The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
	Produced by Steve Winwood
	Released on November 1971
	US CHART POSITION #7 . . . GOLD RECORD (2/7/72), PLATINUM (3/22/96)
	Find it at GEMM
ILPS 9180 cover [high resolution photo]

T he album cover notwithstanding, Traffic didn’t cut any corners on their followup to John Barleycorn. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys follows the same design: six tracks that wrap psychedelic/rock/folk sounds together into a rich musical landscape. The difference is a saturation in sound versus the dry Barleycorn, possible now that Traffic’s recent tour had left them swelled to a sextet. Jim Capaldi and Steve Winwood are still responsible for the bulk of the music, including such classics as the title track and the similar-sounding “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone.” On the 12-minute title track especially, Traffic was mesmerizing. It’s hard to say why; the music isn’t any more complicated or catchy than Chicago, but it has an unspoken stillness that commands attention. (Astute listeners may find a parallel between this track and David Bowie’s “Sweet Thing.”) Also popular is the funked up “Rock & Roll Stew,” another psychedelic cut that’s aged remarkably well, this time written by new members Rick Grech and Jim Gordon. It’s an atypical track for Traffic, but a great way to shake off some of the dust. The remaining songs are uniformly excellent, belonging to the same school as Barleycorn’s other bits. The pronounced folkiness of “Rainmaker” suggests the rustic school of Tull, while the bittersweet “Hidden Treasure” and “Many A Mile To Freedom” serve the same purpose as a “Freedom Rider” or “Stranger To Himself.” While the arrangements are richer, don’t expect a linear increase in complexity over Barleycorn; as Canteen showed, more players doesn’t necessarily equal more music. The percussion of Reebop Kwaku Baah is an added dimension, but Grech and Gordon don’t anything that a Winwood or Capaldi couldn’t have multitracked. Still, this is the richer album, trippy and vibrant where Barleycorn had a pronounced, brittle folkiness. If their last studio album went down smooth, you’ll get an even bigger charge out of Low Spark.

ILPS 9180 back cover	ILPS 9180 inner sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. HIDDEN TREASURE    4:16
2. THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH-HEELED BOYS    12:10
3. LIGHT UP OR LEAVE ME ALONE    (Jim Capaldi)    5:00
4. ROCK & ROLL STEW    (Rick Grech/Jim Gordon)    4:29
5. MANY A MILE TO FREEDOM    7:30
6. RAINMAKER    7:39
   
   CD reissue bonus track
   
7. ROCK & ROLL STEW PARTS 1 & 2 (SINGLE VERSION)    (Rick Grech/Jim Gordon)
   
   All songs written by Steve Winwood/Jim Capaldi unless noted

CREDITS

JIM CAPALDI --
JIM GORDON --
RICK GRECH --
REEBOP KWAKU BAAH --
STEVE WINWOOD --
CHRIS WOOD --
Brian Humphries -- engineer
Tony Wright -- cover design
Richard Polak -- photography

return to TRAFFIC discography

For more discographies visit...

© 2005 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved.