SOUND OF TRAFFIC
VA - Traffic Sounds (A Butterboy Compilation) (4 x CDs)
There are moments in music when everything slows down, not because the tempo drops, but because the musicians have stepped into a deeper room. A room where the air is warm, the groove breathes, and emotion becomes something you can hold in your hands. Traffic lived in that room. They didn’t visit it, they built it. And for those of us who respond to that atmosphere, that humid, analog, slow‑burn magic, their work becomes a compass. Traffic Sounds is built around that compass.
This anthology works because its emotions obey laws as real as gravity. Each Traffic anchor track creates its own emotional climate, humid groove, rhythmic fire, quiet melancholy, or bittersweet glow, and every song that follows is chosen because it naturally falls into that orbit. Nothing is forced. Nothing is stretched. The music gathers around each anchor the way warm air gathers around a flame, forming a world with its own temperature, its own atmosphere, and its own direction of movement. These songs breathe the same analog air, move with the same inward patience, and reveal themselves slowly, the way human truth always does. They are bound together not by genre, but by feel, the deep, human feel that Traffic mastered.
Across all four discs, the emotional physics remain constant, interplay instead of competition, warmth instead of sharpness, honesty instead of performance. Every track listens, leans, and lives inside the same slow‑burn universe. By allowing Traffic to appear only as the opening gravitational mass, the set creates a beautiful symmetry, Traffic defines the space, and every other artist inhabits it with respect and authenticity. The result is a seamless emotional landscape, one that feels alive, human, and quietly luminous. This is a curated environment, a place where the listener can step inside and experience the full spectrum of Traffic’s emotional gravity through the voices of many.
Seventy‑four artists, seventy‑four perspectives, all breathing the same air. Every track is a match to its anchor. Every selection carries the same emotional weight, the same sonic warmth, the same human truth.
If you’ve lived with Traffic, you already know the room I’m talking about. If you’re new to it, this anthology is your doorway. Either way, what you hold here is a faithful exploration of that world, a set built with care, intention, and respect for the music that inspired it.
Taken together, they form a single emotional map, a complete sonic universe built around the deepest qualities of Traffic’s music. Welcome to Traffic Sounds.
Take your time. Let it unfold. Let it breathe. Let it speak. (B)
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Track lists
CD1
01 Traffic - Roll Right Stones 13:47 1973
02 Little feat - On Your Way Down (2023 Remaster) 5:33 1973
03 Boz Scaggs - Loan Me A Dime 13:04 1969
04 Allman Brothers Band - Dreams 7:19 1969
05 Van Morrison - Listen to the Lion 10:58 1972
06 Free - Heavy Load 5:23 1970
07 Manassas - Sugar Babe 4:19 1972
08 War - Four Cornered Room 8:35 1972
09 Blind Faith - Sea of Joy 5:22 1969
10 Dave Mason - Sad and Deep as You 3:36 1970
11 J.J. Cale - Durango 5:30 1971
12 Spooky Tooth & Pierre Henry - Waiting for The Wind (Single A-Side) 3:30 1969
13 John Martyn - I'd Rather Be The Devil 6:19 1973
14 Roy Buchanan - The Messiah Will Come Again 5:54 1971
15 Jim Capaldi - Eve 3:35 1972
16 David Crosby - Laughing 5:17 1971
17 Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard it Through The Grapevine 11:05 1969
18 Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking 7:15 1971
19 Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto 6:54 1970
20 Terry Reid - Seed of Memory 5:23 1976
CD2
01 Traffic - Shoot Out at The Fantasy Factory 6:07 1973
02 Ten Years After - 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain 7:37 1970
03 Steely Dan - Your Gold Teeth II 4:11 1975
04 Pretty Things - Cries From The Midnight Circus 6:28 1970
05 Savoy Brown - Hellbound Train 9:02 1972
06 Golden Earring - The Vanilla Queen 9:16 1976
07 Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin' 3:30 1973
08 Steve Winwood - Night Train 7:51 1980
09 Can - Future Days 9:32 1973
10 Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride 5:55 1971
11 Funkadelic - Nappy Dugout 4:37 1973
12 Fleetwood Mac - Oh Well (Part 2) 5:39 1969
13 Colosseum - Lost Angeles 5:30 1971
14 Dr John - Right Place Wrong Time 2:53 1973
15 Babe Ruth - Wells Fargo 6:16 1972
16 Joe Walsh - Turn to Stone 3:48 1972
17 Santana - Waves Within 3:53 1972
18 Meters - Cissy Strut 3:01 1969
19 Canned Heat - Refried Boogie 33:41 1968
20 Mott The Hoople - Sea Diver 2:55 1971
CD3
01 Traffic - (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired 7:33 1973
02 Leon Russell - A Song for You 4:08 1970
03 George Harrison - Beware of Darkness 3:22 1970
04 Nick Drake - River Man 4:15 1969
05 Judee Sill - The Kiss 4:36 1971
06 Tim Hardin - It'll Never happen Again 2:33 1966
07 Pat Kilroy - Light of Day 3:00 1968
08 Roy Harper - Another Day 3:00 1970
09 Richard Thompson - Dimming of the Day 3:51 1975
10 David Blue - These 23 Days in September 5:29 1968
11 Alan Trajan - One Tends to Get Bitter Now and Again 2:18 1969
12 Michael Chapman - Postcards of Scarborough 5:19 1970
13 Tim Buckley - Once I Was 3:15 1967
14 Mickey Newbury - Heaven Help The Child 4:13 1973
15 Ron Elliott - The Candlestick Maker Suite, Dark Into Dawn, Questions 14:53 1969
16 Hollies - Down River 4:10 1972
17 Hopewell - With Tomorrow 3:25 2006
18 Neneh Cherry - Trouble Man 3:57 1996
19 Jackson Browne - Song for Adam 5:13 1972
20 Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home 3:16 1969
CD4
01 Traffic - Evening Blue 5:19 1973
02 Pink Floyd - Us and Them 7:51 1973
03 King Crimson - I Talk to the Wind 6:06 1969
04 Jellybread - Evening 7:15 1970
05 Steve Winwood - Spanish Dancer 5:59 1980
06 David Sylvian - Orpheus 4:51 1987
07 Talk Talk - The Rainbow 8:02 1988
08 Poco - Magnolia 6:19 1971
09 Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms 7:00 1981
10 Bruce Springsteen - Racing in the Street 6:55 1978
11 Roxy Music - Avalon 4:14 1982
12 Sandy Denny - Who Knows Where the Time Goes 4:31 1968
13 Barclay James Harvest - Mockingbird 6:38 1971
14 Mark Lanegan - The River Rise 4:29 1994
15 Radiohead - Pyramid Song 4:48 2001
16 Wilco - Reservations 7:22 2002
17 Van Morrison - Country Fair 5:40 1974
18 The War on Drugs - Thinking of a Place 11:10 2017
19 Mark-Almond - The City 8:16 1971
20 Camel - A Song Within A Song 7:13 1975
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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Belissima coletânea!! Obrigado por compartilhar!!
