The Psych Ward–Mr. Fantasy by Traffic
The Psych Ward–Mr. Fantasy by Traffic
Mr. Fantasy was the debut album by Traffic, the eclectic ensemble led by Steve Winwood. Released in December 1967, it was also the groupās only album to include multi-instrumentalist Dave Mason.
As the album starts ominously with diminished piano and flute, the musical tension signifies that all is not sunshine and rainbows. āHeaven Is In Your Mindā features fascinating panning of Winwood/Capaldi/Woodās harmony vocals. Itās best experienced with headphones as some verses are heard only in the left channel, others only in the right, to swooshing effect on the choruses.
It sounds like the band and the Small Faces are having quite the party while recording āBerkshire Poppies,ā inviting all to join in the whimsical merriment and slurry singalong chorus.
Dave Masonās hallucinatory, kaleidoscopic lyrics in āHouse for Everyoneā could be from a Lewis Carroll book. Following the fanciful verses, Chris Woodās saxophone subtly modulates the songās riff down a half-step, leaving the listener on shaky ground as it slowly grinds to a halt.
āNo Face, No Name, and No Numberā is an elegant elegy with orchestral sounds. Winwood yearns for an anonymous maiden, the listener is free to decide if she actually existed.
There are certain songs that take you āthere.ā Back to the wanderlust of your twenties or late teens and early dabbling in mind-altering substances; the years that became your own personal 1960s regardless of the decade. āDear Mr. Fantasyā is one of those songs, standing the acid test of time as one of the most emblematic tributes to psychedelic experimentation.
Depending on your perspective, Mr. Fantasy could be a troubadour, the bandās LSD dealer, Dr. Albert Hofmann who first synthesized lysergic acid, or the substance itself. For me, Mr. Fantasy ā both the album and title character ā is a time traveler. Opening a portal to the early 90ās, a college dorm lit by black light and lava lamp, early adventures of expanding horizons while the Grateful Dead and Traffic provided the soundtrack. Attending their mutual concert at Buckeye Lake in 1994, mostly missing Traffic while being too fazed by the drum circle under wind-swept treesā¦ but I digress!
Side B of this classic album is admittedly hit or miss. However, it includes worthy musical expeditions in the cosmic cowboy song āDealerā, the jazz shuffle āGiving to Youā, and the atmospheric sitar and tamboura in āUtterly Simple.ā
Overall, Mr. Fantasy is an enduring yet unheralded album that is highlighted by its titular title track, Winwoodās crooning, and the contrasts in Masonās vivid songwriting. Pure 1967 fun!
Related: The 100 Best Psychedelic Rock Albums of the Golden Age
The Top 200 Psychedelic Songs from the Original Psychedelic Era
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