Traffic - John Barleycorn must die

1969
Island Records


1. Glad
2. Freedom Rider
3. Empty Pages
4. I just want to know
5. Stranger to Himself
6. John Barleycorn (must die)
7. Every Mothers Son
8. Sittin' Here Thinkin' Of My Love
9. Backstage and Introduction (Live)
10. Who knows what tomorrow may bring (Live)
11. Glad (Live)

Tracks 9-11 from Fillmore East NYC 18/19 November 1970

With Traffic reduced to the trio of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Jim Capaldi, the question at the time was what could they produce to develop from the prior works of the band. The answer - a classic. One of the major albums of the early seventies with Winwood's blue eyed soul mixing with a progressive jazz/rock feel, but also capturing the blues at their most basic level.

Of necessity Winwoods keyboards, and Woods horns dominate the proceedings with the Hammond Organ taking the lead and rhythm.

The album is stuffed with classics including the opening instrumental "Glad" which is a rich cocktail of styles and influences, the exceptional pairing of "Freedom Rider" and "Empty Pages" are songs that would grace any performance with thier eloquence and melodic content.

The guitar is used sparingly on the oddly short "I just want you to know", and with more effect on the bluesy "Stranger to himself" both jammed full of soul.

How odd then, in the context of what has gone before, that the title track introduces a folk motif with Winwood's take on the traditional song. Wood's flute carries an improvisational edge which takes it beyond the idiom but this is taken fairly straight, with the percussion at a minimum.

After this diversion the classic "Every Mother's Son" with its achingly good slide guitar signature is the highlight of the album, perhaps best capturing the prevalent music scene at the turn of the decade with its nod to the other side of the Atlantic, not in any way signalling the prog-madness that would descend on the nation over the next few years. The interplay between the group here is exceptional.

The concluding track on the original album is the reflective "Sittin' here thinkin' of my love" which is perhaps is the least satisfying song on the album and a feeling that Winwood is over-singing. It has a sort of Beatles feel about it (McCartney rather than Lennon) and does not seem to fit with the rest of the material.

The Island remasters version of the Album has three extra tracks one of which is a gratuitous backstage recording. Ric Gresch joins on bass and drums for the weak "Who knows what tomorrow may bring" which lacks any real sense of purpose. The horns are mixed ridiculously high which detract from pleasurable listening. Far better is a live version of the album opener "Glad" which has a superior mix.

The original is 90% there as a classic album from the 70s - the CD extras are mostly disposable in the context of the original.