Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I've been listening to a lot of 60s/70s rock lately. This was ok but honestly quite dull.
Favourite tracks: Pearly Queen (guitar licks), Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (keys are wicked), Feelin' Alright. So variable, some good tracks, some big misses.
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.
This album was seriously so fun! All of the high-energy, positive, vibes. Definitely adding to my record collection someday.
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
I love Traffic
Alright. Some good moments, heard a lot similar. Unlikely to listen to again. 2 stars.
This is the better album. There’s a certain older English gentleman who reveres traffic and for the relatively short time they were together they did well. John barkeycorn must die is good but not essential. This could go on the list. 3.5
This is really the sweet spot for me for the band Traffic. The folk and jazz leanings of their later albums are distractions from what they are really great at -- cooking versions of catchy songs. The Dave Mason songs really stand out on this record. they are much more tuneful and straightforward than the Winwood/Capaldi numbers, which can tend to provoke a "huh?" reaction in me. But, in fairness, this album isn't too psychedelic or folk or jazz or other muso-indulgent waffle. Everyone is playing really well. Winwood's singing is the standout, but the tracks where he and Mason trade leads are typically the standout for me. It didn't chart for Traffic at the time, but Feelin' Alright was recognized as an instant classic. if you look at the list of cover versions by A-list artists that were released within two years. I love the live version by the Jackson 5 on their "Going Back to Indiana" TV special in 1971. It's totally worth a look to see the Jacksons at the height of their powers, kickin' it out live (https://youtu.be/6EtxrIpyuQY?si=P4nePLoltq0c8_bZ&t=139) Back to Traffic, this is a great record, would buy.
It's OK, but what is the essential element I'm missing here?
A likeable album. My interest waned towards the second half, but when I was paying attention it seemed top quality yet good fun. Nice flute and organ going on but no real standout tracks.
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.
This is an OK listen. I didn't really feel "wow'd" by much and if anything I felt like a lot of the songs were kind of... milquetoast? Like the big hit here "Feelin' Alright" just slightly crosses over the threshold of being a great song on an album that should be on this list, but then it immediately gives us "Vagabond Virgin", a moderate tempo conversation of a piece between a bass guitar and a wood block. It's a little too bland for "1001 albums to hear in your lifetime". "Traffic" is a pretty funny band name to me. My first thought is actual road traffic, which is an annoyance and not something I would think to name a band after. "Hey guys do you want to go to the "Internet Ads" show tonight?". Made me laugh a little. The album cover is pretty straightforward, but what is that circular thing in the upper left? The thing that the member in the middle is pointing at?
7/10
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
I liked it. Is it something I will listen to over and over again, no. Liked the different instrumentation, flute, organ, saxophone, nice variety. Liked the different vocals. Could've been a little shorter but otherwise quite liked this album.
meh. wasn't as psych rock as I expected it to be so that was a positive. background music
I actually loved this. I can’t believe, in all my years of guilty-pleasure yacht rock listening, I have never heard of these guys. Multiple songs will be making it into my rotation.
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
I would say this is a low 4. First time I've listened to a lot of these songs with Shanghai Noodle Factory and Light Up Or Leave Me Alone being my faves.
A good mid-to-high 3, easy 60s rock.
Just fine
A good piece of 60s rock. Didn't blow me away but I enjoyed it well enough.
местами кажется интересный, надо потом ещё послушать
This was great. Each track felt epic in its own way, but it also connected nicely as an album.
Ended up really enjoying this album.
Boring as fuck
A slog to get through but not without its exciting parts - just like highway traffic!
Muet portent more
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.
Feel like Traffic is a sixties act that has been quite unfairly forgotten so many decades after. I'm not a huge fan of Steve Winwood's solo career, but his first band had a pretty impressive run of albums during the early sixties / early seventies era, and this second LP is probably my favourite in that group of LPs. Of course, "Feelin' Alright" is a massive hit with an infectious chorus, and its inclusion right in the middle of the tracklist helps propel the whole thing until the end. But each and every other cut is worth the detour here. The songs are varied, lively, heartfelt, the arrangements are either fun or sophisticated, and it's just a pleasure for anyone who is interested in that particular era of rock music. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4.5) Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 444 (including this one( Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 267 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 323
I didn’t know what to expect with this one, but I really enjoyed it!
