Classical Composer Reaction & Analysis to Glad/Freedom Rider (Traffic) | The Daily Doug (Ep. 492) 

Low Spark Of High Heeled Boy, start to finish, is a masterpiece.

I love this album--and Low Spark of High Heeled Boys--always fun to play bass to--I do often.

Great pick, Doug. Traffic were the bridge between progressive bands like Yes and Van der Graaf Generator and the more traditional blues rock bands of the late 60's/early 70's. I always think of them as the "stealth" prog band of the early 70's in that they were TRULY progressive in the way they blended different genres and pushed boundaries. They could be compared to early Jethro Tull in how they mixed blues with folk and jazz, but it was Steve Winwood's soul roots that gave them a really unique sound. And yeah, Chris Wood is often mixed low in the recordings but he was still very important to Traffic's "brand". Please go on to The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys after you finish John Barleycorn.

Great, thanks!! What a great time to be a senior in high school! The music was outstanding!!!

They had a lot of good songs. These were 2 of my favorites. Also, Low Spaek of High Heeled Boys is great.

Once again, Kudos to the Incredible and Underrated Drumming (and Lyrics) of The Late, Great, Jim Capaldi 🥁

Thanks for checking this out. They were extremely adventurous and they affected me that way.

I see that this episode won't make it to one of your most popular ones, so I just write to say kudos to you. Traffic is an old favorite of mine and your reaction/analysis captured something essential of their music. I see that others already gave you some good suggestions for other songs from them. Please, bring them back from time to time to your own lime-light. Thank you very much!

Traffic was an amazing band. Nobody sounded like them. My favorite is the "Traffic" album (released before "Barleycorn") -- extremely eclectic with some absolutely classic tunes.

It was great when Glad got into the outro, Doug instinctively started noodling on the keys, not realizing that was exactly what Winwood was about to do for the next few minutes!

That point with the white and black keys was a brilliant observation!

Traffic were a great band and really overlooked

Shootout at the Fantasy Factory song is just rock bliss Doug

Wah wah and octave filter on the sax, Doug !

I LOVE that you talk over the music rather than switching it off every few seconds to comment like so many others do. Excellent breakdown! Subscribed. Thanks!

Do the whole album, it's FANTASTIC, my favorite Traffic album!

That album is a masterpiece imo

Excellent album. Going on a road trip…Great driving music.

You cannot do anything from this album unless you do John Barleycorn. Its their masterpiece.

Superb stuff Doug - great drumming! 2 other great early 70’s albums from the UK are “Split” by the Groundhogs and “Argus” by Wishbone Ash. Timeless

Grade 8, I'm listening to 'Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes'. One year later, it's Traffic. :-)

Thanks for this reaction and analysis. It's my second favorite track from this fantastic album, after the title track. Hope you get to that one soon!

Wow! I am grateful to you for having revived, the moment of a song and for the happiness of our ears, the music of TRAFFIC. An example, alas among many others, of an exceptional group... unfairly forgotten. Their live album "S̤h̤o̤o̤t̤ O̤ṳt̤ A̤t̤ T̤h̤e̤ Fa̤n̤t̤a̤s̤y̤ Fa̤c̤t̤o̤r̤y̤" (1973) also deserves our full attention. Thank you, Master Helvering.

50 years ago, musicians had to have their stuff in the sack, or they didn't make it-no shuckin' and jivin' back then-it was all about the music and the talent, especially in that time period between 1967-1973. Traffic was no exception.

Oh great! I asked for Traffic some premiers back, this really makes me and many more dougs happy, I feel amazing. Ty Doug!

I love that whenever Doug jams along with any tune it always sounds so tasteful and in-place. Never sticks out badly, no matter the genre

This was the very first time I listened to Traffic when I went through my moms records when I was 11. She purchased the album new when it came out because her roommate in college was a huge Traffic fan and my mom loved this album start to finish. JBMD ranks at the top of my most listened to albums. I have my moms record and it still plays great. "Glad" you enjoyed it.

Loved this analysis, Doug. Thanks for this great insight -- what a revelation! Next from Traffic: "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" -- the album, please!

Chris Wood used to electrify his saxophone and run it through a wah pedal. Miles Davis used to do it with his trumpet too.

Perhaps their finest work. Still one of my favorites to this day.

I love this album. Huge Traffic and Steve Winwood fan. Always have been a Traffic fan!

Doug, great fun to watch you react to and break down those amazing changes on Freedom Rider. Incredible song, incredible album, incredible band.

I saw them do this live a couple of times when the Album first came out.

