Traffic- The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys (First Listen)
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
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Song Link: • TRAFFIC - THE LOW SPAR...
Steve Winwood is simply one of the most talented musicians, and vocalists there has ever been.
Absolutely!
The guy can play anything basically
Agree
HOLY CRAP! One of the best songs of all time!!!!!!!! I love when you surprise me with stuff like this!
I live to surprise!
Indeed we used to sit around, smoke a few and listen to/share music. Remember that we didn't have Walkmans/Boxes/IPods/phones/whatevers to carry/have music with us wherever we went. Music was pretty much just at home, or the radio in the car. Bringing new music to a friends house for a first listen was looked forward to. Music was a very communal experience back in the day.
Jeff Martin :Good old days. However this channel is kinda similar with the comments.
Miss the excitement of bringing a friend over to listen to your latest find. Or going to the used record store with a bud and then then sitting up all night sharing what you both found.
Winwood is phenomenal.
My top 5 favorite songs by him are:
Dear Mr. Fantasy, Can’t Find My Way Home, John Barleycorn Must Die, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, and Dream Gerrard.
OOO I haven't heard Dream Gerrard. It must be good, I love the rest of your favs. The first time hearing John Barleycorn, what an experience!
Stevie Winwood has quite a pedigree in music. His first major band was the Spencer Davis Group, best known for songs like "Give Me Some Loving" and "I'm a Man" when he was 14 years old. Later he went on to form the (second) SuperGroup, Blind Faith, with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, formerly of Cream. Low Spark is a great album, but my favorite is "John Barleycorn Must Die." Thanks for playing this.
Glad you mentioned the Barleycorn album -- "Freedom Rider" is the most popular song. And Winwood's solo career is worth mentioning, too.
@@ianmc8671 I think he was 19 when they recorded that one, and still stands the test of time, and then some!
And he didn't do too poorly with his solo career in the '80s.
By the late 60s, Spencer Davis group hired a rhythm section consisting of Nigel Olsson on drums and the miraculous Dee Murray on bass-guitar. These two soon afterward became the core of Elton John's band. They were Elton's only accompanists at the Troubadour in L.A. -- the show that made Elton an instant hit and legendary showman.
One of my favorite musical moments is the dissonant chord near the end.
Traffic were a great band, quite jazzy. Another track from them that you should react to is Dear Mr. Fantasy.
Absolutely!!
Its more than a song, its more like a piece of music from a play or an opera. Epic Tune!
An artist friend of mine had this album and was played a lot. Traffic has grown to be a bigger favorite than back then. This song as well as, Glad, Freedom Rider, Empty Pages, and John Barleycorn Must Die are work playlist for me.
As far as working for radio, radio was different back then and was in transition from totally AM to partially AM and partially the new FM stations. Early AM stations would play many genres of music: Johnny Cash then Led Zeppelin then Jonie Mitchell and so forth but the songs were shorter usually or had edited versions. Hey Jude and American Pie pushed the envelope. FM was new and longer songs were common and sometimes whole albums were played or one side. Good times...
Enjoyed this days’ choice m’lord.
Find joy daily, stay safe,
Peace and Music
Great comments, Sir! Great observations about Radio at that time! Yes, there were very few "Real Rock and Roll" AM stations, and in my hometown, it was the Junior College FM station that took over the airwaves with a "progressive" format, where we heard deep cuts, and artists that were not played on AM radio. "The College Station" was Hippie's radio!!!
MissAstorDancer
Thx Dancer,
Yeah, they all were pretty much hippie radio... got a lot of album tips that way.
I remember getting caught with my Radio Shack Realistic speakers pressed up against my head like earphones with the volume down fairly low and my Dad yelled at me so good for that. “If I Ever Catch You Again blah blah blah... “ Good times.
Take care:)
College FM stations played this a lot. Most of them had maybe one or two people on air, so this was a great break for them. Of course, it made the audience happy too.
1971...It was like yesterday, an 11 year old Will walking with his older sister to her (guitarists) boyfriends house, and going into the basement. Hey check out this album by this new group called Traffic. Low Spark comes on they light up, i'm fidgety at that age of course. But that flow, that sound, Windwood's voice, that Sax. Hearing that song and album at that young age had a profound influence on my musical tastes going forward. Small mind blown, lol Great reaction...as far as the extended solos, I've always felt the same way but wouldn't change it for the world, it's a jam session, ie Santana. Thanks again.
