Reviews (page 2 of 8)
This was really a 5+ probably my favorite new-to-me album on this journey so far.
A short album with a bit of everything on it. I like it a lot, and Steve Winwood's vocals are superb.
Everything I could want from an album.
Loved the mix of musical sounds from rock to bordering on funk in a few songs.
Every song was good
Help, ik word dus ingehaald door een luistermaatje. Ik moet aan de bak! Maar goed dat we gaan klussen. En dit is een heel mooi plaatje daarbij. Daar moet ik wel achter komen, want de titel suggereert meuk. Tot mijn verbazing begint het album vrij luchtig en jazzy. Het wordt gevolgd door een mengeling van overgebleven jaren '60 klanken en oudere muziekgenres. Je hoort wat getokkel en wat soul. De titeltrack blijkt de klapper. Er wordt nu gekozen voor een folk-klank, waarmee er een voorloper van Stairway to Heaven lijkt te zijn ontstaan. Dit nummer tilt het album (net) naar de laatste ster!
empty pages is mindblowingly great
I did not expect this to be such a banger. Stand-out: Glad, Freedom Rider
no sé, me generó un 5 estrellas automático y no conocía. Grata sorpresa- (Fuerza naturaaaal)
I think this is a great album, overall my favourite traffic album. I love the jazzy side and the title tracks is among my favourite folk songs of this period. Just the last song slips a little, but Glad, Freedom Rider and Empty Pages make for a most satifying side of music. 5 stars
i'm a little biased because i grew up with this one. this is one of my dad's favorite albums and i have loved this album for a long time. what's crazy to me about this album is that steve winwood is in his early 20s! anyways, this album is terrific. the first side, in particular, is almost perfect to me. i adore all three songs. the second side i have learned to love more recently, but on this listen, i really liked it as well. the album is jazzy, rocky, and even folky, and is a pretty good mix and is never dull. to be honest, i feel like this one gets underrated a bit. but then again, i'm a bit biased.
Fuck it, 5 stars. Solid mix of tunes, there’s a song where killing and torturing someone is an extended metaphor for making beer. What more could you want?
One of my favorites so far. Scratches the Chicago itch. Short, but very sweet and very good.
This was an awesome listen. Was not really a fan of the first Traffic album I got a few days ago, but this sound feels evolved in a way that resonates with me. Folk-rock-jazz-blues jams. Yeah. Playlist adds - Glad, Freedom Rider, John Barleycorn
I loved that. Good variety and great instrumentation.
Classic
okay i need to listen more traffic. this album is terrific
Love Traffic, adore the talent of Steve Winwood. Wasn't too familiar with 'John Barleycorn must die', so I was glad to give it a listen. A bit more folk on this record, and not really memorable for the lyrics, but the music and the psychedelic, jazzy jamming are great.
Bliss. Soft jazzy rock. But brilliantly done. Love the flute.
A complete modernization of traditional British folk music. Great musicianship. Every Mother's Son is a very underappreciated rock classic in my opinion, but all songs are great.
Great instrumentation. Really tight band. I dig it.
This is awesome Love the overall instrumentation, it has everything that I love about the 70s Lovely sax interspersed
great album
Fantastisch album. Veels te kort
Every song is close to perfection. And done with flute on some. Winwood’s singular voice is one of the best. I’ve seem Stevie live many times and songs from this album are some of the most popular played. Classic, deserves to be on this list.
I listen to it and then I listen to it again. I've got this one on vinyl twice don't ask me why.
Brilliant album.
cool
I had previously dismissed some of Steve Winwood's solo efforts as proficient but too safe. Like he just needed a bit of a blunt edge to him. I hadn't listened to Traffic before, but that was my first instinct here too. But I have to say, this album really grew on me and I honestly think it's excellent after a few listens. While I'm not crazy about Winwood's voice, the music is fantastic mix of rock and jazz with a heavy nod to traditional folk music, particularly notable on the title track. The song writing is very impressive. It twists and turns all over the place, weaving a complex narrative. For me, this really benefitted from repeat listens. The first time thing, I was tempted to give a fairly generous 3, but man has it opened up now. Turns out that I kind of love this.
Yes, this is what I've always wanted from Traffic! I've checked out a few of their earlier albums but nothing really impresses me. And then this comes along, showcasing the genius of Steve Winwood in all his glory. It's harmonically intriguing, melodically sublime, well-crafted in all aspects and just a really exiting record.
Traffic was a great group with any talented musicians. And this is one of their great albums.
Really strong album. Glad to have been introduced to it!
Great Band
John Barleycorn must die by Traffic. What if we actually used traffic for the death penalty? Not the band but like if somebody murders someone we just throw them out on the highway, probably not a good idea. Anyway, good album, folky and jazzy with super clean vocals. It really transports me to the time and place it was made even though I have never been there and wasn't born yet. Last song "Every Mother's Son" was my favorite.
Wow, this was a blast from the past. I really loved this album back in the day. Listening to it now, it's even more interesting. NO GUITAR, except on John Barlycorn! Imagine that in 1970! I bought it for the John Barleycorn song, and really enjoyed the others as well. It's music with a lot to listen to. Probably a precurser to my love of jazz that happened later in my life. Steve Winwoods voice is terrific, but the organ, honky-tonk sounding piano, sax played un-typically, flute, drums perfectly set in the mix. Great stuff! 5 stars!!
Very unique and quit enjoyable. After listening to the album the only thing to do is to listen again.
Classic album, great songs.
Passt!
Another one that has some definite nostalgia factor as I've heard this many times over the years. It's good, very good
Winwood & Mason. I really enjoyed hearing this album. Once I owned it so it was like visiting an old friend.
Masterpiece
superb.
Melodic, fast, fine.
amazing songs, great winwood vocals and capaldi, wood and mason bringing up the music damn what a band
Very funky honestly. I can imagine this being a soundtrack for RDR or similar games.
