out, but it felt done as I was listening to it in 2025. If I knew more about the history and timing, maybe I would have felt different.

Can hear the influence on later bands. 3/5

Released and sounding like that transition point between whimsical psychedelia - pink Floyd and the progression into harder and heavier rock music. It does sound a little dated but Steve winwood on guitar demonstrated why he is held in such high esteem.

Really solid band but there is no reason this album should be so long. It gets cheesy and takes away from the first half.

It’s certainly reflective of that time period, some of the songs have that 60s sound that is a real time-stamp. But still, Feelin’ Alright? C’mon.

Not good not bad.

This was another I had never heard of, but I enjoy it. Good vibes for having it on in the background.

Pretty sure I'm going to be an outlier, but there was a lot to like for me here. I'm partial to the folk/blues elements and I'm all for quirky, adventurous instrumentation. That being said, this feels like a case of too many ideas creating a disjointed listening experience. You can really feel some sort of tension between different creative visions or directions. The lyrics are also...yeah... Overall, nostalgia bumps this up for me a bit - a lot of these guitar riffs sound like home. Highlights: - Feelin’ Alright?: Ultra nostalgia blast - the most commercial song on this album. Reminds me of riding in my dad’s truck with all the windows rolled down on a summer night. This was the first time the vocal style really connected with me and who doesn't love a saxophone? - No Time to Live: Ultra moody with a heavy dose of weird soul - this was right up my alley, even with the quasi-whale noises. - Means to an End: Hell of a gear shift, but that guitar and blues grit really worked for me. - Medicated Goo: Feels the most emblematic of the whole album. Slick guitar, some really solid harmonies, but weird-ass lyrics. Lowlights: - Vagabond Virgin: What…? Okay, the flute can stay, maybe. - 40.000 Headman: Someone had fun in toddler percussion class… - Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush: :/

Pleasant and well-crafted, but never truly commanding. It’s a gentle, drifting listen ; more background breeze than bonfire.

Some of the tracks I enjoyed, some of them I very much did not. Averaged to a 3

Hardcore dad music, I enjoyed

Fine enough boomer rock

Almost impressive how average this one is, it's like stock 60s rock

The first song I really liked, it was very Beatles-esque, after that it was decent blues rock throughout, nothing amazing but there were a few other highlights like here we go round the mulberry bush which was a fun one and medicated goo. The guitar work through was really good and the organ obviously by Steve Winwood. Overral a solid 6/10.

Solid if unspectacular; plenty of good and some meh. Nothing that I'd say stood out as great. Overall: 2.75/5

I remembered this album fondly from my first listen, but I'm glad I listened again to remember how mid it is apart from some good songs

The blues numbers had me worried but they ended up closer to Hendrix territory than Clapton Hell. I also enjoy the vocals a lot more than similar albums by Rod Stewart. The production is much better than Zeppelin's albums from the same era.

just another psych rock record, it's fine. there's a couple great tracks near the end though

It’s good but I also found it a bit samey after a while

Pretty good but pretty unremarkable. Somewhere between 2 or 3.

I was jamming my head in literal traffic

Another reviewer very accurately said that this is what Grateful Dead fans think this is what the Grateful Dead sounds like. Couldn’t be more true. This is nice for what it is. Well played, well balanced. But it’s heavy on the pre-prog psychedelia. When they just play music, it’s actually pretty good.

-i thought this was cool. classic 60s folk rock music with some interesting effects, especially in the second half of the album -though I certainly wouldn’t say I “loved” it, I think this is a record I would like to listen to it again. there was a lot of complexity and interesting bits I think I didn’t fully register the first time -Favorites are Pearly Queen, 40.000 Headman, and Cryin’ To Be Heard

3/10, 30%

Not bad, wasn't particularly annoying, good 60's vibes..

3.3 - Good, average, forgotten it already

Some nice bluesy rock, some weird stuff about 13 year old girls. Fave Tracks: Pearly Queen, (Roamin' Thro' the Gloamin' With) 40,000 Headman 3.4/5

It's ok

LIke this one.. Hammond organ by Steve Winwood always does it for me

Black Sabbath energy, men tröttnade mot slutet.

Very well produced and varied bluesy inspired rock album, with some jazz, folk & experimental influences. Opening stretch of the album is the best part full of highlights, mostly great bluesy rock tracks. Songs such as “You can all join in” and “Pearly Queen” help the album start with great energy. The biggest hit & catchiest song from the album “Feelin’ Alright?” ends the opening part of the album on a good run. The middle third of the album calms things down a bit and is generally hit and miss, with some standout tracks like “vagabond virgin”, “cryin to be heard” and “means to an end” but placed with weaker tracks like “…40.000 headman” which is probably the weakest track on the album. The final stretch on the album is similar in quality, but the album ends well with the infectious “medicated goo” which injects a nice bit of energy before ending on the decent but unremarkable “Shanghai noodle factory”. Overall, this was a decent listen. The production was great throughout and there were some really nice blues tracks. I can’t help but feel that the album could’ve benefited from being cut down to 10/11 tracks rather than the 15 song album that it is, but I respect the variety on the album. There is some great musicianship and vocal displays but it’s missing *something* to be considered an all time great album for me. Still, a good listen. 3/5.

fun as hell. I love quirked up white british boy blues

Wilde Mischung 😄

This feels like it was performed fairly well, and I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it. It somehow sounds simultaneously like something from 1968 and 1980, with the organ reminding me of Boston or Kansas. 3.2

Not their best work, hopefully that means Mr. Fantasy is on here as well

really enjoyed this one but couldn’t help but think how i would’ve enjoyed this waaaay more if it had more psychedelic elements. 3.5/5

It were alright

Mostly fine, but I did nearly fall asleep at my desk. Possibly not the album’s fault, but life’s not always fair.