Which reminds me. Europa by Santana is an awesome instrumental song with Carlos's soaring guitar
Blind Faith live at Hyde Park is amazing, especially "Can't Find My Way Home"
I'd never heard this before but... damn, that was good!
Ariadne Chance Check out the album...I’ll link just one of the many great songs
ruclips.net/p/OLAK5uy_koDVbk1NRqmSSDLVhcNOORPPeqS310RbY. The song is Many a Mile to Freedom.
Yeah, if you're going to own one Traffic album, this is probably it.
A wonderful iconic "Classic Rock" song from it's Golden Age. Mostly played only on "FM", or underground radio, due to it's length. Yes, this a very good song to "Get High" to. But the nuts and bolts of this song, stand on their own merit. Part Jazz, part Rock, and part poetry. This song is really good.
Thanks for reacting to it.
Ahhhhhh my old love "Low Spark"! Nothing better than a doobie and a head full of Steve Winwood! "If you had just a minute to breathe and they granted you one final wish, would you ask for something like another chance." Spectacular songwriting!! ❤
You could prepare a 5 course meal in the kitchen, while listening to this song. Back in the old days, I did that, after smoking a little something, and then getting very hungry. Lol!.
Lol! By the end you'd definitely be ready to eat the whole meal
Been a while since i commented, its nice to get back into the mix with this one. I forgot how much i loved it. Radio used to play songs like this but those times are over. I'm 35 and used to listen to this when i was about 18 to 23 then DJ's essentially died and radio was no longer as much a local thing. I'm glad i found a classical rock station when i did because i remember this song quite a bit. TRAFFIC and STEVE WINWOOD have more reallly high level songs. WINWOOD went on to have a great solo career and is most known for his song HIGHER LOVE and his singing at the very young age of 18 i believe in the spencer davis group GIMME SOME LOVING. I heard him play it live about 15 years ago and he was obviously far older but he still rocked the vocals. Very clean, very crisp. DEAR MR. FANTASY and JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE are another couple to be mindful of. Not telling you how to go about your business but at some point in your life they should be listened to. WINWOOD is a rare talent, and although the rest of the band here played great you will see he is really the highlight as you listen to more tunes and learn more about him. Also I'm always in the mood for some more JETHRO TULL. SONGS FROM THE WOOD, is a tune with lots of moving parts i think you'll enjoy.
Ty Zen! Happy to see you back
Thank you so much, Justin, for this reaction and analysis! I agree with you that the drums and percussion are both major highlights of this piece!
I'm sure you realize that this was a great example of "music to smoke weed and/or trip to". So, it's designed to be listened to while kicking back in a comfortable chair and getting lost in the jam!
The entire album is wonderful, a very eclectic mix of musical styles. I also HIGHLY recommend "Hidden Treasure" for a beautiful trippy experience with lovely lyrics, and "Light Up or Leave Me Alone" for an almost funky, very rocking ride, but with another great jam!
Thanks again, Justin!!!
Glad to see younger generations listening and enjoying the music I grew up with. I think they will realize that the time frame from 1968-1979 was very special and analyze why.
A Rock and Roll Classic with enough Jazz to make you feel like you understand both genres. Just a incredible song from a band well ahead of it’s time! Very cool early seventies groove...
Excellent choice... Outstanding.
Edit... If you like Jim Gordon and Eric Clapton.. check out
"Bell Bottom Blues" by Derek and the Dominoes
Another Edit: actually just about anything from their double album " Layla and other assorted live songs" or their double album " live in concert" is good....
I'm sure you heard Layla ( about George Harrison's wife) but studio version "Bell Bottom Blues" is my top recommendation.
I second the motion re: "Bell Bottom Blues".
Clapton's "talent" is that he's white, for folks who can't handle -- are intinidated by -- black.
You probably needed to enjoy the song in the same frame of mind that many young people did in that time. As far as the length, DJs used to play this when they needed the time to take a break (smoke or otherwise). But also take into consideration that good bands made albums. Not only singles. Albums would have some longer experimental pieces for enjoying in the spirit of the time.
Ah, so that was what they were doing! Remember the intros always including some backhanded praise for "little Stevie Winwood" - as though he were stuck in some teen prodigy suspended animation (this came out long after his early work with Spencer Davis, etc.).
They smoked weak stuff in the past and now they smoke high TMC legal stuff .