Fantastic album by a band that infused Jazz into rock.
Love it! Cool mix of folk, rock, jazz, organ, synths cool vocals from Steve Winwood - I like his voice a lot. Dad says listen to "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"
I didn’t think I was going to give this five stars but the brevity of this album helped it. A nice quick bit of fusion of rock, folk and jazz while staying firmly in the rock camp.
Incredible
Great album. My favourite by Traffic for sure. This was in heavy rotation in the 90's when I was listening to lots of 70's classic rock. Albums like this check all the boxes for me.
Fantastic album. Will definitely listen to this again.
Really enjoyed this, especially John Barleycorn
Incredible album, John barleycorn is a transcendental song
i was into this shit fr. liked the funk/blues influences, instrumentals hit just right. gonna round up to 5 bc i loved all of it except the title track
Peak morning drive music for the opening track. Flute solos are epic. I feel like it starts stronger than it finishes though... Honestly my favorite album yet though.
Was pretty enjoyable.
Solid from beginning to end
Great album-Glad is one of my favorite tracks. Traffic, despite being in the Hall of Fame, is underrated.
Fuck yeah flute solo
Classic, great album
After the barrage of Eric Clapton's music, I wondered when we'd get to some Steve Winwood — and here we are. I owned this album a while back, not sure why it's not still in my collection, because this is excellent. Another where I wavered between 4–5, and a 4 only came into consideration because there were moments where I though Steve Winwood was stretching himself beyond his "pleasant" vocal range and it got a little hairy. But really, that's a picky point on an album that includes ancient folk, jazz, and rock in an equal doses and all of it sounds like it totally belongs together.
I haven’t heard this album in a long time. It’s still great. My dad is a big Traffic fan and this album and “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” were albums that got played a lot in the house growing up. A little bit country with a lot of jazzy spirit in the extended jams. Joyful music. The title track has a fun premise. It’s a folk song about farmers slashing down John Barleycorn and harvesting him. But in the end, John Barleycorn gets the last laugh because he’s turned into beer and brandy, and overpowers the farmers by getting them drunk. Now they can’t do anything without a little alcohol.
Dad got me into Cream at a young age, as well as Clapton's various side projects, so I've always been a fan of Steve Winwood. Still never really checked out Traffic, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how strong an album this is. Everyone plays their heart out, and the music fits perfectly in my wheelhouse. Favorite tracks: "Glad", "Freedom Rider"
Listened to the "Remastered" version. To me, sometimes the mixing was harsh (flutes or woodwind instruments were too loud vs rest of band). Guitar portions of songs like the title track and Freedom Rider were excellent. I really enjoyed this album.
What a fantastic listen. Steve Winwood is truly a genius, and his instrumental and vocal expertise is highly evident all across the album. That being said (and not knowing much about traffic), I was pleasantly surprised by the impact of Capaldi and Wood on the overall sound. Winwood is still the star tho
Listen to the instrumental pieces. I had this LP and played it over and over again. Masters!!!! Piano, flute, sax, guitar, drums and vocals....everything blended to make some great enduring sounds.
Just an outstanding album full of incredibly composed music. Cannot get enough of the instrumentals here. Favorite track: Stranger to Himself
cool
som muito bom
The rule in 1970 was ‘there are no rules’ This album is a fusion of Jazz, Rock and English Folk Steve Winwood’s vocals and keyboard stand out in front of sax and flutes in jams that flow. This is an album you can listen to at any volume and you get it The title track is a gruesome progressive, English folk tale, made all the more so by its mellow, low key rendition.
Love love love. Might have to get this on vinyl.
Awesome album musically. So many bases covered--I love it. Favorite track: Glad
requires a second listen maybe a third but enjoyable all the time
Great folk with proggy-jazz vibes that are just too good to be ignored.
Love it, one of the best discovery from the 1001 since a while !
Expected to see Mr Fantasy instead of JB Must Die, and hadn't listened to the latter album for a long time - turned out to be great (5 star songs except the first one).
There's something about Traffic that just makes all my chakras line up or something. They just feel good to me. I like their tunes, their instrumentation, and the yearning quality of Winwood's voice. Good good good.
I haven’t listened to Traffic before that I recall, at least nothing off this album. I really loved the organ, flute and sax heavy songs! Felt very groovy like I was driving out of a 70s movie.
Already own this album and listen to it regularly. A go to for some solid classic rock. Love it
Less well known than later 70s bands, but these guys already invented many of the elements.
Love this album, the organ sounds in it are some of the best to come out of the 60s. Beautiful recording.
I think Traffic gets overlooked frequently when it comes to 70s blues rock. They draw much more influence from jazz than the typical popular groups of the time, and it really works for them. The opening track is just fantastic, such a great instrumental jam. After that, there are seamless transitions into the following songs, and the album does not slow down. The incorporation of the organ, guitar, bass, saxophone, piano and percussion are all done so well. This is Traffic's fourth installment as a group, and it may be their peak (Mr. Fantasy is excellent as well, especially for a debut album). No complaints here, this is an excellent album with exceptionally talented personnel and an ahead-of-the-curve sound, they were not afraid to experiment and I think it inspired a lot of bands through the years. Fave tracks: Glad, Freedom Rider, John Barleycorn
Savršen spoj proga, folk i jazz rocka.
This album is IMMACULATE. God I friggin love Traffic, and not that beep beep honk honk stuff! I'm talkin' ROCKEMROLL!
Thats just a fucking jam
Freedom Rider just went boom it’s so good. I was not expecting such an outstanding intro from what I heard the song before. Honestly solid frickin album
muy jazzer oaleatorio me gustó
I enjoyed this record, great combination of blues, with piano and guitar tracks. The songs were all excellent, as to be expected from this group. A very tight, nice album that was pleasant to hear.
