John Barleycorn Must Die

Melkosen outo pläjäys. 2,75*

Letkee ja menevä. Kuuntelin pyöräillessä ja kolmosen lailla toimi

this was all right, though maybe i didn't listen closely enough to really enjoy any of the tracks. favorites: john barleycorn

This music just kind of... exists? It's totally harmless and unremarkable. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. And after giving this an average 3 stars, I'll have forgotten all about it before the day is over. 6/10.

Solid record. I really enjoyed the singers voice, and track 2, "Freedom Rider" really blew me away. Lots of great energy and ideas that I wasn't expecting from a band that really didn't sound familiar to me. The flute in this track was very Jethro Tull. I think I need to listen to this album more. Even after finishing it I was like "nice I could listen to that again right away", which is great! I haven't had the right kind of listening experience during these to be able to really dig into each albums' lyrics which is a shame. Most of the time I'm actively listening while also giving my attention to something else, like some dirty dishes to get cleaned, or some work on my computer. I'm also really bad at deciphering lyrics unless they are written in front of me or are really perfectly enunciated. Regardless, I can tell there are some cool lyrics going on here- specifically with the title track.

I was not familiar with them, I like it pretty well. Might check into them more.

idk 7/10 (3/5)

Enjoyed this one.

Un poco rollo. Pero no es mala música.

I liked it more than I thought I would, it started off pretty good, but the songs were a little too long for me. The songs were nice to listen to though, and the first one was fun.

Totally pleasant, but with no outstanding factors.

Genres: Progressive rock, folk rock, jazz-rock Formed: Run time: 6 songs, 34 min, 25 sec Track 1, “Glad” is an upbeat instrumental. Interesting choice for the opening track. I loved Track 5, "John Barleycorn (Must Die)". I originally thought it was about John Barleycorn being murdered, but it turned out to be about planting, growing and harvesting a barley crop. It is a traditional folk song. A couple of the tracks have around 5M plays on Spotify, the rest about 1M plays and the last track only 700k plays. It’s not a massively popular album. I enjoyed listening to it but I don’t think I’ll revisit it in the future. I will listen to some other Traffic songs. My Rating: ***

Album Notes: - opener has some nice jaunty jazzy vibes - next track is fine - Empty Pages is pretty nice... not mind-blowing but nice - the playing is great and technically well-executed yet it does sound kind of flat and generic - Title track is a nice folksy song but yeah my brain is shutting down at how long and flat these songs sound. Technically good, but has very little feel too it. - Overall a decent effort with cool moments but didnt really grab me. Best Tracks: Empty Pages, Glad, John Barleycorn (Must Die) Worst Tracks: Stranger To Himself

Interesting fuse of funk, jazz, and rock. I don't think I'd listen to it again but I didn't mind it.

Alright prog album, if a little forgettable. Doesn’t really compare to something like Fragile (which I got recently), though.

Traffic is a band I've been interested in for awhile. They don't seem to quite fit in with all the other English prog bands from around the same time, and the extent of what I know about Steve Winwood is "Higher Love." Unfortunately a lot of this falls a little too far into bluesy territory than I like my prog to go. My favorite track is probably the title track, which is basically just a folk song. I dunno. It's okay.

Not a bad little album. Sound pallets isn’t my favorite.

3.6 - Besides the dueling flutes on “Freedom Riders”, there’s little else that’s memorable on here. Just your average 70’s American classic rock, as interpreted by Brits. I also question their decision to begin the record with a middling 7 minute instrumental. Crowd-pleasing background music.

Started strong, but I lost interest after a few songs

Not the best version of John Barleycorn but good to hear Traffic again

This is a wild mess of an album. It’s pretty good, honestly, but it’s impossible to know which ones are great and which ones will just be instrumental messes of sound.

Early Winwood

nice, but not really wowed.

Don't have much to say about this one, it was competent but nothing hooked me.

Good enjoyable prog rock. Enjoyed the title track and the opener. Higher side of 3/5. Worth a relisten.

For something titled "John Barleycore Must Die" this is not at all what I was expecting. Mostly just blended in to the background 3/5

So cool parts. Not gonna be a go-to for me.

Short but sweet.

Does anyone else find it funny that Winwood plays so many instruments but Winwood doesn't play a woodwind? I like the first track with its jazzy stylings. The piano is quite nice as is the sax. Winwood plays piano but not the sax. Told ya. The second track uses the flute nicely. The flute was quite popular with the long hair hippy freaks in the 1970s. I can't say I understand how that happened but I like it. Track three takes the organ out to play and the title song does English folk very well. This LP's a nice assortment and a welcome change from the last three albums we had.

The star here is obviously Steve Winwood, really great vocals and writing. Glad is a classic prog folk song that ages very gracefully. Kudos to Traffic for creating a really original sound that no other group was able to imitate.