But the music people listen to has changed . Now they want hip hop, EDM or sometimes metal / indie music . Classic rock is passé now
Thanks, Justin, for covering this song! That piano riff and the bass line are simply hypnotic. Then to add in that crushing, chaotic, discordant chord at the end. I love it.
You absolutely HAVE to hear “Dream Gerrard” from the Traffic album “When The Eagle Flies”. I think you’ll love it. I do. 😃
Yup,I LOVE that one too ! One of their greatest songs in my opinion but that one hardly gets any mention.
And walking in the wind. It's easy access, and although not as deep as dream Gerrard, it's a brilliant piece of music, and a great earworm too
Dream Gerard is definitely an amazing cut, and it's a shame it didn't get more attention.
I also love "Love" from that album, it's got an amazing groove..
I recently heard this for the first time in many long years, didn't know it well back then, so it was a pleasure of discovery finding it again. This is stoner music. You would be floating down the slow river of this music, getting caught in eddys, and drifting on again. John Barleycorn is a must listen, very much different from this. Let me tell about that. I was listening with my mouth hanging open, and had to stop the dumbass boyfriend from turning it off. He often did that to music I liked.
Glad you liked it. Steve Winwood still an excellent musician...
I realize that you have a point about the drawn out solos. However, at the time this was made it would be played in it's entirety on FM radio to listeners that were often pretty baked. It was stoner music. It was the kind of song people would listen to on headphones and space out to. Of course, in all fairness, you specifically stated that you liked this song. And you are right, in context of present times, the solos could be a bit shorter and vary more. Anyway, thank you, I've always been a fan of Traffic.
Early twenties was Stevie. So blessed with talent as were so many. A pure renaissance of output during the underground of sound...pre disco and schlockiness that pursued and pushed down the FM movement leading to disco shite and then punk ,,although punk was needed to shake the norm..thank god there was enough support for progressive music to survive. So happy JP your going back in time and proving us right and judging the songs and critiquing the music that was not commercial but loved by so many.
This song is best enjoyed at maximum volume. Love it!
JP....next would be "Glad" off the John Barleycorn Must Die album. A VERY catchy tune and entire album to chill to with your best bourbon!
Now the propulsive groove of EMPTY PAGES
If you loved that one, you are gonna be a really good candidate for Green-Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf.
It’s a really jazz’s influenced song with an unreal groove ! You have to go for the long version if you don’t wanna miss the solos.
I was going to suggest Green Eyed Lady! And I don’t find much similar about the songs. That Traffic song is a bit ...pondersome. Of it’s time, I suppose.
Go for the long version of Green Eyed Lady.
OH what a fine groove they do lay down! Forgot what great musicians they were. Forgot how much I loved Traffic. thanks, Justin.
I never worry about lyrics when I love the music and vocals. As for the solos, when you hear the song again you'll stop wondering how long they are and just start grooving to them.
Also, I've been trying for years to get someone to react to "Ptolemy" by Blue Murder because it's such a wildly, unbelievably kickass song. Maybe this time, maybe not.
Jazzy bluesy and rockish all in one. Back in that day, male musicians wore high heeled shoes. This song is about the music industry.
I have been listening to this song for over 40 years, and today is the first time I ever felt like I knew what it was about.I spent years trying to puzzle out obscure drug references. Wish we had some internets back in the 70s. Thanks for the review.
Wow thanks took me back.. They were my first ever concert in 69👍✌
This is an absolute corker, and you know it, JP!!! Thanks so much for this!
It worked on radio and has worked for 50 years. This is one of the Mount Rushmore songs written about Musicians and the Music Industry.
Love everything about this song, but esp the drums. Love how he plays slightly behind the beat, giving it this relaxed, ambling feel...
Jim Gordon was playing the auxiliary percussion. Jim Capaldi was on the drum kit.
Whoops, you were right. It's the other way around. Leaving this here as evidence of my idiocy. :D Capaldi usually on the kit.
I thought this was Jim Capaldi too. I was like huh?
