In his own words
Influence of music, early in life
They tell me I was the record player in the family. My parents had a collection of different records, like Bing Crosby and stuff. It was one of those old fashioned things. I got heavily into classical, and ah, Bill Haley. (Traffic Jam, Hohman, Townley, Downbeat, Jan. 1975)
On Picking Up the Flute
One thing led to another. I think it was a record by Dizzy Gillespe, who used to have a flutist who doubled on guitar. This is going back awhile; I believe it was Les Spann. I heard that, and I liked the sound of the flute immediately. Just the sound. (Traffic Jam, Hohman, Townley, Downbeat, Jan. 1975)
Going to the Berkshire Cottage, Spring, 1967
Our point in going into hiding, as people said, was to get the best conditions to create our own sort of music. There’s this social scene in London and you have to be very strong as individuals not to get caught up in it. We prefer to get outside London. In the city you can’t just make noise whenever you want to. It’s important, to us anyway, to be able to do what we want just when we all feel like it. (Mason Capaldi Wood and Frog, P.J., Beat Instrumental, March 1969)
The Cottage Ghost
There’s one there you know…The people in the village say that the only thing that can exorcize it is Beatles music. (Traffic, David Dalton, Rolling Stone, May, 1969)
Evolution of Traffic’s Music circa 1968
The sort of change that’s coming is the sound, the overall sound itself, and how you play it. It’s going to be new anyway, because A – its going to be played by you in 1968, and B – if you’re aware of yourself as a human being, its going to tie up with the basic human experience, we hope. (Traffic, David Dalton, Rolling Stone, May, 1969)
Political Influence in Music
I don’t think it should become too political. I don’t agree with putting across a strong political point of view. It’s almost as bad as the society that people are fighting against. (Traffic, David Dalton, Rolling Stone, May, 1969)
Traffic’s first breakup (late ’68)
I think we got too involved with each other – which obviously can be a bad thing. You get too close, and before you know it, you have petty jealousies. (Mason Capaldi Wood and Frog, P.J., Beat Instrumental, March 1969)
On Traffic’s last album (1974)
Just using Steve’s studio helped, and our attitude has changed back to the way it was when we were making the first two Traffic albums. We, or at least I, haven’t really been satisfied with any since then, except perhaps Barleycorn. There’s more of a personal expression in When the Eagle Flies that represents a progression. Now we don’t go on stage thinking that there’s something missing, or not quite right like we did on the last two tours… (Traffic Lightens Up for American Tour, David Rensin, Rolling Stone, October 1974) * Published the same month that Traffic broke up for the second and last time.
Intentions for a solo album (Vulcan), and relation to Traffic’s sound
Well, first of all, I’m not going to attempt to sing, because I just haven’t a desire to sing. It’ll mainly be instrumental, with the sax or flute taking what I suppose are the vocal parts.
It’ll be, I suppose, rather similar (to Traffic); it’ll be the bit of Traffic you hear coming through what I do. But I don’t write too abstractly – I try to create a mood through the writing… (Chris Wood, in Talk In, Sounds, May, 1973)