What did John do though

Enjoyed it but wouldn’t write a letter home to my mother about it. Probably just mention it in passing or something

its nice, the John Barleycorn song is a hit

Bon album mais ne m'a pas transcendé

"John Barleycorn Must Die" is the fourth studio album by English rock band Traffic and their comeback after a brief breakup. The album began as a Steve Winwood solo album ("Mad Shadows" which become the name of Mott the Hoople's second album). Steve couldn't complete his album without the band and got the band back together with Chris Wood (percussion, sax, flute, organ) and Jim Calpaldi (drums). Minus Dave Mason however. Winwood would play piano, organ, bass, vocals and guitar. This album is a mix of jazz, blues, traditional folk and prog rock. It did receive mixed reviews. Yeah, I can see that. It begins with the instrumental "Glad." The classic Traffic sound (what I think nowadays) with piano, percussion and horns. Jazzy especially with the horns. Piano, seductive sax and organ start "Freedom Rider." And we get the flute and flute solo. 70's flute guy is in high action here. "Empy Pages" was one of Winwood's solo songs and is more classic rock and kind of strays into prog. It's about struggling writing songs and having a girl comfort him. The most straightforward lyrics on the album. "Stranger to Himself" has a groove and is bluesy. The electric guitar stands out. Classic 70's rock. "John Barleycorn (Must Die)" takes the old tale and keeps a folk tradition. More flute! It's about cultivating grain and making alcohol and in the bigger scope, the cycle of life...birth, growth and death. The album ends with a very busy song in "Every Mother's Son." Searching for spirituality and something more in life. This album was enjoyable...fine. I don't think it lives up to their previous albums with Dave Mason or their next one "The Low Spark of High Heel Boys" but the music is solid. A lot going on musically maybe too much at times.

Nice could Listen to this again.

More flute than anticipated.

That old sound. Passes the jam in person class. I want to be in a garage in the spring time with the wide door open and a lil exhausted from playing soccer in a field of clover

Overall I enjoyed the album. Good 70’s rock grooves. Nothing spectacular.

You know what? This bullshit prog rock crap is actually off to a decent start. Opening track is getting my juices flowing. Okay, now we got some vocals with cryptic lyrics hinting at some kind of Grapes of Wrath like epic struggle. And here comes the JAZZ FLUTE. Now we're into some sort of love song? Or maybe it's an ode to anti-depressants and writer's block? Trying to interpret the meaning and message of these tracks is quite vexing. I'm not sure what I'm supporting in liking this, but the music is catchy.

Definitiv gute Musik, ich flip trotzdem net aus

Great name for a album.

Rating: 6/10

Odd title, very jazzy which I wasn’t expecting. Very instrumentally focused, which is a shame as the singer has a nice voice. Overall the album was good, fun enough. Not really what I would choose to listen to, though, and it’s not a genre I can offer much in the way of insightful comments.

I like it, but I don't love it.

Canzoni che virano sullo strumentale esagerato a un certo punto

Great players. These guys live have to be a good show.

Good playing, but lackluster songs overall here. Honestly I really wanted to like this more than I did.

3.5 stars. Pretty decent listen, albeit short. Interesting crossover of folk rock and prog rock. The singer is what makes this more than an mediocre album. Standout is "Empty Pages"

can't get album on streamer.

This album was all over the place. At the beginning I was infatuated with the opening song - "Glad". Very unusual structure of the song, I honestly had no idea what will be next, another bridge, another solo, melodic riff with vocal? Lovely feeling of being surprised every 30 seconds of the track, and to add to that, every new motif of the song was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, this unorthodox way of approach to the record turned into a choir for a listener soon after the first track. I almost felt like it became a predictable unpredictableness. My mind started to wander and it was much harder to focus on the album. It's like "John Barleycorn Must Die" is a one-trick pony, but you can choose any song from it as an example for that one-trick. Anything more and it becomes a burden. Really good note for original sound, but not so much for the structure of the album.

Haven't really listened to much Traffic but I enjoy the mix of folk and prog. Some nice flutes throughout as well. It feels a bit slight for a prog album to me though.

Ansprechend komponierte Gitarrenmusik. Gerade so drei Sterne.

Fairly interesting album. Mixes genres I am used to hearing with others. I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either.

<<>>

Steve Winwood and rock flute. There's nothing better. Good fold album all around.

Kind of a folk-jazz noodles for the most part. Certainly didn't mind it but a little unfocused.

Its OK, but nothing special as albums go. 3/5

A really well put together album that I didn't find particularly engaging. I often get lost in the extended jams of this kind of music. Which I know is kind of the point but I like to have something I can sink my teeth into a bit more. Still Steve Winwood has this habit of making things that usually wouldn't be my kind of thing a bit more engaging than they would usually be. Which is the case here. I enjoyed it but probably wont be racing to give it a revisit.

Decent combo of folk and jazz. Not amazing, but pleasant enough.

Ok. Prog rock

Not bad, but a bit of a letdown.

As soon as I saw “1970 album by English rock band” come up, I prepared myself for yet another white boy, folk rock record with shaky vocals and too much acoustic guitar. What a relief that this isn’t the case here. Traffic has more grit and more edge, with heavier evidence of rock and blues, so this record certainly feels more ‘70s than it does late ’60s. It’s closer to a band like The Doobie Brothers than it is to The Beau Brummels or Country Joe & the Fish, which again is a relief. Not a bad album at all! Standout tracks are Freedom Rider & Empty Pages.