Rebop Kwaku Baah on percussion
I'm going to continue to recommend some early Kansas as it is a rare example of US prog rock. Specifically, two songs from the album "Song for America:" Lamplight Symphony and Incomudro: Hymn to the Atman. Kansas featured excellent musicianship, incredible vocals in Steve Walsh, and the amazing songwriting ability of Kerry Livgren. "Song for America" is Kansas' second album and was a considerable step up in production quality from the first album (self-titled "Kansas"). While another album ("Masque") would be released before they hit their breakthrough album "Leftoverture" (featuring "Carry on Wayward Son"), "Song for America" was an album that represents an amazing mix of prog rock, hard rock, symphonic rock, and maybe even a touch of southern rock in the represented songs. If you want a contrast in style, listen to "The Devil Game" off the same album, or the street-cred rocker "Down the Road." The stylistic versatility is amazing.
They're not typically thought of that way because of their association with the punk scene, but if we're talking US prog rock, I'd argue Television is a band that deserves some consideration. "Marquee Moon" is certainly one of the great prog epics by any measure.
Bro! It's rare to see an actual Kansas head...I love Apercu...Journey from mariabronn ...And, Song for America is just so awesome...I've loved that song for decades..Kerry and Robbie are such great musicians; Steve is a beast too! .I saw them in 78..Phil Ehart is my drum mentor..Yo, Father Padilla Meets the Perfect Nat!...:)...
Keith Bradbury : Saw them three times in the mid seventies (once as an opening act for Aerosmith! Before they hit it big with Leftoverture). My favorite American prog band before I got heavily into Spock’s Beard, who have a similar sound... see SB’s Walking on the Wind.
Good suggestion. I would suggest he do the whole Song For America album, one track at a time.
Slowest fade in ever. Love it
A groove that never dies. And the jazz influence is the main reason the solos are as long as they are. If you ever plan on getting into hard bop jazz at any time you'll need to deal with solos this long (often longer).
Now your talking! Classic rock and roll. One of the best made to date!
I think this is one of the best songs ever! By anyone
After a day and night of hard party action, LSD, etc. this album was just the perfect music to chill out with.
Thanks for getting to this - you’ll be surprised to hear that I do agree on your solo duration comment This was also ‘head music’ so those extended repeating sections worked very well for those partaking in ‘ substances’ at the time.
I would now highly recommend Freedom Rider , Empty Pages or Rock and Roll Stew as a follow up - tracks that are much tighter and showcase the musical talent even more If you only choose one IMO do Freedom Rider as it will guarantee you do more than one - lol
Some will recommend John Barleycorn Must Die - that’s fine too if you’re in a more ‘ folksy’ mood
Got it now :D Ty Jerry!
JustJP There’s a pretty cool / fun tune from that same album entitled ‘ Light Up or Leave Me Alone ‘ Kinda tells ya how the ‘counterculture ‘ felt at the time - like the line in the film Clerks : ‘ spitting water in the face of authority’ - lol
@@jerrypetrillo2903 I was going to recommend that song too. Also, I love the Live version of "Sometimes I Feel So Uninspired."
Fun fact, the actor Lance Reddick plays the piano part in an episode of Fringe, the sci-fi series several years ago. 😃
Alex Hamilton : The best television series ever! All 100 episodes. Free the Ambered!
Ps, Dr Bishop was a big Yes/David Bowie fan.
in a word....classic
Another good one Justin. You may also like Gimme Some Lovin' from the ‘Welcome To The Canteen’ album from Stevie Winwood and some friends from Traffic and others. Winwood wrote and sang this when he was 18 with the Spencer Davis Group.
Thx Mark!
His album "Talking back to the Night" is terrific
Love me some Traffic. My Favorite jam by them is Empty Pages
Mine too
I was younger than 10 when this was a radio hit in the early 70s. It was played a few times per day on every Pop and Rock station, whether the radio audiences were English or French.
We never grew tired of it.
One of the great songs ahead of its time. Steve Winwood was 17 when he sung this I believe.
Great selection - an old favorite on the FM rock stations in my neighborhood. Traffic does, by reputation, repeat the bass and piano line in their songs incessantly, but it's a nice atmospheric background sound.
There is much more excitement at the Gates of Delirium.
How great was that? Steve Winwood is on another level. His solo work is beautiful too. Glad you got to this one.👌
I was at a High School mixer in 1975 and the band called The John Garrett Group ((Don't ask me why I remember that when i can barely get my kids' names right) played a song which I loved but had never heard before. (I was still wandering in the music wilderness) But I never heard them say the name.