Doug all I'm going to say is you need to hear all of this fantastic album. Traffic are deservedly in the Rock Hall of Fame in case you didn't know and Steve Winwood was a child prodigy and was the front man of The Spencer Davis Group at age 15 (some say 16). Steves earlier work (like this record and all previous works) is my favorite but I have an appreciation of his more pop music as well, but less so. I listen to this record at last once a year and never tire of it.

Traffic is one of my favorite bands. Chris Wood on sax and flute. R.I.P. Chris. This is a great album.

Glad you did this album. It was something very new at the time and only Three players

Love this album.

Such dynamic creativity from one of the era's GOAT musicians.

Oh man ... Hard to say, but I'm looking forward to spending more time on Traffic (pun absolutely intended) Love John Barleycorn Must Die and Low Spark, fantastic albums from a fantastic band ... Who shot down the fantasy factory :P, sorry for those puns but how can anyone not be Glad and Free after this?

Steve Winwood is my favorite male rock singer, so I'm very familiar with this one. Great stuff.

Doug, you will absolutely love that whole album. Without a doubt. It should find its way onto the list for future EPL episodes 🙂

Keep on going, play the whole album! Can you imagine listening to this as an 18 year old. My suggestion for an album is Sopwith Camel, The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon.

The whole album is great. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is another good one. Fun analysis, thanks

Fabulous album! Happy to see a section of it (would love to hear the rest!)

A wonderful album. Thoroughly unique for the time. The solos are a bit extraneous by todays standards, but hey, it's trippy, ya know? A combination of psychedelic pop, with jazz jam overtones and a hint of prog. And Stevie's voice is outstanding.

Thanks, Richard, you read my mind!

This is Stevie Winwood. Huge respect. Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, ditto. You could dive into Stevie Winwood's career and the many people he influenced. I listened to this album over and over back in the day.

Very special at the time and it holds up over time.

hope you listened to the whole album. Its a Masterpiece. Check out "When The Eagle Flies" and Dream Gerrard which is Winwood and Vivian Stanshall. Some Borodin and Barber in that one.

Lou R. is absolutely right. John Barleycorn is a must do.

I'm looking forward to it. Ten more minutes 😊

Great album, my father,(who has past) purchased Lp while I was in grade school and I was listening to it then in 6th grade. Like around 1972 I think. Not even knowing who Steve Winwood was. Enjoying it til this day. Particularly all side one.

The sax microphone was running through a wah wah pedal

"Glad" is one of the greatest instrumentals ever IMO.

Very cool to listen to your description.

I do that going up by a half-step thing sometimes. I don't know whether they did it for the same reasons I do - for me it's intended as a tritone substitution rather than going to the V, and gives a different kind of movement that feels to give a lift that going to the V (or going up a full tone) just doesn't. That sax was being run through a wah which is probably what made it sound like there was something else there. Hey ho, who can tell their intentions, but it's a fab tune :-)

This is essential listening.

This is awesome! Makes me want to learn notes again!

it doesnt matter if you make a video about that , but one day you have to check out Northern lights by Asia Minor. One of the most atmospheric and gentle tunes i ve ever heard from a terrific prog band from Turkey. Love you all , greetings and thanks for your awesome videos man!

When you feel like revisiting Traffic, take on the title track from the next studio album following John Barleycorn - "Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys" (it's long) - this will highlight the 'jam' direction they were taking: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vDGorIWYz-A.html If you want to know what Steve Winwood did during his hiatus, he formed a one-shot supergroup called "Blind Faith", with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker from Cream, and Ric Grech on bass (who appears on the Low Spark album with the reformed Traffic)... Their epic track (the entire 2nd side) is "Do What You Like", on which everyone gets an extended solo: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u2IpqvvlT24.html

If you like this you should check out their concert from 1972 recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Center.

It's a year and some change later but I have to throw my voice in for Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys. It's phenomenal, and it is one of those songs that gives me good goose bumps when I listen.

Well, lots of good comments about this song, but of course there is the incredible 'Every Mother's Son' which is so heartfelt.

Musically I have no idea what you're talking? But have loved this music for Decades And your reactions!!!...

Let's see.. that's G going down to E flat, down to A flat then to D, then back on to A minor 7th, then following into E flat minor 7th, correct? This is the finest of the Winwood/Wood/Capaldi artwork.

One of my favourite 2 tracks in all the world! The percussion is teacups, spoon, glasses part filled with water, taped up and 'impaired' tambourine, an empty tin can and some beer bottles... all hit with various things, Jim Capaldi was to say the an eccentric percussionist! HE. WAS. BRILLIANT. Again played this myself but we had no saxophonist so I did the wah-wah sax on a six-string bass, fuzz box and wah-wah in that order, the other way around it sounds awful.

