TRAFFIC "LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS" - 1971 ISLAND PRESS *STERLING* EXCELLENT 9/10

TRAFFIC "LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS"

1971 ISLAND RECORDS *STERLING* PRESS SW-9306

EXCELLENT 9/10

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys marked the commercial and artistic apex of the second coming of Traffic, which had commenced in 1970 with John Barleycorn Must Die. The trio that made that album had been augmented by three others (Ric Grech, Jim Gordon, and "Reebop" Kwaku Baah) in the interim, though apparently the Low Spark sessions featured varying combinations of these musicians, plus some guests. But where their previous album had grown out of sessions for a Steve Winwood solo album and retained that focus, Low Spark pointedly contained changes of pace from his usual contributions of midtempo, introspective jam tunes. "Rock & Roll Stew" was an uptempo treatise on life on the road, while Jim Capaldi's "Light up or Leave Me Alone" was another more aggressive number with an unusually emphatic Capaldi vocal that perked things up on side two. The other four tracks were Winwood/Capaldi compositions more in the band's familiar style. "Hidden Treasure" and "Rainmaker" bookended the disc with acoustic treatments of nature themes that were particularly concerned with water, and "Many a Mile to Freedom" also employed water imagery. But the standout was the 12-minute title track, with its distinctive piano riff and its lyrics of weary disillusionment with the music business. The band had only just fulfilled a contractual commitment by releasing the live album Welcome to the Canteen, and they had in their past the embarrassing Last Exit album thrown together as a commercial stopgap during a temporary breakup in 1969. But that anger had proven inspirational, and "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" was one of Traffic's greatest songs as well as its longest so far. The result was an album that quickly went gold (and eventually platinum) in the U.S., where the group toured frequently. (AMDB)

Traffic ‎– The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
Label: Island Records ‎– SW-9306
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US Released: 1971

Track List:
A1 Hidden Treasure Written-By – J. Capaldi*, S. Winwood* 4:16
A2 The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys Written-By – J. Capaldi*, S. Winwood* 12:10
A3 Light Up Or Leave Me Alone Written-By – J. Capaldi*, S. Winwood* 4:55
B1 Rock & Roll Stew Written-By – J. Capaldi* 4:29
B2 Many A Mile To Freedom Written-By – J. Gordon*, R. Grech* 7:46
B3 Rainmaker Written-By – J. Capaldi*, S. Winwood* 7:29

Recorded At – Island Studios
Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc.
Distributed By – Capitol Records, Inc.
Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Los Angeles
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Bass, Violin – Rik Grech*
Design [Cover Design] – Tony Wright
Drums – Jim Gordon
Engineer – Brian Humphries
Mastered By – LH*
Percussion – Rebop Kwaku Baah
Photography By – Richard Polak
Saxophone, Flute – Chris Wood (2)
Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Organ, Producer – Steve Winwood
Vocals, Percussion – Jim Capaldi

Notes
Recorded in 1971 at Island Studios, London. Cover is diagonally die-cut at the upper right and lower left corners.
Rim-print "Available from Capitol Records" and A2 on rear cover hyphenates "High-Heeled" labels do not.

Matrix / Runout (A Side label): SW1-9306
Matrix / Runout (B Side label): SW2-9306
Matrix / Runout (A Side runout): SW-1-9306 25 1 ✲ Sterling LH
Matrix / Runout (B Side runout): SW-2-9306 26 1 ✲ Sterling LH
Matrix / Runout (A Side etched): SW-1-9306 25 LH
Matrix / Runout (B Side etched): SW-2-9306 26 LH
Matrix / Runout (A & B Side stamped): 1 ✲ Sterling

*CLEANED ON VPI HW-27 TYPHOON* & STORED HVAC (all)
*LP’s RE-SLEEVED IN AUDIOPHILE QUALITY INNER SLEEVES*
*JACKETS PROTECTED BY HIGH QUALITY JACKET PROTECTORS*
*APPLIES TO OPEN LP’s ONLY*

SHIPPED IN DEDICATED LP BOX/MAILER

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