Traffic: Stockholm, Sweden; September 5, 1967
EDIT : Please note the correct date is Sept. 12 1967. The info. stating that it is Sept. 5 is incorrect.
Howdy folks,
I have had this for many years, but my CD got damaged in a move. Lucky for me it was still on another torrent site. Hope you all enjoy this little gem as much as I do. Everything is just like I got it except I added a MD5 to comply with Dime’s rules.
Please.. PLEASE.. if you have any other Traffic from the ’67-’68 era, please post! I know there is a few out there, but they are not on Dime currently. Would love a seed or re-seed of these. Same can be said if there is an upgrade of this show too.
Now…. what category does Traffic go in?! Ah, love unique bands like this! ;)
As always, enjoy!
-Tom Shyman (amellowsoul@gmail.com)
"Traffic Jam"
01-Giving to You
02-Smiling Phases
03-Coloured Rain
04-Hole In My Shoe
05-Feelin’ Good
06-Paper Sun
07-Dear. Mr Fantasy
Steve Winwood
Jim Capaldi
Dave Mason
Chris Wood
Lineage:
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quoted from http://www.winwoodfans.com/boot60.htm#stock :
Traffic: "Traffic Jam" Stockholm, Sweden; September 5, 1967
Giving To You (5:26) | Smiling Faces (sic) (3:09) | Coloured Rain (4:37) | Hole In My Shoe (5:58) | Feelin’ Good (9:30) | Paper Sun (5:00) | Dear Mr. Fantasy (7:16)
This appears to be the same concert as the first half of "Heavy Traffic," available on vinyl but not recommended. This disc, in contrast, is highly recommended because it does not suffer from the speed problems of the prior release. Sound quality is good to very good. A little bit of hiss will be heard on some tracks on systems with very good high end. Otherwise it sounds fine, even on small portables or computer speakers. The more I listen to this disc, the greater my appreciation for it. Besides, the later "Welcome To The Canteen," it is one of the only documents of the original members live together, and this is ’67, during or shortly after the Berkshire cottage days. This is a group that is surprisingly at the top of its creative powers despite its relatively short time together and notwithstanding the heights it would continue to reach later.
Dave Mason plays guitar for most of the concert, with the exception of "Dear Mr. Fantasy." Here probably lies the fascination of the group’s sound on this disc because he lends a hard biting edge to songs later heard in different arrangements for the trio and well before his prowess as a lead guitarist was established. The disc begins with "Giving To You," which has a vocal melody and lyrics that did not appear on the first album: "Moving and grooving through country so soothing /My mind taking flight now again/Relaxed at the wheel and I’m starting(?) to feel/That life is worth living/And living is giving to you’" The solos throughout are inspired, and Steve’s voice is in fine form. Mason actually plays sitar on "Hole In My Shoe," which is done very respectably, considering the difficulty of pulling this song off live. "Feelin’ Good" is very interesting, again because of the presence of guitar not on the "Last Exit" version. Also notable: "Smiling Phases," "Coloured Rain," and the exquisite "Paper Sun," all tunes only played during the trio’s early tours of America. They quickly dropped off the playlist. The acknowledgment of Mason is not to diminish the contributions of Winwood, Capaldi and Wood. All are excellent, particularly Wood, who later had a history of up-and-down live performances.
Steve talks quite a bit more than usual between tracks and there are many references to the forthcoming album. The concert was obviously in between the release of the first single and first album. This is an historic disc. Unfortunately, availability unknown at this time. Release date was 1988.
Grade: A
