Reviews (page 6 of 9)
I like the first song, Glad. The rest was ok but not so much my thing.
The 5 streak has ended, but this was an ok listening experience. Just kinda chill and vibey. Didn’t really do a lot for me, but it was fine.
Decent, easy-listening. Opening and closing tracks were unnecessarily long in my opinion. An album and artist I’ll have probably forgotten by tomorrow.
good
This sounds like a compilation of 70s TV themes you've never heard because the shows didn't make it past the pilot.
Very unique and quit enjoyable. After listening to the album the only thing to do is to listen again.
This feels like the earliest version of prog rock. The precursor to Rush and Jethro Tull. Still very jazz and blues inspired, very approachable.
Glad - Simple early funk Freedom rider - pretty average Empty pages - I'm starting to get bored... Stranger to himself - All very basic, restrained and simple. The guitar solo on this is so underwhelming. John Barleycorn - Pure folk. Completely different to all previous tracks. Again, though, now wow factor Every Mother's son - probably the best track on the album All pretty average and underwhelming. It's 3 stars
This worked for me. I'm a sucker for organ-heavy classic rock on the best of days, and the folk and psych influences weaved in here made for a tasty concoction. Add in a short runtime, and I'm a happy guy. I've listened to it twice in past weeks, and while I don't remember many specifics, from what I recall it was a chill listen that I could probably put on and enjoy at any time. And how interesting to hear Steve Winwood not being backed by cheesy '80s synths!
Not very memorable but not bad.
Meh
Solid tunes played exceptionally well. Lots of great grooves, and some interesting folky moments.
A wholly unique blend of genres with jazz, rock, folk, and even British traditional influences. The album itself just didn't strike me in a memorable way.
Far more soulful than I expected. Short and good.
Short and sweet. Jazzy and okay music for me. The album felt very consistent, no high highs (songs I loved) or low lows. Empty Pages was probably my favorite song.
I feel like this is the beginning of a new type of music for me. I really really enjoyed what I could hear of this at work. I'll be on the lookout for more like this
70er Rock. Beim ersten Hören nichts herausragendes, aber ganz ansprechend. 4/5
Interesting and great organ!
It’s ok
Pretty nice, 3.5
Pretty cool. The band meets Steely Dan or something?
I was a little concerned when it started off a bit funk/jazzy but then they pull out a really classic rock sound with some great guitar work and catchy hooks. I've enjoyed keeping this one around for a few days. Nice find.
Not bad.
Folksy/jazzy early rock, complete with organ (of course) and flute accompaniment. Solidly listenable, great background music.
I have to admit I did not know Steve Winwood was in a band. This was reasonably listenable. Modern music cold use more flute.
Groovy 70s album. Fun songs to listen to while relaxing with a cocktail.
Never heard of them. I do love me some flute though! Freedom Rider was really good. Glad is instrumental and sounds really familiar. I enjoyed it. Overall I give it a 3.
Un poco rollo. Pero no es mala música.
Really surprised an album like this would make the list. There are others I didn't like, but that was more genre preference. This is the type of music that would be up my alley, but it was just boring. 1.5/5
Not listened yet
Freedom Rider // John Barleycorn // Every Mother’s Son //
This album could not hold my attention. Just kind of boring. Wait, what album am I reviewing? 😄 Barleycorn might need to die but he made a great sour mash.
The title track is possibly the worst one on the album. Every member of Traffic is exceptional but this was a weird transitional period for them and it just didn’t work. This album highlights why they went their own ways.
Traffic: Good band Everything we’ve had with Steve Winwood on it has been good! Cool jammy 70’s rock vibes throughout Favorites: Glad Freedom rider Every mothers son Didn’t like the stuff in the middle quite as much as beginning and end.
I listened to this a lot as a kid, really cool songs and love Steve winwood. Empty pages is prob my fav, really love that keys solo. The concept of John barley corn is pretty weird and funny.
Finally someone who can sing!
It was good. It was like ambient rock and I liked it.
old atmosphere sample
Nope
not what I usually listen to but I enjoyed it
Classic album, great songs.
7/10
he must
First hearing, some blues, soul, some jazz and some folk. Well good.
Passt!
I’m not sure what genre to classify this as. It was obviously heavily jazz influenced but I got a bit of a Yes vibe to some of the tracks as well coupled with blues/soul. Glad was a fun track, dug the jazz flute on Freedom Rider, the guitar and organ were fun all the way through. Pleasantly surprised! 3.5
Not my thing, obviously great musicians
Would have given a 3.5.
Not bad, chill.