This was pretty good. I do think that the mixing sounded a bit flat though, it didn't really pop.

I've decided to take a break from reviewing albums, which will end on Monday. I can't think about what to write. Sometimes, I have nothing to say. "Self Titled" is a good album, in my opinion. Not the best, though. 3 stars for "Self Titled".

This was interesting one, covers a lot of different musical territory while still being pretty poppy and accessible. Not sure how much I actually enjoyed it though, some of it just feels... Basic. Like background music from the early 70s kinda. It's not bad though, I was definitely tapping my foot for some of it, just not sure if it'll have staying power for me. 🤷

Ok I guess

OK, background music

un po' pasticciato, You can all join in mi aveva gasato però

carino nulla di più

Not my jams. Good though.

In context is pretty hard rock for a popish group. Good composition good arrangements nice guitarplaying and overall very likable album.

Like some other albums, I enjoyed the first songs but my interest waned by the end. I appreciate the inventiveness and psychedelic grooves, but ultimately grew a little bored.

It is good, but certainly of its time.

Playlist adds - Don't Be Sad, Cryin' To Be Heard, Medicated Goo

Well… each song sounds like a different band or artist that they either are emulating or have inspired. Which of course isn’t bad. I hear some 13th floor Elevators, Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Cream. I actually really like this - even though I must say, that there are so many psych rock bands from this era in the book that it is almost too much

The first half of this album has some of the most purely enjoyable classic rock I’ve heard on this list. Bright, country-tinged rock with horns and catchy melodies. It ends with the hit “Feelin’ Alright?” which I had no idea was originally a Traffic song. The second half is good too but leans more on that 60's folk rock sound, which I'm not as into as a more straightforward rock style.

I have always enjoyed Steve Winwood’s voice. Overall this sounded like early 70’s music. Feelin alright most recognizable song of course. It was decent.

It was alright not great and I’m not a big 70’s guy but it was decent overall

meh. wasn't as psych rock as I expected it to be so that was a positive. background music

Feeling Alright was a good hit, but this album is more notable as a stepping stone in Steve Winwood’s career

OK, one of them bands where everything sounds good but it just feels bland put together

A good mid-to-high 3, easy 60s rock.

местами кажется интересный, надо потом ещё послушать

A slog to get through but not without its exciting parts - just like highway traffic!

They're obviously very good at what they do. I just don't like it very much. It sounds like it's for people older than me. I'm pushing 50. Favorite song: crying to be heard.

I listened to an hour long album and can’t remember anything I heard.

Winwood was huge in the 80s when I first heard this, so I apparently favored his tracks over Dave Mason’s. Re-listening today, I prefer Mason’s well-written songs. Winwood’s are scattershot sixties stuff.

Enjoyable listen. Favourite tracks are Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring and Feelin’ Alright 3/5

Decent

Good.

2.7

Impatient for their better work and later albums.

Nice 60's.

Started well, then it became less interesting

Some fine tunes!!

60s pop/rock. Nice but not really more.

As someone who has never really listened to Traffic - this felt like perfectly average 60s/70s rock. Neither overwhelming nor underwhelming… I am just whelmed

Pretty standard fare for British Blues Rock in 1968. “Feeling Alright” is great. The rest of the album ranges from OK to good. 3 stars.

An easy listen but nothing unique or ground breaking sticks out to me.

I liked where this was going in the beginning, but in the end I wasn't blown away.

I really enjoyed some of these songs, it's just a shame that they are intermingled with some other very annoying songs.

a decent listen, but nothing super memorable

Middest of the mid 40,000 headman and Cryin' To Be Heard are good tracks. Rest is just bog standard

Decent classic Brit rock from a band I knew little about, "Feelin' Alright" was the only one I was already familiar with.

Decent listen.

Not as big a fan of their early sound, but this album doesn’t hurt my ears.

I probably would have left this Traffic album out of the book since John Barleycorn Must Die is in the book. I have always felt the sum of Traffic's parts were greater than the band. They really don't have any great string of songs I enjoy and their big hits I mostly know as being covered by other bands. I know Feeling Alright by Joe Cocker and Grand Funk Railroad more than I know the song as a Traffic song. This band is British. I know that may sound like a shock to you that a British band may be overrepresented in this book but it is true. The better songs are those that were b-sides, like Medicated Goo and Shanghai Noodle Factory, so I question their ability to even choose the best songs they have written. The sum of the parts don't add up as much for me on this album, as a lot of it sounds like generic 60's jam rock, especially towards the middle of the album. You Can All Join In sounds like a song that is from a different album and it leads this one off. A bit odd to me. I am also not sure I want to know what Vagabond Virgin was about, as the main character in the song appears to be 13 years old.

immediately kinda fun sounding but oh yea so far this is just 60s boomer rock. You Can All Join In It was alright background music? Nothing caught my ear like the other albums but it wasnt bad by any means. Just nothing that commanded I pay attention to it. Ironically this made me relisten to T.Rex and that album is just plain better so

It’s really only redeemed by its blues influences. The whole Beatles style minstrel folk rock movement doesn’t hit with me, and it’s hard for me to be objective about how it could hit with others.

Sounded like a mixture of Nirvana and The Beach Boys.

Some good stuff, some less good stuff. Overall I think this was a fine album, but not something I'll soon give a relisten

There are some really good moments on this but overall I think that the songwriting just isn't quite there to make it great.

