Dear Mr. Fantasy Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic: A Celebration for Jim Capaldi
6 March 2010
7 Comments
4.0
Description
In January 2007 a fantastic line-up of guests gathered at the Roundhouse in London to pay tribute to the late Jim Capaldi of Traffic and to raise money for his children’s charity The Landmark Trust. Old friends such as Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens), Pete Townshend of The Who, Joe Walsh of The Eagles, Jon Lord of Deep Purple, Gary Moore, Dennis Locorriere of Dr. Hook and of course his Traffic colleague Steve Winwood, were joined by younger admirers such as Paul Weller and Th… More >>
Dear Mr. Fantasy Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic: A Celebration for Jim Capaldi
This may have been a good concert to have attended, but overall the music was below par for the fans of Traffic. In my humble opinion, Steve Winwood should have spent much more time on stage. John Barleycorn in particular suffered from not having Steve Winwood sing and play guitar. So, unless you are a hardcore fan, save your money and use it to purchase The Last Traffic Jam instead.
Rating: 1 / 5
This is one of the best rock concerts I have ever seen,these guys jam.The audio as well as the video are top of the line.
Rating: 5 / 5
Astounding the number of friends that Jim Capaldi had, all the way from new wave (Paul Weller, who jumpstarts the show with “Paper Sun”) to a guy from that forgotten-but-not-quite-gone/Shel Silverstein vehicle group, Dr. Hook, Eagle Joe Walsh, Bill Wyman of the Stones, Jon Lord of Deep Purple, Wix Wickens of Paul McCartney’s newest band, Pete Townshend of the Who – and of course, Steve Winwood. Winwood’s newest “Traffic Incarnation” here is, for my money, the very best I’ve seen since the original Winwood/Capaldi/Wood/Mason(?) edition (and that includes that 90′s thing). Mark Rivera of Ringo’s band does a SPLENDID job as musical director here and as a musician, he is easily about 100 times superior to that guy who had the temerity to fill the “faux Chris Wood/wind instrument” role on the aforementioned “Traffic Reunion” tour. Just one slight quibble, really, he shouldn’t been one of the three voices (the other 2 being Winwood and Joe Walsh) on the show’s closer, the sublime “Love Will Keep Us Alive.” I don’t know who the guitarist of the “house band,” was, but I do believe he’ll go to Heaven for his handling of the guitar solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – THAT, as part of the same song, drummer Simon “Free/Bad Company” Kirke’s performance of “Whale Meat Again.” Kirke absolutely steals the show out from under everybody else (watch the DVD and see if you don’t agree). The only thing that mars this tribute is the presence of Elton Jann’s screamingly moronic, over-reactive “percussionist,” Ray Cooper, who cannot even whack a triagle or tambourine without pulling the stupidist faces or gesticulating like he’s having a seizure; he almost ruined that multiple sclerosis/Tribute for Faces bassist Ronnie Lane-thing back in 1983, by doing the same thing. Regardless – this is THE music DVD to purchase in 2008 – and, believe me, that most assuredly and ESPECIALLY includes “Shine A Light,” the movie that made people ask “oh, are the Stones still together?”
Rating: 5 / 5
The Dear Mr Fantasy tribute to Jim Capaldi is one I happened on by sheer accident for under five dollars in a bargain bin at San Diego’s Sam Goody music store. Fully aware that a lot of tributes are pure crap, I took a chance on this after seeing the all-star lineup and after some goading from a friend who bought the other copy that was in the bin.
Well, what a find! In the more than two hours of music you get, there are a whole lot of excellent Capaldi/Traffic covers and nothing at all that is unlistenable. Fans of Traffic who are unfamiliar with Capaldi’s solo work will find a lot to delight them and that rare fan of Capaldi’s solo work who is blissfully unaware of his work with Traffic should achieve the same level of musical satisfaction.
I could go on and on but I won’t. Here are what I think are the highlights: Paper Sun, which aptly features Paul Weller as the song is so very Welleresque; Living on the Outside which features Joe Walsh, Bill Wyman and Jon Lord; Elixir of Life featuring Dennis Locorriere; Whale Meat Again, which features Simon Kirke; Joe Walsh’s stormy assault on Forty Thousand Headmen; Yusuf Islam’s plangent cover of Man With No Country; a tasty take of the title cut featuring Steve Winwood; the bluesy Evil Love featuring Gary Moore that I think is the DVD’s best cut; a convincing John Barleycorn Must Die that features Joe Walsh; and the funky Rock and Roll Stew that features Dennis Locorriere, Margo Buchanan and Stevie Lange.
This flaming bargain comes with an attractive booklet packed with pictures, DVD info, the story of Traffic, and various tributes to Jim Capaldi from some of the key participants in the concert. If you are a fan of Traffic or of Capaldi on any level, then you should pick this DVD up soon. This is one tribute that does justice to the music of its subject.
Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this DVD to see more of Steve Windwood. Instead, I got introduced to the genius of Jim Capaldi’s music, and also to Gary Moore. Anyone who has never seen Gary Moore play Jim Capaldi’s”Evil Love” will be amazed and never forget it. That song and performance is in the top ten performances of all time in my opinion. I think that the only place to see it and hear it is on this video. Well worth the investment.
Rating: 5 / 5
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