Amazing album set. Added to the regular rotation.
Sweet tunes
There were three men came out of the West Their fortunes for to try And these three men made a solemn vow John Barleycorn must die.
Batteries running low. A 20 year old water heater. My step-kids’ biological father. Yes, now I remember why I deleted so many tracks from this recording on my iPod. It’s not that 'John Barleycorn Must Die' is a bad LP. It just gets a little tedious. ‘Course, these were the days of extended jams. So, I’m willing to make allowance for that. And Steve Windwood is a mega talented instrumentalist, as well as a good vocalist, at least when he’s not slightly off-key, which is unfortunately often. (Flat or sharp, I can never quite tell.) Jim Capaldi is a great drummer, and Chris Wood gives them that nice jazzy sound with his sax and flute. I was 11 when this recording was released, but didn’t discover it until High School. The title track was the big seller in my day, that whole resurgent honoring of the ancient pagan ways among British musicians. (By the way, it’s interesting to note how many of Windwood’s musical colleagues were raised Anglican, but ultimately rejected Christianity in favor of practicing all of the eastern religious traditions, extraterrestrial veneration, and their own native paganism. Don’t blame this entirely on LSD, either. But this is another subject for another time.) But the title track is not really representative of Traffic’s usual sound. I remember thinking how unique the whole jazz/blues/rock vibe was that Traffic had going on. And it really ‘sparked’ on their next LP. This one, though, for me, is lacking a little flint. (Funny, too, how some LPs from that same period still seem to resonate with this listener- 'In The Court Of The Crimson King,' ie- while others no longer do.) It’s one of those grey, snowy days today in Colorado that typically puts me in the mood for something a little soulful, a little mellow. Theoretically, 'John Barleycorn' should do the job, but it seems to now be on the dole, at least for me. Maybe a nice glass of mead might help?
I still remember the first time I heard this when I was in high school. I've always thought it was great, and it opened the door to all of Traffic's great music.
Some true jams on this album
This I liked! Funky 70-s rock
Huge
Fone: hd 599 Música predileta: Empty Pages Baixo sensacional, piano muito gostoso, vocal masculino super agradável, mas a cereja do bolo é a flauta
Good Vibes to start. I ended up leaving this on repeat all day. Great Record
Really good, a mix of a lot of styles. My favorite might be the instrumental first track
Excelente descoberta. Destaque para vocais e flautas. Músicas que mais gostei: Freedom Rider e John Barleycorn
I really like this album. This is Steve Winwood at his best.
Älskar Traffic känner jag. Den här var bättre än förra! 3,5-4
Jazz folk fusion. Made me feel like I was in an Oceans 11 movie a little bit.
Fun! Short! Funky! Let’s go!
Sort of a mix of every 70's classic rock/southern/prog group, an enjoyable listen but not a whole lot stood out
That's more like it. Some softer prog rock. Beautiful.
4/5
This was great and I think Steve Winwood is pretty underrated as a musician.
Really liked this album, but nothing seemed to stick in my memory.
A personal favorite. For me it’s a five star but realistically it’s a four star album.
Love the slightly amusing folk song "John Barleycorn (Must Die)". It's very dated in this way throughout, but I actually really enjoyed it for that specifically, which I don't normally say. They just did such a good job of each style and had significant variation in the album. It's all ridiculous songs played exceptionally. This is just a time capsule that exists not because of its timeless appeal but just simply because of its excellent craft. Like a kids toy made well that works just as well in 2026 as it did back in the 70s. I mean they thew lots at it as well. Flutes, piano, organs, acoustic, electric rock, etc. Freestyle elements of Jazz / Jamming. Happy to come across this interesting live album.
Their most defining album according to Steve Winwood. Clearly a defining moment and easily their most memorable record. It’s a joy to listen to and bears repeated listens well. Great record.
Cool
Quite wide-ranging and outstanding. Jazzy vibes and grooves, shades of Genesis. My thing! 4.4
Not bad
Stevie Winwood doing his thing
I'm honestly not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely was not this. I guess Dear Mr. Fantasy is the only Traffic song I was really familiar with. This is great though, very much digging it. 4/5
Unique music style with flashes of brilliance. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is that I found the vocals a bit weak.
a few I didn't like but it was actually solid Will I listen to again: 76%
Nice old rock
I was not expecting anything from this except more tired boring brit rock but this was actually great. I think a lot of it stemmed from the fact that they seemed to know when to stop playing. The songs go on as long as they need to and not a minute more, unlike so many of their contemporaries in the style. The playing was crisp and the production was great, especially given it was recorded in 1970. I particularly enjoyed Glad and the title track (which with the flute makes it sound like Jethro Tull, who I love), but the whole thing was good.
Short and sweet, solid album. Started looping and I didn't even catch it.
This! Was shockingly good. Really dig the organ and the jazzy sounds. Paired with the folk classic John Barleycorn.
se siente muy bonito, como lleno de paz idk
I had never ever heard this whole album in order. This is a masterpiece a whole story with character development and even side notes for the story.amazing songwritting and stringing the songs together with simple words and references is amazing
Glad - 4/5 Freedom Rider - 5/5 Empty Pages - 4/5 Stranger to Himself - 4/5 John Barleycorn - 4/5 Every Mother's Son - 3/5 Average score: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Me ha parecido super disfrutable y creativo
Gotta love Steve Winwood
Such nostalgia for this one!
