TRAFFIC John Barleycorn Must Die RARE UK PINK ISLAND Label STEVE WINWOOD

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TRAFFIC John Barleycorn Must Die
EX/EX Used vinyl Record

Record Label: Island ILPS 9116 (Pink Label)

John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth album by the English rock band Traffic. Released in 1970 on Island Records, this is the first Island UK pressing on the Pink Island label.

Heavy board matte gatefold sleeve is in great condition. There is a hint of ring wear and spine shows some wear. Upper spine corner is dull and there is a bit of shelf wear on the top of the gatefold, near the spine. Vinyl is very clean and plays beautifully.

Side One
1. Glad
2. Freedom Rider
3. Empty Pages

Side Two
4. Stranger to Himself
5. John Barleycorn
6. Every Mothers Son

Review: Although JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE was originally intended as Steve Winwood's post-Blind Faith solo debut, Winwood and producer/label head Chris Blackwell first drafted Jim Capaldi to provide lyrics, and then Chris Wood dropped by to add his familiar reeds, and almost by accident, Traffic was reborn.

This was a different, and better, Traffic than the ill-fated quartet lineup with Dave Mason, which never entirely settled on an artistic direction. The sound of JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE, on the other hand, remained the template for the rest of the reunited band's career... long, organically developed songs with a subtle jazz-rock feel, powered by Capaldi's percussion and Winwood's organ. "John Barleycorn," a traditional English folk song about the process of brewing ale (not, as the liner notes mistakenly claim, a call for temperance), here becomes a pastoral reverie carried along by flute and acoustic guitar, and proves to be the record's highlight. However, the quality of the other songs, particularly the instrumental opener, "Glad," and the outstanding ballad "Empty Pages," is nearly as high.

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