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Description
**Traffic** stands as the second studio offering from the Birmingham quartet, released in September 1968 on Island Records. This collection represents a pivotal moment for the ensemble, marking a distinct departure from the psychedelic inclinations of their debut *Mr. Fantasy* toward an eclectic amalgamation of blues, folk, jazz, and soul influences. Produced by the formidable Jimmy Miller-who would later shape the Rolling Stones' *Let It Bleed*-the album was recorded in both London and New York between January and May of 1968, capturing the group's live chemistry and studio experimentation in equal measure.
The roster at this juncture included the soulful vocalizations of Jim Capaldi on drums and percussion, Steve Winwood's virtuosic Hammond organ and piano, Chris Wood's elegant woodwinds, and Dave Mason, who composed and performed roughly half the tracks. While Mason's songwriting delivered memorable pop melodies including "Feelin' Alright?", his straightforward folk-rock sensibility occasionally clashed with the jazz-oriented ambitions of Winwood and Capaldi, foreshadowing his departure in October 1968. The track "Forty Thousand Headmen," written by Capaldi and Winwood, showcases Wood playing a homemade Coke tin as percussion-a curious detail that underscores the group's playful experimentation.
Critically well-received, the album reached number nine on the UK Albums Chart and number seventeen on the Billboard Top LPs. Reviews from the time praised its originality and pace, with *Disc & Music Echo* heralding the band as "one of the most perfect musical groups in the world." Decades later, *AllMusic* bestowed five stars on the record for balancing Mason's accessible compositions with Winwood's complex jams. The release remains a seminal artifact of late-1960s British rock, bridging the gap between psychedelic excess and the soul-rock that would define the decade's latter half.
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<sup>[1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_(Traffic_album))</sup> <sup>[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/traffic-mn0000012472)</sup>
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