“The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” by Traffic
70s week continues with a legendary blend of rock, folk, and jazz.
Programming note: This week, I'm spotlighting some of my favorite records released between 1970 and 1979. I've selected albums that cover multiple genres and deliberately avoided the well-worn titles that top all "best of" lists for this decade. In other words, this week's theme isn't an excuse to restate tired talking points on the likes of Dark Side of the Moon and Rumors.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s 70s music pick is a massively underrated album featuring an all-star cast of musicians supporting one of rock’s great creative voices.
Genre: Rock, Folk, Jazz Fusion
Label: Island Records
Release Date: November 26, 1971
Vibe: ☺️
When I was a teenager, the best time to listen to classic rock radio was late at night. 10 pm and onwards, let’s say. This was before homogenized, automated broadcast playlists (no, that radio host you love isn’t choosing which records to play), when I used to lean back against my headboard, close my eyes, and indulge in some of the more experimental sounds the genre had to offer. Nights like these helped me discover incredible works of art like “The Friends of Mr. Cairo,” “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night),” and, in one spectacular listening session, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. It represents the creative apex of Steve Winwood’s pre-80s output, expanding on recognizable folk and soft-rock tropes with jazz and even classical influences.
An intriguing facet of this record lyrically is just how done the band sounds with the rock and roll lifestyle. There’s the openly antagonistic “Light Up or Leave Me Alone” (where Jim Capaldi sneers: “Don't make me angry with the games that you play/Either light up or leave me alone”) and the world-weary “Rock & Roll Stew” (”The road's much too long, seems like I'm wasting my time/Wish I was home again sipping my wine”) that frame deep dissatisfaction with perky piano vamps and funky guitar riffs. But the undeniable centerpiece is the title track, a smoky, 12-minute odyssey that plays like a scene out of a noir film. Its protagonist sounds resigned to his fate as a pawn in the greater scheme called the music business, even as he works his way through multiple gorgeous piano solos.
Though Winwood crafted more commercially accessible hits over the course of his career, Low Sparks showcases him at his most interesting, if not his most cutthroat lyrically.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