Never heard of this band before, but looking at their RYM page they seem to have a short solid discography. The first of the album has the most interesting music, but the whole album is pretty consistent throughout. Maybe it was pretty good for its time but it didn't blow my mind, it's just alright. Favorite songs: Pearly Queen, Don't Be Sad, Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Feelin' Alright, 40.000 Headman, Cryin' To Be Heard Would I listen to it again? Nope, but I'm still curious to check out their other albums.

Never heard this before. There are some nice moments on the album. The lead vocals from the various band members are sometimes great and sometimes just okay. THe bass lines are generally pretty great throughout. They variety of styles on display is interesting. Although a couple of Mason's songs have a goofy-60s-did-Ringo-write-this vibe. But evaluated years later, this album just settles into the "good, not great" category. Feelin' Alright? is noteworthy, but Joe Cocker's later version blows it out of the water. This seems to be an example of the parts being greater than the sum on this album.

It was ok, I guess. 60s jam -day drinking- rock. I liked a few of the songs like Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (I'd pay to hear the Fun Loving Criminals cover that!), Feelin' Alright and Cryin' To Be Heard. Then there were the cringey songs like Vagabond Virgin and No Time to Live that had me running back to listen to Soundgarden.

Bueno

I enjoyed it, but recognize if one doesn’t like classic rock, then one will not like this, as it isn’t the best. Can get repetitive, the vocals are insanely average, instrumentation is solid, writing is fine. Nothing really stood out to me. This will certainly fall into the obscurity with all the other albums I’ll say I’ve listened to, but not be able to name a single song. 3/5

This album is not bad by any means, but it’s certainly not groundbreaking either. I hear a lot of influences and nothing very original. But I can’t give it a 2/5.

3+

Not a bad effort. Quite enjoyed it early doors but my interest did wane the longer it went on.

idk, the first song sounds like a combo of southern rock and Monty Python. I'm not really sure that's a must hear mashup. Is this album here on the strength of inspiring Joe Cocker's cover of Feelin' Alright? I'm certain it's not because they're singing about a 13 yo virgin. Right? *looks askance* I somewhat irritated that this sounds so much like so many other albums from the 10 years around it, and yet what's been expunged from the list is exclusively stuff from the last 25 years, yet we get three dozen albums like this. I get that hindsight is the whole thing, and we're all products of our generation but c'mon.

Interesting

Bit up and done and probably overdoing the Americana vibe. Saved by a couple of good tracks.

Pleasant enough background music. Didn’t really catch my attention too often. 3/5 Highlights: Crying’ To Be Heard Medicated Goo

"What'll ya have, kid?" "Gimme....Zappa and the Mothers..." "Coming right up!" "Ah...but make it....too sincere." *bartender drops his glass, the record on the jukebox scratches*

3.5

This is a good 60’s rock album, but isn’t much more than that, worth a listen once but I won’t be rushing back

ágætt breskt popp. svipar til kinks á köflum. aftur. 3,5.

Nothing about this blew me away but I didn't actively dislike it.

Decent enough

I had never heard of this band. They are a little bit Small Faces, a bit Cream, very 60s.

Harken back to a time when rock was rock... Traffic was always a great guitar band, Ok stuff

Соверешенно неожиданно обнаружил себя в целом ок, когда слушал этот альбом. Это совсем не моя музыка, но вот эти пики драмы там и здесь, - ультра. Лучшая песня - No Time to Live.

Very groovy music. Not bad but not my vibe.

Hit me on the wrong day. 1968, rocky-bluesy and folkey but nothing special. Kind of jamming music (and I don't mean Reggae).

At least 70s brit rock is better than 80s and 90s Brit rock.

12/9/24 Was okay, started off well then lost interest.

Another Steve Winwood album, and another one I like. Although I’ve since come to prefer Muff (Winwood) for his early work. More than a touch of Paul Weller on this, which is unexpected given his later stuff. Quite good. Not classic though imo.

The only remarkable thing about this album is the bloke in the hat’s eyebrows.

Traffic and Steve Winwood don't tend to be appreciated fully, which is why I wasn't expecting a Traffic album. Whenever the piano or organ was used, oh I knew that was Winwood's doing. I recognize my bias, but this album was at its finest with the organ or piano because that's where the creativity hit. Traffic contained rock music, and Wikipedia lists folk rock as the only genre--but I beg to differ. There's way more psychedelia present, more than I anticipated, but hey it is 1968. At times I was reminded of Van Morrison's style.

I had heard of Traffic, but didn't think I knew anything by them. For the most part, that proved to be true, except I did know "Feelin' Alright?" without knowing that it was Traffic that sang that song. These guys have a very intriguing take on folk rock, definitely very progressive rock-oriented. Honestly, it works pretty well and makes for one of the more enjoyable progressive rock listening experiences I've had on this project (I don't typically enjoy the genre very much). Another thing that was evident to me about this Traffic album as a first time listener was the Steve Winwood-ness of it all. His knack for musical jazzy melody really shows on this album. An enjoyable first time whole album exposure to Traffic! I really was intrigued with the musical niche they created for themselves!

Nice enough American pop rock, a slight psychedelic tinge maybe. Started well, there was a pan pipe heavy middle section that annoyed me and then the last couple of tracks were alright. Could have been influential on bands like cream, was a like a more subdued version. It was alright for one listen, 2.5.