Fast forward to my first day after move-in at college. and the radio station, which was in a building on the Freshman Quad, was playing music outdoors. SO my new roommate convinces me to "follow the wires" and see what happens. That led me to my first "career" choice.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I get approved to do a show on the air. SO I decided to just start listening to different music to broaden my horizons. I've said in the past that I liked ot play "drop the needle when I listened to new music. The other thing I would do to get the flavor of a band I didn't know would be to check out the title cut on an album. So, I pull out this album and fire up the title cut and absolutely scare the bejeesus out of the girl who was filing albums in the music room. I found the song from that mixer! I was a Traffic fan ever since.
This song is also a great, sitting on the porch sipping whiskey song.
Love the story Ig, ty! 🍹
Here's the background info of the term Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys from Wikipedia:
The title refers to an inscription written by diminutive American actor Michael J. Pollard in Jim Capaldi's notebook while they were both in Morocco.[2] Capaldi and Pollard were planning to work on a movie that was never filmed. Capaldi said:
Pollard and I would sit around writing lyrics all day, talking about Bob Dylan and the Band, thinking up ridiculous plots for the movie. Before I left Morocco, Pollard wrote in my book 'The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys'. For me, it summed him up. He had this tremendous rebel attitude. He walked around in his cowboy boots, his leather jacket. At the time he was a heavy little dude. It seemed to sum up all the people of that generation who were just rebels. The 'Low Spark', for me, was the spirit, high-spirited. You know, standing on a street corner. The low rider. The 'Low Spark' meaning that strong undercurrent at the street level.[3]
At 11 minutes and 41 seconds, it is the longest track on the album. The song (and the album) received wide praise, both in print and on broadcasts.[4] It begins with a gradual fade-in and ends with a slow fade-out. The signature two-chord[a] piano vamp enters after the fade-in, cued by the dry rattle of a vibraslap. Verses are sparsely arranged with a slow deliberate pace in D minor, contrasting with double-time densely-layered pop choruses modulating to D major. The tune fades out with a dissonant, reverberating final chord sustained over the vamp.
The album cut features extended solos, by Chris Wood on tenor saxophone and by Winwood both on piano and on a Hammond organ distorted through a fuzzbox.[5] David Lubin wrote in his album review that appeared in Rolling Stone in 1972, "Each member of the group lays down a track or tracks which could in parts stand alone".[4]
Capaldi had originally written only two verses of lyrics. He quickly wrote the third verse while Winwood was recording the song's vocal and slipped it in front of him in time for him to sing it.
One of those timeless tunes
This is a Herculean task
you have before you...To give critiques of music you haven't heard before...Listening
for the first time to types of music, of which you are unfamiliar, and then
opining on whether or not you "like" it...You are at a disadvantage
as a reactor, you have the Content available to assess the music. However,
equally important is Context...Listening to the evolution of music in such a
haphazard and piecemeal way is the norm nowadays...
If you had the opportunity to listen to the musical
evolution of the last 60 years, it would give you the knowledge of where a
particular piece fits within the timeline of the music, thereby, giving you a
different listening for the piece. Hearing music played and arranged in a way
that was never heard before, over and over again was, looking back now, a
gift...I enjoy your perspective and never think you are wrong...remember, de
gustibus non est disputandum...Please don't take this a criticism, it is not
intended as such. This is just my reaction, not fact.
This song is and has become one of my Top Songs. Steve Winwood was wonderful. Love all Instruments use and the great drumming, and Saxophone. Traffic one of those professional bands of the 60's and early 70's.
One of my favorites
Traffic is one criminally underrated band ! lots of great stuff. glad....freedom rider,...shootout at the fantasty factory....paper sun....light up or leave me alone ...etc etc...
My favotite Traffic song.
Traffic a band that had many influences unlike today's pop musicians probably have none. This was done in the Hippie days of music. The lyrics are probably drug induced? Long solos! well they were not as long as some solos, and these may be longer than others, that was the era of music, the talent they had where they could go on long solos. Traffic were very experimental, compared to Steve Winwood's previous band Blind Faith(were more guitar oriented) where Traffic had more keyboards. THis song had 3 unique sections, unlike songs today have what 1 section? and no solos. It was nice to hear your review of it, you make many great points, and have a good ear for a young guy, but then all the progressive rock you review you should get used to solos, etc Nice review.
There was an album oriented classic rock station (105.9 WCXR in Washington D.C.) back in the 80's-90's. They played the Top 500 classic rock songs of all time back in early 1988. I think this song ranked #5 back then. They had the entire list posted in a spread in the Washington Post. Pretty amazing when the classic rock vibe first took off.
