Traffic - 1970-11-18 - Fillmore East, New York, NY

Traffic
November 18, 1970
Fillmore East, New York, NYSoundboard recording, excellent quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's more from Traffic. As mentioned in the last post, Traffic briefly disbanded in early 1969 when Steve Winwood abruptly left the band to join Eric Clapton in his new supergroup Blind Faith. But because Blind Faith turned out being so short-lived, Winwood was back recording with Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi before the end of the year. Those sessions, which were at first intended to be Winwood's first solo album ended up being turned into the next full-fledged Traffic album, and one of their best, John Barleycorn Must Die (1970). Although the album was made with just the core trio, for the subsequent 1970 tour Blind Faith bandmate Ric Grech joined the band on bass, and then stayed on. Following that tour the band expanded further, adding drummer Jim Gordon and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah, as well as the final brief return of Dave Mason for one more Live album, Welcome to the Canteen (1971). The larger band (minus Mason) would stay on for their next album foray, Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (1971). Presented here is an excellent show and recording from the latter part of the 1970 tour. Some of the earlier shows included some different songs, so I've added some additional songs from an audience recording of a July Fillmore West show (as bonus tracks) that includes a rare Traffic performance of Blind Faith's 'Can't Find My Way Back Home'. All around excellent show and performance giving a great demonstration of the artistry of Traffic at this time.

Tracklist:
01. Introduction by Bill Graham
02. Medicated Goo
03. Pearly Queen
04. Empty Pages
05. Heaven Is In Your Mind
06. Forty Thousand Headmen
07. John Barleycorn Must Die
08. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring
09. Every Mother's Son
10. Glad/>Freedom Rider*
11. Means To The End
12. Dear Mr. Fantasy
* - some minor glitches from master reel

Bonus tracks (1970-07-02 - Fillmore West, San Francisco)
13. Stranger to Himself
14. Can't Find My Way back Home
15. No Time to Live
16. Feelin' Good

Steve Winwood (guitar, organ, vocals)
Jim Capaldi (drums)
Chris Wood (piano, sax, flute)
Ric Grech (bass)

FLAC - Traffic_1970-11-18_Fillmore East_NYC_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Traffic_1970-11-18_Fillmore East_NYC_mp3.rar

Traffic - 1967-1968 Live Compilation - Paper Rain

Traffic
1967-1968 live compilation
"Paper Rain"
1967-09-12, Stockholm Sweden performance plus other recordings from 1967-1968
Liberated Colosseum bootleg remastered by Pink Robert
Soundboard recording, very good quality (at least for this period)
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's a classic band that I have been meaning to feature at some point, but just haven't gotten around to it. Traffic, a unique band that started as a somewhat psychedelic rock group that kept experimenting into various forms of blues, folk, and jazz improvisation, becoming a force in the progressive rock movement. Formed in Birmingham, UK, 1967, shortly after keyboardist-guitarist-vocalist Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group, Winwood was joined by guitarist Dave Mason, drummer Jim Capaldi, and woodwinds player Chris Wood. Their first album, Mr. Fantasy (1967), did well in the UK, but was largely ignored elsewhere. Although Mason left the band shortly after the first album, he would return in 1968 for long enough to contribute on half the songs on their 2nd album, Traffic (1968), and then returned briefly again in 1971. In 1968, with the loss of Mason, Traffic toured as a trio, and were moving toward a more folk/blues groove, followed by the release of Last Exit (1969), a part live, part studio album. But then the band was dissolved in early 1969 when Winwood abruptly left to form supergroup Blind Faith with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech, which famously didn't last long, and Winwood was back recording with Capaldi and Wood before the end of the year. Originally intended to be a Winwood solo album, the resulting sessions became Traffic's fourth album, and most successful to date, John Barleycorn Must Die (1970). The group expanded in 1970-71, bringing in Blind Faith bandmate Grech, drummer Jim Gordon, and the last brief return of Dave Mason, resulting in the freewheeling live album, Welcome to the Canteen (1971). Presented here are some early live recordings by the band. The Stockholm show was one of their earliest, after only releasing a couple singles, even before their first album. The 1968 shows were without Mason.
 
