In that same stack with Argent's Encore was another double live album, this time by Traffic. Unlike Argent, I'm much more familiar with Traffic's studio albums, and still own a couple. They've never been my favorite band, often questioning their association with progressive rock, or even psychedelic, though they clearly emerged from that era. They always seemed like a band on the cusp of a great album, only to crawl back into the comforts of commercial oriented music. The critics loved them and they had a strong fandom, so why mess with success?
On the Road is what I want to hear from Traffic. This is their classic sound, but stretched out, and here the band shows their true ability as musicians. Traffic seems to conjure up Soft Machine at times, with their jazzy prog display and reckless abandon. For my tastes, this is the best Traffic album I've heard. I realize they have another earlier live album that I should investigate, as well as giving their earlier studio albums another shot.
Ownership: LP: 1982 Island (USA). This is the 2 LP set. Recent thrift store find.
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