Customer Reviews

Last Exit

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Traffic had one of the most original (and interesting) sounds in British rock, and not only because of their eclectic musical influences, which embraced psychedelia, folk, jazz, soul, R&B, and even classical. Their unique sound was also the result of their unusual instrumentation. While the group went through a number of personnel changes, its constant core members were Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Chris Wood (sax, flute, and organ), and Jim Capaldi (drums & percussion). With no regular bass player, Winwood often filled in with the bass pedals on his organ. And, while there is no lack of guitars on most Traffic recordings, the guitar is not emphasized or particularly important to the group's sound. Dave Mason came and went in their early years and, on other recordings, Steve Winwood would switch to guitar, with Chris Wood taking over organ duties. In short, Traffic was anything but your typical guitar-bass-drums rock outfit. And, with "white Ray Charles" prodigy Winwood at the helm, and with their willingness to experiment with virtually any sound or musical style, they cut some of the most distinctive and important records in British rock.

"Last Exit," their third full-length release, is actually a record-company creation. With Dave Mason gone and the band temporarily disbanded (while Winwood joined Eric Clapton in Blind Faith), Island Records cobbled this LP together from tracks that didn't make it onto Traffic's earlier albums, along with two extended live jams ("Feelin' Good" and "Blind Man" - neither of which was ever recorded in the studio). The result, while not as cohesive as Traffic's other releases, is nonetheless exceptionally strong. While Mason's cut "Just For You" is disposable pop, Winwood's studio tracks are some of his strongest: the swirling psychedelic soul of "Shanghai Noodle Factory," the haunting blues-rock of "Withering Tree," and the Beatlesque rocker "Medicated Goo." And, while their sound quality is sub-par, the live tracks on side two are the group's most convincing experiments with the blues, as well as their most essential concert recordings available.

In short, "Last Exit" isn't Traffic's best album, but it's not far behind.

Let's begin at the beginning. Steve Winwood is a total talent and a prodigy. You can rate him as a composer, bandleader, musical innovator, guitarist, organist, and especially singer and he comes out on top in every category. In rock that's almost unknown. This blather about Traffic's second album being their best because of the dynamic tension between Dave Mason and Winwood is eyewash. Mason is a folky annoyance.

When Winwood, still a teen back then, stepped up with Spencer Davis it was clear there was a new sheriff in town. The first Traffic album is amazing. When Last Exit came out, the third, nobody knew it wasn't their last. What about the complaints that Last Exit is a dog's breakfast, odds and ends tossed together? So what? On the LP, one side was live, the other was studio. Big deal, not exactly uncommon.

Now, the songs. Just For You - throwaway fluff from Dave Mason, fortunately the only one of the disk. Shanghai Noodle Factory - excellent funk, great to sing along, love those lyrics. Something's Got A Hold Of My Toe - this is the one every reviewer gets wrong. Rather than being some random snippet of tape lying around the studio it is 2:14 of driving rock guitar and back beat that really doesn't let go of your toe. Withering Tree - classic Winwood doing pretty as only he can. Medicated Goo - man, if you can't feel this one in your funky sneakers somebody gave you a soul-ectomy.

Then the big finish, Feelin' Good and Blind Man, 18-minutes of Traffic live at the Fillmore West. Sound quality is admittedly low but this shortcoming is vastly overshadowed by the performance, absolutely the best live Traffic ever. What Winwood does to Feelin' Good is simply beyond belief, he turns it inside out and puts a brand on it. As to Blind Man, that's the blues, big, bad, and beautiful. Just a fantastic CD. That's it from the Traffic-copter, now back to the studio.

"Last Exit" was originally thought as a farewell album from Traffic, as the band had split just prior to its release. Later when Steve Winwood was working on his first album, both Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi helped backing him, so eventually it turned out to be a new Traffic album; and Traffic was reborn. This time without Dave Mason, who had already been walking in and out of the band several times.

Dave is only partly present on this album. "Medicated Goo" and "Shanghai Noodle Factory" was recorded late 1968 without Mason. The 2 live tracks "Feeling Good" and "Blind Man" are also Winwood, Capaldi and Wood alone.

"Just For You" is more or less Mason solo. "Withering Tree" had already been released a B-side. The instrumental "Something`s Got a Hold on My Toe" is probably a studio outtake from the sessions for their second album.

