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Traffic — 40,000 Headmen (Live)
Album: Welcome To The Canteen
Avg rating:
7.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1633









Released: 1971
Length: 6:01
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Forty thousand headmen couldn't make me change my mind
If I had to take the choice between the deafman and the blind
I know just where my feet should go and that's enough for me
I turned around and knocked them down and walked across the sea

Hadn't traveled very far when suddenly I saw
Three small ships a-sailing out towards a distant shore
So lighting up a cigarette I followed in pursuit
And found a secret cave where they obviously stashed their loot

Filling up my pockets, even stuffed it up my nose
I must have weighed a hundred tons between my head and toes
I ventured forth before the dawn had time to change its mind
And soaring high above the clouds I found a golden shrine

Laying down my treasure before the iron gate
Quickly rang the bell hoping I hadn't come too late
But someone came along and told me not to waste my time
And when I asked him who he was he said, 'Just look behind'

So I turned around and forty thousand headmen bit the dirt
Firing twenty shotguns each and man, it really hurt
But luckily for me they had to stop and then reload
And by the time they'd done that I was heading down the road
Comments (159)add comment
Back in the 1970s I worked a student job at a local factory ... one of the other students had been to South Africa and on his return had managed to germinate and grow some Durban Poison seeds; my purchase of this album coincided with the first ounce of his wonderful product.  Happy daze.
 bh1 wrote:

Much as I like the song this performance sounds like it was recorded in a high school gym on a cassette deck using the built in mic.



Well that's 1970's recording tech for you. I was listening to Dire Straights "Down to the waterline" here yesterday, and was staggered by the level of noise in the recording (just straight hiss) - and that was recorded in 1978.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that digital hasn't been a massive boon for music recording and reproduction.
Much as I like the song this performance sounds like it was recorded in a high school gym on a cassette deck using the built in mic.
This version a bit slower?  Still great...
 leafmold wrote:

Anyone hear "Diamonds and Rust"?



NO, just NO
When I learned that my new house-and trip-mates in Boulder had this same record in their vinyl collection as my former E-school buddies, I couldn't seem to celebrate nearly enough! Can't get much more above Standard Orbit than by jamming some good old Traffic!
 bronorb wrote:

I love this song but I have to say that I like the version by Blood, Sweat and Tears better. Probably because that is the first version I lisetened to. It's worth a listen if you like this one. More dynamics and I think the horns add a lot to the mood of the song.



This!
 Proclivities wrote:

I believe this song was released a few years before "Diamonds and Rust".  The melodies do sound similar in spots (especially both being in minor keys), but the chord progressions are different.
 

The main thing I like about RP, besides the music, is the commenters who seem to really know music. Some have strong technical knowledge, others musical knowledge (and some probably both). Such a trove of wisdom.
 itsme_bygolly wrote:

We've gotten spoiled by all the advances in recording technology. I can edit on a desktop and it will sound better than an entire studio of analog equipment. That said, next to today's standards this recording could really benefit from a remaster.
 

I'm no recording expert, but I was under the impression that a lot of engineers still prefer analog equipment.  Buying up old Pultecs and EMT140s for prices that make me do a double take. People also seem to be going back to tracking more instruments at the same time in the same room. Throwing away the click tracks. We definitely lost something along the way and people are trying to figure out how to go back.
 leafmold wrote:
Anyone hear "Diamonds and Rust"?
 
Joan Baez in her best soprano.  But she didn't sing thru a soup can.
 haresfur wrote:

Or in the Caff on the cover.

I think Traffic would get a lot more praise if the engineering on so many of their albums didn't suck so much.
 
We've gotten spoiled by all the advances in recording technology. I can edit on a desktop and it will sound better than an entire studio of analog equipment. That said, next to today's standards this recording could really benefit from a remaster.
First time I've heard this, what a jam!
 haresfur wrote:

Or in the Caff on the cover.

I think Traffic would get a lot more praise if the engineering on so many of their albums didn't suck so much.
 

There is a Jim Capaldi tribute live album & Joe Walsh sings lead.  Nice version.
I kinda miss my old cassette version of this in my '56 VW.  Don't miss the Vee-Dumpster though.
 garyalex wrote:

This sounds like it was recorded in a barrel.  Great tune, though.
 