Meh
I listened to an hour long album and can’t remember anything I heard.
an interesting work, mostly as a jumping off point for artists who had greater success (or influence) outside of the confines of the band
Das nervt sogar einen steinalten Boomer wie mich. Ab in die Versenkung.
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.
This is #day126 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... the only Traffic I knew before listening to this album was track #3 on Tiesto's trance masterpiece, Just Be. Today's Traffic was rather OK, but this is where it ends for me. It's Beatles-esque, '60s folk rock that I'm not going to revisit soon if ever. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day127.
The first side is fantastic and has some catchy songs but the second side was a bit of a step down. A bit of a varied album in terms of quality and genre, but overall pretty good. Best tracks: Feelin' Alright, You Can All Join In.
Enjoyable listen. Favourite tracks are Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring and Feelin’ Alright 3/5
Decent
Good.
Some of these are just not worth listening to
2.7
Impatient for their better work and later albums.
That kinda classic late 60's early 70's sounds. Not aggressive, just here for the vibes.
Nice 60's.
Really beatlesque. Not bad
Started well, then it became less interesting
boring but not terrible
äh vad fan. det får en fyra. fattar inte riktigt vad alla gnäller om detta. det är 60 tals rock utan att det är så mycket psykedeliskt. vad kan bli fel?
I was already familiar with this album. It's part of a string of great albums that also includes Mr. Fantasy, John Barleycorn Must Die, and The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. This album is probably the most well-rounded out of all of them. It has some whimsical Dave Mason tunes but also some much more heavy sounding stuff in 40,000 Headman and No Time To Live. It's a nice listen, I would listen again for sure.
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
Pearly Queen is really good don't be sad was just ok who knows what tomorrow may bring is cool feelin' alright is a great cover Roamin Thro The Gloamin was pretty cool too Means to an end, good Overall I really enjoyed this album, I've never heard anything from Traffic before besides Mr Fantasy, which was not on this album. I think I'll be revisiting this for sure.
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.
Braaf maar leuk album, kan bijvoorbeeld makkelijk in gezelschap opgezet worden. Zal hier vast nog wel eens naar luisteren.
An easy listen but nothing unique or ground breaking sticks out to me.
Didn't know this was the 'Feelin' Alright'' band! Decent album.
late 60s post-summer of love disillusion "back to basics" british rock steeped in blues and folk is never rly one of my preferred vibes but tbh this might be about as strong as it gets for me (unless like, abbey road counts). maybe because that description is already a slight misnomer (there's definitely some notable psychedelic remnants on this, just not super garish or whatever), but its still definitely part of that stylistic transition from the 60s to the 70s marked by a resistance to the excess that had been building thru the decade's innovations. and yet somehow it doesnt feel one bit less creative tbh! i especially love the last three songs here as a sequence, some muscular stretching out of ambitions before collapsing into a humble earthy finale. rly great guitar licks and songwriting twists in general across the record, again maybe not exactly my idiom but it all feels idiosyncratic and melodically strong. the hammond organ on here also kicks ass, and the gruff vocals here are some of the better british rnb growls ive heard (sounds like damning with faint praise LOL but theyre good!). strangely unsurprising that this band eventually became a prog outfit
Man, take me back! This is so good! I'm Feelin' Alright!
Too long and boring.
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.
Good album, long ago
a decent listen, but nothing super memorable
No. 282/1001 You Can All Join In 3/5 Pearly Queen 4/5 Don't Be Sad 3/5 Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring 3/5 Feelin' Alright 4/5 Vagabond Virgin 3/5 40.000 4/5 Cryin' To Be Heard 3/5 No Time To Live 3/5 Means To An End 4/5 Average: 3,4 Really diverse album. All songs are pretty good. Felt like it had even more potential with better production.
Middest of the mid 40,000 headman and Cryin' To Be Heard are good tracks. Rest is just bog standard
There are too many bland 60s rock albums on this list!
My favorite of the so-called British Invasion bands.
Decent classic Brit rock from a band I knew little about, "Feelin' Alright" was the only one I was already familiar with.
Favourite songs: Feelin' Alright?, Medicated Goo, (Roamin' Thro' The Gloamin' With) 40.000 Headman, You Can All Join In, Vagabond Virgin, Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Means To An End, Pearly Queen, Am I What Was Or Am I What I Am Least favourite songs: Don't Be Sad, No Time To Live 4/5
Eh
Decent listen.