This was disappointing. I always thought I liked Traffic. But I realize now it's more the Dave Mason numbers that I like, the Steve Winwood numbers that verge on prog-rock or a more self-serious Steely Dan, I don't like as much. At least two songs on this album I consider to be outright skips ("Freedom Rider" and the album-titling "JBCMD"—good album title though). That said, I wound up listening to this album, those songs aside, more times than I thought I would. Something about it's laidback rock grooves are easy and comforting as anything on their 1968 eponymous effort, the album I most love by the band. A solid album with some stinkers.
Agree with Charlie on this one! Pretty underwhelmed. nothing stood out on even the second listen. A little allergic to anything exciting or bold. Felt like it just kind of dragged. Was a bit fooled because sonically, this is from 1970, where almost everything sounds great. a high 2/5
Austin Powers soundtrack without the catchy bits
At one time this was one of my favorite albums by any artist. While I still like it a lot, I no longer consider it to be in my top few albums. That said, this album is great. It serves as a nice bridge between the straightforward rock of their previous albums and the more jazz-fusion sound of the later albums. Glad is probably my favorite track.
I enjoyed this one. The flute playing made me think of Jethro Tull. Good and enjoyable songwriting.
I had never listened to the entire album prior to this, but I enjoyed it. Jazzier and jammier than I thought it would be.
Liked Songs Glad Freedom Rider Empty Pages John Barleycorn
Enjoyed learning about Steve Winwood and Traffic…. Lots of horns … enjoyed it on my weekly run…. Enjoyed Empty Pages best
Meh.
No real standouts, but good playing hroughout.
its aight. the first track sounds like a sitcom theme and I like that.
3.5
Mediocre and forgettable.
Another one that has some definite nostalgia factor as I've heard this many times over the years. It's good, very good
Light rock misic with soothing vocals. Interesting and folksy. Not bad, but will not listen again.
Winwood & Mason. I really enjoyed hearing this album. Once I owned it so it was like visiting an old friend.
Some of this is nice and jazzy; other bits kind of rote English-folky.
Masterpiece
Not bad but I didn’t even realize it was done playing…
Just okay
Like all my other 3’s, it was fine but I won’t listen to this one again.
1. 4.1 2. 4.3 3. 4.2 4. 4 5. 3.8 6. 3.6
3.5-4
Wow, a double album. This is going to take a while. I see I've got 2 kinda psychedelic albums in a row. UGH, this is the jam band stuff I am not a fan of.
Short and Sweet! Strong start but fades a bit. I remember listening to this album as a teen (Uncle Randy had a copy) and always liked Side A more than B. The minstrel sounding John Barleycorn, the temperance movement, and changing the US legal drinking age from 18 to 21 were topics at the time. (They did eventually take away our right to legally consume alcohol until we turned 21). That said, it’s time for a beer and to give this one (2.7*s)
Great mix of rock 'n roll and improvised jazz
Well done. Not my favorite genre but I always enjoy Traffic.
didnt know what to expect, and i am not upset.
Okay this was a weird rollercoaster that I was pretty cool with? Like the jam session went so many diff directions but in general it was pretty fun, I just wouldn’t seek it out again probably
Pretty good jazzy rockin album. Steve Winwood has a great voice.
Like this one, great sound and varied instruments. Love Winwood’s vocals.
A lot of long instrumentals- Especially enjoyed the use of flute Sounded like it was the soundtrack to the Austin Powers movies
Very classic rock that I’m surprised I’ve never heard before
This was fun, I like the jammy-ness with instruments you don’t really hear in this kind of music.
I liked this one! Vocals and instrumental was fun with the flute and the saxophone
Never heard of it before (Steve Winwood's band) and not sure if I'll remember it but i liked the prog-rock/ jazz/ blues sound
Early. Steve Winwood. This list is absolutely chock full with this type of music, but it displayed technical proficiency, talent and it was enjoyable for a quick half hour.
I hoped I would like this better but I could not. The joy I experienced in this album is looking it up on Google which gave me "People also ask: Who is John Barleycorn and why must he die?"
I got kind of bored tbh. It was not bad music, just not exciting at all.
1.5
Checked to see how close I was to the end and I was on song 2 Is this album really important? Really?
superb.
Great
This is excellence. Another album I've never listened to in entirety before, but I'm very familiar with the main tunes. Deep, engrossing jams, heavily layered instrumentation, driving melodies that grab you and don't let go. I love it a lot.