- oh shoot, Steve Winwood plays just about every instrument here (slight exaggeration except when it’s literally true) - seems like Traffic was smoking the same weed that Tim Buckley was on Happy Sad (the last album I listened to before this one) - while I’m something of a Winwood fan- that voice! those keys!- this album feels incomplete, especially so with the inclusion of 2 Winwood demos in the version I listened to. - zoned out in the first half to the point I can’t really provide much insight. Good sax 🎷 HL: “John Barleycorn”, “Every Mother’s Son”, “Empty Pages” December 1, 2022 (late)

bien tranqui a veces y bien hermoso a veces. 7.5/10

Pretty cool stuff, I like the folkier elements.

It wasn't bad enough to be bad or good enough to be good.

Solid turn from the 60's to the 70s

A little dull - lot of noodling

Buen disco de pop-rock, con buena voz, algo de instrumental y de guitarrero.

This was a pleasant surprise! Some folk, some blues, some rock. Some songs are not as memorable as others. Still definitely worth a listen. 3.5, close to 4 but not quite there yet.

Interesting.

I liked the parts where they weren't singing. They jammed when they were just playing.

This album kicks off with some fun piano work, setting a not-too-serious prog mood. It’s like they’re telling the listener, “We’re here to play, not show off.” Not to say that showing off is bad. I know some people hate it, but I don’t mind it. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because so much prog shows off, so it’s nice to hear something a bit more straightforward for a change. “Freedom Rider” is the centerpiece here, but being a folkhead, I prefer “John Barleycorn”.

I liked it more than expected. Felt like 80s music crossed with tavern bard music. Didn't know this was Steve Winwood.

Un album de trafic, le premier que j'écoute. Je sais que Steve Winwood en est le chanteurs. Chanteur aussi de Blind Faith, c'est mon genre d'album, j'ai aimé mais je m'attendais a un peu plus. mais pour les 5 chansons c'était bien. 3.75

title song is interesting and style is somewhat unique but not remarkable enough to stand out

Don't know what to make of this. 60s folk prog jazz with Winwood distinctive vocals. Nothing massively grabs me but its all tight and has an enjoyable groove. Some of the instrumental passages remind me a bit of early King Crimson if they used regular time signatures! Bit baffled. 3

John Barleycorn is the personification of barley, according to Scottish and English folklore. The events leading to his death are incorporated with the production of beer or whiskey. So that's why poor Johnny "must" die, for us to have booze. It's already evident in the title how much does this album cultivates from folk. It was a captivating work of folk-jazz, but it eventually succumbed into a generic '70s synthrock in the second half. Something died with John Barleycorn halfway through. Still, I understand that a fully instrumental album filled with all those jazz-folk jams would've be exhausting. Like John Barleycorn's journey, it has to go to the next stage. Ultimately, the booze hits pretty quickly, but dies down as quick as it hits.

Overrated, but it has some highlights.

Welp, I had no idea who this was or what to expect. It was a strange little mix. And I was convinced that the lead singer was Carl Anderson from Jesus Christ Superstar. Boy was I wrong. I enjoyed listening, and wouldn’t mind listening again, but i won’t be seeking them out.

Quite a dramatic album title and I love the old timey woodcut looking album art. I have certainly heard of Traffic but am not super familiar with their work. I like that the album came out the same year I did. Let's check it out! Digging Glad, the cheerful nearly bouncy opening track. The instruments have a lot of personality. Second song I still like the hooky music, even all the flute, but I'm not in love with the voice or lyrics as much. I'm finding the album a bit tedious by the time I get to the eponymous track. Overall I'd say it's listenable but not spectacularly interesting or ground breaking.

There's a lot I dig about this. But not a lot of replay-ability for me as it requires so much attention to listen to as does a lot of Jazz.

twas alright. twas boring. nothing much to say. not trying to get out of it but like literally just unmemorable

The major problem I've always had with this album - and the band - is simply that the songwriting is wildly inconsistent. Damn they could nail it at times - start with a killer and catchy instrumental in "Glad" and later an absolutely classic song like "Empty Pages" which completely showcases the rhythm, dynamics, and instrumental arrangement and chops of the band not to mention Steve Winwood's vocals.... And to be honest...those are the only excellent songs. Probably the only *good* songs. e.g. in between those two is Freedom Rider which... is awkward. Frustratingly so. Jazzy riffs that don't resolve well. That chorus has always felt wrong, as in it doesn't fit the song at all. And much of the rest of the album suffers the same inconsistency. Each song has some sections that work and each has sections that don't. Which add up to a lot of it being the most dreadful of words: boring. e.g. "Stranger To Himself" almost drags itself to its own death halfway through; it feels like the band is about to just collectively pass out from boredom. There's enough here to make it worth a listen but man ... the best of Traffic is so good - could they ever have just put together a full quality album? 5/10 3 stars.

Very fresh. Love the album art.

meh

Pleasant enough, if meandering and unfocused. Highlights: Glad, Stranger to Himself

I don't get much from this album. It has some cool songs and an exciting mix of styles. I think it is pretty innovative for 1970, but it's not something that I call atemporal.

I mean, it's good, but not really my thing. Empty Pages is the standout track here, but the album as whole feels all over the place even though it only has six songs on it. Stranger to Himself especially feels like it doesn't fit in the with rest of the album and the transition from that into John Barleycorn Must Die is kind of jarring. Jim Capaldi's drums keep the whole thing from veering into some kind of weird jazz-folk hybrid.