Great, lovely album
Excellent grooves. One star for each ten thousand headmen.
Not as big a fan of their early sound, but this album doesn’t hurt my ears.
This sounds like a mash-up of every late-60s / early-70s band I have heard. A bit psychadelic, a bit pop, a bit prog rock. It just washed over me without leaving much impression. Most notable thing to me was that for a very American-sounding band, they are actually from Birmingham, UK.
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.
Chill grooves for my Wednesday...kind of boring though...4
Not my favorite Traffic album but still good.
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.
Nobody likes traffic brooo
Sounded like a mixture of Nirvana and The Beach Boys.
Some nice sixties rock always hits the spot!
Better than average
Awesome 60s rock, featuring Feelin' Alright
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.
I just couldn't get into this. Feelin' Alright is good, but nothing else was memorable. Such a pity as the individuals should have been able to make something worthwhile, but maybe they were too young when they were Traffic
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.
The off-key singing and meandering 60's exploration of self and drugs and society was boring and tiring, and I was glad when I finally reached the end. I expected to like it more, but with only one song (Feelin' Alright?) that had any punch to it, I don't see myself returning to this album.
Bueno
I'd never heard this record. My wife said she recognized one track. I thought this was rather forgettable boomer trash.
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*
My kind of music! Good rock album to do a road trip. I didn't know that Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi came out of this band. No wonder that's so good! I knew Steve from his solo song Higher Love (on the soundtrack of GTA V) and Jim from a cover of a Brazilian song called "Anna Julia" (very popular here) with the participation of George Harrisson. It was a good surprise and i'll leave 5 stars.
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
Absolutely loved this one, so many good songs, if there was 4.5 option it'd go there.
ágætt breskt popp. svipar til kinks á köflum. aftur. 3,5.
Nothing about this blew me away but I didn't actively dislike it.
High and lows, overall really fucking good.
Decent enough
I had never heard of this band. They are a little bit Small Faces, a bit Cream, very 60s.
Not bad, but also, not good. Dad rock for Elder Baby Boomers. It sounds like it was made in 1968 for all the centrist college students in frats who needed to act like hippies but didn’t want to stop being douchebags who used the aesthetic in order to convince the “free spirited” bohemian girls to come back to their dorm with them. It’s all over the place, and absolutely none of it stuck with me, but it was never so bad that I cared enough to change the dial. Traffic’s Traffic is almost proto-yacht rock — pristine and satanized psych-rock for preppy assholes who think cleanliness is next to godliness. Maybe that’s why it’s noteworthy? Otherwise, I see no justification for praising Traffic’s Traffic, and it certainly doesn’t make me excited to know they have another album on this list.
Harken back to a time when rock was rock... Traffic was always a great guitar band, Ok stuff
This album feels different than the 3-4 other Traffic albums I've heard. Seems less Wynwood-y, less psychedlic, less adventurous. I thought it started and ended strong, but withered in the middle. 4/5
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.
cars are nice but traffic is annoying
Couldn't be more MOR if it had yellow lines painted down the middle of it.
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.
music for boomers who think they hate boomer music but are actually listening to boomer music
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.
Never heard traffic before, actually thought this album was really good craic
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!
There are so many random 60's and 70's UK rock albums on this list, do we really need to listen to all of them? Wouldn't it be nicer if we got more variety of genres and a greater number o more recent releases? Instead we are recommended all of these cookie-cutter bluesy and/or folky psych rock records.
I really liked this. There's lots of variety on this album. Feelin' Allright? is a classic! Liked songs added: - Pearly Queen - Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring - Feelin' Allright? - Cryin' To Be Heard - Medicated Goo - Shanghai Noodle Factory
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.
First time hearing of this band but it feels like I already know them - their music is a really cool mix of genres, and the album feels really balanced. Pearly Queen, No Time To Leave, and Shanghai Noodle Factory were good. It never got boring, despite being on the long side.
Never heard of these and thought it was mostly really quite good. Quite psychedelic in parts, but then some not so much so. Bit folky too which was good, I think I remember a flute too which I can get behind. Liked medicinal glue. 3.5
Medicated goo slaps. 1 star otherwise
60’s
Mostly lukewarm.
