![]() ![]() The lengthy cuts and medleys played great on the new, underground FM radio stations, and as a vinyl statement, the release easily stood tall in the racks alongside Let It Be, Led Zeppelin 3, and Déjà Vu.įollowing a couple of quick tours (accompanied by former Family/Blind Faith bassist Rick Grech), it was decided to expand the group, moving Jim Capaldi to percussion/front-man singer status next to Winwood, and adding Jim Gordon on drums and Rebop Kwaku on congas. In short, John Barleycorn Must Die was a miracle of rejuvenation. The simple, pastoral English folk of the title track fit in perfectly with the then-current Brit-folk resurgence spearheaded of the likes of Fairport Convention and The Pentangle. Opening with the 10-minute medley “Glad”/”Freedom Rider,” the band snaked and swam through funk, classical, jazz and rock, creating an aural masterpiece that still sounds vital today. ![]() Produced by Winwood, the group hit all the bases with a record that can easily be called definitive. The resulting album, John Barleycorn Must Die, was a bold and stylish resurrection that brought the group back to prominence in a very big way. The unfinished business that Traffic had became obvious, and the trio officially reunited at the dawn of 1970. A handful of tracks were cut, by which time Winwood had called in Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood for moral and musical support. ![]() Following Steve Winwood’s high-profile 1969 foray into Blind Faith, he had begun sessions for what was supposed to be a solo album for Island Records, tentatively to be called Mad Shadows (later to be used as a title for a Mott The Hoople LP). ![]()
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