Search - Traffic :: Best of

Don't Forget 40,000 Headmen

11/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just wanted to add to all the positive comments here that in my opinion "40,000 Headmen" is one of the best rock recordings EVER. The lyrics are a lot more interesting than "Paper Sun" and "Feelin' All Right" (both of which I also like very much), and the music is haunting. The flute playing, so prominent in "40,000 Headmen," is what made Traffic a standout group back in the late 60s, and I do NOT agree with the above reviewer who seems to think that Traffic was some sort of transition and that the group members went on to bigger and better things individually--no matter their future efforts, Traffic was still the best thing any of them ever did."

Unique sound, superb performances of sensitive arrangements

Gontroppo | Bathurst, NSW Australia | 02/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are only a few outstanding rock singers. Steve Winwood is one of the very best of the best. His voice sounds so distinctive that nobody has ever been able to create that soulful, sensuous, strident sound.This album was my introduction to Traffic many years ago and it still sounds interesting after 35 years. The band uses interesting tone colours which, while they are individual, cannot help but make you remember those weird psychedelic bands of the late 60s. I love Chris Wood's creative sax and flute. The sitar in Paper Sun is so effective. Hole in My Shoe is so over-the-top and pretentious that I love it! There is plenty of variety in the album: no two songs sound the same. A few have been splendidly recorded by other artists, including Feeling All Right [Joe Cocker] and Smiling Phases [Blood, Sweat and Tears], but, wonderful as these are, you can't beat the original versions.Highly recommended."

"We are not like all the rest..."

Steven R. Seim | Beaver Dam, WI United States | 07/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Traffic had one of the most original (and interesting) sounds in British rock, and not only because of their eclectic musical influences, which embraced psychedelia, folk, jazz, soul, R&B, and even classical. Their unique sound was also the result of their unusual instrumentation. While the group went through a number of personnel changes, its constant core members were Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Chris Wood (sax, flute, and organ), and Jim Capaldi (drums & percussion). With no regular bass player, Winwood often filled in with the bass pedals on his organ. And, while there is no lack of guitars on most Traffic recordings, the guitar is not emphasized or particularly important to the group's sound. Dave Mason came and went in their early years and, on other recordings, Steve Winwood would switch to guitar, with Chris Wood taking over organ duties. In short, Traffic was anything but your typical guitar-bass-drums rock outfit. And, with "white Ray Charles" prodigy Winwood at the helm, and with their willingness to experiment with virtually any sound or musical style, they cut some of the most distinctive and important records in British rock."The Best of Traffic" is an excellent LP-length sampler of their best work with Dave Mason. For the casual fan, this is a good place to start. However, the three albums covered by this release ("Mr. Fantasy," "Traffic," and "Last Exit") are essential in their own right. So, you may want to start here, but you certainly shouldn't stop here."