Mostly lukewarm.

not a bad album, but i feel like traffic has better and more interesting music to offer down the line. not yet to their progressive phase, this album comes off more as a second-rate psych-blues band with not a ton to offer in terms of interesting songs or soundscapes. the highlight here is the original version of 'feelin alright' which is not as good or as interesting as the more famous cover by joe cocker. really, this is a look at a band who has yet to find their footing and doesn't offer a whole lot in terms of novel music, as compared to their contemporaries.

This is the first time I've listened to an album by Traffic. I've knew of the band, mostly because I remember Steve Winwood. The songs on this album are a little dull. "Feelin' Alright?" would go on to become a classic, thanks to Joe Cocker. But the other songs are kind of lackluster.

I like the second half better than the first. Feelin' Alright is better when Traffic does it. Not an enduring classic for me, however.

3.5

I knew the one song, the others were not bad.

First impression? It sounds like early Bowie mixed with White Album Beatles. Then it’s funk influenced with Steve Winwood singing. Almost like Jimi Hendrix is on guitar with the 2nd song. Then another Hendrix infused song. Then back to a funk sound. I’m guessing this is a cover. Classic hippy music Then it’s back to an early David Bowie sound with Canned Heat flute Now it’s Canned Heat flute mixed with Santana Well, Cryin to be Heard is kinda their song. Trippy organ, a little bit of horns, good harmonious background singing . Ok, now it sounds like Supertramp Well, I think if you can’t get what I’m saying with this review, you understand that this album is all over the place. I don’t hate it but it really doesn’t seem to have a definite classification. I guess it’s a 3 since it’s not memorable but it’s not bad Choice cut: Cryin to be Heard

Had no idea Feelin' Alright was by Traffic. I think this is a band that has fallen into obscurity although some of their songs remain in the mainstream. There were some interesting songs on here. The album could generally be described as quirky. What the hell is Shanghai Noodle Factory? Why was it written? Why do I kind of like it even though it's bizarre? I can't say I dug the whole vibe of the album, man, but there were a few songs sprinkled throughout that I enjoyed.

I understand why this record is on the List but it didn't impressed me that much

Godd but nothing particular

It's a beaut

Fun listen. A lot of the songs breezed by, but it struck the right mood for me and stayed there throughout. Instrumentals are on point, and it really captures a late 60's vibe. Only complaint might be that it all blends together a bit, but a few of the songs are making it into the regular rotation.

This appears to be one of those albums by one of those bands that featured in the great late-60s diversification into different musical styles (and into super-groups). I can't really fault this record, though it doesn't really grab me in the way that popular music really should. I'm glad I listened to it though.

I am much more familiar with the later work (except for Mr. Fantasy), so it's very nice to see where that came from. Very nice. Enjoying the hell out of it. Feelin' Alright? more well known to me from 100 other iterations, but like I'm hearing it for the first time. Nice interplay between Mason and Winwood. The five demeanors on the cover are replicated in the songs.

Solid, accomplished and polished. Feeling’ all right is a classic. Good to hear but it was like the comforting sound of traffic on a motorway. Background soothing tones but ain’t gonna get me excited or make me want to get in a lane.

Standout track "Feeling Alright"—arguably the best rendition of the song. But the album doesn't age well for me. This certain flavor of 60s sexism does remind me that we've made great social progress.

3.5

This is fine, by why is it on here?

A relatively solid blues rock record with some interesting flavor instruments (flute, timpani). Favorite tracks: "Pearly Queen", "Cryin' To Be Heard"

I like the warmth of this but honestly thought it would grab me more. Could have been the wrong day. Some good talent here but I weirdly didn't find myself wanting to listen to it. Could very well have been on this one.

This was a solid listen but as an album didn't feel cohesive. Some songs had moments but, over all none stuck with me. Traffic was a pleasant surprise when John Barleycorn Must Die came up having never heard them before this experiment. This album feels about the same.

A very consistent vibe, folksy brassy party time. Not totally my thing, but pretty well-written and well-executed. Best song: Feelin’ Alright?

Another day, another Steve Winwood featuring album: I am now convinced the man is the most represented single person in the 1001 canon, with few recordings featuring him being true essentials. This time, it's his own band Traffic, with their sophomore album from 1968.    While I thought "John Barleycorn Must Die" had some modest hits but often distracted itself with noodling and instrumental flexing, this one is more straight-ahead rock. The underlying factor here is Dave Mason, principal songwriter and lead vocalist for half the songs on this record. He’d already briefly left the band by this point, and his input continued to be diminished here as Winwood took the reins and pushed the band in more esoteric directions. Shortly afterwards, he’d be gone for good.   It’s difficult to discern the two writers at first, and I found pros and cons to each of their approaches. “You Can All Join In", and the too-twee-pap of "Vagabond Virgin”, is Mason at his worst: over-simplistic and underdeveloped. In kind terms, it's immediate and catchy frothy goodness: in more unkind terms, it's asinine, like The Beatle's "All Together Now" lite. But when Mason digs deeper, such as the album’s lone hit “Feelin’ Alright?” and the loud-quiet-loud masterstroke “Cryin’ To Be Heard”, it’s a thrill.   Meanwhile, Winwood's tracks showcase his undeniably incredible vocal: trading falsetto and full-voiced howl on "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring", soulful wail on “No Time To Live”. The instrumentals in all tracks often lean into loose and baggy jam territory, with a blues or even jazz influence: the harmonica in the outro of "Pearly Queen", the proggy flute-driven “Roaming Thro’ The Gloaming”, and the lead hook of "Feelin' Alright?", rinsed and repeated for a good couple of minutes in the outro. All winners. So while “Traffic” isn’t a perfect record (and never seems to warrant any mention among its contemporaries) it’s still a glut of solid, serviceable rock. The Winwood fatigue hasn’t fully set in yet.

