Freedom to Music
Posts tagged Reebop Kwaku Baah
Alvin Lee & Mylon LeFevre – On the Road to Freedom (1973) (@256)
22 Feb 2010
(Review from amazon)
Alvin Lee known for his lightning fast licks on guitar, soulful bluesy tunes and amazing live performances throws us a curve ball with his first solo album. Much more mellow and melodic than his work with Ten Years After, but with great feeling and depth. He shares the vocalist duties with American gospel singer Mylon LeFevre and Mylon also belts out some very nice songs of his own.
Each song utilizes the various noteworthy musicians (including the entire Traffic cast), with Alvin Lee playing guitar on almost all of the tunes. It has a variety of music styles as well, with a very country tune “Funny”, to an almost gospel like tune “Lay me Back” to a very nice traditional rock and roll jam “Rockin’ Til The Sun Goes Down”. The title track is a deceptively simple prime cut with its searing guitar, solid drumming, tasteful piano, a rousing melody.
The combination of Alvin Lee’s fabulous talent and that unmistakable voice of Mylon LeFevre make an interesting album.
Line-up:
- Alvin Lee / guitar, bass, sitar, vocals
- Mylon LeFevre / 12-string guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
with
- George Harrison / guitar, slide guitar, bass, back vocals
- Ron Wood / 12-string guitar, bass, drums
- Steve Winwood / piano
- Tim Hinkley / piano, organ, background vocals
- Boz Burrell / bass, background vocals
- Bob Black / steel guitar
- Andy Stein / fiddle
- Jim Capaldi / drums
- Reebop Kwaku Baah / congas
- Mick Fleetwood / drums
- Ian Wallace / drums
- Mike Patto / percussion, back vocals
Track List:
01. On the Road to Freedom – 4:15
02. The World Is Changing (I Got a Woman Back in Georgia) – 2:47
03. So Sad (No Love of His Own) – 4:36
04. Fall Angel – 3:22
05. Funny – 2:50
06. We Will Shine – 2:39
07. Carry My Load – 3:00
08. Lay Me Back – 2:55
09. Let ‘Em Say What They Will – 2:54
10. I Can’t Take It – 2:53
11. Riffin – 3:33
12. Rockin’ Til the Sun Goes Down – 3:10
13. So Sad (No Love of His Own) (Bonus Single) – 3:00
Link in comments.
Traffic – On the Road (Live 1973) (@320)
28 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
It is hard to criticise this incredible live album negatively at all. For me one of the top progressive live albums to come out of the 70′s. Remember Yessongs, Second’s Out and also Ricochet by Tangerine Dream, On The Road sits proudly up there with these gems and it was a double LP release. The musicians worked brilliantly together with Reebop Kwaku Baah back in the percussive fold. Here we have “jamming” at it’s absolute best. “Glad / Freedom Rider” the opener is 20 minutes of mesmerizing sound. Being live the tracks have been lengthened to accomodate for the apty titled On The Road, “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone” is another great track as is the live version of the much debated “(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired” but for me the highpoint is the seventeen minutes of “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys”. As I said all the instrument playing is of exceptional quality but Chris Wood’s sax and flute needs a special mention too. Not an album to ignore especially if you are fond of those great 70′s live albums.
Line-up:
- Jim Capaldi / vocals, percussion, drums
- Steve Winwood / vocals, guitar, piano
- Chris Wood / saxophone, flute
- Reebop Kwaku Baah / percussion
- Roger Hawkins / drums
- David Hood / bass
- Barry Beckett / keyboards
Track List:
01. Glad / Freedom Rider (20:49)
02. Tragic Magic (8:30)
03. (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired (10:20)
04. Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory (6:40)
05. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone (10:30)
06. Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys (17:35)
Link in comments.
Traffic – Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory (1973) (@224)
28 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)
After “Low Sparks of High Heels” album once again, personnel problems wracked the band as Capaldi began a solo career and Grech and Gordon left the band. Following Winwood’s recovery from a long case of peritonitis, Traffic’s sixth studio album Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory was another hit, recorded in 1973 with drummer Roger Hawkins and bassist David Hood taking Gordon and Grech’s former spots.
This album for me represents Traffic at their peak. It was 1973 and progressive music was at an all time high where many progressive bands were receiving similar accolades for their respective musical abilities. Although commonly overlooked as a band this album in retrospect was their finest 40 minutes excluding their incredible live ‘On The Road’ album.The opening title track get’s the band quickly into second and third gear with an almost perfect song. Even better is to follow with the marching ” Roll Right Stones”. Eleven minutes of progressive, jazz, rock fusion at it’s best. These guys knew how to jam and it shows even on the studio albums, and although they had experienced some personnel changes the creative force mainly driven by the late Jim Capaldi and Steve Winwood was alive and well on Shoot Out Of The Fantasy Factory.” Tragic Magic” is another great piece of music but for me the climax of the album is the aptly titled, ” ( Sometimes I feel So ) Uninspired” This by all accounts is not one of Traffic’s most popular songs, the reasons are lost to me. Maybe it is because it is downright depressing in nature, but hey that is what the song is about.
