On the Road (Traffic album)

On The Road is the second live album (two LPs on initial European releases; later reissued on one CD) by English rock band Traffic, released in 1973. Recorded live in Germany, it features the Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory band, with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of keyboardist Barry Beckett, bassist David Hood, and drummer Roger Hawkins.

On the Road
Live album by Traffic
Released	October 1973
Recorded	April 1973, Germany
Genre	Progressive rock jazz fusion jam rock
Length	75:59
Label	Island
Producer	Chris Blackwell
Traffic chronology
Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (1973) On the Road (1973) When the Eagle Flies (1974)

The initial U.S. release of On the Road (Island/Capitol) was a single LP consisting of "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" (edited to 15:10), "Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory", "(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired", and "Light Up or Leave Me Alone".

The album reached number 40 in the UK^[1] and number 29 in the USA.^[2]

Reception

In their retrospective review, Allmusic praised the playing of Roger Hawkins, David Hood, and Barry Beckett, but condemned the album for both stretching the songs out for too long and failing to improve on the "lackluster" studio versions of the three songs from Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory.^[3]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Glad" / "Freedom Rider"	Steve Winwood / Winwood, Jim Capaldi	20:49

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tragic Magic"	Chris Wood	8:30
2.	"(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired"	Winwood, Capaldi	10:20

Side three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory"	Winwood, Capaldi	6:40
2.	"Light up or Leave Me Alone"	Capaldi	10:30

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"	Winwood, Capaldi	17:35

U.S. & Canada LP track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"	Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi	15:10
2.	"Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory"	Winwood, Capaldi	6:47

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired"	Winwood, Capaldi	10:20
2.	"Light Up or Leave Me Alone"	Capaldi	10:45

Personnel

• Steve Winwood – guitar, lead vocals (1, 3, 4, 6), piano
• Chris Wood – flute, saxophone
• Jim Capaldi – percussion, lead vocals (5), backing vocals, drums (4)
• Rebop Kwaku Baah – congas, percussion
• Barry Beckett – organ, piano
• David Hood – bass
• Roger Hawkins – drums

Production notes:

• Chris Blackwell – producer
• Brian Humphries – engineer
• Jimmy Johnson – mixing
• Jeff Willens – mastering
• Ann Borthwick – cover art
• Brian Cooke – photography

Charts

Chart (1973-1974)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[4]	51
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[5]	43
UK Albums (OCC)[6]	29
US Billboard 200[7]	29

References

1. "Traffic in the UK Charts" Archived 2011-11-20 at the Wayback Machine, The Official Charts. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
2. "Traffic in the USA Charts", Allmusic. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
3. On the Road at AllMusic
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 312. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4976a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
6. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
7. "Traffic Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.