Like I said on the other Traffic album, it's listenable. Nothing special at the end of the day.

Niet slecht, maar ook niet speciaal ofzo. Staan wel een paar degelijke nummers op, maar dit is eerder een album om wat op de achtergrond op te leggen op een zomerse dag ofzo. 3.0*

This was a decent album of late 60s British folk/blues-influenced rock. I liked it fine. Of course, since we have heard about 476 other late 60s British folk/blues-influenced rock albums in this project, I just didn't think this one stood out much from the others.

In my review for John Barleycorn Must Die, I said something about how Traffic makes my chakras line up or something. That did not happen today. My chakras remain out of whack after this album. There was a lot of noodling and not enough glory. Even the original version of the fantastic Feelin' Alright? pales a bit in comparison (in my opinion) to Joe Cocker's cover. Sad to be so underwhelmed today.

Didn't listen that attentative, but a decent album mostly. Becomes a bit bland after a while, and I enjoyed the songs that were a bit less country oriented. Should probably listen again sometime, but a 3 for now.

These guys were the blueprint for whatever Man Fashion this is. But I will give it a shot! I don’t know what it is about 60’s English dudes trying to recreate the blues. It’s got some funk and some groove but I guess the influence on these blokes was pretty huge. The record starts out pretty well, with You Can All Join In. Some great stuff here, nice riffs and some interesting sounds. Pearly Queen isn’t a bad track but the lyrics are a little uhhhh sus. Cool little improv towards the end! Don’t Be Sad is a hard left turn into some weird vocal harmonies, but the Hammond organ sound is cool. I’m a sucker for 60’s organ sounds. Pretty sure Who Knows What Tomorrow Might Bring is about drugs, but it’s a funky little number. Definitely a laid back kinda song, which is weird if it’s about cocaina. Feelin Alright was the first track i recognized but I didn’t know they did this one and Joe Cocker covered it. How bout that. Nice touch with the saxophone too. Vagabond Virgin lost me. Creepy lyrics aside, it’s just kinda boring. Not much to describe. 40,000 Headmen tells a story but also kinda lost me a bit. Cryin To Be Heard is a slow burn, about halfway in you get the crescendo to something cool but then it kinda fades. Could have trimmed a bit off the intro IMHO but it’s alright. No Time To Live is also similar with the drawn out intro, but doesn’t really go anywhere. Means To An End was a welcome change from the kinda bummer tracks leading up to it. Fun riffs but it’s a weirdly short song. Then it goes back to before with the slow ass intro with Here We Go Round The Mulberry Tree but at least it DOES go somewhere to a more interesting ending. The last few tracks I checked out again for. Medicated Goo is decent but I wasn’t particularly interested in the rest. The whole album is consistent but the middle struggled to pull me in so by the end I was like ehhhh. Not bad but not one I’d seek out for some British guys playing blues.

Odd little 60's act. Reminds me of a lot of the other bands of the time.

I like Traffic. Loved their early singles particularly Hole In My Shoe which for me will be one of the songs I associate with the summer of love. They were great musicians - Stevie Winwood and Jim Capaldi both highly regarded and responsible for some great rock moments. As regards this album I cannot remember if I ever listened to it first time round. I suspect I must have done but the fact that I was mostly unaware of its contents when I listened today (apart from Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush but I think this was not on original track list) says a lot about my view of it. It’s an OK album but a lot better things were yet to come from Traffic. John Barleycorn is the obvious stand out classic but my particular favourite and one I play regularly is The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. So I look upon this album as a necessary step to get the better ones yet to record. 2.9/5 3/7/24

This was ok, but nothing that I'd ever actively listen to again.

another day, another review where I remember very little of the album

For some reason, Steve Winwood keeps popping up on my radar recently. I haven't heard Give Me a Higher Love in decades, yet it came up in a conversation the other day, was in a random TV show that was on in the background a few days ago, and now Traffic is the 1001 album. That all said, this album was ok. I've always liked Winwood's voice, it's as much a token sound of 90's pop as voices like Sting or Huey Lewis. Lots of up-front guitar with great tone and decent playing. Style-wise it's only OK; sounds a lot like other late-60's rock bands to me, though there's some fun experimentation at times.

C+

Pretty decent classic rock with a bit of blues vibes, which generally isn’t my thing. Not overly memorable. I am so jaded on classic rock anymore, it’s hard to find it in me to care about any of these albums.

It's not that the songs written by Mason are bad, per se, but it is quite telling that the best tracks the ones that feel the most forward-facing and that have aged the best... well, they're the ones by Capaldi and Winwood, huh. And so the album feels split between two creative forces, and we know who wins out. The better one. Weirdly the worst track is Vagabond Virgin, where the two forces meet. Funny, that.

Pretty meh but not really bad. 3 stars. Dear Mr. Fantasy (Not in the album) is a bop though

Mg

A few songs were remarkable but it wasn't too interesting

Hmm, average average -- not the most exciting album but also not bad.

A pretty decent 60’s album. I’m not a big fan of Traffic but this was an enjoyable listen. I like 80’s Steve Winwood more but that’s probably due to nostalgia than better songs.

Man, what is with all the things I hate? War, Traffic... What's next, Death? Is there a band named Famine we can listen to? 60's hippie music, it's decent and pleasant. I prefer Winwood's 80's pop. (Roamin' Thro' The Gloamin' With) 40000 Headmen is my favorite. I like the flute.