Some amazing musicians, but doesn't move me. Liked some tracks, others not so much
Finally, 1001 Album Generator challenges me with an album that I'm not that into. I think I've finally discovered what it is I vehemently dislike about Prog Rock. If you're going to make folk, rock, or blues, make it as clever as you want but don't forget about the general listener. This is why Pink Floyd are usually more effective, and why early psych-era Traffic or even yuppie-horseshit era Steve Winwood never irritates me-- it's straightforward, catchy, and it grooves. Blues-rock and folk gets in it's own way when it tries to get too cerebral, let's not forget we gotta feel certain genres in the heart first. I didn't hate this album, but I'm not super psyched to revisit it ever either. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go crank Steve Winwood's 1986 yuppie classic "Higher Love". I wonder if anyone ever brought him that higher love he kept requesting in that song..
Melodic, fast, fine.
This is my second Traffic album. It was similarly ok, but not remarkable to the last one
It was better towards the end but not exactly my thing.
Surprised to learn this was an english band. Definitely sounded american.
I didn't know Traffic, so this was actually a really good find.
too much flute!
Bardzo przyjemne. Dobre gitarowe brzmienie i hard rockowy śpiew
Oh my! Never a good idea to start off with a six minute instrumental with the saxophone being prominent! It picks up a little with the second song having a real good buildup to the chorus and some nice instrumentation. The production throughout is really good. Track 3 lacks anything noteworthy and track 4 goes down in the history of the forgettable. Did I mention that the production and mix is really good? The penultimate track is a ballad in the original sense of the word, and it has a nice melody and some good harmonies. But it outstays its welcome by more than 3 minutes, which is half the song. Dynamics and variation is key if you’re to have a six minute song! The last track of the thankfully rather short album is also the longest, clocking in at seven minutes. It’s also the most boring track, having nothing memorable to offer. Other than good musicianship and stellar production, of course. I really hope I can get something else than plodding 70s rock tomorrow.
It’s very good, just not my preferred Traffic album. 3.5/5
A little bit of jazz, a little bit of rock, a whole lotta bit corny… what could possibly go wrong? 1.5/2 Fav Songs: Glad, Freedom Rider, Every Mother’s Son Least: John Barleycorn (Must Die), Sittin’ Here Thinkin’ of My Love
Winwood’s voice is amazing.
amazing songs, great winwood vocals and capaldi, wood and mason bringing up the music damn what a band
4/5. Great instrumentation and each song stands on its own. Have no clue what every song honestly means, especially the title track, but hey it sounds good. It's like a soft jazz and rock album with some heavier moments throughout. Smooth singing but not perfect, great instrumentals.
Nothing special, short but sweet
This is all the best and worst of multi instrument experimental stuff. The title track has feelings of early Genesis. This is kind of interesting in some ways but it doesn't get me that excited.
This is a fun 1970s Album. The engineering could be better but there is charm in its sound. Favorite track, John Barleycorn
After listening to John Barleycorn Must Die, I don't really have much to say about it. Its a purely fine album that doesn't really stand out in any meaningful way, neither good or bad. The songs were okay and didn't go on for too long which is nice. But beyond that, I don't really have anything else to say. Best Song: Freedom Rider Worst Song: Glad
I know this album well. Traffic was one of my favorite bands back in the day
This is a lot of Steve Winwood. For some, this would be a draw. For me, it is the opposite.
Some of it was cool, wasn't a big fan of the instrumentals. Think it needs a closer listen to really get a feel.
It was pretty good. I had heard of traffic, but I had no idea they were this jazzy/bluesy.
3.4/5 Best Track: John Barleycorn
Great album!
I don't like the band name but I liked this album. It gave me Jethro Tull vibes with the organs and flutes. It's very mellow and makes you want to chill out and smoke a joint after dinner. Very solid, will listen again.
Not bad. Some good late night camp fire stuff.
I kinda dug the jams. Nothing spectacular but an album that can definitely provide a good background at the right time. 2.20 stars for John Barleycorn.
70er Elektro- und Hammond-Sound.
Different! Bluesy 1960s rock, not my thing but a great example of what it is
I was just about to write my review and thought I'd just have a quick look at what my friend wrote and it's 100% what I was thinking. --- I liked this a whole lot more than their self titled album. Has more character of its own. Might need to come back to this one for additional listens! Fave tracks - "Glad" and "Freedom Rider" are baller openers!
I liked this a whole lot more than their self titled album. Has more character of its own. Might need to come back to this one for additional listens! Fave tracks - "Glad" and "Freedom Rider" are baller openers!
Interesting ... once again a 70s band I did not know. Very nice 70s rock music. Like it!
Very funky honestly. I can imagine this being a soundtrack for RDR or similar games.
Fine music, not my style really and didn't do anything for me. Why it's on this list, i'm not sure about either.
This is fine. The songwiriting and muscianship is obviously good, but I can't say I was ever really wowed even in the context it was released.
Easy listening. A progressive jazz-rock fusion with one very folk rock song, 'John Barleycorn Must Die'.