It's been many a long day since I heard, or heard of, anything by Traffic! It's very much of it's time & I'm afraid even such great musicians as Jim Capaldi & Steve Winwood don't stop it dating badly.
Traffic deserves to sit in the pantheon of British rock with The Who and the Beatles.
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.
All the worst instincts of 60s rock captured in one album. Tedious 1.5*
Pretty standard hippy rock to me. Not a bad thing but not great either. Like a softer Deep Purple. A bit more folky 5.6/10
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.
Some legit guitar work on this album. Nothing stands out as exceptional, but all very good.
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
has not impacted anything about my day
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
Good folk album, enjoyed it, definitely embodies the era.
This is a really great album
Very creative and enjoyable.
great album, good listen better than john barlycorn im saying it squeaks a 4 Thanks
I love Steve Winwood, so of course I am going to like this! It's picking up the pieces of everything that was happening in the 60s, and making a great concise expression out of it. The songs tend to be a bit to long, without any good reason for them to be so long. I will also say that Winwood got better as he aged, but this is still an objectively great record.
Was okay.
Traffic is one of those famous bands that I'd never heard. Now I know why, they are insipid. The best song on the album is Feeling Alright and its best feature is the Joe Cocker cover. Normally that isn't a criticism as Joe's covers are legendary. But in this case his version is many orders of magnitude better than the original. Were they smoking too much weed? This album has the oomph of a fly crawling across the desk on a stinking hot day....pass.
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.
Sorry Mr. Winwood, sorry other Traffic members, but I was bored. Maybe some other time this would hit right, but today wasn't that time. I do like Feelin' Alright, but it will never fail to make me think of Friskies cat food. One of their commercials used a version of that song, and, only God knows why, but it's deeply ingrained in my childhood memories, like core memory shit. I hear that song and I immediately want to go find a cat to cuddle.
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
Meh.
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.
Kind of boring. Pretty generic. Some cool southern rock sounding guitar solos... Nothing really punches out at me and gives a wow factor. Mediocre at best.
A cool record from one of the coolest bands of the '60s, thogh not their coolest (that would be Barleycorn or Low Spark). "Don't Be Sad," the understated "Feeling Alright" and "Roamin' Thro' the Gloamin" and "Cryin' to be Heard" and "Shanghai Noodle Factory" are all plus cuts, though maybe the lack of a clear blockbuster or unforgettable hook holds this back slightly.
Just fine with it, feels like I have heard it before. Will I listen to again: 1%
ayeee what is this
I really enjoyed it. I feel like giving it a four today.
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.
These guys are great. Funky, jazzy, soul-y — just a classy blend of genres with solid songwriting and musicianship.
I was hoping to like this. I generally enjoy Traffic, and I know this album is highly regarded. But it's a little too rambling and unfocused for my tastes. I do like their original version of Feelin' Alright, but otherwise, this feels pretty inessential.
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
It's alright. Traffic's later albums, in my opinion, are much better.
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"
Honestly, music wasn't too bad but that song written about the 13 year old really fucked it all up, instant 1/5 and should not have even been considered for this list - didn't finish after that one
Had no idea who this band was, or that Steve Winwood was in it … instantly knew the opening track “You Can All Join In” — it’s one of those classic rock songs that I’ve always known but never knew who sang it. Same for the second track “Pearly Queen.” And I had no idea they originated “Feelin Alright,” which I’ve always known as a Van Morrison song (for the record, Morrison’s version is better). There are some massive songs on this album. I listened to this right after listening to The Zutons, so maybe I was just primed for saxophone, but I was immediately jamming to the first song (I think I’m realizing I just really like sax in rock — why did that die out?). The psychedelic blues jam on the second track kept it rolling, and even into the slower Neli Young-esque third track, “Don’t Be Sad,” I was grooving. This album is somewhere between the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Deep Purple, Cream, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and the Allman Brothers Band. All the vocal performances are fantastic. The sax solos are particularly great, as are the guitar solos, but all the musicians are on point. Vagabond Virgin is a big misstep on an otherwise great album — the lyrics are super creepy and the music is also kind of cringe. Probably would’ve been a 5 if not for this track. 4/5 (but really a 4.5) Psychedelic blues rock might be my bag. Note: This review concerns the original 10-track album. The re-release has another five tracks on it, and it’s pretty hit or miss. “Withering Tree” would’ve been a good track, but the vocals are too shrill. “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” isn’t my thing, and the production on it is pretty bad. The other songs are decent.
