Popdose - Latest Comments in The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Johnny Bacardi — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:15:46 -0000

For what it's worth, When the Eagle Flies was the first Traffic LP I ever owned and remains a strong personal favorite. Here's what I wrote about it a few years ago.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Darius — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:48:36 -0000

Help! "Low Spark..." won't download for me. I can only get the first 58 seconds. Thanks for your help.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Jack Feerick — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:27:21 -0000

Oh, I'll have to hunt down that version of "Low Spark." Capaldi did have a great voice—a bit more tough and snarly than Winwood, and it'll be interesting to hear how that works with this lyric. Part of what makes the Traffic version so effective, I think, is the contrast between the darkness of the lyric and Winwood's yearning, choir-boy delivery of the verses.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

jesselun — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:14:54 -0000

great article...awesome history

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

el bandito — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:15:53 -0000

Great read and thanks for the samples. Makes me want to go back and listen again. Couple things
1) I'm reading the Clapton biograph right now and it seemed to me that Blind Faith was doomed from the start. To this day I think Clapton regrets not getting more out of that band. But Cream had left such a bad taste for him...but just imagine another Blind Faith album right after that tour...could have been great.
2) For those of you who love "Low spark" search out the acoustic version that Capaldi did on a solo album. I've been looking for it forever (had it on cassette) There was something really great about his vocals on that version that the original doesn't have. Both a really good.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Clark — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:26:46 -0000

I forwarded this along to my dad who's a fan. I hope he's reading right now! Ha, I only remember seeing the two worst reviewed albums here in his collection: the live one whos cover looks like an atari video game, and the the kokopelli drawing guy playing a flute one.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

kshane — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:45:04 -0000

Steve Winwood is a giant who is not always placed in the high position that he deserves. If you've seen him in a live setting, you know that as good as he is as an organist, he's equally if not better as a guitar player. He's done a lot of great work in everything he's been part of, but Traffic will always be the high point for me. At their best, they were one of the great bands in rock and roll history.

Thanks for putting this together in an interesting and informative fashion.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

DwDunphy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:00:37 -0000

True. But Traffic always was more "whoa, man" and less Chopin, if you know what I mean. One gets the impression that when the band went 'out there' they probably didn't realize it until they has arrived.

Having said all that, "Low Spark..." still sounds pretty dang good.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

DwDunphy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:27:40 -0000

"Here Comes A Man" and "Every Night, Every Day" although sounding creepily synthetic still have a bit of the roadhouse swagger of "Roll With It". That's really the saving grace of a miscalculated reunion.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Jack Feerick — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:21:23 -0000

Heh. It's almost as if we planned it that way, hm?

Actually,the real plan was to run the Traffic guide last Tuesday, and a guide to Winwood's solo work today - but complications ensued (read: I blew my deadline), and Jeff bumped things back a week.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Rebecca — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:01:48 -0000

Thanks for doing this fabulous little guide. And on the release date of Winwood's new album, to boot.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Jack Feerick — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:43:46 -0000

If you were, you wouldn't remember anyway.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Jack Feerick — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:43:04 -0000

If you had just a minute to breathe, and they granted you one final wish, would you ask for something like ... oh, I dunno ... another doctor?

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

MichaelFortes — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:31:40 -0000

Great guide, I like how you structured the narrative. And I think you hit the nail on the head as to why the Traffic reunion fell flat -- they were indeed of their time. And what a time it was... wish I was there!

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Marti — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:04:57 -0000

"Low Spark" was the soundtrack to road trips up and down the East coast in a '64 Rambler American Classic when we were in college. Steve Winwood and Dave Mason kept us company from Hanover to Philly to DC to VA Beach and back again, more than once. Whodathunk the tune-master would continue to employ Traffic on his O.R. mixtapes when he grew up and started making his living as a saw-bones? Makes you wonder how many appencices have been removed to that tune...

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

Jack Feerick — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:51:51 -0000

Well, there’s excess, and there’s excess, you know? Most of the bombast of prog-rock comes on a compositional level, in the willful complexity of the structures - whereas even with Traffic’s longest songs, you could write the chord changes on an envelope and still have room for the return address.

Re: The Popdose Guide to Traffic

twostepcub — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:35:46 -0000

Great post....I had finally listened to my Steve Winwood box set a couple months ago (having it in storage for years without even playing it through) and didn't realize how chock full of Traffic it was. I love "THe Low Spark"....though I really thought that songs like "Shanghai Noodle Factory" were ELP-like excess. And thanks for the heads-up that the 94 reunion is mostly drivel.

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