Meh...
3.5
Nothing inherently wrong with this record, the first and *probably* the best of Traffic's discography post-Dave Mason's departure. With their modal jazz flourishes foretelling Steely Dan's later explorations during the seventies, "Glad" and "Freedom Riders" are great cuts. Steve Winwood's piano improvisation (?) at the end of the first track is surely a dreamy moment, thanks its use of eastern-sounding scales. And the title-track (a cover of a traditional tune) is very evocative as well. Not sure this rock record is material for an "essential albums" list, though. I don't really understand why "Empty Pages" was picked as as a single for the album, for instance--even if said single seemed to have helped Traffic reach a certain success across the pond. Maybe the more "middle of the road" nature of that song can explain such success. But it's not one that aged specifically well, in my humble and honest opinion. Besides--and speaking of singles--selecting a Traffic record that has none of their wonderful staple songs "Mr. Fantasy" (from the album of the same name) and "Feelin' Alright?" (from *Traffic*), seems like overkill a little. *John Barleycorn Must Die* is just a nice "little" record--certainly more *cohesive* than the relatively topsy-turvy affairs that the two first Traffic LPs were--hence why it ends up on a list like this--and yet also devoid of the striking pop highlights also found in *Mr. Fantasy* and *Traffic*, unfortunately. Formal perfection is not *always* the key that opens the door of an essential album. Sometimes, a little imperfections here and there can be forgotten when a bunch of poignant hits surge from a tracklist. To conclude, *John Barleycorn Must Die* suffers from being mostly a "transitional record". And since this is a transition which ultimately lead to a phase of Steve Winwood's career that became increasingly *cheesy* as the years went by, it might be as easy to single it out as it is easy to dismiss it. And this for very similar reasons, ironically. Indeed, Winwood's music slowly became ridiculous from 1970 onwards, up to the point when his cheesy antics became utterly *unbearable* during the late seventies / early eighties. Had his (and Traffic's) next steps been as memorable as Steely Dan's *Pretzel Logic* or *Aja*, people might have remembered it the way some olks still remember *Countdown To Ecstasy* today. By the way, terrible Winwood solo album *Arc Of A Diver* is in Dimery's list as well, astonishingly. And as said, things got even worse than that in the following years. Evidence enough that anything related to Steve Winwood in the 1001 Albums book must be taken with a grain of salt. At least *John Barleycorn Must Die* still clearly avoided such later horrors, and I'm glad about that. But that's not a sufficient reason to include the album in my own finite list, very sadly. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". Which translates to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3).
This is one of those classic rock albums that I never got into. I listened to it over and over today. I think I get it now :) New favorite track: Glad. Standouts: Glad. John Barleycorn (Must Die), Freedom Rider. Empty Pages 4/5
Definitely did not like this album. Not my style.
More “music to do lines to.” A very solid 3 for me. I’m learning a lot about popular musicians pre or post famous bands they were in. Steve Winwood in this one John Barleycorn is an opp 🖕🗣️
Wut
Rubbish, but short
Old music. Good, but after a few songs, I started tuning out.
Fantastic album by a band that infused Jazz into rock.
Quirky freeform jazzy organ and folk rock sounds with random pan flutes thrown into the mix….don’t hate it but don’t love it either. Steve Wnwood’s soulful vocals are a high point.
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"
Hm I don’t know how to rate this. It was just not interesting at all. Some songs where nice but most of it was very boring.
Yet another bland 70s' British LP, this time with a bit of organ to hopefully (but not successfully) distinguish it from the glut of other albums of its kind on this list. Technically well-executed, but ultimately forgettable - listened to it yesterday afternoon and can't really remember any melodies or tracks worth remembering over my morning coffee.
Loved it. I’m a big rock and funk fan so this one was right on the money for me
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.
8/10. Best traffic I've ever sat through
I'm not sure that Steve Winwood was really important enough to get this many albums on the list, but I haven't disliked any of them. This was a nice bit of boomer rock with some interesting instrumentations. 7/10
A jammy prog album infused with both jazz and British folk, reminiscent of contemporaries like Jethro Tull or Genesis (in both folk style and Steve Winwood's cocals). Every song stands out and is full of creative ideas. I do find it a bit grating, but I think that's just how exhausting most prog sounds to my ears. Favorites: Glad, John Barleycorn
We've done it. Completely unpretentious progressive rock. Just a bunch of chaps singing about wanting to kill the mascot for beer or some shit, I dunno, probably something I'm not English enough to understand. Truly a quintessential album for today's Christmas Day. Have a jolly one, people wide or thin, near or far.