As for the music; The new songs "Medicated Goo" and "Shanghai Noodle Factory" are great . "Withering Tree" and "Just For You" are classic Traffic. The live-tracks are interesting, but the sound is not so good as could be wished for. The instrumental "Something`s Got a Hold on My Toe" has probably just been included to add to the playing time.

I would have preferred some more singles-tracks like "Paper Sun", "Hole in My Shoe", "Coloured Rain", "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" and "Am I What I was, or Am I What I Am". This would have made the album much better, and the album could have completed the first era of a great band.

as we who provide comments here should all know, what we appreciate is subjective. having said that, and having had the chance to see the original and a subsequent incarnation of traffic, blind man and feelin' good are as good as traffic ever was. this is stevie winwood's soul at it's best. if you don't dig this, fuhgeddabout it! four stars because some of the studio stuff is so so.

This is the type of late-sixties album that reinforces the argument that the Muse was so abundant in that era, that even overlooked stuff sounds better-conceived than any pop-rock offering today. I grew up with this album. I was only five years old when it was released, but I had parents with hip musical tastes, and I heard it constantly for a month or two in late 1969. So maybe it simply hit me at an imprintable age, but I do think it stands the test of time. I'm surprised that it doesn't surface more often as one of their more noteworthy albums. Frankly, as an album I think it's as good-- in some ways better --than John Barleycorn or Low Spark. The first side is a collection of really excellent 3-minute pop selections, each of which could've been hits (again, it had much steeper competition back then). Stevie Winwood-- who was only 1ike 18 or 19 --sounds perhaps better than ever, the music is psychedelic yet very tight, and the musicianship is first-rate. Every single song represents dynamic, well-crafted pop, with extremely strong melodies that you'll instantly process and always remember. (And I love the acoustic guitar work in "Shanghai Noodle Factory"). And the second side is not bad-- far from it. Actually, "Feelin' Good" is a wonderful live performance that should be considered a classic. You gotta love that raw Hammond B3 organ sound (or is it an early Mellotron or Moog synth?). Winwood is as bluesy as he can be. The song is very hippie, funky, improvisational, and has great atmosphere. The riff sounds like a hybrid of church organ and minor blues-- and it works. As far as "Blind Man," well it's not as strong as "Feelin' Good," but it's alright. All in all, if you're interested in Traffic, this one's a keeper.

Traffic's third album, "Last Exit," was originally intended to be the group's final album (hence the title), as Traffic leaders Dave Mason & Steve Winwood were splitting up over creative differences at the time, and because of it, both men decided to put Traffic out to pasture. Thankfully, this did not happen, as Winwood, flautist/saxophonist Chris Wood and drummer Jim Capaldi unexpectedly revived Traffic with their 1970 classic, "John Barleycorn Must Die" (but that's another review). In the meantime, "Last Exit" is a great odds-and-sods Traffic album, containing several rare singles like the lighthearted "Shanghai Noodle Factory" and the groovy "Medicated Goo," and a pair of barnburning, jamming live tracks (recorded at the Fillmore West) in the form of "Feelin' Good" and "Blind Man." "Last Exit" is an excellent album that no Traffic fan should do without.

Cobbled together from a variety of singles and unreleased live tracks, Last Exit is surprisingly cohesive for this type of project. The stand out tracks include Mason's solo single b side (which features the other members of Traffic hence its inclusion on this collection)Just For You and Winwood's powerful dirge Withering Tree. The latter was original released as the b side to the single Feelin' Alright in the US. Featuring One of Winwood and Capaldi's most haunting melodies Withering Tree, it's surprising that this track didn't make the band's second album (more than likely this it failed to make it when Mason temporarily returned to the fold to make room for some of Mason's songs). Withering Tree features features a rare appearence by woodwind player Chris Wood on bass guitar.

Something's Got A Hold of My Toe is a rare Winwood/Mason/Miller collaboration. It's little more than a undeveloped jam build around an undistinguished riff. The bulk of the rest of the album is highlighted by the post-Mason single Medicated Goo/Shanghai Noodle Factory. The former track wouldn't have soundedout of place on a Spencer Davis single or album except for its drug inspired lyrics. The latter song's nonsensical lyric and Wood's wouldn't have sounded out of place on Heave Is In Your Mind(the band's last original single prior to reforming to make John Barleycorn Must Die).

