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John Barleycorn Must Die

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For the song and character John Barleycorn, see John Barleycorn.
Untitled

John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth album by the English rock band Traffic, released on Island Records in the United Kingdom, and United Artists in the United States, catalogue UAS 5504. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200, their highest charting album in the US, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.

Background and content

In late 1968, Traffic disbanded, guitarist Dave Mason having left the group for the second time prior to the completion of the Traffic album. In 1969, Steve Winwood joined the supergroup Blind Faith, while drummer and lyricist Jim Capaldi and woodwinds player Chris Wood turned to session work, Wood also joining Blind Faith's drummer Ginger Baker in his post-Blind Faith group for their first album.[1]

In the beginning of 1970, after the demise of Blind Faith, the band having lasted barely six months, Winwood returned to the studio ostensibly to make his first solo album, originally to be titled Mad Shadows. He recorded two tracks with producer Guy Stevens, "Stranger to Himself" and "Every Mother's Son", but yearned for like-minded musicians to accompany. Inviting Wood and Capaldi to join him, Winwood's solo album became the reunion of Traffic, and a re-launch of the band's career.[2]

As did most of their albums, it featured influences from jazz and blues, but the version of the traditional English folk tune "John Barleycorn" also showed the musicians attending to the same strains of folk baroque and electric folk as contemporary British bands The Pentangle and Fairport Convention.

It was reissued for compact disc in the UK on November 1, 1999, with five bonus tracks, including three recorded in concert from the Fillmore East in New York City. In the US, the remastered reissue of February 27, 2001 included only the two studio bonus tracks.

Steve Winwood has overseen a deluxe edition version that was released on March 15, 2011,[3] featuring the original studio album, digitally remastered, plus a second disc of bonus material including more of the Fillmore East concert with alternate mixes and versions of album tracks.

Cover

The original LP release of the album had the front cover design on a background consisting of a photograph of burlap. Later LP copies had the design on a grey background. The cover is displayed prominently during a party scene in the 1971 movie by Dario Argento, 4 Mosche di Velluto Grigio.

Track listing and personnel

Side one

  1. "Glad" (Winwood) 6:32
  2. "Freedom Rider" (Winwood/Capaldi) 6:20
    • Winwood - vocals, Hammond organ, piano, bass, percussion; Wood - saxophone, flute, percussion; Capaldi - drums, percussion
  3. "Empty Pages" (Winwood/Capaldi) 4:47
    • Winwood - vocals, Hammond organ, electric piano, bass; Wood - Hammond organ; Capaldi - drums, percussion

Side two

  1. "Stranger To Himself" (Winwood/Capaldi) 4:02
  2. "John Barleycorn" (traditional-arr. Winwood) 6:20
    • Winwood - vocals, guitar, piano; Wood - flute, percussion; Capaldi - vocals, tambourine
  3. "Every Mother's Son" (Winwood/Capaldi) 7:05
    • Winwood - vocals, Hammond organ, piano, bass, electric guitar; Capaldi - drums

1999 reissue track listing

Studio bonus tracks (4 & 8) appear to be demos left over from when Winwood was still planning to make this a solo album. Recorded on November 18 at the Fillmore East, the live tracks comprise what was to have been side one of a concert Traffic album, Live November 70 (ILPS 9142), presumably shelved in favor of Welcome to the Canteen.

  1. "Glad" (Winwood) 6:59
  2. "Freedom Rider" (Capaldi/Winwood) 5:30
  3. "Empty Pages" (Capaldi/Winwood) 4:34
  4. "I Just Want You to Know" (Capaldi/Winwood) 1:30
    • Winwood - vocals, instruments
  5. "Stranger to Himself" (Capaldi/Winwood) 3:57
  6. "John Barleycorn" (Traditional/Winwood) 6:27
  7. "Every Mother's Son" (Capaldi/Winwood) 7:08
  8. "Sittin' Here Thinkin' of My Love" (Capaldi/Winwood) 3:33
    • Winwood - vocals, instruments
  9. "Backstage and Introduction (live)" (Capaldi/Winwood) 1:50
  10. "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (live)" (Capaldi/Winwood/Wood) 6:56
  11. "Glad (live)" (Winwood) 11:29
    • Tracks 10-11 Winwood - vocal, Hammond organ; Wood - saxophone, electric piano; Ric Grech - bass, guitar; Capaldi - drums

References

  1. ^ Nick Logan and Bob Woffinden, editors. The Illustrated New Musical Express Encyclopedia of Rock. New York: Harmony Books, 1977, p. 234.
  2. ^ John Barleycorn Must Die, 1999 reissue Island Records IMCD 266 546499-2, liner notes p. 3.
  3. ^ Progressive Rock With a Capital P. - www.popmatters.com.
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