Traffic (album)

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Traffic

Studio album by Traffic
Released	October 1968
Recorded	Island Studios, London
Genre	jazz rock, art rock
Length	40:24
Label	Island Records
Producer(s)	Jimmy Miller
All Music Guide link
Traffic chronology
Mr. Fantasy 1967	Traffic 1968	Last Exit 1969

Traffic was the eponymous rock album by the band Traffic, ranging in style from psychedelic rock to acid jazz. It was their second release, in February 1968.

1 Overview
2 Track listing
3 Other versions
4 Personnel
5 External links

[edit] Overview

After their debut album, Mr. Fantasy, Traffic planned a more mainstream album, possibly with fewer drug references and psychedelic influences. Before they began recording, they decided to reinstate Dave Mason. Mason ended up writing and singing roughly half of the album, making almost no contribution to the other half.

Chris Wood's flute playing on the album was compared to that of Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull, who is often thought of as the most famous rock flautist of all time.

Following the release of Traffic, the band embarked upon a tour of the United States but shortly thereafter fired bassist Mason. At the conclusion of the tour, at the beginning of 1969, Winwood announced the breakup of Traffic . Winwood joined supergroup Blind Faith while the remaining members of Traffic (including Mason) worked on a project called Wooden Frog which never recorded an album. In 1970, Winwood reunited with Capaldi and Wood to release John Barleycorn Must Die.

[edit] Track listing

"You Can All Join In" (Mason) – 3:34
"Pearly Queen" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 4:20
"Don't Be Sad" (Mason) – 3:24
"Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring" (Capaldi/Winwood/Wood) – 3:11
"Feelin' Alright" (Mason) – 4:16
"Vagabond Virgin" (Capaldi/Mason) – 5:21
"Forty Thousand Headmen" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 3:15
"Cryin' to Be Heard" (Mason) – 5:14
"No Time to Live" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 5:10
"Means to an End" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 2:39

Bonus tracks from 2000 CD release:
"Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" (Capaldi/Mason/Winwood/Wood) – 2:45
"Am I What I Was or Am I What I Am" (Capaldi/Winwood/Wood) – 2:36
"Withering Tree" (Capaldi/Winwood) – 2:57
"Medicated Goo" (Miller/Winwood) – 3:39
"Shanghai Noodle Factory" (Capaldi/Fallon/Miller/Winwood/Wood) – 5:03

[edit] Other versions

The album was remastered in 2001 with Capaldi assisting. The new version included one new track, Withering Tree and two different versions of the original tracks, mono single mixes of You Can All Join In and Feelin' Alright.