The Steely Dan comparison is an acknowledgement to the jazz element of the piece. The length of the solos was a 70s thing, at the time more length was better/cooler...and producers were not inclined to reign the artists in. These tracks weren't restricted for length because they were made more for FM airplay and longer songs were okay there.
man I missed this song,, haven't heard it in a long time
such a mood with that piano and bass
i think you mentioned Traffic sounds like Rush, you mean the other way around , or in a certain part of the tune, these guys are all veterans even back then. The talent of most bands from the 60s, and 70s will never be topped
1973, College, my roommate and I put this album on everynight to go to sleep. Check out Dear Mr. Fantasy, might be their most famous and best song.
Not much to say musically that wasn't already said. The lyrics of the song were interesting, I watched many documentaries on bands try to obtain their own independence from the label and sponsors. The doc on The Eagles comes to mind. The record industry was a cut throat business, where they held the rights to the songs, sorta like selling your soul (songs) to the devil. Enjoyed the tune and reaction.
FANTASTIC song, love it. I have no idea what it's about, still love it.
Thanks for listening
Beautiful!An other discovery to me.That one is going to stay with me.I love all the instruments solos,Thank you kindly Justin.
Happy to! Enjoy!
Justin, when are we going to hear The Gates Of Delirium?
You may also want to check out Song of Scheherazade by Renaissance!!!!
Just majestic and beautiful!!!!!
Hoping to record it soon! I've heard all of Scheherazade :D (the album)
As a public service to everyone who likes this song, now go listen to the live version that Dave Mason does in concert. My friend and I were at a concert and Dave broke into this amazing blues riff, and we're like, "Man this is some good blues shit." And then Dave starts in with "If you see something that looks..." and both of our jaws literally dropped. An entirely different take on this song. He did introduce the song before as, "And now I'm going to play a couple of Traffic AD songs. AD stand for after Dave, which means I can play them however the F&@k I want!" LOL. Amazing.
Here's the link. ruclips.net/video/f9090X54uXI/видео.html
Love that version!..I'm glad someone mentioned it..Also the live Steve Winwood version where it's just him on piano...Great rendition!..I love Dave Mason..Saw him a few times, and is always great live...Saw traffic a few times back in the day, as well. Another great live band...Those were the days!
Sad trivia note about Jim Gordon: Before he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he killed his mother with a hammer, in 1983. Last I heard, he was in the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, Calif.
How awful! 😪
If you auditioning a bass player, do the following:L Put on Low Spark (vinyl if you have it - original mix) and ask the bass player to play the entire song without complicating it. Ultimate bass test. that last chord slays me.
Can you even imagine a song like this being played on a radio station. In the last thirty years, probably longer, radio became so formulized. There isn't room for a song like this in their preprogramed set lists.
Winwood's voice is a treasure, so different.
Estrum - All I Want
Katatonia - My Twin
Klone - Immersion
Helluva band! Thnx for react🙂
Yes, drumming: drums carefully tuned, played precisely and evenly, and with wonderful and grooving ideas and inventiveness made real and effortlessly in the moment--and on a great tune by a world class vocalist and song writer. Do drums get played any better on any accompaniment on any song in rock? Ever cover the long version of Voodoo Child by JH? Great playing by Winwood on Hammond organ on it (VC). I read Jimi and his band were thrilled that Winwood would jam with them on the tune, that Jimi held him in such high regard.
My god! (and not jethro tull). Got this album on vinyl but not heard it in over a decade, you've inspired me to dig it out and listen to it again (deep fried vinyl crackles and all, makes it more personal experience!)
Excellent! Enjoy your time with it😄
As a youngster, I would hear this tune in passing. I never gave it a full listen. I like the tune and it's typical of the period from 1969 to 1972 when musicians would experiment more and lyrics were deep and often cryptic. (What do I mean by that?)
More Traffic, YES!! I'll give you some more traditionally formatted songs (short) that are winners! "Glad" "John Barleycorn Must Die" "40,000 Headmen" for starters. I think what you may have been missing here, as far as the soloing goes, is a guitar solo. Dave Mason was the "lead guitarist" in Traffic early on, and had left the band long before this time. Steve plays guitar and became a really great guitarist, but it's one reason you get such lengthy solos from the sax and keys in this song. Great band! You must do the Clapton/Winwood side project, "Blind Faith" sometime. Ginger Baker (Cream) and Ric Grech (who also plays on "Low Spark" album) join in. "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Presence of the Lord" are killers!