I dismissed Steve Winwood as that guy from the 80's who sang "Roll With It." Then he showed up on keys on Billy Joel's "Getting Closer" and I wondered why. Somewhere in the 2000's I find out he's in this acclaimed band Traffic. "You've GOT to hear Traffic!!" Maybe then I'll understand. Checked out "Shanghai Noodle Factory" which was good, but I didn't listen to much more until today. The skilled musicianship here is evident, and you can tell the band can play whatever they wanted. This is a laid back soul jazz psychedelic blues that keeps you guessing. The songwriting doesn't follow a consistent 8-bar verse, 4-bar chorus but wanders wherever the melody or lyric goes. Usually I like that approach but here is seems to vary just for the sake of it. Hey, I actually know "Feelin' Alright?"; I think I heard it from a commercial decades back. It's more straight forward than the change-ups in the previous songs; coupled with a stronger melody, it is the obvious single. I wasn't around in 1968, but this album reflects a genre that I associate with that time. It sounds like Woodstock to me, but other than the two songs previously mentioned, nothing really jumped out to me. I often reflect upon how we were lucky that 90's music was so good that even the bands we didn't like at the time were still above average. We had the luxury to be picky and choose not to like some of it for superficial reasons (e.g., "Bush is a Nirvana rip-off", "Nine Inch Nails are for the goths", "Dave Matthews fans are drunk frat boys", "Spacehog's video zooms in on all of these kids' piercings, yet the band has none," "Better Than Ezra's singer looks goofy", "Smashing Pumpkins isn't even from Seattle," "Green Day is sell-out punk", "Does Marcy Playground even have another song?") but ultimately the music stands toe-to-toe with everything else on the radio then. I feel similarly about Traffic; they are skilled and ambitious and seem like they can jam forever if not restricted to any album length, but amongst so many talented peers that resonate with me more, for some reason my brain chooses not to fully let them in. They're cooking a delicate four-course meal with flavors I appreciate and it tastes sublime, but I've already eaten.

When I first started listening to this, I thought this band was (at least partly) Black American. Clearly I missed the album cover. I just thought some of the songs really had a "Sanford and Son theme song" vibe that was hitting a lot of the features of Black 70's music. I was like, "Ok, what we have here is some perfectly serviceable funk/soul." That was my thought listening to it with no context, because I had never heard of anything by Traffic...or so I thought. Turns out I was familiar with one song, "Feeling Alright," although I could have sworn it was a different band's song. And turns out they're British, which I guess does actually explain the Black American sound lol. Anyway, as the album played on, the songs began reflecting many more genres and styles. I noticed all the unusual instrumentation and was intrigued. I said to myself, I said, "This is a band with a lot of ideas they want to get out." A lot of styles, a lot of instruments, a lot of songs. After listening, I read that it was Steve Winwood's band. Neat! I do recognize his voice now that I know that. I enjoyed the woodwinds here--I love a breathy jazz flute--and Winwood on the organ/keyboard; that really helped set it apart from other songs in this milieu. Also, "Medicated Goo" was cool because I could imagine Jack Black singing it with that cadence. Overall, my appreciation of this album grew the more of it I heard. 3.5

I'd heard of Traffic before, but never listened to any of their music. I liked this album. At times they reminded me of Yes, but with less mathematical parts. The Traffic singer has a more soulful voice also. My favorites were Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring and You Can All Join In.

A good listen.

Traffic I’m pretty familiar with John Barleycorn Must Die, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to any other Traffic albums. There’s a clear difference between the Dave Mason tracks and the Steve Winwood/Jim Capaldi tracks. The Mason tracks are more immediate and straightforward, while Winwood’s are a bit more dense and complicated, and you can hear the roots of the more pastoral JBMD sound on some of these. On balance I think I prefer the Mason’s tracks although Winwood’s tracks get better and more interesting with more listens. You Can All Join In is a great shuffling country-ish blues rock song. Quite Canned Heat/Allman Brothers, but one of those effortless sounding 60s/70s rock songs, but with a folk accent - I can imagine listening to it driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, or cruising along the Towcester bypass. Don’t be Sad is in a similar vein, although lacks some of the infectiousness of You Can All Join In. Feelin’ Alright is another strong track, I’m sure I’ve heard it before, it’s got a nice groove. Vagabond Virgin I’m not as keen on. Some slightly suspect lyrics and leans a bit too much into a kind of psychedelic prog vibe. Cryin’ to be Heard is better, despite some slightly errant horn parps. Good drumming. Pearly Queen was a bit of a grower. Definitely reminds me of Yes, but a touch more enjoyable. Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring despite some nice guitar and some nice moments was a bit unmemorable. I really like Roman’ Thru the Gloamin’ with 40,000 Headmen though, a great late 60s rock/folk track with a pleasant jazziness. The stand out of the Winwood tracks and the most akin to JBMD. No Time to Live is a bit too jazzy for my taste, despite a nice vocal. Means to an End is a bit more enjoyable, it has a bit of a spark to it even if it’s pretty standard late 60s rock fare. A bit of a mixed bag overall, some very enjoyable tracks but some pretty average ones too. The musicianship throughout is very good though, the drumming is particularly excellent. I can see what they were attempting, a kind of English psychedelic jazz folk-rock, and when it works it’s good, but it does fall wide of the mark on occasion. A 3 feels fair ⭐⭐⭐

This is a fun folk-rock album. I love me some Steve Winwood. Just a solid album - not much else to say.

I've always like Steve Winwood, but this album was a little disappointing. It's certainly an eclectic mix of styles, but it just lacks "oomph", for lack of a better description.