Very interesting first instrumental track. Especially enjoyed the mysterious piano and Hammond ending. Good rhythm section aswell. Track Two- a fantastic one. Steve Winwood is such a great vocalist. He shines in this jazz rock song. Cool Flute solo. 3- a lighter funky song. Good playing. Nice chorus. 4 is nice aswell. Great bass playing from winwood. What an all around musician he is. 5 a beautiful folksy number. Harmony vocals go hard 6. Like the piano Hammond and drums. A good song. It a very good album, but it has some moment that are not as high as others... I'm feeling a very very high 3. Almost a 4, maybe even a four. Yeh I'll give it a flat 4
Very jazzy but no hooks
I really liked this one with the progressive vibe mixed with a bit of jazz and classic rock. The slower folky songs - not so much.
I thought I was listening to some sort of 60s/70s tv show probably called ‘Prog rock coppers’ for the first couple of songs. Then they finally do a folky one which is what the album title suggests it should be, then it drifts off into more funky prog blues. Which is quite the journey, but as it goes a very enjoyable one. Talented musicians just doing whatever they feel like, gotta respect that on this one.
It's got a bit of everything sometimes sounds like the album has skipped tracks but sounds like it would have been an incredibly fun record to make.
Winwood is outstanding.. I like this.
Me encantó mal, muy muy buen disco
Steve Winwood, one of the icons of this era. Great album.
A nice sound, didn’t like all the songs but it was nice and short
Great band, finally some good music. I have this album from way back, and was glad to listen to it again.
I was really surprised with this one, I really enjoyed this album.
un día se juntó el flautista de hamelin, encías sangrantes, Claudio Arrau y el cepillo de dientes del comercial de colgate y salió este discazo. top de los que llevo escuchados hasta ahora
the organ on every mother's son made my soul levitate from this realm and into a better world.
Favorite album by Traffic so far, titular song is fuckin awesome
Great 60’s rock
I liked it, for a while I even forgot that I was listening to a new album - it felt just as familiar as my usual classic rock:)
I enjoyed this more than I would have thought. I'm finding that I REALLY like jazz and jazz-related music.
7.5/10
Really solid album. I thought it sounded way more modern than it's 1970 release date would imply. Listened to the whole album a few times. 4/5
John Barleycorn Must Die has one of the best opening songs ever in “Glad”—an instrumental! Traffic leans more into incorporating jazz with their rock sound to good success. The saxophone and flute combination in “Freedom Rider” sounds so fresh. They don’t go far from their folk rock origins, because of course they used a traditional song for their title track. I probably know more Steve Winwood solo music than his bands’ music, and I love how easy it is to pick out his style. There’s something very distinct about his piano and organ playing. Speaking of, the organ in “Glad” is beautiful and captivating. Winwood has the voice of an angel, to boot. I was reminded a bit of Jethro Tull with their progressive folk style—the flute and traditional folk song didn’t help none with that. Traffic’s two albums have shown me I prefer solo Winwood music, though I liked Barleycorn more than their self-titled. I found myself appreciating more Winwood aspects than the other two members. Winwood or bust. 3.5, rounding up.
I enjoyed it, even if it did border slightly on a jazzy side.
I really liked this!
This album started off with some absolute bangers, but the song “John Barleycorn Must Die” was an absolute dud and really kind of just squashed the fun I had been having. 3.75 / 5
Steve Winwood menudo carreron! Entran muy bien, se mantienen dignos
Epic long form soul and folk revival. It's like an intersection of a lot of my favourite things in music! Would be so easy to give this 5, but I feel like it needed to sit with me longer for me to say that I really love it. Definitely excellent.
Enjoyable jazzy listen. Likes: Glad, Empty Pages, Stranger to Himself
This one really grew on me to the point where I adore it, even if it's not stunning. There's the folksiness of the title song which I know best as a weird noise rock cover from an obscure side project. Instead, it's the bands mesh of psychedelia, jazz fusion and a touch of gospel that is layered with the stunning work of Steve Winwood, little musical gremlin that he is. Really good stuff.
A little blues, a little jazz, I don’t know the meaning of the album name
Started off a 2 ended up 3.5/4 Jazzy, psychedelic and folky FairPlay, these boys are musicians
John Barleycorn Must Die makes me realise how limitless the possibilities of songwriting and album building are. Or at least, how many needless rules songwriters usually box themselves in with. Traffic are happy to ignore genre boundaries which makes them unpredictable. I never imagined hearing jazz flute, over the top of traditional English folk music, all held together with a time signature defying proggy sensibility. If you only heard brief snippets of this LP you could easily convince yourself that these sounds came from wildly different releases. Despite how wide ranging it is, it holds together as a cohesive whole, peaking with the title track. From my perspective this is a must listen for anyone interested in songwriting.
This is a fantastic album top to bottom; very laid back and relaxing grooves and monsieur has a very nice signing voice.
Love It.
Want to listen again
This was pretty good. Much better, and different, than expected. Pleasantly rock-jazzy.
Fantastic album, amazed me a lot more than I expected. Traffic is always been a great band but I feel like they're very underrated in terms of their musicianship. Amazing flute and saxophone parts and beautiful instrumentals throughout
Solo steve is better, but this is still good.
I really liked the jazz-folk-rock direction on this album. It’s not my favourite Traffic record but it’s pretty great.
3.5 rounding up to a 4
Great opener, no duds, nice and short, Steve Winwood's voice, tasty sax licks -hard to criticize this one in my mind. Also interesting to listen to a guitar-less rock album, wonder how many of those there are here.
You know what you're getting with Trafffic....cool songs that mix all kinds of genres from English folk, soul, and hard rock. I would listen to Steve Winwood sing the phone book, as they say, and hes basically playing every instrument here except drums and percussion. What a beast
3.5
Honestly a really strong set of songs the only thing that I would probably change is I would put the instrumental glad at the end of the album rather than at the beginning my main highlight are the title track and "Freedom Fighter", but quite frankly I did enjoy the whole darn thing. (9.6) ★★★★½
It doesn't start out too good, but get better and better. The title track is amazing. 4 stars
I heard that initial piano lick and immediately turned it up. I had never heard of Traffic before this but now I can't forget them. I'm listening to the whole album (which is only 6 songs! A sweet spot for me) again while I type this and wow, it's even making me type with more of a groove. Two headphone worthy. I will say, I preferred the album before the singing started, but it's very 70s so I enjoyed it! All the musicians are so good that I would listen to an album of just the music so happily. 5 if not for the singing which brings it down to a 4.
