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A very under rated band imo. After buying their first live album from 1971 (welcome to the canteen) a short while back, i can't stop playing it. Dave Mason is back for the tour they did in 71. He left a few years earlier because the others wrote collectively and he turned up with finished songs and told the others what to play. Jim Gordon on drums - Derek and the Dominoes had just split. Ex Blind Faith bassist Rick Gretch and former Dizzy Gillespie percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah also joined the regulars of Steve Winwood, jim Capaldi and Chris wood.

I have a few Traffic albums missing from my colection. I have Mr Fantasy, Traffic, John Barleycorn must die, Low spark of high heeled boys and Welcome to the Canteen. I need Last Exit, Shoot out at the fantasy factory, When the Eagle flies, Far from home and On the road.

I can see a music buying frenzy coming very shortly dont tell the wife.

They were a great band, absolutely jam-packed with talent. I still love "Holy Ground" with Davy Spillane on uilleann pipes, and No Face, No Name, No Number was a perfect slice of 1967.
Did you know (he says, donning his anorak) that David Hood, of Muscle Shoals fame, and dad to Patterson Hood from Drive-By Truckers, was with them for a year or so, and three tours? Roger Hawkins and Barry Beckett from Muscle Shoals toured with them too.

Check Dodax, Stu. Several of those Traffic CD's for about a fiver.

slinger wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:46 pm They were a great band, absolutely jam-packed with talent. I still love "Holy Ground" with Davy Spillane on uilleann pipes, and No Face, No Name, No Number was a perfect slice of 1967.
Did you know (he says, donning his anorak) that David Hood, of Muscle Shoals fame, and dad to Patterson Hood from Drive-By Truckers, was with them for a year or so, and three tours? Roger Hawkins and Barry Beckett from Muscle Shoals toured with them too.

No i didn't know that. Its true, so much talent in that band. Dave Mason is gonna be the next artist i check out. Quite a few solo albums. He wrote Feelin' alright and my fave tune on welcome to the canteen - shouldn't have took more than you gave.

Fretless wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:47 pm Check Dodax, Stu. Several of those Traffic CD's for about a fiver.

Cheers fret. Off i toddle to find bank card

Yes. Check out Rickie Lee Jones' version of Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. And Dave Masons work which includes a different working of the same song. Wasn't it Dave Mason playing accoustic guitar on Hendrix' All Along the Watchtower?

And don't forget Jim Capaldi.

Yes Dave Mason played 12 string acoustic on All along the watch tower. He was mates with Hendrix according to wikipedia. Also recorded with The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney & George Harrison amongst others. Who knew !

Funny how Jim Capaldi gave up drumming with Traffic because he doubted his ability and thought he was holding the band back. I think he was an excellent drummer.

I've not listened to Traffic before either so I just had a listen to Welcome to the canteen on Spotify. Musically I would agree that it's great but it sounds like it was recorded on a domestic tape recorder by someone stood at the back of the hall !! Does it sound better than that on the record?

It sounds good to me on the record. Stevie Winwood's vocals are a bit quiet in places but hugely enjoyable on all my systems and in the car. Listen to some of the studio albums like the self titled album.