The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys [Soundtrack]

Track Listings

1. Hidden Treasure

2. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

3. Rock and Roll Stew

4. Many a Mile to Freedom

5. Light Up or Leave Me Alone

6. Rainmaker

Tracks:

Hidden Treasure
The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys
Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Rock & Roll Stew
Many A Mile To Freedom
Rainmaker
Bonus Track - Rock & Roll Stew (Single Version)

Amazon.com

Despite not even charting in the band's native England, this album became a platinum-selling American hit on the basis of three enduring FM radio staples--the expansive, jazzy impressionism of the near-12 minute title track, and the more straightforward funk of the R&B charmers "Light Up or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock & Roll Stew." Those disparate tracks perfectly underscore Traffic's rich musical appeal and its restless, sometimes problematic creative and interpersonal relationships. With now thrice-departed Dave Mason out of the mix and percussionists Jim Gordon and Reebop Kwaku Baah participating in the studio for the first time, the band's innate musicality truly takes wing. Winwood's familiar vocal phrasings nearly take a backseat to his fluid, dramatic guitar work on "Rock & Roll Stew Roll" and "Many a Mile to Freedom," while the Tull-ish, folk-madrigal sensibilities of "Hidden Treasure" and "Rainmaker" are further punctuated by Chris Wood's deft flute and woodwind flourishes. Compared with the more organic John Barleycorn album, the contrast is all the more remarkable. While many contemporary bands were experimenting with various attempts at fusion, few achieved this collection's rock-jazz-folk-R&B range or level of often subtle sophistication. Digitally remastered, this edition also contains the six-minute-plus U.S. single version of "Rock & Roll Stew, Parts 1 & 2" as a bonus track. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

"Many A Mile To Freedom" but a short click can get you the remaster W/a bonus!.......2007-07-21

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

Released in February 1971, "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" would enthrall the listener for the duration of the forty-minute journey. It wasn't another record to play but one to study, digest, and rarely file away.

From the opening notes of the beautiful "Hidden Treasures" Traffic had captured our attention. As they commandeered the ride, nobody was looking to escape. The title track is twelve minutes but the message lasts forever. Remember the first time the lyrics hit you between the eyes without warning?

The percentage you're paying is too high priced
while you're living beyond all your means.

And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
from the profit he's made on your dreams.

"Rock And Roll Stew" changes the direction. The tune is upbeat and full of power and passion. With a great mix, you can enjoy Winwood's tremendously tasty guitar.

"Many A Mile To Freedom" isn't only track four of the recording but one of the most overlooked songs of the era. The lyrics are delivered with the skill of a master artisan and the music blends flawlessly. If your original vinyl copies had holes in the grooves, you were not alone!

"Light Up Or Leave Me Alone" is well constructed. The musicianship is clearly detected. Although Dave Mason wasn't part of the session, the band took anything but a defeatist attitude.

"Rainmaker" unfortunately is the finale. The lyrics and music seem to create majestic visions. Listen intently to understand how Chris Wood enhances the recording.

The remaster with the bonus track gives you the single version of "Rock And Roll Stew." Call it a midnight snack after a 5 Star meal.

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

Low Spark, high marks.......2007-05-18

Always a pleasure to listen to. This is an album which ages gracefully, and the instrumentals are always a pleasure. Those guys really were wonderfully musical and extremely talented.

Original Albums.......2007-05-11

Ever order a "Best of..." or "Greatest Hits of..." album or set and found yourself totally bummed out. Some musicians seem to produce albums that are more like works of art that can be only viewed/heard in their entirety. In cutting them up and reeditting, they loose too much. There are a lot of examples and this album I believe is one of them. If you want "Traffic" as part of your classic rock music library, buy this album.

one of the great things about 1971 was this album........2007-04-10

1971 was a fine year in music, indeed. "sticky fingers," by the rolling stones, the fourth led zepplin album, rod stewart's "every picture tells a story," "who's next," by the who, gene clark's white light album, john prine's debut, the doors "LA woman," and this great album, traffic's "the low spark of high-heeled boys." folk-rock, prog-rock, prog-folk, this album is hard to categorize. there's some jazz fusion in here, too. in fact, several musical passages have a feeling that's similar to the textures employed by miles davis on his classic albums "in a silent way," and "bitches brew." the album starts off with the haunting enchantment of acoustic guitar and flute on "hidden treasure." it's a beautiful folk melody and sets much of the tone for what will follow. the title track is an epic prog-rock piece with surreal lyrics that starts with a saxophone intro and builds steam slowly, intently. piano chords and notes drop in on this track that very much resemble the miles davis work i mentioned. dreamy instrumental passages stretch out the landscape, making this a long, gorgeous song. great music. track 3, "light up or leave me alone," is a song with a funky beat and some hot guitar. it's followed by the bluesy rocker, "rock & roll stew." "many a mile to freedom," is a folk-rock anthem, sporting an outstanding percussion track, on which flute and some more great guitar drift. "rainmaker," has a hypnotic percussion track that the rest of the instruments ride on, as well. it's an entrancing song, and a great finish to a great album. a must have for all rock and roll collections.