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.
probably would be a 1 if not for the harpsichord
A very consistent vibe, folksy brassy party time. Not totally my thing, but pretty well-written and well-executed. Best song: Feelin’ Alright?
Quite a mix here. Winwood's rock jams are a superb counterpart to Mason's folk-rock tracks. Very well produced, an easy listening.
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.
Another day, another album that does not tingle anything in my body.
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.
This was kind of cool.
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.
I became a big Steve Winwood fan in the 80s and had known he had made a name for himself in Traffic but that was about as far as my knowledge went. This is some fine 60s music - I can hear Steve clearly in the mix - so I liked it.
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.
Generic, bland ’60s rock. It felt like a worse mix of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Hendrix. Most of it passed me by, except for the first track, which was quite bad, with its inane lyrics. Weak 3.
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.
A notably long album for the time. And you feel it. SHEESH. Boring and then when it's not boring, like Vagabond Virgin... yeeeewwwww
This fucking sucks!
Solid composition, recording, and arrangement. Is far more interesting and refined than your typical pub band of the time, and manages to walk a fine line of just enough progressive rock, jazz fusion, folk, polka, and blues to keep it interesting but not too much to frighten off the mainstream pop rock listeners. A 70s proto record that was 2-3 years ahead of its time. At 57 minutes Traffic's second album TRAFFIC has great pacing, but begins to test one's patience. I mean, props to them for providing value for a time when you had to actually purchase an album for a sizable chunk of cash, so you couldn't help but be cautious about which albums you committed to buying. Favorite songs: "You can All Join In", "Feeling' Alright?", and "Medicated Goo".
Stunning album. Love it
Pretty solid. The stuff that doesn’t mean anything is better than the psychedelic stuff.
Okaish Folk Rock would Not relisten.
Odd little 60's act. Reminds me of a lot of the other bands of the time.
Regular album, some highlights but only a few.
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.
Enjoyed this one. Thought it had a lot of strong songs. 3.5/5
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.
Bem fácil de escutar e mais ainda de se esquecer.
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.
Not as good as I'd hoped, but Stevie Winwood is always worth listening to.
Quite dull Dad rock, which even as a quite dull Dad was quite boring.
girl whatever
Pretty meh but not really bad. 3 stars. Dear Mr. Fantasy (Not in the album) is a bop though
Totally and utterly meh.
It's so aggressively okay it's kinda boring.
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.
Was surprised by how much I like this album. Had some really cool sounds to it, and will definitely revisit a lot of the songs. Not every song was great, but a majority of them were.
4.0
Good, good album. The first gig I ever went to was Steve Winwood in the late '80s, and whilst his solo stuff is very different (and significantly less enjoyable) than this it's still his voice, and he really does have one of the great blues rock voices.
I really enjoyed this. Quite surprised I'd never heard of them, although Steve Winwood's name rang a bell. Thoroughly enjoyed the mix of blues, folk, and psychedelic. You Can All Join In was a strong opener, and Pearly Queen sounded like the authentic blues rock experience I was sorely lacking yesterday when I had to review The Black Keys. Feeling Alright is certainly a classic I'm not sure if I'd ever head the original. Not perfect by any means, but a very solid record IMO.
A good listen.
Far out.
Only got one listen, but really enjoyed the album. Will need more listens, but it just seems like a lot of rock stereotypes of today are from this album. 4/5!
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.
Wasn’t sold on the album until the song No Time To Live. A fun album that covers some topics not so often covered in the late 60s. The lead singer has some good chops too. Album is a bit long but solid. Standouts: Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Feelin’ Alright, 40.000 Headman, Cryin’ To Be Heard, No Time To Live, and Shanghai Noodle Factory.
Yes - love this band. Highly original and distinctive. OK, just like in this cover photo Steve Winwood was central to the whole thing, no Winwood no Traffic etc, but they were a really good band. And there was definitely better to come after this, their second album.
60’s Dad rock is not my thing. 2/5
Disliked.
This one just sort of washed over me - sounds fairly standard, I think.
Surpisingly decent. 3/5
Not very good, imho
Another generic late 60s album, it's pretty good, but literally indistinguishable from the bunch of other rock records from this time period.