The album concludes with a rare live glimpse of the trio performing two remakes (Mason had departed for the second time prior to Traffic's tour). Feeling Good (from the musical The Smell of the Grease Paint, The Roar of the Crowd)provides an opportunity for a long jam by the band. It's certainly an unusual choice for Traffic to cover but fits in well considering the venue (the Fillmore West).

Last Exit shared many of the same virtues and flaws of Cream's last album Goodbye (also divided up amoungst studio and live tracks). The studio tracks are of varying quality with two at least two minor classics by the band. The live tracks suffer from the recording limitations of the time. They also demonstrate the gaping hole left by Mason when he left the band.

Although not the band's finest moment, Last Exit has enough highlights to merit purchasing for fans of the band.

Traffic had one of the most original (and interesting) sounds in British rock, and not only because of their eclectic musical influences, which embraced psychedelia, folk, jazz, soul, R&B, and even classical. Their unique sound was also the result of their unusual instrumentation. While the group went through a number of personnel changes, its constant core members were Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Chris Wood (sax, flute, and organ), and Jim Capaldi (drums & percussion). With no regular bass player, Winwood often filled in with the bass pedals on his organ. And, while there is no lack of guitars on most Traffic recordings, the guitar is not emphasized or particularly important to the group's sound. Dave Mason came and went in their early years and, on other recordings, Steve Winwood would switch to guitar, with Chris Wood taking over organ duties. In short, Traffic was anything but your typical guitar-bass-drums rock outfit. And, with "white Ray Charles" prodigy Winwood at the helm, and with their willingness to experiment with virtually any sound or musical style, they cut some of the most distinctive and important records in British rock.

"Last Exit," their third full-length release, is actually a record-company creation. With Dave Mason gone and the band temporarily disbanded (while Winwood joined Eric Clapton in Blind Faith), Island Records cobbled this LP together from tracks that didn't make it onto Traffic's earlier albums, along with two extended live jams ("Feelin' Good" and "Blind Man" - neither of which was ever recorded in the studio). The result, while not as cohesive as Traffic's other releases, is nonetheless exceptionally strong. While Mason's cut "Just For You" is disposable pop, Winwood's studio tracks are some of his strongest: the swirling psychedelic soul of "Shanghai Noodle Factory," the haunting blues-rock of "Withering Tree," and the Beatlesque rocker "Medicated Goo." And, while their sound quality is sub-par, the live tracks on side two are the group's most convincing experiments with the blues, as well as their most essential concert recordings available.

In short, "Last Exit" isn't Traffic's best album, but it's not far behind.

I have to respectfully disagree with the previous reviewer's low opinion of the live side of this album. Although the Fillmore West recording is pretty low-fi, the two extended pieces are among my favorite Steve Winwood keyboard workouts and are best heard on a hot summer night. This is the closest Winwood came in Traffic to his blues work in the Spencer Davis Group. The studio pieces are all old favorites, although they feel like outtakes from the first two albums. This album is cobbled together, but it presents two appealing aspects of Traffic.

The original Traffic (with Dave Mason) was in the process of breaking up when this album was recorded, and it shows. It reminds me of Cream's "Goodbye" album: a handful of excellent studio cuts and some rather mediocre live cuts to fill out the album.

Side one, the studio side, is uniformly excellent. If you like the early Traffic sound, you will be right at home. The standards here are "Shanghai Noodle Factory" (fantastic Steve Winwood vocal) and "Medicated Goo", but "Just For You", which starts the CD, is an unjustly overlooked Dave Mason classic, and "Somebody's Got A Hold Of My Toe" is a great guitar instrumental. Good stuff.

The live tracks are less than forgettable. Traffic was performing as a trio (sans Dave Mason who had departed), and the organ/sax/drum combo just doesn't quite make it. They seem to be trying for a jazzy kind of organ trio thing here, but it doesn't work.

Traffic would yet record some great albums (John Barleycorn, Low Spark, Shootout...) but I will always wonder what might have been had that original lineup stayed together for a few more albums.

If you are a Traffic fan, and don't mind shelling out your dollars for essentially half a great album, this is worth having. Heck, just the instrumental break in "Shanghai Noodle Factory" is worth the price of the CD.

Or I guess you could just buy "Best Of Traffic" and have most of the good stuff here.