Overall enjoyed it for never hearing this band. I wonder though if I always like something a bit more if I have no clue who they are???

Soulful, instrumental goodness. Sounds like a jammin good time.

Good, but didn't set my world on fire

Nice jazz

Album calme et reposant. Les mélodies sont belles mais l’ensemble reste plutôt publiable. La présence de certains instrumenté tel la flûte participent à la création d’une ambiance calme et mélancolique. 3/5

Nice album both singer and riffs are great, maybe a little on the short and calm side but it's quite nice

A little short to my taste. Was a nice listen tho 3/5

It's a good album, but not my cup of tea. Love the art tho.

This was fine, if not especially memorable for me. I was not really a fan of Steve Winwood's voice here. I liked the funky "Glad" as well as the folky title song.

22/8

Never heard of traffic but knew Steve winwoods solo stuff. Can hear the influences both on and from this band and it's solid work.

Fine fine fine

toffe listen

Pretty cool. I liked the mix of rock, folk, and psychedelic.

Sounds very 70's which is not a great description. Still dunno who John Barleycorn is tho

Calling this a 3.5. I enjoyed it more than some recent 3 rated ones but not enough to 4 it. Good jams and some Jethro Tull sounds. Favorite: Empty Pages

p213. 1970. 3 stars. 60's white soul boy gets jazzy and throws in some folk to spice it up. It's well done, but there are no standout tracks, and you get all the usual musical wankage you expect from early 70s albums. It says a lot that the best track on it is an old English folk song. On the plus side, it is is short.

Never heard these guys before but I really enjoyed this, will have to check out more of their stuff.

Mostly meh but I liked the title track a lot

Traffic is another one of the 70's british prog rock bands to come out of the 60's psychedelic scene, like Pink Floyd. Unlike Pink Floyd, Traffic feels like they pull from jazz way more, akin to the sounds of Steely Dan. After an extended instrumental intro from Glad, we finally get Steve Winwood's vocals on Freedom Rider. It is worth noting that Traffic is mostly Steve Winwood. He is accompanied by Chris Wood on saxophone and flute, plus Jim Capaldi to back them up on drums, but Winwood is very busy on this record wearing many hats. Good for him. Songs here sound competent. The songs on side 1 flow into each other, same as side 2. It's very Jethro Tull but without a lot of that signature Ian Anderson personality. I feel like a lot of little things make this album just short of being great. A distinct charm is missing, or some sort of cool differentiating factor. The boys do a good job here, don't get me wrong. I mostly feel underwhelmed by the music.

i definitely liked this

Not a single moment of boredom while listening this album, but it's all a bit too safe. The album feels like a cross between blues-folk-rock bands like The Band and prog acts like early Genesis. And anyone who can appreciate a dash of jazz will also like John Barleycorn Must Die. 3.5*

Leuke dwarsfluit.

“Whereas previous Traffc albums had been dominated by more concise song structures, John Barleycorn saw the group develop into a looser, jam-oriented progressive rock and jazz fusion style…” This sums up why this album has a ceiling of OK.

Typical what you would expect from Traffic - nothing amazing

There can be no denying Steve Winwood's talents, and this album's style is right up my street, but... that's all on paper. While I didn't suffer listening to this album, it failed to produce that famous uplifting effect music is so famous for 😜

Jazzy, rocky and a good timestamp of its time… how can a 34minute long record feel so bloated?

Fairly enjoyable rock with slightly more depth than just classic rock.

Steve Winwood has one of the great soul voices. They should have stuck with soul.

Thoroughly enjoyed this

Nice jazz flute, there were some great moments, but the album feels a bit incomplete.

Modern (well 70s!) English folk rock from *a* Steve Winwood band

Great musicianship, but the album is mostly improvised jams and the lack of songs makes it a forgettable album.

Decent album but was missing a big hit or stand out song to elevate it to 4 stars

I knew of Steve Winwood (and various bands), but hadn't heard of Traffic. Some parts felt too long, like a carried away jam session, but it's a short album so not too overbearing. The folklore of John Barleycorn was interesting to read up on. #TIL (Funnily enough, it was referenced in last week's Inside No. 9 episode "Mr. King") I enjoyed it. "Glad" could be a cinematic track, I'd half expect to see it popping up in a future Edgar Wright movie.

Didn't listen to all but seemed goood

A good listen! An interesting jazz-y sound

It was enjoyable. I liked the instrumental combinations used.

Empty pages is a great song. Rest of the album was fine.

I found it to be delightful but no awfully exciting indeed~~~

I have never listened to a full album from Traffic. "Glad" was the only track I recognized from the album. I enjoyed listening to the album, but I did not pick out any tracks to come back to for a second listen. The title track seemed to reach toward some sort of folk-tune, while reminding me of a less frenetic version of Jethro Tull.

Pretty enjoys album. Didn’t know Steve Windwood was in a band prior to his solo stuff. Enjoyed this album as much as any other Steve Windwood stuff. This was very instrumental heavy which at times was cool and others it dragged. Overall it’s decent. 6.3/10

Fine.