All over the place in a good way
Very peaceful album, listened to it around the fire late at night Top tracks: Stranger to Himself, Every Mother’s Son
Has echt gern gha! Es isch für mich anschienend nid so memorable welli mich nüme so genau dra chan erinnere woni gester gloset han aber glaub ich has sehr gern gha. 4.4/5 hani mer ufgschriebe gha
Ohhhhhhhhh i’m excited s piano macht mer so freud! Und blasinstrument und percussion und alles omg wie FUNNNN!! D stimm isch nice! Mer gfallt de vibe mega! 70er rock isch super
Oke erste song goht schomol los aber wer isch isch de john barleycorn? freedom rider. ah steve winwood singt, und das easy guet. ok s goht? ersch liecht flat amel. und de song findi etz sochli medium guet. empty pages isch de besser song und die mega clicky hi hat isch recht geil. Stranger to Himself. jo er singt echt nöd so guet wiener meint. klavier isch sehr cool. John Barleycorn isch son traditional englische dings mega dorisch time. schön. winwood blibt i sinere range, fitzt ane uf de flöte und so. ok da lied isch uralt und goht um barley (s getreide) und wiemer drus BIER und WHISKEY mache oyeah Sittin here. schöne song, find sini stimm git huere noh. und sie isch nur links au chli weird.
okok glad tönt schomal villversprechend, sehr verspielt iwie es sött ja sochli modernere folk sii? john barleycorn isch irgendeOAH HUERE SCHÖNS KLAVIER aso isch irgendes englisch/schottischs volkslied? uhh gfalltmer wie freedom rider chli s tempo ahzieht FLÖTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Bass und Klavier spieled so geil mitenand iwie ok john barleycorn hetmi jz nöd mitgrisse ah lol scho fertig, hanmer scho denkt "hä das hani doch schomal glost" ja ich find jz abgseh vo john barleycorn selber (de sött ja eh sterbe) sehr es cools album klavier findi mega wo immer wieder akzent setzt lugr het gfunde, de winwood het nöd gad die best stimm, ich glaub da heter scho au recht aber mich hets nöd gstört oder so
Já þetta er progressive. Traffic er flott band. Hljóðfæraleikurinn skemmtilegur og þetta er frábær vinnutónlist.
Fín plata. Gaman að hlusta á smá stífan vinnvið.
A bit dated
Incredible
first listen some great prog rock
It's ok, but not really my thing.
Enjoyed it but probably not enough to go rushing back.
Folk-rock setentero. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Un poco rollo. Pero no es mala música.
Pretty meh, I have no further thoughts.
Listened to this a few times in the past, but it didn't do it for me this time around. Besides the first track, which is groovin' and rockin', and the title track, which is beautiful and mysterious with a lovely flute solo, it all just kinda blended together. Wanted to like it, but found it lacking real substance.
This album and this band seem pretty inconsequential to me. This is some real folky almost proto jam band stuff, and just doesn't do anything for me. I guess I can get how people would like it though.
2/5 forgetful
Tedious. I also had Jethro Tull a few days ago and can conclusively say I don't like prog rock
Liked it more than I thought I would.
Decent. Pretty sure I've visited this before, it's been a regular on best albums polls in music magazines down the years anyway. I had forgotten the sound though, I was expecting more folky, and while there are definitely flutes, this is unquestionably rocking. The sax refrain in Freedom Rider is delicious. Empty pages seems to be a cross between Peter Gabriel and the riff from Aretha's Knew You Were Waiting For Me. John Barleycorn the song itself is what I was expecting from this in truth. I could take or leave the final track. Not massively my thing but it was good enough while it was on.
It's no surprise this album contains a lot of good songs when it includes Steve winwood. Breeze to listen to, very high 3
jazzy vibes with folk?
Ah, it’s an okay album. I definitely see why other people would like it but I think it isn’t for me as of now. The sound is a bit too soft - the guitars don’t have any edge, the drums don’t hit like they should. The melodies aren’t sticking as well. I really liked the opener, Glad - the keys on it are fantastic and the a 7 minute journey with some great sections. The ender is good too, I love the slide and the piano on it. Freedom rider is nice too. The rest three didn’t click with me at all. It’s a strong 2 to a light 3.
Great composition and playing, but the flute is a little much
Very listenable with the exception of the title track.
Interesting, funky, trippy at times, not a bad listen 😊
The title track and the first song are great, the rest is just sort of there... I wish it leaned into the jazz-y elements a bit more, honestly!
Alright
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.
Excellent album
Great instrumental to start the album, great use of the organ and keyboard throughout. Jazzy progressions with blues influenced solos. 4.5 but could’ve been 5
El grupo donde empezó Steve Winwood y que a pesar de ser muy mencionado nunca he escuchado con atención. Vamos. Me gustó "Empty pages" que me recordó la voz de Peter Gabriel y la folk "John Barleycorn". No me ha parecido malo pero tampoco es que sea algo como para no perderse.