So much flute!
Not a huge Traffic fan, I've listened to this before but didn't retain a lot. And that's probably the major issue - white listening, "Glad" is a great soulful opener, "Freedom Rider" is a decent song; Winwood's voice and his Hammond stabs are great, but 30 minutes later I'm not really recalling much. The electric piano vamping against sustained organ chords on "Empty Pages" is excellent. "I Just Want to know" is barely a song. The title track is very Fairport Convention modern folk and is good if a little too earnest, a bit repetitive and overlong. Guy Stevens' production is good if very "guitar hard left, piano hard right." It's an album I enjoyed listening to, well played and produced, but not one I'll have on repeat.
Album 1021 of 1089 John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic (1970) Rating : 4 / 5 This is one of those albums that just feels like a classic - the kind everyone should hear at least once, whether they realize it going in or not. Even when the songs were unfamiliar, the album sounded strangely comfortable, like music you already know but haven’t quite met yet. The instrumentation and performances are excellent across the board, leaning into a blues-rock feel that’s relaxed, confident, and unforced. Everything breathes naturally, and nothing feels rushed or padded. It made for a quick, enjoyable listen - the kind where you look up and realize the album is already over. Solid, well-crafted, and very easy to appreciate, this one reinforces why Traffic holds such a respected place in rock history.
3.8/5
This was my first experience with prog rock and I must say I will be coming back. The jamming style of playing and the rock elements both give the album life in their own ways. As a fan of English folk music, I also really liked the track John Barleycorn.
Brilliant!
Liked this album
I was Glad to listen to this one.
Up from 3.5. Great piano sound.
I'm generally a fan of this band, and this is a strong record.
This album is literally in every record store in the cheap bin, that’s literally where I knew it from. I assumed that meant it was trash, but you know what - this is good???? It’s British white boy jazz/soul, which is one of my least favorite genres ever, but sometimes, it works! And this is one of those times! These songs are fun and enjoyable, and the album is a quick in and out! I liked this! Listened to it more than once!
The musicianship is fantastic throughout and the title track is terrific
love
Un poil trop jazz pour être honnête.
You see, this is the exact kind of thing that I needed after that MJ Cole bullshit from yesterday. Following up a long-ass album from a genre that I only sometimes care for with a short and sweet album from one of my favorite genres out there is actually perfect. Thanks, website! Anyway, I like this album quite a bit. Maybe not as much as other prog-rock records, but John Barleycorn must die is still a good time. This is one of the earlier prog albums of the list in the timeline, but it doesn't feel particularly primitive in any regard. This kind of album feels like it could've been made later in the decade, so to see this in 1970 is pretty nice. The instruments are good. There's some flutes and saxophones that are always nice, and Steve Winwood's organ playing is an absolute treat. There's not much to the album in runtime, but what there is is pretty solid. The title track is nice as a slower tune. "Freedom Rider" and "Empty Pages" are quite fun. The vocals kinda remind me of Peter Gabriel a little, which isn't a bad thing. I like the jazziness. This isn't the most exciting album out there, but it's the kind of thing that I can't bring myself to call anything worse than "pretty good." I enjoy this. Low 4/5.
Fun flute
The only good kind of traffic.
Another Traffic album! While I feel like one album is enough to represent Traffic on this list, and I prefer Self Titled, I really enjoyed this.
Yet again I’m reminded not to judge a book by its cover. While nothing groundbreaking I actually really enjoyed this - short and sweet
This album rocked. Very chill but fun. Still not a fan of jazz flute, but man those guys were killing it in the 70s.
A good album but not enough spark for me.
Que buena producción, para tener 6 canciones se siente muy completo y original. Favs: Glad, Freedom Rider
Nice album, I like Steve Windwood.
I liked it alot For a british rock band they really like american soul sound and im not mad at it
I like pretty much everything about this album, but I'm having trouble articulating why. I'll just rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and go make sure I have it in my personal collection
Bluesy and a twinge psyche. Wonderful combo for me
Loved the title track - quite enjoying these storytelling albums -s'pose the music I usually listen to doesn't have that
Fun listen, would listen to again. No crazy standout tracks but nice to have on.
Wide range. Can see how they were contemporaries with Jethro Tull.
Hands down, this was a huge step up from the last Traffic album on the list. I really enjoyed this one—right from the seven-minute instrumental jam that kicks things off to the moments where Steve Winwood leans into what he does best: those rich piano and organ lines paired with his unmistakable vocals. I didn’t recognize any of the six tracks going in, but each one ended up being a pleasure to listen to.
Great sax piano and horn section featured throughout. Great album
First time I listened to this one, had to listen a 2nd time thru to get some of the analogies in the title song especially. Was genuinely fun
I like a lot about this album. The genre is ambiguous but it seems to draw from rock, jazz, folk, blues, and maybe others too. The singer's voice is quite nice and I like the instrumentals too. The organ moments are cool and the flute is a unique element that sets this album apart. The flautist is truly giving it their all. Overall, this is a high quality album, but I feel like it's missing something that would make me rate it higher. 8/10.
I thought this was a pretty solid album. Nothing jumped out at me like crazy. But there were some really good instrumentals
Enjoyed this one! Loved the flute, wish there was more though.