Or in the Caff on the cover.

I think Traffic would get a lot more praise if the engineering on so many of their albums didn't suck so much.
Always double full moon and more.  :D
A band of future great independent musicians, Steve Winwood, Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood. Great sound.
C cool
8 to 9.
 leafmold wrote:
Anyone hear "Diamonds and Rust"?

 
I believe this song was released a few years before "Diamonds and Rust".  The melodies do sound similar in spots (especially both being in minor keys), but the chord progressions are different.
Man that flute and Windwoods voice, still gives me goose bumps 45 years later. 8
{#Roflol}   one of my fav's by traffic
Intriguing lyrics.
 leafmold wrote:
Anyone hear "Diamonds and Rust"?
 
Every time.
Anyone hear "Diamonds and Rust"?
saw them play this song during the concert tour stop in Anaheim, California.  Still fond memories of a great concert.
 flyboy50 wrote:
Purple Microdot

 
Purple barrels.  Probably some really cheap bathtub stuff, but it did work!
{#Guitarist}Thanks Bill
The usual rambling stoner mess from these guys! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Exactly... Especially from the labs of Dr. Fun in St. Louie & The Chem Boys in Steelville, Missouri - fueled many Two-Day Trip Parties!
——- 
ick wrote:
4 Way Window Pane

4 Way Window Pane
This album was a cutout bin favorite. A bargain for fans at $1.99 (when new LPs were $4.00).
 oldfart48 wrote:
WHO'S TURN IN THE BARREL ?

 
This sounds like it was recorded in a barrel.  Great tune, though.
Huzzah!

 

Bobert_ParkCity wrote:
Now, a lot of you come on here to complain about sonic bombast and insult, but consider this segue:

Live Townes Van Zandt to live Traffic.    Ok, it's TO tp TR, but besides that, also brilliant. And our boy Bill does this ALL THE TIME

Kudos 

 


White

Blotter......
 

Now, a lot of you come on here to complain about sonic bombast and insult, but consider this segue:

Live Townes Van Zandt to live Traffic.    Ok, it's TO tp TR, but besides that, also brilliant. And our boy Bill does this ALL THE TIME

Kudos 
Purple Microdot
 Rh wrote:
Orange sunshine
 


My vinyl collection is small , but includes this classic album from these talented guys.
Stuck in Traffic, Bill.
Could someone please explain to me why I like this song so much?!
 dcginc wrote:
#yum!
Welcome to the Canteen is the fifth album by English rock band Traffic. It was recorded live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and the Oz Benefit Concert, London, July 1971 and released in September of that year. It was recorded during Dave Mason's third stint with the band, which lasted only six performances.

 
Felix Dennis, editor of Oz and benificiary of the OB Concert, died yesterday
Supremely talented dudes! Genius overflow! Still brings the chills that I first got hearing this at a trip-party in E-School way back when.
 dcginc wrote:
#yum!
Welcome to the Canteen is the fifth album by English rock band Traffic. It was recorded live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and the Oz Benefit Concert, London, July 1971 and released in September of that year. It was recorded during Dave Mason's third stint with the band, which lasted only six performances.

 

 oldfart48 wrote:
{#Sunny} these traffic jams are a pleasure.....

 
..... they certainly are :))
{#Sunny} these traffic jams are a pleasure.....
#yum!
Welcome to the Canteen is the fifth album by English rock band Traffic. It was recorded live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and the Oz Benefit Concert, London, July 1971 and released in September of that year. It was recorded during Dave Mason's third stint with the band, which lasted only six performances.
Whereas I quite like Fatima in rotation.
Brilliant. That kind of music should be higher in rotation then FATM for example.
Whole album is exellent!
Great song, Great performance.  Bad recording.
{#Bananapiano} ...... yes
 oldfart48 wrote:
yes............{#Dancingbanana}

 
Uuuhhh Huuuh!!!!     {#Drummer}
 caregiver wrote:
Acid?