The first couple tracks on the album seem like they are an experiment to add a jazz sound to their regular rock sound. It was interesting bordering on successful. I enjoyed the addition of the flute on the second song. The title track seems to be aiming for a rock ballad similar in tone with “Stairway to Heaven”. Not saying it is the same calibre by any means, but an interesting concept that snuggles in nicely with the album. After that, it seems to follow the general sound of late 60s/early 70s rock. Quite enjoyable. High 3
It was ok
It's fine. It didn't do much for me but I can see the appeal if you're into this sort of thing.
This was fine?
I’m being generous with my grade
I remember seeing Clapton and Winwood in 2007 at the crossroads guitar festival and thought it was neat to see them. I like the Blind Faith album but never explored much of Traffic. This was pretty middle of the road prog rock. Not terrible or offensive, but nothing special.
Fantastic album. Will definitely listen to this again.
Jam bands are great. For the band. It's self-indulgent and your audience will all be musicians. I am one, which is why this didn't get two stars.
Based on the first songs intro, I thought this album wasn’t going to have vocals. Disappointed when they did start. 3/10
The first song was the intro to a 80s sitcom that never stops introducing characters for 7 minutes. Quite repetitive and way too long. However the music throughout this album is enjoyable to listen to. John Barleycorn slaps. Think of this as a tasteful blend of folk and jazz. 7/10
It's not bad. A jazz rock album that turns full rock for the last two songs which are probably the worst two songs on the album. The jazz inspired tracks are pretty one note and not very imaginative. There are much better artists and albums that do this kind of sound better. Overall it's not hard to listen to and it does get some points for how early this kind of sound was during the time this album came out. 5/10
I would describe this as safe sex jazz rock. I could hear the influence that rubbed off on other bands/artists who then did more interesting things with it. The instruments were clean but almost predictable on what was to come next. Got Stevie Wonder vibes from the vocals but just nowhere near as good. There were a few times where the singer tried to hit some notes that I just don’t think he was able to hit. The audio mixing was also off, some of the instruments were too quiet and the vocals would sometimes too quiet as well. There wasn’t anything majorly wrong with the album but there wasn’t anything that really stood out either. 4/10
This gets a 3 simply for the jazz flute on “Freedom Rider”
This was really really great
Great reunion story. This bands best works are "Low Spark" and "Barleycorn", both produced after a disbanding and permanent exit by the talented Dave Mason. This isn't bluesy as it is jazz-rock psych-folk.
Really enjoyed this, especially John Barleycorn
Incredible album, John barleycorn is a transcendental song
Pretty typical folk fair in the beginning before finding its groove as something a little more interesting in the back half. Still not enough for me to revisit later, but I didn’t mind my listening experience.
Really like the blend of jazz, folk, and soft rock on this album, was jamming to it as I got ready this morning. Solid 4/5
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
Was this the inspo for John tucker must die?
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.
If you don't like jazz rock, I don't see this changing your mind.
nothing too special
Surprisingly tolerable.
Funk meets folk meets funk. Starts BUMPIN. S/O: Freedom Rider, Stranger to Himself.
Was pretty enjoyable.
Started off strong, groovy and interesting, ended up being a complete snoozefest.
Folkkyyyy as fuck
As the album progressed, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Favorite(s): Glad, Freedom Rider, Empty Pages, Every Mother's Son
Solid classic rock
Solid from beginning to end
Nice, good for background and melancholy
Wow. Short short album. Ready for the Disco y'all. Ooh. we got the wakachas. Buddy cop cool guy hyjinks. Weirdly spooky. Back to disco. Did not know electric organs could make a sound like thunder throwing up. That was weird.
Groovy, funky, adventurous
First time I actually listened to any of their stuff, although I'd heard of Traffic before. I can see where they got their status from.
It's kind of weird and beautiful how music can come from a time before you existed, and let you know what it was like to be alive during that time. Pretty decent album. Not usually so much into classic rock, but this was nice to listen to at 2AM on a Saturday morning.
Really good album this one
Another great album that could be considered proto prog with lots of psychedelic and folksy element - but without going too much over the top.
Great album-Glad is one of my favorite tracks. Traffic, despite being in the Hall of Fame, is underrated.
Average
This went pretty hard ngl. They were murdering those keys
freedom rider absolutely ripped! stranger to himself was a good one too. Pretty fun album
Fuck yeah flute solo
Pretty generic folk from the 70's but it's pretty good for all that. Easy to listen to and pleasant.
