John Barleycorn Must Die
Quick Summary
The album John Barleycorn Must Die is by the British rock group Traffic. The album, released in 1970, marked a reunion of core members Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Jim Capaldi. The album's title refers to the folkloric personification of alcohol, "John Barleycorn," a figure dating back to at least 1620. Traffic was known for blending rock with jazz-like improvisation, and this album continued that tradition, moving away from pop songcraft towards free-form improvisation. The album was a commercial success and was followed by other successful releases by the 1970s iteration of Traffic.123
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