ReplyDeleteHi Beto,
DeleteMany thanks. I'm really pleased you enjoying the collection. Traffic's music has always been a favourite of mine, so this was a particularly enjoyable compilation to put together.
Cheers.
Butterboy, thanks for another great-looking comp. I am looking forward to a listen.
ReplyDeleteI also like your art, you must spend a lot of time creating cover art for your comps..
Also, thanks for including release year in the meta-data. I always like to see when a track was released when comparing it to others...
Hi Mike,
DeleteThanks for the kind words. I hope you enjoy the listen.
The artwork probably takes almost as long as the music selection sometimes, but it's a part of the process I really enjoy. AI does make the job easier for artwork these days but composing the script for good artwork often takes several attempts and many revisions.
I'm also pleased you noticed the release years in the metadata, it adds a bit of context and makes it easier to follow an artist's development or place a track in its proper era.
Cheers.
Thanks again BB!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alain.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the way this set has been structured.
Cheers.
HI BB,
ReplyDeletethank you very much for another great compilation!
Cheers, Giulio
and thanks also for a very unique art work!
DeleteHi Giulio,
DeleteMany thanks for your kind words. I'm delighted you enjoyed both the music and the artwork. I always try to make the visual side of a compilation as enjoyable as the listening experience itself.
Cheers.
I recognize the feeling, even if the genre 'Traffic' (apart from the bandname) is new to me. It reminds me of my father, who loved to sit in a quiet room, drinking a sherry or cup of tea, and just let the room fall dark, at the end of the afternoon. No lights at all, just letting the evening 'drop'. Back then I didn't get it, now I do. And I will try it with this wonderful compilation. Thanks BB for another 'cab-ride' to where I have never been before.
ReplyDeleteHi Cor,
DeleteI know exactly what you mean. When we're younger, sitting quietly as the day fades away can seem a rather strange pastime, but with age comes an appreciation for those peaceful moments.
I'm honoured that this compilation might accompany one of those twilight reflections. Thanks for sharing such a personal story, and I'm glad Traffic Sounds could take you somewhere new.
Cheers.
Looking forward to this one, BB....looks fantastic. Thanks again for this magnificent site and all its treasures!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Etienne,
DeleteMany thanks for your kind words. I'm delighted you're looking forward to this one. Traffic has always been a favourite of mine, so it was a real pleasure putting this collection together.
Thanks also for your continued support of the blog. Comments like yours make all the effort worthwhile.
Cheers.
Another excellent comp and love the artwork.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Hi Steve,
DeleteMany thanks. I'm really pleased you enjoyed both the compilation and the artwork. Traffic's music lends itself beautifully to a journey like this, so it was a labour of love from start to finish.
Cheers.
Another work of excellence! Thank you, BB!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbus8,
DeleteMany thanks for your kind words. I'm delighted you enjoyed it. Traffic has always been a special band for me, so this was a particularly enjoyable compilation to put together.
Cheers.
A beautiful compilation! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Frank,
DeleteMany thanks. I'm pleased you enjoyed it. Traffic's music has provided me with years of listening pleasure, so putting this collection together was a real labour of love.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Cheers.
Thanks BB. Always been a fan of Steve. I remember buying Autumn 66. Saw him in Detroit with Eric & Ginger. Sat behind him at a Ravi Shankar concert. (He was so tiny and skinny, came in after the lights went down). Anyway he's not the only one here, lots to enjoy. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteHi lemonflag,
DeleteWhat a wonderful set of memories... those are the sort of moments that stay with you for a lifetime.
You're right, though. As important as Steve is to this collection, there are plenty of other musical roads to travel along the way. I hope you enjoy the journey.
Cheers.
Congratulations. What a great idea, and what high-quality content. As always, I am very grateful.
ReplyDeleteHi VILASMORA,
DeleteThank you very much for your generous words. I'm delighted that you enjoyed both the concept and the music. It's always rewarding to know that these compilations are appreciated by fellow music lovers.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Cheers.