With some irony, I've now listened to/reviewed Muddy Waters, Derek & the Dominos, and Traffic back-to-back-to-back. I'm fully absorbed into the blues world and their influences on classic rock, especially on friends Clapton and Winwood. They also explore other traditional sounds, but instead of American roots rock (like Derek & the Dominos), we have historical English folk influence, such as the traditional title song.
Wow, I liked this a lot more than I expected. Traffic was never that popular, this album had one "hit" (that peaked at #76), and even Spotify's writeup says "Traffic was just a holding vehicle for Steve Winwood." But I really like this. I even listened to it twice (which is easier when it's only 34 minutes :). On the other hand, should I hear this before I die? Not sure. But I'd give it at least 3.5 stars. I'll be generous and round up.
Without further ado, but nice vibe 3.5
A beautiful album. Steve Winwood's vocals are perfect as usual.
Middle of the road, totally inoffensive in a bad way
late 60s/early 70s prog rock and folk rock in general are one of the most boring genres that I cannot enjoy no matter what when being sober. Thank god there were some jazz-ish parts sometimes so person can wake up from the sleep and enjoy something. 2 stars at best
Not a record I particularly enjoyed.
what i would think of if someone said, 'english early seventies folk rock'. Good for the harvest!
Good fun
AJ: “Glad” I checked this out. There’s jams! They’re a real good band. There’s flutes! Weirdos.
Sorta boring.
Cool funky jazz. Not gonna listen to all of it. Catching up from vacation.
Classic, great album
I hate it when people use the word interesting, because it’s usually a euphemism for something horrible. But I did find this “interesting “. A weird blend of folk, jazz, psychedelia and some weird vibe that sounded like the soundtrack to a 1970s cop show. Also, it was mercifully short. I think anyone who remembers or whose family remembers the late 60s, early 70s, will have had some encounter with Traffic and Stevie Winwood. Cannot deny the man’s got a great voice. Definitely not a beige album but still verging on innocuous. You never know what you’re going to get with normal traffic, but it was a pretty easy ride through this Traffic.
I like Steve Winwood. This album was pleasant to listen to while waking up.
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.
Boy, I haven't listened to this in ages. Better than I remembered it. Lots of hooks. Great bass playing throughout. Overall, a solid set that doesn't overstay its welcome. Is it something you need to hear before you die? Perhaps not. But that's not Traffic's fault.
2.5/5
Pretty solid
Ended up having to be surprised by how good this album is. Have some fucking confidence when it comes to your album art, lads. A stamp on the side of a cardboard sleeve isn't gonna cut it, come on. I can feel the creativity and love you have here. A record with soulful woodwinds, buzzing organ and ties to old folk roots despite diving head-long into the then-future of prog deserves a much better visual presentation. I'd give it a half-star more if they didn't phone it in. 3.5/5.
Well done, but not very memorable. I don't remember what my favorite song is. It's not the title track.
It was fine.
He did not die in vain
I really enjoyed this. It wasn’t 5 star material, but it was really close to being.
So they have proclaimed so shall it be. RIP my guy (3.5/5)
Kinda folk-rock, kinda Jazzy with rock-ish instruments (guitar, drums, organ, flute, sax)
I enjoyed this, but I enjoyed it in the background. Lot's of very nice musicianship, but not my thing.
Oh, here's one of those albums that is 'tasteful' with a capital 't'. A bunch of Brit musos, including the ageless Steve Winwood, playing a heady combo of soulful rock and pastoral folk. Organs provide heft, pianos twinkle and there's even a spot of jazz flute to keep us enthralled. And you know what? I fucking love it. Didn't have to play this bad boy off a streaming service because, of course, I own a physical copy. Of course. Do I like to slap this on the stereo, sit back in a recliner (single malt to hand), and stroke my beard in reverential contemplation? I couldn't possibly say! The only wrinkle is that there's an alternate take of 'John Barleycorn' that is woodsier, looser and far superior to the cut that ended up on this album. No worries; 'Stranger to Himself' and 'Every Mother's Son' are superlative classic rock. I once caught Winwood live, supporting Steely Dan. He looked great, sang like his 1960s records, played keyboards and guitar with great adroitness, and then joined 'the Dan' to sing 'Pretzel Logic'. Disgusting, really.
Pretty much ditto what Craig said. Enjoyed it in the background for the musicianship, in the same way I might enjoy an Allman Bros. album or something in that lane. Never truly got the blood pumping, but also never annoyed me. Except that of course it’s too long because music.
Hey guys, let's get a Hammond organ and flute. It'll be completely different to anything else around at the moment......
Just some musicians playing some music together. Can I remember any of it afterwards? Nope.
