Reviews
Artist: Traffic
Album: John Barleycorn Must Die(Deluxe edition)
Label: Universal
Tracks: 16
Website:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_%28band%29
Growing up I pretty much missed the folk rock, prog rock thing. Whilst Sandy Denny had currency before her untimely death, my real musical education started with the punk and new bands. Naturally that education got retrospective and I educated myself in the likes of Fairport, The Strawbs, Richard Thompson etc, but somehow must have been skiving off school the day of the Traffic lesson.
It gives me a really fresh perspective on this reissue of, what I'm told, is their finest hour. Not only that, but because this is the deluxe edition, with accompanying live disc, I also get to form an opinion on what they were like live, which turns out to be a real bonus as the answer would appear to be, not at all bad.
I'm never totally sure as to the purpose of these special editions, to try and wring some additional cash out of the already converted? Or, to try and find new followers of the cause? Well probably both?
Traffic are a band that I've always meant to try. Their name comes up on folk messageboards, like 'Talkawhile' often enough for me to raise an eyebrow and think I really must get around to doing something about that. If you curiosity has been aroused elsewhere, may I recommend that you take this opportunity to fulfil that need.
"John Barleycorn Must Die" stems when folk rock was at the height of it's powers, whilst the musicians still new that the song, new or traditional was what still held the album together and that the live stage was the place for the theatrics.(The deluxe addition also finds time to include an alternative mix or three, which provides an insight into how the original album found the right side of the line.
I'd also forgotten that there was a time when the flute was still considered to be highly valued instrument in folk and its folk rock cousin and found myself thinking that there's one or two albums and songs that could benefit from its soaring sound these days.
Traffic was packed full of musicians who had a real feel for their instruments and who understood the material they were playing. I think I've heard most of the songs on hear before, there were few I didn't recognise, more importantly, in someways, I think I've heard covers and alternative versions of pretty much every song on here, something that speaks volumes about the band's selection process.
Ultimately I ended up kicking myself for those years that I never quite found the time to check out Traffic. Don't make the same mistake I did, grab in now before you come to regret it further down the line. If you're already carrying the card, check out the live tracks.
Neil King