The Best of the Best.......2007-01-11

This is the best "traffic jam" you'll ever encounter. Good old get-up-on-your-feet rock and roll. This could be one of the best albums of the early '70's. Excellent musicians, great music, well produced.

Average customer rating:

Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000QNRR7K

Product Description

Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. Island records release made in the USA by Capitol records, distributed by ATCO/Atlantic.

Average customer rating:

It's "Many A Mile To Freedom" but only another minute on Amazon to get the remaster with the bonus track
one of the great things about 1971 was this album.
Flawed Classic
An Eclectic Gem That Set The Standard For AOR Radio
For real Traffic fans, not their best

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Traffic
Manufacturer: Mobile Fidelity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

John Barleycorn Must Die
Mr. Fantasy
Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory
Traffic
Every Picture Tells a Story

ASIN: B000000ITF
Release Date: 1994-08-02

Tracks:

Hidden Treasure
The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys
Rock & Roll Stew
Many A Mile To Freedom
Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Rainmaker

Customer Reviews:

It's "Many A Mile To Freedom" but only another minute on Amazon to get the remaster with the bonus track.......2007-07-21

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

Released in February 1971, "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" would enthrall the listener for the duration of the forty-minute journey. It wasn't another record to play but one to study, digest, and rarely file away.

From the opening notes of the beautiful "Hidden Treasures" Traffic had captured our attention. As they commandeered the ride, nobody was looking to escape. The title track is twelve minutes but the message lasts forever. Remember the first time the lyrics hit you between the eyes without warning?

The percentage you're paying is too high priced
while you're living beyond all your means.

And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
from the profit he's made on your dreams.

"Rock And Roll Stew" changes the direction. The tune is upbeat and full of power and passion. With a great mix, you can enjoy Winwood's tremendously tasty guitar.

"Many A Mile To Freedom" isn't only track four of the recording but one of the most overlooked songs of the era. The lyrics are delivered with the skill of a master artisan and the music blends flawlessly. If your original vinyl copies had holes in the grooves, you were not alone!

"Light Up Or Leave Me Alone" is well constructed. The musicianship is clearly detected. Although Dave Mason wasn't part of the session, the band took anything but a defeatist attitude.

"Rainmaker" unfortunately is the finale. The lyrics and music seem to create majestic visions. Listen intently to understand how Chris Wood enhances the recording.

The remaster with the bonus track gives you the single version of "Rock And Roll Stew." Call it a midnight snack after a 5 Star meal. If the version doesn't show a bonus, look a bit further!

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

one of the great things about 1971 was this album........2007-04-11

Flawed Classic.......2005-06-18

This is a great slice of 70's FM radio, but extended piano solos are not Mr. Winwood's forte.

An Eclectic Gem That Set The Standard For AOR Radio.......2005-04-13

By the 1970s popular rock-based music had evolved to new and unique standards (no standard, actually). Bands and artists became more individualistic musically. There was no longer a single standard or "formula" for a record's or artist's success as was the norm in the 50s and early 60s. Rock was growing up and the record company honcho's were less demanding of their artists' content.

Traffic was an exponent of the late 60s experimental movement in Rock that eventually became the driving force behind FM AOR (sometimes called "progressive") Rock radio. As musical experimentation gained acceptance among the legions of album-buying baby-boomers, albums like Low Spark became standard fare on the FM band.

It's interesting to listen to Low Spark now, so many years after its initial release in 1971. It's amazing how an album like this became as popualr as it did but it just goes to show you how great music always stands the test of time.

Low spark is an eclectic mix of rock, r&b, folk, myth, British folk-lore, and even bit of jazz for good measure. While some of the reviewers here have described the album as "jazz-rock" or "jazz-fusion", I think it's more correct to call it eclectic fusion. Aside from Winwood's modal jazz piano solo on the title track, there's not much else in the way of jazz to speak of. However, the inclusion of some jazz as well as folk, r&b, rock, A Nigerian percussionist, flute, sax, violin make this album a true work of fusion

The way-too-long title track (Low Spark....) contains a sax solo by Chris Wood played through a Leslie speaker. The song is a classic example of how many of the lengthier rock classics were constructed in the post-Woodstock era. Winwood lays down a simple two-chord piano arrangement modulating between Dm7 - E-minor, Dm7 - E-minor, etc. while each instrument solos over this simple pattern. This allows the soloist more room for musical expression (provided that there is enough of a time allotment within the song to accomplish it). This method is a carry-over from the previous generation of jazz musicians (most notably, Miles Davis) who used the simpler chord structures of modal jazz as a vehicle for lyrical expression. In rock, it ushered in the "jam era" with many songs lasting well over 10 minutes in length. Memorable examples might be, Inna-Gadda-Davida (Iron Butterfly), Do What You Like (Blind Faith, Free Bird(Skynyrd), In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Allman Bros.)

"Light Up Or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock & Roll Stew" are R&B-tinged tracks that offset the more quieter moments on the album quite nicely (Check out Dave Mason's bluesy, distorted guitar solo on "Light Up". They even left in the mistake he made!). It's interesting to note that Winwood only sings lead on the quiter tunes, purposely not applying his legendary vocal abilities to the harder and driving "Light Up" and "Stew". The lead vocal chores for these tracks were handled by drummers Jim Capaldi and Jim Gordon respectively.