Traffic was the first 60's band that I really liked. Something about them seemed timeless. Don't know why I never listened to this album though, having heard the others many times and liking them. Something about the name and knowing it was based on an old folktale made it seem like it was going to be folksy and boring. But I clicked "Glad" and instantly was glad I did. "Stranger To Himself" is quite good. Nice guitars Title track is almost everything I feared it would be. Yuck! "Empty Pages" was a single?? Don't know how. It's not radio ready nor interesting. I want to give this album about a 3.8. I'll round up because I'm sure that upon repeated listening, I'll like it even more.
Cool album. Great late 60's vibe
Mostly good
Interesting, a lot of variety.
loved the instrumentals~!
have been really in the mood for country/more rustic music in general today and woow what a perfect amalgamation of multiple genres this album is!!!!! its prog its folky with beautiful instrumentation. the vocals are a little bit forgettable but not bad by any means. these are automatically going into my driving in the autumn playlist
Album #941 Steve Winwood's pop stuff in the 80s didn't do anything for me. It felt generic. The stuff we have here isn't. It's jazz-influenced rock with a little bit flute and a singer that sounds like Peter Gabriel, which I never noticed before. I didn't really care for the title track. It felt a little too hippie folk and dated to me. Best track: Freedom Rider.
Une intro jazz soul qui vire en Jethro Tull plus tard sur l'album, c'est pas vraiment ce à quoi je m'attendais avec le cover et le nom d'album (ça me semblait humoristique mais au final pas vraiment?) Intrigant. Dans le son, il y a certains trucs qui sonnent Clapton (Every Mother's Son), d'autres CCR. Vraiment divers en influences et en expérimentations, c'est le fun!
Bien aimé la tite flute et la toune d’intro instrumentale
Muy notable álbum de rock, en ocasiones progresivo, en otras muy blues-rock, y a veces jazz-fusión que con Steve Winwood a la cabeza, se volvió a reunir después de haberse separado y parece que ese tiempo de separación les sentó de maravilla. Unos temas que suenan muy a costa oeste de los EEUU y eso que la banda es británica. Aquí tenemos un poco de todo, desde guitarras rockeras a saxofones y órganos. El álbum es muy completo, sin altibajos, con momentos de virtuosismo en todos los cortes. Una joya de los primeros 70, de gran influencia en bandas tanto contemporáneas como posteriores. Me lo quedo.
I need to give this a second listen
Rock with some inspiration from jazz. It reminds me a lot of Steely Dan and Jethro Tull. It was a fun listen but I'm not sure it stands out enough for me to want to return to it. Empty Pages was my favourite on first listen. Glad would come close if it was 2 mins shorter.
Okay, I am not certain whether I'm going to like this album now. Maybe 50 years ago. But now? Well, here it goes. An extended jazz-rock jam without lyrics: okay, not horrible but does it still resonate with all the intervening years? Not really, seems dated. And now some lyrics, but kind of banal musically and lyrically. Winwood can sing though. But do the words make themselves available to a new century. Seems dated. Empty Pages is a great song as is Stranger To Himself which is also musically interesting with a little guitar jam: okay there we go. John Barleycorn: are we listening to some Fairport now? (Which to say, I love me some Fairport. And I still miss Sandy Denny...RIP). I think this album should have been re-tracked: Side One (over 15 minutes) 1. John Barleycorn (with a female lead/co-lead, a folky lead song, let's lean into the folky element) 2. Stranger To Himself (a bit jazzy upbeat) 3. Freedom Rider (that great flute!) Side 2 (18 minutes or so?) 1. Glad (an upbeat instrumental in the middle) 2. Empty Pages (a nice groove) 3. Every Mother's Son (a great end to this album)
Interesting album.
New band for me. I've listened to this a couple of times, and have really enjoyed it, whilst also feeling like it has washed over me a tad. Want to come back to it again in the future. For now, my thoughts are that this is a great album. John Barleycorn is the stand-out track to me. 8/10
Im gonna prooooooggggggggg im proggggiinnggggg hnggff Yeah its a 70s prog album, very soft and fun, nothing too special in the genre. Compare it to the heavy hitters like KC or PF this aint anything but on its own its enjoyable. First two songs are slappers tho 3.5/5
Very polished album - great to listen to from start to end.
7/10 Favorite: Empty Pages
Quite easy listening, enjoyed this one.
220324 17:23 4
Vilket mys!
good album to do gangster shit to
I don’t know why John Barleycorn deserves to die, but I liked this album anyway. One of the tracks near the end of the album convinced me to bump my score up to a four.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. There’s nothing quite like the musicality and lyricism of Traffic. Might be biased since I just saw Steve Winwood, but wow what a combo.
I like this record a lot. At times I have become obsessed with John Barleycorn must die. It’s an old English folk song and keeps popping up in different versions. The rest of the album is pretty jammy, but doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Chill
Enjoyable listen.
Enjoyable listen.
4 star. Like the sound and the album didn't drag out
86% Best: Glad; Freedom Rider; Empty Pages Must-Hear? Sure
This is such a cool album, and I didn’t really get into Traffic until a few years ago when a band stationed in the back of a cremation services business across from my old apartment used to practice Traffic songs every week. It's one of my favorite memories before Hurricane Helene displaced us from that apartment. We'd sit on the back porch every Wednesday night listening to them practice and carry on.
I never heard of this band but their tracks were solid. It was a rock band so I could enjoy the genre more than I do others. I like more modern rock than this type but it was still really good. I hope to know more about the band Traffic since it seems like they have legendary status in the genre.
Hippie dippie but I like it
My hippie seventeen year old self loved this to pieces.
