Comments for Traffic, The Best of Traffic

"Best of" was a career retrospective thrown out shortly after the band broke up for the first time in early 1969. The American version of the album was black, in somber tribute to "the passing" of one of the great late '60s progressive bands. "Best" wraps the best of Traffic's first three albums, kicking off with their summer of '67 classic "Paper Sun" and wrapped up with their early-era anthem, "Dear Mr. Fantasy." You could probably find this puppy real cheap in old record shops, and a more expensive import version (British) is available at some record stores. "Smiling Phases" (1991) and the forthcoming single-disc retrospective make "Best" more than a little obsolete.

If you hate 1970s Traffic them this is the album for you. Otherwise get Smiling Phases instead.