# Steve Winwood vs Traffic



## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Steve Winwood is one of the true icons of classic rock. He joined Spencer Davis Group at age 14. They recorded one of their stellar songs, _Gimme Some Lovin'_ when Steve was only 18. Then he helped to formed Blind Faith, and Traffic. Then he went solo.

Steve Winwood has that golden, smooth voice; the Sam Cooke of the rock era.

So let me throw this out to you. Was he better during the Traffic days or during his solo career. I really like his whole career. I do think that maybe there were more great songs during Traffic. But I think that his voice got better during his solo years.

I'm going to leave two Traffic songs then two solo songs below. What are your thoughts on Steve Winwood vs Traffic?


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I choose Traffic, but I'm biased as they are one of my favourite groups from the late 60s/70s. Overall, I think Traffic brought out the best in Winwood as their broad musical palette over the course of seven years with different line-ups stretched him as both a player and songwriter. Still amazing to think that when he dissolved Traffic he was still only 26.

Of his pre-solo career the only real bust was his stint with the unsatisfying Air Force project where everyone seemed to get in each others way. Debut album aside, I found much of Winwood's solo stuff a bit too glossy for my liking but that is no reflection on my admiration of him as a player, singer and writer - he is without doubt one of the finest rock talents that the UK has produced.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

I was a huge Traffic fan back in the day. Played them on my radio show many times and back when I could tickle the ivories _Low Spark_ was in my repertoire. But I'd also like to go with his solo career and the huge commercial success he had in the late 80's, the top ten hits and album, and the two Grammys. So for me, it's a fine line, a very fine line, split decision!


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Steve W. has one of my all-time pop euphoria classics in _Freedom Overspill_; the song knocks me out every time I listen to it. Clapton and Winwood Live at Madison Square Garden has the two legends tearing down the house. Plus great stuff both with Traffic as mentioned, and I also liked much--not all, but much--in Blind Faith: _Sea of Joy_, for instance. Put me in the same room with Room2201974!


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2018)

This is a really cool website with a page entitled "Steve Winwood in 20 Songs" -

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/steve-winwood-in-20-songs/

Right below the photograph and the first paragraph is a "play box" which contains 30 second snippets of 20 songs from all stages of his career.

I can't choose one career moment over any of the others for one of my personal top five artists and so my answer will be c.) All of the above...


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

nearly 60 and I still return to both Traffic and Winwood's solo stuff.......the highlights are many and choosing or differentiating between the two seems almost inconsequential for many reasons. However I would just like to highlight certain tracks/songs that perhaps summarise why I am still so likely to listen to this music although they are not always part of 'lists' (indulge me!)

Winwood solo

'Hold on' and 'Vacant Chair' from the first solo album that had the misfortune to be released in the middle of '77.
'Arc of a diver'.....nothing needs to be said about the title track!

Traffic

'Sometimes I feel so uninspired' from 'On the road'......wonderful in so many ways and one of the songs that attracted me to the band when I was 14.
Glad/Freedom Rider AND Empty Pages from John Barleycorn....the third trak listed I listen too with more frequency than a lot of other music.
'Many a mile to Freedom' off....is it shoot out or low spark?.....but what a song.......

could keep on going but not necessary......essential point is in the context of this debate I am no use at all...

......and that is before we even mention stuff with Blind Faith.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Low Spark is my favored album. I also like Shoot Out The Fantasy Factory. I don't listen to the solo stuff, although I listened to Back In The High Life in the mid 80s.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I prefer Winwood's time in Blind Faith & Traffic to his solo career. Winwood's 80s music was a tad too pop oriented for my tastes. (I remember it was played in discos...) I've been listening to the Blind Faith album lately, and it totally deserves its status as one of the classic rock albums of the 1960s. Winwood & Clapton are at their best. IMO, Winwood never wrote better or more original or more meaningful lyrics than on that album--and I'm thinking particularly of "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Presence of the Lord". It's also arguably a slightly more consistent album than any of Traffic's LPs, as fine as those were. Although "John Barleycorn Must Die" is a classic too. So, he traded Eric Clapton & Ginger Baker in for Dave Mason & Jim Capaldi. Traffic was more about jazz & long jams. While in Clapton, Winwood had arguably the finest rock guitarist of the era (alongside Jimi Hendrix). I'm grateful for all of it.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Traffic every time.


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