This one just sort of washed over me - sounds fairly standard, I think.

Surpisingly decent. 3/5

Another generic late 60s album, it's pretty good, but literally indistinguishable from the bunch of other rock records from this time period.

This album is way too long for what it is. These guys are lousy Grateful Dead wannabes. I can see why Steve Winwood needed to ditch these losers to achieve actual musical success. Again, I can listen to this without being bothered, but it's not stirring my soul. If I want to really vibe with some 60's counterculture rock, I'll stick with the greats.

Folk rock. bah.

Rock, 1968 -> 3

The competing styles made for an entertaining album. Nothing startling but kept the attention.

Yeah, some older rock. It won't be jamming up my playlist, not even in a roundabout kinda way.

Pretty good, some standouts but nothing spectacular

I do love traffic - but not my fave album.

Hmph. More blues rock. I thought Traffic were better than this. Think their classic album is John Barleycorn which I think I'm not overly fond of either. First song is basically a ditty and not for me. Decent solos in the second, nice trundler. Couple of meh songs, Feelin Alright is decent. Oh god what is Vagabond Virgin. Crying to be Heard is decent. It's an ok album. Definitely varied. In quality but also in content, which kept me interested. Definitely better than anything jack white was involved with so I shall rate accordingly.

Pas mal les mêmes commentaires que pour l'autre album du même groupe eu précédemment. 6/10

Seems good, probably need a bit more time. Can easily see the rating go up to 4 eventually.

If the genre surfing of the late 60's is your bag, boy do I have an album for you.

Traffic: I love “John Barleycorn”, a brilliant album I’ve had on vinyl since the 70’s. And the slew of songs that were staples on AOR (Album Orienrd Radio) back in the day. But the only song I knew from this album was “Feelin’ Alright”, which is brilliant, but I’ve always thought of Joe Cocker’s version as being definitive. I did pick up a Traffic hits CD a few years back, which added “You Can All Join In” and “Pearly Queen” from this album. Both are good songs, but more in a Blind Faith feel than what I consider classic Traffic. More of a blues feel. This version of “40,000 Horseman” is excellent, and the exception to the rule of this album. And I guess that’s the thing about this album. I can see where they’re headed, but they weren’t quite there yet. It’s good, but not sure I’d call this one essential. 3/5

I should probably be more forgiving given the age of this album. But I just can't with how much flute, saxophone, and random horns there is here. It's just distracting. Not that there's much to distract from here. It's a fairly generic '60s organ rock album. It's not bad, but, aside from a few interesting lyrical choices, there's nothing really here that stands out. Aside from the annoying foods and horns and such... Overall, a pretty disappointing listen.

Sixties Brit Rock, a little uneven, tiring to listen to, a product of its time.

Jazzy feeling rock, fun inclusion of the flute

Not a fav

Kinda forgettable but not terrible

This album started off fairly strong but I think it tapered off towards the end. It’s decent rock music but nothing that really draws me in fully.

Folk rock. bah.

Otra banda sesentosa que desconocía. Rock relajado, country y con ciertos aires psicodélicos/progresivos de esos años. Buena para escuchar de fondo, trabajar y no pensar demasiado.

nice soft rock, very of the time with psychedelia very much present, overall doesn't stand out though

3/5. I do enjoy bluesy rock as much as the next guy, feel like if this was the first type of blues-rock I heard, it would be much higher rating but it doesn't feel it adds anything new to the genre. I enjoyed my listen for sure, guitar is best part of this album, and the woodwinds were a nice addition you don't see often, but not much else to offer. Best Song: Feelin' Alright, Pearly Queen, Roamin' Thru'

Reluctantly giving one extra because of one decent song. Most of the songs were very dated. Granted, they may have had some good impact in their day.

It treads a fine line between rock and hippie rock. Mulberry Bush is a bit out there (as well as some other later tracks), in addition to some of the lyrical content (Pearly Queen) is definitely late 60's hippie infused. Still, Feelin' Alright? is great and Cryin' to be Heard is also strong. Enjoyed, though a bit long by the end.

Gear: Hifiman Arya Mix: 🎧😘🤌 Musik: weitaus weniger experimenteller Progressive und mehr austauschbarer "Classic" Rock als erwartet und zu wünschen, Traffic gefallen mir auf "The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys" noch wesentlich besser Wertung: 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️(😶‍🌫️)/5

Traffic- kannte ich nicht: eine abwechslungsreiche Scheibe die einen in die 68iger zurückholt. Nicht schlimm aber eben auch nicht gut.

Rating: 7/10 Very good album overall. Really enjoyed the mix of rock, blues, and country elements. A lot of good guitar riffs and melodies. The album starts amazing with the first song and then loses some steam but always stays solid throughout. Favorite songs: You Can All Join In, Pearly Queen, Don't Be Sad, Who Knows Tomorrow May Bring, 40.000 Headman, Cryin' To Be Heard. Worst song: Vagabond Virgin.

I listened to a lot of classic rock in my teens and early twenties, but I'd never listened to Traffic until starting this list. I'd always meant to check them out, but never made it around to them. I reviewed John Barleycorn Must Die about a year ago, and I didn't care for it much, so I didn't have high hopes for this album. This album was a little bit better than John Barleycorn Must Die, but not by much. As far as late sixties rock goes, this was a pretty standard affair, with some folk and jazz influences tossed in. The keyboard playing was pretty good, and punched up some of the songs, but the rest of the arrangements weren't anything noteworthy. Some of the songs were pretty good, but the rest were pretty bland. I did enjoy "Vagabond Virgin" though; it had some echoey vocal effects that I really liked. "Feelin' Alright?" was pretty good too, but I think the Joe Cocker version runs circles around this one. I like Steve Winwood's pop songs from the eighties, but I feel like his singing talents aren't really showcased well on either of the Traffic albums that I've listened to. Overall, this album was fine. It wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was particularly good or noteworthy either. I don't think I'll be seeking out any more Traffic albums.