Line-up:
* Steve Winwood – vocals, guitar, piano, organ
* Chris Wood – saxophone, flute
* Jim Capaldi – vocals, percussion
* David Hood – bass
* Roger Hawkins – drums
* Reebop Kwaku Baah – percussion
Track List:
01. Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory – 6:05
02. Roll Right Stones – 11:46
03. Evening Blue – 5:19
04. Tragic Magic – 6:43
05. (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired – 7:19
Link in comments.
Traffic – 1971-10-14 (Bootleg) (@256)
27 Apr 2007
Traffic
Boston Music Hall
Boston, Massachussetttes
1971-10-14
Line-up:
- Steve Winwood / vocals, guitar, piano, organ
- Jim Capaldi / vocals, percussion
- Rick Grech / violin, bass
- Chris Wood / flute, saxophone
- Jim Gordon / drums
- Reebop Kwaku Baah / percussion
Track List:
01. Medicated Goo
02. Light Up
03. Glad
04. Freedom Rider
05. Hidden Treasure
06. John Barleycorn Must Die
07. Rock ‘n’ Roll Stew
08. Many a Mile to Freedom
09. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
10. Gimme Some Lovin’
Links in comments.
Traffic – Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys (1971) (@320)
26 Apr 2007
(Review from amazon.com, progarchives.com)
Following the (yet again) departure of Mason, Traffic released a new studio album. “Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys” was a big change from thequiet, largely acoustic flavour of Traffic’s reunion album “John Barleycorn Must Die”. Although the gentle opening track,”Hidden Treasure”, and the meandering, mellow closer, “Rainmaker”, were in keeping with the pastoral vibe of the previous record, sandwiched in between those are several increasingly aggressive and lyrically sour songs about that evergreentopic–life in a rock & roll band.
The venality of the business gets a workout in the 12-minute title track, a slow-building jazz-rock groove that starts with a sense of quiet menace and ends with a pealing, distorted guitar solo, with one of Steve Winwood’s most impassioned and lengthy organ solos at the song’s heart. “Rock & Roll Stew” and Jim Capaldi’s sneering putdown “Light Up or Leave Me Alone” are even more forceful, with only the groovy ecological message of “Manya Mile to Freedom” lightening the mood — even that song rocks harder than anything on “John Barleycorn Must Die”, though.
There is a lot of percussion on this record, provided by Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon and the African percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah, the latter adding a pinch of exotic spice to the whole.This is a mellow, rather laid-back album, but one which is deceptively easy on the ear, as it needs repeated listens to be really appreciated in full.
Line-up:
- Steve Winwood / vocals, guitar, piano, organ
- Jim Capaldi / vocals, percussion
- Rick Grech / violin, bass
- Chris Wood / flute, saxophone
- Jim Gordon / drums
- Reebop Kwaku Baah / percussion
Track List:
01. Hidden Treasure (4:16)
02. The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys (12:10)
03. Rock & Roll Stew (4:29)
04. Many A Mile To Freedom (7:12)
05. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone (4:53)
06. Rainmaker (7:39)
Link in comments.
Traffic – Welcome to the Canteen (1971) (@224)
25 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)
Steve Winwood was still contracted to Island for 2 more albums, and the following year, he started work on a solo album, calling in Wood and Capaldi to assist. The Traffic name was quickly resurrected, and the album “John Barleycorn Must Die” released. For many, this is Traffic’s best album. While the title is taken from a traditional folk song, the music is a wonderful blend of prog, jazz, rock, and folk.
Traffic went on to expand its lineup in 1971. Various subsequent line up additions and changes took place, including another return by Mason. They also added Ric Grech (ex-Family, Blind Faith) on bass, drummer Jim Gordon (ex-Derek and the Dominos) and percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah. The live album “Welcome To The Canteen” offers a good summary of their work during this period.
“Welcome to the Canteen” is a surprising live album which recapitulates some of the memorable songs previously released by the band. The record itself sounds great, very energic, sometimes suggesting jazz to folk rock instrumentations. As usual, Steve Winwood engaged himself in the most fruitful side of the performance, conducting voice / organ / guitar parts. In this live session he is perfectly accompanied by Dave Mason’s solid guitar playing. The performance begins with a nervous pop / rock composition followed by the very emotional, sensitive ballad “Sad and Deep as You”, essentially played on acoustic instruments. “Gimme some lovin” which closes the album is a faster, more aggressive rock & roll tune, very efficient. My favourite songs on the record are the guitar folk sounding tune “Shouldn’t have took More…” and the very classic epic tune “Dear Mr Fantasy”. Deeply inspired and musically achieved, this album is more than tolerable.
Line-up:
- Jim Capaldi / vocals, tambourine, percussion
- Jim Gordon / drums
- Rick Grech / bass
- Dave Mason / vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar
- Reebop Kwaku Baah / congas, timbales, bongos
- Steve Winwood / vocals, organ, electric piano, guitar
- Chris Wood / saxophones, flute, electric piano, organ
Track List:
01. Medicated Goo (3:34)
02. Sad and Deep as You (3:48)
03. Forty Thousand Headmen (6:21)
04. Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave (5:39)
05. Dear Mr. Fantasy (10:57)
06. Gimme Some Lovin’ (9:02)
Link in comments.