I don't know what you're talking about.  {#Whistle}

 

Love traffic!
 Krispian wrote:
Holy hell -- this is a fantastic song!

  play it loud...{#Dance} not one fake note, or " sampled  "crap




 caregiver wrote:


I don't know what you're talking about.  {#Whistle}

  WHO'S TURN IN THE BARREL ?


yes............{#Dancingbanana}
Holy hell -- this is a fantastic song!
 drictor wrote:

In my neck of the woods at the time they were purple.{#Roflol}


 

Mine were green
Never heard this before. Nice....
had this disc for years, one of my favs since college.  just picked it up on vinyl a few weeks ago, and man o man does it sound sa-weet  {#Cowboy}
 whtahtefcuk wrote:
Takes me back to the summer Traffic opened for the Dead... I think I saw Traffic live like 10 times that summer!  Beautifully haunting.
 
That is funny... I made this same comment 2 years ago.  So it goes
Takes me back to the summer Traffic opened for the Dead... I think I saw Traffic live like 10 times that summer!  Beautifully haunting.
Love the song....hate the recording 
 silby wrote:
I like the studio version of this one better...

More Traffic please!!!
 
I am with you!
I like the studio version of this one better...

More Traffic please!!!
Timeless
just amazing .I'm 14 again.
thanks Bill
 Encharma wrote:
Oh my my, oh hell yes ...... orange sunshine barrels  on a lazy afternoon in upstate new york .......sigh ....the good ol' days. One of my favorite songs of all time
 

I don't know what you're talking about.  {#Whistle}
 Cynaera wrote:
This song takes me on a journey... I won't go into details, but it involves camels, sand dunes, coveted jewels, and a couple of bad guys.  What a wonderful piece of music - I love Traffic...
 

Good luck on your journey.
I can't remember the last time I heard this song. Radio Paradise rocks!
:)
Something inside.
Lovin' this one - never heard it before now!  Thanks once again RP!
Dear Mr fantasy - won't you play more Traffic tunes?
Traffic one of the great 70s bands. Chris Woods's flute, haunting. Got the LP when a student in the early 70s.
 Stingray wrote:
MISTER REBOP KWAKU BAAH!

Plus WINWOOD

PLUS MASON

PLUS THE INCREDIBLE MISTER WOOD

PLUS RICK GRETCH

PLUS CAPALDI!

WHAT A BAND!!!
WOOOOOW


You got that right...
 


Great tune, great sound!!!
Nice!
 Encharma wrote:
Oh my my, oh hell yes ...... orange sunshine barrels  on a lazy afternoon in upstate new york .......sigh ....the good ol' days. One of my favorite songs of all time
 
In my neck of the woods at the time they were purple.{#Roflol}

very true words gypsyman, very true words. after all these years this tune and this version is still outstanding. 

 
gypsyman wrote:

If somebody's gotta explain it to you, you'll never get it.

 


Never liked the muddy recording.  Pity because I like the track otherwise.
 vandal wrote:
This song takes me on a moderately short journey: hitting the mute button and waiting patiently for it to be over. . . 
 
Sorry you were inconvenienced. Maybe a game of mumbletypeg while you wait...;)


This song takes me on a moderately short journey: hitting the mute button and waiting patiently for it to be over. . . 
Oh my my, oh hell yes ...... orange sunshine barrels  on a lazy afternoon in upstate new york .......sigh ....the good ol' days. One of my favorite songs of all time
 Cynaera wrote:
This song takes me on a journey... I won't go into details, but it involves camels, sand dunes, coveted jewels, and a couple of bad guys.  What a wonderful piece of music - I love Traffic...
 
...keep on goin'..{#Smile}
This song takes me on a journey... I won't go into details, but it involves camels, sand dunes, coveted jewels, and a couple of bad guys.  What a wonderful piece of music - I love Traffic...
Flashback...bong sessions, keggers, G.D.I. Parties, E-School Daze, Windowpane, Conehead, TFG, Click and the gang at The Brown Hole, Kenny B., Jimmy the Greek, H.B., Chuck the Fucker, Crash, Mindy, Elaine, Laura, Tish, Peggy, Janella, Cathy, Kim, Teresa, endless drinking at The Mine Shaft, the Kabuki Lounge, the Wagon Wheel, Two O' Nine, Top Hat; party cruises out to Green Acres, The Cliffs, Lane Springs... and through it all, Traffic was always somewhere in the background...such a rich sound, always lots going on, deep as you want to go, or plenty cool enough to just bop along on the surface...GOOD STUFF!