I definitely feel a jazz influence on this album. I think the second track, Freedom Rider, especially makes me think of the Thelonious Monk album, Brilliant Corners. The album overall is very nice. I enjoyed it. Standouts: Freedom Rider, Empty Pages, John Barleycorn, 3.5/5

My Dad was a fan of all things prog, and Traffic were one of his favourites. I have a copy of this on vinyl that belonged to my Dad. I can't say I love it as much as my Dad did, but this is pretty good.

The album went smoothly, with good sounds. Nothing really stuck with me after one pass other than the title track. I need to give it another listening.

Tym razem cos nowego, ale jednak juz jakby slyszanego, bo Traffic to grupa pana Winwooda, ktory juz mial swojego picka na liscie w postaci arc of a diver, tym razem jednak jest wspierany przez dwohc dodatkowych muzykow przez co plyta brzmi bardziej zywo, a mniej kompozycyjnie, John Barleycorn Must Die jest czwartym krazkiem w dyskografii grupy z 1970 i tak jak na zaslyszanym wczesniej diverze stara sie laczyc w sobie elementy folkowego rocka z progesywnoscia jazzowa, Winwood stoi zarowno za kompozycjami, koloboracyjnie z drumerem Capaldim, lirykami, wokalem, jak i wiekszoscia granych instrumentali na plycie, stranger to himself jest grany w calosci przez niego, wiec nie sposob jest nie miec wrazenia deja vu, dodatkowo dochodzi kwestia liryczna, ktora jest zdecydowanie mocno wyspiarska, wiec ciezko wylapac jakies pochowane folklorowe referencje, ale opowiesc o tytulowym Johnie Barleycornie, do ktorego nawiazuje snop z okladki, bedaca metafora produkcji piwa i whisky przepelniona nawiazaniami biblijnymi do umierania i odradzania sie byla zaiste ciekawa, calosc to zgrabnie zamkniete 35 minut na 6 trakach, ktore featuruja bogate zaplecze instrumentalne jak na trzy osobowa ekipe i potwierdzaja, ze pan Winwood to gruba ryba wyspiarskiego progresywnego rokowania, na plejke dodam tytulowy traczek, ale rownie hajlajtowy jest otwierajacy glad, bedacy jedynym w calosci instrumentalnym utworem na ktorym najlepiej slychac to bogatwcto brzmienia o ktorym wspominalem, na siedmiu minutach pojawia sie dziewiec instrumentow i cala trojka ma udzial na tym krazku, co zdecydowanie poprawia jego brzmienie, nadajac mu jamowatosci, ktorego przeciwienstwem bedzie zamykajacy every mother son, gdzie calosc poza drumami jest grana przez jedna osobe, wiec lepiej sie tego sluchalo niz ostatniego arcowania

Yeah pretty good.

Started out great for me with Glad and I enjoy most of the tracks. I just kind of hate the actual track of "John Barleycorn Must Die".

3.2 - funky and soulful with impressive vocals, but nothing that will keep bringing me back for another listen.

Местами интересный и необычный рок-альбом, смешанный с целой массой других жанров.

Quite good in parts

Reminded me of Aqualung and that's a good thing.

Not bad

I wasn’t sure about this album but then they bought in the flute out Freedom Rider and then it’s like ‘blow on, brother’

Middle of the road for me.

Meh, ok but almost a pastiche on places

Early-70's folk/progressive rock album. Not bad, but didn't speak to me at all. Why this is on the list is beyond me. Still, 3/5.

this is an album from 1970

outro on the final track is super sick but the only notable section of the album for me

Quelle curieuse situation que celle que j'aui vécu en compagnie de cet album. En effet, alors que je roulais dans ma twingo et que j'insérai le disque de Traffic dans mon auto-radio, je fus pris dans un énorme embouteillage duquel je ne sorti qu'à la fin de la dernière piste. J'ai discuté de ce phénomène avec Robert qui m'a rassuré en me disant que je n'étais pas la première personne à qui cela arrivait.

J'ai ecouté cet album hier pour me rendre à un repas organisé par la famille Dimery, destiné à me féliciter pour mon année 2021 "exceptionnelle" selon les dires de Robert. Robert m'a remis à cette occasion une statuette de Morissey, supposer représenter le trophée de meilleur auditeur du générateur.

Juste un autre album classic rock qui est ok sans plus.

Meh. Not bad, not amazing. Pretty average album IMO.

Actually enjoyed this album as a casual listen

Great jazz-fusion record. Feels very akin to Steely Dan.

liked this, especially the title track, very olde worlde English folk

This was a good album. I don’t have much to say about it but I liked the blues/folk sound of it. Fav song: every mothers son

6/10

it's... fine?

Eenvoudige folk-rock, niet zo speciaal 3*

Enjoyed it quite a bit. Kinda jazzy/folksy rock ballads all the way through. 6/10

Dog han? Ja uppfatta int!

Nice rock songs with jazzy and folky elements

Trevligt att lyssna på! Önskar att det fanns en starkare bas dock, känns som att albumet inte är helt förankrat.

Only listened to a few but was alright

Mooi album die echt wel wat Beatles vibes heeft

Listened through twice… didn’t do heaps for me. Would improve their craft if a better singer involved

Fairly average.