Winwood reserves his melodious incantations for the album's more ambitious tracks. Opening the album is "Hidden Treasure" a soft, mid-tempo gem that features Chris Wood's flute in diatonic complement with Winwood's lead vocal. "Many A Mile to Freedom" a pastoral tribute to the ancient farmers which Winwood sings like a hymn. The final track "Rainmaker", with it's slow ballad tempo again recalls the pastoral as Winwood plaintively summons the gods for rain until about three-quarters of the way through the song. At this point, Winwood suprises the listener and annexes an unlikely, upbeat little funk jam which slowly fades out to the end of the record. We are left wondering about the fate of the supplicant and his dying crops. Winwood applies nearly the same technique on "Tragic Magic" from the next album, Shootout At The Fantasy Factory.

Bottom line, Low Spark belongs in every serious Rock CD collection. This reviewer thinks it easily makes the top 25 albums list of the AOR era

For real Traffic fans, not their best.......2004-08-20

I was surprised by so many rave reviews here, but reading them in detail it seems most were written by listeners who came to Traffic late, or didn't know their entire oeuvre so well.

As one Amazon reviewer has noted, Traffic was pretty much a spent band by the time this was released, and it was their effort to try and squeeze more cash out of the market before their total demise.

If you were a Traffic fan at the time this album was first released -- which I was, having been a Traffic listener since the release of their first album, yes back in those days when vinyl ruled -- you would have regarded this album as a sellout. More than that, compared to their earlier work it just sounded slapped together. It was when pop radio listeners starting knowing who Traffic was, and when early Traffic fans stopped listening to them ... for better or worse.

Not that it's a bad album, and really I'm glad lots of people do enjoy this album today. The more who get into Traffic the better, they were a great band.

For me their strongest album was their self-titled second release, TRAFFIC. It's the only Traffic album I still play regularly, nearly 40 years after buying the original.

Average customer rating:

"Many A Mile To Freedom" but one click and you get the remaster w/a bonus track

Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Traffic
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory
John Barleycorn Must Die
Living in the Past
When the Eagle Flies
Welcome to the Canteen

ASIN: B00009WKQG
Release Date: 2007-06-25

Tracks:

Hidden Treasure
Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Light Up or Leave Me Alone
Rock and Roll Stew
Many a Mile to Freedom
Rainmaker
Rock and Roll Stew, Pts. 1 & 2 [Single Version][*]

Album Description

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase. Limited to 5000 Copies.

Customer Reviews:

"Many A Mile To Freedom" but one click and you get the remaster w/a bonus track.......2007-07-21

Average customer rating:

It's "Many A Mile To Freedom" but only another minute on Amazon to get the remaster with the bonus track
one of the great things about 1971 was this album.
Flawed Classic
An Eclectic Gem That Set The Standard For AOR Radio
For real Traffic fans, not their best

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Traffic
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

John Barleycorn Must Die
Mr. Fantasy
Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory
Traffic
Every Picture Tells a Story

ASIN: B000001FUX
Release Date: 1990-06-15

Tracks:

Hidden Treasure
The Low Spark of The High-Heeled Boys
Rock & Roll Stew
Many A Mile To Freedom
Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Rainmaker

Customer Reviews:

It's "Many A Mile To Freedom" but only another minute on Amazon to get the remaster with the bonus track.......2007-07-21

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

Released in February 1971, "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" would enthrall the listener for the duration of the forty-minute journey. It wasn't another record to play but one to study, digest, and rarely file away.

From the opening notes of the beautiful "Hidden Treasures" Traffic had captured our attention. As they commandeered the ride, nobody was looking to escape. The title track is twelve minutes but the message lasts forever. Remember the first time the lyrics hit you between the eyes without warning?

The percentage you're paying is too high priced
while you're living beyond all your means.

And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
from the profit he's made on your dreams.

"Rock And Roll Stew" changes the direction. The tune is upbeat and full of power and passion. With a great mix, you can enjoy Winwood's tremendously tasty guitar.

"Many A Mile To Freedom" isn't only track four of the recording but one of the most overlooked songs of the era. The lyrics are delivered with the skill of a master artisan and the music blends flawlessly. If your original vinyl copies had holes in the grooves, you were not alone!

"Light Up Or Leave Me Alone" is well constructed. The musicianship is clearly detected. Although Dave Mason wasn't part of the session, the band took anything but a defeatist attitude.

"Rainmaker" unfortunately is the finale. The lyrics and music seem to create majestic visions. Listen intently to understand how Chris Wood enhances the recording.

The remaster with the bonus track gives you the single version of "Rock And Roll Stew." Call it a midnight snack after a 5 Star meal. If the version doesn't show a bonus, look a bit further!

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

one of the great things about 1971 was this album........2007-04-11

Flawed Classic.......2005-06-18

This is a great slice of 70's FM radio, but extended piano solos are not Mr. Winwood's forte.

An Eclectic Gem That Set The Standard For AOR Radio.......2005-04-13