Loved this then and still do 40 frigging years later
Absolutely one of the most transporting songs of the era. Sit, back, maybe a little high, let this song take you places...
LOVE IT!!!
I think it was 94... Traffic opened for the Dead most of the summer... I saw them around 10 times... LOVED THEM LIVE... Wonderful!
 bam23 wrote:
Despite the many complaints about the recording quality, this sounds fine. You are there! Indeed it may have been an auto body repair shop, but it sounds immediate.
 
And authentic. Winwood impressed me long ago with not just his distinctive vocal timbre but also with use of percussion in his tunes.

Despite the many complaints about the recording quality, this sounds fine. You are there! Indeed it may have been an auto body repair shop, but it sounds immediate.
 Stingray wrote:
Excuse me - but TRAFFIC is another league!
A league of their own - I may even say!
 
Quite possibly. To use an English analogy, they'd be in the Unibond League Division 2...

Cool vibe to this song. I wish I were sitting with them in that photo. {#Cowboy}
CHRIS WOOD IS BADLY MISSED!!!!

Good to hear this again, somebody hijacked my album years ago..................you know who you are.............
I'm sure I'll attract haters galore on this next statement, but I always liked the BS&T cover of this, always thought it was more fun and more "tongue in cheek".  {#Whistle}
 gypsyman wrote:

If somebody's gotta explain it to you, you'll never get it.

 
That's exactly how it was recorded, and its still fantastic. 10

 crockydile wrote:
This sounds like it was recorded on someone's personal reel-to-reel tape deck with a Realistic microphone...in the back of the room... under a table.
 
If somebody's gotta explain it to you, you'll never get it.

 socalhol wrote:
I'm not a big fan of Traffic, but this is nice!  I think it would pair very well together with Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan"

 

Excuse me - but TRAFFIC is another league!
A league of their own - I may even say!

Sabbath? A few pranoid-good songs, sure!
But as a whole...?

Cannot and should not be compared to TRAFFIC!

 socalhol wrote:
I'm not a big fan of Traffic, but this is nice!  I think it would pair very well together with Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan"

 
Oooo - good call. {#High-five}
MISTER REBOP KWAKU BAAH!

Plus WINWOOD

PLUS MASON

PLUS THE INCREDIBLE MISTER WOOD

PLUS RICK GRETCH

PLUS CAPALDI!

WHAT A BAND!!!
WOOOOOW


I'm not a big fan of Traffic, but this is nice!  I think it would pair very well together with Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan"

 jagdriver wrote:
Love Traffic. Love Steve. RIP, Jim and Chris.
 
Me too!!!

wow, great track.  never heard it before.  thx Bill!
YES  {#Clap}

 
h8rhater wrote:
Hey Bill... break out the Medicated Goo!!!
 


Hey Bill... break out the Medicated Goo!!!
A peculiar song of which I've always been fond. There's a sad feeling about it.
 crockydile wrote:
This sounds like it was recorded on someone's personal reel-to-reel tape deck with a Realistic microphone...in the back of the room... under a table.
 
. . . while holding the mic under their armpit and repeatedly chanting under their breath, "god, please make it stop. . ."

{#Doh}

This sounds like it was recorded on someone's personal reel-to-reel tape deck with a Realistic microphone...in the back of the room... under a table.
Amazing.
Outstandingly cool y'all! {#Cool}
...this is quite acceptable after animals...
One of my favorite albums!!!  Exellent!!!

,,and its LIVE !  {#Jump}
wowzers!   I think I just had a great flashback!     ;))     And a chaser of Pentangle ....   flippin' cool !  

cool
One of my favorite Traffic albums. Thanks!

 wbeaver wrote:
Solid 8 just because Traffic is cool...
 

10 from me............
Solid 8 just because Traffic is cool...