The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is the fifth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1971. It was their first album to feature percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah and their only album to feature drummer Jim Gordon and bassist Ric Grech. Grech had previously worked with Traffic singer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood in the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith while Gordon had played with another former Blind Faith member, Eric Clapton in the similarly short-lived Derek and the Dominoes.

For the song, see The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (song).

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Studio album by
Traffic
ReleasedNovember 1971
RecordedSeptember 1971
StudioIsland Studios, London
GenreProgressive rock, jazz fusion
Length40:11
Label
ProducerSteve Winwood
Traffic chronology
Welcome to the Canteen
(1971)		 The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
(1971)		 Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory
(1973)
Singles from The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
  1. "Rock & Roll Stew"
    Released: December, 1971 (US only)

As with other Traffic albums, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys featured different forms and offshoots of rock including jazz rock, progressive rock, as well as classic rock and roll. The name of the album's title track was suggested by the actor Michael J. Pollard.

The album features the hit "Rock & Roll Stew" and the FM hit, "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys". This is the only original Traffic album to feature two lead vocals by Jim Capaldi ("Light Up or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock & Roll Stew"). His only other unaccompanied vocal on a Traffic studio album was "Dealer" from Mr. Fantasy (1967).

The LP's front cover is notable for its top right and bottom left corners being clipped, giving the illusion of a three-dimensional cube. On original pressings of the UK and some European versions, the title of both the album and song are shown as 'The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys' (with a hyphen) on the record labels.

The album was certified gold less than a year after its release in the United States, and eventually certified platinum in 1996. It was remastered and reissued with one bonus track on 19 March 2002.

It was voted number 625 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000). [1]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideB[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]

Critical retrospectives on the album are generally positive. AllMusic was overwhelmingly approving in its assessment, praising the variety brought by the non-Winwood/Capaldi compositions and the power of the lengthy title track, and claiming the album "marked the commercial and artistic apex of the second coming of Traffic".[2] In addition, Robert Christgau commented on the band's growth from previous efforts, stating that while the group is "devoid of intellectual thrust," they're "onto something," and "when it works, it suggests a nice paradox—relaxed and exciting at the same time."[5] Pop Matters offered yet another viewpoint, calling it "an album that's easy to listen to over and over, but one that seldom shows up on 'best of' lists." It commented that most of the songs are highly underrated and require multiple listens to appreciate.[6]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hidden Treasure"Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi4:11
2."The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"Winwood, Capaldi11:41[nb 1]
3."Light Up or Leave Me Alone"Capaldi4:48
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Rock & Roll Stew"Ric Grech, Jim Gordon4:23
5."Many a Mile to Freedom"Winwood, Anna Capaldi[7]7:16
6."Rainmaker"Winwood, Capaldi7:52
Total length:40:11
2002 bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Rock & Roll Stew Parts 1 & 2"Grech, Gordon6:07

Note: This is different from the "Rock & Roll Stew Part 1" and "Part 2" recordings on the single. It is a previously unreleased version which is the most complete studio performance of the song. The album version fades earlier than this version. Part 1 on the single is an edit (with shortened instrumental break) of the album version. Part 2 (side B of the single) fades in at a point past the album version's fadeout. This is also the version of "Rock & Roll Stew" that appears on the Gold compilation.

Personnel

Traffic

with:

Technical

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1972 Billboard 200 7[9]

Singles

Year Song Chart Position
1972 "Rock & Roll Stew Part 1" Billboard Hot 100 93[10]

Certifications
Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA Gold 7 February 1972
Platinum 3 March 1996

Notes
  1. Commonly listed incorrectly on labels as 12:10.

Both LP and CD pressings exist with “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone” as the fifth track of the album instead of the third. The other tracks are in the correct order.

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 207. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
  2. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys at AllMusic
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 16 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  5. Traffic reviews, Robert Christgau. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  6. Lankford, Ronnie D., Jr. (30 May 2002.) Album review, Pop Matters.
  7. As shown on the original LP label and in the "BMI database".. Later releases credit Jim Capaldi instead of Anna, as does the ASCAP database.
  8. "Steve Winwood website".
  9. "Billboard 200 - Traffic". Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  10. "Billboard Hot 100 - Traffic". Retrieved 20 September 2017.
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