TRAFFIC — The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (review)

TRAFFIC — The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys album cover Album · 1971 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
seyo
Now, this is a true masterpiece of TRAFFIC, a follow-up to the highly acclaimed "John Barleycorn Must Die". The 6-piece band, now for the first time with a full-time bassist, and additional two percussionists, sounds almost like SANTANA orchestra (which is great!) with many polyphonic arrangements and full "progressiveness" and "fusion".

The title track alone is a monumental musical impression, like coming from outer space and eternity with wonderful jazzy playing, beautiful Winwood's singing and ethereal and spacey keyboard solo. It makes you wish to play it over and over again or to tape-loop it so as to stick the fade-out with the fade-in into a perpetual experience. The album starts and ends with two wonderful acoustic folksy songs with flutes that seriously question the "uniqueness" of Ian Anderson's playing. All in between is a perfect combination of rock, blues, jazz and soul in such a fine way that perhaps only the later STEELY DAN albums could match. The surrealist "cubicle" cover sleeve is a perfect companion to this perfect record.
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