Buen disco, interesante

Great musicianship, I didn’t connect with the narrative of the album. This is a great record to listen to in the background.

Passing familiarity. Didn't know it was Dave Mason or Steve Winwood. Glad: This is a song any pre-millennial will know. Freedom Rider--some wickedly weird chords, challenging to analyze for me. (over my head at this point). Enjoyable and relatable to me. Like it.

Cream-like jazz blues slides into country through folk. Interesting and engaging in places.

Los teclados, vientos, percusión, este disco no puede ser más setentero!

My estimation of this varied wildly as the admittedly short album progressed. Track 1 I was all in. Purely bitchin' musical jam. 4 stars, easy. Once the vocals kicked in, I was annoyed. The vocals were weak and didn't fit the music. I dropped down to 2 stars quickly. But by the time we get to the final two tracks, Traffic had really heated up. The title track, John Barleycorn, is SO. GOOD. Like Jethro Tull at their peak. I was all in again, ready to give 4 stars. So, my 3 star rating is more of an aggregate of all the tracks than my feelings overall. Tracks 1, 5, 6 are four-star-tracks, and 2,3,4 are two-star-tracks.

Very good. Steve Winwood delivers here… 3.5/5

I didn't know this band, it's good.

Steve Winwood. Great voice. Will give this another go sometime.

Not my fave Stevie Winwood

I liked this, especially the first couple songs, but as a whole I found it underwhelming. As an aside, Steve Winwood sounds eerily like Nina Simone at times.

Just kind of washes over me.

Not bad, definitely better than Steve Winwood's solo material.

This was an enjoyable but not a jaw-dropping listen- it felt like a band caught between Steve Winwood's blue-eyed soul origins and the developing characteristics of progressive rock at the turn of the 1970s (emphasis on jamming, jazz and folk influences creeping in). At times some songs feel like they are pulling for a tighter focus, in the vein of the chart-topping soulful rock Winwood enjoyed with the Spencer Davis Group and would go onto as a solo artist. The verses of the single "Empty Pages" or the brilliant chorus of "Every Mother's Son" are good examples of this, both held together by Winwood's excellent vocals. But overall this album is much more loose, padded out by jams which often work and often don't serve the songs in the best way. "Glad" is the best showcase of the band's instrumental talents, with a great keyboard riff- for me they didn't top this instrumentally across the rest of the album. In general this sounds like it was born out of live performance and improvisation, but the virtuoso talents fall slightly short of other emerging prog outfits like Yes and ELP, and the lyrics lack the tongue-in-cheek quality of the likes of Jethro Tull. Fun to hear but nothing life-changing on first listen.

🧔‍♀️🧔🧔‍♀️🧔🏻‍♀️🧔🏻🧔🏻‍♂️🧔🏻‍♀️🧔🏼‍♀️🧔🏼🧔🏼‍♂️

6/10 Esquecivel, legalzinho

Very meh. Not bad enough to trash, but not good enough to listen to again.

Nice jazz stuff, but without singer that would be much better. I'm glad that I listened to "Glad". Too repetetive to rate higher than 3/5 (3.49 in my mind :D).

A mild surprise.

Much better than I expected but a bit flute indulgent at times. Didn’t realise Steve Winwood was such a good bass player.

Ok...total track...Steve winwood etc...short lp

I liked this album, it was so of it's time and i got a curtis mayfield vibe quite a few times. It is nice to listen to in the background, chilling, relaxing and hearing something soothing.

Some of this music was really good. This didn’t grab me.

Fairly pleasant to listen too, even if not overly memorable. John Barleycorn was the standout track for me

this is not at all what i was expecting but i'm into it?? the flute solos are great in the beginning but they probably could have used some editing later on i do love folk tho vocalist is pretty strained

Every Mother's Son is fantastic, but the folkier stuff doesn't do anything for me.

3.5

I like Traffic, but this one is one that needs many more listens to appreciate.

Musically fairly impressive but not particularly memorable. Title track is a bit more interesting with the folk influences going on.

3.5 really. Was over quickly but was a decent listen.

Jazzy rock with some nice riffs, solid album but with no stand out songs.

I really enjoyed this album, but I think the producer/engineer was on something pretty strong when mixing. It was all over the show. The music was punchy and cool and there was a lot of talent there, but I don't think I'd go back and listen again.

Forgot

increible album de los años 70s aunque un poco largo pero es toda una experiencia, mis canciones favoritas fueron; Glad, Freedom Rider

When I saw the title I got excited as it put me in mind of the brilliantly catchy fairport convention track. Sadly it’s not nearly as fun as that but I enjoyed this well enough. Won’t go back to it. Only 35 mins though so that’s a real bonus.

Good tunes

14th June 2021 Listened outside in the baking sunshine whilst dozing having taken the Monday off work. Easily listening, nice background music and enjoyed the jazzy vibes to a rock/blues man. 3.5 if I could.

When the first track hit I wasn’t too sure about this album. It wasn’t bad, but I also wasn’t really enjoying it. The second was a lot better and the album overall wasn’t horrible, but it just wasn’t for me. I will say though, it’s a good thing this album was short. Right now I give it an average 3/5, but that would surely go down had it been any longer.

started strong then lost steam in the middle. last song pretty decent. this album was very meh but not like unenjoyable

Hmmm kind of mediocre

I didn't realize Traffic was a jam band until now... in retrospect of course a band named Traffic jams. All in all pretty groovy.

