Album : Traffic – Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys

CB was by now a Traffic fan.  ‘Low Spark’ didn’t do anything to dispel that.  The opening cut continues with their familiar sound. Winwood’s vocals and some nice flute from Chris Wood.  Softer, folksy tune which starts to build and feels like it wants to bust out.  The title track fades in with an infectious piano riff, percussion, sax and gets into a very cool groove.  Winwood adds some vocals and great lyrics.  It turns into a Traffic jam.  Fades out.  It was songs like this that made this band so appealing to CB.  I was along for this twelve minute groove. Love this tune.  Jim Capaldi picks up the pace with the last cut on side one.  He takes the vocal.  Blues/rocker and I dug it.  Again they get into their jam mode.  I also liked Winwood’s guitar.  Side one was sounding good.

Two new members Ric Grech and Jim Gordon contribute the next song ‘Rock n Roll Stew’.  And it is a rock n roll stew.  Was digging this tune.  Traffic was a band that was always ready to break out into a jam.  Another change of pace with ‘Many a Mile to Freedom’.  It didn’t hurt to have a vocalist like Steve Winwood.  The last song ‘Rainmaker’ takes the band through their different styles starting out with a folksy traditional sound that changes into a jazzy bluesy rock workout. It all gets kind of funky.

CB loved this record and this band.  They were getting a lot of play at his pad.  One of his top bands.  So much to like about their music.   It covered a lot of bases. The Winwood, Capaldi, Wood nucleus was still there but the new band members, Gordon, Grech and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah brought some good stuff to the table.

I spent a lot of time with this record.  Cool album jacket.  Little taste below.