Eh, not for me.
My first two albums this week totally sucked, and this album is fine but boring, which by comparison makes it a GD masterpiece
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.
Pretty boring folksy rock, with the occasional half-decent hendrixy vibe.
Folk rock. bah.
Liked it a lot
Rock, 1968 -> 3
The competing styles made for an entertaining album. Nothing startling but kept the attention.
how many 60s albums that sound the same can you fit on to one list
Big Album !
Day128 - it blows my mind that 20 year olds were making such great music
Yeah, some older rock. It won't be jamming up my playlist, not even in a roundabout kinda way.
This was some fun late 60s British stuff I'd never heard. Again, please!
La primera canción es muy buena, el resto muy fome.
There's nothing here that would make me want to listen to this again. There are a few moments but it's very forgettable overall.
This is fine, like the other Traffic album on this list. I would characterize it as a better version of the Grateful Dead. But I don't really see why it deserves to be on this list; certainly two albums by this band is too much. What is great is the album cover. Seriously. What are they wearing? Each one of them is individually, uniquely, bonkers. Extra star for sartorial excellence.
Pretty good, some standouts but nothing spectacular
Eh.
The Band but totally forgettable?
I do love traffic - but not my fave album.
dont like it really 2/5
just a beautiful record ........
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.
Good album
good old american rock1!! ai olikin englanti. heh.. VITTU PEDOFIILI HÄH?????????? miksi aina pitää olla.. little girl... ei koskaan ole söpöistävä lemmikkinimi aikuiselle naiselle... aina aktuaalinen little girl.... miksi... . I did enjoy "Vagabond Virgin" though; lil bro how. melkein hyvä yritys psykedeelisestä rokista, ei edes kuulostanut vitun hirveältä.. vitsi vaan. Uskomaton albumi.. raskas.... vitsi vaan.. hyi vitty pearly queen
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.
This is a very OK album. Though a bit long given the lack of really cracking tunes. 'Medicated Goo' is pretty great. Seems less than essential, a very also-ran album given the competition at the time, and it's not particularly original either. It sounds great and Steve's voice is amazing as ever. Um. Yeah. Better stuff was yet to come from Steve Winwood.
Traffic sound like one of those groups who split up then had seperate bouts of outrageous success. Not the case but this is a very tight album. Bloke got some serious soul in his voice. Trying to place this somewhere in the Country Music time line (I finished the Ken Burns doco btw the way - more on that later) but all I got to was r&b blues country psych rock
The album was a lot of fun. I will listen to it again. 4/5
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.
Standouts: Feelin’ Alright, You Can All Join In, Pearly Queen, Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Vagabond Virgin, No Time to Live. 4/5
Sixties Brit Rock, a little uneven, tiring to listen to, a product of its time.
Picture that shrugging emoticon. That.
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.
Blues folk rock. Un megahit. Un 4.
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.
Really great album. Love the bluesy vibes and Steve Winwood’s soulful voice. Only thing that stops it from being perfect is the fucking organs…..what is it about late 60s / early 70s and fucking organs
Actually, very good
Die Gruppe löste sich nach diesem erst zweiten Album auf, was nach dem Hören verständlich wird. Mir gefällt das Debütalbum sehr gut, vielversprechende Ansätze, die sich mit diesem Album leider nicht mehr erfüllten.
Interesting and certainly cool but lacks killer hooks and clear hits and gets a bit muddly to the middle. There are plenty of cool moments, just enought to merit a 4, one thinks and one will keep listening to Traffic long after this counting exercise gets completed. But, LBH, there's a bit more flute than any rock record should have. Lord knows it could do with crisper, cleaner production. The English folk tradition was better done by Fairport. "Don't Be Sad" is best cut, but one also digs this original version of lower-key "Feeling Alright" and "Roamin' Thro' the Gloamin" (title alone is great). "Cryin' to be Heard" has a minor majestly, with its Procul Harum vibes and liturgical notes. Not sure if "Shanghai Noodle Factory," was a B-side, outtake or deluxe version add-on or what, but its groovy, mellow jam-bandy groove clearly should have been on the record, perhaps even the centerpiece. Winwood's voice has never been a personal fave, really. It must also be said that JBMD is undoubtedly better and Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys might be, too, certainly offers a better showcase for their alleged virtuosity.