TRAFFIC – The Santa Monica Tapes (3CD)

1970 – Audience 9.1 – Excellent! Very clear, pretty close, respectful audience, good acoustics, great instrument separation…it’s all here for your ears to feast upon.
1972 – Pro SDBRD 9.7 – Amazing of course, it’s a professional recording that was released on video but I think this is not taken from a video source as it is totally uncompressed.
1973 – Audience 9.0 – A choice recording as it has a really driving energy. This is not one of those Traffic shows that gets bogged down, it’s high energy, loud, and thankfully captured very nicely.

Traffic
The Santa Monica Tapes 1970-1973

Disc 1

Civic Center
Santa Monica, California
July 5, 1970 (late show)

01. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring
02. Every Mother’s Son
03. Medicated Goo
04. John Barleycorn Must Die
05. Pearly Queen
06. Stranger To himself
07. Empty Pages
08. 40,000 Headmen
09. Glad – Freedom Rider
10. Feeling Good

Steve Winwood – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Chris Wood – Flute, Saxophone
Jim Capaldi – Percussion, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals

Disc 2

Santa Monica Civic Center
Santa Monica, CA
February 21, 1972

01. Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
02. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
03. John Barlycorn
04. Rainmaker
05. Percussion Solo
06. Glad
07. Freedom Rider
08. Forty Thousand Headmen
09. Dear Mr. Fantasy

Steve Winwood – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass (1967–1974, 1994)
Jim Capaldi – drums, percussion, vocals (1967–1974, 1994)
Chris Wood – flute, saxophone, keyboards (1967–1974)
Rebop Kwaku Baah – percussion (1971–1974)
Roger Hawkins – drums (1972–1973)
David Hood – bass (1972–1973)

Disc 3

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
Santa Monica, CA.
1973

1. Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys
2. Light Up or Leave Me Alone
3. John Barleycorn
4. Rainmaker
5. Glad – Freedom Rider
6. 40,000 Headmen
7. Dear Mr. Fantasy

Midsummer Rock Festival
Cincinnati, OH.
June 17, 1970

8. Pearly Queen
9. Stranger To Himself

Stevie Winwood – keyboard, guitar, vocals;
Jim Capaldi – drums, vocals; Chris Wood – sax;
David Hood – bass; Roger Hawkins – keyboards;
Reebop Kwaku Baah – percussion