Good album, some good songs

A good first outing for the group, but I still prefer The Low Spark of High-heeled Boys.

Late-60s rock som der kom så meget af. Ikke dårligt. Men heller ikke noget der vækker meget mere i mig end et Ecxel ark.

Classic band and album.

Fun album Standout songs: Pearly Queen Feelin Alright No time to live

This sounds very late-60s, perhaps unsurprisingly. I agree with the review on Wikipedia which says the alternation of simple songcraft and more proggy experimentation works well (though I was surprised to see that the best of the latter, Cryin’ To Be Heard, was written by the guy who wrote most of the former). Both styles have their strong moments, among a few weaker cuts too.

Fine

Album 999 and sadly for traffic I'm now numb to this kind of music.

Musically ahead of it's time, but not super interesting. Gives me the same vibe as Cream, but not quite as good without Clapton.

A good album without a doubt, but I didn't have any particularly strong feelings about any of the songs.

Don't be sad seemed a bit hokey. Can't say I loved it. In general the lyrics seem pretty simple. Overall, fun to listen to. Wouldn't add to my favorites

Steve Winwood led the charge for this by the numbers blues rock album. Seems somewhat by the numbers in this day and age but a solid history lesson for a force within the industry.

Better than i feared going into it. Can't see a revisit though

A pleasant but typical late 60's rock band. A little technical when they want to be, but not enough to hold my attention. Fun jams though.

Good funky blues. Strong grooves. Enjoyable.

Mid

has nothing to do with this album, but there's a Chicago Traffic Jam Band that plays on street corners in Chicago. stuff like cubs games. xylophone rush covers and such. good stuff. This album reminded me of the band Chicago, so some search strings around the bands Chicago and Traffic lead me to CTJB.

So Joe Cocker stole their song, made it a star. I was not told. Uncool Joe.

Okay. No tracks stood out to me. Although I guess Feelin’ Alright makes me feel alright. This album sounds like one that would be playing in a used record store where the employee on duty is 10 or more years older than me.

Not bad, but nothing exciting. Gives me Clapton vibes, more straight ahead blues rock, not much else. I’m an 80s child way more familiar with Steve Winwood’s farty synth music than his guitar playing. I was also surprised that the 4 or 5 bonus tracks were more interesting to me than any of the album cuts.

I wasn’t familiar with Traffic, and I dug their sound. There’s some four and five star songs on here. Cut out the fat, and you’ve got a four star album.

Fine

Doesn’t really stand out much from anything else you already know from this era. I’m really getting burnt on all the late 60s/early 70s this list is feeding me.

I've always liked Winwood, even if his voice is a little hard to understand. But listening to this album, I feel like I don't "get" Traffic. My biggest notion of them is "Dear Mr. Fantasy," and this doesn't feel like that at all. The first three songs on the album, my first impression was... sloppy. Like, they all had ideas and could have gone through some more rehearsal time before they put this down on tape. After that, it started to pick up some, and the ideas started to gel more, but I shouldn't have to listen through three songs to get to something good. It just was not impressive to me.

Meh. I was excited to see the name Traffic come up but the album wasn't anything special. It's not bad mind you but other than Feelin Alright?, which was probably what had me excited before I started listening, I didn't find anything that really grabbed me.

Good enough album, but there are lots of better albums from the 60s. Honestly, it doesn't feel like that much of a standout, but for including the classic Feelin' Alright. Nice enough to hear, but I doubt I'll go out of my way to listen again. Standout tracks: Pearly Queen, Feelin' Alright.

Fun music. Nothing too remarkable. Good jammin

3.5/5

Interesting. That identity crisis of 60s influences - rock, blues, psychedelia, jazz, folk - hangs together okay, and it all sounds pretty good, but even after a couple listens there's nothing that stays with me like the greats of the time.

The epitome of mid

Blind album and artist. Album started strong and then just kinda dragged in the 2nd half in my opinion. Definitely middle of the road for me and not something I would come back too. Still glad I tried it as always, that's the point of the project.

It just seems like fairly average 60s psychedelic rock.

Enjoyed it until the end, then realized I was technically listening to the reissue tracks. Yeah, those I can do without. The original album was pretty decent, but it does start sounding a little monotonous so I don't know if I'd listen to only Traffic for a day.

Good listening!

"Traffic" by Traffic, released in 1968, is a psychedelic album that encapsulates the experimental spirit of the era. Featuring luminaries like Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi, the album is a journey through diverse musical landscapes. From the intricate instrumentation of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" to the bluesy undertones of "Feelin' Alright," the album showcases Traffic's musical versatility. The ethereal "Paper Sun" and the extended instrumental explorations in "Coloured Rain" further highlight the band's boundary-pushing approach. "Traffic" is a timeless classic that marries rock, jazz, and psychedelia. Its immersive quality and musical craftsmanship warrant a solid 3/5

B- You Can All Join In 3 Pearly Queen 3 Don't Be Sad 3 Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring 3 Feelin' Alright? 3 Vagabond Virgin 3 Forty Thousand Headmen 3 Cryin' To Be Heard 3 No Time To Live 3 Means To An End 3 Run of the mill 60s rock album.