Steve Winwood had his solo career laid out in front of him, but he put what was best for the music in front of any ego. The result was a reunited Traffic and their 1970 classic album John Barleycorn Must Die, which found the trio at a stunning musical peak.
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Like many of their peers in the world of rock bands, Traffic struggled at times to keep all their distinct personalities pulling in the same direction. But they certainly got it right on this album, which ironically enough wasn’t supposed to be a Traffic album at all.
Winwood’s Dilemma
Steve Winwood wasn’t even 22 years old when he settled into the studio in February 1970 to start making some new music. There was great excitement for this project, which was intended to be his first solo record. Here was a guy who already was infinitely respected in the industry for his myriad talents as a writer, player, and singer.
Winwood was already a veteran of three bands by this point in his career, so it was reasonable to assume he might have been weary of the dynamics that make those outfits volatile. Already having played in The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith—all of whom seemed to be spent entities by early 1970—a solo album seemed to be the logical next step.
He began the project with the songs “Every Mother’s Son” and “Stranger to Himself.” Working with producer Guy Stevens, Winwood began by playing all the instruments on those tracks, using overdubbing to create completed songs. But he quickly began to find the work unsatisfying, as he missed the give and take that came from working with other musicians.
Although it had been two years since Traffic had recorded together on their self-titled 1968 album, Winwood was still on good terms with former Traffic members Jim Capaldi (drums) and Chris Wood (horns and percussion). He called them to join him in the studio, and suddenly the album became a Traffic reunion.
Capaldi helped Winwood with the songwriting, while the trio built up the songs through improvisation and their battle-tested interplay. They came out with six long songs that covered a wide range of genres, and an album that took its title from the one cover song that was included: John Barleycorn Must Die.
Revisiting John Barleycorn Must Die
John Barleycorn is as wonderful as it is difficult to pin down. From one song to the next, the styles can change pretty drastically. Yet you never get a whiplash effect, or the sense that these guys were changing it up just for change’s sake. The album flows naturally, and somehow comes out a cohesive piece.
“Glad” is the instrumental opener, and it bounces between R&B and jazz, driven by Winwood’s thrilling piano work and Wood’s insistent saxophone. It’s a pretty smooth segue into “Freedom Rider,” with Wood still honking along soulfully. “Empty Pages” comes soaring out of that into more of a prog rock realm, with Capaldi crashing all around Winwood’s acrobatic vocals in the thrilling refrains.
The second side is the more introspective of the two. Both “Stranger to Himself” and “Every Mother’s Son” capture a kind of spiritual yearning Winwood has always been so expert in conveying as a vocalist. The latter song even lets him spread out on electric guitar.
Sandwiched in between them is the title track. It’s an odd folk song on its surface, half murder ballad, half allegory. With the hushed harmonies of Winwood and Capaldi leading the way, it becomes something hauntingly profound in Traffic’s hands.
John Barleycorn Must Die reunited Traffic and gave them the impetus to continue through several more excellent albums, before they finally called it quits and made it stick (at least until a ’90s reunion album). It remains the best example of what made these guys, all individual musical giants, so special when they connected.
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Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
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