I enjoyed it, John Barleycorn was my favourite

Reminds me of Jethro Tull but less musically creative. Pleasant easy listening

Eh

Good stuff

Prog-folk? Best Tracks: Empty Pages, Stranger To Himself, Every Mother's Son

This must've been around the time when all the British classic rockers decided to move to the countryside, grow beards, and wear double denim. Listen to folk, listen to jazz, steal George Harrison's wife, etc. It's a pretty unimpeachable album front to back. First song sets the scene and glides seamlessly into the second. Each track gets to jam and breathe. It's got all the right ingredients on paper - I can't put my finger on why I didn't feel it. Winwood is all over the keys, all the time, so perhaps I'm missing the guitar? Percussion is strong. Best guess it's probably the sax and flute - pretty tame, especially the sax. I'd imagine this helped open the door to jazz rock, but the jazz doesn't rock on this one (cc: Chicago). B-

Hark! Is that an Angel? No. It's this terrific little album from 1970. John Barleycorn must die, but what a way to go out! Rest in peace, Corndog. X

and I thought all these tunes were Steve Winwood solo. Good 70s rock.

Very close to being a very good album for me but misses the mark. Needs a bit more something somewhere in the music. Also only 34 minutes? It needs more to get more stars

very 70s sound (duh)- not bad

Good

"His hands are torn and bloodied from the scratching at his soul" (Stranger to himself) Me lo termino de escuchar porque es un disco cortito, pero la verdad es que no estoy conectando nada con él!

3/5

This was Cream lite, and I much prefer heavy Cream. Wasn't surprised to learn later that Steve Winwood joined up with Clapton to form Blind Faith. He definitely was already biting his style. Solid 60's style jam rock but nothing outstanding.

Not my favorite Traffic album. Flute forward. Poor man's Jethro Tull album.

not bad

It’s fine

Jazzy

the intros were so long that I thought this was going to be an instrumental album at first...and actually found myself disappointed it wasn't? Interesting musical flourishes (i loved the flute) and a wonderful interpretation of old british folk music aren't enough to make this album anything more than a nice three.

Pretty good

Not bad!

Buena propuesta. Diferenton

I feel this album started off really good. Freedom Rider was particularly bluesy and jazzy, and I was getting into it and funking out. But then it finished rather week and the final two songs left little impression one.

The first two jams are great. Rest of the album is alright. 6/10

Awesome random horn/flute parts. Definitely a bit of a castle-folk vibe with the acoustic numbers, but super rocking and jammy in the best moments

Empty pages and barleycorn are really good. Though the psychedelic jazz and flute shenanigans are a bit too thick at times.

I've never heard of it, it's inoffensive, didn't blow me away

Was just fine

Está de 3.000001 Hay veces que decimos que la mayor virtud de un disco es ser corto, de este no es la mayor porque sí está bueno pero estar corto le ayuda.

No se que decir... solo que estuvo agradable, disfrutable.

Fairly enjoyable.

started of really strong - first track best track - last half was not so great. progressively more folk = ew if this is “classic rock” idk if I like it ...

Quite enjoyable, but not that memorable

A strange mix of folk, rock, and jazz. Not bsf but not my thing.

Nice different album. Different then a lot of other 70's albums. I liked it.

Great opening track, then loses steam.

like steely dan, but cornier and doesnt hit as hard

Fave Song: Stranger to Himself

This was good. It was good, I liked it but I just didn't like it enough.

Not bad, but also not mindblowing. Liked Freedom Rider.

I can see why people like this album, but it feels really dated to me. 3/5

Fine. Not bad for a jam band.

Personally don't enjoy progressive rock or Steve Winwood.

Really not my thing at all, but the songs feel really well put together and would make great 70's heist / detective show music.

Chill rock music. Ik zou eerder 3.5 geven eigenlijk.

It’s good but my music tastes have moved on.

Loved the acoustics, great singing, some songs dragged out too long imo

boring

It's pretty formulaic

It's alright

Interesting, who tf is John barley corn tho, what did he do

Average weirdo album from 1970. I'm not mad I heard it and I'll never be mad if it occurs again in my life but I wasn't really motivated by any factors.

Unless you're a die-hard Traffic fan (or even a Traffic enthusiast), I suppose, I see no reason to have this album in addition to "Traffic" in this collection, even if this album may be slightly better taste of the band--or at least less fragmented version, although Dave Mason's absence seems kind of obvious with all the prog-style jamming and excessive flutes (but Jethro Tull was probably happy). I liked it that it clocked in at a brief 35 minutes, although the opening and closing tracks did seem a bit interminable. And while in theory I appreciate their take on an old folk song about beer, it's about as out of place as everything else in this weird mish-mash Steve Winwood vanity project (which was apparently meant to be a solo album but then Winwood decided to rope in fellow former Trafficers Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood).

This band absolutely do not need multiple albums on this list

Man I had hoped to like this but I didn’t! Maybe I’ll give it another spin- i don’t know much traffic but this doesn’t sound like what I do know so could have been that it was shockingly contrary to my expectations.

