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General Information
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Artist...............: TRAFFIC
Album................: Welcome To The Canteen
Type.................: Live
Released.............: 1971
Genre................: Roots Rock
Duration.............: 39:04
Number of Songs......: 6
Cover(s) Included....: Yes
Audio Format.........: MP3
Bitrate..............: CBR 256
Hz...................: 44,100
Channels.............: Joint Stereo
Source...............: CD
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Release Notes
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Track Listing:
01-Medicated Goo-03:33
02-Sad And Deep As You-03:47
03-40,000 Headmen-06:17
04-Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave-05:36
05-Dear Mr. Fantasy-10:52
06-Gimme Some Lovin'-08:59
Album Review:
Following the success of John Barleycorn Must Die, Traffic planned a concert
album for the fall of 1970, and it got as far as a test pressing before being
canceled. A recording was necessary to satisfy the terms of British label Island
records' licensing deal with American label United Artists, which had provided
for five albums, of which four had been delivered. With Island starting to
release its own albums in the U.S., the UA contract had to be completed, and
hopefully not with the potentially lucrative studio follow-up to John Barleycorn
Must Die. Thus, Traffic tried again to come up with a live album by recording
shows on a British tour in July 1971. Joining for six dates of the tour was
twice-dismissed Traffic singer/guitarist Dave Mason, who had subsequently scored
a solo success with his Alone Together album. The resulting collection, Welcome
to the Canteen (which was technically credited to the seven individual
musicians, not to Traffic), proved how good a contractual obligation album could
be. Sound quality was not the best (and it still isn't on the 2002 remastered CD
reissue, though it's better), with the vocals under-recorded and stray sounds
honing in, but the playing was exemplary, and the set list was an excellent
mixture of old Traffic songs and recent Mason favorites. "Dear Mr. Fantasy" got
an extended workout, and the capper was a rearranged version of Steve Winwood's
old Spencer Davis Group hit "Gimme Some Lovin'." Welcome to the Canteen's status
as only a semi-legitimate offering was emphasized by the release, after a mere
two months, of a new Traffic studio album on Island (The Low Spark of High
Heeled Boys) that undercut its sales. But that doesn't make it any less
appealing as a summing up of the Winwood/Mason/Traffic musical world.
- William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
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