It's weird that the band is considered "progressive rock." I don't think of them that way, although I can definitely hear a bit of Jethro Tull in this album. The album starts off with a pretty good instrumental "Glad". Most of the other songs are pretty good 70s rockers, although I did think the last track "Every Mother's Son" fell very flat. I have always liked Winwood's vocals, so this album gets a pretty good score for me. I should listen to more of their stuff. Top tracks: "Glad," "Empty Pages," title track, "John Barleycorn (Must Die)"
I'd say the first side hit me right away while the second side was a grower - I wasn't as thrilled with it on first listen, but got into it more on subsequent listens (it's a short album and lends itself easily to repeat listens). In particular, the opening track is a great jam - I only knew Steve Winwood from his 80s hits and I had no idea he was such an outstanding musician. The jam at the end of Every Mother's Son also sounded great. Probably the only negative was that John Barleycorn got a little boring on a close listen, but made for good background vibes. Overall, I don't hear a lot of groundbreaking music here, but it was a good listen and I would revisit. Favorite tracks: Glad, Empty Pages, Every Mother's Son.
The album as a whole has its flaws, but the standout tracks shine brilliantly. Glad is an absolute perfect blend of jazz and rock. The real highlight for me, though, is the title track ..an amazing arrangement and recording.
I really didn't think I was going to like this album after the first song. I get it, it's a great jazz/rock thing, but I'm just not that into the jazz part. But then the songs with vocals came on, and I liked the album better. A LOT better. By the end, I went back and listened to Glad again, just to see if I was being too harsh (I wasn't, I still don't like it) but the rest of the album is very good.
Through this challenge I have discovered I really like Traffic and Steve Winwood. I am currently going down the rabbit whole of his entire back catelougue. Todays album is their fourth album John Barleycorn Must Die and this album really is good fun and an easy listen. I think the sound of this album is quite modern and new for 1970. There are so many sounds on this album from R&B to jazz to a bit of northern soul with heavy use of piano an organ. I like it and I like the instrumentals. Favourite track: Empty Paiges, stranger to himself and I just want you to know are great songs. Least favourite track: I think the title track John Barleycorn Must Die is probably the weakest on the album. Album artwork: Cool cover.
Really enjoyed the freeform style and instrumental interludes on these songs. I imagine when these guys played live back in the day they could jam out for 10-15 minutes on extended versions of the songs. Empty Pages and the title track were my favorite songs, but I feel like there was some other stuff I really like throughout the album too. Just got lost in the sauce and never checked where I was in the album. This is a mid-to-high 4 for me. I had not heard of these guys before, so I definitely want to come back to this one.
Another great entry by Traffic. I left a note in my last Traffic review to listen to them again. Love the keys and the vocals.
Traffic jams quite hard. They are a strange progressive folk almost that I don't really know how to describe. The drawn out jams on even a studio album were so awesome. Poor John Barleycorn I wish he didn't have to die
Like this one a bit more than the last one! Had some solid jams on here.
I didnt sit still for the whole time this was playing! Excellent feelgood album!
Reminded me of Jethro Tull in terms of style. This was very good and it didn’t expect it to be given my thoughts on Steve Winwood’s solo material. Favorites were Freedom Rider, Empty Pages, and John Barleycorn.
Excellent first tune; the others are all right.
Pretty good. 3.5* rounding up.
Divertido, dançante, jazz pa caralho. Piano desses para o começo dos 70 é algo bem de volta para o futuro
I grew up listening to this album. My father loved traffic.
Not the biggest Steve Winwood guy, but this was pretty good. Sways between jazzy and folksy, but never feels out of place either way. I also tend to enjoy keyboard and sax noodling more than most.
A very chill, concise album with a lovely live recording sound. Really enjoyed it. Just realized they're from my home town too!
Not my favorite Traffic album, but I love this band. They put a soul groove into hippie excess in just the right amounts, accentuating the positive of both. Plus, Steve Windwood is a double threat of killer vocalist and organist. And I'm into the overuse of the flute.
TIL that this album originated as a contractual obligation to the record label after Traffic had temporarily broken up. It was intended to be Steve Winwood’s first solo album until he started calling in his former bandmates to help flesh out the studio session and come up with more tracks. Seen through that lens, it sounds remarkably successful, even if I might quibble that this isn’t the *best* Traffic LP. “Empty Pages” hints at Winwood’s 80s pop trajectory but wins with the heavy organ on the chorus. The title track is a fine entry in the British folk canon, with Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi harmonizing in the spirit of Fairport Convention. “Every Mother’s Son” brings a heady 70s vibe. Proof that rock and roll needs more flute. 3.5 stars if I could.
A pretty good album, I liked Freedom Rider the most.
Nice end to the week
I did not know this was Steve Winwood's old band. I will be honest, I also did not know Steve Winwood was white. I always chalked him up to being a Stevie Wonder-esque figure. Anyways, these blokes love the flute; and so do I. Great use of piano, too. Awesome listen. I think this is one of those albums you listen to start to finish, and don't really take "picks" from here. This seems like a great album to listen to on vinyl. I'm nearing a 5 on this, but I don't think this has the value I'd expect from a 5. Still, incredible listen, will definitely be coming back to this in the future.
Oh thank goodness, from the cover I was expecting some drearily boring as sin country or folk music so dipping my toes in and hearing how funky this was right off the bat really hit like crack. I have similar feelings on this to Green Onions, a pretty short and sweet little album that lets the instrumental talent speak for itself (though this time we do actually have some vocals and they’re pretty great!). Never judge a book by its cover I suppose
Freedom Rider: rousing vocals, flute putting in some work. This song is my favourite on the album A very front-loaded album for me. The second half of the album didn’t go as hard as the first, but recovered on Every Mother’s Son with the double keyboard solos and guitar sections. I enjoyed the instrumentals on this quite a bit. The first 2 songs and the last song were standouts. I quite liked the vocals too. Highlights: Glad, Freedom Rider, Every Mother’s Son
Dit is wel een leuk album. Waar ik over het volgende album klaagde dat het wel heel erg afgemeten was allemaal is dit een wat creatiever album. Lekker folky en jazzy. Een gezellig fluitje erbij. Solotje hier en daar. Niet te zwaar allemaal, maar wel creatief dus. Ik vind dit wel tof. 4 sterren. Heb er verder niet veel bij te melden merk ik.
