Traffic

Maybe is not the ultimate example of a pure prog band, but they did some amazing music. For profanes, I recommend the low spark of high heeled boys, both the song and the album.

I take it "profanes" is a Freudian slip, mirco?!

In the 1970s I had most of TRAFFIC's LPs, still have "The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys" on cassette and have been thinking about buying the albums on CD. Therefore I suppose I'm a bit biased really.

TRAFFIC's music was considered Progressive Rock in the 1970s but I'm not sure it's what people today think of as Progressive Rock. However, I do think TRAFFIC is closer to my own concept of a Progressive Rock band than ROXY MUSIC and 10CC, which several forum members have been lobbying for inclusion. I've always thought of the latter two as pop (good pop, but pop nonetheless).

What I've said about TRAFFIC I could almost say about ARGENT (also excellent music), and they're in the Archives, so I suppose on balance my vote would be to include TRAFFIC. (Actually, thinking about it, TRAFFIC is more Prog than is ARGENT.)

If anyone reading this has not listened to TRAFFIC, check out any of the albums mentioned by Easy Livin for some great music with a jazz-rock feel. My personal favourite is "The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys". The 12 or so minute title track is simply excellent.

 

Fitzcarraldo wrote: TRAFFIC's music was considered Progressive Rock in the 1970s but I'm not sure it's what people today think of as Progressive Rock.

This is a coincidence, I've just bought myself the remastered  Welcome To The Canteen - and been slightly disappointed (with the exception of Gimme Me Some Loving, which I'm on as part of the audience). This album and their music at that time was  underground (part of the recording was made for the OZ Benefit and you couldn't have got more underground than that in those days).  I think the lost years of Traffic, changes of personal etc., combined with an early catalogue of  psychedelic tunes (both on albums and singles), meant a reduced acceptance as a prog band at the time. Low Spark, John Barleycorn did something to reestablish the crediblity as a band who could put whole albums together - Low Spark probably has jazz rock credibility. But Welcome To the Canteen is one of several examples of albums that  do not readily dropping into the prog rock category - much closer to Ginger Baker's Airforce sort of rock with African rhythms (and two of the line-up here were also in Airforce). Therefore I've got mixed feelings about their inclusion - btw I would guess more brass rock bands covered Traffic or Spencer Davis Group tunes than  any others - e.g. Chicago, BST, Dreams.

You are right but I had to double check my original vinyl version. But it has always been a Traffic album to me and most others - and I believe that Oz Benefit Concert was advertised as the reformed Traffic gig - Dave Mason was back. Island catalogued the album under Traffic - and Amazon.UK (from whom I bought the Cd) listed the album under Traffic


Edited by Dick Heath

Lets see, no less than five albums that either fall into
the broad spectrum of progressive rock or bordering
elements.

Mr Fantasy
Traffic
John Barleycorn Must Die
The Low Spark of High-heeled Boys
When the Eagle Flies

Much more diverse and talented than most
progressive rock bands, there style covered many
branches of progressive rock and had probably as
much influence on music coming out of the UK
during the early 70s as the Stones, the Who, ELP
and Jethro Tull. As with Steely Dan in the states they
created a distinctive version of jazz rock that was very
powerful.

I would say if Rushs output with its kitchen sink,
everywhere, fairy tale lyrics is good enough. Steve
Winwoods cosmic observations deserves to be
included. Easy choice in my mind, though much of
there output could be considered mainstream rock,
think Rush pretty much falls into that catagory too!

Tragically underrated by progheads, their Phase One
albums are some of the most durable, least-dated
music of the '60s. Phase Two (1970-73) was their
most fruitful period, particularly the classic album
John Barleycorn Must Die. Fans of the early,
folky-jamming Caravan ought to check this out.
Phase Three (When The Eagle Flies) finds them
moving into more direct fusion territory. Two
members of this lineup (Rosko Gee and Rebop
Kwaku Baah) turned up in Can -cut and paste

Safe and essential inclusion

Edited by DallasBryan

It's a bizantine question, anyway. The music if from Traffic albums, the players are the same that played in Traffic... what else can it be if not a Traffic album?

mirco wrote: This may spread some lights over  Welcome to the canteen: T raffic went on tour in the summer of ’71, adding Rick Grech and “Reebop” Kwaku Baah (both late of Ginger Baker’s Airforce) plus Jim Gordon for support. When original member Dave Mason joined them on six dates, the resulting performances were used to complete Traffic’s five-album contract with United Artists in the form of the live album Welcome to the Canteen. If you think they bothered to plug their latest brilliant opus, think again. While the album cover lists the individuals involved, and the album label credits “Traffic, Etc.,” this isn’t a continuation of the superlative John Barleycorn Must Die but a throwback to the catch-all Last Exit. In fact, only a handful of Traffic songs appear on the album: the thoughtful “40,000 Headmen” and “Dear Mr. Fantasy” from their debut and the lively “Medicated Goo” (their last single with Mason). The remaining tracks feature solo material from Mason (“Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave” and the compelling “Sad and Deep As You”) and a nine-minute version of the Spencer Davis Group nugget, “Gimme Some Lovin’.” It was the latter that, in edited form, became the album’s single, charting higher (#68) in the US than any Traffic song before or since. The trouble with Welcome to the Canteen is that, for a septet, the arrangements aren’t nearly as interesting as Capaldi, Winwood and Wood achieved as a trio. Where John Barleycorn Must Die was clearly a step forward, Welcome to the Canteen is a step back. Earlier fans might appreciate the reunion, but the sound quality is disappointing (on vinyl at least) and the venues (Croydon and London) less than electric. Like a lot of live albums, it’s a detour to nowhere, although it’s apparently a better bet to please fans than the subsequent On the Road.

I add that  their contract for United Artists Records was only for the U.S. and yes,  "Welcome to the Canteen" didn`t have the name "Traffic" in the cover.   It was more a legal thing with United Artists, not with Mason. Since late  1971, the Island Records label, distributed then in the U.S. by Capitol Records, released their next albums in the U.S. : "Low Spark...", "Shout out at the Fantasy Factory" and  "On the Road". "When the Eagle Flies" was released in the U.S. by the Asylum Records label. United Artists years later  also released two Traffic compilations: "Heavy Traffic" and "More Heavy Traffic". There also was an unreleased live album recorded in 1970. United Artists released a double  album called "Winwood" in 1971 with songs recorded by Winwood with Traffic, Spencer Davies Group, and others. Winwood didn`t like this release, so UA had to withdraw the album from the market. This album is sometimes sold in ebay.com as a "rare album".

Edited by Guillermo

Certif1ed wrote: Fabulous band - amazing vocals from Mr Winwood - but not prog

I hate the vocals but they are prog!!!

oliverstoned wrote: Certif1ed wrote: Fabulous band - amazing vocals from Mr Winwood - but not prog I hate the vocals but they are prog!!!

I like the vocals, but they are not prog - as I said.

Edited by Certif1ed

Steve Winwood sings like a caserolle...