Ty Tom!
Thanks for doing this! I'll still suggest: Mother of Pearl or Sentimental Fool by Roxy Music. Baby's on Fire or No One Receiving by Eno. The Game (Parts 1-5/The Studio version from HQ) by Roy Harper.
One of my favorite Traffic songs. They were such an awesome band!
The Low Spark is the fire under the Heroin Spoon the high heels are platform shoes of the 70s the gun that didn't make any noise is the syringe and the Man in the suit is the drug dealer and the phrase Low Spark of High Heeled Boys who was coined by actor Michael J Pollard when he was hanging out with the band
Traffic was one of those bubbling under prog bands who never really made it big. I personally like best their 1970 album John Barleycorn Must Die and 1974 album When the Eagle Flies.
But I really would like you to do Losing Hold by Finnish prog band Wigwam. The keyboard player Jukka Gustavson admired Stevie Winwood a lot and I think he even got to be a better player than Stevie.
This is the third time I request this song and I would really appreciate if you played it. I'm sure that you and many others would like this song very much. It's the only song written by all the band members together which makes it even more special. The bass player Pekka Pohjola was an amazing player and made many great solo albums. His son Verneri Pohjola is one of the most appreciated jazz musicians in Finland. Wigwam signed to Virgin Records with their second line-up, which is more like Steely Dan than the proggier first line-up of which Losing Hold is the best song.
You have played already some great songs outside US/UK- countries and this would be a nice addition to the list.
Well, you wanted arguments why you should take this song. I tried to give you some here. To make it short, it`s one of the all-time best and at the same time most beautiful prog-songs.
If you decide to take the challenge, please choose the studio remastered version for the better sound quality. There are many live recordings of this song but the original remasteted is the best.
Sharing Low Spark is doing the lawd's work.
For some odd reason I have never got around to listening to much by Traffic - including this track - so it's a first time reaction for me too! Verdict ... a beautifully crafted track that should have ticked all the boxes for me; however, somehow it never seemed to quite resolve itself. By that I meant that it felt like a journey that never got any nearer to it's destination (all foreplay and no climax). That said, it is definitely worthy of some more exploration.
A little trivia....the title of this song was suggested by actor Michael J. Pollard...best known as C. W. Moss in Bonnie and Clyde.
Much earlier than Rush or Steely Dan... and it was a hit on FM radio.
They certainly squeezed a lot out of that simple 2 chord groove jam. It gets monotonous in spite of all the talent. Thankfully the chorus had more chords!
I do like this song but don’t love it. It did get played on FM radio stations in the early 70s.
“Empty Pages” was an excellent Traffic song, as was “Dear Mr. Fantasy” (also quite long).
You should listen to The Doors’ “The End” and “Riders On The Storm” for some better psychedelic instrument trading cool groove solos.
I've been enjoying this channel for a while and I can't believe I haven't viewed this yet, and if I did, why I didn't like or comment. I absolutely love, love, love this song and band. Glad/Freedom Rider is another classic, but you probably won't see this comment, this far removed.
I see all👀 Ty CT :)
@@JustJP 🤪wow, I'm impressed.
"Hay Una Mujer Desaparecida" by Holly Near with Ronnie Wilson. "A Woman is Missing". And the Hunta knows where she is hiding.
I've seen them live many times, more mesmerizing, getting lost in the sauce
Nice reaction to a fantastic piece of music. Ive been listening to this classic for over 50 years now.
I do however have n to point out that traffic didnt sound Rush like. Its the orher way around. Rush sounds Traffic like at times.
Great song. Great band. Dear Mr Fantasy, Roll Right Stones, Evening Blue and Some Kind of Woman are my favorites from them. And if you’re taking requests, i strongly recommend listening to Steve Hackett’s Serpentine Song off To Watch the Storms.
the music industry theory is a good one .... but this one also make sense ...Here's the thing. Winwood was 16 or 17 yrs. old when he wrote this.
In those days, street slang for heroin was 'boy' and for cocaine was 'girl'.
High heel boy refers to a mixture of heroin and coke, commonly called a speedball.
The 'low spark' is a description of the physical feeling brought on by injecting the speedball.
The man in the suit is the dealer, making profits on the dreams of his customers.
The gun that didn't make any noise is simply a hypodermic syringe.