Why is that every rock album on here is either 2 hours long or lasts 40 mins but each song is 7 minutes long? It's so fucking boring.

2/5

Utterly forgettable, sounds like a mix between Jethro Tull and Pentagle. Both those bands are good in their own right but this failed to bring something unique to the table. I feel we’ve had plenty of similar music on this list and this album just feels like one of many. Strong 2, not bad just bland to me.

Didn't know what to expect, but it was an instant dislike. Only interesting song was the folk song cover. Grating jazz rock. 2.5 rounded down. Heard before? No Owned: No. 80/316 (25%) Will I get: No

Pretty good jams if it weren't for Steve Winwood.

Okay 70's post-folk rock. Songs were a little longer than they should have been.

DNF

I had this band literally two days ago on the list. So I'm just copy/ paste this one because it still fits. "Oh I bet they are some of you all dads favorite band. Pretty standard classic rock station fodder. I mean you can't just play Zeppelin and the Beatles over and over. So traffic shines as the full in. Seriously though it's not terrible, it's just not memorable." Why are they on the list more than once?

2,5 sin más. Volver a escuchar si tal

Very boring. Like a bad folly Steely Dan. Bonus point because they’re from Birmingham where I went to uni.

I feel bad for rating this so low, because the idea of it is perfectly fine - Steve Winwood and some session guys get together to play some jazz-folk. But the songs are barely songs for the most part, the lyrics feel trite, and the extended jams are just not doing anything for me. I've been through this twice in a row and made it halfway through a third time before giving up. I feel like someone needs to tell me what to listen for, which is a sign this album isn't going to work for me.

After the first couple songs I started to drift out of focus on this one.

dull

Nah

Forgettable

It was fine. A couple of listens didn't really leave any strong impression though.

Mom can we have some Jethro Tull? No. We have Jethro Tull at home. Jethro Tull at home = Traffic

Quite jazzy at the beginning. Not a big fan...

This one didn't seem to make any impression on me.

Mostly uninteresting.

It's bewildering how each song switches to a new style and genre. I like the folk song and the last track of the album, the rest do very little for me, and it feels inconsistent and weird.

This album is basically a pale progressive rock project, which is unfortunate because the album starts very strong with a fun and groovy jazz piece, "Glad", thanks to the lively instruments and solos of the saxophone, electric saxophone and piano. The second song, "Freedom Rider", introduces the voice and I was surprised how soulful it sounds. For the rest, it keeps the same elements as the previous track, having a groovy and jazzy with the incorporation of a nice flute which has its own solo. Next is "Empty Pages", and apart from sounding similar to Stevie Wonder, both in voice and pianos (I hope I'm not sounding crazy, I swear this song sounds a bit like Stevie Wonder), it doesn't offer anything really interesting, and it is at this point that the album becomes stale. The only positive things I can say about this is that the keyboard solo sounds good and the bass is very groovy. When it comes to the negatives, the worst part of this is that the choruses feel like fail attempts to create some grandiose moments. Then comes "I Just Want To Know", a track that last one minute and half and doesn't do anything more than presenting the electric guitar which has some solos in the following track, "Stranger to Himself". All that I said about "Empty Pages" I can say about this song as the voice is soulful but the piece itself is uninteresting. The second to last song, "John Barelycorn (Must Die)" is a boring folk piece about how a group of man torture and kill this man, but I didn't find neither its sound nor the lyrics to be anything special. Finally, "Every Mother's Son" is a more traditional progressive rock song with solos and improvisations, but that really hasn't anything impressive nor appealing about it. So apart from the fun start, some groovy lines and the soulful voice, I didn't find anything here to be truly compelling, and I would even dare to say that the majority of it is quite boring.

Mid

-Hey lass und mal ein poppiges Album mit allen aktuell gängigen Musikstilen machen. -Okay. Aber nur wenn wir maximal betonen was für Mucker wir sind. - Muss es gut sein? - Humbug, einfach alles reinpacken was geht.

The playing and the vocals on this record are excellent. However the songs are dull. It is mercifully short however. Steve winwood was either better on his own or with blind faith. This is not of much interest.

Just OK dad rock, way too much electric organ

Jamais écouté avant. Du jazz rock qui ne se sent pas obligé d'en faire trop, avec une influence folk assumée. C'est court, très plaisant à écouter, parfaitement inoffensif et totalement oubliable. Top : John Barleycorn Flop : Empty Pages

One good song, in my estimation, the title track. But Maybe it’s not my kind of thing, nearly-prog rock.

meh except for every mother’s son. i just couldn’t get anything to stick with me.

Sort of sounds good, but try as I might nothing here catches on for me.

Doet me niet zoveel. Prima muziek, maar kan er niet meer over zeggen.

Ultimately boring.

enjoyed some parts, but there are too many solo instrumental parts that make me lose interest..... I need lyrics. The songs seem to go on a bit too long. I feel neutral about this album. songs I might go back to: - freedom rider - every mother's son (if only it wasn't so long...) - sittin' here thinkin' of my love

Liked the jazz-focused songs in this more. First two tracks were great 👍 overall good but not amaaaaazing

1.5/5 There's nothing really bad about this album but it does nothing for me. It felt like background music and not one of the greatest albums of all time.