The other song you missed is the titled track “ John Barleycorn must Die”

This opening nailed me - as a young Dave Brubeck fan.

Hi Professor Helvering, I do remember well having bought Traffic - On The Road (recorded live in Germany) in 1973 or thereabout (aged 15) with funny, made up traffic signs printed on the inner sleeve jackets or whatever they might be called in English, starting off with Glad/Freedom Rider as a mind-blowing session with two drummers plus percussionist, two keyboard players (with Winwood on Grand Piano being one of them). I had no idea of John Barleycorn (appearing after Winwood's Blind Faith interlude) or any other Traffic record at the time, but was disappointed completely when I finally bought it, because - in comparison with/to? On The Road - it totally sucked. So do yourself a favour and dive into the jamming skills of Traffic because the songs are mostly jams and if Winwood's electric lead solo on Sometimes I Feel So Uninspired is not driving you to tears, well, I don't know. Hi from Berlin, Germany

I have a freaking awesome from the board bootleg of Traffic at the Anderson Theater in NYC from November 23, 1973. Amazing setlist.

So glad to see some Traffic on the channel.

Very good insight about the all white chords to the all black chords. I think that it's on purpose, because no other song that I know, does this. The song is unusual because of these chord changes, so it's not by accident. Steve Winwood is a genius.

Doug........For me the key changes are not weird. If it sounds good, who cares?! I love this album and the other Traffic albums. I have them all on vinyl. Enjoyed your analysis as always. Have a great day!

Low Spark of High Heeled Boys should be your next excursion into traffic. Put on your seatbelt.👍👍👍🤠

I bet he's gonna do something by Blind Faith soon. He will be tempted by Steve Winwood teaming up with Clapton.

Trafic the best of british rock

My wife lived in England for 2 yrs ages 18-20 yrs 86-88. Jim Capaldi was the local drunk and she got to know him quite well. No one in town, nor his Brazilian wife; respected him.

The sax is using a wah-wah pedal. Like Ian Underwood on Hot Rats.

the sax is being run through a wah-wah pedal, Doug.

To me, Traffic;s greatness comes largely from their transcendence of genres. They got into jazz, blues, psychedelia, folk, whatever they were feeling at the time.

There is a video of Blood, Sweat & Tears covering Traffic’s Empty Pages. Highly recommend.

Good sir, your next songs from traffic should be (in order) John Barleycorn, Tragic Magic, Feelin' Alright? (yes, with the question mark, Cocker covered them), Light Up or Leave Me Alone, and The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.

I think Chris Wood used a wah wah peddle on his sax to get that funky sound in Glad.

Saw Traffic live 2X, late 60's, Winwood is amazing. Check out Gimme Some Lovin by Spencer Davis Group( Winwood lead vocals ).

Steve Winwood the multi instrumentalist playing keys and flute and who knows what else lol

Cool 😎 thanks ❄ 🌎❄

I have been reading Richard Digby Smith's book on his career, starting Island. One his first editing jobs was on Freedom rider. The 2nd time you hear the snare on it's own it is an edit, copied from the first time. The first time I heard this it blew me away, Winwood right at the edge of his range.

Whole lp is superb.

“Forty Thousand Headmen”.

I believe that's a sax played through a wa-wa peddle.

🙋🏼‍♂️🎵🙋🏼‍♂️Hope U Will Do Alan Parson Project Tales Of Mystery & Imagination 1976 (1987 remix) thank u SIR 🙋🏼‍♂️

I think he was 19 or 20 when he composed it . At some vacant house in the countryside.

Love the burlap barley sack cover.

I remember Steve Winwood from Blind Faith

Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. You need to get to that one if you haven't yet.

It is Empty Pages & it is fabulous. Should have gone right into it

The is being played through a wah-wah pedal. Perhaps, someone mentioned that already.

Traffic were the first band to be labelled "progressive." I watched it happen in 1967. I'm not saying they invented prog (although they were certainly a landmark), just that they inspired the name. The first wave of British progressive music with Traffic, The Moody Blues, Soft Machine, Procol Harum, The Nice.

I like your reaction when you first hear it. This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I think you really need to listen to the Woodstock 1994 performance. Winwood is there, but the sax/flute is by Randall Bramlett. My ear says the 1994 version is far superior to the original.

If you really want your mind blown, listen to TRAFFIC’s DREAM GERRARD… you will forever be in AWE…