Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die

Media:	Audio CD
Record label:	Island
Release date:	27 February, 2001
List price:	~~$11.98~~
Our price:	$9.99 that is 17% off!

John Barleycorn Must Die

Average rating: Stars

Best Traffic cd

When people mention Traffic they always talk about the low spark record. This record is actually better! On this one they shed the trendy 60 hippy sound of their previous 2 lps. While the first two Traffic lps are great, here they get back to thier roots. The record is a mix of Jazz, Folk, and r&b, Which is what Winwood does best. I have been listening to this record for 20 years and it still sounds fresh to me. This reissue adds 2 more good songs from the sessions. This is a band that changed alot. They did not really sound the same for very long. I only wish they make more records this good!

John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic

Still Groovin After All These Years

`John Barleycorn Must Die' may be Traffic's most mature album. It is certainly my favorite among all albums they released up to that point. And, most material after `John Barleycorn...' were live concert albums and reworking of older material.

All but one of the tracks on this album were written by Steve Winwood or by the collaboration of Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi. The title track, `John Barleycorn' is a traditional English folksong which the group performs as well or better than all the folk specialists in the house such as Renbourn / Jansch's Pentangle and Steeleye Span.

This album also gives one of the strongest evidences of Traffic's role in creating a fusion between Rock and Jazz. The first track, `Glad' is a strongly Jazz influenced instrumental which is very easy to listen to, but possibly not that exciting.

The second track, `Freedom Rider' has a great sax performance by Chris Wood which, to my very inexperienced ear sounds like it comes from the 1930s, if only for its strong resemblance to the theme to the Hercule Poirot episodes from the same period. After this riff of nostalgia, the sax takes off to more modern climes.

Aside from the traditional title piece, I really don't get much from the songs' lyrics. Winwood is not the great lyricist. You don't get the simplicity of Lennon and McCartney or the stentorian tones of Keith Reid from Procol Harum of the same period.

What you do get is superior instrumental work hung on simple songs with interesting but uninspiring themes.

What is really important is that after the 35 years since I bought this album on LP, I still listen to it on a regular basis in rotation with all my other 1960s favorites.

Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die

Stew of Funk Rock Fusion

-review of the unremastered edition without bonus tracks-
This is my favorite Traffic album, and it has some folk elements mixed in with the fusion.

"Glad" starts the album with some slow-burning funk before "Freedom Rider" unleashes some really funky music with some flute in the mix.
"Empty Pages" is a laidback funk with some nice organ solos.
"Stranger To Himself" is a folk-funk song that serves as a transition to "John Barleycorn", a folk classic with great lyrics about hops (hence the album cover art) and jazzy flute.
"Every Mother's Son" mixes some grindy organ passages with blues rock similar to Clapton, but according to the booklet, Steve Winwood played the electric guitar and all the other instruments except drums.