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Japanese limited edition in an LP-style slipcase. Limited to 5000 copies.
Although JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE was originally intended as Steve Winwood's post-Blind Faith solo debut, Winwood and producer/label head Chris Blackwell first drafted Jim Capaldi to provide lyrics, and then Chris Wood dropped by to add his familiar reeds, and almost by accident, Traffic was reborn.
This was a different, and better, Traffic than the ill-fated quartet lineup with Dave Mason, which never entirely settled on an artistic direction. The sound of JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE, on the other hand, remained the template for the rest of the reunited band's career--long, organically developed songs with a subtle jazz-rock feel, powered by Capaldi's percussion and Winwood's organ. "John Barleycorn," a traditional English folk song about the process of brewing ale (not, as the liner notes mistakenly claim, a call for temperance), here becomes a pastoral reverie carried along by flute and acoustic guitar, and proves to be the record's highlight. However, the quality of the other songs, particularly the instrumental opener, "Glad," and the outstanding ballad "Empty Pages," is nearly as high.
24-bit remastered Japanese limited edition reissue of 1970 album, packaged in a miniature LP gatefold sleeve featuring 11 tracks including 4 bonus tracks, 'I Just Want You To Know', 'Sittin' Here Thinkin' Of My Love', ('Backstage & Introduction'), 'Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring' (Live) & 'Glad' (Live). Live bonus tracks are taken from the previously unreleased live album Live-November, recorded at the Fillmore East on 18th & 19th of November 1970. Island. 2003.Rolling Stone (9/3/70, p.42) - "...The best cut on the album is probably the title tune....Wood's flute is again exceptional, delicate and ornate, and Steve sings the song just right, with an admirable sense of restraint and simplicity..."
Q (2/00, p.104) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...a stew of jazz, folk and prog....seeing the band lapsing into a little too much jam-based indulgence..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/00, p.106) - "...shows that Traffic were capable of thoughtful, inventive and occasionally very beautiful music."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] tracks such as 'Glad' and 'Freedom Rider' featuring extended jamming sections within robust song structures, while 'Every Mother's Son captures Winwood at his most soulful."
Uncut (magazine) (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's a trio record with an economical sound canvas....A much more sophisticated affair, pointing more towards jazz and improvisation than folkish simplicity."
John Barleycorn Must Die Music
Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die Songs
John Barleycorn Must Die Music
John Barleycorn Must Die Music Review
Average Rating: (4.6 out of 5 stars)    List All 10 Reviews Classic Rock
A great cd that I just pop in at the beginning and let it go all the way to the end. The songs transition and the album just flows. GLAD is one of those songs you just jam to on the way home from work when you got a weekend off. If you like TRAFFIC I recommend BEST OF TRAFFIC, and LOW SPARK... Not much else I could say that the others haven't.
Submitted by Robert (Buffalo, NY)
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HIPPY CLASSIC,,WOWCH
Every hippy must have owned this album. Super music from beginning to end. Maybe the best traffic album. I place this Lp with Who at leeds, Big brother and janis at the fillmore, working mans dead, sticky fingers,,every body into classic rock had this LP,,MUST BUY THIS ONE. AMAZING CD
Submitted by lolly (nyc,ny,usa)
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This review is for a different format. Stevie Finally Delivers
Steve Winwood might have been the most hyped musician of his generation. At the ripe old age of seventeen he took the misnomered Spencer Davis Group to the top of the charts with "Gimme Some Lovin", a Hammond organ-fueled Stax-Volt styled romp that featured his reedy tenor and keyboard chops. The single hit the top ten on both sides of the pond, establishing a very high bar that he initially seemed to be unable to repeat. His subsequent records with Traffic revealed a somewhat reluctant superstar more comfortable in an ensemble setting, and Blind Faith, his ill-fated collaboration with Eric Clapton (another wunderkind who seemed uneasy with his acclaim) suffered from a similar identity crisis. "John Barleycorn Must Die" was started as a solo record, but Traffic cohorts Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood were enlisted to bolster his fledgling effort, and suddenly Traffic was reborn. From the opening bars of the instrumental, "Glad", it is obvious that something new is afoot. Gone is any pretense of pandering to the singles chart, or buckling under to the pressure of adding a role for a well-known guitarist. Piano and organ take the primary instrumental role, with Mr. Wood providing saxophone and flute melodies that in retrospect make him perhaps the least appreciated soloist in rock history. As "Glad winds down to a Chopin-inspired meandering piano, "Freedom Rider" kicks in with a vocal urgency that reminded listeners what all the fuss that accompanied Mr. Winwood's early efforts was all about. His effortless tenor reaches ranges that I'm sure he regretted on tour, but luckily for us someone turned the tape machine on. Side one ends with "Empty Pages", featuring an electric piano solo and rhythm section that practically define the word "groove". Although side two of this short L.P. doesn't flow quite as well as side one, it is not the fault of the songs themselves, as they are equally as enjoyable, if not as well connected. "Stranger to Himself" and "Every Mother's Son" show Winwood and Capaldi in fine form as collaborators, and "John Barleycorn Must Die" is a wonderful piece of literate English folk music, replete with irony about the lure and danger of distilled spirits. Overall, a fine recording that does not require any additional lure of nostalgia for enjoyment, as this album definitely stands the test of time.....JJ
Submitted by jpjohnson777 (Hope, N.D., USA)
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This review is for a different format. A classic...
Traffic in a phase of change, where the sound burst out of nowhere.
Traffic was underated, and finally there is a digital transfer that sounds passable.
And the teaser from the live album makes you want to know when it is coming out! Superb!
Submitted by GeoWilson3 (Caucus Iowa) 
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This review is for a different format.  Import has some cool additions
What a great chestnut of a recording. After having seen Steve Winwood on tour with the Dead this summer, I decided to go back and update my Traffic collection on CD. The extra tracks are fair to great, the live recordings at the Fillmore East are introduced by the late Bill Graham.I saw Traffic in 1970 two weeks prior to this live recording and its great to hear the group from the past again.
Submitted by a reviewer (Milford, CT)
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