Funcionou bem como disco com camada forte de jazz piano, mas não tem guitarras suficiente para o rock aparecer interessante.
This album has some great musicianship anchored by Steve Winwood's voice and organ playing, but it just feels gratuitous in parts. The album just washes over the listener as bland jazzy blue-eyed soul. While I enjoy jazz, this album doesn't utilize it beyond some superficial sounds and chords. Jazz is meant to be highly dynamic and was used much better by bands such as Yes. This album is inoffensive, but just doesn't feel like it's pushing anything forward.
Best Song: Freedom Rider. Excellent use of the flute, nice uptempo instrumentals. Worst Song: Glad. There just isn't quite enough there without the vocals to make this interesting. Overall: Definitely dadrock, but not terrible. I could imagine myself hearing this at a barbecue and having it augment the taste of a hotdog.
Enjoyable folky soul
it was good
It was pretty alright, had some nice songs and the intro was really enjoyable although there was a moment where I thought "Oh wow this song is really good" but it had just ended and switched to The Beach Boys so.. 7/10
It’s a fun rock album with jazz influence. I usually don’t like songs that are very instrumental, but this was interesting to listen to. 4/5
good band album. would listen again.
Melkosen outo pläjäys. 2,75*
Letkee ja menevä. Kuuntelin pyöräillessä ja kolmosen lailla toimi
Meandering jazzy soft rock. Apparently almost a Steve Windwood solo album. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Empty Pages Date listened: 07/07/23
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.
A little bit of a snoozefest to be honest 2/5
Great! I enjoyed this a lot.
Okay, this might be one of my favourites thus far! I listened some Traffic and Steve Winwood already. But this record, blew me away! Incredible performance of the whole band. They sound almost like Roxy Music at times, albeit a bit more prog maybe! Amazing band! 9 out of 10
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.
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.
The instrumental first track is off to a great start. I could imagine this as a musical score, and by the time the vocals start on the second track you are absorbed into the music and ready for action. The flute and bass really drive the funk train out of the station and by the time we get to Empty Pages, that train is chuggin’ along. I absolutely love the keys blending in with the walking accompaniment. The flute sticks around as the electric guitar is traded for acoustic and the yelling fades to lullabies, a welcomed bit of continuity. The album unfortunately putters out from here and the funk gives way to a bluesy resolution, which they do well enough, just not as quite as good as the magical funk factory presented at first. I dig the organ work, contrary to others’ opinions. I think it adds some depth to the whole thing. First 3 songs are Jamz.
I was not familiar with them, I like it pretty well. Might check into them more.
idk 7/10 (3/5)
Just not really my thing. Everyone here is clearly a phenomenal musician and this clearly works for some people, but it really didn’t for me. If I want to listen to 60s/70s jam-band music with eccentric instrumentation, I’ll stick with Jethro Tull… (Favorite Track: John Barleycorn (Must Die))
I liked it! It was really bluesy but also really mellow. It reminded me of Led Zeppelin, but somewhat less intense, Zepp can get very intense at times. Favorite song: freedom rider, for the sax solo.
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.
Not my jam but not objectively terrible. Definitely more piano and organ on these songs than I would prefer. The flute was unexpected, though I guess I shouldn't really have been that surprised.
I've listened to Traffic in the past and for the most part enjoyed their music. First time listening to John Barleycorn Must Die and I must say I liked it and surprised by the amazing musicianship. There is lots to like with a very cool jazzy-rock fusion sound with nice piano and flute bits something I didn't appreciate in my younger days. I've always liked Steve Winwood voice who can make anything sound good and he's in good form on this album. This will lead me to listen to more Traffic records.
Totally pleasant, but with no outstanding factors.
This one took me by surprise. The first half was on course for 5 stars, with the jazzy organ and flute combo. I think I knew Steve Winwood was in Traffic but didn’t quite track his trajectory. I like his 80s yacht rock, and this is just as tight but much more real and organic. It lost the momentum for me on the second side and settled down to more of the standard ‘71 folk shit that this list is flooded with. Still a solid 4 stars though.
opening two tracks are amazing. the rest is okay
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
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"
The jam format definitely does the album a disservice. Melodies don't feel fully developed and uninteresting chord progressions will go on for too long. Not a bad vibe, but it needs more than that.
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.
Real bad and boring
Honestly very good album. Knew nothing of these guys. Want to listen to it more. For 1970 felt like they were ahead of their time.
did not enjoy. not for me.
Traffic kind of blows and somehow that makes me sad. I always thought they were better than this, but the folky songs are just so bad. First couple tracks were solid. Empty Pages is one of those Steve Winwood gems, but the album just doesn’t do much else.