Definitely "cool white person in 1970" funky.
En vrai, c'est plus un 3 qu'un 4, mais j'suis tanné de donné des 3 comme un gars qui est dépourvu d'opinion. - Rebonjour! Je te souhaite une bonne prise de la Bastille bien en retard (c'est drôle que toutes les fêtes nationales se passe dans le même 30 jours), et j'espère que ton entrevue c'est bien passé! Je me suis rendu compte que j'avais oublié deux suggestions d'album ultra-chouette, je vais juste te les glisser ici: Wide Awake! - Parquet Court (Punk... fusion?) Choses Sauvages - Choses Sauvages (Du bon pop-rock lofi d'ici) J'me demandais l'autre fois, c'est quoi les albums que tu as sélectionné pour la user list? Aussi, comment es-tu tombé sur ce site? J'aurais ptet d'autres questions demain, à plus!
Kul gammal rock, fløyte, orgel og masse greier. Mye sjel i musikken. Favoritt låt: Freedom Riders
Green light go. I was not at all familiar with Steve Winwood or Traffic. The first song started out like it was library music, you know the stuff played in 70’s tv shows. I like that stuff. The you tube album played it twice and the second time around I was hooked. I found myself staring into the corner of my room whisked away to a different time and space. The whole album seems masterfully crafted by talented musicians. I’d gladly listen to it again and go for another ride. In fact I did… I listened to it 3 times in its entirety and I replayed the song Glad even more!
Why so many people must die? Ok he is the corn king. Fine. I would be really grateful if it’s true. But I probably just don’t like the idea of self sacrifice especially when there is no scientific reason. Music wise ok. A short album. Actually very good vocal performance but not produced well. It sounds very raw.
I dug this a lot more than I thought I would. They hit the folk/almost bluegrass style well and I only knew Steven Winwood from Higher Love so this was a surprise for me. Tight little album, not sure if/when I’d pick it over something else but it was a good ride while it lasted.
i was a bit wary going into this album, but by the end i really was digging it. I really enjoyed the Brit-Folk sound, it didn't get too twangy like stereotypical country music, but was able to just roll with a great sound the whole time.
Bra grejer.
This one is right in my wheelhouse.
I like this album, the almost title track stands out for me and I wish there was more on the record in that acoustic folk style. Overall a solid listen though and well worth checking out.
I will now search a Steve Winwood documentary as he has had an absolutely fascinating career. Weaving in and out of music genres and playing with some fine bands. This was interesting, quirky, listenable. I need more of this sort of music in my life.
I listened to this album with my 16 year old son. First song starts and his review is “more Austin Powers garbage” But when the second and third songs played, we were hooked! He gave it a 4, I gave it a 3.5! Loved freedom rider and John barleycorn. Rounding up to 4
9/10 Jazzy prog rock. Very easy listening. All songs are great - no filler. Nice length. Drums are great and the flute is cool.
Bien ! Est-ce que je vais réécouté ? Je ne pense pas, mais cela ne change rien à la qualité de l'album.
Good 70s jazzy prog. Solid album
A lot to like here. Some very cool harmonic twists and turns. Blows Jethro Tull out of the water as far as flute-based 70’s rock is concerned.
I'm learning I like Steve Winwood
Going into this one I had no idea what to expect, but right from the opening track I was pleasantly surprised. Infusing jazz and funk with broad instrumentation gives this album a unique listening experience. However, the last track did drag on a little too much for my liking. I'm convinced that John Barleycorn must die. Notable Tracks: Freedom Rider, Stranger To Himself
Enjoyed very much.
I love prog rock <3
4.5/5
Genoten met een hoofdletter G ! Heerlijk voor in de bus en al die achtergrond instrumenten die je hoort <3 heerlijk.
Great album. Big Steve Winwood fan right here. Winwood is one of the few artists who merit multiple entries on this list. His work with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, and solo is consistently top-notch. Add in his session work with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Lou Reed he could be on this list more than anyone.
Fun! I loved how it felt like a jam session at times!
First time listening to Traffic and this is a great album. It’s really carried by Empty Pages and Glad imo but the other tracks aren’t slouches. The jazz-rock of the entire album was brilliant.
Never heard of this, was pretty cool and vibey.
Good fun little album, 7/10
Favorite Track: John Barleycorn
My original review: “Groovy 70s Rock. Not really into it much, but I liked a few tracks and they were usually less jazzy. Sometimes the flute was a little psychadelic which I wasn’t keen on. Generally speaking it’s decent, but not particularly for me. - 2” My new review: Interesting 70s, Jazz-rock vibe. I seemed to resonate better with it this time, and seemed to get into it particularly towards the end.
Jazzy rock. There were some parts that stood out, like the way the piano took a cool dark turn at the 4:52 mark in Glad. I appreciate the flute throughout. It was easy listening that didn't demand much. Favorite song was the traditional: John Barleycorn. The cyclical sacrifice of barley for alcohol. Of course. 3.5 rounded up.
Musical, whimsical, and a nice way to start the day. Not as great as some of the other music from this era, but I definitely enjoyed this.
Solid classic rock.
Thoughts before listening: An often overlooked jazz rock band that put out great material in the 70s. These guys were a huge influence to the jam bands I'd come to love, with many of them covering their songs. Review: This album is full of lengthy songs that are basically instrumental jam sessions with the occasional vocal thrown in. It's a cool sound that is very jazzy, but it's not prog rock. While there are guitar and keyboard solos on this album, there are also non-traditional rock instruments like flute and horns. Very unique sound that I am enjoying quite a bit. 4-stars