Tracklist:
1. Giving To You
2. Smiling Phases
3. Coloured Rain
4. Hole In My Shoe
5. Feelin' Good
6. Paper Sun
7. Dear Mr. Fantasy
8. Coloured Rain
9. Feelin' Alright
10. You Can All Join In
11. Dear Mr. Fantasy
12. No Face, No Name, No Number
13. Hope They Never Find Me Here
14. Just For You
15. Little Woman

Tracks 1-7: Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden, September 12, 1967
Tracks 8 & 12: Fillmore West, San Francisco, March 14, 1968
Tracks 9-11: Grona Lund, Copenhagen, Denmark, August 5, 1968
Track 13: Basing Street Studios, 1967
Tracks 14-15: Dave Mason solo single, 1968

Steve Winwood - organ, guitar, vocals
Dave Mason - guitar, vocals
Jim Capaldi - drums, vocals
Chris Wood - sax, flute

FLAC - Traffic_1967-68_Paper Rain_FLAC.rar

Mp3 - Traffic_1967-68_Paper Rain_mp3.rar
Link updated 08/18/23

John Prine - 2018-06-05 - Austin City Limits - Moody Theater, Austin, TX

JOHN PRINE
2018-06-05, Moody Theater, Austin, TX
Austin City Limits
HDTV Broadcast recording, Very good quality
Mp3 @ 224 kbps

OK, just one more from John Prine, and this being from among his most recent shows. Here is John's final return to Austin City Limits some 40 years after first appearing on the show back in 1978. Here he is showcasing songs from his dynamite 2018 album, Tree of Forgiveness, his first album of original songs in 13 years (since 2005's Fair and Square). And here he shows that despite the hard years he's had, he's lost none of his wit, wisdom, insight, and inspiration. The set features 7 songs from the new album, as well as several old favorites. This is one of the few live recordings that feature these most recent 2018 songs, and they are wonderful, from the whimsy of 'Crazy Bones' and 'Lonesome Friends of Science' to the poignancy of 'Summer's End' to the commentary of 'Caravan of Fools' and all the way to his jovial plans for the afterlife of 'When I Get to Heaven'. So, check out these live renditions of John's last songs on this wonderful show. BTW, the full video of this ACL episode is available for viewing at the PBS website (pbs.org/show/austin-city-limits/). Here's to John, and hoping that he is indeed up there in heaven enjoying that vodka and ginger ale cocktail, finally kissing that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl, and rockin' on with his angelic rock 'n roll band.

Tracklist:
01. Intro/Knockin’ on Your Screen Door 4:49
02. Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone) 3:53
03. Summer’s End 4:06
04. Caravan of Fools 4:06
05. Lonesome Friends of Science 4:51
06. Boundless Love 3:51
07. Illegal Smile 4:19
08. Please Don’t Bury Me (with Tyler Childers) 4:00
09. Lady May (Tyler Childers on vocals & guitar) 3:07
10. Lake Marie 7:27
11. When I Get to Heaven 4:02
12. Paradise (with Tyler Childers) 5:36
55 mins

Band:
John Prine - lead vocals, guitar
Jason Wilber - lead guitar, vocals
David Jacques - acoustic & electric bass, vocals
Kenneth Blevins - drums
Fats Kaplin - fiddle, pedal steel, mandolin, electric guitar, vocals
with special guest:
Tyler Childers - vocals, acoustic guitar

John Prine_2018-06-05_Austin City Limits.rar
link updated 08/18/23

John Prine - 2014-10-03 - Hardly Stricty Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco, CA

John Prine
October 3,2014
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival,
San Francisco, CA
(Plus Bonus Tracks)
Audience Recording, Very Good Quality
Available in both Lossles (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's more from the late, great John Prine. This one from his later years, after two separate bouts with cancer, and his lower, rougher voice, but still full of life and spirit. This is from The 2014 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, which he would again return to in 2017. And although it is an outdoor, audience recording, it is one of the better recordings available from this time period, which is why I chose to post this one over some of the other available recordings. However, being a festival show, it is shorter than most of his sets, so I have added some bonus tracks from another longer show (but of lesser audio quality) at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, October 2013. By this time, Prine was finally starting to accumulate all the success and accolades that had been very slow in building for most of his career. A fine show.
 
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Spanish Pipedream
3. Picture Show
4. Six O'Clock News
5. Souvenirs
6. Grandpa Was A Carpenter
7. Hello In There
8. Iron Ore Betty
9. Christmas In Prison
10.Glory Of True Love
11.Angel From Montgomery
12.Fish And Whistle
13.Lake Marie
14.Paradise
Bonus Tracks (2013-10-26 - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville Aud-Good)
15. Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
16. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore
17. Far From Me
18. Sins of Memphisto
19. You Got Gold
20. Please Don't Bury Me

FLAC - John Prine_2014-10-03_San Francisco_FLAC.rar

mp3 - John Prine_2014-10-03_San Francisco_mp3.rar